Harlem Globetrotters invade Angels camp ... really

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TEMPE, Ariz. -- Mike Scioscia‘s prank-filled morning spring-training team meetings have become legendary around baseball, and the one the Angels manager pulled off Friday will probably be talked about for years.

When Scioscia found out the professional basketball team right fielder Bobby Abreu owns in his native Venezuela was struggling, the manager, with help from center fielder Torii Hunter, arranged for the Harlem Globetrotters to put on a show in the team’s clubhouse.

As Scioscia started talking about Abreu’s team, saying it needed some good ball-handlers and needed to learn how to play the game the right way, in walked six members of the Globetrotters, decked out in blue warm-up suits with a red-white-and-blue ball, doing the ball-handling tricks they are famous for.

The room erupted in laughter that could be heard outside the closed clubhouse doors, and soon the Globetrotter’s theme song, ‘Sweet Georgia Brown,’ and rhythmic clapping could be heard from inside the room.

‘They were awesome,’ Scioscia said of the Globetrotters, who have performances at two Phoenix-area venues Friday and Saturday night. ‘We told Bobby we have some guys who wanted to try out for his team. It was great.’

-- Mike DiGiovanna