April 01--Garrett Richards is a good sport. We have the video to prove it.
Mike Trout, his good friend, set him up to be the unwitting foil of this video, choreographed by the stars of "Prank Academy," an original series on the YouTube Red channel. Trout got three other Angels teammates -- Jered Weaver, C.J. Cron and Kole Calhoun -- in on the act too.
As baseball tries to attract interest among youth, these kinds of videos offer a chance to humanize players.
"We're regular people," said Richards, the Angels' ace. "Baseball is a passion and a hobby for us, but it's a job too. We like to let loose off the field."
Trout might be the best player in baseball, but he is seldom pictured out of his uniform, and his public comments unfailingly lean toward the bland. This kind of video shows Trout in a more relaxed and relatable habitat -- out with his buddies and having a good time -- although Richards does not see Trout ever fully embracing the off-field spotlight.
"Mike is a normal guy," Richards said. "I don't know if he's the type of guy that would be super-outgoing publicly."
Richards did have one other thing to say: He will get his revenge on Trout for the prank.
"It's going to go down at some point," he said.
Follow Bill Shaikin on Twitter: @BillShaikin
