- ESPN reports this morning that Mike Trout and the Angels are close to finalizing a record contract extension- 12 years at $430 million.
I'm a little surprised that Trout is saying no to free agency and the Phillies. This extension will keep him in Anaheim for the remainder of his career. He is the best player in baseball, a sure Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players ever. So, I'm not surprised by the Angels wanting to lock up their superstar.
I guess Trout, despite being an Eagles season ticket holder and a Phillies fan while growing up in Millville, New Jersey, didn't want the pressure of playing for his hometown team. He has the best of both lives now- the glitz and beautiful weather of California, yet he can come back home every winter, with the snow and cold, and attend Eagle games and still be relatively faceless in the area.
The Angels are reportedly seeking either a new stadium or major renovations to Angel Stadium, so they must have big plans in order to shell out the biggest contract in sports history. Trout deserves it, as he is just entering his prime. When he can no longer cover the outfield Trout can be Anaheim's DH.
It's a win-win situation for Trout and the Angels. It's a loss for the Phillies, who made sure they still had plenty of money and flexibility left after signing Bryce Harper to a $330 million deal on March 1.
It will be interesting to see the reaction to Trout from now on in our area.
- St. Joseph's head basketball coach Phil Martelli was fired this morning atfer serving 24 years at the school. It's about time. Once again the Hawks underachieved this season. Martelli is a good guy but he was overrated as a coach and recruiter.
St. Joe's can do so much better ( see Villanova). The Hawks haven't been competitive in the city for years. They occasionally won Atlantic 10 tourneys but didn't go that far in the Big Dance. Martelli had a No. 1, undefeated squad in 2004 ( led by Jameer Nelson) and came within one lucky shot of making it to the Final Four.
The Hawks need a fresh face, a young coach who will bring new ideas and more blue-chip recruits to Hawk Hill. St. Joe hasn't been Villanova's rival for a long time. The Holy War hasn't mattered in a long time.
Maybe this is the unofficial death of the old Big 5 ( Temple's Fran Dunphy is retiring after the NCAA tournament). To me the Big 5 died a long time ago when City Series games stopped being played at the Palestra.
I'm sure Martelli was get his share of accolades in the next few days, but the bottom line is still winning, and for whatever reasons, Martelli just didn't win enough to keep his job.
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