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Ok, so Tyler Skaggs won't be taking his start today. But in other news, Albert Pujols is expected to get real game action of some sort. The sarcastic among us might suggest that this turn of events will surely do wonders to slow down the Halo base-running exploits. I'm just happy to see a solid bat rejoin the lineup and start getting reps towards getting ready for the regular season.
I hope to be there to witness this step forward. I'll be joining RubixsQube for games today and Sunday. And if I can talk her into it, the missus will let me wander afar and take in a good deal of the Tempe complex. I'll have my camera ready. And I'll report back on Monday!
Suffer through these Green With Envy Links:
A Little Bit of Angels News
Listen to Mark Gubicza and Ron Roenicke get real excited about how the Angels ran the bases real well and came from behind to defeat the Indians 5-4. If only somebody around here would have gotten as excited about LAA base stealing yesterday............
Cam Bedrosian got in some work. He didn't look particularly nasty, but he did look strong enough for this point in pre-season. That's a positive outcome..........
The Halos are taking advantage of time, and being cautious with Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs himself ain't too worried about anything yet. The "yet" is mine.............
Dang. Matt Thaiss got reassigned to minor league camp right before I was due to hit Tempe. But we got new guys arriving today. Luis Tejada, Bo Way (Yes Way!), Zach Houchins, and.....yep...Roberto Baldoquin...........
Mike Trout has set a rather low bar for himself. He merely wants to be "the best player there is". Consider that he has already done that, that leaves little more for him to do...........Well, here is something left for Trout to shoot for. He has anoutside chance of hitting 200 home runs before turning 26, something done only 7 other times in history. (I know what you're thinking. Bryce Harper sits at 121 HR's, and is 24. He also has an outside chance of doing this.)..........
One-time California Angels MVP candidate and All-Star Doug DeCinces is finally being dragged into court by the Fedswho, 4-years ago, claim to have caught him involved in insider trading...........
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Everywhere In Baseball
Kris Bryant is on the fast track. Well, a lot of fast tracks, actually, the latest is the Payday Fast Track. He just topped Mike Trout and Mookie Betts in pre-arb salary............
Here is something you haven't thought about yet. When a manager wants to invoke the new IBB rule, what sort of gesture is to be used? It turns out that no standard for this has been defined, so managers are inventing their own. I'd really like the flipping the bird idea. It would be great if that became a universal fan tradition throughout the stadiums...............
Last year it was revealed in artists renderings that the Atlanta Braves new stadium, Sun Trust Park, would have seats with mesh backs. Sounds cool and comfortable, if not very durable. Now, thanks to UniWatch, we have pictures!............
You know what we don't hear much anymore, certainly not as much as we were hearing just 5 years ago? We don't hear as much of the Lyle Spencer/Murray Chass anti-stat and anti-data and anti-analytic snark. Not too long ago it could be found at least weekly. Sometime in sneaky little asides, and sometime in outright frontal attacks. Well, there is good reason. The people in power and control of baseball have run roughshod right over the ignorant...........
As I have written before, there will be those who rail against what is, and in favor of what might have been, when it comes to staffing a stronger USA team for the WBC. I tend to see this among those who are covering the event and desire readership and followers. But it does make me think one thing. Wouldn't it be a good thing for a Mike Trout to compete in more pressure cooker games in advance of the next time the Angels make the playoffs?...........
Maybe it's just an excuse. Or maybe it's a decent sense of self-awareness. But Adam Rubin has been fired by ESPN, and Rubin is convinced his is the result of cord-cutting pressures.............Meanwhile, there will still be flat-earthers who remain defiant in the face of history. Unsurprisingly, they are pretty strongly invested in that thing which is soon to get crushed............
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The Duffle Bag
Hey, it's only Spring Training. It's not like these games really count for anything. So if you are in a pickle, why not just go sit down?............Proof that baseball truly is an international phenomenon, and absolutely can grab future generations.............Tim Tebow? Looks like he is losing his grip on the MSM. And also his grip on the Lesser Stream Media. The Up and Coming Media knows not to ever grip too tightly, anyway. And yet, there is still the New York media, which might still be holding out for something..........The Cubs as World Champs must really grate on the Cards............
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Halo-Oppo-ly
Week 5 of our Chance/Community Chest cards!
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