The June 26th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Angels seeking left-handed reliever via trade, Scioscia’s new strategy for handling bullpen roles is paying off, Trout on the path to the All-Star Game and much more…
The Monkey Says: Hisanori Takahashi has been better of late, but he still isn’t as good against lefty batters as one would like. A LOOGY should be something the Halos can acquire close to the trade deadline without giving up too much. As for starting pitching depth, that could be a bit harder since they are looking for someone who wouldn’t even be considered for the big league rotation unless their was injury.
The Story: The Angels continue to find success with their new way of handling the bullpen.
The Monkey Says: First off, this is not something Scioscia invented as the article suggests, but it is not the standard way of doing things. The Halo bullpen has been lights out for the last month because Mike Scioscia quit deploying his relievers according to what inning it is and started using them based on matchup and situation. This is otherwise known as the “common sense” method.
The Story: Mike Trout is on the path to making the All-Star Game.
The Monkey Says: He is going to make the All-Star team. He has been knocking everyone’s socks off so he has a shot at being voted in by the players. If he isn’t, he should be a manager’s selection. And if that somehow doesn’t happen, expect Bud Selig to force Trout in their either as an injury replacement or maybe that stupid “Final Vote” thing they do every year.
The Story: Is this the best Angel pitching staff ever?
The Monkey Says: On paper, maybe. But right now Santana and Haren have struggled too much to make that claim. If they both get straightened out by the end of the season, we can revisit this topic. I’ll just leave a post-it on my laptop screen so I won’t forget.
The Story: Mark Trumbo granted a wish for a kid with cancer.
The Monkey Says: In addition to being an up and coming slugger, Trumbo is apparently also a jinn.