Sam Blum
@SamBlum3
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Angels and MLB writer @TheAthletic . Host of the Calling All Halos podcast. Email me: sblum @theathletic .com. @dailyorange C/O 2016.
Long Beach, CA.
Joined August 2011
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Pinned Tweet
Exciting news! We're launching an Angels podcast at
@TheAthletic
. My co-host is former SI baseball editor
@connorgrossman
.
We're going to give an unbiased look at the Angels.
Ep. 1 below: Should Arte Moreno defend his investments?
Enjoy!
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This is the exact spot where Shohei Ohtani’s home run hit. Security said it bounced, hit a back wall and went back down.
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Here’s a cool bit of info: Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, resigned from the Angels over the lockout so he could keep communicating with Ohtani. He’s now hired back with the team since the lockout is over.
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Anthony Rendon, when asked for an injury update: “No habla inglés today.”
He then put on a hoodie and left the clubhouse.
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Shohei Ohtani’s locker has been cleared out. There’s a bag that’s packed.
The Angels have declined to say tonight why this is happening or what it means.
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Thank you everyone for following along this year. I sincerely appreciate it.
And thanks to
@LAAngelsPR
who probably have the hardest comms job in all of pro sports. They do good work.
It was a ridiculous season for everyone, and I enjoyed covering it all.
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Shohei Ohtani: “Obviously this is not all Joe’s fault. Players are, myself, in part to blame, because I was underperforming. I just want to say thank you to Joe, I appreciate for everything he’s done for me.”
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Shohei Ohtani:
"From the beginning, my plan was to finish the season with the Angels. Nothing is really going to change mentally, but all the people talking about about the trades — that's going to be all gone.
I feel like I'll just focus on taking this team to the playoffs."
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Anthony Rendon on playing pro baseball:
"It’s never been a top priority for me. This is a job. I do this to make a living. My faith, my family come first before this job. So if those things come before it, I’m leaving."
Here's the full exchange:
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Ippei Mizuhara — Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter — posted this on Instagram.
Not a man of many words, Ippei had some heartfelt thoughts for Angels fans here.
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The fan that caught Shohei Ohtani's first Dodgers home run received a signed bat, ball & two hats.
But the fan and her husband say the Dodgers separated them, refused to authenticate the ball & pressured her into a quick deal.
Here's what they told me:
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The Angels had no plan with Shohei Ohtani.
They haven’t articulated any plan for moving forward.
They’ve wasted every opportunity that’s come their way.
The Angels and owner Arte Moreno have lost credibility with a fanbase that deserves better.
Column:
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Mike Trout:
“As soon as (the WBC) was over, on the bus headed back, I texted (Phil Nevin). I said, ‘I needed this. I needed to play in this atmosphere. I needed to experience it and be in the moment.’ It just made me think about how bad we want to get back to the playoffs."
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I spent today outside Angel Stadium, where many fans mourned the official end of Shohei Ohtani’s tenure with the team.
It was a surreal scene as his mural came down, piece by piece.
“It feels like a piece of me died.”
An inside look at the vigil:
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Max Stassi and his wife, Gabrielle, shared on Instagram what their family had dealt with over the last six months.
Hoping the best for Jackson and his parents, all of whom have been through so much.
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Wanted to say thank you to the Japanese fans that have followed and interacted here for the last three seasons.
This isn’t the end of my coverage of Ohtani, but it is the end of an era. And I have sincerely appreciated getting to know so many of you!
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SMU is ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll. The first time the Mustangs are ranked since Oct. 1986, before the death penalty punishment.
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Phil Nevin said Shohei Ohtani gave him the game ball after his first win as an MLB manager.
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Here's a story on why I voted for Shohei Ohtani to win the AL MVP.
Short answer: He had arguably the greatest season of all time.
The longer answer is in this article, which I hope you'll read.
Now to log off Twitter for a while.
Link:
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Shohei Ohtani will NOT be traded this offseason, per Angels GM Perry Minasian.
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Lars Nootbaar media availability to discuss Ohtani.
He said he asked Ohtani to get lunch yesterday but Ohtani responded that he was sleeping.
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Max Stassi got a panicked call late last spring training. The birth of his first child was coming months early.
He missed the entire season. But now their son, Jackson, is finally home. And Max has restarted his career.
Here's the Stassi family story:
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There were only three fans up there. Three friends watching the game.
Said one of them: “It just kept getting closer and closer and I was like, ‘What the fuck?”
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Shohei Ohtani speaking with Japanese media after his shutout today.
He said to English media prior that he was happy the Angels were buyers after years of selling.
Will have full quotes later on.
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For what it's worth:
I was informed by AM830 (Angels team-owned radio network) that I'm no longer welcomed back on the their "Beat Reporter Roundtable" program because I bring "negativity" to an "up-beat show."
I was told the decision was made by team president John Carpino.
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Shohei Ohtani said he exchanged the home run ball for a ball, two caps and a bat. He also met the fan.
That ball is worth quite a lot. Good deal?
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Another important element of this story:
Shohei Ohtani said (via interpreter Will Ireton) that he met with the fan who caught the ball.
“I was able to talk to the fan, and was able to get it back."
Ohtani never met the fan.
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I took a nice picture of Shohei Ohtani stopping to sign a ball for young Angels fan that’d been hoping for an autograph.
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Here was an interesting exchange I had with Joe Maddon after the game today:
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The Angels had the greatest talent in baseball history, at his peak, for 3 years.
They finished 77-85, 73-89 and 73-89 in those 3 years.
There are probably many factors in Ohtani's departure. But the team's inability to win will forever be associated with his Anaheim tenure.
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Can confirm, per source, that the Angels/owner Arte Moreno decided not to match the Dodgers’ 10-year/700-million contract offer for Shohei Ohtani.
His agent, Nez Balelo, said the Angels had “every opportunity” in negotiations.
First reported by Halos beat legend
@ByJackHarris
.
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Gleyber Torres was chasing Eduardo Escobar around with a toy cat. Escobar is known for hating cats.
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NHK is stopping it’s daily broadcasts of Angels games in Japan, since he’s out for the season.
NHK typically had a camera on Ohtani at all times during games. They broadcast many games with Japanese players, but had been airing every Angels game because of Ohtani’s popularity.
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Shohei Ohtani regularly asks Angels GM Perry Minasian about which players the Angels are looking at and who they might be adding to the roster, Minasian said.
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Phil Nevin said Shohei Ohtani was adamant about going back out for the 8th when he was at 96 pitches. Nevin said Ohtani told him, “No this is mine.”
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Here's the full transcript of what Shohei Ohtani's agent Nez Balelo said regarding their negotiations with the Angels.
"The Angels had every opportunity."
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Angels announce that Arte Moreno is exploring a sale of the team.
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This is incredibly lame.
If the Angels don’t want people expressing this sentiment, they should put a better product on the field.
11yo Orange County resident JB brought his homemade sign to tonight’s game
#Angels
Vs
#A
’s game.
@Angels
security team quickly took the sign from him one he displayed it.
@FredRoggin
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Intense Facebook post here from Debbie Rucker, mother of Indiana freshman OL Brady Feeney.
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The Angels say they’re wearing the new uniforms again tomorrow.
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FINAL: The Angels beat the White Sox 4-2.
Shohei Ohtani is probably the greatest baseball player we have ever seen or will ever see.
The Angels finish the first half 44-37, and are half a game up on in the third Wild Card.
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Rangers manager Chris Woodward on Fernando Tatis Jr. swinging 3-0 on his grand slam: "I didn't like it personally. You're up by 7 in the 8th inning, it's typically not a good time 3-0. It's kind of the way we were all raised in the game. But ... the norms are being challenged."
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I asked Shohei Ohtani if he feels he brings more value than any player in the league:
"I don't like to self-critique myself in any way. One thing I could say is, overall, balance-wise, I'm having a better season this year than I had last year."
He was unanimous MVP last year.
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Aaron Loup said he was "pitching scared" and "like a little bitch."
He called his performance "probably the most embarrassing of my career."
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FINAL: The Angels beat the MLB-best Braves, 4-1.
It was a pretty gutsy pitching effort for the Angels. They were down their starting pitcher and top two relievers.
Randal Grichuk homered in his first game. Luis Rengifo and Chad Wallach homered as well.
The Angels are 56-51.
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Mike Trout said that Shohei Ohtani told him that he believes he's not the best player on Japan's WBC team.
Much like Trout, I also don't believe this is possible.
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Shohei Ohtani hits his 38th homer of the season, and his second of Game 2.
He threw a complete game shutout in Game 1.
He's unbelievable. Oh my god.
7-2, Angels.
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FINAL: The Angels beat the Rangers 9-6. It was unequivocally the game of the season so far.
Down 5-1, they scored eight unanswered. Shohei Ohtani homered twice. The bullpen shut everyone down. Zach Neto made a ridiculous catch.
The Angels are 37-31, a season-high 6 above .500.
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The good news for Taylor Ward, per Nevin, is that there wasn’t damage to his sight. Surgery and recovery still up in the air.
He did hear from Alek Manoah last night, who felt bad. He also heard from other big leaguers with similar experiences.
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Shohei Ohtani’s intro press conference doesn’t start for 80 minutes, but the media line to get in is extremely long.
There are some fans here in Ohtani jerseys as well.
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Brandon Marsh 3-run homer.
Noah Syndergaard 2 shutout innings.
The former 2022 Angels carrying the 2022 Phillies as they look for a spot in the NLCS.
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I strive to be fair in my coverage. Sometimes that means being critical. Sometimes that means highlighting good things/people in the org. I have countless examples of both over 2 years on the beat.
It's worth noting how the Angels can attempt to filter their team-owned media.
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Shohei Ohtani: “I would like to thank the Los Angeles Angels. It was a fun ride. A great ride. I’ll never forget all the memories I had.”
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This has been a great tournament for the Angels overall:
• Trout/Ohtani in the finals.
• Sandoval dealt in his two starts.
• Benji Gil showed managing chops for Mexico.
• Jose Quijada was fun to watch.
• David Fletcher got a hit off Ohtani.
• Weiss/Reyes/Barria were solid.
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Shohei Ohtani said he plans to celebrate by having "a lonely night at home."
He adds he plans to work out tomorrow and see his mom and sister, who are in town.
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I get that your team losing is painful. As a sports fan, I’ve been there.
But check yourself before messaging players directly like this. It’s messed up, and can screw with their mental health too.
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Today was Angels photo day. But Shohei Ohtani wasn’t available for it. So they used a body double, and will presumably photoshop him in. He was taken through a back exit by Angels PR.
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Taylor Ward will miss basically the rest of the regular season. He's going on the 60-day IL. He could be back for the playoffs in theory, but this is clearly a significant injury. Tough news for him.
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The Angels quest for a third consecutive Cactus League title starts now.
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FINAL: The Angels beat the Tigers, 11-4. They swept the series.
A day after the Angels FO went all in, the team validated the decision. Ohtani had a day for the ages. The rest of the group backed it up.
The Angels are 54-49. They've won 8-of-9, and are 3 games out of the WC.
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This is a ridiculous defensive play by the Angels infield, all the way around.
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Vladdy Jr. said he has a large printed out photo of him and Shohei Ohtani hung in his house. It was taken at the All-Star Game last year.
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The Angels are interviewing Ron Washington for their managerial opening tonight, per a source familiar.
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Tomorrow is a potentially interesting day.
The NJ Devils have a hockey game tomorrow in Anaheim, right across the street from where the Angels play.
Have to wonder if the two sides will get together to work out their differences.
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Source: Jared Walsh has been optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake.
The 2021 All-Star is hitting .119 since returning from the IL. He’d dealt with neurological symptoms and was getting treatment.
Michael Stefanic was optioned to Triple-A.
Angels are calling up Fletcher and Escobar.
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Patrick Sandoval on Ohtani free agency and signing:
"I equated it to the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift stuff. It was everywhere. ... But I'm happy for him, he got what he wanted. You like to see your friends succeed. Wish he was doing it with us, but I'm happy he got what he got."
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Lucas Giolito:
"I've made about as bad as a first impression as you can. At this point, just stay on my routine, stay confident and go out and give a better performance. I'm the reason the team lost today."
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Shohei Ohtani hit HR No. 39.
It was the first pitch he saw tonight. He's homered in his last 3 at-bats.
It was an absolute shot.
This man is insane.
1-0, Angels.
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O’Hoppe reviving Angels:
“It’s how I’m going to spend every second this winter. It’s going to be all focused on having a better result next year. Its not just making sure I’m getting my lifts in. It’s going to be everything. Making sure everyone in here is doing what they can.”
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Shohei Ohtani: “I’m very saddened and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this.”
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This season the Angels have:
• No-hitter
• Immaculate inning
• Cycle
• 14-game losing streak
• 1 manager, 1 interim manager, 2 acting interim managers
• Brawl
• 11 games above .500 to 16 games below .500
• Other things involving Ohtani & Trout.
August starts tomorrow.
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1 year ago to the day, Logan O'Hoppe took his father in for his third round of chemo.
Today, he was able to watch his son's MLB debut cancer-free.
On Logan O'Hoppe and what this night meant to his family.
"It transcends baseball."
Story:
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Shohei Ohtani said he was "frustrated" with the way that he was pitching.
He pitched 6 innings without allowing an earned run.
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Raisel Iglesias on getting trade. He said he wished he could have stayed with the Angels through his contract.
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Mike Trout was fighting back tears as he spoke to the press today. Very emotional. Was at a loss for words in describing the disappointment.
Said he felt it a bit in the third inning yesterday. But no serious pain until postgame.
Will have surgery ASAP, he said.
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Nez Balelo said they went back to the Angels at the end of the process, and wanted to give them an opportunity at the end. He declined to say if money was the difference.
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That is a sweep by the first place Angels.
They started the season 0-2. Had a team meeting. And haven't looked back.
They outscored opponents by 16 runs the last four games after being outscored by 17 the first two.
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Chris Devenski and Sam Bachman shaved their heads in solidarity with patients at the Children’s hospital in Orange County yesterday.
The kids signed Devenski’s arm in sharpie and he pitched with it last night.
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Two things can be true:
1. Shortening the season is fair perspective for a player to have. I'm guessing many players agree.
2. The guy making $235K per game...to play in 36.8% of those games, isn't a good messenger for it.
“We gotta the shorten the season, man. It's too many dang games... We gotta shorten this bad boy up." -Anthony Rendon
(via
@JackVitaShow
)
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A break from the Ohtani saga to report that the Dodgers in-stadium host just called them the "Anaheim Angels".
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Shohei Ohtani:
"I think this is the first time in my six years that we've been buyers. We've been sellers the last five years. So this is new to me. I just want to get to know the new guys and welcome them in and compete all together."
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Ippei Mizuhara appeared in court with shackles around ankles, that were later taken off.
He is released on $25K bond, along with numerous conditions.
He cannot leave central district of CA without permission. Cannot contact Ohtani. Has to do a gamblers addiction program, etc.
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The Angels announce that Shohei Ohtani is out for the season with an oblique strain.
That may well be the end of his Angels career. He’ll be a free agent after the season.
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Kody Clemens got his 1st career K against Ohtani:
"I'm just trying to get outs, and for it to come like that is obviously super cool. He's the best player in baseball. So it's a pretty cool moment for me."
He said he might try & get it signed by Ohtani tomorrow, then frame it.
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Here’s something: Every Angels batter (so far) has walked up to the plate to a different Nickelback song.
Extreme measures being taken to end the losing streak.
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Randal Grichuk and C.J. Cron are expected to be with the Angels tomorrow in Atlanta.
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FINAL: The Angels beat the Rangers 5-3, and win the series.
Jacob Webb is the hero tonight. Escaping a bases loaded, 0-out jam in the ninth. Ohtani wasn't bad either. 6 IP, a two-run homer. Moniak hit a go-ahead shot. The infield is a big question mark.
The Angels are 39-32.
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Mickey Moniak has another three hits tonight. He's batting .336 this year and his OPS is up over 1.000. Shaping up to be a good trade for the Angels.
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Carlos Estévez on not making the ASG:
"It's crazy, but it is what it is. It sucks. But they picked their guys. I don't know what else I have to do."
Said that he'll gladly go if selected as a replacement, but feels like he should have been picked up front.
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Arte Moreno owes everyone an explanation after yet another losing season.
It's been years since he last spoke.
Moreno needs to be the one to take accountability. Not constantly require others answer questions that are meant for him.
Column:
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NEWS: Phil Nevin will not return as Angels manager, sources tell
@TheAthletic
. His contract is expiring after this season.
No word yet on the future of GM Perry Minasian.
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The Angels beat the Royals 3-0.
They are now tied for the 2nd/3rd WC spot. They're also 3.5 games out of first place in the AL West.
The Angels have won 10-of-12.
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