Angels Spring Training - Cut Short

It's time for Angels baseball Spring Training!  To kick things off, we had our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at the Airport Sheraton in Tempe, Arizona on February 11, 2020.

The evening started with presentations from Doug Black, the 2020 Tempe Diablo Baseball Chairman and Adam Chodzko, Angels Communication Direction (he replaced Tim Mead who now works for the Baseball Hall of Fame). 

Doug Black, 2020 Tempe Diablo Baseball Chairman

Adam Chodzko, new Angel's Communications Director

Then our fearless leaders, Arnold and Dennis, gave us updates on the stadium and security procedures.

Arnold and Dennis, Our Tempe Diablo Volunteer Leaders

On this year's menu was meatloaf and carrot cake for dessert!  Not a big hit with me but it was great to see our fellow volunteers again including Linda & Randy.  

Here is our schedule with the red showing the home games were were are volunteering at the stadium. 

 

Our first game volunteering was on February 22nd and it was raining hard.  Not a great start to spring training.  We still made the 50 minute trip up to Tempe and hung out until the game was called. It was a big wash out!  I was excited to see, Janie & Jim and Greg & Lisa, season ticket holders I met last year but I'll have to wait for the next game. 

A wet Angels Dugout

The next day the weather improved and we were able to get the season started.  Ahhh, it feels good to be back and watching baseball!

Cam Bedrosian's glove (pitcher)

The whole squad out on the field warming up

Mike Trout and his buddies doing their warmups

The Angels have a new manager this year, Joe Maddon.  Here he is giving one of his daily updates with reporters.

 Brian Goodwin, Left Fielder

Before every game we have a team meeting with Dennis where he gives us information about the day's game and crowd expectations. 

Al at his station as an usher

Directly behind my section (13/14) the starting lineup is posted so many people stop to see who is playing that day.  It's still a manual process at this stadium.

Dennis writing the day's lineup

Last year while volunteering for the Angels Spring Training, I often saw Jose Mota, one of the Angels announcers, at the stadium and always said Hi to him.  We had a chance to chat with him last year and took some photos and told him our full-time RV story.  This year when I saw him again he came over and gave me a hug.  I was surprised that he remembered me from last year!  What a nice guy! 

Jose Mota

 Now these are some serious fans!

Here is my view of the games from my usher station!

Al getting "vitamins" from Mike

One morning this hot air balloon was floating over Florence Blvd on our way to I-10 to get to the stadium.

We usually arrive at the stadium early so we can watch the players warm up and batting practice.  This gave us great opportunities to see our favorite players like two-way player Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout.

Shohei Ohtani

Here is another daily briefing with Joe Maddon.  This day the players were wearing hats with OCC (Orange Coast College) in tribute to John Altobelli who died in the helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant.  

Billy Eppler, Angels General Manager being interviewed

One day we met the parents of Grace McNamee, Angels Manager of Communication.  They are from Irvine, California and were in town for a few games.  We got to talking to them about the Angels and the LA Dodgers.  We learned that Grace worked for the Dodgers before the Angels.  Al was telling them that he worked for the Dodgers when they won the World Series in 1988 and that he had a program from that season.  He's been carrying it around in our RV since we hit the road and decided to give it to Grace's Dad at the next game when we saw him.  He was so excited and appreciative. 

Joe Maddon and Mike Trout in the dug out

Mike is a touchy guy

Here's me hanging out with Tony La Russa, former manager of the St Luis Cardinals and 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee who now works for the Angels as a senior advisor of baseball operations

Tony La Russa

Another Shohei sighting.  He's recovering from Tommy John surgery and will hopefully be well enough to pitch if the baseball season ever gets started.

Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter

We happen to have a game on Al's birthday this year so here is Dennis announcing Al's birthday to the Diablo volunteers.  A bunch of the volunteers signed a card for Al and he was given a gift card.  So nice!

Dennis reading Al's card to the group

Al's birthday cake
(Thanks Linda & Randy!)

Announcing Al's birthday on the scoreboard!

After the game we went out for Japanese food for dinner with Linda & Randy and Joie & Mike to celebrate Al's birthday.

Randy, Linda, Nancy, Al, Joie, and Mike

I met Lynn, a woman from Montana, at a game and saw her for several more games.  Her uncle, Bill, is a catcher's coach for the Angels.  He's a simple guy and wears the same old sweatshirt that is so faded it's almost orange.  After Lynn went back to Montana and the cold, I would text her photos of her uncle and the beautiful days we were having at the games.  One game Uncle Bill was wearing a nice red sweatshirt so I texted Lynn a photo.  She said his son was now in town and attending the games so maybe he talked his Dad into wearing a new sweatshirt.  I hope to see Lynn again next year or whenever we make it up Montana. 

Uncle Bill, Lynn, and her family

Uncle Bill wearing a new sweatshirt

One game I met the wife, Kathryn Milner, of this pitcher, Hoby Milner, #61.   He previously played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  In November 2019 the Angels signed free agent LHP Hoby Milner to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.  It was fun for me to watch Hoby pitch an inning with his wife watching from my section.  

At the end of January he was assigned to the Angels Triple-A team the Salt Lake Bees.  Hopefully he'll be called up to play for the Angels when the season gets going.  

Another game I met a guy and his son and they talked with someone in Angels operations and the dad was able to get his son as a bat boy for a game.  What a thrill!  I would love to have that opportunity!

Here he's standing among the players during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.

He had a great vantage point for the game. 
Here Trout is on deck.
(He's sitting near the white bucket)

And Ohtani at bat

Restocking the Umpire's extra baseballs

We noticed a nice RV in the parking lot where the players park.  We learned it belongs to the new manager, Joe Maddon.  I hope a player doesn't hit a foul ball and hit the bosses rig out near right field!

Al was asked to scan tickets at the gate near Third Base a couple of games by Dennis.

Al with his camera watching warmups

Here are some photos Al took of the game

Tommy La Stella, 2nd Baseman

Anthony Rendon, Third Baseman

Trout and Rendon

It's interesting to see the angle of Mike's arm when he's throwing

Justin Upton, Outfielder

Trout making a point

Ohtani, Pujols, Tony La Russa

Ohtani

Cam Bedrosian, Pitcher

Dillon Peters, Pitcher

Ohtani

Tim Mead, paying a visit to his old team from
Cooperstown where he works for the Hall of Fame

Albert Pujols

Pujols and Trout

Rendon

Linda, Randy, Al, and Nancy

We arrived on Wednesday, March 11th for what would be our last game before Spring Training was cancelled. It was raining really hard but we went to the stadium anyway and hung out waiting.  The game was first delayed before it was cancelled.

And that was how the 2020 Spring Training ended. I missed seeing some friends from Orange County who planned to be at the stadium that weekend but had to cut their trip short or cancel.  We had no idea what was in store for the world due to Covid-19!

Even though it was short, I did enjoy our time at Spring Training this year.  I especially love the people I meet at the games.  Hopefully we'll be back again next spring!