SURPRISE, Ariz. — If the 2023 Angels need a motto, perhaps they can borrow “Citius, Altius, Fortius.”
The Latin creed translates to “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” and is synonymous with the Olympic Games, which have started to impart an influence on the Angels as spring training nears the end of its second full week and the first full week of games.
Angels manager Phil Nevin represented the United States in the baseball tournament at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, and the entire experience – from his preparation time with Team USA to the Olympic tournament itself – left a lasting impact.
Nevin played third base on the American team made up of top college players, helping the squad into the four-team knockout round. Team USA ultimately lost to Cuba in the semifinals and to Japan in the bronze-medal game, yet it was the process itself that Nevin cherished.
“Wearing that uniform was pretty special,” Nevin said. “Now these guys are getting that chance.”
So when some Angels players said they were on the fence about competing in the World Baseball Classic this spring, Nevin pushed all of them toward participating. In the end, the Angels will be represented by 10 players as the WBC unfolds its clunky first-round pool play schedule on Wednesday with a pair of games at Taichung, Taiwan.
Shohei Ohtani left the Angels on Tuesday to join Team Japan, while David Fletcher departed to join Team Italy on Wednesday. Patrick Sandoval (Mexico), Mike Trout (USA), Luis Rengifo (Venezuela), Gio Urshela (Colombia), Jaime Barria (Panama), Carlos Estevez (Dominican Republic), Jose Quijada (Venezuela) and Zach Weiss (Israel) all will compete on the world stage.
Angels infield coach Benji Gil will be Sandoval’s manager on team Mexico and has a formidable rotation that also includes the Dodgers’ Julio Urias, the Phillies’ Taijuan Walker and the Houston Astros’ Jose Urquidy.
“I can’t wait to join them,” said Sandoval, who is expected to depart camp Monday. “I hate to leave my Angel family over here but it’s going to be exciting to get with a new group of guys, all go toward one goal, getting to Miami and winning that tournament.”
One of the Angels’ goals this spring was to mix and match their plethora of middle infield combinations, but that process can wait. Fletcher, Rengifo and Urshela represent a major part of that middle-infield scramble. But the trio has plenty of experience where forging an on-field rapport in due time should not be an issue.
“I’ve said it from the beginning, I’m excited for all of them,” Nevin said. “I encouraged them that were kind of on the bubble, deciding whether to go. ‘Go play. You get to represent your country.’
“I know Fletch isn’t from Italy but he gets to play with his brother so that’s a cool thing.”
Nevin said he can’t wait to hear the stories from Angels players when they return to camp, but he will be well-versed in what happened. He plans to watch the games with Angels players in them, no matter the hour.
When Ohtani plays his first game of the tournament with Japan on March 9 against China in Tokyo, the first pitch in Arizona will be at 3 a.m. (2 a.m. PT).
“I’ll be setting my alarm and waking up (to watch games) and getting less sleep for (the media) in the morning,” Nevin joked. “I’m excited to watch (Ohtani) as anyone would be. I’m excited to watch him in these games and pitch in these games. I told him to go have fun, we’ll miss him but we’ll be excited to have him back.”
Nevin will leave all of the coaching to the Team Japan staff, but he doesn’t expect to leave Ohtani alone entirely.
“If he hits a homer, I’ll probably send some funny emoji to him, or whatever those little videos are that you guys send,” Nevin said. “I have a whole stash of them now that I can use back at the guys so it’s good.”
HELLO OUT THERE
Rengifo has exactly 10 career major league starts in right field, but that’s where he was to start Thursday’s Cactus League game against the Kansas City Royals. It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing as Rengifo fielded a base hit by MJ Melendez in the fourth inning and then dropped the ball for an error as he tried to rush a throw to home plate.
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By having Rengifo in right, it allowed Michael Stefanic (second base) Andrew Velazquez (shortstop) and Jake Lamb (third base) to start on the infield.
ELECTRIC SLIDE
Angels left-hander Tucker Davidson didn’t necessarily have the kind of start he was looking for, giving up two runs on three hits over two innings in his second spring outing. But he did have three strikeouts and no walks while putting his new sweeping slider back to the test.
After he walked 35 batters in 52 major league innings last season, Davidson has not walked a batter in four spring innings. He even used what he called a “split change” for two pitches.
“Today I didn’t throw sliders very well for strikes,” Davidson said. “I was struggling in the bullpen before the game. … Just fine-tuning the little details is the biggest thing for these early outings.”