Angels to see a familiar face in Tucson
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
The Angels will see a familiar face on the mound during their last-ever trip to Tucson since former teammate Justin Speier is scheduled to pitch one of the middle innings for the Rockies today. The Angels released Speier late last summer, near the end of this third season with the club. Colorado signed him to a minor league contract this winter and he’s had some success, allowing three runs in six appearances.
The Angels, meanwhile, left most of their veteran starters home rather than asking them to make the two-hour bus ride to southern Arizona one more time. Both the Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks will leave Tucson for new digs in the Phoenix area next spring, leaving all 15 major league spring training bases within 38 miles of one another. Over the last 12 years, seven teams have relocated from Florida to Arizona, primarily because of travel issues.
In perhaps a bow to the travel, the Angels batted the only four regulars to make the trip at the top of their order, allowing them to get some at-bats and then get in a car and head back to Tempe earlier than the rest of the team.
Angels lineup
2B -- Maicer Izturis
C -- Jeff Mathis
RF -- Juan Rivera
3B -- Brandon Wood
LF -- Robb Quinlan
CF -- Terry Evans
1B -- Freddy Sandoval
SS -- Gary Patchett
P -- Scott Kazmir
-- Kevin Baxter