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The LAA position players will be reporting today and first full squad workouts are tomorrow! we are on like Donkey Kong, baby! The first ST game is just one weekend away now.
There is just so much good stuff today, I could have done a Part 1 and Part 2.
Pretend I did. Have some Binge Linkage:
A Little Bit of Angels News
Matt Shoemaker was back on the mound yesterday. Life is awesome............He is also thinking about leading with a protective cap. Can't say as I blame him. He looks pretty crazed when he pitches already, so imagine adding some pitching helmet painted like a goalie mask. Flames and shit...........
Jered Weaver is finding real life a bigger challenge than staring down Miggy Cabrera. Wait until Junior High, Weave, wait until Junior High.........A lot of guys have never known an LAA camp without Weaver. Hell, there are more than a few that have not known any other kind of ST camp, period. Weaver as a person is missed. Maybe Weave should do a family trip to Temps and let some of those guys babysit so he can take a data night with his bride..........
Pay attention here. The Angels took on Alex Meyer and have rebuilt him into a new delivery that is still unusual to him. So, A, what does this mean for his effectiveness? Meyer was a first round pick and once a top pitching prospect for all of MLB. Then, B, what does this mean for his health? He is trying to find a way to stay healthy enough to deliver on that promise. Finally, C, we have yet another data point that players can learn new tricks at the pro level, and that coaches really do things like teach (there have been some disagreements around here in past years about his last point)..........
Andrew Heaney, though, see you next year. (This is more about Jeff Fletcher reminding some LA fans about Heaney than anything else.).........(Same thing with Nick Tropeano, don't forget.)............
Garrett Richards feels pretty good about his Garrett Richards Therapy. I continue to be happily (and fearfully) amazed............
If you wanted to have a chat with Billy Eppler over a couple of beers, you probably would have hoped it worked out like this..........
The Halos are not pursuing Matt Wieters. And, in other news, if you life in California you are probably learning today that water is wet..........
Commissioner Manfred is admitting that the trial balloon he had Joe Torre float out there for dealing with extra-inning games is lying in a burnt, smoking, heap of thought dung on the floor of his private conference room. If only he could lie about the trajectory of his intentions better, the lingering stench might not be so strong..........
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Everywhere In Baseball
We open with the best thing you will watch all day. Kris Bryant totally owned. Because baseball is fun!.........
It's official. Naps is back with the Rangers. Post V-Day, too............ While on the subject of the Rangers, Josh Hamilton admits that he contemplated the thought of walking away from Arte's money after his last surgery. Then he realized that not even Hambone is that stupid, He can at least show up and collect that $28 million. And, who knows? Maybe he makes the MLB roster, after all?.......... It's also official that the Dodgers have added Juan Marichal Sergio Romo...........
Let's meander over to a nice shady baseball tree for minute, shall we? Hardball Times gives us an essay about a non-baseball movie that contains a lot of baseball material. Specifically, how it present hard-core female baseball fans in a movie made back in the very early 50's. (Yes, this was before even my time!) The movie itself, Rhubarb, seems beyond nuts, but the observation points that the HBT author directs us to might be worth a look, especially if you can get it free via your streaming subscription...........
If you are among the younger HH'ers, here is a good start on the history of the MLB Player's Union. It will end being a multi-part and this is only Part 1. Yeah, it's a long and important history that has major impact on the game as it stands today. It is just as vital as knowing the best baseball movies. I wonder if the final part will be about the folding over like a cheap lawn chair by the current MLBPA leadership?..........
Call me when you cannot go to war with your #1, #2, #3 and #5 and then, yeah, maybe I'll feel sorry for you............
Hold on to that windfall for Jeffrey Loria, He might not have a buyer after all. It's all politics, but $1.6 billion doesn't go as far in France, anyway...........About that windfall, though. It appears that Loria will get it, eventually. He will end up with the second highest profit for an MLB transaction, ever, right behind Frank McCourt and the Dodgers sale. But study the charts. Arte bought the Angels for $184MM in 2003. Forbes valued them at $1.34B last year. If my math is right, that is a 16.5% annual compounded yield, which would crush all the teams listed in that hypothetical sale chart in the link..........By the way, there are a lot of basketball teams worth more than the Angels, for some odd reason. The Knicks are almost as valuable as the Yankees!..........
Imagine losing your salary negotiating session, and having to settle for $5.6 million a year..........
Hmm. FanGraphs considers that Toronto bringing back Jose Bautista as the 4th best transaction of the off-season. The Angels signing Luis Valbuena ranks as Honorable mention. So here are two sets of 2016 data, and the projected 2017 salary:
| Player | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ | HR | bWAR | 2017 $$ |
| Valbuena | .260 | .357 | .459 | .816 | 124 | 13 | 2.6 | $6.5MM |
| Bautista | .234 | .366 | .452 | .817 | 117 | 22 | 1.0 | $18MM |
A year ago I laughed at the Mets' braggadocio. I ain't gonna make that mistake again..........
Wil Myers, Padres 1B, wants to grow up and be just like Mike Trout. Nay, even better..........
Joey Votto has to deal with such a troglodyte announcing crew driving a certain segment of the Reds' fan base against him, that he feels he would have to go back to a time before that troglodyte was even born to get folks to appreciate the true overall value of his game. No, Mr. Votto, you just have to pay more attention to the world beyond the Cincinnati bubble, because this outside world pays a lot of attention to you..........
More chatter on the illegal delivery of Carter Capps. This time with real data to back it up..........
I link to this A.J. Preller article simply because of the million dollar headline..........
The Duffle Bag
So if I grow a beard, will I pitch like Jake Arrieta, too? Seems logical............Pete Rose, still unplugged from the wall socket of common sense............Chris Chistie, representing the jersey Shore, presumes to be able to look down at Philadelphia..........(h/t UniWatch) the most un-Fire Frog MiLB Fire Frog unis possible. How can you change your name from the Manatees to Fire Frogs and then dress up like the Marlins? Absolutely un-fun............May I live long enough to see the bat flip generation take over baseball..........Ha Ha! Great job, there, Fox Sports. 30 seconds of petroleum commercial to show a 7 second video clip that is nothing but stats graphic of Mike Trout's final 2016 numbers. Click only if you want to feed them. Or if you don't believe me.........CYA winner Barry Zito is on the Billboard charts? Pitcher or singer/songwriters, which is his day job?.........We close with the most clueless GM you will read all day. Because baseball is full of funny guys.........
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Halo-Oppo-ly
Week 2 of our Chance/Community Chest cards!
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