Who knew?

Angel fans are a spoiled bunch.  I have often said that 2002 changed everything.  Prior to that monumental occasion, we were pretty used to not rooting for a franchise that didn’t make the post season in consecutive years.  We had sort of a happy yet mediocre existence as a fan base.

When the Angels emerged as World Champions in 2002 – we got a taste of what it was like to be on top.  Then Arte Moreno bought the franchise and we enjoyed unprecedented success through 2009. Although we didn’t get back to the World Series – we were relevant and contenders year in and year out.

We got spoiled.  We started to have unrealistic expectations and we began to gripe at every little thing.  It was almost like the guy who lives a mundane life and then one day wins the lottery.  He lives high on the hog for a period of time and then one day – it’s all gone.  He squanders his good fortune and is left wondering what happened as he longs for the “fat” years.

The last four years have been frustrating.  Mind you, it wasn’t Cub- fan-base-frustrating, but it was frustrating never-the-less.  How could a franchise with the kind of resources the Angels’ had not continue to be successful?  We focused on blaming the manager, the players, the GM, the Rally Monkey, the marine layer, the umpires and anyone or anything else we could point a finger at.

We argued with each other.  We took sides… those for Mike Scioscia and those against.  One day we applauded signings like Albert Pujols and the next we moaned about them being albatross contracts. 

We became our own reality T.V. show, full of drama and irrational behavior and we couldn’t manage to look away.

And then 2014 arrived.

For many; gone were the lofty expectations.  Cynicism had set in.  No way could this team win with this starting rotation. Skaggs, Santiago?  Really? Some would say that Weaver was no longer an “ace” and who knew what we would get out of Garrett Richards.  Most were thankful that C.J. Wilson was on board because he could be the anchor….

Oh how this team would miss Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo.  You just don’t trade away that kind of speed and defense (Bourjos) and 40 homer guys don’t grow on trees (Trumbo).  Why didn’t this team sign Jason Vargas or Matt Garza?

We focused on how the team would start the season; after all, this had been a point of contention in recent seasons… with the team getting off to poor starts and never being able to recover.  We put Scioscia and GM Jerry Dipoto under a microscope. This was it; if they didn’t get it done – surely Arte Moreno would have their heads.

Opening day couldn’t get here soon enough and then… Bam!  The Seattle Mariners came into Anaheim and swept the Angels.  Panic set in and Angel fans invaded call-in shows and message boards to voice their displeasure.  “Here we go again” they thought. 

As the apologists emerged – the disgruntled were ready.  Don’t tell us “it’s early” again.  “We’ve heard that before” they’d exclaim.  And thus the 2014 season was born.

On April 11 the Angels moved to 5-5 after Howie Kendrick had a walk-off hit by pitch to win a game against the New York Mets.  For the next several games the team would hover around .500 . They end April one game above .500 at 14-13.  Yes, it was an improvement over the past few seasons, but the team did not give most fans a reason to believe just yet.

On May 13, 2014 the Angels would move two games above .500 for the first time all year and begin their rocky climb upwards.  It would mark the first victory of the year for Matt Shoemaker and little did we know it was a sign of things to come.  Shoemaker had out pitched Cliff Lee of the Phillies that day.  He would follow up that outing with victories over the likes of David Price, Yu Darvish, Justin Verlander, Jeremy Hellickson, and Hisashi Iwakuma over the course of the season.

Meanwhile, Garrett Richards was raising eyebrows.  He would end May with a respectable 3.65 ERA, but would then put the league on notice that he had arrived by lowering his ERA to 2.61 by the time he was injured.  Analysts everywhere were putting him in the Cy Young conversation as he put up impressive numbers. 

Meanwhile the team began to show signs of promise.  By May 29 the team had fought its way to 7 games above .500 at 30-23.  They would then level off to a certain degree and panic among the fans would raise its ugly head yet again.  Many just refused to believe this team was good enough and they had good reason for it…

The Angels ventured into Oakland for a huge four game series.  Trailing the A’s by 1.5 games this was the team’s chance to make a statement.  Instead – they would leave the Bay area with their tails between their legs having been swept in four games while being outscored 33-13.  It was horrific.  It was the worst case scenario.  We had every reason to believe this was going to be yet another season of disappointment.

They headed off to Houston and the struggles continued as they dropped 2 of 3.  It looked like the team was ready to fade into oblivion.  The team was 5.5 games behind Oakland and hovering at 31-28.  Being 3 games above .500 was hardly going to get it done.

And then a funny thing happened on their way down into the abyss… they put together a little five game winning streak.  They would sweep the White Sox and win the first two at home against Oakland which would include a walk-off win in 14 innings behind a Collin Cowgill homerun.  Collin Who?  Exactly.  This team would get contributions from names like C.J. Cron, Efren Navarro, Cowgill, Cory Rasmus and others who were virtually unknown to everyone except maybe their immediate families.

Were the Angels finally on their way?  Would this be the turning point of the season? Um, no.

Unfortunately, it was one step forward and two steps back for a while.  The Angels would even put together a six game winning streak in June and another five game winning streak from July 3^rd to July 7.  All well and good, but it wasn’t enough as they were still 3.5 back after that little run.

Little did we know that the roller-coaster was about to end and the team would start to put it all-together from there on out. The signs of greatness would not be obvious, but they would begin to percolate for sure.

It would all begin with an 8-7 win over the Blue Jays on the last game of a three game series in Toronto.  It was significant in that it was Albert Pujols that put the team up 8-7 with a two-run homerun in the 7^th inning.  It wasn’t something Angel fans were accustomed to seeing (Pujols coming up big late in a game) in the last couple seasons. 

From there, momentum would begin to build with a four game sweep of the Rangers in Texas.  The Angels were now 1.5 games behind Oakland on July 13.

Even though the Angels were playing well (except for a horrific home stand against the Dodgers and Red Sox, where the Angels would lose 5 of 7) – Oakland was doing the same and the Angels could not get any closer than a 2.5 back by August 13 despite being rising up to be 21 games above .500. 

When the Angels hit the road on August 15, they were just a game back.  The A’s were in the midst of a five-game losing streak and the Angels would win 6 out of 7 in Texas and Boston. 

The Angels would finally pull even with Oakland on August 16 with a 5-4 win in Arlington behind Shoemaker and they would never relinquish the top spot in the AL West the rest of the way.  Not even losing the first two of three in Oakland August 22 and 23 would derail the team.

As successful as that road trip was (the team went 7-3) – it was marred by the loss of Garrett Richards on August 20.  Most in and around baseball believed the injury would be too much for the Angels to overcome.  It was harsh and Angel fans everywhere found themselves with their heads in their hands in dis-belief.

It was like being punched in the stomach.  Our best pitcher (statistically) was done.  Hope seemed to evaporate into thin air.

Oh, but this is baseball and it’s a beautiful game.  Just when you think you can predict what will happen next – baseball does what she always does and surprises us all.  The team revealed its character and they kept their focus.  The rest would be history. There would be no pity parties.  No “woe is me;” none of that.

Hope would be fulfilled and prayer would be answered.

The rise of the Angels and the demise of the A’s (boy that sounds good) really came into focus when the Angels swept the A’s in four games August 28 through August 31 to go up by 5 games.  The final game of that series had Shoemaker going 7 scoreless innings with 7 K’s, while giving up just 5 hits and no walks.  Oh yes, “Shoe” was giving opponents a reason to “fear the beard.”

That series was the defining moment in the season.  As a fan it was extremely gratifying to see the Angels step up and finally make a statement.  Did I say, finally?  Well, it was about time!  I will freely admit I felt great joy in seeing the A’s totally demoralized. 

Going into that series, most hoped for at least a split which would ensure the Angels remaining in first place after-the-fact.  What we really, really wanted was total domination and a statement that the AL West was ours to win or lose. 

What we got was a boost of adrenaline and a huge shot of confidence.  The swagger was all the way back and it was time for the A’s fans to panic and start pointing fingers.  As I tuned into MLB Network radio and listened to A’s fans calling in to complain about the “light wave” the lack of an A’s offense and countless other tidbits, I couldn’t help but smile.  It felt good; real good.

There were moments prior to that series when it felt like the Angels would never catch the A’s no matter how well they played because the A’s seemed equal to the task.  It looked like we fans would have to settle for a wild-card berth and we wondered if it would be against the likes of Felix Hernandez, James Shields or Max Scherzer.

Thankfully, things changed.  The team overcame adversity.  Their offense found its way and their pitching; especially their bullpen became a strength.  There were different heroes every game and the players rallied around one another.  It was beautiful to watch.

So here we are…  Man it’s great to be back.  No dreading a long winter and wishing for spring just yet. 

We enter the post-season with the probable M.V.P in Mike Trout, and a combination of swagger and talent that allowed the team to come from behind to win games time after time.  You could say the Rally Monkey really earned his bananas this year.

Thursday – October 2, 2014, Jered Weaver will take the mound and I couldn’t be happier. There isn’t anyone, I would rather see representing the Angels in that game.  He may not throw the hardest and he may not get the respect and recognition he deserves, but make no mistake about it – Jered Weaver is THE Man.  I love watching him pitch and I have full confidence in his ability to compete.  It’s easy for me to get emotional about Jered because I feel like he’s one of us.  He’s all ours and he embodies the spirit of this team.

This is what it’s all about.  I have tried very hard to appreciate every victory in this season.  I have tried not to be anxious along the way and worry about the things that are totally out of my control as a fan. 

I have tried to savor every special moment and I am ready.  I believe in this team and I have come to love the cast of characters that make up this ball club.  I do not know what the future holds, but I’m all in.

Many said this team didn’t have the pitching to compete and yet, here they are.

Some claimed Jered Weaver was no longer an “ace” – 18 wins later, he’s our game 1 starter.

I said numerous times (mostly privately) that Howie Kendrick wasn’t clutch – and yet – he’s produced in big ways out of the cleanup spot while Josh Hamilton tries to recover from various injuries.

I once labeled Erick Aybar “Gilligan” because of his knucklehead like antics and yet, he’s had a remarkable season and impact on the team.  I have come to appreciate his hustle and baseball IQ.  I love the way he makes things happen and I recognize his leadership qualities.

I continue to hope for Josh Hamilton’s healthy return, still believing he can have a tremendous impact on the team’s success.  I want Hamilton to be a part of this story for all the right reasons and pray he has a chance to do exactly that.

Many have noticed the smile on Albert Pujols’ face and enjoy the idea that he is having fun playing baseball.  There’s something about great players who look like they’re enjoying the game that makes us happy.  Torii Hunter got it right and it appears that Pujols has found that joy as well.

I refuse to take Mike Trout for granted and fully realize we are blessed to watch this young man do things on a baseball field that no human being should be able to do.  I wince when he strikes out as often as he does – but I know we are watching an amazing athlete doing unbelievable things. 

We embrace Kole Calhoun as a fan favorite.  We love players who play the game the right way and Calhoun is our champion.  We know that he is coveted by other fan bases and to that we say… neener, neener, neener.

We have much to appreciate and be thankful for and I’ve only touched the surface here today.  Most of all, I am thankful Arte Moreno had the wisdom and fortitude to keep Mike Scioscia as this team’s manager.  In the face of the dark days of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 – Moreno remained steadfast in his commitment to the man best suited to lead this team.  I absolutely love the fact that Scioscia will have his hand at the wheel for this postseason.

I look forward to seeing a stadium colored in red and full of my Angel brothers and sisters.  I feel fortunate that Cheryl and I will be able to soak it all in.  It’s time folks.  It’s time to come together and do our part as fans; to be loud and to give our support whole-heartedly. 

Are you ready? 

Let’s do this. 

The 50 Greatest Angels....

2011 marks the Angels’ 50th anniversary. It should be quite a year of celebrations, reflections, retrospectives and more. And of course, no anniversary of this nature would be complete without an obligatory list or two.

Yes, lists. We are going to see things like the 50 greatest moments in Angels’ history, the 50 greatest Angel players, etc., etc. I’m sure a great many people will be making up lists of their own. In fact, it’s already begun…

The Orange County Register’s Keith Sharon asked me to be a part of a panel that submitted their list of the 50 greatest Angels of all time. This list is not limited to players alone, but can include coaches, managers, owners, and more. Rally Monkey anyone?

Coming up with the 50 names wasn’t too difficult for me (especially since Sharon provided most of the names), but ranking them in order was an entirely different matter. It was a difficult; albeit, a fun task. The list will be revealed next week; starting on Valentine’s Day – February 14, 2011. Each day ten names will be revealed, starting with 50-41 with the final ten being published on Friday – February 18, 2011.

Check out today’s teaser “50 Greatest Angels to be revealed” from the OC Register’s web site.

In the mean time, let’s talk about that list of the 50 greatest Angels of all time.

First of all, the word “great” means different things to different people. Just like the phrase “most valuable,” greatness is pretty subjective. Wikipedia says “Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person, object or place. The concept carries the implication that the particular person or object, when compared to others of a similar type, has clear and perceivable advantage. As a descriptive term it is most often applied to a person or their work, and may be qualified or unqualified.” it shoudl be noted that I can't believe I just quoted Wikipedia...

In any case, that leaves it pretty wide open, doesn’t it?

As I compiled my list, I thought of several things. If they were a player – I thought about where they ranked statistically, what they meant to the organization, and how they represented themselves. I gave careful consideration to the fan’s perception. For example – Wally Joyner fans created “Wally World” in right field and in my mind that was very significant.

Another example would be how Jim Abbott brought national attention to the Angels (for obvious reasons).

Some guys made the list because of the number of years they played in Anaheim. Longevity almost guaranteed a spot on my list, but not necessarily a high spot on my list. I mean if a player was/is just plain terrible - he didn't make the list. In other words, you won't find Jeff Mathis on my list at all. Just saying.

By the way, players had to have played in Anaheim for at least three years to qualify for the list (per Keith Sharon).

I won’t reveal my picks until the Register publishes the compiled list. So bear with me and check back next week. It should be an interesting discussion. Who’s your all time greatest Angel?

What's in a song?

My wife Cheryl is great at making observations. She sees the deeper meaning in things and has the keen ability to call things to my attention that I would never have thought about if it weren’t for her.

Well, Cheryl has this thing about the song the Angels play during the 7th inning stretch at Angels Stadium. You know the song they play after “Take me out to the ball game?” It starts out with “Why do you build me up, Buttercup, baby, Just to let me down and mess me around…”

In her opinion it’s an odd song choice for the Angels. I mean compared to the Dodgers’ song of “Don’t stop believing” – “Build me up Buttercup,” is like self full filing prophecy. The song is about disappointment and when you think about the Angels' post season record since 2002 the parallels to the song are kind of obvious.

The line “So build me up, buttercup, don’t break my heart” is like an Angels' fan plea to their team and yet; the last several years, a broken heart (as Cheryl points out) is something we’ve become all too familiar with.

Cheryl’s solution is a new song. What song screams Angels more than any other? What song would have people dancing in the aisles and kids smiling and singing along? How about singing, Hey, hey we’re the Monkees? The song ties into the whole rally monkey thing. It’s also easy to remember, sing along to and has a positive vibe as well. Dick Clark would probably give it a "95" or higher.

Hey, hey, we're the Monkees
And people say we monkey around.
But we're too busy singing
To put anybody down.

We're just tryin' to be friendly,
Come and watch us sing and play,
We're the young generation,
And we've got something to say.

Hey, hey, we're the Monkees
Hey, hey, we're the Monkees

Extra verse:

Hey, hey, we're the Monkees,
You never know where we'll be found.
so you'd better get ready,
We may be comin' to your town.

I think Cheryl has a point. Oh and if this song is in your head for the rest of your day, don’t blame me.

It's on

ALCS Game 5 Check List

√ Game Tickets
√ Angels Foundation Wrist Band.
√ Food. No NY cheesecake
√ Drink. Hatorade. Yeah, you heard right
√ Radio tuned to Terry and Rory
√ Fitted Angels Hat – easily converted into a rally cap
√ John Lackey Shirt (for James)
√ Torii Hunter Shirt (for Cheryl)
√ Game Face. It’s On!
√ Never Give Up Attitude
√ Rally Monkey. You better believe it

Disneyland is often referred to as “the happiest place on earth.” Well… tomorrow night Angels Stadium shall be dubbed “the loudest place on earth.” Here’s to Angel fans coming together for THE biggest game of the year (so far). It’s win or go home time and we’re not ready to say good-bye to the boys in red.

This team has come too far and overcome way too much to stop now. It’s time to call New York and say “guess who’s coming to dinner this weekend?” That’s right – better hide the children, it’s going to get ugly. The Angels will be heading back the Big Apple after taking care of business tomorrow night. Alfredo Griffin said it and I believe it. Time to tell the Yankees, “Not in our house! You’re not welcome here!” Take your Frank Sinatra CD’s and go back to the Bronx. Go polish off your statues and plaques in monument park and talk about the good old days when you didn’t have to fear the rally monkey because he wasn’t even born yet.

Let’s get ready to rumble. It’s time to throw down. We don’t want the Yankees representing the American League. Red is in and pinstripes are as out of style as Donald Trump’s hairdo. Time for you to take some time off, watch some old Billy Crystal movies and start complaining about the Knicks.

Your money can’t save you because the Angels are going to own you. By Sunday night you’re going to wonder what happened. You’re going to realize a bazillion dollar payroll doesn’t buy you what it used to. Don’t worry we’ll give you a sack of oranges as a parting gift. If you’re really lucky we’ll throw in some avocados. Go see if Bobby Flay can make you some comfort food.

It’s N.Y.Y. baby and that doesn’t stand for the NY Yankees. It stands for Not Your Year!

Let’s do this.

Reign Predicted for Anaheim

Sometimes the toughest part about being a fan is knowing you have no control over what happens on the field. That doesn’t necessarily stop one from trying though.

Last night a small contingent of 514 Fanatics, along with other Angel fans gathered at the Beach Pit BBQ in Tustin to cheer on the Angels. We came armed with rally monkeys and rally caps. We did our best to try to “influence” the game as best we could, but at the end of the day the Angels still fell to the Yankees 4-3 in thirteen intense innings.

So here I am and it’s the morning after. I was so sure the Angels would even the series and yet it just didn’t happen. What to do?

I tend to focus on the positive and for me the positives were another outstanding pitching performance by Joe Saunders, a solid two innings from Kevin Jepsen, and knowing the Angels still have more baseball to play in October. Hopefully, a lot more baseball

This series isn’t over yet. The script is still being written and I continue to believe it will have one heck of a happy ending.

So far the meteorologists have been wrong and the pundits have been right. So far. I’m still betting that the baseball experts will ultimately fail. In the mean time, I’m sure we’ll get to hear all about how the Angels can’t possibly come back. They’ll probably glaze over Captain Clutch’s errors in the field and speak glowingly about how A-Fraud has stepped up big. They’ll expound about how Andy Pettite is supposedly a big game pitcher. I’m sure it’s something he learned from Roger Clemens, among “other” things.

How about calling out the Yankee fans that couldn’t fill up their own stadium? How about the Yankee players dressing up as if they were going to compete in the Iditarod? I had visions of Yankee players rounding the bases on dog sleds.

This Yankee team ain’t so tough and their fan base isn’t as passionate as they claim. By the time the 13th inning rolled around – the stadium had transformed itself into Oakland. It was as empty as Joba Chamberlain’s liquor cabinet after a hard night of partying.

Yeah, I’m taking some shots. That’s another thing we fans do.

While I will give a quick tip of the hat to the team that is up 2-0, I will not concede a thing. As I stated in my last post, I will not go quietly, I will not lie down. More importantly, neither will my Angels.

Last, but not least - I have a weather forecast for Anaheim. There’s a red storm coming. Brace yourself for a Red Reign.

Dear Boston, Dave Henderson Can't Help You.

We came. We saw. We conquered. Boston took their best shot and it wasn’t good enough. The better team won and that’s the name of that tune.

Baseball is a game of tradition. It is rich in history and full of superstitions and things like curses and such. The talk going into the series was all about the past. It was about 1986, 2004, 2007, and 2008. It was about looking back. I guess the past gives the experts and media types something to talk about.

Well, anyone that knows the Angels knows this is not a team that looks back and it is not a team that looks ahead. It is a team that focuses on the business at hand.

We heard (over and over) all about the Angels inability to beat Boston in the play-offs. We heard all about how Papelbon had never given up a run in the post season. Boston had a great record at home. They had a lot of confidence in their ball park. Blah, blah, blah. It was enough to make anyone want to throw up. Seriously.

Today the Red Sox even tried to resurrect the past by having Dave Henderson throw out the first pitch. Henderson is the man who broke the hearts of Angel fans in 1986 when his homerun sent his Red Sox to the World Series and the Angels home.

Well, Dave Henderson is no match for the Rally Monkey. Heck he’s not even a match for my rally cap. Cheryl had the monkey going and I had the cap firmly in place. Maybe Henderson should have closed the game instead of Papelbon. Maybe then he would have been of some help. I'm just saying...

Now, if anyone wants to talk about the past – let’s talk about how this team is like the team in 2002. It never gives up. During the game, Cheryl walked down the street to her mom’s to deliver some guacamole. One of our neighbors asked her if she was “giving up.” Cheryl confidently replied… “We never give up.”

During the game Buck Martinez the color commentator for TBS said something to the effect that Scioscia must be thinking about the depth of the Red Sox bull pen now and how they will have their work cut out for them tomorrow night. When he said that I had to laugh. I told Cheryl – I am certain Scioscia isn’t thinking about tomorrow night, he’s focused on this game right now.

And what a game it was.

So many players deserve thanks, but I'd just like to recognize a couple for now.

Vladimir Guerrero has more than 400 homeruns in his career. He has an MVP trophy on his mantle. He has as an impressive a resume as you will find in baseball, but none of it compares to the base hit he delivered today. Thank you Big Daddy.

Thank you Bobby Abreu. Bobby, you look good in red and your hit off the green monster was a sight to behold. You're one of us now, baby.

The past is right where it belongs. Time to start talking about the now. Time to remind everyone about this team’s heart. Time to go to the ALCS. Can I get a boo-ya!?

This feels good. In fact this feels awesome. It's never really been about revenge for me. It's been more about seeing the Angels getting the respect they deserve. It's been about putting the silly notion that the team was some how cursed. And okay, the revenge thing ain't bad either.

Perhaps Papelbon will take my advice from an earlier post and head off to Australia where summer is approaching and he can work on getting a tan. He can take Pedroia and Ellsbury with him. They can talk reminisce about the past. Ortiz can go and wash the spit off his hands and the good people in Boston can now focus on the Patriots. We Angel fans still have something to cheer for.

And to my friend from Section 514... Bo, this post is for you. Thank you for being Mr. Positive. I'm with you. I believe that Yes, We Will!