You don't have Mickey Hatcher to kick around any more

Say what you will about Mickey Hatcher; but know this, a good man lost his job yesterday.  His detractors were many and they were loud and they were harsh. Whether or not Hatcher was deserving of such criticism is up for debate –but the consensus among Angel nation is pretty clear – he almost certainly had to go.

While a great many Angel fans are dancing in the street today; I have a different view.  I want to remember the man for the way he carried himself.  Despite the constant criticism, Mickey Hatcher never appeared angry, frustrated or even defensive.  He always seemed to be smiling and positive.  He certainly showed more class than many of his detractors.

Hatcher’s dismissal raises a boat load of questions and there is certainly no shortage of speculation in around baseball right now.  How will this move impact Mike Scioscia’s authority?  Why now?  Did this come down from Arte Moreno himself or is this Jerry Dipoto sending a message to the players and coaches that there is indeed a new man in charge and he’s not messing around?

I am in no position to judge whether or not Mickey Hatcher was a good hitting coach.  Is there even such a thing?  I know about as much about hitting as I do piloting a space ship.  I do know that the Angels have had an approach and philosophy that was all about being aggressive and making the effort to put the ball in play. 

It’s a style that I have loved to watch; and yet – it has appeared to me that so many things; maybe too many things had to always go right for the Angels offense to be successful.  I also know that Mickey Hatcher got his marching orders from Mike Scioscia and the Angels’ approach wasn’t necessarily Hatcher’s – it was most definitely Scioscia’s.

It’s a new day and it will be interesting to see how things unfold from here.  All eyes will be on Scioscia to see how he responds to all of this.  This can’t be easy.  Clearly he and Hatcher are close and have been through a great many things together.  I won’t blame him if he’s a little on edge, all things considered.

A lot of people are going to make this all about him and I believe that will make him uncomfortable.  People are going to talk about his contract that runs through 2018 (although he can opt out after 2015).  The focus and the scrutiny are going to be more intense.  Scioscia doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy, who likes having the focus on him,

Think about this – whenever the Angels are part of a national broadcast and there is an interview of a manager in the dugout – you don’t see Scioscia on camera.  He has always put his coaches in the position to answer the questions that are being asked.

Scioscia never makes it about himself.  When Nick Adenhart died and reporters asked over and over again about how the team was handling things – Scioscia always said “it’s not about us – it’s about Nick’s family and doing what we can to help them.”

When you know that about Scioscia it makes this situation all the more interesting.

On XM radio’s Power Alley this morning – Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette spent the first half hour of their show talking about the whole thing and Duquette said it’s clear to him that for the first time ever – Mike Scioscia is on the clock. 

Wow. 

I say “wow” because Duquette is probably right.  How did it come to this?  All the good will that was developed from 2002 through 2009 is gone.  Again, it’s a new day.

Baseball may be America’s favorite pastime; but the blame game is probably a close second.  Lots of fingers are being pointed these days in Anaheim and there is unrest and frustration the likes of which I have never seen.

Angel fans have gone from the highest of highs with the announcement of Albert Pujols coming to  Anaheim to the lowest of lows with each and every time the Angels get shut out (8 times now).  Something had to give and unfortunately for Mickey Hatcher – it was his job.

I am curious as I’m sure most of you are about how Scioscia is taking this, but I also know that we aren’t likely to ever know.  I imagine the world is a little bit of a lonelier place for him right now and that he is searching within himself for answers. 

And then t here’s Jerry Dipoto.  Since his arrival the team has shipped off long time Scioscia favorite Jeff Mathis to Toronto, acquired a high on base percentage type of hitter in Mathis’ replacement – Chris Iannetta; demoted Jordan Walden; shipped Kevin Jepsen to AAA; released Bobby Abreu, promoted Mike Trout and put him at the top of the order, and fired Mickey Hatcher.  Dipoto also signed Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson, LaTroy Hawkins and acquired Ernesto Frieri.

And let’s not forget that Dipoto totally cleaned house in the front office.  There is no question what-so-ever as to who is in charge and whose will is being exerted in Anaheim.

Mike Scioscia’s fingerprints are all over the organization.  His philosophy and style of play has been infused at every level.  He has been the face of the organization for many years now.  When you think about the Oakland A’s – Billy Beane immediately comes to mind.  When you think about Red Sox recent run – you associate it with Theo Epstein.  For the Rangers – the face is Nolan Ryan.  In most cases – the face of an organization isn’t the manager, unlike in Anaheim.

Jerry Dipoto clearly has a plan and he’s definitely on a mission.  He too has a philosophy and it appears that it is direct conflict with the way Scioscia approaches the game.

Can the two co-exist?  I’m not sure.

The public perception of Scioscia is that he is stubborn and unwavering.  Whether or not that’s true to who he really is remains to be seen.  If true – his tenure in Anaheim may be in peril.  Something has to give and if it comes to that it will be a sad day because I believe Scioscia is the best thing that has ever happened to the Angels, period.

At the end of the day we all want the same thing – we want the Angels to be back on top – not only in the west, but in all of baseball.  The expectations are high and they should be. 

The most disappointing thing about all of this is that instead of talking about how well the Angels are playing; we are focused on all the things that have made this season a disaster so far.  That’s incredibly sad.  It was supposed to be like this.

The organization is experiencing growing pains and we should emphasize the word “pain” for sure.

In closing, I wish Mickey Hatcher well.  I will always appreciate his enthusiasm and happy-go-lucky nature.  I admired the way he handled adversity.  We should all be so classy.

Mad as heck and confused as ever

Angel fans are mad.  More than anything we are frustrated.  Nothing is more deflating to a sports fan than to see their favorite team thumped in a big game against a bitter rival.  Watching the two losses to the Texas Rangers over the weekend was torture.  Worse yet – it was a slow torture.

This is ugly.  The worst case scenario is here staring us all in the face.  Enthusiasm has turned to rage.  Hope has turned to fear.  Angel fans are fighting mad. They are pointing fingers and they want some heads to roll.  They’re lighting up the phone lines for radio call-in shows, and burning up message boards on the internet like a wild fire.

And… I love it.

Even though it’s hard to listen to the ranting of Angel fans and just as hard to read what they have to say – I’m glad it’s happening.  It’s good to see that Angel fans care because the alternative is apathy and that’s a death sentence to a franchise.

More than ever, Angel fans are emotionally invested in their team and it wasn’t that long ago that we couldn’t say such things. 

That being said – this can’t go on.  It has to stop.   If the Angels don’t start showing signs of life soon; especially Albert Pujols – the fall out will be severe.  Attendance is already down; that despite the reported uptick in pre-season sales. 

Face it – So. Cal fans are fickle.  They have way too many options for their entertainment dollar and if the Angels continue to struggle – all the good will created from 2002 through 2009 will be a distant memory. 

Okay – so here we are.  You want answers, right?  Well, so do I.  We can devote this post to placing blame and suggesting solutions – but if I did that, I’d be like a lot of other blogs and I’m not going to do that.

I will give you some of my thoughts on Albert Pujols and you can file these comments under “Everything you hear isn’t true…”

People keep saying that the Angels should be winning games regardless of Albert’s struggles.  Really?  Well consider this – in his career he has hit .370 with a 1.184 OPS when his team wins.  When his team loses?  He has hit .269 with a .822 OPS.  The difference is significant.  Teams go as Albert goes or at least that how it appears to me.

New league; new pitchers – does it make a difference?  I couldn’t find any statistics to analyze for this scenario, but I did find something interesting.  The more Albert sees a pitcher in a game, the better he hits.  When he faces a starter for the first time his BA is .312 and with each AB, that statistic goes up.  Second time:  .321; third time: .360; fourth time (or more): .362.

I’d say there is a correlation; wouldn’t you?  If he hits a pitcher better the more time she sees him in a single game, I would think the same would be true over the course of a season.

People (and I believe Albert himself) say he’s not a pull hitter.  Really?  For his career, he has hit .468 when his hits have been pulled to left field; .321 when they’ve gone up the middle and .304 to the opposite field.  Consider this – 213 of his 446 career homeruns have been to left field.  He has hit 93 to left center, 71 to center, 40 to right field and 29 to right center.

What does it all mean? Heck, if I know.  I guess my point is that everyone has an answer, but some of those observations are based on who they think Albert is and not necessarily who he really is.  

Confused?  Yeah, me too.  That's baseball for you.  Just consider it all food for thought as you sit there licking your wounds from the weekend.  That’s what I’m doing.

It’s a new week and there are new opportunities.  Keep the faith folks – this has to turn around soon. 

Jered on Letterman

Jered Weaver is still riding the wave of that no hitter the threw. He made an appearance last night on David Letterman's show to deliver the top ten signs that you'll never throw a no-hitter. I know Jered is a pitcher, but in this case - he knocked it out of the park.

No-no? Yes!

The “thought” entered my mind in the third inning. I know it was early, but when I looked up and saw the zeros, I thought about the possibility that Jered Weaver could throw a no-hitter.

When the fifth inning rolled around, the game didn’t feel like a typical game and I began to hope.

After six innings, people in my section began to talk in code, not wanting to say the words “no hitter” – but it was clear what was on their minds. I began to contact friends via my cell phone to make sure they were watching Jered throwing a “gem.”  I don't really believe in jinxes and such, but when it comes to baseball, I play along just for the fun and tradition of it.

I began to think about how blessed Cheryl and I were to be in the stadium.

Bo, who is a die-hard Angels fan who goes way back and sits to my left one row in front of me – turned and looked at me. We didn’t say a word to one another, but we were sharing the same thought. I thought about fellow 514 Fanatics John and Linda, who sit to Bo’s left, who don’t miss a lot of games – but took last night off to celebrate their anniversary. I thought about Ann and John, who usually accommodate them to every game.

I thought about my dad and how I wished he was still alive because I wanted to call him.

I thought about a post I had written last year about Jered Weaver that I titled “You should have been there.” It was something I had written after Jered had recorded his sixth win of the season to put him at 6-0. I had written it because a mere 37,115 fans showed up that night.

Whenever Jered takes the mound – it should be must-see theatre. He’s that special and I’ve been thinking and saying that ever since he began his career with the Angels. The 27,288 fans who were lucky enough to be at Angels Stadium last night know what I’m talking about.

I still don’t understand why the stadium isn’t packed every single time Jered takes the mound. I’m not begrudging people who can’t go for whatever reason; but for those who could and choose not to, I don’t get it.

The game rolled on and Weaver continued to make magic.

I watched. I listened to Terry Smith and Mark Langston call the game beautifully on the radio. I focused. I prayed. I kept an eye on his pitch count and I shot glances at the bullpen even though I knew I wouldn’t see anyone warming up.

I was soaking it all in. Sometimes when I’m at a game, it’s all a blur. There are conversations and distractions and things that happen around me that make me miss a play or two and when the night is over, I sometimes feel like I wasn’t even there.

That wasn’t the case last night. Jered was in the zone and so was this fan.

Cheryl was wearing her “We BeWeave” shirt. I had on my 2011 Weaver all-star shirt and a Dirtbag hat. We always wear something with Weaver’s name on it when he takes the mound. It’s our tradition.

When the 8th inning rolled around I was as nervous. Could it be? Is this really happening? I had to make sure some of my buddies were watching and sent them messages again to make sure.

With every inning, the crowd got a little louder and a buzz was definitely in the air.

By the time the 9th inning came along, the crowd was ready to celebrate. Everyone wanted to see it happen. Fans stood on their feet. Fists were clinched and the air was thick with anticipation. Yes, this was really happening. It could happen. Oh yes… please, let it happen.

The crowd reacted to every pitch; cheering loudly when Jered threw a strike and booing when the umpire Mark Carlson called ball on any pitch fans were certain was a strike.

Then it happened. Jered threw his 121st pitch of the night to Alexi Casilla, who hit a line drive to right field. Torii Hunter began to run back towards the wall. I held my breath. A moment of doubt entered, but it didn’t last. After all, that was Torii Hunter running that ball down. When Hunter reached up and hauled the ball in, the stadium went nuts. I went nuts. Cheryl was snapping photos left and right – we both let out a scream. It was madness. It was pandemonium. It was awesome.

That’s what pure unbridled joy feels like. It was fun. It was magical. It was baseball.

Angel Nation’s favorite son had cemented himself in the history books and enhanced his legacy and legend as a player.

The overwhelming consensus among fans everywhere was that it couldn't happen to a more deserving guy. It was cool on so many levels. It was heart-warming to see him embrace his wife and his mom and dad. His dad never misses a home game and the whole family was treated to something that most can only dream about.

How fitting was it that Torii Hunter hauled in the last out? How wonderful that it happened in Anaheim before fans who adore Jered?

Oh boy that was fun.

Cheryl and I go to a lot of games. Yes, we’re fanatical about the Angels. We know that every time we go to the stadium the impossible is possible. Magic can happen on any given night and that’s exactly what happened last night.

A family affair

I have a theory about the possible cause of Albert’s struggles at the plate thus far. I don’t know much about hitting mechanics or how to break down a player’s swing, but that didn’t stop me from coming to my own conclusion about Albert’s poor offensive start.

 I don’t know Albert personally, but I get the impression that he’s quite the family man. What does this have to do with anything? I learned today that his family isn’t moving to California and that they’re staying in St. Louis. Dee Dee Pujols (Albert’s wife) was interviewed by a television station in St. Louis about their foundation (Pujols Family Foundation).

Dee Dee was talking about the foundation’s plans to remain in St. Louis and also expand to Kansas City, Nashville and Southern California. In the course of the interview it was revealed that Dee Dee plans to stay in St. Louis and raise the couple's children while continuing to focus on growing the foundation.

There it is.

Albert is in a new city with a new team and his family is still back in St. Louis. That has to have an impact on a man like Albert. To top it off, Dee Dee is four months pregnant with the couple’s fifth child.

Despite his nickname (The Machine), Albert is anything but that. I’m betting that being apart from his family is taking its toll. Think about it. This is a man who met the love of his life at an early age, married young and lived and worked in St. Louis with his wife and family by his side for many years. He slept in a home where his children were close by and his wife by his side. He had home cooked meals. He had someone to talk to, confide in, etc. after every game.

Not only has Albert had to adapt to new surroundings, new teammates, new pitchers in a different league; he’s had to adjust to life without his family by his side. That can’t be easy, I don’t care who you are.

Some people like Jon Heyman of CBS Sports might even think he’s a little crankier. Heyman called out Albert for calling out Mickey Hatcher.

Apparently, Hatcher told some Angel beat writers what Albert said in a team meeting and Albert took exception to it. Personally, I think Heyman is making a bigger deal out of Albert’s reaction than necessary. Given the circumstances - I'd cut Albert a little slack and I'm guessing Mickey Hatcher isn't all that upset with Albert's comments anyway.  It's not like Albert was blaming Hatcher for his struggles.

Look, Albert doesn’t have his support system around him and again, that has to be tough. Just saying – maybe, just maybe – that’s the root of his struggles thus far.

Albert has said many times that the Angels are his "new family."  I guess that's more true than even he realized.  There has to be an extra added strain to being away from his real family; especially with a daughter who has special needs and a wife who is four months pregnant.  There's the distance, the time difference and so much more.

And consider this - Albert is a man who thrives on routine and process and his whole routine is different now.

Maybe I'm off base, but I'm guessing I'm not and this more than anything else can explain his struggles.


Late addition: Mike Ferrin of SiriusXM's MLB Network radio gave me a link to a piece by Jon Morosi who interviewed Albert about his struggles and touched on the subject of being away from his family. Good stuff (relevant material near the end of the article).

What? Me worry?

I’m frustrated.  You’re frustrated.  Every Angel fan in America is frustrated. 

Take all that frustration and multiply it a hundred times and I’m guessing that’s how the players, coaches and front office feels too.  I’ve got a list of complaints – it’s probably the same list as yours with the juggling lineups and lack of playing time for Mark Trumbo at the top of it all.

I get it.  It’s insane.

And yet – I’m not here to pile on.  There are plenty of bloggers, talk-show hosts, columnists and fans in general doing enough complaining and ranting.  Why add to it?  It’s not much fun and at this point it’s redundant.  I’m not much for following crowds anyway. 

Besides – we should have all seen it coming.  Whenever Sports Illustrated starts touting your favorite team as the best, stuff is bound to happen.  I became very nervous when so many “experts” starting picking the Angels to dominate. I kid, but only sort of.

I keep thinking back to 2008 when the Tigers acquired Miguel Cabrera and everyone picked them to win the whole thing.  What happened?  They went 74-88 – that’s what happened. That’s baseball and even though teams look great on paper – if they don’t go out and execute – they’re not going to do a darn thing.

I’m not saying the 2012 Angels are going to end up like the 2008 Tigers.  I’m just saying the Angels have been delivered a wake-up call and it’s up to them to respond.

So here’s the thing – this thing is going to turn around.  I know it.  You know it and more importantly – the Angels know it.  There is too much talent on this team for me to believe anything else.  And there’s also Mike Scioscia, who I happen to believe is the most important Angel of all.

I know – some of you are calling for his head.  You think he’s lost touch with his team and they’re not responding to him, and blah, blah, blah. Please.

Who would you rather have run this team?  And before you answer that – you’d better be careful what you wish for.  All I’m saying is that Mike Scioscia is not the problem.

You’re better off blaming Sports Illustrated because that makes more sense (even though that’s also pretty silly).

I’m going to speculate a little bit here.  My guess is that this team started to believe the press clippings a little too much.  They probably thought they’d ride Albert Pujols’ coat tails for a bit and start to get after it later in the season.  Albert was making it look pretty easy in the spring.  Well, stuff happens.

Again – 19 games in and they just got a wake-up call.

Look – they’re human.  You can call Albert – “The Machine” – but at the end of the day – he puts his head on a pillow like the rest of us.  They all do. 

It’s going to get better.  So, in the mean time – don’t stop watching because when this thing turns around – you want to be there.  I mean it.  You need to be there – be it in front of the television, at the stadium or in your car listening on the radio.  That’s what this fan is going to do. The way I see it, if I can endure the pain of watching them lose, I should get to enjoyment out of seeing them win.  You feel me?

The off season was long.  I couldn’t wait for the spring and for baseball to be on the daily docket every day.  I’ll be darned if I’m going to give up on this season so fast.

Okay – maybe that’s easier said than done for some of you.  Maybe you need something to take your mind off the 6-13 start.  Okay, I got a few things for you to focus on.

Last year, after 19 games the Cleveland Indians were atop the AL Central with the Kansas City Royals a game back.    Everyone thought the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox were headed for a show down in October.  In fact, the Angels were a half game up on the Rangers at this point.  It all changed over the course of a long season.

It was early then and it’s early now.

Don’t panic.  That’s what the other guy does.  Let them do that... like in Boston where they're jumping off bridges.  Detroit isn't running away with the AL Central just yet either.  There's time folks; lots of time.  I know the Rangers are hot, but the long hot summer is coming.  Just saying.

I'll leave you with this - in Albert’s time in St. Louis his team only had a losing record once and that was the year after they won the World Series in 2007. Albert Pujols is going to get this thing going and when he does - lots of other things will fall into place.  It's not like we're relying on Jeff Mathis to save us.  And... don't forget - there's a certain someone (Mike Trout) tearing things up at Salt Lake City.  

This season has a story in it - and you need to let it unfold.  Any good story isn't necessarily predictable... so enjoy the ride.

True Confessions

I went to my first baseball game; an Angels game in the late 60’s. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the exact date or a lot of the details, but I do know that in those early years I became a Jim Fregosi fan. He was THE man in Anaheim back in the day.

Fregosi remained my favorite Angel until Bobby Grich came along, but in 1971 I began following a second team from a far – the Pittsburgh Pirates and one player caught my attention more than any other – Roberto Clemente. I’ve written about that experience in my other blog the Baseball Docent.

Clemente could do it all and his 1971 team won a World Series which was significant in many ways. It was the first year that World Series had games at night - paving the way for kids like me to watch them on television. That team had a colorful cast of characters and they were an offensive machine. What kid doesn’t like a team that scores a lot of runs, right?

The catalyst on that team was Roberto Clemente.

Through the years I’ve followed a number of ball players and made a special effort to see them play whenever I could. However, when anyone asked me who my favorite player of all time was, I’d always say Roberto Clemente. I’m not sure if I consciously made him my favorite at a specific time – it just sort of evolved.

Ask me who is my all-time favorite Angel and the answer has been Bobby Grich, obviously. In a perfect world – Grich would probably be my all-time favorite player – but once I claimed Clemete – I never let that go.

Favorites are unique phenomena - we cling to them with a loyalty that’s intense as anything else we might experience in life. No one else and nothing else came ever take their place, right? I mean a favorite is a favorite for a reason.

I guess picking favorite ball players is as much a part of the national pastime as the game itself.

I’ve thought a lot about this and recently came to a conclusion that may surprise you.

Roberto Clemente has been my favorite player for 41 years. That’s a heck of a long time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told people he’s my all-time favorite. The funny thing is that my memories of Clemente are few – as I caught him late in his career and he died tragically at an early age. I only saw him play in a game in person once.

Bobby Grich has been my favorite Angel for more than 30 years. Unlike Clemente, my memories of Grich are many – and he is a huge part of my experience as an Angel fan.

So where am I going with all of this? Let’s just say I have come to realize that I have a new favorite. Wait… stop the presses, right?

Look - when I really think about it, there is one player who really stands out more than any other in all my years of being a baseball fan. He’s not likely to get into the Hall of Fame, but through the years – I have experienced the full range of emotions when watching him play the game and he’s definitely in my own personal Hall of Fame simply because of the amount of joy he has brought me over the years.

He’s provided me with more highlight reel type moments than any other player I’ve ever followed. He’s made me come out of my chair, cheering and screaming many times. He’s also made me laugh a lot because he really knows how to have fun. More than anything – he never fails to make me smile whenever I have any kind of contact or experience with him.

Whenever I see this player – be it on television doing an interview, or interacting with fans at spring training or playing the game itself – I feel joy. That’s right – pure joy. I feel very lucky to have seen this man play the game and even more blessed to have watched him in any kind of spotlight over the years.

So… with all due respect to Roberto Clemente and Bobby Grich – I have to say that Torii Hunter has become my all-time favorite player.

I have an incredible affection for this man. He can light up a stadium with his smile and electrify crowds with his play. His selflessness knows no bounds and he’s truly a role model for young people everywhere. In fact, he’s a role model for people of any age. He is everything one could want in an athlete. He works hard. He plays the game the right way. He has fun and realizes he’s blessed to be doing what he’s doing and he doesn’t take anything for granted.

He’s Torii Hunter and he is truly special. In fact, he’s just awesome.

I could fill up this blog with countless stories about all the wonderful things he does off the field. I can’t tell you how many times he’s made me laugh and smile. And again – he brings me and many others joy and couldn’t we all use a little more joy?

So, why now? Why the realization that Hunter is my new all-time favorite?

Torii Hunter is what baseball is all about. He’s an individual talent who gives his all for a team. He makes me love the game because of the way he represents himself in it. He was my favorite baseball player of this era before he ever came to the Angels and I am so fortunate to have been able to watch him wear the uniform of my favorite team for the past five years. I have loved every moment and still can’t get enough.

He’s in the final year of his contract with the Angels and I have no idea if this will be his last in Anaheim. In fact, I hate thinking about the idea of him not on my favorite team.

I want the Angels to win a world series again for many, many reasons – most of them selfish. But I also want them to win one for a special reason – to see Torii Hunter as a world champion. I want him to feel that sense of accomplishment because I know it will bring him great joy. It would be fitting in so many ways.

So here we are. The Angels are 6-13 and I haven’t blogged since spring training. You might have wondered where I disappeared to (or maybe not). I’ve been here, suffering along with the rest of Angels' nation and I’ve been as frustrated as can be. I’ve agonized over every loss and have often been left speechless after a defeat.

I have felt like ranting; boy, have I felt like ranting, but today is not the day for me to do that. I wanted to bring this blog back to life in style and that’s with something good and hopefully, I’ve done that.

Torii Hunter is my favorite player and I have high hopes that this year will be a special one for him and for Angel fans as well.

In case you’re wondering – I’m not changing the name of this blog because this blog started as a tribute (of sorts) to Bobby Grich, who will always be one of my favorites –but it is always evolving. This blog has always been more about the fan experience more than anything else and that will always be the focus. Maybe this is a turning point of sorts for this blog. We'll see.

Tomorrow is a new day – so let’s hope this post somehow coincides with the emergence of a better Angels’ baseball team. That would do wonders for this fan’s experience for sure. Just saying.

One door closes; another opens

Every time we head out to Tempe in the spring, we (Cheryl and me) go with huge expectations. We are always hopeful that we can have some fun interactions with players; be it with an autograph, a photo opportunity, a conversation or by simply seeing them interact with one another. There’s nothing like spring training – the players are more accessible, generally relaxed and in a good mood.

It doesn’t always work out that way and there are times when things don’t like we hope. This trip had its moments, but almost turned out to be nothing close to what we expected.

First – not as many position players were in camp early as we had hoped for and those that were weren’t very accessible. The spring training facility is less fan friendly than it has been in the past. Let’s just say that Albert Pujols’ impact was evident.

If you’ve been to Tempe you are probably familiar with the path the Angels take from the practice fields to the stadium. The barricades that line the path are now doubled – meaning that if you want to have your picture taken with a player – there’s a bigger gap between you and them. It’s nothing horrible, but it’s a lot less intimate.

As Albert Pujols, Kendrys Morales, Vernon Wells and others took batting practice on the back fields near the minor league clubhouse, we were only allowed watch from beyond the outfield area. In the past fans were allowed to walk between and behind the fields. That’s not true any longer. One rumor floating around was that someone walked into the minor league club house and stole some bats – so security is now taking extra precautions. Bummer.

Those things made the experience a little less enjoyable, but our trip still had some bright spots; however, our last day – Sunday was almost a disaster.

We arrived at the stadium around 10 a.m. – a little later than usual, but normally a good time to accomplish the things we want to do. As I was heading towards the practice fields – I saw Morales and Mark Trumbo on a cart heading back to the clubhouse. I looked out and the practice fields were empty…

“What is going on?” I thought to myself.

I met up with Cheryl and we walked into the stadium to find that the catchers and minor leaguers were taking batting practice. Everyone else was done. We asked around and found out the players were pretty much done for the day. Turns out the rest of the position players would be arriving, checking in, taking their physicals, etc. (I would learn today that Mike Scioscia also happened to be sick and didn’t even come to the stadium).

What to do?

The day was looking like a total disappointment.

And then I had an idea – I asked Cheryl if she wanted to head out to the Diamondbacks facility? She was up for it and off we wet (the great thing about the Cactus League is that you're just minutes away from most of the stadiums)...

The day prior – Saturday, we took a trip out to the Fields at Salt River to have a look see. We had heard that it was a beautiful complex and it was. That trip turned out to be good recon. We knew exactly how to get there, where to go to see the Diamondbacks (they share the facility with the Rockies), etc.

Turns out our little journey to Salt River Fields would be the highlight of our trip.

As we walked from the parking lot to the practice areas, I caught sight of the pitchers working out. Cheryl was wondering why I was walking so fast… as she would soon learn, I was on a mission. As I got closer to the area, the pitchers were leaving the field (panic started to set in) and then I realized what was happening… they were walking to an area where fans were waiting to interact. It was at this point that I spotted… you guessed it, Joe Saunders (regular readers of this blog know about our history with Joe).

I pointed and turned back to Cheryl and said, “There’s Joe!” We made our way over, and much to our delight, got to spend a few minutes with Joe.

I asked Joe if he had gone golfing yet with Tom Glavine? He said that was “still in the works.” Turns out – he’s actually going to be golfing with John Smoltz sometime in the future. I read this article in 2010 about his wife Shanel setting up a golf date for Joe to play with Smoltz. Joe was too nice to correct me about the names - which is just like Joe.

Joe signed a few things for us, posed for pictures and basically “made our trip” as Cheryl would tell him. The day looked a little bleak at first, but it’s amazing what a little prayer can do. If we had been ten minutes later, we probably would have missed our small window of opportunity.

We hung around for a while, got a few autographs, pictures, etc. before heading to Hillside Spot Café (where we had breakfast earlier) to pick up an order of blondies (cookies) we had ordered and then headed home.

Photo opps (above) with Ian Kennedy, Kirk Gibson, and Ryan Roberts x 2. By the way - Ian Kennedy shares our affinity for one of our favorite restaurants - Jongewaard's Bake 'N broil in Long Beach. Bake 'n Broil made his wedding cake and he told us he always has his mom pick up some red velvet cake whenever she comes out to see him.

We had a blast with the Diamondbacks and Cheryl and I agreed, we could easily adopt the Diamondbacks as our National League team.

By the way… check out our breakfast: “Hit the Spot” pancakes (Two Flapjacks served w/ sliced Bananas, Caramel, Whipped Crème Fraiche & Peanuts) and an Egg Torta.

On our drive home, Cheryl proved once again how wise she is. She asked me "Where's Bartolo Colon?" I couldn't remember (it's hard keeping up with all the ex-Angels around the league these days) and I told her as much. Her response? "He should go to Oakland?" Why Oakland, I asked? She said, "That's where all the players seem to end up when they're on their way out."

Well, as you probably already know and I learned today - Colon is indeed in Oakland. When I told Cheryl this today - she laughed and then said, "John Lackey needs to go there next." Hey, the girl speaks the truth. Just saying.

Be sure to check out the posts about the rest of our trip (below)...

The night Bengie Molina stole his last base....

Bengie Molina, one of my all-time favorites announced his retirement today. I will miss him for his engaging personality (he was always tremendous with fans), his clutch hitting (I always felt good when Bengie came to the plate with runners in scoring position), and his awesome defense (he won gold gloves in 2002 and 2003).

The one thing he wasn’t known for is his speed or lack of it, so to speak and yet – my fondest memories of Bengie involve a couple events on the base paths.

It started on May 16, 2006 when he was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays and his team was in Anaheim to play the Angels. His brother – Jose Molina was the starting catcher for the Angels that evening. In the bottom of the 6th with Angels leading 3-0, Jose stole second base off his brother Bengie. Jose would score that inning and the Angels would go on to win 8-3, but the fun was just getting started.

The next night (May 17, 2006), in the top of the 2nd in a scoreless game Bengie would try to get a little revenge and attempt to steal a base against his brother. He was gunned down and the Angels would go down 3-0 that night.

But this is not where the story or the memory ends…

Four month later, on September 9, 2006 Bengie would exact his revenge. In the top of the 4th with his team trailing 1-0, Bengie would go lumbering down the base path to steal second (the third and last stolen base of his entire career). He wouldgo on to score as his team would win 2-1.

The smile on his face must have been priceless (hard to tell from my seats). I know I had to smile as I recalled the events of the year leading up to this moment. It was almost predictable. Two brothers were living our their sibling rivalry on major league playing field. It was priceless to watch and something I will always remember.

Bengie was the ultimate competitor, but he knew how to have fun too. This is the kind of player I have always loved to root for. He was tough as nails and made the most out of his abilities.

Cheryl and I have a ton of Bengie memories and we will miss him. We missed not seeing him in a uniform at all last year (and really hated it when he wore Texas colors) and we have missed him ever since he left the Angels following the 2005 season. The Angels catching core has never been the same. Just saying.


Note: I will post Day 3 in Tempe (which was yesterday) later tonight....

Day 2 in Tempe

Tonight's post is going to be brief... it's late and I need some sleep!

We started the day with breakfast from Matt's Big Breakfast, one of our favorites that we visit every time we're in the area. Then we were off to the stadium to watch Albert Pujols, Vernon Wells, Kendrys Morales, Maicer Izturis, Mark Trumbo, Erick Aybar, Alberto Callaspo and others taking batting practice.

The day in pictures...







Above... Vernon Wells, Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo, Hisanori Takahasi, Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson, Albert with Alberto Callaspo.

We ended the evening at Rustler's Rooste - another restaurant Mike Butcher's family is associated with. We had a good time... and that's no bull... just ask "Horney" (see the bull below) who greets visitors to the restaurant...

Life in the fast lane

The last two days have involved two of Cheryl and my favorite things... music and baseball. It all started Thursday night with a concert with the Newsboys, who had Anthem Lights, Abandon, and the City Harmonic warming up for them.

We had a fabulous time and even though we knew we would pay for it today (after only getting a few hours of sleep), it was worth the time. Okay, maybe going to a concert and then coming home to finish packing for an early (4:30 a.m.) trip to Tempe for a little baseball isn't the smartest thing in the world - but that's just how we roll.

We rolled into Tempe sometime after 10:30 a.m. (Tempe time) and headed out to the practice fields where the pitchers were doing their drills in preparation for what we hope will be a championship season. That's right... I said "championship" season... after all, it's spring.

We caught up with Bob, who is one of the wonderful and extremely nice folks who work at the stadium, snapped some photos, chatted a bit with fans, players and coaches and then headed off for a late lunch.

One of the things we love about coming to Tempe/Phoenix is that we get to head out to some of our favorite eating establishments. We're always on the look-out for something new and local and today we were very pleased with a recommendation that came from Keith Law of ESPN. Law recently tweeted that "if you're covering the Angels and you're not spending at least half of your meals at Hillside Spot Cafe - you should just go back to Los Angeles."

Cheryl and I had a pulled pork sandwich that was absolutely mouth watering. We followed it up with cookie (blondies) that was equally delectable. We're adding this restaurant to our "must visit" list for every trip to the area going forward.

We then headed to our hotel to crash for a few hours.

Spring training is all about watching baseball, eating and sleeping. Hey, it's all about doing things that help us have the best possible experience. We need our rest and food to fuel our days. Just saying.

Which brings me to dinner... Mike Butcher's sister-in-law has a restaurant (I don't know the extent of her actual involvement) called Aunt Chilada's and we had been dying to try it. We learned about it last year from our friend Joe. We had actually forgotten the name of the restaurant, but when we saw Mike Butcher he was kind enough to tell us the name.

The food here was very good and the chips (specifically the flour chips) were the best "chips" I've ever had. Cheryl had a quesadilla sampler and I had the chicken and spinach enchilada.



How was the food? Let's just say that we were 2 for 2 today and batting a thousand. This is how you do spring training right, folks.

The day in photographs... Included below are Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson X 2, Latroy Hawkins/Jered Weaver/Mike Scioscia/Dan Haren, Jorge Cantu, Jerome Williams, and Chris Ianetta.

Can C.J. Wilson dance?

I saw C.J. Wilson interviewed by KTLA Channel 5 last night and he said, he's "having the best off season of his life." Clearly, being back in his native So. Cal and knowing that he's going to be playing in the O.C. has made Wilson happy.

Normally, you'd like to hear things like "I've had the best off season of my life getting ready for baseball..." Hey, I'm sure he's working hard to get ready for 2012, right? I mean, right?

It's going to be interesting (to say the least) having C.J. Wilson on our team. Let's just hope that he give us more reasons to smile for what he does on the field than he does off it. Just saying.

This is a man with a wide range of interests. He's not your ordinary guy at all. On the surface of it all, I like him - but he makes me a little nervous. I'm warming up to the idea that he's now on the Angels... I mean I hated him when he was a Ranger.

Again... it's going to be interesting.

Late addition: Apparently, C.J. Wilson is not a stranger to dancing...

The feel good story of the year is going to be...

I have wanted to get something off my chest for a while now and that “something” is that I feel good about the kind of season Vernon Wells is going to have this year. Yeah, I said it and I’m feeling good about it too. I know; some of you; heck, a lot of you have your doubts. I have eyes and ears and I’ve read and heard what you’ve had to say.

Angel fans, writers, bloggers, “experts” and the like have had a field day with Vernon Wells since last season. I know a lot of it was justified. Wells did not have the kind of season any of us- including Wells himself, wanted. Some of you even predicted as much and you’re at it again.

If you’re a die-hard Angels fan and you follow the off season news like a tiger tracks its prey, then you’ve read or heard about all the effort Wells has put into the off season. You know that renowned hitting coach Rudy Jaramiillo worked with him all off season. You’ve no doubt heard about Wells’ work-out routine and all the effort he’s putting into making 2011 a distant memory.

And yet… some of you still don’t believe or even worse – don’t want to believe. You'd rather cling to your projections or what the experts are saying.

Well, count me among the believers.

So while some of you are buried away in your rooms working on player projections, I have to ask you – how do you factor in a new swing and approach at the plate in your projections? Can you even do that? Let’s just say that I have my doubts and I’m betting there are things you just can’t project despite your best efforts.

Right or wrong – I’m saying – it’s okay to give Wells a fresh start. He was pretty horrible last year and the most telling stat line for me what the fact that he only hit 15 doubles. He can’t possibly be any worse and I’m willing to bet he’ll be more than solid in 2012.

How can I say that? I have a gut feeling about this and I know that some of you hate “gut feelings.” If you can’t quantify it, you don’t want to think about it, right? Well, life doesn’t always work out the way we think it will or even the way it’s supposed to. I’m counting on that human element in Wells - his desire to be better. He’s clearly on a mission and quite frankly, I want to go along for the ride.

So here’s the bottom line. Vernon Wells has been mocked, ridiculed and put down by everyone from ESPN’s Keith Law to Tim Dierkes of mlbtraderumors.com. He’s an under-dog and I love a good old fashioned under-dog – especially when he works his tail off to get better.

Well is known for his phrase “too blessed to be stressed” and some of you have even taken to mocking that. Shame on you.

I am going on record right now and put myself in Vernon’s corner. When he first signed, I told you I was “all in.” It felt good then and it feels good now. That’s right. There’s no telling how 2012 is going to play out, but this fan wants Wells to succeed in a big way. This is who I am and this is what I do.

Deep down inside, you want to be on Wells’ wagon too, don’t you? You see the same guy I do - a guy who stays positive no matter what; a guy who is putting in the maximum amount of effort to make us all forget 2011.

Albert Pujols is going to grab a lot of headlines this spring and I’m sure he’ll do the same throughout the season. There are a lot of interesting story lines to follow – everything from Kendrys Morales comeback to whether or not Mike Trout will have a chance to make an impact. It’s all interesting and worth noting, but I’m focused on “the feel-good story of the year” – and that’s going to be Vernon Wells.

It’s spring baby. Optimism reigns supreme and I’m giving a huge dosage of my own kind of rose-colored optimism directly to Vernon Wells.

Who’s with me? This is going to be fun.

Basking in the afterglow and other random thoughts

Okay, so you might be wondering… when is True Grich going to have a new blog post? Well, let’s just say that I’ve been basking in the afterglow of the Albert signing and really haven’t had much to say; at least not until now (not that what I’m about to post is earth-shattering or anything).

Fair warning… this post will be totally random at times…

I was asked recently by Sam Miller of the OC Register what move I would make to ensure the Angels overtake the Rangers in 2012. I was participating in a survey of sorts for him and the answers from various bloggers and writers can be found HERE.

My response was “"To me the most important thing is that Kendrys Morales is healthy. That's not really a move or a strategy, but an important component in this year's season. He has to be in the middle of that lineup, hitting behind Albert. :”

"I know most people will say that the Angels need to sign Ryan Madson and that would be a good move, but not my choice. The thing that concerns me the most is the dwindling offensive numbers of Bobby Abreu. He cannot be the Angels DH in 2012. It all hinges on Morales. If he's healthy -- he can DH and they can move Abreu (although unlikely with his contract). If not -- they have to play Mike Trout and let Torii DH."

And that brings me to today’s post.

The news on Kendrys Morales is encouraging. Morales has been cleared to ramp up his rehab activities.

I have to tell you – the whole Kendrys Morales thing makes me nervous. I honestly believe that without him contributing in the middle of the Angels’ lineup – the Angels will have a hard time climbing back on top of the AL West. Until I see him on the field in a game I’m going to be a little anxious about his situation. He’s just too critical to any hopes we have for big things in 2012.

So – even though I’m tremendously excited about Albert as an Angel, I’m not ready to be my normal exuberant self. I need to know that Kendrys is also going to play regularly before I can really dawn my rose colored glasses and go all crazy.

Speaking of Kendrys – I have to tell you something else that weighs on my mind. Let’s say he comes back as a DH and has a monster season. What happens if the Angels get to the World Series? More specifically – how does Morales get in the lineup when the Angels play in a NL city, where there’s no DH? I know, I know – I’m getting way ahead of myself, but the idea of having a key offensive weapon in a DH makes me nervous.

It makes me believe that at some point – Morales might become trade bait. In my fantasy world – Morales would be part of a deal for Evan Longoria, but that’s highly unlikely. If you know me at all, one of the things I hate the most is when fans come up with trades that are about as realistic as Jeff Mathis hitting .300 (ooh, I got a Mathis jab in even though he’s not on the team anymore).

Since I’m venturing into the shady world of speculation (okay, it’s not really shady) – let me bring up a very popular rumor. Yadier Molina is the final year of his contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. They haven’t been able to work out a contract extension as of yet. Molina to the Angels in 2013?

It’s easy to see this one is gaining popularity. Molina will be a free agent in 2013. His best friend is Albert Pujols (reportedly). His brothers have both played for Mike Scioscia. Yadier Molina could be an Angel in 2013.

I have to admit, the idea brings a smile to my face. Molina is easily my favorite catcher to watch. He is an unbelievable defensive catcher and would be a perfect fit in Anaheim.

Speaking of smiling… I’ve been doing a lot of that since Albert signed. I still catch myself feeling a bit stunned and very blessed to know I will get to watch Albert on a regular basis. It just blows my mind.

Since today’s post has lots of random elements to it – let me talk about some other random thoughts I’ve had.

I have a concern about C.J. Wilson. Wilson is happy to be back home and that makes me nervous. Will he have a little too much fun (even though he doesn’t drink, smoke, take drugs, etc.)? I mean he’s going to be surrounding by his friends and all that. Will that hurt his focus? I don’t know Wilson enough to formulate a real answer – but the thought has crossed my mind.

This Sports Illustrated piece made me wonder… In it, Wilson said, “You meet people all the time. But it's harder for me to socialize and go out during the season. And all my friends live in L.A. or New York, so during the season, I'm mostly kicking it by myself.

Ummm, C.J. isn't alone any more. Just saying.

Oh and in case you’re wondering… I know I wasn’t keen on the idea of the Angels going after Wilson, but now that he’s here, I’ve come to accept him as one of us.

It certainly didn’t hurt when I went back to read about what he had say about the fans in Oakland this past year. He said, “I hate pitching there. The mound sucks, the fans suck. There’s no fans there. It’s too bad because the fans that are there are really adamant and they’re really stoked on the team and they play drums and they wave flags and that’s cool. But, you know some games you go there and there’s like 6,000 people there. It’s kind of sad because it’s a major league team and there’s guys out there that are obviously pretty good players.”

That works for me.

While I’m here… every now and then people will ask me for advice about spring training. I usually refer them to a blog post I did about the subject: A fan’s guide to the cactus league. It’s still pretty relevant.

Program note: I have several things that I had planned to write about over the past couple years and never got around to them and I hope to get to them between now and spring training. Some of it may be dated material, but I hope they'll still be interesting pieces. So stay please stay tuned.

Happy New Year and thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog. I'm always humbled when I meet people who tell me that they enjoy this site.

That’s about it for now… 41 days till pitchers and Molina’s report.

Who is Albert?

While most of the baseball world is analyzing and discussing the impact Albert Pujols will have on the Angles, the American League West and baseball as a whole, this blog decided to head off in a different direction.

As a fan, I know I will never have the opportunity to get to know Albert on a personal level and what I know about him will come from what I can find on the internet, experience through the media and watch from a far. Never-the-less, the quest to know the man is something I wanted to take on and I found my answers quite easily and now I'm going to share what I found with you.

Who is Albert?

He has been called the greatest player of our generation; a sure fire-fire, first ballot Hall-of-Famer and yet this is now how Albert wants to be remembered.

He is a three-time National League Most Valuable Player, a nine-time all-star, a two-time Gold Glove winner, a six-time Silver Slugger recipient, a two-time World Champion, and a former Rookie-of-the-Year. These are the kind of rewards that bring tremendous glory to a baseball player and yet- Albert would rather give the glory to someone else.

His nickname is “The Machine” because he does things on a baseball field that go beyond what normal human beings ought to be able to accomplish. He has a career OPS of 1.037, 445 career homeruns, and a career .328 batting average. And yet – Albert is fully aware of just how flawed of a “human” he really is.

Little kids idolize him; grown men and women adore him and his peers may even envy him, but he would rather all of them worship someone else.

Who is this man?

This is his testimony as posted on the Pujols Family Foundation web site:

"Over the last decade my life has radically changed. I went from being a kid with a dream in the Dominican Republic, to playing professional baseball, Rookie of the Year, National League MVP, and winning a Gold Glove and World Championship!

What has not changed is my love for Jesus Christ. In the spring of 1998, my soon to be wife, Deidre, began sharing with me the love of Jesus. My most exciting moment came when I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life. If it weren't for Jesus, I would not be where I am today and my life would be without purpose. I've heard kids say they want to be just like me when they grow up. They should know I want to be just like Jesus."

This is who Albert is.

And this is his statement of faith…

It makes sense for the Pujols Family Foundation website to have information about what our foundation does, our events, and ways to partner with us. We obviously care greatly about people and families who live with Down syndrome, as well as those impoverished families I left behind in the Dominican Republic. But why “Faith?” Why is “Faith” the first word in our mission statement: “Faith, Family and Others?”
The answer simply is because our faith in Jesus Christ is the central point of our individual lives, our marriage, family and Foundation. Take Jesus Christ and faith in Him out of the equation and all those other things would not exist.

People have said to me, “Albert, I would give anything to be able to play baseball like you.” They may look at my abilities and think that being a great baseball player is the goal of my life. Believe it or not, baseball is not the chief ambition of my life. Becoming a great baseball player is important to me, but it is not my primary focus. Because I know the Hall of Fame is not my ultimate final destination.

My life’s goal is to bring glory to Jesus. My life is not mostly dedicated to the Lord, it is 100% committed to Jesus Christ and His will. God has given me the ability to succeed in the game of baseball. But baseball is not the end; baseball is the means by which my wife, Dee Dee, and I glorify God. Baseball is simply my platform to elevate Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I would also rather be known as a great husband and father than an All-Star baseball player. Perhaps one day I could be honored with an invitation into Baseball’s Hall of Fame. That would certainly be a boyhood dream of mine come true, but it is a far greater honor that one day I will be in heaven with God to enjoy Him forever.

How do I know that I will spend eternity with God in heaven? It goes back to the original discussion – Faith. The Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” It is my faith in Jesus Christ’s work in my life that grants me eternal life with God. Nothing more, nothing less. That’s why the mission of this Foundation is “Faith, Family, and Others.” It is because our faith is at the heart of everything we are and everything we do.

We have not yet mentioned the idea of “Others” found in our Mission Statement. This word is an important one as well. Jesus commanded in one of His last recorded statements: “Therefore go and make disciples . . .” You may recall 2006 if you are a Cardinals fan. The season culminated with the first World Series Championship in St. Louis in 24 years. For many FANS, it was the highlight of their year. However, if you asked me about the pinnacle of 2006, you would probably be surprised to learn that winning the World Series or winning my first Gold Glove at first base was not the highlight moment of the season for me. My personal favorite moment during that season was seeing two of my friends and teammates come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. That was the peak of my year! Why are “others” important to us? Because they are important to God. “Others” were important enough for Jesus to die on the cross for them; they are much more important than a World Series ring.

Read his complete statement HERE

The accolades are impressive, the statistics are staggering, the contributions to his community are heroic, but these are not the things that define Albert; what he stands for and who he ultimately serves sets Albert apart from the world in which he lives in. His true reward is beyond this place and he simply wants others to know that they can join him at his ultimate destination. That’s who Albert is and it's extremely fitting that he can call himself an "Angel."

The swagger returns to Anaheim

This is a defining moment for the Angels. Albert Pujols is a once-in-a-generation type of athlete and the impact he can make on a team, a community and baseball as a whole cannot be over-stated in my opinion.

Pujols’ signing with the Angels is stunning news. Take the time to really let it sink in for a bit.

Step away from this post; close your eyes for a few minutes and think about it.

Is your heart beating a little faster?

Yeah, I know just how you feel.

When I heard the news this morning, I was climbing into my car; where I turned on the radio and I heard a voice say “breaking news…” Had I been driving my vehicle I may have very well driven right off the road; instead, I literally ran back into my home to tell Cheryl, who was so overcome with joy tears began to run down her cheeks.

When the rumors first surfaced about the Angels interest in Pujols, I tried to dismiss it. I went to Cheryl and told her about the rumors early on, but both of us agreed we shouldn’t get our hopes up. We had been down this road before; with the likes of Paul Konerko, Mark Teixeira, Carl Crawford, etc., etc.

She’d ask me every now and then if there was any news and every time I read something, I’d mention it – but every discussion ended with “let not get our hopes up.”

Even though we tried not to - we still found ourselves dreaming of the idea of Pujols coming to Anaheim. How could we not? This is what you do when you’re a baseball fan and this was Albert “The Machine” Pujols we were talking about.

I mean he’s been called everything from the “Babe Ruth of our generation” to “the best player in the game today.” When his career is complete – he will most likely rank among the greatest players to ever set foot on a field.

As we all know - the rumors wouldn’t go away and we were slowly getting sucked in.

Yesterday, we took a small step of faith in our own little way. We put on our Angels bracelets. Our idea was that maybe it would bring us luck (even though we aren’t superstitious). More than anything it was a small act of solidarity. I know it sounds like a silly gesture – but it was a small bonding moment for a husband and wife who spend so much time following the Angels.

We aren’t your every-day, run-of-the-mill fans. We devote a lot of time and energy to our favorite team and if you’ve spent any time on this blog, you’d know how true that is. Today is a great day on so many levels for us.

For the past several years we felt frustrated with the Angels inability to acquire an impact bat. We watched a team with championship quality pitching fall short time after time because as good as the pitching has been, it simply wasn’t enough.

All of that changed today.

The Angels have yet to win a game with Albert; let alone play a game, but the expectations just went through the roof.

And let’s just start calling him “Albert.” From this point on – he’s simply Albert; not Pujols, not Albert Pujols, but simply Albert. It just seems fitting.

When I broke the news to Cheryl about Albert coming to Anaheim, I said to her “he’s the best player in the game today and a good man.” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it here once again – we really want to like the players who wear the uniform for the team we cheer for. Albert makes that easy.

We know that we don’t have any control over who plays for the Angels, but when someone this great on and off the field comes to our team – it really has an impact on us.

At some point in time, I’ll get into all of that as it relates specifically to Albert, but today – today, we are simply overwhelmed with joy and trying to put our emotions into words isn’t easy.

When Vladimir Guerrero signed with the Angels prior to the 2004 season, it prompted Cheryl and me to buy season tickets. When Torii Hunter signed prior to the 2008 season, we couldn’t have been happier.

Today, I’m stunned and almost numb. The thought of being able to watch a ball player as a great as Albert on a daily basis is just incredible. I hope I don’t ever take it for granted. I want to enjoy every single moment and savor each memory along the way.

I feel blessed and very lucky today. I get to watch Albert again and again and again. Every time I watch the Angels, I will get to watch Albert. Somebody pinch me.

As I drove to work today I flipped from one national sports radio station to another via SiriusXM and it was surreal to hear the Angels being talked about on a national level. Clearly, it was a new day and as I said at the start of this post – a defining moment.

The national media was going nuts.

Some experts and prognosticators already have the Angels in the World Series. Some were already discussing play-off rotations (after all the Angels also signed C.J. Wilson) and likely matchups with everyone from the Yankees and Red Sox to the Tigers and Rangers were on the table.

It was crazy and sort of thrilling all at the same time. My Angels… the team I grew up watching and cheering for was the talk of the entire baseball world. I loved it and couldn’t get enough.

Don’t get me wrong – the Angels have a lot of work to do and a lot of games to play before we can even talk about how good they are. I’m not predicting anything – because quite frankly most predictions are foolish. Last year – most folks assumed we would see the Phillies and Red Sox in the World Series and we all know how that turned out.

Nothing is guaranteed and I want to keep that in mind. That doesn’t mean I won’t get my hopes up because you can count on that happening for sure. Again, this is what baseball fans do.

As great as this day is – it’s still not as great as that feeling we had in 2002 when the Angels won it all. Titles aren’t won in December and I know that as well as anyone – but the dream of a title just became a little more realistic today. The idea is tangible; the goal seems realistic, but the task will still be difficult.

Winning championships are never easy and that’s probably what makes them so special. It’s all about the journey and our journey just got a little more interesting – it’s the stuff memories are made of.

History may very well be on the horizon; in the mean time, the "swagger" is back in Anaheim.

Are you kidding me?

The news is true - the Angels have signed Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. If you've come here looking for a post from me, please be patient. I will have plenty to say - but just not yet. I need to absorb what happened before I can put my thoughts and emotions into words. This is epic and I want my words to be more than noise... so again - please stay tuned.

So long Jeff Mathis

There’s something great about waking up in the morning and knowing that Jeff Mathis will not be in the Angels lineup in 2012 and beyond (Jeff Mathis was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays).

You could say that such knowledge puts a smile on my face and a little extra pep in my step. You could say the air smells a little cleaner, the sun feels a little warmer and even the bird poop on my windshield looks like a little piece of art. Yes, life is just a little bit better overall.

The collective sigh of relief that Angels fans let out far and wide might have been a cause for the wind storm that hit parts of Pasadena, Monrovia, Arcadia, and beyond last week. Never has there been a trade that made Angels fans this happy and more importantly this relieved.

It’s a new day and the possibilities are endless. This blog will probably be a kinder, gentler place now that Mathis is gone. Now, if they could only get rid of that hideous “Buttercup” song… Then again, I guess you can’t win them all.

So, let’s take a look back and highlight the accomplishments of Jeff Mathis…



… And that about covers it.

In conclusion – let’s just say that I feel your joy Angels fans. Fellow fans emailed me with the news one after another… People I know couldn’t wait to share the good news. Heck, my wife’s cousin Larry, who is a Red Sox fan even sent a note. He remarked how “quick” the trade happened – to which I had to respond... It was a few years later than we wanted!

I’m not going to miss Jeff Mathis, the player. I don’t know Jeff Mathis the person; but I have to believe he too is a little relieved. He gets a fresh start; albeit, the Blue Jays have a very solid and very young (26 in January) catcher in J.P. Arenciba.

As for who Mathis was traded for… does anyone really care?

Christmas has come early and 2012 is looking pretty darn good. Jerry Dipoto, the new Angels’ GM is winning the hearts and minds of Angels fans everywhere with the moves he’s made thus far.

About 72 days till pitchers and catchers report.