I have always had a soft spot for the Angels. I've followed this team for many years. Even when I was young, my brother and I would play backyard baseball, pretending to be like those bigger-than-life players. We both fought to be the Red Sox, of course and being older I won that battle more often than not. However, when is was my turn to be "the other team," I often chose the Angels. I would get in the batter's box and stand like Fred Lynn, Rick Burleson or even Jerry Remy. My favorite was Rod Carew.

It's no wonder why I picked them. Throughout the ages, the Angels would harvest former Red Sox greats to field a team. This practice may have started long before my birth with Jim Piersall, who played for California 1965-67.

Unfortunately, I've seen my share of players move to California, or Anaheim, or L.A. County.

Luis Tiant made his last professional start as an Angel. It pains me when I see that Major League baseball commercial. You know the one: he's looking over at Cal Ripken while wearing all the Angel paraphenalia at the airport terminal. Give me a break it, he only pitched one season in an Angels uniform.

The Angels also ended up with Mo Vaughn. This shortly after changing their name to the Anaheim Angels. Like Lynn, I hated seeing Vaughn go, much for the same reasons. Like Lynn he was a Boston icon and former MVP who had a few of years left.

I was a young lad when Lynn left and didn't understand why? It hurt like a second-degree sunburn. Unlike the Lynn situation, I understood Vaughn's departure. I was much older and wiser to the business side of baseball. I was aware of the political posturing. Each used the media help add fuel to the fire and confuse fans. It was an ugly separation.

But regardless of who is in charge or what they call themselves, the Angels still want former Sox players. They even have Sweet Lou Merloni.

One other player stands out on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Orlando Cabrera.

The much-credited shortstop will return to Boston for the first time since the World Series. I'm a little excited to see him again. Although it may seem he is playing without a bat, the Angels' official site Cabrera is filling a defensive void.

The Los Angeles Times writes about Cabrera's brief stay with Boston. Calling the time "short and sweet." I wish I could come up with writing like that. Regardless, the article is quite good.

By the way I hate the name - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Los Angeles already has a club with the Dodgers. The name itself is redundant. Literally Los Angeles means "the City of Angels." So naming a team the City of Angels Angels of Anaheim. Is plain stupid. Not too mention long. Perhaps the longest name in the history of baseball.

Speaking of history, a 1925 Pacific Coast team also used the name until 1957, the same year the Dodgers bought the franchise and move to L.A. In fact, those Los Angeles Angels, used to play in Wrigley Field. No, not in Chicago. There was another Wrigley in L.A..

Why is it that the Angels have to change their name so often? It's a mystery. I fear it will not be the last. "The City of Angels Angels of Anaheim" will not stick. It's more like teflon.

Boston.com is looking into another mystery: Why does "Sweet Caroline" get played at every Red Sox home game? It is curious, but not so strange. Other teams also play the 30-year-old song including those lousy New York Jets, but read the article anyway.

It's sort of funny that when I did a search for "Sweet Caroline" I found an article "What the Angels Eat". Apparently Sweet Caroline is some sort of watermelon. I hope this is not a foreshadowing.

Boston.com also reports the Sox are trying to get Neil Diamond to perform the song Aug. 14.

Now that would be short and sweet. Well, I tried. I knew I couldn't do it.

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