Let's try something different

So the other night… Tuesday night, in fact – Cheryl and I are sitting in the View MVP section with friends and this guy starts walking around with a neon colored sign with the words “Show me the money Josh Hamilton” and “He’s robbing you blind, Arte.”

Now, the first question you have to ask yourself is what possesses a person to come to a ball game with such a sign.  The man happened to be at the game with three young boys, who I assume were his own.  Was he there to teach them a life lesson?  Was he looking for his fifteen minutes of fame and wanted to make sure his boys got to share in the experience?  Or was he simply looking to get a little air before he crawled back under the rock he lived under?

The interesting thing is that he didn’t really get a reaction from anyone – except for the security person who showed up to make him put his sign away.  No one seemed to care and although some were probably annoyed – they probably realized he wasn’t worth the energy.  Even when security had him put the sing away, no one made a peep.  When he left the game early… nada.  Nothing. 

No doubt he wanted the cameras to find him, but apparently he wasn’t bright enough to understand that wasn’t going to happen and the only camera that was going to notice him were the ones being viewed by security.

So – here’s the deal.  Showing up to rant about a player isn’t going to get you much.  For one thing – I’m certain Josh Hamilton couldn’t hear the man shout things like “I want your paycheck.”  Sitting in the upper level should be an obvious road block to your goal of having the player actually hear you.    Common sense should prevail in these situations, but I guess one has to have it to use it.

Think about it.  Hamilton can’t hear you and the cameras aren’t going to put you on a big screen.  At this point you have to realize you’re only annoying the fans sitting in the area and what you’re doing is making a much bigger statement about yourself than it does about Josh Hamilton.  And then there’s the kids… think about the kids, man.  Do you really want them growing up with this imbedded in their memory?

You have to be more creative than that. 

So here are some suggestions for anyone who wants to make a statement about Josh Hamilton’s struggles.  These things will at the very least, elicit a chuckle or two from the fans in the stands.

Make a voodoo doll.  No, not of Josh Hamilton, stupid; after all, we are still Angel fans – but one of the opposing pitcher.  Every time the pitcher goes to wind up – have his arm go crazy and throw the ball into the stands.  You accomplish two things this way.  One, the fans in the area will appreciate the souvenir and two, Josh Hamilton will get a walk and his on-base percentage will go up.   Now, I don’t believe in voodoo, but at this point anything might help.  Just make sure the voodoo doll is huge for impact.

This one is for the Hamiltown crowd – the group that sits in the right field pavilion holding up the sign.  Every time Hamilton makes an out – downgrade the sign.  For his first at-bat, you’re a town… if he makes an out – you’re a community then a cul-de-sac, and then a small house and last, but not least – an outhouse – which could have a couple different meanings, if you catch my drift.  What would all of that look like?  You figure it out – I’m just throwing out ideas.

Okay… enough of that.  And quite frankly - the Hamiltown crowd is a great group trying to do something positive. In fact - we need more fans to follow their example.

So... you know what would really be cool?  This would be sure to make its way to ESPN or at the very least the local news.  What if every time Hamilton came up to bat – we all stood and clapped and chanted Ham-il-ton! I’m not talking about a patch of people here or there – I’m talking about an entire stadium; standing in support of a man who desperately wants to live up to expectations.  To make it even more amazing – what if every fan was wearing a Josh Hamilton t-shirt or jersey?

Imagine the impact.

It’s too easy to sit and complain about how badly Hamilton has performed.  And booing?  That’s just weak.  Boo A.J. Pierzysnki or Ian Kinsler – but booing Josh Hamilton is pointless.  Do you really think that’s going to make him play better?  Would it make you perform better?

My crazy idea isn’t likely to take hold.  There are too many cynics and complainers in the world.  That’s not a group I want to associate with. 

I can only do what I can do.  I’m going to make a point of showing my support for Hamilton from now on.  This team needs him and baseball will be a lot more fun - if and when he starts playing like the player he can be.

Something has to change.  As fans we have no control over what happens on the field, but we can have an impact on the environment the player performs in.  Think about it.

Unacceptable

If you’re like me, you’re probably very happy that Opening night has finally arrived in Anaheim; however, you’re probably not pleased that the Angels start their first home stand with a 2-4 record.  Face it, we didn’t endure a very long off season to see the team get off to a bad start and quite frankly – it’s unacceptable.  So are the 36 strikeouts by Angel batters in the first three games.  And the six errors in the same series? C’mon; that’s not Angels’ baseball.

And then there’s the trip to Texas.  I’m sorry – but I really wanted Josh Hamilton to respond to the Ranger fans with some thunder from his bat.  I wanted him to go yard and trot around the bases while Ranger fans looked on and realized he was gone for good and how much they were going to miss him.  Instead – he gave Ranger fans what they wanted and that irked me to no end.

By the way Ranger fans - you can chant "Baseball town" all you want - it doesn't change the reality.  You're a football town and you always will be.  So don't get upset with Hamilton telling the truth.  What's the big deal.  Everyone knows the truth.  Embrace it and move on.

Sunday night was especially painful.  Yu Darvish wasn’t himself.  And we’re talking about a guy who may very well give Justin Verlander a run for his money when it comes to the Cy Young award.  A golden opportunity was wasted that night.

And for goodness sakes – if you’re going to give up a 3-run homerun to someone – for the love of baseball – don’t let it be Ian Kinsler (Or AJ Pierzynski for that matter).  Kinsler rounding the bases and pumping his fist was hard to watch.  It was painful and yet I can’t get that stinkin’ image out of my head.

I know it’s early… but we said that last year when the team got off to a horrendous start.  I don’t want to watch history repeat itself.

I don’t want this team to just show up and expect to win.  We’ve seen that before and it doesn’t work.  I want my team to play with a chip on its shoulder.  I want players that have a hunger in their gut to prove people wrong and have an “us against the world” mentality.

My expectations are high.  I want the Angels to kick butt and take names.  I want some intensity and not silly grins and giggling in the dugout. 

It’s Opening Night and I’m ready for some baseball.  I’m ready for some old’ fashioned Mike Scioscia baseball where the offense constantly puts pressure on the defense and runs come in waves.  I want at least two out of three against the stinkin’ A’s and a sweep of the Astros.

My expectations are high.  I won’t settle for mediocrity.  That’s unacceptable.  I’m fired up and I can’t wait for the game.  It’s go time people.  Let’s do this.  

R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me

I’m an old fashioned guy. When I was growing up I always addressed my parents’ friends as Mr. and Mrs. (insert last name here). It didn’t matter if their kids called my parents by their first names, I just didn’t do that. It’s how I was raised and throughout my life I have always maintained that decorum.

For me it’s a matter of respect and I think that’s something that is severely lacking in society today. A lot of people don’t seem to respect a whole heck of a lot these days and it bothers me.

The world has changed so much during my lifetime and while some people may say it has “evolved” – I’m not so sure that’s the right description. It seems to me we’ve become world of “getting” and not “giving” and this even true when it comes to respect.

Even in the world of sports that’s become painfully obvious in my opinion.

I grew up in an era when sports were filled with classy individuals; athletes I respected and admired like Bart Starr, Jerry West, and Nolan Ryan. I always liked tough, no-nonsense guys and if they their game had a bit of a flare to it; even better. Guys like Barry Sanders, Pete Maravich, and Ozzie Smith caught my attention because their game was exciting and their play did all the talking for them.

Now-a-days they call that being “old school.” Well, that’s me.

So why do I bring any of this up in an Angels baseball blog? Good question.

As soon as the season ended and quite frankly probably even a little before that – I started thinking about the off-season and what the Angels should/might/could (take your pick) do. Like most fans, my mind has gone a million different directions.

Inevitably names start to pop up in all the usual places – message boards, columns, blogs, sports talk shows, etc. Most of the talk about players, center around their statistics; both old school stuff and sabermetrics.

While all of that is interesting and important, I don’t think enough time is spent talking about a player’s character or “make-up” if you will. Some will argue that stuff like that doesn’t matter and yet – “character” probably had something to do with the demise we witnessed in Boston this year.

I would imagine a player’s character is something front office personnel and baseball managers actually do consider, but I also get the impression that if the statistics are good enough, the “intangibles” don’t seem to matter as much. I mean how else can you explain why guys like Milton Bradley and Jose Guillen received multiple opportunities at the major league level?

I started thinking about all of this (at least more than usual) after I read something (and unfortunately, I can’t remember where) about the way the Texas Rangers front office goes about their business. I can’t remember if it was an interview with Jon Daniels or Thad Levine, but what I read got my attention.

I read something to the effect of how much a player’s “make-up” goes into their decision process. I don’t remember the specifics, but I know that I liked what I read. In fact – I’ve read a lot of stuff about these two that I found to be impressive and even refreshing.

Obviously, I don’t know Jon Daniels or Thad Levine. All I have are impressions of who they are and what they’re like based on what I’ve read, heard or seen. Never-the-less I’ve seen enough to draw my own conclusions.

It seems to me that these two respect the game of baseball a great deal and they want to surround themselves with people who do the same.

Which brings me to the Angels front office; after all, this is an Angels' blog.

I like what I’ve seen so far from Jerry Dipoto; in fact, I like it a lot. From the moment Dipoto spoke to the media as the Angels new GM, he has come across as a professional in every sense of the word. I like the fact that he sounds like a man with a strategy for getting the Angels back to where they should be.

A lot has been said and written about the Angels former GM Tony Reagins. I’ve often heard the phrase “over-matched” or “in over his head” when he’s being described or evaluated. Reagins came through the Angels’ organization as an intern and for better or worse; he was never really given any respect. At the same time, I always thought that Reagins didn’t give any respect either. Funny how that works.

The way he answered questions and generally communicated with the media made me think he didn’t have much respect for others. He didn’t respect the fans and tried to sell us the idea that the Angels made their big splash with the signings of Hisanori Takahasi and Scott Downs.

Most everything he did – seemed unprofessional. I’ve ranted about how he has handled things on this blog many times and rather than rehash all of it; let’s just say; I’m glad it’s a new day.

With Jerry Dipoto, I have a newfound confidence in the future of the Angels. There’s a new, fresh attitude that’s apparent. I have no doubt that he and his staff will be able to clearly evaluate what needs to be done and then go about the business of making it happen.

Like Daniels and Levine – I don’t know Dipoto. However, watching, listening, and reading about these folks gives me a sense of things. I never got the sense that Reagins knew what he was doing. I get the opposite impression with Dipoto.

Whether I’m right or wrong is anyone’s guess.

You see I want to like everything and everyone associated with the Angels. I find being a fan much more enjoyable when I actually like the people associated with my favorite team. I never cared much for Frankie Rodriguez and I was happy to see Jose Guillen leave town.

At the same time, I know that I have no control over who the Angels will acquire, but it’s my hope that this doesn’t include players I would rather not cheer for.

In case you’re wonder, that means that I’m less than enthusiastic about the team going after someone like C.J. Wilson – whose mouth grabs a lot more headlines than his arm does.

Maybe I have it all wrong and Wilson is just funny and not the jerk I’ve made him out to be in my mind. Maybe I’m just jealous because his team has had the kind of success I am used to seeing in Anaheim and have now missed for two years.

I mean here I am talking about how great Daniels and Levine are and yet I’m bashing one of their players, right? Well, Wilson was in the Rangers’ organization before Daniels and Levine arrived and if they don’t resign him, I’ll make note of it and think back to what I’ve written here.

I know I took the long way to tell you that my hope is the Angels don’t sign C.J. Wilson, but it was a journey I really wanted to share with you.

Oh and for the record – if and when Ian Kinlser becomes a free-agent, I hope the Angels pass on him too.

As for whom I hope the Angels do sign… I haven’t made up my mind yet. As to whom I think they will sign – I really have no idea. There’s this new guy in charge named Dipoto and I’m just going to respect the idea that he’s going to make the moves that puts the Angels back where they belong – a top of the AL West.

Nap-oh-please make it stop

I can’t take it. It’s hard to watch and even harder to reconcile in my head. How in the world did Mike Napoli end up in Texas? Yeah, I know “how” – I should ask “Why?” Okay, I know the “why” as well; I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around it all.

Every time I hear an announcer or an analyst talk about what a fantastic hitter Napoli is with two strikes or how he doesn’t chase the high fast ball anymore or how good he’s been behind the plate, etc., etc., my head wants to explode.

If you’re an Angels fan, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s utterly painful to watch. It’s like being a little kid standing in your front yard while all the neighbor kids pile into a mini-van to head of to Disneyland and your left behind sad and jealous because you could have gone too, but your parents didn’t pay attention when plans were being made (not that this actually happened to me).

How did this happen? Crap. I’m doing it again. I’m asking questions that I know the answers to. I guess what I’m really trying to say is that I don’t understand it and I doubt that I ever will.

This creates a problem for me. You see, I like Mike Scioscia. Heck, I think he’s the best thing to ever happen to the Angels. Yeah, that’s right – EVER. It’s just that I can’t reconcile my appreciation for Scioscia with the fact that he let Mike Napoli go.

Now I know that no one is perfect – especially baseball managers and general managers. They all make mistakes and every move has some risk involved; but never-the-less, I can’t let this one go.

I mean if the Angels had simply decided it was time for Hank Conger; maybe, just maybe I’d understand. I mean I understood the thought process behind letting Troy Glaus go because Dallas McPherson appeared to be ready. And even though that didn’t work out, I could justify it in my head.

But… Napoli leaving to make room for Jeff Mathis? The same Mathis who could be non-tendered any day now?

If I could, I would kidnap Scioscia and lock him in a room; inject him with some truth serum and start asking questions.

Was it personal Mike? Was it really about his defense? Does his family make better Italian food than yours? Does he buy his appliances at Best Buy instead of Howard's? What was it really? I've got to know.

Face it; the complete turn-around of Napoli has been astonishing. He could always hit homeruns, but now he’s turned into Johnny Bench. He’s not the same guy he was in Anaheim and I’m not so sure he would have ever become who he is today had he stayed in Anaheim.

And about that…

What’s that all about? Is Mike Scioscia that hard on catchers? Is Mickey Hatcher really that inept? Yes, I know – I’m doing it again with the obvious questions… you think you know the answers; but do we really? No, really; I don’t want to hear the speculation of a bunch of sheep who spout the same nonsense that everyone else does. I want some real answers.

Unfortunately, I’ll probably never get the answers I want… (I’m thinking about the truth serum idea again).

Hmm.

Somebody get Bengie Molina on the phone. I want to ask him what it was like playing for Scioscia. I’m serious – Molina was the total package and I’d love to get his perspective.

Can anyone validate what happened? Anyone? Hello?

Meanwhile, baseball marches on.

As great as the postseason has been so far; and let me tell you – it’s been utterly spectacular; I still feel a little empty. Actually, make that a-whole-lot-of empty because the Angels failed to get there for the second year in a row and every time I turn on a Rangers game I see signs like “Year of the Napoli.”

Josh Hamilton even made a comment that had something to do with who the Rangers might get from the Angels this off season after watching Vladimir Guerrero last year and Napoli this year contribute to their success. That wouldn't be so funny if it weren't so true.

Seriously… this isn’t fun at all. Oh sure – Rangers fans are yucking it up pretty good, but most die-hard Angels fans are suffering here.

You hear the praise being heaped on Napoli and you sit there starring at the T.V. numb and utterly stunned. And just when you think you’ve come back to your senses – you watch him hit a homerun or throw a runner out or do something that makes you plant your face firmly in the palm of your hands.

And the truth of the matter is that you can’t really hate Napoli for his success. He didn’t choose to be in Texas – he ended up there. I have no problem booing the likes of Ian Kinsler or CJ Wilson, but I can’t muster up any animosity for Napoli at all and let me tell you - I've tried.

He was never one of my favorites, but that’s probably because I knew he wasn’t one of Scioscia’s favorites. Why Mike; why?

We see Napoli having success and we are hopeless to do anything about it.

Our nightmare has been Napoli’s dream come true. Not only did he have a fantastic season, he even put an exclamation point on it when his team ended the year in Anaheim – where he hit four homeruns in that final series. It was like watching a movie in slow motion.

It feels like Angel fans are being punished over and over and over and over and… well, you get the picture.

If Texas goes on to win the World Series I’m not going to be very happy about it (the thought just makes me want to puke), but a small part of me will be happy for Napoli (a really teeny tiny part of me). If it happens (Texas winning *gag*) my emotions will again be in conflict; happy for Nap and disgusted that it happened in Texas.

Regardless of what happens; 2011 season has been sort of a coming-out party for Napoli. It truly has been his year (just like those signs say).

It’s like he was freed from a boss he hated even though he was doing something he normally loved to do. When you hear him interviewed he seems to be having fun. He seems to have found the joy again and I can’t help but be happy for him. He probably never deserved the amount of criticism that was thrown his way; especially, when we compare how much praise has always been given to Mathis.

It just doesn’t compute and I doubt that it ever will.

So here we are… while Ranger fans chant Nap-o-li, Nap-o-li; we Angel fans watch in quiet (or maybe not-so-quiet) anguish. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

The funny thing is that even though the Angels are in the process of a massive face lift – as they go about looking to replace Tony Reagins and an-ever-growing cast of thousands (scouts, front office personnel, etc.) – I can’t get the whole Napoli thing out of my mind. It’s as if I am looking for some kind of closure; a valid explanation, if you will before I can “turn the page.”

Oh well… Approximately 124 days till pitchers and catchers report. It’s going to be a long off season. Buckle up.

The day after

It’s over. I’d love to be wrong, but I’m afraid I’m not. Yes, the Angels could win the next three games and the Red Sox could lose their last three and the two teams could end up in a tie for the Wild Card, but let’s be realistic; that’s not going to happen. Add in the fact that Tampa Bay is also in the hunt and it really looks impossible.

Yesterday’s loss wasn’t the kind of “epic” finish I was hoping for. It was a colossal disappointment to say the least. I think the best word I saw to describe what happened was simply “stunning.” I’m sure that most fans felt like I did as they left the stadium yesterday –numb. I’m sure some probably felt angry or frustrated as well, but I have to believe the overwhelming majority of fans simply felt like the wind had been knocked out of them.

Like most fans, a million or more thoughts have gone through my mind in the last day. A lot of “what if’s” and would, could, should a’s as well. We all know what the issues are and assigning blame and ranting about it probably isn’t going to do a lot of good. Sure, it might be therapeutic to some degree, but I’m not up for such a task right now.

My thoughts are more about guys like Torii Hunter, who is running out of time to get that World Series Championship he wants so badly. I’m thinking about what Jordan Walden must be going through. He started the year hoping to just have a role and found himself in the closer role and then being somewhat of a scapegoat for the team’s failure in the biggest loss of the season. I know players are conditioned to “turn the page” – but yesterday’s game has to stick with him a bit.

I keep thinking about the long road ahead for guys like Vernon Wells, who probably wish Spring Training was next week; so that he could get to the business of becoming his old self again. I wonder where Mike Trout will start the 2012 season and if Bobby Abreu is too old and simply not good enough to be an everyday player any more. I wonder if we will ever see Kendrys Morales in a game again and wish I would get some news about his rehab.

I can’t stop wondering what Mike Napoli is thinking and how a smile must come over his face when he think about the season he’s had with his new team. I grimace at the thought of Ian Kinsler gloating.

I question the abilities of Tony Reagins and whether or not he’s the right man to get this team back on track. I continue to believe that Mike Scioscia is the best manager in baseball and I actually marvel at the job he did this season, given the lack of offense his team produced.

I’m not angry in the least. Monumentally disappointed? You bet. I know that some folks will talk about how this team exceeded most expectations, but that doesn’t mean much to me.

Somehow, we all have to move forward; fans, players, coaches, front office folks, etc. I have no idea what direction the team will take this off season and even though I’m capable of making some of my own suggestions and/or predictions, I just can’t muster enough energy to tackle that right now.

At the end of the day this team just didn’t get the job done. I have mixed emotions about it all – but most of all I’m simply disappointed and just plain sad. Every year since 2002 has shown us all just how hard it is to get to the top. Most of us assumed 2002 was only the beginning and that the Angels would become some sort of a dynasty. Luck hasn’t been kind to the Angels since 2002 and unfortunately, I think luck is an important element in any championship run.

I really believed the Angels had a great shot at winning it all in 2005, 2008 and 2009. Each ended in total disappointment. Even though this team didn’t look particularly great on paper – it had its chances; it really did. It just didn’t happen.

All I know right now is that I don’t ever want to get used to this.

Jeff Mathis makes me laugh

When I say the name Jeff Mathis how do you react? Do your eyes roll back in your head and you feel like you might pass out? Does your brow furrow and your lips get tight? Profanities start flying from your lips?

Has there ever been a player in the Angels organization who evoked more emotion and passion (usually the angry kind) than Jeff Mathis? I don’t think so; not even Mo Vaughn or Jose Guillen made an Angel fan as crazy as Mathis does.

Many have tried to understand what it is that makes Mike Scioscia so pro-Mathis and all have failed to grasp what makes Scioscia continue to write his name into a lineup on any given day. I venture to guess that we could summon the most brilliant minds in science and engineering and even they would be perplexed.

Sam Miller of the Orange County Register did a guest appearance on the Baseball Prospectus’ web site and took a stab and trying to make sense of it all. Miller sheds some light on the issue, but I would venture to guess that even he would admit that this whole Scioscia/Mathis relationship is of the great mysteries of our time.

So… what do us as fans do about this? Laugh? Cry?

If you don’t know whether or laugh or cry when you see Jeff Mathis on the field, I invite you to laugh and perhaps this blog post will help you do exactly that. Besides, laughing is therapeutic.

Here are my thoughts (many of them totally random) on Jeff Mathis. None of these thoughts are based in science or metaphysics or the supernatural or anything else that you can put a finger on. They’re simply a compilation of the various thoughts that run through my head whenever I think of Mathis. It’s my way of amusing myself; because the alternative is a path to insanity.

So without further ado, here we go…

I’d really like to see Mike Scioscia try to explain why he plays Jeff Mathis to Judge Judy. I have to believe Scioscia would get his lunch handed to him by Judy. I can picture here shaking a finger at Mike, can’t you? The exchange would certainly be funnier than those Howard’s ads we hear on the radio.

Batting practice isn’t practice for Mathis – it’s an exercise in futility.

Two words players in the outfield never hear when Mathis takes batting practice… “Head’s up.”

Two words that are never used in conjunction with a Mathis at-bat… “Clutch hit.”

Good news; bad news. Good news – Mathis is hitting higher than his career batting average. Bad news – he’s only hitting .216

Years after Jeff Mathis is done playing baseball… none of this will be funny. And the Mendoza Line will be replaced with the Mathis line. FYI: The Mendoza Line takes its name from the shortstop Mario Mendoza's lifetime batting average of .215. It is baseball slang for the threshold of incompetent hitting. AngelsWin’s Steve Haston got this one right – check out his article here.

Jeff Mathis swings a bat like Charlie Brown kicks a football; however, unlike Charlie Brown (by way of Lucy), Mathis has no one to blame but himself.

When Jeff Mathis comes to bat with the game on the line, the Rally Monkey goes home.

Jeff Mathis probably won’t hit his weight (200) this season. Heck, he might not hit Alexi Amarsita’s weight (150).

If Mathis’ bat had On-Star it would never get activated because there has to be some sort of impact/contact for that to happen.

When Jeff Mathis was a kid, he hated going to birthday parties that had piñatas. Why? Do you really need to ask? Think about how you get the candy out of those things.

When I think about the Mathis/Scioscia relationship, I think of the old TV show - “Courtship of Eddie’s father.” Watch the clip below and tell me you can’t picture Mike and Jeff together. G’head.



I’m willing to bet that even Mathis’ mother doesn’t think he’s good enough for the major leagues. Face it, he has a game that only… well, Mike Scioscia can love.

Mike Scioscia is so enamored with Mathis that if he were a judge on Dancing with the Stars and Mathis was a contestant, Scioscia would be making comparisons between Mathis and Fred Astaire.

Jeff Mathis makes up for his lack of offense with his inability to throw out runners. Wait, how does that work?

Imagine Jeff Mathis as a peanut vendor – the peanuts would never reach their destination; fans sitting two sections over would find a bag of peanuts landing in their lap; beers would be knocked from the hands of thirsty fans and little kids would have to wear helmets.

Mathis’ arm is so bad, he couldn’t even throw out the kids who do the on-the-field “steal-third” promotion at Angel games.

Let’s just say that Jeff Mathis’ arm is so bad; he can’t even throw in the towel.

I’m telling you he’s so bad that there is actually a conspiracy among the other 13 teams in the American League to keep him in the lineup. Watch this clip of Ian Kinsler at mlb.com telling the world that Mathis is the hardest player for him to steal against. It blows my mind and Kinsler should get an Oscar for that acting job, don’t you think? By the way, this is one more reason for me to hate Kinsler. Just saying.

CSI has investigated Jeff Mathis’ playing time and they’re dumbfounded. One thing they did agree on; it’s a crime that Mathis wears a major league uniform.

NCIS also investigated and came to the same conclusions with this added observation… he should never be allowed to throw hand grenades for obvious reasons.

When Jeff Mathis comes into a game, Angel fans start dialing 911 on their cell phones.

Seeing Jeff Mathis in the lineup makes about as much sense as one of Charlie Sheen’s rants.

The best thing about an off day is that we are assured that Mathis won’t be in the lineup.

One more bit to share… and this isn’t a rant, but a little nickname I have for Mathis. If you’re a Mathis apologist, relax – it’s nothing derogatory – it’s something I imagine ESPN’s Chris Berman would say… Now batting… Jeff “English isn’t my favorite subject, but Math-is.”

And on that note… I say, bring on the Yankees.

Keeping it real

In an ideal world Jered Weaver and Dan Haren would pitch every night. In an ideal world both of them would at least be scheduled to pitch against Texas. In a really ideal world Jeff Mathis would… well, you know.

Well, the world is anything but ideal and that pitching scenario isn’t going to develop for us this week. Last night Ervin Santana took the mound; tonight it’s Matt Palmer and finally on Wednesday – Weaver will be on the hill. That shouldn’t stop the Angels from taking care of business; although, they failed to do that yesterday.

I admit, I was pretty darn excited about the game, but by the time I got home to see it, it was out of hand. It happens. Thankfully, they’ll play each other another 18 times over the course of the season.

That’s 18 more opportunities to right a wrong in my book. It just bothers me to see Texas in the position they’re in; a top the division and the favorites to win the west. I’m accustomed to hating the A’s and I’d really rather not have to loath the Rangers as well. I’d much rather see the Angels put the beat down on the team from Arlington and for me to not have to give them a second thought.

Wishful thinking, I guess.

What makes it worse is how some Angel fans are so darn fickle. I mean, judging by the message boards, some blogs and the call-in shows – some Angel fans are ready to jump off the deep end. This should never surprise me and yet it does every now and then. We’re sixteen games into the season folks and the Angels are off to a pretty darn good start; all things considered.

162 games is a lot of games and were bound to have some ups and downs and some highs and lows. Disappointment is going to hit us every now and then and we can only hope that when all is said and done – we’ll still be watching the Angels in October.

Never-the-less, I’d really love it the Angels managed to beat the Rangers in… oh say, the next 18 times they face off. If that’s not doable (or realistic), I’d at least like to see someone put Ian Kinsler on his hind parts with a brush back pitch or a hard slide into second base. Just saying. Oh, and I’ll settle for winning at least 15 of the next 18 against the new division darlings; thank you very much.

While I’m making requests, please don’t make me watch Mike Napoli come to the plate with a chance to do any kind of damage. Trying to follow the action on my blackberry while riding on a train yesterday afternoon was enough to make me lose my mind. Napoli was up with two men on and my blackberry wouldn’t update me. I kept refreshing and seeing the same count and situation for what seemed like an eternity.

When I finally was able to catch up to the action, the Angels were down 3-0. The only good thing about that was finding out that Napoli wasn’t the one doing the damage. Small consolation, but I’ll take that just the same.

Napoli not coming through with runners in scoring position is vintage 2010 stuff, but I’d rather not have to deal with the possibility just in case. So, again – keep the bases empty when Napoli comes to the plate ok?

Onward…

So Matt Palmer takes the mound tonight and I know some of you aren’t expecting much. Well, this is exactly the kind of game that the Angels end up winning. I’m not making any bold predictions, but I do have a good feeling about tonight. So... Go Angels! Let’s do this. Enough said.

We're not in Kansas (City) anymore...

Cheryl and I (along with her cousin Larry and his wife Cathy) were in Texas Saturday and Sunday. Now, one might ask, what’s a couple of Angel fans doing in a place like Texas?

Well, we were on the second half of our baseball road trip with Larry and Cathy (who are Red Sox fans). Our plan was to catch two Angel games in Kansas City and two Red Sox games in Texas.

Judging by the way the Angels have played the last three games in Kansas City, we were probably better off not being in Kansas City for the last two games. More on that in a bit….

Cheryl’s Uncle “Ken” also joined us for a game in Texas. Ken has lived in Fort Worth for a long time; however, this was his first trip to the stadium. He was very impressed; as were we.

In any case – watching the Texas Rangers host the Boston Red Sox had me extremely conflicted. I don’t like either team and I couldn’t find a way to root for either side. It was an odd experience to say the least.

To make matters worse, we got to watch the Rangers hand out their American League Championship rings to the players, coaches and front office in an elaborate ceremony. Good times… not. We also got a look at players who were supposedly “targets” of the Angels off season in Carl Crawford (for Boston) and Adrian Beltre (for Texas). More fun… not.

Don’t get me wrong – it was great to see the stadium and to be at a ball game. The circumstances were just a tad bit odd all the way around.

It was odd seeing Mike Napoli in a Rangers’ uniform and it was even worse watching him launch his second bomb of the season into the outfield seats. Napoli had quite a series and his two homeruns (only one of which we witnessed) combined with Jeff Mathis’s continued unimpressive play left Cheryl and me feeling a little empty. I hate to think about the huge numbers he might put up in Texas. It’s almost scary.

What’s an Angels fan to do?

I will say this – the highlight of the trip to Texas was seeing John Lackey get hammered by the Rangers offense. I mean, I thought Texas was going to run out of fireworks (the stadium shoots off fireworks every time one of their own homers). Lackey looked like he was throwing batting practice and even though I dislike the Rangers; I will admit feeling a bit of satisfaction watching Lackey get knocked around like a rag doll. Yeah, I supposed I’m still a tad bit bitter. (Photo to the left is Lackey probably trying to blame the baseball for his woes... just saying).

I have to tell you the way the Rangers handled the Red Sox in their opening series was pretty dang impressive. It may only be early April, but the Rangers look like a team to be reckoned with. They’re definitely playing big boy baseball in Texas.

The photos below are of Adrian Beltre blasting his grand slam, Ian Kinsler rounding third after blasting his second (of three homers in the series), and former Angel Darren O'Day going side arm.

Stadium observations:

Cheryl and I are slowly making our way around the country to see all the stadiums. Over the past several years we’ve been to 16. The sixteen include: Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Old Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, The Metro Dome, New Comiskey, Safeco, Coors Field, AT&T, Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Petco Park, Chase Field, Dodger Stadium, Angels Stadium and now Kauffman Stadium and the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

So… what did we think about Kauffman and Arlington? Kauffman Stadium is simply a beautiful place to watch baseball. The scoreboard in center field is absolutely stunning. The overall design and feel of the stadium exudes baseball. This stadium is easily one of my new favorites. It was easy to find the information I wanted to see (score, pitching information, batting information, out of town scoreboard, etc.).

Two statues can be found in the outfield concourse; one of George Brett and the other of Frank White. There is also a statue of Ewing and Muriel Kauffman.

I really can’t say enough good things about Kauffman Stadium.

As for the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington – it was impressive in many ways. From the outside, it reminds me a bit of Coors Field and as you walk up to the stadium, there are staff standing outside with “May I help you?” signs which was a nice touch. They also came in handy.

Cheryl’s Uncle “Ken” needed a little assistance getting to our seats and the staff at the stadium was very accommodating.

Inside; like the outside is very picturesque and has a touch of the old stadiums with the support poles in right field. The suites in centerfield are kind of out of place in my opinion and appear to be very far away.

One of the cool features was the visitor’s bullpen. You could basically stand directly above the catcher and look down into the bullpen as players were warming up. Cheryl got some cool pictures of Jason Varitek.

There were tons of stuff for kids to do which is kind of nice; but if they’re not there to watch the baseball game, what’s the point? Just saying.

The ballpark also has a very nice statue of Nolan Ryan in centerfield. Some of the interactive stuff was pretty cool too. When the opposing pitcher is in trouble, they play Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and the stadium is lit up with... guess what... a "ring of fire." They also have the crowd sing along to "Deep in the heart of Texas." Homeruns by the Rangers bring out the Texas Flag (see the photo) and the atmosphere is like one big baseball party to say the least.

Overall, I will say it was a little too busy for my tastes though. It was hard for me to find the information I wanted to know at any given time. I had to constantly search the stadium for whatever I was looking for and never got used to it.

It was also very crowded. Granted they had 48,000 and 46,000 plus at the two games, but the walk ways and concourse were basically elbow to elbow. There was a long line into the main team store and it took way too long for the staff to even let us in.

Good food could be found everywhere; although, the one thing I really wanted – an ice cream bar dipped in chocolate never happened. The first night I was told the machine was broken and the second game I was told they were out of chocolate. Whatever…

The worse part about the stadium was getting out of it. It took us nearly an hour to get out of the parking lot the first night and we were told, this is pretty much the norm. And I thought Dodger stadium was bad; but at least no one got beat up in Texas… (What's that all about?)

All in all, it was an awesome trip. In preparation for our trip, I contacted several bloggers from both Kansas City and Texas and I would like to thank all of them for their suggestions and help. Our trip was that much better because of their willingness to provide insight and recommendations.

In no particular order, I would like to thank:

Brian McGannon of Royals Kingdom

Nick Scott of Broken Bat Single

Matt Kelsey of i70 Baseball

Wally Fish of Puckett's Pond
Dan Edmonson of Chicken Fried Baseball

Steve Helsing of 40 year Ranger Fan

About the Angels play... well, what can I say? They certainly gave Royal fans something to hope for in their team. To their credit, the Royals played well - but le't's face it; the Angels bullpen was simply awful. If this is the revamped bullpen that's supposed to be all that, well then... I'm not impressed.

I will say that Howie Kendrick looks like he's ready to become the player we hoped he would be one day and Jered Weaver looked like he was in mid-season form. The offense looks pretty good overall and right now it's all about the bullpen.

One more thing about the bullpen and more specifically Kevin Jepsen. I'm sorry, but his wearing #40 which was last worn by Troy Percival isn't sitting well with me. And to make it worse, Jepsen isn't doing anything to justify his wearing such a special number. Just saying.

Happy Deja-vu Year!

The Angels went into this off season with huge needs on offense. I’m talking about holes big enough to drive a truck through. They had to find an impact bat and a leadoff hitter. They also needed to upgrade the defense (to put it mildly) in the outfield; hopefully with players that would address those offensive needs at the same time.

Arte Moreno knew it. Mike Scioscia said it. Tony Reagins just hasn’t done it.

As we enter 2011 it sure feels like 2010 all over again. I really had hoped to start the New Year with something other than a rant, but when I read that the Texas Rangers are on the verge of signing Adrian Beltre to a contract, I don’t feel like doing much else; unless you count screaming.

That being said, the Angels are in a no-win situation. If they don’t sign Beltre, they’re going to be hammered by the media and their fans... If they sign him to the ridiculous contract the Rangers are rumored to be proposing (6 years and $96 million), they’ll get hammered.

Let’s not forget how many experts, analysts and pundits predicted the Angels would be the favorites for Crawford, Beltre and even Rafael Soriano. Let’s not forget how often those experts are wrong in their predictions and how often I like to remind readers of that.

Reagins is in a tough spot, but that’s the kind of thing that comes with the job of a GM. After the 2009 season ended, the Angels lost a middle of the lineup hitter in Vladimir Guerrero (even though he struggled in 2009) and a lead-off hitter in Chone Figgins. How did they respond? They found a stop gap in Hideki Matsui and misjudged Erick Aybar’s abilities.

2010 has come and gone and the Angels find them back in the same position. This is unacceptable. Okay, Crawford wanted to go to Boston and Beltre apparently wants to simply go to the highest bidder. I get t hat. I understand that.

That doesn’t excuse the fact that Reagins has yet to do anything to improve the offense. At this point in time – it’s looking like the Angels will have to find some stop gaps for yet another season. It’s looking like Scott Podsedik and fill-in-the-blank might be the best option. There’s even talk of the Angels bringing Vlad Guerrero back.

While the idea of Vlad back in Anaheim might have some PR appeal, it makes absolutely no practical sense. The Angels have three DH’s in Bobby Abreu, Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera who are cleverly disguised as position players when in reality they’re little more than DH’s. Even staying at a Holiday Inn Express isn’t going to improve their defense any time soon.

What happens after this season? Well, let’s just say that unless you think the Angels can sign either Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder, things don’t look great. The free agent class of 2012 is not impressive.

Mean while, the window is closing for the Angels. Torii Hunter is not getting any younger and Jered Weaver and Kendry Morales are not too far removed from free agency. The time to improve the offense is now. Why now? Because a solid offense matched with the current pitching staff could be a dynamic combo.

If we have to sit through another season where the offense is dependent on “frenzy” hitting and not the long ball or at least doubles into the gap, it’s going to be a long one. A lack of offense puts pressure on the pitchers. That didn’t work out so well last season.

Again, the Angels are in a tough spot; more specifically, Tony Reagins is in a tough spot. He has a farm system that needs to provide depth and right now that system only has a hand full of top level prospects. Trading any of them would be detrimental to the long-term health of the organization. The free agent pool is dwindling and time is running out.

It’s time for some big boy moves. It’s time for some real strategic thinking and creativity. Is Reagins up to the challenge? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Note to TR and Arte: Things look bad. Fix it. And while you’re at it, please don’t show us any fancy dance moves… where you dance around the issues with some cockamamie speech about how getting Kendry Morales back and a full season of Dan Haren is all the team needs. You can’t really sell that with a straight face, so don’t’ even try.

And just so I can feel a little better about my post today – I have a few things to say about Adrian Beltre.

Adrian – you’d be a great fit in Anaheim, but if you really want to come back to So. Cal then the ball’s in your court. If you don’t want to come and play in Anaheim for five years and $70 million – which is a very fair offer, you’re a fool. Yeah, I said it; a fool. You can sweat your brains out playing next to Ian Kinsler in that Texas heat for all I care. If you don’t want to be here, we don’t want you. Have fun playing in front a half empty stadium in the sweltering heat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evidence that the Loch Ness Monster is real?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other observations, thoughts and ramblings…

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

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

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

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

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

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

I started looking last week.

I’m still searching.

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

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

Isn't baseball great?

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

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

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

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

Well, we know how that turned out.

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

The ALCS is like my worst nightmare.

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

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

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

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

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

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









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

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

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

The view from down low

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

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

What did we see?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking of things I’m trying to figure out…

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

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

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

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

Saying good-bye is hard to do

This one hurts. If you’ve spent any time on this blog you know Cheryl and I are big fans of Joe Saunders. In fact, that’s probably an understatement. We’ve been downright fanatical in our appreciation of Joe. He’s simply our favorite pitcher.

When the news came down that he had been traded (our friend and fellow 514 Fanatic Jeffrey called me with the news), my first thought was how was I going to break the news to Cheryl? I knew she’d take the news hard and she did. She thought I was kidding. I really, really wish that was the case.

Today we’re feeling a little empty and more than a little sad. Watching Joe break down when asked about the trade made it all that much tougher. Joe was a rock on the mound. He never, ever got rattled or shaken no matter what the circumstances. Seeing him so vulnerable when talking to the press made us even sadder. He clearly loved being on this team.

For us, Joe wasn’t just another guy in an Angels' uniform. Joe was “our” guy. He was the pitcher we loved to follow. He was the guy we most wanted to see at spring training every year. He was the guy we’d wait hours for in hopes of getting a few minutes of interaction. We “lived” and “died” with him every time he took the mound. You could even say that every victory was just a little sweeter for us when Joe was the winning pitcher.

Joe is just a great guy. He’s accessible, appreciative, polite, charitable, and well, I could go on and on. He and his wife Shanel were becoming a huge part of the community with their work with Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). His departure creates a huge void that goes beyond baseball.

Now if you’re a baseball analyst you probably like the deal the Angels made. I’m not an analyst (although I play one from time to time on this blog) and I am somewhat skeptical of the deal. How it all works out is anyone’s guess (and there are plenty of people giving us their opinion on the matter). So I’ll just say this - Dan Haren has been a good pitcher.

I should emphasize that “has been” part. He’s been all over the place this year; striking out tons of batters (was tied for the NL lead), but has also given up tons of homeruns and had an ERA that is really no matter than Saunders’.

So, the big question is what are we getting? Are we getting a three time all-star who just needs a change in venue or are we getting another Scott Kazmir? I really don’t want another guy who had his best seasons somewhere else. I’m just saying.

It’s clear (at least to me) that as of right now, the Rangers are a better team. Winning three out of four this past weekend kind of makes that obvious, doesn’t it? The idea that Ian Kinsler might be celebrating an AL West Pennant just isn’t sitting well with me. I don’t like Kinsler and I’m not a fan of C.J. Wilson either.

I’m very disappointed that the Angels didn’t put a dent in the Rangers’ lead. Come on – we kept hearing over and over again from the Angel players how they had a lot of head to head games left with this team. Well, they didn’t seize the opportunity.

This season is reminding me of 2006, the last time the Angels didn’t win the division. Seeing Howie Kendrick at first base yesterday emphasized that memory. In 2006 the team was constantly putting make-shift lineups on the field. Hmm. We’ve been here before.

And while I do believe that Alberto Callaspo is an upgrade at third base, I’m not convinced that this team has the pieces to make a serious run at any kind of title this year. I hope I’m wrong and pleasantly surprised, but I’m just not seeing it.

To make matters worse, we’ve lost Joe Saunders. Sometimes being a fan just sucks. Then again, at least I get to boo John Lackey on Tuesday, so maybe things are looking up.

Meanwhile, I'm still behind on my posting and hope to get caught up this week. So again, thank you for checking in and please bear with me.

In closing, Cheryl and I would like to thank Joe. We'd like to thank him for being so friendly and kind to us. We'd like to thank him for the memories and for providing us with so many memorable moments. We'd rather not say "good-bye" because it sounds so final and we've had more than our fair share of those. We'll simply wish Joe the best and look forward to seeing him again.

By the way, we're wearing our Saunders shirts tonight. Seems like the right thing to do.

Shut up and play

So what is it about the Texas Rangers that makes them want to run their mouths in June, July or anytime during the season (before anything is actually accomplished) prior to October? Is it the heat and humidity in Texas? Did someone pistol whip the bunch of them? What?

Last year it was Ian Kinsler. This year it’s C.J. Wilson, whose team just got beat two out of three games by the Angels. Apparently Wilson didn't think the outcome mattered much because Wilson said, “We're a better team -- 100 percent. When we play up to our capabilities, it might not be that close.”

Wilson went on to say, "We have a better balance to our team. They have good pitching, but their offense is like, I don't know. We have more wins. It's pretty simple. I'd rather take our offense. I'd rather take our defense. I'd much rather have our bullpen."

Here's a news flash for Wilson: You’re 1-3 lifetime against the Angels with a 5.27 ERA. Plus you just got beat. Do you really want to be mouthing off in early July? Maybe your team (and you, yourself) should do something of significance before any of you spout off. You know, like maybe actually win the division and then win more than one play-off game? I mean one play-off win is all your franchise has to show for its entire existance. You'd think some of you might find that a little humbling. Just saying.

It’s okay to think your team is better and it’s perfectly fine to believe your team has a better offense, pitching staff, etc, - but to go public with those thoughts is kind of well… foolish, don’t you think?

I have to tell you my favorite part of Wilson's quote was “When we play up to our capabilities, it might not be that close.”

You mean when you play the National League in interleague play? Let’s see – 14 of your wins came in interleague; against teams that are ALL below .500. Now, it's nice that you did what you're supposed to do, but it's nothing to crow about.

Forgive me, but I’m not impressed.

I will freely admit the Rangers have a good team. They even have "a shot" at winning the west, I suppose. But until they actually do it, they really don’t have any business talking what-so-ever.

That being said, that “shot” at the west is pretty slim, in my opinion. Face it; they have three pitchers who haven’t even thrown a 150 innings. What happens when they get to near 200?

They have Wilson (who’s at a career high 102.1 innings right now), Tommy Hunter (who threw 112 innings last year) and Colby Lewis (who threw 127 back in 2005). AND… their other two starters aren’t exactly "lights out." Scott Feldman has a 5.48 ERA and Rich Harden is hurt (and has a 5.68 ERA). Omar Beltre made his major league debut this week and even though the Rangers won that game, his performance was nothing to blog about…

This is the staff that has to carry them through the dog days of summer? I'm sorry, but I have my doubts. Even with the acquisition of Bengie Molina (which is sure to help their staff), they just don’t have the pitching to get it done. And as we saw last night – it’s still ALL about pitching.

By the way, you can follow C.J. Wilson on Twitter at @str8edgeracer. You never know what else he might say…

I know it's only the Rockies, but I like it

The current home stand has been solid thus far. Winning two out of three games in back to back series’ is getting the job done. Of course it would be even better if the Texas Rangers would slow down a bit and lose a few more games; but that’s okay, they’re about to get theirs.

As we approach the mid-way point of the season it’s interesting to see how things have played out thus far in the AL West. Most of the so-called experts who picked the Seattle Mariners have to be a little red faced right about now (I might even suggest Angels red). Seattle is 15 games out and quite frankly it’s a beautiful thing.

I really got tired of hearing about the supposed great moves the Mariners had made in the off season and how they were going to win the west. Did I mention that they’re 15 games out?

The Mariners are 29th in runs scored this year. It’s amazing to me that anyone picked this team to win the west. Anyone with any common sense could see this team wasn’t going to score runs. By the way they’re 15 games out of first place. Just saying.

Then there are the Rangers… Good grief. They’re playing amazing baseball. Yes, I know they’re schedule of late has been softer than the mid section of the Pillsbury Dough Boy, but they’re doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing and beating up on the crappy teams and make not mistake about it – the Pirates and Astros (the Rangers last two opponents) are two of the worst.

A lot of people who do projections are feeling pretty good right about now because this is the group (as opposed to columnists and TV analysts) who predicted the Rangers to have this kind of year.

Will it last? I don’t know. What I do know is that there is a lot of talk about how the dog days of summer will take its toll on the Rangers pitchers and they’ll start to fade. To be honest with you, this kind of assumption makes me nervous. I hate it when people assume something just because that’s what happens every year.

It’s like last year during the play-offs everyone assumed the Angels would lose to the Red Sox because it had become tradition and then when they put the beat down on the Sox, the same group assumed the Angels would beat the Yankees because again, that’s become the tradition.

Well, so much for that kind of tradition…

So here we are at the end of June, the Angels are 4.5 games out of first and looking up at the Rangers and guess who’s coming to town this week? I’m sure you don’t need to guess. If you’re any kind of an Angels fan, you know.

This is a big series for the Angels. I know Mike Scioscia would disagree and say every series is important, but let’s be real. Any time you face a team within your division, especially one that’s ahead of you, it’s huge. Not make or break huge, but big enough to get the competitive juices going.

The Angels better jump on them this week because when it’s over – the Rangers will get to continue to cruise towards the all-star break with some more cream puffs (with the exception of the White Sox who are surging) by playing at home against Cleveland and Baltimore.

How nice. The Rangers will have played THE four worst teams in baseball in a matter of a few weeks. Whatever. Looks like the Angels will have to do this (win the west) the hard way.

Here’s some things to think about as the two teams square off this week. Even though much is made of the Rangers’ fire power – the Angels have actually hit more homeruns this year (80-75). Then again, it is somewhat telling that although the Angels have out homered the Rangers, their team OPS isn’t where it should be. The Rangers have a .779 OPS (4th best) compared to the Angels’ .732 (17th best).

The Rangers also have a better team ERA (3.90 – 10th best) to the Angels 4.44 (23rd best). Both teams have pitched better over the last month. The Angels have a 3.87 ERA and the Rangers a 3.56 ERA over that time period. Basically both teams are playing well right now.

Okay, enough with the statistics, right? Who am I and what am I doing looking at all these numbers? It must be an off day today. It’s time to play ball.

It will be strange seeing Vlad Guerrero in a Rangers uniform. Same goes for Darren Oliver. I hope Vlad gets a nice ovation and Ian Kinsler is booed like he’s Public Enemy #1. Kinsler’s mouth has given me a good reason to really start to despise the Rangers. Besides, they’re after something that’s ours. That’s right – the AL West Pennant.

I’m hoping for a better showing from the 514 Fanatics this week. I didn’t see many of them last week. I’m not being critical because we all have things in our lives that impact whether or not we can go to baseball games. I’m just stating my wishes. I like being at the ball park with my fellow fanatics. I just miss them and hope they show up in big numbers. It makes the games that much more fun.

Before I sign off on this post, I would like to give a little applause (clap, clap) to Brandon Wood. I know, I know – one grand slam does not dismiss an otherwise miserable season, but I’m hopeful. I’m hopeful because if Mike Scioscia believes in the kid, I’m going to believe in the kid.

I know I’m in the minority (along with my wife Cheryl) when it comes to Brandon Wood, but I still believe he can turn this season around. I like going against the flow anyway and piling on Brandon Wood just isn’t any fun; in fact it sucks.

Now – let’s get after it. Time to kick some Rangers’ butt. Time to remind them who the boss is. Who’s with me?