Arte Moreno on the Sports Lodge: recap and thoughts...

What has become a regular appearance for the owner of your Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Arte Moreno joined Roger Lodge's Sports Lodge on AM830 as part of the pre-opening day ceremonies, underneath the hats.  Here's a recap from the owner via a phone...

On the Season Opener
I'm fired up.  They worked hard in Spring Training, they're having fun, Mike's tough, he's fine tuning them, but I think they're ready to play.

On Albert Pujols
He is nicknamed the Machine because of his work ethic.  First to arrive and last to leave.  He works with the younger guys and is quite the gentleman.  Great players are disciplined, strong will and a high level of concentration.  Pujols, Morales, and Trumbo got to Spring Training a week early, fine tuning things.

Scoiscia's added pressure to win
"Mike is highly competitive, you want to prepare your team, but at the end of the day, the players need to play.  You have to do the best you can, with the tools you have."

Getting Mad at Players
You never want to see someone get picked off or cause the final out on 3rd base.  I don't get mad at my players, but I don't like to lose.

I remember last year on opening day.  I was driving my daughter to her school.  I live in Anaheim.  She goes to school in Los Angeles County.  Needless to say it is a very long drive.  But I didn't mind the drive that day.  Because everybody's favorite Uncle, Arte Moreno joined the Sports Lodge.  Arte dropped hints about Weaver (and hoping to extend him), his thoughts on what happened with Teixera a few years before.  He tried to defend the decision to trade Napoli to the Blue Jays for Vernon Wells (still wasn't a smart business decision).  And he also spoke of the progress of Kendrys Morales bum foot. 


Arte's Favorite Non-Angel Players...
Although it turned into more of a great player around the league as opposed to favorite players....
Yankees (Derek Jetter & Robinson Cano), Red Sox (Dustin Pedroia & Adrian Gonzalez), Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Dee Gordon), Tampa (Longoria), & the Rangers (Andrus, Beltre, Kinsler, Hamilton, Cruz --didn't mention Napoli)

Memo to Dodger Fans

With Frank McCourt days being numbered as Czar of the Dodgers, the villainy and evil that has held Chavez Ravine hostage like a 1980 Hijacker taking a plane bound for Atlanta to Havana, will be coming to an end.  Now freedom, shout it from atop the Ravine, Freedom, now like William Wallace as they are cutting out your innards, FREEDOM, the Dodgers are now free from this terror.

But McCourt has kind of left you all with a ticking time-bomb so to speak.  Sure Matt Kemp is locked up and even bought out some of his free agent years... but what about Clayton Kershaw.  But unfortunately the opportunity to sign another game changer is slowly passing you buy.  With no real owner at the helm, there is no real money to spend.  No way to leverage Prince Fielder into first base.  No opportunity to seduce Jose Reyes to play short.  No big time free-agent, no significant off season signings this year.

So although the light is at the end of the tunnel, you've still got a long stretch of road before you get there...
Happy Thanksgiving!

Yours Truly,

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