Angels Honor Skaggs with Epic No-Hitter

Something amazing happened in Friday's game between the hosting Los Angeles Angels and the visiting Seattle Mariners. On the night the Angels honored the late Tyler Skaggs who was found dead in his hotel room on July 1 during the team's recent road trip in Texas against the Rangers, the Halos did something fit for a movie script. In the team's first home game at Angels Stadium since the loss of their teammate, two Angels pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter just hours before what would've been Skaggs' 28th birthday. And given the circumstances in what's been an emotional two weeks for the club and community, it will go down as one of the most made-for-Hollywood storybook endings to occur on a baseball diamond. Factor in some of the stats in the game and you might be left with goosebumps.

With fans creating a makeshift shrine outside of the ballpark with flowers and signs to remember the 27 year old California native, inside the ballpark the team unveiled a mural in left-center field featuring an image of Skaggs delivering a pitch alongside his name and jersey No. 45. Following a video tribute and an emotional 45-seconds of silence in memory of Skaggs, his mother Debbie was called on to throw out the ceremonial first pitch as she delivered a perfect strike that helped set the tone for what would ultimately be a historic and memorable night that both Angels and baseball fans alike will one day be sure to tell their grand kids about. With Halos manager Brad Ausmus electing to go with an opener to begin the game, Taylor Cole who threw the first two innings before handing the ball off to Felix Pena for the final seven frames on a mound that was painted with Skaggs' number. With the entire team donning Skaggs' name and jersey No. 45 on the back of their uniforms to pay tribute to their fallen teammate, a decision green-lighted by MLB, the two pitchers logged eight combined strikeouts and the only blemish in their way of tossing a perfect game was a fifth inning walk by Omar Narvaez who proved to be the lone base runner on the night for Seattle.

Before out No. 27 sealed the 11th no-hitter in Angels franchise history, the Halos wasted little time pouncing on their opponent as they jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first inning alone. And leading the charge was none other than 2-time MVP Mike Trout who was a close friend of the late pitcher and was drafted by the Angels alongside Skaggs in the 2009 MLB Draft. Now for the eerie part. During their first inning onslaught, Trout who had a monster night finishing 3-for-4 with 6 RBI's, launched a 2-run home run that measured 454-feet, eerily similar to Skaggs' uniform number. Those 7 runs in the first inning would jump start a 13-run night for the Halo offense and coincidentally, Skaggs was born on 7-13-91. Still not creeped out yet? Try this; Skaggs was born on the same day that marked the last time a combined no-hitter was recorded in the state of California when the Baltimore Orioles tossed one against the Oakland A's. Facing just one batter more than the 27-batter minimum, Angels pitching faced 28 batters just less than two hours before what would've been Skaggs' 28th birthday. And finally, Friday's game marked the 11th no-hitter in Angels franchise history and oddly enough, Skaggs' old Santa Monica High School jersey number was No. 11, a jersey Tyler's brother Garrett was seen wearing during the pregame ceremony.

But perhaps the most special event that took place on Friday night was how the team honored their fallen member one last time once the game concluded. After sharing a much deserved celebration following the final out with many players pointing towards the sky, the team gave one final salute to Skaggs as each player removed their No. 45 jersey and placed it on the pitchers mound. With plans to keep his clubhouse locker in tact both at home and on the road for the remainder of the season, the Angels couldn't have drawn up a better way to bid Skaggs a farewell. The Angels are no stranger to mid-season tragedies as 2019 marks the 10-year anniversary after losing Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart who was tragically killed in a car accident just hours after pitching in a game on April 9, 2009. And as hard as these type of things are for both the team and the organization, the Angels as a whole did a fabulous job at paying tribute to one of their very own, proving once again that baseball is more than just a game.

Noteworthy: Friday's no-hitter was the Angels' first since Jared Weaver twirled one against the Minnesota Twins on May 2, 2012 and marked the fourth time the Mariners have been no-hit in their franchise history. The 13-0 win is tied for the largest run-differential in an AL no-hitter (13 runs) since at least 1908 (1938 Yankees vs Cleveland).

Rest in Peace, Tyler Skaggs (July 13, 1991 - July 1, 2019)

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M's Iwakuma carves up O's with No-No

While Seattle Mariners fans haven't had a whole lot to cheer about this season after heading into 2015 with high hopes following the signing of free agent slugger Nelson Cruz, on Wednesday, 34-year old Hisashi Iwakuma gave them something to celebrate. With the Baltimore Orioles in town, Iwakuma entered the afternoon seeking his first career complete game in the states after recording 48 of them in Japan's Nippon Professional League. He would end up walking off the mound with an even greater accomplishment by pitching his team to victory and tossing a no-hitter in the process.

With the last 12 no-hitters being thrown by pitchers in the National League prior to Wednesday, Iwakuma put an end to that streak by becoming the first American Leaguer to toss a no-no since his Seattle teammate Felix Hernandez who twirled a perfect game back in 2012. Having endured a rough 2015 which saw the Japanese right-hander struggle before serving time on the disabled-list with a strained lat muscle as well as time on the trading block, Iwakuma put all that behind him on this day by returning to form in front of a Safeco Field crowd of more than 25,000 in attendance. Those who were there got to witness not only the fifth no-hitter in Mariners franchise history but only the second Japanese born hurler in Major League history to complete a no-no, joining Hideo Nomo who accomplished the feat twice as both a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and later on with the Boston Red Sox. Iwakuma, who was named to the AL All-Star team in 2013, needed 116-pitches to etch his name into the history books while striking out 7 Oriole hitters and walking 3. 

Iwakuma's masterful performance was the fourth no-hitter this season following no-no's by Chris Heston of the Giants, Max Scherzer of the Nationals and Cole Hamels who threw his as a member of the Phillies before being traded less than a week later to the Rangers. Currently in a contract year and able to hit the free-agent market in the offseason, Iwakuma dug deep into his bag of tricks to remind us of the dominant pitcher who logged an impressive 2.66 ERA over 33 starts in 2013. Whether or not he'll be back on the mound in a Mariners uniform next season as the Seattle ball club remains in fourth place in the AL West at 54-61 overall following the 3-0 victory on Wednesday, Iwakuma definitely helped his stock a bit going forward. 


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Homecoming for Hamilton

During the 2012 Winter Meetings, baseball saw the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim land the most coveted player on the free agent market for the second consecutive year. One year after signing Albert Pujols to the second wealthiest contract in MLB history, the Halos inked a 5-year, $125 Million deal with outfielder Josh Hamilton which on paper gave the Angels one of the most formidable lineups in all of baseball and was thought to be a World Series contender. In the five seasons Hamilton spent with the Texas Rangers before becoming a free-agent, he was named to the American League All-Star team all five years and won the AL batting title while being awarded AL MVP in 2010. The man who was once touted among the best prospects in all of baseball before injuries and drug abuse threatened his career, had finally developed into the player scouts knew he was destined to be. After earning the recognition of one of the game's best players, Hamilton helped lead the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances including the first in franchise history in 2010. So it came as no surprise that Hamilton garnered a hefty payday when he hit the free-agent market just two seasons later.

However, since signing with the Halos, Hamilton has been a shadow of his former self while spending numerous stints on the disabled-list and producing nowhere near the numbers he did while with the Rangers. And then came his relapse with cocaine and alcohol in February which he admitted to. After news broke of Hamilton's relapse, Angels owner Arte Moreno ordered all of Hamilton's merchandise to be removed from the shelves at the team store inside Angels Stadium. Moreno and company was well aware of the risk that came with the now 33-year old slugger the moment they signed him and after the league chose not to suspend Hamilton following his most recent relapse which Moreno was hoping for, the front-office began searching for a team interested in his services. And on Monday, the Angels brought that proposal to fruition by agreeing to trade the highly paid, struggling star to the Rangers. The deal which will end the rocky relationship between Hamilton and the Angels is an expensive one for Anaheim as they will now pay all but around $7 Million of the $83 Million Hamilton is still owed, while shipping him to a division rival and getting nearly nothing in return aside from cleaning their hands of the problematic outfielder.

Although the Rangers will be getting a bargain considering how much Hamilton is owed and how little of the portion they'll have to pay him while hoping to find a solution to their struggling outfield, it won't all be bouquets and hugs for Hamilton when he makes his return to the field for the Rangers. Hamilton will have to regain some of the respect and admiration fans in Arlington once had for their beloved MVP. Upon leaving the franchise he resurrected his baseball career with, Hamilton called Dallas a football town on his way out which although true, rubbed some fans the wrong way. Currently on the disabled-list while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Hamilton is expected to be ready to join the team come mid-May following a Minor League stint according to Rangers GM  Jon Daniels. Hamilton who was no stranger to the Angels organization before he signed with them having faced them multiple times a year while a member of the Rangers, will once again be on the opposing side and my guess is he won't be getting a standing ovation from Halo fans when he's introduced in the batters box. 

Three years removed from clubbing a career-high 43 home runs in his last season with the Rangers, 12 more than he hit in his two seasons combined with the Angels, Hamilton is hoping a change of scenery to a very familiar franchise will help him reclaim the star power he once possessed. With his story and struggles with drugs and alcohol well documented, you can't help but root for the guy and hope he turns it around. And when he makes his return to Arlington, I'll be doing just that.


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Rangers, Phillies bit by Injury bug

As if the odds weren't already stacked against them in their respective divisions, the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies are two teams that could ill-afford the absence of a key cog in their pitching rotation. Unfortunately, Spring Training has been none too kind to either ball club as they prepare for the regular season without the services of two of the game's most premier pitchers.  

After being shutdown for the last seven weeks of the 2014 season with mild inflammation in his right elbow, Rangers hurler Yu Darvish was expected to be good to go at the start of spring training this year. But after pitching only one inning in his spring debut on March 5, the 28-year old Japanese sensation was pulled from his outing when he experienced tightness in his triceps muscle. An MRI would spell even worse news, however, as damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in Darvish's right elbow was revealed, resulting in Tommy John surgery which would put an end to any chance of the 3-time All-Star pitching again in 2015. Already expected to be long shots fighting to stay afloat in the AL Western division with two American League powers in the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics as well as the much improved Seattle Mariners, the news of Darvish being on the shelf for the season is devastating for fans in Arlington. Texas finished with the worst record in the American League last year at 67-95 thanks in large part to the struggles and absence of first baseman Prince Fielder and though they should finish with a higher win total than they did a season ago, anywhere ahead of a fourth place finish in the division would be a surprise for a Rangers ball club that's only four seasons removed from back-to-back World Series appearances. 

As for the Phillies, another ball club not expected to be contending for a title this year, the injury to left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee is as unfortunate as any. Not only because the 36-year old Lee is still among the best lefty's in the league when healthy, but because it ends any chances the Phils had of dealing the southpaw in return for a prospect or two to help speed up Philadelphia's rebuilding process. Since signing a 5-year, $120 Million deal with the Phillies in December of 2010 and taking less than he could have made elsewhere to return to play in Philadelphia where he helped lead the Phillies to their second consecutive World Series during in his first stint with the ball club after being acquired at the trade deadline in 2009, the franchise has been unable capture the success they achieved in Lee's first two seasons. For Lee, who last pitched on July 31 before being placed on the 60-day disabled-list after sustaining the same injury a season ago, it'll be the third attempt to rehab from a torn common flexor tendon in his left elbow while shaking off the idea of having surgery which would cause him to sit out the season.

With $37.5 Million remaining on his contract which includes a $12.5 Million club option to buyout in 2016, the former Cy Young winner hopes the third time will be a charm as his road to recovery figures to be a long one before we'll get to see if the 4-time All-Star can make a return to the mound in the city of Brotherly Love. Without Lee, the Phillies who finished last a season ago (73-89), will have their hands full in an NL Eastern division which homes a number of clubs that are expected to improve from last season as well as arguably the favorite to win it all this season in the Washington Nationals. 


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Rangers Win Rights to Japan's Best

Yu da man. At least that's what the Texas Rangers are hoping. After watching the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim make history by signing 3-time NL MVP Albert Pujols to a blockbuster contract worth $254 Million over 10 years, as well as pry Texas' former ace C.J. Wilson from them, the Rangers were in need of a splash of their own to counter their division-rivals. That move seems to be made clear with the Rangers being the winners of the Yu Darvish sweepstakes. Hoping to land the Japanese sensation to help fill the void of Wilson as well as maintain supremacy in the American League West, Texas won the rights to negotiate with the 25 year old pitcher by posting a record-setting bid of $51.7 Million, surpassing the previous mark of $51 Million held by Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2007 season.

If and when a contract is agreed upon between both parties who have 30 days to strike a deal, the Rangers could very well be investing nearly $100 Million in Darvish who's won the Pacific League MVP Award twice in 2007 and 2009. And as we've learned in the past, Japanese stars overseas are hit or miss and have rarely panned out and have often been unable to duplicate their success at the Major League level. In fact, history has shown that the majority of Japanese players that have garnered the attention of the Major Leagues with mile high expectations, most of which are pitchers, often fail to meet those standards of an All-Star caliber player with only a few exceptions. According to sources however, many believe Darvish who's finished the last five seasons with an ERA under 2.00, will be the player who puts an end to the bust label many have begun to give players from overseas who come with such hype. And considering it was Nolan Ryan who knows a thing or two about pitching who decided to pull the trigger on placing a bid on the 6-foot-5 hurler, I'd say the Rangers know what they're doing.

Though the move of potentially acquiring a player who's unproven at the Major League level is risky, it sends a positive message to the Rangers fan base, letting them know that the organization is not ready to hand over the reigns to the division or the American League for that matter just yet as they look to make their third consecutive trip to the World Series with only one difference -- winning it. But that's not to say the Rangers front-office of Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels have necessarily been sitting on the couch doing nothing this off-season. The Rangers' brain trust have been plenty active since the end of the 2011 season by bolstering an already dominant bullpen with the signing of former Twins closer Joe Nathan to take over for Neftali Feliz who will be moved to the starting rotation after serving two seasons as a reliever.

The signing of Darvish is also a great move from both an international standpoint as well as a marketing standpoint as it attracts fans overseas from Japan among other countries that could help generate revenue by selling merchandise and increase television ratings. It also opens the door to sell advertisements at Texas' Ballpark in Arlington to Japanese based companies. Other Major League ball clubs that have utilized this strategy include the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's. Darvish's repertoire includes a two-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, splitter and a change-up to compliment his primary pitches of a four-seam fastball which has been clocked as high as 97 mph and a slurve with a devastating break.

With Texas on the cusp of issuing a lucrative contract to Darvish, many keeping up with the MLB hot-stove are begging the question if the the move means the Rangers are no longer in the running for Prince Fielder. Prior to the announcement of Texas winning the posting rights to talk to the ace of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, the Rangers were said to be one of the possible suitors for the free-agent slugger. Those rumors may be days away from being put to rest however, if the Rangers indeed ink Darvish to a contract.