Yes, it really was that bad

The Angels had an opportunity to bring their fan base a little bit of joy at the end of the season when they headed to Texas for a four game series.  As it turned out – had the Angels won a single game during that road trip they would have been responsible for knocking the Texas Rangers out of the play-off picture all-together.

Wishful thinking.

Not only did the Angels stink up the stadium – they provided their fans with a great deal of frustration, anguish, anger, and outright disgust.  Take the second game of the series as an example. 

In the bottom of the second inning with the score tied and one out, C.J. Wilson gave up a line drive base hit to Elvis Andrus.  With Alex Rios batting – Wilson uncorks a wild pitch that sends Andrus all the way to third base.  Rios then walks.  Wilson then hits the next batter Adrian Beltre to load the bases.  Up steps A.J. Pierzynski, who also gets plunked by Wilson to walk in a run.  Up steps Jeff Baker and Wilson uncorks another wild pitch and Rios scores.

That inning – was all too familiar in a season of pathetic play.  You have to work really hard to have an inning like that and watching it is like suffering a slow, anguishing death (not that I’ve actually experienced such a thing).  It’s enough to send a sane man into a fit of rage (no, I didn’t do that).  After an experience like that – you feel like part of you just died and that your life was shortened considerably because of what you just absorbed with your own eyes.

I imagine that a lot of televisions were turned off at that point or at the very least the channel was changed.  In some cases, I’m guessing an object found the front of the screen at a high rate of speed.

Even though the game wasn’t over and there were two more games on the schedule, I knew then that the Angels would probably be swept and that the Rangers would live past 162 games somehow.   All I wanted was a little bit of joy in having the satisfaction of seeing my team knock the Rangers out of the play-off race; but no, that just wasn’t going to happen.  Of course not.

Obviously, it was too much to ask.  Thankfully, the Rays would take care of the Rangers’ post season dreams instead.

Throughout the season, I wanted this team to respond to adversity with a purpose and silence the critics.  Instead, they rolled over when the going got tough. There were times when they couldn’t get out of their own way and they couldn’t give away runs and opportunities to the other teams they faced fast enough.  It was worse than a bad movie because this was real and it unfolded day after day before our eyes.

To a fan that is emotionally invested in a team – it was one of the most frustrating and agonizing seasons ever. 

There was a time when I wasn’t nearly as emotionally invested in the Angels.  Even though I am a longtime fan, my “fandom” didn’t really escalate until Cheryl and I became season ticket holders.  Sometimes, I long for those days when being fan didn’t necessarily mean that I would live and die each day with the team and my mood wouldn’t be affected by how they played.

Ok, maybe I’m not that bad – but there are days when it all takes its toll.

So the season is over and it’s time to dust ourselves off and get back to waiting for the spring and the optimism that it brings. 

I don’t know how to fix this team.  Sure, I have some ideas – but what does it matter?  As a fan, I have to wait and watch to see what is going to happen.

Here’s what I do know.  The Angels need more players like Kole Calhoun.  There’s something about a guy who actually looks like he loves playing the game and can actually play it pretty well that’s compelling.  His kind of enthusiasm has to be contagious in the club house.  He’s already become one of Cheryl’s favorites and who can blame her?

This guy plays hard – smiles a lot and shows no fear.  I haven’t noticed any deer-in-the-headlights moments from him unlike oh… I don’t’ know… perhaps, Howie Kendrick for example. 

I know a lot of baseball people and even fans will say that chemistry and all the intangibles aren’t real – but I don’t buy it.  I love players who have a chip on their shoulder and bring a certain intensity to the game.  I don’t think you can have a whole team of individuals like this – but having some who can have an impact in the clubhouse has to help.

Look at what happened in Boston.  That organization set out to change the culture in the clubhouse and it worked.  They brought in high character guys like Jonny Gomes and Shane Victorino who helped change the mindset on that team.  In the process they traded away guys who look great on paper  - but not so good on the field.  Seemingly overnight, the Red Sox were transformed into a team that  brought a bull-dog-like mentality into every game. 

This make over extended to their pitching as well.  You know, there’s a fine line between being intense and being a jerk and they got rid of the jerk in Josh Beckett and in the process they freed up John Lackey to be the John Lackey.  I have my issues with the things Lackey said about the Angels fan base on his way out of town, but I have to say, part of me misses the guy who loves to compete and it’s clear to me that guy is back.

I don’t like the Red Sox, but I certainly respect what they did in the last year to bring that franchise back to relevance.

When I look at the Angels – I see a team without a soul and with no identity.  That all died the day they let Torii Hunter go to Detroit.  When you think of the Angels now – you think of the stoic Mike Scioscia, the angry Arte Moreno and two highly paid and underachieving players in Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.  You almost forget that this is a team that has Mike Trout who is arguably the best player in the game.

Fans are so focused on the bad stuff that some of them miss the opportunity to enjoy Trout on a regular basis.  I’m not kidding.  There is so much that is wrong and frustrating about the team – that not even Mike Trout is enough to draw them in.

That’s sad.  We’re talking about a once-in-a –generation type of player who is playing historic baseball.  He’s doing things that have never been done and he’s doing it as player who just turned 22 in August.  Some are so disgusted with the team that they spend more time speculating that Trout will leave when he becomes a free agent rather than enjoying him in the here and now.

What does that tell you?

This off season is one of the most important in the history of the Angels franchise.  Whatever gains they made during the years following the 2002 World Series is dissipating.  A great many season ticket holders aren’t going to renew.  They’re fed up.  They’re moving on.  I imagine that if and when the team gets back to being relevant, they’ll be back – but they’re done for now.

The team needs a make-over – not necessarily a total redesign, but a make-over.  They need Arte Moreno to step up and publicly hold himself accountable.  He needs to face the music – and by that I mean the local media.  He needs to take the shots and he needs to respond by showing true leadership.  Sports fans love fearlessness in their athletes and the same trait should be demonstrated in the front office and most certainly in the ownership.

We don’t want to see an owner who takes punitive action by moving the media down in the right field corner – we want an owner who’s not afraid to stand toe to toe and fight for his team. 

I’m encouraged by the recent news of a united front between Mike Scioscia and Jerry Dipoto.  I believe the news that they’re now working together as a team to fix it all.  This had to happen and I’m hopeful in the outcome.

Sports is supposed to be fun and baseball is supposed to be America’s pastime.  It’s time to put the fun back in being an Angels fan and ownership needs to take the responsibility of making that happen.  The last thing anyone wants is for their favorite baseball team to be a source of angst when it should be a source of joy.

Right now – there is very little; if any actual joy.  This can change.  It’s going to take hard work and patience from the fan base, but it’s possible.  After all, its baseball and we know anything is possible in baseball.

I know this post is overdue.  My apologies.  I won't make any promises about what is to come - but there will definitely be more to come.  Thanks for reading.

Colonel Jessup where are you?

I’m a little dizzy today and I’m not sure if it’s because of all the spin I’ve been reading about the Angels off season so far or it it’s from watching the extraordinary contracts being handed out by teams around major league baseball sky rocket out of this world.

I need to steady myself long enough to make sense of it all and while I’m at it, blog about it.

So… let’s recap a bit, shall we?

The Angels had a dismal 2010 season. I think that’s putting things mildly. Granted, Pirates fans would probably see an 80-82 season as somewhat acceptable, but we’re not in Pittsburgh. We’re in Los Angeles or is it Anaheim? Anyway, how dismal was 2010? It was so bad that Arte Moreno went Jack Nicholson on us (as in Colonel Jessup of a “Few Good Men”) to let us know he wasn’t going to take this kind of showing lightly.

All the early reports had the Angels as the favorites to land Carl Crawford and possibly Adrian Beltre and/or Rafael Soriano. Word was out that the Angels were talking like they already had Crawford on their roster. It seemed like a done deal.

Then the winter meetings came. Tony Reagins headed out to Florida and showed up late. By the time he left Carl Crawford had signed a whopping 7 year, $146 million contract with Boston. To top things off, we later learn from Arte that the Angels never made an offer. Huh? What? Wait, wasn’t Crawford their #1 priority?

Colonel Jessup where are you?

All of a sudden, Arte Moreno started singing a different tune. He wasn’t going Colonel Jessup any longer; he was going Private Benjamin instead. He started moaning about the huge contracts being handed out and his desire to keep ticket prices down, etc. In other words, he was back tracking and basically telling Angel fans that even though his team had Los Angeles in its name, it was still just a team from Anaheim and Anaheim can’t really compete with New York or Boston.

You can see why I’m dizzy, right?

December came and went.

In comes the New Year and yesterday we learned that the Texas Rangers signed Adrian Beltre to a 5-year $80 million deal with incentives that could make the contract a 6-year $96 million deal. Apparently, Anaheim can’t compete with Arlington either.

Texas basically got Beltre for $2 million more per year (5-years $80 million) guaranteed than what the Angels offered (5- years $70 million) and were creative enough to put in some safe guards for that sixth year.

Meanwhile back in Anaheim the Angels are looking at a 2011 roster that looks like Swiss cheese.

What happened?

Did Arte Moreno and Tony Reagins misjudge the free agent market? Did they get caught standing flat footed? You be the judge.

All I know is that Texas is making its play and their fan base has to be excited. They’re looking at their window of opportunity as being now and doing whatever they can to reach for the brass ring. They’ve gone "all in" and regardless of what you think of Adrian Beltre’s contract, they just improved their team in a variety of ways.

You can also say what you want about Beltre’s offense (btw - if you think it’s sub-par you would be wrong), but don’t even question his defense. The left side of their infield just went to the elite level with Beltre and Elvis Andrus. Guess what? That makes their pitching staff better.

Some people are focusing on all the wrong things when it comes to Crawford and Beltre. They’re focused on the cost and what the ROI (return on investment) will be down the road. What they fail to realize is that both Boston and Texas are looking at the opportunity to win a World title now; as in this coming year. They’re taking their shot and I applaud them for going for it.

Face it; getting to a World Series is difficult. Winning one is next to impossible for most. A lot of things have to go right for a franchise to win it all. When that opportunity presents itself, you have to go for it. Texas is going for it. So is Boston. They might not be that good in five or six years – but they’re good enough now and rather than focus on what might be down the road – they’re going for it. Why? Unless you’re the New York Yankees these opportunities don’t present themselves very often.

The Angels reaped the benefits from winning it all in 2002. The residual effect of that title lasted for years. Winning it all pays off in big ways.

The reward is worth the risk.

Think about it. Remember how incredibly awesome it was when the Angels won it all in 2002? What would you risk to see that again? Would you risk the possibility that your team might be mediocre for a few years after that? I would. 2002 seems like a million years ago.

The Angels went for it in 2009 when they made the big trade to rent Mark Teixeira. Yes, that effort failed, but they gave it a shot. It was worth the risk. It’s okay to fail. It happens. It’s the not trying to do whatever you can that is the biggest failure.

The way I see it, the Angels have the pitching staff that is capable of getting to the biggest dance in baseball, but it doesn’t have the offense to back it up. Adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre would have given the Angels a shot. That’s not to say that the Angels don’t have a shot in 2011; but in my opinion, the window for such a goal is getting smaller and smaller.

If the Angels don’t improve their offense, it’s going to put too much pressure on the pitching. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Now some people will say, let’s wait till 2012 and go after the best free agents then. Have you seen the free agent pool for 2012? There are two big names on that list. One is Albert Pujols. Given the Angels track record, do you really believe the Angels would be players in the Albert Pujols sweepstakes? Never mind that he probably won't even make it to free agency since he’s discussing a contract extension.

The other name is Prince Fielder. Do you believe the Angels are willing to over pay for Fielder? That’s right, I said “over pay.” That’s the market for top tier free agent these days. I don’t believe the Angels are willing to do that based on recent history. And what about the fact that he plays the same position as Kendry Morales?

The rest of the free agent pool doesn’t impress. Even if it did, it’s become clear that the Angels aren’t willing to go swimming in that pool. Signing top tier free agents has become a spectator sport in Anaheim.

Some people will say, well let’s wait on the kids. After all, “Mike Trout is coming.”

Well, the expectations being put on Mike Trout to be the “savior” aren’t fair and it’s certainly not realistic. He’s just one guy and it’s going to be next to impossible for him to live up to the hype that’s being thrown around.

Now there’s always the “if the Giants can do it, anyone can” argument. Please… catching lightning in a bottle is all well and good, but it’s not something you can count on.

The time for the Angels is now. The Angels need to compliment their excellent pitching with something more than a bee-bee gun of an offense.

That being said, I’m not conceding the season to the Texas Rangers or the Boston Red Sox because I know as well as you do that anything can happen in baseball. What I am saying is that as we stand here today (okay, so I’m sitting at a computer) the Angels don’t look like contenders.

Sure some people will try to convince you otherwise, but will they look you in the eye with a straight face when they spew that nonsense?

The excuses are already out there.

We are starting to hear a lot of spin and misdirection. We are hearing about how having Kendry Morales back and Dan Haren for a full season is going to be all that. I say stop it. And don’t start telling us how you expect Erick Aybar, Juan Rivera and the rest of the underachievers to rebound in 2011.

A lot of things have to go well for the Angels to be serious contenders in 2011. A lot of things have to go right that didn’t go well in 2010. Too many players have to rebound or have career years. And then there's Jeff Mathis... ugh. The odds simply aren’t good.

Now I know the off season isn't over yet and that championships aren't won in December or January. In fact, I've said those very things myself in past years. This year is just different and those phrases seem empty to me now.

I’m usually very optimistic. You could even call me a homer. What changed? The 2010 season did and more specifically the off season prior to it. The Angels had some big holes to fill last year. They needed to add a bat to protect Kendry Morales and they needed a leadoff hitter. They addressed those needs with a combination of stop gap measures and wishful thinking (hello Erick Aybar) and the results weren’t pretty.

A year later, they’re still looking to fill those holes. Crawford and Beltre are gone. That doesn't spell the end of the world, but what's next? The offense is still sub par at best.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not giving up. I’ll still support my team to the fullest. Cheryl and I will still be at the stadium more than any sane couple will admit to. That’s not going to change.

Let’s just say the front office hasn’t given me any reason to be hopeful. The honeymoon with Arte Moreno is over. It’s time to get to work. Make me believe again.