Latest / Halo Territory: A Los Angeles Angels Podcast / Catcher Logan O'Hoppe's failure to challenge potential third strike costs Angels against the Astros

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Catcher Logan O'Hoppe's failure to challenge potential third strike costs Angels against the Astros · Halo Territory: A Los Angeles Angels Podcast

• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Well, hey Angel fans in welcome back to Halo territory.
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: Mike D.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Giovanna, former La Times Baseball writer and host of the show,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: joined by my regular co host Mark Trumbo, the former
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Angel slugger, and Sam Blama, the Athletic joining us.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: How you doing, Sam, Mark, How you guys doing today?
• 0:26
  Speaker 3: I'm fantastic. Thank you, Michael. How are you?
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: I'm pretty good? Pretty pretty interesting opening day weekend.
• 0:32
  Speaker 4: Huh yeah, it was some good, some bad, and some
• 0:37
  Speaker 4: ugly and so ugly as we're going to get to
• 0:39
  Speaker 4: right away.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: Uh, we're going to start the show with our new
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: segment We're calling.
• 0:44
  Speaker 5: I can't believe it.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Thank you Vince Scully for that wonderful radio clip from
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: many years ago. I can't believe Logan o'happy didn't challenge
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: a potential strike three call on Esac Parades with two
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: outs and two on in the eighth inning of a
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: tie game on Sunday. Let's set up to this scene here.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: As I said, tie game drew Pomeranz through a two
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: to two fastball to Pritius that if it didn't nick
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: the outside corner, it was close enough to challenge. Well,
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: HOPI didn't. Neither did promerance for that matter, Pridie hit
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: the next pitch for a two run double. Jose al
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: Tuove hits an RBI double, the Astros going to win
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: nine to six to earn a split of a four
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: game series. The Angels could have and maybe he should
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: have swept. Let's look at this sequence here if you're
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: watching us on YouTube.
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: It was a six pitch at bat.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: The fifth pitch a ninety five mile an hour fastball
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: down in a way but appeared to hit the corner.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: And this is a close up of the pitch, which
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: you know with that view clearly hit the corner. What
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: was OHAPI thinking?
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: Guys?
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: Did he just freeze or on that play? What was
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: the situation? What do you think happened with Logan?
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: I mean, I'll say, like, I think he's had he
• 2:05
  Speaker 4: had a really tough weekend by the plate, and I
• 2:07
  Speaker 4: think with a hoppy like in that scenario, if you know,
• 2:11
  Speaker 4: he's more calm, I mean, he's I just think he's
• 2:12
  Speaker 4: questioning himself back there.
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: I mean that that's a reflection.
• 2:15
  Speaker 4: In my opinion, of someone who's not fully confident that
• 2:19
  Speaker 4: you know they're that they're thinking right, that they're operating correctly, Like,
• 2:23
  Speaker 4: you know, he's just I think right now, he's just
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: really I mean it was last year too, so I mean,
• 2:27
  Speaker 4: there's just serious questions about his abilities behind the plate
• 2:30
  Speaker 4: as a defensive catcher. But that, to me is a
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: reflection of someone who's just who's who's questioning, who's probably
• 2:36
  Speaker 4: making that same calculation in his mind, Am I good
• 2:38
  Speaker 4: enough to do this right now? Should I be making
• 2:40
  Speaker 4: that call? Do I want to waste the last challenge?
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: When he said it to Jeff Letcher after the game,
• 2:44
  Speaker 4: you know, he didn't want to burn the last challenge
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: and then risk it with you know, possibly you know,
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: a tie game in the ninth inning, you know, so
• 2:52
  Speaker 4: that I understand that line of thinking, but I just
• 2:55
  Speaker 4: don't agree with it necessarily. And I think if he
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: probably were to, you know, take all the ocean out
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: of it right now, he probably would agree with what
• 3:02
  Speaker 4: I'm saying too.
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: But yeah, to me, he's just.
• 3:04
  Speaker 4: He's not really doing very good job back there, and
• 3:07
  Speaker 4: that is a reflection of his lack of confidence. And
• 3:10
  Speaker 4: you know, we'll see if he's able to improve on it.
• 3:12
  Speaker 4: But it was a really rough weekend for him behind
• 3:14
  Speaker 4: the play defensively.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Mark, what did you sort of see on that play, Well,
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: I saw nothing.
• 3:21
  Speaker 6: I don't know if I I'm not sure what to
• 3:27
  Speaker 6: make of it. He this series was not one for him.
• 3:31
  Speaker 6: This is not the start he was hoping for. He
• 3:35
  Speaker 6: really struggled in a number of areas, and coming off
• 3:40
  Speaker 6: of last season. I know the things that he said
• 3:43
  Speaker 6: so far, he's kind of claimed that he's a reinvented
• 3:48
  Speaker 6: you know, things that used to bother him won't bother
• 3:50
  Speaker 6: him anymore. But my eyes say that he's still battling.
• 3:55
  Speaker 6: I think last year it was I don't know who,
• 3:58
  Speaker 6: maybe that was Ron or someone else, kind of annointed
• 4:00
  Speaker 6: him the team leader. Which the more I've heard, the
• 4:05
  Speaker 6: more I've watched, I don't think any extra pressure needs
• 4:09
  Speaker 6: to be applied to him.
• 4:10
  Speaker 5: He's got a.
• 4:11
  Speaker 6: Lot on his plate, and there's some that are calling Mike,
• 4:15
  Speaker 6: you know, for him to be sent down. I mean
• 4:20
  Speaker 6: that sounds out there in farfetch, but he you know,
• 4:22
  Speaker 6: if the glove is not there and the bat is
• 4:24
  Speaker 6: not there, do you think it's totally out of the
• 4:27
  Speaker 6: question that he might need a reset.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: Wow, that's a tough one.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: I don't know that they have any catcher in the
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: system at Triple A level ready to take his place.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: I mean it is only a four games, it's a
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: start of a season. Yeah, he did have a very
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: encouraging spring and he seemed to.
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: Sort of.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: Get over this hump mentally, whatever that is. He seemed
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: very confident going into the regular season. You just have
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: to worry at this point that, as Sam said, that
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: confidence isn't shot. But boy, he made two errors in
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: the first game or the second game, I believe, and
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: then another play Saturday in Saturday's eleven to nine loss
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: was really kind of you know, I don't know, Maybe
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: Mark can better explain this play. So the bases are loaded,
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: Carlo's career hits a little tapper to the third base
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: side of the mound. O'hapi very aggressively comes out of
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: the box, slides on his knees to feel the ball
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: all in one motion, turns and throws the first it's
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: up the line, two runs score. You know, he probably
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: would have been better off letting the feeler, the pitcher
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: feel that ball and maybe flip home for a force out.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: But is that a situation.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Mark where a guy, a young guy's just trying to
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: do too much, or is it maybe a guy who
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: maybe lacks the instincts in experience to know that wasn't
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: his play right there.
• 5:53
  Speaker 6: I don't think they would have gotten out on that play,
• 5:56
  Speaker 6: regardless whether the pitcher. You don't want the picture touch
• 6:00
  Speaker 6: in the ball unless he's somebody like Cannon or something.
• 6:02
  Speaker 6: You know, uh, I believe it was you ran your pitching.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: Yes, he was still there at the time.
• 6:10
  Speaker 6: I don't know how. He's a young guy, and I
• 6:13
  Speaker 6: don't know. Maybe he's an excellent fielder, but it was
• 6:15
  Speaker 6: an ill advised throw. He should have just eaten it,
• 6:17
  Speaker 6: in my opinion. But I think Suzuki praised his athleticism
• 6:21
  Speaker 6: for being able to go out and get that, but
• 6:24
  Speaker 6: a more experienced catcher just puts it in his back pocket.
• 6:28
  Speaker 6: You know, the throw really wasn't even close. A number
• 6:31
  Speaker 6: of throws this series from him and from the third
• 6:34
  Speaker 6: baseman were you know, way offline, and Channel's unfortunately having
• 6:40
  Speaker 6: to you know, veer into the hunter far too often,
• 6:44
  Speaker 6: and as a first basement, as somebody who played over there,
• 6:46
  Speaker 6: it's very dangerous. You know, you got your outstretched arm
• 6:50
  Speaker 6: and some big dudes running down the line. So Nolan's
• 6:53
  Speaker 6: off to a nice start himself, and you know, be
• 6:57
  Speaker 6: really good to keep him on the field, so if
• 7:00
  Speaker 6: we can avoid some of these things. Yeah, I don't know.
• 7:02
  Speaker 6: Another thing that stood out with o'hapi. It was a footnote,
• 7:05
  Speaker 6: but he didn't know what pitch to call against Jordan
• 7:08
  Speaker 6: Alvarez when I believe sil Seth came in the game
• 7:11
  Speaker 6: and Suzuki, I don't know, either hinted or told him
• 7:16
  Speaker 6: to go with. I think the split finger his best pitch,
• 7:20
  Speaker 6: so a little perplexing for a major league catcher to
• 7:25
  Speaker 6: not have more of a plan. Maybe it was sil
• 7:28
  Speaker 6: Seth that threw him off or unfortunately, what I really
• 7:32
  Speaker 6: think is going on as the game is speeding up
• 7:33
  Speaker 6: on him, and it did that last year and it's
• 7:37
  Speaker 6: in the cards for him. I think it's going to
• 7:39
  Speaker 6: really be crucial that Max Stassy tries to get through
• 7:44
  Speaker 6: to him mentally or somebody, because that's where I think
• 7:49
  Speaker 6: he struggles the most. He puts a tremendous amount of
• 7:51
  Speaker 6: pressure on himself. Even in spring as well. We didn't
• 7:55
  Speaker 6: we weren't able to watch that much, but from what
• 7:57
  Speaker 6: I did gather, he's very high strung. I think most
• 8:01
  Speaker 6: people know that by now, but he's extremely talented, too,
• 8:05
  Speaker 6: but when the defense struggles, he grounded into a double
• 8:09
  Speaker 6: play at one point, swung at the first pitch after
• 8:11
  Speaker 6: a nicely off walk. I think it's a lair walked
• 8:14
  Speaker 6: smothered a slider to the shortstop and that was a
• 8:18
  Speaker 6: poor at bat and it killed a rally or any
• 8:20
  Speaker 6: potential rally. So I'm really not trying to dump on
• 8:24
  Speaker 6: him too much. It was quite obvious this wasn't his best,
• 8:27
  Speaker 6: But the mental side of the game, for me, is
• 8:30
  Speaker 6: something that you gotta he needs to improve upon. And
• 8:34
  Speaker 6: it's not just going to be take a deep breath
• 8:36
  Speaker 6: and have some fun. That's not going to do it.
• 8:38
  Speaker 6: It's going to need to be some heavier lifting and
• 8:42
  Speaker 6: kind of getting inside there and setting some maybe more
• 8:45
  Speaker 6: realistic goals. I don't know what goals he has for himself,
• 8:48
  Speaker 6: but maybe more team oriented would be better.
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: Sam, you probably know Logan better than both of us do.
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: How what can a gut check like the studmentally this
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: early in the season.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: Can this be something?
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: I mean, obviously it's a motivator for him, but can
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: he overcome this and maybe turn them into something good?
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: Does he have that kind of mental fortitude in your estimation?
• 9:13
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I think I don't know, it's tough to say.
• 9:15
  Speaker 4: I mean, i'd like to think so, you know, Logan's
• 9:18
  Speaker 4: I mean, at least from the perspective of someone that
• 9:21
  Speaker 4: you know, deals with him in this capacity, I've always
• 9:23
  Speaker 4: appreciated the way he operates and the way he deals
• 9:26
  Speaker 4: with the media and the way he kind of deals
• 9:28
  Speaker 4: with his own failures, because that's not easy now. But
• 9:31
  Speaker 4: really what matters isn't how he answers questions about his failures,
• 9:34
  Speaker 4: is how he addresses them when the time comes in
• 9:36
  Speaker 4: the game.
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: And I think what we've seen is it's just.
• 9:38
  Speaker 4: Not really translated. I don't really think sending him down
• 9:42
  Speaker 4: right now makes a lot of sense. I mean, you know,
• 9:45
  Speaker 4: you can called Sebastian Rivera. I mean, I'm sure at
• 9:47
  Speaker 4: some point this year will probably you know, be up
• 9:50
  Speaker 4: here for one reason or another. But you know, if
• 9:52
  Speaker 4: I will say that, like, I don't think it's like
• 9:54
  Speaker 4: a blank check for a whole season for for a hobby,
• 9:56
  Speaker 4: if I had to guess, you know, I don't think
• 9:58
  Speaker 4: if he struggles for months on end that they'll run
• 10:02
  Speaker 4: with this. But I think for now, it's been four games,
• 10:05
  Speaker 4: it's been four poor games.
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: Behind the plate.
• 10:08
  Speaker 4: But you know, I mean, I just we've seen it
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: enough like that that we've seen better than this. Like
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: he wasn't really like if you rewind to twenty twenty four,
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: like he was actually a pretty serviceable defensive catcher. So
• 10:20
  Speaker 4: this is this is mental in my opinion, there's probably
• 10:22
  Speaker 4: some element that isn't. I mean, I'm not a catcher.
• 10:24
  Speaker 4: I can't get behind there and fully understand what it takes.
• 10:27
  Speaker 4: I just think a lot's going through his head right now,
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: and he's not responding to it perfectly well. And I
• 10:31
  Speaker 4: think he really wanted to get off to a hot
• 10:33
  Speaker 4: start and feel comfortable and not have these mistakes, and
• 10:36
  Speaker 4: like a couple of them happened and it's just kind
• 10:38
  Speaker 4: of spiraled really quickly. But it's also really early and
• 10:40
  Speaker 4: they've played one series and they've split it, and honestly,
• 10:43
  Speaker 4: like from the team's perspective, I mean, I think they
• 10:46
  Speaker 4: leave the big leagues and runs over the first weekend
• 10:48
  Speaker 4: like they're doing all right, you know, I mean, they're
• 10:49
  Speaker 4: they're hitting the ball, they're drawing walks, They've got like
• 10:51
  Speaker 4: nine homers, like they're doing okay. I just think like
• 10:54
  Speaker 4: this this is a glaring issue and you know, this
• 10:56
  Speaker 4: is a guy who they've kind of built their team
• 10:58
  Speaker 4: around in a lot of ways or tried to or
• 11:00
  Speaker 4: wanted to, and you know, I think they're on you know,
• 11:02
  Speaker 4: there's a risk of losing that and that that is
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: something that he's probably feeling quite a bit. You know,
• 11:08
  Speaker 4: I've kind of I think the Angels did it disservice
• 11:10
  Speaker 4: to him back even in twenty twenty four when you
• 11:12
  Speaker 4: rewind all that time where like you said, they made
• 11:14
  Speaker 4: him the face of the franchise. Really, you know, besides
• 11:17
  Speaker 4: Mike Trouden and everything like that, they really once to
• 11:20
  Speaker 4: show hey left lift. They were like this is our guy,
• 11:22
  Speaker 4: Like this is going to be the future. And you know,
• 11:24
  Speaker 4: you put they put players on billboard said the Angel
• 11:26
  Speaker 4: Stadium outside the ballpark, and they put a lot on players,
• 11:29
  Speaker 4: and I think, you know, especially when you don't have
• 11:31
  Speaker 4: a lot of good young players like this is part
• 11:33
  Speaker 4: of my opinion, the gas lighting of the organization that
• 11:36
  Speaker 4: they do, which is they try to sell you on
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: this dream and this idea of great young players, and
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: that puts a lot of pressure on guys who maybe
• 11:42
  Speaker 4: aren't right quite there yet. So uh, you know, it
• 11:46
  Speaker 4: manifests itself in many ways, and I think ohapis in
• 11:49
  Speaker 4: the in the middle of it right now, but I
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: also think he can get out of it, and he's
• 11:52
  Speaker 4: he's proven to be good enough to do that.
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: All Right, We're gonna take a little break to hear
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: a word from our sponsors, and when we come back,
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: we'll go over for one of the good things that
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: happen in that first series against the Astros. It wasn't
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: all doom and gloom. We'll be right back with more
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: Halo territory.
• 12:07
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• 13:08
  Speaker 1: And welcome back to Halo with Mark Trumbo, former Angels
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: Slugger and Sam Blum of the Athletic And thanks again
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: Foul Territory guys for that. Well, let's talk about some
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: of the positives. Mike Trout homers in each of the
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: first two games, walk seven times. Once again, it's only
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: four games, but how encouraging are these signs from Mike Trout,
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: Mark Trumbo, as the former Slugger yourself, what do you think?
• 13:38
  Speaker 5: Are we not talking about glum topics anymore?
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: By the way, Sam, let's get to this, Sam Glum,
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: how do you like your new nickname? I forget who
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: anointed you.
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: That it ain't new, it ain't new.
• 13:52
  Speaker 6: Around, It's been around. Mike Trout look tremendous this series.
• 13:58
  Speaker 6: I was really excited. I don't believe I saw a
• 14:02
  Speaker 6: single at bat in the spring, but I heard good
• 14:05
  Speaker 6: things and finally we got to see. He looks like
• 14:11
  Speaker 6: a younger Mike trout Some other people may have said
• 14:14
  Speaker 6: that elsewhere, but he's running really well. Stole a base
• 14:19
  Speaker 6: the other day. His timing at the plate looks much improved.
• 14:22
  Speaker 6: He did touch upon that in an article saying that
• 14:25
  Speaker 6: he felt like he's been a little bit late getting started,
• 14:28
  Speaker 6: and I think he's done a good job with that.
• 14:30
  Speaker 6: It looks like he's got the ability to make better
• 14:34
  Speaker 6: decisions too. He took a number of close pitches he
• 14:37
  Speaker 6: had him overturned later on in the game that maybe
• 14:40
  Speaker 6: last year he would offer at It doesn't look like
• 14:43
  Speaker 6: the velocity is challenging him like last year as well.
• 14:47
  Speaker 6: And he's playing a very good center field. So all
• 14:51
  Speaker 6: signs are really good for Trouty's that's a huge benefit
• 14:55
  Speaker 6: to this ball club.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: And we talked about this and before the regular sea
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: and I've known Mike for a long time and I
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: know how much he It's not that he hates playing,
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: you know, being a designated hitter. I just think he
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: really loved playing the field. He loves playing the field
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: because it allows him to get his mind off of
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: maybe the strikeout in the previous inning. I think he
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: feels like he's contributing more when he's playing defense. I
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: think he feels more relaxed, more into the game I
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: can think. I think that's only going to benefit him
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: as the season goes along. And yeah, we saw his
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: foot speed in spring training. I think the lower body,
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: the lower half is going to translate to a better year.
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: Sam.
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: Anything you saw from Mike this weekend that you know,
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: allows you to draw any kind of conclusion this early, you.
• 15:42
  Speaker 4: Know, I think Mike is one of those superstar players
• 15:44
  Speaker 4: that very much internalizes kind of what people are saying
• 15:46
  Speaker 4: about him, or you know, I'm sure almost all of
• 15:50
  Speaker 4: them do to some extent, but Mike you kind of
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: see it playing out in that way, like you sense
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: that he's aware of the narratives out there about him
• 15:57
  Speaker 4: and about his decline and honestly the very fair kind
• 15:59
  Speaker 4: of criticisms about you know what, the.
• 16:01
  Speaker 3: Trajectory of his career over the last five or six years.
• 16:04
  Speaker 4: So, you know, similar with a OPI right, like that's
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: it is a very very early warning sun right like
• 16:11
  Speaker 4: this is this is he's doing great, He's had good
• 16:13
  Speaker 4: aprils the question is like, what does this mean over
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: the course of a six month season. I mean, you know,
• 16:17
  Speaker 4: is this translatable? Is this something that will sustain? I think,
• 16:20
  Speaker 4: you know, I think everyone wants that to be the case, right,
• 16:23
  Speaker 4: Like everyone roots for Mike Trout because Mike Trout's a
• 16:26
  Speaker 4: good guy who's done so much with this organization, who's
• 16:29
  Speaker 4: been the face of this place, who you know, deserves
• 16:32
  Speaker 4: to play in playoff games and to see success and
• 16:35
  Speaker 4: to get to five hundred home runs and all those things.
• 16:38
  Speaker 4: I you know, so you know, he looks he does
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: look younger. I'll be really curious to see, like, does
• 16:43
  Speaker 4: you know, is he gonna be stealing more basis? Is
• 16:44
  Speaker 4: he gonna be able to play the defense you know
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: regularly over the course of you know, an entire season.
• 16:51
  Speaker 4: You know that those are questions that are still out there,
• 16:53
  Speaker 4: but that that that series that weekend is probably especially
• 16:56
  Speaker 4: the walks. I actually also think that the challenges to
• 16:58
  Speaker 4: will help him. You know, he gets caught and we
• 17:00
  Speaker 4: saw it today, like he got called on numerous strikes
• 17:03
  Speaker 4: above the zone high fastballs, which is where he's attacked constantly.
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: For good reason.
• 17:07
  Speaker 4: But he also umpires will sometimes give the pictures of
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: this call, and I think he's got a very good
• 17:12
  Speaker 4: sense of the zone and he made one bad challenge,
• 17:14
  Speaker 4: but he also made two good ones there in the
• 17:15
  Speaker 4: eighth or the ninth or whatever it was, ninth, Ye, yeah,
• 17:18
  Speaker 4: And so like, if that is a problem that has
• 17:21
  Speaker 4: been plaguing him, you know, maybe not getting the benefit
• 17:24
  Speaker 4: of those high fastballs, then that is a series. I mean,
• 17:29
  Speaker 4: if pictures are going to come a little lower and
• 17:31
  Speaker 4: you know, he gets more in his wheelhouse, that will
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: really change the.
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: Dynamic for him, in my opinion, quite a bit.
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: Another guy had a pretty good weekend. Jorges Solaire had
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: a three run double and made a spectacular diving catch
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: and right center field gap to rob Christian Walker of
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: a double and Sunday's game. He also had a two
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: run home run Saturday's game. To me that playing right center,
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: and I know, Walker hit the crap out of it. It
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: was one hundred and nine mile an hour and it
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: tailed toward him and you know he kind of dove
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: right into it. But I mean, Jorgees Solaier not exactly
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: known for his defense. I'm not sure I want him
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: diving in the walls and diving all over the field,
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: considering his back injuries in the past, but that had
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: to pretty had to be a pretty encouraging sign for
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: the Angels. What do you think, Mark, very nice play.
• 18:19
  Speaker 6: I thought that I was a little surprised, to be honest,
• 18:22
  Speaker 6: and it's no knock on him.
• 18:23
  Speaker 5: I just know that.
• 18:24
  Speaker 6: I think he mentioned last year the outfield was pretty taxing,
• 18:28
  Speaker 6: but he looks lighter. He too, seems like he found
• 18:32
  Speaker 6: a way to shave some years off, rejuvenated. Now, there
• 18:37
  Speaker 6: was a play later on in the game that he
• 18:40
  Speaker 6: did not make. I don't think it was a play
• 18:43
  Speaker 6: I would expect him to make.
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: I'm not sure.
• 18:47
  Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm not sure if Joe Adele makes that play
• 18:50
  Speaker 6: if he was in right field. But one thing that
• 18:52
  Speaker 6: I do think is interesting, Well, let's be honest, I
• 18:56
  Speaker 6: think Joe Adell is a much better right fielder than
• 18:58
  Speaker 6: he is a center fielder.
• 19:00
  Speaker 5: And I think that diving play.
• 19:01
  Speaker 6: Maybe Sam can touch upon his thoughts on it, but
• 19:04
  Speaker 6: that dive might have been somewhat ill advised late in
• 19:07
  Speaker 6: the game. Now, he was trying to make a play
• 19:10
  Speaker 6: super aggressive, no fault at all for that, but without
• 19:14
  Speaker 6: the reps out there to really know if you are
• 19:17
  Speaker 6: going to dive. It can lead to some extra bases,
• 19:19
  Speaker 6: and I think they probably scored at least one extra
• 19:22
  Speaker 6: run on that play.
• 19:23
  Speaker 3: Would you think so, Well, I'm watching him home.
• 19:27
  Speaker 4: I didn't realize that Olveraz was on second base when
• 19:29
  Speaker 4: that happened, So when I saw him, you know, in
• 19:31
  Speaker 4: real time, I was like, oh, man, that's a really
• 19:33
  Speaker 4: bad decision because that allowed another run to score. But
• 19:36
  Speaker 4: I mean, ultimately, like I think al two V's balling
• 19:38
  Speaker 4: in the gap, so I don't know if it would
• 19:39
  Speaker 4: have really led to another run on a.
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: Dell, But Soilaire, I mean, yeah, it was a nice play.
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: That's you know, probably something you'll see in March twenty
• 19:47
  Speaker 4: ninth and maybe not in August. So I think this
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: is he has said this right. He has said that
• 19:52
  Speaker 4: playing the outfield a lot was what put him on
• 19:54
  Speaker 4: the il last year. I think the angelsy to be
• 19:56
  Speaker 4: really careful about how much they're using him, because he
• 19:59
  Speaker 4: also was really just kind of stunk at the plate
• 20:01
  Speaker 4: late late in the year. Clearly just wasn't himself, or
• 20:05
  Speaker 4: if it was himself, then it's because he's you know,
• 20:09
  Speaker 4: he's not as good a player as he once was.
• 20:11
  Speaker 4: But I mean at this point, I think that the Angels,
• 20:13
  Speaker 4: if they're gonna get anything out of Clayer this year,
• 20:15
  Speaker 4: and it was a really good first weekend for him,
• 20:17
  Speaker 4: you got to be careful about one how much you
• 20:19
  Speaker 4: are just playing him in general, and two how much
• 20:21
  Speaker 4: you're putting him in the outfield.
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: Uh.
• 20:23
  Speaker 4: You know, I get that they want to have Trout's
• 20:24
  Speaker 4: bad and they want to have Solaire's bed, and so
• 20:26
  Speaker 4: if you want a d H Trout, you know, you're
• 20:28
  Speaker 4: probably gonna end up playing Solaire in the outfield, which
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: then moves to Dela Center for the you know, uh,
• 20:33
  Speaker 4: at least in terms of the conventional wisdom of the way.
• 20:35
  Speaker 3: The roster's constructed.
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: It's you know, even like the day they traded for Solai,
• 20:39
  Speaker 4: you can kind of sense that this might become an
• 20:40
  Speaker 4: issue at some point. But if they're both hitting home
• 20:43
  Speaker 4: runs and they're both kind of doing you know, the
• 20:45
  Speaker 4: offensive element, it works. But uh, and if Soilare's making
• 20:48
  Speaker 4: diving catches, it works. I just think it's it's very
• 20:51
  Speaker 4: very risky to be playing him out there, like, you know,
• 20:53
  Speaker 4: more than once a.
• 20:54
  Speaker 3: Week at this point. Be my my hesitation.
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: I think last year he got overexposed in the outfield
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: because he had to play it, because Trout had to
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: play DH. Maybe this year Trout's able to play center
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: field sixty sixty percent of the games, and that allows
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: Soler to play right field a lot less and maybe
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: in shorter in a shorter amount of games, he's a
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: little better of a defensive player. We're going to take
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: another quick break for a word from our sponsors.
• 21:20
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• 22:09
  Speaker 1: Now, Hey, welcome back to Hilo Territory with Mark Trumbo
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: and Sam Blum. I want to talk about Oswald Perraza,
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: and I want to talk about him in relation to
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: a guy who has not had a great opening weekend.
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: You on Moncatta, the third baseman Praza had to me,
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: at least numbers wise, we didn't see a lot of them,
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: but what I saw you appear to have one of
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: the best springs of any Angels player. And in his
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: first three games he went four to eleven with a
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: home run two RBIs played pretty good defense all three games.
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: Mankata has not looked good at the plate. I think
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: he's got one hit and defensively we saw him made
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: just a weird charge of a grounder today and I
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: don't want to say it was a half hearted effort,
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: but it just didn't look real strong. Threw it up
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: the line for another era that cost him. I can
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: see maybe eventually, I don't know, as they necessarily have to,
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: you know, Wave or DFA Moncada, but if he's really struggling,
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: I moved Parazz at the third base and start Fraser
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: at second, or maybe there's some other combination infielders. Maybe
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: Christian Moore is ready at that point. But I don't
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: know how long they can stick with Makata at third base.
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: And it's a shame because he had a couple of
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: good defensive players in the first few games. But I
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: some of his the problems that have plagued him for
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: all last year seem to creep up in that game Sunday.
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: What do you guys think, Yeah.
• 23:34
  Speaker 4: I mean I I yeah, I ought to say, like
• 23:39
  Speaker 4: I think that. Yeah, I mean, this is like it's
• 23:42
  Speaker 4: an issue, Like it's just as his throws are, you know,
• 23:45
  Speaker 4: they don't look like there's he's getting a ton on
• 23:47
  Speaker 4: them sometimes or you know, he's he's a talented enough player,
• 23:50
  Speaker 4: like I know, like Robbie Keno would sometimes get this
• 23:52
  Speaker 4: criticism where he just looked like he didn't.
• 23:54
  Speaker 3: Care as much. But it's because the game comes naturally
• 23:57
  Speaker 3: for him.
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: The issue is that when it starts to not look
• 23:59
  Speaker 4: like it's coming naturally you and you're and those throws
• 24:01
  Speaker 4: are then like way off and nowhere in near first basement.
• 24:04
  Speaker 4: Then that's when it's like, Okay, are you putting in
• 24:06
  Speaker 4: the full effort?
• 24:07
  Speaker 3: And I'm not. I haven't talked to him.
• 24:08
  Speaker 4: I would never question a player's effort without being able
• 24:10
  Speaker 4: to ask them that. But I mean, I think that
• 24:13
  Speaker 4: the perception will be there if that if that's what's
• 24:15
  Speaker 4: happening defensively, and if you're also like, I mean, he
• 24:18
  Speaker 4: took that strike three just end the game was fast
• 24:20
  Speaker 4: right down the middle, like he's it's just that that's
• 24:23
  Speaker 4: not a really good look, you know. I mean again,
• 24:26
  Speaker 4: I think anything we talk about right now, you're you're
• 24:28
  Speaker 4: doing it in the combination of four games. So there's
• 24:30
  Speaker 4: that there is that to to always you know, keep
• 24:33
  Speaker 4: in the back of your mind. I don't I wouldn't
• 24:34
  Speaker 4: take him out of the lineup right now, but I
• 24:36
  Speaker 4: mean I think I always was like why why why
• 24:38
  Speaker 4: run it back with you on Moncatta just uh, you know,
• 24:42
  Speaker 4: he was fine last year, but you know, with this team,
• 24:45
  Speaker 4: with where they're at, Like I mean, I I you know,
• 24:49
  Speaker 4: I think Peazi is you know, remains somebody you don't
• 24:52
  Speaker 4: really know what you have fully. I mean, he he
• 24:54
  Speaker 4: never really panned out with the Yankees, and he wasn't
• 24:57
  Speaker 4: great when he came here last year. But I also
• 24:58
  Speaker 4: think that there is an't there's something in there, and
• 25:01
  Speaker 4: I'd be curious to see him get every day reps
• 25:03
  Speaker 4: at place like third.
• 25:05
  Speaker 3: And then you know, Adam Fraser.
• 25:07
  Speaker 4: He's been fine of the big leagues right like he's
• 25:09
  Speaker 4: you know, last year he was like a two win player,
• 25:11
  Speaker 4: So I mean, you know, doesn't mean he's going to
• 25:14
  Speaker 4: be great, doesn't mean he's you know, an All Star
• 25:16
  Speaker 4: or anything, but hey, you know, maybe that's maybe that
• 25:19
  Speaker 4: is the move for right now.
• 25:20
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 25:21
  Speaker 4: I would give Mankat a little more of a leash,
• 25:23
  Speaker 4: but maybe not a ton more.
• 25:26
  Speaker 6: I would not move proserf second base based on that
• 25:30
  Speaker 6: defense that I saw this series that was excellent, nothing
• 25:34
  Speaker 6: short of it. He saved a run multiple times, I believe,
• 25:39
  Speaker 6: outstanding range in addition to be able to go back
• 25:42
  Speaker 6: on some pop ups at least one that I was
• 25:44
  Speaker 6: really surprised he got back on it quick. And that
• 25:47
  Speaker 6: really helps your outfielders if you've got a guy like
• 25:49
  Speaker 6: Celaire I know myself personally out there really appreciated No seriously,
• 25:53
  Speaker 6: when an infielder can go back and get it, it's
• 25:57
  Speaker 6: really good. He had a drag bunch a base hit.
• 26:01
  Speaker 6: He really looked like a ballplayer this series. I thought
• 26:04
  Speaker 6: that he was tremendous on the flip side Mancatta and
• 26:10
  Speaker 6: I did play, so I feel somewhat confident saying he
• 26:13
  Speaker 6: looks disinterested at best out there. He had another throw
• 26:18
  Speaker 6: that that Nolan picked him up on. It was a
• 26:20
  Speaker 6: side arm kind of lob that was in the dirt
• 26:24
  Speaker 6: and really nice pick by by Shanewell.
• 26:26
  Speaker 5: But and that a bat.
• 26:29
  Speaker 6: Not only did he take strike three right right down
• 26:31
  Speaker 6: the middle, there was another strike that he just statued,
• 26:36
  Speaker 6: you know, and he fouled some off. He's a guy
• 26:38
  Speaker 6: that's you know, he got to I don't know how
• 26:41
  Speaker 6: he's feeling physically too, so I don't want to dump
• 26:44
  Speaker 6: on him. He's usually got something going on, unfortunately, and
• 26:48
  Speaker 6: I don't know if that's the case now. It'd be
• 26:50
  Speaker 6: a shame this early in the year if he was
• 26:51
  Speaker 6: dealing with something. But you know, spring training was was
• 26:55
  Speaker 6: not good. I WBC, I don't believe was good. Not good.
• 26:59
  Speaker 6: You know, he really didn't come away with a big
• 27:01
  Speaker 6: contract this winter either, So I don't know if I
• 27:04
  Speaker 6: doubt that plays a role that he might feel a
• 27:06
  Speaker 6: little underappreciated.
• 27:07
  Speaker 2: In that regard.
• 27:08
  Speaker 5: Does candel Ario not play third base?
• 27:10
  Speaker 6: Is he is that he can?
• 27:15
  Speaker 5: Yeah?
• 27:15
  Speaker 6: I would keep Peraza a second. I really like what
• 27:17
  Speaker 6: I saw out of him.
• 27:18
  Speaker 2: Uh.
• 27:19
  Speaker 6: And and one final so I can get it in there.
• 27:22
  Speaker 6: Relief Pitcher looked awfully good.
• 27:24
  Speaker 5: Uh, Sam Bochman.
• 27:26
  Speaker 6: He is a little while all right, no one more thing.
• 27:31
  Speaker 6: I want to be first. I don't know if I've
• 27:33
  Speaker 6: ever been first anything. I'm almost certain that like Trout's
• 27:36
  Speaker 6: outfield glove has changed models, he doesn't have the trapeze web.
• 27:40
  Speaker 6: He appears to have an H web. So if no
• 27:43
  Speaker 6: one else has pointed it out, if I'm wrong, gladly apologize.
• 27:47
  Speaker 6: But I think and I'm very interested if we maybe
• 27:51
  Speaker 6: get to talk to Tory Hunter. UH be interested in
• 27:53
  Speaker 6: him because he he is the trapeze web. I believe
• 27:57
  Speaker 6: Ken Griffey Junior, many others and Trouts used it his
• 27:59
  Speaker 6: whole career. And I think I see another model glove
• 28:02
  Speaker 6: out there. I don't know the maybe just mixing up.
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: Does the H web mark allow you to sort of
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: feel the ball with your glove in front of your face,
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: because I notice in recent years Trout always seems to
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: feel routine fly balls to the left of to the
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: left of his body.
• 28:18
  Speaker 6: You don't want the glove in front of the face.
• 28:20
  Speaker 6: I mean, no, I do know what you mean. The trapeez.
• 28:24
  Speaker 6: The thought was that because it's not okay, this is geeky,
• 28:28
  Speaker 6: but reinforced with stronger laces at the very end of it.
• 28:35
  Speaker 6: On sliding plays, diving plays that can flop a bit more,
• 28:37
  Speaker 6: that's the trapeze I'm talking, whereas like the h web
• 28:41
  Speaker 6: is sturdier and maybe can secure some of those, you know,
• 28:45
  Speaker 6: plays that you really need a little extra help.
• 28:48
  Speaker 5: But you know, glove is a personal thing.
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: Guys.
• 28:52
  Speaker 6: Some guys you can't pry it, you know, a lot
• 28:53
  Speaker 6: of their cold dead hands, or what I'm saying is
• 28:56
  Speaker 6: and to see someone change models and maybe he's not
• 28:59
  Speaker 6: that precious about it, but I did notice that. I
• 29:01
  Speaker 6: thought it was a little bit interesting, and maybe somebody
• 29:03
  Speaker 6: else's beat me to it, but I just out there.
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: Just a little aside.
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: Mike Gego famous story, and I wrote about this in
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: a story I did on gloves about fifteen years ago.
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: This nineteen eighty nine Bay Area Earthquake World Series game.
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: The place is pitch black, the clubhouses, everybody is evacuating
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: the stadium, mayhem panic, the clubhouse is pitch black, and
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: he had to run in back to the clubhouse and
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: get his glove because that had been his game or
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: glove for literally his entire career.
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: And luckily you made it out alive.
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: Hey, I want to ask one more follow up on
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: Mancata mark in bad body language, you know, hinder a guy,
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: especially at this stage of his career where he's not
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: an established star. And you know, you can put up
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: with bad body language in a lot of ways if
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: a guy's producing and kind of has that you know,
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: laissez fair look.
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: But with a guy like him, can it hurt him?
• 30:00
  Speaker 6: I don't think they're counting on him for raw raw anything.
• 30:04
  Speaker 6: Uh So, Canoe was mentioned earlier and I played with
• 30:07
  Speaker 6: Cano and you know, as everyone else, it did look whatever.
• 30:11
  Speaker 6: I'll tell you what. That guy had a cannon. He
• 30:14
  Speaker 6: threw one of the heaviest balls I've ever and he
• 30:18
  Speaker 6: always wanted to play catch with the first basement, this
• 30:20
  Speaker 6: little inside baseball. But those that that nonchalant throw had
• 30:25
  Speaker 6: a lot on it. So there's a difference. You know,
• 30:29
  Speaker 6: some guys, really, I know Manny Machado likes to make
• 30:31
  Speaker 6: it look very smooth, very easy. I personally, you know,
• 30:36
  Speaker 6: big fan of a guy like JJ Hardy. You know,
• 30:38
  Speaker 6: it's not it's not flashy in the least, but it's
• 30:41
  Speaker 6: reliable and you know he makes the plays. Netto looks
• 30:44
  Speaker 6: very good most of the time in that regard, you
• 30:48
  Speaker 6: know something And and for some guys, you know, really
• 30:51
  Speaker 6: there isn't much of a cool factor, but there doesn't
• 30:53
  Speaker 6: need to be. You know, what's cool is making the
• 30:55
  Speaker 6: plays and and Moncada. You know, I you don't want
• 30:59
  Speaker 6: your first basement picking you up that often. So I
• 31:02
  Speaker 6: don't know what's going on there. But they have bat
• 31:04
  Speaker 6: to end the game too. When he's good. He's really good.
• 31:08
  Speaker 6: But I don't know what we're looking at so far
• 31:10
  Speaker 6: this year. And you know, if he keeps it up,
• 31:12
  Speaker 6: you know, might might have to make a change.
• 31:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: A couple other positives, Zach Neto and Nolan Shanwell each
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: homer twice in the series.
• 31:20
  Speaker 2: It's a pretty good starting pitching.
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: Jose Soriano six scoreless innings in the opener, and I
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: thought reed Detmer's even though he only went four and
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: two thirds his pitch.
• 31:31
  Speaker 2: Count got up.
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: A lot of they fell ball in the death it
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: seemed like, but you know, you have six hits, three
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: or in runs, no walks, nine strikeouts and all those punchs.
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: He's probably drove up his pitch count a bit too.
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: And how about Jordan You say Romano, I say, Romano
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: saves in the first two games. Is he see the
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: team's closer right now?
• 31:51
  Speaker 2: Sam?
• 31:52
  Speaker 3: I mean it sort of seems like that.
• 31:54
  Speaker 4: I mean, they lost Kirbyates the day before the season
• 31:56
  Speaker 4: had started, which I think that was kind of the
• 31:57
  Speaker 4: initial plan. And you don't have Ben Joyce, and you
• 32:00
  Speaker 4: lost Kenny Jansen in free agency, and you know this
• 32:03
  Speaker 4: is this is their guy. You know, Romano has done
• 32:07
  Speaker 4: it right, Like he's been that guy. He's been a
• 32:09
  Speaker 4: really good closer in the league. He's just not done
• 32:10
  Speaker 4: it in a couple of years. So you know, I mean,
• 32:13
  Speaker 4: this has kind of been the whole theme of their
• 32:15
  Speaker 4: offseason was getting guys who have done it but haven't
• 32:18
  Speaker 4: done it twenty twenty five and will they be.
• 32:20
  Speaker 3: Able to do it again?
• 32:21
  Speaker 4: And like, you know, you kind of hack anything with
• 32:23
  Speaker 4: the Angels, it's always crossing your fingers and hoping for
• 32:25
  Speaker 4: the best. I think some of their bullpen performances have
• 32:28
  Speaker 4: thus far been kind of okay, it's overall it's been
• 32:32
  Speaker 4: pretty good.
• 32:33
  Speaker 3: Jase Silseth in particular, I think look good.
• 32:36
  Speaker 4: And that's a guy who's just been up and down
• 32:38
  Speaker 4: and looks like his career has been over looks like he's,
• 32:40
  Speaker 4: you know, like just to get something out of him.
• 32:42
  Speaker 3: Sam Bachman kind of.
• 32:43
  Speaker 4: Similarly like these guys are you know, part of that
• 32:46
  Speaker 4: you know, infamous twenty twenty one draft, who are maybe
• 32:48
  Speaker 4: finally doing at least something for this organization.
• 32:50
  Speaker 3: Is is a positive, But yeah, I mean I think
• 32:54
  Speaker 3: Roman is probably the closer for now to at least
• 32:56
  Speaker 3: until he get joice back.
• 32:58
  Speaker 4: And it sure seems like Robert Stevens is probably gonna miss,
• 33:02
  Speaker 4: if not the whole season, most of the season. You know,
• 33:04
  Speaker 4: we'll see on that front. But yeah, I mean I
• 33:07
  Speaker 4: think the starting pitching was was was good. Uh you
• 33:10
  Speaker 4: know this, you know, was saying before we got on.
• 33:13
  Speaker 4: It didn't really go too deep in the games. This
• 33:16
  Speaker 4: whole series just kind of felt like I was watching
• 33:17
  Speaker 4: the college baseball. I mean, it was just a ton
• 33:19
  Speaker 4: of walks, like especially Sunday. I mean, I didn't watched
• 33:22
  Speaker 4: the whole series, as y'all, you'll know, I don't fully
• 33:25
  Speaker 4: cover this team, but you know, today, I mean there
• 33:27
  Speaker 4: was like nineteen combined walks and it was just like
• 33:30
  Speaker 4: the Askers looked like a really rough team.
• 33:32
  Speaker 3: In my opinion, that's just that.
• 33:33
  Speaker 4: That was one of my takeaways from this series overall,
• 33:36
  Speaker 4: is like their pitching is all over the place. I know,
• 33:39
  Speaker 4: their bullpen, I can't really tell you who many of
• 33:41
  Speaker 4: those guys are. And the one guy who supposedly really
• 33:43
  Speaker 4: good looked just terrible. So they don't look like a
• 33:47
  Speaker 4: very good team. But you know, I'll be curious to
• 33:49
  Speaker 4: kind of see that where they end up, because they're
• 33:52
  Speaker 4: you know, there's still that this dynastic organization. But uh,
• 33:55
  Speaker 4: you know, they didn't make the playoffs last year and
• 33:57
  Speaker 4: I don't think they were gonna be anywhere close to
• 33:58
  Speaker 4: that this year.
• 33:59
  Speaker 3: But we'll see.
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, any I thought, you know, the Angels blew a
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: six nothing, sixth inning lead on Saturday, they easily could
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: have won Sunday's game.
• 34:07
  Speaker 2: Mark is your was not high.
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: On the Astros on our Al West previous show last week.
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: You feel like you're getting some validation for your prediction
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: on this club.
• 34:18
  Speaker 6: I don't think I went hard enough. That was and
• 34:21
  Speaker 6: this is not to say the Angels did some really
• 34:23
  Speaker 6: good things. I thought they were quite I think you
• 34:26
  Speaker 6: might have said that they could have probably taken three
• 34:30
  Speaker 6: or four of these games off of that ball club
• 34:33
  Speaker 6: who looked somewhat lifeless, especially those first two games. No
• 34:38
  Speaker 6: Soriano pitched excellent. I mean, he really really did a
• 34:41
  Speaker 6: nice job. But it looks like they have kind of
• 34:44
  Speaker 6: that the rough combination of aging veteran players somewhat in decline,
• 34:51
  Speaker 6: some young guys that are still finding their way. But
• 34:54
  Speaker 6: I don't know their right fielder Smith. I believe he
• 34:57
  Speaker 6: looks like he plays an excellent right field I'll say that.
• 35:00
  Speaker 6: But their relief pitching was pathetic. That was not good
• 35:04
  Speaker 6: strong word, but you know, that's what I saw. I
• 35:07
  Speaker 6: didn't really see anybody that that. The last left hander,
• 35:11
  Speaker 6: and I don't have his name in front of me,
• 35:14
  Speaker 6: he actually looked pretty pretty decent. But there were some
• 35:17
  Speaker 6: middle relief guys that also unknown. So I don't know
• 35:22
  Speaker 6: if it's you know, hater is injured, but they're going
• 35:26
  Speaker 6: to have a rough time if you know that, and
• 35:29
  Speaker 6: you wonder they're missing you know, Bregman. He looked like
• 35:33
  Speaker 6: a real clubhouse chemistry guy. Framberg maybe not as much,
• 35:37
  Speaker 6: but you know he always really picked against especially against
• 35:41
  Speaker 6: the Angels. Yeah, so totally different look, and you know,
• 35:44
  Speaker 6: I think a lot of good things when the short
• 35:46
  Speaker 6: starts that I was kind of getting at Kakuchi four
• 35:49
  Speaker 6: in a third eighty six pitches. Reid pitched four and
• 35:52
  Speaker 6: two thirds ninety five and Jack, you know, four Indians
• 35:56
  Speaker 6: at ninety four pitches. So you know what's the big differ, Prince,
• 36:01
  Speaker 6: you got to cover at least another inning inning plus.
• 36:04
  Speaker 6: And I think the Angels bullpen is probably a right
• 36:06
  Speaker 6: handed pitcher short right now. I think they'd really benefit
• 36:11
  Speaker 6: and I believe they might have made a move with
• 36:15
  Speaker 6: a relief pitcher.
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: Uh yeah, we're gonna yeah, we're gonna close the show
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: with that today. Actually, it was somewhat curious move. They
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: optioned Whilbert Urania, who pitching a high leverage situation I
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: think it was in the opener, and dfad Victor Maderos,
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: who was considered a pretty good prospect to get a
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: They did need a fresh arm for Sunday's game, so
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: they called up Sean Anderson. Sam Blum aka Sam Glum
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: called this move quote unquote wild.
• 36:45
  Speaker 2: Why was that?
• 36:45
  Speaker 4: Sam I mean, to me, this is just like another
• 36:50
  Speaker 4: I mean, and I people responding to this this tweet
• 36:52
  Speaker 4: being like, why are you still talking about us? And
• 36:54
  Speaker 4: it's like one, I mean, you know, this is this
• 36:57
  Speaker 4: is something that I feel like people don't fully get.
• 36:59
  Speaker 4: I mean this, this is reflection of player development and
• 37:02
  Speaker 4: the issues that have caused them to not really develop
• 37:04
  Speaker 4: a starting pitcher, like in any capacity outside of maybe
• 37:08
  Speaker 4: I mean or Is, say, Soreano is someone who they
• 37:09
  Speaker 4: let walk to the pirates in the Rule five drafts.
• 37:11
  Speaker 4: So I don't even like to give them a ton
• 37:12
  Speaker 4: of credit on Soriano, but ultimately, like they don't really
• 37:15
  Speaker 4: develop any starting pitching gear. And so you know, when
• 37:18
  Speaker 4: you have a guy like Victor Madero's who was drafted
• 37:20
  Speaker 4: in twenty twenty two, called up to make his big
• 37:22
  Speaker 4: league debut in the bullpen for like a game in
• 37:25
  Speaker 4: twenty twenty three, you know, they do the same thing
• 37:27
  Speaker 4: with Caden Dana and do the same thing with Sam
• 37:29
  Speaker 4: Alde Gary. You know, these are these are the guys
• 37:31
  Speaker 4: who you need to be able to like develop into
• 37:33
  Speaker 4: real starting pitchers to be able to then come in
• 37:36
  Speaker 4: and be people in your rotation. Nobody has says that
• 37:38
  Speaker 4: these guys have to be aces or elites or anything.
• 37:42
  Speaker 4: They just got to be serviceable starters. And that's just
• 37:44
  Speaker 4: they're not even developing that type of starting pitcher right now.
• 37:47
  Speaker 4: And so you know, Victor Madero's like Yace, really struggled
• 37:50
  Speaker 4: in the minor leagues. I don't blame them for defaying him.
• 37:53
  Speaker 4: They might even keep him in their organization, we'll see.
• 37:55
  Speaker 4: But to me, it's so like, you know, you can't
• 37:58
  Speaker 4: substitute the Angels for why he never panned out at
• 38:01
  Speaker 4: least hasn't yet panned out for them, and that's because
• 38:03
  Speaker 4: they didn't develop him properly. They made mistakes with them.
• 38:06
  Speaker 4: They called them up twice from Hya, just like they're
• 38:09
  Speaker 4: doing with Ryan Johnson, who's going to be the starter
• 38:11
  Speaker 4: on Monday right like, just like they're doing with Jack o'hannowoz,
• 38:14
  Speaker 4: who they sent out last year saying you needed a reset,
• 38:16
  Speaker 4: then brought them up for one start later because they
• 38:19
  Speaker 4: needed it. I just think the front office is always
• 38:21
  Speaker 4: operating under this desperation when it comes to their pitching,
• 38:25
  Speaker 4: and that is is going to lead you to these
• 38:28
  Speaker 4: types of moves.
• 38:29
  Speaker 3: Walbert Urania, I don't know what he'll turn into.
• 38:31
  Speaker 4: I do know that, you know, Inosaras works for the
• 38:34
  Speaker 4: athletic and does a great job with like the you know,
• 38:36
  Speaker 4: advanced metrics on pitching had Walbert Urania as the best
• 38:40
  Speaker 4: pitcher in spring in terms of stuff plus, so like,
• 38:42
  Speaker 4: this guy clearly has something in there. I just doesn't
• 38:45
  Speaker 4: look like a big league pitcher to me yet. I
• 38:46
  Speaker 4: thenk we saw that at least a little bit at
• 38:48
  Speaker 4: the end of spring, you know, when I saw him
• 38:50
  Speaker 4: at Dodger Stadium and you know, bringing Guyenne is a
• 38:53
  Speaker 4: leverage reliever and a seventh inning home OH opening day game,
• 38:58
  Speaker 4: and then two days later he's in Triple A starting.
• 39:00
  Speaker 4: I mean, it's just like these this this inability to
• 39:03
  Speaker 4: you know, be able to lock in on rolls, to
• 39:05
  Speaker 4: develop and to like just let a player tell you
• 39:08
  Speaker 4: he's ready.
• 39:10
  Speaker 3: That's the mistake.
• 39:11
  Speaker 4: And I think they're always going to lean back on this,
• 39:13
  Speaker 4: Like I asked, I asked Kurtuzuki, and I thought this
• 39:14
  Speaker 4: answer was quite frankly, a little bit ridiculous. When I
• 39:17
  Speaker 4: asked Kurtuzuki and the other day about their process with
• 39:21
  Speaker 4: Ryan Johnson going from a leverage reliever to getting sent
• 39:24
  Speaker 4: out to Hya to getting you know, put on the
• 39:27
  Speaker 4: I l or something for two months in explained absence. Uh,
• 39:31
  Speaker 4: maybe just shutting him down for a little while, I
• 39:32
  Speaker 4: don't know, and then comes back as a reliever at
• 39:35
  Speaker 4: the end of last year and now he's just a
• 39:36
  Speaker 4: starter in the big leagues. I'm like, how does this
• 39:37
  Speaker 4: process make any sense? And he camped him to Mike Trout,
• 39:40
  Speaker 4: and I think this is always going to be their
• 39:42
  Speaker 4: their fallbacks. I was like, well, Mike Trout got sent
• 39:44
  Speaker 4: out and came back up, Like, I get it, players,
• 39:48
  Speaker 4: And he also wasn't getting sent to Hya, like you
• 39:50
  Speaker 4: know what I mean, Like this is the this is
• 39:52
  Speaker 4: always going to be the angels fallback. Well, you know,
• 39:55
  Speaker 4: let him get a taste, come back up, Like I
• 39:56
  Speaker 4: think that can work for some guys, but that's not
• 39:59
  Speaker 4: the reason they're doing They're doing this out of their
• 40:00
  Speaker 4: own desperate need to have pitching that they haven't acquired
• 40:03
  Speaker 4: and they haven't developed. And so now you just kind
• 40:06
  Speaker 4: of rush these guys up here, and now they're on
• 40:08
  Speaker 4: your forty man's you can't defame. And then like you
• 40:10
  Speaker 4: have to dfa guy you probably in Victor Madero's you
• 40:12
  Speaker 4: probably don't want to have to dfa, But you know what,
• 40:15
  Speaker 4: that's who's on your forty man and you needed pitching today,
• 40:18
  Speaker 4: and so now you lose Victor maderas as opposed to
• 40:19
  Speaker 4: be if you wasn't even on the forty man yet
• 40:21
  Speaker 4: or I don't know exactly what his rule five status
• 40:23
  Speaker 4: would have been, but that is, that is the problem
• 40:26
  Speaker 4: in a nutshell, and I'm sure Angels fans will you know,
• 40:28
  Speaker 4: have gotten mad and annoyed at me for tweeting about it,
• 40:30
  Speaker 4: but like, don't hate the facts of the situation. That
• 40:33
  Speaker 4: is the reality of it, and ultimately, like you're just like,
• 40:36
  Speaker 4: this is the way they operate, and it's the reason
• 40:39
  Speaker 4: that they're failing. And if you can't handle that fact
• 40:40
  Speaker 4: that you can't handle that truth, you know, just be
• 40:42
  Speaker 4: a blind loyal fan and watch them lose forever.
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: It's fine, all right, We're gonna close the show on
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: that note. Thank you, Sam for that fine soliloquy, Mark Turumbou,
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: thanks for joining us as usual, Thanks for tuning in.
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: Please like and subscribe, and we'll see you next time
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: on Halo Terror.
• 41:00
  Speaker 2: Sorry,