Scioscia returns after attending daughter's graduation

TORONTO -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia returned to the club Sunday after a two-game absence, which saw bench coach Dino Ebel fill in as the team's skipper.

Scioscia left the team for the first two contests of Los Angeles' four-game set at Rogers Centre to attend his daughter Taylor's college graduation. Taylor graduated from Loyola Marymount University -- where she played volleyball -- with a sociology degree.

"It's like you are playing hooky; you don't feel good about it," Scioscia said about being away from the club. "When your youngest daughter graduates college, you have to be there. It was awesome.

"But I'm happy to be back, for sure."

Astronaut Jim Lovell, the 86-year-old commander of the Apollo 13 mission, spoke at the graduation and received an honorary doctorate degree.

"He looks like he's 40," Scioscia said. "He gave perspective on his life experiences. It was really an inspiring speech. He's very well educated."

While Scioscia was away, he and Ebel talked strategy and lineup construction before and after games. Scioscia said the club was in good hands with Ebel steering the ship, and he didn't miss a beat.

It's only a matter of time, Scioscia said, until Ebel is running his own team.

"He's going to manage one day. He has a great baseball mind," Scioscia said.

The Angels won both games Ebel managed, beating Toronto, 4-3, on Friday and 5-3 in Saturday's contest.