TAYLOR WARD will lead off for the Angels (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

I’m pleased to come across two good ideas in the world of sports in one day.

First, Angel manager Ron Washington announced that the Halos’ new leadoff batter would be Taylor Ward. That may not seem like the most obvious answer, but it makes sense.

Although he batted only .246 in 2024, his statistics were otherwise impressive. He hit 25 home runs, drove in 75 runs and had a solid on-base percentage of .323.

Plus, he’s proved durable, playing in 156 of the team’s 162 games. In his only other full season – 2023 – he hit .281, showing potential.

He likes the spot, because “I’ll see more fastballs” as the leadoff guy.

Additionally, being the first batter is evidence of Washington’s confidence in Ward, which is always good for a player whose best plays are still unrealized.

Ward, Zach Neto (23 home runs and 77 RBI) and Mike Trout as the 1-2-3 batters isn’t exactly the 1927 New York Yankee’s “Murderer’s Row,” but it seems like it might be better than the 2024 Los Angeles Angels’ “Last in the American League West.”

Star-Spangled Stars: There is such a Niagara Falls of sports news these days it’s hard to follow it, but my attention is always called to Us vs.

Them games, such the United States against Canada in ice hockey, or the U.S. vs. France in basketball (they actually have a very good team).

The NBA All-Star break has been searching for just the right event to not only spin the turnstiles but also harvest the eyeballs (i.e., TV viewers).

Gaining support is a USA vs. World game; the NBA’s best versus Those Other Schmoes. While Our Guys have won five Olympic Gold Medals in a row, there have been some close calls recently.

The NHL used to have North America (presumably U.S, and Canada – and, theoretically, Mexico, too) against (the Rest of the) World series that was generally well-accepted.

But basketball is bigger than ice hockey worldwide, and the NBA’s dreams of worldwide expansion would be well-served by such an arrangement.

That is, if the players from outside our borders would be allowed in …