The feel good story of the year is going to be...

I have wanted to get something off my chest for a while now and that “something” is that I feel good about the kind of season Vernon Wells is going to have this year. Yeah, I said it and I’m feeling good about it too. I know; some of you; heck, a lot of you have your doubts. I have eyes and ears and I’ve read and heard what you’ve had to say.

Angel fans, writers, bloggers, “experts” and the like have had a field day with Vernon Wells since last season. I know a lot of it was justified. Wells did not have the kind of season any of us- including Wells himself, wanted. Some of you even predicted as much and you’re at it again.

If you’re a die-hard Angels fan and you follow the off season news like a tiger tracks its prey, then you’ve read or heard about all the effort Wells has put into the off season. You know that renowned hitting coach Rudy Jaramiillo worked with him all off season. You’ve no doubt heard about Wells’ work-out routine and all the effort he’s putting into making 2011 a distant memory.

And yet… some of you still don’t believe or even worse – don’t want to believe. You'd rather cling to your projections or what the experts are saying.

Well, count me among the believers.

So while some of you are buried away in your rooms working on player projections, I have to ask you – how do you factor in a new swing and approach at the plate in your projections? Can you even do that? Let’s just say that I have my doubts and I’m betting there are things you just can’t project despite your best efforts.

Right or wrong – I’m saying – it’s okay to give Wells a fresh start. He was pretty horrible last year and the most telling stat line for me what the fact that he only hit 15 doubles. He can’t possibly be any worse and I’m willing to bet he’ll be more than solid in 2012.

How can I say that? I have a gut feeling about this and I know that some of you hate “gut feelings.” If you can’t quantify it, you don’t want to think about it, right? Well, life doesn’t always work out the way we think it will or even the way it’s supposed to. I’m counting on that human element in Wells - his desire to be better. He’s clearly on a mission and quite frankly, I want to go along for the ride.

So here’s the bottom line. Vernon Wells has been mocked, ridiculed and put down by everyone from ESPN’s Keith Law to Tim Dierkes of mlbtraderumors.com. He’s an under-dog and I love a good old fashioned under-dog – especially when he works his tail off to get better.

Well is known for his phrase “too blessed to be stressed” and some of you have even taken to mocking that. Shame on you.

I am going on record right now and put myself in Vernon’s corner. When he first signed, I told you I was “all in.” It felt good then and it feels good now. That’s right. There’s no telling how 2012 is going to play out, but this fan wants Wells to succeed in a big way. This is who I am and this is what I do.

Deep down inside, you want to be on Wells’ wagon too, don’t you? You see the same guy I do - a guy who stays positive no matter what; a guy who is putting in the maximum amount of effort to make us all forget 2011.

Albert Pujols is going to grab a lot of headlines this spring and I’m sure he’ll do the same throughout the season. There are a lot of interesting story lines to follow – everything from Kendrys Morales comeback to whether or not Mike Trout will have a chance to make an impact. It’s all interesting and worth noting, but I’m focused on “the feel-good story of the year” – and that’s going to be Vernon Wells.

It’s spring baby. Optimism reigns supreme and I’m giving a huge dosage of my own kind of rose-colored optimism directly to Vernon Wells.

Who’s with me? This is going to be fun.

Let the good times roll

Justin Masterson and Scott Kazmir are just a little more than a year apart; Masterson turns 26 years of age March 22 and Kazmir just turned 27 in January. It’s hard to believe that Kazmir is only 27; after all, he’s started 178 games in his career. At this point in time, you’d think he’d be a veteran just getting ready for the season and yet, he’s a man still searching for the stuff that once made him among the best left-handers in the game. Masterson has only started 54 games in his career and is still trying to establish himself.

I suppose it was somewhat appropriate that the two squared off today in day two of Cheryl and my brief trip to spring training. Neither pitcher impressed today nor did either one seem close to establishing themselves as solid starters for the coming season. There was a scout in our section today and I got a glimpse of the radar gun he was holding. Kazmir was only hitting 87 to 89 miles an hour in the first inning. The scout then moved and I didn’t see any more results.

The Indians won 10-7.

Highlights of the game included Brandon Wood going two for two with a walk, and two runs scored. Wood didn’t start the game and came in for Maicer Izturis. I’m not sure why Izturis came out of the game, but one always has to wonder if he’s hurt whenever he’s not on the field. Wood is now hitting .255 and I’m hoping he came continue to make progress and contribute this year.

I have to tell you that both Cheryl and I really want to see Wood succeed. He’s easily one of the nicest players in the game. He always makes time for the fans and maintains such a great attitude. You’d never know that he’s had struggles on the field. I admire him for the way he handles himself and hope somehow, some way that he finds a way to be the player we all hoped he would be.

In other highlights – Howie Kendrick had a couple hits to go with two RBI’s. He’s hitting a solid .372 this spring.

Prior to the game, we spent some time interacting with fans and taking pictures of the players.

We also spent a little more time with Joe who had another story or two to share. He told us about an umpire (the name escapes me) who shared a joke with him.

As Joe recalled, the umpire had been married for 17 years and was trying to decide what to get his wife for her birthday. He asked his wife, “What would you like for your birthday?” She said, “I want a divorce.” The umpire said, “I wasn’t planning on spending that much money.”

You never know what you’re going to learn when you come to spring training. Every day is different and the memories are always unique. Today a little boy yelled out to Brandon Wood “hit another homerun like you did yesterday!” Wood smiled and said, “We’ll do.” Spring training is packed full of little stories like this and it just never get’s old.

It was a good day. We got to interact with Rich Thompson, Francisco Rodriguez, Hank Conger, Brandon Wood, Trevor Bell, Chris Pettit, Mark Trumbo, and Matt Palmer among others. We didn't see any of the regulars out on the practice fields, except for Kendrys Morales who is still trying to get ready.



Morales did stop to sign a few autographs, but not for long; much to the dismay of a lot of fans.

It was another fun day and we topped it off in grand style with dinner at Don & Charlie's in Scottsdale with fellow 514 Fanatics Bob and Stephen.

While we are dining Ned Colletti, the general manager of the Dodgers came in with some folks and sat at the table next to us.

Again, this is the kind of unexpected stuff that happens at spring training all the time.

Good times.

Spring Fever is back

Admit it. You’ve got a little extra pep in your step these days, don’t you? It’s okay; after all, it’s spring and baseball is back and opening day is just around the corner.

As the season gets closer and closer, I’ve got a few things on my mind that I’d like to share with you regarding the Angels. Before I get to that; my apologies to all of you who have been checking for updates only to find nothing new of late. I’ll be updating this blog more frequently moving forward, starting this weekend. Stay tuned because I hope to have some fun and interesting stuff to share with all of you. And thank you – thank you for taking the time to actually read this blog.

First things, first…. Mark Trumbo is a beast and I mean that in the most flattering way possible. The guy is giving the Angels every reason to keep him on the 25 man roster. He currently leads the Cactus League in homeruns with five and is hitting a .348 as of yesterday (3/15/2011). Granted, it’s hard to get too excited about numbers in spring training, but when you look at Trumbo’s body of work going back to last season and the winter league, he looks like he could have a huge impact.

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to see what he can with some regular playing time right off the bat. Assuming that Kendry Morales is healthy, I’d even be fine with the idea of having Peter Bourjos sit; move Hunter back to center field and put Trumbo in right. This offense can use all the fire power it can get and Trumbo could be huge. “Could be” is a huge if, but I’d like to see if his potential is real.

The homerun he hit yesterday was off a change-up. That’s a good sign. Any batter can tee up a fast ball, but when hitters are able hit the off speed stuff, that’s definitely a positive.

I’m just saying it’s time to give the local kid (went to Villa Park High School) his shot.

Speaking of shots, it looks like Maicer Izturis is going to get the first shot at the starting job at third base. Even though I like Izturis, I can’t help but yawn at this idea. I just can’t get excited about a 5’8” third baseman. Izturis is best served as a utility man in my opinion. Face it, he’s not about to break Cal Ripken’s iron man record either.

This is just another one of those head scratchers for me.

Of course, nothing makes me scratch my head more than the thought of Jeff Mathis as the everyday catcher. We’ve been down this road before and I’d rather not go into all the reasons why I hate the idea again.

Now, I don’t want to sound like I’m all doom and gloom because I’m not. I’m very excited about this team and what they can do on the field. I’m looking forward to seeing Kendry (or should I say Kendrys?) Morales back in the lineup. I can’t wait to see Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells leading the way. I an especially excited to see Jered Weaver assume the role of team ace and club house leader on this team.

Speaking of Weaver… it’s funny what you find when you search the internet for stuff about a favorite player.

Here’s a couple of youtube videos that you might enjoy. First is an interview with Weaver and the second is a song recorded by a big Jered Weaver fan named Afton MacDonald, who co-wrote the song with her sister Ellie.





The lyrics are a little hard to hear, but I think the singer sings something along the lines of "I'd ask you out on a date simply because of your ERA." Face it, True Grich brings you the best stuff about the Angels. It doesn't get any better than this. Oh and don't blame me if you end up humming this tune in your head all day. I'm just saying.

Speaking of the best - let me say again how much I am looking forward to seeing Kendry Morales back. I am betting the rest of the AL West isn't too thrilled though.

I found this little commercial featuring Morlaes and Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners that's pretty funny. I don't know when this was done - but I hope Morales still has some of this swagger...



Last but not least - here is yet another song dedicated to an Angel... this one happens to be a rap dedicated to Torii Hunter. I've said it before and I'll say it again - Hunter is just my favorite baseball player, period. He's just a great all-around guy and even though he's a fine baseball player; he's an even better person. I can't wait to see him again this season and I plan to enjoy every moment that he's on my favorite team.

I'm all in on Wells

It appears that the baseball experts, columnists, pundits and assorted fans are up in arms regarding the recent Vernon Wells acquisition. They’re practically falling over one another to get in line to take their shots. I’ve read or heard phrases like “worst ever," “laughing stock” and even “speechless” used in association with the trade that sent Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to Toronto for Vernon Wells.

How bad were the reactions? Check out Sam Millers’ blog in the OC Register.

All I can say is good grief. Some of these folks need to take a deep breath and relax. Let the man play some games before going off the deep end.

Vernon Wells is a solid baseball player that happens to have a contract that will over pay him to the tune of $20+ million a year. But let’s focus on the first part of that sentence – Wells is a good player. It seems to me that a lot of people are more concerned about the contract than say... oh, I don't know - those most impacted by it; namely, the Angels and Arte Moreno. Hello?

Here’s the question people should be asking: Is Vernon Wells a good ball player and can he help the Angels? This isn’t multiple choice; it’s yes or no and I think the answer is an astounding yes! You might not agree with me and that’s fine, but I choose to be optimistic about the deal and I don’t think I’m crazy for believing it either.

A lot of assumptions are being made that just don’t make any sense. Some assume that Wells contract will prohibit the Angels from extending guys like Jered Weaver and Kendry Morales. Really? I’d like to know how those making those assumptions came to that conclusion. What kind of insight do they have into the finances of the Angels? Does anyone really believe the Angels don’t want to resign either player and would take steps now to ensure neither one stays in Anaheim?

Sam Miller of the OC Register puts it this way: a) you want your team to win games, b) getting good players helps win games, c) overpaying for good players hurts your chances of getting more good players or better players. So if (C) hurts (B) and (B) promotes (A), then (C) hurts (A). Bad contracts make you sad.

What if Wells helps the Angels get into the post season and beyond, what’s it worth? Can you really put a price tag on it? What if he helps them win a World Series? What’s that worth? What if Wells has an MVP type season? Out of the question? I don’t think so. What if having Wells in the lineup helps Kendry Morales have an MVP type season? Even though I understand the argument about acquiring good players in the future; I’m glad to see my favorite team taking its shot right now. I'll let the Angels worry about what they can and can't afford down the road.

If you want to project doom and gloom, go for it. At the end of the day, the games will still be played. Cliché? You bet – but it’s still true.

Let me also point something else out. Guess how many position players (not pitchers) are signed beyond 2012?

Bobby Abreu? Nope. Torii Hunter? No again. I’ll tell you. Just Vernon Wells. Some of the rest will be eligible for salary arbitration but that group isn’t necessarily impressive. It includes Howie Kendrick, Alberto Callaspo, Erick Aybar, Jeff Mathis, etc. The lone stud in the group is Kendry Morales.

In fact, if we include pitchers signed beyond 2012 – the only guys signed beyond next year are Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi. Dan Haren and Ervin Santana have club options for 2013.

So… how exactly is Vernon Wells’ contract going to handicap the Angels? A lot of salary will be coming off the Angels books in the near future.

Besides, the team could look completely different in 2014 when Wells’ contract runs out. And… Wells will only be 35 in his final year; not 38 or older like some who recently signed long term deals in this off season. No matter how I look at it, I like it. I like it a lot.

In fact, I love this acquisition. Someone please tell me when the Vernon Wells t-shirts are in the team store and I’ll run down and buy one for Cheryl and myself. I’m betting that Wells thrives in Anaheim. Check out the piece by John Morosi of Fox Sports. You’ll see that a lot of Wells’ former teammates agree with that idea.

I can’t wait to see Wells in Anaheim. Heck, I can’t wait to see him Tempe. I'm all in on Vernon Wells.

Look, all the pundits out there are just trying to make a living. I understand they have their opinions, but what if we held them to the same performance standards as they hold the players to?

What am I talking about?

The pundits are wrong a lot. We’ve had nine different champions in the last eleven years. In a lot of those cases, no one saw them coming. The Diamondbacks in 2001, the Angels in 2002, Marlins in 2003, etc., etc. and even the Giants in 2010.

I’ll take it a step further – even as the play-offs unfold – most of the pundits still get it wrong when they only have to pick among eight teams. That should give everyone some hope.

I mean I’ll go out on a limb right now and say that we will not see a Red Sox/Phillies World Series in 2011. I know they look like the early favorites, but if I were a betting man, I’d bet the field over those two every time.

Let’s just say that these experts have a lousy batting average. I'd really like to show up at some of the places of work and boo them as they write some of the garbage they spew. Just saying

By the way... new developments in the Napoli to Toronto deal.... Napoli has since been traded from Toronto to Texas. Yeah, that's right.... Texas. One more reason to hate the Rangers, don't you think?

In any case - the good news is that if Mike Napoli is as bad as Mike Scioscia seems to think he is, he'll really do a number on the Rangers' pitching staff. Again, just saying.

Vernon Wells is coming to Anaheim

I have a really cool season ticket rep named Arthur. He’s so cool that when he read about the Mike Napoli for Vernon Wells trade on mlb.traderumors.com, he emailed me with the news. All I knew from the email was that Napoli had been traded and I had to go to mlb.tradeurmors.com for the details. The details are that Vernon Wells is coming west... to Anaheim!

My gut reaction? I gave a slight nod of approval with my head and then I went surfing. So, here’s what I know…

Vernon Wells is 32 years old. He is signed through 2014; however, he can opt out of his contract after the 2011 season. He’s due to earn $23 million this year and $21 million in each of the following years. Those are big numbers and I have to believe he’s not likely to opt out of this contract. Wells also has a full no-trade clause (which he waived to come to Anaheim).

What about his numbers, right? After all, it’s all about the numbers. Wells rebounded in 2010 after a disappointing 2009. He smacked 31 homeruns with an .847 OPS. I’ll take those numbers any time.

What I like about the deal…

This is the kind of “out of the box” deal I thought the Angels should make. The deal comes from a position of strength in that they have some depth at catcher. Wells will provide some protection for Kendry Morales and plays solid defense. He hasn’t won a Gold-Glove since 2006, but given what we saw in the outfield last year, he has to be an upgrade. If he ends up in left field with Torii Hunter in right and Peter Bourjos in center, the Angels will have three center fielders patrolling the outfield. Kind of cool.

I also like the fact that Wells wants to come to Anaheim. Given the way some free agents have shunned the Angels of late, this is a welcome change.

What makes me skeptical?

He’s going to earn some big dollars, the kind of dollars that Angels were reluctant to give some of the marquis free agents on the market. It just raises some questions for me, but I have to wrap my head around all that a little more before I blog about it.

At the end of the day, I think this is a move in the right direction. We still need to see all the specifics in the deal, as there are reports that Juan Rivera could also be a part of the deal. In any case I’m optimistic at this point.

It’s actually nice not to be ranting for a change. 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.

Yes, I'm beating a dead horse

On October 5, 2010 I saw a headline in the LA Times that grabbed my attention. It read “Arte Moreno is mad, and he’s going to do something about it.” It was just the kind of thing a fan and especially a season ticket holder wanted to see from the owner.

The column, written by Bill Plaschke had some interesting quotes from Moreno. Here are several of them:

First Plaschke wrote “Did the owner of an underachieving Los Angeles major league baseball team just tell me that he was angry, disappointed, and would spend whatever it took to return his team to the playoffs?”

Moreno’s reply? "Yes," Arte Moreno said... "That's how I feel. That's what I'll do."

More quotes from Moreno:

"If you want to continue to perform at the highest level, you have to keep building the business," Moreno said. "And that's what I intend to do."

"We know where our weaknesses are, we know where we are thin, we know where we have to go to market," Moreno said. "It's going to cost money, but our fans need to know what we're committed to winning."

"You're not in the playoffs, you're not a happy person," Moreno said. ''I just don't like losing, and we're going to make adjustments."

"We're trying to improve how we operate, from the baseball side," he said. "We were thin this year. We didn't have the depth we needed. Everything starts with how we draft and how we develop, and we will do a better job of that."

"Championship teams develop their players like we have, we know that," he said. "But sometimes when the prospects aren't there, you have to bridge that area, and I'm willing to do that."

The fans need to see that we are doing something..."

"Am I going to go down to talk to the press and say I'm mad?" he said. "I was always taught that you wash your dirty laundry at home. Yes, we want to communicate to the fans, but in this case, the fans can see what's going on."

Read those quotes again and let them sink in.

Two months have passed. What have we heard since then? Just crickets….

We know what has happened since that time. Yup. The Angels signed two left handed relief pitchers on the down side of their careers One will be 35 by opening day (Scott Downs) and the other will be 36 (Hisanori Takahashi).

The Angels missed out on Carl Crawford and now seem to be held captive by Scott Boras over the negotiations for Adrian Beltre.

In the mean time – Tony Reagins has made statements like signing Takahashi was a big splash… His latest gem came in an interview with Terry Smith (which you can hear on LAAngelsInsider.com) where he makes a statement along the lines of signing Takahashi, Downs and getting a full season of Dan Haren and Kendry Morales is like signing four free agents.

Really?

I guess Tony Reagins really thinks we are idiots. I expect this kind of spin from a politician, but not from a baseball general manager with a season ticket base that is as large as the one the Angels enjoy. We deserve better.

Let’s see, on one hand we have an owner who basically tells us he’s going to do what he needs to do and on the other we have a GM who acts like everything is hunky dory. Imagine Reagins as the captain of the Titanic and telling his passengers, “we’ve just run into a little ice and we’ll be at our destination in no time.” What Captain Reagins neglects to tell his passengers is that the “destination” is the bottom of the ocean.

Is the ship really sinking in Anaheim? No, not really – I like to exaggerate a little for effect. Is it taking on some water right now? Yeah, I think so. Are they working frantically to correct things? I sure hope so, but appearances are not encouraging.

The longer this off season goes without any really solid good news… I mean the kind of news that makes a fan pump his fist, and say, “that’s what I’m talking about…” the more anxious we become and the more we focus on empty statements like the ones above.

I’m trying to imagine what Moreno is thinking these days. Is he still mad? Is he apathetic? Confident? Concerned? Frustrated? Or is he still motivated to get things going in the right direction?

I want answers, but I’m not likely to get t hem. I basically have to sit here, be patient and wait to see what happens. In prior years, I haven’t had much of a problem with doing exactly that, but my gut keeps telling me we may be headed for a repeat of 2010.

I hope I’m wrong. I would love to be dead wrong about all of this. I would prefer to find out I was paranoid for no good reason, but the bits of information that make it out into the public for our consumption leaves me more pessimistic than I’ve ever been.

Let's look at two of Moreno's statments again...

First: "The fans need to see that we are doing something..."

Correction Mr. Moreno, we want to see that you are doing something significant and we don't want Mr. Reagins spinning us a load of crap.

Second: "Am I going to go down to talk to the press and say I'm mad?" he said. "I was always taught that you wash your dirty laundry at home. Yes, we want to communicate to the fans, but in this case, the fans can see what's going on."

We see what's going on all right and we're not happy. What really makes us angry is when Reagins talks to us like we're idiots and tries to play spin doctor. He's better off just keeping his mouth shut all-together.

At the end of the day, you need to remember the old saying "action always speaks louder than words."

That screaming you hear is me

This is getting old and it’s getting old; fast. I would really rather write about something other than the Angels losing games. I really would. I mean what can I say that I haven’t said already?

To tell you the truth when Kendry Morales first went down I thought we might be in for a long season. I was bracing myself for exactly that and then; much to my surprise, they decided to play good baseball. They teased me into believing that this team could work some of their magic and rise up and show everyone who the boss was once again.

Apparently, I was duped and I hate it when that happens.

I’d really like to say “don’t worry.” I’d really like to find reasons to believe, but as I said yesterday – this team has to meet me half way. Heck, if they’d even come a third of the way, I’d probably be back to my optimistic self.

It’s hard to be optimistic when you realize the Angels just lost three in a row to the team with the worst record in baseball. Whatever. I went down this road yesterday.

The Angels have lost eight out of their last ten. They’re not even a .500 team any more. Now they head to Detroit who is also struggling (they’re also 2-8 over their last ten games). They have nearly identical records and I suppose something has to give. The thing is the Tigers are actually pretty good at home (36-20), so things don’t look so good for our team.

I can’t believe I’m really writing this stuff. This season is a nightmare. What’s worse is that the Angels even trail the Oakland A’s. I’m going to stop now and walk outside and scream.

All that being said - I'm still a fan. I will still be at games and I will continue to follow them on TV and radio. They're horrible right now, but I still love my Angels.

Now, back to screaming...

A gift for Charles

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

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

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

And so it begins.

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

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

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

Go figure... Go Halos!

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

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

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




Go Angels!

One day at a time

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So why am I writing today?

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

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

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

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

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

Two steps forward, one step back (or is it the other way around?)

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; 2002 really changed everything. By winning a World Series, the Angels effectively raised the level of my expectations forever. Barring a change in ownership and/or the manager - my expectation (at the minimum) is for a Western Division title every year. In my mind, losing is no longer acceptable and certainly not expected.

In the years following 2002 (other than the hangover year of 2003) the Angels did things that grew my optimism to the point of supreme confidence. Five division championships in six years will do that. You could say that I have been drinking the Angels kool-aid for quite a while now and I know my bias is severe. In fact, I don’t even bother trying to hide it. Even in 2006 (when the Angels failed to make the play-offs) I believed with all my heart that the Angels would find a way to win the west. That’s simply my expectation every year now.

So, where am I going with all of this?

This season has been hard to watch. My confidence is fading and my optimism is being tested. I tried to dismiss the early season struggles and kept repeating the “it’s early” mantra over and over again. I saw a glimmer of hope when the Angels swept the hated A’s this past weekend.

I began to believe the Angels had turned the corner and I could get back to enjoying the winning ways of Angels baseball. Then the Texas Rangers happened and it hit me… I’m no longer confident when I watch this team. Instead, I’m just anxious.

I’m anxious when I watch Brandon Wood come to bat. I get an uneasy feeling in my stomach when balls are hit to the corner outfield positions. I find myself wanting to close my eyes quite a bit. When they get down early, I feel pessimistic and become frustrated in the thought that it’s going to be another long game.

I’m not used to this and it’s just not fun.

Let’s face it; this team is not playing “Angels baseball.” They’re not nearly as aggressive on the bases as we’re accustomed to seeing them be. They’re not stealing bases and they’re not doing the things that put pressure on defenses. To compound matters their defense has been suspect (24th in the major leagues with a .981 fielding percentage) and their pitching has been inconsistent (25th in the major leagues with a 4.72 ERA). They’re not manufacturing runs and seem to make mental errors on a regular basis.

I keep expecting things to change, but every time they take one step forward, they follow up by taking two steps back. I don’t know what it will take to turn things around. Is it a change in mindset or personnel? All know is this team has flaws and those imperfections are being exposed on a regular basis.

The corner outfield positions are slow and un-athletic. In fact the overall team speed is lacking. Kendry Morales, Hideki Matsui, Juan Rivera, Mike Napoli and even Bobby Abreu are slow and none of them are very athletic. Even though Erick Aybar is fast, he’s not getting on base enough and even when he does; he’s not being the catalyst the team needs at the top of their lineup. He’s only stolen five bases in nine attempts. This is what I expected.

Prior to the season and throughout the off season, I raised some concerns about Aybar’s base running and the signing of Hideki Matsui. I proclaimed early on that the team had gotten older and slower and had lost their ace (John Lackey). Despite all of that, I tried to remain hopeful and even projected that an ace would emerge in either Jered Weaver or Scott Kazmir. Weaver (while not perfect) has stepped up to fill that role in my opinion thus far and despite yesterday’s set back is as good as there is in the AL.

The bench is weak and made even weaker by Maicer Izturis’ stint on the DL. And what is it about Izturis that makes him find his way to the DL regularly? This team lacks depth. I mean, when you have to go to career minor leaguers like Michael Ryan and Kevin Frandsen, you know you’re in trouble.

Freddy Sandoval once appeared to be the heir apparent to Robb Quinlan, but he’s only hitting .210 in Salt Lake. Peter Bourjos could certainly do a better job defensively than either of our corner outfielders; however, his offense is not ready for prime time. He has .315 OBP and that simply isn’t good enough.

Why Terry Evans isn’t on the major league roster over Reggie Willits is beyond me; not that he could help this team right now any way.

And then there’s Brandon Wood. Needless to say, the fans are growing impatient with this experiment. One Angel blog – Monkey with a Halo is already calling for the Brandon Wood era to be over. And as much as I’d like to disagree with that sentiment, I can’t blame anyone for being done with Wood.

So what do we do? Can this team still win the west? Can it go beyond that?

For the most part, I believe the personnel are there. Granted the team has holes, but it also has the pieces that can make a real run at a fourth consecutive division title; however, how we get the Angels “into their game” as Mike Scioscia likes to put it is beyond me.

And it’s not like the Angels have the prospects to go out and make a deal either. Granted there are some guys at the lower levels like Mike Trout, but I don’t think the Angels can afford to trade their youth. Now I know as soon as I write that, there will be some faction of the fan base who will disagree. Let me just say that any good organization builds a core from within and trading away those kinds of pieces ultimately results in failure.

The Angels' success – and yes, they’ve been highly successful since 2002 is based on the principle that you build from within first. That not even remotely debatable in my mind.

This roster isn't likely to change much this year. Next year’s another story, but this one has to get it done with the players they have.

I know that games against Texas in May aren’t necessarily important games, but I need to see some signs of life or else I may just lose my mind. It’s not even just the back to back losses in Arlington either; it’s the manner in which this team has gone about their business all year long. It’s been ugly, frustrating to watch and painful to endure.

Happy days are here again (The week in review May 10-17)

Happy days are here again
The A’s were swept, the Angels win
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again

Now that’s what I’m talking about. The Angels played three outstanding games over the weekend - putting a nice beat down on the Oakland A’s.

It all started with an “atta boy” performance from Joe Saunders, who threw a complete game four hit, shut out. This is the Joe Saunders we’ve been waiting for. This is the Saundo we expected to see all season long. How big was this peformance? Saunders lowered his ERA from 6.19 to 4.96.

Saunders effort was special. He was facing Dallas Braden who was coming off a perfect game. It was reminiscent of last year’s complete game shut out against Cy Young award winner - Zach Greinke and the Kansas City Royals. Like last season, Saunders stepped up to out shine an opposing pitcher who was getting a great deal of publicity coming into the game.

Cheryl and I usually wear our Saunders shirts when he pitches, but we didn’t Friday night. It was our own little version of showing a little “tough love” to our favorite pitcher (not that he would know or care). In our minds, he hadn’t deserved that kind of support. Call it silly, call it whatever you want, but it was own our mild form of protest.

Those t-shirts are a big deal to us. In 2008 Saunders didn’t have his own shirt yet in the Angels Team Store. Even after making the all-star team the store didn’t carry one. Cheryl and I took our complaints to anyone who would listen and it wasn’t long after, that shirts with his name on the back started appearing. The fact that it had come to us not wearing those shirts meant something.

Maybe in some strange way it worked to make him pitch better (again, I know this is a reach). Maybe it was the group of kids Saunders had brought to the game; a group called Team Saundo. Whatever it was – it helped restore our faith in his abilities.

Happy days are here again
When Saunders throws the Angels win
So let’s wear our Saundo shirts again
Happy days are here again

Saturday night saw the Angel bats come alive in a 12-3 victory over the A’s. I have to tell you, seeing the Angels pound the A’s never gets old. It doesn’t necessarily happen often (the two teams are notorious for close ball games), but when it does – it’s a beautiful thing.

Ervin Santana pitched a strong six innings, giving up three runs (2 earned) while striking out six; however, the big star of the night was Kendry Morales and his two homeruns and five RBI. Even Brandon Wood got into the act with a hit and two RBI.

Funniest moment of the night came in the 7th inning. Jack Cust watched a catchable ball hit by Hideki Matsui sail over his head for a double; at which point I commented out loud that Cust might be the worst left fielder in baseball. Those words proved to prophetic as he three batters later he would watch a fly ball from Brandon Wood skip off his glove to score a run.

Cust looked at his glove in bewilderment. It’s always funny when players do that. Needless to say the fans let him have it pretty good and when he caught a routine fly ball hit by Michael Ryan the next inning, they were on him again. Cust was a good sport about it as he gave the fans a thumbs up and a tip of the cap.

Did I mention that the Angels won 12-3? I just loved the sound of that; 12-3 over the hated A’s.

Happy days are here again
Jack Cust cant’ field the Angels win
So razz the guy over and over again
Happy Days are here again

The third game of the series was a thing of beauty as Joel Pineiro looked magnificent in his complete game, 4-0 win. Pineiro only needed 98 pitches in the victory as he struck out five and only walked one batter.

Bobby Abreu went yard and the Angels had their sweep.

Don’t you love the sound of that? The Angles sweep. Even better, they swept the A’s. To top off a perfect weekend, John Lackey and the Red Sox lost. How perfect was that?

Happy days are here again
John Lackey lost, the Angels win
I’m so happy; I don’t know where to begin
Happy days are here again

Yes, I hate the A’s and sweeping them has been the biggest bright spot of the season to date. I could get used to this.

Mean while, this week’s True Grich award goes to Joel Pineiro who did not give up any earned runs over 15 1/3 innings in two games. I like this signing a lot.

In other news...

Between the games Cheryl and I managed to attend Tim Salmon's book signing at the Borders in Brea. Salmon's book is appropriately titled "Always an Angel" and we are looking forward to reading it.

There was a nice turn out to see "Mr. Angel."

When we finally made our way through the line to Tim - he looked up and saw my "Salmon Nation" shirt and said, "I've seen that shirt before." I reminded him that we sent him one; to which he said, "you're those people?" with a smile. He then told us that he as chest at home where he stores some special keepsakes and the Salmon Nation shirt is folded and put away there. Very cool.

Catching flack is not as fun as catching a baseball

One has to wonder if Ryan Budde likes living on the edge. I mean, there is no quicker route to Mike Scioscia’s dog house than via the passed ball. Yesterday, Budde let two balls get past him and the mental lapses/failures in execution were part of the reason the Angels lost.

Budde also had a very embarrassing moment when he nearly walked off the field after the second out, thinking the inning was over with a runner on third at the time... That could have really set off Scioscia. Yikes.

When Angel catchers don’t do their jobs on the defensive side it reflects poorly on Scioscia (a former major league catcher himself). I would even venture to guess that he might even take this kind of stuff personally. Much is made about what it means to be a catcher in the Angels' organization and it should. These guys get put through the paces in the spring and the expectation is for them to be solid, fundamental players on the field.

Losing a game because of three unearned runs is the kind of stuff that turns hair grey. If this keeps up, the next thing you know - grown men and women will be pulling those grey hairs out of their heads.

Speaking of miscues, Kevin Frandsen isn’t winning over any fans. Okay, so he has a couple of base hits. Big deal. He’s also got two errors in two games. Now I know that third base isn’t his natural position, but he’s on pace to set some sort of record and we’re not talking about the kind you celebrate either. I'm beginning to see why he never stuck with the Giants and why he might have been released by the Red Sox before being claimed by the Angels. Just play Brandon Wood, please.

The way I see it, the Angels have had very few bright spots outside of Jered Weaver and Kendry Morales. Joel Pineiro has also had his moments; and a few others have been "okay," but the vast majority get a huge FAIL.

How bad is it? Mark Whicker of the O.C. Register points out that this year’s start is the Angels worst in 20 years.

Gulp.

All of this adds to the frustration and the level of angst is getting quite high. Quite frankly, I’d rather not be ranting on this blog every dang day. There isn't much joy in it.

So let’s have some fun….

Did you hear about how upset Bengie Molina is with ESPN? Apparently, ESPN showed a clip of Molina getting thrown out at the plate. That in and of itself, isn’t all that bad, but they decided to add some sound effects… like the music from the movie “Chariots of Fire”

Molina was so upset, he even blogged about it.

Shame on ESPN for trying to humiliate a major league baseball player! That’s what bloggers are for! I’m wondering if ESPN or Bengie read my post from a couple days ago titled There’s Slow and then there’s “Bengie Molina slow.” Just saying.

By the way, even though I do make fun of Bengie's lack of speed - you should know he's my all-time favorite catcher.

Meanwhile, over on the Baseball Think Factory site, some sabermetric types were going at each other pretty good over the new debate about whose better – Jered Weaver or Felix Hernandez?

A like a closer look at the statistics between the two shows us they’re not all that different. The article begs the question as to whether or not Jered Weaver is an ace or if Felix Hernandez is just an innings eater (as Weaver has been described from time to time). The point of the piece is to challenge the perception of two pitchers as they previously existed. It's an interesting discussion and kind of humorous as well.

What’s really funny are the shots some of sabermetic types take at one another in the comments section of the article. This is kind of a common practice among this group in my opinion. Then again, I like taking a shot or two now and then too. Difference is I really don't take myself nearly as seriously as some of them appear to.

In any case, I could have saved them all a bunch of time on this. I don’t need any statistical analysis to tell me that Jered Weaver is an ace. He does all the things that aces do. He stops losing streaks. He pitches well in big games. He has “top of the rotation” stuff and is a leader in the club house. He hasn't always been an ace, but he most certainly is one now.

Weaver has always been hyped, but never embraced. Even after coming out of Long Beach State; where he had an amazing career, some “experts” labeled him as “over-rated” and even projected him to be nothing more than a #3 starter at best.

Weaver has never really been considered a power pitcher. He’s basically been a fly-ball pitcher for most of his major league career. If you’re not a power pitcher, you’re usually not considered a top of the rotation guy.

Well, Weaver is changing the labels that were previously attached to him. Now, he also has some statistics to back up the idea that he is indeed an ace. Last year he reached a career high in strike outs with 174 which placed him among the top 24 in all of baseball and 10th in the AL. He also currently leads the AL with 59 K’s. His ERA is 2.47 and batters are only hitting .219 against him.

Now, some sabermetric types will dig deeper to demonstrate their belief that he’s still not an elite pitcher, but what’s the point? He’s clearly the Angels’ ace and has a shot to be the starter for this year’s All-Star game in Anaheim (I'll be hyping this idea a lot so get used to it).

As for the comparisons to Felix Hernandez... I could care less. All I know is that the two have gone head to head seven times and the Angels have won five of those contests. Now, I know enough to say that using wins as any kind of criteria to determine whose better is enough to send the sabermetric types into a hissy fit, but I like mentioning it anyway. And if you noticed, I didn’t say Weaver was better (although I might secretly believe that).

Let’s just say that when the two square off, I like the Angels' chances.

Side note: I feel much better now that I've posted something that wasn't necessarily a "rant" about the Angels' play of late. Whew!

Oh and to those of you who stumbled on this site today when googling Bengie Molina and the word "slow" - I'm glad you found this blog; even if it wasn't intentional. :-)

The week in review May 3-9, 2010

The offense is not getting it done. Quite frankly, neither is the pitching, but more on that in a bit.

Batting averages for Angels with double digit at bats for the past seven days:

Kendry Morales - .222
Bobby Abreu - .192
Erick Aybar - .231
Howie Kendrick - .200
Torii Hunter - .136
Hideki Matsui - .136
Juan Rivera - .238
Mike Napoli - .316
Brandon Wood - .105

As a team the Angels hit a pathetic .216 for the week.

In looking at the season to date, the team is 26th (out of 30 teams) in OBP. Even though they’re 14th in homeruns with 30, they’re 23rd in runs scored and 21st in OPS at .706.

Their offensive woes are compounded by horrible pitching. The Angels rank 26th in the major leagues with a 5.09 ERA. They’ve given up an AL league high 41 homeruns. Every time I turn around a guy who hasn’t hit a homerun this season is getting his first one of the year against Angels pitching. Reggie Willits is starting to wish he could hit against this staff. I’m just saying.

Blah, blah, blah. Plain and simple – the Angels stink right now. The outfield appears old and slow; they’re not tearing it up on the base paths and the pitching; especially the bull pen has been suspect. Every time a reliever comes into the game they start issuing free passes to first base. It’s as if they’re offering some sort of time share presentation at first base and all you have to do is step into the batter’s box and you’re on. It’s maddening.

So this week’s True Grich Award goes to Jered Weaver, who was the lone bright spot in a week of underwhelming performances. That being said, there was nothing underwhelming about Weaver’s one start. Weaver shut out the Mariners for 7 1/3 innings while striking out 7.

Weaver is currently tied with Ricky Romero of the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL lead in strike outs with 47. He has a fantastic 2.66 ERA over 7 games. I know it’s early, but we should be talking Weaver up as the potential AL starter for this year's All-Star game.

Who’s with me?

The week in review April 19-25, 2010

Yankee fans are kind of like cockroaches. They’re in every city and no matter what you do; you can’t get rid of them. They’re annoying as heck, but they scatter when the light hits them in the eyes.

This past weekend the Yankee fans were out in big numbers once again and were last seen scampering for the exits by the end of the weekend as their Yankees lost yet another series in Anaheim.

Beating the Yankees never gets old. It's just too bad the Angels didn't sweep.

Many Yankee fans were present at the "Big A" this past weekend. In fact there were far too many for my liking. I’ve never understood why so many Angel season ticket holders vacate the stadium when the Bronx Bombers roll into town. I mean, I can sort of (but not really) understand not wanting to see the Indians (who arrive today), but the Yankees? Come on.

Friday’s and Sunday’s games were the most memorable of the season to date. Classic Angel/Yankee games with the traditional outcome. Nothing beats being there for wins like those.
I got a kick out of all the crisp new Yankee hats and new Mark Teixeira jerseys and T-shirts that were present at the stadium. A World Series title has a way of bringing out the roaches, err… fans in big numbers. I wonder how many of them even know who managed the Yankees before Joe Girardi and Joe Torre.

That being said, I didn’t see any major incidents between Angel and Yankee fans over the weekend and that’s always a good thing.

Winning the series was a great way to end the week, but I expected better than the 4-3 record for the Angels over the last seven days.

As I look back on the week, one player stood out big time; Kendry Morales. "K-Mo" hit .542 for the week with three homeruns, 10 RBI’s and a monster 1.509 OPS. Sha-zam. That’s some big time hitting right there.

Morales already has two homeruns right handed this season after hitting only four from the right side in all of 2009. It’s like I said back in the first week of the season, Morales has put the league on notice. He can hit and hit for power from either side of the plate and he’s on his way to becoming the most dynamic hitter in the history of Angels’ baseball.

Yes; he can be that good.

The funny thing (at least to me) is that most Projections don’t see Morales hitting 30 homeruns in 2010. They’re looking at 2009 as some sort of statistical anomaly, I guess. In fact none of Bill James, CHONE or the like have him even driving in 100 runs.

Okay, whatever… the Angels usually out-perform their projections any way.

Oh and by the way –Morales is this week’s winner of the True Grich Award (given to the Angel who had the best performance of the week) with an honorable mention going to Bobby Abreu who had hit an impressive .385 for the week and a solid 1.121 OPS.

The bull pen did an excellent job as Fernando Rodney, Kevin Jepsen, Brian Stokes and Jason Bulger combined to pitch 18.2 scoreless innings. That’s the bull pen we envisioned before the start of the season. They were getting it done.

All of that being said, the highlight of the week for me was Brandon Wood's bases loaded double that drove in two key runs against the Yankees yesterday. As Wood came to bat; the enormity of the moment was clear. Here was Wood's chance to do something positive. Cheryl (my wife) turned to me and said, "Let's pray for Brandon." We did and Wood delieverd in a big way.

One observation about that inning. When Mike Napoli was batting just prior to Wood, Francisco Cervelli trotted out to talk with his pitcher - Javier Vazquez. At the time, I muttered that he's probably telling Vazquez to not give anything good for Napoli to hit because Wood was on deck. Napoli walked, which fueld my own speculation. What he actually said, I'll never know - but that scenario in my head really made me want Wood to come through even more.

It felt so good to see Wood succeed. Moments like that are truly priceless.

So as we enter the new week, the Angels are 10-10 and two games in back of the hated A’s. The good news is that the Angels haven’t even hit their stride yet, while Oakland looks like they’re playing well above their heads.

I know it’s early (and I'm more than a tad bit biased); but once the Angels hit their stride, the AL West could be in big trouble. I’m just saying.

Opening Night Review

The 2010 Angels opened to a sell out crowd last night and the reviews are in. Granted, you’re basically only going to see my review on this blog because well, that’s just the way I roll. I’m just saying.

Hideki Matsui was easily the star of the night with two hits (including a homerun) and two runs driven in. His arrival in Anaheim seems to be a big hit; as fans in the right field pavilion greeted him with a sign reading “MatsuiLand.” Very cool. It was reminiscent of the Wally World gang that established their beach head back in the Wally Joyner days. I don’t know about you, but I love stuff like this. Kudos to the fans in the right field pavilion!

I guess it’s time for me eat some crow. During the off season, I posted an entry voicing my concern over the Angels’ interest in Matsui. One game into the season, and I’m already prepared to say I was wrong. Not only is Matsui fast becoming not only an offensive force, but a fan-favorite as well.

I love the Matsui dynamic in the clean up spot. For the last six years, we’ve basically had the free swinging Vlad Guerrero in that role and although Vlad was tremendous as an Angel; having an OBP machine like Matsui in there makes me feel very confident.

It appears Matsui’s impact is far reaching. Even as we were leaving the stadium last night, there were two camera crews from Japan interviewing fans about the game. It’s the kind of stuff that creates a buzz in the stadium and I like it.

Jered Weaver didn’t exactly rock the house, but our “rock star” definitely got the job done. The bull pen was solid; although I have some concerns about Fernando Rodney’s velocity which topped out at just 89 mph. Here’s a guy who reportedly can hit 100 mph on the gun throwing significantly below that.

Side note: When asked about Rodney’s velocity on the post game show, Jeff Biggs replied to one caller with “his velocity is fine.” I’m hoping Biggsy provides better responses than that moving forward. It looks like the post-game show might go through some growing pains initially as they iron out some of the logistics. I’ll excuse the fact that he’s in a studio and not in a locker room, but this show needs to have better access to the players and manager after the game.

Onward…

Erick Aybar looked like a force to be reckoned with. I loved his debut as the every day lead off hitter. He had two hits, a walk and two runs scored. If he keeps that up, Figgins will become a distant memory.

I know, I know, I walked right into a Brandon Wood discussion with that last statement and while it’s true that Wood struck out three times last night, I’m simply not concerned. If anything, I’m anxious because I want him to shut the doubters up once and for all. He will. Trust me.

I’m thinking that Kendry Morales just put the American League on notice last night with his first homerun of the season. This one came from the right side of the plate and if this is a sign of things to come, the AL West and the rest of the league are going to have their hands full. It’s early, but Morales has the potential to be the most dynamic hitter in the history of the Angels.

There, I said it. What’s more; I believe it too.

Now, what was up with the crowd last night? It was pretty quiet until about the 7th inning. I heard a caller on Roger Lodge’s show this morning saying last night had a play-off-like atmosphere. Huh? I don’t think so. It was as if the fans were waiting for something to happen.

Looks like Josh and Jake (514 Fanatics) will have to get the crowd going tonight.

Joe Saunders takes the hill; so you know Cheryl and I love that.

Mr. Matsui comes to Anaheim

Angel Stadium had nearly twice as many fans tonight than last night. It was even a little loud at times (but don’t tell our usher that). It’s starting to feel like baseball season once again, even though the air has been cold at night.

Between the end of tonight’ game and the start of Monday’s game, the stadium will get a little make-over as the decorations come out to signify the start of a brand new season. I’m getting that old familiar feeling that comes with the start of a new hunt for a red October and yet, something is a little different this year.

Could it be the trees behind the center field fence? How about the new paint job around the concession stands or some of the new food choices around the Big “A?”

Well, it’s none of those things.

It’s all about Hideki Matsui. I heard on the radio today that some 70 media credentials were handed out for opening night. That’s a lot of microphones, lab tops and cameras!

Matsui got to play left field tonight and I can only imagine the news that will generate back in Japan. It’s certainly going to be an interesting year with all the extra media following the Angels around. Perhaps the coverage of Matsui will eventually lead to more Angel fans in Japan. I love the idea of expanding the Angels brand around the world. Heck, a lot of people look good in red.

I am really digging the idea that a whole wave of new fans are going to be exposed to the Angels brand of baseball and that names like Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar might become household names in Japan. I know the media will be covering Matsui, but there are only so many Godzilla stories one can tell, right? Sooner or later, they’re going to find their way to Torii Hunter and Jered Weaver and all the other Angels.

Think about it.

I’m picturing little boys and girls in Tokyo wearing Napoli jerseys. I’m picturing tour buses outside of Angel Stadium for every game. Japan’s rock star is on tour and his new home base is Anaheim. Yup, I’m envisioning a good time in 2010.

Speaking of visions, there was a very strange one on the field tonight; Garret Anderson in Dodger blue. It just seems wrong on so many levels. The only way it would have been even more strange is if GA had dived for a ball in the outfield. Hey, I’m just saying…

The Angels won the game in the bottom of the 9th. As we were leaving the stadium, we headed down the escalators and there were puddles of water near the top of the escalator for some reason. One Angel fan shouted that the water came from the tears of Dodger fans. You gotta love it. Baseball season is here.

Here are a few photos from tonight. A couple of Matsui, followed by Jeremy Hill and Garret Anderson in blue.

Moving pictures from Tempe

As promised (even though it pains me), here is a clip of Bengie Molina clearing the bases with a double off Joe Saunders. Saunders was cruising along until this inning.



Earlier in the day, I was able to shoot this video of a little infield practice. When you think about it, you don't see this every day. I mean, by the time you get into the stadium for a game these days you might see the end of batting practice, but you really don't see this.



I have a lot of material from spring training... so bear with me as I get all posted over the next couple days.

Fraternizing with the enemy

I’m baaaack….

Call me crazy, but today I went looking for Milton Bradley. Yeah, that’s right; this baseball fan went looking for a fight. I traveled all the way to Peoria, Arizona looking to find Mr. Bradley so that I could ask him to turn in his uniform. I’ve had enough of his antics and decided it was time for someone to take a stand.

And if you believe all that, well… we need to complete a real-estate transaction involving some water front property.

Seriously – I was in Peoria today to check out the Mariners and a couple of “old” friends in ex-Angels Chone Figgins and Orlando Cabrera. It was strange seeing them in different uniforms; although, we’ve seen Cabrera dawning White Sox, Athletics, and Twins uniforms since leaving the Angels.

Oh and in case you’re wondering, Milton Bradley didn’t play today. Neither did ex-Angel Casey Kotchman.

As I watched the Mariners, I had to wonder where their power was going to come from. Ken Griffey, Jr. hit clean up today and although he did hit a walk-off grand slam to lead the M’s to a 6-5 victory, I’m not feeling it for the Northwesterners.

I’m also thinking that rotation is not that deep and all this talk about them being the possible favorites in the AL West just isn’t making much sense. Texas on the other hand, I get. They’re going to be tough, but I’m not too worried about Seattle.

Here are some photos from today’s action. First up are old friends Figgy and OC.



Followed by Ichiro and Kip Wells (warming up in the bull pen before surrendering the walk-off grand slam).



Now, you might be wondering what was an Angel fan doing in Peoria? Let’s just say I like to make my way around to some of the other Cactus League parks when I get a chance.

Just so you're aware, I did stop by Tempe prior to heading over to Peoria. You know I had to do that. I caught some of the Angels batting practice prior to their heading over to Scottsdale to play the Giants.

Torii Hunter and Juan Rivera were putting on quite the display of firepower today sending several baseballs out of sight beyond the trees in left field. They were hitting absolute bombs. I should probably note that the wind was blowing pretty good at times and that could have enhanced today’s performance.

Cheryl and I will be at Tempe Diablo Stadium tomorrow and I hope to post another report some time tomorrow evening.

It’s good to be back in Tempe. Man, I love spring training.

Here's some photos from batting practice.

First up Hunter going yard and Brandon Wood making it look easy.



We'll end with the 2010 potential MVP Kendry Morales (you like the sound of that MVP thing?) and a new face in the bull pen - Fernando Rodney (I'm diggin the red glove).



I also shot some video today and hope to have those up soon. More "hard hitting" questions were posed today. So check back soon.

Looking inside my crystal ball

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seven days till pitchers and catchers report.

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



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