Clips (June 30, 2015)

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1 June 30, 2015 Page 1 of 33 Clips (June 30, 2015)

2 June 30, 2015 Page 2 of 33 FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3) Today s Clips Contents Angels center fielder Mike Trout is the 'Catch of the Day' Angels beat Yankees, 4-1, behind Mike Trout's offense and defense C.J. Cron recalled from triple A, will start at first base Monday Kyle Kubitza is eager to improve before next big-league stint with Angels Angels closer Huston Street remains upbeat after giving up homer FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 7) Fine work by Mike Trout carries Angels, C.J. Wilson to 4-1 win over Yankees C.J. Cron crushes long homer in his return to Angels Angels pitcher Hector Santiago a natural... at getting baseball stars' autographs Angels' Mike Trout maintains lead among AL outfielders in All-Star Game voting entering final stretch On deck: Yankees at Angels, Tuesday, 7 p.m. FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 17) Trout's latest star turn evokes legendary Hall of Famer: Huge game vs. Yanks from reigning AL MVP continues Mantle comparisons Trout puts Angels on his back vs. Yankees Trout of sight: Star robs 2 hits, slugs 20th HR Pujols up for one last Home Run Derby Keep Trout in lead before All-Star voting ends: With balloting over Thursday, Angels OF tops position; Pujols fifth at 1B FROM FOX SPORTS (Page 24) Trout hits 20th HR, powers Angels past Yankees with bat, glove Mike Trout puts on another show with crazy catches, home run & more RECAP: Mike Trout powers Angels past Yankees 4-1 with bat and glove Cron recalled to help boost Angels offense Angels' Street looking forward to significant personal milestone AL All-Star Game voting update: Trout increases OF lead; Pujols remains 5th (1B) FROM LA DAILY NEWS (Page 30) Mike Trout s bat, glove help Angels to 4-1 victory over Yankees Trevor Gott has been a baby-faced assassin early on for L.A. Angels

3 June 30, 2015 Page 3 of 33 FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES Angels center fielder Mike Trout is the 'Catch of the Day' BY MIKE DIGIOVANNA From the day he arrived in the big leagues to stay as a 20-year-old on April 28, 2012, Mike Trout has oozed confidence and a sense that he belongs, traits that helped the Angels center fielder quickly emerge as one of the game s best all-around players and to handle the spotlight that comes with such accolades. But there is one part of his game that Trout, now 23, was a little unsure of in his first three seasons: his defensive positioning. Like most young outfielders, Trout had a fear of balls going over his head, so he always played a little deeper, even though he has the kind of closing speed to cover huge amounts of space. Then about a month ago, Angels bench coach Dino Ebel, who oversees the outfielders, suggested that Trout begin playing a little more shallow. His message to the 2014 American League most valuable player: Trust yourself and your routes. Let your speed, instincts and athletic ability take over. The results of that shift could be seen Monday night, when Trout made three superb defensive plays in the Angels' 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees in Angel Stadium. In the third inning, Trout sprinted straight back and made a leaping catch of Chris Young s drive at the wall to rob the Yankees left fielder of extra bases. After hitting a solo homer, his 20th of the season, in the bottom of the third, Trout robbed Young again, making a lunging catch on the warning track after a long run. In the sixth, with a runner on first, Trout made another long run, this time into the gap in right-center, to rob Chase Headley of a double. I just feel like I can get back on balls easier than coming in on balls, Trout said. I don t want to get handcuffed. When I was playing deep and balls fell in front of me, if I was a pitcher, I d be pretty upset, to get a jam shot and it falls in. At least if they hit it over my head, they barreled it up. Dino puts us in the right position. We re out there every day working hard. Trout has made several spectacular, home-run-robbing catches over the years, but he wasn t always known for taking the cleanest routes. In fact, according to Fangraphs, Trout went from 23 defensive runs saved in 2012 to a minus-nine defensive runs saved in both 2013 and He was a plus-one in that category this season before Monday night.

4 June 30, 2015 Page 4 of 33 There s no doubt he s a more effective center fielder with his routes and the unbelievable range he s shown us, Manager Mike Scioscia said. He s getting more comfortable playing more shallow. He went back and made some big catches for us tonight. Scioscia also praised Ebel for his work with Trout. I don t think he s going to force anything with a player, but he s going to challenge them to get as much range as he can going in and out, Scioscia said. Mike is feeling more comfortable pinching [in] at times. It will be contingent on situations in the game, but he s as good as there is out there in center field. Trout s defense, along with Kole Calhoun s diving catch of John Ryan Murphy s line drive in the fourth, helped pitcher C.J. Wilson stay out of trouble. Trout s third-inning catch came with two on and one out, and his fifth-inning catch came with a runner on second. One of the benefits of being a pitcher on this team is you get a guy like that chasing balls down, Wilson said. It gives you a lot of hope that any ball hit to center field is going to be caught. Angels beat Yankees, 4-1, behind Mike Trout's offense and defense BY MIKE DIGIOVANNA Angels 4, New York Yankees 1 KEY MOMENT: Rookie reliever Trevor Gott, summoned to protect a 3-1 lead in the seventh, walked Brian McCann and gave up an infield single to Didi Gregorius to open the inning. But the right-hander got hot-hitting Brett Gardner to fly to left, Chris Young to ground into a fielder's choice and Alex Rodriguez to ground to shortstop, ending the inning. AT THE PLATE: Johnny Giavotella singled to open the first and scored on Albert Pujols' double to right. Mike Trout's homer gave the Angels a 2-1 lead in the third. Daniel Robertson singled and scored on Kole Calhoun's double to right for a 3-1 lead in the fifth. C.J. Cron, recalled from triple-a Salt Lake earlier Monday, led off the seventh with his second homer of the season to make it 4-1. Gardner had two doubles and a single and is hitting.500 (25 for 50) with four homers, seven doubles and 11 runs batted in over his last 11 games. Gott didn't really walk McCann in the 7th. The ump screwed up. He had McCann on an 0-2 count and threw strike three which the ump missed bad. Enough with the failures by the umps. They change games way too often with their failures. Luckily it didn't happen this time. We have the... ON THE MOUND: Joe Smith's scoreless eighth gave him an American League-leading 21 holds, and Huston Street's scoreless ninth gave him 22 saves for the season and 297 saves in his career. Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia gave up four runs and six hits in 71/3 innings. IN THE FIELD: Trout raced to the wall and made a leaping catch of Young's drive in the third. He robbed Young again in the fifth with a lunging catch on the warning track after a long run, and he raced to the gap in right-center to catch Chase Headley's drive in the sixth.

5 June 30, 2015 Page 5 of 33 ALL-STAR UPDATE: Trout led American League outfielders with nearly 11.5 million votes in Monday's final All-Star balloting update, putting him on track to start the July 14 game in Cincinnati. Pujols remained fifth among AL first basemen with about 1.9 million votes despite leading the league with 23 homers. His All-Star hopes will rest with managers, coaches and players, who pick reserves at each position; AL Manager Ned Yost; or possibly the final one fan vote. Starters for the game will be announced Sunday, and reserves will be announced Monday. REHAB REPORT: Reliever Mike Morin, out since May 24 because of a left rib-cage strain, returned from a three-appearance stint at triple A on Monday and hopes to be activated Tuesday or Wednesday. Reserve outfielder Collin Cowgill, out since May 26 because of a right wrist sprain, resumed batting practice Monday but is not sure when he'll be ready to begin a minor league rehabilitation stint. Jered Weaver (left-hip inflammation) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Monday. UP NEXT: Left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-0, 1.50 ERA) will oppose New York Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova (1-0, 0.00) at Angel Stadium on Tuesday at 7 p.m. TV: FS West; Radio: 830, 1330 C.J. Cron recalled from triple A, will start at first base Monday BY MIKE DIGIOVANNA There were no significant changes in his swing or approach. The simple act of playing every day at triple A seemed to cure what ailed Angels slugger C.J. Cron, who hit.315 (17 for 54) with four homers, 16 runs batted in and eight strikeouts in 13 games in his latest stint at Salt Lake before being recalled again on Monday. When you re playing every day, you see the ball better, for sure, your timing seems to be a little more on, said Cron, who will start at first base and bat seventh against New York Yankees left-hander C.C. Sabathia on Monday night. But that s no excuse. I have a job to do up here, and whatever that is, I need to be better at it. That s my mind-set coming in. That s how I m going to approach it. Cron, who showed considerable promise when he hit.256 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs in just 79 games in 2014, opened the season as the Angels regular designated hitter. But when his average dipped to.193 on May 12, he began to lose playing time. By late May, Cron, 25, was spending so much time on the bench the Angels sent him to Salt Lake to get regular at-bats, recalling him for a week in early June and sending him back down on June 14. If the right-handed-hitting Cron, a first-round pick in 2011, is to stick with the Angels this time, he must do a better job of adjusting to a part-time role or outperform left-handed-hitting Matt Joyce, who is batting just.183 and is not in the lineup Monday night.

6 June 30, 2015 Page 6 of 33 In the beginning of the season, he was getting plenty of at-bats, playing five days a week he wasn t sporadically playing once a week, Manager Mike Scioscia said of Cron, who has a.204 average, one homer and six RBIs in 35 big league games this season. When that happened, he went down to get some work. There are some at-bats guys need to keep their edge, and it s not necessarily seven days a week. We know what he can do when he s swinging the bat well, and hopefully he can get in a groove and do that. Kyle Kubitza is eager to improve before next big-league stint with Angels BY GARY KLEIN Kyle Kubitza was at the plate Sunday when Seattle Mariners reliever Tom Wilhelmsen unleashed a wild pitch that allowed the winning run to score in a 3-2 Angels victory. Less than an hour later, the rookie was packing his bags after being optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake. Kubitza, who had been called up June 10, batted.207, drove in a run and struck out 13 times in 29 atbats in his first stint with the Angels. Kubitza, 24, said he experienced a lot of firsts. Anytime you re doing that in the big leagues it s good, he said. So, hopefully, get down, get better and come back up here and be ready to play. Kubitza had entered Sunday s game as a pinch-runner for David Freese in the seventh inning, and he scored on a single by pinch-hitter Erick Aybar. Kubitza struck out against Joe Beimel in the eighth and he came up again in the 10th after the Mariners intentionally walked Mike Trout to load the bases and Albert Pujols hit into a double play. The count was 2-2 when Wilhelmsen s pitch got past catcher Mike Zunino. Just trying to find a good pitch to hit, Kubitza said. I don t do very good hitting those ones in the dirt, so luckily I didn t swing at that one. Angels closer Huston Street remains upbeat after giving up homer BY GARY KLEIN Angels closer Huston Street lost an opportunity for his 22nd save this season and the 297th of his career when he surrendered a two-out, game-tying home run to Kyle Seager in the ninth inning of Sunday s 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Seattle Mariners.

7 June 30, 2015 Page 7 of 33 Rookie Trevor Gott pitched the 10th and earned his first win. Street, who has converted all but three of his save opportunities this season, was upbeat afterward, citing the ultimate goal of the Angels winning the game. You re upset when it happens just because of the result, Street said of the game-tying home run, "Just because of the position it puts your team in versus the position your team was in right before that pitch. When you win the game, I don t care [about the homer]. You can t care. There s no reason to care. We won. That s the point. Street had earned a save on Saturday but was not happy with his performance, describing it as horrible and terrible. After Sunday s outing, despite the homer, he said it was probably the best I ve thrown the ball all month. That s the big leagues, he said, and Kyle Seager is a great player. Left a pitch right down the middle and he did what you re supposed to do in that situation -- he put it in the bleachers. That s why the big leagues is so tough, because you have to make that pitch. And I expect myself to make that pitch. FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Fine work by Mike Trout carries Angels, C.J. Wilson to 4-1 win over Yankees BY PEDRO MOURA ANAHEIM Mike Trout didn t think he d corral Chris Young s drive when the ball left the bat in Monday s third inning at Angel Stadium. He s been playing a more shallow center field of late, on Angels bench coach Dino Ebel s advice, so hard-hit liners that travel to the warning track challenge him. See how you like it, Ebel told Trout about a month ago, when he moved up 10 or 15 feet in his standard positioning. Trust yourself that you can get to them. I got to a couple tonight, Trout said, smiling, Monday night. He did, and those couple of catches won the Angels the game, 4-1, over the New York Yankees. Trout twice robbed Yankees outfielder Chris Young of sure extra-base hits that likely would have scored three runs had most other major-league center fielders been manning center. In both the third and fifth innings, Trout put his head down as soon as Young made contact and chased down the balls, timing the leaps exactly right to catch them at his peak height. The first one, he doubted he d catch; the second one, he thought he had all the way. Ebel tipped his cap at both.

8 June 30, 2015 Page 8 of 33 Obviously, that s one of the benefits of being a pitcher on this team, said Angels starter C.J. Wilson, the man who gave up both drives. It gives you a lot of hope every time the ball s hit to center field. For his first 500-plus games as a major leaguer, Trout preferred to play deep in the outfield. He felt fast. Standing closer to the wall gave him a chance to steal home runs and make the occasional single-saving catch. But his perspective has changed. As he put it Monday night, his new alignment is based on the Golden Rule. If I was pitching, I d be pretty upset if there was a jam shot, Trout said. At least if they hit it over my head, they barreled it up. I m trying to make them earn a hit. Young felt like he d earned his. They should change the rules, he said afterward. Somebody hits a ball hard, they should get a half a point or something. The box score won t say that. It will say Wilson gave up five hits and a single run in six innings on Monday night, and he did, but it would have been far different if not for Trout. Wilson was wild for much of the night, although he argued afterward that the 44 balls he threw were more a product of his approach to facing the Yankees. Today was all about not giving in, he said. The worst thing you can do against a lineup like this, with all the sluggers in it, is say, Oh, God, it s 1-0, I have to throw a pitch for a strike. Three of the five hits Wilson allowed were struck by Brett Gardner, the reigning AL Player of the Week who s hitting.511 in his last 10 games. In earning his sixth win of 2015, the left-hander threw 101 pitches and issued three walks. He wasn t exactly pitch-efficient, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. But when he needed to make pitches, he made pitches. Wilson s second pitch of the game was a 92-mph fastball right down the middle. Gardner drove it to right field for a double. When he tried to take third on a ball that bounced in front of Angels catcher Carlos Perez, Perez threw him out. The Yankees scored their first run in the third, when Wilson issued a four-pitch walk to No. 9 hitter Didi Gregorius and Gardner got him again. Then came Trout s first splendid catch. Alex Rodriguez approached the plate next, to a chorus of boos from fans at Angel Stadium. In an impressive hitting display, the 39-year-old Rodriguez lightly redirected a fastball into right field to bring in a run. Trout hit his 20th homer in the bottom half of the inning landing an inner-half fastball from CC Sabathia just past the left-center fence.

9 June 30, 2015 Page 9 of 33 With the home run, Trout became the sixth American League player to author four 20-homer seasons before his age-24 season. The others were Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Tony Conigliaro, Ken Griffey Jr., and, most recently, Rodriguez. In the eighth inning, Trout also attempted a stolen base and succeeded for the first time in five weeks. Mike showed you his talent in every phase tonight, Scioscia said. In the first inning, Trout struck out looking on a borderline sinker and had words with home-plate umpire Manny Gonzalez. The next pitch Sabathia threw was another borderline sinker on the outside. Pujols pounced on it for an RBI double to right field. C.J. Cron, called up from Triple-A Monday, hit a 457-foot homer in the seventh inning, and the other Angel run scored on a Kole Calhoun double in the fifth. Gonzalez s strike zone left a lot to be desired all night. In the eighth inning, New York s Mark Teixeira struck out looking on a Joe Smith pitch that was several inches off the plate. Hard-throwing rookie right-hander Trevor Gott replaced Wilson for the seventh and let on the first two runners he faced before retiring three consecutive Yankees. Smith and closer Huston Street pitched the eighth and ninth innings without incident. Both Street and Smith have thrown on three consecutive days, which could add an obstacle to Tuesday s efforts to extend the team s streak. Winners of three straight, the Angels (40-37) are now three games over.500 for the first time since June 2. Eleven games remain until the All-Star break, enough time to do the emerging We ve been trying to get a little bit of momentum, Scioscia said Monday night. One thing we haven t done is set the table on the offensive side and pressure teams offensively. If we can get that going and our pitching holds up, I think you re going to see a different team as we move on in the summer. For the night, as it is many nights, the focus was on the Angels star center fielder, who ll turn 24 in five weeks. Before then, he ll start the 2015 All-Star Game and, probably, make a few more defensive saves. Real shocker, right? Wilson joked Monday night. Mike Trout hits a home run and saves a couple runs with some defense. Whatever. C.J. Cron crushes long homer in his return to Angels BY PEDRO MOURA ANAHEIM In his first game in the majors in two weeks, C.J. Cron provided a neat little picture of what he offers, and at this point the Angels have decided to embrace that offering.

10 June 30, 2015 Page 10 of 33 The 25-year-old first baseman displayed little plate discipline but plenty of power, striking out once and launching the longest homer at Angel Stadium this season, a solo shot in the seventh inning. The Angels have twice sent Cron down to Triple-A this season with the stated reasoning that he needs consistent at-bats to succeed, and twice called him up saying he might have a chance to get those atbats up here. He replaced third baseman Kyle Kubitza on the 25-man roster Monday. In eight weeks with the Angels this season, Cron has struggled. Entering Monday, he had come to the plate 114 times, homered once, doubled four times, struck out 23 times and walked just twice. That's a.204/.237/.269 line or an.505 OPS. But his OPS in four weeks in Triple-A is more than double that: There, he has logged 18 extra-base hits in 98 plate appearances. The walks are still low four, compared to 14 strikeouts but the power demonstrates a trait this team desires. This year he hasn t quite gotten into his game, but he s making some adjustments and was swinging the bat well down there, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. C.J., we know what he can do when he s swinging the bat well. Hopefully he can get into his game and do that. Scioscia said Cron was receiving enough playing time for the season s first month. When he struggled, that playing time was cut, and that s when he was sent down. It s unclear how often he ll play this time. I think there s some at-bats guys need to keep their edge, the manager said. It s not necessarily seven days a week. Cron, rookie catcher Carlos Perez and journeyman outfielder Dan Robertson made up the bottom third of the Angels batting order Monday. In a combined 245 plate appearances entering the game, that trio had walked just five times for a 2 percent walk rate that would be third-worst among qualified major leaguers. RUN DIFFERENTIAL An MLB team s run differential can often inform as much as its record can. Teams that score more runs than they allow generally win more than they lose, and teams that score fewer runs than they give up generally lose more often. The exceptions are also interesting. The Angels are one of four teams who entered Monday s play not fitting the formula. They had given up four more runs than they d scored, but were two games above.500. That s something that doesn t usually happen, Scioscia said. A lot of it is we ve held leads well. The Mets and Tigers are also above.500 with negative run differentials, and the A s are below.500 with a positive differential. NOTES

11 June 30, 2015 Page 11 of 33 RHP Jered Weaver, on the 15-day disabled list since June 21 because of left hip inflammation, threw a bullpen session for the first time since he sustained the injury. Scioscia would not rule out the possibility that Weaver could return before the All-Star break. After Monday, the Angels will play 11 games in 13 days before breaking for four days. Right-handed reliever Mike Morin (left oblique strain) said he expects to be activated Tuesday or Wednesday. He pitched in three Triple-A Salt Lake games as part of his rehab assignment. In his last appearance Sunday, Morin struggled, allowing six hits and four runs while recording only two outs. He said his body was adjusting to pitching on back-to-back days for the first time in more than a month. Morin had a 2.90 ERA in 59 major league innings as a rookie last season.... OF Collin Cowgill, working his way back from a sprained right wrist, took batting practice and will take a few more rounds before beginning a minor league rehab assignment. He s getting close, Scioscia said. Mike Trout led all AL outfielders in the sixth and last All-Star balloting update. The game s starters will be announced Sunday on ESPN. Albert Pujols is the only other Angel to rank among the top five at his position, but he is nearly 10 million votes behind Detroit s Miguel Cabrera at first base. Angels pitcher Hector Santiago a natural... at getting baseball stars' autographs BY PEDRO MOURA In August 2013, Hector Santiago found out Hank Aaron would be attending a ballgame he was starting at Chicago s U.S. Cellular Field. It was Major League Baseball s annual Civil Rights Game, and the legendary home-run hitter would watch the action from White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf s suite. Santiago was in his first full major-league season. Not one to miss an opportunity, he ordered an Atlanta Braves No. 44 jersey in advance and, the day of the game, asked a few White Sox officials if someone could acquire Aaron s autograph for him. They could not, they said; they said the then-79-year-old hadn t signed for anyone. So, after he finished his outing in a White Sox win 61/3 innings, two runs Santiago made his way up to the owner s suite himself. In full uniform, he introduced himself and asked the man for his signature directly. Aaron obliged. Santiago was swayed by the experience. Now, nearly, two years later, the Angels lefthander is obsessive about acquiring as many autographed jerseys as he can through any means necessary. Other major leaguers are known for their collections Astros reliever Pat Neshek estimates he has amassed 25,000 signed baseball cards over more than a decade, Diamondbacks reliever Brad Ziegler aims to get entire sets of cards autographed, Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson collects NFL signatures but Santiago is the most fearless. No one does it like him, said Brian Bubba Harkins, the longtime visiting clubhouse manager at Angel Stadium.

12 June 30, 2015 Page 12 of 33 Santiago will ask anyone at any time, using all kinds of methods and connections, from old friends who know someone to clubhouse attendants to direct one-for-one trades using his teammates valuable signatures. He ll ask hitters he just struck out hours earlier and pitchers who beat him the night before, no matter. He loves the feeling of getting another one he wants. He s a go-getter, said his father, Hector Santiago Sr., a flooring installer in their hometown of Newark. He s always been that type of kid. When he wants something, he ll go get it. That s the way he s been with baseball. That's the way he is with everything. He s not afraid of nothing. Santiago doesn't mind the fleeting feeling of nervousness that sets in just as he's about to ask. And he doesn t quite understand why more of his peers don't do the same. I think some guys do want to do it, but their pride is too much, Santiago said. I don t think (Albert) Pujols is going to go over there and ask someone for their signature. For me, when I first came up, I was like, I don t know how long I m gonna be here. This is my opportunity to do stuff like this. And I ve tried to keep that. I don t see shame in it. Said Neshek, long known for his collecting: I like what he s doing. For me, I want to ask everybody, but I also don t want to wear out my name a lot. It s accepted, but it s not like a lot of people do it and it s not too common. I don t want to walk on thin ice and bother anybody. Soliciting autographs is expressly prohibited for credential-holders and most people who occupy a major-league clubhouse on a normal night. But there have never been any rules against it for major leaguers themselves. Santiago was right to wonder how long he d last in the majors. He never was supposed to make it there. When the White Sox drafted him in the 30th round as a draft-and-follow prospect out of a small vocational high school in New Jersey, he never had thrown anything but a fastball. But he threw every pitch at maximum effort, and he threw hard, and Chicago gave him a small signing bonus in 2007, after he spent the season pitching at a Florida junior college. He brought boundless energy, an unusual, unceasing enthusiasm and a willingness to work. Four years later, when White Sox executives became smitten with the screwball he picked up pitching in Puerto Rico the previous winter, he made it to the majors. Two years later, he was sent to Anaheim in a three-team trade that netted the Angels prized pitching prospect Tyler Skaggs. This season, he has been the team s best starting pitcher, riding an increased strikeout rate, better control and batted-ball luck to a breakout year. Entering his start Sunday against Seattle at Angel Stadium, he has a 2.68 ERA in 871/3 innings. He's the only Angels pitcher who has finished at least five innings in each of his starts. Santiago has pitched himself into a chance to make next month s All-Star Game, and he realizes what a gold mine that would be for his collection. Nobody's going to turn down a fellow honoree s request.

13 June 30, 2015 Page 13 of 33 In the minors, Santiago signed autographs all the time, he said, and he may be the most prolific signer among active major leaguers. Many days, he spends close to an hour near the Angels dugout, scribbling his loopy signature over and over, always affixing a No. 53 after the o in his surname. The first autograph Santiago received, as he recalls, was Gaylord Perry s, on June 1, Perry was making an appearance at a Double-A game at the oldest ballpark in America, Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala. All the players got an autographed item, and Santiago put a Perry-inscribed ball in his bag and forgot about it. One month later, he was in the major leagues, and he started to see how many desirable signatures he could secure without much effort. He waited until the next season, when he was a little more established, to start asking his teammates and opponents. First was Paul Konerko, the elder statesman of the 2012 White Sox. It progressed quickly from there. Now, he carries a silver paint pen, his preferred signing instrument, with him most places he goes. He has hundreds of signed jerseys and dozens of signed bats and balls. A week before the Angels embark on each trip, Santiago examines the opponents. If there are current or retired stars whose autographs he does not yet own, he orders their authentic jerseys directly from Majestic. At first, it d be five or six at a time. Now, it s more often one or two. Every day he arrives at Angel Stadium, especially at the start of a homestand, there s a chance he ll have a new autograph waiting for him on his locker chair. He loves that part, too. In interleague play last August, Santiago opposed Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium. An unfamiliar but capable batter, Santiago stood closer to home plate than most hitters and much closer than most pitchers. Kershaw threw him a 93-mph fastball on the inner half, and Santiago s swing on a groundout cracked the bat he was borrowing from teammate Efren Navarro. The next day, the Dodgers traveled to Anaheim to extend the Freeway Series, and Santiago handed Harkins the bat and asked him for a favor. He came through. Hey Hector, Kershaw wrote on the bat, Get off the plate!" Santiago obtained a Sandy Koufax signature that series, too. He has signed Chris Sale All-Star spikes from the 2013 game at Citi Field, which Sale offered his minor-league roommate because he knew Santiago grew up a Mets fan. He asked Miguel Cabrera for signed spikes when the Tigers played in Anaheim last month, and Cabrera said he ll have them ready when the Angels arrive in Detroit in August. In the two-story house Santiago purchased two years ago in Goodyear, Ariz., the two-car garage is a designated space for most of his signed stuff. The homemade gym, in another room, has several signed jerseys on the wall. Among them are Sale, David Wright, Adam Jones and Cabrera all of whom happen to have signed sizable contract extensions. This is motivation, Santiago said this month, miming a workout and pointing up. You re doing a squat, and you re like, $60 million, $120 million, $80 million, $300 million. You re tired, and then you look up, and you re like, Look at that, no I m not.

14 June 30, 2015 Page 14 of 33 Through his quest, Santiago has learned about baseball s past. He does not claim to be a baseball historian, but he knows more than he once did. Typically, athlete collectors begin before they are professionals. Ziegler avidly asked for autographs as a kid growing up in Kansas City; Neshek started collecting while attending Butler University in Indianapolis, home of the Triple-A Indians, who provided ample opportunities. I think there are a lot of guys who play Major League Baseball who don t even really like baseball, Ziegler said when asked why more players don t collect. They re good at it, they know they can make a good living, but they know they d like football or basketball better. There are a lot of guys who don t know a lot about the history of the game. The other side of the story is the value of the collection. Former major leaguer Dmitri Young became a baseball-card collector after retiring in 2009, and three years ago he reportedly sold his graded collection for $2.4 million, although it s unclear how much he initially invested. Santiago s is not yet as extensive and he deals mostly with balls, bats and jerseys. The jerseys are his favorite, framed to his specifications so he can eventually display them below glass flooring in his dream home. I tried to frame one of them, and I guess I didn t do a good job, Santiago Sr. said, laughing. I don't get to frame them no more. I m the gofer now. I ve gone to eight or nine places, picking up four or five jerseys each time. Santiago Sr. said he often asks his son: How many more you missing? There s never an exact answer. He knows he wants Barry Bonds and Willie Mays more than most any other. Their jerseys are waiting with the clubhouse managers at AT&T Park in pre-addressed FedEx envelopes. Santiago said he doesn t turn down any autographs. He s been personally rebuffed only a few times, most notably by Bo Jackson, who signed only on Santiago s fifth request. By now, he has Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson, Rod Carew, Yogi Berra, and most every Hall of Famer elected to Cooperstown since he s been alive. He has Omar Vizquel, the third baseman behind him in his first major-league start, and some lesser-known names he prizes, like his minor-league manager at several stops, ex-met Joe McEwing. Then there are signatures from athletes in other sports. He has Michael Jordan s autograph, Scottie Pippen s, Dwyane Wade s, Floyd Mayweather s, and he acquired most, but not all, himself. Neshek, 34, is curious where the autograph industry is headed. Many players two or three generations ahead of him used to rely on signings for post-career income. Few who play multiple seasons in today s MLB will need to do the same. I m wondering what, in 20 or 30 years, the cost is going to be to get some of these guys autographs, Neshek said. Is it even gonna be doable?

15 June 30, 2015 Page 15 of 33 Santiago won t think about that for a while. He s occupied enough with thoughts of who to get next and the signatures he already has. He prefers personalizations, and those who mention their own accomplishments, like when Mariano Rivera wrote, Last to wear 42, on his. And then there s Goose Gossage, the Hall of Fame closer, whose autograph a friend of Santiago s obtained for him at last summer s induction in Cooperstown. Best wishes to Hector, Gossage wrote. You had a nice career. The overwhelmingly positive man that he is, Santiago laughed it off. I love it, he said. He loves them all. Angels' Mike Trout maintains lead among AL outfielders in All-Star Game voting entering final stretch BY MARCIA C. SMITH Angels centerfielder Mike Trout continues to lead all outfielders for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game, according to the sixth and latest AL balloting update released Monday. With just four days remaining for fans to vote online at MLB.com, Trout, the reigning AL MVP, has 11,461,212 votes, outpacing Kansas City Royals outfielders Lorenzo Cain (10,418,343) and Alex Gordon (8,934,052). Trout, Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera, Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson, who overtook previous frontrunning Royal Mike Moustakas since last week s update, and Seattle designated hitter Nelson Cruz, who jumped ahead of Royal Kendrys Morales, are the only starters who ve managed to break through the Royals strong voting contingent. In addition to Cain and Gordon, the Royals have starters in second baseman Omar Infante, shortstop Alcides Escobar and catcher Salvador Perez. Perez continues to be the AL s leading votegetter (11,666,785), followed by Donaldson (11,738,206), Cabrera (11,594,518) and Trout. Through Sunday s game, Trout, 23, a three-time All-Star playing his fourth full season, has a slashline of.300/.389/.575, with 19 home runs and 42 RBI. First baseman Albert Pujols, a nine-time All-Star who leaped into the AL home run lead (23) with a highly productive June, is the only other Angel garnering enough votes to make the top five at his position. He has 1,892,027 votes, running a distant fifth to Cabrera. Voting is open though Thursday at 8:59 p.m. PDT. The All-Star Game will be held at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on July 14.

16 June 30, 2015 Page 16 of 33 The starters will be announced in an All-Star Starters Selection Show on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN. On deck: Yankees at Angels, Tuesday, 7 p.m. BY PEDRO MOURA Where: Angel Stadium TV: Fox Sports West, 7 p.m. Did you know: Former Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton is expected to be activated from the disabled list by the Rangers on Tuesday. Hamilton has been out because of a strained left hamstring since June 4. The Angels play Texas this weekend. THE PITCHERS LHP ANDREW HEANEY (0-0, 1.50) Heaney had an impressive Angels debut last week, striking out five and walking just one in six innings against Houston. His basic statistics had not been so great in Triple-A before his call-up, but he d been striking out nearly a batter per inning and walking one-third that many. The 24-year-old Heaney throws in the low-90s comfortably and also offers a slider and changeup. Vs. Yankees: Has never faced them At Angel Stadium: 0-0, 1.50 (6 innings) Loves to face: Chris Young, 0 for 2, 1 SO Hates to face: None RHP IVAN NOVA (1-0, 0.00) Nova just returned from a year on the disabled list. He had Tommy John surgery last season. The 28- year-old threw 62/3 scoreless innings in his return but he was facing the lowly Phillies, and he struck out just one batter. He was very good in 2011 and 2013 and not so good in Overall, he carries a 4.15 ERA in 87 career starts. Vs. Angels: 4-2, 5.45 ERA At Angel Stadium: 1-1, 4.97 ERA Loves to face: Kole Calhoun, 0 for 4 Hates to face: Albert Pujols, 3 for 9 (.333), 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB

17 June 30, 2015 Page 17 of 33 FROM ANGELS.COM Trout's latest star turn evokes legendary Hall of Famer: Huge game vs. Yanks from reigning AL MVP continues Mantle comparisons BY LYLE SPENCER/ MLB.COM ANAHEIM -- The Mickey Mantle comparisons persist and won't be going away any time soon. Mike Trout is the image of No. 7 in pinstripes, chiseled from the neck to the ankles, and he plays like the Yankees legend, crushing baseballs and running them down with blinding speed in center field. There is one more link between Mantle and Trout. Each had the good fortune at an impressionable age to study at the feet of one of the best to play his position. For Mantle, it was Joe DiMaggio. For Trout, it was Torii Hunter. In the afterglow of his brilliant performance in Monday night's 4-1 victory over the Yankees -- three superb catches saving at least three runs and a solo homer -- Trout referenced Hunter's ongoing influence in his development as a defender. "He knows everything out there -- I learned so much from Torii," Trout said of the nine-time Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder who has returned this season to his baseball roots in Minnesota to drive the surprising Twins. "I still think about things he taught me, like visualizing a play before it happens. Before at-bats, we're talking in the outfield about things to look for, what a hitter might do with a certain pitch. That's one of the things I learned from Torii, who was always talking out there. "I still talk to Torii and shoot him a text now and then. He's always available." Behind C.J. Wilson at Angel Stadium, Trout robbed Chris Young twice at the wall with men in scoring position, and he got a great break to flag down a Chase Headley drive in the right-center gap with another runner aboard. "That's one of the benefits of being a pitcher on a team like this," said Wilson, whose vast vocabulary has been challenged in producing new Trout superlatives. "It gives you a lot of hope." Angels manager Mike Scioscia has marveled at Trout since his first day in uniform as a teen straight out of Millville, N.J., in the spring of 2010, watching his defense catch up with his offense. "He's as good as there is out there in center," Scioscia said, noting the trust Trout has gained in his ability to retreat on balls. This, along with the coaching expertise of Dino Ebel, enables him to position closer to the infield and steal singles as well as doubles, triples and home runs. Trusting his eyes and experience, Scioscia is not a big fan of all the defensive analytics, especially as they pertain to Trout. The unanimous 2014 American League Most Valuable Player Award winner generally rates in the middle of the pack -- 15th in the Majors currently at his position, according to the calculations of Fangraphs.com.

18 June 30, 2015 Page 18 of 33 Unlike some center fielders, Trout is not greedy. Deferring to his corner guys, he doesn't run down everything he can reach in the gaps. This does not help Trout's range-factor numbers, but it keeps his teammates involved -- and the communication never stops. "We take a lot of pride in our defense," Trout said. "It's all about the team and doing everything you can to win games -- offensively, defensively, running the bases." In Trout's case, it can be all of the above. He stole his ninth base to go with his 20th homer, joining Mantle, Ted Williams, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Tony Conigliaro as the only AL players with four 20-homer seasons before their age-24 season. "I'm not really aware of those things," Trout said. On this occasion, all the talk was focused on his glove, a decisive factor in pushing the Angels to and keeping them four behind the Astros in the AL West. Young -- playing left for the Yankees on Monday night, but a quality center fielder for most of his career -- admittedly thought he had RBI extra-base hits in the third and fifth innings. "Then," he said, "you remember Trout is out there. You execute, do what you're trying to do at the plate, but it's a crazy game we play. Things like that happen." Yankees center fielder Brett Gardner had two doubles and a single but didn't score -- thanks to Trout's thievery. "He's a difference-maker out there, it seems like every night," said Gardner, who has 23 hits in his past 10 games. "He made some great plays out there [and] obviously swings the bat really well." What we sometimes forget is that Trout, for all his wondrous deeds, is five weeks removed from his 24th birthday. He remains a work in progress, committed to getting better. Trout doesn't coast, taking ground balls in the outfield during batting practice and showing up early to correct his swing after a troubling offensive night. Trout has listened closely to those who preceded him and shared their secrets. "I've been lucky," Trout said, "to play with great ones like Albert [Pujols] and Torii -- guys who play the game the right way and are always there for you." Trout puts Angels on his back vs. Yankees BY ALDEN GONZALEZ AND BRYAN HOCH/ MLB.COM ANAHEIM -- Mike Trout did it all on Monday night, turning in a couple of run-saving, highlight-reel catches and clubbing another home run while leading the Angels to a 4-1 win over the Yankees in Southern California.

19 June 30, 2015 Page 19 of 33 Trout twice robbed Chris Young of RBI opportunities, helping Angels starter C.J. Wilson pitch six innings of one-run ball. In between, he drove in the winning run with his 20th homer. And in the end, he picked up his first stolen base since May 22. "He showed his tools tonight, no doubt," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Trout, who helped his team win for the fourth time in five games and stay four back of the Astros in the American League West. The Yankees (41-36) lost for the third time in five games to move a half-game behind the Rays and Orioles in the AL East. "[Trout] was really the difference in the game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's responsible for about four or five runs in this game, taking three away from us, maybe four, and providing one himself. He was the real difference in the game." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED All about Trout: The Angels' superstar center fielder gave the Angels the lead with his 20th home run, in the bottom of the third, and came up big with the glove. With a runner on second and one out in the third, and with a runner on second and one out in the fifth, Trout sprinted near the center-field warning track and snared a couple of Young's liners with leaping, twisting catches. "It was obviously a good one," Trout said of his performance. "I take pride in my game defensively, offensively." Homer-happy Halos: CC Sabathia provided distance, but he was again hurt by the long ball, serving up his 18th and 19th blasts of the year to claim the Major League lead from the Tigers' Anibal Sanchez. Sabathia did manage to hold Trout and Albert Pujols to one hit apiece; unfortunately for the big lefty, they were both damaging extra-base blows. Sabathia hasn't won since June 7 vs. the Angels in New York, a span of four starts. "I think it's just something that happens from time to time," Sabathia said. "If I can keep them to solo [homers], I'm fine with that. It's just something I've got to be better at." Long gone: C.J. Cron hit a majestic solo shot to left field off Sabathia in the seventh, just the second home run in 117 plate appearances for the right-handed power hitter. Cron entered the season with hopes of getting everyday at-bats at designated hitter, but struggled early, started to platoon only against lefties, was optioned to Triple-A twice and sported a.204/.237/.269 slash line in his first 35 games. The Angels called him up on Monday in hopes that his Minor League numbers would finally translate. "I just need to put a good swing on the ball, really," Cron said. "I'm a big guy, so that stuff kind of just happens." Can't do it all himself: Reigning AL Player of the Week Brett Gardner (3-for-5, two doubles) tried to set the tone at the top of the Yankees' lineup, but the order couldn't follow his lead. The Yankees were 1- for-10 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Trout's defense had a lot to do with

20 June 30, 2015 Page 20 of 33 that, but Carlos Beltran struck out looking to leave the bases loaded in the third and Jose Pirela and Chase Headley also hit into inning-ending double plays. "We got a few guys on base, but we hit some balls hard and Trout made some good plays out in center field, then one or two big double plays," Gardner said. "Offensively, we weren't able to come up with a big hit with guys in scoring position." QUOTABLE "I think they should change the rules. Somebody hits the ball hard, you should get like a half a point or something. Just be rewarded for it in some kind of way. This game doesn't reward you for stuff like that, though." -- Young, on Trout's catches Trout catch, Young reacts "Real shocker, right? Trout hits a home run, saves a couple runs with his defense, whatever." -- Wilson, jokingly, on Trout's performance SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Trout is the sixth American League player with four 20-plus-homer campaigns before his age-24 season. The others are Alex Rodriguez ( ), Ken Griffey Jr. ( ), Tony Conigliaro ( ), Mickey Mantle ( ) and Ted Williams ( ). UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Angels escaped a potential first-inning jam thanks to replay, when a safe call on Gardner at third base was overturned. The Yankees' leadoff hitter slid headfirst into the bag after a wild pitch, but replay showed that David Freese's tag got him on the arm before he reached the bag. The Angels moved to 12- for-22 in challenges this year. WHAT'S NEXT Yankees: Right-hander Ivan Nova (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. PT, as the Yankees and Angels play the second game of this series. Nova had a successful return from Tommy John surgery on June 24 vs. Philadelphia, hurling 6 2/3 scoreless innings around three hits with two walks and a strikeout. He is 4-2 with a 5.45 ERA in six career starts vs. the Angels. Angels: Left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-0, 1.50) opposes Nova in hopes of building on a strong Angels debut. Heaney, ranked as the top prospect in the Angels' system by MLB.com, pitching six innings of one-run ball while filling the rotation spot of Jered Weaver (left hip inflammation). The Angels acquired Heaney from the Dodgers for Howie Kendrick in December and will find a way to keep him in the rotation if he keeps pitching well. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.

21 June 30, 2015 Page 21 of 33 Trout of sight: Star robs 2 hits, slugs 20th HR BY ALDEN GONZALEZ/ MLB.COM ANAHEIM -- The challenge came from bench coach Dino Ebel in the early stages of Spring Training. He told the Angels' outfielders to get used to playing shallow, because he felt they had the speed to get back on balls and because he wanted to continually take away the bloop singles. Ebel was talking to every outfielder on the 40-man roster, but really, he was talking to Mike Trout. About a month ago, Trout fully bought into the concept. And on Monday night, while robbing the Yankees' Chris Young of run-scoring extra-base hits with two leaping, twisting, over-the-shoulder catches near the center-field warning track, Trout showed how much more comfortable he has become drifting back on fly balls. "He was pumped about it," Ebel said after the Angels' 4-1 win over the Yankees. "You could see it in his face." You really only had to look at Young's face, though. With a runner on first and second and one out in the third, and with a runner on second and one out in the fifth, Young hit bullets to straightaway center field and came up empty-handed. After the second, he offered a dismissive grin and brushed his hand in Trout's direction. He thought both were hits. "Then you remember Trout is out there," Young said. "He's been known to make quite a few Web Gems." Trout can also hit and run a little bit, too. He gave the Angels a 2-1 lead with his 20th home run in the bottom of the third, then stole his first base since May 22 in the bottom of the eighth, just for good measure. "Real shocker, right?" C.J. Wilson mused after getting a win in large part because of Trout. "Trout hits a home run, saves a couple runs with his defense, whatever." Trout has been making game-saving catches since his first full season in 2012, but these meant a little more. They proved to him that he can take away the flare in shallow center field without giving up the ability to track down fly balls -- heck, line drives -- to the warning track. "I just felt like I can get back on balls easier than coming in on balls," said Trout, who entered Monday with a 4.1 Wins Above Replacement score but a minus-1.0 Ultimate Zone Rating, according to FanGraphs. "I don't want to get handcuffed with the twilight and stuff; it's working out. Like balls tonight, trusting yourself that you can get to them." All the great center fielders start off shallow. Willie Mays played shallow, Orioles All-Star Adam Jones plays shallow, and Ebel felt Trout needed to as well. It was his next step in becoming an all-around great defensive player. But he needed to buy in. He needed to trust himself drifting back on balls and he