The June 24th, 2011 edition of daily links for the LA Angels including Trout named to the Futures Game again, Abreu makes the most of his first swing at a 3-0 pitch in years, CJ Cron set to sign on Monday and much more…
The Story: Mike Trout has been named to the 2011 All-Star Futures Game roster once again.
The Monkey Says: Trout performed well in last year’s Futures Game, so he will be expected to put on a show again this year, especially since he will be going up against fellow wunderkind Bryce Harper.
The Monkey Says: A lot of guys pick their moments to swing at 3-0 pitches, but THREE YEARS! That’s just crazy. Clearly Bobby knows what he is doing though since he absolutely crushed the ball.
The Story: CJ Cron announced he will be signing with the Angels this Monday.
The Monkey Says: That is a very quick signing for a first-rounder, which is a welcome sight after the down to the wire negotiations with Kaleb Cowart last year. Welcome, CJ!
The Story: Tony Reagins discusses the increased importance of the international prospect signing period.
The Monkey Says: There are a lot of rumblings that MLB is pushing for a worldwide draft in the near future, so this is an interesting situation to monitor, especially since it could be argued that the Angels have done a much better job of finding and developing international talent until the last year or two.
The Story: Michael Kohn has had a really long road trip.
The Monkey Says: His crazy travel schedule and nerves does give him a bit of a free pass for his poor “second debut.” It is interesting to hear him admit he had dead arm last year, since I know folks had wondered why he wasn’t throwing as hard as advertised.