'Classroom Time' Uniting Angels Rookies, Veterans Between Games

This season for the Los Angeles Angels has been one of growth. Manager Ron Washington believes that part of growing means taking the game into the classroom.

As part of their daily routine, the Angels have been breaking down the previous day’s mistakes every day at the end of their hitters' meeting. Washington wants players to learn from each other, and also be held accountable.

“You’re the one that put us in your situation,” Washington told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “And I want you to explain what it’s about. It’s no embarrassment. We’re all on the same team. And we’re all learning.”

Nobody is excused from the classroom regardless of service years. Veteran Kevin Pillar was singled out on Saturday and had to explain why he was thrown out at second base the night before, ending the game with his team on the losing end.

“I talked about what I was thinking and feeling in that moment and what probably should have happened,” Pillar said. “You just put it out there and you hope guys learn from it. I hope that I learned from it.”

The Angels have done plenty right this season too, and the good news is not above discussion in each meeting. There are times when the coaching staff selects positive plays to break but regardless, the sessions seems to be working. The players are receiving criticism well and the veterans believe these sessions will get the team over the hump.

The Angels are 11-21 in games decided by two runs or fewer. The differences in many of those games are the kind of tiny fundamentals that are often the focus of the “classroom.”

“It’s just small things with all these one-run losses we keep stacking up this year,” Ward said. “It’s unfortunate. We just need to flip that script and just get on the other side. Just a little tick over to the right side and I think it will all change.”