Howie had some things he needed to clean up this year," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "When he came back, he started hitting and playing the way he can. He really gave us a lift, and we're looking for him to continue to grow and evolve." A 10th-round pick in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft as one of scout Tom Kotchman's hidden Florida gems, Kendrick took flight with Kotchman as his rookie ball manager at Provo in 2003, hitting .368. Reaching Anaheim in 2006, a .360 Minor League hitter, Kendrick began stroking line drives and has become a popular Angels fixture. One hurdle Kendrick cleared in 2009 involved his durability. Emulating Torii Hunter's workout regimen, he remained healthy through a full season for the first time. Two separate left hand fractures cost him shenzhen escort girl roughly half of the 2007 season, and left hamstring strains in April and August cut his '08 season in half, leaving him with 340 at-bats. "I'd never been hurt before, so it was important to show I can stay healthy and avoid those kinds of things," Kendrick said. "I'm just looking forward to going out and playing the game the way I always have. The biggest thing is not worrying. I learned something last year."

Sometime this season, perhaps during Spring Training, he plans to put a baseball bat in his son's hands for the first time. 1130ypjchuji "We've always had animals around -- horses, pigs, chickens, dogs," Jody said. "My love of animals is what prompted me to get involved with the Angels for Animals project." With the help of other Angels wives, she has led a drive to raise awareness of animal adoption and the importance of spaying and neutering pets during a highly successful annual fundraiser at Angel Stadium. Another of Owen's new words is "truck," the name of the family's English bulldog. "He's got a lot of diversity in his life," Jody said. "He's been exposed to a variety of things. I was talking to Howard about that today, in fact. "It is so nice for him to be home every day, to be on the scene. People don't know who he is here, so we can fly under the radar. Howard's home all day and gets to see all the new things Owen does. I don't have to text him the latest now.

"Here's something else: Howard and I are dating again. We have babysitters now, so we can go out together. We went on a date recently to one of the first places we went together, a little pizza place. And they sat us at the same table as before." Jody and Howard were excited to host Thanksgiving at their home for the first time, carving and serving for family members with Owen providing the live entertainment. Kendrick said he'll start working out next month in preparation for his fifth Major shenzhen escorts League season. A big finish -- he batted .351 from July 4 to the end of the season to finish at .291 -- rescued what began as a disappointing year. An early-season slump in '09 sent Kendrick back to Triple-A Salt Lake on June 13, his batting average having bottomed out at .231. "I put a lot of pressure on myself," Kendrick said. "I could have done a lot better. But I'm still learning things every day, and I'll keep working hard and, hopefully, get better. That's what got me here -- working hard." Kendrick, a .302 hitter in 357 Major League games, has the potential to challenge for batting titles. He improved from three homers in 2008 to 10 last season and has the power to continue to drive the ball with greater frequency.

shenzhen escort - shenzhen escort - shenzhen escort - shenzhen escort - shenzhen escort - shenzhen escort - shenzhen escort - shenzhen escort