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Aside from 2016 being over, It's also College Bowl season with 4 more taking place today - including the good ole Rose Bowl right here in Southern California. It's in Los Angeles which is the same city the Angels play in - right Anaheim? Hopefully most of you are celebrating today with a day off work in lieu of New Year's Day being on a Sunday. If not, you got screwed and I'm sorry. Or maybe you are a doctor and you have to go save lives. Either way, hopefully you are re-hydrating from Saturday night and remember that when bowl season is over, it means Baseball is that much closer to a reality.
With Stirrups still off on vaca, have some more Alt+Reality Links:
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A Little Bit of Angels News
Could Matt Thaiss start in the majors next year? Magic 8-ball says unlikely but stranger things have happened. If I were a betting woman, I'd put my money on some time in 2018.
Sports Cheatsheet put out a list of 14 contracts teams will regret next year. Prince Fielder made the list but that just seems cruel given his situation. Of course a list like this wouldn't be complete with an Angel there to represent. Pretty sure you can all guess who that is, although you DO have two choices.
Just a reminder that Mike Trout doesn't really have an off season. And another reminder that the Angels have only been in the playoffs once in a half a decade of Mike Trout. Also, because you can never have enough Mike Trout, the bromace between Eagles player Carson Wentz is alive and well.
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Everywhere In Baseball
Now that 2016 is over, can you guess which of these events happened last year? While were at it, let's look at some strange things that happened in 2016 like Bryce Harper reaching base 7 in one game times without scoring a hit and rookie Trevor Story being on pace to break Barry Bonds HR record before he got hurt.
Fox Sports thinks Mark Trumbo will flop in 2017.
Speaking of football, the Cleveland Indians hired a new farm director that has very little baseball experience (but a huge football background). The argument is that he knows how to build healthy athletes and that is a huge mission of the Cleveland farm system.