More musings from Tempe

Going to Tempe over the weekend was just what I needed. Now that opening day is less than a week away, I don’t think I’ll go crazy. Plus there is an exhibition game Thursday night against the Padres and then the Dodgers on Friday night. Yeah, I think I can make it.

As always, spring training was a blast. It’s hard to remember all the stories, but having this blog actually helps. Between Cheryl and me, we can usually remember everything that happened.

One of the funny moments of the trip happened on Saturday. Cheryl and I were standing right behind Torii Hunter (you had to know he was involved, right?) as he was playing catch. A high throw from Reggie Willits had us flinching a bit, but Hunter caught the ball easily. He turned around and said, “I got your back.” Cheryl responded with, “I got your back too!” Hunter turned around, smiled and said, “You literally have my back!”

That’s the kind of moment that makes spring training special. These little interactions with the players are simply good fun. I suppose it’s kind of funny that we flinched when the ball was sailing over Hunter’s head though. I mean, I think Hunter has won a gold glove or nine! It’s not like we were standing behind Manny Ramirez. I’m just saying.

It was also nice of Joe Saunders to spot us, recognize us and say hello. Funny story about Joe; after his game on Saturday we saw him the next day as he was making his way back from the practice fields. He stopped for pictures and autographs and as he was signing for fans, one fan asked him what he threw to Bengie Molina (who hit a bases clearing double off him)? Joe’s response? “A bad pitch.”

Again, these are the kind of priceless moments fans share with the players.

I haven’t said much about the game on Sunday because quite frankly, it was forgettable. Luckily it’s just a spring training game. That being said, I did have one observation to make from the actual games.

Erick Aybar is not going to be much of a base stealing threat. I’ve said this before, but he scares me when he tries to steal a base. So far this spring he’s stolen one base and been caught or picked off three times. I’ve seen two of the three in the two games I watched. This is not good.

Now, I’m not worried about him getting on base and running the bases after the ball is put in play (he scored from first on a single in one game); I’m just worried about what happens when he has it in his head that he’s going to steal a base.

How does a guy with that much speed get caught so often? I know, I know for a couple years now he’s kind of been everyone’s whipping boy and that all seemed to fade after his solid 2009 performance, but I still have some concerns. I suppose if this is the least of my worries, I don’t have much to be worried about.

Then again, every time an inning ends with Aybar making an out on the base paths; message boards all over the internet will go off. Count on it.

I'll close with a few photos from the weekend. In order... Torii Hunter hanging out at the batting cage, Hideki Matsui admiring one of his long balls, Brandon Wood looking as if he's ready for lift off (check out his feet), and Ervin Santana is ready to kick off the season (he looked good by the way).



And a few more; including my favorite picture of the weekend (courtesy of Cheryl's photo skills); Howie Kendrick getting it done. Also the Indians' Carlos Carrasco, Shin-Soo Choo (who just doubled in this photo) and Juan Rivera unloading a throw from left field.

Spring Fever

This whole blogging deal has been an interesting experience so far. During the off season I blogged fairly regularly; more than I really thought I ever would. I would basically start off each day wondering what I would write about and some how, some way I’d find the inspiration to post about something.

Then spring training arrived and Cheryl and I headed out to Tempe and I had a little surge in the number posts for a few days and then bam; it all kind of stopped.

Doesn’t make much sense, right? I mean baseball finally arrives and I start posting less. What’s up with that?

I guess I should answer that question.

Well, I have to tell you that not being at spring training really puts a damper on my creativity. There isn’t a lot to get excited about when it comes to spring training games; unless you’re actually there at the games. The experience of being at an event in person is so much richer.

Face it, the box scores and results are nice to look over, but you really can’t come to any significant conclusions about anything (for the most part). Names and numbers don’t jump off a page for me. Baseball is about the personalities and the experience of being at the ball park with the fans.

Spring training is about so much more than just the games; it’s about the overall experience and you can’t get that when you’re in southern California listening to a game over the internet or a rebroadcast on the radio at night.

There’s so much optimism in the air at spring training. The ball parks are intimate and the fans are in a great mood. You just can’t beat it. I hate not being there and I miss it a lot.

I miss seeing Torii Hunter cracking everyone up. I miss talking to the guys as they had from the practice fields to the stadium. I miss the people that work there. I miss it all. I've clearly got a case of spring fever.

I have a friend who’s part of the 514 Fanatics and his name is Bob. Bob is making his second trip of the spring to Tempe this weekend. That’s not unusual in and of itself, but what makes it really interesting is that Bob is a CPA and an extremely busy one at that.

Here it is the middle of the tax season and Bob is putting his practice on hold for a couple days and taking his son Stephen to spring training. He’s making time; time he doesn’t necessarily really have.

That’s what spring training does to you. It’s special. It’s fun. It’s only here for a little over a month and then it’s time for the regular season. It’s like a pre-party to the regular season.

Now if you knew Bob, you wouldn’t be surprised that he’s heading back to spring training. He and his son Stephen are two of the biggest sports fans I have ever met. Check that. They are THE biggest sports fans I’ve ever met.

Stephen just started high school and he’s already been to more sporting events and venues than most people tackle in their lifetime. Heck, he’s seen more sports live and in person than dozens of people will ever see.

They’ve been known to go to Tempe and catch a baseball game in the afternoon, then go to a Suns basketball game at night and then hit another baseball game the next day and a Coyotes hockey game in the evening.

They do this all year long. They could fly to Dallas for a weekend to see the Packers and the Cowboys one week and then go to a University of Wisconsin football game the next. They’ll go just about anywhere at any time to see a sporting event.

They’ve seen and done just about everything there is to do sports wise and yet – spring training holds a special appeal for both of them. They wouldn’t miss it for anything. What does that tell you?

I’m probably crazy for trying to convince more people to go to spring training. It’s clearly becoming more popular every year and as a result, more crowded. Well, let’s just say that I believe that by going to spring training, you’ll become a bigger fan of baseball than you might have been to this point. I’m not kidding. It’s that much fun.

Sixteen days until opening day.

Goodbye Tempe; until we meet again

Our time in Tempe went way too fast. It always does. The rain today made it even more brief than usual. The Angels had an abbreviated workout for just a handful of pitchers. We didn’t really get to see much or do much; however, the day wasn’t completely lost.

We ran into our friend Joe, who works at the stadium every spring. He and his wife are snowbirds who travel to Arizona each winter from Somers Point, New Jersey. They both work at Tempe Diablo Stadium during this time of year.

Baseball must be in their blood. Up until last year, they spent their summers working for the Atlantic City Surf; a professional baseball team formerly affiliated with the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball; however, the Surf ceased operations in March 2009.

Joe’s favorite National League team is the Philadelphia Phillies (don’t worry Joe is also an Angels fan). That Philly connection has apparently bonded Joe and Mike Scioscia (who is originally from Philadelphia). As Scioscia was leaving the practice fields, he commented about the weather to Joe and said something to the effect at how mild this was compared to the winters they had in Philly (it was raining ever so slightly).

I’ve bonded with Joe too. You see; Joe is my shoe twin. Yes, you read that right.

Last year I noticed that he and I had the exact same pair of Nike tennis shoes. We joked about it every time we saw one another. We had our own little shoe club. When Cheryl and I ran into him today, he dangled his foot to make sure I saw that he still had the shoes. I kind of half expected him to not even remember that, but he didn’t forget. Unfortunately, I was a party pooper because I wasn’t wearing the same shoes this time (although they were in the car).

Joe is the kind of guy who has a million stories. I could listen to him all day long. His tales are usually funny and always entertaining. Like Bob (who I wrote about recently) they’re part of the reason spring training is so special; in fact, they’re a big reason.
Lucky for us, Joe even told us a story today.

He told us about the time Arte Moreno was walking out to the practice fields and stopped to say hello to Joe and let him know he had a “buddy” coming to the field and asked Joe if he would let him on the field. Joe told Cheryl and me that he thought to himself, “You’re the owner and you’re asking me if I’ll let him on the field?” It was clearly not something he expected to be asked. Most people in Arte’s position probably would have just told Joe to let his buddy on the field when he arrived; however, that just clearly isn’t Arte’s style.

In any case, Joe told Arte he would direct the gentleman his way. Arte’s buddy showed up, Joe pointed him in Arte’s direction and then the man left a short time later. Joe later learned that Arte’s buddy was actually his pilot.

Joe was very impressed. Not because Arte had a pilot, but because he never let on that he even had a pilot, let alone that this was who was coming to the stadium. That’s how modest Arte Moreno is.

Personally, I think Joe and Arte are cut from the same cloth. They’re both respected gentlemen. All the regulars that come to Tempe Diablo Stadium know Joe and he knows them as well.

Joe had more stories to tell, but Cheryl and I had to run. The few players that had made their way out to the practice fields were headed into the stadium and Cheryl and I wanted to make sure we caught up with them. We were hoping to see Joe Saunders and Sean O’Sullivan one last time.

We told Joe we had to run, but would be back out to say good bye before we left.

Our trip into the stadium proved to be for naught as neither Saunders nor O’Sullivan appeared to be in the group headed to the clubhouse. As we were standing around, Joe came walking down to the field level.

You see Joe is old school. He was ready to leave for the day and instead of leaving without saying good bye, he came and found us to wish us a safe trip home. That made our day because that’s the kind of guy Joe is.

A short time later, Cheryl and I headed out of the stadium and as we were walking to our car, Joe came driving up with his wife. He made it a point to stop and wish us well one more time. Joe introduced us to his wife and I had to ask her about a story Joe had told Cheryl and I last year.

During last season’s spring training a man who works for the company that demolishes old stadiums and builds new ones brought Joe a special present. He gave him a piece of artificial turf and some dirt from the home plate area at Veteran’s Stadium in Philadelphia. Joe loved the idea that guys like Lenny Dykstra and Mike Schmidt probably spit on that dirt. He wanted to proudly display the jar of dirt and piece of turf on his coffee table, but his wife wouldn’t let him.

I asked her about that story and she confirmed it for us today. She told us, “He kept telling me about all the guys who had stepped on that dirt and I looked at him and said, it’s still dirt!” She told us his little trophy was still in the house, but not on the coffee table.

With that they said their goodbyes and sadly, spring training had come to a close for Cheryl and me.

If you make it out to the games this spring, be sure to find Joe, who will be working out in the lawn seating section in left field. He’s the guy with the warm smile, a firm handshake and a gleam in his eye. Tell him James sent you and ask him about that dirt from Veteran’s Stadium.

One more story before we close – Cheryl did make good on catching Mike Scioscia “later.” She let him pose for a picture with us today (I’m kidding, of course). Joe was kind enough to snap it for us. As we were posing for the photo I had to tell Scioscia that I had recently discovered the Baseball Boogie Video. Scioscia said, “That was a long time ago.”

I’ll end this post with a video of Torii Hunter.



I guess we can file this post under the letter “C” as in “class.” As this post is all about class individuals: Joe, Arte Moreno, Mike Scioscia and Torii Hunter who is featured in the video below.

Damon Watch 2010 and other more important things

My little post about Erick Aybar created quite a stir across the internet. Baseball writers by the hundreds wrote in to tell me I was way off base and that Erick Aybar was the perfect lead off solution for the 2010 Angels.

*Tries to keep a straight face*

Okay, maybe there wasn’t so much as a blip anywhere on the internet regarding my post about Aybar. However, my cat did meow at me a little funny and I took that as a sign that someone actually cared. But now that I think about it, she was probably just hungry.

Fact is I wanted to follow up on my last post and this was the best introduction I could come up with.

So, on this the day; the day after Angels’ pitchers and catchers report for spring training, I have some burning questions to ask.

First of all, how can spring training begin without Johnny Damon? Damon hasn’t signed and quite frankly, I’m concerned. I’m concerned because the moment he does sign, the news is liable to preempt the Olympics, Tiger Woods’ press conference or anything else going on in the world. I’m liable to miss some historical event or bigger than life happening because someone will determine that Damon is more important.

I can see it now… we interrupt this broadcast from NASA where an alien ship has been captured to bring you breaking news about Johnny Damon.

I’m telling you if Johnny doesn’t sign somewhere soon, they might call off the whole baseball season. *Shutters*

Boy, I have to tell you it feels pretty good to get my first shot in at Johnny Damon this early into spring training. Yup, I’m in mid-season form.

I guess when you follow mlbtraderumors and also follow all the baseball writers and bloggers on twitter and see reports like “no news on Damon” you get a little snarky. I’m not exaggerating when I say there are almost as many non-Damon reports as there are actual Damon rumors.

Moving on…

Next up, mark this date down: June 11, 2010. What’s so signficant about that date, you ask? Okay, maybe I asked. Whatever…

It’s the day the Oakland A’s will declare they’re no longer in the race for the AL West pennant and will begin to entertain offers for Ben Sheets and anyone else on their roster who they can trade for prospects.

Why June 11? Well, they will have completed the last game (the previous day) of a three game series with the Angels. They will have been swept and fallen helplessly behind the division leading Angels.

Sweet; I got a shot in on the A’s and Johnny Damon on the same day.

I know; I know I’m always picking on the A’s and Johnny Damon (among others). Perhaps I need a new target or two to spice things up around here.

Hmmm.

I’ve got another question. I wonder how well Vladimir Guerrero is being received by Ian Kinsler? I mean I wonder what will Kinsler say the first time Guerrero (and Darren Oliver for that matter) steps on to the field (the same field he told all Angels to get off of in 2009)?

Kinsler is the new A.J. Pierzynski, don’t you know. Only difference is AJ has actually won something.

Speaking of teams that haven’t won anything; how about those Mariners? You know a lot of fuss is being made over the new dynamic duo of Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee. Well, did you know that in 16 career starts against the Angels, Hernandez is 4-5 with a 4.20 ERA? Okay, last year he was pretty good with a 2.30 ERA, but he only won one game in four starts.

Cliff Lee on the other hand is 5-3 in 8 career starts against the Angels with a 3.32 ERA, but didn’t face the Angels at all in 2009. However, we also should note that in four career starts in Anaheim, Lee hasn’t faired so well. He’s 2-2 with a 4.44 ERA.

All I’m saying is that the AL West title still goes through Anaheim and the Mariners are going to need more than just Hernandez and Lee. Their offense has to figure out five starters (Weaver, Saunders, Kazmir, Santana, and Pineiro) and that’s not going to be an easy task for that offense.

Texas on the other hand seems like a more legitimate contender. In fact, a lot of the projections I’ve seen have the Rangers winning the west; while a lot of baseball writers are picking the Mariners.

I say we ignore everyone and just tap into the wisdom of Bert Blyleven, who said, “…the Halos have created a big gap in their division, have a strong minor league system to help replace free agent losses, and despite the improved competition, are still the team to beat.”

Put that man in the Hall of Fame!

Tales from Tempe

As the day pitchers and catchers report draws closer and closer, I thought I’d share a story from last year’s spring training that still brings a smile to my face every time I recall the event.

This is my 100th post on True Grich and I thought this would be the perfect time to recount one of my favorite stories.

It was the spring of 2009 and the Angels were taking batting practice and Reggie Willits was about to take some cuts. All of a sudden, as if on cue Torii Hunter pops out and yells out to the crowd “$500 if he hits it out.” This caught everyone’s attention and apparently Reggie’s as well.

Reggie played up the challenge, digging in and taking some serious hacks. The effort was there, but the results weren’t. Let’s just say he wasn’t looking like Albert Pujols or Big Daddy Vlady.

Hunter was looking pretty confident and then all of a sudden a ball started looking like it had a chance to go out. Reggie was giving it some body English and it ended up hitting the top of the fence and falling back in the playing field. Hunter breathed a big sigh of relief and Reggie buckled at the knees, his back arched backwards with his eyes looking up. It was as if his whole body was saying, “Oh man!" We all thought it was going out.

The fans began to cheer Reggie on; which of course got Hunter going as well. He started yelling “don’t cheer him on, he’s going to cost me money!” Reggie was soaking up the attention; which isn’t really like him when you think about it. More than anything he was being a good sport. He was definitely enjoying the moment.

And then it happened. Reggie put a charge in one and the ball sailed over the left field fence. Willits had hit one out. The fans cheered, Reggie took some bows and Hunter started laughing. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen and said, “I’ve been bamboozled. I didn’t think he could do it. Let this be a lesson to you kids, don’t gamble.”

It was a special moment and the kind of thing you can only see by putting time in at spring training. Reggie Willits has yet to hit a homerun in 804 major league plate appearances, but on that spring day he might as well have been Babe Ruth. Willits went yard and those are three words you just don't hear every day, if at all.

Pitchers and catchers report in three days.

A fan's guide to the Cactus League

If you’re a baseball fan and you’ve never been to Spring Training, you owe it to yourself to go. Trust me on this, you’ll have the time of your life and wonder why it took you so long to get there. If you’re an Angels fan and you live in Southern California, you can easily drive to Tempe, Arizona in five or six hours. I’m telling you; it’s worth the trip.

There’s really nothing like Spring Training; especially the Cactus League in Arizona. For about a month, baseball fans from across the country converge on the greater Phoenix area to get their first look at their favorite teams. This year, 15 teams will be a part of the Cactus League.

The Angels, Dodgers, Padres, Giants, A’s, Mariners, Rockies, Rangers, Cubs, White Sox, Indians, Brewers, Royals, Diamondbacks, and Reds (who join the Cactus League for the first time this year) all play in the Cactus League.

The time to plan is now. Many teams have already put their tickets on sale and others will soon follow. A great starting place is on the official Cactus League site. The site has a trip planner, where you can look at schedules for all the teams over the period of days you plan to be in Arizona. The site also has maps for your convenience.

At Spring Training you’ll see all your favorite players; including some of the best prospects within each organization and even some alumni from your team. For the Angels; Bobby Grich, Gary DiSarcina, Jim Abbott, and Tim Salmon are some of the players I’ve seen in the past coaching and helping out.

The stadiums are small and intimate; game tickets are reasonable and there usually isn’t a bad seat in the house. Some stadiums have areas in the outfield where you can put down a blanket and enjoy the game sitting on the grass with your family. It can be pretty warm in the spring and the sun can be intense; so be sure to bring a hat and some sun block. Most of the stadiums don’t have a whole lot of shade; so be prepared.

Lodging is plentiful and you can find a wide range of prices and types of accommodations. There’s just about everything from resorts to a five star hotels to motels or inns. I have to warn you though; this is an important time of the year for the local economy, so be prepared to pay slightly higher prices in most cases. If you don’t mind driving a bit, you can usually find reasonable places to stay.

There are tons of choices for places to eat. You'll find everything from chain restaurants to places unique to the area. A couple of favorites of my wife Cheryl’s and mine are T.C. Eggington in Mesa for breakfast, Matt’s Big Breakfast in Phoenix (be prepared to wait at least an hour), and Don & Charlie’s in Scottsdale for steak, ribs, fish and chicken. This place is a must-see for baseball fans; as it has one of the largest collections of sports memorabilia west of the Mississippi. We’re talking wall to wall stuff and the food is great as well. You're also going to need to make reservations well in advance (more than a week).

Other favorites include Honey Bear’s (various locations) for BBQ, Cooper’s Town (a restaurant own by famed rocker Alice Cooper and part owner – Randy Johnson). Word is Cooper himself comes in from time to time to have tuna casserole (made from his mom’s recipe). The servers at the restaurant even wear eye make-up just like Cooper.

Downtown Tempe isn’t far away from Tempe Diablo Stadium and you can find an Uno’s Pizza (just like you’d find in Chicago), ice cream parlors and other assorted restaurants. Tempe is the college town for Arizona State and there are always people out at night walking around the main drag

Now, let’s focus on game days. It’s a good idea to arrive at the park early – even before they open the gates. At Tempe Diablo Stadium, non-starters for the day and most of the pitchers head out to the practice fields a few hours before the game. These fields are somewhat accessible to fans. You can watch players doing drills, stretching, taking batting practice, etc. It’s also a great time to hear some of their conversations. Players are generally loose and can be seen and heard joking around and generally having a good time.

Last year during one of our trips, Mike Scioscia was getting on Mike Napoli for not running the bases hard enough and to the end. He asked the crowd, including Angel prospect Hank Conger’s dad to let him know if Napoli was “dogging it.” There are lots of priceless moments like this, if you’re willing to put in the time and really soak up the experiences.

When the Angel players make their way back to the stadium, they walk behind a barricade back to the stadium. This is an ideal time to get an autograph or a picture.

If you want an autograph, there are some important things to know. First of all, be patient. You never know when or who might sign and there is usually a lot of waiting involved. Players and coaches are more likely to sign when they’re done working out and not as likely when they’re heading out to get their work in. Keep in mind, there’s always a chance that players and/or coaches won’t sign on any given day and if you know that going in, you’re less likely to be disappointed.

Angels who are usually pretty good about stopping for an autograph include Torii Hunter and Jered Weaver, who are two of the best. If you spend enough time at Spring Training (a few days), you should have a fair amount of success getting some signatures. Be prepared. That means having stuff ready to go. Sometimes that even means being mobile. There are times when players and even coaches (especially Mike Scioscia) will ask you to walk with them as they sign an item for you.

If you want a player to sign the “sweet spot” on your baseball, be sure to specify; otherwise, you will probably get a signature some where else on the ball. If you’re trying to get signatures on a “team” ball – be sure to keep track of who’s already signed. Nothing is more embarrassing than asking a player to sign your ball only to have them tell you they already have.

For a baseball, blue ball point pens are the best. Don’t use a sharpie. Sharpies are prone to fade over time and can even bleed into the cover a bit.

An important tip about getting autographs is that you will have more success if you ask a player to “personalize” an item. That way, they know you’re not going to take their signature and try to sell it some where. If you’re like my wife and I and collect for your own personal memories, you’ll enjoy personalized items even more. It’s a good idea to write out how you want an item personalized. Make it easy for the players.

Once the gates open, you can venture into the stadium and try and get some more autographs. It’s always a hit or miss situation. Sometimes players will sign for you when they’re warming up and sometimes they’ll do it as they’re leaving the game. Unlike during the regular season, a lot of the regulars come out after a few innings (the later in the Cactus League season, the later they come out). Sometimes they’ll stop along the first base line to sign (but you’d have to be sitting close by) or as they enter the tunnel that leads to the club house. I have to warn you that it can get really crowded at this time and not the best time to get an autograph.

If you’re really diligent, you can also head out to the parking lot. Some players will stop and sign for you when they’re driving out. Parking is limited in the player’s lot and some of the minor league guys will park out in the general area and walk to their cars. They’re usually pretty good about signing at this time, but you have to be on your game and know who’s who. It’s easy to recognize the major leaguers, not always as easy to recognize guys who have been in the minors. Keep in mind that some players will leave before the game even ends.

Scioscia is usually the last to leave and that can be several hours after the game is over, but has been known to stop and sign for fans.

Getting autographs and photos are a big part of the Spring Training experience, but there are other enjoying aspects of it as well. The people you meet are some of the nicest around. Most of them are big time baseball fans and some travel long distances to get to Arizona.

The people working at the stadium are great too. Many of the workers are retired “snow birds” who have a million stories to share. Everyone is generally in a good mood and optimism is definitely in the air.

Again, if you love baseball – you need to be there.

Happy New Year!

If you’re a baseball fan, there’s a good chance that at some point in time you uttered the phrase “there’s always next year” (usually after your team just fell short of expectations). Well, next year is tomorrow and even though the year came and went in the blink of an eye, there were times when many of us may have thought “tomorrow” would never get here.

This whole time thing had me thinking; if time really does fly, why do some weeks seem like they’re never going to end? How many times have you come home from work and said to yourself or your wife, “it’s been a long day”? And then when December hits, you wonder; “where did the time go?”

Think about all the song lyrics written about “time” like “Time in a bottle,” “Time keeps on ticking, ticking into the future…” or “Time is on my side,” etc., etc. One thing’s for sure, we can’t ever seem to get enough of it.

Time is that mythical thing that heals all things. An event isn’t big enough or important enough unless it has the word “time” involved; like “winning time” or “hammer time.” It’s that thing that frequently escapes us, but at the same time, we can never run from it.

Time has also always had a special relationship with baseball. Some of us mark the years by the teams who won the World Series that year. It’s that thing that makes us crazy when there’s too much of it between pitches. And let's not forget that baseball is America's favorite pastime.

Well, now it’s time to put 2009 to bed.

The 2009 Angels baseball season was a long one. Granted, I would have preferred it to be a tad bit longer and had a better outcome, but it was long just the same. There were times when I couldn’t wait for it to be over (although rarely) and when it did end, I couldn’t wait for it to start again.

Well, in about six weeks it will all start again when the sweetest five words ever invented are heard around the world… “Pitchers and catchers report today.” I can’t wait. It will be here before we know it and when it does arrive, we’ll probably say, “I thought it would never get here.” Go figure.

And with that, I wish you all a Happy New Year! I am looking forward to blogging more about Angels' baseball in 2010. Trust me; I’m just getting warmed up.