Huntington Beach, Mater Dei win first-round games in Boras Classic South

• April 12, 2023

The No. 1-ranked baseball team in Orange County played like it Tuesday in the first round of the Boras Classic South tournament.

Huntington Beach scored five runs in the third inning to beat La Mirada 6-0 at Mater Dei.

The Oilers (15-6), who are the top team in the Orange County Top 25, will play Mater Dei in the second round Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Mater Dei.

Senior right-hander Carson Lane shut out La Mirada (12-5) on two hits through six innings. Gavin Pacheco pitched the scoreless seventh inning for the Oilers.

The Oilers scored the five runs with no outs. Linkin Garcia started the inning with a triple and scored on an error. Aidan Espinoza’s single drove in Ralphy Velazquez to make it 2-0 and Espinoza scored on Bradley Grindlinger’s double.

Colby Turner hit a high-arcing home run over the left-field fence, a frequent occurrence at Mater Dei where the typical onshore air flow crosses from the right field to left field foul pole, for a 5-0 lead.

Garcia’s sacrifice fly later scored Braedon Cheek for the sixth run.

Also at the Boras Classic South:

Mater Dei 8, Corona Santiago 3: The Monarchs (13-5-1) led throughout their first-round win over the Sharks (11-7).

Mater Dei plays Huntington Beach in the second round Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Mater Dei.

Norco 4, Villa Park 0: The Spartans (13-7) lost in the first round to the Cougars (10-8). It’s the fourth straight loss for Villa Park.

Villa Park plays Maranatha (13-3) in a consolation-round game Wednesday at 9 a.m. at JSerra.

Aquinas 6, Cypress 4: The Centurions (16-5) lost their first-round game to the Falcons (13-2). They had won 12 in a row, including the National Classic championship game.

Aquinas, No. 8 in the CalHiSports.com California rankings, plays Santa Margarita in a second-round game at Mater Dei on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Orange Lutheran 6, Maranatha 2: The Lancers (11-7-1) won their first-round game and will face Norco in the second round Wednesday at 3 p.m. at JSerra.

JSerra 10, Etiwanda 6: The Lions (13-7) won the high-scoring battle with the Eagles at JSerra.

JSerra will take on the top-ranked team in CIF-SS Division 1, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, in the second round Wednesday at 6 p.m. at JSerra.

​ Orange County Register 

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach’s start/finish line gets new design

• April 12, 2023

The start/finish line for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has a new look this year.

And it’s a bit spooky — but in a good way.

Each year, Grand Prix workers paint a small, rectangular portion of Shoreline drive in a checkered pattern to denote the starting and finishing line for the various races that compete on Long Beach streets each April. This year’s event will take place from Friday to Sunday, April 14-16.

For the last several years, that paint job has featured a white background with the words “Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach” written on two lines on either side of a checkered middle area. The checker pattern has been white and orange.

But not this year.

Jim Michaelian, the president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, said he wanted to change things up this year.

For starters, the background is now black. That change was made to align with title sponsore Acura, which has incorporated more black into its various designs, Michaelian said in a Tuesday evening, April 11, interview.

The words “Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach” still adorn either side of the checker pattern. But the last three words are smaller now — making “Acura Grand Prix” far more prominent.

And the orange-and-black checker pattern makes the design more vibrant, Michelian said.

“I was tired of the same start/finish line we’ve had for the last four years,” Michaelian said. “I think it makes it pop more.”

It remains to be seen, however, whether the darker hue will make life easier for those tasked with touching up the paint job after each day’s races.

“They will still be out there on Friday and Saturday nights,” Michaelian said. “They have to touch it up before Saturday, too, because that’s when IMSA races.”

The IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix, a 100-minute race, is the headliner on the eve of the weekend’s marquee event — Sunday’s titular Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Both those races, as well as five others, will all scuff up the currently pristine start/finish line.

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The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach set to thrill race fans this weekend

And while the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach has dubbed the weekend “Long Beach’s 200 mph beach party,” Michaelian also noted the new start/finish line has a color scheme similar to that of a more autumnal occasion: Halloween.

But it certainly pops more than the previous design.

​ Orange County Register 

Person on 5 Freeway in Anaheim fatally struck by vehicle

• April 12, 2023

A person who was walking or jogging across the southbound 5 Freeway at Magnolia Avenue in Anaheim was fatally struck by a vehicle Tuesday.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the unidentified person was struck shortly after 4 p.m.

Witness told responding officers the pedestrian, a male, was walking from the right shoulder of the freeway toward the center divider when he wasstruck by a vehicle, possibly a pickup, near the left lane or carpool lane, according to the CHP.

Two left lanes of the freeway were closed while the investigation was conducted, as well as the transition road from the eastbound 91 Freeway to the southbound 5.

It was unclear why the person was walking on the freeway.

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​ Orange County Register 

This week’s bestsellers at Southern California’s independent bookstores

• April 12, 2023

The SoCal Indie Bestseller Lis for the sales week ended April 9 is based on reporting from the independent booksellers of Southern California, the California Independent Booksellers Alliance and IndieBound. For an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.org.

HARDCOVER FICTION

1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: Gabrielle Zevin

2. Romantic Comedy: Curtis Sittenfeld

3. Lessons in Chemistry: Bonnie Garmus

4. Hello Beautiful: Ann Napolitano

5. Birnam Wood: Eleanor Catton

6. I Have Some Questions for You: Rebecca Makkai

7. Pineapple Street: Jenny Jackson

8. Demon Copperhead: Barbara Kingsolver

9. Biography of X: Catherine Lacey

10. Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Toshikazu Kawaguchi

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. I’m Glad My Mom Died: Jennette McCurdy

2. Sweet Enough: A Dessert Cookbook: Alison Roman

3. The Creative Act: A Way of Being: Rick Rubin

4. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones: James Clear

5. Poverty, by America: Matthew Desmond

6. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse: Charlie Mackesy

7. Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity: Peter Attia, M.D., Bill Gifford

8. Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock: Jenny Odell

9. 8 Rules of Love: How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go: Jay Shetty

10. Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World: Malcolm Harris

MASS MARKET

1. 1984: George Orwell

2. American Gods: Neil Gaiman

3. Slaughterhouse-Five: Kurt Vonnegut

4. The Picture of Dorian Gray and Three Stories: Oscar Wilde

5. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Douglas Adams

6. Mistborn: The Final Empire: Brandon Sanderson

7. Lord of the Flies: William Golding

8. The Martian Chronicles: Ray Bradbury

9. The Way of Kings: Brandon Sanderson

10. Romeo and Juliet: William Shakespeare

TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION

1. Daisy Jones & The Six: Taylor Jenkins Reid

2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: Taylor Jenkins Reid

3. The Candy House: Jennifer Egan

4. The Last Thing He Told Me: Laura Dave

5. Sea of Tranquility: Emily St.John Mandel

6. Circe: Madeline Miller

7. The House in the Cerulean Sea: TJ Klune

8. The Maid: Nita Prose

9. The Lincoln Highway: Amor Towles

10. The It Girl: Ruth Ware

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​ Orange County Register 

Inglewood OKs plan displacing 41 businesses to make way for people mover to sports, entertainment venues

• April 12, 2023

The Inglewood City Council has approved a plan that will displace 41 businesses and 305 workers to make room for a 1.6-mile automated people mover connecting the Metro K line to the city’s burgeoning sports and entertainment district.

The city’s relocation plan, passed unanimously by the council on Tuesday, April 11, estimates it will cost roughly $12 million to move the businesses from their current locations. That total doesn’t include any of the cost to acquire the properties, the plan notes.

“We’re really trying to do everything we can to help people stay within the city and thrive through the process,” Lisa Trifileti, the consultant hired to guide the project, told council members.

The city has assigned “relocation specialists” to each business to assist with the application process and with finding a new home, though the plan states there is no guarantee “that the business owner will find a replacement site that it finds to be acceptable.”

Before voting on the plan, Councilman Eloy Morales pledged the city will “go above and beyond’ to help those affected.

“Whatever the law allows us to do, we’re going to take it as far as we can to help the businesses succeed,” he said.

The relocations are expected to “happen over an 18-to-24-month period” and only businesses occupying the space at the time that the city makes an offer for the property — which could begin later this year — will be eligible for the relocation funds, the approved plan states.

Most of the businesses affected are either at the Inglewood Center shopping plaza at Market Street and Florence Avenue, or at the Holly Park Plaza at Prairie Avenue and Hardy Street. Both locations are slated to be replaced with stations for the Inglewood Transit Connector, the automated rail system that will ferry visitors to The Kia Forum, SoFi Stadium and the Los Angeles Clippers’ future home, the Intuit Dome.

The city of Inglewood may use eminent domain to acquire dozens of properties, including the CVS Pharmacy, for stations and maintenance facilities for the proposed $1.5 billion Inglewood Transit Connector. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Amelia Hernandez, the owner of Selwyn Jewelers, said she is skeptical of the city’s promises. Selwyn is one of 21 businesses in the Inglewood Center that would be affected.

“It is going to affect more than 2,000 people who live within three blocks of this area, who walk here every day,” Hernandez said, noting that many of the plaza’s customers are elderly and live on fixed incomes.

She worries the project will “create chaos for the community” and leave business owners unable to recover.

One of the neighboring businesses went looking for a new space and found that rental rates were nearly double at other locations in the city, she said. “The prices are so astronomical, it’s a joke,” Hernandez said.

The ITC project, which has secured a little less than half of the $1.85 billion necessary, is being funded through federal, state and local grants.

Related links

Inglewood will not demolish Vons for transit connector to sports venues
Inglewood Transit Connector could uproot businesses to make way for trains to SoFi Stadium
Inglewood transit system gets $407 million from state
With a party in Leimert Park, Metro opens the new K Line along Crenshaw, serving South LA and Inglewood

At Tuesday’s meeting, the city council stressed that there are no plans to spend any city funds on the construction of the project. The cost of operating the transit system, however, has not been finalized yet.

The relocation plan was updated this month to remove an earlier proposal to take over a site used by a Vons grocery store on Manchester Boulevard. The city, in response to backlash from residents, removed the Vons from the project’s scope and altered the transit system’s first station to incorporate the maintenance facility originally slated for the Vons property.

Inglewood is expected to learn whether it will receive a federal grant covering the bulk of the funds needed for the project, roughly $1 billion, within the next few months. The city plans to begin making offers on the properties needed for the project by the end of this year and needs to begin construction in 2024 to meet a 2028 deadline to come online in time for the Summer Olympics.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels’ Griffin Canning set to return to a major-league mound for first time in 649 days

• April 12, 2023

ANAHEIM — Griffin Canning’s journey is about to come to an end.

The Angels’ right-hander will start on Wednesday afternoon, his first time pitching in the majors since July 2, 2021, a span of 649 days.

“Obviously I’m excited,” Canning said on Tuesday. “I’m just looking forward to getting back out there and competing and helping the team win any way I can.”

Canning, who is a month shy of his 27th birthday, has been through a series of ups and downs in the six years since the Angels drafted him out of UCLA with their second-round pick.

He was arguably the best pitcher on their major league staff at times during his rookie season in 2019, and he also posted a 3.99 ERA and won a Gold Glove in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

But Canning’s back began to bother him in May 2021. He said he first felt some discomfort in his May 14 start at Boston, which was his third straight game allowing two runs or fewer.

Just when it seemed like he was figuring out some things, his performance began to deteriorate as he dealt with what was eventually diagnosed as a stress reaction in his lower back.

Canning missed the rest of the 2021 season, and he had a setback just before the start of spring training in 2022, leading to more time on the shelf. At one point the Angels and Canning faced a decision whether surgery was the answer.

They opted to continue rehab.

Canning finally started throwing again last fall, and he said since then he’s had no issues with his back.

He started doing Pilates and found the right routine to maintain his back.

“I just feel like I know myself a little bit better,” Canning said. “I know my body. I know if I am feeling something in certain areas, I kind of know how to get myself back on track and my recovery methods and stuff like that.”

Once Canning started pitching in spring training, he felt good and the results were encouraging. He allowed two earned runs in 13-2/3 innings in exhibition games, with 13 strikeouts and three walks. His fastball was 94-95 mph, which is up from his 93.5 mph average in 2021.

“I think this is just who I am,” Canning said. “I feel like myself and kind of can go out there and just focus on executing pitches. I’m really excited.”

So are his teammates, most notably left-hander Patrick Sandoval. Sandoval (Mission Viejo High) and Canning (Santa Margarita High) are both local products who work out together year-round.

“Seeing him in spring, that was Griff right there,” Sandoval said. “Nasty. Insane stuff with everything. Just a really (expletive) good pitcher. It’s really exciting. I’m really excited for him, because of all the work that he’s put in come to life.”

Manager Phil Nevin said there will be no special pitch limitations on Canning.

“I wouldn’t say 100 is out of reach,” Nevin said. “It just depends how the game goes.”

SUAREZ FOLLOW-UP

Left-hander José Suarez gave up four runs on 10 hits on Monday night, his second straight start with poor results this season. After the game, Nevin said Suarez’s pitches were “scattered” and he “has got to get better.”

A day later, though, Nevin said a closer look at his performance further encouraged him that Suarez has not been as bad as numbers.

“Shape-wise, pitch selection-wise, what his balls were doing when it left his hand, it all was better than last year,” Nevin said. “The location wasn’t as bad as I thought.”

Nevin referred to the average exit velocity on the hits Suarez allowed. Excluding the bunt, it was 85.7 mph.

Suarez will get a little extra time before his next start because the Angels will keep Shohei Ohtani on schedule and have him pitch on Monday in Boston. Suarez, or Canning, could then pitch on Tuesday in New York.

NOTES

Third baseman Anthony Rendon returned to the Angels’ lineup on Tuesday after missing Monday’s game with a sore left shoulder. Rendon had been hit by a pitch in the 10th inning of Sunday’s game. …

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Sandoval, Tyler Anderson and Reid Detmers are scheduled to start the first three games of the four-game series this weekend in Boston. …

Nevin said the Angels still haven’t decided what roster move they will make to clear a spot for Canning on Wednesday. They currently have 14 pitchers, which is more than the limit of 13 because Ohtani counts as a two-way player. The only relievers with options are Jimmy Herget and Andrew Wantz. The Angels also could put someone on the injured list.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, first start) vs. Nationals (LHP MackKenzie Gore, 2-0, 2.38 ERA), Wednesday, 1:07 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register 

340,000 Teamsters to rally ahead of labor negotiations with UPS

• April 12, 2023

More than 340,000 UPS delivery drivers and warehouse workers are prepared to walk off the job if the shipping giant fails to provide a “fair and equitable agreement,” with their Teamsters union.

Rallies with representatives from 176 Teamster locals are being held this week throughout the U.S. ahead of the union’s national bargaining sessions with UPS. Teamsters Local 952 will rally Saturday, April 15 at its Orange headquarters.

Negotiations begin Monday, April 17, for the largest private-sector collective bargaining unit in North America. Their five-year labor contract expires July 31.

The Teamsters are seeking a contract that guarantees:

Higher pay for all workers
More full-time job opportunities
An end to forced overtime
Elimination of a two-tier wage system
Protection from heat and other workplace hazards

“We’re telling (UPS) we want a fair contract for our members,” said Eric Jimenez, secretary-treasurer for Local 952. “We’re asking everyone to show up. Let’s show this company we’re united and we’re going to stand together in this fight.”

Jimenez said the Teamsters hope to avoid a walkout. But if the two sides can’t reach a livable agreement, they’ll have no choice.

“We will put this country on strike, and we will shut down UPS,” he said Tuesday.

The union has several sticking points. One is the “22.4,” named after a 2018 contract provision that created a tier of lower-paid full-time workers, according to Jacobin, a publication that tracks politics, economics and culture.

The average annual pay for a UPS driver is $75,000 to $80,000 in California — one of the rare jobs that offer a livable wage, pension and benefits without requiring a college degree. Newer drivers in the 22.4 category do the same work as more senior drivers, Jimenez said, but their hourly pay falls $6 to $7 below that of their senior counterparts.

Newer drivers also have less control over their work schedules, which has led to high turnover.

UPS employees working in the company’s distribution centers earn far less, with many part-time workers earning as little as $15.50 an hour. The Teamsters want to hike that starting wage above $20 an hour.

“Part-time workers make up 65% of our workforce at UPS, but they only work an average of 3 ½ hours a day,” Jimenez said. “These are people who work in warehouses unloading trucks and trailers in hot weather. They could go work at TGI Fridays and make as much — plus, there’d be air conditioning.”

The Teamsters have taken issue with the lack of air conditioning in full-time drivers’ vehicles, as well as forced overtime, including six-day work weeks.

“We’ve always known there’s a lot of overtime during the Christmas season where employees will often work 60 hours a week,” Jimenez said. “But since the pandemic arrived Christmas season has turned into a forever season.”

Saturday’s rally is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. at Local 952, 140 S. Marks Way, Orange, and will be live-streamed on Facebook.

The national contract negotiations come just months after UPS reported record profits of more than $100 billion and a $19 million annual salary for UPS CEO Carol Tome.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million workers in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Margarita baseball does everything right in win over Corona in Boras Classic

• April 12, 2023

SANTA ANA – The formula of good pitching, timely hitting and error-free defense has won many baseball games.

It did so again Tuesday for Santa Margarita. The Eagles made the most of their three hits and got a complete game from Collin Clake to defeat Corona 2-1 in a Boras Classic South first-round game at Mater Dei.

Santa Margarita (15-3) will play Aquinas (13-2) in a second-round game Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Mater Dei. Corona (14-4) will play Cypress (16-5) in a consolation-round game Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Mater Dei.

Tuesday’s game, which ended Corona’s winning streak at eight games, matched two teams that are high in CIF Southern Section and state rankings. Santa Margarita is No. 2 and Corona is No. 4 in the CIF-SS Division 1 top 10. The CalHiSports.com California rankings have Santa Margarita at No. 2 and Corona at No. 3.

Clarke, a senior right-hander, gave up six hits and struck out eight. He allowed back-to-back walks in the second inning when Corona got its run. Clarke did not give up a walk after that.

“My coach (Willie Kuhl) talked to me and said, ‘It seems like you’re over-throwing,’ ” Clarke said, ” ‘so just to try to settle in and relax and hit your spots with your off-speed stuff.’ ”

On the other side, Corona left-handed pitcher Ethan Schiefelbein was terrific. The senior, who signed with UCLA, struck out 12 in six innings, exhibiting a high-octane fastball and confident command of his off-speed pitches.

Santa Margarita scored its first run in the top of the first inning. With two outs Luke Lavin singled, stole second base and scored on Logan de Groot’s two-strike single.

Corona tied it in the bottom of the second. Jaylen White and Billy Carlson got the back-to-back walks to start the inning. Daniel Rivera’s sacrifice bunt advanced White to third base and Carlson to second and Jared Saldana’s single made it 1-1.

Santa Margarita scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. With one out, Blake Wilson walked and Lavin’s opposite-field double dropped just inside the left-field line and moved Wilson to third base. When de Groot’s fly to short center required Corona center fielder Saldana to make a diving catch, Wilson tagged up and scored without a throw for a 2-1 lead.

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Eagles coach Chris Malec said Saldana’s diving catch offered a chance his team could not ignore.

“When (Saldana) left his feet,” Malec said, “you’ve got to commit to it and you’ve got to go.”

Corona got base runners in scoring position in the third, fourth and sixth innings but was unable to get them home.

The 16-team tournament continues Wednesday and Thursday and concludes with the championship game at JSerra on Friday at 6 p.m.

​ Orange County Register