The Top Ten things I'd like to see at the 2010 World Series

10. A foot race between Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina. Winner gets a XXXL Antler t-shirt. Loser does a belly flop into McCovey Cove.

9. Nolan Ryan sitting next to Robin Ventura with his arm around his neck. Yes, I know Ventura has never been associated with the Giants, but it’s a funny thought never-the-less.

8. Expanded instant replay. Yes, I had to go there.

7. Steve Perry singing the National Anthem in San Francisco with Barry Zito on guitar. Hey, Zito has to make an appearance in the World Series somehow, doesn’t he?

6. Wouldn’t it be nice to see Brian Wilson of the Giants dressed up as Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys on Halloween? In fact Wilson’s warm up song should be “Don’t Worry Baby” - God only knows how appropriate that would be. Did you like how I incorporated three Beach Boys songs in there? Don’t answer that…

5. Pablo Sandoval doing the Ozzie Smith flip. Then again, didn’t we already have an earthquake during a Giants World Series in 1989?

4. An Ian Kinsler trifecta, where he is hitless, speechless and ring-less. I’m just saying.

3. The look on Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez’s face if the Rangers win. This idea could make for a great Master Card commercial…. Alex Rodriguez's contract: $275 million. Mark Teixiera: $180 million. The look on their faces after the ALCS: Priceless. There are some things money can’t buy.

2. None of the Ranger pitchers going more than five innings. After all, the Rangers bull pen lead the American League in innings pitched. That’s right. Let’s look at the facts and ignore the hype (excluding Cliff Lee).

1. Chuck Norris throwing the first pitch in Arlington and then challenging Kung Fu Panda to a fight. “Kung Fu, eh? Let’s see what you got Pablo!”

Evidence that the Loch Ness Monster is real?

I never thought I’d see this day. I mean seriously; there are a lot of things I thought I’d see before I ever saw the Texas Rangers in the World Series. Things like men landing on Mars or real life video of the Loch Ness Monster seemed much more likely.

I have to tell you. As great a story at this Rangers team might be, I am having a hard time with it. If you’re one of those Angel fans who are happy for Vladimir Guerrero, well then – you’re just a better person than I am. The idea that Vlad could get a World Series ring in Texas after six years without one in Anaheim just isn’t sitting well with me. Call me selfish; call me a jerk; whatever. The idea that it’s even possible for him to win in another uniform is just downright depressing.

Suffice it to say, I’ll be cheering for the Giants.

I admit, it will be hard to root against Bengie Molina, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Let’s face it, I have had to endure way too many Yankee and Red Sox titles lately and even though those are tough to swallow, it’s something I’m familiar with. This whole Rangers in the World Series thing is another matter. It just leaves a sour feeling in my stomach.

I will say this about the Rangers. There’s a certain amount of satisfaction in knowing that Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira had to watch the Rangers celebrate their ALCS win. I mean, I’m sure both guys never thought they’d see the day when the Rangers would do something like that. Every time I think about that, I have to smile. Come on, it has to make you smile too doesn’t it? Here are two guys who left Texas for what they thought was a sure thing (getting to the World Series multiple times) in the Yankees only to lose to them when most people thought that just couldn’t happen. It’s just beautiful and I thank the Rangers for giving me that.

Now, I’m sure if I let myself, I’d find a lot of reasons to root for the Rangers; however, I just can’t go there. You see there are a lot of other things that really bug me about the Rangers.

First of all, what’s the deal with having red uniforms? It’s bad enough that you have a lot of ex-Angels are on your team, but stealing the team colors too? Then there’s the whole disliking Ian Kinsler thing and well, let’s just stop with that. I’d rather not focus too much on the negative today. Let’s just say it’s just easier and a lot less painful to cheer for the Giants.

Speaking of the Giants; one thing I really appreciate about them is that they’re not hung up on contracts. Barry Zito has a $126 million contract and he was left off the post-season roster. Aaron Rowand is in the third year of a five year, $60 million contract and he’s spending quite a bit of time on the bench.

The Giants are clearly about putting the best players on the field and that’s not necessarily something team’s do. I applaud them for that. I’m thinking about Scott Kazmir. Catch my drift Angel fans?

I’m also enjoying the fact that Jose Guillen hasn’t been on the post season roster either. If he was, I’d have a hard time watching the World Series all-together.

Also - I’m really liking the “cast off” image of the team. Guys like Pat Burrell and Cody Ross are good stories. One minute they’re out of baseball and the next they’re on the game’s biggest stage making huge contributions.

Other observations, thoughts and ramblings…

I’m happy that Bengie Molina will get a ring and a nice bonus regardless of which team wins it all. Steve Henson of Yahoo Sports points out that his time with both the Giants and Rangers is going to pay off big time. The Giants voted Molina a full share before the play-offs rolled around.

I loved the way the ALCS ended with Alex Rodriguez looking at strike 3 for the final out of the game. I don’t know what it is about A-Rod but most of my memories of him in the post season over his career are of him leaving his bat on his shoulder for better or worse. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d much rather see a guy try to put the ball in play than just stand there looking for a walk.

On the other hand, I didn’t like the way the NLCS ended because a guy like Ryan Howard should be trying to make something happen instead of watching it happen.

I wonder how much Cliff Lee is going to be offered this off season. I’m guessing the Yankees will offer him all of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and all the Coney Island hot dogs he can eat. I’m hoping he ends up some place other than New York and/or Texas.

This post season has really provided us with some stud pitching. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Tim Lincecum, Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia are as good as there are in baseball. They might be the five best pitchers in baseball not named Felix Hernandez. Remember when Josh Beckett was in their class?

I’ve been trying to look up the pre-season predictions from all the experts to see how many of them had the Giants and Rangers in the World Series.

I started looking last week.

I’m still searching.

ESPN? Nope. Fox Sports? Nada. Sports Illustrated? Negative. This could take a while.

It has to be out there; somewhere, right? Then again...

Isn't baseball great?

Last, but not least – check out Bengie Molina’s blog “Behind the Mask” as he details his emotions of winning the American League and going against his former team.

Not bad; not bad at all

Of all the players from the 2002 World Series team that went on to play for someone else; Bengie Molina is the guy I miss the most. I miss him more than Darin Erstad, Troy Glaus, David Eckstein or anyone else.

Last night he reminded me and all Angel fans why he was so beloved. He had what might have been the biggest hit in the ALCS, a three run homerun to put the Rangers ahead for good in game four.

"It's not a bad job for a fat kid who everyone makes fun of when he runs," smiled Molina, after going 3-for-4 with a homerun and three runs batted in.

Bengie has always played the game with the rare combination of both pride and humility. He never sought the spotlight, but it always found him just the same. I never felt like he was ever overwhelmed by any situation. Most of all I always viewed him as a “clutch” player.

Now, I know some sabermetric types and other baseball folk believe there is no such thing as “clutch hitting,” but as long as this game isn’t being played by robots or computers, I will always disagree. Baseball players are human beings with emotions and voices in their heads that speak to them all the time. You can’t tell me that some players don’t thrive in the “big” moment or game. You can’t convince me that some athletes have a tendency to tense up when the lights are at their brightest and the stage is at its biggest.

Some people want the bat (or ball) in their hands when the game is on the line and some don’t. That doesn’t mean they’re going to succeed all the time; it just means that the moment isn’t too big for them. It’s not something you can necessarilly measure or even project, but it’s often very evident.

Maybe I’m romanticizing the game too much here.

Well, baseball will do that to you. Every big play has the ability to flood your mind with memories, thoughts, emotions and so much more. Baseball is about indelible moments and although it’s easy to get lost in the statistics and numbers associated with the game, it’s those walk off homeruns and suicide squeezes that you remember most. And when certain players seem to step up and deliver in key situations time after time, you remember them for being “clutch.” Imagined or real? It really doesn’t matter.

Watching Bengie Molina last night took me back. It took me back to a time when he was an Angel. I always believed he had the ability to soak in a moment, take a deep breath, settle himself and if necessary – his teammates’ nerves and get down to business. He was always had a calm and steady presence and I’ve always considered him to be a great leader. He’s not necessarily a” raw, raw” type; he just leads by example.

A lot of conversations will take place between now and next season about what a great addition Cliff Lee was to the Rangers’ rotation and rightly so. It should also be noted that adding Molina to the Rangers club house was just as big. He’s that veteran presence that’s been here before and he never gets too high or too low.

Molina also knows full well about the mind set needed to take down a Yankee club in the post season; having lived that experience as an Angel. He knows no fear.

I find it interesting that he could end up in the World Series facing the team that basically gave him away to clear a spot for the potential National League Rookie of the Year; Buster Posey. I would bet Bengie finds that thought more than just interesting. I would bet that the way he was pushed aside hurt just a tad.


Seems to me that during his free agency years he's frequently the guy no team really wants to sign, but ends up being the guy everyone loves to have on their tea. Even still, though he constantly exceeds expectations; he's also taken for granted. He's kind of an after thought, but one that pays off big in the end.

Remember, this is a man with tremendous pride; at least that’s what I’ve gathered after watching him for all these years as a fan. Now, I don’t know Bengie personally and my only interactions with him have come at spring training or before games when he would warm up down by the bull pen and interact with fans, but the impression I always got was that this is a man who plays with confidence and has his own quiet swagger about him.

Everytime I think about him I keep coming back to his pride and humility.

Take the 2006 season when he played for the Toronto Blue Jays. On May 16 of that year his Blue Jays lost to the Angels 8-3, but the thing that probably stung Bengie the most was that Jose Molina (his brother) stole a base against him.

The next night, Bengie tried to return the favor, but was thrown out by Jose. One can only imagine the post game conversation those two might have afterwards. I’m sure Bengie didn’t like being upstaged by his brother, but at the same time I would also believe he got a good laugh out of the whole thing.

He also got the last laugh.

Apparently he didn’t forget that night in May because a few months later on September 9 Bengie got his revenge and stole a base against Jose. Justice was served and order was restored within the Molina family.

Interestingly both Molina’s had only stolen one base all year; not only that, neither tried to steal a base against anyone else the rest of the year.

It was vintage Bengie.

I even loved the way he interacted with fans. He was always kind, cordial and accommodating. He never “big leagued” anyone. He always made time for as many people as possible. There’s something endearing about a guy who’s always approachable and seems to be the same person regardless of whether he’s signing autographs or launching bombs into the outfield stands.

I can even remember a potentially volatile situation at a spring training game in Tempe after the 2002 season. A few of the players were gathered at the tunnel that leads from the field to the club house. Frankie Rodriguez said something that offended a fan who was trying to get someone’s autograph. I don’t know what he said, but I remember this fan going off and saying some things in a pretty angry tone. Frankie looked a little shell shocked, but Bengie was there and gave the fan a “come on man, you’re not serious” look. He said a few things to defuse the situation and everyone walked away just fine.

Bengie has always had a way of putting people at ease; be it on the field or off it. It’s one of the things I love about him.

You see, every memory I have of Bengie is a good one. Last night, he gave me one more.

Post-season baseball brings out the best in all of us

When it became clear the Angels were not headed to the play-offs (was that back in May?), I started hoping the San Diego Padres would win the NL West. I figured I could pull for a team that had Buddy Black as their manager and David Eckstein playing second base.

When the Padres faltered (okay, choked); I looked at the post-season and decided to align myself with the Twins, Rays, Reds and Braves. I wasn’t necessarily picking the teams I thought would win, but rather the teams I wanted to win.

Well, we know how that turned out.

So here we are on the verge (well sort of on the verge, if you count waiting for three days) of the League Championship Series’. What’s an Angel fan to do?

The ALCS is like my worst nightmare.

I can’t cheer for the Yankees and I really can’t stand the Rangers. Yeah, that’s right – I have no love for the team from Texas even if it’s full of ex-Angels. None what-so-ever. Don’t get me wrong, I will always be a huge Bengie Molina fan and I have nothing but the highest regard for Darren Oliver and Vladimir Guerrero. Heck, I even like Darren O’Day and Gary Pettis, who is their first base coach.

It’s just that… well, I can’t stand Ian Kinsler.

If you've followed the “rivalry” between the Angels and Rangers than you obviously know about Kinsler’s “get the bleep off my field” comment from last year. I haven’t forgotten it and every time I think of the Rangers, I think of him spouting off. He just ruins it for me.

I don’t care what Donny Osmond sang all those years ago; for me it’s a clear case of one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch.

Some might argue that I should be loyal to the AL West or the AL in general. I don’t see it that way. If we’re talking about the All-Star game (a game that really matters, don't you know) well then sure, but that’s where my loyalties end.

I just might have to go with an NL team this year. Then again; maybe... just maybe I should go with the team that has the best video? Just watch…









Now aren't you glad you found this blog? I mean come on, where else can you get this kind of analysis and post season coverage?

I know what you're thinking. You've seen all the videos and you've made up your mind. You're thinking "Go Giants!" aren't you? Yeah, me too.

This is play-off baseball and it doesn’t get any better than this.

All bets are off

As much as I’d like to say that I’m enjoying the play-offs, I really can’t do that. Sure, some amazing things have taken place like Roy Halladay’s no-hitter, but I can’t say that I’m scheduling my life around the post-season.

I don’t know, I really don’t get a kick out of watching former Angels like Vlad Guerrero, Darren Oliver, Bengie Molina, Troy Glaus, Orlando Cabrera, etc., etc. doing things for other teams. The truth of the matter is that seeing them in their current roles doesn’t do anything for me at all.

In fact, they serve as a reminder that the current Angels aren’t there and I really hate that like you wouldn’t believe.

I haven’t watched an entire play-off game yet. I’m not saying I won’t – just that I haven’t so far.

Let’s just say I’ve had other things on my mind since last week. Since October 5 to be exact when Bill Plaschke of the L.A Times wrote about Arte Moreno and how mad he was about the season and how he was going to do whatever it takes to make his team one of the elite in the league again.

Let’s just say that this article really got my attention and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

Moreno said the kind of things every fan wants to hear from his owner. Things like “If you want to continue to perform at the highest level, you have to keep building the business," Moreno said. "And that's what I intend to do."

And things like "We know where our weaknesses are, we know where we are thin, we know where we have to go to market," Moreno said. "It's going to cost money, but our fans need to know what we're committed to winning."

More music to my ears: "You're not in the playoffs, you're not a happy person," Moreno said. ''I just don't like losing, and we're going to make adjustments."

Those are the kinds of statements that make me want to cancel the post season and start the Hot Stove season like yesterday. I can’t wait to see what this team is going to do. When I read those statements by Moreno it got me fired up.

Then something strange happened.

I checked out the Angels official page and found an article written by Lyle Spencer on October 3; just two day prior to the on in the LA Times

The headline struck me – “Whole sale changes by Angels not necessary.”

What?

The two articles had completely different tones. In the Spencer piece Mike Scioscia was quoted as saying “I don't think we need to make a lot of changes," Scioscia said, "but we're always looking to improve our club."

Wait. Didn’t I just read… I mean… Are you kidding… Huh?

You know what I love about Arte Moreno? He’s kind of like Colonel Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson) in the movie “A few good men.” He wants to tell you what’s on his mind and if you wait long enough, he’s likely to do exactly that. He’s likely and willing to break company lines and give you the real deal.

Scioscia on the other hand is like one of those guards at Buckingham Palace. No matter what you do or say to them, they’re not going to give you anything. Not a smile, not a wink; nothing.

So here’s the deal and this has been my gut feeling since the season ended. Forget whatever you thought might happen because when most people look at the Angels, they see some obvious holes that need filling. You know things like letting Hideki Matsui walk, making Bobby Abreu the full-time DH next year, etc., etc. You don’t need me to rehash all the scenarios that are pretty much uniform in their thought.

Prepare to be wowed. Prepare to see things no one saw coming. Let’s just say that all bets are off and I’m prepared for anything. I happen to believe Moreno when he says that he hates losing and wants to do something about it.

Now, some might find this alarming. Some might fear that he’s going to do something rash in the heat of the moment and some how make this club worse in the process.

Perish the thought. I get the feeling that Moreno let’s things burn in his belly for a bit and thinks long and hard about how do make things right. I don’t think he’s afraid to go after what he wants and I’m betting he’s asking all the right questions; hard questions and when all is said and done – he’ll have the answers and a plan to put this team back where it belongs.

I want Arte in that place. I want him so angry that he can’t see straight and when he’s done being mad, I want to see him with a laser-like focus and barking out orders to his staff.

Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part. Maybe I’m making this out to be way bigger in my own little head than I should, but then again – it’s just how I feel. I want answers; I want the truth and I’m ready to handle it.

Bring it Arte. Angel fans are looking for a few good men.

Why do you love baseball?

Earlier in the week I asked the question Why do you love baseball? I posted this question on my other blog The Baseball Docent.

Several people have responded and their stories are posted on that site. Every story is unique and entertaining in their own way. Some of the stories may make you laugh and some may make you shed a tear. Some of the stories may even jog a great memory of your own and all of them will probably have you contemplating the question yourself.

I hope you'll take the time to check it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Again, several stories are posted at The Baseball Docent. If the stories inspire you to answer the question yourself - feel free to write down your thoughts and send them to me (contact information is on the blog).

Making a dream come true

Ever wonder what it would be like to work for a major league baseball franchise? Wonder how you make that happen? Well, it’s like anything else worth achieving; it takes hard work and dedication.

A prime example of that is represented in Ryan Cavinder’s story. Who’s Ryan Cavinder? Ryan is a Media Relations Representative with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and he was kind enough to take the time to give us an inside look at what he does, how he got there and what it’s like to be a part of a major league franchise.

Ryan’s family and mine have known each other for years. His grandmother and my mother are like sisters (his dad and I are close in age). I’ve able to follow Ryan’s path to the Angels from afar and was delighted when he agreed to telling his story. So… let’s get to it.

TG: First of all Ryan; I know that you’re an Angels fan. How long have you been a fan of this team and did you have any favorites growing up?

RC: I have been an Angels fan all of my life. I spent most of my childhood in the cheap seats at the Big A with my dad and brother. We would make an annual trip out to spring training with my grandpa and then catch about 20 games or so during the season.

Some of my favorite Angels growing up were Wally Joyner, Luis Polonia, Jim Edmonds and Darin Erstad.

One of my favorite memories comes from one of my all-time favorite Halos. My dad and brother and I would always wait after the games in the parking lot to get players autographs. I was a pretty shy kid, so my brother would get most of the autographs and I’d try my best to follow his lead.

One day Rod Carew, who was the hitting coach at the time, came out and signed a few baseballs on the way to his car. He didn’t have time to sign for everyone, so he said goodbye and left me without an autograph. My brother came away beaming about his signed baseball and I immediately burst into tears.

My dad started to console me as the crowd departed and that’s when I heard a voice from behind me whisper, “Little boy, come here”. There was Rod, waiting to sign my baseball and give me a word of encouragement. Having had the chance to get to know Rod over the past few years has been a special treat for me. He is still the same caring individual he was that evening some 15 years ago.

TG: What is your current role with the Angels and how long have you been doing it?

RC: I am the Media Relations Representative for the Halos and I just finished my third season with the club. My job description covers a wide range of responsibilities, but includes arranging player interviews, producing game information used by writers and broadcasters, traveling with the club on road trips and writing the media guide.

Future Angels Brain Trust (in red)? Ryan is on the far left

TG: How many people do what you do?

RC: There are four full-time staff members in the Media Relations department, including my boss, V.P. of Communications, Tim Mead. Teamwork is crucial in our department as many of our responsibilities require constant communication.

TG: When did you decide that this was the career path you wanted to pursue?

RC: After finishing my senior season of high school baseball, I realized that I did not want to play ball for a living and to be quite honest I was probably not talented enough any way. I love the game so much and I decided I would do whatever I could to be around it. I had a passion for people and for public relations so I decided my dream job would be in the public relations office for the Angels.

TG: How did you make it happen?

RC: When people ask me this question, my answer is always, “A little bit of hard work and a whole lot of luck”. In all honesty, I worked tirelessly to put myself through school at Chapman University where I received the tools necessary to make it in this business.

I was fortunate enough to build some relationships in my time there and those relationships ended up landing me an internship with the club. Once I had my foot in the door I realized how close I was to my dream. I didn’t let anything stand in the way of me and my dream. Two years as an intern paid off as I was offered my current position at the beginning of this calendar year.

TG: I know you had a lot of different jobs through college and while working as an intern. I think it speaks to your desire to make it in the business you’re in. As you look back on those experiences, do you have any thoughts?

RC: I definitely think the many jobs I worked in college and while interning with the Angels taught me a lot about being dedicated to my dream. I had to make sacrifices to get to where I'm at but every one of them has paid off.

TG: Tell me more about your background; did you play any baseball?

RC: I played baseball at Valley Christian High School, a small high school in Cerritos. Though our school only had about 800 students, we had a very successful baseball program. After a brief stint at the University of Arizona, I wound up at Chapman University where I graduated in 2008 with my B.A. in Public Relations and Advertising.

TG: What is a typical day like for you?

RC: It seems like there is never a typical day here at the ballpark, but for a typical home game I arrive at the ballpark in the morning and begin preparing our game notes. Game notes offer our broadcasters and writers specific stats, trends and interesting notes to use in their articles/broadcasts.

On a typical day, we also are busy setting up interviews for our players, both with Fox Sports West (FSW) as well as with radio stations and writers. The better part of the afternoon is spent in the clubhouse where we are available for the players and the media to fulfill any requests they may have.

During the game, we are in the press box assisting the media with their coverage of the game. I’ll normally leave the ballpark about 30-60 minutes after the conclusion of the game. It makes for a very long day but it is incredibly rewarding.

On the road trips I have many of the same responsibilities; however I am the only one to fulfill those duties so it presents a whole new challenge. The up-side to that are the incredible hotels, chartered flights and amazing cities I am able to visit.

While the team is on the road and I am not with them, we (staff) are preparing for the next home stand and assisting the person from our office that is traveling with game notes and such.

TG: What will you do in the off season?

RC: Baseball’s offseason is very short and once you factor in the beginning of free agency, the winter meetings and the holiday season it’s almost time for spring training!

A large amount of our time in the offseason is spent preparing the coming year’s media guide. This offseason will be special as we will be preparing for the 50th anniversary celebration in 2011. We have a lot of special surprises in store and it’s going to be a very exciting year!

TG: What is your role at spring training?

RC: Many of my responsibilities are the same whether in Tempe or Anaheim, but the environment is much different. For instance, on a typical day in Anaheim we may have between 5-10 player interviews; while in Tempe we can have upwards of 20-30. Spring training is heavily covered by the media due to the fact that there are so many teams within a 15-20 mile radius.

This last spring was my first opportunity to be in Tempe for the entirety of spring training and it was a real treat. The relaxed atmosphere out there provides me a great opportunity to build relationships with our players.

TG: Ryan, you are obviously in a position that a lot of people would love to be in. Have you ever had any “wow” moments where you had to pinch yourself?

RC: There have been countless “wow” moments in my short time with the club, many of which I never even dreamed possible. Celebrating with the team in the clubhouse after clinching division titles in 2008 and 2009 most definitely top that list. Being around such baseball greats such as Rod Carew, Vin Scully and Reggie Jackson has also left me saying, “wow.”

TG: What do you do when you are not absorbed in all things Angels?

RC: It’s difficult to truly separate myself from this club, but when I do - I try to spend as much time as possible with my family and friends. I also love to be outdoors and I have a passion for distance running.

TG: Do you have any advice for people looking for a career in baseball?

RC: Never take no for an answer. Persistence is key to making it in this business. It is crucial in this market to take any job that will get you some experience. If there isn’t a job open; go for an internship. If there isn’t an internship available; volunteer. Much like the challenge the players face, you have to be willing to do it for free and prove yourself before anyone will be willing to pay you.

TG: Angel fans know that Tony Reagins (the current General Manager) started as an intern. I believe the Yankees’ Brian Cashman and Red Sox’s Theo Epstein also started that way. Can you envision yourself as a future GM?

RC: I don't envision myself being a GM one day but I would not rule it out. I love that side of this business and have been inspired by the path Tony took.

TG: Anything you’d like to add? A funny story perhaps? How about your first road trip?

RC: My first road trip was a surreal experience. This is the way to travel. I’m a young guy not far removed from college, so the days spent in European hostels and road tripping in the U.S. aren’t far behind me.

The chartered flights, the hotels and the incredible food (and tons of it) are more than a young guy could ask for. As a matter of fact, I gained six pounds on my first road trip. Six pounds in seven days, while working out! Needless to say, it was on that first trip that I learned how to say no.

The only other thing I would like to add is that if anyone would like to get a hold of me they can feel free to reach me at ryan.cavinder@angelsbb.com.

That concludes our interview. I’d like to thank Ryan for his time and insight.

Mike Scioscia returns to "The Simpsons"

This comes to us courtesy of “The Hall of Very Good” blog and is being reposted with permission.

Athletes appearing on "The Simpsons" isn't a new thing.

From Roger Clemens to Yao Ming. Tom Brady to Tony Hawk...the guests stars have run the gamut. But no athlete (outside of the fictional Drederick Tatum) has appeared more than once.

Until now.

Read this from FOX:

In an effort to bolster her resume, Lisa jumps at the opportunity to coach Bart’s little league team, and despite having little understanding of baseball, leads them to a record-winning streak. But when Bart confronts Lisa for taking the fun out of baseball, she benches him from the championship game. Hoping to lift his spirits, Marge spends the day with Bart at an amusement park where MLB manager and former catcher Mike Scioscia (guest-voicing as himself) reminds Bart of his genuine love of the sport. Meanwhile, with one last chance to win the game, Lisa makes an unexpected call and learns that there is more to sports than winning in the all-new “MoneyBART” episode of "The Simpsons".

So that begs the questions...will this Sunday's episode make reference to the series' famous "Homer at the Bat" episode where the then-Dodgers catcher (turned Angels all-time winningest manager) Scioscia was hospitalized due to radiation poisoning?

Will this open the door to us finding out whatever happened to Ozzie Smith after he disappeared while visiting the Springfield Mystery Spot?

More importantly...is anyone still watching The Simpsons?

Okay, so this is what Mike Scioscia is up to this off season? Well, when you think about it; this past season certainly had a lot of “doh!” moments, so this is certainly appropriate. I mean every time Erick Aybar (or Gilligan as I like to call him) did something goofy, I felt like saying "doh!."

I just never figured Scioscia could get a job doing voice over work given how awful his Howard's Appliances radio ads are. But what do I know?

Hmm. Another thought - I bet Bart Simpson could out hit Jeff Mathis. Just saying.

Thanks again to The Hall of Very Good for letting me repost this.

80-82

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

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

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

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

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

Let the Hot Stove Season begin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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





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

More:





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

Comings and goings

Seems like the Angels have been making a lot of news of late and trust me, it’s not because of their play on the field (even though it’s been good this week). I don’t normally recap a lot of news, but today I decided to take some time to update True Grich readers about what’s been going on.

The Goings:

Scot Shields is contemplating retirement. He hasn’t announced anything official, but he’s definitely thinking about it.

This from the LA Times blog: "I would say probably," Shields said before the Angels' game against the Oakland Athletics Tuesday night. "There's a business and a personal side of it. From the business side, you look at the bullpen and you can see all the young relievers they have coming up.

"On the personal side, your family comes first, and I've missed too much of my life with them. It might be time to go home."

I have mixed emotions about this one. On one hand I think it’s probably time for Shields to “go home.” On the other hand, it’s a sad day. Shields who was named “Setup Man of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated earned that title for good reason.

Last night I wore Dan Haren’s name and number on my back; in retrospect, I should have worn Shields’ t-shirt as a tribute to his contributions over the years. When you think about it; he had a thankless job. When he was great, everyone took him for granted and when he failed, Angel fans came down pretty hard on him. Heck, I even blogged about his crappy season this year.

Also leaving; the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. No, they’re not leaving the Epicenter, they’re leaving the Angels. They’re dumping the Angels for the Dodgers…

"The Dodgers are one of the most prestigious teams in all of sports and we are excited to begin our partnership with them in Rancho Cucamonga," said Quakes Managing Partner Bobby Brett.

Are you kidding me? The Dodgers used to be one of” the most prestigious teams,” but not any more (in my opinion). Then again, when you only draw 2,099 for the championship game of the Cal League something had to give.

I’ll miss going to the Epicenter. Hopefully, the Angels will land at a nice facility next year; although I have no idea where that might be right now. The two obvious choices are Bakersfield (former home for the Reds’ Single A affiliate) and San Bernardino (which was the Dodgers’ Single A home). I have to say neither one of them appeals to me much.

Next up: File this one under “I didn’t see this coming:”

It appears that the Director of Scouting for the Angels, Eddie Bane is on his way out.

The story broke via Twitter by John Manuel of Baseball America and was confirmed by the O.C. Register’s Dan Woike.

I always got the impression that Bane was highly regarded; so this news comes as a bit of a surprise. He was most recently a candidate for the General Manager’s job in Arizona that went to Kevin Towers.

Bane drafted the likes of Nick Adenhart, Mike Trout, Hank Conger, Jordan Walden and others. I’ll be curious to see if we learn more about the “why” in the coming days.

The Comings…

Mark Whicker of the OC Registers believes that Mike Trout come be up with the big club as soon as next season. Whickers points to current youngsters like the Cubs’ Starlin Castro (age 20); the Braves’ Jason Heyward (just turned 21) and the Marlins’ Mike Stanton (age 20) as examples of young guys who took the fast track to the bigs.

It’s easy to get excited about Trout. All you have to do is read what all the experts who rate prospects have to say about him or just see him play for that matter to start believing he’s coming soon.

Trout’s progress will be fun and exciting to watch. He could be that rare talent that arrives early and if he does – it could make the Angels outfield situation interesting as well. His natural position is center field which is currently occupied by Peter Bourjos and recently occupied by Torii Hunter.

I speculated in my last post that Trout’s anticipated arrival could mean Bourjos could be used in a trade (an idea my wife really got upset with me for even mentioning).

Also coming? How about Adrian Beltre.

Rob Bradford of WEEI talked with Beltre recently and Beltre told him, "I'll see what's best for me and my family," Beltre explained. "This year I was selfish enough, coming to the East Coast, knowing my wife was pregnant and she would be away from me basically for the whole year. This year is going to be more a family thing. It's been tough. I haven't seen family like l wanted to. We're going to settle down, discuss it, and see what's best for us."

Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports' Hardball Talk seems to think that the Angels are a natural fit for him.

Beltre is one of those guys who really seems to polarize baseball fans. Some are sure he’s likely to be a bust once he signs a big contract and others look at him as a viable piece for upgrading an offense and defense (myself included).

I’ll admit that when I first thought about the possibility of Beltre coming to Anaheim, I immediately dismissed it, but once I really looked at his statistics I found them to better than I thought and warmed to the idea.

The idea of Beltre possibly coming to Anaheim makes sense when you factor in what Tony Reagins told Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles: "You always have to take account of how the finances work, but we're not limited financially in any way," Reagins said. "Whatever we need to do that makes sense and that's reasonable, we'll address."

Saxon recaps the Angels recent organizational meetings in his blog; which had one noted absentee in Arte Moreno.

Saxon quotes Reagins who summed the two days by saying "We need to get better in every aspect of what we do," Reagins said. "That's pretty much the tone of the meeting."

Also coming; well sort of…

Mark Trumbo got a start in right field today. The OC Register’s Woike quoted Mike Scioscia as saying “We definitely want to take a look out there. In drills, he’s great, but you want to put him into a game and see how he reacts to the ball off the bat,” Scioscia said. “It just helps us an evaluation tool. It gives us a baseline.”

I only wonder why it took so long for the Angels to start playing Trumbo. If he can live up to expectations he would solve a lot of the Angels woes.

Finally, file this one under “Long gone.” Even still, his 2010 season is the gift that keeps giving…

Rob Munstis from The Bottomline Red Sox blog writes “The Red Sox were officially eliminated from the playoffs last night.”

“I find it fitting that John Lackey was on the hill for this moment. Sure he pitched well last night (6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 K) but you know what?”

“Too little too late Johnny-boy. I don't blame you for signing for $18 million per year... I blame Theo for that. But 13-11 with a 4.47 ERA, a 1.43 and a .280 opponent batting average?”

Well Rob, I feel your pain; however, I can’t say that Angel fans miss Lackey much given his subpar year. In fact, most of us are taking great delight in his subpar 2010 performance.

Just saying.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction

Last week I tried to answer the question of how the Angels got here? “Here” now meaning in third place and eliminated from the American League West pennant hunt. (By the way, I can’t tell you how much I hated writing that last sentence just now).

So, it's now September 27 and there are only three home games left in the season. I imagine that most Angel fans have a million things going through their minds right about now and most of that is most likely about how does the organization move forward?.

Believe it or not, I have some random and maybe not so random thoughts/questions of my own on the subject at hand. These aren’t necessarily the typical thoughts of an Angel fan, but then again – maybe they are. You tell me.

As we enter this important off season, I have to wonder if the Angels will ever do business with Scott Boras again. We all know how badly the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes went in 2008 and it appears that Boras may have burned his bridge to Anaheim forever.

Prior to the Teixeira negotiations taking place we heard that he and Arte Moreno had a great relationship. Boras was known to have season seats at Angel Stadium and it was reported that the two even had lunch together now and then.

Somewhere between sharing sandwiches and Teixeira signing a contract in New York something went wrong and a promising relationship soured (to put it mildly).

That point was hammered home when the Angels avoided any and all free agents in 2009 that were attached to Boras. Which begs the question: Was this a one time act or will the Angels do the same this year and in years to come?

If the Angels are in fact done with Boras that would put an end to any hope we might have in seeing Adrian Beltre (who is represented by Boras) in an Angels uniform next season. To make matters worse, it calls into question the future of Kendry Morales and Jered Weaver (who are also Boras clients) in Anaheim.

Boras really doesn’t have any other significant clients hitting the market in 2011 (unless you believe that Johnny Damon and/or Manny Ramirez have something left in the tank). Edit: Since writing this, I discovered that Jayson Werth is also a Boras' client.

Regardless of how anyone feels (good or bad) about Brandon Wood and/or Alberto Callaspo, it’s clear the Angels have a need at third base. If they don’t pursue Beltre at all, that might tell us a lot about the organization’s relationship or more importantly – Arte Moreno’s relationship with Boras.

Another thought. The Angels seem to have depth in all the wrong places. I know we shouldn’t get too excited about anyone who is a prospect, but it appears to me that Mike Trout is for real and he’s coming; maybe not this next year, but soon. The problem is he’s a center fielder and the Angels seem to have written Peter Bourjos in as the every day guy there. A fact made more evident by Torii Hunter’s move to right field.

So… what happens when Trout arrives? The easy solution would be to move one of them to a corner, but how do you do that if Hunter is in right and say someone like Carl Crawford is in left? I know I’m getting way ahead of myself here with the Trout scenario (and with Crawford), but this is the kind of stuff that wanders through my mind as I’m watching the Angels getting swept by the White Sox.

Let me add this – don’t be surprised if Bourjos is moved. Even though I’d hate to see that happen; I wouldn’t be stunned if Hunter was back in center and the Angels added some offense in both corner outfield positions (knowing Trout is not far away).

And then there’s Mark Trumbo. Word is he’s going to play some outfield in winter ball. Okay, sounds good – but again, how does a guy like Trumbo get a shot if someone like Carl Crawford is in left and Hunter is in right?

Is Trumbo going to be an insurance policy for Kendry Morales or a back up DH plan for either Bobby Abreu or Mike Napoli? Or is he going to have to go back to Salt Lake City for another year of AAA ball? You’d think a guy who has hit 36 homeruns with a career high .945 OPS doesn’t have anything left to prove there, wouldn’t you? Do you let him languish on the bench?

The more I think about it, the more puzzled I become. How do you decide between a free agent and a prospect when you need to fill a need at a certain position? It’s all kind of fuzzy despite the Angels having a history here. Everything that might happen impacts whatever happens after that.

The Angels have demonstrated time after time that they’re willing to let productive players walk in order to fill that position with a prospect they believe is ready. Granted those decisions haven’t always panned out (and no I’m not going to revisit any of them yet again).

I will say that the failures of Dallas McPherson and Wood have probably made it all the more difficult for guys like Trumbo to get a fair shot. Given the Angels track record, that history lesson is apt to make anyone gun shy.

More thoughts…

I’d sure like to meet the guy who is responsible for tagging Howie Kendrick with the “future batting champ” label. I’d not only like to know who that was, but ask him if he still holds that belief in his head.

As I look around the league, there seems to be a lot of mediocre second basemen out there. And you know what? Kendrick is one of them. There I said it.

This begs yet another question in my mind. Should the Angels trade Howie Kendrick? Look, I like Kendrick, but the Angels have to get better some how and the free agent landscape looks a little weak. They may need to get a little creative this off season. The wait and buy attitude of 2009 didn’t pan out so well. Time for a change.

The way I see it, if you’re going to have a mediocre second baseman, might as well make it Alberto Callaspo. Besides, the Angels have a 21 year old named Alexi Amarista who put together a pretty good minor league season (between Rancho Cucamonga, Arkansas and Salt Lake City) coming along.

Callaspo is the kind of hitter the Angels have been successful with. Even though he doesn’t walk a ton, he doesn’t strike out much either. In fact, he’s among the best at not striking out (just 7.3% of the time). He puts the ball in play and that goes hand in hand with the Angels offensive philosophy. Seems to me that he’s a better fit for what the Angels like to do than Kendrick is. He’s the prototypical #2 hitter, something the Angels have been waiting for Kendrick to become.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Callaspo is anyone to get overly excited about but neither are most of the second basemen in the league. I don’t think the difference between Callaspo and Kendrick is all that great (they’re even the same age) and yet – I think someone like Kendrick has value in a trade to another team.

The other question/thought I have is regarding Erick Aybar. Is he the guy who hit .312 or the guy hitting 58 points below that at .254? Is he something in between? More importantly is this really the Angels answer at short stop for the next few years?

Aybar has committed 20 fielding errors (he’s tied for 4th most in baseball). If there was category for base running blunders, he’d probably be among the league leaders for that too. My beef with Aybar isn’t the talent because it’s clear there’s a lot of that there. I have a problem with his focus. Anyone who has spent any amount of time watching Aybar play ball knows exactly what I’m talking about. I call him Gilligan for a reason.

So what am I talking about here? My thoughts (as random as they appear to be) do have a purpose. I’m thinking this off season may be unlike any other in team history. I think that it may be the most active off-season we’ve ever seen. I’m not talking about just signing free agents. I’m talking about the team making significant deals as well.

let's just say I will not be surprised if the 2011 roster looks significantly different than this year’s.

Last thought of the day. Some people (crazy ones) have the opinion that Mike Scioscia needs to go. There are a few people out there (again, crazy ones) who believe Scioscia has worn out his welcome and that maybe he’s lost the players.

If that were the case (and I don’t believe it is), I’d rather look for new players than get rid of Scioscia. He’s that important to the Angels success in my opinion and on that note, I’ll sign off for today.

True Grich goes Yahoo!

Today's post has a little different twist to it. You won't actually find it here on this site. Let me explain...

I was asked by Kevin Kaduk (Duk) of Big League Stew to write a little something about the Angels' 2010 season. It's actually a "Dear John" letter and you can find it here: Dear Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It was actually posted there yesterday and I'll have something new for this site later today.

I'd like to thank Duk for the opportunity to write something for Yahoo! and welcome any readers visiting this blog for the first time. Please be sure to check out my other blog The Baseball Docent - Taking you on a tour of all things baseball. It is very much a work in progress, but I have some cool things cooking that will be up on that site in the near future.

In the mean time - let me again welcome any new folks to this blog. I hope you'll be back for more. If you're a regular reader - thank you too! Here's to hoping for a great Angels off season. Whatever happens or doesn't happen, you can count on me blogging about it here.

The view from down low

Last night was indicative of the Angels’ season. It’s not just that they lost, it’s about how they lost. They lost because their defense failed to execute and the result of that poor effort was two unearned runs and 2-1 Rangers victory.

The last two nights Cheryl and I decided to get some tickets down on the field level and we sat 20 rows behind the Angels dugout on Tuesday and 12 rows behind it on Wednesday.

What did we see?

Let’s start with Tuesday night. Ervin Santana was magnificent. He held the Rangers in check all night long on his way to a complete game shut out. I don’t know about you, but anytime the Angels shut out the Rangers, it makes me smile and Santana’s win was reminiscent of his division clinching performance last year against this same team.

Thank you Ervin and congratulations on your career high 17th win. You guaranteed us not having to see the Rangers eliminate the Angels from the pennant race on our home field. I know it’s a small victory, but I’ll take it. I would not have been able to stomach Ian Kinsler popping champagne in our house.

As great as Ervin was, the highlight of the evening was watching Hank Conger. I can’t wait for the day when he’s the every day catcher and Jeff Mathis is a distant memory. Granted, I’ll probably have nightmares about Mathis for the rest of my life, but as long as I’m able to wake up in a world where Conger is the catcher, I’ll deal with it.

Watching Conger motor around the bases on his triple was just fun to watch. The kid is a beast and I mean that in the best way. He’s going to hit a ton once he gets comfortable and he gives all Angel fans something to look forward to.

I have to tell you it’s still strange seeing Vladimir Guerrero, Darren Oliver and Bengie Molina in opposing team colors. Of the three, I miss Molina the most. He’s easily one of my all-time favorites. When he was an Angel I had tremendous confidence in him every time he came to bat in key situations. He was the anti-Mathis in that he was extremely clutch.

In any case, it was a quick night. The game only lasted two hours and twelve minutes. Wouldn’t you know it, given our great seats. Oh well, we were grateful never-the-less given our late night adventure in Rancho Cucamonga the night before.

Wednesday night was down right frustrating. Cheryl and I got a bird’s eye view of Frandsen’s throw that went sailing into right field. It wasn’t even close. Let’s just be clear about Frandsen. He is not now; not has he ever been; nor will he ever be a quality third baseman. Let’s stop trying to make him into something he doesn’t have the capacity to accomplish.

In his brief stint at the major league level this year, I’m sure he has cost the Angels 3 or 4 games with his poor defense.

And then there’s Jeff Mathis. Maybe I should stop here before I say something I may regret. Nah, that wouldn’t be my style. I guess I'll try to temper my thoughts as much as possible.

The passed ball that cost the Angels the win was his sixth of the year. Now, you might think six passed balls is a lot, but think about this; there are 18 catchers with at least six passed balls. Of that group only four have caught fewer innings than he has, but none of them are being touted by their manager as being some sort of defensive genius.

His fielding percentage of .985 ranks as the 98th worst in major league baseball among all catchers. His seven errors ranks as 8th most even though he’s caught 100 less innings than the closest player above him with more errors. Imagine what kind of stats he’d have if he actually played more.

I’m as done with Jeff Mathis as anyone can possibly be. He has caused me more angst than Steve Finley, Shea Hillenbrand and Jeff Weaver combined and that’s saying something.

Speaking of angst, watching Juan Rivera up close the way we did made me appreciate how truly slow he really is. Watching him mosey in from right field after every inning was almost comical. I’m positive Bengie Molina could dust him in a foot race.

I will say this about good ol’ Tub of Goo though – he did get on base four times. He had two singles and two walks. The funny thing about the eight hits the Angels did get last night is that they all came at the hands of just four players, each of whom had two hits (Mike Napoli, Howie Kendrick, Rivera and Reggie Willits).

Did I mention Mathis was 0-4? Did I mention that he’s now hitting .189? Yes, I know Brandon Wood is just as bad this year, if not worse, but Mathis is in his sixth season. But, I digress…

Dan Haren Struggled. He threw 114 pitches over seven innings, but to his credit he battled and gave his team a chance to win.

Torii Hunter looks worn out. He left three men on base and even hit into an inning ending double play just when it looked like the Angels might make a game of it.

Jordan Walden hit 100 mph last night in route to a 1-2-3 8th and the rest of the bull pen did a fine job with the possible exception of Matt Palmer who took the loss with help from Mathis.

Before I stop writing about Jeff Mathis, I have to tell you that I had a revelation today. I think I might have figured out why Scioscia continues to play him despite all the evidence against that idea.

Scioscia is the pitch man for Howard’s Appliances. Howard’s sells TV’s. When people watch Jeff Mathis on television, they’re apt to get so disgusted that they’ll throw things at their sets. Think about it. They break their TV’s and have to replace them. Where do they go? They go to Howard’s. It’s a brilliant idea, don’t you think? That has to be the explanation.

Speaking of things I’m trying to figure out…

Kevin Jepsen(much to my surprise) looked good last night (1 inning, no hits, 2 K’s). That being said, I’m not sure how he was anointed as the set up man. He scares the crap out of me. I’m so used to him putting two or thee men on base every time he comes into the game that when he doesn’t I’m stunned. Scioscia’s loyalty towards him is almost Mathis-esque. That 1.43 WHIIP is alarming His walk rate per nine innings is up from 3.13 in 2009 to 4.70 in 2010. On the positive side, he is striking more people out, but the big concern is his control.

One last thing, we noticed that Scot Shields wasn’t in the bull pen at all during the game and he was hanging out in the dugout instead. Is he done? I mean, many of us have assumed that’s he’s done “stuff” wise, but is he physically done? In some ways this is kind of sad, if true because he’s the last remaining player linked to the 2002 World Series team.

And on that note, I’ll just say that all in all it was an enjoyable two nights down on the field level. This weekend we’ll be back in our regular seats.

Below are a few more photos from the game on Tuesday; including Mike Napoli going yard, Bobby Abreu having some fun, Jordan Walden throwing some heat and Hank Conger warming up.

Major League Dreams on a Minor League Field

When our heads hit our pillows last night it was nearly 1:00 a.m. Cheryl and I had traveled nearly 120 miles round trip to see a minor league baseball game even though a perfectly good major league game was taking place just down the road.

You see Cheryl and I have become accustomed to winning and our expectation is to see post season baseball every fall. So off we went to Rancho Cucamonga to see the fifth and final game of the California League Championship between the Quakes and the San Jose Giants.

I don’t know about anyone else, but every time we go to a stadium we go knowing we might see something we’ve never seen before and might not ever see again. The anticipation of what might happen fuels or adventures.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any magical moments last night and the Quakes failed to win the game, but as I sit here on the train headed off to work early Tuesday morning; dead dog tired, I can honestly say I don’t have any regrets and would gladly do it again. So would Cheryl.

Even though we only made it to three Quakes games this year, we came away last night with a sense of disappointment; the kind of disappointment one experiences when they’re totally invested in something that doesn’t work out. We didn’t know a lot of the players names prior to going and even now I can only remember a few; however, the affinity we have for the team is real because they’re part of the Angels family. Most of the players we saw will never set foot in a major league ball park. For many of them, Rancho Cucamonga will be the last stop in their quest for a career in baseball.

I’m sure that for some last night was the biggest game of their lives and even though they should be proud of getting to the championship, the memory of not winning it all will likely stay with them forever.

The Quakes had their chances last night, but as is the case with just about every minor league game I’ve ever seen (not that I’ve been to that many), there’s a reason they call it “minor.” The play on the field is every bit that at times. Even the umpiring is suspect at times.

Last night the umpires had to meet after controversial plays on three occasions to discuss what had happened. In all three cases, they changed the call. Imagine that happening at the major league level. That doesn’t even include the obvious calls they missed and didn’t discuss.

The strike zone was a mystery and you had to wonder if the umpires were actually watching the same game at times. Their poor performance definitely factored against the Quakes, but it wasn’t the sole reason they fell short of a title.

Despite it all, it was baseball; good old fashioned baseball. It’s a shame that only 2,099 people managed to attend a championship game. I don’t understand why more people don’t make the effort to get to Rancho Cucamonga or any minor league park for that matter to take in some baseball.

Yes, you will see more passed balls, wild pitches, errors and routine plays that aren’t so routine than you ever will at the major league level, but you will also see players who are truly headed in the direction of a promising career and play that can be outstanding at times.

The most expensive ticket I could have purchased last night would have been $12, but even our $8 seats were fantastic. When we were there Saturday, we bought tickets that were just two rows from the field and directly across from third base. It was actually too close for us and we ended up moving up to higher seats for better photo opportunities, where there was no screen to protect us or mess with the auto focus on our camera.

The atmosphere is unlike anything you will ever experience. It’s fun, it’s interactive, it’s kid friendly and you are guaranteed to laugh and smile all game long. The mascots (Tremor and After Shock), the cheer leader (Crazy J) and even the music they play during the game make the experience memorable.

And then there’s the players... Cheryl and I know that we saw someone special in Mike Trout. His play stands out and even though it’s a long way from Single A to the major leagues, it appears (at least to us) that he’s on his way.

Last night he had two hits, was walked intentionally, got hit by a pitch, stole a base and scored 2 runs. He wasn’t quite as dynamic as he was Saturday night, but he was fun to watch just the same. He’s the kind of player who would do anything to win a game. Mike Scioscia is going to love having him on his roster one day.

When the Giants recorded the final out and began to celebrate on the field, Trout was stranded at third base. He represented the tying run in the bottom of the 10th inning. He had just been hit by a pitch, stole second base and then advanced to third on the throwing error. He was 90 feet away from tying the game and keeping hope alive.

As the Giants celebrated, Trout watched. We heard a lady in the stands imploring him not to look. I don’t know what she was thinking, but in my mind I’m glad he soaked it all in. I have a feeling the image of the Giants celebrating on his field will be etched in his mind and serve as motivation for him. I want him to remember last night and I hope he has a fire in his belly to not only get to the major leagues, but more importantly to be a champion.

Cheryl and I love baseball, but we love championship baseball even more. We look forward to the day when we can watch Mike Trout in October; in Anaheim on the biggest stage in the world. If and when he has a chance to raise a World Series trophy above his head, Cheryl and I will remember last night and cheer with pride, knowing Mike Trout learned something about winning on a Monday night in 2010. We will know that last night served as motivation for something bigger and even though we don’t know Trout on a personal level, we will have shared the experience with him in our own way. We will also know that the sleep we lost will have been worth it.

See you in Anaheim Mike Trout; see you real soon.


(Please note this post can also be found at The Baseball Docent. Posts from this blog will only appear on that site when appropriate).

Well, how did we get here?

There’s a song by the musical rock group Talking Heads that starts out like this…

You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
You may find yourself in another part of the world
You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
You may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
You may ask yourself: well... how did I get here?

Well, I imagine there’s been many a morning this season when the Angels woke up wondering to themselves; well - how did we get here?

Fear not, I have the answers.

When the 2009 season ended, the Angels were two games away from going to the World Series. A couple of breaks here or there and the Angels might have found their way to their second world championship. Today they find themselves on the verge of being mathematically eliminated (the elimination number is 4) from the Western Division title discussion.

It seemed logical that this team would be back to make another run at a title even with the pending free agency of five key players.

We knew that Vladimir Guerrero, John Lackey, Chone Figgins, Bobby Abreu and Darren Oliver would be free agents and we knew the likelihood of the Angels retaining all five would be highly unlikely. Most assumed they would keep some of them and everyone from radio talk show hosts to the fans themselves talked about how important last year’s off season would be.

Funny that a year later, the upcoming Hot Stove season is viewed (once again) as possibly THE most important off season for the Angels in recent history. Again, how did we get here?

As four of the players( who were all corner stones of the team) found their way out the door, it became apparent that the Angels would have to adjust and regroup. As we look back at that time – I think we can say the Angels made a reasonable attempt to do the right thing in some cases and totally missed the boat on others.

One of the first mistakes the organization made in my opinion was handing Bobby Abreu and two year contract at $9 million per with an option for a third year. Abreu signed that deal on November 5, 2009 which was quite early in the Hot Stove Season.

Abreu had a fabulous 2009 season, but let’s keep in mind that he had something to prove last year. Players often play above and beyond expectations when they’re auditioning for a new contract. Besides, he’s older than Yoda and regression is a way of life even for a Jedi Warrior.

That contract might not have been so bad had Abreu been penciled in as the every day DH to take over the role that belonged to Vlad Guerrero. However, that didn’t’ end up being the case – instead, he would continue in his role as the every day right fielder. That should have been the first clue that this team was in trouble.

Abreu is a player of diminishing defensive skills (to put it kindly). Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe he ever had any defensive skills what-so-ever. Sometimes it’s as if he’s running on ice and to make matters worse, he extends his glove like he’s hailing a cab. Not the best technique when trying to snare line drives and fly balls. He runs bad routes and looks like a guy who couldn’t pass a sobriety test.

To make matters worse, this year he became a player of diminishing offensive skills as well. Anyone who believed Abreu would continue to hit the way he did in 2009 for another year, let alone two or three had to be somewhat delusional. Abreu is currently hitting 38 points below his 2009 average of .293 and 32 points lower than his 2009 OPS of .825.

To be fair Abreu’s decline was somewhat predictable; however, no one anticipated him falling as much as he did. FanGraphs projected him at .289 with a .816 OPS.

With one of the five signed, Angel fans waited to see what would happen next.

The first domino from the 2009 roster to fall was Chone Figgins who signed a 4 year $36 million deal with Seattle Marines on December 8, 2009. Figgy cashed in on a pretty good 2009 campaign. It appears the Marines are fond of third basemen coming off career years and then signing them to large contracts (see Adrian Beltre).

The Angels unwillingness to match Figgy’s salary demands seem to pave the way for Brandon Wood to take over at third base. Besides, Angel fans had grown weary over Figgy’s post season numbers (which were horrible) and most were willing to see him walk away; especially for the price the Mariners paid.

In stepped Brandon Wood. Now, mention Brandon Wood to most Angel fans and you’re likely to get an ear full. You’ll get the full range of emotions on that topic. Everything from anger to frustration to hysterical laughter is the norm when talking about Wood.

All that being said, the idea of putting Wood in as the every day third baseman made all the sense in the world. He had nothing left to prove at the minor league level. He was also joining a lineup where he would hit last and the expectations weren’t exactly sky high. FanGraphs seemed to project reasonable numbers. CHONE and ZIPS both predicted 20 homeruns and a batting average around .245.

Well, we all know what happened there. Wood’s failure was monumental. Matthew Pouliot of HardballTalk talked about how Wood’s 2010 performance could end up ranking as the lowest of any player in the expansion era.

I don’t think anyone saw that coming. Sure, some Angel fans will tell you they did, but the reality of it all is no one saw Wood failing to catastrophic levels. No one.

On December 14, 2009 the Angels signed Hideki Matsui for $6.5 million. It was a very significant day in the history of Angels baseball in that it spelled the end of Vlad Guerrero’s six years in Anaheim.

Guerrero signed a one year deal with the Texas Rangers for $9 million plus a one year mutual option on January 11, 2010.

Message boards and sports talk shows have had their hands full with this one. Matsui was coming off an MVP performance in the 2009 World Series. Vlad was coming off his worst season since becoming a full time player in 1998. There was talk that his bat speed was slowing down and that his knees and body was giving out.

It made perfect sense to let him walk. Only those with an emotional attachment to Vlad questioned the move. The logic to say so long was overwhelming.

Well, logic doesn’t always factor into the real world (a topic for another day).

The late Rory Markas once tabbed Vlady a “Proud Warrior.” And apparently, Markas’ insight into Vlad’s character was dead on. Vlad is having what will likely earn him “Come back player of the year” honors this season.

He’s slowed a bit in the second half; however, even though his OPS dipped to .622 in July after being as high as 1.049 in June) he is finding his groove once again down the stretch with a .897 OPS in September (through 16 games).

Did the Angels let Vlad walk too soon? That does appear to be the case; never-the-less, the move made sense at the time and I can’t fault the Angels for going down this road. Despite his strong year, I don’t think Guerrero would have made enough of a difference for the Angels this year. Heck, Albert Pujols may not have even made a difference.

Matsui has been an acceptable DH for the most part, but his addition to a lineup that included players as un-athletic as Abreu and Juan Rivera was problematic. I made my concerns known back in December (twice) about both the possibility of adding Matsui and again when it became a reality.

I didn’t like the idea of adding any old, slow moving players. That being said, if you look at the Vlad/Matsui situation objectively I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe the Angels did “ok” here even though Vlad gets an edge offensively.

In fact, when Matsui is set loose this off season – it will be hard to replace his offensive production. The 20 homeruns and 79 RBI he has so far will be missed and the Angels will need to make up that offensive production some how.

Moving on…

December 16, 2009 will forever be remembered as the day John Lackey became dead to me. It’s the day Lackey signed a 5 year, $82.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.

John Lackey was on his way to becoming one of my all-time favorites, but all that went out the window the day he signed with the one team that has been the most responsible for Angel fans’ post-season misery.

As bad as this loss seemed at that time, I have to say it is another situation where I don’t blame the Angels one bit for letting Lackey walk. $82.5 million? Really? I think it’s important to note that Lackey has a 4.63 ERA with the Red Sox; that’s his highest ERA since 2004. He doesn’t have any complete games this year, and his strikes outs per nine innings is the lowest it has been since 2002. On top of all that, Lackey has given up 219 hits this season; tied for the second most in baseball.

The list of career lows (I only scratched the surface above) for Lackey is significant. Lackey will be 32 in October and it appears that he’s on the downside of his career. He is not going be worth any where near $82.5 million over the lifetime of his contract.

So… if you’re one of those Angel fans who love to criticize the Angels for letting Lackey walk – I have three words for you: get over it. Be glad Lackey has moved on. End of story.

If you want to be upset about an Angel pitcher getting away – be upset about Darren Oliver. Oliver signed with the Texas Rangers on December 22, 2009 for $3.5 million plus a one year option. He signed for less money than he made in 2009 ($3.66 million). The fact that the Angels didn’t offer him arbitration and let him get away is inexcusable to me.

Think about the woes the Angels bull pen has had this year. Take two aspirin (okay maybe 3) and then think about the impact Oliver could have had if he remained an Angel. It’s a head scratcher. I believe the Angels didn’t offer Oliver arbitration because they knew he’d get a substantial raise and they were overconfident in their abilities to resign him for less.

I’m amazed more fans aren’t upset about this move (I was livid). Perhaps the reason Angel fans didn’t complain about the loss of Oliver is because two days after the Rangers signed Oliver, the Angels signed Fernando Rodney to a 2 year, $11 million contract.

Many saw this as move that would strengthen the bull pen. On the surface of things it looked like it might be a good deal. Here was a guy with a power arm (something Scioscia covets) and he was coming off a season where he had saved 37 of 38 games. He looked like an insurance policy for Brian Fuentes and at the very least a solid set up man.

However, a deeper look reveals some interesting statistics about the man who likes to wear his hat a little cockeyed. Rodney’s strike our rate per nine innings was 7.26 in 2009 after being as high as 13.5 in 2007 and 10.93 in 2008. His K rate this year? An even lower 6.97. It appears he’s fooling fewer and fewer batter these days.

I actually voiced my concerns prior to his signing back in December.

Rodney hasn’t done much to alleviate those concerns the thought of Rodney as the closer next season is enough to make Angel fans fall on their knees and beg for the return of Brian Fuentes. Given my opinions about closers, I’m not quite as concerned – but will admit those thoughts are changing every time he steps on the mound.

When the new year finally rolled around (and fans like myself were counting the days until spring training), the Angels had yet to replace Lackey, replaced Oliver with Rodney and Vlad with Matsui.

There were still holes to fill and questions to be answered. Some of that became clearer on January 5, 2010…

The idea that Wood would be taking over at third base became more apparent when the Red Sox signed Adrian Beltre that day. January 5th also saw the Mets sign Jason Bay to a 4 year, $66 million contract. And then on January 10, 2010 Matt Holliday signed a whopper of a deal with St. Louis (7 years, $120 million). Just like that, all the “big bats” were off the board. And let's not forget Vlad signed with Texas on January 11.

Whatever plans the Angels might have had to add more offense (a need that seems to come up year after year) all but evaporated. You might have asked yourself… Should the Angels have gone after Beltre, Bay or Holliday?

Holliday has had a pretty solid season, but not one that’s necessarily worth the $17 million he’s earning this year. Then again, the same might be said of Torii Hunter’s season and his $18 million contract. No doubt Holliday’s bat would have been a nice addition, but the cost would have been too high and the commitment too long.

I’d say the Angels did the right thing in not topping the Cardinals offer to Holliday and Jason Bay hasn’t exactly panned out for the Mets. Even before his concussion, he wasn’t hitting anywhere near what he had done over the course of his career.

As for Beltre, he has had a solid season; but the question with Beltre is always about his consistency. It appears that he shines brightest in contract years and guess what? That’s right – Beltre is auditioning for a big pay day. That being said, Beltre may be an interesting discussion yet again in 2011.

Here’s what we know… Beltre is a plus defender (something Scioscia also covets) and he did manage to hit at least 25 homeruns a season for three of his last four years in Seattle. At 31 years of age, he has the ability to be among the top five third basemen in the game, but he also has the potential to be a huge disappointment and grossly over paid. Also - his agent is Scott Boras, who probably isn’t on Arte Moreno’s Christmas card list.

The popular thought on Beltre seems to be to take a pass, but when I look at the landscape of who’s available to play third base I might be inclined to roll the dice on Beltre. Add the ongoing dilemma with Brandon Wood and the prospect of a mediocre Alberto Callaspo at third and Beltre doesn’t look so bad.

I don’t necessarily expect Beltre to repeat what he’s doing this season for Boston, but he is worthy of a discussion at the very least. In any case – I can’t fault the Angels for passing on Beltre last year. However, this next year, I may feel differently if they do that again.

On January 22, 2010, Christmas came late for the Angels. First, they managed to trade Gary Matthews, Jr. to the New York Mets. It didn’t matter much as to whom or what they got in return as most people viewed moving GMJ as addition by subtraction.

Turns out the Angels actually able to get something when they acquired Brian Stokes. Stokes had a solid 2009 season and was yet another power arm for the Angels pen. The move looked brilliant. Yes, I said “brilliant” – remember we’re talking GMJ.

Stokes didn’t pan out and ultimately was released, but even still not having Matthews on the roster was a plus all the way around.

January 22 was also the day the Angels inked Joel Pineiro to a two year, $16 million contract. It was a move that some applauded as being one of the best of the Hot Stove season. I was a little skeptical, when it happened but gradually came around to thinking it would be a solid move.

Pineiro has actually been one of the bright spots of the season even despite his time on the disabled list. While Pineiro’s ERA climbed a tad in 2010 (something we all expected), his strike outs per nine innings actually went up from 4.42 in 2009 to 5.70 this season. A nice trend.

Last, but not least on January 25 the Angels signed Maicer Izturis to a three year, $10 million deal. It was a deal they didn’t have to do, but wanted to because of how much Izturis has meant to the local doctors and how much money they can make off him. I’m kidding of course. Fact is Izturis is a nice piece, but whenever he’s counted on to make a regular contribution, he breaks down like a Ford (which is an acronym for Found On Road Dead or Fix Or Repair Daily).

I mean isn’t Izturis the kind of guy you sell to someone else? Or does baseball have some sort of lemon law? Whatever. The moves basically ended with his signing an extension.

And there you have it; the off season in a nut shell. The bottom line is that when I look at the moves that were made and those that weren’t, I am not certain there was anything the Angels front office could have done differently; at least not from a free agency stand point.

Now, that doesn’t mean they get a free pass either. They could have been more creative about the off season and explored possible trade partners, but that didn’t happen. They could have reacted quicker when Kendry Morales went down and when Brandon Wood didn’t pan out.

It’s easy to second guess at this point and I’m not really here to do that (you believe me don’t you?). I thought that putting the whole picture in perspective was warranted at this time. Many of the things I’ve written about here have been discussed; however, only in pieces. When you look at the big picture; it seems this season was somewhat predictable.

Now I know there are some fans out there who simply say the Angels lost too much and let too many good players walk away (an annoying and somewhat ignorant analysis). A closer look (like what we just did here) really shines a different light on the whole situation.

Now – this coming off season is definitely critical. I’m hoping the Angels get back to their winning ways and then we’ll sing that Talking Heads song with more emphasis on the lines “same as it ever was… same as it ever was.”

Hopefully, we won’t be singing…

You may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
You may ask yourself
Where does that highway lead to?
You may ask yourself
Am I right? Am I wrong?
You may say to yourself
My God!... what have I done?

I know this is a bit strange.. but I can imagine Tony Reagins peforming this song: