Mike Scioscia

The first incident was in New Orleans in mid-July, when a botched relay infuriated two Albuquerque Duke players. They were ready to duke it out in the clubhouse after the game. Mike Scioscia, Albuquerque's manager last season, ordered the feuding players into his office and, within minutes, had mediated a reconciliation. The second incident occurred in Edmonton in late July, when bantering during batting practice turned into heated words in the outfield. Two Dukes dropped their gloves and were about to make like De La Hoya versus Trinidad when Scioscia, who was hitting fungoes in the infield, took notice.

OAKLAND — Mike Scioscia won't declare that Ernesto Frieri is his new closer — he'd still like the option of using veteran left-hander Scott Downs at the end of games — but the Angels manager's actions and Frieri's performance suggest the 26-year-old right-hander has assumed that key role. Frieri struck out three of four batters in the 11th inning Wednesday for his first big league save, nailing down the Angels' 3-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics that featured Alberto Callaspo's clutch two-out, two-run double in the top of the inning.

SAN DIEGO -- Bud Black was a member of Mike Scioscia's original coaching staff with the Angels. Three of those coaches ascended to managerial jobs - Black with the San Diego Padres, Joe Maddon with the Tampa Bay Rays and Ron Roenicke with the Milwaukee Brewers. Never in Scioscia's 13 years had one of his coaches left involuntarily - until this week, that is. Hitting instructor Mickey Hatcher , another of Scioscia's original coaches, was fired by General Manager Jerry Dipoto . "Your initial reaction is surprise," Black said.

OAKLAND — Mickey Hatcher knows he has plenty of critics; they came out in full force on Internet message boards and radio call-in shows every time the Angels went into a prolonged offensive slump. What he didn't know until he was fired as Angels hitting coach last week was just how many friends he gained in 12-plus years on Manager Mike Scioscia's staff. "I'm in awe of all the people who have called — I've gotten thousands of calls from people in and out of the game, wishing me the best," Hatcher said by phone Tuesday during a round of golf at Coyote Hills in Fullerton.

Torii Hunter is 36 and entering the final year of a five-year, $90-million contract, and with cheaper, younger and talented players (Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo) capable of pushing their way into the Angels outfield next season, there is a chance the team's right fielder and most popular player won't be back in 2013. But that clearly is not a subject Mike Scioscia wants to discuss right now. In fact, the Angels manager got a little testy Thursday morning with a reporter who prefaced a question about Hunter by saying this could be the manager's last spring with the nine-time Gold Glove Award winner.

Mike Scioscia might be perceived as more old school than computer geek, but the Angels manager does study in-depth batting statistics. "Some of the stuff is very good, and it can help you slot and match guys up," Scioscia said. Scioscia moved second baseman Howie Kendrick from second to sixth in the batting order April 30, and the second baseman has batted .333 in the spot since. The oddity of Kendrick's 26-point leap in batting average was that he went without a run batted in from May 3 until Wednesday.

Reporting from St. Louis -- There are certain numbers related to Albert Pujols that should concern the Angels. The first is 32, the slugger's age this season, the first in a 10-year contract. Then there's the set that shows a steady decline in production the last two years in every major offensive category. And finally, there are the figures at the back half of his $240-million contract. Starting in 2017, when he'll be 37, Pujols will make $26 million, with million-dollar raises due in each of the final four years of the deal.

Angels right fielder Torii Hunter had a lengthy closed-door meeting with Manager Mike Scioscia before Thursday night's game against the Oakland Athletics, and among the subjects discussed was mixing in a few starts at designated hitter and an occasional day off to keep the 36-year-old's legs fresh. Hunter, who is batting .279 with a team-leading 13 strikeouts, no home runs and three doubles, said he requested the meeting, but he would not discuss anything else he spoke to Scioscia about.

A failed suicide squeeze in the playoffs did nothing to sour the Angels on Manager Mike Scioscia, who has agreed in principle to a lengthy contract extension that will take him through at least the 2015 season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but General Manager Tony Reagins said that Scioscia, already the longest-tenured manager in the American League, "will be around for a long, long time." Scioscia's current deal, which is believed to pay him about $1.

One day after Ervin Santana was rocked for seven runs and nine hits in one inning of a 17-3 loss to the White Sox, Manager Mike Scioscia and the Angels pitcher maintained Santana's elbow was OK. Santana was making his third start after missing the first six weeks of the season because of an elbow ligament sprain. His fastball hovered in the 92-mph range, down from its usual 95-96 mph, and his off-speed pitches were not sharp.

SAN DIEGO - With the Angels scrapping for the run that might have won Sunday's game, Manager Mike Scioscia essentially took the bat out of the hands of his hottest hitter, Mike Trout . Trout had singled twice and homered as he waited on deck in the 11th inning. The Angels had one out, Bobby Wilson on first and Ryan Langerhans at bat. Scioscia called for a sacrifice. Langerhans delivered the bunt, Wilson took second, and the San Diego Padres took advantage of the open base by walking Trout intentionally.

- Ernesto Frieri's eyes lighted up. Would he like to be a closer? "For sure," Frieri said. "That's every reliever's dream. " The Angels might give Frieri that chance. If the Angels had not scored insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning Friday, Frieri would have been in line for his first major league save in the bottom of the inning. That was more about wanting left-hander Scott Downs to face the left-handers the San Diego Padres had lined up in the eighth inning, Manager Mike Scioscia said.

SAN DIEGO -- Bud Black was a member of Mike Scioscia's original coaching staff with the Angels. Three of those coaches ascended to managerial jobs - Black with the San Diego Padres, Joe Maddon with the Tampa Bay Rays and Ron Roenicke with the Milwaukee Brewers. Never in Scioscia's 13 years had one of his coaches left involuntarily - until this week, that is. Hitting instructor Mickey Hatcher , another of Scioscia's original coaches, was fired by General Manager Jerry Dipoto . "Your initial reaction is surprise," Black said.

Mike Scioscia might be perceived as more old school than computer geek, but the Angels manager does study in-depth batting statistics. "Some of the stuff is very good, and it can help you slot and match guys up," Scioscia said. Scioscia moved second baseman Howie Kendrick from second to sixth in the batting order April 30, and the second baseman has batted .333 in the spot since. The oddity of Kendrick's 26-point leap in batting average was that he went without a run batted in from May 3 until Wednesday.

The Angels figured Albert Pujols would have the bat taken out of his hands this season by opponents looking to intentionally walk or pitch around the slugger, not by their own manager. But with the first baseman mired in the worst slump of what many consider a Hall of Fame career, Mike Scioscia benched Pujols on Saturday night against the Blue Jays, the first time in 28 games he didn't write Pujols' name into the third spot. Pujols, hitting .194 with no home runs and five runs batted in, did not participate in batting practice.

Whatever was said between first baseman Albert Pujols and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher in the wake of friction that arose between them Monday night remained private Tuesday. Pujols, who in April hit .217 with no homers and four runs batted in, the worst month of his career, was perturbed at Hatcher for telling reporters what he said during a closed-door hitters meeting Monday, even though Pujols' comments, meant to instill confidence in his teammates, were fairly innocuous.

Reporting from Minneapolis It was hard to tell who was tougher on Dan Haren on Friday night, the Minnesota Twins or Haren. After giving up seven runs and 11 hits, including Jason Kubel's three-run homer, in seven innings of a 7-2 loss, Haren said he was "embarrassed with the way I threw the ball," calling his performance since his July 25 trade from Arizona "unacceptable. " Mike Scioscia thought Haren, who is 1-4 with a 4.39 earned-run average in six starts with the Angels, was too hard on himself, a topic that came up in the manager's closed-door meeting with Haren before Saturday's game.

Scott Kazmir admits there was a wide gap between his expectations and his performance last season. The two-time All-Star, who averaged nearly 12 wins with a 3.52 earned-run average in his last four full seasons with Tampa Bay, posted career highs for losses (15) and ERA (5.94) in his first full year with the Angels. On Friday, though, he took another step on what he hopes will be the road back to form, holding the Chicago White Sox to two hits and no runs over three innings in the Angels' 3-1 Cactus League win. "One step at a time," said Kazmir, who showed a good slider and an effective changeup, throwing 24 of his 41 pitches for strikes.

A masterful start by Dan Haren and a much-needed victory over the Indians on Saturday couldn't obscure what has become a major concern for the Angels: Albert Pujols is in a deep funk, one he's shown few signs of breaking out of, and that's putting a serious drag on the offense. Not only has Pujols not homered in 84 at-bats this season, he hasn't driven in a run in 12 games and is batting .226 with four RBIs. He's been so passive at the plate, taking fastball after fastball for first-pitch strikes, that he seems to have an 0-and-1 count when he's standing in the on-deck circle.

CLEVELAND - Now Jordan Walden knows how Fernando Rodney felt last season. An All-Star as a rookie in 2011, Walden lost his job as Angels closer after one blown save in 2012, just as Rodney did last year. Manager Mike Scioscia announced before Friday night's game against the Cleveland Indians that veteran left-hander Scott Downs will close, with Walden moving to a seventh- or eighth-inning role "for right now," Scioscia said. Walden entered Thursday's game against Tampa Bay with one out in the ninth inning, the bases empty and the Angels leading by a run. B.J. Upton singled, and Brandon Allen crushed a pinch-hit, two-run home run to give the Rays a 4-3 walk-off victory and extend the Angels' losing streak to four games.