Now we're talking

Recently and when I say “recently” – I mean in the last 2+ seasons, I’d get a sinking feeling every time the Angels fell behind early in a game. Monday night was different. Perhaps it was because of the way the team had been playing lately or the fact that Phil Hughes was on the mound; take your pick, I had a sense of calm and confidence that the Angels would come back.

When the Angels rallied for four runs in the bottom of the first inning after giving up 3 in the top of the first, I wasn’t surprised. When all was said and done – the Angels outlasted the Yankees for a 9-8 victory and new day was born.

The team had finally reached a .500 record at 25-25 and the abysmal start of the 2012 season was starting to fade into the past Everything seemed right with the world again.

Tuesday night the United States Air Force declared the Angels outfield a “No Fly Zone” as well hit balls met their demise at the hands of Mike Trout and Peter Bourjos. Apparently, the baseballs had enough sense to not test Torii Hunter. Watching the two young guys run down fly balls in the outfield was a thing of absolute beauty.

The Angels won their eighth consecutive game last night (5-1) and moved to within 5.5 games of the Texas Rangers. Suddenly, the big bad Rangers don't seem so invincible. Just saying.

It’s been a long road – but baseball and more specifically Angels baseball is fun again.

How did the Angels turn things around? Perhaps it was all because of fellow Angel blogger Josh and his wife, who found that by not watching Angel games – the team has gone on their current winning streak. Josh chronicles his superstition on his blog “Angels Nation.”

Perhaps the Angels turn around coincides with Albert Pujols’ family arrival in Southern California to be with Albert during the summer – as it was chronicled in the USA Today. This is something I speculated about earlier as well.

Maybe it has something to do with the departure of Mickey Hatcher or Vernon Wells going on the DL or the recent solar eclipse. Who knows?

Whatever the reason, it all came just in time. I’m feeling less anxious and I’m starting to see a bit of a swagger in the way the Angels are going about their business now. Albert is back. Mike Trout is doing remarkable things at just 20 years of age and Mark Trumbo is just a beast.

And yet… there is still work to be done. The Angels have one more game against the Yankees and then three big games against the Rangers. Things could get very interested, very fast.

I know a lot of fans have hung in there through the struggles of the early season and I also know that some of you are just finding your way back.

Regardless of it all, now is the time for us to rally around this team, fill the stadium, be loud and show the rest of the baseball word how great this fan base can be.

If you’re like me, you’ve been taking names and notes of all the people who had a field day with the Angels struggles early on. If you wanted Mike Scioscia fired – be warned, I’ve got your name on my list. If you ceremoniously handed the Western Division title to the Rangers in April – I know who you are. If you thought Albert Pujols was a bust – I’ve got my eye on you too. After all, that's part of being a fan.

The fun of every baseball season is in the journey and the stories that unfold along the way. This season hasn't had any shortage of stories to be sure. Like the night Jered Weaver threw his no-hitter or even Monday night when the Angels overcame Weaver leaving early because of a back injury.

There is so much baseball still be played and so many more stories to be told.

My hope is that you have a chance to experience as many of them as possible. Join us in the journey because folks, this is going to be fun. It's time people; so break our your red and get your Angel game face on. Let's do this together!

You don't have Mickey Hatcher to kick around any more

Say what you will about Mickey Hatcher; but know this, a good man lost his job yesterday.  His detractors were many and they were loud and they were harsh. Whether or not Hatcher was deserving of such criticism is up for debate –but the consensus among Angel nation is pretty clear – he almost certainly had to go.

While a great many Angel fans are dancing in the street today; I have a different view.  I want to remember the man for the way he carried himself.  Despite the constant criticism, Mickey Hatcher never appeared angry, frustrated or even defensive.  He always seemed to be smiling and positive.  He certainly showed more class than many of his detractors.

Hatcher’s dismissal raises a boat load of questions and there is certainly no shortage of speculation in around baseball right now.  How will this move impact Mike Scioscia’s authority?  Why now?  Did this come down from Arte Moreno himself or is this Jerry Dipoto sending a message to the players and coaches that there is indeed a new man in charge and he’s not messing around?

I am in no position to judge whether or not Mickey Hatcher was a good hitting coach.  Is there even such a thing?  I know about as much about hitting as I do piloting a space ship.  I do know that the Angels have had an approach and philosophy that was all about being aggressive and making the effort to put the ball in play. 

It’s a style that I have loved to watch; and yet – it has appeared to me that so many things; maybe too many things had to always go right for the Angels offense to be successful.  I also know that Mickey Hatcher got his marching orders from Mike Scioscia and the Angels’ approach wasn’t necessarily Hatcher’s – it was most definitely Scioscia’s.

It’s a new day and it will be interesting to see how things unfold from here.  All eyes will be on Scioscia to see how he responds to all of this.  This can’t be easy.  Clearly he and Hatcher are close and have been through a great many things together.  I won’t blame him if he’s a little on edge, all things considered.

A lot of people are going to make this all about him and I believe that will make him uncomfortable.  People are going to talk about his contract that runs through 2018 (although he can opt out after 2015).  The focus and the scrutiny are going to be more intense.  Scioscia doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy, who likes having the focus on him,

Think about this – whenever the Angels are part of a national broadcast and there is an interview of a manager in the dugout – you don’t see Scioscia on camera.  He has always put his coaches in the position to answer the questions that are being asked.

Scioscia never makes it about himself.  When Nick Adenhart died and reporters asked over and over again about how the team was handling things – Scioscia always said “it’s not about us – it’s about Nick’s family and doing what we can to help them.”

When you know that about Scioscia it makes this situation all the more interesting.

On XM radio’s Power Alley this morning – Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette spent the first half hour of their show talking about the whole thing and Duquette said it’s clear to him that for the first time ever – Mike Scioscia is on the clock. 

Wow. 

I say “wow” because Duquette is probably right.  How did it come to this?  All the good will that was developed from 2002 through 2009 is gone.  Again, it’s a new day.

Baseball may be America’s favorite pastime; but the blame game is probably a close second.  Lots of fingers are being pointed these days in Anaheim and there is unrest and frustration the likes of which I have never seen.

Angel fans have gone from the highest of highs with the announcement of Albert Pujols coming to  Anaheim to the lowest of lows with each and every time the Angels get shut out (8 times now).  Something had to give and unfortunately for Mickey Hatcher – it was his job.

I am curious as I’m sure most of you are about how Scioscia is taking this, but I also know that we aren’t likely to ever know.  I imagine the world is a little bit of a lonelier place for him right now and that he is searching within himself for answers. 

And then t here’s Jerry Dipoto.  Since his arrival the team has shipped off long time Scioscia favorite Jeff Mathis to Toronto, acquired a high on base percentage type of hitter in Mathis’ replacement – Chris Iannetta; demoted Jordan Walden; shipped Kevin Jepsen to AAA; released Bobby Abreu, promoted Mike Trout and put him at the top of the order, and fired Mickey Hatcher.  Dipoto also signed Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson, LaTroy Hawkins and acquired Ernesto Frieri.

And let’s not forget that Dipoto totally cleaned house in the front office.  There is no question what-so-ever as to who is in charge and whose will is being exerted in Anaheim.

Mike Scioscia’s fingerprints are all over the organization.  His philosophy and style of play has been infused at every level.  He has been the face of the organization for many years now.  When you think about the Oakland A’s – Billy Beane immediately comes to mind.  When you think about Red Sox recent run – you associate it with Theo Epstein.  For the Rangers – the face is Nolan Ryan.  In most cases – the face of an organization isn’t the manager, unlike in Anaheim.

Jerry Dipoto clearly has a plan and he’s definitely on a mission.  He too has a philosophy and it appears that it is direct conflict with the way Scioscia approaches the game.

Can the two co-exist?  I’m not sure.

The public perception of Scioscia is that he is stubborn and unwavering.  Whether or not that’s true to who he really is remains to be seen.  If true – his tenure in Anaheim may be in peril.  Something has to give and if it comes to that it will be a sad day because I believe Scioscia is the best thing that has ever happened to the Angels, period.

At the end of the day we all want the same thing – we want the Angels to be back on top – not only in the west, but in all of baseball.  The expectations are high and they should be. 

The most disappointing thing about all of this is that instead of talking about how well the Angels are playing; we are focused on all the things that have made this season a disaster so far.  That’s incredibly sad.  It was supposed to be like this.

The organization is experiencing growing pains and we should emphasize the word “pain” for sure.

In closing, I wish Mickey Hatcher well.  I will always appreciate his enthusiasm and happy-go-lucky nature.  I admired the way he handled adversity.  We should all be so classy.

A family affair

I have a theory about the possible cause of Albert’s struggles at the plate thus far. I don’t know much about hitting mechanics or how to break down a player’s swing, but that didn’t stop me from coming to my own conclusion about Albert’s poor offensive start.

 I don’t know Albert personally, but I get the impression that he’s quite the family man. What does this have to do with anything? I learned today that his family isn’t moving to California and that they’re staying in St. Louis. Dee Dee Pujols (Albert’s wife) was interviewed by a television station in St. Louis about their foundation (Pujols Family Foundation).

Dee Dee was talking about the foundation’s plans to remain in St. Louis and also expand to Kansas City, Nashville and Southern California. In the course of the interview it was revealed that Dee Dee plans to stay in St. Louis and raise the couple's children while continuing to focus on growing the foundation.

There it is.

Albert is in a new city with a new team and his family is still back in St. Louis. That has to have an impact on a man like Albert. To top it off, Dee Dee is four months pregnant with the couple’s fifth child.

Despite his nickname (The Machine), Albert is anything but that. I’m betting that being apart from his family is taking its toll. Think about it. This is a man who met the love of his life at an early age, married young and lived and worked in St. Louis with his wife and family by his side for many years. He slept in a home where his children were close by and his wife by his side. He had home cooked meals. He had someone to talk to, confide in, etc. after every game.

Not only has Albert had to adapt to new surroundings, new teammates, new pitchers in a different league; he’s had to adjust to life without his family by his side. That can’t be easy, I don’t care who you are.

Some people like Jon Heyman of CBS Sports might even think he’s a little crankier. Heyman called out Albert for calling out Mickey Hatcher.

Apparently, Hatcher told some Angel beat writers what Albert said in a team meeting and Albert took exception to it. Personally, I think Heyman is making a bigger deal out of Albert’s reaction than necessary. Given the circumstances - I'd cut Albert a little slack and I'm guessing Mickey Hatcher isn't all that upset with Albert's comments anyway.  It's not like Albert was blaming Hatcher for his struggles.

Look, Albert doesn’t have his support system around him and again, that has to be tough. Just saying – maybe, just maybe – that’s the root of his struggles thus far.

Albert has said many times that the Angels are his "new family."  I guess that's more true than even he realized.  There has to be an extra added strain to being away from his real family; especially with a daughter who has special needs and a wife who is four months pregnant.  There's the distance, the time difference and so much more.

And consider this - Albert is a man who thrives on routine and process and his whole routine is different now.

Maybe I'm off base, but I'm guessing I'm not and this more than anything else can explain his struggles.


Late addition: Mike Ferrin of SiriusXM's MLB Network radio gave me a link to a piece by Jon Morosi who interviewed Albert about his struggles and touched on the subject of being away from his family. Good stuff (relevant material near the end of the article).

Nap-oh-please make it stop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And about that…

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

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

Hmm.

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

Can anyone validate what happened? Anyone? Hello?

Meanwhile, baseball marches on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You know you're in trouble when you envy the Royals

How can I possibly put what happened in Anaheim during the last home stand into words? On one hand I can’t believe this team is this bad; on the other, I find myself doing a lot of head shaking. It’s about all I can do when Torii Hunter or any number of Angels hit into an inning-ending double play not to lose my mind.

Most Angel fans are frustrated right now. Many others have become something worse… apathetic. Looking around the stadium on any given night and it’s clear that attendance is down and the mood goes from sad to angry. There’s no buzz, no excitement, no life among the faithful.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. This is the franchise’s 50th anniversary. We should be celebrating and instead we’re becoming more and more focused on what’s wrong with this franchise.

Watching the Royals this weekend I felt a little envious. Crazy, right? I mean we’re talking about a team that has only had one winning record in the last fifteen years. And yet, when I see young guys like Eric Hosmer (will be 22 in October) and Mike Moustakas (turns 23 in September), I get a little jealous. These are legitimate prospects with huge upside and bright futures. They have quantifiable skills that translate into actual major league talent.

That’s not to say the Angels aren’t without young talent because they are – but other than Mike Trout; none are at the same level as Hosmer or Moustakas.

In any case – this is what I end up focusing on when the team is doing so poorly. Instead of talking about the pennant race and who the Angels might acquire at the deadline, I find myself looking at what’s in the farm system and I start doing some more of that head shaking I talked about earlier.

When I look at the Salt Lake City Bees roster, I see one guy with power; Jeff Baisley, but good grief; he’s 28 years old. If you’re 28 years old and still in the minors, you’re really not much of a prospect and your ceiling is pretty low. The rest of the team lacks punch and has a lot of players who are similar to the team of smurfs already up with the big club.

There seems to be this huge gap between the young players up with the team now (Mark Trumbo, Hank Conger, Peter Bourjos, Tyler Chatwood) and the next wave of talent that could have in impact at the major league level.

There are no Hosmer’s or Moustakas’ the Angels can call on. There is Mike Trout, but as I have said before, he’s only 19 and there’s no sense rushing him.

So… what’s a team to do? What’s a fan to do?

Look, here’s the deal. I want another world series. It’s plain and simple. I want my team to get back to winning and competing. I don’t know how they get to that point and quite frankly, it’s not my job to figure that out.

What I do know is that a lot of good pitching is being wasted. This offense stinks. They lead the league in strike outs and hitting into double plays. Nothing kills a rally more than those two things. Nothing is as deflating to watch from a fan’s point of view as those two things.

Okay, so it’s at this point that some of you are probably thinking… sheesh, it’s only June. Well, forgive me, but the season is slipping away and that’s just not some feeling I have in my gut; it’s real. We heard the “It’s only… name your month…” last year and quite frankly, I don’t want to hear it again. Don’t tell me I shouldn’t panic. I’m beyond panicking. I’m at the point of utter frustration.

Losing isn’t fun. Sitting at every game in this past home stand wasn’t fun. Watching the team lose six games in row is the furthest thing from fun. Watching the pathetic offense is demoralizing. Nothing is fun about losing and call me selfish, but I want to have fun at the ball park.

I hate this post. I hate ranting like this. I’m an optimistic guy and I don’t like being pessimistic at all. It’s to the point where I’m glad they’ll be out of town for two weeks. I don’t want to take the time to show up at the stadium to watch. I need a break from being at the stadium.

All I ask is that you (The Angels) don’t do anything rash; like trade Mike Trout and I won’t do anything crazy like not show up for the next home stand. That being said, you need to give me something to hope for. I need you to make a move or show some life (Hello Torii and Vernon) or at the very least fire Mickey Hatcher (yeah, I said it)…. Give me something.

I need to see some people being held accountable. When Scioscia tells the media “we need to get our house in order” – I need to see something that makes me think he’s doing that.

Scioscia has asked his players to be more patient and selective and yet – he moves Torii Hunter, who has to be the biggest free swinger on the team into the #2 hole. Picture me shaking my head again.

Yeah, okay – let’s not move a player who is struggling down in the order, let’s have him move into the second slot in the batting order, a spot that really requires being able to move runners along. Hello? What’s up with that? Since the team can’t score runs with runners in scoring position, let’s put Hunter in the two hole so that he can ground into double plays and take away any scoring opportunities all-together.

I am no longer shaking my head… I’m pounding it on my desk. Please make the losing stop before I lose my mind.

End of rant.

It's the offense, stupid

Angel fans haven’t been this frustrated in years. Watching the Angels play baseball is akin to being staked to the ground under the grueling desert sun with army ants attacking you. It’s agonizing.

And yet – there is a certain group of fans who refuse to look at the evidence and actually discuss the short comings of this year’s team. They’d rather focus on those of us who are critical of the team rather than the team itself. Sure they might brush upon the subject of poor play now and again, but they’re mostly consumed with the people who are not a part of the problem – other Angel fans.

Well, I’m here to tell you the truth about the 2010 version of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The problem is simple. It’s the offense stupid.

That’s right – every player with the possible exception of Torii Hunter is under performing (and even Hunter is under performing - just to a lesser degree). Compare the offensive statistics of every player and you’ll see a huge drop off. We’re talking Grand Canyon sized gaps in performance.

Erick Aybar is hitting 41 points lower than 2009 (.271 compared to .312), Juan Rivera is down 30 points, Howie Kendrick is hitting 21 points below his .291 average from a year ago, Bobby Abreu's average is down 27 points, Hideki Matsui is hitting 23 points lower, Mike Napoli's batting 18 points lower, and the list goes on and on.

Do the math. It isn’t pretty.

The Kool-Aid bartenders of the world (you know who you are) have been telling us what a great second half performer Matsui is and how the Angels players have all this great experience and have played in big games, but fail to tell us how that will actually translate into winning games on the field.

There for a while the Kool-Aid drinkers went on and on about not being worried and how there was plenty of time left in the schedule and how Texas will fade.

This group ignores the facts. They neglect to acknowledge the Angels poor play against the better teams in the league. They talk about June (The Angels’ one good month) like it was 2002, but ignore the other months like they never existed.

I get a little tired of hearing about this being the "Golden Era of Angels baseball. " I get that. I agree with it. That doesn’t mean I can’t be critical of what they’ve done this year. It’s not that I’m ungrateful; I’m just fed up with this season. So don’t try to change the subject.

Jeff Biggs of AM 830 likes to deflect the discussion by telling us that Arte Moreno wants to win as badly as anyone. Hello? What does that have to do with the price of spam in Hawaii?

The front office has had a really bad year. Not because they let Vlad Guerrero, John Lackey and Chone Figgins walk. Those were understandable moves. What makes this year such a disaster is their failure to anticipate those losses and/or adjust to them.

And then there’s Darren Oliver which in my opinion may have been the biggest goof of all. We all know that good relief pitching is one of the most valuable commodities in baseball. Oliver had been solid for all of his three years in Anaheim. He was probably the best pitcher on the team in 2009 next to Jered Weaver.

So what did the Angels do? They failed to offer him arbitration. They let him walk. In my opinion the front office got a little full of themselves by believing Oliver would come back for less money than he would get in arbitration. They were wrong and Oliver is having yet another fantastic season – only he’s doing this in Texas.

Forget Vlad, Figgy and Lackey – how can anyone explain letting Oliver go so easily?

Don’t answer that. It doesn’t really matter.

Again, the front office has had a horrible year. Yes, I know they’ve done wonders since 2002, but I’m not here to do a recap of the decade. I’m here to talk about this season. This isn’t the time to do a retrospective of the past and to pat each other on the back. It’s a time to step up and be accountable.

The players need to held accountable because they’ve under achieved. Mike Scioscia needs to take some blame because he drives the organization. Tony Reagins needs to held responsible because his team has been exposed for its lack of depth.

And then there’s everyone’s favorite whipping boy – Mickey Hatcher. When other teams go into the kind of a hitting funk like the Angels’ have this last year – their batting coaches get fired. I’m just saying.

The hitting woes of the Angels are of catastrophic proportions and that cannot be emphasized enough. Again, do the math.

Forgive me for not thinking that this Angels squad has a shot this year. As much as it hurts me to say this – Texas is simply the better team.

By the way, I'm curious what you think of Jeff Biggs. Please take my poll located to the right of this post.

Angels are red. Dodgers are blue. Whatever.

From time to time I have made a snarky comment or two about the Dodgers and their fans. That shouldn’t be misconstrued into some sort of belief that I hate the Dodgers or their fans in any way because I really don’t.

My disdain is reserved for the Oakland A’s. It’s a rivalry thing.

So, what about this Angels/Dodgers deal? Well, if you live in the Los Angeles/Orange County/Inland Empire area, chances are you’re living among one of the two. Not that they’re the only fans in the area, but they’re certainly the most prevalent.

It’s not uncommon for Angel and Dodger fans to live next to one another or even in the same household. I’d like to think that the two sides get along pretty well (for the most part).

Over the years a lot has been made of this supposed rivalry between the two and I’m certain that on some level there is a rivalry of sorts. After all, it’s only natural.

As for myself, I really don’t get caught up in that too much. Sure, I have a little fun with some co-workers who are Dodger fans, but that’s about it. Some of them even read this blog (at least those that can actually read). The others will look at the pictures and watch the videos.

I’m kidding, of course. Besides, most of them don’t even know how turn on a computer, let alone find this blog. Again, I’m just having fun.

You see, I can’t get too worked up over the Blue Crew. For one thing up until recently they hadn't been very relevant. I mean they haven’t won a World Series since Mike Scioscia was their catcher and even Scioscia will tell you that was a long time ago.

Then again, the Dodgers have actually stuck it to the Angels pretty good in recent years. They seemed to have caught lightning in a bottle a couple times with good performances out of the likes of Steve Finley and Jeff Weaver, both of whom came to the Angels after leaving the Dodgers to stink up our place pretty good.

Those types of things hurt a little bit, but I'm not bitter.

Seems like the Angels have a history of signing ex-Dodgers past their prime. There was Don Sutton, Tommy John and Fernando Valenzuela among others. Even Raul Mondesi made an ill fated attempt at playing in Anaheim. Going further back there was Bill Singer, who actually won 20 games one year for the Angels before going into the tank. I’m sure I’m forgetting other notables.

Yeah, I’m sure Dodger fans got a few good laughs from some of those moves, but again - I'm not bitter.

Now if you want to talk about coaches, that’s another story. The Angels have benefited a great deal from having ex-Dodgers on their staff. It all starts with Mike Scioscia (of course), but includes Ron Roenicke, Alfredo Griffin and Mickey Hatcher.

By the way, I believe Tommy Lasorda is a closet Angel fan. I’ve seen him sitting in the Diamond Club at Angel games from time to time. Rumor has it that his blood isn’t really blue; it’s red. I’m just saying.

The Dodgers have some good things going for them. There’s Vin Scully for one. He’s easily the best in the business at what he does. There’s also… um, well… that Vin Scully is great, isn’t’ he?

Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that those of you who read this blog understand that I’m not a Dodger hater. In fact, when Mike Piazza was a Dodger, he was easily one of my favorites. I really loved to watch him swing the bat. As for his defense... meh, not so much.

I also always admired Reggie Smith, who is easily my favorite Dodger of all time and I consider the Kirk Gibson homerun in 1988 as one of the greatest moments in sports history. Even my wife Cheryl has a favorite Dodger and that would be Dusty "Homerun" Baker (her nickname for him).

There, you see? I can be quite civil when talking about the boys in blue; in fact I can be downright complimentary. Hopefully, word won’t get out about this post; otherwise, some of my Angel brothers and sisters might disown me.

Twenty seven days until opening day. A little bit longer than that before the Dodgers are out of it for the year. Go Diamondbacks! Hey, I’m just saying.