The August 6th, 2014 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels including inside Trout vs. Kershaw, Pujols teach Puig a lesson and much more…
The Story: A look at the Mike Trout-Clayton Kershaw battle.
The Monkey Says: This was from before last night’s game but it points out how Trout is a premier low-ball hitter but that Kershaw is a low-ball pitcher. You all saw how that strength-on-strength battle worked out.
The Story: Albert Pujols gives Yasiel Puig an education.
The Monkey Says: You knew the LA media was going to eat it up when Pujols tagged up on Puig’s lazy catch in center on Monday and then exchanged hand-waving taunts with him. Pujols is Captain Serious and beloved by the old media while Puig is everything wrong with baseball.
The Story: Erick Aybar and Yasiel Puig exchanged finger wags.
The Monkey Says: This one got a lot less notice but I like where it is going. I said before this series that the Freeway Series isn’t a “real” rivalry, but with these kind of shenanigans, we are well on our way.
The Story: Albert Pujols expects Garrett Richards to win a Cy Young award someday.
The Monkey Says: Actually, he said he expects him to “have a Cy Young in his hand.” So maybe he just thinks that Garrett is going to hang out with Kershaw’s house during this series and hold his Cy Youngs to admire them. That seems more likely to me.
The Story: Garrett Richards is an example of how sometimes teams need the unexpected to reach the next level.
The Monkey Says: So true. The Angels made a lot of machinations to improve the team in the off-season, but the biggest improvement they got came from just letting Richards earn a rotation spot by default.
The Story: A look at Huston Street’s dad helped shape his career.
The Monkey Says: Of course this would be something that Bill Dwyre gobbles up. This is supposed to make us appreciate the mental toughness of Huston Street, but all it really does for me is make me think Street’s dad is kind of a prick.
The Story: MLB teams are regional cable ratings monsters.
The Monkey Says: The Angels never show up well in their market, but they are top 9 locally in primetime. More importantly, they also pull a higher proportion of young viewers compared to other teams, which bodes well for their ability to sustain ratings for the next few decades.
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