Why, there are Angels in our midst.
The Angels are pretty much assured of their seventh consecutive losing season - that's every season since they reverted to the "Los Angeles Angels" moniker of their first awkward years back in the early 1960s. This is what they get for denying who they are. They don't play in Los Angeles. They play in Anaheim. They posted fifteen winning seasons and made seven trips to the post-season in the nineteen years that Anaheim was part of the team name. They won a World Championship as the Anaheim Angels. What was the problem? Not showbiz enough for Arte Moreno? I would say the verdict is in on Mr Moreno's aptitude for running a baseball franchise. He is now contemplating selling, and let's hope he gets it done while Mike Trout is still young enough to play some October baseball.
He's back, by the way, off the Injured List and doing Mike Trout type things. Ross Stripling must be thrilled. Shohei Ohtani has put together a season quite similar to his stunning MVP campaign of a year ago. The baseball world simply isn't quite as stunned upon seeing the thing done again, and will give this year's MVP to the big Yankee. Taylor Ward has come back to earth after his absurd start and Jared Walsh is now out for the year. Anthony Rendon missed 104 games last year; he is going to miss 117 games this year. There's four years and $154 million remaining on that deal. I'm sure he'll be healthier in his mid 30s.
I'm doing a bit of research on BaseRunner Kills and the greatest outfield arms the game has ever seen (with the usual sidebar on where the Blue Jays fit in amongst it all.) I have gathered all the Blue Jays data I require, and that of the great throwing arms that occurred to me, but I thought I'd throw the floor open to suggestions, see if there's anyone interesting I didn't think of. So are there any other outfielders you might be curious about? Famous arms you have marvelled at over the years. With a particular emphasis on the last 50 years, but as I'm sure you are all well aware by now, I can go back much, much farther than that! And as it happens, I will have to. But on this subject, we are still disavowing any interest in anyone born before 1900 - no Cobb, Speaker, or Ruth. There's a reason for this, which I will surely get to with my usual brevity and concision.
Eephus is going to a rock show at the Budweiser Stage tonight - Spoon! Interpol! Metric! - and I'm sorely tempted to make a last minute change of plan and mosey on down my own self. I dunno. I'm probably too old for this, right? I should probably just stay home. Maybe listen to the album. Act my age.
Sigh.
Matchups...
Fri 26 Aug - Detmers (4-4, 3.66) vs White (1-3, 3.63)
Sat 27 Aug - Ohtani (10-8, 2.83) vs Manoah (12-6, 2.66)
Sun 28 Aug - Davidson (1-2, 6.00) vs Stripling (6-3, 2.84)
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20220826051614973