Angels draft Mike Trout's girlfriend's little brother

Call it keeping it in the family or, maybe, sucking up to your star player but, with the 585th pick of the 2015 MLB draft, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected Mike Trout's girlfriend's little brother.

Aaron Cox, a pitcher/infielder out of Gannon University, will now play for the same organization as his older sister Jessica's boyfriend — unofficially known as the Face of MLB and the official reigning MVP.

And the pick was fully endorsed by that other Jersey Guy:

Big congrats to my boy @Aaroncox19 getting drafted by the #Angels !! #MLBDraft #soSick

— Mike Trout (@MikeTrout) June 10, 2015

Angels celebrate Mike Trout's big night with a rosin bag beaning (VIDEO)

Angels outfielder Mike Trout had himself a pretty good night on Saturday against the Rangers. The MVP candidate went 2-for-3 with a walk, a two-run home run and a triple.

So how did Trout's teammates honor their teammate? No post-game Gatorade shower or shaving cream pie for this group. Nope. They just hit him in the back of the head with a rosin bag during an interview:

Speaking of heads, Trout even touched Adrian Beltre's noggin without the Rangers third baseman blowing his top:

Trout's Jersey Guy seems to be rubbing off on the rest of his West Coast teammates — who are a pretty loose group of players as they head into the playoffs.

Mike Trout chooses Corvette over pick-up truck for MVP prize (PHOTO)

For winning the Most Valuable Player Award in the MLB All-Star Game in Minneapolis on Tuesday night, Mike Trout had a decision to make on his prize: a silver Corvette or a white Chevy Silverado pickup truck.

Either vehicle would have suited Trout's speedster or workmanlike traits on the baseball field but, in the end, the 22-year-old New Jersey native took the sleek sports car.

Trout went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and two RBI in the American League's 5-3 victory — and left little doubt who would be carrying on Derek Jeter's legacy as the "Face of MLB." 

Trout chose the Corvette, much to the delight of his mother, who joined him on the field after the game.

“I’m speechless right now,” Trout said when presented with the award.

Mike Trout is your 2014 MLB All-Star Game MVP. He chose the Corvette over the truck. pic.twitter.com/rhFJ8kr3MG
— SB Nation (@SBNation) July 16, 2014

Angels fan crushes old woman going for foul ball (VIDEO)

Nothing gets in between this Angels fan and a foul ball freebie — not even a kindly old woman just taking in the game.

Watch this guy crush grandma just to get a prized ball off the bat of the Astros' George Springer.

The woman can be seen mouthing, "My shoulder. My shoulder" after the dude tumbles over her.

At least he could give her the ball — or a handful of Doan's Pills.

Mike Trout's first walk-off HR completes Angels rally over Rays (VIDEO)

Mike Trout launched a three-run walk-off home run, the first walk-off homer of his career, to finish off a dramatic rally by the Los Angeles Angels Thursday night.

Trout greeted Brad Boxberger with the game-ending homer to cap a four-run ninth inning and give the Angels a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of a four-game series.

Something tells me, it won't be his last walk-off dinger.

Mike Trout robs Bryce Harper of hit with diving catch (VIDEO)

Mike Trout and Bryce Harper have been exhaustedly linked since 2012, when both of the youthful, talented outfielders were summoned to the major leagues for good.

On Wednesday, we finally had a moment where the phenoms went head-to-head, but by the time the play was over it was Trout who came out on top.

Trout made an impressive diving catch in center field to rob Bryce Harper of an extra base hit.

Now that's hustle.

Angels' Garrett Richards catches own pitch on freak play (VIDEO)

Who needs a catcher when you have a backstop made of concrete? Garrett Richards of the Angels apparently doesn't.

On this ball-four pitch to the Nationals'  Denard Span,  Richards unintentionally went back to being a kid bouncing pitches off a garage door back to himself.

While he missed his spot on the throw, Richards' play will remind many of summer afternoons thumping a rubber ball off the door and hoping a wild pitch doesn't break a window.

Iron Man gets into Mike Trout's head during slump (VIDEO)

Iron Man — who was seated just behind home plate for Sunday's Angels-Tigers game — made sure to give the slumping Mike Trout some hitting advice before his at-bat in the top of the 8th in a tight, 2-1 contest.

No, it wasn't baseball's version of Iron Man, Cal Ripken — or even Tony Stark — but some Tigers fan dressed in a cloth version of the superhero's exoskeleton armor.

Trout grounded to third, stranding a runner in scoring position as the Tigers held on to their narrow lead and eventually took their second straight game (and the series) from Los Angeles.

As for Trout, back-to-back 0-fers and five Ks in two games might make him to listen to anybody — even some dude in a costume.

Vin Scully calmly calls an earthquake at Dodger Stadium during Freeway Series (VIDEO)

Vin Scully was calling the Freeway Series between the Dodgers and Angels when an earthquake shook Dodger Stadium Friday night.

Like a chill SoCal dude, the legendary announcer calmly continued his play-by-play commentary of the sixth-inning earthquake like he was calling a routine baseball grounder.

"A little tremor in the ballpark," Scully told viewers as Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis waited for a pitch from Garrett Richards of the Angels. "I am not sure if the folks felt it but we certainly felt it here in press-box row. A tremor and only that, thank goodness."

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, that "little tremor" was a magnitude 5.1 earthquake that occurred at 9:09 p.m. PT and was centered near Brea in Orange County. The quake produced over 20 aftershocks and caused some serious damage throughout the area.

The game went on without incident.

The unflappable 86-year-old Scully later recounted the massive 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area — which occurred just before a game of the World Series — and expressed concern for the lights guy.

Here's a fan's call from the stands.

Mike Trout gives young fan his batting gloves (VIDEO)

We all know Mike Trout is one of the best all-round players in baseball —and it's not just because he's great at hitting, defense, baserunning, and almost everything else on the field.

It's also because he's a good old Jersey Guy in the dugout too.

Proof? Here's Trout handing his batting gloves to a young fan as a nice souvenir during a Spring Training game.

And check out the reaction of the woman behind the lucky kid.

Childhood image of Mike Trout found hidden on homeowner's basement wall

Finding a valuable painting in a basement happens every so often, but finding a baseball-related image of a superstar in the depths of your house — on a wall, no less — has to be even more unusual. That's what happened according to Reddit user DimensionsInTime, who said they moved some old boxes to reveal this drawing and signature in the childhood home of Mike Trout.

The silhouette on the left, showing the hand-drawn image of a young boy, is clearly labeled with a handwritten "Mike Trout" in what might one of the earliest Trout autographs on record. The figure on the right reportedly belongs to Mike's brother Tyler.

The discovery does come with some provenance because DimensionsInTime said that they purchased the Millville, N.J. house from Mike's parents.

While it's clearly no Shroud of Turin, the skeptics on Reddit are having a field day debunking the mysterious — and possibly collectible — find, while the believers are already planning ways to view it for themselves.

Either way, it will be hard to see or prove now. The image of the young Angels All-Star wasn't cut from the wall or preserved in any way. And, according to DimensionsInTime, they've already painted over the artwork.

And to think what they could have charged for admission.

[MLB.com]

Swarm of bees delays Mariners-Angels Game for 23 minutes (VIDEO)

A swarm of bees invaded the outfield of Angels Stadium during the Mariners-Angels game sending players and fans scattering around the park and delaying the ballgame for 23 minutes.

Listen as the announcers become concerned when they spot an innocent fan strolling around the foul line with a puff of cotton candy. Just picture that potential disaster and not chuckle.

When it comes to cries of "Bees," it's hard not to think about the phony bee attack from the classic movie "Tommy Boy." Holy schnikes.

Erick Aybar gets plunked and strikes out at same time (VIDEO)

Striking out and getting hit by a pitch have to be the worst feelings in baseball —  both mentally and physically.  So what happens when you are the recipient of both dishonors at the same time?

The Angels' Erick Aybar found that out Monday after striking out and simultaneously being hit by a Joe Smith pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning.

In case you're unfamiliar with the rule, the swing supersedes the hit-by-pitch. If you offer at a pitch that hits you, it's a strike no matter what.  Aybar definitely went around though.

Double your displeasure.

Dane De La Rosa finds injured bird in bullpen, nurses it back to health

Angels reliever Dane De La Rosa is used to getting saves in a game but never did he ever think he would make one without touching the mound.

During the third inning of Thursday's Angels-Athletics game, the right-hander discovered an injured bird in the visiting bullpen at O.co Coliseum. Fearing for its health and safety, The Dude took matters into his own hands by grabbing the fowl and proceeded to carry it to the clubhouse where he aided in its recovery.

According to his Twitter account, De La Rosa named his new avian friend Randy and he turned out to be just fine:

Randy, my pigeon friend is aright.
— The_DUDE! (@Daner13) July 26, 2013

This is one Angel that earned his own wings.

David Adams' botched pop-up call highlights Yankees' blooper reel

The New York Yankees have scored 16 runs in the last seven games and manager Joe Girardi has to be disheartened every time he fills out a lineup card with names like Neal, Brignac and Romine filling out the bottom of the batting order.

He can't be too happy at what he sees happening on the field either as second baseman David Adams spectacularly showed Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels.

Just adding to the frustration of the slumping Yankees was Adams' and shortstop Reid Brignac's I-got-it-no-you-got-it goof in the seventh that led to an Angels run.

“That’s my ball. I waived but I thought I heard [Brignac] call,’’ said Adams, whose two-out single scored two runs in the fourth against C.J. Wilson and gave the Yankees a short-lived 2-1 lead.

Adams mistake hurt when Mark Trumbo delivered a two-out RBI single.

The Yankees went on to lose their fourth straight, 5-2.

As for Adams, botching pop-ups and going 4-for-33 over your last 10 games is a good way to get sent back down to the minors— even on the infield-depleted Yankees.

Angels' Ryan Madson in favor of players using HGH while rehabbing

It's been 14 months into recovery from Tommy John surgery and Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ryan Madson has finally reached the point where he is willing to try anything to get back on the baseball diamond — even Human Growth Hormone.

"If HGH were legal, just in the process of healing, under a doctor's recommendation, in the right dosage, while you're on the (disabled list), I don't think that's such a bad idea," Madson told MLB.com. 

"As long as it doesn't have any lasting side effects, negative side effects."

The FDA has approved the use of Human Growth Hormone under certain medical conditions, but it is currently on MLB's list of banned substances.

After exhausting all legal medical options, Madson now believes that sports-related injuries should also be included in the short list of HGH-allowed therapies.

"Even if I get healthy without that," Madson said, "it should be legal, in the right dosage, under supervision, with doctors, for the only purposes to help heal and get players back in the Major Leagues."

But while MLB and all other pro sport leagues catagorize all PEDs in the same category, Madson insists he would never take his rehab therapy beyond HGH.

"Not steroids," he said. "Not steroids. No."

Madson, who signed with the Angels this year after blowing out his right elbow in spring training with the Reds last season, added that he'd only use HGH if given an okay by the medical community.

"If a doctor would say, 'No, this wouldn't help the situation,' I wouldn't take it," he said.

One such doctor would be MLB medical director Dr. Gary Green.

"There are no studies — zero studies — showing any benefit from using growth hormone by itself to aid in recovery or post-surgical or post-injury type thing," Green told MLB.com.

"I've taken care of a lot of athletes, and I understand that they're frustrated and they want to get back to play. That's why we have the field of sports medicine."

That's of little consolation to Madson, who at age 32 is facing the autumn of his baseball career.

"I have a lot left — my body, my age, mentality," he said. "And I just can't get there."

Red Sox fan catches two home run balls in same game and gives them away

One lucky Boston Red Sox fan snagged two home run balls in the same game at Fenway Park, simply by being in the right place at the right time.

Despite the lucky catches, Joe Procaccini, a 33-year-old father of three from Walpole, Massachusetts, didn't keep either baseball he caught during the Red Sox's 10-5 rout of the Los Angeles Angels Sunday.

He told WBZ-TV he gave one to his brother. He handed the other to a child who was standing near him who was attending his first-ever major league game. 

Procaccini said he could scarcely believe his luck when Sox left fielder Mike Carp's sixth-inning homer landed in his hands and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia's dinger did the same in the seventh.

When the first ball headed his way, Procaccini told the Boston Herald that he remembers thinking, "Just make sure to use two hands and not embarrass myself."

When the second ball came his way, he was just plain shocked.

Mike Trout to grace cover of GQ magazine

Mike Trout will be the focus of a feature story in the April 2013 issue of GQ magazine and grace the cover of its "Style Bible" edition.  The article and photo spread will profile the Los Angeles Angels' 21-year-old phenom and his strong connection to his hometown Millville, N.J.

GQ's Daniel Riley talked with Trout about living at his parents' home during the offseason, spending most of his time in his spectacular man cave and growing up in South Jersey before making it big in the major leagues.

Trout shows his lighter side when the rising superstar revisits his old high school, looks at the field he played on with the Thunderbolts and jokes.

"Man, I drive by there every once in a while when I'm home," he says. " I look at that fence (at Millville) and it's like, 'How did I not hit more home runs here?'"

Trout did smack 31 homers in his high school career — including a state record 18 in his senior year in 2009.

His former competitors only want to talk about their successes against him.

“I get it a lot on Twitter, Facebook — these guys saying, ‘Remember me? I struck you out!’ Well, congratulations,” he says, laughing and realizing that he did pretty good.

Trout describes his first year with the Angels as "the craziest year of (his) life" and talks about becoming hooked on sushi.

"The sushi thing, man. If you put sushi in front of my face two years ago, I wouldn’t even sniff it, wouldn’t touch it, wouldn’t try a lot of food. The appetite’s changed," he says. "The food and the beach. I’m moving down to the beach. Settling in in Newport. Really love that."

For all his new found success, Trout is still loyal to his Jersey roots. He points out "the first house I buy will be right here."

And for the fans that grew up watching Trout bloom into the player he is today, he will never leave their small town — at least on the airwaves this year.  Local radio station WSNJ 1240 AM has agreed to broadcast every Angels game this season.

Baseball-style spring jackets are being featured in the April issue of GQ. You can bet if Trout is modeling one, it will be covered in grass stains.

Ex-MLB MVP Vladimir Guerrero signs with Long Island Ducks

Vladimir Guerrero — the former American League MVP with 2,590 hits and 449 home runs in his career — will suiting up for the Long Island Ducks this summer.

Once one of the most formidable hitters in the majors, "the Impaler" hopes to slug his way back into the bigs with the independent minor league Ducks of the Atlantic League.

"Vladimir Guerrero is a Hall of Fame talent that has produced tremendous numbers at the highest level of the game," Ducks general manager Michael Pfaff said Thursday night. "He has a real desire to return to the major leagues and we thought the Atlantic League was the best place for him to begin that journey. We're happy to give him that opportunity."

Roger Clemens pitched against the Ducks with the Sugar Land Skeeters in a highly publicized attempt to revive his career last summer.

The 38-year-old Guerrero -- the 2004 MVP and a nine-time All-Star, including as recently as 2010 with the Rangers -- last played in the majors in 2011 with the Orioles, hitting .290 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs. Guerrero was open to a minor-league deal in his comeback attempt but was unable to land one.

Pfaff said he reached out to Guerrero's representatives last week and the contract was finalized Thursday night.

"He brings run production, he brings leadership and he brings a bat that opposing pitchers have to fear and plan to pitch around," Pfaff said. "With a Vladimir Guerrero in the lineup, it gives some of our others hitters like a Ray Navarrete some better pitches to see."

Central Islip may be a long way from the Dominican Republic where Guerrero currently resides but it is a lot closer road back to the majors. Pfaff hopes to have him join the team next week. 

The Ducks, who won the Atlantic League championship last season, open the season against Sugar Land on April 18 and the home opener on April 26.

"He's very excited about the opportunity," Pfaff said of Guerrero, a .318 hitter during his 16-year career. "He's very appreciative. He's looking forward to coming here and helping us win a championship if he doesn't get signed before that."

Mike Trout gives sound advice to discouraged fan

Mike Trout continues to show skills beyond his years — even off the field.

After a young fan reached out to the Los Angeles Angels outfielder after being cut from his junior varsity team. Trout, the 21-year-old New Jersey native, responded with this simple but sound advice:

This just made my day thank you so much @trouty20 twitter.com/MTPkingjames/s…
— James Croft (@MTPkingjames) February 2, 2013

The 2012 Rookie of the Year amazed everyone with his talent at the plate, on the base paths and in the field. I guess you could say his philosophy worked out pretty good for himself.

Maybe it'll help lead this young fan to better things too.