Apologies for the gap between posts from me, I’ve been busy with my “night job” at the NZ International Comedy Festival, and also, quite frankly, I’ve been waiting for the Angels to improve.

It’s not quite happened, has it? Third worst record in Baseball, 11.5 games behind the Rangers at the time of writing, and a bullpen who must be thankful that they warm up so far from the dugout, to prevent starting pitchers coming after them with a bat. It hasn’t been pretty.

However, there are a few signs that we all shouldn’t all throw in the towel and become Dodgers fans, and not just because they suck this year, too.

The talent is starting to show through. Mike Trout is hitting .308 with 6 Home runs in May, thus far. Mark Trumbo is looking settled, Kendrick has been a one man comeback machine, and even Josh Hamilton is warming up after a dismal April.

On that note; what is it with the culture of the Angels? Two years in a row (three, if you count Vernon Wells), a huge-money star player has come to the club and struggled through April. At least Albert Pujols had the excuse of changing leagues, facing pitchers he wasn’t used to, and the change of scenery and climate. Hamilton hasn’t even moved divisions. You have to wonder if these players are too exposed to media scrutiny and the exceptional expectations brought on by such a massive payroll. But I digress…

The DL list should start to shrink. If it gets any bigger, we’ll be seeing Mike Scioscia put the pads on again himself. But with Aybar back, Weaver apparently improving, and Bourjos waiting in the wings, if they can just somehow get some bullpen arms healed, they’ll look at lot better at the end of May than they did on the first.

The month ahead should be easier, with series against Seattle, Kansas City and the Dodgers, all of whom have their own problems. Let’s just hope they don’t take them out on Anaheim.

Look, again, this week’s news headlines have shown how little a few weeks of Baseball matter, in the bigger scheme, but wouldn’t it be nice to have some good news for a change?

I’m still hopeful. For my sins. 

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The Angels' outfield defense was supposed to be a many splendored thing. With Josh Hamilton supplanting Mark Trumbo in right field, Mike Trout shifting to left and Peter Bourjos returning to a starting role in center, the Halos had arguably the best defensive outfield in all of the land.

We even joked how the Halos could play just Trout and Bourjos and still have nary a ball drop in the outfield. Ha! Ha! Ha! LOLZ. /fart sounds

Intellectually, that all still makes sense. Mike Trout and, when healthy, Peter Bourjos have range on range on range. And that Josh Hamilton guy is no slouch either when playing in the corner rather than center where he just doesn't have the athleticism anymore. The problem is that our eyes thus far hath been deceived... or at least that is what the defensive metrics would have us believe. Just look at this table of how the Angels' preferred starting outfield grades out in the most popular advanced defensive metrics. SPOILER ALERT: Negative numbers are no bueno.

The May 22nd, 2013 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels including Sean Burnett activated from the DL, the five stages of SciosciaFace and much more...

The Story: Sean Burnett was activated from the DL for last night's game with Ryan Brasier option to Triple-A.

The Monkey Says: The question is does Mike Scioscia actually remember how to use a reliever who he has actually heard of before and who is actually capable of getting people out? Inquiring minds want to know!

The Story: The Battle of Los Angeles and the Five Stages of SciosciaFace.

The Monkey Says: "Glutinous web." Congrats on having your breakfast ruined.

On the list of accomplishments that the multi-talented Mike Trout might someday complete, hitting for the cycle seemed inevitable. With his blend of speed and power, it was a question of if, not when. Well, the we just got the answer to the "when" as Trout just became the third youngest player ever to hit for the cycle as the Angels thrashed the Mariners.

So, I guess this means we get to fire up the Trout vs. Cabrera debate all over again, right? I'm kidding, obviously. Seriously, please don't do that. What you can do is realize that this is just another sign of how great Trout is. Sure, the cycle is wildly overrated and really more of a statistical anomaly than a feat indicative of greatness, but it still holds a special place in the hearts of baseball fans because of the variety of skills one must possess to achieve it. We already knew Trout possessed those skills, but I'll be damned if it wasn't fun to watch him put them on display like he did tonight.

Here is the homer that completed the cycle for him, for your viewing enjoyment:

All I know is that the fans sitting above the right center field wall where his cycle-clinching homer landed have to feel like real buffoons for letting the ball hit them right in the hands only to fall harmlessly to the center field track. That would've been one hell of a souvenir.

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The evening began with birthday boy Josh Hamilton launching a deep 2-run home run into left centerfield. The star of Arte Moreno's 2012 offseason looks like he is finally ready to climb out of his season-long funk. And that could very well have been the story of the night, but the 32-year-old's birthday bash was overshadowed by a kid 11 years his junior: Mike Trout, who made the Mariners pitching staff his personal punching bag.

The rising star is looking more and more like the absolute beast he was last season with each passing day, but tonight's game was special. Not only did the Kid match his career-high RBI total (5), he hit for the cycle, becoming the first Halo player to do it since Chone Figgins in 2006. It's hard to believe Mike Trout is only 21 years old. It's even harder to believe that he became the youngest player in American League history to ever hit for the cycle. 

Let's take a moment, in the midst of this here disappointing season, and really appreciate just how freakishly good Mike Trout is. We are watching a supreme talent, who is only getting better. Scary.

Angels 12, Mariners 0

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Game Notes

-- Jerome Williams is making an emphatic case for a permanent stay in the starting rotation. The right-hander dominated the hapless Mariners over eight shut out innings, featuring a nasty 2-seam fastball/sinker to induce tons of ground ball outs. Once Jered Weaver returns, Mike Scioscia and Jerry Dipoto may have to swallow their pride and send Joe Blanton to the bullpen. We'll see how that goes.

-- Any time Josh Hamilton is hitting balls hard the opposite way, you know he's going good. The home run he launched to left-center was crushed. Could we be seeing the beginnings of a hot streak?

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Halo Hero of the Game

Who's got two thumbs, was doused in a post-game ice bath by his teammates, and wins at everything? This guy!

As the baseball world focuses their hearts and minds on the greatness that is reigning AL MVP and Triple Crown adorned Miguel Cabrera, one cannot help but feel sorry for Mike Trout. Poor Mike Trout. Woe is Mike Trout. While Miggy is earning praise and adulation from every corner of the globe, Trout is mired in the sad state of being merely pretty good.

What is a jilted MVP candidate to do? How can he possible overcome this terrible, terrible sophomore slump that so many prognosticated?

I simply don't know. This plight is just so-

What?

He isn't?

You mean to say-

Are you sure?

No sophomore slump at all?

Not even a little?

Oh, well then. So much for the narrative.

Yes, sorry to break it to everyone, but MIke Trout's sophomore slump never really came to pass. Oh, sure, he kind of had a down week or two in April, but a brief slump is something every hitter goes through. Instead, it appears that Trout has been every bit the player he was last season and is showing signs that he might actually be better, which is a thing that was not really considered feasible. Just take a look at how his stats compare from season-to-season:

via Fangraphs

The May 21st, 2013 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels including Albert Pujols doesn't matter anymore, rekindling the Cabrera-Trout debate and much more...

The Story: Albert Pujols doesn't matter anymore.

The Monkey Says: I cannot counter any of this. Pujols just isn't a top player anymore, at least not while his body is broken down the way it is right now. The problem is that there is little reasont to believe that his body won't continue to betray him given his age and the chronic nature of his current injuries. He can still be a very good player, but only in spurts and that may not hold true for much longer.

The Story: Jon Heyman rekindles the Miguel Cabrera-Mike Trout MVP and WAR debate.

The Monkey Says: I'm pretty sure Heyman only brought this up to let us know that players think he is somehow the arbiter of such things. This, and similar pieces that came out after Miggy's three-homer Sunday, all directly or indirectly use Cabrera's stellar start to 2013 as some kind of justification for the 2012 MVP voting even though 2013 has nothing to do with last season by the very definition of the MVP award voting. The most irritating part though is that Heyman once again claims that the ONLY evidence that Trout was better was WAR. Statheads did call out WAR a lot in that argument, but it was just one of the many pieces of evidence in Trout's favor. No one who knows stats well would declare that WAR is the end-all, be-all. It is just a handy benchmark, not proof of anything.