New York – For someone who made his money in billboards, Arte Moreno sure has trouble drawing attention to himself.
Before Sunday’s game, the Angels owner mingled with shortstop Orlando Cabrera’s jewelry-speckled posse near the dugout. He watched batting practice unbothered, cracking jokes with manager Mike Scioscia.
Moreno, his team holding an advantage in the series, wasn’t puffing out his chest. And forget about a friendly soda wager with Yankees boss George Steinbrenner.
“I still have never met him,” Moreno said. “I would like to someday. I guess we run in different circles.”
Moreno enters through side doors, he explained, part of his everyman persona. Personal assistants flank Steinbrenner en route to a private box, which, in his defense, is crowded with the likes of Donald Trump and Regis Philbin.
Moreno grew up a Yankees fan, and talked of his heartbreak when the Pirates upset them in the 1960 World Series. He was once busted in class for listening to baseball games on his transistor radio. Moreno’s passion for the game has bled into his business.
His first act as owner three years ago was to lower prices, because, as he put it Sunday, “I like beer.” The Tampa Devil Rays’ new ownership group followed suit recently, adopting free parking for fans.
“One of the things that we have do is keep this game affordable for families,” Moreno said. “My belief is that when you see kids in the park, they are going to be the ones who pass the game on.”
Washburn washed out
Jarrod Washburn, notoriously competitive, if not hot-tempered, watched Sunday’s start disappear because of a high fever. John Lackey replaced Washburn after the left-hander came down with a serious throat infection Saturday.
“He looked as bad you could look,” Scioscia said.
McClure gets long look
Former Angels pitcher and current Rockies Triple-A pitching coach Bob McClure’s name has surfaced during this series.
McClure interviewed for the Royals’ pitching coach job for three hours Saturday and, as a finalist, should know in a few days if he will get the job. Florida, eyeing Yankees bench coach Joe Girardi, an erstwhile Rockie, as its next manager, also has McClure high on its wish list and is expected to receive Colorado’s permission to talk with him this week.
Footnotes
Former Rockie Todd Zeile said Saturday during his studio gig with Fox that Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson is known for tipping pitches from the windup. Zeile demonstrated how Johnson squeezes his glove revealing the pitch, which never mattered until recently as his velocity has dipped. Johnson hinted the Angels must have known what was coming in Friday’s shelling, a suggestion Angels players denied. … First baseman Jason Giambi, booed earlier this year at Yankee Stadium, received loud applause when presented the American League’s comeback player of the year award before the game.
