The May 3rd, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including what if Pujols had been playing in Busch Stadium this season, Mike Trout is incredibly fast, Mike Scioscia goes “caveman” on the lineup and much more…
The Story: Albert Pujols might have five homers by now if he still played in Busch Stadium.
The Monkey Says: That is comforting, but it is also a bit of pseudo-science. Doing a ballpark overlay only tells part of the story as it does not account for atmospheric conditions and wind patterns. Albert probably would’ve homered by now at Busch, but it may be just one or it could eight. The point is that this is an inexact science.
The Monkey Says: However fast you think that is, it is actually faster. Most every long-time baseball man that has heard about Trout’s time says it is the fastest they have ever heard of. How we haven’t had a Mike Trout vs. Peter Bourjos footrace yet is beyond me.
The Monkey Says: And the Angels had one of their best offensive nights all season, which means that we will probably see a similar lineup again in the very near future. If that happens, I vote that we replace the Rally Monkey video clip on the Jumbotron with this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=
YD36ZhpHPpE[/youtube]
The Story: Reasons why Albert Pujols could still post MVP numbers.
The Monkey Says: The only reason should be that he is still Albert Pujols, but at some point that tired excuse isn’t going to hold water. However, I think he will have broken out before we reach that point.
The Story: A look from a St. Louis reporter at why Albert Pujols is struggling.
The Monkey Says: Nothing ground-breaking here, but I tend to lend extra credence to a guy who covered Albert for a decade. The ball traveling in the air number is concerning at first blush, but it is a red herring since any batter going through a slump is by definition not going to hit the ball as far as normal. What does concern me is the pitches down-and-in tying Albert up, if only because it reminds me so much of when Vlad Guerrero started to go off a cliff as his bat started to slow down.
The Story: Howie Kendrick is going to stay in the sixth spot in the order for the foreseeable future.
The Monkey Says: That is just fine with me. Not only does Kendrick not really get on base enough to be a prototypical two-hole hitter, but he’s been on fire in the sixth spot, so why mess with it. This is real progress for Scioscia as he is openly saying he is not going to mess with one of the spots in the lineup. I really hope he is feeling OK.
The Monkey Says: This is growing wearisome. Just hit a homer already so I can stop clogging the daily links with all the homerless-related stories.
The Story: Jim Edmonds, who visited with the Angels yesterday, says Pujols will be fine.
The Monkey Says: See? They just keep on coming. Also, I’m glad Tony Reagins isn’t GM anymore because he probably wouldn’t have let Edmonds leave the ballpark without a three-year, $27 million contract.
The Story: Jerome Williams’ perseverance pays off.
The Monkey Says: It really is amazing to see him enjoying so much success so far this season. Most baseball people assumed he’d be replaced in the rotation my mid-season, but he might not even be their worst starter right now (I’m talking to you, Ervin). I have a hard time believing he can keep up this level of production, but I see little reason to believe that he can’t be a solid member of the rotation all season long and beyond.
The Story: The Pujols Foundation will host a golf tournament.
The Monkey Says: In Albert’s honor, nobody will any of the balls over any of the fences surrounding the golf course.
The Story: Prospect Cam Bedrosian made his return to action on Tuesday night.
The Monkey Says: Cam was a top prospect, but ended up needing Tommy John surgery, so that is why this is newsworthy.