Showing posts with label Los Angeles Angels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Angels. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Baseball Happenings Podcast | Cory Aldridge Explains The Long Road Back To The Major Leagues

Cory Aldridge knows Wilkin Castillo's pain all too well. After Castillo returned to the major leagues with the Miami Marlins in June 2019 after a 10-year absence, Aldridge discussed his realities of waiting nine years to get a new lease on big league life. In my recent piece for Forbes, Aldridge said just how impactful even one major league paycheck is for a long-time minor leaguer.

“Your average minor league ballplayer is making $500 every two weeks,” Aldridge said. “If you were playing [in the majors] you probably went from making well below minimum wage to one check is what you probably made in the last two years. … Your average minor leaguer probably makes five grand a year, and your average first [Major League] paycheck is probably 10-to-15 grand.”

Cory Aldridge / Minda Haas Kuhlmann - Flickr
In our 30-minute interview for the Baseball Happenings Podcast, Aldridge shares his own struggles with injuries and how he contemplated quitting baseball multiple times after his 2001 Major League debut with the Atlanta Braves. His journey that landed him back in the majors with the Los Angeles Angels in 2010 is one of extreme perseverance under conditions that would have caused most professional athletes to hang up their gloves and spikes.


Sunday, April 8, 2018

Baseball Happenings Podcast - Jim Allen explains Shohei Ohtani's meteoric rise

Shohei Ohtani dazzled Los Angeles Angels fans in his first home start, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning before Marcus Semien broke up his bid for baseball immortality with a one-out single. After an underwhelming spring training, Ohtani has silenced his critics by blasting three home runs in his first week as a DH, and pitching to near perfection to start his second.

Shohei Ohtani / Topps
Shortly after Ohtani’s epic pitching performance against the Oakland Athletics, we spoke with renown baseball author Jim Allen, who has been covering Japanese baseball for the past 30 years. Having followed Ohtani since high school, he explains during this interview why he isn’t the least bit surprised that a healthy Ohtani is putting on a show for MLB fans.

He currently writes for the Kyodo News and is on Twitter @JBallAllen.

Baseball Happenings Podcast - Jim Allen Interview

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Mets acquire Gary Matthews Jr. - Will the second time around be a charm?

MLB.com reports that the New York Mets have acquired outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. from the Los Angeles Angels for relief pitcher Brian Stokes. In addition to paying off a $500,000 obligation for trading Matthews, the Angels will pick up $21.5 million of the $23.5 million remaining on his contract. Matthews signed an albatross of a contract after having a breakout season in 2006 with the Texas Rangers, batting .313 and earning a spot on the American League All-Star team. He has hit .252, .242. and .250 in the three seasons he played with the Angels after signing the $23.5 million dollar contract in the 2006 off-season.

This is Matthews' second tour of duty with the Mets, as he was signed in December of 2001 from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in two games for the Mets in 2002, going hitless in 1 at-bat before being traded to the Orioles for pitcher John Bale. Matthews was acquired to fill the centerfield void left by Carlos Beltran who will be out until May following knee surgery. He will be in competition with Angel Pagan for the starting centerfield spot throughout spring training.

Matthews initially spurned most trade requests this year because he couldn't be guaranteed playing time. Mets GM Omar Minaya said Friday during a conference call that Beltran's injury provided an opening for Matthews, "There's an opportunity for him to come into New York and hopefully be able to get more playing time," Minaya said. "I think the key for him is going to be playing time."

The Mets have taken a low risk option in acquiring Matthews, as the Angels have picked up most of his salary. They say things are better the second time around, but with Matthews' recent performance and his age (35), signs point to Matthews offering the Mets very little in terms of power and average.