Halos

Continued from page 8 game behind the Halos. million in incentives for the final year of his deal.

And pull back the focus: if the Angels were in the AL Central, they’d be four games in first ahead of the Twins.

They are doing well at the box office, home (averaging 32,133) and away (30,533) and those numbers will rise in the second half of the season as the races heat up.

Finally, this is home. I think he likes it here and feels comfortable. It’s a West Coast (nice weather; closest by plane to Japan) team with a big fan base … one that would revolt if Arte Moreno would let The Big Sho go without a major effort.

Remember the curse of the Bambino! The fans of the guys in Anaheim with the red jerseys don’t want their team to suffer like the Red Sox did.

Ekeler is in the final season of a four-year deal worth $24.5 million. He received permission to seek a trade after both sides could not agree on a contract extension.

“I was in an opportunity to try to capture some more value after the year that I came off of. Just what’s been happening with the atmosphere around the running back market it’s been pretty tough,” Ekeler said. “I am thankful for the way it played out because the Chargers did right and gave me something in the middle, some type of incentive.”

Ekeler led the league with 18 touchdowns from scrimmage last season and became the fifth running back in league history with at least 100 receptions. His 107 catches were tied for second most by a running back in a season. He also rushed for 915 yards, including a pair of 100-yard games.