An open letter to John Lackey

Dear John,

I have a problem and I’m not afraid to admit it. If you end up signing with the Yankees, I’m not going to be happy. Let’s just say that if you wear pinstripes next year, you’re dead to me. If you go to Boston, I'm done with you. If you stay within the Western Division (Texas, Oakland, or Seattle) in the AL you’re history. If you go up the freeway to the Dodgers, you’re gone. It will be as if you never even existed. I will wipe you from my memory. I know you could probably care less about what I think and feel, but I have to vent just the same.

No, I haven’t forgotten who the starting pitcher was in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series. And no, I haven’t forgotten who’s been the lead dog and the anchor on a pitching staff that has been among the best in baseball year after year. I haven’t even forgotten the times you took time to stop and sign a photo or a baseball at Spring Training. I remember all of it; every single thing and then some. Even still, none of it will matter because you will have gone against the family and make no mistake about it; the Angels and their fans are a family. Your going to the Yankees would be like Sonny Corleone joining the Tattaglia family. Angel fans would take it personally. Now that doesn't mean someone would go out and chop off a horse's head and put it in your bed... but you never know. I'm just saying.

Yes, I know I forgave Adam Kennedy for going to the hated A’s this year. Difference is Kennedy is a guy who is trying to hang on at the end of his career. You, John are not. You’re still considered to be in your prime and if you go to a team that stands in the way of the Angels reaching the World Series, I won’t forgive you. Not next year, the year after or 1,000 years from now. Same goes for the Dodgers because I don’t want to be watching the local news and hear about how you helped the squatters from Brooklyn win a game, a division or worse… Please, not in my own back yard John. Have some respect.

John, you’re supposed to be different. You’re a throw-back to guys who took the mound with an attitude. These guys hated their rivals and would rather have had their arm fall off than give into them. Can you imagine if Don Drysdale had become a Giant or if Bob Gibson had become a Cub? It’s like that John. Don’t take the "if you can’t beat them, join them route." That’s for guys like Johnny Damon and Roger Clemens. Guys I have no respect for what-so-ever. You’re better than that, man.

I really have to ask; could you really live with yourself if you were a Yankee or a Red Sox? Wouldn’t a small part of you die inside? Would you be able to look Mike Scioscia in the eyes? What about your Angel teammates? Could you honestly separate the business part of baseball from the fun? What about the camaraderie and sense of family you’ve known for your career as an Angel? I need to know John. I really need to know. You can't just turn the page on this one.

I know beating the Boston’s and the New York’s of baseball is challenging. I know it’s hard, but that’s the kind of thing that gets you up in the morning. Challenge are good. The tough road is the rewarding way to go.

Going to the dark side would eat at you John. You’re more of a patriot than you are a mercenary aren’t you? For goodness sakes, you’re from Texas - remember the Alamo? Remember the 2009 ALCS? Didn’t the post season leave a bad taste in your mouth? Don't you want another shot at the Yankees? Don’t tell me, you’d rather just slip over to their side and hope no one saw it happen. I just can’t see wanting to beat the living daylights out of a team one day and then being on that same team the next. I just can’t fathom that. It ain't right. It's just wrong.

I’m asking you to take sides John. We’re on one side and the Yankees, Red Sox and the like are on the other. What will I see when I look across the field? It’s time to dig in. Angel fans have your back. Do you have ours? Those other fans don’t know you like we know you. You’re one of us. That’s right, "us." You can change your uniform, but you can’t change what’s inside, can you?

I know you may still be angry that Mike Scioscia didn’t leave you in to finish game 5 of the ALCS. I’m mad too. I hated seeing Scioscia take you out. The thought of that possibly being the last time I might see you in an Angels uniform hurt like heck. I wanted to scream. I hated seeing you come out of that game in the worst possible way. Don’t let it end like that John. You have unfinished business with the Angels. Angel fans felt like they were punched in the stomach when the season ended. We want some pay-back and I'm betting you do too.

I have to tell you, I’m really tired of seeing your name linked to the Yankees or Red Sox every where I turn. Say it ain’t so John. Tell me that you’d rather fight these guys than sit in their dugout. You can't possibly want to spend your summer with freaking' Alex Rodriguez or that cheater in Boston (David Ortiz) over Torii Hunter. Tell me there isn't any amount of money in the world that would make you wear their colors. I need to hear it.

If you do go to New York or Boston; do us all a favor and don’t tell us that it wasn’t about the money. Don’t insult us. If you go to the Yankees because they simply offered you the most money – just say it. If that's the way you want to roll, so be it. Be up front about it. Come clean. We’ll respect you for being honest (but you'll still be dead to me).

Know this John: when you come back to Anaheim in pinstripes or in a Red Sox uniform, I will want the Angels to beat you down in the worst possible way. I will want Reggie Willits to take you deep for his first ever major league homerun, walk off style. I will want you to be humbled and humiliated. You will be the enemy and I will not know you for anything other than the name on the front of your jersey. And if by some remote chance we should pass one another on the street some how, I will look through you as if you don’t exist because it's like I keep telling you; you will be dead to me.

Maybe fans aren't supposed to care this much. But I'm guessing they care this much in places like St. Louis. Things were much easier when I was a kid. It was much more common to follow the same guys on a team year after year. Tim Salmon shouldn't be the exception to the rule. You need to stay in Anaheim.

Perhaps you’ll end up as a Met. I suppose I could live with that. But I have to ask you, do you really want K-Rod closing games for you again? I might even understand if you signed with the Astros so that you could return to your home state. Although in that case, you'd have to kiss the post season good bye. I guess I could tolerate just about any team in the National League (other than the Dodgers) as a possible destination for you. I won’t like it much, but I won’t dwell on it either. I won't even shed a tear. I'll just move on. I'll be a little more jaded, but I will move on.

I hope I’m writing this letter for not. I hope nothing comes of the rumors and you’re back on the mound, in Anaheim for Opening Day in 2010. You know I'll be there wearing my Lackey shirt.

The Angels can get back to the World Series John. I know they can. You know they can. Let’s do this. Come back home John. You were born to play for the Angels.

Sincerely,
James
514 Fanatic and Die Hard Angels Fan

And you thought Parker Brothers invented the game “Risk”

How many times do you get to make a first impression? Stupid question, right? Well, apparently – Milton Bradley has had the opportunity to do this several times. Why else would anyone be interested in him? According to Ken Rosenthal, multiple teams are in contact the Cubs about outfielder Milton Bradley, with one source saying, "You would be shocked at the level of interest."

Let’s do the math. Milton Bradley has played for Montreal, Cleveland, the Dodgers, Oakland, San Diego, Texas, and the Cubs. That’s seven teams in ten seasons. I can understand the allure for the first couple teams, but what were the Cubs thinking when they signed him prior to the 2009 season?

Now, I don’t know Milton Bradley, but I have met Milton Bradley. He showed up at a bookstore in Long Beach last off season when his former teammate – Josh Hamilton was doing a book signing. Bradley was reserved, even cool. He signed autographs for fans surprised to see him, he smiled and didn’t say much and just hung out waiting for Hamilton. He seemed liked a nice guy. He seemed like a humble guy. Not what you would expect based on his persona.

I’ve also seen him after games at Angels Stadium, walking to the parking lot with his mom and stopping to sign autographs for fans; again – keeping it cool. My wife Cheryl and I have even commented to one another that he seems like a nice guy. It’s easy to see why some people might actually think he’s misunderstood and maybe, just maybe he’s not so bad.

Wrong. Remember the math class? Let’s ask the question why has he been so many places in such a brief period of time?

Which brings me to a discussion I’ve seen here and there on message board and heard on radio shows. There is some crazy trade proposals surfacing for the Hot Stove season. It has Milton Bradley coming to the Angels for Gary Matthews, Jr. Some people think the two teams could swap “bad” contracts and hope for the best.

Hello? Is anyone home? Tell you what - let me interview Milton before you go that route. I’ve got a plan.

On the night of the next full moon, I’ll invite him to dinner and we’ll go to a nice place away from the public spotlight and then I’ll put him to the test. First, I’ll have the server get his order wrong. Not just a little wrong – completely wrong and then have that person insist it’s exactly what Bradley ordered.

Next, I will have them spill some wine on Bradley and have them ask him if he’d like to pay for another glass. We’ll make sure there’s a well placed roach or two in his meal and when he complains, they’ll ask him to take his coat off so they can inspect it because this is the most likely source of the bug. As the restaurant staff go through his pockets, they’ll keep any cash or personal belongings they find.

During the meal, I’ll throw in a couple of “your mama” jokes, and have people continually interrupt him and ask him if he knows the Parker Brothers. I’ll ask him how it feels to be the fifth best baseball player to ever come out of Long Beach Poly (behind Tony Gwynn, Chris Gwynn, Randy Moffit, and Chase Utley).

When it’s time to leave, valet will bring him the wrong car and insist that this is the car he drove up in. They’ll eventually bring him his real car, but will let him know someone took it out for a joy ride and had a minor fender bender with it. On top of that, the accident was so upsetting the driver had to retch in the passenger seat. They’ll tell him they tried to clean it up, but the bleach seemed to do some damage to the leather seats.

As he leaves the restaurant, a motorcycle cop will pull him over. We’ll make sure he’s a Lou Piniella look-alike. He’ll tell him someone car jacked a vehicle just like his and that he fits the suspect’s description.

I’ll call him collect the next day to let him know that if he comes to the Angels, he won’t be able to bring his mom to the stadium to watch him play. I’ll then set him up to be interviewed by one of the regulars who call in every stinking day on the local Angels talk show because he thinks the show is his own personal forum. That would be sure to break him. Heck some of those people would make me snap.

I wonder what would happen? If by chance he keeps his cool through all of that, then and only then… no wait. I still can’t see it. Not even then would I want him in an Angels uniform. You can fool some of the GM’s some of the time, but you can’t fool this fan.

Let’s face it… somewhere along the line; Milton Bradley is going to make you regret he’s on your team. Unless of course the Yankees’ obnoxious announcer John Sterling says something derogatory about Bradley. In that case, the gloves are off and Bradley can do his thing. But seriously, I don’t think Dr. Phil can even help this guy (or Sterling for that matter).

Then again… there is one thing I would want Milton Bradley for and that’s the post season. Bradley is the kind of guy who isn’t afraid of the spotlight. Guys like Bradley play with a chip on their shoulder. He’s always got something to prove. He doesn’t care who’s on the mound. When he steps into the box, he’s not afraid. He wants to punish you. Guys like Bradley were made for the post season. We got a glimpse of that in 2006 when he hit a homerun from both sides of the plate against the Tigers. He was 9 for 18 in that ALCS.

Bradley isn't the kind of guy who gets that "deer in headlights" look. He's the thing you fear lurking in the dark. When your lights meet his eyes, you're liable to lose your lunch.

There's no questioning the talent. That’s why GM’s will call the Cubs. That’s why he’ll end up on someone’s roster. Watching Bradley in the post season could be a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, it’s getting to the post season with Bradley that would be the nightmare. For someone, it's going to be worth the gamble.

Parker Brothers may have invented the board game called "Risk" - but Milton Bradley took it to a whole new level.

Joe gets the call

John Lackey deserved better. He pitched well, but his team didn’t show up. That wasn’t the Angels team I’ve been watching all season long. I don’t know what happened. All I know is that I’m glad that one is out of the way.

Time to do what the Angels do so well… and that's to simply turn the page. No pointing fingers. No could a, would a, should a… This one is done. Time to move on.

When the Angels were down in Boston during game 3 of the ALDS, I felt calm. I never felt like the team was out of it. Tonight, I felt uneasy and never could get comfortable. Now that it’s over. I feel calm again. I really do.

I’m confident the Angels are going to win tomorrow. There, I said it. I put it out there. I honestly believe the Angels are going to take game 2. That faith has a lot to do with who will be starting tomorrow’s game.

I’m stoked Joe Saunders will make the start in game 2 of the ALCS. In case you’re wondering why I am so excited, you can read a previous post of mine where I documented the little bit of history Cheryl and I have with Joe.

I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Saundo (as dubbed by Rex Hudler). I believe Joe embodies the spirit of what it means to be an Angels baseball player. He mirrors the steady nature of his manager, Mike Scioscia. He’s not flashy; he just gets the job done. Guys like Joe don’t get a lot of attention, but his winning generates headlines for his team.

And winning is what he has done since he came off the disabled list. He’s 7-0 since his return. Winning is what he always does. In 2008 he led the team in ERA and wins. This year Joe tied Jered Weaver for the team lead in wins with 16 despite spending a few weeks on the disabled list.

Not that any of that matters. It’s all more of a foot note, really.

I guess sometimes we find comfort in past history and there is a lot of that we can call on, but from my point of view it’s just a gut thing. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking… is that all you have?

It isn’t about statistics or match ups, or the weather or anything else. It’s all about this team’s resolve and their ability to come through when others might think they’re about to fold. Adversity has made this team strong and I’m sure that will be evident tomorrow night. I can feel it. And again, Joe Saunders will be on the mound. Man, I like the sound of that.

So buckle up folks. This ALCS is about to get interesting and a whole lot more fun.

Ringing in the ALCS

Okay, so the Angels just swept away one obnoxious fan base and what do you know? Here we go again to face another batch of the loud and the proud. Forgive me for painting these two fan bases with a broad brush. I know it’s not fair to the fans of those teams that actually can conduct themselves in a civil manner, but humor me anyway just so I can get through this post.

Get ready to hear the “got rings?” mantra over and over again. If they’re not saying it, they’re usually wearing it in the form of a t-shirt. My answer? No, I don’t have any “rings” and neither do you, unless you were actually employed by a team while they won a World Series.

What you Yankee fans do have is a boat load of memories and the experience of seeing your team win it all 26 times. We get it. We know all about your rich tradition. Albeit, you will have to go back a little further than us Angel fans to recall your last title. In fact, taking 2008 off from the play-offs probably made you more nostalgic than ever … until now.

And for the record Yankee fans – this is all about the “now.” So when the Angels put the beat down on the Yankees, please don’t ask me the "rings" question. Please don’t resort to that because you have nothing else to fire back at us Angel fans. That's as weak as Johnny Damon's arm. It’s 2009. It’s a new day and it’s all about the scoreboard. If you want to give us a history lesson, at least wait until our team has had their parade.

Am I predicting an Angels victory? Well, I’m actually really not here to do that. I’m just laying the ground work for a conversation we might be having sometime soon. And it goes both ways.

So, let’s set the ground rules now. Let’s talk about this season and this series. Let’s agree that the two best teams in the American League are about to get it on. Winner goes to the big party. Loser goes home. I don’t want to see you standing on the platform shouting out the “got rings?” question as our train pulls away from the depot. I’d just rather see you give us a simple wave and be on your way. If your team proves to better, I’ll do the same.

Let’s not rehash the past. We got plenty of that with the Red Sox and how… well, let’s not even go back there.

Every play-off series should be treated like a Heavyweight Title Fight. The winner is crowned champion. There’s no “look at all the other guys I’ve beaten.” Or even better, “got belts?” A boxer is only as good as his last fight. This should be the case for baseball teams as well. The only real fan base that has any bragging rights are Philadelphia Phillies fans and until their team is knocked out they should be the only ones doing any talking.

Look, I promise not to bring up any recent Angels/Yankees play-off history. What’s the point? It would be hypocritical of me to talk about the recent past, right? I’m glad we agree on the ground rules.

Now, there are some things I can not promise you. I may claim the devil wears pinstripes. I will probably let out an A-Roid chant now and then and throw in a Madonna joke or two. I’ll do a little cheater, cheater, Derek Jeter (just because it sounds good and he did cheat on his taxes). I may even refer to your team as the NY Mercenaries. I will definitely laugh when Jorge Posada tries to throw out Chone Figgins stealing a base. And all that’s just for starters. Just know it’s not personal. It’s part of the fun.

Is it Friday yet? Let the games begin.

It's like that...

Do you remember when you were a kid and you looked at all the presents under the Christmas tree with your name on it? Remember feeling like Christmas was never going to get here and once it did, you were so happy you couldn’t stop smiling all day long?

The play-offs are like that, only better.

It’s like being a kid all over again. The anticipation coupled with anxiety makes you a walking, talking ball of contradictions. You’re excited. You’re nervous. You can’t wait for it to start. You can’t wait for it to be over. That feeling that consumes you is something you wouldn’t trade for anything.

I absolutely love the fact the Angels will be playing the Boston Red Sox. I want them to exorcise their demons. Time to buck the trend. Put a stop to the assumption that every time the Angels face the Red Sox in the play-offs, bad things happen. Let’s end it once and for all. Time to get the monkey off the Angels’ backs and back where it belongs – in rally mode.

There’s a certain element out there that’s already planning and predicting a Red Sox/Yankees ALCS. Bah-hum bug. The media types out there need some new material.

Besides, some of the Red Sox could use an early vacation. Summer is fast approaching in Australia and Jonathan Papelbon can head over there to work on his tan. I mean come on, if anyone could use a little sun, it’s Papelbon.

Jason Varitek’s arm is going to need some serious rest and recovery after he tries and fails to throw out the Angels on the bases. It’ll be like the Wiley Coyote trying to catch the Road Runner. It ain’t happening.

You see, I’m thinking about a party in November. I’m visualizing standing shoulder to shoulder with Angel fans from across the south land, lining a parade route and feeling like Christmas has come early. I want to see some “Sean O’Sullivan-like” dancing. I want to see Rex Hudler so amped up he’s actually speechless for a minute and then see him erupt into unbridled enthusiasm.

Most of all, I want to see Nick Adenhart’s jersey doused in champagne again.

Let’s do this.