November 19, 2012 Page 1 of 11

Clips (November 19, 2012)

November 19, 2012 Page 2 of 11

Today’s Clips Contents

From the Orange County Register (Page 3) Whicker: Cowart is Angels' big-game hunter Smith: Scioscia honors his high school coach Another award for

From Angels.com (Page 8) Trout is Negro Leagues Legacy Awards' AL MVP Sun sets on the

From the Vineland Daily Journal (Page 10) Trout casts eye toward more success in 2013

November 19, 2012 Page 3 of 11

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Whicker: Cowart is Angels' big-game hunter

By MARK WHICKER COLUMNIST THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

MESA, Ariz. – Deer, coyotes, doves and other wary wildlife in deep south Georgia were visibly upset to hear the Arizona Fall League finally ended.

It meant the boots of Caleb Cowart would soon be on the ground.

The 2010 first-round pick of the Angels is a devoted hunter/fisherman and will probably be out of cell phone range until the dawn of , 2013.

Just the mention of the woods brought a poignant catch in Cowart's voice as he sat in the ' dugout before a game last week.

"I hunt everything," he said. "Mainly I like to deer hunt. I'm passionate about it. And it started Sept. 8. I got to go home about three weeks before the Fall League so I did some of it. But it goes on until Dec. 2. Then duck hunting comes right behind that, starting Nov. 25.

"I've gotten an 8-point buck before, but not any real big deer. Hopefully I will this year. We take a hunting trip to North Dakota every winter."

The Angels have been hunting, too. They have set traps for third basemen, with intermittent success.

But those varmints can be pretty elusive, especially when you hoard your bullets.

They had for five years. They had for three years.

They also tried Dallas McPherson, Brandon Wood, Dave Hollins, George Arias, Spike Owen, Rene Gonzalez, and Jack Howell in the years after Doug DeCinces.

They could have signed Adrian Beltre on two occasions and didn't. They preferred to sign instead of Aramis Ramirez. Ramirez signed with Milwaukee and led the NL with 50 doubles, while driving in the same 105 runs Pujols did.

But that is not the relevant comparison. The Angels' Alberto Callaspo had a .692 OPS, eighth among AL third basemen, and was 11th in RBIs in 2012.

Now Cowart will ascend to -A, the Rubicon for all prospects. Last season, he drove in 103 runs while he played 66 games at Cedar Rapids and 69 at Inland Empire, both in Class-A, with 16 homers overall. November 19, 2012 Page 4 of 11

"I wanted my average to be higher (.259 at Inland Empire, .276 overall) but I think I got a little tired,' he said. "I was pleased with my year overall. Next year I just want to get better prepared physically to play 140 games."

Cowart fits the blueprint. He is 6-foot-3 and 195, and a switch-hitter, on the advice of his dad. He didn't see many left-handers in high school, so sometimes he would alternate during a game.

For fairness, he probably should have played with handcuffs.

Cowart .652 as a senior with a of 1.208 and stole 36 bases in 36 tries. In his Cook County High career he homered 40 times.

He might have been better on the mound, with a 10-1 record and a 1.05 ERA.

"I don't put much stock in those high school stats because I've seen girls hit fourth or fifth at some Georgia schools," said Eddie Bane, the Angels scouting director at the time. "But there was not much debate on him. He had a great arm and easy power.

"But there was some doubt about signing him. That part of Georgia is State country."

Cowart committed to the Seminoles and made it clear that he was not a markdown. He also tuned out teams that wanted him to pitch. The Angels drafted him 18th overall and came up with $2.3 million, nearly $1 million more than was recommending.

It was a peachy first round. Jake Skole (16th pick) was an the Rangers drafted, and the Angels got outfielder Chevy Clarke (29th) and (30th), all from Georgia.

Cowart, Skole and Clarke all played together at East Cobb, the suburban Atlanta summer league that sponsors teams from age 8 through 18. Cowart's team, the East Cobb Astros, had 23 players who either signed professionally or got college rides. But the hunting was always better at home.

And, yeah, Cowart can remedy our local coyote problem.

"Oh, yeah, we got coyotes," he said. "We call them at night. It's not illegal, you can put up lights and stuff. There are so many trees and woods, they have lots of hiding places."

But Cowart knew he'd be leaving Cook County to make a living. His dad has a desk job now, but he once worked the electrical lines.

"You gotta be certifiable to do that," Cowart said, shaking his head. "I helped him out on a few things, just enough to learn how valuable hard work is — and how much I didn't want to do manual labor." November 19, 2012 Page 5 of 11

There's lifting to do at the hot corner, too. But if Cowart takes the Angels' bait, they won't throw him back.

Smith: Scioscia honors his high school coach

Angels honors his high school coach at his Amateur Baseball Development Group charity golf tournament on Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, at the Moorpark Country Club.

By MARCIA C. SMITH COLUMNIST THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

MOORPARK – Angels manager and baseball dad Mike Scioscia stepped to the podium in a crowded Moorpark Country Club banquet room last Monday to begin the entertainment portion of the evening.

He's known for roasting his friends with one-line skewers, then shamelessly goading them into opening their wallets to bid on live charity auction items ranging from high-end Angels memorabilia and baseball experiences to this night's bundt cake with an opening bid of $1 dollar.

He kicked in a nice bottle of wine, top-shelf vodka, 5 Cuban cigars and four Diamond Club tickets to raise to get the cake going, going, gone for $700.

This was vintage Scioscia, working the room of more than 250 friends at his ninth annual charity golf tournament that raised more than $100,000 for Southern California youth baseball programs through the Amateur Baseball Development Group.

But this evening was a bit different from years past because Scioscia would later step aside on the stage to get needled by his guest of honor.

Gusts of 20 to 30 mph had pounded and swirled through the three nine-hole courses all day, turning Par 3 holes into what could have been Par 9s. Yet everyone played through, chapped lips, wind-burned cheeks, lost golf balls and all.

"You guys were awesome today, real troopers in the wind," the gracious Scioscia said to open the program. "I think the Angels played in that wind the first six weeks of the season."

Laughter rolled through the audience that included many sports celebrities: Angels broadcasters Terry Smith and Mark Gubicza, former Dodgers teammate and pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, former Angels batting coach , former Angels bench coach and current Milwaukee Brewers manager , Angels coaches Steve Soliz and Mike Ashman, Angels assistant trainer Rick Smith, and past and November 19, 2012 Page 6 of 11

present ballplayers Chris Parmelee, Ed Farmer, Bucky Buchanan, , Aaron Rowand and Jon Garland.

Scioscia, 53, made no other mention of the 2012 Angels season of high expectations that ended short of the playoffs. He didn't even, in good humor in front of his fans and supporters, flex his confidence and predict at future Angels .

He guided the Angels to the 2002 championship. He will return again in 2013 for a 14th season, the longest continuous tenure of any manager in the majors.

But on this night, Scioscia cranked down the humor at times, kept the focus on amateur baseball and raised money to save the game for the youngsters who need teams, leagues and even to play.

Some yearly attendees said this night might have been one of Scioscia's more "personal" appearances because he publically recalled his own amateur beginnings.

"As you go through life, you meet some special people," he said. "As you get a little distance and look in your rearview mirror, you realize how special they are and how special they were to you."

Scioscia presented the first ABDG Lifetime Achievement Award to his former coach Harry "Ace" Bell of Springfield High in Morton, Pa., a suburb in Delaware County.

Bell climbed gingerly to the podium, received a standing ovation and then put the comedic screws to Scioscia.

"When I heard about this down in junior high who was coming up, I heard he hit .190 something in eighth grade and thought 'What are they talking about?'" Bell recalled. "It wasn't true. He came up the next year and hit .532. Of course, he didn't have any leg hits!"

Scioscia, who has joked that scouts used an egg timer rather than a stopwatch to clock his foot speed, laughed and blushed.

"I taught him how to steal bases, too," Bell said. "Of course, we never used it (those lessons) that often."

After getting in his jabs, Bell told the audience that "Mike, without a doubt, was the most outstanding player I had."

Scioscia, capitalizing on the crowning moment in front of several Springfield baseball alumni in the crowd, asked Bell to repeat the compliment.

"Wait," Bell, jumping back to the microphone, "Maybe I didn't say that right. You were the best hitting catcher that batted left handed." November 19, 2012 Page 7 of 11

A black and white photo of young Scioscia and Bell flashed on the 60-inch flatscreen that was a raffle prize.

Scioscia recalled playing basketball in his yard in 1976 when Bell called him to come over to the school to take a photo for the Springfield Press. That day, Scioscia hopped in his family's Gran Torino and drove the mile to the ball field.

"Thanks for dressing," Bell told Scioscia, who was wearing a beat-up white T-shirt featuring a caricature of Vice President Spiro Agnew with Mickey Mouse ears.

"I'll be 3,000 miles away playing baseball (when the photo runs in the paper)," said Scioscia, who was drafted in the 1976 first round (19th overall) by the Dodgers.

Even after a 15-year playing career and 13-year managing career, after winning two World Series as a Dodger and one as an Angel manager, Scioscia doesn't forget his roots and the people who "touched my heart."

"We played baseball (at Springfield High) for a coach that cared, a coach that got it," said Scioscia, the 2002 and 2009 A.L. Manager of the Year. "He wasn't just there for guys like myself ... who went on to play but for the 25th guy on the roster, guys who weren't going to play baseball past high school."

Scioscia praised Bell as the coach more concerned about his players as young men, who wanted to know about their families and their lives outside of the diamond.

On this night, away from , Scioscia gave thanks.

Another award for Mike Trout

November 16th, 2012, 7:19 pm by JEFF FLETCHER, OCREGISTER.COM

Although Mike Trout came up short for the AL MVP award, he continues to rack up consolation prizes. He added to his collection today with the AL Award, which is the MVP equivalent awarded by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen won the NL award.

Both will receive their awards as part of the Legacy Awards on Jan. 12 in Kansas City.

The NLBM named the award after Charleston, considered one of the best-all around players to play in the Negro Leagues, according to the museum.

Trout was a unanimous selection for AL Rookie of the Year, and he also won the Major League Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, and the Players’ Choice AL Rookie of the Year. November 19, 2012 Page 8 of 11

FROM ANGELS.COM

Trout is Negro Leagues Legacy Awards' AL MVP

Pirates outfielder McCutchen receives 's top honor

By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- Mike Trout settled for runner-up when the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced its choice for MVP on Thursday, but the Angels' rookie sensation took home the Junior Circuit's top honor when the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum announced its annual Legacy Awards on Friday.

Trout received the AL's Oscar Charleston Award, recognizing the league's most valuable player, as well as the Award for top rookie and the James "Cool Papa" Bell Award for his stolen-base title. BBWAA AL MVP didn't go unnoticed, however, as the Tigers slugger picked up the AL's and Walter "Buck" Leonard Awards in recognition of his home and batting titles, respectively.

The Legacy Awards will be presented on Saturday night, Jan. 12, at the Gem Theater, just across the street from the museum near 18th and Vine in Kansas City.

There'll be a show-biz aspect to this year's program. Charley Pride, who was a Negro Leagues pitcher before he became a famed country singer, will receive the Award for lifetime achievement. Pride played for the Memphis Red Sox in 1953 and went on to record such hits as "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" and "Kaw-Liga."

Buck O'Neil Awards for outstanding support of the museum will go to Sports on Earth writer and former Kansas City Star columnist Joe Posnanski, and to James B. Nutter & Co., a Kansas City mortgage lender and longtime supporter of baseball in the area.

MLB Network analyst will receive the Award for baseball journalist of the year.

Legacy Awards to baseball personnel in the American and National Leagues, respectively, will be presented as follows:

Oscar Charleston Award: Trout; Andrew McCutchen, Pirates

Wilber "Bullet" Rogan Award for pitcher of the year: , Rays; R.A. Dickey, Mets

Josh Gibson Award: Cabrera; , Brewers

James "Cool Papa" Bell Award: Trout; , Padres

Walter "Buck" Leonard Award: Cabrera; , Giants November 19, 2012 Page 9 of 11

Larry Doby Award: Trout; , Nationals

Hilton Smith Award for reliever of the year: Jim Johnson, Orioles; , Braves

John Henry "Pop" Lloyd Award for baseball and community leadership: , Orioles

Andrew "Rube" Foster Award for executive of the year: , Athletics; , Cardinals

C.I. Taylor Award for manager of the year: , Orioles; , Reds

Sun sets on the Arizona Fall League

The Scottsdale Scorpions, made up partly of Angels prospects, finished the Arizona Fall League 15-16 — not good enough to qualify for the championship game — and top prospect struggled. The 20-year-old, switch-hitting, former first-round pick, who rose to No. 1 in the Angels’ system by the end of the season, posted a .200/.265/.283 slash line with one in 17 AFL games. As one scout said, he was simply “out of gas.” The same thing happened to Mike Trout in 2011, playing a lot in September with the Angels and scuffling big time while on the same team as Bryce Harper in the AFL. So, what do you make of Cowart’s fall? Nothing. He’s still a talented prospect the Angels hope can be their everyday third baseman by 2014 (though 2015 may be a safer bet). Below are how the rest of the Angels prospects did in the AFL. For more info on the league, go here, and for more info on these guys, click here …

LHRP Buddy Boshers: 4 R (3 ER), 3 SO, 3 BB, 2 2/3 IP

RHRP Bobby Cassevah: 2-0, 3.13 ERA, 6 GS, 23 IP, 18 SO, 8 BB

RHRP Ryan Chaffee: 8 R, 9 SO, 6 BB, 6 1/3 IP

RHRP Kevin Johnson: 3.75 ERA, 7 SO, 1 BB, 12 IP

C Carlos Ramirez: 6-for-24, 4 RBI

OF : .228/.297/.351, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 16 G

CF Travis Witherspoon: .219/.288/.411, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 21 G

November 19, 2012 Page 10 of 11

FROM THE VINELAND DAILY JOURNAL

Trout casts eye toward more success in 2013

By Josh Friedman

Despite playing less than two full seasons in the majors, Mike Trout has already managed to move into the same company with , , and Cal Ripken.

Those were the only four players to produce 10-plus wins-above-replacement seasons — Bonds (11.6 in 2001 and 02; 10.4 in 2004), Sosa (10.1 in 2001), Rodriguez (10.1 in 2000), Ripken (11.3 in 1991) — since Trout was born, according to the website Baseball- Reference.

The outfielder and Millville native hit 10.7 in his rookie year, and there are those who believe he’s capable of repeating the feat.

“I think he has a good chance to be a 10-win player again,” ESPN analyst Keith Law said.

While WAR, a metric used to determine how many victories a player is worth over a bench player, isn’t a statistic most fans check in daily box scores, Trout said “this is the first time I actually heard about it this year,” Law’s point was simple — Trout should have several more MVP-caliber years in his future.

“Eventually he’ll do this again,” Law said.

Trout’s first season in the Big Leagues, a 40-game showcase in 2011, netted some positive reviews, but overall he struggled with the adjustment of facing top pitching, as he hit just .220.

This year, he looked like a grizzled — make that a clean-shaven — veteran.

“I got to play every day this year,” Trout said of the difference between the two campaigns. “(In 2011) I was playing every three games, every four games, and it was tough to get in rhythm. It was a first-year thing, and getting experience last year really helped me for the beginning of this year.”

Trout, the American League Rookie of the Year, never endured a prolonged slump this season, never going more than two consecutive games without registering a hit.

However, even on the days he struggled with the bat, his prowess on the base paths and in the made him just as valuable to his team.

“I talked to (former Angel) Torii Hunter about him, about the skills and everything else, and he acknowledged he hasn’t seen anybody quite like Mike Trout when it comes to the November 19, 2012 Page 11 of 11

skills and attributes,” ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian said. “Then he pointed to the side of his head and said, ‘This is where he separates himself from every other young player.’

“Torii is a very appreciative guy, but I’ve never heard him talk like that about any other player than Mike Trout. Ever.”

Neither Kurkjian, nor Law, could point out any major weakness Trout has in his game.

“Like all players, they can get better as they go,” Kurkjian said. “I’m not sure what he can get better doing. I can’t imagine him getting faster, but I can see him becoming an even better defensive player, even though he was brilliant in 2012. … I think he’ll become a better hitter (because of experience). … And I’d sure like to see what he could do playing 162 games instead of coming (up) three or four weeks into the season.”

Even though his game has reached star-level status, Trout notes there are different areas he will work on to get even better.

“Probably the main thing is arm accuracy,” he said. “Just little things on defense. My swing feels pretty good, (but) there’s always things you can work on.”

His power numbers, which caught him slightly off guard this season, are likely to rise too as he gets older and stronger.

“I knew my power was there, I just didn’t know it would come so quick,” Trout said.

Angels assistant general manager Scott Servais believes the only thing that could slow down Trout are injuries.

“The only thing I hope for Mike Trout is that he can stay healthy,” he said. “If he can run out on the field 150, 160 times a year, and let his talent just play, the numbers will take care of themselves.”

And that includes contractually.

Though Trout’s agent Craig Landis said there have been no talks of a contract extension yet, he’s confident his client will produce enough to earn a big payday in the future.

“I’m totally confident this year was not a fluke and Mike will continue to perform well, so I’m not too worried about the contract,” Landis said. “The money will come.”

The Angels are looking at Trout as a building block for their long-term future.

“We’d love to have him be an Angel the rest of his career,” Servais said.