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2 And A Hook Podcast Ep #9: LAA, SD, MIA And SEA Chat With Great Guests
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday, June.28, 2013,
MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast.
‘2 And A Hook’ is an expression from Baseball: ‘Throw the guy 2 Fast balls and then a Hook’ (AKA Curve Ball, Wiggly one, Chair etc..)
By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran ) Follow @yankeeman1973
Guests On The Show
On today’s podcast, brought to you by MLB Reports ( www.mlbreports.com ) & yours truly The Bench Warmers Show, I talk to the boss man Chuck Booth as he returns to do his segment! 8 Minutes and a 18 Segment Follow @chuckbooth3024
Chuck makes a HUGE announcement about MLB Reports & then we talked about contract stuff like arbitration, Super 2, & service time…
Also we talk about these guys Wil Myers, Yasiel Puig & Chris Archer on why they should have been up in the major leagues since the beginning of the season!
Then I talk to LAA correspondent Joshua Jones (34 Minute Mark and a 18 Minute Segment) Follow @JoshJones4 about the Angels season & what might or might not happen…
Next up was Bernie Olshansky (53 Minute Mark and a 13 Minutes Segment) Follow @bernieolshansky about the padres & what moves they might make for the future…after that i talked to Mariners/Marlins correspondent.
The last guest of the show is the 2nd longest active writer on the MLB Reports website Sam Evans (1 HR and 12 Min Mark and a 25 Min Segment) ( @RJA206 ) as we get into the mariners/marlins & whats been going on with both of these teams!
I then get into everyone’s favorite segment Stats & Facts (29, Minute Mark (5 minutes) 1 HR, 7 Min Mark ( 5 Minutes ) and, 1 HR 37 MIN (20 Minutes) – so go check it out & SPREAD THE WORD!!! Thanks Read the rest of this entry
The LA Angels Have Got To String Together A Big Stretch Of Wins – And Quick!
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J.B. Shuck and Peter Bourjos have done their job, Howie Kendrick is Batting .321, Mark Trumbo is on pace for a 35 HR – 100+ RBI campaign, Errick Aybar is solid, and Callaspo is okay for a Third Baseman. The team has suffered from the #3 and #4 hitters, and inadequate Starting Pitching – other than C.J. Wilson and Jason Vargas. The Bullpen has also been abysmal with the exception of Sean Burnett. The club has gone 9 -14 since their big 8 game winning streak last month.
By Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent): Follow @joshjones4
Gut-check time
The 2013 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are at a crossroads. Seventy-six games into the season and the team has not had the ability to find prolonged success in order to climb back into the AL West standings.
The club is currently 34 – 43 after being swept over the weekend by the Pittsburgh Pirates before trouncing the Tigers for the 4th straight time this , yet they still find themselves considering the unthinkable: being sellers at the deadline. They are 10 Games behind both of the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers – while they are 8.5 Games out of the last playoff spot holder.
LA Angels Preview – They haven’t lived up to the Hype yet:
Angels Two Week Review: The (Mostly) Bad And The (Somewhat) Good
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Albert Pujols kicked off the 2012 year by struggling brutally for the 1st 6 weeks. This year the man is off to a hot start – and can’t be faulted for the teams failures so far. The Active Leader for Batting Average at .325 is back to his MVP form. The most telling stat the he is in the Zone is his Walks to Strikeout Rate being 11 – 3. The 33 Year old is also the Active Leader for OPS among players at 1.022.
By Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent): Follow @joshjones4
For the second consecutive season the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have come out of the gates at an utterly slow pace. The 2013 version of the Angels followed in the footsteps of the 2012 team which started 6-14 and found themselves failing to dig themselves out of the April hole when it came down to making the playoffs.
The 2013 Angels have actually started worse than their 2012 campaign, posting a meager 3-8 record through 11 games. If it wasn’t for Albert Pujols’ 2 -run Double which gave the Halos a walk-off victory a few hours ago, this team would have been 2-9 and looking at the worst record to start the season in franchise history.
LA Angels Preview – They haven’t lived up to the Hype yet:
Andrew Of The “Baseball Romine’s” – The Next Maicer Izturis?
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Andrew Romine was drafted in the 5th Round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft. He comes from a baseball pedigree with his dad (Kevin Romine having played for the Boston Red Sox from 1985 – 1991) and his brother Austin Romine Catching for the New York Yankees this year – after having a cup of coffee for the Bronx Bombers in 2011. This family has played in every defensive position in the Major Leagues except for the First Base position. Kevin and Austin have even played a game at the Designated Hitter.
Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent): Follow @joshjones4
While he has not made the roster yet, Utility Infielder Andrew Romine might already be atop of Manager Mike Scioscia’s go to weapons. Angel fans know how important recently departed Maicer Izturis was for the Angels, just as one-time fan favorite Chone Figgins, with the manager putting him in the lineup nearly every day at any of the three Infield positions.
Izturis gave a steady switch-hitting bat who had a quality batting eye, the ability to put the ball in play on hit-and-runs, and a steady glove. He looks and feels like a mirror image of Izturis, possessing all of the traits that the former Angels Infielder brought to the table except the fact that Romine now only bats exclusively from the left side.
Andrew Romine bunting for a base hit in 2009:
Mike Trout Had A Wicked 2012 Season: What Does He Do For An Encore In 2013?
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Trout had 49 SB (Led AL), 129 Runs (Led AL), 30 HRs and 83 RBI in just 139 Games Played in 2012. Might he improve on these numbers with a full year, plus the addition of Josh Hamilton to the cleanup spot in 2013? He made his 1st ALL-Star Appearance, won the Rookie of The Year Award – and a Silver Slugger Award in his 1st full Major League Campaign. He finished 2nd in AL MVP Voting to Miguel Cabrera – with many people feeling that if he played the 1st month, he surely would have won the award. He was also passed over for a Gold Glove in CF, when the voters went with Adam Jones of the Orioles instead. Some fans think he was snubbed on that one.
Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent): Follow @joshjones4
At Twenty-One Years of Age, Angels phenom Mike Trout took the baseball world by storm in 2012. The “Millville Meteor”, as he’s called in his hometown, hit a ridiculous .326 (2nd in AL) – with a .399 OBP (3rd in AL) and .564 SLG (3rd in AL). His OPS was .963 (2nd in AL), plus he led the AL in OPS+ (171). Mike threw in 30 Home-runs, 83 RBI 49 SB – and a whopping 129 Runs Scored. Numbers that outstanding are very rarely accomplished at such a young age, so let’s take a look at how Trout’s 2013 season will fare.
Trout should be the 1st MLB player to score 150 Runs since Jeff Bagwell accomplished the feat in 2000 with 152 times touching the dish to help his club. He even has the capability to score 160 Runs, which would be the 1st time anyone has done it since 1936, when Lou Gehrig scored a whopping 136 Runs for the Yankees. If you pro-rate his 129 Runs Scored in 139 Games, it would equal 150 Runs Scored for a full 162 Games. This was without Albert Pujols being himself for the 1st 3 weeks Trout was there, plus Hamilton was on the Texas Rangers for 2012.
Trout has quite a few things working in his favor, including his tremendous baseball toolbox. Even when Trout goes through slumps at the plate, his defense is phenomenal. Likewise, even in games where Mike might overrun a ball in the Outfield he has the ability to hit a big Home-Run or steal a key base at a moment’s notice.
Mike Trout Highlight Package from 2012 – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:
The Angels May Take The Torch As The Best All Around 1-4 Lineup In The MLB
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Trout had 49 SB, 129 Runs 30 HRs and 83 RBI in just 138 Games. Might he improve on these numbers with a full year and the addition of Josh Hamilton to the cleanup spot in 2013?
Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent): Follow @joshjones4
The 2013 Los Angeles of Anaheim have the opportunity to post one of the most fearsome foursome’s in Major League Baseball history. The lineup posts three MVP-caliber talents. American League Rookie of the Year Mike Trout leading off with Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton hitting third or fourth respectively makes Angel fans ecstatic to watch this year’s club. Either Howie Kendrick or Erick Aybar will flank Trout and Pujols, hoping to take pitches and take walks in order to allow Trout to run and Pujols to have a bounty of runners on. The 1-4 hitters have the potential to be one of the greatest lineup toppers that the game has seen. Let’s compare them to some of the best 1-4 lineups in the last few decades:
Josh Hamilton signs autographs right after his Angels Press Conference:
The Los Angeles Angels Roster in 2013: State Of The Union
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With Trout, Trumbo and Pujols in the lineup for the next decade, plus Hamilton for the next 5 years. I could see the Angels appearing on another top 10 decades win list. Question is will they make a World Series? They have not been to the dance since 2002 when they won it.
Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent): Follow @joshjones4
Look-back at last year: 2012 was a year, much like this upcoming season, with expectations as high as the sky moon. The Halos stole future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols and Texas ace C.J. Wilson from their respective 2011 World Series teams and looked to have a strong rotation headed by the trio of Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Wilson. The team fought its way to a 89-73 record, missing the playoffs by a mere four games despite having more wins than the eventual AL Champion Detroit Tigers (Yes, I’m still bitter).
This year, Arte Moreno and the Angels front office decided once again to go big-fish hunting, giving outfielder Josh Hamilton a 5-Year Deal worth $125 Million. Hamilton gave the Angels quite a logjam in the outfield and Designated-Hitter, leading to the trade that sent designated-hitter Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners in return for Jered Weaver’s college teammate and fellow innings-eater Jason Vargas. You can read a post a fellow writer here at the MLB Reports wrote about that very trade here . Angels General Manager Jerry DiPoto also poured some money into the bullpen and back-end of the rotation, signing hurlers Ryan Madson, Sean Burnett and Joe Blanton. .
Albert Pujols Highlights from 2012- Parental Guidance is Advised for watching the video:
MLB Reports 
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