This post is dedicated to my young friend – Evan, who is the
son of a long-time friend of mine who happens to be an Angels fan living in the heart of Dodger country in the
San Fernando Valley. Evan recently came
to a game and told me how much he liked my blog and then nudged me about my not writing much.
Well, Evan – I have lots to say, but unfortunately, I
haven’t had time to say it… So, this
one’s for you.
Here are some thoughts and observations on all things
Angels…
The 2015 version of the Los Angeles Angels is one of the
most frustrating teams of recent memory.
Sure, there was a time when the Angels didn’t always play meaningful
games in September and even though the Angels are doing that – they don’t
“feel’ like a play-off team at all.
Yes, there was an all-too-brief period when they looked like
world beaters going 17-3 over a 20 game span, but was just a blip in a season
of disappointment and anxiety. It’s so
bad, that part of me can’t wait for the season to be over and I never want
baseball season to end.
In true “buttercup fashion” (why do you build me up, just to
let me down), the Angels teased me yet again this past weekend by winning the
first two games against the Houston Astros before blowing a 3-0 lead with two
outs and two strikes in the 9th to lose 5-3. The loss was devastating. It was horrific. And sadly, not all that surprising.
I’ve come to expect the worst of this 2015 team and that’s
not fun. I want to believe they’ll rally
and pull out a miracle, but my gut says otherwise. I can view the baseball world through
rose-colored glasses as well as anyone – but not this year. I nearly didn’t buy
post-season tickets – but had to succumb to it because with my luck – the
Angels would defy me and make the post-season without me and I can’t have that. That being said, I waited until the last day
to make that commitment.
So… here are some thoughts on this year’s squad and they
will be in no particular order…
Fernando Salas is the new Kevin Jepsen. For the life of me, I don’t understand how in
the world Salas can be second in appearances to only Joe Smith. To date, he’s appeared in 61 games with an
ERA of 4.34. Seems like he comes out of
the pen for just about any situation.
Things usually go bad when he comes in with men on base. I admit, I’m too lazy to look up the stats to verify
that – but there must be a reason I roll my eyes every time he comes into a
game.
More CP-58, please.
That’s my nickname for Carlos Perez who appears to be the far better
option at catcher than Chris Iannetta. I
can’t believe it’s taken nearly a whole season for Mike Scioscia to come to
that conclusion. Perez definitely has
more upside and I just feel better when he’s behind the plate and "Joe Base
Stealer" is on first.
Better late than never, but come on! It took C.J. Cron a while to find his way
into the everyday lineup, but it finally looks like the Angels have found their
DH and some additional pop in their lineup.
Even still – as he started to heat up, it took Scioscia a while to
recognize he’s the best option regardless of whether there’s right hander or
left hander on the mound. If only he and
his bat had found their way into the lineup from day 1 on – this season might
look a lot different.
Let’s see – 3 observations so far and it looks like I’m
blasting Mike Scioscia in each of them.
Well, before you Scioscia-haters get to excited – read this…
It’s time for the Angels to give Scioscia the kind of
baseball players that fit his style. The
fact that Erick
Aybar leads the team in stolen bases with just 11 is a clear indicator to me
that the roster is not constructed to fit Scioscia’s style of baseball.
Stop. I see you out there.
Don’t even go there. Don’t even
tell me it’s up to Scioscia to adopt to the lineup he’s given… I’m not buying it. I want a roster that has guys who love to
force the issue, guys who put the ball in play instead of looking at strike 3
(more on this in a bit). Guys who are on
a mission to go from first to third whenever possible and constantly put pressure on the
defense.
And speaking of defense – I want a roster full of guys who
can flat out pick it. A team that
doesn’t require late-in-the-game defensive replacements. I hate sloppy play and this season has been
like one big "sloppy Joe" of a season.
Now, forgive me as I head into the deep part of the pool to
talk a bit about Mike Trout. No question
– he’s the best all-around player in the game and from all indications will be
a Hall of Famer one day. And yet… (Don’t
you hate when people do this?)… There are times when he makes me crazy.
I want to turn Trout lose.
I want him to be a little more like Rickey Henderson and a little less
like Jim Rice. Both are hall of famers,
but one had the distinction of being a disruptive force. Teams had to go out of their way to figure
out how to keep Henderson off the base paths.
Teams may have “feared” Rice as so many of his advocates will tell you –
but Henderson was pure chaos. He could
beat you with his bat and his legs and there usually wasn’t a darn thing you
could do about it.
I want teams so focused on Trout when he's on base that they’re not
paying as much attention to who is in the batter’s box. You see, I don’t see anything wrong with
putting the best hitter on your team in a position to get the most
at-bats. He’s not only the best hitter,
he also has the best chance of getting on base (when he’s no looking at strike
3).
Yeah, I just went there.
I don’t have any hard data to back this up (remember, I’m
lazy), but I can’t stand watching Trout take strike 3 in big situations or any
situation for that matter and it appears to me that this happens all too
often. Swing the bat! For the love of baseball, swing the bat!
I’m not here to tell Mike Trout how to play baseball – but
someone please explain to me why he almost always looks at the first
pitch. I think it was very telling when
he was mic’d up at the all-star game and came back from an at bat and said, “I
really wanted to swing at the first pitch, but couldn’t pull the trigger.”
What is going on in his head? This started out as being a not-so-big deal, but I think it has gone a tad bit out of hand. I know he recognized this and worked on it in spring training, but he’s back to falling behind in the count early and often.
Look, I count my lucky stars every day that I get to watch
Trout play on my favorite team.
I know I’m blessed and beyond thankful, but that doesn’t mean, I can’t
nitpick just a bit.
I’m selfish. I want
Trout to dominate the highlight reel every night. I want people around the country to get sick
and tired about hearing how great he is.
I don’t want to hear how Josh Donaldson is the front-runner for the MVP
award. Heck, no – that’s not going to do
anything for the Trout Legacy. I want
total domination. I don’t want it to
even be close.
I want Trout to go 40/40.
Heck, 40/60+ would be even better.
I want opposing fans to think that every time Trout is on base – he’s
destined to score. I want Dan Patrick
saying, “You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.” I want to people paying tribute to the late
Stuart Scott and give us a “boo-ya” every time Trout does something great.
I don’t think I’m asking for the impossible. Mike Trout was born for greatness. Time to put him in a position to be just that.
And now on to more observations and comments…
Johnny G. – get well soon, but when you’re ready, please
forgive me for wanting a better option at second base. I get the fans’ appreciation of “Johnny
Baseball” as Roger Lodge affectionately refers to him, but I miss Howie
Kendrick. Yes, I know he had that
deer-in-the-headlights effect in the post season, but his bat and defense were
a solid part of the Angels and both have been greatly missed in 2015. How about we bring him back in 2016?
Sorry Grant Green and Taylor Featherston – but your upside
isn’t close to what Kendrick brought to the table.
I’m not certain that Featherston was worth a Rule V
pick. Having him on the roster all year
has definitely limited the team’s options in my opinion. I hope I’m wrong about that (I know he’s
finally starting to hit with regular playing time), but I won’t be surprised if
this becomes a regrettable move.
Erick Aybar – you will always be Gilligan to me. Pujols’ little buddy – still has the
propensity to do something great one moment and something absolutely
unfathomable the next. I continue to
question his baseball IQ and the thought process he uses to make decisions on
the field. No doubt the talent is there
– but the decision process doesn’t quite match the ability.
I wouldn’t be terribly upset if the Angels found another
option at SS. I might one day regret
that statement, but I’ll take my chances for now.
Ever been at the game and heard a group of fans in the upper
level yelling “Cal-hooooun” (think Ya-hoooo) whenever he comes to bat? That’s a small group of dedicated fans who
are in the Kole Calhoun admiration society.
Is there a harder worker baseball player than Calhoun? That was a
rhetorical question because of course, there isn’t.
Any baseball fan that doesn’t love Calhoun simply has issues
and needs professional help. Calhoun is
the prototypical Scioscia player. He may
not be the fastest guy on the planet, but what he lacks in speed he makes up
for in effort. He gets to balls in the
outfield that mere mortals never come close to.
He’s the consummate teammate and openly celebrates the success of his
teammates. He smiles. He has fun.
It’s clear he loves to play the game and fans like me – can’t get
enough.
One thing I’ve had enough of is the revolving door in left
field. We’ve seen a plethora of guys
trotted out there over the years.
Everyone from Juan Rivera to Vernon Wells to gulp… Matt Joyce. I had high hopes for Matt Joyce, but that
move just turned out to be ugly all the way around. It reminded of the season Scioscia kept
trotting Steve Finley out to center field despite his not being able to hit his
weight.
The guys the Angels brought in mid-season – David Murphy and
David DeJesus haven’t exactly worked out great either. Murphy has had his moments and is adequate,
but he’s not necessarily the kind of guy you want batting in the middle of your
lineup.
The depth of the batting lineup has hurt the Angels all year
long and when David Freese went on the DL, it was really magnified. I like Freese’s presence in the lineup and
his post season experience is a huge plus.
Then again… am I really talking post season?
Freese also happens to be a free agent after this year and I
hope the Angels bring him back. The
pickings are slim for 3B and he’s solid enough.
I’m not sure Kaleb Cowart or any of the other Angel farm hands are ready
to assume that position just yet.
The guys who have tried to fill Troy Glaus’ shoes since he
departed in 2004 include Chone Figgins, Dallas McPherson, Maicer Izturis,
Edgardo Alfonzo, Shane Hillenbrand, Robb Quinlan, Alberto Callaspo, Chris
Nelson, and Freese. It’s been a
revolving door and I’ll keep Freese, thank you very much.
And then there’s the pitching. Truth be known, I’ve had a hard time adopting
C.J. Wilson as an Angel. I still think
of him as a mouthy Texas Ranger from back in the day. It’s like when the Lakers signed Karl
Malone. Are you kidding me? I’m supposed to now cheer for a guy I hated
because he changed uniforms? I have a
lot of issues with Wilson. Perhaps I’ll
get into another time, but quite frankly – I can’t wait to see him move on.
I liked the additions of Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano,
but I like the idea of adding someone like David Price in 2016 even more. Heaney has been pretty good at times, but I’m
not sure he was worth losing Howie Kendrick.
I’m not going to bag on either guy, but they aren’t the kind of guys a
team wins pennants with at this point in their careers. The Angels had to count on them a little too
much, in my opinion.
I think we all counted on Garrett Richards a little more
than we should have. We expected him to
return to is pre-injury form and it didn’t happen. He’s pitched well, but not at the
one-of-the-five-best-in-the-American-League well. It was unfair of us to think he was going to
be that good after returning. He’s still
a solid pitcher and I expect him to be just as good or better next year.
Hector Santiago was an all-star this year. Go figure.
The guy struggles to go more than five innings and he’s picked to play
in the mid-season classic. I’m happy for
him and I like the guy a great deal, but he just doesn’t give the team enough
innings. Every time he takes the mound –
you know the bullpen is going to get some work.
He’s fine as a fifth starter, but the Angels asked him to be more than
that.
Ok, so I saved Jered Weaver for last. If you’re looking for me to blast the Dirtbag
in anyway, you’re going to be disappointed.
Yes, Weaver slipped a lot in 2015 and he wasn’t as effective as he
needed to be, but I refuse to blast the guy in any way. Weaver will be done when Weaver decides he’s
done as far as I’m concerned. I have too
much admiration and respect for a guy who has given Angel fans so much to be
thankful for.
Jered Weaver is always going to hold a special place in my
heart. Watching him throw a no-hitter
was one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen in baseball. And even though he hasn’t pitched like
himself this year – there were games when he was as good as he ever was and his
defense let him down. That wasn’t always
the case – but it happened more than it should have.
Call me a Weaver apologist.
I admit it.
Now, about that bullpen…
I already touched on my disdain (for lack of a better word)
for Salas. I don’t have a lot of issues
with the rest of the pen, but I wish Mike Morin was used more. He was pretty good last year and I thought he
should have made more appearances this year.
I keep waiting for Cam Bedrosian to be the pitcher everyone
thinks he can be. The guy throws hard,
but he hasn’t been able to harness control of all his pitches. He makes me nervous… like
Kevin-Jepsen-nervous every time he comes in a game.
I don’t have much to say about the rest of the pen, except
to say – they weren’t the issue this year.
I’m happy to have Huston Street – even after he blew that 3-0 lead
Sunday… Stuff like that just happens. Even Troy Percival blew ten saves one
season.
Now about those “ten things” I mentioned in an earlier post
(something else Evan wanted an update on)….
Cheryl and I made it to a Nationals game at Petco Park. The
night we went Harper didn’t homer, but had homered the night before and would
again the night after. Go figure. It was nice to see the young star in person
never-the-less. We almost had one of his
foul balls when one landed near us – but it wasn’t in the cards.
When the Dodgers came to town – so did their fans… in mass. It was not fun and Cheryl and I didn’t even
go to the last game of the series. We
had enough from the previous two nights.
I just hate it when Angel fans disappear for the free-way series.
We only made it to one Padre game – the schedules just didn’t
match up right for us. When the Padres
were home – the Angels we usually home too. Maybe next year… but then again –
that team didn’t turn out to be nearly as entertaining as anyone had hoped.
We got to see Troy Tulowitzki more than we thought after his
trade to Toronto. I made an effort to
get his autograph one home game – getting there early, etc. – but it was to no
avail. I didn’t have it in me to do more
than one long day at the stadium. Maybe
next year.
No Evan Longoria autograph either… I just didn’t make an
effort. Joe Saunders left the Mariners
and never saw the major league roster, A.J. Pierzynski was off my radar all
year (hooray!) and it continues to be an absolute joy to watch Mike Trout day
in and day out. Regarding Saunders – I
fear he may be done as a major leaguer, but we’ll see. Lefties have a way of sticking around…
As I attempt to finish off this post, it’s Tuesday night and
the Angels are losing to Seattle 3-1 in the 7th and David Murphy has
homered for the second night in a row. I
guess he’s trying to make me look bad after my comments in this post. He’s been the lead-off hitter the last two
games and you know how I feel about that.
Trout just struck out swinging in the 8th to make
the third out with two men on… Ugh.
Anyway – the season seems to be slipping away. Texas is in first place and that makes me
want to puke. I don’t have a lot of
animosity for the Houston Astros, but I don’t care for Texas at all… not quite
as much as I hate the stinkin’ A’s – but they’re high on my list just the same. It’s bad enough that the Angels have been
horrible. Texas surging at the end of
the season just makes it worse.
This season is fast becoming a real downer. Wait, I take that back… it hasn’t been
fast. It’s more like a slow, agonizing,
and painful experience. That being said,
when it’s over – I’ll still miss it because it’s still baseball.
That’s all I have for now.
I will definitely make an effort to write more – even as we head into
the off season. I have lots of topics
rolling around in my head – it’s just a matter of sitting down and pounding
them out.
Thanks to Evan for the nudge – I felt pretty guilty about
letting down anyone who is kind enough to actually take the time to check in on
this blog.
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