Faithful till the end

Last night in the 8th inning when the Rangers expanded their lead to 4-2, Cheryl looked intently at the action on the field and said, “We still have six outs.”

When Erick Aybar singled in the bottom of the 9th, she gripped my hand tightly. She didn’t want the season to end just yet. When Russell Branyan came to bat, the intensity was too much for her. She let go of my hand to cover her eyes and said “I can’t watch.”

It was soon after that moment that the ball went sailing past Rangers’ catcher Yorvit Torrealba and the crowd let out a roar. She looked up, looking for the ball and asked what happened. I told her the ball got past the catcher and Aybar was now on second.

She was excited and nervous at the same time – but she was into it; boy was she into it.

Maicer Izturis flied out.

Then Peter Bourjos singled to drive in Aybar, Cheryl’s adrenaline was pumping big time. She let out a yell, clapped and pumped her fists. Her body language said “We can do this.” She still believed.

I wanted to believe too, but as I sat and watched the game unfold, I was already done. My emotional tank was empty and I was waiting for the inevitable.

As Howie Kendrick struck out to end the game and the Angels play-off hopes, I felt a little sad – not for me, but for my wife who was faithful to her team till the end.

Sure, she had her moments when she was utterly disgusted with the team and may have even verbalized the idea that she too was done at certain times during the season – but her actions said otherwise.

All season long, she didn’t understand how this team could not play better. She knew they were capable and her desire for the team to win never wavered. She saw the flaws in the team as clearly as anyone. She would often say, “We need a big bat! They keep saying they’re going to get one, but here we are again…” Never-the-less, she still believed they could get it done.

She never failed them, but unfortunately, the Angels failed her.

It took 160 games for the Angels to be eliminated, but they broke our hearts all season long. Time after time – they lost games they should have won. The team failed on so many levels; offense, defense, bullpen, front office…. It was hard to watch, but we watched just the same.

A tremendous season for Jered Weaver and really solid seasons by Dan Haren and Ervin Santana were wasted. Pitching this good should be in the post season. It’s a darn shame they’re not going to have that opportunity this year.

Now that the Angels have been eliminated – Cheryl and I will become Diamondback fans for the rest of the year. It is our sincere hope that Joe Saunders gets a ring – a championship ring. Who knows, we may even make a trip out to Arizona to see a game or two. We’ll see.

It’s a long time till spring rolls around. We are exhausted. We started this journey in Kansas City for opening day on March 31. We attended tons of games and even made trips to San Bernardino to see the 66ers and trips to Texas and San Diego as well. I even made a trip to Dodgers Stadium. I should probably count how many games we saw and at some point, I just might. We didn't miss many.

We tried our best to look at this season as a story unfolding before our very eyes and it was just that; only problem was there was no happy ending.

All year long I have written in this blog that the margin for error was ever so small. After 160 games, that really came to be true.

We’ve been season ticket holders for a short time; only since 2004 – but we’ve been spoiled with five post season appearance. Not going to the playoffs for two years in a row hurts like heck and as I said before – I don’t ever want to get used to this feeling.

I’m a lucky man; my wife loves Angels baseball and we get to share this great game together. When all is said and done – baseball has provided us with lots of memories and we have been blessed to be a part of this season and others. It’s all about the journey and we can’t wait till the next one begins.

In the meantime, I will still be blogging and Cheryl will still be right here by my side feeding my ideas and keeping tabs on the Hot Stove season.

Random thoughts from the last four games

Friday:

Why isn’t Mike Trout in the lineup?

I think somebody else is occupying Dan Haren’s body. He’s looking more like Scott Kazmir tonight…

I hate you Gilligan (Erick Aybar). That botched double play cost us four runs.

I really hope this is the start of something good for Vernon Wells.

Why did the Rangers want to trade Michael Young? Seriously...

11-0? Really? Good grief.

I just knew Russell Branyan was going to homer for some reason.

Seven runs are nice, but not so much when the other team scores 11. I hate moral victories.

Why didn’t Mike Trout start this game?

I hate the Rangers.

Saturday:

Come on Ervin.

Trout is starting… I like it.

I guess Bobby Wilson will be catching Ervin Santana for the rest of his life.

The way Vernon is hitting – some people will start saying he’s under paid…. Then again, probably not. I'll take what we can get just the same.

Say... Peter Bourjos shaved his head? Makes me wonder if Torii Hunter followed up on our discussion back in January. Check out the video from that post.

Thank you Mike Napoli. That’s the way I want to remember you (throwing error).

Really? David Murphy? Good grief.

Jordan Walden continues to blow saves and the Angels faithful continue to look the other way. Why?

Thank you Hisanori Takahashi.

Two back!

Sunday:

Really? Jeff Mathis has to catch Jered Weaver EVERY time?

Why isn’t Mike Trout in the lineup?

Thank you Jeff Mathis. Wait, did I just say that?

Howie Kendrick… I see you hitting like an all-star. If only you were this good all the time.

How does a slow guy like Bobby Abreu successfully steal so many bases?

Good grief. I hate it when it all goes so bad, so fast.

I hate the Rangers.

Monday:

Why isn’t Mike Trout in the lineup?

Nice to see you Hank Conger, I almost forgot what you look like.

Peter Bourjos hitting 8th? Really?

I really like the uniforms the Mariners are wearing tonight.

Hey Joel, we’ve seen this before. My wife Cheryl doesn't like you very much.

Thank you Mark Trumbo. If you’re not the Rookie of the Year, something is very, very wrong.

I thought Dustin Ackley was struggling?

So much for the lefty vs. lefty deal… Mike Carp just went deep.

I think we can still win this thing.

Maybe not.

Thank you Mark Trumbo for keeping hope alive.

Vernon Wells can do it.

I guess not.

Side note: Turns out Bourjos' shaved head is explained in this LA times piece.

When your team can't buy a win, buy a shirt

Sometimes being a baseball fan is just painful. You get your hopes up in anticipation of a big game or a big series. The day of the first game of that series, you can’t help but think about it all day long. You can’t wait to get to the stadium to be with other fans that are ready for something special to take place.

As the game unfolds, everything that could go wrong does exactly that. It’s sort of like a nightmare and at a certain point you can’t wait for it to be over, so that you can focus on tomorrow. Watching your favorite team go down in defeat is never a pleasant experience; watching them lose do a division rival is worse and watching them self-destruct is beyond words.

So here we are; it’s the day after an 8-4 loss to the Texas Rangers. The sun actually came up this morning and I was able to open my eyes and face another day and tonight, I’ll be able to watch yet another ball game. I hope it will be a much better experience than last night’s debacle, but I have no idea how it will turn out.

And I guess there’s a beauty in that. Baseball is unpredictable and just when you think you have it figured out, it surprises you in ways you never thought possible. It’s what brings us back to the stadium time after time; game after game.

We ran late to the game; which is something that happens regularly for us because of work and commutes and a general lack of time. We arrived after Garret Richards had to leave with a groin injury and the Angels trailing 1-0. It’s always a little disappointing to arrive at the stadium with your team trailing early. It doesn’t exactly set the mood in the right direction if you know what I mean.

As the game progressed, I sat in my seat quietly; just watching and thinking and wondering how the Angels would get out of this hole. Some of the 514 Fanatics began to comment. Dave said, “Hey – why are you so quiet – you seem so introspective.” Bo looked around and said, “Come on – why the sad faces, we’re at a baseball game!”

They were both right and that’s the great thing about being at a game with people who make watching it a much richer experience.

Even still, I never really came out of my funk and Cheryl and I headed off to the team store before the 7th inning stretch – something we rarely do (leave early). By the way; the Angels with just 23 regular season home games left in the 2011 season, finally got in a shipment of Peter Bourjos, Jordan Walden and Mark Trumbo shirts and yes, we bought a few shirts because we just don’t have enough Angels gear (sarcasm).

We left the store and the stadium before the game was over… we lingered for a bit on the concourse when Russell Branyan homered; however, we left when Torii Hunter struck out and Vernon Wells popped out.

We got home before Angel talk started and that was probably a good thing because nothing makes a loss worse than the people who call in after the Angels suffer a defeat. Joe Fan in Irvine has all the answers. Pete Know-it-all thinks Scioscia should be fired, etc., etc. It’s enough to make sane fans crazy.

I didn’t hear any post game interviews, but I could imagine Mike Scioscia saying something about “turning the page” yet again and about the need to do more offensively. Blah, blah, blah. It’s a familiar routine.

Today I’m sure people are going over how bad the Angels are statistically and how poorly they’ve hit in the last month or so. To tell you the truth I’m kind of bored with all the stat talk about how bad this team is. I just want them to win anyway.

Is that too much to ask?

I just want to go to the game and be in the moment. I don’t want to hear how so and so hits with runners in scoring position. I just want to watch them hit and drive somebody in. I don’t want to know what the Angels record is when Jeff Mathis drives in a run – I just want to see him drive someone in while I’m watching.

I just want to be 8 years old again and go to the game and be excited because I’m at a ball game, period.

I don’t care where Bobby Abreu ranks statistically from a historical perspective. I don’t care about how much money Vernon Wells is making. I don’t even care how many games the Angels trail the Rangers by in the AL West.

I just want to watch a game; enjoy the game and see my team come out on top and then do it again tomorrow and then again on the next day and the day after… You get the picture, right?

Sometimes it's fun to just be a fan who is excited to just be at a baseball game. Thanks for the reminder Bo and Dave...

I’m also looking forward to Saturday when one of our favorite bands; MercyMe, comes to town for a concert after the game with the Baltimore Orioles. Who is Mercy Me? Watch…

All things considered...

Fifty eight games into the 2011 season and the Angels have lost as many games as they’ve won (29-29). It’s kind of funny how “even” they’ve been of late. In their last ten games, they’re 5-5. They’re 16-16 on the road and 13-13 at home. Their season so far can sort of be described as simply treading water.

All things considered; I say that beats the heck of out sinking like a rock. Sure, there are times when they frustrate me to no end and yet, there’s something about the way they go about their business that gives me a sense of peace and feeling that they’ll be there in the end.

I always feel that that they’re just on the verge of going on a run and are about to peel off several victories in a row. At the same time, just when I think they’re on their way, they stumble. Again, think treading water.

Even when they blow a game in an unnatural way (like the time Kevin Jepsen threw a wild pitch on an intentional walk to give a game away), they do something special; like come from a 5-0 deficit to win. They continue to find ways to overcome adversity and stay in the hunt; the hunt for a return to the top of the American League West.

So as a tribute to their .500 season, I thought I’d list five things I like about the team so far and five things I don’t…

Things I like:

Mark Trumbo who is “country strong” (to borrow a phrase from Stuart Scott of ESPN who usually says that to describe Adam Dunn) and his ten homeruns to lead all AL rookies has been a pleasure to watch. I love his attitude and his desire to get in the batter’s box and compete.

Peter Bourjos on the fly is a beautiful thing to watch. He has electrifying speed and when he runs you can’t help but stare. He makes your jaw drop and he’s just one of those players you have to watch whenever there’s a play that involves him.

I never, ever get tired of watching Torii Hunter play baseball. He has had his struggles and yes, he does make a base running boo-boo every now and then, but he still has that infectious smile and attitude and there’s no questioning his desire to win and compete on a daily basis. When he’s done playing this game, I will truly miss him. So, in the mean time – I’m going to continue to soak in every moment that he’s on the field.

Every single time I see Hank Conger’s name in the lineup I smile. It’s not just that his being in the lineup usually means Jeff Mathis is not; it’s more than that. It’s seeing the fulfillment of the promise we hoped for when he was drafted in the first round in 2006. It’s seeing a young man who really seems to be enjoying his time. He never seems overwhelmed of overmatched. He just seems ready and I get the sense that he will only get better and better with time.

Jered Weaver and Dan Haren are studs. You can’t help but love it when they’re on the mound; however, I have really enjoyed watching Tyler Chatwood do his thing thus far. He’s the youngest starting pitcher in the majors and he’s shown incredible poise and “swagger.” Say it with me – Tyler Chatwood has swagger. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Things I don’t like:

Jeff Mathis. Need I say more? Well, I am still working on a good old fashioned True Grich rant about Mathis, but let’s just say that I still don’t get it. I don’t understand why Mike Scioscia loves this guy so much. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to understand what it is that Mathis has that Scioscia admires so much, but I just don’t see it. Perhaps I have to reach a certain level of enlightenment to understand or maybe Mathis is some sort of catching idiot savant – but then again, I think that’s a stretch. More on Mathis at a later time.

Kevin Jepsen. I know; I know Fernando Rodney is just about every Angels’ fan’s whipping boy, but for me – no one frustrates me more than Jepsen. Call me crazy, but a guy with a 9.00 ERA just doesn’t work for me. And it’s not like he comes in when there isn’t anything on the line; no sir, he comes in with men on base or in critical situations and as soon as he does – my head hits the palm of my hand. He makes me scream at the TV even though I know the TV can’t hear me. Let’s just say that when he comes in the game my blood pressure rises, my eyes squint and my ears probably turn red.

This next post is about the only player who appears on both my “like” and “don’t like” list. Peter Bourjos striking out makes me crazy. He has struck out 60 times in 199 AB’s. That’s roughly 30 % of the time. Despite his upside in other areas of his game, this one thing absolutely drives me nuts. He needs to find a way to get on base more; that .292 OBP isn’t cutting it. I don’t care if he’s batting 9th; Bourjos needs to get on base because when he’s on base, he’s dangerous. In fact, he just needs to find a way to put the ball in play more. He’s no threat and can’t make things happen when he’s simply walking back to the dugout.

The #4 thing I don’t like is this team’s lack of punch. The Angels are 10th in the American League in homeruns (17th overall). Chicks aren’t the only ones that dig the long ball. Nothing is as deflating as seeing the other team hit a three-run homerun and nothing feels better than seeing your own team do the same. This team which is mostly made up of smurfs still needs to add a big bat or two… and getting Vernon Wells back isn’t the kind of “splash” I’m thinking about either. Just saying.

Last, but not least I really don’t like all the talk about bringing Mike Trout up to the major leagues, like… oh… well, like - yesterday. Baseball fans are very impatient and Angels’ fans are no exception. The idea that he can come in and transform the team into some sort of super power is just too much. He’s 19 years old and should be handled with caution, in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong – I can’t wait to see him on the major league roster, but I am willing to wait until the time is right. When might that be?

I have no idea – perhaps Mark Saxon’s piece on ESPN LA will give us some clues. Then again, once you read this piece, you’ll probably be one of those fans who will also start clamoring for his arrival now. Resist the urge – he’ll get here when he gets here.

So, there you have it.

I’m sorry if you’ve been checking regularly for an updated post from me. Let’s just say that I’ve been so busy, it didn’t realize that Russell Branyan was on the team until last Friday when I finally had time to tune into a game (He played in his first game, two days earlier). Hey, it happens.

I hope to get back to more regular postings and owe you all a post about my trip to see the Inland Empire 66ers and my Jeff Mathis rant (I promise you it will be funny... at least I hope it will be). Please stay tuned; those posts are coming.