The April 25th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Albert Pujols’ lack of walks might not be short-lived, Mark Trumbo starts at five positions in five consecutive games, Mickey Hatcher concerned about lineups over-aggressiveness and much more…
The Story: Albert Pujols’ lack of walks thus far may not be an anomaly.
The Monkey Says: This is unsettling information. I’ve been convinced that Albert’s seeming lack of plate discipline this year was just because he is pressing, but if this unfortunate trend began last season, then, as the post states, the Angels aren’t getting the player they thought they signed, which is kind of significant what with a quarter of a billion dollars involved.
The Story: Mark Trumbo started at his fifth defensive in five games with his start in right field yesterday.
The Monkey Says: That has to be a first, right? I mean, players have started at five positions in a season with great frequency, but five different positions in five consecutive days is definitely something I can’t ever recall seeing before.
The Monkey Says: Well, um, I don’t know if I am speaking out of turn here, but I’m pretty sure that it is your job to take care of that, Mick. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Hatcher was intentionally trolling Angel fans.
The Story: Maicer Izturis’ hot bat is forcing Mike Scioscia to keep him in the lineup.
The Monkey Says: This is the part where we all say he should be the primary third baseman and that the Halos should trade Callaspo. But I was thinking about it, and now realize that is a huge risk. If Izturis gets hurt, like he always does, and Callaspo is gone, then the Angels have no choice but to play Trumbo at third everyday, which would be a huge defensive liability for them. I don’t think that is a deal-breaker, but it is something for Jerry Dipoto to think long and hard about if he entertains any trade offers for Callaspo.
The Story: Photos from behind the scenes at Angels Fan Fest.
The Monkey Says: I’ve got an idea for next year’s Fan Fest: the Angels can not get off to a horrible start with three-quarters of the team vastly underperforming, not that I am bitter about it or anything.