Angels take team-building to new level (see: ostrich)

Miller: Five things to know

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Have I ever told you about the ostrich, the alleged chicken and pitcher Ramon Ortiz?

No? Good, because to understand how the Los Angeles Angels are coping with losing a big chunk of their soul by not bringing back Darin Erstad and Adam Kennedy -- and to understand how one of baseball's most solid systems will continue to thrive whatever happens with new outfielder Gary Matthews and his human growth hormone exploits -- it is instructive to go back to the ostrich, Ortiz and manager Mike Scioscia.

Mike Scioscia's meetings help the Halos weather the loss of players like Darin Erstad. (US Presswire)

Scioscia has established himself as one of the game's best skippers during his six seasons in charge of the Angels, and one small piece is Scioscia's spring training sessions, long before 45,000 strong begin filling Angel Stadium each April.

One of the essential building blocks is the team meetings Scioscia holds before the morning workouts. Now, I know what you're thinking. Meetings? Ugh. Those usually rank somewhere between a trip to the dentist and paying the bills.

The Angels' spring meetings, though, are vastly different. Scioscia, smack in the middle of a session, will assign four rookies to go to dinner together later that night -- and tell them to bring the check in for, say, Vladimir Guerrero.

He'll learn about his players, ask about their hobbies -- and then send them out on a research assignment.

Sometimes the players come back with a mildly amusing report.

Other times ... well, this is where the ostrich comes in.

A few years back, Scioscia quizzed Brian Cooper, who pitched for the Angels from 1999-2001, about his hobby during one of these meetings.

Coop, who knew about the manager's "fishing" expeditions, responded that he didn't have any hobbies.

Wrong answer.

One of the Angels trainers, Rick Smith, had been checking some things out for Scioscia for just this kind of moment. No hobbies? Well, Scioscia responded, why don't you go check out the Chandler Ostrich Festival? And take a couple of the fellas with you.

So Cooper grabbed Jarrod Washburn and Matt Wise. While there, Washburn was struck with a brilliant idea. He tracked down a guy who owned some ostriches, and asked the guy if he'd come to Tempe Diablo Stadium tomorrow morning with one of the birds.