In an impromptu conversation from last Friday, Owen and Andy discuss the Divisional round of the playoffs, who a sleeper team could be, and what real chances the Dodgers might have. Hours later, Owen was looking for a bridge to leap from, but in the mean time, here’s a glimmer of optimistic hope for the Dodgers getting to the world series for the first time in over 25 years.

As is often the case when I interview someone in an impromptu, over-the-phone setting, the sound quality leaves something to be desired. Hopefully it’s still listenable — I assure you it’s no more than 20 minutes — and I hope you enjoy it.

The Angels have spent lots of money over the past few seasons, but their bullpen looks really shaky still. By Amin Eshaiker, via Wikimedia Commons

In this episode, Luke, Andy, and Owen talked about the dumpster fire that has been the Angels’ bullpen, whether Yasiel Puig has been judged unfairly, and how exciting it is to have the best college baseball team on the West Coast right here in San Luis Obispo.

I feel a little disenfranchised. And no, this is not a sob story.

I’m heading out to Arizona in a matter of weeks, to engage Spring Training and rounds and rounds of beer. I’ll be attempting this feat with good friends. Something I’m thankful for — this is my first time participating in the classic.

There are no bad seats at spring training, especially if you’re trying to get your tan on. By Owen Main

But as you can imagine, the majority of the nuts going are Dodgers fans. It’s something I don’t have a problem with. I just wish I didn’t feel so Khloe Kardashian about it. Let me explain.

I am a long standing Halos fan. I grew up glorifying at best, above average players, like they were perennial All-Stars. Gary DiSarcina, Dick Schofield, Dante Bichette, Chili Davis, and Devon White, were a few. Just say the name Wally Joyner and I shiver. That name alone invokes the thickest bond between brothers. That went a little too far…

But no, seriously, I’m heading to Arizona to watch a bunch of Dodgers games against crap opponents like the San Diego Padres. I’d rather watch lizard porn. Can you imagine the Padres putting up anything more than a run against the Dodgers pitching staff?

Yet despite this hard reality, I am looking forward to the experience more than I am the actual games themselves. It’s about brotherhood. And it’s about drinking. It’s not about the Halos of Orange County, hence the Khloe Kardashian comparison.

In case you’ve forgotten, this nation has a deep history in the art of intoxication. From Napa Valley to the Whisky Trail, America knows how to party.

I’m unsure whether I’ll remember much of the experience. So before I go just know this my darling reader: I am the beer pong champion. I am the Kim Kardashian of beer pong. And I am Wally Joyner’s brother.

Matt Jones was our 199th Facebook “like.” He also brought the heat on the podcast. Someday we’ll even talk to him about training for a marathon or distance race.

Happy 4th of July!

On this week’s episode, We called up our 199th Facebook “like,” and Luke got a chance to defend putting LeBron James so high on his list of top-20 NBA players of all-time.

Should Yasiel Puig be part of the All Star Game? Do the Angels matter in Los Angeles? Should the Lakers be begging Dwight Howard to come back?

Enjoy the podcast.

 In this week’s episode, the whole band is back together again as Owen, Andy, and Luke ponder the Angels’ slow start to the season, why the Warriors and Nuggets are fun to watch, and why Luke hates Nick Punto.

As I was editing this post, my hard drive literally crashed (and yes, I used literally correctly in that sentence… I think). It’s one day late, but better late than never. Hope you enjoy.

The Lost Podcast is found! Enjoy Episode 60!

Another Fansmanship podcast, you say?

For the first time in many months, Luke, Andy and Owen get back together to talk about the upcoming baseball season, the NCAA Tournament, and NFL free agency.

Camelback Ranch is one of the best places to watch your favorite prepare for the season ahead. By Ray Ambler (www.raphotos.com)

In this day and age, three and a half weeks into spring training means most baseball fans have the same thoughts circulating throughout their head: “How am I going to set up my fantasy team this year?;” “I hope my team hasn’t suffered a devastating injury;” or my personal favorite, “Last year may have been bad, but thank god I’m not a Cubs fan; at least my team still has hope of winning.” Don’t worry Los Angeles baseball fans, because over the last two years the Dodgers and Angels have combined to spend over $600 million on player contracts, while also agreeing to nearly$10 billion dollars in television deals, proving their respective desire to win immediately. Haven’t had any time to keep up with the Dodgers and Angels this spring? Worry not, for I am here to provide you with a reminder of what has gone on since the start of spring training:

Dodgers:

• The Dodgers still have eight starting pitchers, which is not a bad thing. Last year they used nine starting pitchers, and no team has gone through 162 games using the same five starting pitchers since the 2003 Mariners with Freddy Garcia, Jamie Moyer, Ryan Franklin, Gil Meche and Joel Pineiro. Management should make every attempt to keep as many as possible. Injuries are bound to occur throughout the season and the saying goes, “You can never have enough starting pitching.”
• Clayton Kershaw, who is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he finished in the top two for Cy Young voting, has thrown 13 innings, giving up 19 hits and eight earned runs during spring training. While these stats seem alarming, last I checked it was still spring training. You have nothing to worry about Dodger fans.
• On March 1, Carl Crawford was shut down from any fielding or hitting for at least a week for what he described as tightness and soreness in his arm, rather than pain. Unfortunately, this is a result from his Tommy John surgery last August, causing some people around baseball to wonder whether or not he will be ready for spring training. As of March 7, Crawford has been cleared to start hitting and throwing, but he won’t return to a Cactus League game for at least another week, and a return by Opening Day is still up in the air.
• Big League Chew announced Matt Kemp will be featured on the package of their iconic bubble gum brand. This will make Kemp the first active professional athlete to be featured on the package of gum that’s become synonymous with the baseball youth; part of the sales will go to Kemps charity, Kemp’s Kids.
• Zach Grienke was sent back to Los Angeles with a sore arm to talk to the Dodgers’ team doctor. Uh oh.

There are also eight players in the Dodgers organization participating on six different teams in the World Baseball Classic:

–   Mexico: Luis Cruz, Adrian Gonzalez

–   Puerto Rico: Andres Santiago (minors), Mario Santiago (minors)

–   Brazil: Felipe Burin (minors)

–   Dominican Republic: Hanley Ramirez

–   Italy: Nick Punto

–   Venezuela: Ronald Belisario

For constant updates on the Dodgers throughout the day, I recommend following Bill Plunkett on twitter @billplunKettocr. He is the Dodger’s beat writer for the Orange County Register and provides phenomenal information on a daily basis.

Angels:

• The latest high-profile acquisition for the Angels, Josh Hamilton, made his spring training debut on March 2. He went 0-for-3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but has since gone 5-for-7 with one home run and two RBIs. Of course, fans and critics need to keep in mind that his performance during spring training—whether it’s good or bad—will not reflect how a he performs during the regular season, especially with how unorthodox of a personality he has proven to have.
• For some reason a big deal was made when the Angels announced they had renewed Mike Trout’s contract to a four percent increase from the league minimum, meaning Trout will make $510,000 instead of $490,000.  I certainly believe Trout deserves a much larger raise solely based on the only season in his major league career; however, the kid is only 21 years old and even he doesn’t seem to mind, clearly understanding he will have a very long career filled with plenty of paychecks.
• The best hitter the post-steroid era has seen to date, Albert Pujols, had surgery in October on his right knee and made his spring debut on March 5going 0-for-3. He hasn’t played since, but he assured Angel fans that he would be more than prepared for the regular season, regardless how many at-bats he gets in spring training.
• Four individuals—Ernesto Frieri, Kevin Jepsen, Scott Downs and Sean Burnett—have emerged as potential candidates to take over the closer role, as Ryan Madson will likely start the season on the disabled list. It appears Frieri will get the opportunity to start the season, with playing time probably dictated by performance.

There are also three players in the Angels organization playing on three different teams in the World Baseball Classic:

–   Dominican Republic: Erick Aybar

–   Mexico: Efren Navarro

–   Puerto Rico: Fernando Cabrera

As I mentioned before with Bill Plunkett, if you would like to receive updates on the Angels throughout the day, I recommend following Bill’s counterpart at the OC Register, Jeff Fletcher on twitter @JeffFletcherOCR.

Los Angeles sports fans, eat your hearts out.

You already had 4 courses. And the dessert is going to be pretty sweet, too.

Already in 2012, Los Angeles has seen its share of stars. The 2012 baseball season featured arguablly the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols joining the ranks of stars in Los Angeles. OK, he didn’t quite make it to Los Angeles, but Orange County isn’t bad.

Mike Trout became the best player in baseball last season at the age of 20. By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA (Mike Trout Uploaded by Muboshgu) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Across town, the Dodgers did nothing if not raise their star profile. It started with Magic Johnson and the Guggenheim group buying the team for over $2 billion. Matt Kemp was already a star. So was Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers traded for Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford, all of whom have been in the top two or three at their position at some point in their careers.

The Lakers have always been star-driven. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol have been stars for years. Metta World Peace thinks he’s one, although I’d argue against it. In the offseason, the team acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, both of whom are definitely stars.

The Lakers’ Staples Center roommates, the Clippers, are also beginning to gel with their own superstars, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, leading the way.

At the Home Depot Center, the Galaxy had stars this year. In David Beckham’s last season. Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan are among the world’s best players and, alongside Beckham, led a star-driven team to its second straight MLS Cup.

The team with the fewest stars is the only team other than the Galaxy to win a championship this year. The Los Angeles Kings, led by Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Quick won the Stanley Cup for the first time.

Zack Greinke had Los Angeles baseball fans abuzz this week, but he doesn’t get close to cracking the top-10 sports stars in Los Angeles. By Keith Allison on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as “Zack Greinke”) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

If the Western Divisions of the National and American League end up the way they look on-paper now, a freeway World Series in southern California is a distinct possibility. I don’t want to digress into a different topic, but if things went like they “should” go based on preseason predictions, the Lakers wouldn’t be struggling so much.

Struggling or not, the Lakers have remained relevant with stars. However they do in 2013, both the Angels and Dodgers have positioned themselves to be relevant all season. As I’ve said before, when it comes to Los Angeles, sometimes it’s more important to be relevant, than good. And fans in southern California don’t complain when their teams are both.

Owen’s List of Star Power in Los Angeles sports in 2012

1) Kobe Bryant

2) Albert Pujols

3) Matt Kemp

4) Mike Trout

5) Blake Griffin

6) Chris Paul

7) David Beckham

8) Clayton Kershaw

9) Josh Hamilton

10) Dwight Howard

Honorable Mention — Steve Nash, Adrian Gonzalez, Landon Donovan, Pau Gasol, Jared Weaver, Hanley Ramirez, Robbie Keane, Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Serena Williams, Zach Greinke, Andre Ethier.

Did I miss someone? Do you not agree with my top-10? Post below and tell us what you think.

Pau

I know, it’s a cliche. I don’t know why, but every Major League Baseball team circles that 119th game. After the 119th game, you can really tell which teams are serious. After all, there are only 43 games left. If you aren’t in contention, you need at least 44 games to get back into the race…

Now that that’s out of the way, I want to evaluate to some actual Major League Baseball-related statements I’ve head lately:

Mike Trout is better than Matt Kemp

Of all the bold statements on today’s list, this is the one that I’m most torn about. Trout is good. REALLY good. The 22 year-old has been performing for most of the season at the level that would make him a top-5 player in the game. Since his May call-up, Trout is batting .340 with a .998 OPS. His athletic ability is explosive. He is like the five-tool player A’s General Manager Billy Beane would have been has he been a successful major league player. There just don’t seem to be any holes in his game. Great baseball players don’t have to be great athletes, but he absolutely is both.

Trout masters the balance between hustle and savvy. He has scored 93 runs and swiped 38 bases in 95 games.

And here’s where the “but” comes in. Trout has only played 135 games in his career. While he has been the best player in the game since May, I’m not ready to crown him.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYKIcnj1MJY

With the two best center fielders in the game in the Los Angeles area, the comparisons are natural. Kemp has 4 1/2 full seasons in addition to two partial ones under his belt. Kemp has made the All-Star team each of the past two seasons. He has two Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger Awards and should have won the MVP last season. He is 27 years old and has proven how great he is over 3100-plus at-bats in the big leagues. During the season that Trout has broken-out, Kemp’s OPS is 1.058. Remember, during Trout’s monster season, his OPS is .998.

Matt Kemp’s Career Stats

In comparison, Trout has just over 500 at-bats in the Major Leagues. He is only 20 years old and a physical specimen, but… well… he’s 20 years old. His promise is both exhilarating and tempting. But it needs to be taken as just that. Promise. Lots of players have had amazing single seasons. Not as many have had them at the age of 20 though, and not quite like Trout. If he stays healthy, he could be really, really great.

Mike Trout’s Career Stats

A friend of mine said about Trout, “he needs to do it for three seasons before you can call him the best player in the game.” While I like the concept of waiting, I don’t think we should have to wait three full years. Give me until the end of next year. If Trout is still performing at this high a level, I’ll consider it. Until then, he remains chalk-full of promise and excitement. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The Angels have a better shot at the World Series than the Dodgers

Since we’re at the 119-game mark, let’s talk about which team in Los Angeles is better. The Dodgers stand at 65-54, completing a successful road trip and ready for a end-of-season run. Despite having the fewest home runs in the Major Leagues — mostly thanks to having James Loney and Juan Uribe as the “ideal” starting corner infielders for most of the year…. — their pitching has given up the third-fewest runs in the majors. Yes, they play in a much weaker division, but the bet with Luke was that the Dodgers would finish with a better record. And they are on-pace to do just that.

The Angels are so much better on paper though. They have two or three ace starting pitchers and it’s a wonder they ever lose with a lineup that sometimes seems like it should be in the Bronx rather than Orange County.

Baseball doesn’t always turn out following the numbers though, and my prediction is that, whether it’s because of the easier record or better players, the Fansmanship site will be flush with Dodger Blue come October.

The Dodgers’ offense is now a potent lineup that should be feared by opponents.

I’m a Dodgers fan. Let’s be clear here. But this is flat wrong.

While the Yoyers have given up the third-fewest runs in baseball, they have also hit the fewest home runs and are 24th in runs scored. That’s not very high for a division leader. While Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino bring better name recognition than Juan Rivera/Jerry Hairston Jr. and Juan Uribe, the addition of these two players does not cause the Dodgers lineup to become one of the top-10 even in the game.

As a fan, I don’t think they have to be top-10. They only have to make the playoffs and be hot like recent Cardinals and Giants teams have proven.

Andre Ethier. What gives?

This is actually my question. Because in the end, the big difference for the Dodgers might not be their big acquisitions at all. It may be whether Andre Ethier can get back on-track.

Since signing his contract extension, Ethier has basically disappeared. His power numbers have waned and he is far from the potent hitter he was at the beginning of the year. If the Dodgers want to make a deep run, the former Sun Devil will have to find his pop again. If the Dodgers are to make a run, Ethier must perform better than he has over the past four weeks, during which time he has hit .255 with zero home runs and only 7 RBIs.

Late Friday, the Angles sent shock waves through Anaheim when they traded for Brewers pitcher Zach Grienke. Neither the Dodgers nor the Angels gave up much in the trades and the potential upside of both trades is spectacular.

Luke and I talked about which trade was better, which team risked more, and how we would rate the success of each trade in the short-term and long-term. Hope you enjoy the Fansmanship.com podcast!