Sunday, July 09, 2006 |
Pickoff Moves
Today's Birthdays
Turner Barber BRO b. 1893, played 1923, d. 1968-10-20. A man whose surname and Christian name indicated two different professions, he hit .300 three times in his career, one of them in 1921 when, as his Baseball Library entry put it, he was one-third of one of the "least heralded .300-hitting outfields" in baseball history. A replacement the rest of the time, and not a particularly remarkable one.
Tex Clevenger LAA b. 1932, played 1961
Fred Johnston BRO b. 1899, played 1924, d. 1959-07-14
Ray Thomas BRO b. 1910, played 1938, d. 1993-12-06
Roster Notes
- Thanks to Anon in the comments on today's Minor League Scorebook post for pointing out this Press-Enterprise story about the Angels' signing of Korean prep pitcher Young-il Jung. Excerpt:
South Korean high school pitcher Young Il Jung is close to agreeing to terms with the Angels on a signing bonus of about $1 million, making him the first Korean to sign with the organization. Angels scouting director Eddie Bane is in Seoul to finalize a deal with the 18-year-old right-hander, from Kwanju, that could be completed as soon as today.
Jung, 6-foot-2, throws between 87 and 93 mph, possessing a repertoire that includes a curveball and slider.
"This is very unusual to get a high school player out of here," Bane said by phone.
Bane said a factor in Jung's interest in the Angels was the team's recent first-round draft selection of catcher Hank Conger, a Korean-American from Huntington Beach who has made headlines in South Korea.
The Angels have increased their scouting in Asia since the World Baseball Classic with Charlie Kim assigned to Korea.
- Garret Anderson asked to be scratched from the starting lineup because of a balky left hamstring.
- Casey Kotchman and Dallas McPherson should both begin rehab assignments by the end of the month (and "within a week" according to the Times). It will be interesting to see how Scioscia works Kotchman into the lineup, when and if he returns.
- Rex Hudler jinxed the Angels by declaring the A's will not be division champions this year.
"The Oakland A's will fall flat and hard," said Hudler, noting Oakland's offensive troubles. The A's have scored the fewest runs of any team in the league and have the lowest batting average of any team in the majors.
He's yet to be right about anything else..."How they're in first place, I have no idea," he said, "but they will not finish in first."
- Orlando Cabrera's on-base streak is the sixth-longest in major league history. Three of the other five belong to Ted Williams, and the other two are Joe DiMaggio's.
- Jered Weaver, on last night's bullpen meltdown that almost cost him his franchise-leading sixth consecutive win by a rookie pitcher:
"I could have gone another one," Weaver said. "I don't have much say around here right now."
Scioscia pulled Weaver because of biceps tightness he experienced in his last start. - Eric Gagné's back surgery was successful, and he even walked around a little afterwards. Tim Brown has a brief piece up about Gagné's presumed departure from the club. Gagné also predicted Olmedo Saenz's homer in yesterday's game from his hospital bed.
- Toby Hall doesn't love LA:
"The situation I'm in is not what I planned on," he said. "It's not good. I didn't have a choice to be traded here. I don't have a future in L.A."
How big of him.Hall's contract is up after the season and he'd hoped to be traded to a team that would play him every day and sign him to an extension.
"Maybe something will be done," he said of another trade. "Until then, I'll try to help the team win."
- Update: Ned Colletti is thinking about leaving Cesar Izturis at third rather than trading him to make room for Willy Aybar or Andy LaRoche. (Hat tip: Jon.)
- Speaking of done for the season, Kerry Wood was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff; the Cubs will exercise a $1M buyout of his option year. (BTF thread.)
: 7/09/2006 11:07:00 AM"Class AAA right fielder Carlos Quentin and shortstop Stephen Drew are the Diamondbacks' position prospects who are closest to the majors, but club officials also are raving about infielder Alberto Callaspo, whom the team acquired from the Angels for right-hander Jason Bulger in spring training. Callaspo's only shortcoming is that he is a 40 runner on the 20-to-80 scouting scale, but he's a good defender and contact hitter who could eventually be an everyday second baseman. He has struck out only 14 times in 332 at-bats while posting a .844 OPS at Class AAA."
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5770502
I know the Angels have a surfeit of middle infielders, but the team didn't get good value for Callaspo, who perhaps could have been included in a trade for an impact bat. Thanks, Stonehead.
: 7/09/2006 12:13:00 PM
Alberto Callaspo = Maicer Izturis.
Exactly what else were the Angels supposed to do with him this year? He wasn't going to make the ML roster, & he wasn't going to start at SLC, either. In exchange, they got a guy with a live fastball who might replace Brendan Donnelly.
: 7/09/2006 03:41:00 PMNewer› ‹Older
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