MLB Network Teams Up With Fox Business While Victor Rojas Leaves
All Day, Every Day
MLB Network announced a partnership with a cable competitor and on the same day the network lost one of its studio hosts.
MLB Network studio host Victor Rojas is leaving the network for a position as play-by-play voice of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after the untimely death of Rory Markas. Rojas a favorite of mine behind Matt Vasgersian and Joe Magrane, had been with MLB Network since its debut said in a statement that he is “extremely grateful to MLB Network for not only taking a chance on me, but also for allowing me to pursue this opportunity.” Rojas: “I feel like I’m leaving as a better person and broadcaster.”
MLB Network also announced that they have teamed up with Fox Business Network in a partnership which the two networks will share on-air updates.
The Fox Business morning show will feature previews of MLB Network’s 30 Clubs in 30 Days. Meanwhile, MLB Network will air an FBN Market Update during Spring Training telecasts and the MLB Tonight studio show.
Gary Matthews Traded For Brian Stokes
Moving Day
The Los Angeles of Anaheim Angles have traded centerfielder Gary Matthews and cash considerations to the New York Mets for relief pitcher Brian Stokes.
Matthews will fill in at center for Carlos Beltran, who recently had surgery and will miss at least a month of the regular season, then will be shifted into a platoon situation. The Mets outfield currently looks like Matthews in center till Beltran works himself back into game shape, Jason Bay in left and Jeff Francoeur in right.
Matthews, 35, hit .250 with four home runs in 316 at-bats last season and has been pretty unproductive at the plate in part-time play for the past two years. He’s a full three seasons removed from his career year when he hit .313 with 19 home runs and 79 RBI. Matthews has underperformed since signing a five-year, $50 million contract with the Angels after the 2006 season. He hit .248 with a total of 26 homers and 168 RBIs over the first three years of his contract. At this point in his career he’s nothing more than a backup at a cost of $21 million dollars, $11 million this year and $12 million in 2011. The Mets will pay just $1 million per season and have to sacfice the growth of outfielder Angel Pagan.
Stokes is a 30-year-old right-hander. He brings 152 games worth of relief pitching experience to the Angels bullpen. He worked 70 1/3 innings last season for the Mets, compiling a 3.97 ERA and 1.56 WHIP.
Angels: Losers/Mets: Winners
Vladimir Guerrero Signs With Texas Rangers
Don't Expect Him To Be Using That Glove Anymore
The Texas Rangers have signed Vladimir Guerrero to a one year contract worth $5.5 million with a mutual option for 2011. Guerrero is expected to give all his time as a designated hitter and hopes to help the Rangers improve their run production which took a dip after leading the MLB in 2008. Guerrero battled through the 2009 season to hit .295 with 15 home runs. Despite landing on the disabled list twice.
Despite never calling Arlington home Vlad always batted like he owned the place in 193 career at-bats in Rangers Ballpark, Guerrero has hit .394 with a .471 on-base percentage and 14 home runs which the Rangers are banking he will continue to do at the Rangers Ballpark.
Guerrero, 35, will not provide any luxury to the outfielders in need of a day off and his body has shown it is in the process of breaking down. No longer is he expected to play 162 but with hope of just making it the 100 game plateau so I understand for the need of the bat but wouldn’t have Jermaine Dye be a more valuable option and if bargain hunting was what the Rangers where after then maybe they could have made a real offer to former Ranger Andruw Jones.
Being a Guerrero Stan since he began his career with the Montreal Expos, it’s hard for me to say what I said about Vlad but it needed to be said.
In related Ranger news they have botched another signing by agreeing to a one year contract with former St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Khalil Greene worth 750,000 dollars. Greene struggled in 77 games for the Cardinals last season, hitting .200 with just 6 home runs and spent time on the disabled list with social anxiety disorder.
Don’t ever expect to find him competing for a spot in the everyday lineup and set the bar low if looking if using Greene as platooner.
Cuban Lefty Aroldis Chapman Signs With Cincinnati Reds
As Good As Advertised?
The Cincinnati Reds have signed Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. Now I subscribe to the religion of baseball but I’m not going to speak on Chapman’s talents since I’ve only seen him once with my own eyes and that came in this past years World Baseball Classic. What I will speak on is what this signing gives the Red, another young arm. The Reds already have All-Star pitcher Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Homer Bailey locked up on the mound for years. To add another young arm in left-hander Chapman, even if it takes two years for his understanding of big league hitters,it can bring Cincinnati baseball back hope of looking like the Big Red Machine era.
Chapman’s, who is said to be 22, contract with Cincinnati is a six-year deal with $30 million with the sixth year being an option year for Aroldis worth $5 million and a $15 million signing bonus.
Chapman, a 6-foot-4, 180-pounder, defected on July 1 of last year when Cuba was participating in the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He later established residency in Andorra and petitioned Major League Baseball to be granted free-agent status. According to scouts, Chapman’s fastball has been clocked at 102 MPH.
The Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels, Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox were also among the most interested after 15 teams showed up in Houston on December 15 to scout Chapman at a private workout.
Darren Oliver Signs With Texas Rangers
Diamond Stud
The Texas Rangers have signed left-handed reliever Darren Oliver a $3.5 million one year deal, the deal includes a 2011 option. Oliver has had four consecutive successful seasons pitching rather well out of the pen, the last three of which in Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim posting a 5-1 record with an ERA of 2.71 in 73 innings.
After failing as a starter in the beginning of his career, to the point that he spent all of 2005 in the minors, Oliver has re-invented himself as a very good reliever. Not only his ERA but his component rate states are significantly better in shorter stints out of the pen. Texas gains by both adding an effective reliever as well as taking an effective player from the Angels who continue to see parts of their division winning squad depart for their rivals.
Nick Johnson Signs With New York Yankees
"Private Pyle I'm gonna give you three seconds to wipe that stupid looking grin off your face"
The New York Yankees have signed sorry ass Nick Johnson, signing a one-year $5.5 million contract. Johnson is expected to disappoint Yankees fans by filling the vacated designated hitter spot when Hideki Matsui signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last week.
Johnson is pretty much always hurt and doesn’t seem to have the kinda pop that is expected from a platooning first baseman or DH. Johnson split last season with the Nationals and Marlins, hitting a combined .291 with eight homers, 62 RBIs and 99 walks. He only played 38 games in 2008 because of a torn ligament in his wrist and he didn’t play at all in 2007 because of a broken femur. He’s also missed time with a broken hand, back problems, and a broken cheekbone.
Johnson has already played for the Yankees playing for them from 2001-2003 before being traded to Montreal.
Hideki Matsui Signs With Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim
2009 World Series MVP
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have signed World Series MVP Hideki Matsui to serve as DH for one-year at $6.5 million, possibly marking the end of the Vladimir Guerrero era with the Angels.
The former Yomiuri Giants and New York Yankees hit .274 last season with 28 home runs, and that kind of production in the DH spot should really benefit them, who are relying on Kendry Morales, Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, and now Matsui to carry the team in production. The Angels have Juan Rivera in left field and Bobby Abreu in right field but if Matsui’s knees are in good shape, he could see time when Rivera or Abreu need a day off.
The 35-year-old left-handed-hitter has enjoyed a prosperous career in the United States with a .292 batting average with 140 home runs and 597 RBIs over seven Major League seasons with the Yankees. And he’s coming off a season in which he had .274 batting average, 28 home runs and 90 RBIs while also posting a .367 on-base percentage and .509 slugging percentage.
Matsui, like Guerrero, is nearing the end of a storied career and, combining Japan and the United States, is 133 hits shy of 2,500, 28 home runs shy of 500 and 14 RBIs shy of 1,500. And in the Majors, he’s 23 hits shy of 1,000, 84 games shy of 1,000 and two doubles shy of 200. He’s also the first player since former closer John Wetteland in 1996 to switch teams after being named World Series MVP.
John Lackey Signs With Boston Red Sox
102-71
The Boston Red Sox have signed husky right-hander John Lackey. Lackey agreed to a five-year contract of 5 years worth $85 million..
Adding 31-year-old Lackey to the mix would considerably beef up a rotation that already includes Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, not to mention Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, and old school knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Lackey, coming off a postseason in which he struck out 14 batters and allowed just five earned runs over 19.2 innings.
For his career, Lackey is 102-71 with a 3.81 ERA in eight years, all spent with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In 14 postseason appearances, he is 3-4 with a 3.12 ERA. Lackey is also a career 2-9 in Fenway Park.
Kevin Millwood Traded For Chris Ray & 3 Milli
155-121
The Texas Rangers have traded their 2009 ace and All-Star Kevin Milwood to the Baltimore Orioles for $3 million and pitcher Chris Ray.
Ray has a power arm, but he isn’t going to make the Rangers that much better.going to wasn’t going to make the Rangers better than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and is just an after thought. Millwood, 36 saw his ERA plummeted from 5.07 in 2008 to 3.67 in 2009 but his 5.57 strikeout rate and 1.73 K/BB ratio are the worst of his career. His home run were at their highest point since 2001 but he played in a home run hitter ballpark. Rangers where in this just to pull of a cash heist.
The Orioles get a veteran ace and expunge themselves of Ray as well as showing their fans that even though it’s Millwood that the club is back to willing to spend money on pitching
Rangers: Losers/Orioles: Winners
Chone Figgins Signs With The Seattle Mariners
Stealing Chone
I’m confident that Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim owner Arte Moreno will replace any missing pieces of his AL West championship team and the first piece to be stolen from his club is All-Star third baseman Chone Figgins.
The Seattle Mariners have reached an agreement with Figgins on a four-year $36 million contract but there are indications the deal would also include a option for 2014 that could boost the total value to the neighborhood of $45 million.
The Mariners has been aggressively pursuing Figgins to replace 2005 $64 million bust Adrian Beltre at third base. The Mariners did offer Beltre arbitration but pretty much as an insurance move.
A fascinating question is how the Mariners would fit Figgins and Ichiro Suzuki in their lineup. Figgins has batted lead off for the Los Angeles Angels in all but two games over the last two seasons, and was second only to Derek Jeter in on-base percentage (.395) among AL leadoff hitters. But Ichiro has been a fixture in the lead off hole in Seattle for the last nine years.
The soon to be 32-year-old Figgins is coming off one of his best seasons, leading the American League with 101 walks and batting .298 with five homers and 54 RBIs. He is a career .291 hitter who has averaged 48 stolen bases during his eight seasons in the major leagues.
A great pick up since Figgins is quality and it allows the Mariners to wash their hands of Beltre. However is John Lackey the next Angel to be stolen from Moreno’s empire and if so how many others?
Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim Mike Scioscia Wins American League Manager Of The Year
34 Would Be Proud
Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anhiem had to endure the most emotionally season of his 10 seasons as leader of the Angels and that culminated in him selected as the 2009 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
It was Scioscia’s second Manager of the Year award. He was named by the BBWAA in 2002, when the Angels claimed their first World Series title under his direction after entering the postseason as a Wild Card. Scioscia, who is the first manager in Major League history to pilot six postseason teams in his first 10 seasons, received 15 of a possible 28 first-place votes for 106 points.
The Twins’ Ron Gardenhire finished second with six first-place votes and 72 points. Joe Girardi of the Yankees (four first-place votes) was third, followed by the Mariners’ Don Wakamatsu (two), the Rangers’ Ron Washington (one) and the Tigers’ Jim Leyland.
Coping with the death of young pitcher Nick Adenhart in a car wreck on April 9, Scioscia and the Angels emerged from early struggles — they were 29-29 on June 11 — to take flight en route to a third consecutive AL West title, their fifth in six seasons.
In the AL Division Series, the Angels swept their October nemesis, Boston, in three games before falling in six games in the AL Championship Series to the Yankees, who went on to subdue the Phillies in the World Series.
With 97 wins, the Angels continued a run of excellence under Scioscia, whose teams have won 900 regular-season games in 10 seasons. His 567 victories over the past six seasons represent a Major League best — one more than Joe Torre has achieved with the Yankees and Dodgers and two more than Terry Francona with the Red Sox.
At Least For One Night MLB Was A Winner
Est. 1869
The ratings are in and for one night at least Major League Baseball beat out the National Football League in a head to head ratings show down.
The New York Yankees’ series clinching win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim drew an 11.4 overnight on FOX, while Sunday’s Arizona Cardinals versus the New York Giants game drew a 10.4 overnight rating on NBC. The 10.4 is a season-low for Sunday Night Football.
The 11.4 overnight for Angels/Yankees Game 6 is the highest for any non-NFL sporting event since the North Carolina/Michigan State NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game (11.9). To put the numbers in perspective the highest overnight for the NBA Finals in June was a 10.9 (Game 4).
The Yankees clincher drew a 26.9, dwarfing a 9.3 for Cardinals/Giants in the New York market.
Ratings for the 2009 MLB postseason are up 15 percent compared to last year.
As an MLB fan it feels great that at least for one night it slayed Goliath head to head nationally and smashed it into the ground within the same market.
You Make Me Sick
THAT WAS DISGUSTING TIM!!!
Being an O.G. Major League Baseball fan, I’ve seen some terrible umpiring in my time and it’s easy to forget these professionals are human beings too but crew chief umpire Tim McClelland’s error at third base goes right up there as being the worst call or non-call of all time. Thankfully McClellands blunder didn’t have a drastic effect on the Yankees drubbing of the Angels 10-1 in Angel Stadium.
The Yankees had Jorge Posada on third and Robinson Cano on second with one out. Nick Swisher grounded back to reliever Darren Oliver, who threw home. Posada got caught in a rundown and hustled back to third but Cano had already advanced toward third as well. Mike Napoli saw both runners OFF the bag and instinctively tagged them both, Cano first and then Posada. But McClelland ruled Posada out and Cano safe.
In baseball tuff to be on the end of a play that bang bang and to fast for the eye, its another when an umpire inexcusably is out of position to make the correct call, but the worst is when an umpire is in the right positioning not paying attention on the action in front of him causing a total mental collapse. The ladder case was McClelland.
“When he tagged Cano, I thought Cano was on the base,” McClelland said. “[The replay] showed that Cano was off the bag when he was tagged. I did not see that, for whatever reason. So, obviously, there were two missed calls.”
At least McClelland isn’t in denial, as umps have found out its been hard to hide in this day in age where there is no escaping a camera. But just because we live in the era of the camera doe not mean baseball should move the replay rules any further into play. Since MLB as already addressed the situation of trying to ensure correct calls being made by adding two extra umpires (total of 6) onto the field, how about umpires dropping the ego and asking for help?
McClelland has been around some of baseballs infamous moments before, he was there for the George Brett pine-tar incident in 1983, the Sammy Sosa corked-bat confiscation in 2003 and the Matt Holliday safe (replays suggest otherwise) slide into home for the winning run in the Rockies’ 2007 play-in game against the Padres.
Bud Selig shouldn’t have to change rules for guys having an ego and deciding not to seek out assistance or guys just being plain lazy.
Who Do You Want To See In The World Series?
Who Do You Want?
Major League Baseball is now down to its final four and my predictions this year are at an all time low with only the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim remaining.
With the next round and probably most important of baseball opening tomorrow night in Los Angeles on Fox, it’s time to ask who do you want to see in the World Series?
- Dodgers-Yankees: This series has every story line imaginable written in it. East coast versus West coast, Dodgers versus Yankees, #1 versus #2 TV market oh and then you have this guy named Joe Torre.
- Dodgers-Angels: Blood versus Crips in the Freeway Series.The two teams are separated by about 30 miles of asphalt. Here would be the chance in the new millennium for these two teams to settle the turf war and finally lay the supremcy title over the other in Southern California.
- Phillies-Yankees: This would be the I-95 Series. A rematch of the 1950 World Series where the Yankees swept the Whiz Kids of Philadelphia. The defending champs against this year’s favorite.
- Phillies-Angels: This series doesn’t invoke a lot of immediate history or connections, beyond both having letdowns while being managed by Gene Mauch. Maybe we could get a cage match between the Phillie Phanatic and Mickey Mouse with some help from the Rally Monkey.
Soooo which series do you wanna see………..
October/November Predictions
Who Doesn't Love October
Yes this postseason will be decided in November because of the World Baseball Classic. The postseason has always ended in October except for the 2001 season due to the tragic events of September 11.
There’s a disclaimer towards a badass team that hails from St. Louis, every series involving the Redbirds is obviously picked from the heart while every other series not involving them is pick with the head.
Now onto the 2009 Major League Baseball Postseason Predictions:
National League Divisional Series:
St.Louis Cardinals over Los Angles Dodgers in 4
Colorado Rockies over Philadelphia Phillies in 5
American League Divisional Series:
Minnesota Twins over New York Yankees in 5
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim over Boston Red Sox in 3
National League Championship Series:
St. Louis Cardinals over Colorado Rockies in 6
American League Championship Series:
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim over Minnesota Twins in 5
World Series:
St. Louis Cardinals over Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 5
MLB Can Only Draw 73,418,529 Fans In Recession
Est. 1869
The book can now be completely closed on Major League Baseball 2009 regular season attendance. Baseball completed the season with a total attendance of 73,418,529, down 6.58 percent from a total of 78,591,116 in 2008. The total attendance figure will rank as the fifth highest in MLB history. In another measure of attendance, ballparks saw an average of 30,338 down 6.77 percent from the 32,543 in average attendance last season.
Game 163 at the Metrodome between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins was the largest attended game in the facility’s history with 54,088 in attendance.
The Los Angeles Dodgers led the Major Leagues in attendance with 3,761,669 for an average of 46,440. The reigning World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox, set all-time club records, drawing 3,600,693 and 3,062,699, respectively. For the first time since 2004 the Yankees will have attendance below 4 million.
Nine clubs drew more than three million fans (Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers) and last year, nine clubs drew more than three million, with two (the Yankees and Mets) drawing over 4 million. The two New York franchises accounted for nearly 30 percent of the total decline in attendance this year.
SGE Baseball Awards
The Best In 09
Oh it’s postseason time in baseball and that means it’s time to hand out some awards on the baseball diamond here at Sports Grind Entertainment.
Starting off with the senior circuit, the National League MVP couldn’t have been any easier. Don’t get it twisted that since Albert Pujols plays for the only professional sports origination in all of sports that I truly care about, that this vote wasn’t hands down his. Yes, if the race was close and I went with Pujols I could understand your concern but the 2009 season produce no one within a mile.
- NL MVP Award: The Cardinals first baseman leads his league in on-base percentage and slugging percentage plus homers, runs scored, total bases, grand slams and extra-base hits. He’s second in batting average with men in scoring position. Third overall in batting average and in RBI’s. Crazy as it sounds Pujols lead the Cardinals in stolen bases. Pujols also has an NL-record 184 assists from first base.
- NL Cy Young Award: There was a three-way choice between San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum and St. Louis teammates Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. They’re 1-2-3 in ERA and 1-2-4 in wins.
- Carpenter has been the most brilliant and dominant, but he’s not in the top 10 in the NL in innings pitched because of early-season health issues. Lincecum has the lowest OPS allowed, but he plays in a great pitcher’s park. Wainwright leads the league the league in wins.
- Carpenter still took the ball against the other team aces so he gets it by a hair over Wainwright.
- NL Rookie of the Year: Was loaded with fresh new propest that made a mark in the 2009 season, with Philadelphia’s J.A. Happ, Atlanta’s Tommy Hanson, Randy Wells of the Cubs, Milwaukee’s Casey McGehee, Florida’s Chris Coghlan, Colorado’s Dexter Fowler and Pittsburgh’s Garrett Jones and Andrew McCutchen.
- As far as position player Coghlan (229 total bases, 82 runs scored and .319 average) is as good of a choice as any but it came down to the two pitchers that came to show earlier and never fell off all season. Happ (12-4, 2.85 ERA) vs. Hanson (11-4, 2.89 ERA).
- While Hanson is a terrific prospect, Happ threw 164 innings and the Phillies would have been in big trouble without him.
- NL Manager of the Year: There are a few good candidates. Fredi Gonzalez kept the Marlins in contention for 25 weeks. Tony La Russa had little in his lineup other than Pujols for the first three months. Charlie Manuel got the Phillies back on top, as did Joe Torre with the Dodgers.
- But this award is a no brainier for Colorado Jim Tracy, they have gone 74-41 since he took over for Clint Hurdle. That’s the equivalent of a 104-win season.
- AL Cy Young Award: When the Cy Young is discussed many see a losing team and figure there is no way a pitcher from such team would win the award over someone on a contending team, but that’s not what the Cy Young is about. On any squad the best pitcher is not responsible on how well or bad the team plays on his days off.
- And that makes Kansas City’s Zack Greinke is the best pitcher in the AL. Period. He lead the league with a 2.16 ERA on a bad defensive team. He had 6 complete games, 3 shutouts and was second in strikeouts with 242. Greinke had a 15 strikout performance and on his next outing threw a one hitter. He was the best pitcher in both leagues. Period.
- Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia are great. And if Greinke wasn’t around, it would be a three-way debate. But this year, that debate is about second place.
- AL MVP Award: Joe Mauer leads the American League in batting, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. And he’s a catcher. Mauer leads the AL in batting average at home, on the road, against right-handers and in night games. He is second in average with runners in scoring position, third in average in day games and fourth in average vs. lefties.
- If Mauer was playing in New York, he’d be everywhere. He would be on every billboard, every magazine cover.
- Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Kendry Morales had very nice years. Very nice.
- Considering the lack of protection in his lineup as compared to the others in the debate, it Mauer as the choice. Also since the only protection he had in teamamte and former MVP Justin Morneau is sidelined for the year. That forced Mauer to put the team on his back as they got back into contention of the AL Central Divison to force a one game playoff with the Detriot Tigers.
- AL Rookie of the Year: What a great season for rookie talent, in both leagues. The White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham, who has hit well. Baltimore outfielder Nolan Reimold who leads Beckham in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and homers. Texas’ Elvis Andrus, meanwhile, has played all season excelling at shortstop with acceptable production at the plate for a 20-year-old.
- Comparing position players against pitchers is comparing apples to oranges. Oakland’s Andrew Bailey with his .168 opponents’ average, Detroit’s Rick Porcello, Toronto’s Ricky Romero.
- Tough call, but Porcello is 20, and he made 30 starts while pitching in a pennant race to the finish and he went 14-9 with a 4.04 ERA.
- AL Manager of the Year: Great job by Ron Washington to help make the Rangers relevant. But Mike Scioscia didn’t just guide the Angels to another division title. He kept the team from falling apart through a rough first few months, not only because of a rash of pitching injuries but also because of the death of Nick Adenhart. Managing a team is about managing people, and Scioscia did a great job this year. Joe Girardi managed his team to 103 wins and probably wont get a sniff at the award is tough but that how things play out sometimes.
A Real Angel In The Outfield
Not To Be Forgotten
Last night I was sitting in a bar with some friends when we looked at the TV ESPN did a live cut in on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim clinching their fifth American League West title in six years with an 11-0 romp over the Texas Rangers in Angel Stadium.
But in one of those rare moments the hair on my arm stood up watching them celebrate with their fallen Angel Nick Adenhart. He was the 22-year-old pitcher who was killed along with two friends in a car crash on April 9, just four days into the season.
The Angels jogged to the center-field wall, where a picture of Adenhart in mid-pitching motion has been affixed since the tragic crash. Players bowed their heads, tapped Adenhart’s face, and some poured beer over his head.
“Nick Adenhart should be here celebrating with us,” center fielder Torii Hunter said. “But the good Lord took him. Now, we’re just celebrating in his name. He’s a very important part of the team. We’re playing hard for him. Trust me, he’s here in spirit and in love.”
The Angels have advanced to the playoffs in six of the last eight years and winning the World Series in 2002.
“This one is special because we’re one short,” pitcher Joe Saunders said of Adenhart. “We miss him. We wish he was here with us. This season is dedicated to him. We’re celebrating for him and for his family. We’re trying to win this thing for him.”
Somehow manager Mike Scioscia kept this team together and they responded with heart and determination.
