Impressed with scouting reports of a recent victory over a kid in a race around the bases, the Los Angeles Angels have recalled Shelly, the pro-slavery horse mascot who sold out to big oil, and sent him to Salt Lake in order to give the Bees one more edge in continuing to amass one of the best records in professional baseball.
"We like a guy who can aggressively run the bases with total disregard for the consequences," said Angels manager/GM Mike Scioscia. "Shelly demonstrated by beating a little kid around the bases that he has the speed and moxie to play our style of ball, so we want to get him to Salt Lake where the organization is focused on winning and also have him ready in case the Angels need to hoard another mascot on our roster that currently has six outfielders."
Out of the goodness of their hearts, the Angels have promoted Aftershock from Rancho Cucamonga to Double-A Arkansas since the Quakes' other mascot, Tremor, was getting most of the on-field time anyway. Aftershock will join the team on the road in Tulsa, which is poised to quickly hand back the worst record in the Texas League to the Travelers.
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Media watch
The Arkansas Travelers make an extremely rare appearance as a brief topic in Thursday's Wally Hall column (so rare that this is probably the first time they've been mentioned in years), in which Wally writes:
The rivalry some hoped would develop between the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Arkansas Travelers is ridiculous. The vast majority of the players on both teams are only in the Natural State because they were assigned here. Both teams will want to win because it helps their pocket books, not because it gives them bragging rights at winter ball somewhere far away.
What is ridiculous is the assertion that a sports rivalry is primarily generated by the players. In almost all cases other than maybe in high school, rivalries are much more about the fans than the players. No one is suggesting that the players on the Travs or Nats will generate a rivalry or care about bragging rights in the Arizona Fall League. But the fans at both stadiums already seem to be into it.
Are the players in the Yankees-Red Sox or Cubs-Cardinals rivalries any different? They signed with those teams from all parts of the world and eventually got into the rivalries because the fans made the games important. Or how about Arkansas-Texas? Do you think any of the kids these days, even those from Arkansas, give a damn about this rivalry? No, once again, it is the fans who make it matter.
Furthermore, the players in the Minor Leagues are in it to get promoted, not to help their pocket books by winning, especially since the parent club doesn't even place an emphasis on winning at this level.
Wally's writings get more ridiculous every day. I really think he has lost what little sense he was born with. The best words ever written under a picture of Wally are "Wally Hall is on vacation this week."
Posted by: The poster formerly known as NLRfan | May 08, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Guys, my Wingnuts are playing right now! Righteous!
Our opener was rained out, we play two tomorrow. AWESOME! I LOVE doubleheaders dudes!
Posting from my moto Q in the dugout, these things are great man!
Posted by: David Gates | May 08, 2008 at 07:47 PM
Wally Hall???? He knows nothing about baseball, and Arnell even less ! What a joke of a show. Go Hogs, etc. etc. etc, ....cause thats all they know. Just shut up about baseball Wally. You have never done anything to support the Travs
Posted by: Jim | May 08, 2008 at 09:03 PM
Just exactly was he trying to achieve with that mini rant?
Call some fans who would like to see a rivalry...ridiculous?
Because they are Traveler fans?
What a freaking joke.
Posted by: Karch | May 08, 2008 at 09:11 PM
Got this message from the creator of the Argenta News blog if anyone is interested...
Dogtown Wire is a new on-line news and information source for NLR. We would like to be the leader in reporting on NLR sports. Dogtown Wire is looking for Sports Correspondents for the Arkansas Travelers. This is perfect for someone who loves the Travelers and attends the games regularly. You do not need previous writing or journalism experience. You do need a computer and internet access to be a correspondent. If anyone is interested, please e-mail editor@dogtownwire.net.
Posted by: The Travelerocity reporter | May 09, 2008 at 11:24 PM
To me, it's not just how the Angels seemingly keep many of their prospects from staying in Arkansas a long time. Obviously, we remember guys like Kendrick, Wood, Sandoval, Santana, etc. playing here for a while.
I think it has more to do with the Angels unwillingness to include Arkansas as part of its "team." There's no seemingly no interest at all in developing any kind of Angels fan base here, which is actually a plausible goal with all the NL fans around these parts.
It'd be nice if the hats in Anaheim -- around Los Angeles in case none of you knew -- could throw Dogtown a bone every once in a while. Bring the little Offseason Warmup thing by for ONCE, with Scoscia, and a couple of players, namely Pine Bluff native Torii Hunter and a couple of guys who we've seen play in the past couple years.
Give us ONE rehab stint every few years or so. Just one. I know Arkansas is kind of secluded from the rest of the farm, but the LR area is pretty accessible by plane. I don't think it's too much to ask for one ML to come through on his rehab every few years or so.
I'm not saying the Travs need to move on and find a "better" affiliate. I think the Angels have given us a quality product most of the time. We've seen some great talent come through. However, it would be a lot better for professional baseball in the area if the Travs had an affiliate that cared about them in just the least bit.
Maybe a midwestern team like the Brewers, Reds, Twins or Indians would do that (all teams whose current AA PDC's are up)... I'm not sure.
Posted by: Matt | May 10, 2008 at 02:16 PM
Greenberg is a great pick-up for the Travs. Good job, Angels.
Posted by: Karch | May 10, 2008 at 07:47 PM
Greenberg may be good and on his way back to the Majors and could be an interesting story to watch the rest of the season.
But let's take a look at this move --
The Angels take away the Travs best player who is responsible for a chunk of the team's offensive production and promote him to Salt Lake because Scioscia wants six outfielders in Anaheim or wherever the hell it is they play.
The next night the Travs' center fielder goes down with an injury, and the only other real center fielder the Travs had is the guy the Angels just promoted.
So, rather than promote Rancho's star center fielder Peter Bourjous, incidentally the Angels #9 prospect, they pluck yet another guy out of independent ball (Greenberg) and send us Anderson Rosario, who was batting .028 at Rancho. .028! That deserved a promotion?
I ask only because you guys in the thread below told me that's how it worked. So where is Bourjous? Or can you somehow claim he isn't playing well enough to be promoted?
Posted by: The Travelerocity reporter | May 11, 2008 at 12:30 AM
Greenberg is a great pick-up for the Travs. Good job, Angels.
Posted by: Karch | May 11, 2008 at 12:37 AM
I know, you like him because of the Cubs factor. But he very well may turn out to be a great pick up.
Posted by: The Travelerocity reporter | May 11, 2008 at 12:46 AM
TR, you know so much about minor league baseball. Why dont you answer your own stupid questions?
Bourjos isnt getting promoted because he barely has any time under his belt period. He is young and because he is the #9 prospect in the organization they are going to let him go through the system and experience every level. They do it with all the prospects. Wood didnt get promoted when he hit 47 HRs in Rancho. Statia is the same. Has been to all levels and will go through all levels. Thats the way it is and thats the way minor league baseball works. Bourjos is playing well and probably deserves to be in AA but he wont unless it is really needed.
Rosario is a spot filler. Just like all the spot filler pitchers they send every where else.
Greenberg can play. He has been in the big leagues(although it was 1 at bat). But he got there, so he is obviously good enough to get another shot at trying to make it again.
With your self-proclaimed minor league baseball knowledge, you should have known all this.
Posted by: | May 11, 2008 at 12:48 AM
Yeah, yeah, I know why Bourjous isn't being promoted. They Angels are bringing a top prospect along slowly giving him one full year at each level just like B. Wood.
I raise this issue using the same arguments those who argued for Coby Smith to be promoted used. You see, sometimes there are reasons not to promote someone regardless of the numbers they are putting up.
Boo yaa.
Posted by: The Travelerocity reporter | May 11, 2008 at 02:37 PM
Did you just drop a Stuart Scott, "boo yaa" on here?
Name one reason why Coby shouldnt have been promoted because of his numbers.(other than the fact that it would make you upset)
Posted by: hEnry | May 11, 2008 at 02:44 PM
It didn't make me upset. I felt like it (combined with several other things the Angels are doing that reflect a complete disregard for winning at the Double-A level) was not fair to the Travelers organization to promote him and not give the Travs a similar promotion from Rancho. He put up great numbers -- in only a month of playing time. If the Angels feel like that's a good enough evaluation period, then good for all involved. But I suspect the only reason this happened is because of Scioscia wants six outfielders on the Angels roster and they felt some pressure to re-stock Salt Lake after a talent raid put them on a 1-4 start in May.
Posted by: The Travelerocity reporter | May 11, 2008 at 03:01 PM
Im wondering....is it any different with any other big league teams....the winning thing as discussed above??? The Cards did it to us too....is it just the way it is????
Posted by: Jim | May 11, 2008 at 08:48 PM
Its the way it is every where. Every big league team carries 5 or 6 outfielders. So its not just the Angels, although maybe its because Scossia personally hates Arkansas like you think.
Posted by: hEnry | May 11, 2008 at 11:37 PM
TR, as I'm sure you're aware, the jump from A ball to AA is much more significant than the jump from AA to AAA.
That being the case, it's a lot easier to justify promoting a guy quickly from AA to AAA while being reluctant to do so with a potential move from A to AA.
Posted by: The Natural | May 12, 2008 at 08:26 AM
That's the first good point defending the Angels so far.
Posted by: The Travelerocity reporter | May 12, 2008 at 09:13 AM
Hey! Where is the On-Deck with the Springfield Cardinals? TR, I thought you would have had this up for at least a week now since your favorite AA club is coming to play the Travs over the next four days for round two of the "Jocketty Trophy"
Boy too bad we don't have a Reds affiliate in the TL!
Posted by: VOR | May 12, 2008 at 09:37 AM
It will be up within 30 minutes.
Posted by: The Travelerocity reporter | May 12, 2008 at 09:47 AM
Stopconservativejihad will wind up in jail after he tries to kill some conservative on the seetrt.Left-wingers - Randi Rhodes, Mike Malloy, Ted Rall - are violent-prone and spew hatred and death threats. That is a fact.
Posted by: Vishnu | December 28, 2012 at 06:05 AM