I don't know what I did to deserve this.

Maybe this reader really loves red hair.

Maybe he has a man-crush on me.

Maybe really digs the way I cover his favorite team, the Angels.

Or, maybe he thinks I write like a dog.

That has to be it.

Jason Harned, the brother in law of fellow beat writer Doug Padilla is a Press-Enterprise subscriber living in Redlands and he always chides Padilla about how he likes my stories better.

Well, I don't know if any of you will believe this, but it's true. He just took in a canine with reddish hair and is naming it "Emilhurst," part of the dog's new moniker being named after me.

Now, I don't even have a child to name after me yet. But a loyal reader is naming his new dog after me. Wow. I'm shocked. Flabbergasted, even.

That poor dog.

Thanks, Jason.

The Angels made a small roster move to add pitching depth, recalling Marc Gwyn and sending Greg Jones down to Class AAA.

How, you ask, does sending one pitcher down and bringing up another qualify as "adding depth?"

Well, Jones pitched twice in two days and the team felt Gwyn, who threw 2 1/3 innings on Friday, was fresher.

With their starting pitcher situation - Dustin Moseley will start Monday and then be moved back to the bullpen - there wasn't much the team could do in terms of moves to add an arm.

And, because of that, it's delayed Howie Kendrick's return to the majors. He was supposed to be recalled this weekend, but with Ervin Santana's terrific start it left the team no choice but to keep him. Since they need Moseley to start because their next day off isn't untlil Aug. 30, they cannot send down the extra pitcher to bring Kendrick back from his rehab assignment.

Bobby Kielty, who has all kinds of ties to Inland Southern California, had his contract purchased by the Red Sox today.

Kielty, who last played for Oakland, played for Riverside Community College and lives in Canyon Lake. He also went to high school in Moreno Valley.

And, some think, he and I look alike. Pic of Kielty (I don't know why he's in a police lineup) and one of me (scroll down to video. Sorry, it's the best I could do.)

I think the award of the second game has to go to Ervin Santana, who pitched like everyone in the organization thought he could. Through all his ups and downs, remember that Santana threw a complete-game shutout in just his second start in 2005 against the eventual world champion White Sox.

But, to answer Anthony's comment from yesterday, Santana was not happy to see any of the reporters. He didn't look a single one of us in the eye and he refused to do the interview in English, despite being fluent in the language. It was only the second time in his career he's elected to do it with a translator.

He said that we (the media) had treated him unfairly. Hey, Ervin, the facts are the facts. You stunk earlier this season. You deserved any criticism. You were superb Friday. You deserve all the accolades.

-- Reggie Willits had probably the at-bat of the night in the second game. After the Red Sox take a 5-4 lead, Willits pinch-hits for Ryan Budde and works the count to 3-2, fouls off seven pitches total and ends the 13-pitch at-bat with a fly out. It set the tone for the inning and definitely wore out Gagne as Gary Matthews Jr. acknowledged afterwards.

That it came after he had such a difficult time in center field during the first game must have been some sort of moral victory for him, right? No.

"I don't think negative," he said. "The game of baseball is tough. I don't let a bad game get to me."

Pretty heady stuff for the rookie.

-- Scot Shields' ERA at Fenway Park is 17.65. Not good. Again he had issues, loading the bases with one out in the ninth. When Francisco Rodriguez allowed consecutive doubles, I thought the bullpen had blown another one here for sure.

Is that a character win?

"I thought we already had some character," Matthew said.

-- Average hours of sleep for the Angels? About five hours. They will rest well tonight.

-- And so will I. My personal coffee count was five cups. The best coffee concoction, and one I've grown to love, is putting some ice cream (either scoop of vanilla or vanilla soft serve) in the cup and then filling it with coffee. It's like cream and sugar and flavor all rolled into one.

At the end of seven innings, the Angels lead 2-1. Ervin Santana left after 6 1/3 and Justin Speier came in to record the final two outs. This, win or lose, has to be a HUGE boost to Santana's confidence.

As we head into the eighth inning, it got me thinking about an odd Fenway tradition. Entering the bottom of the eighth the PA system plays Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and if you've ever been to a bar or wedding and this song is played, you know to go "bum-bum-bum" and then repeat "so good, so good, so good" at the appropriate measures. Imagine 37,000 people doing that. It's kind of goofy and funny.

Well, I did some digging and found a couple articles on why they do that. Enjoy.

http://www.redsoxconnection.com/sweetcaroline.html

Also, a YouTube video of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YynfrH5GHlw&mode=related&search=

Trust me, what you are about to read is not a typo: Ervin Santana took a no hitter into the fifth inning.

Yes, the guy who came in with an 8.79 road ERA and who was 0-2 with a 12.38 ERA at Fenway Park had retired 13 batters in a row to start the game before J.D. Drew hit what sounded like a broken bat single into right field. The ball, a flare, fell in front of right fielder Nathan Haynes and just over the outstretched glove of second baseman Maicer Izturis.

Entering the sixth, Angels lead 1-0.

In no way am I advocating the use of amphetamines, but as soggy as I feel, I can understand how some players have taken them to get amped up for a game. I could use some greenies right now, that's for sure. Again, I'm not advocating their usage nor will I actually take greenies, I'm just saying.

At least the media meals here at Fenway Park are good - the best in baseball. We call it The Carnivale because there's about six different stations full off tasty food, not the mystery meat, overcooked vegetables and cooked in mass slop that many other ballparks call "food" and serve to writers.

Doggone pre-wedding diet. The joys of The Carnivale go on without me.

A big topic of conversation after the game was how center fielder Reggie Willits played the odd dimensions of Fenway Park and rightly so. Read tomorrow's P-E for more details.

Also, Boston catcher Doug Mirabelli strained his calf in Game 1 and Jason Varitek had to catch the last eight innings. The man they call 'Tek will start Game 2, but the team is having their Class AAA Pawtucket catcher flown in from Ottawa and he will replace Varitek sometime in Game 2. Wonder if he'll get a police escort to the stadium.

OK, on to the Game 2 lineups:

Angels
Figgins - 3B
Cabrera - SS
Guerrero - DH
Anderson - LF
Matthews - CF
Izturis - 2B
Quinlan - 1B
Budde - C
Haynes - RF
Santana - SP

Red Sox
Ellsbury - CF
Pedroia - 2B
Ortiz - DH
Ramirez - LF
Drew - RF
Lowell - 3B
Varitek - C
Hinske - 1B
Lugo - SS
Beckett - SP

BOSTON -- The Angels pitcher who was supposed to get a royal beating in Fenway Park wasn't supposed to start until Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader.
Yes, that was Angels ace John Lackey getting knocked around to the tune of six runs on seven hits in the first inning of Game 1 -- being made up from an April 15 rainout -- as the Angels did hardly anything right in their 8-4 defeat to the Sox. It was the team's fourth loss in Fenway this season -- they've been outscored 32-7 in those games -- and they are now 24-53 at this park since 1993.
Lackey, who has had difficulties getting out of the first inning in other starts this season, threw 46 pitches in the first and Boston sent 10 men to the plate. Beginning with David Ortiz’s two-run homer, Boston strung together four hits and had five extra-base hits in the inning.
Lackey lasted just four innings -- his shortest stint since Sept. 16 last season -- throwing 97 pitches and getting into the Angels bullpen much earlier than anyone wanted considering Ervin Santana along with his 8.79 road ERA this season starts the nightcap and the second game will be the Angels' third in two days.
And despite taking an earlier flight out of Toronto while his team played Thursday night to get a decent night’s rest in preparation for the first start, Lackey looked like the one who landed at 1 a.m. instead of his teammates.
The Angels staked their 15-game winner to a run in the first, Chone Figgins scoring on Garret Anderson’s groundout after he walked and went to third on J.D. Drew's error on Vladimir Guerrero's fly ball.
But, within a matter of pitches, Lackey was in trouble. Dustin Pedroia hit a ground-rule double down the right field line and then Ortiz launched his 20th homer of the season -- giving him six straight years of at least 20 -- into the bleachers in right.
After Manny Ramirez singled, Drew tripled to center field and Mike Lowell plated him with a single. One out later Doug Mirabelli, who came into the game hitting .204 this season but .444 against Lackey in his career, hit a double high off the Green Monster and he scored on Alex Cora’s double to left.
Although only one more run scored while he was on the mound, Lackey was already gassed. He loaded the bases with one out in the second but the Red Sox failed to score and he allowed two singles in the fourth and combined with Guerrero’s throwing error, Boston made it 7-1.
Meanwhile Clay Buchholz, making his major-league debut, got double-play grounders in the second and third and a double-play lineout in the fifth to prevent the Angels from getting back into it. He allowed three earned runs on eight hits in six innings, earning a quality start in his very first one.
The Angels had 11 hits, almost as many as in their three games in Toronto, but struck out 10 times against Buchholz, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.

Eric Gagne became famous in L.A. for his Game Over slogan (which was more than appropriate considering he had 84 straight saves) and after proving he is healthy, was traded to the Red Sox at the deadline.

Now, Boston boasts the best back end of a bullpen in this writer's honest opinion.

While Minnesota has Juan Rincon, Pat Neshek and Joe Nathan and the Angels have Justin Speier, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez, Boston has a seventh inning guy in Hideki Okajima, whose ERA coming into the game was 1.26, an eighth inning guy in Gagne, who is still adjusting to his role, but is better than 90 percent of other team's closers and then a young, fireballing closer in Jonathan Papelbon who is perhaps the game's best closer right now (definitely top five, maybe top three at the very least).

Saying all that, Okajima pitched a perfect seventh and despite allowing two hits in the eighth, he effectively handed the ball to Papelbon, who got the final out as the Sox lead 7-4 heading to the bottom of the eighth.

Seemingly any lead handed to those guys is safe. And it looks like this one is, too.

Good news for Angels fans - Casey Kotchman has a career-high four hits, or as many cups of coffee now running through my system.

So, as you can tell from the previous post, this game seems to be in the books.

However, us Angels writers have been having fun reliving the Boston Pizza Toss from when we were here in April.

The back story: Two fans were jawing at each other moments before J.D. Drew hit a foul ball down the left field line off Scot Shields. Fan 1 was telling Fan 2 that he shouldn't eat pizza at a ballgame. He should eat hot dogs and peanuts and Cracker Jack, etc.

Drew hits a fly ball down the line. As Fan 1 reaches for the ball, it bounces off his hands. Fan 2 throws his slice of pizza at Fan 1, nailing him in the shoulder. As he did it - the Boston Herald did a separate story on this incident by the way, that's how I know all the details, and that's how many people they send out to cover a game ... so writers can do inane stories like this because the Sahx are so well-loved - Fan 2 yelled "Want some pizza? Here's some pizza!"

Both started yelling at each other and were subsequently kicked out. Fan 2 walked into a neighborhood bar (a neighborhood bar in Boston? Shocker!) and was given a standing ovation.

Here's the clip, courtesy of YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=pJpZ9TFmRS0

John Lackey's pitch count now rests at 97. I'm guessing he's done after five, if he makes it that far. Chris Bootcheck began warming up at the end of the fourth. Boston Massacre is on its way to happening.

Vladimir Guerrero still continues to think his arm is better than it is. Don't get me wrong, it's one of the most powerful in the game, but it's hardly accurate and he takes far too many gambles with it, thinking it's better than it is.

For example: this past inning, Kevin Youkilis was on first and J.D. Drew singled to right. Youkilis was essentially standing on third when Guerrero picked up the ball, yet he overthrows the cutoff man and the ball ricochets off Youkilis, now standing still on the bag, into the Angels' dugout. Drew was heading to second on the dumb throw and since the ball went out of play, Youkilis scored and Drew went to third.

It happens time and time again. Orlando Cabrera is a more than capable shortstop and is one of the better ones at making relay throws - from his transfer, to his pivot, to his awareness of everything going on behind him. Yet, Guerrero continually does not hit him on the throws. It's amazing to me that Ron Roenicke, the outfield coach, does not pound it into Guerrero's head more often to ease up a touch and hit the cutoff man.

7-1 now.

The Boston fans near the on-deck circle just sang Happy Birthday to Dustin Pedroia, who turned 24 today. At the moment, I'd have to say he is your AL Rookie of the Year, but as we've seen with Reggie Willits, things can suddenly take a detour.

In each of the past two innings the Angels have got the leadoff man on only to see another hitter ground into a double play, erasing any sort of threat. Knowing their failures here in Fenway (24-52 since 1993), and considering they will face Josh Beckett tonight and Curt Schilling tomorrow, there is a chance they might not come out of this four-game set with a victory.

And, now it looks like this rookie, Clay Buchholz, is settling into his game.

Lackey's pitch count through three innings is 80.

Ervin Santana starts the night game, so don't think he is already pitching since the Angels are down 6-1.

John Lackey has thrown 65 pitches in two innings. Knowing that Santana is pitching the nightcap, Lackey is going to have to wear it and throw as deep into the game as possible so the bullpen gets some rest, considering they are surely going to be used by the fourth inning in Game 2.

Maybe not, but Santana's track record doesn't really give me - and I'm sure, you - a whole lot of faith that he'll go deep into the night.

Knowing that, Manager Mike Scioscia has not had a single reliever get up to warm up. Lackey is throwing at least 120 pitches today - and right now that projects to the fourth inning.

Maybe Howie Kendrick won't be called up tomorrow and we'll see Marc Gwyn again, knowing that the pitchers might be taxed.

Some notes at the end of the first inning, with the Angels trailing 6-1.

-- The Angels' charter flight landed in Boston at 1:00 a.m. and they were at the hotel about 2 a.m. The team bus left at 10:45 a.m., so that gave the lads about seven and a half hours sleep, which is about three more than any Angels writer, myself included, got.

-- So that Clay Buchholz could make his Major-League debut and start the first game, the Red Sox traded Wily Mo Pena and cash sent to Washington for the ever-popular Player to be Named Later.

-- Buchholz started his career by throwing five straight balls. That initiated some boos in the crowd.

-- Gary Matthews Jr., who said this week that Red Sox fans were "drunk" and "obnoxious" received a louder boo than when J.D. Drew dropped Vladimir Guerrero's fly ball. Don't think the fans appreciated those comments, Gary. I don't know why. Just a suspicion.

-- David Ortiz's two-run first-inning homer gave him 20 for the year. It is his sixth straight 20-homer season.

-- John Lackey allowed four consecutive hits in the first, including Ortiz's homer and Drew's triple. And he allowed five extra-base hits. And, he threw a career-worst 46 first-inning pitches.

-- Personal coffee count: 3 cups.

Here are the starting lineups for both teams in Game 1 (sorry, no bolds, too many names):

Angels
Figgins - 3B
Cabrera - SS
Guerrero - RF
Anderson - LF
Matthews - DH
Kotchman - 1B
Aybar - 2B
Mathis - C
Willits RF
Lackey - SP

Red Sox

Pedroia - 2B
Youkilis - 1B
Ortiz - DH
Ramirez - LF
Drew - RF
Lowell - 3B
Crisp - CF
Mirabelli - C
Cora - SS
Buchholz - SP (ML debut)

I don't know what's more disturbing - that the reporter's meeting with Manager Mike Scioscia lasted 22 minutes or that my friend just turned 30 and someone purchased a colonic for him as a birthday gift.

Was it a Bartolo Colon-ic? No, no it wasn't.

The good news out of that extremely long meeting (they typically last between five and 10 minutes, hardly ever longer) is that I came back with a notebook and tape recorder brimming with notes. And I am here to share them with everyone! Hooray for blog space!

(Also, before we get into the notes, I am going to write a game story for Game 1 of tomorrow's double-dip and post it in this space and on our Sports page, so make sure to look for that. I will also update during the first game more regularly because I'm sure many of you will be at work. What? You won't be? Slackers! I'm kidding.)

-- Ervin Santana will start game two of tomorrow's doubleheader and John Lackey, who has already left Toronto, will start the first game of the twinbill. Santana will match-up against Josh Beckett in the nightcap, robbing all baseball fans of what could have been a potential terrific duel between 15-game winners (and Texans) Lackey and Beckett.

While Scioscia claimed to have confidence in Santana and preferred Lackey to start the first game "so he's not sitting around all day," this smells of a classic case of play for the split. Knowing they had to face Beckett and that they're options were limited to Santana having to come up and pitch ... on the road (1-9, 8.79 ERA) and ... at Fenway Park (0-2, 12.38 ERA), they are putting all their eggs in Lackey's basket and hope he can win game one. That way, they would be more than happy to split, and would be downright ecstatic to get a sweep.

You'd never get anyone on the Angels to say it, but it makes too much sense. Especially considering that the team will be playing their third game in two days (27 innings in 27 hours is the latest saying) and will throw out a lineup that will remind everyone of spring training.

-- After Santana is sent back down following Friday night's game, Scioscia said there is a "possibility" that Howie Kendrick will be brought back from his rehab assignment on Saturday. That would give them plenty of infield coverage (with Chone Figgins, Orlando Cabrera, Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar) for the remaining games of the weekend because the team will undoubtedly be gassed.

-- So you know ... the team did not take batting practice prior to tonight's game, will get to Fenway tomorrow around 10:45 a.m. precluding them from taking BP before the first game and then there is a concert by Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon (info on him here) between games, so the team will go three straight games without doing pre-game activities.

I asked Scioscia if he was concerned about that, because batting practice is more than hitting - infielder's take infield practice, outfielder's track fly balls, etc. and he essentially said no because the team does it "95 percent" of the games anyway. "Sometimes less is more," he said. We'll see.

-- Mike Napoli ran today in the outfield and will not be activated this weekend. His sore right hamstring is still causing him pain and he was very upset about it, walking away when I approached him about it. He will definitely need a rehab assignment now (tomorrow is three weeks from the day he injured it). That just means Mathis will continue to have to catch so much.

-- Bartolo Colon will throw a 40-pitch simulated game on Saturday and if all goes well he could start a rehab assignment next week.

-- Juan Rivera moved rehab assignments from Class A Rancho Cucamonga to Class AAA Salt Lake.

-- Don't know how many of you read Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback column during football season, but he always mentions aggravating travel schedule and then devotes another topic to coffee.

Well, Peter, I got ya on this one. Just for those that care (and I'm putting it at the end, because I'm sure you don't), I have a 6:30 a.m. flight from Toronto tomorrow morning, giving me about an hour and a half to go to my hotel and check in and then head to Fenway Park, where I will be until after midnight tomorrow. Oh, and I won't get to bed tonight until about 12:30 a.m. Oh, and we have to go through customs tomorrow, meaning I have to be at the airport earlier than normal. So, if I'm not at my best tomorrow, you will know why.

Which leads us to the coffee part - I'm guessing at least six cups (I'm a one to two-cup per day guy) and if it gets extreme, well I can keep a running total.

Outfielder Terrell Alliman, chosen by the Angels in the 43rd round from Bluevale Collegiate Institute in Waterloo, Ontario, was brought to the Rogers Centre where he met Manager Mike Scioscia, GM Bill Stoneman and watched batting practice.

Other notes on the Angels' picks: top pick Jon Bachanov (58 overall) reported to the team's Summer League with a sore elbow and has been shut down until the Fall League most likely.

A lot of attention has been paid to Angels' third-round draft pick Matt Harvey, a pitcher from Connecticut. Today at 9 p.m. PDT is the deadline to sign all players from June's draft.

Harvey, who went 6-1 with a 0.64 ERA and 112 strikeouts in his senior year, has a scholarship in hand and is ready to go to North Carolina. He is being advised by Scott Boras one of the reasons he fell so far in the draft and another as to why the Angels and Harvey are extremely unlikely to consummate a deal.

"We haven't signed him; we've made him an offer," GM Bill Stoneman said. "I would like a pleasant surprise but I'm not expecting it."

Harvey is reportedly seeking a $2.5 million signing bonus while the Angels would prefer to pay him far less than that considering he is the 118th overall pick, talented or not.

Asked if the team will sweeten their offer to Harvey, Stoneman said "No."

Remember when Mad Cow Disease was a problem and everyone was worried about it and now it went away? (sorry, can't help thinking about Will Ferrell's Best of SNL DVD when mentioning Mad Cow ... moving along)

Well, it appears that Canada is not allowing any bovine products from the United States in, either. Because it appears the Angels are playing without their gloves tonight.

Ba-da-bum! Ah-thank-you!

Through the first four innings they had made four errors and it could have been five if not for a generous scoring decision. This is just ugly.

Walking around Toronto today and taking it all in, I've come to realize that this could be a city anywhere in the United States but what sets it apart and makes you recognize you're in another country is the little, subtle things.

For example, I watched ESPN's Sportscentre and not Sportscenter. At restaurants the main taps at the bars are Molson and Labatt and not Budweiser and Coors.

But they play American music. There is scarcely a trace of an accent. That's aboot it. (yes, that was intentional).

Then, something that I just thought of to add to all of this, before the game, they sang two national anthems, as well they should. But every Blue Jays fan has to hear two anthems before every game. There is no other choice.

So, that's aboot all I've noticed. And, in my third year here, that's all I can report. Well, that and the customs agents with the rubber gloves were exceptionally kind.

The Angels capped a 5-1 homestand with their first sweep of the Twins since 2003. The team is pitching well, playing great defense and getting on base.

This year's crew may not hit many home runs, but it's getting on base more often than it often did over the last couple years (or earlier this season).

OBP of Angels regulars this season
(prior to Sunday's game)
Guerrero .409
Willits .406
Figgins .394
Kotchman .372
Napoli .346
Cabrera .345
Matthews .338
Izturis .324
Kendrick .324
Anderson .307
Mathis .243

Having four guys above .370 is pretty sharp, and the numbers players like Cabrera, Matthews and Napoli aren't bad.

Outfielder Juan Rivera will begin a rehab assignment Monday in Arizona, and if there are no setbacks, the Angels expect him to have 50-60 at-bats under his belt by the time September gets here -- meaning he could be called up when rosters expand to add punch to the lineup.

Howie Kendrick begins a rehab assignment today in Rancho Cucamonga.

Gary Matthews should be back in center field in Toronto, but due to its turf playing surface, he won't play the field in all three games.

Joe Mauer committed his first error of the year Saturday, and it wasn't really that bad of a throw. The Twins star entered the game perfect in 476 chances, having allowed only two passed balls.

Jeff Mathis also committed a throwing error, his first miscue of the year.

And, lastly, the Angels won despite having only four hits. All four of those hits came off one of the best relievers in baseball this year (Pat Neshek).

The Angels improved to 8-34 when they are out-hit by an opponent. They're 57-6 when they finish with more safeties than their foe.

This series has been of some note because the Twins' starting second baseman is now Alexi Casilla, he of J.C. Romero-trade fame.

Casilla was the Twins' 2006 organizational player of the year, having batted .318 with 84 runs, 22 doubles, 7 triples, 46 RBI, and 50 stolen bases in 123 games between Class A and AA.

I wouldn't expect him to hit for much of an average just yet -- he's only 23 and hasn't spent much time in the Majors, or even in Class AAA -- but with his speed, defense and solid contact skills, he seems likely to hit in the high .200s or low .300s once he settles in.

Of course, while Romero was nothing short of a bust, the Angels are so loaded with middle infielders that Casilla's value to the Angels would be much less than it would be for most clubs. So Angels fans can take some solace in that.

Just had a break in the action so the grounds crew could pound the mound. Apparently John Lackey didn't like something about the uneven surface upon which his stride foot was landing.

Baseball players love to kick, dig, and otherwise mess up the playing surface at every opportunity, whether it's to dig their back foot in at the plate, get comfortable on the mound or play tic-tac-toe in the infield dirt during a game (a la Psycho Steve Lyons).

When you think about it, it makes you appreciate the patience and understanding of baseball grounds crews, who work very hard every day to get everything perfectly neat and level, only to see it systematically destroyed.

Gary Matthews Jr. will DH again tonight. He irritated the patellar tendon in his left knee in a collision with Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis and feels the injury when he starts or stops running. However, he could return to the field in the very near future.

Don't expect catcher Mike Napoli to be activated until the middle of next week. He's been running at full speed, but his hamstring is still a little tight, Scioscia said.

Bartolo Colon feels fine after throwing off a mound Friday and will throw again Sunday.

Baseball's all-time home run leader, Barry Bonds, was placed on waivers this week by the San Francisco Giants, the Press-Enterprise has learned.

Bonds, a native of Riverside, cleared waivers, according to a league source, meaning he is eligible to be traded to any team by the end of the month.

If a team had claimed Bonds, who hit his 758th home run on Friday night, the Giants could either pull the 42-year-old back or negotiate solely with that team.

An Angels source said that the team would have little or no interest in Bonds because of everything that comes along with the slugger.

Numerous major-league players are put on waivers this time of year, so it's not necessarily a surprise that Bonds was put through the system. Notably, Oakland's Mike Piazza and Baltimore's Miguel Tejada were put through waivers last week with Piazza clearing and Tejada getting claimed by the Chicago White Sox before the O's pulled him back.

I was alerted to this Web site earlier this week since my colleague, Diamond Leung, and I were doing quite well in it.

The site, shown to me by a fellow writer, keeps track of every baseball writer and some fans' pre-season picks for how teams finish and as of today, Diamond and I are in second place.

The site - http://bbpredicts.unitedleagues.net/ - has been around for some time and I had never heard of it.

But, now it's something I will check out regularly and I encourage everyone who reads this space to do too. That way you can see how much I really do know about the American League or how much I think I know.

(By the way, as of last week, all of my picks were spot on. Diamond is the one holding us down! He he!)

The leadoff hitter and second baseman for Minnesota tonight should be familiar to all of you who consider yourselves "true" Angels fans.

Alexi Casilla.

Why, you ask, should you know that name?

Well, he was the infielder traded in December 2005 to the Twins for left-hander J.C. Romero.

So while everyone seemed happy at the time that a) GM Bill Stoneman finally made a trade, and b) that they got a proven lefty (although he was hardly effective last season) Stoneman did make sure to let everyone know that they were giving up a good player.

Turns out he may be right. The Twins felt so comfortable inserting Casilla into their lineup in a pennant race that they traded incumbent second baseman Luis Castillo to the Mets.

I guess we'll get a first-hand look and see how good this kid really is.

Several Angels players and coaches will be hosting a clinic on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Community Park in Chino Hills (3280 Eucalyptus Ave.)

Scheduled to show up and demonstrate important baseball skills are players Reggie Willits and Maicer Izturis, bench coach Ron Roenicke and bullpen coach Steve Soliz. Also scheduled to appear is former Angels infielder Kevin Flora.

The clinic is free and open to kids aged four to 14. Registration starts at 9 a.m.

To answer Marvin's comment from the previous post, no I do not see a difference in what the fans are consuming during the game. Then again, I didn't really pay that much attention to begin with.

I have eaten several times at Panda Express in the stadium and a handful of times down in the Diamond Club and have never had any problems with my food. So all of these talks of rats haven't affected me.

And, as far as them infiltrating the press box dining room, well that could be looked at two ways.

1. Are you talking about the rats who are already credentialed?

2. I've eaten that food far too many times over the years. Rats don't want it.

Some Angels notes while debating if Bret Michael's Rock of Love on VH1 is the best reality show ever and if the movie Ratatouille was based on the concession stands at Angel Stadium ...

-- I know Robb Quinlan historically hits lefties very well (a career .324 average coming into this year, 40 points higher than his total vs. righties) but he's hitting just .256 against southpaws coming into Wednesday's game against Boston's Jon Lester. Shouldn't Casey Kotchman at least get some more starts against lefties? In 47 at-bats (equaled by Maicer Izturis and barely more than Erick Aybar) Kotchman is batting .298.

-- Home sweet home, eh? The Angels are hitting .312 at home this season, which would set a club record if they continue at that pace. And why wouldn't they? Before Wednesday, they'd won six straight at the Big A while scoring 10 runs or more in four of their past five home games. They are hitting .262 and averaging 4.3 runs per game on the road and scoring 5.9 per game at home. Home field advantage indeed.

-- Did you know that Chone Figgins is hitting .409 since June 1? That's not just ridiculous, that's like a video game.

-- If the Angels win Wednesday, it would be their first sweep over Boston since 2001. That was also the last time they won a season series against the Sox. Right now, they are 2-3 against Boston this season with a four-game set in three days at Fenway Park next weekend. So you know, since this is a notes blog anyway, the Angels have lost 15 of their past 20 at Fenway.

-- While the team has hit 12 homers in their past eight games, they still rank 13th out of 14 American League teams in going deep. If they win the AL West and finish last in homers, they would be just the sixth team since 1901 to accomplish that dubious feat. The last team to do so? The 1987 Cardinals. Yup, that team won the World Series.

-- Today will mark the 92nd straight day the Angels have been in first place.

-- One year ago today, Jered Weaver won his sixth straight game to become the only Angels pitcher to open his career 6-0. He would go on to tie Whitey Ford's AL record of 9-0 and finish the year 11-2.

Howie Kendrick has been playing catch and fielding ground balls, but he has still not started swinging a bat in his return from a fractured left index finger.

He hopes that after X-rays on Friday he will be cleared to start taking batting practice and then could be in a rehab assignment next week when the team goes on a weeklong trip to Toronto and Boston.

"I'm ready to play," Kendrick said. "I've been ready to play since the day it happened. I'll keep continuing to do therapy on it."

Kendrick says he hasn't questioned why he's suffered two broken bones in the same hand this season - he was hit by Oakland's Chad Gaudin on April 17 - and has tried to stay positive despite playing in 51 games this season

"You can ask a lot of questions this year, it's been a crazy year," he said. "Nothing could have been done differently to keep me from breaking any bones. I'm thankful I'll be able to be a part of this team again."

When I approached Kendrick to speak with him, he was reading the Bible and said that God has a plan for everyone. He's just trying to figure out why he's had two broken bones in the same hand.

"Things happen for a reason," he said. "It will reveal itself to me. I try to make the most of the situation by staying strong mentally and I'll be ready to come back when I can."

Jered Weaver doesn't have the quickest delivery in the world and is a little prone to forgetting about baserunners from time to time. And apparently Red Sox skipper Terry Francona is well aware of that, because three seldom-stealing Sox have swiped second base tonight.

Burly on-base machine Kevin Youkilis got his third steal of the year in the first, rookie Dustin Pedroia got his fourth in the third and J.D. Drew stole his second in the fourth.

Those who visit Angel Stadium might want to read this article (click this link) about the sanitation of food vendors at Angel Stadium.

No stadium has a perfect health record, but 118 vermin violations in 2 1/2 years is notable when compared to seven at Dodger Stadium and two at PETCO Park over the same time period.

Either way, I found the article fair and balanced and worth a read in my opinion.

Yesterday's blog came with help from www.futureangels.com operator Stephen C. Smith and after Barry Bonds tied Hank Aaron for the all-time home run mark last night, I decided to run this little story about Riverside native Barry Bonds.

See, as a member of the media and a knowledgeable sort who read "Game of Shadows," there is no way I could turn a blind eye to Bonds. Several of my friends are Giants fans and I would get into debates with them - "How could you cheer for this guy? He (allegedly) used steroids, he could be busted for perjury, he cheats on his wife ..." and on and on and on.

Even last night, I was eating dinner in San Francisco with two of my friends and Bonds homered. People cheered, people stopped and stared and soaked it in. I continued eating. I didn't want to give my attention to this guy.

Well, the following story, hopefully, will help people understand why Bonds is so loved in the Bay Area and nowhere else. Per request from my friend, he'd like to remain anonymous - maybe because it's pretty well written and he might take my job! - so, hopefully you enjoy this and it lends some light into Giants' fans worlds.

We are on an island.

We are the ones who cheer the heel.

We are the ones who love Barry Bonds.

In fact, we love him so much, a lot of us have made excuses for the guy.

"Hey, he hasn't been found guilty of anything."

"It was legal at the time..."

You see, you have to go back to 1992, when the Giants were packing their bags permanently for Tampa Bay. It wasn't until an eleventh-hour ownership group managed to save our beloved Giants from leaving the greatest city in the world. After four failed ballot measures (2 in Santa Clara county) asking for public funds to support a new stadium for the Giants, owner Bob Lurie sold the franchise to Tampa Bay.

I was there at Candlestick Park when manager Roger Craig led his Giants out of the dugout on the final home game of the season in 1992. He tipped his cap to the crowd along with many of the Giants' players. They knew the story. As did the fan, who cheered and cried all at the same time. This was the last game ever for the San Francisco Giants.

So along comes this ownership group, led by Safeway CEO Peter McGowan, who managed to buy the team at the last minute, promising to keep the Giants at home. We were saved. We didn't care if this team lost 100 games every year for the next 20 years. They were home. They were our kids. And they weren't leaving home.

But a funny thing happened before the 1993 season. There was a free agent by the name of Barry Lamar Bonds available on the market. A 2-time MVP with Pittsburgh and perhaps the best player in the game. We were so happy about keeping the team in the city, that a thought never crossed our minds that we would even be in the running for the best player in baseball. Reports were trickling in. The Giants, yes THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS, were going to sign Bonds.

This was too good to be true. The Giants never had an imported superstar. At least not since I started watching this team in 1977. And Barry instantly became a favorite son, leading the 1993 Giants with another MVP year hitting .336, 46 HRs, and 123 RBI. It was a grueling, emotional season, and the Giants won an amazing 103 games, yet lost the division. By ONE game to Atlanta. (The last year for 2 divisions in each league) It was a heartbreak season, maybe the worst in franchise history, because that team was really good and fun to watch. But considering that the team wasn't even planning on playing in San Francisco at the end of the prior season, I'd say it put everything in perspective.

Barry would go on to post amazing numbers over next years. He was the man. The one who sold the merchandise. The one you waited to watch before going to buy that beer. The one who you turned up the radio volume in your car when he batted. The one who would be the face of a team for the next 14 seasons. Barry Bonds sold tickets. Barry Bonds gave us fans something to cheer for. Barry Bonds kept this team in contention because he was a superstar. In essence, Barry Bonds helped build a new ballpark.

Ah, the crown jewel of baseball stadiums. On the shores of the Bay, Pacific Bell Park was carved into the landscape with the novelty of a Barry Bonds home run into the Bay. And boy, was this what were all waiting for. We had suffered for decades in the frigid wind of Candlestick dump. Now, it was our turn to have a nice home.

Yeah, we heard he was surly, unkind to the media. But hey, that's not our problem. The media was always tough on him, right? Besides, he looks pretty nice to me on the field. He's out there smiling, playing catch, hitting home runs. And that's what we cared about.

You see, despite it all, Bonds came at the right time. When we were in our darkest minute, he was the icon of hope that brought us up. He provided us with too many memories over the years, to let any allegations cloud our feelings.

It isn't easy turning your back on your favorite child. You'll always hold a special place in your heart for him. And despite any possible bad behavior, you're always going to love him, because he is yours.

And if you can find it in your heart, that's why you might be able to understand why we love Barry Bonds.

Got a few responses regarding the Angels' hat history (read comments from the "mail time" blog and check out Santos' response) but figured I would let another e-mailer help explain.

Got this e-mail from Stephen C. Smith, who runs the great Angels' Web site: www.futureangels.com:

The Angels most definitely did not copy the old PCL Angels. Actually, the Dodgers did.

The Dodgers had to buy the PCL Angels, then owned by the Chicago Cubs, in 1957 to get the territorial rights. When the Dodgers came to town, the franchise moved to Spokane. The Dodgers adopted the PCL Angels hat logo, which you can see at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Angels_(PCL)

The PCL Angels cap was navy, with the same "LA" block font that the Dodgers now have. The only difference was the "A" was red. No doubt Walter O'Malley went with the same font to attract PCL Angels fans with the logo.

If you want to see what the jersey looked like, a replica is for sale by Ebbets Field Flannels at:

http://www.ebbets.com/Authentic_19216_Details.aspx

And this was the road jersey:

http://www.ebbets.com/Authentic_19231_Details.aspx

There are several excellent books on the history of the old PCL and the PCL Angels. A Google search on PCL Los Angeles Angels will also turn up several helpful references. This one has several photos:

http://www.sportshollywood.com/lawrigley.html

Enjoy and thanks Stephen.

I figured for a fabulous Friday heading into the weekend, we would shake the dust off some old questions I had residing in my inbox. As always, you can e-mail me at mhurst@pe.com to have your questions about the Angels - or whatever, I truly consider myself a Renaissance man (*snicker*) - answered in this space.

First two questions (yes you can e-mail me multiple questions) come from Bill Chandos, who as always, brings the heat with his queries. Some good baseball-related topics here:

A couple statistical questions:

2) When a player gets a hit, but gets thrown out at second, he still gets credited with a single. Does he get credit in his on-base percentage? I swear I saw, early in the season, Mike Piazza have a higher batting average than on-base percentage, shortly after he tried to stretch a single into a double.

To the first question, yes, a pitcher's error does not count against his ERA. Personally, I think that's a bad idea since the error was the pitcher's, but Abner Doubleday didn't. Since a wild pitch is not an error in the true sense of the definition, a run scoring as result of a wild pitch does count toward a pitcher's ERA.

I needed some help on the second one, because that was truly a mind-boggling one. I asked Angels public relations representative Larry Babcock, who is on this trip, and he told me this: sacrifice flies count in determining on-base percentage.

So, to fully figure it out, add the total number of hits, walks and hit by pitches and divide by the total number of at-bats, walks, hit by pitches AND sac flies.

Good stuff. Thanks Bill.

Let's head to Marvin's question, which may seem to come from left field when reading what is put here, but he explained in a longer e-mail that he was searching for an old-school L.A. Angels hat.

In search of the perfect hat, I've come across various incarnations of the Angels Baseball cap. Do you know any of the story behind the "halo" cap? How long were those around for?

The hat I believe you're referring to seen here was the Angels' original hat when they became a major-league team in 1961. They wore this hat until 1965. I asked team spokesman Tim Mead about it and he said that he believed the team kept that look from their days in the Pacific Coast League before they became a minor-league team.

However, the team kept the halo around the top of their hat when they changed names to the California Angels, so the halo look was around on the hat seen here until 1969, officially, before it was taken away.

Personally, my favorite Angels' hat is the one seen here. I don't know why, just something about the lower case "A" and the way the halo on it is tilted off the side. It just seems cool.

Vladimir Guerrero is back!

OK, maybe not. But he homered twice on Thursday. The first one broke his 30-game homerless streak. The second came in the following at-bat. He finished the night with four RBI in the Angels' win over the A's.

While Guerrero hadn't homered other than in the Home Run Derby - in which he belted 17 - he still hit .312 with 13 doubles and 15 RBI in the homerless skid.

There was some wondering by Angels' people that Guerrero's homerless streak could have been attributed to the derby, but Garret Anderson, who won in 2003, didn't think so.

"It's a theory. I don't believe in it," he said. "The only thing I believe in is factual stuff. If you can't prove it, I don't have time for it."

(We'll wait to ask him what he thinks of the Big Bang theory for another day).

I guess the one bad thing - from my perspective - about Guerrero's two homers was that I had scheduled a one-on-one interview with him tomorrow to talk to him about the homerless skid.

As you may have noticed as Angels fans, Guerrero doesn't often speak to the media, so anything he says is either pre-arranged or comes after a big game or big news. The last time he agreed to a group interview was when he decided to participate in the derby. He is extremely shy and it's difficult to get him from time to time.

Hence my pre-arranged meeting with him. Oh well. And so it goes.

It finally happened.

Vladimir Guerrero homered.

For the first time in 30 games and 125 at-bats, easily the longest streaks of his career, Guerrero sent a Chad Gaudin pitch just over the left-field wall in the fourth inning.

It gave the Angels a 1-0 lead.

There were so many different twists and turns to yesterday's 12-inning game between the Angels and Mariners, there was no way all of them could fit into game or notebook stories. Especially considering that the game ended after 3 hours and 51 minutes, I was scrambling on deadline.

So, without further ado ...

-- Vladimir Guerrero is not known for his base running prowess nor for his decision-making on the basepaths. That being said, it has to be noted that he slid feet first into first base in the 10th inning last night with runners on the corners and two out. Had he run straight through the bag, he likely would have been safe and the Angels would have scored a run. Guerrero was also thrown out at home trying to score on Casey Kotchman's shallow fly ball to center in the fourth.

-- Kotchman laid down his fourth career sacrifice bunt in the 11th inning, an odd sight from the team's No. 5 hitter.

-- Darren Oliver pitched a very effective seventh inning, striking out two.

-- Guerrero hasn't homered in 30 games and 124 at-bats.

I understand that not everyone in the P-E's coverage area got their full Angels game story in Thursday's paper because the 12-inning game went past our print deadline.

So, for those that missed out on how it all ended, here is the game story I wrote for the later editions:

SEATTLE - Resorting to a drawn-in, five-man infield never bodes well for a team. Having to do it twice just meant the Angels were putting off the inevitable.
Already having escaped out of a 10th-inning, five-man infield jam when Jose Lopez missed a bunt and Willie Bloomquist was caught between third and home, there was no way any of the five infielders could have caught Yuniesky Betancourt's bases-loaded grounder to left that gave the Mariners an 8-7 victory in 12 innings.
Betancourt's grounder, placed perfectly between shortstop and third, also gave the Mariners two victories of the three-game series and moved them to within three games of the Angels in the AL West. However, despite the loss, it sounded as if the Angels were taking a moral victory from Wednesday's game.
Maybe because they scored three runs in the ninth against Mariners closer J.J. Putz, who had only allowed five runs all year. Putz, recently called baseball's best closer by Sports Illustrated, gave up a two-run, opposite-field homer to Gary Matthews Jr. with two outs to tie the game at 7-7 for just his second blown save of the season.
"You hate to lose ballgames, but you've got to take something from it," Matthews said. "It could have gone either way tonight. I think we just ran out of time."
The second time Manager Mike Scioscia brought Matthews in to man second base and put second baseman Maicer Izturis up the middle didn't work after Justin Speier loaded the bases on two singles and a hit batter. Betancourt laced a 2-1 pitch, setting off a wild celebration on the infield.
Each team had ample opportunities to send everyone to bed earlier, the Angels leaving runners on the corners in the 10th, the bases loaded in the 11th and a runner on in the 12th. It was the only times all night the team left runners on base.
With the bases full in the 11th, Nathan Haynes came off the bench to pinch-hit and he struck out on three pitches. Reggie Willits worked the count full against Brandon Morrow, the M's second pitcher of the inning, before grounding out.
"We battled," said Orlando Cabrera, who singled and scored in the ninth but fouled out with a man on third in the 10th. "It was amazing the way we came back. We're one (out) away from losing the game. We had a lot of opportunities to drive that guy in and win the game."
Seattle had its own troubles pushing across a winning run. They left two on in the 11th and an inning earlier had a runner on third with one out.
That's when Scioscia first put the five-man infield together, calling Matthews in from center. Willie Bloomquist, pinch-running for Kenji Johjima, who doubled, went to third on Scot Shields' wild pitch, but Lopez's missed bunt attempt got him hung up and tagged out.
It was the first time all season that the Angels had employed a five-man infield, but Scioscia said the team had walked through it during the All-Star break after working on it in spring training.

Robb Quinlan was most affected by Wednesday's bridge collapse in Minneapolis.

Born in St. Paul and living in Minnetonka during the offseason, Quinlan was stuck to the clubhouse television this afternoon, his cell phone at his fingertips.

He kept trying to contact friends and family members there, but couldn't get through since all the cell lines were down.

After the reporters were through interviewing Manager Mike Scioscia (our daily thing right as batting practice begins) Quinlan finally ran onto the field to shag balls.

As he came in to the dugout to switch gloves and take grounders at first, I asked if he ever got through and if everything was all right.

"As far as I know ... for now," he said.

Heard today that there is a chance that the Angels could open next season in Japan.

The Boston Red Sox are one of the teams that will surely open next year in Tokyo and the other team figured to be someone from the American League West. That could be Oakland or Seattle as well as the Angels. It figures that Texas would not be high on the list.

The obvious reasons for the Red Sox are Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima whereas the Angels have no one of Japanese descent.

Seattle, obviously, has Ichiro Suzuki and Kenji Johjima so they would figure to be the top choices as far as a marketing strategy would be concerned.

However, I was in Rome in January and while waiting for a train at Termini station, walked into an athletic apparel type of store. Hanging on the wall were Major League Baseball apparel of only three teams: the Yankees, the Cubs ... and the Angels.

So, maybe there is that worldwide marketing aspect.

Don't know if you caught this or not (for those watching at home) but for the first 4 1/2 innings home plate umpire Kerwin Danley's fly was open.

It was noticeable every time he went into his crouch behind the plate.

So, a loyal P-E reader and good friend of this writer's called to alert me of this (OK, it was my fiancee, Suzanne, watching the game at home). I couldn't believe it until I mentioned it in the press box and a fellow beat writer whipped out his binoculars and verified that it wasn't some trick camera action on the screen.

(I guess that's better than something else being whipped out ... )

Afterwards, that's all the writers in the press box were looking for when Danley went into his crouch behind the plate. And, like little kids, we all giggled.

Word of this spread to the Mariners' PR staff and one of them called someone in the TV production booth and between innings we searched to see if someone would tell Danley.

After the Mariner Moose came onto the field, a fellow wearing tan shorts, a blue polo shirt and a ballcap ran up to Danley, near the third base line, wrapped his arm around him and let him know.

Danley grinned, looked down, and zipped up.

It was easily the funniest thing I've seen all season. And that includes the fan in Boston getting nailed with the pizza.

Thanks, dear, for giving all us bitter sports writers something to make our Tuesday more enjoyable.

As expected, today's trade deadline came and went.

So, I went around the clubhouse, asking Angels players what they thought of the team staying put, basically battling it out with the same core group of guys expected to battle it out when they broke camp out of spring training.

The reaction was expected, I guess you could say. No one said they wanted the team to make a deal, that they were confident in the 25 guys in the room and no one was disappointed a deal wasn't consummated.

However, when I told Orlando Cabrera that Boston had acquired Eric Gagne his eyes got big and he said "Really? Wow."

But, when I asked him if that made Boston the team to beat, he said no. Several others agreed.

So, where does another deadline without any activity leave the Angels? Well, according to GM Bill Stoneman, the team is still a good team and has "good players at every position."

Why didn't the team even try for a lesser player instead of putting all of its eggs in the Mark Teixeira basket?

"The smaller deals weren't going to help our ballclub because of what we have here," Stoneman said.

So Mark Teixeira goes to the Braves in a trade and the Angels have nothing in terms of Plan B.

Good, you be may thinking. And, for those people, yes, the Angels enter tonight second in the bigs in victories and have been playing better.

Awful, others might think. And, for those with this disposition, you're correct. Here's why:

It seems (and I'm sure it's not the case, thus the use of the word "seems") that GM Bill Stoneman never has a Plan B. The beat writers just interviewed Stoneman about losing out on Teixeira and he essentially said he was putting all his eggs in the Teixeira basket.

So, this Plan B scenario, at least in recent years, has failed to materialize.

In the winter of 2005, they failed to sign Paul Konerko and then had no other options.

In 2006, they failed to trade for Miguel Tejada and then missed the playoffs.

Last winter, they were hoping Aramis Ramirez would become a free agent (he did for about point-two seconds), set their sights on Alfonso Soriano and then came away with Gary Matthews Jr.

Maybe that's a Plan B. Maybe it's filling an already-present need.

I'm not pointing fingers. I'm just sayin'