Monkey Now a Minor Sensation

Another fad is spreading east from California: The rally monkey was spotted in Iowa the other day.

With the Midwest League playoffs starting this week, the Angels’ Class-A Cedar Rapids affiliate asked the folks in Anaheim to send along video clips of the Angels’ lucky leaping monkey. In their first home playoff game Wednesday, the Kernels let the monkey loose on the scoreboard in Cedar Rapids.

“The majority of the people didn’t really get it,” the Kernels’ director of marketing, Mike Koolbeck, said Thursday. “But the players all knew about it.”

The Cedar Rapids fans did not need to understand the power of the rally monkey in order to experience it. The Kernels came from behind in the seventh inning and again in the 10th before winning in the 12th. First baseman Casey Kotchman, the Angels’ top prospect, singled home the winning run, sending the Kernels into the league semifinals.

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If he had a ballot for most valuable player, the Angels’ Garret Anderson said he would vote for Alex Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers. Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said Anderson merits consideration, but Anderson said he believes the award should go to Rodriguez, even if he plays for a last-place team, because he has produced the most impressive statistics.

“That’s my definition of what an MVP is,” Anderson said.

Anderson is hitting .311 with 23 home runs; he ranks fourth in the league with 108 runs batted in. Rodriguez is hitting .315 and leads the majors with 50 homers and 124 RBIs.

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If he had a ballot for manager of the year, Scioscia said he would vote for Oakland’s Art Howe, in part because the A’s overcame the loss of Jason Giambi, Jason Isringhausen and Johnny Damon to free agency and in part because the A’s overcame a rocky start.

But, because the Angels got off to the worst start in franchise history, shouldn’t Scioscia consider himself worthy? “Our guys have played well. I’m not going to take the credit for that,” he said.

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By coincidence, Aug. 30 was the date players set as a strike deadline as well as the date the Angels set for season-ticket holders to pay in full for tickets for potential playoff games. Even with the threat of a strike, more than 75% of season-ticket holders paid, with money still coming in. The Angels are expected to announce information about playoff ticket sales for the general public shortly.... The A’s open a three-game series in Minnesota tonight. If they sweep, they will try to tie and break the major league record for consecutive victories--26--in Anaheim next week.

ON DECK

Opponent--Baltimore Orioles, three games.

Site--Camden Yards.

Tonight--4 p.m. PDT.

TV--Channel 9, tonight and Saturday.

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Records--Angels 85-54, Orioles 64-74.

Record vs. Orioles--4-2.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

JOHN LACKEY

(7-3, 3.24 ERA)

vs.

ORIOLES’

SEAN DOUGLASS

(0-1, 5.08 ERA)

Update--Angel shortstop David Eckstein cranked out three more hits Thursday, extending his hitting streak to 12 games and lifting his batting average to .300.

Saturday, 4 p.m. PDT--Mickey Callaway (1-0, 3.00) vs. Rodrigo Lopez (14-7, 3.39).

Sunday, 10:30 a.m. PDT--Jarrod Washburn (16-5, 3.38) vs. TBA.

Bill Shaikin