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Get used to it. Mike Scioscia put David Murphy into the leadoff spot last night, mostly based on the idea that Murphy has more RBI's against Felix Hernandez than anybody else in Major League Baseball. The fact that in his entire career Murphy had only batted leadoff in 12 other games. 18 total Plate Appearances. 13 total at-bats. 4 career hits.
Well, it worked. On the upside, we got a much-needed win out of that move. On the downside, we can expect Sosh to use last night as a reason to leave Murphy there the rest of the season.
So here, enjoy some Lucky Links...
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Angels Baseball
Huston Street: Word comes out that Street came down with flu-like symptoms on Sunday, and that he has needed a couple of days to recover. Supposedly, he was throwing up in the bullpen prior to his appearance. The jokes write themselves here. I am superfluous. But, for the worried, he is due back tonight...........
Cattle Call: Arte is opening the floodgates to the GM search. The names are adding up so fast that soon they will be needing to do all that interviewing via Twitter. With the additions of (how many have YOU heard of???) Ross Atkins, Tony Clava, Hal Morris and Mike Hazen we are up to 7 so far. To me, all these names sound a lot like "Dick Walsh"..........
David Murphy: Murphy must be impressed by Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. Or In'N'Out locations every 5 miles. Or maybe he took advantage of the OC beaches. because in his very short time here he has already decided that he wants Arte to pick up his option so that he can stay. But here we go. The luxury tax discussions get in the way. I'll leave it to you to figure out if this outcome is a good thing or a bad thing............
Matt Shoemaker: Shooey threw a simulated game yesterday and reports are that he looked great, well enough that he might start this weekend against Minnesota. Maybe we need to try this "simulated game" thing on some of the other starters in our rotation?..........
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Elsewhere in Baseball
Drip: Some things are just not supposed to happen. Things like coming back from 3 runs down on your final strike of the game against a dude who swears that preventing just that event in that situation is the only thing you are even allowed to ask him to do. Or...this....having a multi-million dollar stadium with a retractable roof to protect the people inside (who paid for it) from rain, dump rain on the people inside (who paid for it)..........
Boom: Alex Rios of the Kansas City Royals hit a home run. It happens. And after his home run fireworks were shot off to celebrate. That happens too. Too bad for Mr. Fireworks Setter Offer that all this happened in Cleveland............
Stockpiling: The Rangers made a run at Stephen Strasburg last winter?? When you look at the players who moved to teams like the Astros, Rangers and Royals at the trade deadline, and you add in discussions like this, you have to wonder why Anaheim is now so far out of the mainstream in team building/tuning? Even the Padres powered up. Well, at least they tried. It's becoming a theme. Why does it feel like everybody else is playing with a fuller deck of cards than us?............
OMNI: MLB fan voting awards marches down the trail blazed by The People's Choice Awards and MTV. Seriously. "Best Trending Topic"???...........Throwing out batters at first base is common. But right fielders are only supposed to be this in Little League...........This fan tried to catch a foul ball and - boink! - clearly needs to wear glasses. Oh, wait. He WAS wearing glasses.............Here's an idea that's time has come. Arte should mimic this gold watch as a lifetime pass idea. Instead of granting a pass to Ebbets Field, which no longer exists, he should offer it up for Anaheim Stadium, which already doesn't exist.............Anybody have any idea why the unimaginative and unromantic Angels franchise refuses to allow marriage proposals via the Jumbotron in Anaheim?
How much it costs to propose at every Major League Baseball stadium. pic.twitter.com/NpjYOdTQ4g
— Eric Fawcett (@Efawcett7) July 23, 2015
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