Joe Saunders a left handed pitcher for the Angels played college baseball at Virignia Tech and owned a career record of 27-7. On this day at Angel Stadium in Anaheim he pitched with a heavy heart.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
Anaheim,CA.On Friday April 20th Joe Saunders started a game for the Angels against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Saunders was allowed to wear a hat from Virginia Tech where he went to college. At the time of this game he was the only active player in Major League Baseball that attended VT.

The commissioners office gave permission to Saunders to wear the VT hat in a gesture of support to those at his alma mater suffering in the aftermath of last week horrible massacre. Jered Weaver and Hector Carrasco also wore Virginia Tech hats provided by Saunders father, Joe Sr.,during batting practice.

For Joe Saunders friday night start was more than just ending a 6-game losing streak,which they did when the Angels bats came alive with 8 runs and 14 hits to beat the Mariners 8 to 4.

"I was pretty surprised it still fit"Saunders said from his original cap he kept as a souvenir from his college days "I had to stretch it out a little". He also completed 6 innings of shutout ball giving up 7 hits and walking 1. "Somebody out there was looking for me"he said after the victory.

Saunders signed his hat and gave it to his dad Joe Sr.,who is also a Virginia Tech alum and also an architect that often works on the campus.

Don’t be surprised if Saunders changes hats again. Today Bartolo Colon makes his first start of the 2007 season for the Angels and will make his first major league start since July 26,2006. Then there is Jered Weaver who already came back after a few rehab starts in the minors.

The Angels do have a lot of arms in this pitching staff, there is a lot of competition and lefty Joe Saunders who has done nothing wrong here with a 2-0 record and 1.96 era might be sent down soon to Salt Lake(Triple A).

But on April 20th,2007 Joe Saunders was throwing his fastball,curve and change-up with much more emotion than he ever experienced before in college,the minors or with the Angels. About his posible trip down to Triple A, Saunders said: "I cannot worry about that, I don’t think about it".
Kelvim Escobar is also scheduled to come out of the DL on Tuesday and the chances for Joe Saunders of staying with the big club are diminishing every day in Angels Land.
———————————————————————————–
Amaury is the Spanish play by play announcer for all Angels games home and away on 50,000 Watts KLAA 830, together with Jose Mota as partner with commentary.