Way faster than a speeding bullet

I’m not going to do the play justice, but let me post this just the same.

Saturday night, a ball was hit by Kyle Seager of the Seattle Mariners deep in the hole at shortstop.  Now, usually when I watch a game, the game and each play has a certain rhythm and timing to it all; at least that’s normally the case.

On this particular play the ball went into Andrelton Simmons’ glove and .5 seconds later was on its way to first base for what looked like a routine out.  The play was anything but routine.  I don’t know if you realize how fast .5 seconds is, but when a play happens that fast – you think your eyes are playing tricks on you. 

It was as if real-time was on extra, extra fast forward for a split second as the play unfolded.  My eyes were focused in one area, anticipating when the ball should fly out of Simmons’ hand, but the ball was way ahead of my anticipation.  It was like *ping* - ball gone.  It was freaky.  It was cool.  It was magical.

I can’t imagine anyone having faster hands.  It was like Muhammad Ali in his prime, flicking jabs – only faster; much faster.  It was like the best magician in the world doing a slight of hand trick.  I’m surprised I didn’t hear a sonic boom because surely that play happened faster than the speed of sound. 

I can see why Simmons is considered the best defensive player in the game.  With Mike Trout in CF and Simmons at SS, I can’t imagine a better defense up the middle.  This is going to be fun to watch all season long.

Remembering Roger Jongewaard

This has been a tough week. Monday night I learned that Roger Jongewaard (long time baseball executive) passed away from a heart attack. This news came on the eve of the two year anniversary of my wife’s dad’s passing – Charles. Charles never met Roger Jongewaard, but he was a big fan of Jongewaard’s Bake ‘N Broil’s boysenberry pie.

The news and anniversary both took place while the Angels were playing the Dodgers – which is oddly coincidental because when Charles passed away two years ago – the same two teams were facing off. What makes it even stranger is that five years ago, when my own dad passed away – the Dodgers and Angels were playing then too.

Needless to say, whenever the Angels and the Dodgers hook up – our minds tend to go back to the death of our dads. And now to have the death of Roger Jongewaard to boot; well, it’s beyond words.

I had the privilege of interviewing Roger Jongewaard in 2010 and let me tell you it was as close as I’ve ever come to baseball royalty. This is a man who was a giant in the baseball scouting world – but even more importantly – he was a man who was beloved by so many people.

Larry Stone of the Seattle Times called Jongewaard “a seminal figure” and went on to write that “everyone in the game knew and revered him.”

Scott Miller of CBS Sports wrote “Jongewaard was an old-school gentleman, both well-respected and well-liked by colleagues. With him goes an era.”

Rick Rizz a Mariners’ broadcaster said "The thing that stands out is that for his first 12 years every one of his first-round picks made it to the major leagues..."  "He was a dedicated baseball man. Baseball was his life. He knew talent, and to have a guy like this in the organization for that long of time was absolutely wonderful for this organization at that point."

Rizz went on to say "It is a sad loss, not only for the Mariners but for baseball. He knew everybody," Rizz said. "A sad, sad day." Indeed.

Mariners’ President Chuck Armstrong had this to say… "You look at our success during that period of time in the drafts and players we brought in. He was really a scout's scout. I used to laugh with him that he could tell you who each prospect's mom went to senior prom with. His mind was a mental computer and talent evaluation was the best I've ever run across in this game. We were lucky to have him for those years."

USA Today's Bob Nightengale published this obituary.

Per Nightengale: "You go back and look at his track record, it was amazing," said Minnesota Twins veteran scout Ken Compton, who was hired by Jongewaard and spent 18 years together with the Mariners. "His baseball exploits are deep and long, but he really cared about his employees."

And this…"He was everything you'd want to be in a man," says Boston Red Sox special assistant Gary Hughes, a longtime associate of Jongewaard's. "He was quiet, humble and unbelievably efficient. The best at what he did for a long, long time."

Ryan Divish wrote this in the News Tribune “In the often cutthroat and back-biting world of Major League Baseball, Jongewaard was a gentlemen first, baseball scout second. He was beloved and, more important, respected by his co-workers, colleagues and adversaries.”

Tuesday night, I received a call from Roger’s son-in-law Andy who called me to make sure I had heard the news (which I had). Andy knew I really cherished my interview with Roger and wanted to make sure I had heard. Andy didn’t have to do that, but that’s the kind of man Andy is and that’s the kind of family Roger was a part of - always thinking of others.

Roger had a great many accomplishments and if you read the articles I’ve linked to above, you’ll get a sense of what a great baseball man Roger was. Clearly, you will also get the sense that he was even a greater person.

Roger is survived by his wife, Carol, and four children -- Terry, Janice, Kristin (Andy’s wife) and Don - and 12 grandchildren. Sadly, his daughter Dyan preceded him in death in February after battling cancer.

More about Roger Jongewaard: HERE

Still we watch

It’s been very tough being an Angels fan this year.  If you’re one – you know.

Watching the Angels try to score runs these days has been one of the most frustrating experiences of our baseball watching lives  We think; we believe and more than anything – hope that every at bat that takes place with runners in scoring position is going be the one that is going to be the start of something great. 

We say to ourselves, “This is it… the offense is going to come alive and go on a tear without ever looking back.”

Forty-two games in and we’re still hoping. 

Roughly one fourth of the season is done and here we are.  The Angels rank 25^th out of 30 teams in runs scored.  They are next to last in the American League, ahead of only the Oakland A’s – but it’s close; 153-150 and guess who the Angels play over the next three days?

This can’t go on.  Things have to change.  We are about to lose our minds.

We go from thinking that things are going to change any moment to hoping they will any day.  From believing this is the inning to – hoping for it to change next inning.  It doesn’t end.  It’s a nightmare that we can’t wake up from.

We walk around in a funk.  We want to punch a wall. 

And yet… we still watch. 

We wait.  We hope.  We might want to stop watching, but some of us just can’t turn away.  We really want to be rewarded for our faithfulness.  It has to be coming, right?  We want to taste the fruits of victory because losing and losing some more has been a bitter pill to swallow.

If you’re an Angels fan and you’ve come to the point of not being able to watch, I understand.  Still, I bet you check your phone even when you’re not watching live.  You’re looking for any little reason to be drawn back in.  Thinking about the struggle is too painful, but you’re keeping hope alive in your own little way.

If you’re an Angel fan who continues to hang in there despite it all, I applaud you.  I’m right there with you.  You’ve tried everything from lucky charms to strange rituals.  You think… “Maybe if I eat this or wear that“ and it’s to the point where you’re running out of ideas.

I know.  You’re tired of saying “Maybe tomorrow.”  You’re really tired of your Dodger fan friends and the fans of any team that’s doing better than yours.  You avoid the subject of Albert Pujols all-together.  You wince when people try to blame Mike Scioscia.  It seems like every time you experience a little bit of joy – it’s followed up with more frustration and pain.

This isn’t fun.  It wasn’t supposed to be like this.  How can this be happening?  Reading this blog post probably isn’t helping either.

What do you do? What do WE do?

We focus on Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout.  We wait for Torii Hunter to come back.  We embrace every moment that Jered Weaver is on the mound.  And… we wait; like a dog waiting by the door for his master to come home; we wait.  We stare off into the distance and we wait for the next game, the next at-bat and the next pitch.

This is either going to be the most frustrating season of our baseball watching lives or one of the greatest ever.  This team doesn’t have mediocrity written all over it.  It has greatness written on it and if they should fail – the failure will be catastrophic; even monumental.  It will be beyond our comprehension and understanding and it may even drive us mad.

I’m betting that doesn’t happen.  I’m trying to think ahead to a happier time; a time when we can look back at these first 42 games and know that we didn’t give up and that we watched our team overcome adversity. 

The next two weeks are huge.  When they are over one-third of the season will have been played and we will no longer be able to say “It’s early.”  Seven games this week against the A’s and Mariners and then three with the Yankees and those stinking’ Rangers.

Its go time folks.  The Angels have to trim some games off the eight game deficit they’re facing between now and the time they face Texas.  This is what we are clinging to right now.  We want a chance because deep down inside, we believe that if this team gives itself a chance – good things are going to happen.

I believe.  Yes, I do.  It ain't easy, but baseball isn't supposed to be easy.

Who’s with me?

Off day reflections: Where are you Chone Figgins?

Jered Weaver’s press conference became a hot topic around baseball circles everywhere; from radio shows, to internet message boards – everyone was talking about what a “breath of fresh air” Weaver was and how their respect for the 28 year old Cy Young Award candidate had grown by leaps and bounds.

Weaver chose to follow his heart instead of his bank account and fans and baseball folks in general took note. It’s a wonder more baseball players don’t follow suit.

Which brings me to a question; I wonder what Chone Figgins is thinking these days?

Figgins signed a four year, $36 million contract with the Seattle Mariners following the 2009 season. He went from being a gold-glove caliber third baseman and a catalyst for one of the best teams in baseball to being a forgotten man on a last place team in a hurry.

In 2010 Figgins went for the money and in the process found himself in a new environment, playing a new position (going from 3B to 2B) and hitting in a new spot in the lineup (from lead off to hitting second). He was moved back to 3B this year, but he still hasn’t been the same. Today he finds himself on the injured list – but even if he was healthy; he would probably not be playing much. You see he’s hitting just .188 with an OBP of .243 in 288 at-bats.

I hope he likes overcast days and plenty of rain.

Figgins hasn’t had much to smile about and if you have ever seen Figgy smile, you would know it’s the kind of thing that lights up a room. From the moment he put on a Mariner uniform he never looked the same to me. I didn’t see that familiar sparkle in his eyes. He looked out of place and everything that has happened to him since makes me wonder if he has any regrets.

Speaking of regrets, it appears that plenty of Mariner fans have some whenever they discuss Figgins. There’s a perception that he quit on the team. Most hoped he would somehow be traded at the deadline; which came and went without such a move.

The happy-go-lucky, do-anything-for-the team guy we knew in Anaheim has appeared a bit cranky and hard to deal with in Seattle. He’s had a few public displays of frustration and it’s become somewhat apparent that his time in Seattle hasn’t gone the way he had hoped or planned.

Things have been so bad – that his batting average even had an impact on beer prices at a local bar in Seattle. In May it was reported that Norm’s Eatery and Ale House in Seattle was selling Widmer beer for whatever Figgins was hitting. If he was hitting. 202, the beer was priced at $2.02.

I don’t drink beer – but if someone did that with Jeff Mathis’ batting average, they might go out of business. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

In June of this year, a blog called “Outside is overrated” did a piece justifying the author’s dislike of Figgins.

Another columnist; Jim Moore of the Seattle Post Intelligencer wrote on May 31, 2011, “He’s done nothing to justify his $36 million contract and came off like a jerk during the Don Wakamatsu dust-up last year, making it doubly hard to be sympathetic. If he played in New York or Philadelphia, this guy would have been chewed up and spat out already. In Seattle, the media have been relatively soft on him.”

More from “The Flagrant Fan:” Chone Figgins bounced back some in the second half last season and he will probably come back a bit in this second half. But this is not the player the Mariners thought they were getting and as we have seen, if the season ended tomorrow, Figgins would have the seventh worst OPS since 1979 for players with more than 250 at bats. It's been mind-boggling to say the least.

There is literally page after page of stuff like this all over the internet.

It’s difficult to find anything positive about Figgins, although “Safeco Faithful” gave it shot with a piece titled “You are the problem, not Chone Figgins.”

I feel badly for Figgy. He was a big part of the Angels success during their run at American League West pennants. It pains me to see him struggle so much and for that infectious smile of his to be MIA.

Would things have turned out differently had Figgy stayed in Anaheim? One can only speculate, but I would bet Figgins would like to go back in time to find out.

In light of what Weaver just did and coupled with what happened to Figgins, I have to wonder if more players aren’t considering their futures a little differently these days. Just wondering.

Angels become older, slower and are now without an "Ace"

John Lackey just punched me in the stomach. Worse yet, he punched every little kid who wears his jersey or t-shirt in the stomach as well.

Okay maybe that’s a tad bit over the top and maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but word is Lackey is in Boston for a physical, which points to the likelihood that he will be a member of the Red Sox in 2010. Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated takes it a step further and says Lackey has agreed to a five-year, $85 million deal.

The Boston Red Sox? Really, John? I thought you were "old school." I guess I was wrong. Old School doesn’t sign on with a hated rival. No way, no how.

I didn't see this coming. You had me fooled, John. I guess I was a real sucker.

If I sound bitter it’s because I am! Hello? We’re talking about the best Angels pitcher since Chuck Finley not just leaving, but leaving to go to the team that has been more than just a thorn in the side of the Angels; they’ve been a spear for goodness sake.

I don’t fault Lackey for going for the biggest pay day; after all, most people would do the same… but Boston? Come on, that’s like making a deal with the devil and I doubt too many people would do that. In my mind, Lackey no longer has a soul; he just sold it. Can you picture Lackey and David Ortiz in the 2010 post season pouring champagne on one another and hugging like long lost brothers?

I didn’t want to believe the reports when they first came out. When the rumor first appeared as being "twitter-worthy" I had to chuckle. I was even ready to blast Ed Price of AOL for being irresponsible. Turns out he got it right.

Now my wrath is just going to be aimed at John Lackey. Again, I don’t blame him for taking the money, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I said as much in a previous post titled: An Open Letter to John Lackey.

I guess part of me is still 12 years old. Part of me wants to believe there are still players in the game that aren’t all about the money. Randy Wolf was willing to re-sign with the Dodgers for less than Milwaukee offered him. Tim Salmon took less money to stay with the Angels his whole career. I thought Lackey might do the same. Boy was I wrong.

Just goes to show you how little we know about what a player thinks and finds important. Just goes to show you how shallow loyalties run these days. That’s not a judgment; just an observation. And yes, I know loyalty goes both ways and I have no idea what the Angels offered or didn’t offer. I’m just reacting here.

I mean we’re talking about leaving the Angels. We have an awesome fan base and Southern California is a great place to live with an ideal climate. On top of that, the Angels have a world class owner and manager. I know Boston is a great sports town, but I never would have pictured Lackey in a Sox uniform. Then again, what do I know?

I feel like Lackey just gave the Angels the finger and I don’t like it much.

In other not-so-good news, the Angels appear to have a one year, $6.5 million deal in place with 35 year old Hideki Matsui. Great. Whoopee.

Don’t worry Matsui makes up for his lack of youth (he will be 36 next June) with bad knees. That’s right… both of them are bad. He’s really going to be a force on the base paths or is that a road block? I really thought the Angels were past the point of signing players past their primes to contracts. I mean I know the whole retro thing is cool these days, but this is crazy. I assume Bobby Abreu made them believe they can continue to find lightning in a bottle.

While the Angels definitely needed to add a left handed power bat, I was hoping for better than this.

I guess this also means Abreu isn’t going to DH and will continue to be somewhat of an adventure in right field. I like Abreu, but I like him as a force in the batting order and for what he can teach about hitting to the rest of the team. As for his fielding…well, not so much.

But wait, there’s more…

The news keeps getting better. Word is that Roy Halladay is heading to Philadelphia and Cliff Lee to Seattle as part of a three team block buster. Up to the minute details can be found on mlb.traderumors.com.

Wow.

Lackey to the Red Sox. Halladay to the Phillies. Lee to the Mariners. I don’t know about you, but this off season just became a downer for me. Not only did the Angels lose an all-star third baseman and their ace, but Seattle just added one of each.

Let’s recap. The Angels just got older, slower and no longer have an ace. Beautiful. What’s even funnier is that it’s time to renew my season tickets too.

I'm a very optimistic guy. I can even be accused of wearing rose colored glasses when it comes to the Angels. That being said, I'm not happy today. The good news is that it's only December and Tony Reagins and Arte Moreno still have time to do something, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I don't like what I've seen so far.

Figgins couldn't be further from home

One of the first things I do each morning is log on to mlbtraderumors.com. It’s kind of a one-stop shopping place for all things related to the Hot Stove. This morning, I was delighted to see that the Angels have not given up on signing John Lackey. More on that in a bit…

But first, the big news of the day was Chone Figgins. Following mlbtraderumors.com we learned that one minute he was on the verge of signing with the Seattle Mariners. A little while later, they were reporting the Angels were still "hanging in there." He was signing, then he was "maybe" signing. It was kind of a roller coaster.

Then as the evening unfolded it was becoming more and more clear that Figgins was indeed heading to Seattle. Per Greg Bell of the Associated Press, Figgins and Mariners have a preliminary agreement on a four year, $36 million dollar deal, with an option that could push the contract to $45 million.

Earlier Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown tweeted that "Angels officials had conceded that Figgins was as good as gone to the M’s."

The deal is expected to be announced Monday at the Winter Meetings.

Good for Figgy. Sucks for us.

It’s going to be strange seeing him in a Mariners uniform and I’m not going to like it one single bit. The Angels usually play the M’s 19 times in a season. Nineteen games I will be a lot less likely to enjoy. Nineteen games where I will have to cheer against Figgy.

Like I said; it sucks for us.

There was some talk that signing Figgins to a contract of four or more years would be a bad idea... Some surmised that his skills would start to decline and that players who rely on speed (like Figgins) are bad investments as they get older. I don't necessarily agree. Bobby Abreu is 35 and he managed to steal 30 bases this year. Rickey Henderson was 39 when he stole 66 bases in 1998. Figgins will only be 32 years old next season.

Reports had the Angels offering Figgins three years for $24 million. I am disappointed that the Angels didn’t offer more years. I know all about the reports about the Angels budget for 2010, but we’re talking about a very good player in Figgins.

Figgins reinvented himself this past year. He became the ultimate lead off hitter with a .395 OBP; leading the league in walks with 101.

Some soured on Figgins after his lack luster post-season. He is a career .172 hitter in the play-offs with an anemic .223 OBP. Some assumed he would never become the kind of post season performer the Angels need. I didn’t necessarily feel the same way.

The sad thing is that now that he’s in Seattle, Figgins might not get a chance to disprove his critics. I can’t see Seattle in the post season next year or any time soon. Granted, it’s only December – but the M’s have lots of work to do before they can be considered legitimate contenders in the west. That being said, signing Figgins is a nice start.

The bright side and there is a bright side is that Brandon Wood should finally get his shot; at least I hope so. Some have begun to speculate that the Angels could sign Adrian Beltre, who was last seen under-performing in Seattle.

I may not know as much about baseball as the so-called pundits, but I’d be willing to bet that Brandon Wood could do better than a .265 batting average with just 8 homeruns and a .779 OPS, which are the numbers Beltre put up this past season.

I don’t want Miguel Tejada either. I mean talk about a player in decline. In fact, none of the remaining free agent third basemen appeal to me over Wood. Not Melvin Mora, Joe Crede or even Troy Glaus.

It’s time for Brandon Wood and seeing him get his chance is the best way to get over the loss of Figgins.

The funny thing about this is that I had believed Figgins might want to play close to home. I couldn't have been more wrong. You can't get much further away from Florida than Seattle, Washington. I think it's safe to say that my ability (or lack of) to predict where free agents might end up basically stinks. I've been wrong on most of my predictions thus far.

I also have to wonder; will Figgins be happy in Seattle? Adrian Beltre was the last So. Cal third basemen to sign a big contract with the M's. He had five uneventful years there. Yes, he was paid well, but if he could have done it over would he have gone to Seattle? We'll see if money buys Figgins happiness.

Now, let’s get back to John Lackey.

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, "Club officials had all but decided to part with Lackey during the team's organizational meetings at the end of the regular season, according to multiple major-league sources."

Rosenthal adds - "But Moreno, after watching Lackey pitch well in his three postseason starts against the Red Sox and Yankees, decided that the Angels should renew their efforts to sign him, the sources said."

Rosenthal notes that the main reason for this "change" (per Rosenthal, Reagins says Lackey has been a priority all along) is due to the steep price (in players) to acquire Roy Halladay, the rocky performance of Scott Kazmir in the post season and the Mariners big push to sign Lackey. Lackey’s post season performance didn’t hurt either.

As I noted in my Open Letter to John Lackey, the thought of him pitching within the division is more than I can take. If Lackey ends up in Seattle, I’m not going to be happy. I won’t be able to let it go. It’s bad enough that Figgins will be there, but if they add Lackey as well, I will have a new team to hate.

The Angels need to get a deal done. The two sides need to find some common ground. I don’t know what Lackey’s demands are (he reportedly turned down a four-year $72 million extension), but he needs to meet the Angels part way. $72 million is a lot of money. Granted, it’s not A.J. Burnett money, but just because the Yankees overpaid for Burnett, it shouldn't equate into someone else also over paying for a player.

I don’t want Roy Halladay. I’m afraid of what it might cost the Angels in the way of players to get him. Besides, there's something that doesn't sit well with me when a guy says he's only willing to go to Red Sox, Yankees, Angels or Phillies. It just feels wrong. Hallady is also imposing deadlines now (says he won't agree to a trade once Spring Training starts). Again, this kind of stuff just doesn't make me comfortable.

Besides, the Angels can't afford to trade for Halladay. Brandon Wood is no longer an option to be moved in my mind. We know the Angels aren’t going to part with Erick Aybar and parting with one of Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana or Jered Weaver would still leave the Angels with a hole in their rotation.

Just sign Lackey.

So here we are. Figgins is gone, but the Angels are still in the hunt for Lackey. I’m not a happy camper right now, but I'll be extra cranky if Lackey goes. My wife Cheryl is not liking the Figgy deal either. Figgins is one of her favorites. She's going to miss him. We're all going to miss him.

What can you do, right? Time to turn the page...

Get ready Brandon Wood. Cheryl and I (not to mention countless other Angel fans) are counting on you. We know you can do it.