We are now at the point in the Orange County Register’s (OCR) 50 greatest Angels where there shouldn’t be any real surprises. Then again, when you ask any group of people to come up with a list, there are always bound to be a few.
Today’s list reveals the following: Adam Kennedy (30), David Eckstein (29), Mark Langston (28), Chone Figgins (27), Jim Edmonds (26), Arte Moreno (25), Doug Decinces (24), Reggie Jackson (23), Chili Davis (22), and Dean Chance (21).
How appropriate is it for Kennedy and Eckstein to be next to one another? I mean, they were the 6-4 combo during the Angels greatest season ever and when you think of one, you should think of the other. They ended up higher on the list than I thought, but they’re deserving never-the-less.
Before we talk about the other players on the list, I have to ask – what was the OCR’s Mark Whicker thinking? Six of the ten players on today’s list didn’t make his at all. He did not vote for Chili Davis, Doug Decinces, Arte Moreno (neither did I), Jim Edmonds, Mark Langston, or Adam Kennedy. Other than Moreno – how in the world could he be so wrong? This is the kind of stuff I’d expect from Jeff Miller. Just saying.
So… Arte Moreno sure got a lot of love today. Four panelists had him in their top ten. Wow. Seeing how the rest of the panel thought of him definitely gave me reason to pause and wonder if I should have voted for him. I definitely considered it, but at the end of the day, I chose to only vote for one owner and he has yet to appear on this list.
As I look over the list, I have to say I have one major beef. I can’t believe Chili Davis is ranked this low. I voted for him as the 11th greatest Angel of all time. Davis ranks 6th among all Angels in homeruns (156), 5th in RBI (618), 9th in hits (973), and 8th in total bases (1,620). Quite frankly, Davis was a stud.
Another interesting player to look at on this list is Jim Edmonds. Now, I’ve heard some baseball people make a case that he’s actually a viable Hall of Fame candidate. OCR’s Sam Miller thought enough of him to rank him 12th on his list. He’s right about where I thought he should be at 26 (I had him at 25).
Kudos to Keith Sharon, Chuck Richter (AngelsWin), Mat Gleason (Halos Heaven), and Sam Miller for agreeing with me that Doug Decinces belongs in the top 20. The rest of the panelists should be put on some sort of double secret probation for not agreeing with us.
So far seven of the OCR’s top 50 weren’t on my list at all. I’m feeling pretty good about my top 20. I’ll be surprised if they’re not all on the list (two of them have already made the list – Davis and Decinces).
And… If I’m doing my math correctly, I still have 18 of my top 20 Angels who have yet to make the list and that means there are two more on my list that could make the top 20. I’m guessing one of them will be Frankie (I ranked him 35th) and the other… well; let’s just say that I ranked him “appropriately” at #26.
Two guys in my top 50 who looks like they’ll be left out include Ervin Santana (ranked him 48th) and Devon White (ranked him 43rd).
It doesn't look like Ervin Santana (ranked him 48th) or Devon White (ranked him 43rd) will make the list.
Until tomorrow…
February 16, 2011
The 50 Greatest Angels (21-30)
January 27, 2011
Feeling like my old self
I’m feeling like my old self today. In fact, I’ve been saying that all day long. There’s something about spring and baseball that puts a little extra pep in my step.
Face it, the Angels off season has been one of the most volatile in recent memory. I know, I ranted all the way through it. I was becoming frustrated and extremely aggravated. During that period of time I didn’t feel like myself. I found some release in ranting, but at the end of the day, I really didn’t feel all that great about it.
I’m not saying the ranting wasn’t justified because I think it was. I’m saying that much negative energy can take its toll.
When the Angels made the move to acquire Vernon Wells, something hit me. I got the news without all the filters that usually come with it. I wasn’t reading comments on a message board or listening to the radio. I just saw the report on mlbtraderumors.com and reacted. My initial thoughts were positive. I knew Wells had a good year in 2010 and my immediate thought was that this is a bat that will look good in the Angels lineup.
When I turned the filters on and saw all the negativity surrounding the deal, I grimaced. I even felt a little sick. I took a step back and thought to myself, I don’t have the energy for this.
And then it hit me….
I thought about what it was like when I was a kid and I heard about a big move my team made. I thought back to the time when the Lakers acquired Kareem Abdul Jabbar in exchange for a boat load of other players. I remember how I just reacted to the deal with joy. Kareem Abdul Jabbar? Are you kidding me? There wasn’t any analysis of statistics or salaries or any of the stuff that everyone likes to do today.
I thought about how I felt when the Angels traded away Nolan Ryan and how disappointing that was. Again, it wasn’t about statistics – it was about seeing a player I had grown to love; leave.
Whatever happened to just being a fan? Why did everything have to get so complicated and over analyzed?
I’ll tell you and some of you aren’t going to like what I have to say very much.
I blame sabermetrics. There, I said it. Now, some of you might not want to continue reading because I’m going to do a bit of poking here. Then again, I know some of you just went into the defensive mode and are probably preparing for some sort of battle.
Whatever. I'm half kidding... but just half.
I’m going to start this discussion with some nice things to say about sabermetrics. I’m not going to say them to soften the blow; I’m going to say them because this is exactly how I feel.
There is a lot of value to what the sabermetrics community has brought to the table. They’ve made us look beyond the traditional methods of evaluating players and given us all some out-of-the-box things to consider.
Now, some of the folks in this community don’t necessarily want us to just “consider” what they have to say, but would rather we take it as gospel. If you’re not one of those people, don’t get upset because this doesn’t apply to you.
One of the things we often hear is that there is not one single statistic that can be used to fully evaluate a player… That’s usually followed by, “however, if I only had to use one stat, it would be Wins Above Replacement (WAR)” or fill-in-the-blank. The one statistic; whatever it might be, then becomes the focal point of evaluating a player’s worth.
You hear it all the time – that guy isn’t worth the money, his WAR was only “X” last year.
For a lot of the folks in the sabermetrics baseball is pretty black and white. For these folks, it’s all about the numbers and everything else seems to be irrelevant. There are exceptions, but I’m not talking about those.
These are the people that mock phrases like “clutch” or “gritty” and look at players like David Eckstein with disdain. They focus on his WAR or OPS and down play his intangible contributions on the field.
Ding!
Some of you "stat folks" just made a face didn’t you? I know that you hate the word “intangible” because the intangibles can’t be measured or projected. Well, I love the intangibles. You want to mock me right now, don’t you?
Well, I should be mocking you. Why? Because the intangibles bring color to the game and I’m not going to let anyone take the color out of the game for me. When I look back at what Eckstein did in 2002, I don’t go back and look at his stat sheet. I go back and look at how he played the game. I appreciate things like “effort” and “hustle” and even “grit.” They’re as much a part of the game as any statistic; in fact, they make the game for me.
I know some of you are laughing right now and I'm not fazed at all.
Baseball is an emotional game. Most die-hard baseball fans are passionate about it. We get joy from it. We even experience disappointment and sorrow. The old expression “baseball is life” is not all that far from the truth.
When I think about Torii Hunter, I don’t think about his WAR. In fact, I couldn’t tell you what his WAR is without going to look it up. What I can tell you about is the time he hit a walk-off grand slam in his first year with the Angels or the time he robbed Barry Bonds of a homerun in the all-star game.
When I learned that he was coming to Anaheim, I literally jumped for joy. I couldn’t wait to watch him play the game. Some of you went right to his stat sheet and focused on that. Some of you are probably still doing that. Not me, I’ve loved every moment of his time in Anaheim.
Why?
Baseball is about creating memories for me. It’s not about numbers. Adam Kennedy doesn’t have overly impressive numbers for his career, but when I think about him – I think about the time he hit three homeruns against the Twins in the 2002 ALCS to help the Angels get to their first World Series.
I could care less what his WAR is, was or might be. I could care less where he ranks among other second basemen. I don’t feel the need to compare him to anyone.
Now, that being said, I will fully acknowledge that there is a time and a place to talk about a player’s numbers; however, that kind of talk doesn’t have to be a part of every stinking conversation. Don’t try to force that conversation down my throat.
A really outstanding blogger named Ken Arneson put some of what I’m trying to say in the perfect perspective. Back in September he wrote a piece called “First Rule of Sabermetrics Marketing.”
Arneson makes his point by talking about the “Got Milk” campaign. He writres about how the success of the campaign wasn't based on why milk is good for you. Instead it appealed to its audience on a more emotional level.
Arneson wrote “The insight — that listing a bunch of facts about your product is not very effective; the best marketing campaigns make an emotional connection between your core values and those of your customers — is brilliant, but that’s not why I remember it so well. The insight itself is just one in a list of facts about marketing, and probably wouldn’t stick with me very long without an emotional connection.”
Arneson is on to something here. Sabermetrics definitely has value, but I don't get emotional about it at all.
It should be noted Arneson is definitely a member of the sabermetrics community and he’s an Oakland A’s fan to boot (go figure).
For me, statistics can be boring. I’m not interested in being bored. I know they can be very educational, but when it comes to baseball, I’m more interested in being entertained. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for education. Hip, hip hooray for education! Just don’t be surprised if my eyes glaze over when you start going on and on about statistics if that becomes the sole focus of our baseball conversation. Again, there's a time and a place.
So, getting back to the whole Vernon Wells thing…
I know that whenever a team makes a move of any kind; be it a trade, a free agent signing, etc. some of you have this incredible need to analyze the deal from a sabermetrics point of view. You’re going to try and arrive at a player’s value relative to his contract, etc.
If that’s you, go for it. Have at it all you want. Heck, I might even join you from time to time. Just know that at the end of the day, I’m going to think about the possibilities in an optimistic light more often than not. I’m going to romanticize the deal and raise my expectations from time to time. Yes, in the long run I might become disappointed, but I’m willing to risk that.
I don’t embrace everything the Angels front office does. I’ve done my fair share of second guessing and ranting for sure.
It’s just that with Vernon Wells, I’m willing to give him and the Angels the benefit of the doubt. I understand that his road splits weren’t impressive and I know he’s going to be paid a lot of money. I just choose to not focus on that. After all, it’s out of my control and I have a hunch that he’s going to help this team. I don’t need all the numbers to align with the stars. I choose to believe in his desire to succeed and in the Angels faith for him to do great things. I know some of you can't relate to that train of thought and that's okay.
You know what else? I feel good about having this kind of attitude.
When all is said and done – I suppose one of us is going to be able to say, “I told you so.” Personally, I’m not afraid of being wrong. I’m more afraid of being the guy who isn’t willing to take a chance, follow my gut or discount my instincts. I don’t want to be “that guy.”
I have a good feeling about Vernon Wells. And quite frankly, I’m feeling more like myself because of it.
January 9, 2010
Lyle Spencer makes a case for Weaver
Imagine my surprise today when I logged onto the Angels web site to find a piece by mlb.com's Lyle Spencer titled, "Who is Halos' ace? Leave it to Weaver." I was surprised for a variety of reasons.
First of all, I was happy to see a veteran baseball writer like Spencer also making an argument for Weaver. Makes me feel like those voices in my head aren't so bad after all. It was also funny to see the title of Spencer's piece as being similar to my own (Leave it Weaver/Lead it to Weaver). In case you're wondering, I'm not making any crazy assumptions and actually find the coincidence kind of cool.
Spencer makes a convincing case for Weaver becoming the Angels' new ace by comparing Weaver's numbers to those of Lackey's at similar stages in their careers. I'm not going to rehash those statistics here; you can simply read all about it on the Angels' web site. The important point of his article is that Weaver actually has better numbers at this point in his career than Lackey did at the same point in his.
In other news, it's being reported by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that Vladimir Guerrero is about to sign a one-year $5 million contract (plus incentives) with the Texas Rangers. I'm sure Ranger fans are excited about seeing Vlad in Arlington since he's always hit so well there; however, I would temper their expectations because Vlad's success there probably had more to do with his facing the Rangers' pitching staff more than it did the stadium itself.
I have to ask, what's with this trend of ex-Angels signing contracts within the Western Division? Last year it was Orlando Cabrera and Adam Kennedy signing with the A's and this year we've seen Chone Figgins head off to the Pacific Northwest and now Vladimir Guerrero in Texas; not to mention the trade that sent former Angel Casey Kotchman to the Mariners. I don't know about you, but I am not into having reunions at every home stand in 2010.
If you're wondering what the latest is on Aroldis Chapman, you're not alone. It's hard to get a handle on the truth. Where's Jack Nicholson when you need him? That bit about him "signing any day now" looks like any day means any day this year. The Red Sox have supposedly "pulled back" on their pursuit.
Pitchers and catchers report for sping training on February 18 in Tempe, AZ. Perhaps Chapman will sign by then. No doubt it will be "breaking news."
December 29, 2009
True Grich's Angels All-Decade Team
As the decade comes to a close I thought it would be a fun exercise to pick the Angels All-Decade Team. As I started this process, I found myself picking players mainly from the 2002 squad, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, that team had a nucleus of players who were a part of the organization for a good part of the decade and contributed to the team’s overall success to start the new millennium.
To make things more interesting, I thought I would pick a team based on the best single season performance of a given player. What’s the big deal? Well, it means Darin Erstad’s performance as a left fielder in 2000 trumps any season by Garret Anderson, who gets left off the all-decade team. Now any knowledgeable Angel fan knows Anderson is one of the all-time Angel greats; however, based on my criteria he’s being left off the squad.
So here we go…
At first base – Kendry Morales. Morales put up monster numbers in 2009. Morales’ 34 homeruns, 108 RBI’s, .306 batting average with a .924 OPS were absolutely stud-like. It even beats Mo Vaughn’s 2000 season even though Vaughn had more homeruns and RBI’s; Vaughn struck out 64 more times than Morales and actually led the league with 181 strike outs. Ouch. His OPS was also 70 points lower.
To tell you the truth, I don’t think I could live with myself if Mo Vaughn ended up on my list. More ammo for Morales - he had a slightly better fielding percentage in 2009 than Vaughn did in 2000 and to top things off Morales finished 5th in the AL MVP voting. That’s good enough to get the top spot at first base for the True Grich Angels All-Decade Team.
At second base – Adam Kennedy gets the nod for his 2002 season; easily his best as an Angel. That year Kennedy hit .312 with a career best .795 OPS. His three homerun performance in the ALCS that year doesn’t hurt his case either. Kennedy’s competition - Howie Kendrick is a fine player and may ultimately have a better career, but for this decade Kennedy is The Man.
Third base is a contest between two contrasting players in Troy Glaus (who was known for his power) and Chone Figgins (who is known for his speed). True Grich gives the nod to Troy Glaus for his 2000 season. There’s an old commercial touting “chicks dig the long ball” and well, True Grich digs them too. In 2000 Glaus lead the league with 47 homeruns and had an outstanding 1.008 OPS. He also made his first all-star team and captured his first of two Silver Slugger Awards.
I suppose one could make a case for Figgins’ 2005 season when he lead the league with 62 stolen bases or his 2009 season when he scored 114 runs and lead the league in walks with 101, but Glaus’ overall performance in 2000 still beats him in my opinion. Glaus even walked 112 times (which bests Figgins' 2009 total) in 2000 and didn’t even lead the league.
This past decade gave us three shortstops in David Eckstein, Orlando Cabrera and Erick Aybar. No question, the sentimental favorite is Eckstein, but who had the best single season? Erick Aybar’s 2009 season pales by comparison to both Eckstein and Cabrera’s best years; however, it’s very close between the latter two. Cabrera’s best season as an Angel was clearly 2007. He posted his best OPS as an Angel at .742, scored 101 runs, drove in 86 and won a gold glove. Cabrera made three fewer errors than Eckstein while handling 47 more opportunities.
Eckstein’s 2002 season bests Cabrera’s OPS with a .752, and he scored more runs 107 while driving in a respectable 63 runs from the lead off spot. Then there are the intangibles… Yeah, that’s right; I’m playing that card and giving the edge to Eckstein. Eckstein was the catalyst in the Angels drive for a world championship. Eckstein had a knack for getting on base when the Angels’ needed him to do exactly that. Known for his ability to make pitchers throw a lot, he saw 3.69 pitches on average per at-bat compared to Cabrera’s 3.39. True Grich’s Angels All-Decade Shortstop is David Eckstein.
When comparing catchers, you almost have to compare Bengie Molina to the tandem of Jeff Mathis and Mike Napoli. For the record I compared the 2008 season of Mathis/Napoli to Molina’s 200e season.
Offensively, Napoli alone bests Molina in most categories; however, defensively neither holds a candle to Molina who won gold gloves in 2002 and 2003. In 2003 Molina made only 5 errors compared to 13 by Mathis and 7 by Napoli. Molina threw out 44% of those attempting to steal a base against him. That’s a number that neither Mathis nor Napoli has ever come close to matching.
In 2003, Molina hit14 homeruns with 71 RBI and a .281 batting average. Molina drew fewer walks than Napoli/Mathis, but didn’t strike out nearly as much.
Molina was #1 in our programs and #1 in our hearts and is easily the True Grich Angels Catcher of the Decade.
Right field was the home of Mr. Angel, Tim Salmon for many years and although Salmon had some fanatic seasons his best of the decade (2000) pales to Vlad’s 2004 MVP season. Had I been able to include Salmon’s 1997 season in this analysis, the decision might have been closer, but Vlad was absolutely huge in 2004.
Vlad lead the league in total bases with 366. He also led the league in runs scored with 124. He was an all-star and a Silver Slugger Award winner. He pounded 39 homeruns and drove in 126 runners. He even stole 15 bases. (Salmon’s career high was 9). He will best be remembered for putting the Angels on his shoulders during the last two weeks of the season and propelling them past the Oakland A’s for their first division title this decade.
I’m sure Range fans still have nightmares about what he did to their team that year.
Tim Salmon may be the best player in the Angels’ history, but the best Angels right fielder of this decade was Vlad Guerrero, hands down.
Centerfield is a position for the rock stars of baseball. It’s the position most likely to make ESPN’s “web gems” and a place where legends are made. The Angels have a long history of great centerfielders going back to Devon White, Chad Curtis, Jim Edmonds, Gary Pettis and others. This decade started with Garret Anderson in CF in 2000, and then saw the emergence of Darin Erstad as a Gold Glover, the debacle that was Steve Finley, the return of Anderson to CF in 2004 and the arrival of the incredible Torii Hunter.
Sorry Ersty fans, but one of the grittiest players to ever wear an Angels' uniform doesn’t make the cut here. Erstad’s offensive numbers just weren’t impressive enough and his intangibles didn’t quite make up the difference either.
The competition for centerfielder of the decade comes down to Anderson’s 2000 season and Hunter’s 2009 season. As good a season as Hunter had this past year, it could have been even better had he not been injured for part of it. That being said, he did win a gold glove and was getting MVP mentions early on.
Anderson had a wonder campaign in 2000 with a career high 35 homeruns, 117 RBI and .286 batting average. He also scored 92 runs, but his on base percentage was only .307 (he only walked 24 times). In 2009 Hunter walked more than twice that in far fewer games and had an OBP of .366 and a superior OPS of .873 to .827. In 2009 Hunter added an all-star appearance and a Silver Slugger Award. He continued being a human highlight film and covered centerfield with authority.
The True Grich Angels Centerfielder of the Decade is none other than Torii Hunter.
Anderson’s 2000 season was far from his best (he had better years in left field); but ironically 2000 was Erstad’s best, only he was playing left field. Even though Anderson had some great years in left field, especially in 2002 and 2003 when he lead the league in doubles, no other Angel performance compares to what Erstad did in 2000.
Erstad not only wins the True Grich Angels Leftfielder of the Decade award, he also wins the True Grich Angels Player of the Decade Award for his 2000 performance.
Erstad did it all in 2000. He won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger Award, was an all-star and finished 8th in the MVP balloting. He led the league in hits with 240. He stroked 25 homeruns and drove in 100. He had a career best .409 OBP and a career best .951 OPS. He also hit an astounding .355. He had 366 total bases (the same number Vlad had in 2004). He stole 28 bases and scored 121 runs. He probably also helped old ladies cross the street and pulled a cat or two out of a tree. If he had more time, he might have done some brain surgery as well.
Erstad was a one man wrecking machine. He could beat you with his bat, his glove or his legs and was far more compelling than the guy in the Dos Equis commercials.
There you have it. The True Grich All-Decade Team (based on their best individual single season):
1B – Kendry Morales
2B – Adam Kennedy
3B – Troy Glaus
SS – David Eckstein
C - Bengie Molina
RF – Vladimir Guerrero
CF – Torii Hunter
LF – Darin Erstad
Next time, we’ll take a look at the True Grich All-Decade Pitching staff.
November 20, 2009
An open letter to John Lackey
Dear John,
I have a problem and I’m not afraid to admit it. If you end up signing with the Yankees, I’m not going to be happy. Let’s just say that if you wear pinstripes next year, you’re dead to me. If you go to Boston, I'm done with you. If you stay within the Western Division (Texas, Oakland, or Seattle) in the AL you’re history. If you go up the freeway to the Dodgers, you’re gone. It will be as if you never even existed. I will wipe you from my memory. I know you could probably care less about what I think and feel, but I have to vent just the same.
No, I haven’t forgotten who the starting pitcher was in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series. And no, I haven’t forgotten who’s been the lead dog and the anchor on a pitching staff that has been among the best in baseball year after year. I haven’t even forgotten the times you took time to stop and sign a photo or a baseball at Spring Training. I remember all of it; every single thing and then some. Even still, none of it will matter because you will have gone against the family and make no mistake about it; the Angels and their fans are a family. Your going to the Yankees would be like Sonny Corleone joining the Tattaglia family. Angel fans would take it personally. Now that doesn't mean someone would go out and chop off a horse's head and put it in your bed... but you never know. I'm just saying.
Yes, I know I forgave Adam Kennedy for going to the hated A’s this year. Difference is Kennedy is a guy who is trying to hang on at the end of his career. You, John are not. You’re still considered to be in your prime and if you go to a team that stands in the way of the Angels reaching the World Series, I won’t forgive you. Not next year, the year after or 1,000 years from now. Same goes for the Dodgers because I don’t want to be watching the local news and hear about how you helped the squatters from Brooklyn win a game, a division or worse… Please, not in my own back yard John. Have some respect.
John, you’re supposed to be different. You’re a throw-back to guys who took the mound with an attitude. These guys hated their rivals and would rather have had their arm fall off than give into them. Can you imagine if Don Drysdale had become a Giant or if Bob Gibson had become a Cub? It’s like that John. Don’t take the "if you can’t beat them, join them route." That’s for guys like Johnny Damon and Roger Clemens. Guys I have no respect for what-so-ever. You’re better than that, man.
I really have to ask; could you really live with yourself if you were a Yankee or a Red Sox? Wouldn’t a small part of you die inside? Would you be able to look Mike Scioscia in the eyes? What about your Angel teammates? Could you honestly separate the business part of baseball from the fun? What about the camaraderie and sense of family you’ve known for your career as an Angel? I need to know John. I really need to know. You can't just turn the page on this one.
I know beating the Boston’s and the New York’s of baseball is challenging. I know it’s hard, but that’s the kind of thing that gets you up in the morning. Challenge are good. The tough road is the rewarding way to go.
Going to the dark side would eat at you John. You’re more of a patriot than you are a mercenary aren’t you? For goodness sakes, you’re from Texas - remember the Alamo? Remember the 2009 ALCS? Didn’t the post season leave a bad taste in your mouth? Don't you want another shot at the Yankees? Don’t tell me, you’d rather just slip over to their side and hope no one saw it happen. I just can’t see wanting to beat the living daylights out of a team one day and then being on that same team the next. I just can’t fathom that. It ain't right. It's just wrong.
I’m asking you to take sides John. We’re on one side and the Yankees, Red Sox and the like are on the other. What will I see when I look across the field? It’s time to dig in. Angel fans have your back. Do you have ours? Those other fans don’t know you like we know you. You’re one of us. That’s right, "us." You can change your uniform, but you can’t change what’s inside, can you?
I know you may still be angry that Mike Scioscia didn’t leave you in to finish game 5 of the ALCS. I’m mad too. I hated seeing Scioscia take you out. The thought of that possibly being the last time I might see you in an Angels uniform hurt like heck. I wanted to scream. I hated seeing you come out of that game in the worst possible way. Don’t let it end like that John. You have unfinished business with the Angels. Angel fans felt like they were punched in the stomach when the season ended. We want some pay-back and I'm betting you do too.
I have to tell you, I’m really tired of seeing your name linked to the Yankees or Red Sox every where I turn. Say it ain’t so John. Tell me that you’d rather fight these guys than sit in their dugout. You can't possibly want to spend your summer with freaking' Alex Rodriguez or that cheater in Boston (David Ortiz) over Torii Hunter. Tell me there isn't any amount of money in the world that would make you wear their colors. I need to hear it.
If you do go to New York or Boston; do us all a favor and don’t tell us that it wasn’t about the money. Don’t insult us. If you go to the Yankees because they simply offered you the most money – just say it. If that's the way you want to roll, so be it. Be up front about it. Come clean. We’ll respect you for being honest (but you'll still be dead to me).
Know this John: when you come back to Anaheim in pinstripes or in a Red Sox uniform, I will want the Angels to beat you down in the worst possible way. I will want Reggie Willits to take you deep for his first ever major league homerun, walk off style. I will want you to be humbled and humiliated. You will be the enemy and I will not know you for anything other than the name on the front of your jersey. And if by some remote chance we should pass one another on the street some how, I will look through you as if you don’t exist because it's like I keep telling you; you will be dead to me.
Maybe fans aren't supposed to care this much. But I'm guessing they care this much in places like St. Louis. Things were much easier when I was a kid. It was much more common to follow the same guys on a team year after year. Tim Salmon shouldn't be the exception to the rule. You need to stay in Anaheim.
Perhaps you’ll end up as a Met. I suppose I could live with that. But I have to ask you, do you really want K-Rod closing games for you again? I might even understand if you signed with the Astros so that you could return to your home state. Although in that case, you'd have to kiss the post season good bye. I guess I could tolerate just about any team in the National League (other than the Dodgers) as a possible destination for you. I won’t like it much, but I won’t dwell on it either. I won't even shed a tear. I'll just move on. I'll be a little more jaded, but I will move on.
I hope I’m writing this letter for not. I hope nothing comes of the rumors and you’re back on the mound, in Anaheim for Opening Day in 2010. You know I'll be there wearing my Lackey shirt.
The Angels can get back to the World Series John. I know they can. You know they can. Let’s do this. Come back home John. You were born to play for the Angels.
Sincerely,
James
514 Fanatic and Die Hard Angels Fan
September 30, 2009
Fanning the Globe in Red
Now, I know there are people out there who will claim that this is when most people jumped on the Angels band wagon. Well, I can offer up a different perspective based on my own personal experience.
I’ve been going to Angel games since the late 60’s. Over the years I would probably go to about 10 games a year. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
When the Angels won it all in 2002, I knew the days of walking up to the box office the day of the game to get a good seat were basically over.
So in 2003 Cheryl and I, along with our friends Ken and Kim bought a 20 game mini plan. As luck would have it 2003 wasn’t a particularly good season (77-85) and the Angels failed to make the play-offs.
Then Vlad happened.
In the off season prior to 2004, the Angels signed Vladimir Guerrero to a five year (plus an option year) deal. The moment that happened, I knew a mini-plan wasn’t going to be enough and ticket demand would go through the roof. Plus -- having bought tickets (from brokers) for both the fifth game of the ALCS and the seventh game of the World Series in 2002 (for the price of what I could have probably bought season tickets for) was enough to convince us it was time to buy season tickets.
So again, Cheryl and I along with our friends bought season seats. Now, instead of 10 or so games a year or even 20 games a year – Cheryl and I now attend more than (gulp) 70 home games a year.
Take our story (and others like it) and multiply it several times and this dispels the notion that the Angels fan base is “full” of bandwagon fans. By the way, did attendance at Dodger stadium go up when Manny arrived? I’m not judging, I’m just asking…
That being said, I do believe that 2002 did bring some new fans to the table and quite frankly, I’m fine with that. I love seeing the stadium packed or nearly full on a nightly basis. Looking at a stadium covered in red shirts sure beats the heck out of an empty stadium. Looking at the stands at… well… let’s say Oakland-- is pretty depressing. I think a Partridge Family reunion concert with Danny Bonaduce instead of David Cassidy as the lead singer would draw more people than the A’s.
Plus if “new” fans are bringing kids along, some of them will grow up to be Angel fans. It’s all good. In fact, I actually love the idea that 2002 gave birth to new Angel fans all over the country. To think that a kid in Fish Haven, Idaho or Encino, California or any number of cities across the country is wearing an Angels hat because of their exposure to the 2002 World Series is pretty cool. It’s great that his or her favorite player became Troy Glaus and they’re now a big fan of Torii Hunter. Again, it’s all good. I want the Angels to expand the brand to every market and increase revenues!
Every so often, I’ll hear a fan say, “I hate all these band wagon fans… I remember when I could walk up and buy a ticket and sit right behind the dugout...” I don’t get that. Are those people so selfish that they’d rather have better ticket options than a stadium full of screaming fans? I'd rather have the stadium so loud, it drowns those people out.
I don’t care if you don’t know who the manager was before Mike Scioscia (Terry Collins). I’m not going to ask you if you know what Kendry Morales’ OPS is (.917) or even if you know what OPS stands for (on base percentage plus slugging percentage which is essentially a measurement of the player's ability to hit the ball).
I’m not going to ask you where you were in 1994 (the strike year) when the Angels were 46-68. All I ask is that you cheer loudly for the Angels, boo Ian Kinsler, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, anyone wearing an A’s uniform (except Adam Kennedy) and of course - A.J. Pierzynski. Speaking of A.J. – if he ever has a son that grows up to play in the major leagues, I’ll expect you to boo him too.
September 25, 2009
They're not so Athletic after all...
I hate the Oakland A's. I despise them. Yes, I even loath them.
Disclaimer: I realize that my hatred is not always rational and often times is based on my biased perception of how the A's do things and not necessarily how they actually do them. Whenever I rant about them, I might even exaggerate some things to make a point. Never-the-less, I am quite passionate about my utter disdain for them.
You see, I hate everything about the A's.
I hate their boring, stiff offense. They'd rather take a walk than hit their way on base (Go ahead, look at strike 3!). They don't appreciate the fundamentals of baseball and being aggressive on the bases is a sin to them (and no, Rajai Davis doesn't change things). They look down on the sacrifice bunt and their "hitters" refuse to expand their strike zone when they have runners in scoring position. Their mantra is "thou shalt not drive in a run with thy bat."
I believe their general manager is the most over-rated executive in baseball (maybe in all of the business world, for that matter) and it's appalling to me that Hollywood would even consider making a movie about Billy Beane. Word was Brad Pitt was going to play Beane. That's bad casting if you ask me. I think Jack Black would be a better choice.
I hate that the A's are touted as some sort of "small market" miracle, while a team like the Minnesota Twins has been largely ignored - even though they're more successful. The real miracle is that they haven't quite achieved Montreal Expo status just yet.
I hate their arm pit of a stadium. I hate that you could probably park the Queen Mary in foul territory there. Hmmm. No wonder they don't swing the bat much. They'd probably pop out in foul territory. I do find it oh-so-funny that the stadium was named after an anti-virus product (McAfee) - even though the place still looks like a germ infested play ground. They don't even have the good sense to get out of Oakland. I don't think they know the way to San Jose.
I hate A's fans. Well, maybe not all of them, but the ones that act like Moneyball Zealots/Billy Beane Wanna-Be's and think they're the be all to end all in fandom. They even have their own language... UZR anyone? Huh? Is that an assault rifle? I even hate the flag waving fans in their outfield seats (unless they're waving white ones). It's nothing personal. I haven't really met many in person, but I'm sure they kick their dogs and cheat on their taxes.
My hatred is deep rooted.
Disclaimer 2: Maybe my disdain has something to do with being at a game on July 4, 1971 when Vida Blue pitched a complete game to beat my Angels 2-1.
I hate that Carney Lansford began his career as an Angel and spent the majority of his productive years in Oakland. I hate that Joe Rudi had his best years in Oakland and then became an Angel. I hate that players like Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, and Nick Swisher end up being Yankees. This goes way back for me. Even guys like Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson and Jim "Catfish" Hunter became Yankees. Let's face it, the Oakland A's serve as a farm team that feeds their players to other major league teams. I've heard that the A's fans favorite pastime these days is making up teams of former A's and realizing how good they could have been.
I really hate it when ex-Angels become A's. Orlando Cabrera - you're dead to me. While I'm happy that former Angel Adam Kennedy is having a nice season, I despise the fact that he's doing so in an A's uniform. I'll cut AK a little slack because without him there wouldn't have been 2002. Speaking of their uniforms - I hate them too. Didn't the Robinson family wear those in "Lost in Space?"
I do love it when the Angels beat them and especially when they finish higher than them in the American League West - which has been a great trend lately. Soon to be five titles in six years.
Speaking of which...
I really love the idea that the Angels will most likely clinch the American League West this weekend while playing the A's. I love it so much that I chose this time to launch this blog (True Grich) now.
I hate the A's and you should too! After all, what's a rivalry without a little hatred?
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