Two of the Angels’ top prospects — infielder Matt Brown and right-handed reliever Kevin Jepsen — have been named to the U.S. team for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Brown and Jepsen were part of the 23-man team announced Wednesday. A 24th player will be added later. Also on the team are former major-leaguers Terry Tiffee and Mike Koplove, both playing for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas. Tiffee, an infielder, leads the Pacific Coast League with a .393 batting average.
Brown and Jepsen will leave the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees on July 27 and return after the Olympics on August 25.
Brown, 25, has been tearing up the PCL. He has a .326 average (sixth in the league), 20 home runs (fourth), a .605 slugging percentage (fifth) and 62 RBIs in 83 games. He has also had brief big-league callups each of the past two seasons, going 1 for 13 in five games with the Angels this season.
Jepsen, 23, was a second-round pick in the 2002 draft who didn’t advance out of Single-A until this season. But he advanced quickly this year. He was 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA, 11 saves and 35 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings for Double-A Arkansas before being promoted to Triple-A where he has gone 0-2 with two saves and a 2.76 ERA.
Former major-league manager Davey Johnson will manage the Olympic team. His coaching staff includes former Angels pitching coach and manager Marcel Lachemann, former Dodger player and coach Reggie Smith and Rick Eckstein, a college baseball coach and brother of former Angel David Eckstein.
PLease tell me the Angels are not going to stand pat with their anemic lineup. Back up the truck and give up everyone needed to get Holiday except Howie.