Yes, we stayed

Every time we go to a baseball game, we know that just about anything can happen.  One thing that’s pretty predictable about an Angel game is that we are usually the last game to end on any given night. It’s uncanny the way that happens, but with the out-of-town scoreboard right in front of us, I track this phenomena on most nights.

Saturday was no exception and history was even made.

Not the kind of history that you might want to participate in, but history never-the-less.  The Angels played and won (thankfully) their longest home game in actual time played in the history of the organization. 

The game last six hours and 31 minutes.  Paid attendance for the night was 41, 159.  By game’s end?  Your guess is as good as mine, but a fair amount actually stayed.  I mean, it was Saturday night….

Over the course of 19 innings 558 pitches were thrown by 18 pitches (9 for each team); 347 of them for strikes.  Of the 347 each team looked at 54 strikes each (108 total) without swinging.  I find it curious that batters looked at strikes 31% of the time they were thrown.  There were 32 strike outs, and 11 walks.  Nothing spectacular for sure.

Highlights of the evening?  Well, there is the walk-off homerun by Albert Pujols.  I believe his first as an Angel.  I was beginning to think I’d never see one of those from him.

The nice thing about the six+ hours was that we got to spend it with some former season ticket holders (John and Linda and John and Ann) who bought some tickets from us.  As the game went on (and on), I joked that the Angels were making innings up to them for all the games they missed this year.  As we passed the 18 inning mark Linda’s husband – John remarked…. “We’re going to owe James for an extra game."

It was long. It was exhausting, but it was fun.  That being said, I hope I don’t ever do it again.  Talk about the dog days of summer...

I’ve never been to a doubleheader; although, Cheryl and I have been to two games in one day.  It was May 27, 2006.  Cheryl and I had gone to Petco Park to see the Padres and Cardinals.  We made the trip specifically to see David Eckstein. When that game ended – we rushed back to Anaheim to see Jered Weaver make his major league debut. 

That was a long day, but Saturday night was much longer.  Those two games in 2006 combined for five hours and 19 minutes more than an hour and 12 minutes less than the 19 inning marathon Saturday night.

Fun facts about the date in 2006 compared to Saturday night…

Albert’s homerun was the 514^th of this career.  We happened to be sitting in section 514.  

There are three players that we saw on that day in 2006 and also happened to be a part of Saturday night… Albert Pujols (playing in SD for the Cardinals) and in the Angel game there was Erik Aybar who came in late in the game for Orlando Cabrera and Mike Napoli who was catching for the Angels.

Dale Scott (umpire) also happened to be part of the crew in Anaheim in 2006 and again Saturday night.

It’s funny how a 19 game inning game unfolds.  As the game goes longer and longer, you really feel anxious about the outcome.  When you spend that much time invested in an even – your team had better win.  I still have horrible memories of a Sunday afternoon game at Angels Stadium with the Cubs.

The Angels lost that game 6-5 in 15 innings; a 5 hour and 8 minute affair in the heat of the day back on June 13, 2004.  It was agonizing and made all the worse by the loss.

Over the course of 19 innings, you might run out of food and drink.  You fear leaving your seat for the restroom because you might miss something that could end the game.  Which probably isn’t an issue if you have run out of food and drink…

You hear the crowd boo when the Angels announce that due to city ordinances and out of “courtesy” to their neighbors, there will be no post game fireworks.  At which point you hope for in-game fireworks from your own team.

You get to sing “Take me out to the ball game” again in the 14^th inning, but thankfully - you don’t hear “Buttercup” again.

You wonder who’s going to pitch if either team runs out of pitchers and then you realize that every position player (at least for the Angels) has already been in the game.  You look down into the broadcast booth and jokingly ask out loud if Mark Gubicza or Mark Langston is going to get the call next.

You start to worry about the drive home because bad things usually happen in the wee hours of Sunday mornings after Saturday night festivities and that’s no joke.

You start to wonder if you’ll make it for the 12:35 p.m. game that starts about 12 hours after the game you’re watching ends (yes, we made it back) and question the sanity of even considering such a thing.

You wonder if it’s too late to text your wife’s cousin who is a Red Sox fan and lives in New Jersey who was unable to watch the game on television and would surely appreciate an update (no, I didn’t text cousin Larry).

You notice that many of the ushers have gone home and guess the Angels just didn’t want to pay them overtime.

As you leave the stadium – the ushers say “good morning” instead of good-night.  Yup, everyone has a sense of humor when it’s late... I mean early.

You embrace the quietness of the crowd leaving the stadium; knowing full well that if the Red Sox had won, you’d be hearing them singing (badly) “Sweet Caroline” as they stumbled to their cars.

You notice that the moon is about to be full and you say to yourself… “It all makes sense now” – strange things happen when the moon is full.

You hear Terry Smith tell us via the radio that there’s no post game Angel talk for the ride home. Which means no one is phoning in calling for Scioscia’s head for at least one night and that’s a good thing because again – the moon is full and that brings out the crazies.

Faithful till the end

Last night in the 8th inning when the Rangers expanded their lead to 4-2, Cheryl looked intently at the action on the field and said, “We still have six outs.”

When Erick Aybar singled in the bottom of the 9th, she gripped my hand tightly. She didn’t want the season to end just yet. When Russell Branyan came to bat, the intensity was too much for her. She let go of my hand to cover her eyes and said “I can’t watch.”

It was soon after that moment that the ball went sailing past Rangers’ catcher Yorvit Torrealba and the crowd let out a roar. She looked up, looking for the ball and asked what happened. I told her the ball got past the catcher and Aybar was now on second.

She was excited and nervous at the same time – but she was into it; boy was she into it.

Maicer Izturis flied out.

Then Peter Bourjos singled to drive in Aybar, Cheryl’s adrenaline was pumping big time. She let out a yell, clapped and pumped her fists. Her body language said “We can do this.” She still believed.

I wanted to believe too, but as I sat and watched the game unfold, I was already done. My emotional tank was empty and I was waiting for the inevitable.

As Howie Kendrick struck out to end the game and the Angels play-off hopes, I felt a little sad – not for me, but for my wife who was faithful to her team till the end.

Sure, she had her moments when she was utterly disgusted with the team and may have even verbalized the idea that she too was done at certain times during the season – but her actions said otherwise.

All season long, she didn’t understand how this team could not play better. She knew they were capable and her desire for the team to win never wavered. She saw the flaws in the team as clearly as anyone. She would often say, “We need a big bat! They keep saying they’re going to get one, but here we are again…” Never-the-less, she still believed they could get it done.

She never failed them, but unfortunately, the Angels failed her.

It took 160 games for the Angels to be eliminated, but they broke our hearts all season long. Time after time – they lost games they should have won. The team failed on so many levels; offense, defense, bullpen, front office…. It was hard to watch, but we watched just the same.

A tremendous season for Jered Weaver and really solid seasons by Dan Haren and Ervin Santana were wasted. Pitching this good should be in the post season. It’s a darn shame they’re not going to have that opportunity this year.

Now that the Angels have been eliminated – Cheryl and I will become Diamondback fans for the rest of the year. It is our sincere hope that Joe Saunders gets a ring – a championship ring. Who knows, we may even make a trip out to Arizona to see a game or two. We’ll see.

It’s a long time till spring rolls around. We are exhausted. We started this journey in Kansas City for opening day on March 31. We attended tons of games and even made trips to San Bernardino to see the 66ers and trips to Texas and San Diego as well. I even made a trip to Dodgers Stadium. I should probably count how many games we saw and at some point, I just might. We didn't miss many.

We tried our best to look at this season as a story unfolding before our very eyes and it was just that; only problem was there was no happy ending.

All year long I have written in this blog that the margin for error was ever so small. After 160 games, that really came to be true.

We’ve been season ticket holders for a short time; only since 2004 – but we’ve been spoiled with five post season appearance. Not going to the playoffs for two years in a row hurts like heck and as I said before – I don’t ever want to get used to this feeling.

I’m a lucky man; my wife loves Angels baseball and we get to share this great game together. When all is said and done – baseball has provided us with lots of memories and we have been blessed to be a part of this season and others. It’s all about the journey and we can’t wait till the next one begins.

In the meantime, I will still be blogging and Cheryl will still be right here by my side feeding my ideas and keeping tabs on the Hot Stove season.

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).

Goo Gone!

Last night was fun and it was just what Angel fans needed. Quite frankly, it was also just what the Angels needed as well. If this team is going to climb back into the race - we are going to need to see a lot more of what we saw Friday night.

And guess who the star of the game was? Why it was none other than Mr. Tub of Goo himself, Juan Rivera. Now, as much as I'd like to take credit for motivating him (see my "Juan Rivera must go" post), I know I really can't do that. Face it, Juan Rivera is never going to read this blog, let alone care about what I would actually have to say about him.

Never-the-less, it is kind of fun to see a performance like the one he gave Friday night right after I spent some time blasting him. Perhaps I should do this more often? Cheryl and I, along with a few 514 Fanatics got a nice chuckle out of the whole thing. We kept calling Rivera Mr. Goo last night. I'm sure others in and around our section wondered what the heck we were talking about.

Well, a few more games like Friday night's and we'll have to change Rivera's name to Goo Gone Juan. Kind of has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

About the game... How many thought the Angels would roll over last night after fallling behind 5-0? I have to admit, the thought crossed my mind. Not Cheryl though. She actually looked at me when they were down and said to me - "I know we're going to win this game, I just blew the Rangers the kiss of death." She then proceeded to demonstrate what she was talking about.

All I can say is don't mess with Cheryl!

Good times at the balll park! It had been a while since we had a night like that. I just hope we have a lot more of those. Seriously, coming back from 5-0 is awesome.

Let's keep the mojo going.

A gift for Charles

Jered Weaver and the Angels don’t know this, but they gave Charles a great farewell gift on Saturday. While Weaver and the Angels were busy shutting out the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field (12-0), Cheryl and I along with family and friends were laying Cheryl’s dad (Charles) to rest.

You see Charles didn’t really like close ball games; he’d prefer to see his Angels win going away. The 12-0 win was absolutely perfect and the kind of game he'd appreciate.

I have this vision of Charles relaxing while watching the game, knowing the Angels bull pen couldn’t even blow this one. It was the most fitting send off the Angels could have given Charles. It makes me smile when I think about it.

And so it begins.

It’s time to get back into the routine of writing for this blog. Charles would appreciate that because he himself was a man of routine. Routine and regimen was a huge part of his life and defined him in many ways. Oh the stories I could tell…

Now, I’ll never live up to Charles’ standard for such things, but I hope to continue contributing to this blog on a more regular basis going forward. It’s been an incredibly tough and emotional few weeks and it will be nice to try and get back to watching Angels baseball and writing once again.

I wonder if I’ll recognize the team? I mean a lineup with Brandon Wood at shortstop, Kevin Frandsen at third base and Mike Napoli at first base is kind of strange. What’s even stranger is that this group has been winning without Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis and Kendry Morales.

Go figure... Go Halos!

So, we get the Dodgers and Rockies this week and the Rangers and Royals next. It seems like forever since Cheryl and I have been to a ball game and I imagine it will be a little strange when we finally get back to the ball park. I hope the rest of the season proves to be memorable and one we will wish we could have shared with our dads. Then again, in some way we will be sharing it with them – even though they’re not here.

Let’s get after it. There’s a lot of baseball still to be played (90 games for the Angels) and I’m sure I’ll have plenty to say about it all as the season continues to unfold. As always thank you for reading and while I’m at it – thank you for the countless well wishes and prayers over the past few weeks and beyond. I can’t tell you enough how much it was all so appreciated.

In closing, I leave you with this song... it's a personal favorite of Cheryl's and one that will always make her think of her dad.




Go Angels!

Tribute to Charles

The freeway series between the Angels and the Dodgers is always much anticipated and comes with huge expectations; however the meaning of those games is entirely different for Cheryl and me.

You see in 2007 while the Angels were sweeping the Dodgers at Angels Stadium I lost my father to lung cancer. This past weekend as the Angels were sweeping the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, my wife Cheryl lost her dad (Charles) to cancer.

What a strange coincidence. Not only did we lose both men the during freeway series; we lost them while our Angels swept. We don’t know what to make of that, if anything – but the oddness of it all sticks with us some how.

At a time when we should be feeling joy and elation, we feel numb and immense sorrow. Every time these two teams meet – we will always associate the games with tremendous sadness and loss. We suppose that both men must be smiling at the results of those games and on some level those games are somewhat of a welcomed diversion from life, but it’s still just strange.

Baseball isn’t life and death and yet we can’t help but associate one with the other.

What can I say? Charles has only been gone a few days, but we miss him more than words can say. What can you say about a man who meant everything to his family? He was a great provider, a handy-man, extremely smart, organized, and had a quiet strength about him. He loved puzzles, boysenberry pie and most of all his family.

Charles’ story is one for the ages. He and his wife Mil have been married for 64 years (one month shy of 65 years). That, in and of itself is amazing. Charles was no ordinary man, he was truly exceptional. These days people throw superlatives around all too easily – especially in baseball and sports in general. One game and some players become over night legends, but all of them pale in comparison to a man like Charles.

If Charles was a baseball player, he’d possess the qualities of all the greats in the game. He was as dependable as someone like Cal Ripken because he was there every day to do whatever needed to be done for his family. He never took a day off from being a dad and a husband.

In many ways Charles was like Willie Mays in that he could do it all. You name it, Charles could do it.

I will miss many things about Charles. I will miss the way he could say something just with a look. He was a man of few words, but his eyes and his smile spoke volumes all the time. He didn’t want for anything and never wanted to be the center of attention. Charles was all about giving. He gave his time, his knowledge and his love. He devoted himself to his family every single day. If there was a Hall of Fame for fathers and dads – Charles would be a first ballot Hall of Famer for sure. He is probably the greatest man you’ve never head of; not because he did extraordinary things, but because he did the things he was supposed to do; the things everyone is supposed to do.

He was honest, selfless, humble, and devoted. He was the ultimate role model and it’s a shame more people didn’t know him. Perhaps more people will know about him now by simply reading this blog. I know one thing for sure, I'm thankful to have known Charles and to be a part of his family.

God bless you Charles. All who knew you will miss you.

One day at a time

Character is often revealed in the face of adversity. It’s something that’s often demonstrated in the world around us. It’s amazing how some people are often at their best when the times are at their worst.

The Angels’ play since the injury to Kendry Morales is showing us once again that this team has tremendous fortitude. And while Morales’ injury may pale in comparison to other tragedies in the world (and in our case - at home); it is somewhat devastating in its own context. The possible impact it had on the Angels’ season was immense.

That being said, when Morales went down it caused me to pause. I thought that if the Angels were ever going to come together, it would be now; right in the face of the adversity because that’s just what they do. They simply find ways to pick themselves up and push forward and that isn’t as easy as it sounds.

The results of that effort has put them back on top of the American League West and quite frankly, it’s great to see the team back on top of the division. I hoped it would happen, but I didn’t necessarily believe it was possible. Yes, I had begun to think the season was lost. Shame on me for doubting.

The sad thing about the Angels’ great play of late is that I really haven’t been able to fully enjoy it. My father-in-law Charles is in hospice care at his home and everything else happening in the world seems somewhat irrelevant. I’ve been trying to keep up with all things Angels, but only because it serves as a welcomed diversion from time to time.

Cheryl and I missed every game of the last home stand to be with Charles. My wife Cheryl spends every waking moment by her dad’s side and I have to tell you that she’s been simply amazing.

This whole experience has been gut wrenching. It’s incredibly hard and it’s mentally exhausting, but she has managed to step outside of her comfort zone to do things that she never knew she could. Adversity does indeed reveal one’s character and my wife is a champion.

The details of watching someone go through hospice care are not for the faint of heart and yet my wife has found the inner strength to do whatever is necessary. Her faith carries her and her love for her dad fuels her. Her nerves are frayed; she’s mentally and physically exhausted; her heart is breaking and yet she pushes on.

Our days blend together and we often feel numb. I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone. It’s the second time for us; as I lost my father in 2007 to cancer.

I have tried to find a way to relate this horrible experience to baseball, but I’m not sure that I can. As we make our way through each day; not knowing what will unfold, I’ve even thought of this blog and at times felt like I should write something; anything.

It’s funny how this blog calls to me at times. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to build an audience and have put a lot of time and effort into making people aware of this blog. The moment I stopped writing, I felt like all the momentum I had built up started to vanish before my eyes. I’m not complaining mind you; I’m just sharing. I just haven’t had the energy or desire to write and felt that any effort I put into this blog would only be half hearted.

So why am I writing today?

I don’t really have an answer. Perhaps it’s because the Angels have miraculously made their way to the top of their division. Perhaps it’s simply just time. Ideas have been rattling through my head over the past week and what you’re reading now is the result of that process. I guess you could say my brain just couldn’t store any more ideas and I had to get them on paper.

Some say “Baseball is life.” I can tell you first hand, that this isn’t really the case. Baseball can enhance one’s life and it can play a huge role in a person’s life, but the game itself is not life.

It can reflect life or teach us life lessons and when it does that, it really is at its best. We learn this all the time and the Angels resurgence is a reminder.

I guess that at the end of the day I relate the way the Angels attack a baseball season with the way my wife has handled her dad’s fight with cancer. She has as much, if not more courage than any baseball player I’ve ever seen play the game; only she is doing what she needs to do in the quiet of her parents’ home and not in front of 40,000 fans. She is a warrior and although she would never see herself in that light, it’s absolutely true.

Every day is different. Every day is a challenge. All we can do is take things one day at a time. The good news is today we can tell Charles that his beloved Angels are in first place. That’s sure to make him smile. Come to think of it, it will make Cheryl smile too and I’m thankful for that.

There's slow and then there's 'Bengie Molina slow"

I need to rant just a tad bit today.

If you do a few simple searches on the internet you can find all kinds of information that will tell you how statistically bad the Angels’ defense has been this year. You can look up stuff like UZR (ultimate zone rating) and other kinds of analysis on FanGraphs or other sites dedicated to sabermetrics.

All those things paint a certain picture for sure, but I have to tell you I don’t have to know any of that to realize the Angels’ defense stinks this season; especially in the outfield.

Every time a fly ball is hit at either Bobby Abreu or Juan Rivera it’s an adventure. Not a “Raiders of the Lost Ark” adventure, but more of a “Key Stone Cops” kind of adventure. Neither guy is fast nor very athletic and when they do manage to make a catch, it’s like a “look what I found” moment. I often wonder who’s more stunned... me or them?

Last night Juan Rivera looked like he was auditioning for a remake of the movie “Bad News Bears.” I made the comment that he was really “leaking oil” as he tried to run toward a sinking line drive by the Rays’ Reid Brignac in the 7th inning. Rivera came up short and ended up making an error (amazingly only his second of the year).

Later on when he did make an nice running catch of a ball hit by Willie Aybar in the 10th inning, Cheryl said, “now, he’s not only leaking oil; he’s out of gas too.” In other words we both thought that play took a lot out of Rivera. Like I said earlier; balls hit to the outfield are “always an adventure.”

It’s kind of funny, but it’s also really, really sad. I’m actually concerned.

I still believe that Rivera missed a routine fly ball in Fenway last week that cost the Angels a game, but I digress.

As the season moves forward, I believe the defense; especially in the outfield will continue to be an issue and the Angels can’t afford poor defense when pitchers like Joel Pineiro and Joe Saunders really rely on it.

Rivera is so slow, if he were to participate in the “steal third” promotion for kids at Angel Stadium, he’d come up short. As Cheryl would say, “he’s almost Bengie Molina slow.”

I’d even venture to say that Torii Hunter seems a step slower this year. Perhaps he’s feeling some side effects from his off season hernia surgery. I really don’t know. What I do know is that when the Tigers were in town; watching Austin Jackson run down fly balls was like watching a younger version of Torii Hunter. Just saying.

Where am I going with all of this?

I don’t normally do this; but I can’t help but think about the upcoming class of free agents. Carl Crawford anyone? I’m thinking he’d look pretty good in red.

Help is also in the minor league system in Peter Bourjos and Mike Trout; although, there’s no telling how far away they are from making an impact at the major league level. Trout isn’t even at Rancho Cucamonga yet and is spending his first full season at Salt Lake City this year.

I’m also thinking about Jayson Werth of the Phillies. He’s already wearing red; however, he needs to dawn some Angel red next year. Again, just saying.

If you came to this blog looking for some comments about Brian Fuentes’ pathetic performance last night; I’m sorry to disappoint you. I will admit that it was very painful to watch, but he really hasn’t pitched that much this year and I’m willing to give him more rope.

Yeah, I’m drinking the Mike Scioscia kool-aid on this one. If he can get it together, the bull pen will be that much better. We still don’t know what the Angels are going to get from Scot Shields and depth is an issue. The Angels need Brian Fuentes to be good and so I’m going to hope for exactly that.

On a bright note, Trevor Bell looked solid in his 2010 debut last night. He even appeared to have a little bit of swagger and I haven’t seen much of that coming out of the bull pen this year.

Onward…

Weaver makes a birthday wish come true

When I woke up yesterday morning I was hoping that I would find that the Angels seven game losing streak was just a dream; a nightmare if you will. That obviously wasn’t the case.

It also happened to be Cheryl’s birthday and she started her day by saying “All I want for my birthday is an Angels’ win.” In the back of my mind, I thought the odds were pretty good for that to happen because I couldn’t see the Angels losing eight in a row. Plus Jered Weaver was going up against “King Felix” (Felix Hernandez) and even though Hernandez is one of the best pitchers in the game, we had two things going for us.

First of all I knew that when Weaver faced Hernandez head to head the previous six times, the Angels went 4-2. I also knew that Weaver was having a solid season himself and that he’d be looking to atone for his last outing.

Well, Cheryl got her wish. Not only that, she almost received a bonus gift as well. Weaver took a no-hitter into the 7th inning. I was disappointed Weaver didn’t give her a no-hitter for her birthday, but she’s pretty happy with an 8-0 shut out.

Weaver has been the lone bright spot in the rotation and has clearly embraced the role of team ace. Last night he did what ace’s do; he stopped the team’s losing streak. Weaver currently leads the AL in strike-outs and although it’s early I think there’s a chance he ends up being the AL starter for the all-star game coming to Anaheim in July.

Weaver should have made the team last year and it would be only fitting to see him start this year’s mid-summer classic. We still haven’t forgiven Joe Maddon for that slight. And we haven’t forgotten that neither Chone Figgins nor Brian Fuentes even got in the game.

Speaking of Maddon, his Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in baseball right now and they’ll be in town next week. I’m hoping we have huge crowds all dressed in red for the games taking place this coming Monday through Wednesday.

But before we even get to those there are two more games with Seattle. Beating the teams within the division is critical. Today Joe Saunders has a chance to get on the right track. I honestly believe we’ll see an improved performance. I know he’s not as bad as he’s shown thus far.

Booing is for the birds and I don't have wings

If you boo the players on your favorite team are you passionate or just a jerk? I think that’s a fair question, don’t you?

I mean it’s one thing to boo a guy for not giving his best effort or for being a putz (let’s not forget Jose Guillen), but is it okay to boo a guy who’s simply struggling? Does booing him make him play better? Or is it just a way for fans to vent?

Brandon Wood is struggling and that’s probably an under-statement. He looks lost and doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of breaking out of his slump. Then again, you have to ask; is it a slump or is he really this bad? I don’t know the answer to that; although I’m inclined to believe he’s just off to a bad start.

Rob Neyer and Aaron Gleeman don’t see Wood projecting very well. They make a valid argument (I can’t believe I’m saying that) and it appears there is reason for concern.

Regardless of all that – my question is should Angel fans boo him? I know they boo their own in places like the Bronx or Boston, but I don’t necessarily believe they’re the gold standard for fandom. At the same time, I also don’t pretend to be the arbiter of that standard either. It just bugs me.

I don’t think any fan who boo’s Wood wouldn’t do it to his face. It’s one thing to be sitting in the stands, but when it comes to a face to face encounter; could the same fan look Wood in the eye and tell him he sucks? I’m not asking if they’d be intimidated to do so, I just wonder (and hope) if they’d find some compassion for what he’s going through.

The year Steve Finley was an Angel (sorry to bring up such a horrible memory) he was so bad; I hated to see him in the lineup. Mike Scioscia kept trotting him out there and Finley kept saying all the right things about how he appreciated Scioscia’s faith in him, etc., etc. I wanted to boo Finley. I can’t recall if I did or not, but I’m certain I voiced some displeasure never-the-less.

That same season, I saw Finley at an autograph session and on photo day. In both instances, I told him “We’re pulling for you.” He seemed to genuinely appreciate the sentiment. I’m sure Cheryl (my wife) looked at me and laughed because I had been so hard on him sitting in the stands.

Fact was I hated his statistics, but I could not hate the person. I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t have to say anything at all, but when the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to give encouragement instead of silence or worse.

By all accounts, Wood is a good guy. Personally, I think he could probably use a little support. I want him to succeed in the worst way. I have empathy for a guy who’s been waiting so long for his opportunity. He never complained once. He never showed any sense of entitlement. He just went about his business and waited for his chance.

Through his early struggles, he’s never even shown any frustration and still goes out and plays pretty good defense. He’s also had a few bad breaks on well hit balls.

Now I’m not trying to tell fans how they should act (although you might think otherwise based on what I’m writing). I just choose not to boo the players on my favorite team. Have I ever done it? I probably have, but I couldn’t tell you who or when. I would assume it was only out of pure frustration and not any actual hatred.

Baseball is such a tough game. It’s designed to make players fail far more often that they succeed.

And I keep coming back to something Torii Hunter has said many times and that’s to treat people the way you want to be treated. I know he didn’t invent that saying, but I’ve heard him say it so many times, I’ve come to associate the phrase with him.

I fail at a lot of things. Thankfully, no one is there to boo me when I do (and yes, I understand no one is paying to watch me work). Writing this has made me reflect a lot on this topic. I’ll boo the opponent at the drop of a hat (after all, the Yankees are in town), but I will make a conscious effort not to do that when the players on my favorite team struggles. I will reserve the right to boo if someone goes Jose Guillen on us though.

If I have a complaint, I’ll voice it in other ways. I hear blogging is popular.

Now before I end this post, I want to address the one thing that the anti-Wood crowd continues to bring up ad nauseum and that’s Troy Glaus.

It seems as if no one can complain about Wood without bringing up the year the Angels let Troy Glaus walk. I have three words for those people… Get Over It.

Troy Glaus played 91 games in 2003 and only 58 games in 2004. When his contract came up at the end of the 2004 season, there were serious questions about his health and whether or not he’d be able to play third base again. They were legitimate questions. At the same time – Dallas McPherson was coming off some great years in the minor leagues and appeared to be ready.

The Angels made the decision to let Glaus walk and give McPherson a shot. It didn’t work out; mostly because McPherson ended up being the bigger injury risk of the two; but never-the-less, some fans can’t let it go.

It was the right decision at the time. Hind sight tells us otherwise, but that’s baseball. Sometimes things don’t work out, but you have to try to do the best you can with the amount of information you have.

Letting Glaus walk was the right decision at the time; given the circumstances. I can’t blame the Angels for being apprehensive about giving Glaus a multi-year contract at that time.

Again, I know it didn’t work out, but to lament on that part of Angels’ history is pointless and irrelevant when talking about Brandon Wood. The Angels are right to give Wood a shot now. If it doesn’t work out; it’s still the right move. We need to see what he can do.

And let’s not forget that all of this eventually paved the way for Chone Figgins to have a few good years in Anaheim. Most fans totally leave out that tid bit during the discussion.

Moving on. Bring on the Yankees.

Let’s hope the stench from Joe Saunders’ performance last night has dissipated by game time. Yeah, I just said that. Joe stunk last night and he’s not helping my case against the sabermetric types that keep projecting a lack luster season for him.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a huge Saunders fan and I look for him to rebound next Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians.

Now about those Yankees...

Looking inside my crystal ball

I’ve got a prediction. Between now and the start of the 2010 baseball season thousands, if not millions will make predictions on everything from who will win it all to how many times Lou Piniella will get ejected from a ball game.

This is what we Americans do. We love making predictions; it’s almost as if making predictions is a bigger pastime than baseball itself. Everyone loves to make them and everyone loves to say “I called it” when theirs comes true. Some people even manage to make a living out this; only they call it “projections.”

Our predictions aren’t limited to the final score or final standings; oh no, they happen continuously. How many times have you turned to someone and said, “so and so is going to… fill-in-the-blank… right here!”? (Yes, 514 Fanatic Dave, I’m thinking of you right now).

Do we make these statements in hopes of a pat on the back? Is it to bring us luck? Or is it just fun? I have no idea and it probably doesn't even matter.

The funny thing is no matter how many times we’re wrong and I’m guessing most of us are wrong a lot (except for my friend Dave); we keep doing it. I wonder what would happen if there was a limit to the number of predictions one could make in a given year.

Knowing me, I’d probably exceed that limit in the course of a single ball game. It starts early for me. Before every game my wife Cheryl and I predict who’s going to hit the first homerun for the Angels. Before you know it, I’m predicting sacrifice bunts, pinch hitters, the attendance, whether or not a play is going to end up on ESPN as a “web gem” or how many hot dogs one of the 514 Fanatic will eat in a given night.

Most of the time I would venture to guess that we have no rhyme or reason for our predictions (unless you’re using sabermetrics, of course). We just throw stuff against the wall and hope something will stick. See my free agent projections here, here and here for the perfect example of that. Oh and here too. Boy was that painful.

Clearly, anyone can make a prediction and maybe that’s the thing. Making predictions is an equal opportunity deal. Anyone can do it; you don’t even have to know much about the subject to make one. I have a couple of co-workers who are Dodger fans and they’re living proof of that. Now don’t get me wrong because I’m pretty sure not all Dodger fans are like them. I’m just saying.

Anyway the point of all of this chatter is basically to introduce you to the True Grich Predictions for the 2010 Baseball Season. Now before you roll your eyes, please note these aren’t the carefully planned predictions of say FanGraphs or something you’d expect to read on ESPN. No sir, this blog is better than that.

I predict that at least once a day, I’ll hear a Dodger fan label an Angel fan as a bandwagon fan. I also predict 75% of these fans will be wearing Manny Ramirez jerseys.

Speaking of jerseys, I predict I’ll see at least five Oakland A’s fans wearing Reggie Jackson jerseys with the #44 on their backs. It’s a sure thing that I’ll laugh every time I see that, knowing that Jackson actually wore #9 when he played for the A’s.

While I’m at it, I also predict I’ll make more than 5,000 snarky comments about the A’s over the course of a season; however, I may even be a little low on that one.

I predict the Red Sox and Yankees will be on ESPN more times than Brittney Spears will be on TMZ. Yes, that much! I predict non Red Sox and non Yankee fans will complain early and often about it too.

I predict Erick Aybar will lead the team in web gems and bloopers. I also predict yet another hairdo for the player formerly known as Vald’s mini-me.

Speaking of Vlad, I predict a standing ovation for Vladimir Guerrero when he returns to Anaheim and I predict he hits at least 30 homeruns, but I’ll hope that all of them are against the A’s, Yankees and Red Sox. I also predict Vlad will hit at least one homerun that would have been a wild pitch to any other batter.

I predict Chone Figgins will attempt to steal bases early and often whenever he faces Jeff Mathis or Mike Napoli. I also predict he’ll be left standing on second base at the end of a lot of innings while the PA systems blares “please, celebrate me home” by Kenny Loggins.

There’s a part of that song that goes “Please, celebrate me home. Give me a number. Please, celebrate me home. Play me one more song that I’ll always remember. That I can recall whenever I find myself too all alone (may I add on second base?). I can sing me home.” Sorry Figgy, it doesn’t work like that; someone has to drive you in.

I guess I’d better predict some boos for that analogy.

I predict a sportswriter (or two) somewhere will continue to bash Mark McGwire and then turn around and cheat on their taxes. I will also predict that we won’t see McGwire photo in the post office, but some will continue to label him as baseball’s public enemy #1.

I predict Ben Sheets will struggle early on; be traded to the Cardinals and have a banner year. It’s like the A’s are the Cardinals farm team some times. What? You have to remember I have a goal of 5,000 snarky A’s comments!

You know, I could do a whole blog on Mike Scioscia predictions (but don’t worry, I won’t). But, for the purposes of time and space, I’ll highlight just a few.

I predict Scioscia’s team will out perform their projections; he’ll get labeled as the best in the game almost as many times as a fan from another team will label him as being over-rated.

I predict we’ll never see Scioscia wearing a jersey and instead see him in an Angels' jacket even when it’s more than 100 degrees. What’s up with that?

You can count on the fact that I’ll disagree with something he does at least once a week and find out I was wrong just about every time. I hate it when that happens.

That being said, I might as well get this out of the way now and say that I predict I will moan and groan every time Scioscia platoons Brandon Wood; which ties into my prediction that if he gets a minimum of 400 AB’s, he will hit at least 20 homeruns.

I predict that nearly every time I hear someone say; “you heard it here, first” it really won’t be the first time.

I predict I’ll say “can you believe that?” at least 50 times, say “wow” 100 or more times and scream “that’s what I’m talking about” several dozen times.

I predict that I will hear at least one outlandish trade proposal on the post game radio show every single night. So let’s get this straight now; no, the Cardinals aren’t trading Albert Pujols to the Angels for Juan Rivera, the rally monkey and Gene Autry’s cowboy hat.

I predict many people (myself included) will have long memories when it comes to predicting things right and short memories when we’re wrong. Come to think of it, I’ve never been wrong. Just don’t ask my wife to verify that.

I predict the Angels will win the west even though most “experts” will pick the Mariners. I say the Twins will win the AL Central (and not receive the kind of credit the Oakland A’s receive as a small market club) and the Yankees will win the East. Look for the Rays to win the wild card and send the Red Sox to an early vacation.

I predict the Diamondbacks will win the NL West, the Phillies will be the team to beat in the east and Albert Pujols will have an MVP season as he leads the Cardinals to top of their division. I’ll also take the Florida Marlins as the surprise wild card team.

And just so we’re clear, I also predict that at some point before the season starts or shortly after it begins, I will change my mind! After all, spring training hasn’t even started yet.

I predict that I’ll see something I’ve never seen at a game before. Last year at spring training I saw my first ever triple play in person. I have no idea what I’ll see this year and to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

When all is said and done the fun part about baseball is not knowing what’s going to happen. Sure, we like to predict what we think will happen, but the fun is in watching stories unfold before our very eyes. Stories like Kendry Morales having a break out season or Joe Saunders out dueling Zach Greinke 1-0 as both pitchers go the distance.

Seven days till pitchers and catchers report.

By the way... guess who's baaaaaack?



Robb Quinlan signed a minor league deal with the Angels. He could end up as Kendry Morales' back up.

What's in a song?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Extra verse:

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

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

Time for some last minute shopping

Dear Santa,

I’ve been a good boy. Okay, I admit I’ve said a few foul things about the Oakland A’s, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and a few others. I guess I showed poor form when I said John Lackey was dead to me after he signed with the stinkin’ Red Sox. Oops, did I say stinking? Sorry about that.

No really, I’ve been so good, that I don’t even need anything for myself. My wish is for the Angels to land a top of the rotation pitcher. I know it’s a tall task, but I’ve heard your elves do some pretty amazing things. I mean Sony, Apple and the like have nothing on your dudes.

And just to show you I'm not unreasonable, your posse doesn’t even have to build one. You can just go get one. You see, there’s this guy in Florida named Josh Johnson and he’d look really good in an Angels' uniform. I’m just saying…

I might also suggest an alternative by way of Dan Haren in Arizona. I’d be willing to overlook the fact that he played for the A’s at one time. I’m accommodating that way, don’t you know?

Then there’s this super pitcher in Kansas City named Zach Greinke. If you put him on the Angels, he’d probably think he was the one getting the gift. You’d get double points on that deal. Think about it; I mean talk about win-win.

Look, people have been trying to push you out of the spotlight for quite some time now. You don’t even hear people saying “Merry Christmas” very often. I mean come on dude, helping the Angels out could really give you some good PR. You’d be bigger than Mickey Mouse. You might even get invited to Letterman.

Heck, they might even make a movie about you instead of that Grinch character. I mean you have much nicer skin than he does and everyone likes a jolly guy more than a grouch.

And think about this; the Angels owner Arte Moreno is in the billboard business. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Imagine your picture plastered along side every freeway from here to the North Pole. Boo-ya. You’re liking this aren’t you?

Now, I know this request is coming to you at the last minute and you’re probably already air born, but I figured you might check your blackberry or iphone now and then. Isn’t technology awesome? By the way, do you have a twitter account? I’d love to follow you because I bet you could tell us some crazy stories, but I digress.

Back to my request. Remember it’s not about me; it’s about the Angels. Okay, maybe I get a little bit of a benefit out of this as well; after all, I am an Angels fan. But don’t think about me here; think of the kids, Santa. It’s all about the kids. Think of how their little faces would light up if they learned that next year’s opening day starter was going to be Justin Verlander or a healthy Brandon Webb.

Seriously, tis the season for dreaming really, really big, I say and that doesn’t mean C.C. Sabathia. Not that the idea of him in Anaheim would be a bad one, mind you. It’s just that he’s probably right where he belongs and when I say “big” – I’m thinking a marquee kind of pitcher and not necessarily one that’s physically big.

Are you feeling me yet? I mean come on – Christmas came early for Seattle and even earlier for the White Sox when they got Jake Peavy. By the way, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that one. Did you lose A.J. Pierzynski’s check list? No way, that guy was good all year and yet he gets to catch Peavy. Go figure.

I’m telling you Santa we can regain your market share during this time of the year, but you need to work with me. Remember, the Angels wear the same color as you do and I’m fine if you want to make this a “red” thing. That way, no one can accuse you of playing favorites.

I guess I’d better get some sleep now. My wife Cheryl put some cookies out for you. They’re homemade and trust me, they’ll better than anything you will find in a Red Sox or Yankee household, guaranteed bro.

Thanks and Merry Christmas, big guy.

All the cool kids are leaving

Darren Oliver is cool. I’ve thought that ever since he put on an Angels uniform. His stroll from the bullpen to the mound, late in a game is a picture of absolute coolness. You would never guess he’s heading into a fire to tame the flames. Instead, he looks like he’s just taking a stroll to pick up the paper off the drive way.

He pitches with a quiet confidence and stays cool under pressure. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he doesn’t even sweat. However, I do know better because this past spring training when Cheryl and I asked him to stop and pose for a picture, he was worried that he was a little too sweaty. We convinced him he was fine and he obliged us for photo.

Like I said; Oliver is just plain cool. What isn’t cool is the news coming out of ESPN via Jerry Crasnick, who claims Oliver is close to signing a deal with the Texas Rangers.

Excuse me while I scream because I’m clearly not as cool as Oliver.

The nightmare that is the Angels’ off season continues. It’s bad enough the Angels are losing Oliver, but to compound the issue, they’re losing him to a team within their own division. To make matters even more “peachy” – the Angels will not receive any compensation for Oliver since they did not offer him arbitration.

The Angels decided that they didn’t want to pay more for Oliver in 2010 than they paid for him in 2009 (which would have been a certainty had they offered and he in turn accepted arbitration.

There were rumors that Oliver might retire after last season. Word was that if he didn’t retire, he’d want to come back to Anaheim. It sounded good and I was sucked in.

Clearly, things aren’t as they seem. I don’t know, but it seems to me like Anaheim is not the premiere destination many people might have thought it was; unless, you’re heading to Disneyland for a family vacation. Then again, maybe that’s not even a sure thing.

Before you pack up the kids and head on over to the Magic Kingdom, you might want to make sure Mickey hasn’t left town. At the rate in which people are leaving town, anything is possible. Come to think of it, I think I might have actually seen Donald Duck heading south for the winter.

Maybe the Angels took Oliver for granted. Maybe they’re… well… like I said in an earlier post… too complacent.

There certainly wasn’t any news or reports that I’m aware of announcing any contract negotiations or even news of interest from either side.

This is not exactly what I wanted for Christmas. Clearly somebody messed up. I want to know which Angel fan out there was bad this year? I’m blaming you; whoever you are because you ended up on Santa’s poopy list and the rest of us are being made to suffer.

Good, left handed relievers don’t grow on trees. Apparently, they prefer the flat land that is Texas. Maybe Oliver is a bass fisherman. The reservoirs aren’t nearly as crowded there and they’re lakes are bigger and more abundant. Whatever the reasons are don’t really matter. All I know is the hot stove just got a little colder.

The day after

I took a deep breath. Actually, I took several deep breaths and even manage to exhale a couple of times. Then I began reading all the opinions and rantings and slowly developed some conclusions and thoughts of my own regarding Judas Lackey’s voyage to the dark side.

It’s kind of funny how easily my opinion about a player I’ve always liked can change ever so suddenly. Deep down inside, I kind of expected this outcome (Lackey going elsewhere) and although I thought the Yankees were a more likely destination, the fall out of his going to the Red Sox instead is basically the same.

My initial reaction to the news was disbelief. I just couldn’t believe it. Then anger began to take hold, followed by disappointment and then a return to anger. As I said yesterday, I felt like Lackey had given the Angels the finger on his way out of town. Perhaps holding on to that feeling makes it easier for me to part ways with him.

Never-the-less, I keep going back to game five of the ALCS when Mike Scioscia took Lackey out of the game and how angry Lackey was as he left the mound. This wasn’t anything new and if he had reacted any other way, I would have been stunned. Part of me wants to believe that Lackey made the decision to leave the Angels right then and there and nothing they could do would change that. Lackey would never have admitted to as much because like so many other free agents in the past, he needed the Angels to drive up his asking price.

That’s speculation on my part, but I think it might have some merit. I also wouldn’t be surprised that at some point, Lackey takes a parting shot at the Angels, the decision in game 5 and his time in Anaheim. Lackey tends to wear his heart on his sleeve and again, if he let be known why he left, I wouldn’t be surprised.

So now we (well, at least me anyway) begin the process of justifying the loss of one of the best pitchers in Angels history. It’s actually not a hard process to go through (especially when you have this vision of Lackey flipping us the bird).

Gulp… here it goes.

John Lackey lived off his game 7 performances in the 2002 World Series for seven years. During that time, he was a solid performer and evolved into the ace of the staff; however, many would argue that he was a tick below some of the other so-called #1 starters in the league. He finished as high as third in the Cy Young Award voting (2007), but only made the list of top vote getters just the one time.

On one side of the coin, we can point to the fact that of the 121 pitchers who made their debut in 2002, Lackey ranks first in wins with 102. No other pitcher from that year has more than a 100 and that list includes Jake Peavy (95), Cliff Lee (90), Erik Bedard (51), and Aaron Harang (75).

Despite all of that, since 2002 Lackey didn’t win another post season game until this past ALDS. In fact, his game one win over Boston in the 2009 ALDS is his only post season victory since 2002. He’s actually 1-4 since 2002 and 3-4 over all. Hardly stellar. And yet, Angel fans often labeled John as a “big game pitcher.” Now that he’s leaving, we might venture to say he was “over-rated.”

He started the 2008 and 2009 season on the disabled list. A red flag? Perhaps. His 3.83 ERA in 2009, while very good, was his highest since 2004 and represents a two year trend of it going up.

Then there were the public outbursts. He has been known to show up his players on the field when they make an error, complain about the lack of offense and argue about being taken out of the game. While he was an Angel, these things were likely to be viewed as signs of leadership. Now that he’s leaving, it’s easy to label them as jerk-like behavior.

Remember, we’re trying to justify his departure and that requires us to take off the gloves.

He was frequently called the “big dog” and the guy who set the tone for the entire staff. Was he really? Or was he the guy most likely to gravitate towards a microphone?

To be fair, Orange County Register columnist Mark Whicker paints a broad picture of Lackey in his latest column. He says, "We haven't always noticed when he holds up his fist in support of the players who do make plays. We haven't been around when he's taking young pitchers to the bistros and picking up the check. We haven't always heard his West Texas brogue in a clubhouse that slowly became his."

To that I say it’s easy to be the good guy when things are going well and while he had his good days, he was also volatile. Again, you have to remember that I’m a tad bit bitter about his departure.

Trying to gain some perspective in the aftermath of his departure is not an easy task. There are lots of great memories associated with the guy who wore #41.

His leaving is compounded by the arrival of one Cliff Lee in Seattle. It becomes even more difficult to swallow knowing that another Angel target – Roy Halladay is now in Philadelphia. It becomes nearly unbearable when we think that Scott Kazmir might be considered the answer as his replacement. No offense to Kazmir, but his post-season performance in 2009 did not strike a great deal of confidence into the hearts of Angel fans.

On the bright side (at least for Cheryl and I) is that Joe Saunders will be back and the trade rumors that included his name can be put to rest.

Perhaps this is the time when Jered Weaver will emerge as the pitcher we all envisioned he would become when he was drafted out of Long Beach State in 2004. He certainly showed signs of this in 2009. Weaver seems to have the temperament and qualities to become the leader of the staff. Like Lackey, Weaver has more wins than any other pitcher who made their debut in the same year (2006) with 51. More than Cole Hamels, Jon Lester, Chad Billingsley and 129 others. Weaver is 2-1 in the post-season with a 2.61 ERA and those numbers give us cause for hope.

And then there is Ervin Santana. Should the 2006 or 2008 version of the player show up, he could be something special. Maybe he likes pitching in even years and 2010 is just what he needs.

I will miss John Lackey, but come the start of the 2010 season, I will try to not give him a second thought. It will be time to move on and Lackey just became public enemy #1.

514 Fanatics react...

One 514 Fanatic named Bob wrote me and said, "In October during the playoffs, I told Stephen (his son) that we may not recognize the Angels team next spring. Unfortunately, I fear that is coming true, one step at a time. As if we needed another reason to despise the Red Sox."

Long time Angel fan and 514 Fanatic Bo (Mr. Yes We Will) wrote, "The word lackey means 'to act in a servile manner' in other words a bootlicker. Be gone with you to the gates of Fenway - you lackey. Or maybe his name should be what I had for dinner tonight... a latke. Look at it this way; Big John went for the big payday and we all knew it. To give him 5 years would have been insane... We have a young pitching staff and let's hope they pay off. Pitching basically sucks in the big leagues so it is really time for a youth movement."

Perhaps the best way to gauge the impact of Lackey’s leaving is by asking some kids what they think.

According to 514 Fanatics Jeffrey and Lauren’s nine year old twins Josh and Jake – their words are "BOO BOSTON!"

As I close this chapter in Angel’s history, I can’t help but think of my friend Scott’s 8 year old son, whose favorite player is John Lackey. I emailed Scott because I wondered how Evan was taking the news. Scott wrote, "To say that he's unhappy is putting it mildly. I had to take his Lackey T-shirt away or else he might have cut it up. He gets the playoff rivalry with the Sox, but doesn't get why a player would want to go to a team he just beat."

Evan, I don’t get it either.

Gammons gave us the good stuff

Peter Gammons stiffed me.

It’s not as bad as it sounds. I mean it’s not every day that you can say you were stiffed by a Hall of Famer. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dissing Gammons or Hall of Famers in general. I guess what I’m really saying is that it’s not every day that you even run into a “legend.”

They’re not moments you can necessarily anticipate. They just kind of happen and such was the case for me this past spring. Cheryl and I were in Tempe (just like always), when I saw a familiar sight moving from the practice fields to the stadium; Peter Gammons. He looked like a professor on his way to teach a class, clutching a notebook with papers sticking out (at least that’s how I remember it now).

I thought to myself, "that’s Peter Gammons; I should ask him for his autograph." So, I grabbed a baseball and caught up to him as he was walking through the parking lot that connects the practice fields to Tempe Diablo Stadium. I politely asked for his signature and he politely said he had to be some place and was running late.

Oh well… I wasn’t mad at him for not stopping. Disappointed; yes, but not upset. He had a job to do and I understood. Maybe he thought I was one of those guys who gets autographs and then sells the stuff on eBay (I’m not). It doesn’t really matter. At the time, I thought to myself that maybe I’d get another shot. Unfortunately I never did see him again and I may never get that chance back.

Peter Gammons said goodbye to ESPN today. He’ll be working for the mlb network and NESN in Boston.

I don’t know if he’ll be making any more trips out west and even if he does, the chances of seeing him in person again are slim. I wish I had taken a picture with him or shook his hand; something, anything that would have served as a nice memory. He always seemed like the kind of guy who would be fun to just sit and talk baseball with. He usually had good stuff to say about baseball players; things that revealed who these players really were. I admire that.

I remember when Milton Bradley had one of his “episodes” and Gammons came on ESPN and shed a different light on the volatile player. He told viewers that when he went through his health issues (he had a brain aneurysm), Bradley was the first ball player to call him and see how he was doing.

I appreciate stuff like that. I know Gammons is known for breaking stories about trades, signings, etc., but I liked him for his ability to share something about a player’s personality or character; something unique and sometimes even up lifting.

For many years, Gammons was our connection to the inside of baseball. He was the guy who knew the things we wanted to know more about. He was a pioneer and now there are dozens of reporters and media types who have followed in his footsteps.

Gammons has always conducted himself with a great deal of class. You can tell that he has a great deal of respect for the game and for the people involved in America's favorite passtime. He has never been the story; making sure baseball is always the focal point. Perhaps the coolest thing about him is you can tell he is truly a baseball fan.

I wish Gammons well in his new endeavors.

A Salute to the Veterans and a Hot Stove Update

My father was a career Marine. He gave nearly thirty years of his life to serving this great country and he was honored to do so. He did two tours in Vietnam, spending a year away from his family each time; once when I was seven and then again when I was twelve.

When a soldier goes away to serve, his family stays behind to do the same. Soldiers and their families both make sacrifices. So on this Veteran’s Day, I’d like to thank the men and women who are serving at home and abroad and I’d also like to thank their families as well.

Back when my father went to Vietnam, the world was a bigger place and news traveled much slower than today. The internet wasn’t around and staying in touch was difficult. The best way to stay in touch was by writing letters; something I did regularly when I was 12. What does a kid write to his dad about? I used to send him the scores from ball games with updates on team standings. Keeping up with sports was something we shared through the years.

I really don’t think my dad was a fan of any one team. He was sort of a Detroit Tigers fan and definitely admired Mickey Lolich, a left handed pitcher. I seem to remember him also being a fan of Wilbur Wood a knuckle ball pitcher with the Chicago White Sox. Wood was most likely the inspiration for his teaching me how to throw a knuckler. Something I never even thought of until writing this blog.

When I think about it, my dad was basically a fan of any team I was a fan of. It’s funny, it’s usually the other way around for many fathers and sons, but that wasn’t the case for us. We always rooted for the same team. You could say, we were always on the same team and I'm glad that was the case.

I lost my dad to cancer in 2007 and I miss him dearly. I miss a lot of things about him; including talking baseball. I probably did most of the talking though, as my dad basically followed the game through me. He loved to hear about Cheryl and my trips to Spring Training and to other stadiums around the country. He took pleasure in knowing we were doing something we enjoyed together. The day he passed away, the Angels were in the midst of sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in an inter-league series. I’m sure he would have enjoyed that a great deal.

I guess it’s only natural that on this day; Veteran’s Day, I think about my dad. Truth is I think about him all the time, but today is special. My dad served his country to make sure I would have the freedom to enjoy things like baseball. When I think back, I don’t think I ever thanked him enough for that. Thank you father. I miss you.

Well, at least I can thank those men and women currently serving in the armed forces. Thank you for your courage and your dedication. Thank you for making it possible for all of us to enjoy great traditions like America’s favorite pastime. I will never take you for granted.

This past season, we had the pleasure of sitting next to a young couple who had Angels season tickets for the first time. There names are Bobby and Ashley. Bobby just completed his tour of duty with the U.S. Marines. Bobby, if you’re reading this… Thank you for your service! I know I’ve thanked you before, but I don’t think I can do that nearly enough. And thank you Ashley for your role in serving as well.

During the season we also got to meet some other young marines who would come to games when Bobby and Ashley could not. They were all outstanding individuals and great baseball fans. Heck, one of them was even a Yankee fan! Thanks again to all of you. I'm sure the stadium was a nice refuge far away from some of the places you've been to during your tours of duty.

Bobby and Ashley are expecting their first child any day now. They’re going to have a little girl and that child has a very blessed future. She’s going to grow up in the freest country in the world. She’s also going to have great parents and will come to know baseball. Every kid should be so lucky to get to experience baseball. We can’t wait to meet her next season, if not before.

So again, on this Veteran’s Day, I thank those who are serving here and abroad. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart - Thank you.


Hot Stove Update:

Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn’t get it. He’s reporting that the Angels have shown a real lack of interest in John Lackey. I don’t think Sherman plays poker. He’s probably used to going all in – since he covers the Yankees. The Angels have a history of playing their cards close to the vest. I am guessing they’ll let Lackey field offers from any number of teams and then decide if they’re going to match. As long as the dollar amount isn’t totally insane, I believe they have an excellent chance of keeping him.

Negotiating with Lackey now is pointless. He’s going to test the market. No sense in bidding against themselves. Also, making it look as if they’re not interested could also be a nice ploy. If GM’s are nervous about the prospect of signing Lackey because they believe the Angels aren’t trying to sign him for reasons only they know; that’s a good thing. Let them think that.

Don’t count the Angels out of the John Lackey sweepstakes and don’t believe everything Sherman writes; at least when it comes to the Angels. Unofficial word is that Sherman found some left over champagne in a shoe of Nick Swisher’s from the Yankees celebration and was having some when he wrote that piece about Lackey. Eww.

More on Figgins. Joel Sherman is at it again. According to Sherman, the Mets are "absolutely" in on Figgins. One problem... The Mets would have to unload Luis Castillo and the $12 million he has left on his contract. According to the article, other options have Figgins in left field. Apparently, Mets GM Omar Minaya met with Figgy's agent Seth Levinson recently.

I think the Mets have bigger issues with their pitching staff, among other areas. If Figgins likes winning as much as he says he does, he'll stay clear of the Mets. They're a long ways away from being good and don't have much of a plan to change any of that, in my opinion.

Late Update:

Scott Miller of CBS Sports confirms that the Angels have made both Chone Figgins and John Lackey high priorities. Reagins confirmed discussions with both camps.

This makes more sense than the notion that the Angels have not made a significant offer to Lackey.

Lackey not lacking for suitors

I know it’s only talk, but I’m not liking what I’m hearing in the Hot Stove round ups taking place around the internet and within the media as a whole. I have read a few too many instances of pundits and the like predicting that John Lackey will end up in New York wearing pinstripes. According to SI’s John Heyman he is definitely on their radar.

It was one thing to have rent-a-player and current mercenary Mark Teixeira go from the Angels to the Yankees, it’s a completely different animal to think that Lackey could be following in his footsteps. The mere thought of such an event is enough to make me crazier than Al Hrabosky. If Lackey follows the money (and he’s entitled to do exactly that), I will be more than a little disappointed and I will enjoy baseball a little less in 2010.

The odd thing about the Angels Hot Stove season so far is that they haven’t come out publicly about what they might do. Last year we heard over and over again that their number one priority was Mark Teixeira. Maybe they learned a lesson from that? That being said, Tony Reagins has been quoted on Sirius XM radio as saying that there was a "likeliness" that Lackey would return. That kind of statement gives me a little bit of hope, but I’m not ready to relax just yet.

One thing is clear, the Angels aren’t going to sign Lackey during their exclusive window. Perhaps they’ll go the route that White Sox and Paul Konerko went a few years back and have Lackey go out and get the best offer and bring it back to the Angels to match. Seems like the Angels have been used plenty of times to drive up the price for free agents in the past. Maybe it’s their turn to use the same tactic with the rest of major league baseball. I would rather it didn’t come to that, but it’s not like I have any choice in the matter.

This got me to thinking; is a player’s loyalty to a team in baseball gone? Cheryl and I went to the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation’s (OCYF)Sportsman of the Year dinner in 2006 which honored Tim Salmon. One of the things I will never forget about that night was how Salmon’s brother – Mike told us about Tim’s first contract opportunity after putting in his initial service time. Tim instructed his agent to “take the first offer.” I’m sure he got a reaction or two from his agent, but I’m betting he doesn’t regret that decision one single bit. I now think about that every time the hot Stove Season rolls around and I can’t help but wonder if that kind of attitude is dead now.

I don’t know what makes me more nervous, the uncertainty of the Hot Stove season or Brian Fuentes coming in to close a game. At least there are plenty of other players and scenarios to think about.

Which brings me to Chone Figgins. I see Figgins as the key cog in the Angels entire off season plans for their non-pitching needs. If Figgins resigns, I believe the Angels would be done (for the most part) with that part of their plans. It would most likely mean that Figgins would be going to the outfield and Brandon Wood would be playing third base. I can see Figgins moving to RF, with Bobby Abreu getting the majority of the DH duties and an occasional start in the outfield. If Figgins doesn’t resign, I believe the Angels will land Jason Bay or possibly (although less likely in my opinion) Matt Holliday. So the question begs – who would you rather have Figgins, Bay or Holliday? I don’t see a scenario where they have two of the three because I strongly believe Wood is going to get his shot. I don’t believe any of the talk that has the Angels trading Wood. If he was going to be gone, he’d already be somewhere else. Wood is the kind of player who can become the face of a franchise. His ceiling is that high. He’s only 25 – even though it seems like we’ve been hearing about him for as long as he is old.

Now for some other predictions... I guess I’m feeling my oats since Tim Dierkes of mlbtraderumors.com predicted Vlad Guerrero will sign with the White Sox, just like I did in my Let’s get cooking in Anaheim post, where I also predicted the Angels signing Bobby Abreu to an extension. What's that saying about a blind squirrel?

First up: Rich Harden. Rich Harden will turn 28 later this month. When I realized how young Harden was, I was actually kind of surprised. Here’s a guy who made his major league debut (albeit with the hated A’s) in 2003. Despite his injuries over the years, he looks like a player with tremendous up side. The Red Sox have taken on a few of these kinds of guys (see John Smoltz and Brad Penny); however, I think he’ll be headed to the Mets. In a word the Mets starting pitching is simply awful. When your team ends the year with your #2 guy being the likes of either Nelson Figueroa or Mike Pelfrey, Harden becomes the kind of risk, you need to take.

Randy Wolf has been a nice innings eater for the Dodgers, but with all that’s going on in divorce court these days, one has to wonder if the Dodgers will be players in the free agent market. Even if they are, it’s doubtful they’ll be able to afford the likes of Wolf. There is that remote possibility that he’ll give them a home town discount, but I have a feeling he’ll be another piece of the Mets pitching puzzle in 2010. Wolf is going to get a nice pay day after a solid season where he posted a 3.23 ERA. He’s the kind of guy (a lefty) the Mets need to throw against a left handed hitting dominant Philadelphia Phillies team.

If you’re wondering who might DH for the Yankees next year (assuming they don’t resign Hideki Matsui), you might consider Jim Thome. Let’s do the math. Thome is a big left handed bat and the ball flies out of Yankee Stadium to right field. It’s a match made in… well, some place. Thome is a big post season performer and would most likely shine in the Yankee spot light.

Jermaine Dye finally gets to go home. Born in Oakland and a graduate of Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville, Dye will become Billy Bean’s latest attempt to find an aging veteran with a little something left in the tank. He struck gold with Frank Thomas in 2006 and has been looking for that kind of magic ever since. It didn’t work out so well for Mike Piazza in 2007 or Jason Giambi in 2009, but that won’t stop Beane from trying again.

Joe Crede has two strikes against him. First of all, he’s had chronic back problems and secondly, his agent is Scott Boras. That means he’s not going back to Minnesota in 2010. Instead the Twins will look at a guy who could come at a reasonable price, as he is coming off some injury problems of his own. I’m talking Troy Glaus, who is one year removed from a 27 homerun season. The Twins will be breaking in a new outdoor stadium and Glaus could regain his power stroke playing there. At 32 years of age, he’s not ancient and just might have solid season in 2010. He also could be the kind of post-season performer the Twins need.