Carrying the Angels on Their Shoulders

So what happened to the New York Yankees? It could be an Angel curse.

“Bombers Need to Exorcise Angels” screamed a headline in the New York Post on Tuesday.

“Angels and Curses is not a new heavy metal band, not a movie vehicle designed to finally prove that Madonna can act, and not a Fox reality series about clergy that strays,” the Post’s Joel Sherman wrote. “It is the burden the Yankees carry into this postseason.”

The Yankees had won four consecutive American League pennants until the Angels eliminated them, 3 games to 1, in the first round last season.

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He’s no Angel: Reader Werner Haas of West Hollywood noticed in Tuesday’s Newswire that Miroslav Satan signed with the Buffalo Sabres. “Wouldn’t it have made more sense if he had signed with the New Jersey Devils?” Haas e-mailed.

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Trivia time: St. Louis’ Albert Pujols beat out Colorado’s Todd Helton for the National League batting title, .35871 to .35849. When was the last time more than three digits were required to determine a batting champion?

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A rarity: When a Yankee ball boy made a nice play on a foul ball in the sixth inning Tuesday, following blunders by Bernie Williams and Alfonso Soriano, ESPN’s Jon Miller quipped: “That’s the first person wearing a Yankee uniform who has been able to field a ball this inning.”

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Time to pay up: In an interview with NBC’s Carson Daly for his late-night show, Shane Mosley said Oscar De La Hoya owes him $500,000.

Because De La Hoya was to be paid $17 million and Mosley $4.5 million for their fight, De La Hoya told Mosley he’d pay him $500,000 if he lost. It started out as a friendly gesture, but then it was written into the contracts.

Mosley told Daly the debt could definitely be a reason for a third fight.

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A long time ago: Reader David Halpert of Santa Monica e-mailed to say, “Forget the Bambino. The last time the Cubs won the World Series, only 1 in 10 homes had electricity. And Mark Twain was alive!”

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Program note: Attention Trojan fans who are gluttons for punishment: A replay of the USC-California game will be on Fox Sports Net tonight at 7.

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Trivia answer: In 1970, Alex Johnson of the Angels beat out Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox for the American League batting title by .0003. Both batted .329.

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And finally: Michael Hannin, a tight end at San Fernando Valley State in 1967, e-mailed to amplify on Monday’s trivia answer regarding Mercury Morris playing against his team at the Rose Bowl.

“It was actually the Junior Rose Bowl,” Hannin said. “The name was changed to the Pasadena Bowl in 1968.” Hannin added the school that Valley State (now Cal State Northridge) played was then West Texas State and that Duane Thomas was on the team.

Bob Johnson of Lakewood e-mailed to say the school in Canyon, Texas, had many names before becoming West Texas A&M.;

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.