Connect with us

Published

on

ANAHEIM, Calif. — It was probably already obvious, largely because of how prior winters have gone, but Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian said so definitively on Wednesday — the Angels don’t plan to take a step back to rebuild, in any capacity, in 2024.

“We’re going to be aggressive this offseason,” Minasian said, “and we’re going to make this team better.”

Minasian’s new manager, the deeply passionate, widely respected Ron Washington, might help.

“I’ve gotten numerous calls already of people that have played for him, people that know him — not only excited for him and his opportunity but wouldn’t mind joining the party over here,” Minasian said. “That’s exciting, too.”

Washington, 71, was formally introduced as the Angels’ fifth manager in eight years on Wednesday, a hiring Minasian touted as one that can ignite an entire organization. Mike Scioscia’s 19-year run, which culminated in the Angels becoming one of the industry’s most successful teams in the early 2000s, was followed by brief stints from Brad Ausmus, Joe Maddon and Phil Nevin. The Angels have gone nine consecutive seasons without qualifying for the postseason and haven’t won a playoff game since 2009.

Washington, who signed a two-year contract that also includes a club option, expects to change that.

“If you remember now — I was in Texas, and guess what we did? We ran the Angels down,” Washington told a large conference room of media members, team employees and current and former players. “Now I’m in California, with the Anaheim Angels — well, the Los Angeles Angels. I’ll get that in my head. Once we get things together, we get these guys together in spring training and start to work, our whole focus is gonna be to run the West down. And you can take that to the bank and deposit it.”

Washington has spent six decades in the sport, more recently carving out a reputation as one of baseball’s best third-base coaches and infield instructors. His tirelessness, devotion and authenticity has been lauded by many. But his two managerial opportunities will come 10 years apart.

Washington famously managed the Texas Rangers for eight seasons, guiding the team to the World Series in 2010 and 2011, but he resigned in September 2014 in the wake of what he cited as an extramarital affair. Washington returned to the Oakland Athletics‘ coaching staff for the next two seasons, then began a seven-year run as the Atlanta Braves‘ third-base coach, with whom he won his first championship in 2021. He continued to long for an opportunity like this one.

“The belief never wavered,” Washington said. “You never know when you’re gonna get an opportunity to lead, to be a manager. You never know that. Even though I left Texas the way it happened, I still had a lot to give. I still was able to make a difference. So what I did was kept myself relevant. I kept making a difference wherever I was. I had three or four interviews when I left Texas, and in each interview, I left the interview knowing I had the job. I left the interview where the general manager and the owner told me I was the guy. But then somewhere along the way you get a phone call and you always hear the one line, ‘going in a different direction.’ The direction was away from me, but I was still making a difference where I was.”

Minasian first met Washington in the spring of 2007, when Minasian was working as a staff assistant helping the major league coaches. Minasian got in the habit of running late-afternoon sprints after his spring training duties were finished. Washington stopped him one day and told him his form was awful, breaking down everything he did wrong. They reconnected in Atlanta in 2017, when Minasian spent the next five years serving as an assistant GM to Alex Anthopoulos. Minasian was consistently drawn to Washington’s ability to connect with people.

“He is the definition of respect and belief,” Minasian said, “and those were the two most important qualities for me.”

About six weeks ago, as Minasian was going through the search for a new manager, he awoke one morning at around 3:30, pulled up the notebook that sits by his bedside and jotted down the traits of the esteemed managers he previously worked alongside. Washington, he said, continued to stick out. The two met one-on-one over dinner at a historic New Orleans restaurant, Tujague’s, on Nov. 2. Their conversation lasted more than five hours, after which Minasian recommended him to Angels owner Arte Moreno and president John Carpino.

“He was dying for this opportunity,” Minasian said, “and I could feel it.”

Five days later, on Nov. 7, Washington flew to Arizona, site of the general managers meetings. Moreno picked him up at the airport and rode with him to brunch. The two spent the next 90 minutes talking about the team.

“I learned he wants to win,” Washington said of Moreno. “I learned he wants to see good baseball. And I learned he will commit to bring good baseball back to this area. That’s the main thing I learned. And I think that’s what everybody here wants. We gotta make his vision come to fruition.”

The Angels essentially agreed to terms with Washington that Tuesday and officially announced him as their manager while he flew back from Phoenix to New Orleans the following day. Washington said he didn’t realize the news had spread until he charged his phone at baggage claim and saw more than 300 congratulatory text messages and voicemails awaiting him. He spent the next four days answering every one of them.

Now he’ll spend time reaching out to his new players. His two priorities are Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon.

“Those are the two huge leaders here,” Washington said. “And I do want them to lead.”

The Angels received three historic two-way seasons from Shohei Ohtani but were hardly even relevant in September for any of those years. A big reason was the litany of injuries suffered by Trout and Rendon, who combined to play in only 385 of a possible 972 games from 2021 to 2023. Getting them back healthy will be critical, but the Angels — still expected to do whatever they can to bring Ohtani back as a free agent — also recognize there are holes to fill throughout their roster. After setting a franchise record with a $230-plus million payroll in 2023, they vow to spend again.

Washington said he plans to maximize whatever he inherits.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of negativity about the roster,” Washington said during his opening remarks. “But here in Angel country, there’s such a thing as the inside-out syndrome. Everybody that’s on the outside, you’re just gonna have to wait to see what you get. Everybody on the inside, they will know what will happen.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Buffs coach: Stars ‘should be going 1-2’ in draft

Published

on

By

Buffs coach: Stars 'should be going 1-2' in draft

BOULDER, Colo. — For the horde of NFL talent evaluators and some bleachers full of fans, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Friday that they all got to see the top two players available in this year’s NFL draft.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter were among the 16 Colorado players who took part in the school’s showcase event for scouts, coaches and personnel executives from every NFL team. And Deion Sanders said the two marquee players confirmed what he has known for a long time.

“It’s tremendous,” Sanders said. “… They should be going 1-2 [in the draft], that’s the way I feel about it. They are the two best players in this draft. … The surest bets in this draft are those two young men, and I didn’t stutter or stammer when I said that.”

Neither Shedeur Sanders nor Hunter took part in most of the position drills or physical testing, but Sanders had a throwing session for just under an hour and Hunter was one of the wide receivers who participated. Neither player worked out at the scouting combine earlier this year, so it was the first time Sanders had thrown in such a setting since the end of the season. He showed some full seven-step drops and play-action from the shotgun and under center.

“I think I did pretty good, to my expectations,” said Sanders, who set the career FBS accuracy mark in his two years at Colorado (71.8%) to go with his 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns last season. “I know I did the best in college football right now, for sure.”

Asked after the throwing session whether he believed he was the best quarterback in the draft, Sanders said: “I feel like I’m the No. 1 quarterback, and that’s what I know. But at the end of the day, I’m not stuck on that because it’s about the situation, so whatever situation, whatever franchise believes in me, I’m excited to go. … I’m comfortable in any situation.”

Players Hunter, who did not speak to the media after the workout, and Sanders met with the Cleveland Browns contingent, including team co-owner Jimmy Haslam, on Thursday night in Boulder.

“They got me really full,” Sanders said. “I definitely needed to go to the sauna after that. … It was a good vibe.”

Said Deion Sanders said: “[I] spoke to the owner, truly delightful. He was engaging. … I think one of those guys is going to be there [at No. 2].”

Hunter, the No. 1 player on Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board, did not do any defensive drills Friday, but he ran a full assortment of routes.

Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, Shedeur’s brother, offered plenty of encouragement, shouting commentary and clapping after each throw, including “not a lot of quarterbacks can make that throw” after one deep completion.

The highly attended event — by NFL representatives as well as fans packing small bleachers — had a festive atmosphere. Deion Sanders named it the “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase,” complete with a large lighted “The Showcase” sign next to the drills.

Hunter, who has said he wants to play offense and defense in the NFL, won the Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player) and Fred Biletnikoff (top receiver) awards in addition to the Heisman. He said whether he will primarily be a wide receiver or a cornerback in the NFL depends “on the team that picks me.”

On Friday, Deion Sanders said “ain’t nobody like Travis.”

Hunter had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver last season to go with 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups and 4 interceptions at cornerback. In the Buffaloes’ regular-season finale against Oklahoma State, he became the only FBS player in the past 25 years with three scrimmage touchdowns on offense and an interception in the same game, according to ESPN Research.

He played 1,380 total snaps in Colorado’s 12 regular-season games: 670 on offense, 686 on defense and 24 on special teams. He played 1,007 total snaps in 2023.

Shilo Sanders, who hoped to show teams more speed than expected, ran a 4.52 40-yard dash after he measured in at 5-foot-11⅞, 196 pounds. He did not participate in the jumps or bench press that opened the workout, citing a right shoulder injury.

With all NFL eyes on the Colorado campus to see Shedeur Sanders throw, one player who made the most of it was wide receiver Will Sheppard. Sheppard, who measured 6-2¼, 196 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.56 and 4.54 to go with a 40½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-11 broad jump.

Continue Reading

Sports

O’s Henderson off IL; will make ’25 debut vs. KC

Published

on

By

O's Henderson off IL; will make '25 debut vs. KC

Baltimore Orioles All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson was activated from the 10-day injured list and will make his season debut Friday night against the Kansas City Royals.

Henderson has been sidelined with a right intercostal strain and missed the first seven games of the big league campaign.

The 23-year-old Henderson will lead off and play shortstop against the host Royals.

Henderson was injured during a spring training game Feb. 27. He was fourth in American League MVP voting last season when he batted .281 and racked up career bests of 37 homers and 92 RBIs.

Henderson completed a five-game rehab stint at Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. He batted .263 (5-for-19) with two homers and four RBIs and played four games at shortstop and one as the designated hitter. He did commit three errors.

“I think everybody’s looking forward to having Gunnar back on the team,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday. “The rehab went really, really well. I talked to him a couple days ago, he feels great swinging the bat. The timing came, especially the last few days. He just had to get out there and get some reps defensively and get some games in, and it all went well.”

Baltimore optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk to open up a roster spot. The 26-year-old was 0-for-4 with a run and RBI in two games this season.

Continue Reading

Sports

Life after OMG: Can 2025 Mets replicate their 2024 vibes?

Published

on

By

Life after OMG: Can 2025 Mets replicate their 2024 vibes?

When New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns attempted to assemble the best possible roster for the 2025 season this winter, the top priority was signing outfielder Juan Soto. Next was the need to replenish the starting rotation and bolster the bullpen. Then, days before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, the lineup received one final significant reinforcement when first baseman Pete Alonso re-signed.

Acquiring a player with a singing career on the side didn’t make the cut.

“No, that is not on the list,” Stearns said with a smile.

Stearns’ decision not to re-sign Jose Iglesias, the infielder behind the mic for the viral 2024 Mets anthem “OMG,” was attributed to creating more roster flexibility. But it also hammered home a reality: The scrappy 2024 Mets, authors of a magical summer in Queens, are a thing of the past. The 2025 Mets, who will report to Citi Field for their home opener Friday, have much of the same core but also some prominent new faces — and the new, outsized expectations that come with falling two wins short of the World Series, then signing Soto to the richest contract in professional sports history.

But there’s a question surrounding this year’s team that you can’t put a price tag on: Can these Mets rekindle the magic — the vibes, the memes, the feel-good underdog story — that seemed to come out of nowhere to help carry them to Game 6 of the National League Championship Series last season?

“Last year the culture was created,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “It’s a matter of continuing it.”

For all the success Stearns has engineered — his small-market Milwaukee Brewers teams reached the postseason five times in eight seasons after he became the youngest general manager in history in 2015 — the 40-year-old Harvard grad, like the rest of his front office peers knows there’s no precise recipe for clubhouse chemistry. There is no culture projection system. No Vibes Above Replacement.

“Culture is very important,” Stearns said last weekend in the visiting dugout at Daikin Park before his club completed an opening-weekend series against the Houston Astros. “Culture is also very difficult to predict.”

Still, it seems the Mets’ 2024 season will be all but impossible to recreate.

There was Grimace, the purple McDonald’s blob who spontaneously became the franchise’s unofficial mascot after throwing out a first pitch in June. “OMG,” performed under Iglesias’ stage name, Candelita, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Digital Songs chart, before a remix featuring Pitbull was released in October. Citi Field became a karaoke bar whenever Lindor stepped into the batter’s box with The Temptations’ “My Girl” as his walk-up song. Alonso unveiled a lucky pumpkin in October. They were gimmicks that might have felt forced if they hadn’t felt so right.

“I don’t know if what we did last year could be replicated because it was such a chaos-filled group,” Mets reliever Ryne Stanek said. “I don’t know if that’s replicable because there’s just too many things going on. I don’t know if that’s a sustainable model. But I think the expectation of winning is really important. I think establishing what we did last year and coming into this year where people are like, ‘Oh, no, that’s what we’re expecting to do,’ makes it different. It’s always a different vibe whenever you feel like you’re the hunter versus being the hunted.”

For the first two months last season, the Mets were terrible hunters. Lindor was relentlessly booed at Citi Field during another slow start. The bullpen got crushed. The losses piled up. The Mets began the season 0-5 and sunk to rock bottom on May 29 when reliever Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the stands during a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers that dropped the team to 22-33.

That night, the Mets held a players-only meeting. From there, perhaps coincidentally, everything changed. The Mets won the next day, and 67 of their final 107 games.

This year, to avoid an early malaise and to better incorporate new faces like Soto and Opening Day starter Clay Holmes, players made it a point to hold meetings during spring training to lay a strong foundation.

“At the end of the day, we know who we are and that’s the beauty of our club,” Alonso said. “Not just who we are talent-wise, but who each individual is as a man and a personality. For us, our major, major strength is our collective identity as a unit.”

Organizationally, the Mets are attempting a dual-track makeover: Becoming perennial World Series contenders while not taking themselves too seriously.

The commemorative purple Grimace seat installed at Citi Field in September — Section 302, Row 6, Seat 12 in right field — remains there as part of a two-year contract. Last week, the franchise announced it will feature a New York-city themed “Five Borough” race at every home game — with a different mascot competing to represent each borough. For a third straight season, USA Today readers voted Citi Field — home of the rainbow cookie egg roll, among many other innovative treats — as having the best ballpark food in baseball.

In the clubhouse, their identity is evolving.

“I’m very much in the camp that you can’t force things,” Mets starter Sean Manaea said. “I mean, you can, but you don’t really end up with good results. And if you wait for things to happen organically, then sometimes it can take too long. So, there’s like a nudging of sorts. It’s like, ‘Let’s kind of come up with something, but not force it.’ So there’s a fine balance there and you just got to wait and see what happens.”

Stearns believes it starts with what the Mets can control: bringing positive energy every day and fostering a family atmosphere. It’s hard to quantify, but vibes undoubtedly helped fuel the Mets’ 2024 success. It’ll be a tough act to follow.

“It’s fluid,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I like where guys are at as far as the team chemistry goes and things like that and the connections and the relationships. But it’ll continue to take some time. And winning helps, clearly.”

Continue Reading

Trending