Q&A True Grich style...

Here are some more hard hitting interviews from Tempe. I ask the kind of quesions that even Mike Wallace wouldn't dare ask.

Actually, by now you all know better. I like asking players who their favorite team was growing up and their favorite player. Sometimes the answers surprise you.

Mickey Hatcher gets a big FAIL for not answering my question. Hatcher responded with "lots of teams and many players." Maybe that's true or maybe Mickey is thinking his mug will end up on TMZ or something. I'm just saying.

In any case - first up is Reggie Willits? Any guesses as to his favorites?



Next up is Brandon Wood. His answers are shocking. I'm kidding of course. When you hear his answer, don't be too alarmed. He assured the fans afterwards that it's all Angels now.



Last, but not least is Sean O'Sullivan. His answers were somewhat predictable; especially if you know where he is from.

Goodbye Tempe; until we meet again

Our time in Tempe went way too fast. It always does. The rain today made it even more brief than usual. The Angels had an abbreviated workout for just a handful of pitchers. We didn’t really get to see much or do much; however, the day wasn’t completely lost.

We ran into our friend Joe, who works at the stadium every spring. He and his wife are snowbirds who travel to Arizona each winter from Somers Point, New Jersey. They both work at Tempe Diablo Stadium during this time of year.

Baseball must be in their blood. Up until last year, they spent their summers working for the Atlantic City Surf; a professional baseball team formerly affiliated with the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball; however, the Surf ceased operations in March 2009.

Joe’s favorite National League team is the Philadelphia Phillies (don’t worry Joe is also an Angels fan). That Philly connection has apparently bonded Joe and Mike Scioscia (who is originally from Philadelphia). As Scioscia was leaving the practice fields, he commented about the weather to Joe and said something to the effect at how mild this was compared to the winters they had in Philly (it was raining ever so slightly).

I’ve bonded with Joe too. You see; Joe is my shoe twin. Yes, you read that right.

Last year I noticed that he and I had the exact same pair of Nike tennis shoes. We joked about it every time we saw one another. We had our own little shoe club. When Cheryl and I ran into him today, he dangled his foot to make sure I saw that he still had the shoes. I kind of half expected him to not even remember that, but he didn’t forget. Unfortunately, I was a party pooper because I wasn’t wearing the same shoes this time (although they were in the car).

Joe is the kind of guy who has a million stories. I could listen to him all day long. His tales are usually funny and always entertaining. Like Bob (who I wrote about recently) they’re part of the reason spring training is so special; in fact, they’re a big reason.
Lucky for us, Joe even told us a story today.

He told us about the time Arte Moreno was walking out to the practice fields and stopped to say hello to Joe and let him know he had a “buddy” coming to the field and asked Joe if he would let him on the field. Joe told Cheryl and me that he thought to himself, “You’re the owner and you’re asking me if I’ll let him on the field?” It was clearly not something he expected to be asked. Most people in Arte’s position probably would have just told Joe to let his buddy on the field when he arrived; however, that just clearly isn’t Arte’s style.

In any case, Joe told Arte he would direct the gentleman his way. Arte’s buddy showed up, Joe pointed him in Arte’s direction and then the man left a short time later. Joe later learned that Arte’s buddy was actually his pilot.

Joe was very impressed. Not because Arte had a pilot, but because he never let on that he even had a pilot, let alone that this was who was coming to the stadium. That’s how modest Arte Moreno is.

Personally, I think Joe and Arte are cut from the same cloth. They’re both respected gentlemen. All the regulars that come to Tempe Diablo Stadium know Joe and he knows them as well.

Joe had more stories to tell, but Cheryl and I had to run. The few players that had made their way out to the practice fields were headed into the stadium and Cheryl and I wanted to make sure we caught up with them. We were hoping to see Joe Saunders and Sean O’Sullivan one last time.

We told Joe we had to run, but would be back out to say good bye before we left.

Our trip into the stadium proved to be for naught as neither Saunders nor O’Sullivan appeared to be in the group headed to the clubhouse. As we were standing around, Joe came walking down to the field level.

You see Joe is old school. He was ready to leave for the day and instead of leaving without saying good bye, he came and found us to wish us a safe trip home. That made our day because that’s the kind of guy Joe is.

A short time later, Cheryl and I headed out of the stadium and as we were walking to our car, Joe came driving up with his wife. He made it a point to stop and wish us well one more time. Joe introduced us to his wife and I had to ask her about a story Joe had told Cheryl and I last year.

During last season’s spring training a man who works for the company that demolishes old stadiums and builds new ones brought Joe a special present. He gave him a piece of artificial turf and some dirt from the home plate area at Veteran’s Stadium in Philadelphia. Joe loved the idea that guys like Lenny Dykstra and Mike Schmidt probably spit on that dirt. He wanted to proudly display the jar of dirt and piece of turf on his coffee table, but his wife wouldn’t let him.

I asked her about that story and she confirmed it for us today. She told us, “He kept telling me about all the guys who had stepped on that dirt and I looked at him and said, it’s still dirt!” She told us his little trophy was still in the house, but not on the coffee table.

With that they said their goodbyes and sadly, spring training had come to a close for Cheryl and me.

If you make it out to the games this spring, be sure to find Joe, who will be working out in the lawn seating section in left field. He’s the guy with the warm smile, a firm handshake and a gleam in his eye. Tell him James sent you and ask him about that dirt from Veteran’s Stadium.

One more story before we close – Cheryl did make good on catching Mike Scioscia “later.” She let him pose for a picture with us today (I’m kidding, of course). Joe was kind enough to snap it for us. As we were posing for the photo I had to tell Scioscia that I had recently discovered the Baseball Boogie Video. Scioscia said, “That was a long time ago.”

I’ll end this post with a video of Torii Hunter.



I guess we can file this post under the letter “C” as in “class.” As this post is all about class individuals: Joe, Arte Moreno, Mike Scioscia and Torii Hunter who is featured in the video below.

More notes from Tempe

I left out a few details from my earlier post this evening. I could either blame old age or the fact that so much happens; it’s easy to forget a detail or two.

In any case – Cheryl turned the tables on Mike Scioscia today, so to speak. As he was walking out to the practice fields, we said “good morning” and he turned and walked towards us as if he was ready for us to hand him something to sign. Without missing a beat, Cheryl looked at him and said, “We’ll catch you later.” It was funny because that’s a line the players usually give to the fans when they’re heading out to do their work and can’t stop to sign.

Cheryl was just saying that because we didn’t expect him to stop and sign and knew he was in route to run the players (and apparently himself) through the paces (see photos from earlier today).

We also delivered two unmarked packages to a couple players today. Don’t worry; the packages aren’t of the performance enhancement variety. Nope, they were the two photo albums and CD’s I mentioned last night.

Both Joe Saunders and Sean O’Sullivan were very appreciative. I think they’re always surprised when fans give them something instead of asking them for something.

O’Sullivan said that his wife (Sabrina) “would really enjoy it” when we mentioned that we met his wife last season at the Pet Adoption Day. The album (as I mentioned yesterday) was of O’Sullivan’s first major league start and it was up at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Funny story about that day – Cheryl and I along with our friend Wendy (another 514 Fanatic) were hanging out at the visiting player’s entrance when a taxi pulled up. Out of the car stepped two players that I didn’t recognize right off the bat. One guy (who looked pretty big) went to the trunk to take a bag out. I assumed this guy was a catcher (again based on his size). The bag was marked as belonging to O’Sullivan; as he grabbed the bag, I remember thinking “How nice, he’s carrying Sean O’Sullivan’s gear.” Turns out he was O’Sullivan and the other guy in the cab was Kevin Jepsen, who I thought might be O’Sullivan. What can I say? I thought Jepsen’s blond hair matched the Irish name O’Sullivan.

Cheryl yelled out to O’Sullivan “Go Angels” and O’Sullivan repeated it back to her with a smile. We felt kind of silly later when we learned that he was Sean O’Sullivan. Doh!

And in case you’re wondering, we didn’t share that story with O’Sullivan today.

Saunders was also very appreciative. We talked with him about how we thought his starting on Opening Day last year was pretty special (the album and CD had photos from that start). He admitted it was a big deal for him too.

One more follow up to yesterday's blog. Turns out Mike Napoli wears #44 because "that's the number he was given." I guess I'm surprised he didn't have more say in the number he would wear.

Well, another day in Tempe comes to a close. A new chapter unfolds tomorrow.

Below are a couple more videos that I hope you enjoy. I went the Mike Wallace route again and asked deep, probing questions. You probably aren’t falling for that again, right?

First up is pitcher Trevor Reckling, who some consider to be the top Angels prospect. .



Given Reckling's response to my first question, I have to wonder if he's a Yankee fan. After all, he was born in New Jersey. Hmmm.

Next up is Kevin Jepsen.



Well, who knew that?

I have some more videos to upload at a later date; so stay tuned.

Postcard from Tempe

This never gets old. No matter how many times you come out to spring training, every trip is fun and exciting. You never know what kinds of stories you’re going to take away with you and the anticipation of seeing the team after a long winter is huge.

You know how people frequently say they love the smell of freshly cut grass when they walk into a stadium? You hear it so much it almost becomes a cliché. Well, it’s true, that smell greets you like an old friend. When the players were done with their workouts, the grass was cut and that sweet aroma filled the stadium.

Every spring is kind of like a mini family reunion. The players probably don’t see it that way, but we fans sure do. We arrived late in the morning today and didn’t get to see all the guys, but it was good to see Robb Quinlan, Joe Saunders, Brian Fuentes, Brandon Wood, Jered Weaver, Maicer Izturis; newcomers Hideki Matsui and Brian Stokes among others.

So what stood out in my mind today? I learned a little bit about Terry Evans’ E Fellowship blog. It was something he started with some teammates from his days in the St. Louis Cardinals system. It’s one of the ways they stay connected.

Cheryl welcomed Hideki Matsui to the team and told him that we really need him for the World Series. That got Matsui to look up and smile. I don’t know how much English Matsui speaks, but he definitely knows “world series.”

The stories about the Japanese media following him every where are true. When he came out of the clubhouse to sign autographs, they were on him like… well, like white on rice. Here is a guy who’s every move is photographed and recorded and he seems to handle it all with great calm and amazing grace.

I thought Johnny Damon was a rock star (at least in his own mind), but Matsui appears to be is baseball’s version of the Beatles in Japan.

One of our favorites (we have so many) to see every spring is Brandon Wood. We kind of feel like we’ve watched him grow up. He’s been in the system so long that some of early pictures we have of him look like he walked straight out high school… which he basically did.

Cheryl and I both told him, “This is your year.” Cheryl went on to say that we’ve been waiting for this (his shot) for a long time and that her husband (me) shouts out “Free Brandon Wood” every year. Wood smiled and told Cheryl “I like that.”

It was also great to see Jered Weaver who has to be one of the most fan friendly players in all of baseball. He’s always cordial and accommodating. He chuckled when I had him sign a picture from his recent outing at the Dirt Bags intra squad game.

We also arrived just in time to see Joe Saunders walking back to the clubhouse after his work out. It looked like he had quite a work out. He gave us a quick hello, asked us how long we’d be in town and then said he’d see us tomorrow.

Saunders doesn’t know it yet, but we have a surprise to deliver to him tomorrow. We put together a photo album and CD from his opening day start last year. We did something similar for him when he made his major league debut.

Speaking of pitchers who made their debut, we also have an album and CD ready to give Sean O’Sullivan. Hopefully, we’ll see him tomorrow as well.

I tried to do a few impromptu interviews with my Flip video and it looks like I need to practice on that. I did get Brian Stokes and Howie Kendrick to tell me who their favorite teams and players were growing up.

Yes, True Grich asks the tough, hard hitting questions. You might say this is the blog that asks the questions the media types avoid.

What can I say? I’m always going to be a fan first.

I also tried to get Reggie Willits and Mike Napoli on video as well, but I messed that up some how. I guess it’s spring training for some fans too. Give me an “E-10” on those two plays today.

I did learn that Napoli’s favorite team was the Florida Marlins, but his favorite player was Darryl Strawberry. Strawberry wore #44 when he was with the Dodgers. I wonder if that’s why Napoli wears the same number. Perhaps I’ll have to ask him that tomorrow.

I have to tell you that when I hear someone’s favorite team is the Marlins, it reminds me how young some of these guys are. I mean the Marlins haven’t been in baseball all that long (formed in 1993); so it’s not the team I would expect to hear an adult say is their favorite. I must be getting old.

Please check out the videos below to learn about Kendrick’s and Stokes’ favorites.

One of the best parts of spring training is meeting other fans. Today Cheryl and I met a nice couple from Salt Lake City (Kirk and Lorri) who are Angel fans that follow the Salt Lake City Bees. They were making their first ever trip to spring training and their smiles said it all. They were loving every moment; getting autographs, having their picture taken with players and simply soaking it all in. They’ll be back.

It’s great being here again. It’s the eighth year in a row that Cheryl and I have come together. My spring training experience goes back to the days when the Angels played in Palm Springs, but it’s bigger and better than it ever was back then.

This is a great place to create memories. The smallest things making lasting impressions. I can’t wait for tomorrow.

Two Questions for Brian Stokes:



I have to tell you, I had to chuckle when Stokes told me who his favorite team was growing up. If only he knew....

Two Questions for Howie Kendrick:

In a word (or two)

The Angels are going to win the west. I said it because I believe it. Now, I could give you a long list of reasons as to why that’s the case, but I don’t really need all that many words to make my case.

I have one word for you and that’s pitching. Think about this; in 2009 the Angels sent 14 different pitchers to the mound to start a game. What would happen if your team had to use 14 different starters in a given season? How does the word “chaos” sound to you? Better yet, how about “panic?”

Think about this; last season, three Angel pitchers made their major league debuts in Sean O’Sullivan, Anthony Ortega and Trevor Bell. The Angels started someone other than their projected rotation of John Lackey, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana, Jered Weaver and or Kelvim Escobar/Scott Kazmir 41 times. That’s 41 starts from players they didn’t expect to contribute in 2009. How did they do that? I have another word for you… “Depth.”

One of those 14 guys was Matt Palmer who had a solid 3.93 ERA; who despite winning eleven games and putting up that nice ERA may very well start the 2010 season in the minors or be added to the bull pen. That’s called depth. They have it and chances are; your team (especially in the AL West) doesn’t.

The Angels overcame injuries to Kelvim Escobar, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and John Lackey, who all spent time on the DL. And let’s not forget the tragic death of Nick Adenhart. How does a team do that? Depth, baby; depth. It’s all about having arms in your system. Face it; your team wants this kind of depth. Your team would give anything for this kind of depth.

Despite having a pitching staff that faced one adversity after another, the Angels won 97 games. Don’t dismiss that number. Think about it. Think about what the Angels had to overcome and then focus on that number again.

Yeah, that’s right; you’re starting to see what I’m talking about, aren’t you?

That’s not just depth; that’s crazy good depth. Most teams are struggling to find five starters that won’t embarrass them and give them a chance at winning (Dodgers anyone?). Most teams can’t survive an injury to one or two pitchers, let alone a ton of them and stay competitive. Most teams aren’t the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

A lot of talk has been made about the pitchers in the AL West. But not enough of that talk has been about the Angels in my opinion. Folks have taken them for granted. They keep talking about the loss of John Lackey. They’ve forgotten about those 41 starts and everything the team overcame in 2009.

Let’s do this already. Let’s get to the 2010 season. I’m bored with this talk about how Seattle is going to take over the west. I’m not amused by the projections for a Rangers pennant.

I say bring it. Come on Seattle, Texas and even you Oakland. Show us what you got. Because the bad news for you is that the Angels staff will be better than last year’s group. Five solid guys and organizational depth means the AL West pennant still goes through Anaheim and if your team wants it, they’re going to have to come and get it.

If you’re not fired up about the Angels pitching staff, check your pulse. Better yet – look in the mirror and make sure you’re not wearing an A’s cap.

I know some of you are going to rattle off names like Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez and then you’ll start to mumble. All I ask is that you do the math. Five solid starters beat two great ones. I know the baseball experts are trying to ignore that equation, but they’re just whistling in the dark. You can’t possibly believe your team has the pitching to beat the Angels, right?

I know right now you might not see it now. After all, it’s spring time. The birds are chirping, the air is cool and crisp and everything seems quiet and peaceful. Well, that’s just the calm before the storm and that storm is definitely coming.

And don’t even get me started on why having Mike Scioscia puts the Angels head and shoulders above everyone else in the west. Don’t make me do some more math and talk about the 900 wins over ten seasons as the manager, which comes to 90 wins a year.

Let’s do this. Let’s get the 2010 season started. I’m ready for that new “Tradition” slogan the Angels are using for this year. I’m thinking the tradition is winning the west, outperforming the projections and proving the experts wrong – again.

Word.

Talking Turkey - Post Thanksgiving

Okay, so this is probably the longest I have gone without posting something to this blog. I guess I needed a break and Thanksgiving was the right time to do it. Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and the Hot Stove season hasn’t really been cooking up anything special thus far. Never-the-less the big question is always what’s going on?

Things should start to develop this week. Tomorrow is a big day; it’s the last day teams can offer their free agents arbitration.

In the Angels case, they have to decide whether or not to offer arbitration to John Lackey, Chone Figgins, Darren Oliver and Vladimir Guerrero. The Angels are likely to offer arbitration to Lackey, Figgins and Oliver. All three have Type A status and if they choose not to accept arbitration, the Angels will receive a compensation pick(s) (in most, but not all cases from the team’s that sign them) should any of them sign elsewhere.

Should any of the three accept arbitration they would be foregoing the free agent market and accepting the salary they will be offered via the arbitration process. Lackey and Figgins are highly unlikely to accept; however, there’s a chance Oliver will (as he did last year).

If the Angels don’t offer arbitration, teams are free to sign Type A players without losing any draft picks. In Guerrero’s case, it’s not likely the Angels will offer him arbitration; however, since he’s a Type B free agent any team that signs him will not lose a pick. The reason the Angels aren’t likely to offer him arbitration is because they would either like to move on without him or make him part of a back up plan and bring him back at a reduced salary.

It’s always a telling sign when a team offers or doesn’t offer a player arbitration. It’s usually an indication as to whether or not the team wants the player back. Last year Jon Garland and Francisco Rodriguez were both offered arbitration and both refused; a move that ended up costing Garland some money as he signed for less than what he most likely would have received had he accepted.

Again, tomorrow is the deadline and Type A players not offered arbitration become a little more appealing to teams since they won’t lose any draft picks. This happened with Troy Glaus after the 2004 season. The Angels were ready to move on without Glaus and didn’t offer him arbitration (he might have accepted had they offered it). Glaus went on to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Players who refuse arbitration and have Type A status can be less appealing to some clubs. This happened to Orlando Cabrera last year – who found signing with a team harder because of his Type A status. This year Cabrera made sure his contract included a clause prohibiting a team from offering him arbitration in hopes it would make him more appealing to teams looking for a shortstop.

Hopefully, that all makes sense. Okay, so now what, right?

Well according to Mike DiGiovanna and Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times it looks like the Angels only have about $12 million to spend. That’s if you believe the Angels will stick to roughly the same budget as they had in 2009. According to the LA Times article – Reagins claims the Angels have money to spend in free agency, but may have to be creative to really fill out their roster.

Translation – the Angels will spend above their budget if the situation is one they deem beneficial to the team.

At this point in time all we can do is wait and see. Obviously, Lackey and Figgins are key to what the Angels do next. Signing or not signing one or both is going to dictate what the Angels do next. That may not play out until December 7-10, 2009 when the winter meetings take place in Indianapolis, Indiana. Historically, this is when activity (signings and trades) really heat up for all teams.

If you’re like me, it’s hard to figure out what’s going to happen. That being said, it doesn’t necessarily stop us from trying. Depending on who you read and when you read them, you could believe just about any number of scenarios taking place. Even still, if history repeats itself, the Angels will do something unpredictable.

If John Lackey resigns, the rotation will be set with Saunders, Kazmir, Weaver and Santana filling out the rest of the rotation. If Lackey departs, the Angels will either look internally to one of Dustin Moseley, Sean O’Sullivan or Trevor Bell. Trevor Reckling is a remote possibility as well – but he’s only pitched as high as AA ball. The other option would be for the Angels to either sign a free agent (possibly Randy Wolf) or make a trade (the Roy Halladay rumors are still out there). If I’m the Angels I have to believe the best route to take is to simply resign Lackey (even though that may not be all that simple).

If Chone Figgins returns, it will mean that Brandon Wood will either be traded (which could be a more distinct possibility if Lackey doesn’t return and the Angels need chips to trade), relegated to the a utility role of some sort or we could possibly see Figgins moved to the outfield, Abreu moved to a DH role and Wood given a shot at third base.

There is also the curious predicament of Gary Matthews, Jr. and the $23 million owed him over the next two years. He will be difficult to trade. Perhaps the Angels should make him the every day left fielder, move Rivera to right and have Abreu DH. Stranger things have happened and this scenario could play out should the Angels not resign Figgins.

If neither Lackey nor Figgins return – any number of things could happen. The Angels could make a serious play for Jason Bay, but are more likely to focus on pitching. In my mind they have to maintain a rotation that is solid 1-5 and they also need to replace what Vlad Guerrero used to provide them. Kendry Morales had a great year in 2009 and Hunter was on his way to doing the same, but they are not enough.

And…. what about the bull pen? Brian Fuentes, Jason Bulger and Kevin Jepsen appear to be locks. Matt Palmer most likely has a role as well. Scot Shields will be back. The rest will depend on whether or not Jose Arredondo can rebound from a sub par 2009 and whether or not Darren Oliver will be back. That’s seven names in the mix as of now. If the Angels add some bull pen help – someone would have to be moved or demoted to the minors.

Changes aren’t likely at center field (Torii Hunter), first base (Kendry Morales), second base (Howie Kendrick), shortstop (Erick Aybar), catcher (Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis) and Maicer Izturis is sure to serve in his super utility role again. Also - Juan Rivera is a pretty solid bet to be in one of the corner outfield spots.

The 2010 Angels have the potential to look very much like the 2009 version on one hand and on the other, look like a very different team. Other than Brandon Wood there isn’t anyone looming to make an impact from within.

Terry Evans is the only other possibility and he’s likely to become the 4th or 5th outfielder. The Angels are out of option on Evans and he will either occupy a 25 man roster spot or take his talent elsewhere. Evans is an interesting prospect. He has tons of speed and the ability to hit the long ball, but for whatever reason doesn’t appear to be high on anyone’s list. A former 47th round draft choice of the St. Louis Cardinals, he came to the Angels for Jeff Weaver in 2006. When Spring Training camps open in 2010 he will 28, which is considered "old" for players still trying to find their way on to big league rosters.

In 2009, Evans put up monster numbers in Salt Lake City; hitting .291 while belting 26 homers and driving in 90 runs. He also had 33 doubles and stole 28 bases. He had a .860 OPS, but struck out a whopping 146 times and that last stat may be the one thing that has the experts limiting his potential.

Hot Stove Update... Elsewhere:

You know it’s a slow day when the biggest Hot Stove news includes the Mets interest in Henry Blanco per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Mets signing Alex Cora, the Pirates signing Will Ledesma and the Cardinals resigning Jason LaRue.

More...

Andruw Jones signed with the Chicago White Sox last week. I had predicted the Cubs.... so I had the right city, but the wrong team. Jones signed for $500,000 despite hitting just .214 last year. Just for the sake of fun, let's say Jones has now set the market for outfielders.

If you believe Jason Bay is 50 times better than Jones (Of course you do), it would mean that Bay will receive a contract for $25 million a year. Shazam!

Elsewhere, Alex Gonzalez signed with the Toronto Blue Jays (I had predicted the Houston Astros); possibly signaling the end of any speculation that Marco Scutaro stays in Toronto. The rumors of him going to Boston still seem to be "hot;" although, it appears the Dodgers are also a possibility.

It's like that...

Do you remember when you were a kid and you looked at all the presents under the Christmas tree with your name on it? Remember feeling like Christmas was never going to get here and once it did, you were so happy you couldn’t stop smiling all day long?

The play-offs are like that, only better.

It’s like being a kid all over again. The anticipation coupled with anxiety makes you a walking, talking ball of contradictions. You’re excited. You’re nervous. You can’t wait for it to start. You can’t wait for it to be over. That feeling that consumes you is something you wouldn’t trade for anything.

I absolutely love the fact the Angels will be playing the Boston Red Sox. I want them to exorcise their demons. Time to buck the trend. Put a stop to the assumption that every time the Angels face the Red Sox in the play-offs, bad things happen. Let’s end it once and for all. Time to get the monkey off the Angels’ backs and back where it belongs – in rally mode.

There’s a certain element out there that’s already planning and predicting a Red Sox/Yankees ALCS. Bah-hum bug. The media types out there need some new material.

Besides, some of the Red Sox could use an early vacation. Summer is fast approaching in Australia and Jonathan Papelbon can head over there to work on his tan. I mean come on, if anyone could use a little sun, it’s Papelbon.

Jason Varitek’s arm is going to need some serious rest and recovery after he tries and fails to throw out the Angels on the bases. It’ll be like the Wiley Coyote trying to catch the Road Runner. It ain’t happening.

You see, I’m thinking about a party in November. I’m visualizing standing shoulder to shoulder with Angel fans from across the south land, lining a parade route and feeling like Christmas has come early. I want to see some “Sean O’Sullivan-like” dancing. I want to see Rex Hudler so amped up he’s actually speechless for a minute and then see him erupt into unbridled enthusiasm.

Most of all, I want to see Nick Adenhart’s jersey doused in champagne again.

Let’s do this.