Angels' Team Meeting Might Have Served as Bonding Opportunity

This was the Angels' first team meeting since April.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington called a team meeting prior to Tuesday's game against the Detroit Tigers amid a five-game losing streak that included a four-game series sweep by the Toronto Blue Jays. Washington described the meeting to Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group as a "come to Jesus meeting," giving players and coaches the chance to speak out.

This was the third time that Washington has called a team meeting this season, after previously doing so twice in the season's first month.

The first meeting, in March, was intended to get the team back on track and was considered a success, as the Angels rebounded from two blowout losses to the Baltimore Orioles with four straight wins afterward.

The second meeting followed a sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Twins; in their next game, the Angels beat a good Philadelphia Phillies team.

Considering the Angels went 43-60 between meetings two and three, it's a surprise the third didn't happen sooner.

While this week's confab did not lead to a win over the Tigers — the Angels lost 6-2 on Tuesday — the meeting helped the team become closer to each other, according to catcher Logan O'Hoppe.

“We love coming out with each other, and we’re grinding it out,” O’Hoppe said, via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “Meetings like that bring us really close. There was no negative take out of it. It was all productive.”

The Angels are hoping this meeting will spur a strong finish to another seemingly lost season for the team. The Angels are 54-78, heading into the final month of the season in last place in the American League West.

“What else are you going to do? Mail it in and just take hits for five weeks?” O’Hoppe said. “That’s not an option for any of us. The approach going forward is just making the most of what you have left, because I know we all miss it at some point in the offseason.”

While closing out the season strong won't impact any chances of extending their season into the playoffs, it will allow the Angels to head into the offseason on a positive note. The players who return to Anaheim next year will perhaps have a shared sense of purpose for the next time their games matter in the standings.

The Angels are 54-79, last place in the American League West and 17 games out of first place.