Angels’ ‘diaper dandies’ among youngest rosters in baseball

Dick Vitale, a college basketball analyst for ESPN as well as a Tampa Bay Rays' season-ticket holder, was seated in the front row next to the Angels' dugout during Wednesday's game at Tropicana Field. On TV, Vitale popularized the phrase "diaper dandies" to describe young but exceptionally talented players. And that's a term that could be applied to the Angels as well.

The team has a rookie closer, a rookie first baseman and a regular starter in center field who had less than two months of big-league experience coming into the season. Plus none of the pitchers in the starting rotation is older than 30.

“It’s a youthful, talented group that we have high expectations for, blended with some very, very good -– some terrific -- veteran players,” Angels Coach Mike Scioscia said. “It’s a great blend.”

And with an average age of 28.3 years, it’s also the fifth-youngest roster in baseball and the franchise’s youngest since the World Series year of 2002 -- though the average age of that team was skewed a bit by a handful of September call-ups.

Angels unveil a new lineup -- again

Angels Manager Mike Scioscia used more than 130 different lineups last year. But four games into the new season he's already on pace to better that mark.

When Erick Aybar was removed from the batting order late Sunday morning Scioscia was forced to write out his fourth different lineup of the season -- and with Maicer Izturis moving from third base to shortstop, it was the Angels' fourth different infield combination as well.

"Erick was a little stiff today on his side," Scioscia said. "So we're going to give him today [off] and give him tomorrow and let him be ready for Tuesday."

With the wind gusting up to 45 mph and blowing out to right field, it could be a tough day for starting pitchers Scott Kazmir and the Royals' Bruce Chen -- and a good day for the hitters.

"Hit the ball in the air today," Angels slugger Vernon Wells told his teammates after walking in from the windy parking lot.

Early starts force some changes for Angels

The Angels' season-opening series with the Royals calls for four games starting at four different times. So with Saturday's 12:10 p.m. CDT start -- the earliest first-pitch on the trip -- following Friday's 7:10 game -- the latest first pitch in the trip -- Manager Mike Scioscia decided to tweak his lineup to keep his players fresh.

"This is a good look for today,"  said Scioscia, who is starting three switch hitters in Maicer Izturis, Erick Aybar and Alberto Callaspo. "It's a pretty quick turnaround."

As a result, backup catcher Bobby Wilson gets his first start of the season in place of Jeff Mathis, Torii Hunter moves from right field to designated hitter and rookie Mark Trumbo sits down with Howie Kendrick taking his position in the field.

Angels ready to get it started

The rain that had long been forecast starting falling gently just after the Angels took the field at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium for pregame warmups ahead of Thursday afternoon's season opener with the Royals. But that did little to dampen the opening-day excitement of Angels Manager Mike Scioscia and his players -- and it figures to have little effect on the game.

"It's a playoff atmosphere," said catcher Bobby Wilson, on an opening day roster for the second time in his career. "Everybody's in first place on opening day. The big American flag in center field. The flyover. The goosebumps when that plane goes over. The first pitch of the season. It's awesome. There's nothing like it."

"We're definitely excited and ready to get after it," said Scioscia, who is managing a team with an opening-day payroll of more than $138 million, by far the highest in franchise history. "We feel good about where we are. We know we have some growth in this team. And hopefully we're going to continue to improve in the short term."

Angels' Peter Bourjos no longer a one-dimensional threat

When the Angels traded for Gold Glove centerfielder Vernon Wells two months ago, Peter Bourjos figured he was on his way back to the minors. Because while the team loved Bourjos' defense -- so much so, they moved Torii Hunter, another Gold Glove centerfielder, to right field to make room for Bourjos -- the 23-year-old rookie had hit just .204 in 51 big-league games. Then he followed that up with an equally anemic winter, hitting .207 in 24 games in the Dominican league.

Wells, on the other hand, is a .280 lifetime hitter coming off the third 30-homer season of his career.

But the Angels remain committed to speedy Bourjos, who will be flanked by Wells in left and Hunter in right on opening day, giving the team potentially one of the best defensive outfields in recent memory. Still, Bourjos concedes he'll also have to contribute offensively if the experiment is to succeed.

"As long as you’re getting on base and you’re having productive at-bats -- whether it’s moving guys, getting guys in and getting on base and scoring runs -- that’s all part of it," he said. "Obviously you want to hit and have a good batting average. But I think if your outs are productive outs, moving runners, I think that can also be a benefit."

Bourjos has hit this spring, batting .320 in 25 at-bats. But he's also scored seven times, driven in five runs and stole two bases. Plus he's bunting a lot more, a skill that will open up holes in the infield and make him more difficult to defend against.

"I want to make sure that third baseman’s in and the first baseman’s in. And if they don’t come in, hopefully I’m able to lay a good bunt down and get a hit out of it," said Bourjos, a .293 career hitter in five minor league seasons. "I want to be successful at getting on base and scoring runs and stealing bases at a high rate. And then getting in scoring position for the guys to drive me in."

But even outs, the 23-year-old Bourjos has learned, can be productive.

"If you have a good at-bat, a long at-bat, a battle and you get them to throw seven, eight pitches, you wear them down a little bit and maybe he leaves a pitch over for the next guy," he said.

Which is why statistical metrics, such as batting average or on-base percentage, won't be the only thing the Angels will use to judge Bourjos' contribution, Manager Mike Scioscia said.

"If we’re seeing good swings, we’re seeing him hit the ball hard, we’re seeing some of the situational at-bats, we’re seeing him work counts, we’re seeing him contribute offensively, hopefully that’s going to carry over into the season and we’ll see the same thing," he said.

-- Kevin Baxter in Tempe, Ariz.

 

Angels losing the spring in their step

The Angels enjoyed their only off day of the spring Monday -- or at least some of them did.

Left-hander Scott Kazmir was one of about two dozen players -- most of them nonroster invitees to spring training -- who took part in a "B" game with the Colorado Rockies at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Even without that game, though, the Angels have now been in camp for a month, long enough for the newness to wear off. Yet opening day is more than two weeks away, a little too far to grasp just yet.

And that, Kazmir says, makes this among the most difficult times of the spring.

"I can speak for all of us," he said. "We’re ready to get this thing going."

Outfielder Vernon Wells, who spent his off day in Orange County looking for a place to stay during the season, agrees.

"It’s spring training. So every day is kind of the same routine," he said. "But it’s a necessary step to get a jump into the bigger season. I concentrate on that last week, week and a half to start playing every day. So I kind of look forward to that."

When the full team returns to work Tuesday, Manager Mike Scioscia says he'll vary the routine a bit by dropping some of the morning fundamental drills and emphasizing the afternoon exhibition games a little more. But, he said, that's not a concession to the building boredom.

"These guys know what they have to do to get ready for the season. And we’re still in that process," he said. "You don’t see anybody that mentally fried to where it’s affecting anything they’re doing on the field.

"I don’t know [that] we’re seeing any dog days yet. Every spring you start to see that a little bit as you get closer to the season."

-- Kevin Baxter in Tempe, Ariz.

Angels prospects get a last chance to show their stuff

With the first round of roster cuts looming after Sunday's split-squad games with Seattle and Cincinnati, several Angel prospects will be trying to make the most of their final chance to leave an impression with the big-league coaching staff.

In the main game in Tempe, top prospect Mike Trout will be the designated hitter. The speedy Trout has been unable to play in the field because of shoulder stiffness and Manager Mike Scioscia has said he could be among the early transfers to the minor league side. Right-hander Ervin Santana will pitch in that game and is scheduled to go four innings or 55 pitches, whichever comes first.

On the road in Goodyear, a team made up largely of minor league prospects will play the Reds. One player who has already had a big spring is first baseman Efren Navarro, who is hitting .417. 

Lineup vs. Seattle at Tempe

SS -- Erick Aybar

RF -- Bobby Abreu

CF -- Vernon Wells

2B -- Howie Kendrick

1B -- Mark Trumbo

C -- Hank Conger

3B -- Brandon Wood

LF -- Chris Pettit

DH -- Mike Trout

P -- Ervin Santana

Lineup vs. Reds at Goodyear

SS -- Kevin Romine

DH -- Alberto Callaspo

C -- Jeff Mathis

RF -- Angel Castillo

LF -- Jeremy Moore

1B -- Efren Navarro

3B -- Gil Velazquez

2B -- Kevin Melillo

CF -- Travis Witherspoon

P -- Garrett Richards

-- Kevin Baxter in Tempe, Ariz.

Photo: Angels prospect Mike Trout during a spring training game. Credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Angels to begin trimming roster

The Angels still have more than 60 players in their major league spring training camp but the first rounds of cuts are coming.

Manager Mike Scioscia said he plans to send as many as 20 players to the Angels' minor league camp in Tempe before Tuesday's Cactus League exhibition. The first full day of practice at the Angels' minor league facility is scheduled for Sunday.

Most of the roster moves will take place after Monday's "B" game with the Colorado Rockies, Scioscia said.

In other news Saturday:

* Infielder Alberto Callaspo (pictured above), who was expected to play in the field this weekend, has had that date pushed back until at least the middle of next week. Callaspo reported to spring training with what has been called a sore shoulder, one he reportedly developed playing winter ball in his native Venezuela. He has played in several games as a designated hitter and Scioscia said he has participated in defensive drills. But after a couple of days of long toss, the timetable to get Callaspo playing in the infield has stalled.

* Center fielder Peter Bourjos was scatched from Saturday's exhibition with the Cleveland Indians because of tightness in his groin. Reggie Willits will take his place.

* The team is making Angel Stadium available as a collection location for funds that the American Red Cross is raising to assist victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The drive, organized by ABC-7, kicks off Monday morning at 5 and will continue until 6:30 p.m. Donations can also be taken to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

-- Kevin Baxter, reporting from Goodyear, Ariz.

Photo credit: Jake Roth / US Presswire

Japanese baseball players in U.S. try to contact friends, family after deadly earthquake

Ripples from the earthquake that devastated parts of Japan were being felt as far away as Arizona and Florida on Friday as Japanese players tried, sometimes in vain, to reach friends and family members.

The quake, the largest recorded temblor to strike Japan and the fifth-largest in history, caused power failures and fires, shuttered airports and paralyzed transit systems, killing hundreds and setting off a massive tsunami.

Former Dodgers pitcher Takashi Saito took an indefinite leave from the Milwaukee Brewers' facility in Phoenix after being unable to contact his parents. Saito was born and attended college in the northern city of Sendai, home to 1 million people. The city, on Japan's northeast coast, was the closest population center to the epicenter of the 8.9-magnitude quake. And though Saito has been in contact with his wife, Yukiko, and three daughters, he has been unable to reach his parents, team officials said.

Kei Igawa, in minor league camp with the Yankees in Tampa, Fla., also left the team after failing to get information about his family.

Igawa's family lives in Ibaraki, which was also hit hard.

Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki and Boston Red Sox pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima also spent much of Friday trying unsuccessful to get through to their relatives although they said they believed their families were safe. Matsuzaka said he made contact with friends in Japan through e-mail but not by phone.

"Cellphones and power are down. There are 4 million people without power in Tokyo," Suzuki told reporters at the Mariners' camp outside Phoenix. "I have not gotten ahold of my family yet."

Angels split up to give rookies a last look

Spring training has reached a critical juncture.

Oh, sure, camps have been open for nearly a month, and there is still three weeks left before opening day, meaning the excitement of getting started has faded and it's still too early to be thinking about the first day of the season.

For some of the regulars, the biggest challenge now is fighting off boredom.

But with minor-league camps beginning to open, several teams will begin moving prospects out of their major-league clubhouses to create more playing time for their regulars. For those players, the next few days represent a final opportunity to leave an impression on the big-league coaching staff. And the Angels' minor leaguers are no exception, which is why Mike Scioscia's team will play split-squad games twice in the next four days to get a final look at some of the top players in the organization.

Thursday, Scioscia will go to Peoria, in part to see the division-rival Seattle Mariners for the first time this spring but also to take a long look at some players fighting for a place on this year's roster and others who will soon be knocking on the door.

Among the players going across town with Scioscia are right-hander Matt Palmer, in a three-way battle for the final spot on the Angels' pitching staff; third baseman Brandon Wood, who is out of options but hardly a lock for the opening day roster; Hank Conger, who is fighting Bobby Wilson for the backup catcher job; and 19-year-old phenom Mike Trout, who is batting .364 in his first big-league camp.

Staying back in Tempe to play the Royals will be most of the Angels' regulars. Bench coach Rob Picciolo will manage a team that will include Vernon Wells playing in center field for the first time as an Angel, making room for Bobby Abreu to get some much-needed time in left field. Joel Pineiro will make his third start of the spring on the mound, going four innings or 55 pitches.

Thursday's lineups:

vs. Seattle at Peoria

RF -- Reggie Willits

CF -- Peter Bourjos

DH -- Mike Trout

3B -- Brandon Wood

LF -- Chris Pettit

C -- Hank Conger

1B --Gabe Jacobo

SS -- Andrew Romine

2B -- Gil Velaquez

P -- Matt Palmer

vs. Kansas City at Tempe

3B -- Maicer Izturis

LF -- Bobby Abreu

RF -- Torii Hunter

CF -- Vernon Wells

2B -- Howie Kendrick

SS -- Erick Aybar

DH -- Alberto Callaspo

1B -- Mark Trumbo

C -- Jeff Mathis

P -- Joel Pineiro

-- Kevin Baxter in Tempe

Angels' prospect making fast impression

Mike Trout, the Angels' No. 1 minor-league prospect, is one of the fastest men in baseball. But he may only be the second-fastest outfielder in the team's spring training camp.

Travis Witherspoon, like Trout a nonroster invitee, could certainly give Trout a run for his money. And he can play a little bit too, as he showed Monday by running down a long wind-blown drive against the Cubs.

"He’s one of those really athletic kids," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said of Witherspoon, a 21-year-old from Sumter, S.C. "He’s been compared to a Gary Maddox-type, a guy that can really play center field and has plus speed and has to learn the offensive side of this game.

"But he has great potential. He’s representing himself very well. So it’s a step forward for the young man."

Witherspoon entered Tuesday with just one hit in four at-bats this spring. But he hit .309 in his second year of rookie ball last year. And in two seasons he's been thrown out just once in 31 stolen-base attempts.

"You run enough, you'll get caught," said Witherspoon, who couldn't name the catcher that got him but did remember it came against a Dodgers farm team.

"It was a muddy track," he added with a smile. "Sandy."

Tuesday morning notes before the Angels' Cactus League rematch with the Texas Rangers:

-- Infielder Alberto Callaspo had the afternoon off after participating in rundown drills. He has been testing his sore shoulder by throwing up to 120 feet and said his arm was improving.

-- Scioscia met behind closed doors with a couple of players after the team's regular mid-morning meeting, though he refused to identify the players or the subject of the meeting. Members of the media, who generally have free rein of the clubhouse and the hallway outside Scioscia's office, were banned from the building before the players were called to the manager's office.

"I had a couple of kids I had I to talk," Scioscia said. "We didn’t send them out but just prepped them for some stuff."

-- The Angels brought three extra pitchers over from the minor league side for Tuesday's game, leaving them with 67 players in camp. Scioscia said he doesn't expect to trim that number until next week since the team plays split-squad games on Thursday and Sunday.

"We should have enough innings for the guys to get their work in,” Scioscia said.

-- Scott Kazmir will start Wednesday against Colorado and is scheduled to throw four innings or 55 pitches, whichever comes first. He will be the first Angels pitcher to go that far.

-- Kevin Baxter in Tempe, Ariz.

Photo: Travis Witherspoon. Credit: Jake Roth / US Presswire