Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard F. Toohey made a statement today in the severity of his sentencing of the murderer of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, student Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson.

(And?)

24-year-old Andrew Thomas Gallo’s earliest possible parole date will be in 2050 following a 51 years-to-life sentence handed down to him by Judge Toohey.

Harsh? No.

Three months ago I noted testimony from Gallo’s stepbrother Raymond Rivera, who detailed the aftermath of a crash that left three innocents dead and another internally decapitated:

Rivera testified that he woke up in the passenger seat after the impact and turned to see his stepbrother unbuckling his seat belt.

Q. Did he say anything to you?

A. “…he said, “run bitch.”

Then there’s the strange statement Gallo made to Judge Toohey and the families of the victims today, in what apparently was an attempt for sentencing leniency.

(Families of Gallo’s victims today)

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Larry Welborn of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER reports that secret Orange County (CA) Grand Jury testimony that led to Andrew Thomas Gallo being charged with three counts of second-degree murder and several other serious felonies for his role in the April 8, 2009, death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two young adult passengers has been released.

The testimony comes from Gallo’s stepbrother Raymond Rivera, who claimed to the Grand Jury that he was the one responsible for Gallo driving drunk the night Adenhart was killed by the Gallo-driven vehicle in an intersection collision. (Gallo ran a red light.) Gallo, who was driving with a suspended license after a recent DUI conviction was later found to have an alcohol level over three times the legal limit on the night in question.

Rivera told the Grand Jury that he was to be Gallo’s designated driver the night of April 8, 2009, but, “when I ordered the shot, it kind of changed the way the night would unfold.”

Welborn reports that the night of drinking and driving began as Rivera and Gallo were “celebrating the arrival of a government relief check.”

More details from the previously unreleased Grand Jury documents:

• Rivera testified that the duo started drinking at about 4 p.m. on April 8, 2009 at Johnny Carino’s Italian restaurant and bar in West Covina, and continued to drink for about seven hours, consuming Newcastle, Amber Bock, Sam Adams and Arrogant Bastard beers, and at least one shot of 1800 Tequila. Read more…

I’ve confirmed through multiple media sources this morning here in Los Angeles that Angels and USC basketball announcer Rory Markas has died. The news is also being reported by KNX-AM and KTTV television in L.A.

(I knew him, a good guy. He’ll def. be missed.)

I’m told the cause of death was a heart attack. Markas was 56.

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Okay, it wasn’t Mick. He was in the clubhouse at the time, tipping the Olive Garden guy for Scioscia.

(Told the wife he was off to get a Frosty malt)

Jim Fergosi? Bobby Knoop? Doug Decinces?

Video after the jump. Read more…

Tweet from MLB Net’s Jeanne Zelasko immediately following the Yankees’ six-run seventh inning that gave New York a 6-4 lead over the Angels last night:

(Bless her heart.)

The Angels scored three runs in the bottom of the inning and went on to win, 7-6. (I wasn’t the only one to notice.)

Angels beat the Yankees 5-4 in 11 innings today in Game 3 of the ALCS.

(Source)

Yankees still lead the series 2-1, so ARod needn’t help Jeter keep his pants on.

Ross Newhan returns to pen an interesting piece today for the L.A. TIMES on the lengths former Dodger Owner Walter O’Malley went to prevent the Angels from ever existing.

(This close from never knowing the wonderment of Rex the Wonder Dog)

Newhan:

According to newspaper and book accounts supported by personal recollections and interviews, the late Walter O’Malley, who moved his storied team from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958, never wanted an American League team in what he regarded as his new, private and lucrative territory or believed the AL had legal rights to it.

Son Peter O’Malley denies his dad’s sentiment, but based on the facts of how SoCal’s AL franchise came to exist, there’s no doubt O’Malley did all he could to block off L.A. and Orange Counties from baseball entrepreneurs. Read more…

One of the joys of living on the Pacific: Early morning playoff baseball!

Actually he probably is up. (Freeway trash detail always starts at dawn.)

• Smoking pot, partying with coeds, choking out assistant coaches - Percy Harvin sure knows how to sell the Florida Gators to recruits.

• Tiger Woods ends the Buick Open with a big bang - from his pants! And like Nike did with the LeBron dunk, the PGA tries to remove all video.

• Beer pong with babies & shotgunning brewskis with toddlers - now that’s good parenting!

• Time to go outside, as the Arena Football League is officially folding.

• Fergie Jenkins recalls the fun traveling with the Cubs during the days of segregation - such has having to sleep at funeral homes & bordellos.

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In case everything surrounding the collision that killed Angels rookie Nick Adenhart and two others wasn’t depressing enough, it’s time to introduce another, different soul-crushing aspect to the mix: the protracted legal battle.

That’s because Andrew Thomas Gallo, the accused drunk driver, has pled not guilty to the three counts of murder, the one count of drunk driving, and the one count of fleeing an accident that he faces. So unless there’s a plea deal for something like three counts of manslaughter and DUI following closely behind, get ready for this case to be on the news. A lot.

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