ANAHEIM – I sent a text Monday to Tim Mead, the Angels’ PR guy.
“Stopping for Starbucks – any idea what Arte wants? Then I’ll be by. Tj”
Maybe no one has ever offered to buy Arte Moreno a skinny vanilla latte because for whatever reason, Mead did not take me seriously.
So, I drove to Angel Stadium, and how many people have any interest these days in doing that? But I figured Angry Arte would want to appease fans and let them know how he intends to make the team better as quickly as possible.
The place was dead when I arrived; not all that different from the last homestand, as I recall.
I entered the team store looking for a way to enter the stadium, and the clerk said she would let me in if I could produce a media badge.
I just had my media pass to all the upcoming playoff games. I worried right away she might never have seen a playoff pass or was unaware a team could qualify for postseason play.
But I mentioned the Dodgers, and she lit up. And I was in.
I went to the Angels clubhouse to find a replica of the Lombardi Trophy sitting on a table in the middle of the room. Everybody has different goals, I guess, which might explain why the guys were in such a rush to get home and watch football rather than play on into October.
I didn’t notice any players in the clubhouse, and I’ll let you write your own punch line.
I sent a text to Mead asking if Arte was in the stadium, seriously believing this would be the one day when you could count on it.
“No, sir, he is not,” replied Mead.
Has he been here? I asked.
“Not since the last homestand,” Mead texted, and funny now as I recall writing about the Boston Parking Lot Attendant who owned the Dodgers, while all the time he was around more than the guy from Phoenix who owns the Angels.
Is he due tomorrow? I asked.
“I am not aware of his schedule for the week,” replied Mead. “Do you know the schedule of your sports editor?”
It depends if he can get an early tee time or not, but rather than tell Mead that and have him relay it to the sports editor, I offered Mead an easy out. You know, what they call “a Hamilton’’ when the Angels are playing.
Will there be a news release today assuring fans the manager and GM will be staying? I texted Mead.
That’s when I got a phone call from Mead.
“When we have news to announce, we will announce it,” he said. “That’s pretty much the manner we conduct business.”
Mead is the best public relations specialist in town, so good that when he’s telling you to get lost, you don’t even realize it as you are headed for the door.
But I wasn’t budging. I cannot stand common sense violations. Maybe the Angels can explain away losing, but there is no excuse for going stupid.
For the past few weeks, there has been nonstop speculation about the future of GM Jerry Dipoto and Manager Mike Scioscia.
The Angels would be quick to tell you, as Mead did, that they had nothing to do with such speculation. That’s not true, of course. Moreno ended all speculation a year ago with 11 games remaining after announcing through a reporter that both the manager and GM would be back for the 2013 season.
But this year, Angry Arte has remained mum.
We already know Moreno doesn’t care much about what people in Anaheim think of him, but at what point do fans start biting back to let him know they don’t care what his team does?
The Angels are in the public service business. The 2013 season ended for the Angels on Sunday, and we already know some folks aren’t opposed to getting things done right there on the tarmac in the middle of the night.
Now, I’m not asking Moreno to go Pat Haden on anyone, but I would imagine most folks who call the Angels their favorite team would like to know now what happens next with their heroes. Call it common courtesy.
All Moreno had to do Monday was sip his skinny vanilla latte and wax poetic about better days ahead while letting Angels fans know who is in and who is out.
Why frustrate folks further and commit such a common sense violation.
“Everyone is in 2014 mode,” said Mead, while letting it slip Dipoto was still at his desk, or maybe under it.
“I’d like to meet him,” I said by way of a text to Mead.
Mead never answered so I went to the Angels’ executive offices and told the secretary to tell Mead I knew he was hiding. A few minutes later, he appeared.
“Jerry is looking forward to speaking to you when he has the opportunity,” said Mead.
That’s when I noticed the working clock above Mead’s ahead, which read 144 days, 23 hours, 27 minutes and 17 seconds, 16 seconds, 15 … I had no idea the Angels had Dipoto’s interviewing schedule down to the very second.
“Spring training,” said Mead. “The clock is for the start of the first spring training game.”
Make that 143 days now, and aren’t you excited about the Angels’ plans in 2014?
Contact the writer: tjsimers@ocregister.com
