The five players I will miss one day...

I’ve been a little under the weather lately and thus the lag on this blog. Today, I’m a little shell shocked from all the activity that took place over the weekend. I was pretty much un-plugged and disconnected all weekend and missed the news about Jayson Werth, Adrian Gonzalez, Lance Berkman, Shaun Marcum, Derek Jeter, Mark Reynolds, etc., etc.

Rather than repeat what everyone else is basically saying about all the deals; let’s just say that a lot of what actually happened is once again very different from all the speculation that lead up to the actual deals. That kind of makes me nervous, given how so many people are predicting that Carl Crawford will end up in Anaheim.

Time will definitely tell.

The Winter Meetings have begun; well at least for most everyone not named the Angels. Apparently, Tony Reagins is in route today. I’m sure this will add to the anxiety most Angel fans are feeling these days.

My own thoughts on all the moves relate to what it must be like to be a San Diego Padre season ticket holder right about now. They just lost the best player on their team and one of their all-time greats, period. Padre fans, I feel for you. Your team just went from being one game away from the post-season to obscurity. I’m not saying that to be harsh. I know that just has to hurt. It has to hurt on many levels because Gonzalez was so great in your community and such a solid citizen all the way around.

The void created by players like Gonzalez leaving is absolutely huge. I’m thinking of all the little kids who think of him as their favorite player. It just makes the careers of people like Tony Gwynn or the Angels own Tim Salmon all the more special in that they stayed in one place for their whole baseball life.

All of this makes you appreciate what you have while you have it.

Baseball players come and go. Some leave an indelible imprint while they play the game and some fade into the sunset without a second thought. Well, I’ve been thinking about this stuff a lot lately and Adrian Gonzalez leaving and Derek Jeter staying gave me even more reason to think about it.

I was thinking there are some baseball players who I will really miss once they retire or leave the game and I probably have taken some of them for granted. I mean, you get used to seeing certain players do certain things and even though some of those things are incredible, you don’t necessarily realize it at the time. Again, we take them for granted.

So, I came up with a list of the five players I will truly miss when they leave the game of baseball (Angels past and present excluded). I’ll miss them for different reasons, but I’ll miss their contributions just the same.

Number 5 on my list is Todd Helton.

Like I said earlier, it’s unusual these days for one player to spend his entire career with one organization; especially when that career spans a great number of years. Todd Helton has been a Colorado Rockie for fourteen seasons now. He’s a five-time all-star with more than 300 career homeruns and a career batting average of .324. He is for all intensive purposes the face of the Colorado Rockies. When I think of the Rockies, he’s the first player that comes to mind.

He’s what I would consider ‘old school” and from what I can tell, he seems to be a pretty funny guy....





Todd Helton isn’t going to the Hall of Fame (and he’s not going to win any Oscars), but he’s been the model of consistency for years. There’s something to be said about a guy who shows up day in and day out, plays hard, hits well, plays good defense (3 gold gloves) and plays the game the right way. I like the fact that I’ve always been able to associate him with the Colorado Rockies. When he’s done, I’ll miss him because in this day of free agency and the need for some players to seek the biggest possible contract, he’s an endangered species.

Number 4 on my list is Alberto Pujols.

What can you say about a player who hits anything and everything?



After all, Albert Pujols is a machine.



I don’t k now if Pujols will be a Cardinal for his entire career, but part of me hopes so. I’d say that with Mark Teixeira in New York and Adrian Gonzalez now in Boston for years to come, the number of teams that can actually afford and might need Pujols just got smaller.

Pujols is so great that when he’s just “very good,” we think he’s having an off season. He had a fantastic 2010 campaign with 42 homeruns, a .312 batting average and a 1.011 OPS and he finished second in the MVP voting.

It’s gotten to the point where we expect him to perform at such an elite level that a season like the one he just had seems sub-par (even though it’s certainly not).

He’s just the kind of player you expect to do something amazing every time he comes to bat. He’s probably the guy you’d least like to face when the game is on the line and yet, he’s the guy you most want to see at the same time.

Number 3 on my list is David Ortiz

One day, I will miss David Ortiz the way Laker fans miss Larry Bird. If you're a Laker fan, you know exactly what I'm talking about. He has been a pain the rear of Angel fans for years now and because of that I will miss him slightly more than Pujols. Crazy, I know.

When David Ortiz is up to bat with the game on the line, bad things happen. Bad things like walk off homeruns and game winning hits.







Willie McCovey hit 18 grand slams in his career. Not the most by a player, but when I was a kid and McCovey came to bat with the bases loaded, it seemed like he hit a homerun every time. It got to the point where every time McCovey came to bat, I had to watch. There are only a handful of players who have commanded that kind of attention from me; Reggie Jackson, Willie Stargell, and Mike Piazza come to mind (I know, I know... but I loved to watch Piazza hit).

Even though Ortiz has only half as many career grand slams as McCovey, I think of him like I used to think of McCovey.

Don’t get me wrong, I won’t shed any tears when Ortiz walks away from the game, but I will miss him because he represents a big part of the rivalry that has existed between the Angels and Red Sox.

Number 2 is Mariano Rivera.

Like Ortiz, I have this thing about great players on the teams I hate. If they play with class and aren’t arrogant I appreciate them.

Closers are so unpredictable. One year they’re flawless and the next they’re a disaster, but not Mariano. Nope. This guy is the model of consistency and even though Eric Gagne was once known as “Game Over” – it’s Rivera who truly deserves that distinction and nickname.

He’s the guy who gives Yankee fans a reason to breathe a sigh of relief. He’s that steady, calming presence that makes you believe everything is going to be okay because he’s in the game. He’s so great and yet I he doesn’t get nearly the attention he deserves in my opinion.

Check out these videos of “Mo.”

Who made who more famous?



It’s all about “the cutter.”



Who will I miss more than anyone once they’re gone from the game of baseball (Angels, past and present excluded)? Why it’s Ichiro.

Everything he does seems effortless and yet if you know anything about Ichiro, you know that he’s worked extremely hard to make it seem like it’s effortless.

Check out this piece by Brad Lefton in 2003.

Here’s an excerpt:

Tigers first baseman Carlos Pena had a hunch about Ichiro Suzuki. Pena didn't think the Mariners right fielder was as tense on the field as his often-steely face might otherwise indicate. Pena was building his theory on some casual observations he had made: Ichiro seemed to exhale when swinging the bat, whereas other players tensely grit their teeth; and the soft sound of Ichiro's footsteps approaching first base in full throttle was different than the heavy clumps he was used to hearing. But an exchange between the two at Comerica Park last season simply blew away Pena and confirmed his hunch.

After Ichiro singled for the first time in a game, Pena seized the moment. As the two were getting set for the next pitch, Pena initiated a casual conversation, like first basemen often do. "I asked him a question, and he answered, `Absolutely,' as he was taking his lead." Pena recalls. "The next thing I knew, he was gone with the pitch, stealing second. I mean he was halfway to second base almost while he was still talking. Other guys, if you say something to them when they're about to steal, they won't talk to you because they're tense. They know something's about to happen, and they've got to focus. I couldn't believe he went on that very pitch. He's so relaxed, he can do that."

Former Mariners manager Lou Piniella saw Ichiro up close for two years and knew early on that Pena's hunch was solid. "Ichiro works very hard at his game, but at the same time, he's very relaxed and he's very confident. He really has the mental part of the game under control."

I don't understand why more players don't train like Ichirio. He is rarely ever hurt and looks like he can play well into his forties.

Here's some fun stuff for your viewing pleasure...










Ichirio is a special player. If you stop to think about what he's accomplished, the way he's done it and all he may continue to do, it's simply amazing.

So there you have it... who willl you miss when they're gone?

Dare to imagine...

Imagine a world where Derek Jeter played baseball for another team. Hard to picture? Well, take it a step further and imagine that team being the Boston Red Sox.

Did your head just explode?

I know that when all is said and done, Jeter will most likely be back in New York wearing pinstripes and making more money than he deserves simply because he’s Derek Jeter, but it’s fun to think about the pure chaos that would envelop the world if Jeter were to somehow end up in Boston.

It’s the kind of scenario curses are made of.

Imagine the media circus that would follow. It would be bigger than the O.J. Simpson trial. There would be rioting in the streets of both New York and Boston. Jerseys would be burned; Jeter-like dolls would be hung in effigy from bridges and trees.

Imagine the confusion … one day you hate a guy, the next he’s on your team. The look on the faces of both Red Sox and Yankee fans would be priceless. Some of them might even be speechless (yeah, right).

Could it happen? Is it even remotely possible? Perhaps.

Consider these words from Brian Cashman, the Yankees’ General Manager (courtesy of ESPN NY): “We understand his contributions to the franchise and our offer has taken them into account. We’ve encouraged him to test the market and see if there’s something he would prefer other than this. If he can, fine. That’s the way it works . . . We feel Derek Jeter gives us the best chance to win. But we’re not dealing with Derek alone. We’re dealing with our closer, we’re trying to add to our club, and if putting all our eggs into one basket takes away from our ability to add to our club, I ain’t gonna do it.”

This could get ugly and yet it would be beautiful at the same time. You see it too, don’t you?

Cashman went so far to say “We've made an offer and we hope they strongly consider it, [But] there are things we have concerns with -- his recent performance over the last few years, and his age. And that has to be factored into this negotiation."

It’s been reported the Yankees have offered Jeter a three-year, $45 million contract. It’s also been reported that the Yankees have offered Cliff Lee a six-year, $140 million contract. Do the math. The Yankees are actually trying to show some fiscal restraint… well, theoretically at least.

I have to admit all of this comes as a bit of a surprise. I mean most of us thought a deal would get done without any problems and yet things are getting interesting. I guess if the Giants can end up in the World Series against the Texas Rangers anything can happen, right?

What’s next? Barry Bonds comes out of retirement and signs with the Dodgers?

In other Hot Stove news the Detroit Tigers have signed Victor Martinez to a four-year $50 million contract. This is good news for Angel fans. Why? Well, the Tigers were reported as being one of the teams interested in Carl Crawford. This signing puts a dent in their checking account and when you factor in their signing of Joaquin Benoit to a three-year $16.5 million contract and their need to fill other holes; it looks like we can take the Tigers off the table.

So… that leaves Boston and possibly the Yankees and that’s not all bad because I believe the Red Sox have more interest in Jayson Werth than Crawford… and the Yankees? Well, they have yet to express any interest and are hopefully more focused on Lee and Jeter.

Let’s just say that I’m hoping for some big news by Thanksgiving morning. A boy can dream, right?

Angels News:

ANAHEIM, CA – The Angels today announced the club will not offer salary arbitration to outfielder/designated hitter Hideki Matsui. Today’s announcement was made by General Manager Tony Reagins.

Matsui, 36, batted .274 with 21 home runs and 84 RBI in 145 games with the Angels in 2010. The former World Series MVP led all of Major League Baseball with a .371 batting average (43/116) from August 14 through the end of the season.

A native of Ishikawa, Japan, Matsui has combined for a .297 (2499/8402) career average, 493 home runs and 1,570 RBI in 2,329 professional games between the Japanese League and Major League Baseball.

This changes everything

Today could be the start of something special. Angels prospect Peter Bourjos makes his major league debut in Baltimore. What’s the big deal? He’s getting a start in center field, moving Torii Hunter to right field.

Hunter applauds the move. From the LA Times: "All I want to do is win," said Hunter, who stressed that the decision to cede the position at which he has won nine Gold Gloves was his. "If this makes the team better, I'm going to do it. ... Sometimes you have to slap pride in the face."

This changes everything.

If Peter Bourjos shows any signs of being the player everyone believes he can be, he could find himself as the every day center fielder from this day on. Hunter in right field would also probably eliminate my desire to see Jayson Werth (or anyone else for that matter) there in 2011, but would add fuel to the idea that Carl Crawford could be signed to play left field in 2011.

Imagine that.

Crawford, Bourjos and Hunter. Sha-zam. That would be one heck of a defensive outfield. Fly ball pitchers like Jered Weaver and Dan Haren would be giddy. Heck, I’d be giddy. I'm already excited just thinking about the idea of it all.

Then again, we shouldn’t get ahead or ourselves, right?


Forget that notion! This is part of being a fan and we should let our imaginations get away from us once in a while.

Again, this day could be very significant. A lot will depend on Bourjos himself. I wish him well and applaud Hunter for being a team player and for validating (once again) why he’s my favorite baseball player, period.

Late addition:

Hunter's move to right field appears to be permanent per the Angels official web site.

Put me (actually Peter Bourjos) in coach, I'm (he's) ready to play...

The word on the net today is that Peter Bourjos is being called up. Bourjos is a 23 year old outfielder last seen hitting .314 at Salt Lake City with a .861 OPS, 13 homeruns and get this – 12 triples. He’s also stolen 27 bases in 32 attempts. The kid can fly, but can he play?

Hopefully, we are about to find out. I would like to believe that Mike Scioscia has seen enough of Juan Rivera in left field and realizes that although Reggie Willits is a nice role player – someone like Bourjos has greater potential and should play right away. My hope is that Bourjos is given the opportunity to do exactly that – play. At a minimum he’s sure to make an impact defensively. How could he not?

I mean the way Rivera plays left field, the player introductions by the P.A. announcer should omit him and instead say “Playing center and left field tonight is Torii Hunter.” Yes, that’s how bad Rivera is.

That being said, Scioscia has a history of bringing guys up only to let the sit on the bench. That would be a total waste of time.

This team needs a spark. They need someone who can breathe some life into the offense. A big task for a 23 year old? Yes, most definitely – but this is what makes baseball great because Bourjos could be that kind of player. We really don’t know until he gets a shot.

Now, I don’t want to get overly excited and in turn over hype Bourjos beyond reasonable expectations. I’m looking at this as an opportunity to see if one of the prospects can shine. I’m not expecting him to be the next Ryan Braun or anything. Bourjos isn’t that kind of player.

If he can come in and give the team some much needed speed on the bases, play a solid left field and just not get embarrassed at the plate, I’ll be happy.

And since we’re on the subject of the outfield, let’s talk about 2011. I know, I know there’s plenty of baseball still to be played this year, but I have a different twist on the popular sentiment out there.

Everyone wants to see Carl Crawford in Angels red next year. You can count me in on that idea. That being said, I can’t understand why more people aren’t talking about Jayson Werth.

Every message board and every time there is a sports talk show discussing the Angels, Carl Crawford is all anyone seems to talk about. Now granted, Crawford is a good player; in fact, he’s just the kind of player that Mike Scioscia loves. He’s fast, aggressive on the bases, can field and hits well.

So, what’s my problem?

My problem is that Crawford might be a tad over-rated.

What? Stop the presses (not that this is going to press), right?

Crawford doesn’t have a lot of pop. He’s never hit 20 homeruns in his career. He has a career OPS of .779 – even though he’s in the midst of his best OPS season ever (.856) in his contract year.

Jayson Werth on the other hand has some pop. He hit 36 rockets last year and has a higher career OPS (.841) than Crawford and is also having his best OPS season (.919) in his contract year. I would venture to say that Werth is under-rated.

Wait, there’s more – Werth also happens to be the nephew of former Angels short stop Dick Schofield – giving him a nice family tie to the organization (not that this means a lot).

Werth has also been a clutch performer in the post season. In 145 plate appearances, he has 11 homeruns, and an OPS of 1.044.

So where is the love for Werth?

I know he’s two years older than Crawford, but this really shouldn’t be about comparing the two against one another. It should be about acquiring both in the off season. That’s right – I’m greedy. Crawford in left and Werth in right would be a coupe. I’m just saying.

I’m also saying that Werth could actually have the bigger offensive impact. Again, I really don’t want to debate whose better; I’d rather see them both in Anaheim in 2011. How about you?

So now you might ask - if the Angels sign both Werth and Crawford where does Bourjos play? Well, I'd be fine with seeing him back at Salt Lake City getting some more "seasoning" as he prepares to one day take over the center field duties for Torii Hunter, unless Mike Trout beats him to it. In any case, depth in the outfield is something this team has lacked and it having it is a good thing. Just saying.

Ramblings from a "mad" man

So I’m at the Angels/Red Sox game last night; it’s late and I’m looking down from our seats on to the field. I’m looking at the Angels defense and I’m seeing Howie Kendrick at first, Maicer Izturis at second, Erick Aybar at short and Alberto Callaspo at third. And then I start scratching my head and thinking, really; this is our infield?

That doesn’t look like a championship infield to me. Am I missing something?

And what’s with Scioscia and Kendrick? Why do the Angels feel the need to jerk the guy around and move him in and out of the lineup and all over the batting order? Is he or is he not THE guy at second base? Izturis is a nice player, but he’s so fragile, he’s likely to go on the Disabled List if someone looks at him too hard.

Come on. Play Kendrick every day. With all due respect to the little guy who comes out when the Angels need to rally - let’s not monkey around with Howie.

As for Callaspo. I can actually live with him at third base beyond this year. That is of course, so long as Carl Crawford is in left and Jayson Werth is in right field. I’m just saying.

This is what wonders through your mind when your team is 7 games back and getting spanked by Big Pappi on a night when your new acquisition has literally been knocked out of the game.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that this James guy who writes True Grich is already thinking about next year.

Well, I’m only human. Like I said the other day, this season reminds me too much of 2006 and we all know how that turned out. I’m usually overly optimistic and even though I haven’t actually given up on this year, it’s getting close.

By the end of this week the Angels could potentially be out of first by double digits games. If that happens, I would have to believe it’s over. Then again, what’s more likely to happen is they’ll toy with me into believing they have a shot and then lose in the last week after the Angels have deposited the money I have shelled out for play-off tickets.

Yes, I’m venting. This is what happens when one gets mad.

And since I’m in a particular state of mind, let me get a couple other things off my chest today.

Yesterday morning Roger Lodge had Keith Law of ESPN on his show for the “Baseball Report.” Now Lodge is basically a radio personality who also happens to be an Angel fan. He seems to know a good bit about the Angels history, but doesn’t really offer me anything of substance. Hey, it’s just my opinion.

In any case, yesterday it was clear that Lodge hadn’t done his homework on Law because as soon as he introduces Law he starts in about the Haren/Saunders trade and immediately talks about Saunders’ win-loss record. Big mistake.

Law is one of those sabermetric types who doesn't give any value to wins and had Lodge known that he wouldn’t have received the statistical lesson Law proceeded to give him about why Saunders’ wins are meaningless to a guy like him.

Wait, there’s more.

Law’s specialty is analyzing minor league prospects. Great opportunity to ask Law about the prospects the Angels traded away right? Well sure it is, but that idea was lost on Lodge. Instead, he wanted to know if Law thought Joe Torre would be back with the Dodgers if Frank McCourt still owned the team. Law’s answer? “I don’t know Joe Torre well enough to answer that question.”

Now I know that being a sports talk show personality must be harder than it looks, but how about a little prep work prior to your show? I’m just suggesting…

I’m telling you, this is sports talk radio at its finest.

I wish the lunacy ended there, but then I made the mistake of tuning into Jeff Biggs.

Now, I know Biggsy (as he’s affectionately called) has been somewhat of a friend to this blog at times, but I have to tell you – yesterday I wasn’t in the mood for his act. You know, how he tries to tell us all that we should trust the Angels front office and that Arte Moreno wants to win as badly as anyone, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Biggsy really hates it when Angel fans question the front office. But let’s be clear, he also likes to tell us ad nauseum that he’s not a “house man” and he’s “not drinking the company kool-aid.” Whatever… It just seems to me like every time I tune in, Biggsy is trying to convince his audience that he’s not a homer.

Well, I have a news flash for Biggsy. It’s actually okay to admit your bias. I’m as biased as they come when it comes to the Angels. I freely admit that I wear rose colored glasses when it comes to my favorite team. That being said, it doesn’t stop me from taking the glasses off once in a while to try and get a better picture of what’s actually going on. Sometimes things still look a little foggy, but I try.

Which brings me back to Moreno. Just because Arte wants to win, doesn’t mean that the decisions his front office makes shouldn’t be questioned at times. I don’t doubt that Moreno would like to win a world series. I don’t doubt that he’d like to win a lot of them for that matter. I just think his front office has missed the boat this year and I don’t see what Moreno’s desire has to do with whether or not the Angels are pulling all the right strings.

No front office is perfect. So, let’s not pretend that Tony Reagins is King Midas and everything he touches turns to gold. Stuff happens.

When I tried to look at the team optimistically (not always an easy thing for me to do) before the season started, I saw a team that had un-athletic corner outfielders and a bull pen that was more hype than substance. I actually got to the point where I tried to over look all of that and I was indeed drinking the kool-aid myself.

My fears became reality when Abreu and Matsui started to show their age and Juan Rivera reminded us just how utterly average he is. And the bull pen? Well, we’ve all lived through that horror.

Everything became magnified when Kendry Morales went down. The weaknesses became more glaring and the holes became big enough to drive a truck through.

So… here we are. It’s the end of July and that line that Biggs likes to throw out there about there being “plenty of time in the season” is looking suspect. Hey Biggsy, let me borrow another one of your daily phrases… “I know where you’re coming from my man, but….” And here it is... The Angels aren’t looking like world beaters right now and that team in Texas that everyone assumes will fade, isn’t going away. In fact, that lineup is simply better than our Angels’ lineup. Yeah, I said it.

Biggsy, you don’t need to remind me about how lucky we are that we have Moreno as an owner. I get it, but apparently you don’t because you bring this up as some sort of way of discouraging us fans from having a conversation. Gee, I guess I shouldn’t question any of the team’s moves because Moreno wants to win. Yeah, okay.

Well, some of us aren’t lap dogs and we’re not going to wag our tail every time he does something. No one (at least not me) is questioning his desire, but desire alone isn’t going to get it done. If it was only a matter of desire, Reggie Willits would be freakin’ Albert Pujols.

Don’t get me wrong. I sincerely appreciate what Biggsy brings to the table, I just think his skin is a little thin and he’s a little too defensive about his bias.

Now where was I?

It’s a new day, let’s not assume that history will repeat itself. Let’s realize the Angels are in the fight of their lives (figuratively, of course). Oh and by the way – if the Oakland A’s pass the Angels in the standings, I’m going to lose my mind. Why? Well, because I hate the A's...

But tonight… tonight my wrath will be reserved for John Lackey. I’ll be wearing my Lackey shirt tonight, but with a twist. Under his name, I’ve taken a black sharpie and written “IS DEAD TO ME.” And just so you know, the booing you'll be hearing will include my own voice.

How perfect would it be for Jered Weaver to out duel Lackey tonight? These are the kind of little victories I’m clinging to right now. Kind of pathetic, but fun never-the-less.

It’s go time. It’s time to take care of business and get back into the race or just let Brandon Wood play every day. Either way, Cheryl and I will be at the stadium, watching and actually cheering. Bank on it because that's just the kind of fans we are.

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…