Source Leaks Give Angels 2013 Season Another Black Eye

As if this season hasn’t been bad enough, someone with knowledge of the Angels inner-workings has both a big mouth and, I presume, a price. Or maybe it was an usher, or a clubhouse attendant, or Scott Boras. That guy is always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong anyway. Whoever it was, they let their loose lips sink a ship even further when they blabbed about two situations, one of which, should have never left the clubhouse.

The first news that hit the Twittersphere came courtesy of a series of Jon Morosi tweets (picture is on the right). And yes, I did throw up in my mouth a little when added that photo.

A source intimated to Morosi that either Jerry Dipoto or Mike Scioscia will not be returning in 2014.

Hold the phone! Someone is going to get fired after two sub-par seasons that followed offseasons where the Angels backed up a small fleet of Brinks trucks in an effort to sign the biggest names available? You don’t say?

I would say: “Don’t shoot the messenger.” But the messenger is Jon Morosi. On my mark, unleash hell.

A few hours later, a far juicier story hit the interwebs, and sent scores of people to their phone/tablet/laptop/WP 1400D to find out, and subsequently, weigh-in on the story fed to CBS Sports columnist, Scott Miller.

In case you missed it, I’ll wait here while you read it and catch up.

/checks watch

……..

That is now two writers that I swore I would never link in an article. I feel incredibly dirty now. But, this story has dirty written all over it. Neither Torii Hunter or Albert Pujols would comment on the topic, making a lot of it hearsay, but it’s nice to know that they remembered that the first rule of the Los Angeles Angels Fight Club is that you do not talk about the Los Angeles Angels Fight Club.

To be honest, I’m surprised that the story caught on as much as it did. I didn’t expect to be writing down my own hot take on the issue. And it is for one very simple and precise reason. And that is that the main “antagonists” in the article, are jocks. Good old-fashioned, brawn over brains jocks. Take a second and think back to when you were in High School. What were the jocks like? Yeah. These are the same kind of people.

C.J. Wilson is also mentioned in the article, but it is a fleeting mention. His and Hunter’s issue was squashed quickly. But I’ve been working on the mathematical algorithm that could sufficiently explain why what happened during a players’ meeting last year happened.

I never said it was complicated, but these are the facts that Miller brushed over when he wrote his flame piece, and I find it hard to believe that this does not happen at least once, every season, in every clubhouse. Even for winning teams. It just makes for more link clicks when it is attached to a high-profile team with a massive payroll that is on pace to lose 90+ games for the first team in 14 years. And I think we can all agree that at least Mike Trout was not hurt in the fracas. That would’ve been tragic.

Take from the story what you will. On Twitter, Torii Hunter‘s leadership image took a hit. Most fans, former and present, were appalled at the idea that Hunter was anything other than a constantly smiling and vocal presence for whatever club he is playing for. Wilson looked like a pitcher who should mind his own business. And Pujols looked like a troublemaker.

This should be a non-story, but it wont be. Along with this, expect plenty of takes on the subject, and expect plenty of message boards to be flooded with fans voicing their opinions. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when you click on a link associated with this topic. Just keep in my mind the people who are represented in the article. They’ve been like this their whole life, we really shouldn’t be surprised that, as adults, they would still use their fists to settle a dispute.