WeekEnd HaloLinks: Angels Hope for Rays of Sunshine

Not much happened yesterday. No game played, anyway. I should point out for you history mavens that yesterday, May 5th, is the 44th anniversary of Bo Belinsky's no-hitter, the first in LA Angels history.

Oh, Hey. Heads up today. It has been rumored that today might be the much-anticipated "more PEDs suspension announcements" day. It's kind of a big deal. Montreal Labs has started using a much better detection system, which can find trace elements left behind by metabolic processes long after steroids have otherwise been passed by the body. This is a surprise to athletes, who know they will be tested upon reporting to camp. Normally they would stop steroids use a few weeks before reporting, perhaps adding over-hydration and masking agents, thinking that they would be good at camp. But this year they are getting caught. And the news of the better testing comes too late for athletes to hide winter abuse. So we could see more big names getting called out.

Let's have a day of Keep-Our-Fingers-Crossed -It-Ain't-Any-Of-Our-Guys Links:

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Everywhere In Baseball

Razzing: Yep. That schedule is correct. Garrett Richards was scratched (not much of a secret) and Cory Rasmus is filling in..........Richards, as we are learning, is suffering from fatigue. This is one of those Inigo Montoya moments.  They keep using that word. I do not think it means what they think it means..............

Radio Flyer: The Angels are calling up Steve Klauke, who does the radio broadcasts for the Salt Lake Bees, to do LAA radio broadcasts for the three games coming up in Seattlle, May 13-15. If he does the past-game show, too, things might get interesting..........

Zika Rico: MLB is about to announce its decision about the upcoming Pirates/Marlins series in Puerto Rico, and whether they move the games away from PR due to Zika virus concerns. This whole thing has the PR toursim board up in arms.............

Million Dollar Baby: In 1980 Nolan Ryan became Baseball's first Million Dollar player, signing with the Astros. (Catfish Hunter nabbed over $1 million in 1975, but that was because of a $1 million signing bonus.)  Well, Houston strikes again. The Scrap-Yard Dawgs women's fast-pitch softball team just signed Monica Abbott to a $1 million contract...........(Yeah, I know. Ryan was getting $1 million every year while Abbot is getting hers spread over 6 years. But let's take what kind of tie-ins we can get, ok?)............

No (s)Hit: On yeah. Google Colin Rea and see all the news he made last night taking a no-hitter into the 7th inning. Wow. Such a thing must be extremely important. Rare, perhaps. So close. If only.......Yeah, like if only he were a rookie and his manager would pull him anyway. Like with Ross Stripling. And like with Adam Conley just the other night. Then taking a no-hitter that far into a game and losing it isn't such a tragedy................

Fun Daze: Joe Maddon remains committed to Making Baseball Fun Again..........No, really, Maddon is totally down with Bryce Harper's mission..........Just don't go flipping your bat. That's too much even for Joe..........But apparently Dexter Fowler has some old-timer unwritten rule against Cinco De Mayo of his own..............But watch out. Adam Conley is going to get his some day..........

Auguring In: Curt Schilling, fired from ESPN and ignored by Fox Sports, has decided to strike out on his own and create his own baseball channel using Periscope. With no marketing engine to prop up his sense of self-importance, I wonder how he is going to react to small numbers?..........

I Surrender: Seriously. Sam Miller's new book is getting so much baseball blog coverage this week that I have caved in and bought my own copy. I got me one of those new yellow Amazon Lockers at the 7-11 around the corner from my house the other day. Mine is named "Duffy". Maybe I use that...........

Eye Opener: Here is a team Stats Research Tip that might give you a hint on why where our problem is this season. BBR allows you to compare franchise rosters against each other using major stat categories. Look at this list of National League pitching staffs. Now click on ERA+ and watch that list get sorted from Best to Worst (ERA+ is park adjusted). Look at those teams at the top and look at their number. Now do that same with the American League list. Find the Angels. Now think about those two lists. This season should start to make a lot more sense, and it has a lot less to do with left field than we want to believe.............

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The Duffle Bag

Last night was a good night to be a baseball fan in Chicago..........A reminder that today is Tim Linceum Day in Phoenix. Another reminder that Kyle Lohse is more our luck..........Here are the Top 30 international prospects we have no ability to sign because we have Roberto Baldoquin. Baldo, injured, has played in only 3 games so far this season.........Katie Nolan is on a mission to troll Yankee fans forever. If it ever happens, this will be the single most vandalized object in Central Park for all time..........Jake Arrieta has been on an historic tear. A run for the ages. History book material, ala Mark Fidrych legacy. But guess what? During all this time Clayton Kershaw has been even better..........King Felix is contracting Jered Weaver Syndrome..........Spending other people's money is a glorious thing. Especially when it will end up being something that puts money in your own pocket and not theirs............Looks like ESPN forgot their own unwritten rules. How DARE they minimize a Boston game - and a Big Papi Tribute Season at-bat no less! - in order to cover an important moment in sports elsewhere?!?..........How come WE never get to face this version of Derek Holland?..........This is one Minor League fan form the Inland Empire 66'erswho needs to get the call up to Anaheim immediately............

OT: Some of you might recall the original SNL skit "Land Shark". Well, life imitates art once again..........

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