Mike Trout goes 0-for-4 with a strikeout in 2012 debut

By Apr 28, 2012, 6:21 PM EDT
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Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper isn’t the only youngster drawing attention this weekend.

Mike Trout, who was brought up by the Angels in 2011 but appeared in only 40 games, made his 2012 major league debut in the Angels’ 2-1 win over the Indians on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland.

Trout finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout, but the Halos rode a superb outing by right-hander Dan Haren and an RBI apiece from Kendrys Morales and Torii Hunter to their first first victory in six games.

Anaheim now stands 7-14 on the year, 8 1/2 games behind the American League West-leading Rangers.

Trout was batting .403/.467/.623 in 93 plate appearances at Triple-A Salt Lake before his late-Friday promotion.

Roger Clemens will be an analyst for ESPN on opening day

Associated PressMar 23, 2023, 12:09 AM EDT
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Roger Clemens will be an analyst for ESPN when the defending World Series champion Houston Astros host the Chicago White Sox on opening day.

Clemens made four appearances on last year’s KayRod Cast with Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez. He will be stepping in on March 30 for David Cone, who will be doing the New York Yankees opener against the San Francisco Giants on YES Network.

“Roger has been sort of a friend of ours for the last year, so to speak, he’s in. He’s been engaged, knowledgeable and really present,” said ESPN Vice President of Production Phil Orlins. “You know, whatever past may be, he’s still tremendously engaged and he really brought that every time he was with us.”

Clemens was a seven-time Cy Young winner but his career after baseball has been tainted by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use. He is a Houston native and pitched for the Astros for three seasons.

Orlins said that with the rules changes and pitch clock, it is important to have a pitcher in the booth with Karl Ravech and Eduardo Perez.

“We don’t feel like we have to have the dynamic of Eduardo with a pitcher, but we certainly think that works. Throw in the added factor of rule changes and it is better to have a batter-pitcher perspective,” Orlins said.

Orlins did not say if this would open the door for future opportunities for Clemens as an ESPN analyst.