Visiting Angels late for games

OGDEN — Sunday's doubleheader between the Ogden Raptors and Provo Angels provided Dave Baggott with something new. And that's saying something considering the marketing and promotional flair of the Raptors president.

"Just when you think you've seen and heard it all, something like this comes up," said Baggott, who was forced to apologize to fans at Lindquist Field when the visiting Angels failed to arrive before the 1 p.m. scheduled game time.

Miscommunication between Provo management and the charter bus company it uses to transport the team led to a one-hour delay. Despite repeated apologies over the public address system and special deals on food and drinks at stadium concession stands, Baggott estimates approximately 800 fans (of the announced crowd of 1,898) opted not to stick around.

Long before the teams split the twinbill — Provo won the opener 6-4, while Ogden took the nightcap 7-5 — Baggott filed a protest with Pioneer League officials. Though he declined to discuss specifics, Baggott may seek financial compensation for additional expenses incurred by the late start. Along with a possible fine, league officials could declare Provo's win a forfeit and award it to Ogden — though such action is considered a longshot.

The whole situation didn't sit well with angry Angels manager Tom Kotchman.

"It was no day at the beach," he said while explaining his team was ready to make the commute at 9:30 a.m. but wound up waiting 2 1/2 hours for the charter bus to pick them up.

Upon arriving in Ogden, the Angels had just 20 minutes to warm up.

It proved to be enough, at least for the first seven-inning game. Provo prevailed with a 10-hit attack. Justin Turner led the effort by driving in three runs.

In the second game, however, Kotchman said the Angels simply didn't deserve to win. Five errors, he explained, is "high school stuff."

Chris Barnwell and Corry Parrott each knocked in a pair of runs as the Raptors salvaged a split in the doubleheader.

The six-game series, which has featured meetings in both cities throughout, concludes Monday at 5 p.m. in Provo.

FAMILY REUNION: Casey Kotchman, Anaheim's first-round pick (No. 13 overall) in the 2001 draft, has made the jump from the Arizona Summer League to Provo. In his first day with the Angels, the 18-year-old belted an RBI double.

And his dad was there to see it. That's because the rookie's father is Provo manager Tom Kotchman.

"He's my dad, but on the field he's not. He's the manager," said Casey Kotchman. "You just play the game and see what happens."

Father and son are expected to remain together for the balance of the season.

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E-MAIL: dirk@desnews.com