Living in the Seattle area, Jake Locker is a big-time sports name.  This is in today's Seattle Times. 

Evidently Jake's dad met with Angels officials Tuesday night...

Someone on the Angels staff obviously holds Jake in high esteem as they drafted him for the 2nd time in the recent MLB draft. 10th round this year and also in the 40th round 2005.  I see no good reason why Jake would not sign with the Angels.  It appears to be a win-win-win.  Locker gets money now and an option down the road if his football career does not pan out, UW gains a scholarship, and the Angels possibly gain a long-term prospect.

Locker has also long been considered a top-flight baseball prospect, one anonymous scout recently quoted in Baseball America magazine saying Locker "could be a potential Hall of Famer" on the diamond. He was drafted by the Angels as a center fielder.

The story pretty much explains it. He's going to meet with the Angels tonight (Tuesday), but he's clear that football is his priority and the negotiations are going to be about whether they can come to terms on a deal that would make Locker Angels' property in the event he ever wants to play baseball.

Snippet from the bottom of the "Shields = FAIL" article, er I mean "Angels Bid a Farewell to Nick" article by DiGiovanna.  Interesting since Ortega has been horrible  this season up to now...scraping the bottom of the 40 man apparently! 

Hopefully the team's (and mine) last wet eye moment on Thursday morning!

Rotation addition

Right-hander Anthony Ortega, who is 1-1 with a 9.88 ERA in three games at triple-A Salt Lake, is expected to be called up to start Saturday night's game against Seattle, though Scioscia said an official announcement won't come until today.

LINKIE

A nugget slipped in at the bottom of today's game synopsis on Angels site.

Vladimir Guerrero, who had offseason right knee surgery, is expected to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Diamondbacks in Tempe.

Rex was raving about how Vlad is hitting the ball over the tall green hedge and up against the mountain during today's broadcast vs the Giants! 

Right on schedule Vlad.  Take it easy this Spring and let's go kick some Arss!

Just walked in the house from Boston & NYC and I turn on Espn and CBSSportsline.com and this is what I am hearing/seeing...

"The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired slugger Manny Ramirez from the Red Sox, sources tell CBSSports.com senior writer Scott Miller. Also part of the deal, the Red Sox will receive outfielder Jason Bay from Pittsburgh."

TK and Phillips are on ESPNews reporting this live right now too...

LA sends LaRoche to join his bro in Pitt who also receives Brandon Moss, Bryan Morris, and Craig Hansen.

WAIT...HERE IS THE KICKER!  BoSux is paying the entire remaining $7M of Manny's salary!  OMG!

Griffey goes to ChiSox in another deal.

I am flying out to see Skankee stadium before they tear it down.  I have a ticket for Tues and realized the Angels are in Boston at the same time. 

Any HH'ers going to Wed's (7/30) game vs Bos or have a tix I can buy...a fellow Angel fan tourguide would be awesome!   My flight to JFK for tonight was cancelled due to weather...thunderstorms or some such dribble!  :( 

Advice for attending the Boston game is happily solicited... :)  Never been to either place and will be flying solo! 

Thanks!

I DO I DO! 

Any chance Colletti and Reagins can come up with a deal?  Got any ideas?  See poll.  Who do we want/need in return?  LaRoche for 3b?  Loney/Kemp/Ethier for OF?  

How about Iztu for LaRoche?

[Side note...Angels activated Bootcheck today and subsequently outrighted him to SLC.  This leaves us with 39 on the 40 man roster.  Room for a trade or ???  See game notes. ]

Link to story...portion below...

The loss of Rafael Furcal to back surgery this week might lead Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti to a trade involving at least one of his prized young core players.

"We're more open-minded to who we may have to move than we were in the past," Colletti said Friday.

That is a shift in philosophy for Colletti, who has refused to part with the club's top prospects since he took over after the 2005 season, filling most holes with expensive free-agent signings.

Colletti wouldn't name names. But while All-Star catcher Russell Martin is presumed to be untouchable, Colletti's comments certainly put in play other young players like Matt Kemp, James Loney, Andre Ethier and Andy LaRoche, as well as a possible veteran such as Friday starter Derek Lowe, who is likely to leave as a free agent after the season anyway.

LINK to story at The Onion

Now this is simply HYSTERICAL!  I don't think you have to be a fantasy geek to appreciate this.  I love The Onion!  I have not had a free moment to write a blog in a while and it is killing me.  However, if ever I could have had the time and thought of this...I only wish I had written this!  Team name = "Beat with Uggla Stick"

Remember, this is the same Onion that gave us the article about how God "wasted" a miracle on his favorite baseball team (Angels of course) on an outfield catch by Torii Hunter instead of saving the poor folks in China who died in the earthquake etc.  

Continue reading this post »

Nothing like a slow off-day in June in the rainy northwest.  Someone please let me know when Spring gets here.  I voted for Kotch 25 times already and need more so here goes...mlb draft is a slow watch with no Angel picks! 

I have posted a couple of blogs on SoCalSportsHub.com.  Linkie to article which is copied below.   I live in the Seattle area and love HH and the community of fans here.  I like the give/take we have in HH.  Many thanks to the Rev! 

My PS/update to the article below is that I believe the Angels will place Vlad and probably Shields on the DL in the next day or two.  I think one of the main lessons learned from last season is that the Angels know they have the talent and depth to win the west without all of their guns.  The trick is to be as healthy as possible come October in order to play the Red Sux at full strength!  This also allows young players who really have little to learn at AAA such as Wood, Aybar, Mathis, et al to play and learn at the highest level.  A Vlad trip to the DL probably affords Kendry or Evans or some other hot Bee (Brown?) some major league time.  Enough PS and on to the blog...

Continue reading this post »

Linkie "Jered Weaver was back in the Angels clubhouse Friday, beaming after a visit with a doctor in Southern California had relieved what he called a "big burden from my mind."

He'd missed the trip to Toronto with the team's permission to have a stomach ailment examined. A procedure removed a blockage, and Weaver was clearly relieved as he apparently put the mystery -- and the periodic pain -- behind him"

AND H'Owie is nearly ready for a rehab assignment.  "Scioscia said Kendrick won't play in a game this weekend, needing more strengthening work, but that he could be back on the field in a Minor League game sometime next week. "

Frequent Flyer program award winner for 2008, Brandon Wood is back.

Brandon Wood is on his way back to offer support on the left side of the infield and third baseman Matt Brown is returning to Triple-A Salt Lake.

I think it is time for one of our prized, highly touted prospects to come up and kick ass on a permanent basis?  I for one am rooting for you to play BW!

Linkie to article

I always enjoy the "tidbits" section at the bottom.

"Wood's arrival gives depth at shortstop and third, while Brown is primarily a third baseman without as much experience at shortstop. ... Dustin Moseley will continue his bid to get back in the Angels bullpen when he pitches for Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday. "He showed some positive signs last outing," Scioscia said of Moseley, on the DL since May 4 with right forearm stiffness. "Hopefully, he'll keep building stamina." ... After struggling last season against left-handers, finishing 19-21, the Angels have turned it around. They're 7-2 this year against lefty starters, hitting .280 against southpaws compared to .262 against right-handers. ... They hit .284 last year with runners in scoring position and have upgraded that as well, to .292 this season. Their best hitters this season with runners in scoring position have been sidelined, accounting in part for the recent frustrations. Kendrick is 6-for-8 (.750) and Figgins is batting .429 with runners on second and/or third. Casey Kotchman is hitting .366 with runners in scoring position and .400 against southpaws (fourth in the AL). Kotchman also is the fourth hardest hitter to strike out in the AL, going down just once every 15.5 at-bats. "

I think I exceeded the 50 words!  :)