(Angels/AP)It was the signature play of Mike Trout’s historic rookie season.

Some might even argue it was the catch of the year in all of baseball.

And now, like every other important figure and moment in baseball history, it will be commemorated in bobblehead form when the Los Angeles Angels host the Houston Astros on April 13.

Of course the play we’re talking about is Trout’s ridiculous over-the-wall catch at Camden Yards that robbed Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy of a sure home run. At the time it happened, Big League Stew’s Kevin Kaduk likened it to Torii Hunter’s homer-robbing catch of Barry Bonds in the 2002 all-star game. That’s pretty special territory, but certainly deserving praise for a grab that defied gravity.

It’s also pretty fitting considering it was Hunter, then in right field for the Angels, who was the first player to congratulate Trout after he glided back to earth.

Honestly, you know the catch had to be special simply to stand

(AP)Japan 5, Brazil 3: The ultimate underdogs from Brazil nearly stunned the world again on Saturday morning. Already a surprise qualifier in the tournament after knocking off Panama in November, Brazil took a 3-2 lead over two-time defending champions Japan into the eighth inning before the overwhelming favorites righted the ship with a three-run rally.

Of course Japan would do it all with small ball and excellent execution. After Seiichi Uchikawa led off the inning with a single, Yoshio Itoi would bunt him into scoring position. That set the stage for pinch-hitter Hirokazu Ibata to tie the game with an RBI single. After another single and a walk loaded the bases, manager Koji Yamamoto turned to another pinch-hitter in Shinnosuke Abe. He would drive home the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice. Nobuhiro Matsuda then added the insurance with a single to center.

Nothing fancy there at all. Just solid team baseball with contributions up and down the roster.

As for Brazil, this was certainly an admirable effort with the odds seemingly stacked against them. After the game manager Barry Larkin spoke to how proud he was of of the way his team competed, but he certainly wasn't surprised.

'These players love to compete,'' Larkin said. ''They love a challenge and this was a challenge similar to the qualifiers when we beat Panama. I'm extremely proud of the way my players performed in this game.''

(Fox Sports West - MLB.TV)As the old cliché goes, it's spring training for everybody.

That includes players, umpires, announcers, and yes, even those behind the scenes of Major League Baseball telecasts need a little time to knock the rust off. For a classic example of just how bad it's needed by all parties involved, look no further than the person in charge of graphics for Fox Sports West during Friday afternoon's Cactus League battle for Los Angeles between the Angels and Dodgers.

With one of the Dodgers’ prized offseason signings, South Korea's Hyun-Jin Ryu, taking the hill for his second spring appearance, a graphic appeared correctly identifying Hyun-Jin as the starting pitcher. Good start, and really all that was necessary under the circumstance, but it was decided to go the extra mile by including the 26-year-old rookie’s career stats.

[Also: Aging Roy Halladay a legend among peers]

Unfortunately, with his official major league debut still one month away, he doesn’t have any of those just yet. The numbers you see actually belong to another South Korean pitcher named Jae-Kuk Ryu, who indeed hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2008 after cups of coffee with the Cubs and Rays, and at last check isn‘t even an active player.

Dusty Baker and Mark Prior in 2006. (AP)Reunited and it probably feels just as strange as it does good. After nearly seven years apart, Mark Prior and manager Dusty Baker are back together after the now 32-year-old right-hander inked a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

Of course this is significant because in the opinion of many it was Baker’s (over)use of Prior during the 2003 season that precipitated the shoulder issues that limited his action during the 04-05 and ultimately drove him out of the game in 2006. Perhaps there’s something to that, especially if Prior was rushed back too soon after his violent collision with Marcus Giles on July 11 of that season, but we also know that not all arms are built to last in the major league environment.

[Also: Aging Roy Halladay a legend among peers]

We'll never truly know who was right or wrong. But we do know that they’re back together, and as Baker told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer, it’s now up to Prior to write his final chapter in baseball.

“He called me and said asked for a chance,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “I talked to Walt (Jocketty). (Prior) says he feels good. He feels like he has some unfinished business.

“This gives him one more chance or a chance at closure.”

Chien-Ming Wang with the Nationals in 2012. (USA Today)The 2013 World Baseball Classic is officially underway.

In the tournament opener down in windy Taichung, Taiwan, the home standing Chinese Taipei squad sailed to a 4-1 victory over Australia in Pool B behind six shutout innings from former Yankees and Nationals right-hander Chien-Ming Wang.

Wang’s line would include a pair of strikeouts and four hits allowed. He may have also benefited from the strong winds blowing in from left and center — at times gusting up to 25 mph — on a couple fly balls early, but overall looked dominant against an overmatched lineup.

[Also: Aging Roy Halladay a legend among peers]

Offensively, Cheng-Min Peng would set the pace for Taipei with a first inning RBI single. He later added a solo home run into the right field bleachers off Warwick Saupold. Australia's Stefan Welch would muscle up for a solo blast in the seventh for their lone tally. Former Seattle Mariners prospect Chris Snelling chipped in a single... and then in a career-defining moment limped to the dugout with an undisclosed leg injury.

(USA Today)A late scratch from Friday’s Cactus League game against the Chicago White Sox and tight-lipped responses from manager Terry Francona led to a lot of speculation about the status of Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez.

Was he traded? Suspended for improper conduct? Perhaps dealing with a family emergency?

[Baseball 2013 from Yahoo! Fantasy Sports: Join a league today!]

No one knew for sure initially, but it turns out he was actually injured in his most recent spring outing against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.

MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian has the details.

On Friday, two days before Perez was scheduled to join Team USA for the international tournament, Cleveland announced that the closer suffered a subscapularis strain in his throwing shoulder. The two-time All-Star will be shut down for a period of seven to 10 days, with the goal of returning to game activity within the next three to four weeks.

That timetable puts Perez at risk for missing Opening Day.

"It's really difficult to replace a closer like Chris," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said. "He means a lot to the team, and I'm hopeful we won't need to. I'm hopeful he'll be ready to start the season."

(AP)

Even the best laid plans are one misstep away from falling apart.

For Javier Vazquez, those plans were to impress while pitching for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, and then hopefully latch on with a major league team as a result. Unfortunately, all it took was one twist of his surgically repaired knee to end those hopes, According to several media reports, including this detailed one from MLB.com's Zack Meisel, the tweak has forced him to withdraw from the WBC.

Vazquez underwent right knee surgery to repair an injured meniscus over the offseason, and he informed El Nuevo Dia, a newspaper in San Juan, P.R., that discomfort in that knee will prevent him from participating in the Classic. Vazquez said he felt a twinge last week while twisting his knee during rehab.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal adds that this setback pretty much ensures the now 36-year-old veteran won’t pitch for a major league team in 2013. Of course Vazquez sat out the entire 2012 season at his own discretion, but refused to announce his retirement. There‘s no word yet on his future plans on the heels of this disappointment, but one would assume he’ll give it one more shot if his health allows it.

(AP)Brandon McCarthy made headlines for two reasons on Wednesday.

First, for his impressive return to game action just six months after suffering a skull fracture, brain contusion and epidural hemorrhage when Erick Aybar's line drive struck him in the head, and then again after the game for his comments on whether or not he's a fan of the protective headgear options that are currently being tested by Major League Baseball.

[Baseball 2013 from Yahoo! Fantasy Sports: Join a league today!]

According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, who was one of the reporters that spoke to McCarthy immediately after his outing, the answer to that question was a resounding no.

McCarthy said he is not a proponent of protective headgear for pitchers unless someone can come up with an option that's better than the alternatives available.

"Until the products are better, it's going to be slow-moving,'' he said. "The stuff that's out there already is no good at all. It seems like it's still a long way away. I don't even care if it's MLB-approved. I just want something that's functionally approved by me."