MLB Bullets remembers an Angel

Writing this column is a pain most days. On days like today, it’s downright heartbreaking.

• You all know about the passing of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs by now. Fabian Ardaya writes about what kind of person Skaggs was and how he loved Southern California and being an Angel. (Free to all.)
• Chris Bumbaca gives a recap of Skaggs career.
• The Angels had a press conference about Skaggs’ death and owner Arte Moreno called it “a punch in the heart.” The Angels and Rangers played last night, but the two teams honored Skaggs in several ways.
• Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin was drafted by the Angels with Skaggs and traded to the Diamondbacks with Skaggs. Corbin considered Skaggs to be a close friend. Corbin changed his uniform number to Skaggs’ “45” for last night’s start.
• Tommy Birch remembers the day that Skaggs spent the entire game in the Iowa Cubs press both talking baseball with him. He remembers it so vividly because that’s not something a player on the visiting team ever does.
• C. Trent Rosecrans spoke with former Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty about how that team dealt with the death of Darryl Kile back in 2002. (The Athletic sub. req.) Jocketty recalled what the Cardinals had to do, but added that there is no way to prepare for anything like this.
• Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who went through a similar experience in Miami with the death of Jose Fernandez, offered his support and words of advice for the Angels.
• The baseball world reacted to Skaggs’ death.
• Molly Knight went to Angels Stadium, where the fans had made a impromptu memorial for Skaggs. She spoke to the fans about their feelings and she also recapped the sad history of tragedy in Angels organization. (Free to all)
• Jessica DeLine writes a tribute to Skaggs as an Angels fan and says there is no easy way to get through this.
• The autopsy on Skaggs will not be completed until sometime in October.
• But the game goes one and staying with the Angels, Sam Miller notes that Mike Trout’s career WAR has now surpassed several more Hall-of-Famers. And Trout is still only 27.
• Shohei Ohtani has started a new era of two-way players, but with the arrival of the Rays’ Brendan McKay, Travis Sawchik notes that there are many more two-way players on the way.
• Joe Sheehan adds his voice to those who believe the Rays plan to play half their games in Montreal is simply a cynical attempt to get a taxpayer-funded stadium from one of these cities.
• Hannah Keyser writes that the real victims of the shenanigans of the Rays front office are the fans. She notes that while everyone has said that the “Rays’ TV ratings are strong” despite the poor attendance, TV ratings are starting to dip as fans get tired of being jerked around like that. Also, she wonders if the Rays aren’t the “canary in the coalmine” as far as baseball attendance.
• Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling will miss his first games since 1989.
• The Yankees also had their home run streak stopped at 31 games.
• Bob Nightengale argues that DJ LeMahieu has been the Yankees MVP so far this season.
• Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer has had a historically-good month of June. He also broke his nose.
• The Red Sox have declared Nathan Eovaldi will be their new closer when he returns from the IL. Katherine Acquavella thinks many more changes are coming to the Boston bullpen.
• Sung Min Kim believes the best reliever available for trade this summer is Giants closer Will Smith.
• Devan Fink looks at Mets closer Edwin Diaz and assesses why Diaz hasn’t been as good this year as he was last year in Seattle.
• Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen watched a ballgame from the centerfield bleachers with rabid Mets fans. Believe it or not, everyone was very nice to each other.
• Zach Kram believes the 2019 Baltimore Orioles have a good shot at being the worst team of all-time.
• David Schoenfield looks at what an incredible season Pirates first baseman Josh Bell is having.
• Eric Stephen has five players who didn’t make the All-Star Game rosters, but should have.
• Jeff Passan profiles new 16-year-old Yankees international signing Jasson Dominguez, also known as “The Martian” for his out-of-this-world skills.
• Who is the next Clayton Kershaw? Trick question—there will never be another Clayton Kershaw. But Eric Longenhagen has some young pitchers in the minors that reminds him of Kershaw in one way or another.
• Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus stole home for the third time this year.
• And finally, the Mets beat the Yankees and the last pitch was a foul tip that catcher Wilson Ramos bobbled several times before securing for the final out.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.