The May 2nd, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Albert Pujols and Mickey Hatcher clear the air over their misunderstanding, Pujols and his wife are expecting a new baby, struggling Peter Bourjos sits out a third straight game and much more…
The Monkey Says: This is a case where everyone is wrong. Mickey clearly shouldn’t have told the press about a closed door meeting, but Albert shouldn’t have complained to the press about Hatcher talking to the press, especially since Mickey didn’t reveal anything that was particularly sensitive.
The Story: Albert Pujols’ wife Deidre is pregnant with the couple’s fifth child.
The Monkey Says: His wife and children are all in St. Louis still, so this is only going to add to the speculation that his struggles are in some part linked to him missing his family, which sucks that I even have to say since all I should be saying is congratulations.
The Story: Struggling Peter Bourjos sat out a third straight game yesterday.
The Monkey Says: Someone was going to get squeezed with Mike Trout being brought up to play everyday and so far that someone is Bourjos. It is hard to complain too much about this as Peter has looked lost at the plate this season and even had some fans calling for him to be demoted altogether. Still, with Vernon Wells continuing to struggle, it is hard to reconcile him getting so much more playing time than Bourjos who can at least contribute on a daily basis with his sublime defense.
The Monkey Says: It is amazing to think that so many of the Angel batters have been struggling to hit balls down the middle, but turns out that is the case. Just think how good the offense is going to be once Pujols, Howie and the others follow Torii’s lead and start crushing these pitches. Yep, August is going to be great!
The Monkey Says: Here is my problem with this, if his issues were just mechanical with his off-speed pitches, then the “low-pressure” situations wouldn’t really be part of the equation here, it would just be a question of him fixing his delivery and getting back out there, good as new. What I think this indicates is that his issues are not only mechanical, but mental as well, which means it could be quite some time before he returns any kind of late-inning role.
The Story: Where would the Angels be without their rotation?
The Monkey Says: Did you see the Twins last night? There is your answer right there.
The Story: Albert Pujols has the power to revive the Angel lineup.
The Monkey Says: He most certainly does, but that is largely because he is entrenched as the three-hole hitter and no lineup can consistently produce runs when their three-hole hitter is hitting like Jeff Mathis.
The Story: Debunking all the reasons why Albert Pujols has not yet hit a home run.
The Monkey Says: I have to admit, part of the reason I wrote that post was as a potential reverse jinx. It didn’t work.