The May 18th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Hunter will stay with his son indefinitely, Scioscia might be starting to feel the heat, Trout finally gives the Angels a real leadoff threat and much more…
The Monkey Says: If the victim really did recant, and Hunter’s lawyer claims he has two recordings of her recanting, then hopefully the charges will soon be dropped and Torii can return to the team, though one has to imagine that he’ll need some time to get his head back in the game. On the other hand, if the victim didn’t really recant, then it could be weeks or even months before Hunter rejoins the team.
The Story: Mike Scioscia’s seat might now be getting warm after Jerry Dipoto’s recent power plays.
The Monkey Says: My gut still tells me that this is overblown. Dipoto and Scioscia need to get on the same page, but I don’t see any reason to think that they can’t given Scioscia’s balanced demeanor and Dipoto’s reputation for being the most positive man alive. Rather than assuming Scioscia will get fired, can we not assume maybe that Dipoto’s presence will finally give Scioscia some constructive criticism that will force Scioscia to evolve and improve as a manager?
The Story: Mike Trout is providing the Angels with an on-base threat.
The Monkey Says: Not only an on-base threat, but an actual for real leadoff hitter, which they haven’t had in years. Back during the heyday of “Scioscia Ball” the Halos always had a killer leadoff guy like Eckstein or Figgins who could get on base at a high clip and wreak havoc on the basepaths. They finally have that again, now they just need to start taking advantage.
The Story: Mark Trumbo credits his hot start to “battling” during each at-bat.
The Monkey Says: I think that is a non-sabermetric way of saying that he is working the count and not just swinging at everything like he did last season. It’s a pretty great idea, he should inform some of the other guys in the lineup.
The Story: Should the Angels move Albert Pujols down in the order?
The Monkey Says: A week ago, I would’ve said yes, but now that he is actually showing some signs of life, it would probably be best if the Halos not screw with him. That almost certainly means that they will now screw with him. Actually, no, not really. Scioscia is insanely beholden to his veterans and he would never insult Pujols by dropping him out of the three-hole, at least not until the All-Star break.
The Story: The greatest recorded instance of Scioscia Face ever.
The Monkey Says: Behold the un-glory!