Halo Headlines: fretting over Weaver’s velocity, Hamilton as a role model for recovering addicts

The April 8th, 2015 edition of Los Angeles Angels news including fretting over Weaver’s velocity, Hamilton as a role model for recovering addicts and much more…

The Story: The eventual end of Jered Weaver.
The Monkey Says: The post-Opening Day Weaver velocity concern has become an annual tradition. Jered will add velocity over the course of the season and I believe that Jered is actually deliberately holding back to preserve his arm, but the drop in velocity he had on Monday even alarmed me. Needless to say, but we will all be watching the radar gun like a hawk in his next start. It is also worth noting that velocity is not an exact measurement and it is debatable whether or not his velocity actually was slower on Monday.

The Story: A personal story from an addict on how Josh Hamilton is actually an inspiration to him.
The Monkey Says: I know everyone is getting tired of this, but this is a perspective I hadn’t yet seen expressed. There is a lot hate out there for Josh, but you have to remember that to thousands of people, he is a beacon of hope, even after his relapse.

The Story: Efren Navarro considers it a dream come true to make the Angels roster.
The Monkey Says: It is a great story, but it also will probably come to an end when Hamilton returns… err, if Hamilton returns.

The Story: Every MLB team as a Game of Thrones character.
The Monkey Says: This is pretty strong and I usually hate pieces like this because of how contrived they are. However, I don’t think Oberyn Martell is quite the right fit for the Angels. He’s too overconfident to be the Angels equivalent. I actually see them more as Asha Greyjoy (Yara on the TV show). She believes she has a claim to the throne, has some impressive battle credentials but is ultimately undone by making poor choices in her allegiances and also is never quite fully taken seriously because she’s a woman in a man’s world, like the Angels are an Orange County team trying to be a Los Angeles team.

The Story: Nick Wagner caught the Angels’ eye.
The Monkey Says: Paywall, but it provides some insight into a late-round sleeper and local kid worth keeping an eye on.