Are the Angels really going to trade Mike Trout?
By Joe Torosian
“When nothing is owed or deserved or expected. And your life doesn’t change by the man that’s elected. When you’re loved by someone, you’re never rejected. Decide what to be and go be it.”—The Avett Brothers
Kick it!
Right off the Top: If I was a celebrity threatening to move to another country because of an election, I’d take Mexico over Canada…The food is better in Mexico.
***
So Arcadia is going out to Oak Park…What for? It’s a boring game…Not for the teams involved but for outside parties and gate…There’s no history…There’s no draw…Since everything is so creative…give me Arcadia-Arroyo…then you’ve got something…I’ll tell you one thing, you’ll get a better gate.
El Monte is going out to Boron…Boron, is the capital of the planet Mars…Okay, it’s not on Mars but you’ll feel like you’re driving to Mars if you want to go see the Lions play…Plus Boron is (DELETED EXPLETIVE) in league…(DELETED EXPLETIVE)…Trump did better in California than Boron did in league play…(From Joe T.–I crossed my notes and screwed this bit up. You know all the jokes can’t be good…you have to expect that once in a while.)
It’s nice that San Dimas is at home and, of course, its got a great history with Rio Mesa…I’ve been praying for this match up for years…I know no one would want to see San Dimas play Burbank or Muir…
Sarcasm aside…Congrats to Alhambra for making the dance…and for only having to travel to Santa Ana instead of El Centro.
***
The Dodgers trading of Carlos Ruiz, who is 37, to the Mariners for Vidal Nuno, left-handed reliever, reminds me of the Dodgers trading 37-year old Steve Yeager to the Mariners for a left-handed reliever named Ed Vande Berg after the 1985 season.
***
I got asked by an adult about what they should say to their kid about the election…
…I laughed in their face…Couldn’t help it… I told them to say what they always say. Tell them to do their chores, be respectful to their elders, open the door, say, ‘thank you’, say, ‘excuse me’…Pray for their family, don’t spend too much time on the computer, brush their teeth…and read a lot.
If you’re kids are stressed about this election it is your fault…If they are kids you should be the biggest influence in their life…and if you’re not then you’ve got a bigger problem than Trump being elected president.
***
Joe T.’s High School football novel is available through Amazon.com
“Joe captures the essence of high school football and does it with a local flavor that makes this book especially interesting.”–Mike Maggiore, HC West Covina Bulldogs
“A literary snapshot of what goes on over the course of a high school football season…an awesome read and a story that truly will transcend time.”—Jim Singiser, AD/HC Arroyo Knights Football
“Thrill, dread, anxiety, love, agony, success, and failure; basically all the emotions you feel as a football player/coach as you do in life, all wrapped up in a single book.”—Marc Paramo, HC Rosemead Panthers Football
“I read the book and really enjoyed it a great deal. I would think coaches and parents could Learn a lot.”—John “Coach” Kentera, former sports talk host at Mighty 690 & Mighty 1090
I will say this…La Mirada is great…they should run the table…but it’s a good thing they don’t have to go to Paso Robles for a playoff game…They only do three things in Paso…Eat meat, make meth, and play football.
In 1998, I saw Temple City lose a semifinal there, 40-7…But they did draw first blood when Jamil Frazier scored on a 10-yard run in the first quarter…Then it turned into the Brett Collins show for the Bearcats.
M-Town fans know all about Paso…
***
The closing of the Mid Valley News reminded me of the days we used to cover seven different Little Leagues in the area. I remembered one night I was at Lambert Park covering El Monte National…This kid, who looked like it was the first time he’d ever had a bat in his hands, came up with the bases loaded and two-outs in the last inning. He struck-out with a very bad swing on a pitch that was a foot over his head.
The crowd groaned…But his coach came out there, clapping his hands, and told the kid; “That’s okay, we’re going to work on that.” He put an arm around the kid and walked him off the field.
Flash forward to the end of the season and the same kid comes up in the same situation and this time he singles up the middle for the game-winner. It was probably one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen in sports.
***
Last Add on Election: I have no problem with people protesting or being angry…You want to march, march. You want to walk out, walk out. Get angry…But on a personal level the videos I’m seeing of people crying about this election is disgusting. I have no pity, sympathy, or empathy for you…Grow up….Get angry…but these public displays of tears are ridiculous and only reinforce the worst stereotypes of Millennials.
When I see people balling over this (Like I said, I’m cool with the protesters and the marchers)…All I can think about is what Lloyd Christmas said to Harry Dunn, when Harry said he didn’t bet (gamble)…Lloyd uses just one word, but he repeats it three times.
Oh, and if you don’t vote…You’ve lost you’re right to be taken seriously when it comes to protesting…
Every vote counts…even in California…How much better does the argument for Hillary and the popular vote versus the Electoral College become if the popular advantage becomes greater and greater?
By the way…Please come out and vote for Calexit…I’d like to see that.
***
Azusa is playing Carnegie? In Riverside? The Aztecs are 5-5, they finished third in the Montview, and CalPreps gives them a -9.7 power rating…That’s not a dash and a 9.7 but a negative symbol followed by a 9.7.
Carnegie is 7-3 overall and has a power rating of -(negative) 31.1…Azusa is projected by CalPreps to win, 31-12.
With athletic budgets being so small and schools needing money…save the gas, and the hours paid to the driver…and just declare Azusa the winner.
Sort of makes you long for the old, imperfect, playoff divisions.
***
One of the worst things I ever saw covering Little League baseball was a game at Live Oak Park in the District 18 Tournament of Champions. A kid is on the mound and he’s pitching well…and his father is out beyond the left-field fence, completely drunk, and yelling at him…Dads from the team leave the stands and went running around the field to get the drunk father out of there…The manager walked to the mound and the kid was hiding his face in his glove because he was crying…Apparently, I found out later, the kid’s dad had been on the wagon for a while and had fallen off that week…
It makes me sad to even share this story…but it something worth crying over.
***
Last Add High School Playoffs: The Rams are playing the Jets…I know, I know it’s not high school football…but it sure feels like it to me…You know, if Cathedral wasn’t going to go with Andrew Tovar full-time they should have dealt him to the Rams…Tovar to the Rams…Left tackle Greg Robinson to the Phantoms…
***
Coolest Little League Story: I’m working a football game at Bergstrom Stadium…and this teenager comes up to me and says; “You’re Joe T.”
I confirmed I was… “You wrote a story about me in Little League and my dad cut it out of the paper and made a plaque out of it. It’s still hanging in my bedroom.”
Is that cool or what?
***
Midbits (same as ‘Tidbits’)
Midbits: Former West Covina standout Jimmy Frazier (1,537 yards rushing/18 Tds—2011) turns 22 today.
Midbits: I heard Thirsty Thursday at UCLA became Thirsty Tuesday this week.
Midbits: So who should be fired, released, or benched in Baltimore if the Ravens lose to the Cleveland Browns tonight?
Midbits: The MLB Network had its experts on this morning and they were talking like there was a real possibility the Angels could trade Mike Trout…I doubt it happens…Unless Vernon Wells is available.
Midbits: Fantasy football sucks.
***
MLB GAMES JOE T. WATCHED THIS SEASON (Minimum 5-innings)
New York Mets: 123
Los Angeles Dodgers: 30
San Francisco Giants: 20
Chicago Cubs-20
Atlanta Braves-18
Miami Marlins-17
Cleveland Indians-16
Washington Nationals-16
Philadelphia Phillies-14
Los Angeles Angels: 8
Toronto Blue Jays-8
Milwaukee Brewers-8
The Dude abides…
650
Psalm 143
Contact Joe at joe@midvalleysports.com
Author of “Tangent Dreams: A High School Football Novel” available through amazon.com …and “The Dead Bug Tales” available this fall.
Follow Joe on Twitter @joet13b
Leave a Reply