Angels owner Arte Moreno wins L.A. Sports Council award

Angels owner Arte Moreno with wife Carole. (Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times)

Owner Arte Moreno, who played an important role in recruiting slugger Albert Pujols to the Angels on a 10-year, $240-million deal in December, has been named executive of the year by the Los Angeles Sports Council.

The award, which Moreno also won in 2005, will be presented during the seventh annual L.A. Sports Awards show March 15 at Club Nokia at L.A. Live. The show, which will be televised by Fox Sports West, celebrates the greatest sports moments of the year in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

In addition to the sports executive award, the ceremony will also feature a countdown of the Top 10 moments for 2011, along with the naming of the sportsman, sportswoman and coach of the year.

– Mike DiGiovanna, Sports Now, Los Angeles Times

Ducks have answered the call

By Helene Elliott

The halfway point of the season was approaching and the Ducks had won only 10 games.

Goaltender Jonas Hiller wasn’t tracking the puck. Winger Bobby Ryan couldn’t find the net with a GPS. The slightest adversity sent everyone into a panic. Firing coach Randy Carlyle and replacing him with Bruce Boudreau hadn’t made a difference.

General Manager Bob Murray, responding to interview requests from two reporters, said he was prepared to trade anyone except esteemed veterans Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne, who have no-trade clauses. Murray wasn’t looking to rebuild, just retool. “We’re going to get ready for next year,” he said.

That was on Jan. 4, a few hours before the Ducks lost to San Jose. They haven’t lost in regulation time since.

They’ve won eight games and lost once in overtime, outscoring opponents 36-16 during their surge. After falling 20 points out of eighth in the West before the games of Jan. 6, they’re within 11 points and have games in hand on most teams they trail.

…Continue reading Ducks have answered the call

Up next for the Ducks: Tuesday at Dallas

When: 5:30 PST.

Where: American Airlines Center.

On the air: TV: Prime Ticket. Radio: 830

Records: Ducks 18-22-7; Stars 24-21-2.

Record vs. Stars: 1-2.

Update: Ducks team bonding, via bowling, was the goal Monday. And word from Dallas was that Team Finland dominated the proceedings. Of course, there are four Finns on the Ducks’ roster. The Ducks are 8-1-1 in January and have picked up points in their last nine games, going 8-0-1. It is the Ducks’ longest such run since they went on a nine-game streak (8-0-1) from Oct. 21 to Nov. 5 in the 2008-09 season. Goalie Jonas Hiller has won five straight games and tied a season high with 43 saves in Sunday’s 3-2 win against Colorado. He also made 43 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss Dec. 2 against Philadelphia. His last loss was Dec. 31 against the Avalanche.

– Lisa Dillman, Los Angeles Times

Three locals make Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclassmen football teams

Estancia High running back Robert Murtha is one of three Newport-Mesa football players making the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclassmen teams. (Kevin Chang, Daily Pilot)

Estancia High running back Robert Murtha made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclassmen third team for juniors, while Costa Mesa middle linebacker Oronde Crenshaw and Newport Harbor left tackle Sam Bush each made the first team for sophomores.

Murtha, who earned All-CIF Southern Section Southern Division honors and the Orange Coast League Offensive Player of the Year and Daily Pilot Newport-Mesa Dream Team Offensive Player of the Year awards, rushed for an Estancia single-season school record 2,216 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Murtha led the Eagles (10-3, 5-0 in league) to back-to-back undefeated league titles for the first time and to the semifinals of the playoffs for the first time.

Crenshaw, a first-team All-Orange Coast League and Newport-Mesa Dream Team pick, led the area with 130 tackles. He had eight tackles for losses, five sacks and two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.

Crenshaw kept Costa Mesa (8-3, 4-1 in league) in contention for a league title in the regular-season finale and helped the Mustangs return to the Southern Division playoffs after missing the postseason in 2010.

Bush, a second-team All-Sunset League and Newport-Mesa Dream Team selection, helped Newport Harbor (5-6, 3-2 in league) place third in league and reach the Pac-5 Division playoffs.

— David Carrillo Peñaloza, @DCPenaloza

Ducks hang on to beat Colorado, 3-2

Twenty points out.

The Ducks‘ Teemu Selanne referred to it as avoiding “rock bottom.” The team was 20 points from a playoff spot Jan. 6 and on the brink of turning into an NHL trading bazaar.

A little more than two weeks later, 20 dwindled to 11. The Ducks’ wild ride continued with a 3-2 victory over Colorado on Sunday at Honda Center with goalie Jonas Hiller making 43 saves. Their run stands at 8-0-1 since Jan. 6 and they are 11 points behind the eighth-place Avalanche in the Western Conference.

– Lisa Dillman, Los Angeles Times

…Continue reading Ducks hang on to beat Colorado, 3-2

Ducks update: Francois Beauchemin gets a contract extension

Score two goals and add an assist in one game and along comes a contract extension.

The serious truth is the Ducks have been working a deal with veteran Francois Beauchemin long before he scored three points against the Coyotes on Wednesday night.

On Friday, the team announced that the defenseman has agreed to a three-year extension. The move takes him off the market as he would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

His deal is worth $10.5 million. The breakdown is $3.5 million in each of the next three years.

– Lisa Dillman, Sports Now, Los Angeles Times

…Continue reading Ducks update: Francois Beauchemin gets a contract extension

Francois Beauchemin leads Ducks past Coyotes, 6-2

Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau was talking about the long-standing difficulty of playing that first game at home after an intense stretch on the road in Canada.

He stopped and wanted to make it abundantly clear that he was not finding fault, not a bit, after the Ducks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes, 6-2, on Wednesday night at Honda Center. Defenseman Francois Beauchemin scored twice and added an assist.

“I’m not complaining at all,” Boudreau said. “We scored six goals. There’s times this year we would have taken half of that and been happy.”

– Lisa Dillman, Los Angeles Times

…Continue reading Francois Beauchemin leads Ducks past Coyotes, 6-2

Angels, Dodgers see Yu Darvish slip away

Clay Daniel remembers the first time he saw Yu Darvish in person. It was at a 2002 tryout on an island off the coast of Japan, when the lanky right-hander, who signed a six-year, $60-million deal with the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, was only 16.

“He was a fungo bat, about 6 feet 4 and 160 pounds, and he was only throwing 85-88 mph,” said Daniel, then the Angels‘ international scouting director. “He was still a baby, but you could tell he had a chance to be something special.”

Dodgers special advisor Tom Lasorda had a similar reaction when he saw Darvish in the 2004 Koshien National High School Baseball Championships as a senior in 2004.

“I fell in love with him,” Lasorda said. “Wow, he had a great arm. I would have signed him on the spot.”

– Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times

…Continue reading Angels, Dodgers see Yu Darvish slip away

Mark Trumbo, Hank Conger to participate in benefit for Cory Hahn

Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo and catcher Hank Conger will be among a group of current and former big league players who will compete or participate in the Trinity Bat Co.’s first home run challenge, a charity event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at El Dorado High School in Placentia.

Trumbo is recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot and will not take part in the home run derby portion of the event, but Conger will be joined by Mike Carp of the Seattle Mariners and Danny Espinosa of the Washington Nationals. There will also be competitions for high school and college players and an open division for all adults.

Former Angels infielder and television broadcaster Rex Hudler will broadcast his live radio show from the event, which will also feature raffles and sports memorabilia auctions.

– Mike DiGiovanna, Sports Now, Los Angeles Times

…Continue reading Mark Trumbo, Hank Conger to participate in benefit for Cory Hahn

Angels agree to terms with SS Erick Abyar on 2012 deal

The Angels avoided arbitration with Erick Aybar on Wednesday, agreeing to terms with the shortstop on a $5.075-million deal for 2012, and they will continue their attempts to secure the slick-fielding switch-hitter to a long-term deal.

“We are continuing to work toward an extended contract and definitely desire to keep Erick in an Angels uniform for the long term,” General Manager Jerry Dipoto said in a text message.

– Mike DiGiovanna, Sports Now, Los Angeles Times

…Continue reading Angels agree to terms with SS Erick Abyar on 2012 deal