If Mike Scioscia retires from his job managing the Angels when his contract expires after 2018, he might consider a gig as an auctioneer. He did a fair impersonation of one Tuesday night at a banquet honoring Angels ace Jered Weaver as the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation Sportsman of the Year.
Impatient with the pace of bidding on four club seats for an Angels game, Scioscia grabbed the microphone from former Olympic gymnast Peter Vidmar, who was conducting the auction.
After ordering Vidmar to "give us a handstand," which the 50-year-old Vidmar did -- holding the seat and the back of a chair, no less -- Scioscia started in on Angels Chairman Dennis Kuhl, who was at a table in front of the dais.
"OK, let's make this eight tickets to a game," Scioscia said.
"Don't give them a limo!" Kuhl responded.
"OK, eight club seats to a game and a limo ride to the park," Scioscia said as the room at the Newport Beach Marriott erupted in laughter. "And we're going to throw in two bottles of Opus One wine."
Bids went from $2,000 to $2,500 to $3,000.
"So we've got eight tickets, the limo, two bottles of wine, and dinner in the Diamond Club, what else, guys?" Scioscia said.
More laughter ... and a winning bid of $4,000.
-- Mike DiGiovanna
