It's time

The audition is over. It’s time to hand Mike Trout a leading role on the Angels baseball team. It’s time to sit back, relax and…. Check that. It’s time to sit on the edge of our seats and watch the accolades and awards roll in. Mike Trout has “box office” written all over him. This is the kind of player people pay to see play.

This is not Dallas McPherson. This is not Brandon Wood. This is our Ryan Braun; our Josh Hamilton. Believe the hype; Mike Trout is crazy good. He is built like a bull and runs like a cheetah.

It’s time to play him every day. You can’t hold back greatness. Sitting him would be akin to asking Daniel Day Lewis to only do T.V. commercials for Purina puppy chow. Sitting him would be a crime. It wouldn’t be fair to him. It wouldn’t be fair to the team and it certainly wouldn’t be fair to us fans. We want this. We need this.

We understand there may be risks involved in playing a 20 year old in pennant race, but we will take our chances. We believe Trout is up for it. Let it happen.

Please Mike Scioscia; for the love of baseball – do not continue to platoon Mike Trout. Just play him. I’m sorry Bobby Abreu and Vernon Wells, but you should now be reduced to some sort of a platoon role; unless Wells continues to hit well. In that case, Bobby… you’re going to have to sit. This isn’t personal – it’s baseball.

Scioscia has a history of platooning young players. He did it with Casey Kotchman and he’s doing it again with Hank Conger. Lately, he’s doing it with Mike Trout. This has to stop and it has to stop today.

Baseball writers, bloggers, message board scribes, and the like are all stating the obvious. It’s time. Don’t mess this up. Everyone knows it’s time – analysts, players (past and present), coaches; everyone…. Even my cat knows it and you don’t want to mess with my cat.

Now some of you are going to remain skeptical. You think you’re the voice of reason and you’re cautioning everyone to not get too excited. Well, truth be known – you’re basically a party-pooper.

Mike Trout isn’t a science experiment. This isn’t about medical research with life or death implications. This is about baseball and baseball is supposed to be fun. So if you’re holding yourself back and worse yet – trying to hold others back; I invite you to lose yourself in the sea of Mike Trout hysteria; let the phenomena wash over you like a giant wave and embrace the moment.

Players like Mike Trout don’t come around every day. Join the chorus of fans who are chanting “Play Mike Trout” and have fun.

After all; with all due respect to that crazy radio commercial that touts the same phrase, but this is the biggest no-brainer in the history of man-kind.

Last night, we got a glimpse into baseball’s crystal ball. We have seen the future and the future is Trout. More importantly, the future is now. Trout went from knocking on the front door to the major leagues, to driving a truck through it.

I’m not taking anything away from our other young players like Peter Bourjos, Mark Trumbo and Conger. No sir, they’re all going to play huge roles in this pennant race and beyond – but every ensemble has to have a star and Trout has that written all over him. Bourjos and Trumbo are definitely game changers; but Mike Trout is a season and franchise changer. Let him play.

I’m usually very conservative when it comes to young players. I’m usually willing to wait on their talent and not be among those fans that are in a hurry to see what a young player can do. Trout isn’t your average prospect. He’s regarded as the best prospect in baseball by many.

It’s time. This season hangs in the balance and the best players on the team need to be in the lineup every day. No one can tell me Mike Trout isn’t among the best players on this team.

It’s simply time.

Wishing Brandon Wood all the best

If you’re one of those people who have booed Brandon Wood over the past couple years, I will bet that you’ve never met Brandon Wood. I’m also willing to bet that Brandon Wood has a lot more class than you.

Wood was designated for assignment yesterday and while some Angel fans are probably popping open a bottle of champagne, I am saddened by the news.

Wood’s struggle on offense is well documented and of epic proportions compared to what was expected of him. For most fans that’s most likely all they’ll remember about the 26 year old. Even though his release is justified, I am still very disappointed.

You see, even though statistics are critically important in baseball, there’s more to the game than just numbers for fans like Cheryl and myself. It’s about the experiences we have with our team and Wood has always made our experience special.

Wood has always and I mean always taken the time to stop to sign an autograph or pose for a picture over the years, especially at spring training. He was consistently up-beat, constantly smiling and never showed any signs of a player struggling. He was and is the consummate professional in that regard and I admire and respect him a great deal.

I know a lot of you could probably care less that Brandon Wood is a nice guy. The bottom line is that he didn’t perform at the level he needed to. I get that. I understand that. I don’t even disagree entirely with the need to designate him for assignment; I’m merely disappointed and saddened by the news.

At the end of the day, like most of you – I want to see the Angels win and I want to see players on the roster that will help contribute to winning. That being said, it’s also important to me that I like the players on my favorite team. Granted, that doesn’t always happen – but it definitely plays a role in my enjoyment of watching the team I root for.

I never embraced Francisco Rodriguez. I didn’t like his antics and his attitude and I especially found the way he interacted with fans (after 2002) to be especially unpleasant. Rather than go into details, let’s just say that I wasn’t disappointed when he went to the Mets.

I’ll take it a step further. Growing up in Southern California, I was a die-hard Lakers fan; in fact, the Lakers were my favorite team in all of sports. Now, I don’t even watch the NBA. Why? I don’t like a lot of the players. I stopped following the Lakers and the NBA as a whole when Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant continued to make more headlines off the court than on it.

It just got to the point where I could not separate the person from the athlete and just couldn’t cheer for the Lakers anymore.

I’m not saying that baseball is perfect and not without its own cast of characters; however, I do seem to find many more athletes that I do enjoy in major league baseball than elsewhere. Plus baseball teams have 25 man rosters and I find for every Milton Bradley that pops up now and then there are many more Torii Hunters or Vernon Wells’ throughout the game that are admirable men of character who love the game, make an impact in the community and do so many positive things.

I make note of these things all the time on this blog. My fandom for Torii Hunter is well documented here; as is my disgust for the likes of Milton Bradley.

So on this day, the day after Wood was designated for assignment, Cheryl and I are a little sad.

You know what? We are not the only ones. Judging by the reactions I’ve read from his teammates, a lot of them are saddened as well and to a man, they all seem to wish him the best.

So even though most fans might be happy with this move; Cheryl and I aren't like most fans and we too wish him all the best.

I will close with this: Lyle Spencer of mlb.com does a fantastic job of putting Wood’s situation in the proper perspective on his Rally Monkeys blog entry titled “Wood can find redemption.”

Let the good times roll

Justin Masterson and Scott Kazmir are just a little more than a year apart; Masterson turns 26 years of age March 22 and Kazmir just turned 27 in January. It’s hard to believe that Kazmir is only 27; after all, he’s started 178 games in his career. At this point in time, you’d think he’d be a veteran just getting ready for the season and yet, he’s a man still searching for the stuff that once made him among the best left-handers in the game. Masterson has only started 54 games in his career and is still trying to establish himself.

I suppose it was somewhat appropriate that the two squared off today in day two of Cheryl and my brief trip to spring training. Neither pitcher impressed today nor did either one seem close to establishing themselves as solid starters for the coming season. There was a scout in our section today and I got a glimpse of the radar gun he was holding. Kazmir was only hitting 87 to 89 miles an hour in the first inning. The scout then moved and I didn’t see any more results.

The Indians won 10-7.

Highlights of the game included Brandon Wood going two for two with a walk, and two runs scored. Wood didn’t start the game and came in for Maicer Izturis. I’m not sure why Izturis came out of the game, but one always has to wonder if he’s hurt whenever he’s not on the field. Wood is now hitting .255 and I’m hoping he came continue to make progress and contribute this year.

I have to tell you that both Cheryl and I really want to see Wood succeed. He’s easily one of the nicest players in the game. He always makes time for the fans and maintains such a great attitude. You’d never know that he’s had struggles on the field. I admire him for the way he handles himself and hope somehow, some way that he finds a way to be the player we all hoped he would be.

In other highlights – Howie Kendrick had a couple hits to go with two RBI’s. He’s hitting a solid .372 this spring.

Prior to the game, we spent some time interacting with fans and taking pictures of the players.

We also spent a little more time with Joe who had another story or two to share. He told us about an umpire (the name escapes me) who shared a joke with him.

As Joe recalled, the umpire had been married for 17 years and was trying to decide what to get his wife for her birthday. He asked his wife, “What would you like for your birthday?” She said, “I want a divorce.” The umpire said, “I wasn’t planning on spending that much money.”

You never know what you’re going to learn when you come to spring training. Every day is different and the memories are always unique. Today a little boy yelled out to Brandon Wood “hit another homerun like you did yesterday!” Wood smiled and said, “We’ll do.” Spring training is packed full of little stories like this and it just never get’s old.

It was a good day. We got to interact with Rich Thompson, Francisco Rodriguez, Hank Conger, Brandon Wood, Trevor Bell, Chris Pettit, Mark Trumbo, and Matt Palmer among others. We didn't see any of the regulars out on the practice fields, except for Kendrys Morales who is still trying to get ready.



Morales did stop to sign a few autographs, but not for long; much to the dismay of a lot of fans.

It was another fun day and we topped it off in grand style with dinner at Don & Charlie's in Scottsdale with fellow 514 Fanatics Bob and Stephen.

While we are dining Ned Colletti, the general manager of the Dodgers came in with some folks and sat at the table next to us.

Again, this is the kind of unexpected stuff that happens at spring training all the time.

Good times.

Baseball is in the air

The way I see it the 2011 season has a very different feel to it. It feels as if we are on the verge of some sort of turning point in Angels' baseball history. It’s more than just the 50 year anniversary for me; it’s about turning a significant page. I can’t really put my finger on it. Let’s just say that I get a strange vibe when I think about where the Angels are and where they are going.

It all began when Scot Shields announced he would retire after the 2010 season. Granted, Shields had not been anything like his “old self” of late and it was time; but it was more than that. We are seeing player after player from the 2002 World Series team hang up their cleats for good. It’s as if an era is coming to an end and a new destiny is being forged.

This week Garrett Anderson announced his retirement. David Eckstein and Troy Glaus are without contracts. Bengie Molina has basically retired; although I have not heard of any official announcements from him. They’re joining Tim Salmon, Darin Erstad, Jarrod Washburn, Troy Percival and a host of others from the 2002 team that are no longer playing baseball.

A handful of guys are still out there; guys like John Lackey, Francisco Rodriguez, Chone Figgins and Jose Molina, but the list is dwindling and none of the remaining players are a part of the current Angel team.

At the same time – there are a few new faces on the roster; most notably, Vernon Wells. Other players like Brandon Wood and Jeff Mathis are at a turning point in their careers. It’s do or die time for them. To a lesser degree the same might even be said for guys like Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar.

Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter are in the twilight of their careers. Young players like Hank Conger, Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo are trying to make their mark and then there’s the prospects like Mike Trout and Tyler Chatwood both of whom loom big on the horizon.

It’s as if the team is going in a million different directions and I’m not sure what to expect. Maybe that’s a good thing. I haven’t really decided yet.

I know my blog has been relatively quiet lately. Mostly because of just being busy, but also because I’ve just been thinking; thinking about this team and trying to wrap my mind around what I might expect. I haven’t really come to any conclusions yet.

A lot of focus in the AL West seems to be on Texas and Oakland. In some ways, I like that. Even though I’m optimistic about this team’s chances, I am also waiting for an identity to emerge that I can embrace.

My hope is that this team plays the game with a bit of a chip on its shoulder. This team has something to prove and I believe they will get down to the business of winning the AL West again. I expect them to grind to and to play hard in an effort to make things happen as opposed to watching things happen.

I get the sense that this is becoming Jered Weaver’s team and I like that notion quite a bit. I have a feeling that a couple players will emerge from the shadows and shine brightly when it matters most. I expect Vernon Wells to silence his critics and for Danny Haren to return to being an all-star caliber pitcher.

When all is said and done, I believe people will once again marvel at the job Mike Scioscia has done and many will be ashamed for ever doubting this organization.

It’s spring and I want desperately to believe. After all, this is what fans are supposed to do. Writing this post has helped me sort some things out in my head. Putting words on paper once again has given me some renewed energy.

Baseball is definitely in the air and I’m ready for some. Are you?

Hot Stove Potpourri and other stuff

This is pretty random stuff, so bear with me...

The Atlanta Braves made the biggest early splash this off season by acquiring Dan Uggla for Omar Infante and Mike Dunn. Shortly after the deal was announced one could hear the “I can’t believe my (fill-in-the-blank) team didn’t try to get him” comments everywhere.

Several Angel fans on message boards and even in the comment section of one my recent posts had even proposed that the Angels make Uggla a target. I’m glad they didn’t.

Most wanted to make Uggla the Angels’ third baseman despite the fact that he had 18 errors at second base. That’s a lot of errors folks. Uggla at third base would have been a nightmare, in my opinion. Besides, every time I think of him, I remember how badly he had the “yipes” in the 2008 all-star game. Remember that? He made three errors in that game. Players who perform that badly on a big stage really scare me.

No doubt his bat is impressive, but let’s also keep in mind that he’s going to be a free agent after this next season and has already turned down four-year, $48 million offer. Word is he’s looking for a five-year, $71 million deal.

What’s up with the Oakland A’s? Reports have come out that they have offer on the table for Adrian Beltre. They just acquired Edwin Encarnacion and already have Kevin Kouzmanoff on their roster. Trying to corner the market on third basemen?

Beltre is an interesting free agent, most fans either like him or hate him and there’s no real middle ground. Many will harp on the fact that his two best years came in contract years while more reasonable people (like me, ha-ha) focus on the fact that his overall numbers are pretty solid. Hey if you don’t believe me, look them up yourself. Those 25+ homeruns in all but one injury-plagued season in Seattle look pretty good to me. You will also see that he hit more homeruns away from Fenway than at Fenway. Not bad, huh?

I’ve actually been waging this argument about Beltre all off season – but many are clinging to the idea that he’s only good in contract years. All I’m saying is that he sure beats the alternatives.

Speaking of third basemen. Ever wonder what happened to Dallas McPherson? Well, he just signed with the Chicago White Sox. He’s still hitting homeruns (22 in 2010) and apparently still unable to play full seasons (84 games).

Speaking of third basemen… Wait didn’t I just say that? How about Shea Hillenbrand; where is he now? He and his wife run Marley Farms which is an animal rescue facility. Pretty cool. I wonder if Brandon Wood can work there. Hey, it’s in Gilbert, AZ and Wood is from Arizona.

I guess that was harsh.

Don’t get me wrong, I really wanted to see Wood succeed in the biggest way, but when ESPN’s Keith Law says “I saw Wood in the Arizona Fall League, where the Angels sent him as (I assume) a favor to help him find a potential home for 2011. He can still crush a fastball ... and still can't adjust to a breaking ball. He's a poor man's Mark Reynolds, but with the potential to be a much better defender. I'd take a shot at him if I was an NL GM with a spot at third for a high-risk, high-reward flier; in that circuit, Wood could hit .220 but play enough defense and hit enough home runs to be above replacement level” – it doesn’t look like Wood will be playing for the Angels next season.

Switching gears (enough about really bad 3B, right?)...

Congratulations to Bud Black for being named the 2010 National League Manager of the Year. He joins Joe Maddon (2008) as a former Angels coach who has won a Manager of the Year award. Will Ron Roenicke (new manager of the Milwaukee Brewers) be next?

Congratulations also go out to Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners for winning the 2010 AL CY Young Award. Okay, I really didn’t want to congratulate him; I really wanted to point out that his ERA against the Angels was 4.13 (5 starts) and even a little higher – 4.28 against the Rangers (6 starts). Let’s call that a “fun fact.” No matter how dominant he was (and he definitely was), he sure didn’t dominate the Angels or Rangers. Just saying.

Best Hot Stove rumor so far… According to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies are interested in…. are you ready for this? Drum roll please…. Wait for it… Ready? Here it comes.... Scott Kazmir!!

Yes, you read that right. I almost fell out of my chair when I read this. It's funny... didn't I write a piece last off season related to Scott Kazmir and "swagger?" Yikes, that was some bad blogging. Now, if this rumor from Renck has any legs what-so-ever, Troy Renck might become my new favorite sports reporter.

Speaking of favorites… Check out Sam Miller’s piece from the OC Register regarding Hank Conger’s off season. Every time I read about Conger, I become more and more impressed with his maturity and mind set. Sam Miller on the other hand? Well, not so much. Just kidding.

By the way I hate the smell of potpourri...

80-82

The headline says it all; the final tally for 2010.

I suppose some sort of analysis of the just completed season is in order. Then again, I’m a little tired of pointing fingers and all that. Truth be told, I’m kind of glad the season is over. The season was all kinds of frustrating and the year has been emotionally draining on many levels.

That being said, I do feel obligated to do a brief recap. Fortunately, I can sum up the season failures fairly easily.

The reason for the Angels poor showing can be directly tied to Brandon Wood’s epic failure at the plate, Erick Aybar’s inability to become a good lead off man, the continued horrible play of Jeff Mathis (and Mike Scioscia’s puzzling loyalty to him), Scott Kazmir’s miserable performance and a bull pen that was no friend to Smokey the Bear, let alone the Angel starting pitchers (they couldn't put out a match with a fire hose let alone a fire).

The list above does not represent all the reasons the Angels failed; however, they are the most significant outside of Kendry Morales’ injury in my opinion.

Let the Hot Stove Season begin.

Here’s the first shot heard around the Southern California scene, courtesy of Torii Hunter and the LA Times.

"Arte is [ticked off]," Hunter said. "And when he's [ticked off], great things happen."

Don’t tease me Torii. Please let me look back on that quote with fondness come next spring. I want to look back and say, "Arte really didn't mess around." I’ve been hearing a lot of "big" talk of late from Tony Reagins, etc. and I want to believe what I’m hearing. Time to walk the walk.

Let’s make Plan A, (whatever the heck it is) a reality. No stop gaps. No settling. Make some magic and let’s get back to winning. Make this off-season one to remember for all the right reasons.

Now, how do we fans stay tuned? Let me break it down for you.

Between now and the day pitchers and Molinas report (and beyond), I’ll be checking MLB Trade Rumors frequently (and you should too). When I say frequently, I'm talking about every ten minutes (just kidding... sort of).

Anything that might happen or actually does happen will be found there (it's not all rumors). Consider it your one-stop shop for all things Hot Stove.You wan to know who all the free agents are - check out MLB Trade Rumors. Need a list of Scott Boras clients? MLB Trade Rumors has it. Man, I should get paid for this plug!

You should also check in with the OC Register’s Angel Blog regularly. It's really the best source for Angels-specific information in real time. Sam Miller and Dan Woike along with a cast of thousands (give or take that many) keep Angel fans on top of all the action.

And add AngelsWin and Halos Heaven to your internet book marks. The two fan oriented sites are usually among the first to hear about any late breaking Angels news. Let me put it to you this way - if an Angel fan hears it, sees it or heaven forbid, smells it - they're likely to post about it at one of the two sites on their active message boards. Both also have great blogs, conduct in-depth interviews with players, front office people, other not-so-famous folks and much more.

LA Angels Insider is also another great resource for all things Angels (they even let me post a blog there once in a while). Eric Denton runs a first class site with lots of exclusive content.

If you use Twitter, you need to follow Sam Miller (@SamMillerOCR), Dan Woike (@OCR_DanWoike), Mark Saxon of ESPN (@markasaxon) and Lyle Spencer of MLB (@LyleMSpencer).

Be sure to check out all the Angel blogs (see my blog roll on the right) and please keep coming back to this site; after all, I’m not going any where and I get depressed when my site meter dips too low.

That should keep you on top of all the Angel news all off season long.

In closing today’s post, I’ll leave you with a few photos from the last home stand. Enjoy!





Photos: Top Row: Bobby Grich at the 50th Anniversary Announcement, followed by Ervin Santana. Second Row: Mark Trumbo followed by Peter Bourjos and in the last row: The Matsui faithful.

More:





Top Row: Bobby Wilson, Hideki Matsui, Torii Hunter
Bottom Row: Mike Scioscia, Howie Kendrick, Scioscia again

Good Wood hunting

Mention the name Brandon Wood to an Angels fan and you’re likely to hear a moan, a scream or a sigh. To say he’s been a disappointment and hasn’t come to close to living up to expectations would be an understatement. He’s been that bad. Most fans can’t understand why he’s still on the roster.

Well, I’m here to tell you why.

I believe that third base is one of the hardest positions to fill in all of baseball. That’s right, really good third basemen are few and far between.

Let’s take a look at some of the players currently covering the hot corner around the league.

There are basically four (possibly five) elite third basemen in all of baseball. They are Evan Longoria (Rays), David Wright (Mets), Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals), Alex Rodriguez (Yankees) and to a slightly lesser degree Michael Young (Rangers). I say slightly lesser because Young’s power numbers are inflated by the ball park that he calls home (16 of his 19 homeruns have come in Arlington).

Wright is signed through 2011 with a club option for 2012; Zimmerman is signed through 2013; Young; and Longoria are signed through 2013 with the Rays holding club options that go through 2016 for the former Dirt Bag.

There are two individuals who have had one or two good years; however, they’re wildly inconsistent from year to year. They are Mark Reynolds (Diamondbacks), currently hitting .214, and Adrian Beltre (Red Sox). More on Beltre in a bit.

Several individuals who are in the twilight of their careers include Scott Rolen (Reds), Chipper Jones (Braves), Aramis Ramirez (Cubs), Mike Lowell (Red Sox), Miguel Tejada, and Pedro Feliz (Astros). Lowell and Tejada (both 37 years old) will be free agents this off season. Ramirez has a $14.6 million player option that he’ll surely exercise.

Some not so impressive names include: Kevin Kouzmanoff (A’s), Edwin Encarnacion (Blue Jays), David Freese/Felipe Lopez (Cardinals), Casey Blake (Dodgers), Jayson Nix (Indians), Chone Figgins (Mariners), Wes Helms (Marlins), Ian Stewart (Rockies), Wilson Betimet (Royals), Brandon Inge (Tigers), Omar Vizquel/Mark Teahan (White Sox), Casey McGehee (Brewers), Chase Headley (Padres), Jorge Cantu (Rangers), Ty Wiggington (Orioles), and Placido Polanco (Phillies).

I think we can agree that none of these names I just mentioned are the kind of corner infielders other teams are clamoring for. We can add the Angels’ Alberto Callaspo to this mix as well and since he’s basically in the same category as those I just mentioned – it would be pointless to acquire any of them.

Young guns trying to make an impact include: Josh Bell (Orioles), Chris Johnson (Astros), Pedro Alvarez (Pirates), Brooks Conrad (Braves) and Danny Valencia (Twins). None of which have set the world on fire as of yet.

Throw in guys like Joe Crede, Josh Fields, Eric Chavez, and Garret Atkins who are either injury prone or have declining skills and you will see that the landscape for a highly productive third basemen isn’t pretty.

So I ask; if not Brandon Wood, who from the list above can the Angels have a reasonable expectancy of acquiring?

Of all the names listed above the only semi-appealing name that will be a free agent in 2011 is Beltre. Now, knowing what we know about Beltre – is anyone willing to give the 32 year old a long term contract? I’d say that’s a risky proposition.

Want to go younger? There are two 29 year old soon-to-be free agents in Wilson Betimet and Jorge Cantu. Pardon me while I yawn. These two look like stop gap answers at best.

So I'll ask again; who can the Angels acquire to play third base? Right now, the current options are either Alberto Callaspo or Kevin Frandsen (if you’re not considering Wood). Neither of whom offer the kind of offensive production the Angels need.

This is why the Angels aren’t giving up on Brandon Wood, nor should they. The Angels have invested a great deal of time in Brandon Wood and there’s an old saying in baseball that no one knows their players better than the team who currently employs them.

Face it; the Angels have never been shy about letting players walk when the time was right (remember the nightmare that was Shea Hillenbrand?). If Brandon Wood doesn’t make it here, I’m willing to venture a guess that he won’t make it any where.

There’s a reason Brandon Wood is still on this roster. He just might be the best option; no matter how much of a long shot some Angel fans think he might be. The key is whether or not the Angels can unlock the potential that he represents. I know, call me Captain Obvious.

Word is that he’ll be playing Winter Ball some place and then come back next year for another go. Now, Wood has not taken well to winter ball in the past, but here’s hoping this year will be different.

All I’m saying is Brandon Wood has to succeed. He has to be the long-term solution at third base. Callaspo is not the answer. At best, he’s a low end insurance policy. Kevin Frandsen? Please, don’t even go there.

I know that Brandon Wood hasn’t given fans much of reason to believe he’s capable of getting the job done. I understand the frustration with him. Never-the-less, I am pulling for the guy. He’s just the kind of guy I can get behind because I like the way he goes about his business. He doesn’t sulk or make excuses. He’s always been nice at spring training and I just like the guy and so does my wife Cheryl.

The way I see it, the Angels must see something there. Mike Scioscia sees something there and for better or worse I’m holding on to that.

I know it's only the Rockies, but I like it

The current home stand has been solid thus far. Winning two out of three games in back to back series’ is getting the job done. Of course it would be even better if the Texas Rangers would slow down a bit and lose a few more games; but that’s okay, they’re about to get theirs.

As we approach the mid-way point of the season it’s interesting to see how things have played out thus far in the AL West. Most of the so-called experts who picked the Seattle Mariners have to be a little red faced right about now (I might even suggest Angels red). Seattle is 15 games out and quite frankly it’s a beautiful thing.

I really got tired of hearing about the supposed great moves the Mariners had made in the off season and how they were going to win the west. Did I mention that they’re 15 games out?

The Mariners are 29th in runs scored this year. It’s amazing to me that anyone picked this team to win the west. Anyone with any common sense could see this team wasn’t going to score runs. By the way they’re 15 games out of first place. Just saying.

Then there are the Rangers… Good grief. They’re playing amazing baseball. Yes, I know they’re schedule of late has been softer than the mid section of the Pillsbury Dough Boy, but they’re doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing and beating up on the crappy teams and make not mistake about it – the Pirates and Astros (the Rangers last two opponents) are two of the worst.

A lot of people who do projections are feeling pretty good right about now because this is the group (as opposed to columnists and TV analysts) who predicted the Rangers to have this kind of year.

Will it last? I don’t know. What I do know is that there is a lot of talk about how the dog days of summer will take its toll on the Rangers pitchers and they’ll start to fade. To be honest with you, this kind of assumption makes me nervous. I hate it when people assume something just because that’s what happens every year.

It’s like last year during the play-offs everyone assumed the Angels would lose to the Red Sox because it had become tradition and then when they put the beat down on the Sox, the same group assumed the Angels would beat the Yankees because again, that’s become the tradition.

Well, so much for that kind of tradition…

So here we are at the end of June, the Angels are 4.5 games out of first and looking up at the Rangers and guess who’s coming to town this week? I’m sure you don’t need to guess. If you’re any kind of an Angels fan, you know.

This is a big series for the Angels. I know Mike Scioscia would disagree and say every series is important, but let’s be real. Any time you face a team within your division, especially one that’s ahead of you, it’s huge. Not make or break huge, but big enough to get the competitive juices going.

The Angels better jump on them this week because when it’s over – the Rangers will get to continue to cruise towards the all-star break with some more cream puffs (with the exception of the White Sox who are surging) by playing at home against Cleveland and Baltimore.

How nice. The Rangers will have played THE four worst teams in baseball in a matter of a few weeks. Whatever. Looks like the Angels will have to do this (win the west) the hard way.

Here’s some things to think about as the two teams square off this week. Even though much is made of the Rangers’ fire power – the Angels have actually hit more homeruns this year (80-75). Then again, it is somewhat telling that although the Angels have out homered the Rangers, their team OPS isn’t where it should be. The Rangers have a .779 OPS (4th best) compared to the Angels’ .732 (17th best).

The Rangers also have a better team ERA (3.90 – 10th best) to the Angels 4.44 (23rd best). Both teams have pitched better over the last month. The Angels have a 3.87 ERA and the Rangers a 3.56 ERA over that time period. Basically both teams are playing well right now.

Okay, enough with the statistics, right? Who am I and what am I doing looking at all these numbers? It must be an off day today. It’s time to play ball.

It will be strange seeing Vlad Guerrero in a Rangers uniform. Same goes for Darren Oliver. I hope Vlad gets a nice ovation and Ian Kinsler is booed like he’s Public Enemy #1. Kinsler’s mouth has given me a good reason to really start to despise the Rangers. Besides, they’re after something that’s ours. That’s right – the AL West Pennant.

I’m hoping for a better showing from the 514 Fanatics this week. I didn’t see many of them last week. I’m not being critical because we all have things in our lives that impact whether or not we can go to baseball games. I’m just stating my wishes. I like being at the ball park with my fellow fanatics. I just miss them and hope they show up in big numbers. It makes the games that much more fun.

Before I sign off on this post, I would like to give a little applause (clap, clap) to Brandon Wood. I know, I know – one grand slam does not dismiss an otherwise miserable season, but I’m hopeful. I’m hopeful because if Mike Scioscia believes in the kid, I’m going to believe in the kid.

I know I’m in the minority (along with my wife Cheryl) when it comes to Brandon Wood, but I still believe he can turn this season around. I like going against the flow anyway and piling on Brandon Wood just isn’t any fun; in fact it sucks.

Now – let’s get after it. Time to kick some Rangers’ butt. Time to remind them who the boss is. Who’s with me?

Light it up

Last night Cheryl and I made our way back to Angels Stadium for the first game of the three game Freeway Series against the Dodgers.

It was nice to be back, but where were all the 514 Fanatics? Only a handful of the faithful were on hand and our section was over run with Dodger fans. Not the ideal way to return to the stadium, if you ask me.

In any case – when the Dodgers went up 3-0 early I overheard a Dodger fan telling his wife/girlfriend that “it’s over.” I had to chuckle; although the way Clayton Kershaw was pitching at the time, the same thought might have entered my mind for just a split second only to be followed up with the thought of him eating his words later on.

In the sixth inning, things got interesting. Brandon Wood walked. Howie Kendrick singled and Wood moved to second base. Up came Kevin Frandsen who hit a fly ball to the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp in center field. As the play unfolded, I expected Wood to tag up and move to third, but he never went. The throw to third was off line and Wood would have easily made it which prompted me to wonder what’s going on? This wasn’t Angels baseball. Where’s the aggressive base running? What happened to putting pressure on the defense?

Well as I was questioning the base running of Wood and the Angels, Bobby Abreu stepped up and delivered a three run homerun – making the previous play moot. I have to tell you, I like three run homeruns. Sure beats the heck out of scratching out runs one hit at a time.

In the 7th inning Juan Rivera led off with a double and moved to third on a balk by Kershaw only to get picked off by Russell Martin. Needless to say I wasn’t too happy and thought there went the Angels chance to go ahead. The angst was compounded when Mike Napoli struck out.

Then it happened. Good old fashioned Angels baseball happened. Jeff Mathis and Brandon Wood had back to back singles. That’s right – Brandon Wood! Mathis went first to third on Wood’s single. Now we’re talking.

The Dodgers changed pitchers and Howie Kendrick greeted Ronald Belisario with a run scoring single that also advanced Wood to third base. The Angels were cooking.

Up steps Frandsen. Now, I have to tell you – even though Frandsen has been hitting pretty well since being called up, I have yet to embrace him because his fielding is so horrible (he made his 4th error last night). In any case – Frandsen doubles on a line drive to left field where none other than our old friend Garret Anderson was playing.

Funny thing about Anderson – during the radio broadcast Jose Mota made a comment about how no one has played left field better than GA in all the years he’s been watching the Angels play ball. Well, Mota must have jinxed GA because Frandsen’s double escaped GA for an error and Frandsen ended up on third base. Two runs scored and the Angels were up 6-3.

Now it was time for me to crow a bit and as we were high fiving with Angel fans in our section, I yelled out, “It’s over!” I love it when things work that way.

It wasn’t long after that inning that the Dodger fans behind us left the stadium. True Blue indeed. I’m just saying.

I was wearing my “Light it up” Angels shirt last night and it proved to be an appropriate choice. Can’t wait for more action this evening.

Two steps forward, one step back (or is it the other way around?)

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; 2002 really changed everything. By winning a World Series, the Angels effectively raised the level of my expectations forever. Barring a change in ownership and/or the manager - my expectation (at the minimum) is for a Western Division title every year. In my mind, losing is no longer acceptable and certainly not expected.

In the years following 2002 (other than the hangover year of 2003) the Angels did things that grew my optimism to the point of supreme confidence. Five division championships in six years will do that. You could say that I have been drinking the Angels kool-aid for quite a while now and I know my bias is severe. In fact, I don’t even bother trying to hide it. Even in 2006 (when the Angels failed to make the play-offs) I believed with all my heart that the Angels would find a way to win the west. That’s simply my expectation every year now.

So, where am I going with all of this?

This season has been hard to watch. My confidence is fading and my optimism is being tested. I tried to dismiss the early season struggles and kept repeating the “it’s early” mantra over and over again. I saw a glimmer of hope when the Angels swept the hated A’s this past weekend.

I began to believe the Angels had turned the corner and I could get back to enjoying the winning ways of Angels baseball. Then the Texas Rangers happened and it hit me… I’m no longer confident when I watch this team. Instead, I’m just anxious.

I’m anxious when I watch Brandon Wood come to bat. I get an uneasy feeling in my stomach when balls are hit to the corner outfield positions. I find myself wanting to close my eyes quite a bit. When they get down early, I feel pessimistic and become frustrated in the thought that it’s going to be another long game.

I’m not used to this and it’s just not fun.

Let’s face it; this team is not playing “Angels baseball.” They’re not nearly as aggressive on the bases as we’re accustomed to seeing them be. They’re not stealing bases and they’re not doing the things that put pressure on defenses. To compound matters their defense has been suspect (24th in the major leagues with a .981 fielding percentage) and their pitching has been inconsistent (25th in the major leagues with a 4.72 ERA). They’re not manufacturing runs and seem to make mental errors on a regular basis.

I keep expecting things to change, but every time they take one step forward, they follow up by taking two steps back. I don’t know what it will take to turn things around. Is it a change in mindset or personnel? All know is this team has flaws and those imperfections are being exposed on a regular basis.

The corner outfield positions are slow and un-athletic. In fact the overall team speed is lacking. Kendry Morales, Hideki Matsui, Juan Rivera, Mike Napoli and even Bobby Abreu are slow and none of them are very athletic. Even though Erick Aybar is fast, he’s not getting on base enough and even when he does; he’s not being the catalyst the team needs at the top of their lineup. He’s only stolen five bases in nine attempts. This is what I expected.

Prior to the season and throughout the off season, I raised some concerns about Aybar’s base running and the signing of Hideki Matsui. I proclaimed early on that the team had gotten older and slower and had lost their ace (John Lackey). Despite all of that, I tried to remain hopeful and even projected that an ace would emerge in either Jered Weaver or Scott Kazmir. Weaver (while not perfect) has stepped up to fill that role in my opinion thus far and despite yesterday’s set back is as good as there is in the AL.

The bench is weak and made even weaker by Maicer Izturis’ stint on the DL. And what is it about Izturis that makes him find his way to the DL regularly? This team lacks depth. I mean, when you have to go to career minor leaguers like Michael Ryan and Kevin Frandsen, you know you’re in trouble.

Freddy Sandoval once appeared to be the heir apparent to Robb Quinlan, but he’s only hitting .210 in Salt Lake. Peter Bourjos could certainly do a better job defensively than either of our corner outfielders; however, his offense is not ready for prime time. He has .315 OBP and that simply isn’t good enough.

Why Terry Evans isn’t on the major league roster over Reggie Willits is beyond me; not that he could help this team right now any way.

And then there’s Brandon Wood. Needless to say, the fans are growing impatient with this experiment. One Angel blog – Monkey with a Halo is already calling for the Brandon Wood era to be over. And as much as I’d like to disagree with that sentiment, I can’t blame anyone for being done with Wood.

So what do we do? Can this team still win the west? Can it go beyond that?

For the most part, I believe the personnel are there. Granted the team has holes, but it also has the pieces that can make a real run at a fourth consecutive division title; however, how we get the Angels “into their game” as Mike Scioscia likes to put it is beyond me.

And it’s not like the Angels have the prospects to go out and make a deal either. Granted there are some guys at the lower levels like Mike Trout, but I don’t think the Angels can afford to trade their youth. Now I know as soon as I write that, there will be some faction of the fan base who will disagree. Let me just say that any good organization builds a core from within and trading away those kinds of pieces ultimately results in failure.

The Angels' success – and yes, they’ve been highly successful since 2002 is based on the principle that you build from within first. That not even remotely debatable in my mind.

This roster isn't likely to change much this year. Next year’s another story, but this one has to get it done with the players they have.

I know that games against Texas in May aren’t necessarily important games, but I need to see some signs of life or else I may just lose my mind. It’s not even just the back to back losses in Arlington either; it’s the manner in which this team has gone about their business all year long. It’s been ugly, frustrating to watch and painful to endure.

Happy days are here again (The week in review May 10-17)

Happy days are here again
The A’s were swept, the Angels win
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again

Now that’s what I’m talking about. The Angels played three outstanding games over the weekend - putting a nice beat down on the Oakland A’s.

It all started with an “atta boy” performance from Joe Saunders, who threw a complete game four hit, shut out. This is the Joe Saunders we’ve been waiting for. This is the Saundo we expected to see all season long. How big was this peformance? Saunders lowered his ERA from 6.19 to 4.96.

Saunders effort was special. He was facing Dallas Braden who was coming off a perfect game. It was reminiscent of last year’s complete game shut out against Cy Young award winner - Zach Greinke and the Kansas City Royals. Like last season, Saunders stepped up to out shine an opposing pitcher who was getting a great deal of publicity coming into the game.

Cheryl and I usually wear our Saunders shirts when he pitches, but we didn’t Friday night. It was our own little version of showing a little “tough love” to our favorite pitcher (not that he would know or care). In our minds, he hadn’t deserved that kind of support. Call it silly, call it whatever you want, but it was own our mild form of protest.

Those t-shirts are a big deal to us. In 2008 Saunders didn’t have his own shirt yet in the Angels Team Store. Even after making the all-star team the store didn’t carry one. Cheryl and I took our complaints to anyone who would listen and it wasn’t long after, that shirts with his name on the back started appearing. The fact that it had come to us not wearing those shirts meant something.

Maybe in some strange way it worked to make him pitch better (again, I know this is a reach). Maybe it was the group of kids Saunders had brought to the game; a group called Team Saundo. Whatever it was – it helped restore our faith in his abilities.

Happy days are here again
When Saunders throws the Angels win
So let’s wear our Saundo shirts again
Happy days are here again

Saturday night saw the Angel bats come alive in a 12-3 victory over the A’s. I have to tell you, seeing the Angels pound the A’s never gets old. It doesn’t necessarily happen often (the two teams are notorious for close ball games), but when it does – it’s a beautiful thing.

Ervin Santana pitched a strong six innings, giving up three runs (2 earned) while striking out six; however, the big star of the night was Kendry Morales and his two homeruns and five RBI. Even Brandon Wood got into the act with a hit and two RBI.

Funniest moment of the night came in the 7th inning. Jack Cust watched a catchable ball hit by Hideki Matsui sail over his head for a double; at which point I commented out loud that Cust might be the worst left fielder in baseball. Those words proved to prophetic as he three batters later he would watch a fly ball from Brandon Wood skip off his glove to score a run.

Cust looked at his glove in bewilderment. It’s always funny when players do that. Needless to say the fans let him have it pretty good and when he caught a routine fly ball hit by Michael Ryan the next inning, they were on him again. Cust was a good sport about it as he gave the fans a thumbs up and a tip of the cap.

Did I mention that the Angels won 12-3? I just loved the sound of that; 12-3 over the hated A’s.

Happy days are here again
Jack Cust cant’ field the Angels win
So razz the guy over and over again
Happy Days are here again

The third game of the series was a thing of beauty as Joel Pineiro looked magnificent in his complete game, 4-0 win. Pineiro only needed 98 pitches in the victory as he struck out five and only walked one batter.

Bobby Abreu went yard and the Angels had their sweep.

Don’t you love the sound of that? The Angles sweep. Even better, they swept the A’s. To top off a perfect weekend, John Lackey and the Red Sox lost. How perfect was that?

Happy days are here again
John Lackey lost, the Angels win
I’m so happy; I don’t know where to begin
Happy days are here again

Yes, I hate the A’s and sweeping them has been the biggest bright spot of the season to date. I could get used to this.

Mean while, this week’s True Grich award goes to Joel Pineiro who did not give up any earned runs over 15 1/3 innings in two games. I like this signing a lot.

In other news...

Between the games Cheryl and I managed to attend Tim Salmon's book signing at the Borders in Brea. Salmon's book is appropriately titled "Always an Angel" and we are looking forward to reading it.

There was a nice turn out to see "Mr. Angel."

When we finally made our way through the line to Tim - he looked up and saw my "Salmon Nation" shirt and said, "I've seen that shirt before." I reminded him that we sent him one; to which he said, "you're those people?" with a smile. He then told us that he as chest at home where he stores some special keepsakes and the Salmon Nation shirt is folded and put away there. Very cool.

Catching flack is not as fun as catching a baseball

One has to wonder if Ryan Budde likes living on the edge. I mean, there is no quicker route to Mike Scioscia’s dog house than via the passed ball. Yesterday, Budde let two balls get past him and the mental lapses/failures in execution were part of the reason the Angels lost.

Budde also had a very embarrassing moment when he nearly walked off the field after the second out, thinking the inning was over with a runner on third at the time... That could have really set off Scioscia. Yikes.

When Angel catchers don’t do their jobs on the defensive side it reflects poorly on Scioscia (a former major league catcher himself). I would even venture to guess that he might even take this kind of stuff personally. Much is made about what it means to be a catcher in the Angels' organization and it should. These guys get put through the paces in the spring and the expectation is for them to be solid, fundamental players on the field.

Losing a game because of three unearned runs is the kind of stuff that turns hair grey. If this keeps up, the next thing you know - grown men and women will be pulling those grey hairs out of their heads.

Speaking of miscues, Kevin Frandsen isn’t winning over any fans. Okay, so he has a couple of base hits. Big deal. He’s also got two errors in two games. Now I know that third base isn’t his natural position, but he’s on pace to set some sort of record and we’re not talking about the kind you celebrate either. I'm beginning to see why he never stuck with the Giants and why he might have been released by the Red Sox before being claimed by the Angels. Just play Brandon Wood, please.

The way I see it, the Angels have had very few bright spots outside of Jered Weaver and Kendry Morales. Joel Pineiro has also had his moments; and a few others have been "okay," but the vast majority get a huge FAIL.

How bad is it? Mark Whicker of the O.C. Register points out that this year’s start is the Angels worst in 20 years.

Gulp.

All of this adds to the frustration and the level of angst is getting quite high. Quite frankly, I’d rather not be ranting on this blog every dang day. There isn't much joy in it.

So let’s have some fun….

Did you hear about how upset Bengie Molina is with ESPN? Apparently, ESPN showed a clip of Molina getting thrown out at the plate. That in and of itself, isn’t all that bad, but they decided to add some sound effects… like the music from the movie “Chariots of Fire”

Molina was so upset, he even blogged about it.

Shame on ESPN for trying to humiliate a major league baseball player! That’s what bloggers are for! I’m wondering if ESPN or Bengie read my post from a couple days ago titled There’s Slow and then there’s “Bengie Molina slow.” Just saying.

By the way, even though I do make fun of Bengie's lack of speed - you should know he's my all-time favorite catcher.

Meanwhile, over on the Baseball Think Factory site, some sabermetric types were going at each other pretty good over the new debate about whose better – Jered Weaver or Felix Hernandez?

A like a closer look at the statistics between the two shows us they’re not all that different. The article begs the question as to whether or not Jered Weaver is an ace or if Felix Hernandez is just an innings eater (as Weaver has been described from time to time). The point of the piece is to challenge the perception of two pitchers as they previously existed. It's an interesting discussion and kind of humorous as well.

What’s really funny are the shots some of sabermetic types take at one another in the comments section of the article. This is kind of a common practice among this group in my opinion. Then again, I like taking a shot or two now and then too. Difference is I really don't take myself nearly as seriously as some of them appear to.

In any case, I could have saved them all a bunch of time on this. I don’t need any statistical analysis to tell me that Jered Weaver is an ace. He does all the things that aces do. He stops losing streaks. He pitches well in big games. He has “top of the rotation” stuff and is a leader in the club house. He hasn't always been an ace, but he most certainly is one now.

Weaver has always been hyped, but never embraced. Even after coming out of Long Beach State; where he had an amazing career, some “experts” labeled him as “over-rated” and even projected him to be nothing more than a #3 starter at best.

Weaver has never really been considered a power pitcher. He’s basically been a fly-ball pitcher for most of his major league career. If you’re not a power pitcher, you’re usually not considered a top of the rotation guy.

Well, Weaver is changing the labels that were previously attached to him. Now, he also has some statistics to back up the idea that he is indeed an ace. Last year he reached a career high in strike outs with 174 which placed him among the top 24 in all of baseball and 10th in the AL. He also currently leads the AL with 59 K’s. His ERA is 2.47 and batters are only hitting .219 against him.

Now, some sabermetric types will dig deeper to demonstrate their belief that he’s still not an elite pitcher, but what’s the point? He’s clearly the Angels’ ace and has a shot to be the starter for this year’s All-Star game in Anaheim (I'll be hyping this idea a lot so get used to it).

As for the comparisons to Felix Hernandez... I could care less. All I know is that the two have gone head to head seven times and the Angels have won five of those contests. Now, I know enough to say that using wins as any kind of criteria to determine whose better is enough to send the sabermetric types into a hissy fit, but I like mentioning it anyway. And if you noticed, I didn’t say Weaver was better (although I might secretly believe that).

Let’s just say that when the two square off, I like the Angels' chances.

Side note: I feel much better now that I've posted something that wasn't necessarily a "rant" about the Angels' play of late. Whew!

Oh and to those of you who stumbled on this site today when googling Bengie Molina and the word "slow" - I'm glad you found this blog; even if it wasn't intentional. :-)

The week in review May 3-9, 2010

The offense is not getting it done. Quite frankly, neither is the pitching, but more on that in a bit.

Batting averages for Angels with double digit at bats for the past seven days:

Kendry Morales - .222
Bobby Abreu - .192
Erick Aybar - .231
Howie Kendrick - .200
Torii Hunter - .136
Hideki Matsui - .136
Juan Rivera - .238
Mike Napoli - .316
Brandon Wood - .105

As a team the Angels hit a pathetic .216 for the week.

In looking at the season to date, the team is 26th (out of 30 teams) in OBP. Even though they’re 14th in homeruns with 30, they’re 23rd in runs scored and 21st in OPS at .706.

Their offensive woes are compounded by horrible pitching. The Angels rank 26th in the major leagues with a 5.09 ERA. They’ve given up an AL league high 41 homeruns. Every time I turn around a guy who hasn’t hit a homerun this season is getting his first one of the year against Angels pitching. Reggie Willits is starting to wish he could hit against this staff. I’m just saying.

Blah, blah, blah. Plain and simple – the Angels stink right now. The outfield appears old and slow; they’re not tearing it up on the base paths and the pitching; especially the bull pen has been suspect. Every time a reliever comes into the game they start issuing free passes to first base. It’s as if they’re offering some sort of time share presentation at first base and all you have to do is step into the batter’s box and you’re on. It’s maddening.

So this week’s True Grich Award goes to Jered Weaver, who was the lone bright spot in a week of underwhelming performances. That being said, there was nothing underwhelming about Weaver’s one start. Weaver shut out the Mariners for 7 1/3 innings while striking out 7.

Weaver is currently tied with Ricky Romero of the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL lead in strike outs with 47. He has a fantastic 2.66 ERA over 7 games. I know it’s early, but we should be talking Weaver up as the potential AL starter for this year's All-Star game.

Who’s with me?

Well, so much for that

I wanted to beat John Lackey in the worst way. The problem with that desire is that I had no control over whether or not the Angels would go out and do that for me. All I could do was listen on the radio and hope (be thankful for that).

By the time I got home to watch on television, Lackey had already exited the game and I got to watch Jason Bulger add to my anxiety by giving up a double and walk before getting out of the bottom of the 7th inning. Brian Fuentes would add to my angst by giving up one of those “no-doubt-about-it” homeruns to Adrian Beltre. It was the kind of homerun where you know from the moment its hit that it’s long gone and all you can say is “he got all of that one.”

As the Angels came up in the top of the 9th, I wasn’t holding out much hope. I had already begun to get that sick feeling in my stomach. Granted, it wasn’t as bad as when the Angels were eliminated in last year’s ALCS by the Yankees, but it was bad enough. I felt numb. I had gone beyond frustration and was entering into a mild form of depression.

You see this season has been a disaster so far. My favorite pitcher – Joe Saunders has had all of one good outing and his ERA is among the worst for starting pitchers.

It also doesn’t help that Johnny Damon (who I despise) hit a walk-off homerun and basically had his way with Angels’ pitching. To add to my misery Brandon Wood has struggled out of the gate and even worse, the hated A’s took a series from my Angels in the first week.

Now I believe better days are ahead and I know every season has its ups and downs, but the start of this season has been a drain.

Here we are on the 6th of May looking up in the standings at Texas and Oakland; and as bad as all of that is, today all I can really focus on is stinkin’ John Lackey. He won round one and I don’t like it much.

In some ways, yesterday’s game was about righting a wrong. It was about shutting up a guy who doesn’t have the common sense to leave an organization gracefully. Then again one could never really associate the word “grace” with Lackey.

And don’t think I’m not keenly aware that some of the traits I loved about Lackey as an Angel thoroughly irritate me now. I’m fully aware of the hypocrisy in that, but I’m not going to apologize for it. It is what it is.

You know, it’s funny - when I see highlights of Vladimir Guerrero hitting one of his own “no-doubt-about-it” homeruns, I can smile and say “good for him.” I can’t do that with Lackey. I just can’t. He ticked me off. He annoys me and even though I know I should let it go, I would rather see the Angels exact a toll on his butt and give us fans some revenge.

Well so much for that.

I need to get over this and I will. There are too many other things in life that are more important for me not to. And fortunately, there's a lot of baseball yet to be played.

My hope is that when all is said and done the Angels will find their way to the World Series and John Lackey will be spending some of his $80+ million on a nice vacation during that time.

I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?

I’m not used to six game losing streaks; at least not since Mike Scioscia put his thumb print on the organization. I’m starting to recall what it was like to be an Angel fan for all those lean years and I really, really don’t want to go back to that place.

So what has to happen for this team to turn it around? I’m not sure. I guess I haven’t really given it much thought because I never thought it would come to this. I keep telling myself it’s early and there’s time and thankfully that’s all still true.

On the bright side (if there is such a thing); all of this gives me more to blog about.

Like all the wanna-be GM’s that are coming out of the wood work. These are the folks who think that just because they’ve played in a fantasy league or two they now have all the answers. You know the type.

Well, fantasy baseball has made fools of these people.

In the fantasy world, people trade and drop players on a daily basis. A guy goes 0-4 for and they get waived. A guy hits two homeruns in a game and it's time to pick them up. Fantasy Baseball is the play ground for those who are prone to knee jerk reactions.

It wouldn’t be so bad if they stayed in that world, but nooooo – they have to make their way to internet message boards and sports talk radio.

I actually heard a guy the other day suggest the Angels trade for Ryan Braun. Really? I admired Terry Smith for not laughing out loud. You see, in the fantasy world players like Braun are always available, but in the real world of major league baseball they’re not. Why would the Brewers want to trade Braun? Never mind. Let’s just say fantasy baseball is appropriately named.

We also have people believing that the Angels as an organization just don’t want to win bad enough and aren’t willing to do what it takes go all the way. That’s pure dog poop and I just have to wonder if these people actually believe the words coming out of their pie holes.

These are also the folks who will eventually stop watching/going to games and only come back when times are good again. Whatever. They have a right to spend their free time anyway they want. I can’t say that I’d want to be in the same stadium with them anyway. I suppose I should thank them now for not subjecting me to their nonsense.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand being frustrated. I also understand the need to vent, but let’s be somewhat rational (said the crazy blogger).

Winning a World Series isn’t easy. It’s not supposed to be. Every time the Angels fall short some fans go off the deep end. Heck, every time the Angels lose a single game some of them go ballistic.

All we can really ask is that the Angels put together a team that has a realistic chance of going all the way. I still believe they have.

Now, if they’d only play like it, I’d have a little more peace.

The week in review April 26 - May 2, 2010

What can I say about a week where the Angels went a pathetic 2-4? I believe the word "pathetic" kind of says it all, doesn't it? How about "uninspired" or just plain "horrible?"

There really isn't a way to sugar coat the review of the past six games. We went from the high of seeing a walk off bunt by Howie Kendrick to win the last game of the series against the Indians to getting swept in Detroit by the Tigers.

The anticipation of a classic pitching duel between Jered Weaver and Justin Verlander on Sunday didn't live up to expectations; granted, Verlander pitched a fantastic game. And did you read Weaver's lips as he was pulled from the game? He clearly didn't like being pulled.

We keep waiting for this team to start clicking on all cylinders and it just hasn't happened yet. I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little restless; just a tad bit mind you. Fortunately, no one in the AL West is running away from the pack.

The week ahead has the struggling Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners on tap. the Angels will avoid Josh Beckett in Boston, but stay tuned for an interesting match up between Joel Pineiro and John Lackey on Wednesday.

Before we move on to this week, I'd like to award Torii Hunter with this week's True Grich Award. Hunter had a team high .500 OBP and .450 batting average. He also drove in six runs and had 18 total bases. Honorable mention goes to Brandon Wood who hit .381 for the week.

Play Ball!

Play Ball! Are there two sweeter words in all of sports to start a contest? “Play Ball!” ranks up there with “Gentlemen, start your engines” (Indianapolis 500) or “And away they go” (Horse Racing) or even “Let’s get ready to rumble” (Boxing) and if you’re a baseball fan – it probably ranks a little higher.

I received an email from our ticket representative Arthur (who is a great guy who does a great job of dealing with with my questions and complaints) asking me if we had any children who came with to the games that might be interested in an event for someone between the ages of 5 and 13. Our dear nephew Christopher (who is 13) got the call and after a few email exchanges and phone calls with Arthur; Christopher, Cheryl and I found ourselves on the field prior to the Angels/Indians game on Tuesday evening – April 27.

Now, Cheryl and I have stood on the field before for photo days and other like events, but never prior to the start of a major league game. I felt like a little kid during the time I was on the field. Christopher was making his first ever appearance on the field, and I’m sure it will be something he will remember for the rest of his life (as will Cheryl and I).

David Courtney (the public address announcer) introduced Christopher and then in a voice that seemed much deeper and bigger than typical 13 year olds – Christopher exclaimed “Play Ball!”

It was short and sweet, but make no mistake about it; it was cool. The players had just run on to the field and this game could not start until Christopher gave them the command. For that brief moment Christopher got to do something special; something few ever get a chance to do.

Christopher admitted he was a little nervous prior to stepping up to the microphone. Who wouldn’t be with more than 35,000 fans in attendance? Afterwards, he said, “I’ve heard of stage fright, but who ever heard of stadium fright?”

That being said; Christopher didn't show any fear when he made the announcement. He handled it like a professional. David Courtney better be looking over his shoulder; because his future replacement just made his debut! I’m just saying.

And then it was over, but the memories for all three of us will last forever.

Shortly after it was over; so was the game as the Angels appeared to not be listening to what Christopher had to say that night. They didn’t’ come to play. They tanked and were routed 9-2. They didn’t “play ball” - at least not the kind of baseball we’ve come to expect from the Angels.

Joe Saunders is doing his best to make me look bad. Good thing I’m not taking his performance personally; even though I’m constantly defending him against his critics. My argument/support isn’t holding much water thus far. Luckily for both of us, it’s still early in the season.

So come on Joe! Let’s get some swagger back and start taking care of business!

At least Brandon Wood is answering some of his critics in a big way. Wood had his second three hit game in a row and this one came with an exclamation point as he went yard for his first homerun of the 2010 season.

Get ready to see some more of that. Again, I’m just saying.

Here's a clip of Christopher announcing the start of the game:



Great job Christopher!

Booing is for the birds and I don't have wings

If you boo the players on your favorite team are you passionate or just a jerk? I think that’s a fair question, don’t you?

I mean it’s one thing to boo a guy for not giving his best effort or for being a putz (let’s not forget Jose Guillen), but is it okay to boo a guy who’s simply struggling? Does booing him make him play better? Or is it just a way for fans to vent?

Brandon Wood is struggling and that’s probably an under-statement. He looks lost and doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of breaking out of his slump. Then again, you have to ask; is it a slump or is he really this bad? I don’t know the answer to that; although I’m inclined to believe he’s just off to a bad start.

Rob Neyer and Aaron Gleeman don’t see Wood projecting very well. They make a valid argument (I can’t believe I’m saying that) and it appears there is reason for concern.

Regardless of all that – my question is should Angel fans boo him? I know they boo their own in places like the Bronx or Boston, but I don’t necessarily believe they’re the gold standard for fandom. At the same time, I also don’t pretend to be the arbiter of that standard either. It just bugs me.

I don’t think any fan who boo’s Wood wouldn’t do it to his face. It’s one thing to be sitting in the stands, but when it comes to a face to face encounter; could the same fan look Wood in the eye and tell him he sucks? I’m not asking if they’d be intimidated to do so, I just wonder (and hope) if they’d find some compassion for what he’s going through.

The year Steve Finley was an Angel (sorry to bring up such a horrible memory) he was so bad; I hated to see him in the lineup. Mike Scioscia kept trotting him out there and Finley kept saying all the right things about how he appreciated Scioscia’s faith in him, etc., etc. I wanted to boo Finley. I can’t recall if I did or not, but I’m certain I voiced some displeasure never-the-less.

That same season, I saw Finley at an autograph session and on photo day. In both instances, I told him “We’re pulling for you.” He seemed to genuinely appreciate the sentiment. I’m sure Cheryl (my wife) looked at me and laughed because I had been so hard on him sitting in the stands.

Fact was I hated his statistics, but I could not hate the person. I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t have to say anything at all, but when the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to give encouragement instead of silence or worse.

By all accounts, Wood is a good guy. Personally, I think he could probably use a little support. I want him to succeed in the worst way. I have empathy for a guy who’s been waiting so long for his opportunity. He never complained once. He never showed any sense of entitlement. He just went about his business and waited for his chance.

Through his early struggles, he’s never even shown any frustration and still goes out and plays pretty good defense. He’s also had a few bad breaks on well hit balls.

Now I’m not trying to tell fans how they should act (although you might think otherwise based on what I’m writing). I just choose not to boo the players on my favorite team. Have I ever done it? I probably have, but I couldn’t tell you who or when. I would assume it was only out of pure frustration and not any actual hatred.

Baseball is such a tough game. It’s designed to make players fail far more often that they succeed.

And I keep coming back to something Torii Hunter has said many times and that’s to treat people the way you want to be treated. I know he didn’t invent that saying, but I’ve heard him say it so many times, I’ve come to associate the phrase with him.

I fail at a lot of things. Thankfully, no one is there to boo me when I do (and yes, I understand no one is paying to watch me work). Writing this has made me reflect a lot on this topic. I’ll boo the opponent at the drop of a hat (after all, the Yankees are in town), but I will make a conscious effort not to do that when the players on my favorite team struggles. I will reserve the right to boo if someone goes Jose Guillen on us though.

If I have a complaint, I’ll voice it in other ways. I hear blogging is popular.

Now before I end this post, I want to address the one thing that the anti-Wood crowd continues to bring up ad nauseum and that’s Troy Glaus.

It seems as if no one can complain about Wood without bringing up the year the Angels let Troy Glaus walk. I have three words for those people… Get Over It.

Troy Glaus played 91 games in 2003 and only 58 games in 2004. When his contract came up at the end of the 2004 season, there were serious questions about his health and whether or not he’d be able to play third base again. They were legitimate questions. At the same time – Dallas McPherson was coming off some great years in the minor leagues and appeared to be ready.

The Angels made the decision to let Glaus walk and give McPherson a shot. It didn’t work out; mostly because McPherson ended up being the bigger injury risk of the two; but never-the-less, some fans can’t let it go.

It was the right decision at the time. Hind sight tells us otherwise, but that’s baseball. Sometimes things don’t work out, but you have to try to do the best you can with the amount of information you have.

Letting Glaus walk was the right decision at the time; given the circumstances. I can’t blame the Angels for being apprehensive about giving Glaus a multi-year contract at that time.

Again, I know it didn’t work out, but to lament on that part of Angels’ history is pointless and irrelevant when talking about Brandon Wood. The Angels are right to give Wood a shot now. If it doesn’t work out; it’s still the right move. We need to see what he can do.

And let’s not forget that all of this eventually paved the way for Chone Figgins to have a few good years in Anaheim. Most fans totally leave out that tid bit during the discussion.

Moving on. Bring on the Yankees.

Let’s hope the stench from Joe Saunders’ performance last night has dissipated by game time. Yeah, I just said that. Joe stunk last night and he’s not helping my case against the sabermetric types that keep projecting a lack luster season for him.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a huge Saunders fan and I look for him to rebound next Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians.

Now about those Yankees...