ANGELS NOTEBOOK: ROOKIE SHOWS DEFENSE.Byline: BEN VILLA Staff Writer ANAHEIM - The book on Angels prospect Howie Kendrick Howard Joseph (Howie) Kendrick (born July 12, 1983 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American Major League Baseball second baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He bats and throws right-handed. Kendrick Attended West Nassau High School where he played baseball. has always been a great hitter with limited range at second base, but in his major-league debut Wednesday, he showed the opposite. Kendrick started at second base in place of Adam Kennedy For other people with the same name, see Adam Kennedy (disambiguation). Adam Thomas Kennedy (born January 10, 1976 in Riverside, California) is a Major League Baseball player. He currently plays second base for the St. Louis Cardinals. Kennedy attended J.W. (Cal State Northridge) and had a forgettable for·get·ta·ble adj. Fit or apt to be forgotten: a movie with very forgettable characters. Adj. 1. forgettable - easily forgotten unforgettable - impossible to forget day at the plate, going 0 for 4. He grounded out to the pitcher twice, had groundout to second base and a flyout. But defensively, he made several nice plays. He started a double play on Tigers speedy center fielder Curtis Granderson Curtis Granderson (born March 16, 1981, in Blue Island, Illinois) is a center fielder in Major League Baseball who currently plays for the Detroit Tigers. Granderson grew up in Lynwood, Illinois, a south suburb of Chicago and began his baseball career in the town's Little League. in the eighth inning and charged right away on several popups, calling immediately for the ball and avoiding any possible collisions with the rest of his teammates. ``I thought Howie was really composed defensively and he was in good position all game long to make plays,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia ``Offensively, he got a little ahead of himself and he was a little anxious, but he has a chance to be a dynamic offensive player. He's put up eye-opening numbers in the minors, and the more he plays here in the big leagues, the more he'll start to show that talent.'' Kendrick wasn't the only Angel to make his big league debut Wednesday. After being called up Saturday, Reggie Willits Reggie Gene Willits (born May 30, 1981, in Chickasha, Oklahoma) is a Major League Baseball outfielder with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is an alumnus of the University of Oklahoma, and he played Junior College Baseball at Seminole State in Seminole, OK. got in when he pinch-ran for Edgardo Alfonzo Edgardo Antonio Alfonzo (born November 8, 1973 in Miranda State, Venezuela) is an Atlantic League of Professional Baseball infielder in the Long Island Ducks and a former player in Major League Baseball, most notably for the New York Mets. , who walked, in the bottom of the eighth inning. Willits, however, never got farther than second base. But afterward, he said he felt relieved to get his debut over with. ``It felt good to finally get in there,'' Willits said. ``It was like running on air. I had a lot of adrenaline going. I knew this was going to be my role with the team, pinch-running, and I'm willing to do whatever I can to help the team.'' Time off: First baseman Casey Kotchman Casey John Kotchman (born February 22, 1983 in St. Petersburg, Florida) is a Major League Baseball first baseman for Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He hit his first Major League home run on August 5 2005. In 47 games in 2005, Kotchman had 7 home runs and 22 runs batted in. and catcher Jeff Mathis, who are both struggling at the plate, were given Wednesday off. Kotchman is batting .148, while Mathis is struggling even worse, hitting just .118. Scioscia said it is all part of the process young players go through. ``There's always pressure to perform in this game, but you can't play with that albatross around your neck,'' Scioscia said. ``You have to find a way to channel that pressure into something positive, and I think that's what players like Casey and Jeff are going through. ``Every player is different, and how they handle these situations is part of their growth process. |
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