Early Spring Scouting Wars

This morning the San Francisco Giants gave the “old heave ho” to Angels advance scout, Jeff Schugel.  Schugel, who was present at the Giants spring training facility in Scottsdale watching the action, was advised by a security guard that Bruce Bochy wanted him to leave.  The disbelieving scout remained along the first base line before he was asked a second time to leave.  The 10 a.m. workout was something routine that Schugel watches, as the Angels advance scout assigned to watch the Giants, Rockies, Astros and Royals.

Bruce Bochy, Gamesmanship? Or was he just being a jerk?

Schugel was surprised at the ejection but harbored no hard feelings towards the Giants.  “Maybe he (Bochy) was having a bad day,” he said.  Angel General Manager Jerry Dipoto said that the Anaheim club has no policy against scouts from other teams watching their practice.    Neither does anybody else as far as I know.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Bochy noticed the lone scout in an empty stadium and immediately wanted him out.  Within 3 hours of the event, the Giant administration is doing damage control, calling the entire episode a mis-understanding and saying that scouts are permitted to watch activities provided that they don’t go down on the field.

Gotta love the Gnats.  I have to believe that Bochy must have some personal axe to grind against this particular scout to insist he be ejected from the ball park. It's not like this is football where watching an opposing team run plays would give you a distinct advantage.  The Angels and Giants play each other in June.  I guess this brings some intrigue to that inter-league series.

Links: LA Times and SF Chronicle

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In other news along the Giants front, Tim Lincecum gave up 5 runs in two innings, facing 13 hitters, the Giants ace gave up five singles, a triple and a homer. 

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Work had me running around in some hard core physical training yesterday that I am definitely too old for these days.  The result was I returned home late,  tired, sore and beat.  I turned on the tube and watched as much of the game that I recorded on my DVR.  Fell asleep by the 4th inning out of exhaustion.  I must say though, win or lose...it sure is nice to see Dodger baseball again.