let's get excited about...shohei otani

unexpected!

where did y'all think he was gonna go

i thought either padres or mariners i guess? i'm not really sure why

I mean I would have loved for him to go somewhere strange like that but idk when these hyped up prospects go to teams w/o huge payrolls or a shot at contention

Angels finally have some protection for Trout.

god bless mike trout but it just seems weird that someone would move to orange county or play for mike scioscia unless they absolutely had to

does this mean Pujols will be playing some 1b?

will be even more depressing when the angels miss the 2018 post-season

@ChrisGimenez5
So does this mean I’m not the best hitting pitcher in the AL anymore

Agent (not from CAA) on Ohtani signing: “Eppler made this happen. 100% all him. He has been on Ohtani since he was in HS and I will bet he absolutely crushed the presentation. This is a credit to him.” Eppler visited Japan while with NYY and after becoming LAA GM in Oct. 2015.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 8, 2017

excited by this news, pumped for trout to hopefully get a shot in his prime

we'll see how far 2 stars can carry a team, maybe

don't forget simmons

ugh for a split second i thought you meant bill

lol

ask randy johnson and curt shilling xp

...Luis Gonzalez was pretty good too.

yeah sure, but damn LAA looked bleak 24 hrs ago

Surprised nobody posted this yet (not-slow news day I guess!):

A physical obtained Tuesday shows Ohtani was previously diagnosed with a first-degree UCL sprain in his right (throwing) elbow.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2749018-shohei-ohtani-reportedly-dealing-with-elbow-injury

*james andrews creeps around a corner in the distance*

Ohtani has a page https://t.co/hMpKMXSjzm

Ohtani has a page

🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨 🚨

Ohtani has a page

(Looks statistically a bit like Will Myers and Robbie Ray smushed together holy heck)

— Eno Sarris (@enosarris) December 22, 2017

the Angels make moves to facilitate the Experiment

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-angels-have-cleared-the-way-for-shohei-ohtani/

mortal, to start

https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-shows-electric-stuff-in-debut/c-267119522

Shohei Ohtani is batting 2nd and DHing for the #Angels today against the Padres in Peoria.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) February 26, 2018

niiice

Pujols made another $65,000 today

Lol

daaaang, he walked in his first two PA's (the first one in particular was impressive) and then hit an RBI single before being taken out. Ohtani-fever!

https://www.mlb.com/video/extended-cut-ohtanis-debut/c-1876969983?tid=69972428

you can watch all the footage of him pitching and hitting there from his first two games. that slide scared me a little!

https://www.mlb.com/video/c-1878145883?tid=vtp_top_50

Ohtani recorded all eight of his outs via strikeout. With his pitch count at 52, he's likely done for the day.

— Maria I. Guardado (@mi_guardado) March 2, 2018

this game doesn't seem to be mlb.com at all?

looks like a "b game" according to other tweets from Guardado, so the competition might not have been as strong as even a normal early March spring training game

you'll have to do more than THAT to impress us, ohtani

*eats doritos*

yeah it's a back fields thing against brewers minor leaguers (i think). keston hiura did double off him, think there were other hits

i'm kinda surprised they wasted a 52-pitch ohtani spring training start on a b-game, though. you'd think they want to give him as many opportunities as possible to face major leaguers before the season starts

idk. plus they're at home this afternoon (not that the cactus league involves a lot of travel)

Shohei Ohtani, breaking ball (from today). 😳 pic.twitter.com/pTrmll2bDi

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 2, 2018

otoh, i don't think it mattered that this was a minor leaguer

http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-angels-ohtani-20180307-story.html

this is nagl on the dodgers part imo. boo hoo, you had to sit in some pointless unproductive meetings, welcome to every day of my life

otm

have the Angels said if they'll consider bypassing the DH when Ohtani pitches, so he can hit? Presents a problem when he's relieved, obviously.

bypassing = eschewing

could they not list him as the DH, who happened to also do some pitching at the start of the game? tbh i don't really know the DH rules

The designated hitter rule allows teams to use another player to bat in place of the pitcher. Because the pitcher is still part of the team's nine defensive players, the designated hitter -- or "DH" -- does not take the field on defense.

The DH must be selected prior to the game, and that selected hitter must come to bat at least one time -- unless the opposing team changes pitchers prior to that point. A team that chooses not to select a DH prior to a game is barred from using a DH for the rest of that game. A player who enters the game in place of the DH -- either as a pinch-hitter or a pinch-runner -- becomes the DH in his team's lineup thereafter.

If a player serving as the DH is later used on defense, he continues to bat in his same lineup spot. But for the rest of the game, his team cannot use a DH to bat in place of the pitcher. A team is also barred from using a DH for the rest of the game if the pitcher moves from the mound to another defensive position, a player pinch-hits for any other player and then becomes the pitcher, or the current pitcher pinch-hits or pinch-runs for the DH.

not sure anything here except that last bit even approaches covering Otani's situation.

i don't think he can be a "DH" while pitching because, well, he's pitching. and playing defence etc.
i think this is all we need to know:
"A team that chooses not to select a DH prior to a game is barred from using a DH for the rest of that game."

My understanding is that Otani can switch from pitcher to outfielder (and then can be switched out?)... I think there's something saying as much upthread but hey I'm lazy lol.

lit up by tijuana today, apparently

sure he can, Al, but i'm wondering why not bat him *while* he's in the game pitching, and using no DH is the only way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkDDlgh8dAY

that bat flip sucks

bat flips are cool but the spring training variety is like doing the Mutombo "not in my house" after you block a shot by a 3rd grader

nsfw tag pls