Monkey Business Still at Forefront

MESA, Ariz. -- After three years as a lovable local phenomenon, the Angels’ rally monkey teeters on the brink of overexposure. The rally monkey surged onto the national scene during the playoffs last fall, inspired rivals to display scoreboard images of other species and generated windfall profits for Disney, through the sale of stuffed monkeys at $20 a pop.

As KSPN-AM (710) promoted its Angel broadcasts in television commercials over the winter, the ads featured the rally monkey -- but none of the players on the World Series champions. The Angels’ promotional schedule this season features three stuffed monkey giveaways. On another night, kids will get a “rally monkey bobble belly” -- the head of a rally monkey on the body of a rubber duck.

“The way we gauge overexposure is when we start to hear that from our fans,” said Robert Alvarado, the Angels’ marketing director. He reported strong advance ticket sales for the four monkey-related giveaway games.

The stuffed monkeys will be wrapped in miniature Angel jerseys -- one each of Manager of the Year Mike Scioscia, World Series MVP Troy Glaus and American League championship series MVP Adam Kennedy. Kennedy isn’t sure whether he prefers to be honored with a bobblehead doll or a stuffed monkey.

“Good question,” he said. “The monkey might be the new thing.”

The Angels are not giving out bobbleheads this year, but their Class-A Rancho Cucamonga affiliate is, with a set of dolls that includes Kennedy, Darin Erstad, Francisco Rodriguez, Tim Salmon, Jarrod Washburn and Shawn Wooten.

The players tend to be ambivalent about the rally monkey -- thrilled that it gets fans into the game, less so that it somehow gets credit for Angel comebacks.

“You like to think you had something to do with them,” Kennedy said.

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The Angels lobbied for first baseman Scott Spiezio to win a Gold Glove last season, but that won’t stop them from moving him to third base on opening day. If Glaus’ wrist injury prevents him from starting, the Angels could use Spiezio there, with Wooten or Brad Fullmer at first base. The Angels have long thought Spiezio might be most valuable as a utility player, and he also figures to play some outfield during the year.

“It really doesn’t matter to me if I’m playing a lot of positions, as long as I’m out there on a consistent basis,” he said.

If Glaus misses several games -- or if he is put on the disabled list -- Scioscia said Spiezio would rotate between first base and third, depending on which position demands the superior defender on a given day. Spiezio has played 92 major league games at third base, including 20 last season. Of the Angels’ other options, Wooten has played two games at third and Benji Gil none.

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Garret Anderson homered and Erstad and Fullmer had two hits apiece in Wednesday’s 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Erstad is hitting .447, with Fullmer and catcher Bengie Molina at .333.... In order to get additional at-bats, Salmon played in minor league exhibition games Wednesday. Salmon, who hit .404 last spring, is hitting .255 this spring.... The Angels sent pitchers Chris Bootcheck and Bart Miadich to triple-A Salt Lake. Bootcheck, who drew raves from the coaching staff this spring, has resumed pitching after a brief bout with elbow tendinitis.... When the Angels hit consecutive home runs during a home game this season, fans attending that game can exchange their ticket stub for a free Domino’s pizza on the day after the game. The Angels hit consecutive home runs at Edison Field three times last season.