Angels

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Tom Rothman, the Mount Washington native and Hollywood player, is out of his post at Fox studios. According to an email blast from the newspaper: Fox Filmed Entertainment co-Chairman Tom Rothman, who has led the film studio since 2000 with partner Jim Gianopulos, is leaving his post, according to a person familiar with the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly. Rothman , 57, attended Park School, Brown University and Columbia University Law School.

Two Orioles broadcasters are among 41 still in the running for the 2013 Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Radio voice Joe Angel and MASN studio host and play-by-play announcer Jim Hunter are in the group that advance to the final round of fan voting, which will run until Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. on www.facebook.com/baseballhall . The fans' top three vote-getters will be placed on the final ballot along with seven other broadcasters determined by a Hall of Fame committee.

This year I've had the opporrtunity to enjoy all the action from Los Angeles in the days leading up to Summerslam 2012. Here are the tidbits I have collected from several WWE Superstars: Stephanie McMahon gives an interesting answer on whether or not she will return to WWE TV. Wade Barrett  says he is 99 percent healed from injury and details the character changes we can expect when he returns to WWE TV. Antonio Cesaro...

Dodgers plugged holes Lance Pugmire Los Angeles Times While the Angels landing former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke filled a much-needed gap in their effort to win the AL West, the Dodgers stand as the trade-deadline winner by plugging so many holes. In addition to their acquisition last week of five-tool infielder Hanley Ramirez, Los Angeles added a proven big-league closer in Brandon League to help protect late leads and proven October pressure player Shane Victorino to further fuel the batting order.

Despite a struggling offense, holes within their starting rotation and losing 13 out of their past 19 games, the Orioles went into this week's all-star break still clinging to the second wild-card spot. If the season ended today, the Orioles would play the Angels in a one-game, winner-take-all wild-card playoff game. They'd have to face an Angels team that has thoroughly dominated them this season, taking seven of nine games in the now-completed season series. Now all of this would be great to hear from Orioles fans given expectations going into the season.

Bags were packed and travel plans had been arranged. The only thing between the Orioles and the All-Star break was their series finale against the Angels in Anaheim on Sunday. And on a sunny Southern California afternoon, the Orioles played like they where already on vacation. The Orioles finished baseball's first half with an all-around uninspired performance, falling to the Angels, 6-0, in front of an announced crowd of 37,108 at Angel Stadium. The Orioles were shut out in consecutive games for the second time this season.

Jason Hammel capped his remarkable first-half -- one in which he emerged from nowhere to become the Orioles' most dependable starter and nearly make the American League All-Star team -- with his ninth quality start in 17 starts this season against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night. Unfortunately for Hammel and the Orioles, they were facing a pitcher who is having one of the best first halves in years. Angels right-hander Jered Weaver, who might be the AL starting pitcher in Tuesday's All-Star Game, threw eight shutout innings, holding the Orioles to just three hits and striking out five, lowering his season ERA to a major-league best 1.96 as Baltimore lost, 3-0, in front of an announced crowd of 41,147 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

When Joe Mahoney arrived in Southern California on Thursday to fill the Orioles' empty roster spot created when Chris Tillman was optioned to the minor leagues, he didn't know when - or if - he'd see his first major-league action before the All-Star break. On Saturday, he received his answer. Mahoney made his first major-league start at first base against the Los Angeles Angels and ace right-hander Jered Weaver. "It's pretty special, the first time, and it's against a good pitcher," Mahoney said.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Orioles pitcher Miguel Gonzalez kept a black Rawlings glove given to him by an old teammate five years ago tucked away in his bag, waiting for the perfect time to use it. Gonzalez and Nick Adenhart played together through the Los Angeles Angels minor league system for parts of three seasons. Adenhart gave him the glove during major league spring training in 2007. They were good friends, even though their careers went different ways. While Gonzalez's career was derailed by injury, Adenhart became the top pitching prospect in the Angels organization, poised for a bright future under the Southern California sun. Then, Adenhart, who was raised in Western Maryland, was killed in a car accident by a drunken driver after making a start April 9, 2009, at the age of 22 -- a tragedy the Angels organization is still reeling from to this day. On Friday night, Gonzalez took the spotlight at Angel Stadium, making his first major league start and doing it against his former organization.

Just after the clock reached 2 a.m. on the east coast early Friday morning, the Orioles' leash on struggling Opening Day starter Jake Arrieta snapped. Following his second straight outing of a season-worst 3 2/3 innings, Arrieta became the third member of the Orioles' Opening Day starting rotation to be told, 'It's not good enough,' and sent to Triple-A Norfolk. Arrieta (3-9, 6.13 ERA) probably had more chances that Tommy Hunter and Brian Matusz before him, simply because of his performance this spring to earn the Opening Day starter nod. But following Thursday's 9-7 loss to the Angels, Arrieta - undoubtedly one of the most thoughtful players on the Orioles roster -- couldn't make a solid case to make another start.