Los Angeles Angels pre-screening questions to coaches for negativity

In the latest example of the Los Angeles Angels being too thin-skinned, the team is reportedly pre-screening questions to coaches.

Per Sam Blum of The Athletic (who has received blowback from the team before for being “too negative”), the Angels are pre-screening questions to coaches. If the team feels the questions are too negative, they’ll decline those interview requests.

Here’s the blurb from Blum’s article about Anthony Rendon, posted on Wednesday.

The Athletic requested to speak with Angels hitting coach Marcus Thames. However, under a recently revised policy, the Angels allow coaches to speak to the media on a case-by-case basis. They did not permit Thames to speak to The Athletic about Rendon because the potential line of questioning was deemed too negative. The team said it prefers manager Phil Nevin to handle such questions.

The article itself isn’t even negative. It’s about Anthony Rendon not hitting for power this season. It would have benefitted a lot with insight from hitting coach Marcus Thames, instead of the vague generalities offered by manager Phil Nevin and general manager Perry Minasian.

Last month, Blum tweeted that he had been barred from a radio show on the Angels-owed AM830 because of “negativity.” Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register backed Blum and said he’d also no longer appear on the show.

[The Athletic]