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Is this not the most dazzling of things? Of course we dance the dance of miracles and shamelessly tramp across the fallen banners of our many enemies. Huzzah for the brilliance of this early season! Huzzah!!
But I ask you to pause and consider how, for one glorious night, all the parts assembled by Billy Eppler fell into perfect harmony.
Yunel Escobar OBP machine? Check.
Danny Espinosa power bat? Check.
Andrelton Simmons genius infield play? Check.
Cameron Maybin clutch hitting and speedy baserunning? Check.
Jefry Marte home run out of the 1B power position? Check.
Mike Trout putting an end to the Mike Napoli home-run hitting Scioscia shaming? Hell to the Yeah, CHECK!
Mike Trout MVP clutch hitting to drive in a run and put himself into position to tie the game with his speed? CHECK.
Mike Trout using his 5th MVP tool of blazing speed to flash home well ahead of any chance of a throw from LF on a clutch single by Albert Pujols? Check.
Ballsy suicide squeeze bunt to seize the victory using the batting skills of Carlos Perez and that speed of Maybin mentioned above? Check, mate!
Hats off to Eppler. Hats off to the whole gang.
Have some Welcome-To-A-Season-Of-Miracles Links:
A Little Bit of Angels News
As I noticed Monday, and OCR chimed in Tuesday, Andrelton Simmons is giving us free offense............
All great fortunes must ride a critical path, and often that critical path runs through a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. One of those passages would be Garrett Richards. Success in 2017 is going to require success from Richards, thus a most important player in the entirety of the AL West..............
Mike Scioscia is getting RP religion. Ten years too late for my taste, but at least while our window remains open...........
The lesson to be learned here is that unless you desire to play on the east coast, or unless you desire to be a cause celebre, you are less important to news outlets than guys who are retired and living a private life in quiet...........
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Everywhere In Baseball
Forbes has released their annual MLB economic report. Average team value is up 19%. Operating income for 2016 was up 52% over 2015. Total revenue was up 7.5%. Arte has improved 31% over 2016, as his Angels are now worth $1.75 billion, good for 8th most valuable franchise. And minor league players are still below poverty level............
MLB released their special events uniforms for 2017. Pffft.................
Chief Wahoo protesters are making demands to be at the negotiating table between MLB and the Cleveland Indians. The Indians fans need more convincing first, it seems. But there is a thought that the current process of protest will not succeed with the fans...........
Aha! It looks like either (A) yours truly is the Nostradamus of MLB attire, or MLB fashionistas are reading our daily column here on HH. Long-time readers know that I have been proposing that player uniforms carry some special insignia of recognition for major awards. Something like sleeve bands and stars. Stuff like a gold band for current MVP, silver band for CYA, red band for prior season's RoY, stars for each ASG appearance. Well, MLB is (finally) jumping on board. They are going to be adding stars to ASG special patches that count the times a player has been an All-Star...........
On no. No way we wanted to have this guy nailing down our left field for a decade. Not us. Too much baggage, too much head case, too much unknown..............
Because the Angels and A's are so distant from the media centers, and because neither currently matter much as a playoff threat, one of the actual most intense rivalries in baseball flies beneath the radar...........
This flu thing has become a thing. The Twins are insisting the ballparks cleanup after the Red Sox leave town. Buck Showalter is taking another approach. He is calling bullshit on the Red Sox whining. About time somebody other than we non-Boston fans started doing that...........
With the exception of charging ports, I am at a loss to understand how improving food offerings, fan comfort and convenience, and better in-stadium activities and experiences are things reserved for the enjoyment of "The Instagram Generation"..........
Anchor Brewing is teaming up with the Giants for another custom brew (this one free of wood chips). This is where Arte and Co. should be taking another custom coach on the Obvious Train..........
May I live long enough to experience a home Angel game in such a cathedral..........
I was going to order this book, and consider recommending it, until I found out the the author finds booing unacceptable. I am here to tell you, Stacey May Fowles, that booing is why the gods invented the Oakland A's. And Texas Rangers fans. ..........
Joc Pederson made it a game within the game to troll Jon Lester............
Deadline time for the Fox/Charter war...........
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Season Update
The Royals were the last team to pick up a win in the 2017 season. They claimed it Friday night, at 10:22 PM local time in Houston.....
The Orioles were the last team to lose a game. That happened Sunday afternoon at 4:57 PM local time in New York City......
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The Duffle Bag
I may need to drive to Salt Lake to take in a Bees game. Without a doubt, the best ballpark burger I have ever laid eyes upon............CJ on Dr. Phil?? Why not? He ain't our payroll problem anymore............Brennan Boesch, and his 27 games worth of cup of coffee for us in 2014, has officially retired. You are pardoned if you had not noticed this had not happened in 2013 already.............Dayum. This lady is serious. And decent. 103km is 64mph. A Jared Weaver curveball is only 70mph...........The tarps are coming down! Now all we have left with which to mock the A's are the sewage, and the A's...........Now they are Champs, they are targets. The Cubs are no longer lovable. They have their own Villainy Meter............11 runs scored against in 2 innings, yet pitcher escapes with an ERA of 0.00? That is some special gift............Come on, dad. A child picks their own team, for their own reasons. Swag whoring is not among them............Whatever becomes of them later, it must be said that the Twins were willing to go down like champions.............
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