6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog: Pickoff Moves, Lunchtime Edition

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Monday, April 18, 2005

Pickoff Moves, Lunchtime Edition

Rubbing It In, Again And Again And Again

Jeff Weaver: 3 G, 3 GS, 20.0 IP, 3.60 ERA, 2005 salary: $9,350,000
Yhency Brazoban: 4 G, 4.1 IP, 6.23 ERA, 2005 salary: $319,500
Kevin Brown: 1 G, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 9.00 ERA, 2005 salary: $15,714,286

Brown was simply shattered by the Orioles, giving up six runs in six innings. The Boss is not amused:

"Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed, as I'm sure all Yankee fans are, by the lack of performance by our team," Steinbrenner said in a statement issued immediately after the game. "It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around."

Meantime, Jeff Weaver, while hardly an ace, vindicates Dan Evans' trade by pitching creditably if not altogether consistently, hurling a complete game shutout Saturday. Brazoban will recover, and if he doesn't, he's still cheap.

Gagné "A Month Away"

Ouch.

Travs Nearing New North Little Rock Ballpark

The Angels' AA Texas League affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers, have moved substantially closer to a new ballpark in North Little Rock according to the Associated Press; an agreement could be announced within a few weeks. The new park would be slightly smaller than Ray Winder Field (5,500 vs. 6,700), but boosters estimate about an attendance increase of about 1,000 per game at the new park. Financing remains an issue, as does revenue distribution from the new park. The Travs have played at Ray Winder Field since 1932, and might play in the new park starting in 2006 or 2007.

Pundit Says Pundits Predicting Dodger Doom Wrong Again

After two whole weeks of play, Sports Illustrated writer John Donovan is ready to eat crow -- or I should say, he's ready for other, unnamed pundits to eat crow. (Donovan himself predicted the Dodgers would take the division.) Now that the Dodgers have gotten off to their best start in years, DePodesta's a genius. The funny thing is, even though he mentions the heartbreaking trade of Paul LoDuca, he forgot to mention the (so far) brilliant pickup of Jason Phillips.

// posted by Rob @ 12:37 PM link // 2 comments