Results tagged ‘ Angels ’

I Remember Nick Adenhart

Exactly a year ago, a loss of a player’s life shocked baseball fans across America. He was Nick Adenhart. The night he made his first and last major league start last season, the promise of his bright future in the big leagues was available for the fans to see. Few hours after his start, an accident came out of nowhere and costed Nick’s life.

After hearing tons of news about his death, I was crying nonstop on that day because he was way too young and just came off from his best start of his career. Over the past year, Nick was never forgotten, especially when the Angels clinched AL West and made a tribute to Nick. So this poem I wrote is dedicated to Nick.

 

I remember a young pitcher.

I remember that he grew up in the Angels organization.

I remember the strong desire to be the best he can be.

I remember the praise and positive comments he got from his fellow teammates.

I remember his last major league start on April 8th 2009.

I remember six scoreless innings he tossed on that evening.

I remember a tragic accident on April 9th 2009.

I remember that life is too precious to waste.

I remember 1-0 record, 6.00 ERA and 9 strikeouts.

I remember number 34.

I remember Nick Adenhart.

 

Nick Adenhart 0002.jpgRest in Peace, Nick.

You will be missed but never forgotten.

 

Q’s and A’s

I stole this survey from Jen. After looking through these questions, they really made me want to answer them. So, here we go.  
 
MLBlogger: Hyun Young, who is a writer of Perpetual Padres Saga
Signup date: December 12, 2008
 
1. Why do you blog?
I love my Padres. I enjoy sharing about what I think about my team not only in blogosphere but bloggers around the Web. 
2. What was your favorite post?
The five entries I mentioned in this entry. There are more, but I’m too lazy to list rest of them.  
 
3. Strangest blogging experience?
It wasn’t strange, but irritating. During the summer, there was a kid who talked cr*p load of trash about the Padres on my entries. Thank goodness he vanished and I blocked him. You know, just in case he comes back.
 
4. What is your favorite blog, including at least one MLBlog?
Basically, the blogs I linked on my list. But I especially enjoy blogs from: Julia, Kaybee, Cat, Jen, Jeff and Allen, Virginia and so on. There are so many to choose. From non-mlbloggers, I definitely enjoy reading from Gaslamp Ball, The Friarhood, and RJ’s Fro 
 
5. What would you be doing if you weren’t blogging?
Most likely at school, doing homework, tuning into ESPN, going to lacrosse practice, surfing the web and sleeping.
6. Where do you think the blogosphere is going?
On top of the world. 
7. Favorite team and why?
San Diego Padres. I moved to San Diego and started following this team in 2005. They mean a lot to me and I’m a die-hard fan now. I want to learn more and more about this team. If this team doesn’t exist anymore, I would be devistated.
8. What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
I love doing anything that involves making. Especially out of paper. I love making cards, paper cranes, stars, etc.
 
9. Happiness is…
“A person will be just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”-Abraham Lincoln.
Plus anything that involves with God, family and friends, and the Padres.  
10. Who is your #1 favorite baseball team?
San Diego Padres.
11. Who was the manager when you began watching?
Bruce Bochy. I kind of miss him. But I’m glad to hear that he’s doing a fine job with San Francisco.
12. Who is your favorite player(s) of all time from the team that is no longer with the team?
Trevor Hoffman, Jake Peavy and Khalil Greene.
13. Who is your favorite player on your team, only picking one?
David Eckstein. Dude knows who I am.
14. Have you ever met any members of your team?
Fan Fest in 2009 and games during regular season.  
15. What relief pitcher is your favorite on your team?
Mike Adams, ’cause he’s a beast.
16. What is the furthest you ever traveled to see your team play?
Not yet. In the future, I’m thinking at Los Angeles when the Padres play against the Dodgers though. And since LA is closest compared to other cities, I’ll have to make a trip to Dodger stadium one day, being proud to wear my Padres gear.
17. Are you happy with your team’s offseason moves so far?
Sure. I mean, we didn’t make huge moves like in 2008 and early 2009. I was heartbroken couple of times. All we did was extend Kevin Correia– which is a plus –, signed a young catcher, and gave a minor contract to Mark Worrell. Nothing big so far.
18. Who is your team’s center fielder?
Tony Gwynn Jr..
19. Who is the first pitcher in your team’s starting rotation?
In 2009, it was Jake Peavy. But since he’s with the White Sox, we are missing a number one starter. For this upcoming season, it’s most likely between Kevin Correia and Chris Young. My personal pick is Kevin because I trust him more than Chris now. Plus, I saw Kevin Correia pitch three times during 2009 season when I went to three games.  
20. Have you ever seen your team on Opening Day before?
Sadly, no.
21. Do you know the name of your team’s mascot?
The Swinging Friar.
22. What is your team’s home run song?
I don’t know the title of the song. Padres fans, help please?
23. Do you own any jerseys of your team?
Signed David Eckstein home jersey.  
24. What team inside your own division would you not mind winning the division if your team can’t?
D-Backs.
25. Think of the team inside your own division you dislike the most. What member of the team based on skill would you want on your team?
The Dodgers. I’m not a big fan of them, honestly. But I’d choose Andre Ethier. Great player, hard worker, plus he’s gorgeous.
26. Now think about that team again. What player would you just like to see leave baseball altogether?
Manny Ramirez. Enough said.
27. Back to your team, finally! What player on your team would make a great manager one day?
Eck. Ok. He’s the oldest out of the bunch but I honestly don’t care about his age. Besides, he looks 26 instead of 34. Eck always sets great examples infront of the young kids. Plus, he’s going to be a ten-year vetran and the one with the most experience in baseball fields.
28. What is your least favorite team for your boys to face and why?
Dodgers. I get nervous a lot. But I still want to scream “Beat LA!” Sorry Cat.
29. What other team do you enjoy playing the most?
Angels. I like this team a lot and they are my favorite AL team.
30. What pitcher makes you the most nervous when he warms up?
Wow. To be honest, no one.
31. Do you have his autograph?
No.
32. Do you have his jersey?
No.
33. Do you have his rookie card?
Nope.
34. How many games did you attend this year?
In 2009, four. Three at Petco, one at Anaheim.
35. What is your favorite position?
Second base and shortstop all the way.
36. Do you remember Harry Caray?
No.
37. Do you or did you collect baseball cards?
I tried to. I remember the very first one I got was Carlos Delgado card when he was with the Blue Jays. That was pretty much it.  
38. Beside your home team’s ballpark, what’s your favorite ballpark?
Angel Stadium, because that’s the only stadium I’ve been to so far that’s beside Petco. Angel Stadium is gorgeous, by the way.  
39. Who’s your all time favorite baseball player?
This is hard. But I would have to say David Eckstein.
40. Do you know their middle name (if they have one)?
Mark.
41. Is there a very young baseball player that you believe will become a big star in the future? If so, who?
Everth Cabrera, ’cause this dude can nail any defensive plays.
42. Do you have the MLB Network?
Unfortunately, I don’t have it. Boo.
43. Have you ever caught a foul ball or a homerun ball at a baseball game?
Nope.
44. How many baseball stadiums have you been to?
Two. Petco and Angel Stadium. I’m going to increase that number and make it to thirty someday.
45. Do you have anything autographed by a baseball player?
Autographs from David Eckstein, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Chase Headley in one baseball (Thanks to my 8th grade English teacher who gave the ball to me when he caught a foul ball with one hand.) Autographs from Drew Macias, Will Venable, Mike Adams, Bud Black and Heath Bell in another basebll (Huge thanks to Cat for collecting autographs from the Padres, wearing Dodgers gear!). Also a Jake Peavy glove. It was a promotion back in 2008. He didn’t sign it for me but it has an autograph and I will gladly take it.
46. When you hear the word “baseball”, what mainly do you think of?
My boys.
47. Name a baseball player that just simply does not look like a baseball player. What does he look like instead?
Chris Young. He’s 6-10 and looks like he should play basketball instead. He even looks like a basketball player.
48. Non Cubs fans–Don’t you want to see the Cubs win a WS in the next 5 years?
I don’t even want to see the Cubs in the playoffs.  
49. What is your most valuable/important baseball possession?
It’s a package from the Ecksteins. I would cry if I lose my posession of signed David Eckstein jersey, a book that he wrote called, “Have Heart” (He wrote a note and signed it.) and a card from his wife, Ashley. Plus my two autographed balls.    
50. Best seats you have ever had in a baseball game?
Field box infield (Just couple seats behind home plate.)=Greatest seats ever.
51. Would you ever go to a Pirates game?
Maybe.
52. Do you think your team has a shot at the postseason next year?
Hell yeah!
53. You are up against Mariano Rivera and you can choose anyone to pitch hit against him down by 1 with runners on 2nd and 3rd, who do you choose from your team?
I’d say Adrian Gonzalez. First of all, Rivera is a righty so we need a lefty hitter. So that makes A-Gon the right answer.
54. Is baseball your favorite sport (to watch or play)? Or does football or soccer or some other sport take precedent?
#1: Baseball
#2: Football
#3: Lacrosse, ’cause I play this sport.
55. You see your FAVORITE player in the world at the grocery store- what do you do?
Freak out, scream “Eck!!”, ask him if he remembers me (I’m sure he’s going to.) and give him a big hug. 

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The journey ends for the Angels

Unfortunately, the Angels now must pack their belongings in New York and depart from the 2009 playoffs. Although the Halos got eliminated against the Yankees in game 6, I would like to applaud them for giving their very best throughout the postseason.

We all know the Angels got off to a very, very rough start due to a terrible loss of a young player named Nick Adenhart. This didn’t stop the Angels however. They fought back and always had the heart to play solid baseball anytime, anywhere. Every single game they won in the regular and post season, it was for Nick. When the Angels clinched AL West back in last month, blood, sweat and tears finally paid off for them. They definitely deserved every single moment of remembering, honoring, and being together as a true team. Sweeping the Red Sox in ALDS was a great way to start the post season ride. Facing the Yankees in the ALCS was a very tall task to handle. When the Angels fell behind by two games, I never lost hope for this team. Why? Because they already proved to me that they are a team who never lose faith, espcially since the fallen Angel was looking down to see help his teammates since regular season. Yankees claimed a golden ticket to reach to the World Series and their final task for 2009 is to play at the ultimate stage against the Phillies.

The Angels did fight off in few games. Like when Jeff Mathis got a game-winning hit or Vladimir Guerro hit a huge two-run shot to tie the game. My head was going around like a big roller coaster ride and I’m very sure the Angels were definitely feeling the same way as well. Their emotions and hearts on the field proved to me that they are a strong team who have the big desire to play their very best every single game. Angels finished close but I wished they could have finished stronger. We will have to wait and see if the Angels will accomplish a big goal next season.

As for the Yankees, thanks for the wild and fun series. You guys are a strong team as well and may the best win at the World Series.    

Baseball musings

1) ALCS Game 4: Yankees 10 Angels 1

angelsALCS4.jpg picture by hyunyoung_95

How did the Angels lose by nine runs? Let’s see. CC Sabathia was dominat on the mound as usual, Angels’ offense just could not get almost anything going, and to top it all off, they did not put any big effort during the game. I felt so bad for the Angels and even myself for a pathetic outing. I can’t and won’t talk garbage about the Yankees ’cause that’s just not right. However, I will say that they better watch out for John Lackey (tomorrow’s starter) and the rest of the Angels if the Yankees don’t want to lose. Angels are trailing by two games but they have big hearts to play their very best. Just like what my dear David Eckstein wrote on his book. It’s all about having heart and every second of life is worth giving the best effort.

Anyway, if the Angels get eliminated, I will not yell at them (well, on television) or cover my face in shame. I mean, why would I? They are a great looking group and they can play solid baseball. It’s just that they didn’t show any of that during game 4. Yes. Time is ticking for the Angels and the thin ice they are stepping right now are getting worse. But hey, who know’s what’s going to happen later? We won’t figure it out until the end of the series. The Angels still have a chance to bounce back and maybe, hopefully take the series. Both Yankees and Angels are the two best AL teams for 2009 so they definitely deserve to be playing in the ALCS. The game is about best vs. best and I love it. My fingers are crossed for an Angels’ win tomorrow for game number 5.

2) #59 on the latest leaders for 2009 regular season

That would be me. I was super excited to see myself on the top 60. Thank you guys so much for stopping by and taking time to read my blog that still needs a lot of work. I haven’t done a dedication since a long time ago so I would love to dedicate my number to a young player in the Padres. His name is Luis Perdomo and wears number 59 on the field.

Pitcher Luis Perdomo #59 of the San Diego Padres throws against the Texas Rangers on June 26, 2009 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas.   

2009 was the 25-year-old’s first season in the major league and he did an average job as an reliever. He had ups and downs during his outing but those results he got are only going to make him better for next year. Luis even got his first big league win this season. He is likely to come back as a Padre in 2010 and I know he will do a solid job when he goes up on the mound when it’s his turn.

3) New general manager?

Padres are getting close to hiring a new general manager. Last weekend, Dodgers’ assistant GM Kim Ng had an interview with Padres’ CEO Jeff Moorad. However, Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer remains as Padres’ favorite to replace former general manager Kevin Towers. Jeff Moorad said that he would like to hire a general manager by the start of the World Series. Padres need a general manager who has the strong potential to do his or her job. I, personally want Kim Ng to be the new GM for the Padres. She did a great job with the Yankees and the Dodgers as an assistant. If she gets picked to replace Kevin Towers, things for the Padres should go smoothly.

4) Happy birthday Khalil!

     

Today is Khalil Thabit Greene’s 30th birthday. Man, it felt like yesterday when he was so good. He may not be the same Khalil when he was with the Padres, but I really hope he can bounce back from a toughest year of his career so far whether he is coming back as a Cardinal or not. I’m not crazy about him being gone as much as the day he got traded. So happy birthday Khalil and I can’t wait to see him next year healthy and without any anxiety disorder ’cause they hurt. I really doubt he’s coming back to San Diego but I wish him for the best.

Oh good riddance

First of all, I don’t want to get too much into the Angels-Yankees game of the game 2 of the ALCS. It was just to miserable to watch, especially in the 13th inning. Oh, and I blame everything to A-Rod in the eleventh for hitting the homerun. Even though the Angels lost, I would like to applaud them for doing their very best and able to fight off. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite accomplish the goal. Angels have not been playing so well and they definitely need to step up their games. It’s not too late and I know they can win this. When the series resume on Monday at Anaheim, hopfully the Angels can do the same by snatching two games away from the Yankes. I want the Halos to advance to the World Series and win it all. Simple as that.

Alright, it’s time for a Padres update. Ever since Kevin Towers got fired, Padres were missing a General Manager who has strong potential and leadership. So Dodgers assistant general manager Kim Ng interviewed for the job as a Padres GM with the club.

(Note: I just lost 3/4 of my entry which turned out to be great and came really close to throw my laptop on the ground. I will write what’s fresh in my mind, however. Kim Ng is a great candidate and I hope she will get the job by being the first female and Asian general manager. She has a ton of experience in the baseball industry and I know she can handle everything when it comes to this sport. If she teams up with CEO Jeff Moorad, they will be life savers and make the fans and myself incredibly happy. Kim will prove to those hater who think she should not be the general manager just because she is a woman.)

(Continued (Still fresh in my mind): I grew up just as a baseball fan because this is the sport I learned to love all by myself. Last year however, I started to grow interest in football with the team named the San Diego Chargers. Watching football with my brother made me like the Chargers even more. Monday Night Football this week will be featuring Chargers and Broncos in San Diego. Too bad I can’t watch the game because of school work. When the Chargers snap the Broncos’ five-game winning streak, I will run around the house and scream like an eight-year-old.)

  

I don’t have the heart to lengthen my entry anymore. Sorry readers.  

So far so good

I feel like I need to do some rants since there are many things that I need to cover. For both Padres and baseball in general, things are looking so far so good.

1. Good, acceptable roster changes

Padres made some roster moves by sending outfielder Drew Macias, catcher Eliezer Alfonzo and infielder Luis Rodriguez to Triple-A Portland. This is a great job done by the Padres because three of them did not do so well and barely contributed for this team.

1. Drew Macias

(I couldn’t find a great picture of him in a Padre uniform.)

He’s a gorgeous guy but his average was way too low and lacked in almost all categories that involve a bat and a glove. Although he has the strong potential to play in the big leagues, he’s not ready yet. During the regular season, he was back and forth in the minors and major because of certain players being injured and he was the one who usually got called up. Drew needs more time in triple-A and hopefully he can get called up again during middle of regular season next year. When he proves that he is prepared, I would love to see him play at the outfield along with Will Venable, Kyle Blanks and Anthony Gwynn Jr.

Luis Rodriguez of the San Diego Padres slides safely in to home plate past Brian Schneider of the New York Mets on a ball hit by Scott Hairston in the fifth inning on April 15, 2009 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. All Major League Baseball players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson day. 

2. Luis Rodriguez

Luis Rodriguez in the other hand, is an experienced baseball player. In fact, he played in the majors for five years now. He was the starting shortstop in 2009 opening day and was an everyday player when Everth Cabrera was sent to the disabled list. However, something did not seem right when I observed him playing this year. He can play every position in the infield and has a little bit of speed. His average was average but I expected more from him. Hopefully this move will help him and like Drew, I would love to see Luis bounce back and improve from this season. 

3. Eliezer Alfonso 

Even though he has a cool first name, I can’t forgive him for what he did for the Padres this season. He was just flat out terrible. Let’s see. He left ton of runners on base especially when it came to bases loaded situation. That’s enough, to the point, and straight forward. I’m so glad he got sent down to triple-A. Hopefully, I will not see him playing as a Padre next year. When he proves that he has the strong ability to play in the big leagues again, my mind will definitely change. But I’ll never know until Padres baseball grows again in next spring.

2. At last! Kevin Kouzmanoff’s glove arrives at Cooperstown.

DSC_4712.jpg

This may seem like a regular, shiny, leather Rawlings glove but it means much more than that. This glove owned by Kevin Kouzmanoff is going to the one and only the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Can you believe that Jeff Idelson, the Hall’s president, visited the Padres clubhouse to pick up Kouz’s glove?   

Kouz’s glove deserves to go to the Hall of Fame because of his fantastic, jaw-dropping defensive work by that glove and his talent. This season, he only made 3 errors in 311 chances with .990 fielding percentage. See, he was the guy who made 22 errors in his first full major league season with the Padres. And look how much he progressed. I give him a round of applause for the great accomplishment. Great job man! Can’t wait to see more of your flashing, brand new glove next year.

3.Angels are NOT done.

After sweeping the Red Sox, the Angels are looking forward for seven game series against the Yankees. Sorry for the sweep Red Sox fans but that’s the way it went and never change that result again. When the Cardinals, (my number two team) got swept from the Dodgers, I was extremely disappointed because I had high hopes for the Cards. Unfortunately, they made themselves, the fans, and myself feel like crap. To make me feel much better, the Angels (my number three team) cheered and boosted my energy up by playing solid baseball. I’m ready for ALCS. Here’s to hope that the Angels will crush the Yankees and move onto the World Series.

  

(EDITED: I’ve been thinking about the Angels a lot lately. This club impressed me so much by having the strong desire to play solid baseball everyday. All of them have one thing in common: they are letting their hearts out and playing for the fallen angel, Nick Adenhart.)    

Keep on rolling

The Angels played a great game against the Red Sox last night by winning with a score of 4 to 1. There were no long balls in this game but it sure was exciting since the Angels got the important win. Even though I missed a lot of fun, the Angels are looking strong so far. I like this team a lot but I’m not a die-hard fan of the Angels. Ever since my brother started following this team, I’ve been following them as well. Well, we love baseball. Not as much as him but you get the idea. Few reasons why the Angels are keep on rolling and need to continue like this: 1. They have a solid everyday lineup. 2. They have a consistent pitching staff. 3. They have a strong offense. No wonder they won the AL West Division and definitely deserved to be a champion.

Angels are off today but I can’t wait for more games at Fenway starting tomorrow. Let’s go Angels! Let’s take the series and move on to ALCS.

angelsALDS2.jpg picture by hyunyoung_95

As for the Cardinals, they are back in St. Louis and need to step up their games in order to get the win(s). It should be another exciting day for baseball which I am looking forward to.

 

Balanced out

This is going to be short and sweet entry since I don’t have a lot of time to write. Lots of exciting things already happened during postseason. I can’t watch most of the games so I’m missing out all the fun. I’m rooting for the Angels for AL and the Cardinals for NL. Personally, I want St. Louis to win the ultimate prize again. To accomplish that big goal, Cardinals need to step up their games especially since they lost two in a row against the Dodgers. First game wasn’t good and second game turned out to be just flat out terrible.

cardinalsALDS2.jpg picture by hyunyoung_95

Mark Loretta for the Dodgers got a game winning hit in the second game at Los Angeles and the Cardinals lost in a miserable fashion. That’s not enough. Matt Holliday made a costly error in the ninth inning and he felt just as terrible as Cardinals’ closer Ryan Franklin, who blew the save. That’s not good at all, guys. Please do the best you can when this series continues at St. Louis. I want the Dodgers to be done.

Well that’s enough of bad news. On the much brighter and better side, the Angels won against the Reds Sox in game 1 in Anaheim. This game was a pitchers’ duel between John Lackey and John Lester. Things were going so tense until Lester for Boston gave up a huge three-run bomb to Torii Hunter.

 

The Angels were on top by three runs but Kendry Morales provided run support for more comfortable lead. Angels ended up winning 5 to 0 and shut down the Red Sox in a great fashion.

I can see a big sign that says “DANGER AHEAD” for the Cardinals. If they lose another game on Saturday, they are out of the competition and will have to start preparing for 2010. I do not want that to happen so early. Pressure is on and I know the Cardinals can overcome that. As for the Angels, they need to continue to play like this and I would love to see them in ALCS and even World Series.

Honoring Nick and the Angels

Obviously, my blog is about the Padres. Today however, I want to give a big shoutout and huge credits to the Angels for a heck of a ride they have gone through this season.

As I was looking through pictures of the Angels clinching AL West Championship this morning, I remembered the whole time that one Angel was missing: Nick Adenhart. As all of you know, he was involved in a tragic car accident earlier this season and lost his life along with two other people. It was a very, very emotional day of baseball I have ever gone through. As a die-hard Padres fan, my team didn’t matter that much. My mind was filled with Nick Adenhart. Nothing or no one else. All 30 Major League Baseball teams were in this together. Cardinals and Cubs were together, Red Sox and Yankees were together to remember Nick. I could not believe with my own two eyes that someone who was very young with so much potential to become a great pitcher died in a terrible way few hours after a night he pitched in Anaheim. He tossed six scoreless innings against the A’s for his first start on Wednesday April 8th, 2009 and got a no decision.

The Angels got off to a rough start due to a tragic loss of a beloved member but they did not stop. I didn’t see a sign that said “STOP” for the Halos. Even though they had an excrutiating pain inside, they did not show any of them at home and road. They worked as a true team, played very consistent as possible throughout the season and carried that momentum to be crowned as AL West Champions on Monday September 28th, 2009.

Angels pitcher Ervin Santana was working on his complete game shutout and he accomplished it. Third baseman Chone Figgins got the final out in the ninth inning when Rangers’ Ian Kinsler grounded out, players tossed their gloves in the air, and piled together to enjoy every single moment as division champions. About ten minutes after they went inside the clubhouse to celebrate, all of them came out, ran towards the outfield with a picture of Nick yelling “Adenhart!” “Adenhart!”, and gathered together to say their prayers and thoughts. That was the most touching moment I have ever seen for the Angels organization. What a beauty of baseball.

Before honoring Nick on the outfield, inside the clubhouse, every member of the Angels splashed beer and champagne at each other. Even Nick Adenhart’s jersey.

I understand Nick lost his life because of a drunk driver. Some can say splashing his jersey with beer is completely not acceptable. Others say the Angels were honoring a kid who was part of their team. Well, I say the Angels did the right thing. Beer or champagne did NOT kill Nick Adenhart. It was a driver who was drunk that took away Nick’s soul. I repeat. Not beer or champagne. Even from way above in Halo Heaven, Nick was with the Angels the whole time. He was looking down every single games and helped his teammates to play solid baseball. Since his jersey got soaked, it is obvious that he was celebrating together with his friends. 

As I am still writing in tears, I want to say the Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels showed a classic example of true meaning of a team. Crowned as 2009 AL West Champions prove to me that it’s not all about the Angels. Just like what manager Mike Scioscia said, it’s all about supporting Nick’s family and bringing his memory forward. 

I didn’t know anything about Nick until I heard big news that he was involved in a car accident. It is very disappointing for myself to know more about a guy after his death. Kevin Jepsen, Angels relief pitcher continues to honor his close friend by making sure No. 34 uniform is visible every game, hanging in the team’s dugout.   

I am not a big Angels fan, but this organization showed class. I cried when I saw several video clips and pictures of honoring Nick. God bless Nick Adenhart, his family and friends, the Angels, and fans. Stay classy Anaheim.

 

 

 (Youtube video credits to kmkataoka)

Trip to Angel Stadium

Yesterday, my brother, dad and I arrived at Angel Stadium about an hour before the game. We left San Diego early in the morning and off we went to Anaheim.

As soon as I arrived at the stadium, I couldn’t believe how gorgeous it was. Front of the stadium, there was of course, Nick Adenhart memorial. I got a little teary when I saw that.

That’s me flashing my Padres David Eckstein jersey at Angels vs. A’s game. It didn’t really matter because Eck played with the Angels. I heard several people talking about my jersey. In a good way. My brother who is a fan of the Angels, was very excited to go to the stadium because that was his very first time as well.

(View from our seats)

I think it was John Lackey but I’m not exactly sure who it was. He was writing “NA” before the game. That was beautiful to watch.

There was Nomar Garciaparra warming up before the game and I managed to take a good picture of him. 

Funny story here: there was an Angel fan next to me and an A’s fan right behind him. Their conversation went like this.

“Oh it’s Nomar.”

“Yeah, ex-Red Sox.”

“Ex-Cub.”

“Ex-Dodger.”

“Definitely not my ex.”

That was hilarious.

Few minutes later, the game began and I saw the starting lineups for both teams.

I was so shocked that I only knew TWO players in the A’s. Scott Hairston who is a former Padre is with Oakland but I didn’t see him in the lineup. I knew everyone in the lineup for the Angels thanks to my brother. He knows several players in the Padres thanks to me.

Lefty Joe Saunders was the starting pitcher for the Angels.

One of the Angels I watched carefully is Kendry Morales ’cause he can flat out hit and drive in couple of runs at the same time.

Joe Saunders and the Angels started off great until the seventh inning. Saunders allowed three runs and he was done. Darren Oliver, a reliever allowed one more run to the A’s to make the game more tense.

So the score was 5 to 4, Angels with only one run lead. Brad Ziegler did his best to stop the Angels from getting more runs. Unfortunately, he did not do that. I was just glad to see him ’cause he has a very cool arm delivery.

Angels got back on track by leading the A’s with a score of 7 to 4. It was a save situation so Brain Fuentes came out from the bullpen to save the day.

He, of course, got the save and Angels won the ballgame infront of 38,718 people.

Overall, it was a great game and I had a blast at Angel Stadium. I really recommend going there. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Petco is better though!

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