TEMPE, ARIZ. – Mike Trout was out in the woods hunting rabbits earlier this month when his phone began to buzz uncontrollably.
At first he ignored it, but when he succumbed to checking it, he saw a text from his brother, Tyler, saying something about President Obama comparing him to a new piece of legislation.
Trout said he could only laugh when he saw the video later that day, as Obama said the new farm bill was like the Angels center fielder in that it presented “a lot of tools.”
“I really can’t explain the last couple years of my life,” Trout said. “It’s a crazy feeling.”
In his first interview of spring training Wednesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium, Trout couldn’t explain his feelings on his ever-increasing stardom, and wasn’t willing to discuss his position on negotiations with the Angels about a long-term contract extension.
But he was willing to speak about his added sense of comfort heading into his third full season with the Angels – and his first as the full-time center fielder.
“Playing center this year, I feel a lot more comfortable going into the season,” Trout said. “Last year, I started out in left, and it was a big adjustment for me, (after) playing center field my whole life. Moving to left was a challenge. It didn’t just affect me in the outfield – at the plate, sometimes I was thinking about it. I just try to put it all behind.”
Trout, 22, started 2013 with a .227 average in his first 10 games, but he finished with his best numbers yet, including a .432 on-base percentage.
His biggest statistical drop was in stolen bases, from 49 to 33, and he has set his sights on amending that gap.
“There’s always stuff I can work on, like first steps on the bases,” Trout said. “My stolen bases were down last year, and I gotta take advantage of getting that extra base.”
Trout was asked repeatedly about the contract talks and he repeatedly declined to answer, except when asked if he was surprised to see it be such a hot topic.
“It’s interesting what people are saying about it,” Trout said. “Other than that, I don’t want to comment on it.”
Angels owner Arte Moreno previously confirmed discussions were ongoing between the team and Trout’s agent, Craig Landis, but Trout would not confirm that.
CATCHING CHANGES
The Angels are already applying baseball’s new home-plate collision ban to their spring workouts, although the rule has not yet been made official.
On Tuesday, Manager Mike Scioscia began teaching his catchers a new way to block the plate, with less potential interference of the third-base line to abide by the expected rule.
“In anticipation of something changing, we’re adjusting some of the things we do on plays to the plate,” Scioscia said. “We can always fold back to our other way. We don’t want to lose time here and then a month from now we learn we have to do something that we haven’t practiced.”
Scioscia described it as a simple adjustment, mainly requiring catchers to ensure they have a grasp of the ball before they head into the runner’s lane to try to make a tag.
Catcher Hank Conger said it’s proving somewhat difficult to re-learn something he has done one way since he was drafted by the Angels in 2006.
“The way we were taught from Scioscia was actually pretty safe for us, as long as we weren’t getting blindsided,” Conger said. “Now, we’re gonna somehow figure out a way to put a tag down by dropping our body without blocking the plate.”
Conger said he does expect player safety to be improved “once everything gets refined.”
NOTES
Moreno spoke to the team before the first full-squad workout of the spring. As he walked across the field at Tempe Diablo Stadium, a fan told him she hoped the Angels stay in Anaheim. “We gotta make a deal sometime,” Moreno said. Moreno recently met with Tustin officials about a potential stadium site. …
Scioscia said Albert Pujols likely won’t play first base on an everyday basis through the spring, but the plan remains for him to do so regularly during the season. …
Infielder Luis Jimenez and catcher Anderson De La Rosa have not reported to camp because of visa issues but are expected soon, according to a team spokesman. Jimenez played in 34 games for the Angels last season. De La Rosa played for Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate in 2013.
Contact the writer: pmoura@ocregister.com
