Angels: February 2008 Archives

Angels top prospect Brandon Wood hit a two-run homer in a three-run eighth inning to lead the Angels to their first Cactus League win, 3-2, over the Rangers in Surprise.

Nick Adenhart pitched two scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out two.

"He was a little pumped up, a little erratic but he mixed in good breaking balls," Manager Mike Scioscia said of the 21-year-old Adenhart. "He showed good composure out there."

Wood just missed homering in his previous at-bat, flying out to deep center field, the ball caught at the wall before he launched his homer into the bullpen in left.

"Experience will take Brandon the rest of the way," Scioscia said. "He knows the game, he's made great strides the last two or three years. He's on our depth chart and experience will take him to reach his potential."

John Lackey isn’t troubled about tightness in his right elbow – “It’s a long year, something’s going to hurt,” he said – but it’s sore enough that the Angels’ ace won’t make his spring training debut until later next week.

Lackey, projected to be the team’s opening day starter after going 19-9 with an AL-leading 3.01 ERA, said he was “a little sore” Friday after throwing a full bullpen on Thursday. It was the first time all spring he had mixed in breaking pitches. In Friday’s pitcher’s fielding drills, Lackey wore a protective sleeve on his right arm and fielded ground balls but did not throw to bases like his fellow hurlers.

And unlike many of the team’s other pitchers, Lackey has yet to throw live batting practice.
“I felt fine coming in to camp,” he said. “I’m not real concerned about it. It will be fine.”
With Kelvim Escobar not expected to even begin throwing for at least another two weeks because of shoulder irritation, the team hardly seemed fretful that their top two starters were already battling arm trouble.

“It’s just getting the spring training (soreness) out of his arm and trying to get going,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s going to be fine.”

Lackey said he may throw to hitters by Monday and Scioscia anticipated Lackey being able to make his first start next Wednesday, giving him plenty of time to be ready for the March 31 opener at Minnesota.

For the first two games of spring training (Thursday and today) the only way to hear Angels' games was to listen to AM 830 later in the evening or to pay to hear them streamed on the team's Web site.

That will all change by tomorrow, according to spokesman Tim Mead.

While the games on the team's radio station will continue to be tape delayed due to existing contracts that must play syndicated shows at certain hours, Mead said the team is waiving the online fee so fans can hear the game live.

So, get in front of your computer tomorrow at 12 PST for the Angels' game against the Cubs.

There is a spring training rule that each team bring at least four regular players to spring training games and the Angels are certainly pushing the envelope this afternoon in Surprise.

Take a look at their lineup:

Willits - CF
Aybar - SS
Rivera - RF
Quinlan - 3B
Morales - 1B
Wood - DH
S. Rodriguez - 2B
Haynes - LF
Budde - C

Adenhart - P

None of those players, save for Aybar, are slated to be in the everyday starting lineup, and even Aybar isn't guaranteed to be the team's starting shortstop.

Manager Mike Scioscia rationalized it as if one of his starters twisted an ankle, one of these players could easily be the everyday player. By comparison, the Rangers are starting seven projected starters in today's game

So, here it is … finally. The much-anticipated, hardly-ever duplicated, greater Phoenix area food recommendations for all those who plan on coming out sometime during spring training to catch some Cactus League games, watch the Angels or even the Dodgers (who make their Arizona debut in mid-March) and just get away from Southern California for a while.

Now, I’m certain to get e-mails saying that I forgot someplace or how could I choose this restaurant over that one … but let me remind everyone that this is simply my recommendations on places I have been in my past years here in Tempe and other suggestions can be put into the comment section.

>> Continue reading: Arizona Food Recommendations

The Angels are about to start their intrasquad game (lineups are below!) and it should be noted with the Cactus League lid-lifter coming tomorrow that the Angels have the best spring training record over the past four years:

Angels 78 49 .614
Reds 75 54 .581
Cardinals 63 47 .573
Indians 70 53 .569
Twins 68 55 .553

Oh, and the Cactus League food blog will be posted later on today. Stay tuned.

Now ... onto the lineups

>> Continue reading: Cactus League tidbits

Each spring the Angels bring in former players to act as guest instructors - a good idea to get younger players' attention from bigger name stars rather than the constant drilling from the coaches they are all used to.

This week Don Baylor and Tim Salmon are here at the team's facilities and soon enough Chili Davis and Bobby Grich will come down and take part as guest instructors.

"These guys are two great Angels and I think their presence connects a lot of great things that happened in this organization over the years with those guys in the room," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "When you have a guy like Donnie who was American League MVP, the career he had here and how many times he went on and won in other places, that presence is felt as he walks into the clubhouse. And, Timmy, being part of our World Series championship and the terrific career he had with the Angels."

It's a tradition Scioscia has maintained since he took over as the club's manager beginning in 2000 and no doubt came from his playing days with the Dodgers when all of that franchise's former greats would walk around and work with young players in Vero Beach.

"It’s certainly something we want to bring forward as we keep growing as an organization, to connect with the achievements that have happened here," Scioscia said. "I don’t think you could pick much better two guys to represent the achievements of this organization."

John Lackey can blame camp newbie Jordan Walden for his Grayson County College report card photocopied and taped inside the clubhouse.

Walden, a draft-and-follow who signed last May, also attended the Denison, Texas college and has proof that Lackey didn’t exactly hit the books hard in his time there.

One class Lackey had was Country Pop and Rock where “you listen to about 10 songs and say whether or not you liked them and then you walked out,” he said.

That’s it?

“Pretty much the whole baseball team was in there,” he said.

Lackey also had one F, in Algebra, for not taking the final exam after he’d been drafted. What kind of message does that send to the young kids who look up to him?

“I’m doing OK without it,” he laughed.

Arte Moreno repeatedly checked his cell phone as he chatted with a group of reporters, awaiting a phone call from GM Tony Reagins, who is in Florida at Francisco Rodriguez's arbitration hearing.

Around 12:10 p.m. (Arizona time) Moreno stepped away from the group, saying Reagins was calling ending about a four-and-a-half hour arbitration hearing. The Angels have offered their All-Star closer $10 million while Rodriguez has asked for $12.5 million.

Moreno said a decision will be made by early Friday morning.

The Phillies' Ryan Howard won his arbitration hearing and was given $10 million, the highest victory ever. If Rodriguez loses, and receives $10 million, it will still count as the highest total ever given to a player, tying Alfonso Soriano who lost his case and received $10 million before the 2006 season.

Last year Hank Conger had a great YouTube clip and when I asked him about it, he told me to check out another Angels catcher, Brian Walker, on YouTube.

Walker will be in Angels minor league camp. And here's his moment of glory:

As you know, Howie Kendrick was the main piece of the Angels' proposal for Florida's Miguel Cabrera, who was instead sent to Detroit. Twice, owner Arte Moreno said, he thought they had landed Cabrera only to have the Marlins ask for more.

In years past Kendrick was always asked for by other teams, but the Angels were extremely reluctant to trade their budding star second baseman. Now, he enters camp after having come uber close to going to Florida.

His thoughts on the trade talk:

"You hear about them and you know they’re going on but I tried not to focus on them as much. I mean, in regards to whether I did or not, there wasn’t much that I could do because if I was going to get traded, the other team was going to do what’s in the best interest for their team. For us, for the Angels, it’s a great organization, I love playing here and this is where I want to be at and hopefully I’ll be here for a long time to come. It’s a great team and a great atmosphere. I think being in trade talks is something you kind of (get) acclimated to. I guess the more times they happen, the more times your name comes up. Each time you worry about it less. There was an ease obviously once things blew over, but I can’t lie to you and say I didn’t look at them and didn’t know what’s going on because I did know. But it didn’t happen and there will be more trade talks in years to come in different times but my job is to focus on playing baseball."

On now being prominently mentioned whereas he was never part of any proposed Angels deals:

"I don’t even really think about it. I guess if you play well, people want you in a sense and hopefully I can continue to play well for years and play well for this team and I think that’s one of the biggest things. I can’t focus on the trade talks and I can’t focus on what people were saying, I have to focus on the job at hand and winning baseball."

His thoughts on Moreno's comments, basically that he was assumed to be a goner:

"I couldn’t even really think about that because it didn’t happen, so regardless of if the deal was going down or whatnot, I feel like this is home and this is where I’ve been for my career in the minor leagues and the major leagues. Who’s to say what will happen down the road, but for right now, I’m still an Angel and I’m happy to be one."

And, finally, how he first learned of the talks:

"At the beginning of December somebody called me and said you’re name’s been mentioned and and a lot of people asked me because I don’t read (newspapers) a lot. Once people started asking I was like, 'Huh, let me see.' I checked it out and Miguel Cabrera by far, he’s a very good baseball player. The guy’s put up ridiculous numbers and he was a hot commodity. And he ended up going to the Tigers and in a sense it feels good to be here. This is home for me and I love playing for the Angels."

Some Angels notes before Wednesday's first full squad workout ...

-- Francisco Rodriguez will not be in camp today or Thursday as he will be traveling to St. Petersburg, Fla. for his arbitration hearing. Players are 0-for-5 in arbitration hearings this season, but if Rordiguez loses, he still wins. The $10 million the Angels have offered is still a $3 million raise from last year. Wouldn't you like that problem?

-- Because of Jon Garland's trade and Torii Hunter's signing it caused a trickle-down effect and there will be several players with new numbers. Garland will be No. 20 but he didn't have to pay Juan Rivera for it. Rivera wanted to switch anyway, so he is now No. 21. Kendry Morales went from No. 22 to 19 and third base coach Dino Ebel took over No. 22. Hunter has his usual 48, causing Ryan Budde to go from that number to No. 28, last worn by Jose Molina. And Erick Aybar went from No. 32 to No. 2, last worn by Adam Kennedy.

-- It will be interesting to hear if Mike Scioscia spoke with Garret Anderson and Vladimir Guerrero regarding their reluctance to DH more regularly this season. This could be an underlying issue all year.

-- Rain is in the forecast today (yes, sometimes it rains in Arizona) so that could negate some of the team's workout.

-- And, finally, I have received numerous e-mails and comments about the Ultimate Arizona Food Blog & Things to Do ... I am planning on putting that together near when games begin on Feb. 28 because that is probably when many of you will be heading out here. No one really wants to come and watch players play catch, take batting practice and field balls. They want to see games. So, around the end of the month I will post that. As always, send your recommendations.

TEMPE, ARIZ. – So, that great plan, the one the Angels had about rotating Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson through the designated hitter spot doesn’t look so rosy now.
Neither seemed thrilled Tuesday that they might have to become part-time outfielders, Guerrero shaking his head and saying “No, no DH,” interrupting a question when he heard the term.
“I’m a right fielder,” said Guerrero, who hit .270 with 10 homers and 36 RBI in 159 at-bats as a DH last season, through a translator. “I’ve got to wait until the season starts, see how my body responds during the season. Then we can decide what is best for me.”
Anderson didn’t quite show the disdain for the idea that Guerrero did, but he has scorned the thought in the past and said “My mindset is to come in and play left field.”
“There will be a time in my career when I have to do it, I understand that,” said Anderson, who batted .208 with one homer and four RBI over 72 at-bats as a DH last season. “But I don’t think that time is now. That’s just my opinion.”
Well, someone has to DH and frankly, Gary Matthews Jr. is a superior defender than either Anderson or Guerrero.
“Those four bats have to be in the lineup,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “It’s going to be a tool to rest some guys. In talking with Vlad, the six or seven days a week DH thing, he’s not ready for and doesn’t feel he’s going to be at his peak doing that. But there are definitely times, and there were times last year, when he played when a DH day would have done him good. We’re going to have that option now.”
The blueprint was meant to keep Guerrero, who DH’d 42 games last year, and Anderson, who served the spot for 20 games, injury-free and healthy in September and October as both have battled several maladies in recent years. In fact, Guerrero said his right elbow, the one that caused him to DH in 17 of 20 September games, has some lingering pain.
Oftentimes players don’t like submitting to DH duties – it can signal the declining arc of their career and several have said they feel more comfortable being a whole part of the game. So it might take some selling by the club to change some minds.
“I don’t think it’s selling. I think it’s what we have,” Scioscia said. “All those guys are
going to put winning ahead of anything and I think they know the situation. They know where we are now. On any given day somebody’s obviously going to be DH-ing. We’re going to use it as a tool to keep those guys fresh and keep those bats in the lineup.”
Anderson said he wouldn’t fit Scioscia about the ultimate decision but recalled when he, Tim Salmon, Jim Edmonds and Darin Erstad were all with the team and in a similar situation. That year, 1999, Edmonds injured his shoulder and the other three played regularly.
“I wouldn’t use the word fight, I don’t think it’s smart to fight anyone you’re on the same side with, but obviously, there will be a resolution to it, one way or another,” Anderson said.

Received this e-mail from a reader, no doubt an Angels fan by their e-mail address, but they forgot to leave a name. Anyways, if you'd like to send an Angels or baseball related question, e-mail me at mhurst@pe.com

"Do you see the Halos trading Francisco Rodriguez because of his contract problems? To me it looks like a clubhouse problem. I think if they package him with Chone Figgins they could get a real good third baseman."

While you're right that a package of Figgins and Rodriguez would certainly net a terrific player, the Angels are committed to each this season - and with Figgins, beyond.

GM Tony Reagins said that Rodriguez remains in the team's plans this season and he has not entertained the thoughts of trading his All-Star closer. Figgins is extremely valuable to the team because he's a leadoff hitter and can play multiple positions.

While it appears that Rodriguez will leave as a free agent at the end of this season, Figgins is signed through this season and under team control for next.

Making a trade like this leaves far too many holes for the team to fill - leadoff hitter, closer, utility player.

No chance this gets done.

New Angels signee Torii Hunter arrived in camp on Monday. Known as one of the best talking ballplayers in the game, he didn't disappoint and touched on a variety of subjects.

On opening the season against his former team in Minnesota: "I wouldn’t say butterflies. I don’t really get nervous about things no more. I’ve never had to do that, but I won’t get nervous I don’t know how they’ll perceive me. Standing o or boos? You never know. That’s a place I’ve been with for 15 years. Everybody can use words and say I don’t care about this place no more. If you’re with somebody for 15 years and you love doing it, you’re going to have feelings for it. I still love Minnesota, but I’m here with the Angels and I love here. I’m getting to love it here."

On Roger Clemens' congressional hearing: "That case should have been on Judge Judy. There’s no way it should have been in Congress. Congress has other things to worry about. Where’s bin Laden? Where’s the weapons of mass destruction? Stop the war. Mortgage problems."

On where he'll bat in the order: "I don’t care. As long as I play every day, I can hit 10th. I’m not really the type of guy who goes in there and says I want to hit third everyday. I’ve hit third, fourth, fifth I haven’t hit sixth in awhile until last year."

On performance-enhancing drugs in baseball: "Suspicion’s everywhere. People will crack jokes all the time. Family members. Hey, you taking HGH? It was funny at first, but it ain't funny no more. I was listening to Mike and Mike and they said baseball players are taking steroids. What? They said baseball players. You call an individual out. That sucks; that’s what we’re known for. I hate that. We’ve got some good guys, some guys that have worked out. You’re talking about 5,000 athletes in all the sports and you’ve got 100 guys that take. Can’t do nothing about it. If they get caught that’s their fault. It’s an individual thing. They need to go home and talk to their parents – why didn’t you raise me right?"

On Gary Matthews Jr., whose job he took: "Gary’s actually going to be the most important piece of the puzzle of this team. Gary Matthews Jr. is the most important guy on this team right now. He’s going to be in the lineup everyday, he’s going to DH, he's going to play left field, he’s going to play right field, he’s going to play center field. I think he’s very important to the ballclub because he’s going to be in the lineup everyday. We need him on base, we need him, period."

On being nervous entering his first camp with a new team: "Yeah, because I didn’t know what to expect. The expectations for me were different, I didn’t know what to expect and now I’m here and I see it’s the same. The same guys are just chillin’. I like these guys, I’m going to have fun getting to know these guys, no egos that I see. ... It’s different, just trying to meet guys, trying to get acquainted, trying to fit in, trying not to step on anybody's toes. I’ll loosen up, start cracking jokes in a minute."

Responding to Brian's comment, left on the previous Angels blog regarding Francisco Rodriguez and the likelihood he will become a free agent at the end of the year:

I asked Kelvim Escobar the other day if he may be better suited to go back to the bullpen, where he started his career and where he pitched while with Toronto for several years as their closer. I asked if it might reduce his chances of constantly battling injuries but Escobar said he wasn't thinking of becoming a reliever again because relievers throw more often than starters.

Not throw more in terms of innings, but they make more appearances and they also throw more in the bullpen. Think of how often a pitcher starts warming up in the pen and isn't even brought into the game ...

So, as of right now, there are no plans to make Escobar a closer, or for that matter, a reliever.

And, in terms of trading Rodriguez for a hitter? Well, I think that would be a good option because getting something good in return rather than a compensatory first-round draft pick would make more sense, but GM Tony Reagins shot that down when I asked him about it yesterday.

TEMPE, ARIZ. – Aside from their pending arbitration case, set for Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla., Francisco Rodriguez and the Angels are trapped in a game of chicken and neither side is prepared to move.
Asked on Sunday, his first day in camp, if Rodriguez is viewing this season as his last with the Angels, the closer responded affirmatively and took a swipe at the team in the process.
“Yeah, probably. Probably,” said Rodriguez, eligible for free agency at the end of this one. “If they wanted me here, they would have done something a long time ago, but in the meantime, I have to put that out of my head. I can’t be thinking they don’t want me here, anything like that. Just do my job.”
Thing is, the Angels do want Rodriguez. The majors’ saves leader over the previous three seasons and his agent have turned down numerous multi-year offers in each of the past three offseasons, including one made this winter by new Angels general manager Tony Reagins. That offer was believed to be for three years and $34 million but Rodriguez is looking for something comparable to the three-year, $45 million deal Mariano Rivera received.
Reagins said that the offer is no longer on the table but “if the agent approaches us, we’ll talk,” indicating the club has made its final proposal.
“We’ve presented a position to them and at that point it was declined,” Reagins said. “We made an offer that we thought was fair and it wasn’t accepted. At that time it was suggested they would probably go year to year, which to me, meant they were exploring their options.”
Knowing that this is likely Rodriguez’s final season with the team, Reagins said he isn’t exploring their options, i.e. trading the two-time All-Star to receive something more worthwhile than a draft pick as compensation if Rodriguez signs elsewhere in the winter.
“Our plan is to have him here the whole season,” Reagins said.
Currently the two sides are stuck on their respective offers – Rodriguez asking for $12.5 million and the team offering $10 million – and it’s highly doubtful that a resolution will come about once the season begins.
“I don’t like to worry about contract during the season; I don’t want to put any stress on me. I want to pitch,” said Rodriguez, who converted 40 of his 46 save opportunities last season and posted a 2.81 ERA. “Right now, I want to go through my regular year, then we’ll see what happens. There’s still a long way until the season starts. By then, maybe I’ll have a decision.”

Francisco Rodriguez arrived at Angels camp on Sunday, not overly willing to discuss his upcoming arbitration hearing this Thursday. The team has offered $10 million while Rodriguez asked for $12.5 million.

However the Angels' closer, a free agent at season's end, did say this could be his final season with the Angels.

"If they wanted me here, they would have done something a long time ago," Rodriguez said. "But in the meantime, I have to put that out of my head. I can’t be thinking they don’t want me here, anything like that. Just do my job."

Kelvim Escobar revealed on Saturday that he is missing the supraspinatus muscle behind his right shoulder.

Born without the muscle, which is part of the rotator cuff, Escobar also had reporters feel the sizeable gap behind his shoulder.

I touched it. It was weird.

But, he said that David Cone and Al Leiter also pitched without the muscle and Escobar has to over-strengthen his surrounding muscles to compensate for the missing one.

When he first injured his shoulder last April it was from lifting too much and putting too much strain on his shoulder. As one trainer at my gym said, sometimes smarter is better than harder.

Ervin Santana arrived into camp Saturday and besides sporting a crisp smile, friendly attitude and a new braided hairdo, he was also bringing with him a terrific winter ball season.

Posting a 1.91 ERA in 28 1/3 innings boosted his confidence level and may have put some more faith from the team in him.

A sampling of Manager Mike Scioscia's thoughts on Santana:

>> Continue reading: Scioscia on Santana

The sight of trainer Rick Smith walking around in a neck brace attached to his upper torso was a little frightening.

Smith is a 54-year-old body with a 25-year-old's energy, complete with a great attitude and a terrific sense of humor. He was inducted into the El Paso Hall of Fame this past year and took over for Terry Smith once during our Reporter's Roundtable, the weekly radio show, last season.

Smith flipped his ATV on a little berm in San Felipe, Mexico during Thanksgiving weekend and ended up with a fractured C6 vertabrae in his neck. But, he said his spinal cord is 100% intact.

When asked if they fused it together, Smith was on his game.

"Yes sir. Plates, bolts, lug nuts, they threw a rusty tire jack in there," he laughed.

Today marked the 10th week since he had surgery and he reported to camp on time and was doing his work, unlike a certain Angels closer. Although the work is a little less rigorous than before.

"’m working light duty, a lot of pointing," he said. "I’m a dignitary now."

That this came after he was smoked by a line drive off Casey Kotchman's bat during Game 2 of the ALDS was even more shocking since the last time I'd seen Smith he was all bruised in his torso and now his head is supported by a brace.

"I had a bad fourth quarter, man, almost worse than the stock market," he said. "If the weather’s bad, if I have a bad day, it beats all the alternative, because most of these don’t turn out like this."

Despite Manager Mike Scioscia telling reporters yesterday - the first day pitchers and catchers reported for spring training - that closer Francisco Rodriguez was here, the truth is that he is not.

Rodriguez will not arrive until tomorrow, his agent said, because of personal issues in his native country of Venezuela.

Rodriguez's agent, Paul Kinzer, said that he left a message with Angels GM Tony Reagins alerting the team that the closer would be tardy.

>> Continue reading: Angels' Rodriguez a No-Show

Reggie Willits was at Angels camp today on the day that pitchers and catchers reported.

Normally players who were hurt or rehabbing are only allowed in camp that early, so what was the deal with Willits?

Well ...

>> Continue reading: Willits Undergoes Surgery

Last year Jered Weaver reported to spring training out of shape and with biceps tendinitis.

He ended up starting the year on the DL and missed three starts.

Lesson learned. Weaver said on Thursday that he started working out on Nov. 1 and worked hard on strengthening his legs and core and his goal is to pitch 200 innings (at least) this year.

Taking only a weekend off for a short trip to Puerto Rico and another for his brother Jeff’s wedding, Weaver split time working out with a personal trainer and with John Lackey, former teammate Adam Kennedy and Angels trainer Brian Grapes.

Weaver said missing part of last year “absolutely” gave him motivation to start this year in better shape.

"Baseball’s what I love to do and it gets taken away from you, it definitely kicks you in the butt and makes you think twice and change up things and obviously do some different things and I did that this year and benefited from them," he said.

Manager Mike Scioscia didn't seem overly concerned that Erick Aybar, potentially Orlando Cabrera's replacement at shortstop, committed 19 errors in 35 Dominican winter league games.

While I'm certain that news didn't exactly make Scioscia do a backflip - heck, could anything other than a large spread of Italian food? - he didn't seem upset by it.

"(Alfredo) Griffin pointed to his need to read balls off the bat and get his footwork and positioning which is something we’re going to pay a lot of attention to this spring," Scioscia said.