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Clap On. Clap Off. And Keep them Off.

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch
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Angels fans unveiled their new plastic fan clappers during player introductions before Game 1 of the American League division series against Boston, and boy are they annoying. Imagine about 50,000 people rattling change in large plastic buckets and you get the idea.

The biggest cheers as the Angels emerged from the dugout and stood along the first-base line were reserved for closer Francisco Rodriguez, third baseman Chone Figgins, Manager Mike Scioscia and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero.

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The clappers were out in full force during a first inning in which the Angels loaded the bases with consecutive singles by Garret Anderson and Mark Teixeira and a two-out walk by Torii Hunter, but Howie Kendrick bounced out to third baseman Mike Lowell to end the inning.

-- Ben Bolch

Sports Now
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

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