Chat LIVE with Ashley Thompson at 3 p.m.

Ashley Thompson, the wife of Australian born Angels reliever, now with the Salt Lake Bees, Rich Thompson - has a Blog entitled: Everyday Life - The everyday life of a baseball wife, but not just about baseball.... You can also see Ashley's blogs on the Orange County Register as she updates us all from a wife of a ball players' perspective throughout the week.

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Los Angeles Angels Prospect Report 4/30.09

Angels 2008 #1 pick Tyler Chatwood has opened the season with 11 scoreless innings

Triple-A: No game


Double-A: Arkansas 7, Tulsa 5

Anton: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (5.51)

Herndon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4th save (0.00)

Sutton: 2-5, double, single (.291)

Conger: 2-4, double, single, RBI, K (.224)

Patchett: 2-4, 2 singles, K (.333)


High-A Ball: Lake Elsinore 8, Rancho 7

Jimenez: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, HBP 5 K, HR (6.62)

Romine: 1-3, single, 2 walks (.315)

Perez: 2-4, 2 singles, 2 RBI, K (.297)

Navarro: 4-5, double, 3 singles, RBI (.347)

Moore: 2-3, HR, single, 2 RBI, BB, K (.311)


Low-A Ball: Cedar Rapids 3, West Michigan 0

Chatwood: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (0.00)

Amarista: 3-3, triple, double, single, 2 RBI (.344)

Crawford: 1-3, single, walk (.262)

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Around the Halo 4/29/2009

The Angels completed a quick two game sweep in Baltimore, winning their third game in a row. Tuesday Joe Saunders gave up 10 hits yet only allowed 4 runs (2 earned) getting the win in a 7-5 victory. Howie Kendrick continued his hot hitting, belting a two strike home run to put the Angels ahead for good.

This morning Shane Loux out dueled Koji Uehara. Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales hit back to back home runs in the 7th inning giving the Angels the lead for good in the 3-2 win.

Angel fans are puzzled by Brandon Wood being held out of the lineup, especially when the main reason Erick Aybar is getting playing time is because of his supposed spectacular defense. The Angels rank 14th in the league in defense and it hasn't gone unnoticed by Mike Scioscia. With the Angels facing two lefties in New York ,and Aybar continuing to be erratic, is it possible Wood could maybe get some time at SS?

Ken Rosenthal discusses Chone Figgins future as he heads towards free agency.

Injury report -

LA Times gives updates on Vladimir Guerrero, Ervin Santana, Darren Oliver, Dustin Moseley and John Lackey. The reports are encouraging.

Angelswin.com programming notes. Tune into AM830 tonight for "The Richter Scale". Chuck Richter will join Jeff Biggs tonight from 5:15 to 6:00pm to discuss the Angels top prospects.

Tomorrow night after the game Adam Dodge will join Biggsy from 8:30 - 11:00 pm

Friday afternoon, Ashley Thompson, wife of Angels reliever Rich Thompson will be conducting a Q&A session at 3 pm to discuss her blog "Trophy Wife" which focuses on the ups and downs the minor league lifestyle takes on a family.

Next up - Angels at Yankees

Thursday - Anthony Ortega (0-1, 7.21) vs. AJ Burnett (2-0, 5.47)
Friday - Jered Weaver (2-1, 2.45 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte (2-1, 2.96 ERA)
Saturday - Matt Palmer (1-0, 6.00 ERA) vs. C.C. Sabathia (1-2, 4.73 ERA)
Sunday - Joe Saunders (3-1, 3.41 ERA) vs. Phil Hughes (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

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Los Angeles Angels Prospect Report 3/29/09

Jeremy Moore is off to a good start in the California League

Triple-A: Salt Lake 4, Portland 7

Denham: 4 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 1 H (3.22)

Pettit: 4-5, triple, 3 singles (.410) # hitting .500 in his last 10 games

Sandoval: 2-5, 2 singles, RBI (.280)

Evans: 2-5, 2 singles, 2 Ks (.250)

Figueroa: 2-4, 2 singles, RBI, K (.250)


Double-A: Arkansas 2, Tulsa 1

Diaz: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (5.79)

Herndon: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, Save (3) (0.00) * Has yet to be score upon this season.

Trumbo: 2-4, 2 singles, K (.203)

Ortiz: 2-3, double, single (.255)


High-A Ball: Rancho Cucamonga 5, Lake Elsinore 8

Fish: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 2 HR (8.18)

Romine: 2-4, double, single, RBI, K (.314)

Perez: 2-4, double, single, RBI, K (.290)

Moore: 3-4, 3 singles, RBI , SB (3) (.296)


Low-A Ball: (doubleheader)

Cedar Rapids 0, Peoria 1

Flores: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (2.84)

De Los Santos: 2-3, 2 singles (.304)

Cedar Rapids 0, Peoria 3

Correa: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (6.55)

Amarista: 0-1, 2 walks (.310) *9:1 walks to strikeouts

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Los Angeles Angels Prospect Report - 4/28/09

Chris Pettit is on fire for the Bees. Went 5-6 in the doubleheader on Monday

Triple-A: (doubleheader) - Salt Lake 4, Portland 3

MacDonald: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (6.35)

Thompson 0.2, 2 K's, 1 hold (3.86)

Evans: 1-2, HR, 2 RBI (.237)

Pettit: 2-3, double, single, RBI (.375)

Salt Lake 5, Portland 3

Salmon: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR (1.80)

Pettit: 3-3, 2 doubles, single, 2 RBI (.375)

Pavkovich: 2-3, 2 singles (.262)


Double-A: Arkansas 3, Tulsa 5

Mendoza: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (5.79)

Mount: 2-5, 2 singles, RBI, K (.270)

Trumbo: 2-5, 2 singles (.183)


High-A Ball: No game


Low-A Ball: Postponed

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Angelswin.com Prospect Hotlist - April 27th

By David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Columnist

Hot Prospects April 27, 2009

The past week saw a lot of good performances from several players throughout the organization. So, limiting the list down to just a Top-10 list was rather difficult. There were, however, several noteworthy performances from players who were promoted a level and excelled at the higher level. While some of the roster moves could be the result of all the injuries to the parent club, when asked, Eddie Bane said that if these players “go to a higher club and get everybody out then the Angels would not send them back just to send them back.” With all of that in mind, here is our Top-10 prospect list for April 27, 2009.

1. Trevor Reckling, LHP, Arkansas Travelers
Past 7 Days: 1-1, 0 Saves, 0.69 ERA, 13.0 IP, 6 H, 5 BB, 7 K, 0.85 WHIP
Overall: 2-2, 0 Saves, 0.72 ERA, 25.0 IP, 12 H, 6 BB, 20 K, 1.03 WHIP, 140 BAA

What’s Up: Recently promoted to AA-Arkansas, Trevor dominated the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in his first start by limiting them to only 3 hits and no runs in 6.0 innings. At 20, he was the youngest pitcher to win a game for the Travelers since Rick Ankiel won a game for them in 1999! At this rate, this young lefty may find himself as the youngest pitcher to win a game for the Angels in a long time as he continues to leadoff our Hot Prospects list for the second week in a row.

2. Michael Kohn, RHP, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Past 7 Days: 0-0, 0 Saves, 0.00 ERA, 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 0.30 WHIP
Overall: 2-0, 0 Saves, 0.00 ERA, 10.0 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 13 K, 0.50 WHIP, 074 BAA

What’s Up: Michael has started off this season right where he ended up last season—red hot! Last year he did not allow a run over his last 7 appearances and this year he has started off with another string of 7 appearances without allowing a run. Michael knows how to put hitters away—he struck out 44 last year in just 23.1 innings. He also can go more than an inning in a relief appearance, having logged more than 1 IP in 4 out of his 7 appearances this year. With the meltdown of our ML bullpen, Kohn could rise rapidly in our organization.

3. Peter Bourjos, OF, Arkansas Travelers
Past 7 Games: 8/23 (348), 1 Doubles, 1 Triple, 0 HR, 4 Runs, 2 RBIs, 4 SB
Overall: 339/424/482 with 0 HRs and 8 SBs

What’s Up: Here’s the thing to note about Bourjos: Over the past 7 games, he’s had 3 BBs and 5 Ks. Overall on the season, he’s had 8 BBs and 12 Ks. Last year, he only walked 19 times and struck out 96 times. That is a HUGE improvement for him and is why he’s sporting a 906 OPS out of the leadoff spot. As a future leadoff hitter, getting on base is critical for him because we know that once he’s on he can fly! It’s good to see him taking the newfound respect for patience to heart.

4. Trevor Bell, RHP, Arkansas Travelers
Past 7 Days: 2-0, 0 Saves, 0.00 ERA, 12.0 IP, 9 H, 6 BB, 7 K, 1.25 WHIP
Overall: 2-0, 0 Saves, 1.59 ERA, 17.0 IP, 14 H, 7 BB, 9 K, 1.14 WHIP, 215 BAA

What’s Up: 2009 has started out completely differently for Bell than 2008. He’s back to his form that led to him being a 1st round draft pick by the Angels and is becoming an integral part of an incredible rotation for the Travelers. Part of that may be his improved ability to pitch down in the zone. As a result, his GO/AO rate has soared to 2.15 this season and he has only allowed 1 HR so far.

5. Jayson Miller, LHP, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Past 7 Days: 1-1, 0 Saves, 0.00 ERA, 12 IP, 11 H, 1 BB, 8 K, 1.00 WHIP
Overall: 1-1, 0 Saves, 2.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 16 H, 1 BB, 15 K, 0.94 WHIP, 232 BAA

What’s Up: Jayson Miller is another lefty that couldn’t be left off of this week’s Top Prospects list. Recently promoted to High-A at Rancho Cucamonga, Jayson was in cool command in his first start in the high-octane league. He struck out 4 and didn’t walk anyone in 6.0 innings and has only issued 1 walk this entire season. With 3 of the top 5 Top Prospects this week being Lefty-Starters, the Angels clearly have a stockpile of that rare talent in development.

6. Jordan Walden, RHP, Arkansas Travelers
Past 7 Days: 0-0, 0 Saves, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 1.14 WHIP
Overall: 0-1, 0 Saves, 3.95 ERA, 13.2 IP, 13 H, 8 BB, 12 K, 1.54 WHIP, 260 BAA

What’s Up: Aside from 1 bad start at Midland, where he gave up 4 earned runs in 1.2 innings, Walden has been pitching like we would expect. When he’s on, he can just blow it by hitters. He needs to work on reproducing quality pitches more often and getting the ball down in the zone more (his GO/AO ratio has shrunk from 2.11 last year to 0.79 this year). But, the good news is that Walden is finally being challenged by tougher hitters and is adjusting to the competition. As for Walden’s future, as Eddie Bane put it last Friday “I would like to see Jordan Walden stay in a starting role. He may end up being a major league closer, but that would be down the road. Walden hooked up with Kasey Kiker (Rangers) the other night in a 1-0 12 inning game. A classic.”

7. Alexia Amarista, 2B, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Past 7 Games: 9/24 (375), 2 Doubles, 0 Triples, 0 HRs, 5 Runs, 2 RBIs, 1 SBs
Overall: 333/419/519 with 0 HRs and 5 SBs

What’s Up: Signed out of our Dominican Academy, Alexia is not the typical Latin player. He’s very patient at the plate—he posted a 416 OB% for all of last year in Orem. This switch hitting MIF has speed and plays solid defense. Off to a hot start in his first full season at Cedar Rapids, Alexia adjusting to the new league very well. When asked about Alexia, Eddie Bane said “He can really make things happen in my mind.” With his high OB%, look for Alexia to continue to bat second in the lineup, although he might become a leadoff hitter.

8. Ryan Brasier, RHP, Arkansas Travelers
Past 7 Days: 0-0, 2 Saves, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1.00 WHIP
Overall: 1-0, 2 Saves, 0.77 ERA, 11.2 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 9 K, 0.86 WHIP, 171 BAA

What’s Up: Another recent promotion, Brasier has been making the most out of it by earning 2 saves in 3 games pitched this week for the Double-A Travelers. Ryan saved 2 out of the 3 wins the Travelers had against NW Arkansas to give them their first series win of the year. It appears that Brasier is being worked into the bullpen for the Travelers, but, in time could move into the closer’s role and could continue to rise in the organization with more weeks like this.

9. Tyler Chatwood, RHP, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Past 7 Days: 0-0, 0 Saves, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 6 K, 1.20 WHIP
Overall: 0-0, 0 Saves, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 6 K, 1.20 WHIP, 077 BAA

What’s Up: Making his season debut for the Kernels last Friday, Chatwood limited the Clinton Lumberkings to just one hit in 5 full innings. He struggled early on with his control but then settled down to strikeout 6 players. This year will be a big year for Chatwood as he focuses solely on developing as a pitcher. With his heat and curve, he can be a top of the rotation pitcher as long as the control is there. As Chatwood relaxes on the mound, refines his mechanics, and fills out, he should excel through the organization.

10. Sean O’Sullivan, RHP, Salt Lake Bees
Past 7 Days: 1-0, 0 Saves, 2.84 ERA, 6.1 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1.26 WHIP
Overall: 2-2, 0 Saves, 4.68 ERA, 25.0 IP, 28 H, 1 BB, 18 K, 1.16 WHIP, 283 BAA

What’s Up: Making the jump to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, O’Sullivan pitched like he belonged at that level. At 21, he’s one of the younger pitchers in the league. But, he held Portland to just 7 hits and 1 walk—the first walk he’s issued all year. He’s improving his control down in the zone, and has increased his GO/AO ratio from 1.29 last year to 1.80 so far this year. With all the injuries to the Angels rotation, O’Sullivan could find himself as the #1 pitcher on our depth chart should we continue to have problems.

Others to Watch:
AAA Salt Lake Bees
Brad Coon—defensively solid CF, he’s sporting a 361/489/556 line.
Robert Mosebach—Doing a fine job as a reliever after getting promoted to SLC.
Chris Pettit—solid OF defense and posting a 320/364/480 line at the plate.
Sean Rodriguez—the power numbers are there (6 HRs) but the average has taken a dip lately.
Bobby Wilson—if the Angels need help behind the dish, he’s posting a 303/378/697 line.

AA Arkansas Travelers
Michael Anton—Another lefty with a good performance, just not quite as good as the others.
Hank Conger—He went 5 for 8 the last two games with 3 rbis.
Ryan Mount—Barely missed the list and went 8/24 last week.
Nate Sutton—Another one who barely missed the list and went 9/21 with 4 walks and 3 SBs.

A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Ismael Carmona—He struck out 5 in 4.0 IP last week and only walked 1 with no runs allowed.
Efren Navarro—Went 12/31 and is hitting 317/377/476.
Andrew Romine—Went 10/27 with 2 SBs.
Matt Sweeney—Cooled off a bit last week and had 3 good games and 4 hitless games.

A Cedar Rapids Kernels
Gabe Jacobo—Went 5/15 the weekend to raise his BA to 241.
Darwin Perez—Went 6/12 in his last 4 games and is hitting 289/413/316.

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Around the Halo 4/27/2009

The Angels avoided the sweep Sunday afternoon defeating the Seattle Mariners 8-0. Jered Weaver pitched seven strong innings, along with a strong offense allowed Scot Shields to pitch a successful inning of no pressure relief.

Howie Kendrick had a very good homestand and has started driving the ball and driving in base runners. Kendrick went 3-4 with a couple of doubles on Saturday. On Sunday he picked up where he left off, going 3-5 with 4 RBI and his second home run of the season.

Juan Rivera also homered for the time, driving a Jarrod Washburn pitch into the Angels bullpen.

After much waiting, discussion and some gnashing of teeth, Angel fans got to see Brandon Wood in the starting lineup for the first time this season. Wood played pepper with Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre all afternoon, finishing the day 1-4.

Kevin Baxter of the LA Times takes a look at the Angels struggling bullpen. Tony Reagins and Mike Scioscia made another tweak to the pen as Daniel Davidson was designated for assignment and Fernando Rodriguez was added to the roster.

Baxter also reports that the Angels are looking at former major leaguers pitching in the Independent leagues, hoping to find someone who can add experienced depth to the roster to take pressure off Anthony Ortega and other young pitchers who probably aren't quite ready for the big time just yet.

The thought is the Angels could sign Paul Byrd or Pedro Martinez, however it may take a while for both of them to be game ready and the club needs are more immediate.

Steve Bisheff of the LA Times takes owner Arte Moreno to task for allowing such thinking, and believes it's time for Arte to step up.

Injury updates -

John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar all took significant steps forward in their rehabilitation assignments over the weekend. Lackey & Santana will each pitch one more time in extended spring training in Arizona before heading to Rancho Cucamonga. Mike Scioscia expects to get both pitchers back before June 1, but says "How much before, I don't know."

The best news is that team orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum examined the torn muscle in Vladimir Guerrero's chest over the weekend and said he's hopeful Guerrero can resume baseball activities before the end of the week.

We'll keep our fingers crossed and hope for speedy recoveries.

Next up - Angels at Orioles for 2 games at Camden Yards.

Tuesday 4:05 pm : Joe Saunders (2-1, 3.51) vs. Adam Eaton (1-2, 7.04)
Wednesday 9:35 am : Shane Loux (0-2, 6.61) vs. Koji Uehara (2-1, 4.56)

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Los Angeles Angels Prospect Report 3/24/09

Tyler Chatwood debuts in Cedar Rapids with a nice start to his season

Triple-A: Salt Lake, 0 Tacoma 14

Knox: 3 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HBP, 3 HR (6.91)
Wilson: 1-3, single, BB, K (.303)


Double-A: Arkansas 0, NW Arkansas 2

Anton: 6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 2 balks (4.80)
Bourjos 1-4, 2 SB's (7)


High-A Ball: Rancho Cucamonga, 8 Lancaster 11

Miller: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (0.00) * High-A debut
Fuller: 4-6, 2 HR, 2 singles, 3 RBI (.228)
Romine: 2-4, double, single (.281)
Perez: 2-4, HR, double, RBI, BB (.321)
Rosario: 3-4, 3 singles, BB, K (.306)
Phillips: 2-3, double, triple, 2 RBI, 2 BB (.260)


Low-A Ball: Cedar Rapids 3, Clinton 2

Chatwood: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, 8-0 GO-AO (0.00) * Season debut
Auer: 2-5, 2 singles (.281)
Crawford: 2-3, 2 singles, RBI, 2 BB (.260)
Perez: 2-3, double, BB, 2 RBI (.250)

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Wood Rot

By Eric Denton - Senior Writer - Angelswin.com

Brandon Wood was recalled for what seems to be the 100th time in his brief major league career. Despite his hot hitting at AAA Salt Lake and Erick Aybar's sub-par play thus far he is on the bench yet again for tonight's game against Seattle.

Scioscia believes Aybar has All Star potential, but frankly it seems the only ones who see it is Mike, his coaching staff and maybe Tony Reagins.

Scioscia keeps saying Wood's "time will come" to the local media. He reiterated this stance this afternoon on "The Drive with Jeff Biggs"

"The offense needs some things not just power, on-base percentage and working counts." he said.

"Right now he isn't the end all, be all answer to our offensive problems." he said.

"We want to see some lineup consistency with Izturis and Aybar" he said.

How does anyone know if he isn't the answer to both on base and power issues?
How is there line up consistency if Aybar and Izturis end up playing 80 games a piece?

Brandon has sat since Wednesday and wont play until Sunday. Is anyone honestly expecting Wood to come off the bench cold and go 3-4 with a home run or is it more likely that he'll take an 0-4?

I don't want to say he's being set up for failure but Wood is not being groomed to be a utility player. If the number one hitting prospect in the organization isn't going to play everyday when he is on the big league roster then it's best just to keep him in the minors. Sean Rodriguez is much better suited for a bench role and while he's shown potential in the minors, he certainly hasn't captured the fans excitement to see him in the lineup everyday.

It would be refreshing if Scioscia would just say what he believes, that Brandon Wood is not a major league short-stop on a team with Erick Aybar and Macier Izturis on the roster. He's capable as a fill in but long term he's a third baseman and when he says "his time will come" he means only if Chone Figgins moves to the outfield, second-base or leaves via free agency in 2010.

Unless Mike changes his view on the defensive aspect of the game (like he has regarding starting Mike Napoli over Jeff Mathis) fans should get used to Wood riding the pine for nine or move to Salt Lake City if they want to see him play regularly, because it's not going to happen in Anaheim anytime soon.

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Los Angeles Angels Prospect Report 3/23/09

Triple-A: Salt Lake 4, Tacoma 2

Denham: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (2.95)

Pettit: 2-4, HR, double, K, 3 RBI (.310)


Double-A: Arkansas 4, NW Arkansas 3

Diaz: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (8.49)

Bourjos: 2-4, double, single, 5th SB (.311)

Trumbo: 1-2, single, walk, 2 RBI (.191)

Mount: 1-3, double (.261)


High-A Ball: Rancho Cucamonga, 8 Lancaster 5

Jimenez: 5 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (7.11)

Carmona: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (4.05)

Fuller: 2-4, HR, double, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K (.176)

Sweeney: 2-5, triple, single RBI, K (.355)

Perez: 3-5, double, 2 singles, RBI, K (.308)

Navarro: 2-3, 2 singles, BB (.320)


Low-A Ball: Cedar Rapids 8, Clinton 5

Correa: 6.2 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, WP (7.31)

Kohn: 1.1 IP, 0 BB, 3 K (0.00)

Amarista 2-4, 2 singles (.333)

Jacobo: 2-4, 2 singles, K (.233)

Colmenares: 1-3, single, 3 runs, BB (.279)

Castillo: 1-2, HR, 2 BB, 3 RBI (.289)

Perez: 1-3, single, BB, RBI (.207)

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Chat with Scouting Director Eddie Bane

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Los Angeles Angels Prospect Report 3/22/09

Triple-A: Salt Lake Bees 6, Tacoma 3

Mike MacDonald: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR (7.71)

Chris Pettit: 2-4, double, single (.289 BA)

Matt Brown: 2-4, double, single, RBI (.242)

Bobby Wilson: 1-3, HR, BB, K (.346)

Terry Evans: 1-4, HR (grand slam) 4 RBI (.277)


Double-A: Arkansas Travelers - No game


High-A: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 3, High Desert 6

Robert Fish: 6 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 3 HR (7.27)

Julio Perez: 2-4, 2 singles (.277)

Brian Walker: 3-4, double, 2 singles, 3 RBI (.250)

P.J. Phillips: 2-4, 2 singles (.256)


Low-A Ball: Cedar Rapids 2, Clinton 4

Manual Flores: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 3 K (4.15)

Tyson Auer: 3-4, single, double, HR, 1 RBI, K (.277)

Alexia Amarista: 2-4, double, single (.317)

Angel Castillo: 2-4, double, single, K (.278)

Matthew Crawford: 2-3, 2 singles (.262)

Anel De Los Santos: 2-4, double, single (.216)

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Around the Halo 4/23/2009

Another game, another bullpen horror show, another defensive meltdown and another pitcher sent to the disabled list.

Last night the Angels lost to the Tigers 12-10. Los Angeles received a career night out of Kendry Morales who drove in 5 runs and hit his first homerun of the season. Scot Shields took the loss, giving up 4 runs without getting an out. Erick Aybar made one error and also misplayed three other plays that were not ruled officially as such. Aybar cut in front of center fielder Torii Hunter for one, dropped a ball in the outfield for another, and flipped a ball to second baseman Macier Izturis for a fielders choice that if he had taken the straight 6-3 double play opportunity the Angels would have gotten out of the 6th inning unscathed.

Mike Scioscia has already sat Howie Kendrick twice this season because of his offensive struggles, now it is time to sit Aybar for his overall struggles. Hopefully Macier Izturis who is currently hot with the bat and always solid on defense or Brandon Wood will be given a start at short tonight

After the game the Halos placed left handed reliever Darren Oliver on the 15 day DL and moved Kelvim Escobar to the 60 day DL to make room for tonight's starter Matt Palmer on the 40 man roster. Palmer will be the seventh starter used by the Angels in just fourteen contests.

Another roster move will have to be made before Saturday's game when the Angels will have to call upon another starter from the minor leagues, likely Sean O'Sullivan. GM Tony Reagins will have to make yet another tweak to the 40 man roster, either designating for assignment a player or moving Vladimir Guerrero to the 60 day DL.

There could perhaps be a more than solid reliever available in the near future if Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune is correct that the Cubs may release veteran Luiz Vizcaino.

Tonight vs Tigers at 7:05 pm
TV - FSW
Radio - AM830, KFWB 980, KWKW 1130

Matt Palmer (0-0, 0.00) vs. Edwin Jackson (1-0, 2.14)

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Around the Halo 4/22/2009

The Angels defeated Detroit 4-3 last night. Gary Matthews Jr. hit a booming double off the center-field walk to drive in the game winner. Torii Hunter hit his 5th homer of the season, while Jered Weaver pitched 7 strong innings. Jose Arredondo picked up his first win of the season with Brian Fuentes notching his 3rd save.

Brandon Wood was recalled yesterday when the Angels placed Kevin Jepsen on the disabled list.

Macier Izturis started at DH and Erick Aybar was in at short-stop. Since both players contributed 2 hits each they will likely be back in the line up tonight. It kind of makes you wonder why they recalled Wood in the first place. If Brandon is going to be on the bench wouldn't Sean Rodriguez have been a better choice?

It's also very possible that Wood might be sent back down as soon as Thursday when the Angels will need an emergency starter. Salt Lake Bees stratched Matt Palmer from his scheduled start last night so it appears he is the most likely candidate.

Bill Shakin of the LA Times muses about the Angels seemingly lack of urgency to add Wood's power potential to the lineup and a veteran starter to the club. GM Tony Reagins has been inquiring about the arms of such arm as Pedro Martinez, Paul Byrd and maybe Mark Mulder (I'd pass on Mulder FWIW). Mike Scioscia and the Angels might seem to think making such moves would be a sign of panic, and the Angels don't panic.

Tonight vs Tigers at 7:05 pm
TV - FSW - Radio - AM830, KFWB 980, KWKW 1130

Joe Saunders (2-1, 2.18 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander (0-2, 7.88 ERA)

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Around the Halo 4/21/2009

Coming off a 1-5 road trip the Angels return to the Big A starting a six game home stand against the Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners.

This should be an interesting home stand for the club as they try and put the events both on and off the field past them. Monday's off-day couldn't have come at a better time. With a 4-8 record that Halos have a chance to make up some ground when Seattle gets to town for their weekend series.

Tuesday afternoon in particular could see the Angels shaking up the roster a bit. It's unlikely that Mike Scioscia will go with 13 pitchers for much longer. There is a possibility that reliever Kevin Jepsen could be headed to the disabled list with back issues, giving the Angels room on the roster to promote hot hitting SS/3B Brandon Wood.

Update - That exact scenario did play out as Jepsen was placed on the DL and Wood recalled.

It's also possible though unlikely that Scioscia will choose to promote a minor league starter for Thursdays game and shift Darren Oliver back to relief. To do so the Angels would have to make room on the 40 man roster if they plan on adding a player. Salt Lake Bees starter Anthony Ortega started on Monday night and it's unlikely he'd be available.

Obviously the biggest issue was the struggles of the bullpen in Seattle and Minnesota. Scot Shields who has a 0-1 record with a 7.20 era believes his issues are behind him. Justin Speier who struggled mightily last season has had some success thus far in 2009 and credits his new delivery. Hopefully this is the case and both pitchers will provide steady relief work the rest of the season.

Bobby Abreu is not only contributing on the field but has quickly fit into the clubhouse chemistry.

If you're in the area, drop by Throwbacks Sports Bar & Grill to check out "The Rex Hudler Show" starting at 3pm. Rex's guest will be former Angels starter Mark Langston.

TV - FS Prime - Radio - AM830, KFWB 980, KWKW 1130

Angels vs. Tigers

Tonight : Jered Weaver (1-1, 3.09) vs. Armando Galarraga (2-0, 0.68).
Wednesday : Joe Saunders (2-1, 2.18) vs. Justin Verlander (0-2, 7.88).
Thursday : TBA vs. Edwin Jackson (0-0, 3.38).

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The 2009 Prospect Hotlist is back!!!

By Chuck Richter - Angelswin.com Executive Editor

So it's that time again, every Monday when we take a look on a weekly basis at all the top minor league players in the Angels organization in a top 10 format. This list is unique in that you'll find players throughout the minor league season who may not even qualify as a prospect in general terms, but because they're hungry like all the rest of them to reach their goal and crack a major league roster, they're a prospect in my eyes. So let's take a look this week who's red hot down on the farm for the Halos.

1. Trevor Reckling, LHP (RC Quakes):
Stats: 1-2, 0.95, 16 strikeouts in 19 innings
What's up: Reckling who is now dealing in the hitter friendly California League in High-A Ball, has been unfazed by the ballpark dimensions and weather. Through three starts, Reckling has three quality starts in his first three contests, including going seven strong innings in his last outing on Sunday. The southpaw's ability to pound the strikezone inside and hide the ball well have produced good fruit early on in the season. His late biting slurve and improved changeup have given hitters fits since he commands his 89-92 MPH fastball extremely well.

2. Brandon Wood, SS/3B (Salt Lake Bees):
Stats: .318, .400, .1000, 4 HR's, 6 RBI's
What's up: Erick Aybar should be looking in his rear view mirror because Brandon Wood is approaching his shortstop position with the Angels at a high rate of speed. Wood has a 1.400 OPS, 4 HR's in just 6 games. This after posting solid numbers in spring training. If Aybar doesn't get on base and start stealing bags soon, Wood will be up sooner than later this season. I think with Vladimir Guerrero out it's a no brainer. Let Aybar work on his bunting, base stealing and dance moves around the 2B bag in Salt Lake.

3. Alexander Torres, LHP (RC Quakes):
Stats: 1-0, 1.80, 16 strikeouts in 10 innings
What's up: Two starts with the Quakes and the southpaw has fanned 16 through 10 innings thus far. Torres and Reckling are looking like a nice 1-2 knock out punch to opposing Cal League hitters. Opponents are batting just .118 vs. Alexander through his first two starts. This kid could really shoot up the prospect charts this year.

4. Matt Sweeney, 3B (RC Quakes):
Stats: .341, .370, .659, 3 HR's, 11 RBI's
What's up: Matt must have been chomping at the bit to start playing ball after the entire season lost due to an ankle injury in spring camp last year. He's taken his impatience out on opposing pitchers, posting a 1.029 OPS, with 3 home runs and five doubles. Matt has been playing third base, while getting some time in at DH occasionally. The 6'3", 215 lb left-handed slugger reminds us of Dallas McPherson with power to all fields, but he won't strikeout as much.


5. Michael Kohn, RHP (Cedar Rapids Kernels):
Stats: 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 strikeouts in 7.2 innings
What's up: Equipped with a 95 MPH fastball and above average breaking ball, Kohn is part of an impressive bullpen with the Kernels in Scholl, Armstrong, Thorne and Taylor. The Angels snagged Kohn in the 13th round of the draft last year and are happy with this arsenal late in the game. Kohn has yet to give up a run through 5 games, fanning 9 batters through 7.2 innings, giving up just 2 hits. The Angels current bullpen could use a reliever with those types of numbers.

6. Peter Bourjos, CF (Arkansas Travelers):
Stats: .306, .409, .444, 2 triples, 4 stolen bases
What's up: Bourjos started his Double-A season with one goal in mind, 'Get on base so I can utilize my speed'. So far so good for Peter, as he's walked 6 times vs. 8 strikeouts (.409 OBP) and stolen four bases thus far.

7. Eddie McKiernan, RHP (Salt Lake Bees):
Stats: 0-0, 0.00, .174 BAA, 5 strikeouts in 6.1 innings
What's up: After saving 22 games for the Kernels in 2008, Eddie has reached Triple-A at the age of 20 years old. The local kid out of Monrovia High School was selected in the 17th round in the 2007 draft, has yet to have given up a run in a combined 6.1 innings between Rancho Cucamonga and Salt Lake, with five strikeouts and a .174 batting average against.

8. Jayson Miller, LHP (Cedar Rapids Kernels):
Stats: 1-1, 3.00 ERA, 11 strikeouts in 12 innings
What's up: The Kernels are blessed with a solid rotation this year, with most of the focus on Will Smith and Manuarys Correa, but Jayson Milller - another southpaw on the prospect hotlist is one to keep an eye on in Cedar Rapids. Miller posted a 2.33 ERA for the Orem Owlz in 2008 after the Angels selected him earlier in the year out of Washington State University. Miller may have the best control in the organization, walked just 7 vs. 69 strikeouts last year in 81 innings. He's right on track this year with a 11/1 strikeout to walk ratio.

9. Tim Kiely, RHP (RC Quakes):
Stats: 1-0, 2.08 ERA, .208 BAA, 13 strikeouts in 12 innings
What's up: The Angels 27th round pick out of Trinity College in the 2008 amateur draft has been solid since signing with the club, including his first two starts this season with the Quakes. Kiely has sported a 2.08 ERA through two starts, fanning 12 hitters in 13 innings. Keep an eye on Kiely, he's a sleeper that could move quick in the organization.

10. Brad Coon, LF/CF (Salt Lake Bees):
Stats: .386, .455, .737, 2 HR's
What's up: When you're at #10 it's not easy because you have to exclude a few players that were worthy of a spot on the prospect hotlist, but I'm going with Brad Coon after batting .368 through the first 5 games, clubbing two home runs and sporting a nifty 1.191 OPS. Coon has shown more power after offseason workouts, though he's kept his solid on base skills (.455 OBP). Let's see if he can utilize that speed of his this season as he stole just 17 bags last year and was caught 10 times.

Other prospects who had a solid opening week: Terry Evans, Trevor Bell, David Herndon, Carlos Colmenares, Alexia Amarista, Robert Mosebach, Daniel Davidson (earned a promotion), Ryan Braiser, Mason Tobin, Jeremy Moore & Sammy Leon.

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5 Key Questions - Focus: Salt Lake Bees

(OF Chris Pettit looks to put together a solid campaign in Triple-A this season)

By David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Columnist

Over the past few days, we’ve taken a close look at each of our minor league affiliates to get to know the 5 big questions that each team needs to answer over the course of the season. Today we finish the series by focusing on our highest level minor league team, the Salt Lake Bees to see what key issues are affecting this team.

Question #1: What do Wood, S-Rod and Brown have to do to get back to the show?
If major league rosters were set solely by Spring Training performances, all three of these players would be on the major league roster. Essentially, all 3 are ready to play in the show but are unfortunately blocked by other players already in the majors. At the end of Spring Training, all three were sent back down to the minors to get regular ABs.

So, what do these guys need to do in order to make it back to the majors? Essentially, they need to do 4 things, and they need to do all 4 of those things well. First off, they need to accept the demotion as an unfortunate and necessary part of the game. They need to be good team players and professionals. While Sports Center may love the big player “meltdown”, most teams do not and most players who do have meltdowns upon a demotion often struggle worse at the lower level making it harder to justify re-promoting them.

The second thing they need to do is to continue to show why they belong in the majors. If Aybar continues to struggle and Wood continues to mash, Scioscia will be forced to make a change. If another team has an injury and needs a MIF, then Rodriguez could find himself playing for another team. We know that these guys have the talent. But, the more they demonstrate it, the more they will force their way up.

Third, they need to expand their resumes. Both Rodriguez and Brown need to work in some time in the OF to expand their versatility. These guys are coveted primarily for their bats. The more ways to get their bats in the lineup, the more likely it becomes that they will end up in the majors.

Finally, they need to bide their time. While no one likes it, injuries are a part of the game. We just lost Vlad for at least 6-8 weeks. A baseball team’s roster is always in a state of flux. Consequently, there is a great chance that some or all of these guys will end up back in the show before the year is over. Hopefully, when they get there, they will stick.

Question #2: Will Pettit Get a Solid Footing in AAA?
For Chris Pettit, last year never really got off on the right foot. Unfortunately, in the first game of the season, Pettit broke his ankle and didn’t get back until the end of the season.

When we interviewed Abe Flores, Director of Player Development, about Chris Pettit, he said “Pettit missed a large part of his season. He came back but was definitely rusty when he got back to the double-A club. But he had a tremendous Arizona Fall League—he really tore it up. Basically one of the top MVPs of that league. That being said, if we were breaking camp today, he would project out to Double-A to be patient with him a little bit more. We expect some big things out of him and he could potentially have a really quick promotion, but that remains to be seen.”

Well, apparently Chris Pettit did all of those things during Spring Training (where he hit 333 in 48 ABs with 2 doubles, 1 triple and 2 SBs) because he ended up on the Triple-A roster to start the season.

In the past, Eddie Bane has said that Pettit has the best plate discipline within the organization. Pettit’s stroke can generate some power, with 20 HRs within reach at the major league level. And, Pettit’s speed can lead to 20+ SBs a year in the majors.

Long term, Pettit profiles as an above average defensive LFer. He doesn’t have the arm or first-step quickness to be an ML CFer, but would be a good fit in LF. A lot of Pettit’s future depends on how the Angels choose to handle Vlad, GMJr and Rivera. But, if Vlad becomes the full-time DH, and Pettit continues to shine, a spot could open up in LF for him.

Question #3: What happened to Ortega?
When the Angels left the 5th starter’s spot open, a lot of us speculated that Anthony Ortega would be a dark-horse candidate to win the job. Going into Spring Training, that seemed like a safe bet.

Unfortunately, Ortega developed a “dead arm” condition that sidelined him from most of the games in Spring Training, and he never really competed for that 5th spot in the rotation. As a result, he’s still building up his strength at Salt Lake. So far he’s only started 2 games and pitched a total of 9.2 innings. So, it’s not too likely that we’ll see him in Anaheim in the near-term to offset all the losses to our rotation.

While Ortega doesn’t have a true out-pitch, last year he generated a large number of ground balls with his offspeed pitches. He pounded the lower half of the strike zone and as a result, excelled in a hitter-friendly league. When his arm strength recovers, he could be an innings eater pitcher which the Angels may need over the course of this season.

Question #4: What is Wood’s Future Position?
While earlier I said that Wood needs to increase his versatility to make it in the majors, the Angels will ultimately have to decide this year whether he is a future major league SS or 3B. The question on his future is still out, and so far, of the 5 games in which Wood has played, he has made 3 starts at SS and 2 at 3B.

The reality is that the Angels need to look at the bigger picture with Wood and have him settle down into the SS role. While Aybar may be slightly better defensively (although this point is debatable—Aybar makes more flashy plays but botches routine plays whereas Wood makes routine plays and some flashy plays) Wood’s offensive upside is dramatically better than Aybar’s (Wood has 4 HRs in his first 5 games). Keeping Aybar as the starting SS only makes sense if Aybar can be the leadoff hitter, and that does not seem likely. He lacks the plate discipline and speed to excel as a leadoff hitter. Furthermore, Peter Bourjos is at Double-A Arkansas and showing improved plate discipline. Bourjos has true plus-plus speed and should be the future leadoff hitter for the Angels. He would make a better leadoff hitter than Aybar.

Playing Wood at 3B makes sense only as a hedge against an injury to Figgins or the loss of him after the end of the year. However, the Angels have several talented and productive 3B in development such as Jimenez and Sweeney. Both have major upsides offensively and defensively. Putting Wood at 3B would block both of these players’ offensive upside at the expense at keeping Aybar’s defense on the field.

The Angels should look to extend Figgins for 2-3 years right to bridge the gap between him and Bourjos as the future leadoff man. They also should extend Figgins to bridge the gap until Sweeney or Jimenez can claim the job outright. If they do that, then Wood’s only position is his natural one—SS.

Wood has a special talent offensively that doesn’t come around too often in a SS. As such, the Angels should settle the question once and for all and keep him at his natural position.

Question #5: How Will Abe Keep Plugging the Holes in the Roster?
Yikes! This year has NOT started off the way anyone in the Angels would have hoped it would. While Abe Flores told us that injuries are a part of the game, no one could have imagined all the shuffling we’d have to do at the start of the season.

The one thing that the Angels do have is a lot of depth, especially at Double-A Arkansas. While there should be no reason to panic and destroy the development of a player as a result of all the injuries, there are some players who could be close to being promoted. Trumbo, for example, has already seen time at Double-A Arkansas and could move up to Salt Lake in the event that Wood or Brown is promoted to the majors for a prolonged period.

Most likely, though, Abe Flores and his staff have their hands full and are scouring the minors to keep a pulse on who is available and who would fit in with the Angels. As the Bees get shuffled around, expect the Angels to make some moves to keep their roster balanced. Don’t be surprised if you start seeing some names you haven’t seen before. This is part of what the minor leagues is all about and part of why minor league journeymen make a living.

Sleepers to Keep an Eye On

Freddy Sandoval (3B): Like Matt Brown, Sandoval profiles as a backup corner infield candidate. While he doesn’t hit for as much power as Brown, he does have a better eye at the plate and is a switch hitter. He will compete with Brown to see which one can dislodge Quinlan from the bench spot reserved for a CIF.

Bobby Wilson (C): If the Angels make Napoli a primary DH candidate, Bobby Wilson could slip into the backup catcher’s role. While he doesn’t hit for much power, Wilson does hit for average. He’s familiar with many of the players from the minors, and could do a good job stabilizing several of the pitchers as they make their entrance into the majors.

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Jordan Walden spells relief ?

By Chuck Richter - Angelswin.com Executive Editor

The Angels bullpen errr gas can has been responsible for losing six out of seven of their losses early on this season, failing to secure leads and put our fires in close games. The Angels looking for someone within the org to step up, recently called up Rich Thompson, Rafael Rodriguez and 28-year old southpaw Daniel Davidson, who will be making his Major League debut. Jason Bulger & Kevin Jepsen both have good stuff and have succeeded at the minor league level, but they have failed to command their pitches, resulting in free passes, hard hit balls, heck, even two grand slams within a three game period.

Angels sure setup man Scot Shields has been awful early on with his control, even to first base, while Jose Arredondo & Brian Fuentes haven't looked as dominate as they can be. When Justin Speier is your best reliever of late, you know there are problems in the bully.

The starting pitching has been solid thus far despite the absence of Lackey, Santana, Escobar and recently Adenhart and Moseley. Adenhart was killed in a tragic car accident by a drunk driver last Thursday morning after dominating the A's through six innings. Despite the tragedy and mess the rotation presents, the Angels starters are tops in ERA in the American League through eleven games. The Angels top starting pitching prospect Jordan Walden is someone I think would be a great fit for a late inning role should the Angels convert him to a reliever.

Walden has put up some 6's through his first two starts this season with the Arkansas Travelers - 6.2 IP, 6 earned runs, 6 walks & 6 strikeouts with a 8.10 ERA. That's not a good way to start the season, but everyone who has scouted Walden knows he has had trouble commanding his offspeed stuff, still not getting a feel for throwing the changeup with regularity. His power stuff doesn't separate enough velocity from his fastball and slider to fool batters long term in a game ini which he starts.

Obviously we're just two games in and Walden could improve the command of his offspeed offering with more minor league innings and ultimately stick as a starter, I believe the Angels should expedite his arrival to Anaheim and convert him to a reliever to fully utilize his high 90's fastball (hit as high as 101 MPH on the radar gun) and hard slider that he throws in the high 80's. If Walden focuses on just his fastball and slider in a month or two of closing games out for the Travelers, we could have a legit closer in the making, one that could help this current group of struggling Angels relievers sooner than later, if he succeeds in the new role.

Walden wouldn't be the only starter turned reliever, remember K-Rod? Frankie came up through our system as a starter, but it wasn't until he was converted to a reliever that he blew through two minor league levels in the same season and ultimately made it to the big leagues and helped the Angels capture their first World Series Championship, that same season. Could it happen for Walden too? Both pitchers' are similar, possessing two power pitches that are true strikeout offerings.

Other starting pitchers that started in the minor leagues and then converted later to the closers role boast an impressive list of firemen. Mariano Rivera, Jonathon Papelbon, Keith Foulke, Dennis Eckersley, Jason Isringhausen, Eric Gagne, John Smoltz, Brad Lidge and Joe Nathan to name a few.

Astros, now Phillies closer Brad Lidge broke down so frequently in college and in the minor leagues as a starter (42 starts in 52 minor-league appearances), Houston had to move him to the bullpen to keep him healthy. In his first try as a closer last year, he set a National League record for strikeouts by a reliever.

Giants farmhand, Twins closer Joe Nathan, started his pro career as an infielder. But when the Giants moved him to the mound, they put him in the rotation, and 29 of his first 39 big-league games came as a starter.

The Angels have ran out of options for relief help and when you look down the organization's depth chart you're going to be hard pressed to find a power arm with the type of stuff Jordan Walden possesses. I believe he's someone who could make an immediate impact in the bullpen and possible future Rolaids relief winner. The fans could use some antacid in the form of an Angels reliever late in the game with the lead.

Make it happen Angels.

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Around the Halo 4/17/2009

BREAKING NEWS - Vladimir Guerrero will be placed on the disabled list and is expected to miss at least one month if not two with a torn pectoral muscle.

The Angels are expected to promote a position player after the game. One would assume that would be Brandon Wood since Vlad will be out long term. Before the signing of Bobby Abreu the club had thoughts of moving Chone Figgins to left field. Scioscia could move Figgins to left, Abreu in right with Matthews and Rivera platooning at DH with Wood stepping in at third. We shall see...

Angels avoided the sweep last night defeating the Mariners 5-1. Mike Napoli came through with the big hit, a 2 strike, 2 out single. The Angels continued to drive in runners with two outs marking a big turn around from the status quo to start the season.

Nick Adenhart was laid to rest today in Maryland. On Thursday Angel representatives attended a private ceremony.

Tonight in Minnesota
TV - FSN - Radio - KLAA 830, KFWB 980 & KWKW 1130
Dustin Moseley (1-0, 3.86) vs. Nick Blackburn (0-1, 5.73)

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April, Much Cooler than March for Halos

By Adam Dodge - Angelswin.com Senior Writer

The Angels torched the Cactus League last month, posting a team OPS over .900 en route to winning the exhibition season title. The team, though, has lost its Tempe mojo and has struggled through the first eight games of 2009, inciting debate within the fan base as to who should be playing and where. There is even some evidence of panic amongst the faithful.

While it would have been nice to see the Angels sprint from the gate and get off to a fast start, the circumstances under which they’ve played have certainly been (a) cause for their shortcomings.

For those of you who have your index finger hovering over the panic button, awaiting one more poor at-bat by Erick Aybar or one more walk by Kevin Jepsen, before you press it and declare “season over,” take a peek back at some of the lousy stretches in 2008, which saw the Angels win 100 games for the first time in franchise history.

From April 4-12, the Angels went 3-5.

From May 7-17, the best regular season team in Angels’ history went 3-7.

From June 8-16, the AL West champs went just 3-5.

From August 13-22, the team with the best record in all of baseball went a dismal 2-7.

Hopefully the Angels can get things moving in the right direction with a solid performance and salvage a game in Seattle tonight. If they do, don’t put your panic button in storage. They Angels are certain to give you many more opportunities to consider pushing it.

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Around the Halo 4/16/2009

Last night the Angels were blasted by the Mariners 11-3.

The bullpen was hammered hard again. What was supposed to be one of the Angels strength this season, hasn't been thus far. Los Angeles currently has the best starters ERA in the league at 2.79 even without John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar. However the bullpen is carrying a very high 7.54 ERA. Angel relievers have given up 19 earned runs in 22 1/3 innings, the pen also leads the pitching staff in losses. Another disturbing stat is the walks (12) to strikeout (18) ratio.

Good news on the pitching front is that Santana and Lackey are making progress towards their returns.

Gary Matthews Jr. has gone from potential clubhouse trouble maker to clubhouse counselor in the wake of the Nick Adenhart tragedy. Matthews delt with the loss of former player Mike Darr in 2002.

Darren Oliver is ready for his start on Saturday in Minnesota, his first since 2004 with the Houston Astros.

You've got to wonder if Oliver's spot in the rotation could become a full time gig. With lefty Brian Fuentes in the bullpen the Angels are covered for situtational situations. Scot Shields and Jose Arredondo both have closer potential if Scioscia wants to change around some rolls.

Next Game - Angels at Mariners 7:10 PM
TV - FSN - Radio - AM830, KFWB 980 & KWKW 1330

Joe Saunders vs. Anaheim native Chris Jakubauskas

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5 Key Questions - Focus: Arkansas Travelers

(Hank Conger is back behind the dish in 2009)

By David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Columnist

Over the next few days, we’ll be taking a close look at each of our minor league affiliates to get to know the 5 big questions that each team needs to answer over the course of the season. Today we focus on our Double-A team, the Arkansas Travelers to see what key issues are affecting each team.

Question #1: How good is this team?
Last year was a bit ironic for the Travelers: they had the lowest winning percentage of any of our minor league affiliates and yet they were the only team to win their League’s Championship.

This year, the Travelers have a new look and a lot of top-talent. The team boasts are #1, #2, #3, #7, #8, #10, #30, and #44 prospects. It features a former first round pick (Trevor Bell, 1st round pick in 2005). The team has power—Trumbo led all Angels minor leaguers in HRs last year and was tied for 2nd overall in the minors with 286 total bases. It has clutch hitters—Conger drove in 13 during the Travelers playoff stretch last year. It features speed—Bourjos swiped 50 bases last year. It features pitching with O’Sullivan, Walden and Anton as starters and Herndon as a closer. Basically, this team has it all!

While several prognosticators bashed the Angels organization last year for a lack of prospects, that shouldn’t be the case this year. Maybe it’s easy to understand why so many statisticians overlooked our organization—most of our top talent gained a lot of frequent flyer miles between Salt Lake and Anaheim or was buried down in the lower minors. This year, though, the Travelers are loaded with talent and should be set to defend their crown. The talent is here, and this year it should shine brightly.

Question #2: Catch this, Conger?
We know that Conger can hit. He posted a 303/330/517 line last year and helped the Travelers in their playoff drive with 13 rbis. But, where Conger has stagnated has been in his time behind the dish. In 3 pro-seasons, Conger has only caught 91 games. Even worse, due to a slight tear in the labrum in his right shoulder (his throwing shoulder) followed by a bruise to his left thumb, Conger was limited to just 10 games behind the dish last year.

Scioscia likes a good bat at any position, but places a premium on defense at catcher. He believes that a catcher can contribute almost as much (if not more) behind the plate than he can standing at the plate. While Conger has a mighty bat, his defense could use some work. Initially there was a thought that the Angels would be a little bit more conservative with Conger and have him work on his defense at Single-A Rancho instead of at Double-A Arkansas. But, Conger worked a lot on his defense over the winter and really showed improvements during Spring Training. The Angels decided that all that work merited the promotion to Double-A Arkansas as a catcher meaning his defense was as much on par for the league as his bat.

Eddie Bane has taken some flak for his praise of Conger as a catcher. This year, in Arkansas, Conger should justify the high praise heaped on him and could begin a quick path to the majors as an offensively minded AND defensively minded catcher.

Question #3: Will Walden be the staff ace with his pure power?
How much is triple-digit heat worth? According to Scott Boras, nothing less than $50 million if you plan on drafting Strasburg this year. Luckily, the Angels already have their own triple-digit threat in Walden and they didn’t pay anywhere near that much. He regularly has hit 101 mph, even late in the games. When he’s throwing, the ball makes a different sound smacking the catcher’s mitt.

Walden got into some games in Spring Training this year and showed that he has the stuff to be a top of the rotation pitcher. He can blow hitters away with his heat and has the secondary pitches to keep them off balance (although he still needs to work on his changeup). However, he needs to replicate his delivery more so that he maintains control. During Spring Training this year, he struck out 5 in 6 innings, but also walked 3.

When we made our Top-50 list, we thought Walden would start the season at Single-A Rancho since he only made 9 starts there last season. Apparently the Angels were impressed enough with the work he did in the instructional league and in Spring Training to challenge him at the Double-A level this year. At age 21, he is the youngest pitcher on our staff (a few months younger than O’Sullivan) and the 2nd youngest player overall on the team (only a few months older than Conger). With the best heat in our system and the best slider to boot, Walden could be making his major league debut by the end of 2010.

Question #4: Or will O’Sullivan be the staff ace with his control?
If you aren’t impressed with the heat, maybe you’re into control. If that’s the case, then O’Sullivan is the pitcher for you. He doesn’t throw as hard as Walden, but he can still bring the heat in the low to occasional mid-90s.

Aside from his control, O’Sullivan has the makeup to be a solid pitcher. He knows how to battle and keep his team in the game. Although he did not win a league ERA title last year at Single-A Rancho, he still led the league in wins with 16. More impressively, he limited opponents to just 8 HRs in 158 innings—a tough feat for the high-octane California League.

At the end of Spring Training, O’Sullivan started our last game against the San Diego Padres. While they may not be the best hitting team in the majors, they did field their starters against O’Sullivan for all 3 innings that he pitched. He battled and limited them to just 1 run over 3 innings. He struck out 2 and walked no one in that stint. At age 21, that was an impressive start.

In our Top-50 prospect list, we said that 2009 would be a good determinant to see if O’Sullivan becomes an innings-eating starter or a reliever against tougher pitching. My bet is that O’Sullivan shows that he is a solid #3 or #4 pitcher this year who can generate a lot of ground outs and can keep his team in the game.

Question #5: Can Trumbo and Bourjos learn patience at the plate?
Plate discipline. Yes, we’ve heard the mantra, and these are 2 players who really could benefit from it. Both could be very special players if they could increase their walks and cut down on their strikeouts.

If speed is your game, then Bourjos is the player for you. He led the California League with 50 swipes last year in 60 attempts. He profiles to be a leadoff hitter, but, he has the power to bat deeper in a lineup. Last year he clubbed 48 extra base hits including 29 doubles, 10 triples and 9 HRs. As he matures, he should add to that power. He is a talented defender—one that could push Hunter to a corner spot defensively. If Bourjos can refine his strike zone—and there are glimmers that he has as he has 3 walks in his first 5 games—the path to the majors should be fairly short for him. If he can draw 50+ walks a year, he could be a perennial threat to steal 60-80 bases in the majors.

If power is your game, then Trumbo is the player for you. He led all of the Angels’ minor league players with 32 HRs and was 2nd overall in the minors with 286 total bases. While 2008 was a breakout year in terms of the power, it did not see a breakout improvement in terms of plate discipline. While he did improve his discipline in the Arizona Fall League, it came at the expense of his power. Two areas where Trumbo did make improvement last year were in his ability to hit the ball to all fields and on his defense. If Trumbo can draw 50+ walks a year and continue to use the entire field, he could be a perennial threat to hit 35+ bombs in the majors with a decent average.

For both players, their 2009 season could prove to be very pivotal. Both have clear shots to the majors (although Trumbo may have to move depending on Kendry Morales) and both are highly regarded throughout our system.

Sleepers to Keep an Eye On

Michael Anton (SP): Overshadowed by Walden and O’Sullivan, Anton is no slouch. He’s a solid lefty who needs to keep his control in order excel. Like O’Sullivan, he got hit pretty hard in the California League last year, but still limited opponents to just 12 HRs in 171.2 innings and won 13 games overall on the season. Double-A Arkansas should be a good test to see how Anton can fare against tougher hitters.

Trevor Bell (SP): Last year was not a good year for Bell, as he bounced around in levels and went from being a starter to a reliever. Bell is a former 1st round draft pick who needs to rediscover what made him stand out so much as a high school pitcher. At age 22 in Double-A, he’s right on track in his development. Hopefully he rediscovers his form.

Barrett Browning (RP): This left-handed reliever generates plenty of ground balls. He generated a 2.56 GO/AO ratio for the season last year in 65.2 innings. Browning also generated plenty of Ks, striking out 73. But, his control fluctuated, and at times he became quite hittable, creating a 1.47 WHIP. Not good. If he can refine it, he could become a good reliever down the road.

David Herndon (RP): Last year Herndon made a switch from being a starter to a reliever. In the process, he went from being suspect to being a prospect. He generated a 2.10 GO/AO ratio and racked up 17 saves in less than half a season. Double-A will be a good test for him, and he could see time in Triple-A Salt Lake by the end of the season.

Fernando Rodriguez (RP): In a repeat performance at Arkansas, Fernando is looking to build upon his work from last season. Fernando needs to keep the ball down more so as to avoid trouble. At age 23, he’s still on track to do that. If not, he will struggle in the high-octane parks at AAA.

Hainley Statia (SS): In a repeat performance at Double-A, Statia has slipped as a prospect because his offense is not on par with his defense. As a defender, Statia is a plus player. But his 242/288/368 line will not get him to the majors. If Statia could improve his offense, his defense could make him a useful MIFer or utility player.

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Around the Halo 4/15/2009

Yesterday the Angels lost to the Mariners in extra innings 3-2. Los Angeles is having a problem with RISP so far this season. The club is also an anemic 0-22 with the bases loaded.

Kendry Morales who is being counted on to replace Mark Teixeira's bat in the line up has gotten off to a very slow start. Currently batting .200 with runners on with only 1 RBI.

After the game Reggie Willits was returned to AAA Salt Lake City and reliever Rafael Rodriguez was recalled to boost the bullpen. Darren Oliver will be making his first start since 2004 Saturday against Minnesota. He was stretched out pitching 3 impressive innings, striking out 4 in the process.

The Angels got a measure of revenge on Josh Beckett as MLB suspended and fined Beckett for "agressive actions" (throwing at the head of Bobby Abreu). Hitting coach Mickey Hatcher was also suspended. Mike Scioscia, Torii Hunter and Justin Speier were also fined.

A contingecy of Angels will be leaving Seattle for Maryland to attend services for Nick Adenhart on Thursday.

Next Game at Seattle Mariners 4/15 7:00 PM
Jered Weaver vs. Jarrod Washburn
TV: FSN - Radio: AM830, KFWB & KWKW 1330

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Nick Adenhart, you will be missed

By Angelswin.com Photographer & Contributor - Phillip Richmond

Like for all Angels fans, the day Nick Adenhart was announced dead after being hit by a drunk driver, killing two others and seriously injuring another, it has just been a shock, almost unbelievable that he's gone. Here are the thoughts that I wrote on the day Nick went from being heavenly on the mound to supernatural in high places:

I was awoken by a text from my friend Mike, who goes to as many Midwest League games as I do. When I read his text I couldn’t believe it and thought it was just a joke of poor taste. But when I saw that I had several more texts from friends, telling me about what had happened, my day living in shock had begun.

Perhaps the reason I still can’t believe it is because when things like this happen you don’t expect it to be one of your favorite players, so you're not sure how you deal with it. The fact that Nick finally had his moment in just his fourth game may have added to the effect, as well. It was this moment I had been waiting three years to see and was really looking forward to seeing some point this season when the Angels come to my area of the country.

During the quick few months that Nick was in Cedar Rapids, I had gotten to know him. The connection started the same way it has with other players; I’ll have photos and sometimes other items for players to sign and when they finish signing, I give them a CD with all photos I took of them and maybe some copies of the photos I had them sign. Sometimes the players are more grateful for me giving them photos than I am for them signing. Many times this results in players giving me equipment or even money voluntarily in exchange for the photos, which they often forward to loved ones back home.

Eventually it got to the point where I would chat with him about anything, from baseball to life, when he would be sitting in the stands charting during his off days. I was more impressed with his personality than I was with his playing ability. While watching the news coverage on the incident, I have not heard one thing that in any way contradicts what I’d experienced when talking to him. When I heard Brad Coon speak of his humor on Baseball Tonight, I was reminded of the time during a cold April night here in Iowa when I was sitting near the Kernels dugout, talking to Tommy Mendoza’s parents while Nick was sitting behind home plate charting. A little kid approached Mr. Mendoza and called him an expletive in Spanish. When Mendoza replied in astonishment, “What?” the kid pointed to Nick, who had a huge grin on his face, and told Mr. Mendoza, “He told me to say that to you.”

Shortly after Nick was promoted from Cedar Rapids, he was selected to the All-Star Futures Game. My dad and I had considered making the drive to Pittsburgh to go to the game, but now we were sure we had to go. Prior to leaving for Pittsburgh, we went to the Kernels shop and bought a Kernels No. 21 jersey, because if I was ever sure of one player that would succeed in the Majors, it was Nick and I wanted him to sign the jersey. Like all Futures Game participants, Nick made his way down the foul line to sign autographs. Unfortunately, he was signing on the World team’s side of the field while I was getting autographs of future stars like Stephen Drew on the USA side. After making my way over to the World side, I stuck the jersey out for him to sign. He immediately looked up with a huge smile and said “Hey man! How are you doing? Good to see you out here!” While Nick continued to sign for fans, we chatted a little to catch up on the past month before Nick had to take off to wait in the bullpen for his opportunity to shine. Nick did not get the call in the game, but I still enjoyed the game.

I was only able to meet up with him once more, this time in 2008 when Salt Lake came to Iowa. When he told me he’d be pitching the next day, I knew I had to make the two hour drive again to see him pitch. The dominating Nick Adenhart that I had seen two years prior was just not there on the mound that day, much like he was not after being called up to the Majors in May. Talking to him after the game, it just seemed like the rough 2008 he had was mentally wearing him down.

During my trip to Arizona last month I was lucky enough to see Nick pitch two solid games. He was back. I did not make it a priority to greet him this time around, but I now wish I had.

Just a couple of hours ago my shock turned into sadness. Maybe it’s been building from me looking at that signed Kernels No. 21 jersey on my wall. Maybe it was that Angels cap that I took off after coaching some pitchers at my high school today, working on making their curveballs get the sharp and nasty 12-6 break like Nick had. Or even because that hat reminds me of the only reason I really follow the Angels as one of my teams, second to the Cubs — Nick.

It's been a while since I've watched the movie "Field of Dreams," but after thinking about the tragedy, I was reminded of the film. I chose to watch "Field of Dreams" because this whole thing has reminded me of Doc “Moonlight” Graham. Moonlight had made it to the Major Leagues, but never really lived out his dream. At the Field of Dreams, Moonlight accomplished his dream and then was no longer able to do more. Unfortunately for Nick, it wasn’t by his choice. In the movie, after Graham left his dream, he was walking toward the cornfield and then he was stopped by Shoeless Joe Jackson who said, "Hey rookie! You were good."

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