BY BRADY RHOADES: I went to my first Angels game of the season recently — the Halos were playing Seattle — and it was a delight, per usual.
No, I didn't get to see future Hall-of-Famer Mike Trout; he's out with a thumb injury.
But Mike Scioscia is managing a pretty good team. Not loaded with talent, yet still playing .500 ball and in the race for a Wild Card berth.
BY BRADY RHOADES: I went to my first Angels game of the season recently — the Halos were playing Seattle — and it was a delight, per usual.
No, I didn't get to see future Hall-of-Famer Mike Trout; he's out with a thumb injury.
But Mike Scioscia is managing a pretty good team. Not loaded with talent, yet still playing .500 ball and in the race for a Wild Card berth.
Orange County's team plays the way it's played since winning the World Series in 2002: aggressively. The Angels lead the American League in stolen bases and in baserunners going from first to third.
Right fielder Kole Calhoun is getting into rhythm after a slow start. DH Albert Pujols doesn't have the power he once had (he's 37), but he's still slammed 12 dingers and knocked in 53 runs before the All-Star break. Andrelton Simmons is developing into a solid shortstop.
And Angel Stadium continues to be the best place in America to catch a game. Great food, diverse menu. Clean. Easy entrance and exit. Classy fans. Fair prices (we spent $20 a ticket on seats in the left-field bleachers, where you can see everything). Fun fireworks. Oh, and if you tailgate, you don't have to worry about fights or beer bottles crashing near your car. It's safe.
I met locals from Westminster, Garden Grove, Tustin and Orange while there. They are avid fans. They go to 10 to 15 games a year. They want no part of the parking mess at Dodger Stadium. They're local yokels all the way.
"Halos or bust!" said a Garden Grove woman, who asked that I use only her first name: Eva.
Trout took batting practice, which is a good sign. Before getting injured on a head-first slide, he was having the season of his life, which is saying something considering he's won two MVP awards at the tender age of 25.
For decades, going back to the 1980s, my father and I attended a few Dodgers game every summer. We loved the Dodgers, but our second favorite team was the Angels. As he got into his 70s, we switched to Angels games. It was cleaner, safer and more convenient (he lived in Claremont).
I live in Fullerton, so it's really convenient for me.
I still love the Dodgers and the Angels the way a father loves his two sons — equally — but like the locals I met, I'm a yokel all the way.
Halos or bust!
