ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The strange back and forth between Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Angels over Mike Trout's popularity, or lack thereof, spawned something unexpected:
Appreciation.
In the days leading up to the Angels' first second-half game on Friday afternoon, Twitter lit up with fans sharing personal photos, videos and anecdotes relaying their unique interactions with Trout, the 26-year-old center fielder who is already considered one of the greatest players in baseball history.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred enraged some in the Angels' front office by suggesting -- innocuously, it seemed -- that Trout lacks fame because he is not "actively engaged" in his own marketability.