It was one of the first mottos Angels manager Joe Maddon rolled out this spring, a phrase he’s emphasized time and again during preseason camp.
“Play like it’s 1985.”
It doesn’t mean a total throwback to a time when teams stole bases almost as often as they homered, and formed small-ball identities around sacrifice bunts and hit-and-runs. That’s not how the 2021 Angels are built anyway, with a heavy-hitting lineup led by Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and a healthy Shohei Ohtani.
Instead, the saying is representative of a certain mindset the Angels are trying to promote this season — an approach that puts fundamentals such as baserunning technique, two-strike approach and steady defense at the forefront as the club tries to snap a six-year postseason drought.