Voting has begun for MLB 2007 This Year in Baseball Awards.

Vote now for:
Starting pitcher - John Lackey
Performance - Chone Figgins
Manager - Mike Scioscia

http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/mlb/awards/y2007/tyib/index.jsp

Just keep clicking the vote button, we have to beat the east coast favorites.

Mike Scioscia is ranked second favorite to win the Manager of the Year title.
Manager of the Year Candidates

Reggie Willits is ranked a dark horse for the Rookie of the Year.
Rookie of the Year Candidates

Lackey and Escobar are also ranked as dark horses in the Cy Young race.
Cy Young Candidates

Kotchman's x-ray negative but return date unknown.
Figgins likely back on Monday.
Coaches met with Shields
http://www.pe.com/sports/baseball/angels/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_angels_notes_24.3f01e32.html

Napoli has been doing light jogging but has not been throwing.
Rivera:  When rosters are expanded Sept. 1, Rivera might get the call.
http://www.pe.com/sports/baseball/angels/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_angels_notes_25.3d920b6.html

I hope they're back in time for the Seattle series, we'll really need them.

No physical required before consummating the trade and endorsement by Padres staff (ex-Dodgers) DePodesta and Hoffman, lands him a spot with the Padres.  He must have been born under some lucky stars.

This places him in position to rile up the Padres vs Dodger games much like Jose Guillen vs Scioscia's Halos.

Link to Bradley to Pads article

As I read, It's a 'great' thing they kept Kotchman by LA Times, Bill Shaikin there is a mention of Alyssa Milano calling Casey, "Angels great Casey Kotchman."

Curious, I checked her blog.  This is where she apologized for the Dodger fans that cheered when Casey was hit ...

"P.S. I want to acknowledge the Angels fans for being so classy when Loney finally did get up
after crashing into the wall (did I mention that wall is cement and Plexiglas? Did I mention that
same cement and Plexiglas wall took out Kemp in the beginning of the season?). I was embarrassed
to hear some of the Dodgers fans cheer when Angels great Casey Kotchman was hit in the head on
Saturday by a pickoff throw from Russell Martin at second. The fans that cheer when an opposing
player is injured do not represent the majority of Dodgers fans. Regardless, I apologize for them
because . . . well . . . I feel I should."  Alyssa's Blog here

She does write an interesting blog, a classy acknowledgment and apology.

A nice story on Vladdy.  
Features interview with Vlad and comments by Jim Tracy, his first big league coach and Halo teammates.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-vlad062407&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I didn't realize he has 6 kids, ages 7 months to 8 years.

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Baseball experts Tony Gwynn and Tim Brown give their reason why they think the Angels are the best team in MLB.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=3101674

Finally, the Halos get recognition for playing amazing baseball.

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Cubs vs Padres

If our benches cleared every time Vlad is thrown high near the head the Halos would have players sitting the whole season.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070616&content_id=2029960&vkey=news_mlb&fext=. jsp&c_id=mlb

This happened to Vlad today - Derek Lee took a different path

What a bore - No game tonight.  While searching for news I came across the Angels page on SI.

Imagine my surprise to see the HH blog headers in the Blogs & Fans Sites (middle bottom of the page).

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/teams/angels/

Just as we're frustrated that we haven't pulled away from the pack, so are the A's.  Notice that they can't even root for the Tiger's who are leading the Wild Card race.  

I didn't see this mentioned in the draft threads, excuse me if it was.

Angels scouting director Eddie Bane said the organization drafted him because "we wanted to have the rights to him in case anything came up."

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070608&content_id=2014638&vkey=news_ana&fext=. jsp&c_id=ana&partnered=rss_ana&partnerId=ana_toolbar_rss&affiliateID=ana_toolbar_rss

Proud day for Mike and Matt.

Does anyone find this strange. I've been told that trading within the division is just not done. But here it is.

A's trading for cash.  

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Atb6pqzjLOIwG_wZ7W925v4RvLYF?slug=ap-rangers-athleticstrade&am p;prov=ap&type=lgns

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If you haven't seen this yet - This is a short commercial on FSN-WEST with Bill McDonald, Rex Hudler, Jose Mota, Mark Gubicza, and Steve Physioc.

Link to video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7e9YJNN_aI

I haven't seen this one on air yet, may be some of you have. Angels Fan operation implanting foam finger.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgtXsg0eJew

Looks like it's try outs for 3rd base.  Q, Aybar & Shea taking shags on 3rd base.

http://blogs.ocregister.com/fromthedugout/archives/2007/05/3b_or_not_3b.html#more

Mike has shown to be a patient man.  He's let Shea and Casey work through their slump and find their timing. But he loses his patience with those that won't give their all.  

Last year Morales was in the line up, until he hit an infield fly ball and didn't run to 1st.  Scioscia spoke firmly to him in the dugout and he was sent down.  He's still not in Mike's good graces so sees little play time.

I think Figgy's loss of focus has cost him Mike's patience.  

"Agent Paul Cohen told the Los Angeles Times that Percival, 37, would spend two weeks working out and considering options."

This seems the most likely outcome.
A reunion with Joe Madden & Josh Paul

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/20/Rays/Maddon_keeping_an_eye.shtml

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I would have picked Romero over Oliver but looks like it's neither.  Found this interesting on the RallyMonkey.com 4/10/07 blog:

Ex Angels  2007 Hitting Statistics

EX-ANGEL________TEAM__H_AB__R_HR_RBI_BB_SO__AVG__ OPS
Alfredo Amezaga___FLA___4_10__1__0__1__ 1__1_.400_1.155
Scott Spiezio______STL___2__5__2__0__0___2__0_.400_1.171
Orlando Palmeiro___HOU__2__5__1__0__1___0__0_.400__.800
Troy Glaus________ TOR__6_ 17__3__1__4___4__3_.353_1.006
Josh Paul_________ TB___ 2__6__0__0__1___1__1_.333__.762
Bengie Molina_____ SF____7__22__0__0__0___1__3_.318__.848
Darin Erstad______ CWS__6_ 20__4__1__2___3__2_.300__.841
Alberto Callaspo___ARI __6__ 21__2__0__1___0__2_.286__.699
David Eckstein_____STL__7_ 26__2__0__1___2__1_.269__.653
Jim Edmonds______STL__4_ 17__1__0__0___3__4_.235__.644
Jose Guillen_______SEA__2__9__2__0__0___1__4_.222__.633
Adam Kennedy____ STL__3_21__1__0__0___1__2_.143__.468
Steve Finley______ COL__1_12__0__0__1___1__1_.083__.237
Damion Easley____NYM__0__1__0__0__0___0__0_.000__.000

2007 PITCHING STATISTICS

EX-ANGEL________ TEAM__G__IP_W-L_SV_BB__K__ ERA__BAA
Brendan Donnelly__ BOS__ 2_ 1.0__0-0__0__1__1__0.00__.000
Bobby Jenks ______ CWS__4__4.0__1-0__1__1__5__0.00__.077
Derrick Turnbow___ MIL__ 3__3.0__0-0__0__0__4__0.00__.100
Aaron Sele________NYM__1__1.0__0-0__0__0__2__0.00__.250
Matt Wise ________ MIL__ 2__1.1__0-0__0__1__1__0.00__.200
Scott Schoeneweis _NYM__3__2.1__0-0__0__2__0__0.00__.333
Joel Peralta ______ KC __3__4.2__0-0__0__2__8__1.93__.250
Ramon Ortiz______ MIN__1__7.0__1-0__0__1__4__2.57__.192
Kevin Gregg______ FLA__3__3.1__0-0__0__2__2__2.70__.250
Jarrod Washburn__ SEA__1__6.0__0-0__0__3__2__3.00__.158
J.C. Romero______ BOS__4__2.2__0-0__0__0__1 10.13__.429
Russ Springer ____ STL__3__1.2__0-0__0__2__2 16.20__.429

2007 MANAGING STATISTICS

Jerry Narron______CIN 4-4 .500 1st place tie
Bud Black_________ SD 5-3 .625 2nd place 1.5 games out
Joe Maddon________ TB 2-5 .286 5th place 2.0 games out

Posted by 27 on the RallyMonkey.com

(My first diary - Sorry about the formatting)

Coverage on FSN WEST begins Saturday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m.

Sundays in March at 10:00 p.m. - "Angels Live" pre-season reports
Jose Mota and Mark Gubicza deliver practice updates and breakdown key player progress.

March 20 at 6:30 p.m. - In-depth preview of the 2007 Angels, hosted by Bill Macdonald.