Diamonds For Women

[dodgerblue6]

Well, anyone who cares to chime in in this thread can do so, so I'm just getting this one started.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[dodgerblue6]

There was plenty of concern after the Angels stumbled on Opening Day to the Athletics, but since then they've recovered nicely at 4-2. Let's see how long this lasts.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[sunnyblue]

Anyone who saw last night's Angels/Red Sox game to open a series at Fenway Park, saw a real instruction manual about how "not to play baseball." They lost 5-3 but it could have been so much worse. Anthony Rendon had 2 errors! This just after there was a column in the L.A. Times saying he was getting on the right track. Here's the article from Angels home page.

I noticed today that they called up Zach Neto, shortstop prospect, and optioned David Fletcher to Triple A. You all know Fletch is one of my guys, but he hasn't played much this season and when he did, only hit .125. Still think he should get more playing time but maybe he needs more seasoning in SLC. I didn't realize he still had minor league options even though he's been with the Angels for 5 years.

The Angels are 1 game out of first place in the AL West behind the Rangers, and have a 7-6 record.

[forloveofthegame]

I watched parts of the Angels-Yankees games the last couple of days, from Yankee Stadium - they have had a couple of really good ones. Day game today will be the rubber game. Lots of talk Shohtime possibly being a Yankee next year. I hope not.
_________________
"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." - Saul Steinberg

[dodgerblue6]

The Yankees won today and took the series, but yes, there was a lot of intrigue.

The Halos will head home and host the Royals tomorrow night. Zach will start for the visitors; I just noticed his record is 0-3!
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[sunnyblue]

Having some fun with this, they are now calling reliever Jimmy Herget the human glitch - article from angels.com

[dodgerblue6]

That's fun.

From the L.A. Times (note several roster changes have been made since publication date of this article):

"A Six-Letter Word for Angels’ Favorite Clubhouse Pastime? S-U-D-O-K-U"

BY SARAH VALENZUELA
STAFF WRITER

APRIL 11, 2023 4 AM PT

If you walked around the Angels spring-training clubhouse this year, it looked much like any other during that time of year: Players getting ready for their daily workouts, some on their phones at their lockers talking to family or scrolling through social media; various coaching and public relations staff confirming schedules; perhaps there’s music playing.

Suddenly, you realized several players had their heads down, writing on pieces of paper on top of a clipboard.

A survey? Notes?

How about Sudoku and crossword puzzles?

Empty crossword squares
ACROSS
2 First 1-Down to start a game while leading the league in 3-Across since 6-Across
3 These are scored when a batter hits the ball far enough
6 Sultan of Swat

DOWN
1 Player on the mound
4 These are scored over home plate
5 An appropriate stat, abbr.

In MLB clubhouses, the Angels’ included, having crosswords available for players is a tradition that dates back … a while. Having Sudoku in the Angels clubhouse, though, is something they’ve had regularly starting about four years ago. Before it became a regular presence in their home clubhouse, Angels players would do them in visiting clubhouses and eventually, the team’s clubhouse managers began offering them at Angel Stadium. As new players joined the team in subsequent seasons, the need for these puzzles was reinforced.

Clubhouse managers typically set out printed sheets of the daily crossword and Sudoku — a popular numbers-based grid puzzle — on a table or in hanging bins, with clipboards and pens or pencils, which the players pick up as they arrive. And in a sport and league that essentially runs about nine months, baseball players like doing these puzzles as a way to start their day.

“It’s just kind of a focus thing,” said relief pitcher Ryan Tepera, one of the Angels’ Sudoku aficionados.

He’s not the only one.

Fellow reliever Aaron Loup also delves into the puzzles offered, though it’s less of a routine for him.

“It’s more or less you get bored sitting in the clubhouse and you try to find something to do,” Loup said. “Something to do in the morning when you’re just sitting here bored instead of scrolling on your phone.”

Regardless of the reasons, the influence is apparent. The Angels’ No. 2 prospect, shortstop Zach Neto, said he picked up the pre-work, pregame Sudoku practice this spring.

“Seeing my teammates like Loup and Tepera. I always see them do it,” said Neto, whose locker in the spring clubhouse was diagonal from Loup and Tepera. “I got nothing else better to do to get off my phone. Get the brain turned on a little bit before I go out there.

“It’s more grounding,” Neto added of how it helped start his day. “I come in, eat breakfast, go grab a Sudoku paper and sit here for 10, 20 minutes. Then I get on with my day.”

Empty crossword squares
ACROSS
2 Drafted No. 1 overall in 1995; caught the final out in Game 7 of the 2002 6-Down
4 In an iconic broadcast call, 2-Across says ____
6 This team drafted 1-Down first; with 8-Across
8 With 6-Across
10 Drafted No. 12 overall in 2004
11 Drafted No. 10 overall in 2017

DOWN
1 This player and 2-Across are the only No. 1 overall picks in Angels draft history
3 Drafted one spot after Grichuk
5 Drafted No. 3 overall in 1981
6 See 2-Across, abbr.
7 See 3-Down: His draft year, 200_, Roman num.
9 A compensatory pick the year after 10-Across

The routine aspect is not surprising, but sometimes the players’ competitive nature seeps in — typically who can finish whichever puzzle first. Those who pick up a puzzle and finish them sometimes will go back to one of the clubhouse managers to report their puzzle is completed.

Veteran catcher Chad Wallach — who started the season in Triple A — was usually the person in the spring-training clubhouse who finished the daily crossword first. Wallach explained he started making crosswords part of his regular pregame clubhouse routine last year.

“It’s pretty much only a season thing. I don’t print them out at home,” Wallach said. “Wake up groggy and that kind of gets the brain moving a little bit.”

Sometimes pitcher Reid Detmers would lean over to help Wallach if he noticed something. Manager Phil Nevin picked up a crossword in the morning as well. “Just to clear your mind,” he said.

Mike Trout is also a crossword guy. He thinks the king of the crosswords among the Angels is athletic trainer Mike Frostad.

Trout’s pick for Sudoku king among the players: David Fletcher, who said he started doing Sudoku as part of his clubhouse routine in 2019 in visiting clubhouses that provided the puzzles.

Fletcher’s pick? Tepera.

One season, in addition to the daily puzzles different clubhouses provide, Tepera also completed another 300 from a Sudoku book he bought.

“I’ve always been good with numbers,” Tepera said. “It’s just something that occupies the time.”


Answers
PUZZLE 1
ACROSS — 2 OHTANI, 3 HOMERS, 6 RUTH
DOWN — 1 PITCHER, 4 RUNS, 5 ST


PUZZLE 2
ACROSS — 2 ERSTAD, 4 HESGOTIT, 6 WHITE, 8 SOX, 10 WEAVER, 11 ADELL
DOWN — 1 GOODWIN, 3 TROUT, 5 SCHOFIELD, 6 WS, 7 IX, 9 BELL

Puzzle editing by Jason Clark and Allison Hong.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[dodgerblue6]

The Angels concluded a homestand with two consecutive series wins, albeit more against "bottom feeders" like the Royals last weekend, and took three of four from the Athletics. They begin a six-game road trip today, in Milwaukee and St. Louis. With a 14-12 record, the Halos sit one-half game out of first place, with the Astros and Rangers tied atop the division.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[dodgerblue6]

On the "brewery tour", the Angels lost a series over the weekend in Milwaukee, but bounced back to take the first two of a three-game set in St. Louis, with the finale to be played tomorrow. They'll return to Anaheim this weekend for a six-game homestand hosting the two TX teams.

At 17-14, the Halos remain 1.5 games out of first place behind Texas.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[forloveofthegame]

After not attending any Angels games last year, we are going to meet up with our Angels fan friends sometime in the next couple of months. This may be the last year the 2 superstars play together for them.
_________________
"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." - Saul Steinberg

[sunnyblue]

The Angels haven't had a very good homestand after they left St. Louis and swept them. This weekend series they lost to the Rangers and now have split 2 games with Houston but play the rubber game tomorrow. I'm hoping they will win that one! No AL team I dislike more than the cheaters. Then they will go on the road to Cleveland and Baltimore.

[dodgerblue6]

The Angels may now be "coming down to earth."

They've lost three straight series.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[dodgerblue6]

Since I last posted here, the Angels split a four-game series on the road in Baltimore, then took the series in Minnesota over the weekend. Tonight they returned home to open a three-game set with the Red Sox. In the first game, Mickey Mo led off, was 2-for-4, and banged out the game-winning hit for a 2-1 win.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

[sunnyblue]

The Angels did sweep the Red Sox - it was a good series. Watched some of it since the Dodgers were playing in Eastern time. They're hosting the Marlins for the weekend and lost the first game last night. They get the White Sox in Chicago, next. Memorial Day game to start the series.

[forloveofthegame]

Shotime took a loss in Houston - where the Angels are playing now. They lost a home series to Miami last weekend. They could be buckling. But they did win a series in Chicago when they played the White Sox last week before going to Houston.

Now they are 7.5 games out of first place but they are still over .500, 30-29.
_________________
"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." - Saul Steinberg