With the past 3 years not being in the playoffs, a constant reminder to the coaching staff, dedicated 66er’s fans, and the Anaheim Angel hierarchy, there is a mood in the air now at the beginning of this year’s minor league startup, that the 66er’s are a team to be reckoned with and respected for their skills. The Angels’ farm system has been named one of the top five most-improved farm systems in minor league baseball. With stronger players coming forward to the 66er’s through the system, there will be some exciting games being played this spring through the summer months. Whenever you have young players coming forward from colleges, other minor league teams and past members on the current team, you need to have someone leading the team that believes in player development. This years’s team manager is Ryan Barba, a 33 year old Van Nuys native who in 2016 served as hitting coach for former 66er’s manager Chad Tracy and last year continued his minor league duties at Double-A Mobile, Alabama.
Barba has said in several interviews with the press, “I believe it’s all about player development, and winning will come once we as managers do our job by developing these players to reach their potential."
On Thursday evening, the opening night for the 66er’s, one of these college pitchers who has a potential to be a standout this season, Griffin Canning, the Angel’s No. 8 prospect according to milk.com, will begin his professional career. Canning is an Orange County resident who went to school at Santa Margarita High School before going to UCLA. He is a right-handed pitcher who had struck out 140 batters in 119 innings with a 7-4 record and 2.38 ERA in his senior year at UCLA. This reporter, who was in attendance at the opening night game, was very much impressed with the confidence and the strength of Canning’s control and variation of his pitches that he exhibited while in the game. He really seemed to enjoy playing for the 66er’s that evening.
Thursday evening’s opening game was a tussle between two determined teams, the San Jose Giants and the Inland Empire 66er’s, and the final outcome came down to the last inning. The 66er’s were able to squeak by in the last couple of innings to go away with a 3-2 win. The large crowd in attendance that evening was excited by the competitiveness of each of the teams and the new stunts that Bernie the Mascot provided to entertain the crowd during breaks in each of the innings. This is definitely the year for renewing your interest in minor league baseball, because this team has what it takes to become a potential winner of its division. The team has now moved to be 2-0 after both Thursday and Friday’s games and they would like to have you visit them during the home games this season. I know I will.
The team lineup this season is: Pitchers (13); Adrain Almeida, Nate Bertness, Griffin Canning, Ryan Clark, Joe Gatto, Kyle Halbohn, Erik Manoah, Daniel Procopio, Connor Riley, Zac Ryan, Carlos Salazar, Tyler Stevens, Jose Suarez.
Catchers (2); Jack Kruger, Julian Leon.
Infielders (6); Roberto Baldoquin, Richard Fecteau, Jahmal Jones, Luis Rengifo, Jared Walsh, Jordan Zimmerman.
Outfielders (4); Derek Jenkins, Jonah Todd, Ryan Vega, Kevin Williams.