Yes, it really was that bad

The Angels had an opportunity to bring their fan base a little bit of joy at the end of the season when they headed to Texas for a four game series.  As it turned out – had the Angels won a single game during that road trip they would have been responsible for knocking the Texas Rangers out of the play-off picture all-together.

Wishful thinking.

Not only did the Angels stink up the stadium – they provided their fans with a great deal of frustration, anguish, anger, and outright disgust.  Take the second game of the series as an example. 

In the bottom of the second inning with the score tied and one out, C.J. Wilson gave up a line drive base hit to Elvis Andrus.  With Alex Rios batting – Wilson uncorks a wild pitch that sends Andrus all the way to third base.  Rios then walks.  Wilson then hits the next batter Adrian Beltre to load the bases.  Up steps A.J. Pierzynski, who also gets plunked by Wilson to walk in a run.  Up steps Jeff Baker and Wilson uncorks another wild pitch and Rios scores.

That inning – was all too familiar in a season of pathetic play.  You have to work really hard to have an inning like that and watching it is like suffering a slow, anguishing death (not that I’ve actually experienced such a thing).  It’s enough to send a sane man into a fit of rage (no, I didn’t do that).  After an experience like that – you feel like part of you just died and that your life was shortened considerably because of what you just absorbed with your own eyes.

I imagine that a lot of televisions were turned off at that point or at the very least the channel was changed.  In some cases, I’m guessing an object found the front of the screen at a high rate of speed.

Even though the game wasn’t over and there were two more games on the schedule, I knew then that the Angels would probably be swept and that the Rangers would live past 162 games somehow.   All I wanted was a little bit of joy in having the satisfaction of seeing my team knock the Rangers out of the play-off race; but no, that just wasn’t going to happen.  Of course not.

Obviously, it was too much to ask.  Thankfully, the Rays would take care of the Rangers’ post season dreams instead.

Throughout the season, I wanted this team to respond to adversity with a purpose and silence the critics.  Instead, they rolled over when the going got tough. There were times when they couldn’t get out of their own way and they couldn’t give away runs and opportunities to the other teams they faced fast enough.  It was worse than a bad movie because this was real and it unfolded day after day before our eyes.

To a fan that is emotionally invested in a team – it was one of the most frustrating and agonizing seasons ever. 

There was a time when I wasn’t nearly as emotionally invested in the Angels.  Even though I am a longtime fan, my “fandom” didn’t really escalate until Cheryl and I became season ticket holders.  Sometimes, I long for those days when being fan didn’t necessarily mean that I would live and die each day with the team and my mood wouldn’t be affected by how they played.

Ok, maybe I’m not that bad – but there are days when it all takes its toll.

So the season is over and it’s time to dust ourselves off and get back to waiting for the spring and the optimism that it brings. 

I don’t know how to fix this team.  Sure, I have some ideas – but what does it matter?  As a fan, I have to wait and watch to see what is going to happen.

Here’s what I do know.  The Angels need more players like Kole Calhoun.  There’s something about a guy who actually looks like he loves playing the game and can actually play it pretty well that’s compelling.  His kind of enthusiasm has to be contagious in the club house.  He’s already become one of Cheryl’s favorites and who can blame her?

This guy plays hard – smiles a lot and shows no fear.  I haven’t noticed any deer-in-the-headlights moments from him unlike oh… I don’t’ know… perhaps, Howie Kendrick for example. 

I know a lot of baseball people and even fans will say that chemistry and all the intangibles aren’t real – but I don’t buy it.  I love players who have a chip on their shoulder and bring a certain intensity to the game.  I don’t think you can have a whole team of individuals like this – but having some who can have an impact in the clubhouse has to help.

Look at what happened in Boston.  That organization set out to change the culture in the clubhouse and it worked.  They brought in high character guys like Jonny Gomes and Shane Victorino who helped change the mindset on that team.  In the process they traded away guys who look great on paper  - but not so good on the field.  Seemingly overnight, the Red Sox were transformed into a team that  brought a bull-dog-like mentality into every game. 

This make over extended to their pitching as well.  You know, there’s a fine line between being intense and being a jerk and they got rid of the jerk in Josh Beckett and in the process they freed up John Lackey to be the John Lackey.  I have my issues with the things Lackey said about the Angels fan base on his way out of town, but I have to say, part of me misses the guy who loves to compete and it’s clear to me that guy is back.

I don’t like the Red Sox, but I certainly respect what they did in the last year to bring that franchise back to relevance.

When I look at the Angels – I see a team without a soul and with no identity.  That all died the day they let Torii Hunter go to Detroit.  When you think of the Angels now – you think of the stoic Mike Scioscia, the angry Arte Moreno and two highly paid and underachieving players in Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.  You almost forget that this is a team that has Mike Trout who is arguably the best player in the game.

Fans are so focused on the bad stuff that some of them miss the opportunity to enjoy Trout on a regular basis.  I’m not kidding.  There is so much that is wrong and frustrating about the team – that not even Mike Trout is enough to draw them in.

That’s sad.  We’re talking about a once-in-a –generation type of player who is playing historic baseball.  He’s doing things that have never been done and he’s doing it as player who just turned 22 in August.  Some are so disgusted with the team that they spend more time speculating that Trout will leave when he becomes a free agent rather than enjoying him in the here and now.

What does that tell you?

This off season is one of the most important in the history of the Angels franchise.  Whatever gains they made during the years following the 2002 World Series is dissipating.  A great many season ticket holders aren’t going to renew.  They’re fed up.  They’re moving on.  I imagine that if and when the team gets back to being relevant, they’ll be back – but they’re done for now.

The team needs a make-over – not necessarily a total redesign, but a make-over.  They need Arte Moreno to step up and publicly hold himself accountable.  He needs to face the music – and by that I mean the local media.  He needs to take the shots and he needs to respond by showing true leadership.  Sports fans love fearlessness in their athletes and the same trait should be demonstrated in the front office and most certainly in the ownership.

We don’t want to see an owner who takes punitive action by moving the media down in the right field corner – we want an owner who’s not afraid to stand toe to toe and fight for his team. 

I’m encouraged by the recent news of a united front between Mike Scioscia and Jerry Dipoto.  I believe the news that they’re now working together as a team to fix it all.  This had to happen and I’m hopeful in the outcome.

Sports is supposed to be fun and baseball is supposed to be America’s pastime.  It’s time to put the fun back in being an Angels fan and ownership needs to take the responsibility of making that happen.  The last thing anyone wants is for their favorite baseball team to be a source of angst when it should be a source of joy.

Right now – there is very little; if any actual joy.  This can change.  It’s going to take hard work and patience from the fan base, but it’s possible.  After all, its baseball and we know anything is possible in baseball.

I know this post is overdue.  My apologies.  I won't make any promises about what is to come - but there will definitely be more to come.  Thanks for reading.

Are the Angels in financial trouble?

Somebody call hazmat; there’s a heinous odor coming from Anaheim and more specifically Angels Stadium. It smells like a season just died. Speaking of heinous, might as well cue the song " Buttercup" because once again, this team has let me and every Angel fan I know down.

I tried. I really tried to stay as positive as humanly possible and even though I’m not completely throwing in the towel, I need to blow off some steam.

Good grief.

Now there’s a lot of directions I can go right now. I can talk about what I believe to be a lack of effort and focus (Hello Erick Aybar). I could rant about Jeff Mathis, Vernon Wells and an offense that’s utterly pathetic or I could talk about empty promises from an owner (Hello Arte Moreno).

There are so many things to rant about, it’s not even funny, but there’s one thing that has been haunting me all season and I need to get it off my chest.

Something doesn’t add up.

It all started in the off season when the Angels balked at the dollars and years given to free agents like Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre.

When the trading deadline approached this year, Tony Reagins publicly stated that he wasn’t under any budget restrictions what-so-ever. And yet the Angels failed to add a player and any additional payroll.

Below the radar other things began to surface. The Angels asked their season ticket holders to pay for their 2012 season tickets by October 6, 2011; approximately three months earlier than normal. That's right - 3 months earlier! Do the Angels need the interest they'll bank from that money or what?

Wait, there's more...

In late July it was reported that the Angels and the stadium workers were at a standstill in contract negotiations. The Angels were low balling their workers proposing a wage freeze to workers who already were the lowest paid of any baseball stadium in the state. Mind boggling, isn't it?

More subtle signs…

A shortage of promotional items on give-away nights and the new policy of no longer handing out rain checks/vouchers to those who missed out; coupled with the new tag line “while supplies last” when advertising give-aways for future games. This is a dramatic change from previous practices by the Angels.

And... Have you noticed the numerous 40% off sales in the team store? It's kind of curious, isn't it?

And let me ask, why did it take them more than four months to bring in Peter Bourjos, Jordan Walden and Mark Trumbo shirts into their team store? Was someone asleep at the wheel?

I have to ask; are the Angels having financial trouble? Are the bad contracts coming back to bite the team in the rear end?

If that's the case, 2012 doesn't look very promising either.

Think about this… If the middle of this lineup in 2012 consists of Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells – the Angels 51st season is going to look a lot like the 2010 and 2011 seasons; abysmal. If the Angels are counting on this trio to turn things around – it’s really going to get ugly. That’s $48 million dollars of ugly. That’s right the three players will have a combined salary next year of nearly $50 million.

They’re still paying Gary Matthews, Jr. and Scott Kazmir millions of dollars this year.

When you consider all of these things; something doesn’t add up. There's a history here.

Something has to give and it appears those made to suffer are going to be Angel fans. Just saying.

Some Angel fans have responded to this question at AngelsWin and at Halos Heaven.

Really?

A funny thing happened on the way to the big game last night… one team (the Angels) decided not to show up. Oh they were there physically, but their game was noticeably absent. They didn’t just lose, they were shut out 7-0 and to make matters worse, Angels cast-off and current Ranger Mike Napoli had a banner evening. Heck, he’s having somewhat of a banner year (especially if you compare what he’s done to say… Jeff Mathis).

What a letdown. I mean, we wait and wait for the Rangers to come to town; we anticipate highly charged and competitive games and then… pfffft; all the air just gets sucked right out of you.

Looks like those Rangers are pretty good. In fact, let’s dispel some of the myths surrounding them… like the idea that they can’t pitch. Alexi Ogando looks like he can pitch just fine. He’s 10-2 with a 2.72 ERA. Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty good.

Speaking of pretty good… how about Adrian Beltre? Remember how the buzz in the off season was that he only performs in contract years? Well, Beltre is killing it with 20 homeruns and 74 RBI. Yeah, signing him would have been a huge mistake… I mean we’re set with Alberto Callaspo, right?

As good as the Rangers are right now – they showed us last year that they’re not afraid to make moves to get better. I won’t be surprised if they add a few key pieces for the stretch run. Color me worried.

Whatever.

Look, I know it’s just one game and the season isn’t over – but when my favorite team plays like crap, I get a little upset. They didn’t just lose last night; they got their lunch handed to them. It’s not fun to watch and there were more than 43,000 on hand to watch. I can only imagine what Angels talk was like last night (I didn’t bother to tune in).

In other great news (not) Hank Conger was sent down. Granted, that was probably the right thing to do, but knowing that also means more Jeff Mathis just adds to my frustration for all the obvious reasons. Love that .191 batting average and that .240 OBP.

And on that note… I’ll just look forward to the next game and hope it brings better results. Oh and I guess the Angels didn’t want to win last night’s game for Gene Autry. How nice.

We're not in Kansas (City) anymore...

Cheryl and I (along with her cousin Larry and his wife Cathy) were in Texas Saturday and Sunday. Now, one might ask, what’s a couple of Angel fans doing in a place like Texas?

Well, we were on the second half of our baseball road trip with Larry and Cathy (who are Red Sox fans). Our plan was to catch two Angel games in Kansas City and two Red Sox games in Texas.

Judging by the way the Angels have played the last three games in Kansas City, we were probably better off not being in Kansas City for the last two games. More on that in a bit….

Cheryl’s Uncle “Ken” also joined us for a game in Texas. Ken has lived in Fort Worth for a long time; however, this was his first trip to the stadium. He was very impressed; as were we.

In any case – watching the Texas Rangers host the Boston Red Sox had me extremely conflicted. I don’t like either team and I couldn’t find a way to root for either side. It was an odd experience to say the least.

To make matters worse, we got to watch the Rangers hand out their American League Championship rings to the players, coaches and front office in an elaborate ceremony. Good times… not. We also got a look at players who were supposedly “targets” of the Angels off season in Carl Crawford (for Boston) and Adrian Beltre (for Texas). More fun… not.

Don’t get me wrong – it was great to see the stadium and to be at a ball game. The circumstances were just a tad bit odd all the way around.

It was odd seeing Mike Napoli in a Rangers’ uniform and it was even worse watching him launch his second bomb of the season into the outfield seats. Napoli had quite a series and his two homeruns (only one of which we witnessed) combined with Jeff Mathis’s continued unimpressive play left Cheryl and me feeling a little empty. I hate to think about the huge numbers he might put up in Texas. It’s almost scary.

What’s an Angels fan to do?

I will say this – the highlight of the trip to Texas was seeing John Lackey get hammered by the Rangers offense. I mean, I thought Texas was going to run out of fireworks (the stadium shoots off fireworks every time one of their own homers). Lackey looked like he was throwing batting practice and even though I dislike the Rangers; I will admit feeling a bit of satisfaction watching Lackey get knocked around like a rag doll. Yeah, I supposed I’m still a tad bit bitter. (Photo to the left is Lackey probably trying to blame the baseball for his woes... just saying).

I have to tell you the way the Rangers handled the Red Sox in their opening series was pretty dang impressive. It may only be early April, but the Rangers look like a team to be reckoned with. They’re definitely playing big boy baseball in Texas.

The photos below are of Adrian Beltre blasting his grand slam, Ian Kinsler rounding third after blasting his second (of three homers in the series), and former Angel Darren O'Day going side arm.

Stadium observations:

Cheryl and I are slowly making our way around the country to see all the stadiums. Over the past several years we’ve been to 16. The sixteen include: Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Old Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, The Metro Dome, New Comiskey, Safeco, Coors Field, AT&T, Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Petco Park, Chase Field, Dodger Stadium, Angels Stadium and now Kauffman Stadium and the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

So… what did we think about Kauffman and Arlington? Kauffman Stadium is simply a beautiful place to watch baseball. The scoreboard in center field is absolutely stunning. The overall design and feel of the stadium exudes baseball. This stadium is easily one of my new favorites. It was easy to find the information I wanted to see (score, pitching information, batting information, out of town scoreboard, etc.).

Two statues can be found in the outfield concourse; one of George Brett and the other of Frank White. There is also a statue of Ewing and Muriel Kauffman.

I really can’t say enough good things about Kauffman Stadium.

As for the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington – it was impressive in many ways. From the outside, it reminds me a bit of Coors Field and as you walk up to the stadium, there are staff standing outside with “May I help you?” signs which was a nice touch. They also came in handy.

Cheryl’s Uncle “Ken” needed a little assistance getting to our seats and the staff at the stadium was very accommodating.

Inside; like the outside is very picturesque and has a touch of the old stadiums with the support poles in right field. The suites in centerfield are kind of out of place in my opinion and appear to be very far away.

One of the cool features was the visitor’s bullpen. You could basically stand directly above the catcher and look down into the bullpen as players were warming up. Cheryl got some cool pictures of Jason Varitek.

There were tons of stuff for kids to do which is kind of nice; but if they’re not there to watch the baseball game, what’s the point? Just saying.

The ballpark also has a very nice statue of Nolan Ryan in centerfield. Some of the interactive stuff was pretty cool too. When the opposing pitcher is in trouble, they play Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and the stadium is lit up with... guess what... a "ring of fire." They also have the crowd sing along to "Deep in the heart of Texas." Homeruns by the Rangers bring out the Texas Flag (see the photo) and the atmosphere is like one big baseball party to say the least.

Overall, I will say it was a little too busy for my tastes though. It was hard for me to find the information I wanted to know at any given time. I had to constantly search the stadium for whatever I was looking for and never got used to it.

It was also very crowded. Granted they had 48,000 and 46,000 plus at the two games, but the walk ways and concourse were basically elbow to elbow. There was a long line into the main team store and it took way too long for the staff to even let us in.

Good food could be found everywhere; although, the one thing I really wanted – an ice cream bar dipped in chocolate never happened. The first night I was told the machine was broken and the second game I was told they were out of chocolate. Whatever…

The worse part about the stadium was getting out of it. It took us nearly an hour to get out of the parking lot the first night and we were told, this is pretty much the norm. And I thought Dodger stadium was bad; but at least no one got beat up in Texas… (What's that all about?)

All in all, it was an awesome trip. In preparation for our trip, I contacted several bloggers from both Kansas City and Texas and I would like to thank all of them for their suggestions and help. Our trip was that much better because of their willingness to provide insight and recommendations.

In no particular order, I would like to thank:

Brian McGannon of Royals Kingdom

Nick Scott of Broken Bat Single

Matt Kelsey of i70 Baseball

Wally Fish of Puckett's Pond
Dan Edmonson of Chicken Fried Baseball

Steve Helsing of 40 year Ranger Fan

About the Angels play... well, what can I say? They certainly gave Royal fans something to hope for in their team. To their credit, the Royals played well - but le't's face it; the Angels bullpen was simply awful. If this is the revamped bullpen that's supposed to be all that, well then... I'm not impressed.

I will say that Howie Kendrick looks like he's ready to become the player we hoped he would be one day and Jered Weaver looked like he was in mid-season form. The offense looks pretty good overall and right now it's all about the bullpen.

One more thing about the bullpen and more specifically Kevin Jepsen. I'm sorry, but his wearing #40 which was last worn by Troy Percival isn't sitting well with me. And to make it worse, Jepsen isn't doing anything to justify his wearing such a special number. Just saying.

The 2010 Angels Off Season (not suitable for the faint of heart)

Defeat is a bitter pill to swallow. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the 2005 ALCS loss the Angels suffered to the Chicago White Sox and the 2009 ALCS loss to the New York Yankees. In each case the Angels were so close and yet so far. Sometimes there is a fine line between victory and defeat.

One play can change the momentum and ultimately the outcome of an entire series.

Losing those two series’ hurt more than usual because in each case, the Angels were knocking on the door of another World Series appearance. On top of that the Angels failed to make the play-offs in each of the following seasons.

In 2006 they won a very respectable 89 games, but finished second and not quite good enough for a wild card spot.

They followed up 2009 with a disappointing 80-82 record and a third place finish.

I usually deal with disappointing seasons by looking forward to the next one. My enthusiasm is usually fueled by what takes place in the off season. That didn’t happen in the winter prior to 2010 and it certainly isn’t happening this off season either.

I keep coming back to the statement Arte Moreno made to Bill Plaschke of the LA Times: "We know where our weaknesses are, we know where we are thin, we know where we have to go to market," Moreno said. "It's going to cost money, but our fans need to know what we're committed to winning."

I’m still waiting Arte.

He followed that up (via the LA Times) later on with this: "The fans want a competitive team, a winning team, and I'm committed to doing that, but I have two choices, either take a huge [financial] loss or start raising ticket prices. You look at the economic risk and the franchise risk. The reality is, can I write a check for the player? Yes. But is it smart business in the long term? I don't think so."

Funny, you haven’t raised ticket prices and you haven’t taken a huge financial loss either. You’ve basically done a lot of talking. Well, I’d rather watch a winner than listen to one.

What’s next? Are you going to lower beer prices again? That might buy you some good PR in some circles, but since I don’t drink it doesn’t hold a lot of water with me.

It wouldn’t be so bad if this was the first time things didn’t go our way, but there’s a pattern.

Take 2005 (off season prior to 2006) when Paul Konerko used the Angels to set his price for resigning with the Chicago White Sox. We heard stories that he was shopping for homes in So. Cal and how he liked the idea of being reunited with Mike Scioscia who knew Konerko from his days as a minor league manager in the Dodger organization. When all was said and done, Konerko returned to Chicago and a pattern of falling short had begun.

In 2006 (off season prior to 2007) the Alfonso Soriano sweepstakes even got out of hand. Moreno later admitted "We got so fond of one player, and then the market moved away from us."

While it was a good thing that they didn’t sign Soriano who hasn’t been worth the 8-year, $136 million he signed with Chicago; it also showed how badly an off season can go when you don’t have a viable backup plan. The Angels ended up signing Gary Matthews, Jr., Shea Hillenbrand, and Justin Speier. Good times.

In 2007 the Angels fell short in the Miguel Cabrera trade talks. Remember that? Remember this… "I've felt we had a deal with them twice," Moreno said of the Marlins, who apparently cut bait and decided they needed more in exchange for the 24-year-old slugger.

The Angels front office appeared confused... which has become a common perception. Just saying.

That being said; that was almost a happier time...

During the Cabrera negotiations in 2007 (off season prior to 2008) Moreno was also quoted as saying “"If you're looking at straight budget, we're over budget," Moreno said. "Yeah, I would [lose money] if I need to. It would be short-term. "We did that in '04. We were losing $20 million and people thought I was the stupidest guy on Earth when I signed all those guys (Bartolo Colon, Orlando Cabrera, extending Vladimir Guerrero). You have to believe long-term it's going to be a good investment. We felt we needed to step to the next level."

That was then, this is now.

Arte has been living off lowering beer prices and the signings he made in 2004 for quite a while now. He made a little splash with the Torii Hunter signing in 2008, but there have been plenty of times when Moreno and his GM’s (Tony Reagins and Bill Stoneman before him) were left at the negotiating table wondering what just happened.

It happened again in the off season prior to 2009 when Mark Teixeira and his agent Scott Boras left the Angels high and dry. Moreno went to $160 million, but came up $20 million short. Stories leaked out about how frustrated and angry Moreno was with Boras and the process. Once again, the perception that the front office operated in a state of frustration/confusion surfaced again.

Time after time, Moreno and whoever the GM at the time happened to be were left behind and seemingly stunned by what happened. You’d think they’d learn from past experiences. After all, they have plenty of experience in this arena….

Let’s recap how the Angels did in achieving the #1 goal in each off season (years are listed for the season in which they played on the teams they signed with).

2004: Angels sign Vladimir Guerrero. Some claim this deal fell in the Angels lap after the Dodgers failed to get the deal done.

2005: Carlos Beltran signed with the Mets (Angels sign Steve Finley and Orlando Cabrera). Finley was a great back up plan wans't he? *cough*

2006: Paul Konerko resigns with the White Sox. (Angels fail to sign any significant free agents).

2007: Alfonso Soriano signs with the Cubs (Thankfully). (Then again, Angels ended up with GMJ)...

2008: Miguel Cabrera traded to the Tigers (from Florida Marlins). (Angels sign Torii Hunter - a move made necessary by the poor 2007 signing of GMJ).

2009: Mark Teixeira signs with the Yankees (Angels sign Bobby Abreu and Brian Fuentes).

2010: John Lackey signs with the Red Sox (Angels sign Hideki Matsui, Joel Pineiro and Fernando Rodney. Angels also lost Chone Figgins and Vladimir Guerrero to free agency, but they weren't part of the team's plans).

2011: Carl Crawford signs with the Red Sox and Adrian Beltre signs with the Rangers. (Angels? Well, we're still waiting)...

So… basically, the Angels signed/acquired their top priority in only two out of the last seven off seasons; which means they're hitting .285. Woo-hoo.

Let’s not forget the Angels also signed Steve Finley for 2005, Jeff Weaver for 2006, and just because I can’t mention it enough – GMJ for 2007. Oh the memories.

To be fair, the Angels have made some good trades over the past few years acquiring Dan Haren and Mark Teixeira. They also Acquired Maicer Izturis and Juan Rivera for Jose Guillen prior to 2005 and that proved to be a good move as well. Then there’s the deal for Scott Kazmir, which may work out… right? Anyone? Anyone? I would even say that signing Matt Palmer in 2009 was a nice little move.

Now, I know that no front office is perfect. Every team makes good and bad moves. I just happen to be of the opinion that the Angels front office isn’t performing at the level we expect. I also know they’ll ultimately be judged by the product on the field. I really and truly appreciate all that happened between 2002 and 2009.

I freely admit that until last season, Angel fans didn’t have much to complain about (even 2003 was acceptable because we were all still giddy about 2002), but that’s all changed in a big way. Our confidence in the front office has been shaken; in fact, it's been rocked like an earthquake.

There's a perception that has developed over time that Reagins and Moreno are stubborn, inflexible, ego-driven and hard to deal with. Wait, there's more... at times they appear to be baseball's versioin of the Keystone Cops (chasing free agents they can't catch) and to make matters worse, they make statements that are incredibly funny - even if they're not meant to be.

Once the darlings of baseball; the media and the blogosphere is now pounding Arte Moreno and Tony Reagins and rightfully so.

What are they saying? Let's take a look...

Danny Knobler (CBS Sports): “So Adrian Beltre is headed for Texas. Anyone want to hear what Arte Moreno has to say now?”

“I don't.”

“It doesn't matter, because now not only have the Angels shown they're not prepared to compete financially with the big boys, but they've shown they can't even compete financially with the big boys in their own division.”

“There's still more than a month to go to spring training, which means that theoretically there's still time for the Angels to salvage their winter. But while there's still time, the shelves are now bare.”

Tom Krasovic (Fanhouse): “Even if they were shopping in a sellers' market, this seemed like the offseason for the Angels to gulp and commit the biggest contract in Angels history. Their farm system isn't as good as the Texas farm system and may not be as good as the Oakland farm system. On the trade market, the Angels are known for being overly rigid. All the more reason to go after Carl Crawford hard and fast.”

Also from his column: "If they're being scared off from premium players in the market, they're in big trouble," said the AL executive. "They don't have a lot of talent coming up. They are known for being difficult to trade with. They are going to have to spend wisely in free agent to make up that difference, but that's getting harder and harder to do with what's out there."

Jon Morosi (Fox Sports): “The Angels can be excused for not lavishing $142 million on Crawford. This is different. The price for Beltre was nearly $50 million less. The fit was even better. I’m beginning to wonder if O.C. stands for Oddly Comatose.”

"The Angels must put together a more potent lineup than they did last year, when they barely produced more runs than the Kansas City Royals. Morales will help, but he can’t do it alone. And I doubt general manager Tony Reagins is enamored with the external options at third base. The remaining free agents are unexciting, and the trade market features . . . well . . . Michael Young."
Jon Heyman (Sports Illustrated): “There's still plenty of shopping for several teams to do, and not just for the Angels, who have taken the collar so far this winter and are up to plan D. Or is it plan G or even plan M?”

“Whatever it is, it doesn't look like they've had their heads in the game this entire winter.”

“They claim not to have made any offer at all to top target Carl Crawford, disputing reports they offered an absurdly low $108 million for six years and other reports they were prepared to go to $140 million or more, if only they'd gotten their act together in time. They did offer Adrian Beltre $70 million over five years, and apparently they set a short three-day deadline that wasn't taken very seriously. "I don't understand their ultimatum strategy,'' one competing executive said.”

David Saltzer (AngelsWin): “As a fan, I cannot recall ever being this frustrated and disappointed in the team as I have been this year. While losing Nolan Ryan may have been the worst offseason decision ever, and losing Wally Joyner hurt more, both of those off seasons pale in comparison to 2011.”

blithescribe (MLB blogs): "So Adrian Beltre is a Ranger and the Angels missed the boat again. I understand that the free agent market got outrageously expensive again this year. Under normal circumstances, I think sticking to one's principals is laudable but, right now, claiming to stick to their principals just looks like the Angels front office is making a piss poor excuse for terrible performance. We didn't strike out this off season, we barely even bothered to step up to the plate."

I'd say the natives are restless. I wonder how Arte is sleeping these days? I've said it before and I'll say it agin... time to get to work.

Colonel Jessup where are you?

I’m a little dizzy today and I’m not sure if it’s because of all the spin I’ve been reading about the Angels off season so far or it it’s from watching the extraordinary contracts being handed out by teams around major league baseball sky rocket out of this world.

I need to steady myself long enough to make sense of it all and while I’m at it, blog about it.

So… let’s recap a bit, shall we?

The Angels had a dismal 2010 season. I think that’s putting things mildly. Granted, Pirates fans would probably see an 80-82 season as somewhat acceptable, but we’re not in Pittsburgh. We’re in Los Angeles or is it Anaheim? Anyway, how dismal was 2010? It was so bad that Arte Moreno went Jack Nicholson on us (as in Colonel Jessup of a “Few Good Men”) to let us know he wasn’t going to take this kind of showing lightly.

All the early reports had the Angels as the favorites to land Carl Crawford and possibly Adrian Beltre and/or Rafael Soriano. Word was out that the Angels were talking like they already had Crawford on their roster. It seemed like a done deal.

Then the winter meetings came. Tony Reagins headed out to Florida and showed up late. By the time he left Carl Crawford had signed a whopping 7 year, $146 million contract with Boston. To top things off, we later learn from Arte that the Angels never made an offer. Huh? What? Wait, wasn’t Crawford their #1 priority?

Colonel Jessup where are you?

All of a sudden, Arte Moreno started singing a different tune. He wasn’t going Colonel Jessup any longer; he was going Private Benjamin instead. He started moaning about the huge contracts being handed out and his desire to keep ticket prices down, etc. In other words, he was back tracking and basically telling Angel fans that even though his team had Los Angeles in its name, it was still just a team from Anaheim and Anaheim can’t really compete with New York or Boston.

You can see why I’m dizzy, right?

December came and went.

In comes the New Year and yesterday we learned that the Texas Rangers signed Adrian Beltre to a 5-year $80 million deal with incentives that could make the contract a 6-year $96 million deal. Apparently, Anaheim can’t compete with Arlington either.

Texas basically got Beltre for $2 million more per year (5-years $80 million) guaranteed than what the Angels offered (5- years $70 million) and were creative enough to put in some safe guards for that sixth year.

Meanwhile back in Anaheim the Angels are looking at a 2011 roster that looks like Swiss cheese.

What happened?

Did Arte Moreno and Tony Reagins misjudge the free agent market? Did they get caught standing flat footed? You be the judge.

All I know is that Texas is making its play and their fan base has to be excited. They’re looking at their window of opportunity as being now and doing whatever they can to reach for the brass ring. They’ve gone "all in" and regardless of what you think of Adrian Beltre’s contract, they just improved their team in a variety of ways.

You can also say what you want about Beltre’s offense (btw - if you think it’s sub-par you would be wrong), but don’t even question his defense. The left side of their infield just went to the elite level with Beltre and Elvis Andrus. Guess what? That makes their pitching staff better.

Some people are focusing on all the wrong things when it comes to Crawford and Beltre. They’re focused on the cost and what the ROI (return on investment) will be down the road. What they fail to realize is that both Boston and Texas are looking at the opportunity to win a World title now; as in this coming year. They’re taking their shot and I applaud them for going for it.

Face it; getting to a World Series is difficult. Winning one is next to impossible for most. A lot of things have to go right for a franchise to win it all. When that opportunity presents itself, you have to go for it. Texas is going for it. So is Boston. They might not be that good in five or six years – but they’re good enough now and rather than focus on what might be down the road – they’re going for it. Why? Unless you’re the New York Yankees these opportunities don’t present themselves very often.

The Angels reaped the benefits from winning it all in 2002. The residual effect of that title lasted for years. Winning it all pays off in big ways.

The reward is worth the risk.

Think about it. Remember how incredibly awesome it was when the Angels won it all in 2002? What would you risk to see that again? Would you risk the possibility that your team might be mediocre for a few years after that? I would. 2002 seems like a million years ago.

The Angels went for it in 2009 when they made the big trade to rent Mark Teixeira. Yes, that effort failed, but they gave it a shot. It was worth the risk. It’s okay to fail. It happens. It’s the not trying to do whatever you can that is the biggest failure.

The way I see it, the Angels have the pitching staff that is capable of getting to the biggest dance in baseball, but it doesn’t have the offense to back it up. Adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre would have given the Angels a shot. That’s not to say that the Angels don’t have a shot in 2011; but in my opinion, the window for such a goal is getting smaller and smaller.

If the Angels don’t improve their offense, it’s going to put too much pressure on the pitching. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Now some people will say, let’s wait till 2012 and go after the best free agents then. Have you seen the free agent pool for 2012? There are two big names on that list. One is Albert Pujols. Given the Angels track record, do you really believe the Angels would be players in the Albert Pujols sweepstakes? Never mind that he probably won't even make it to free agency since he’s discussing a contract extension.

The other name is Prince Fielder. Do you believe the Angels are willing to over pay for Fielder? That’s right, I said “over pay.” That’s the market for top tier free agent these days. I don’t believe the Angels are willing to do that based on recent history. And what about the fact that he plays the same position as Kendry Morales?

The rest of the free agent pool doesn’t impress. Even if it did, it’s become clear that the Angels aren’t willing to go swimming in that pool. Signing top tier free agents has become a spectator sport in Anaheim.

Some people will say, well let’s wait on the kids. After all, “Mike Trout is coming.”

Well, the expectations being put on Mike Trout to be the “savior” aren’t fair and it’s certainly not realistic. He’s just one guy and it’s going to be next to impossible for him to live up to the hype that’s being thrown around.

Now there’s always the “if the Giants can do it, anyone can” argument. Please… catching lightning in a bottle is all well and good, but it’s not something you can count on.

The time for the Angels is now. The Angels need to compliment their excellent pitching with something more than a bee-bee gun of an offense.

That being said, I’m not conceding the season to the Texas Rangers or the Boston Red Sox because I know as well as you do that anything can happen in baseball. What I am saying is that as we stand here today (okay, so I’m sitting at a computer) the Angels don’t look like contenders.

Sure some people will try to convince you otherwise, but will they look you in the eye with a straight face when they spew that nonsense?

The excuses are already out there.

We are starting to hear a lot of spin and misdirection. We are hearing about how having Kendry Morales back and Dan Haren for a full season is going to be all that. I say stop it. And don’t start telling us how you expect Erick Aybar, Juan Rivera and the rest of the underachievers to rebound in 2011.

A lot of things have to go well for the Angels to be serious contenders in 2011. A lot of things have to go right that didn’t go well in 2010. Too many players have to rebound or have career years. And then there's Jeff Mathis... ugh. The odds simply aren’t good.

Now I know the off season isn't over yet and that championships aren't won in December or January. In fact, I've said those very things myself in past years. This year is just different and those phrases seem empty to me now.

I’m usually very optimistic. You could even call me a homer. What changed? The 2010 season did and more specifically the off season prior to it. The Angels had some big holes to fill last year. They needed to add a bat to protect Kendry Morales and they needed a leadoff hitter. They addressed those needs with a combination of stop gap measures and wishful thinking (hello Erick Aybar) and the results weren’t pretty.

A year later, they’re still looking to fill those holes. Crawford and Beltre are gone. That doesn't spell the end of the world, but what's next? The offense is still sub par at best.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not giving up. I’ll still support my team to the fullest. Cheryl and I will still be at the stadium more than any sane couple will admit to. That’s not going to change.

Let’s just say the front office hasn’t given me any reason to be hopeful. The honeymoon with Arte Moreno is over. It’s time to get to work. Make me believe again.

Happy Deja-vu Year!

The Angels went into this off season with huge needs on offense. I’m talking about holes big enough to drive a truck through. They had to find an impact bat and a leadoff hitter. They also needed to upgrade the defense (to put it mildly) in the outfield; hopefully with players that would address those offensive needs at the same time.

Arte Moreno knew it. Mike Scioscia said it. Tony Reagins just hasn’t done it.

As we enter 2011 it sure feels like 2010 all over again. I really had hoped to start the New Year with something other than a rant, but when I read that the Texas Rangers are on the verge of signing Adrian Beltre to a contract, I don’t feel like doing much else; unless you count screaming.

That being said, the Angels are in a no-win situation. If they don’t sign Beltre, they’re going to be hammered by the media and their fans... If they sign him to the ridiculous contract the Rangers are rumored to be proposing (6 years and $96 million), they’ll get hammered.

Let’s not forget how many experts, analysts and pundits predicted the Angels would be the favorites for Crawford, Beltre and even Rafael Soriano. Let’s not forget how often those experts are wrong in their predictions and how often I like to remind readers of that.

Reagins is in a tough spot, but that’s the kind of thing that comes with the job of a GM. After the 2009 season ended, the Angels lost a middle of the lineup hitter in Vladimir Guerrero (even though he struggled in 2009) and a lead-off hitter in Chone Figgins. How did they respond? They found a stop gap in Hideki Matsui and misjudged Erick Aybar’s abilities.

2010 has come and gone and the Angels find them back in the same position. This is unacceptable. Okay, Crawford wanted to go to Boston and Beltre apparently wants to simply go to the highest bidder. I get t hat. I understand that.

That doesn’t excuse the fact that Reagins has yet to do anything to improve the offense. At this point in time – it’s looking like the Angels will have to find some stop gaps for yet another season. It’s looking like Scott Podsedik and fill-in-the-blank might be the best option. There’s even talk of the Angels bringing Vlad Guerrero back.

While the idea of Vlad back in Anaheim might have some PR appeal, it makes absolutely no practical sense. The Angels have three DH’s in Bobby Abreu, Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera who are cleverly disguised as position players when in reality they’re little more than DH’s. Even staying at a Holiday Inn Express isn’t going to improve their defense any time soon.

What happens after this season? Well, let’s just say that unless you think the Angels can sign either Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder, things don’t look great. The free agent class of 2012 is not impressive.

Mean while, the window is closing for the Angels. Torii Hunter is not getting any younger and Jered Weaver and Kendry Morales are not too far removed from free agency. The time to improve the offense is now. Why now? Because a solid offense matched with the current pitching staff could be a dynamic combo.

If we have to sit through another season where the offense is dependent on “frenzy” hitting and not the long ball or at least doubles into the gap, it’s going to be a long one. A lack of offense puts pressure on the pitchers. That didn’t work out so well last season.

Again, the Angels are in a tough spot; more specifically, Tony Reagins is in a tough spot. He has a farm system that needs to provide depth and right now that system only has a hand full of top level prospects. Trading any of them would be detrimental to the long-term health of the organization. The free agent pool is dwindling and time is running out.

It’s time for some big boy moves. It’s time for some real strategic thinking and creativity. Is Reagins up to the challenge? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Note to TR and Arte: Things look bad. Fix it. And while you’re at it, please don’t show us any fancy dance moves… where you dance around the issues with some cockamamie speech about how getting Kendry Morales back and a full season of Dan Haren is all the team needs. You can’t really sell that with a straight face, so don’t’ even try.

And just so I can feel a little better about my post today – I have a few things to say about Adrian Beltre.

Adrian – you’d be a great fit in Anaheim, but if you really want to come back to So. Cal then the ball’s in your court. If you don’t want to come and play in Anaheim for five years and $70 million – which is a very fair offer, you’re a fool. Yeah, I said it; a fool. You can sweat your brains out playing next to Ian Kinsler in that Texas heat for all I care. If you don’t want to be here, we don’t want you. Have fun playing in front a half empty stadium in the sweltering heat.

Be back soon

I've taken a little break from ranting... er, blogging and will be back at it in the New Year. My apologies for not putting up some content in the mean time.

Hopefully, we'll get some news about Adrian Beltre soon and hopefully, that news will be about him signing with the Angels for a reasonable amount.

If he hasnt' signed with anyone by the time I get back to blogging, I'll ask the quesiton - Do you or don't you wan to play for the Angels, Mr. Beltre? It's time to turn the tables on this discussion, don't you think? Until then...

Happy New Year!

Just in time for Christmas

My head is spinning. If you’ve been following the Angels off season as closely as I have, you’re probably a little dizzy as well.

We started this off season with some big talk from Arte Moreno. We crawled through the last two months by watching the Angels lose out on Carl Crawford, sign a couple of aging left handed relief pitchers, and making a significant offer to Adrian Beltre.

The latest rumors/news/whatever-you-want-to-call-this-stuff is that the Angels are after Scott Podsednik. Yes, that Scott Podsednik, the soon-to-be 35 year old outfielder.

Wait, it gets better. Joe McDonnell tells us that the Angels have dropped out of the Adrian Beltre sweepstakes. Boo-ya. Cue Kool and the Gang because it’s time to celebrate… if you’re a Rangers or an A’s fan that is. (Edit: this story changes by the minute... Angels out, Angels in, etc.)

According to McDonnell the Angels are also interested in closer - Rafael Soriano. Hip, hip… Zzzzz. I know the old saying that you can never have too much pitching, but the Angels biggest holes remain on offense. There's another saying that good closers are wasted on bad teams. Catch my drift? Every stinking year it’s the same old question – where are the Angels going to find a big bat?

Optimists will tell you that there is still time for the Angels to make some significant moves to improve the offense. I’m here to tell you that the options are getting slimmer and slimmer. Think about this – the longer it takes for the Angels to make a trade (assuming that’s the best route), they’re running out of trading partners. A lot of teams are filling their needs via free agency or through trades with other teams.

For example; the Angels have a surplus of catchers, but the market for catchers I getting smaller as one catcher after another has signed a free agent deal.

From my point of view, things don’t look good; they look bleak. It’s frustrating to watch and alarming as all get out.

My take is that we’ve heard a lot of empty talk that has been backed up with confusing and conflicting reports. Does Arte Moreno want to play big boy baseball or not? The honeymoon is over Arte. You’ve been put on a pedestal by Angel fans, but now you should be prepared to be peppered by tomatoes.

I have to tell you, I’m getting tired of blogging about the Angels off season. I feel like I’m bingeing in negativity and I don’t like it much. I’d much rather be making fun of the Rangers, A’s or Johnny Damon.

Maybe Santa Claus will come in and save the day and put a nice lead-off hitter and a big bat or two under the Christmas tree. Then again, maybe the Grinch intercepted them and gave to other teams in the division.

All I know is the Angels have a bit of a Public Relations problem on their hands. How bad is it? If you’re on Twitter – check out the hash tag: #ArteMorenoLies. It’s getting to the point where Scott Boras doesn’t look so bad and Arte Moreno and Tony Reagins look like the Key Stone cops. Just saying.

Yes, I'm beating a dead horse

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

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

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

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

More quotes from Moreno:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read those quotes again and let them sink in.

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

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

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

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

Really?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blogging ain't easy... pass the turkey

Thanksgiving will be here in just a few days and I can’t help, but think about Torii Hunter whenever this holiday rolls around now. That’s because on Thanksgiving morning 2007, my wife Cheryl woke me up early in the morning to tell me that the Angels had signed Hunter to a five-year deal. I was a little groggy and didn’t believe her. I thought to myself that she must of heard wrong and the Dodgers probably signed Hunter. After all, the Angels had four more years of Gary Matthews, Jr. (GMJ) ahead of itself. I even told her as much (something she reminds me about from time to time).

I was beside myself when I finally confirmed the news. I couldn’t believe my favorite player in all of baseball was coming to my favorite team. It was a joyous day and the turkey even tasted extra-good that day, I’m sure.

Well, here we are three years later and I’m hoping Cheryl wakes me up Thursday morning to tell me some more unbelievable news. If that news happens to be about Carl Crawford; all the better.

It’s that time of the year and it always makes me a bit antsy. I wake up every day wondering if this is the day the Angels do something great.

Take today for example. It’s November 22 and this is somewhat of a significant day in Angels history. It’s actually the three year anniversary of the Torii Hunter signing I mentioned above. Talk about something to be thankful for!

It also happens to be the four year anniversary of the GMJ signing. Now that’s a real turkey. Somebody pass me some pie, I need to eat my way out of that memory.

Even though the days are technically shorter, they’re long days never-the-less - as we wait to see what’s going to happen next. It’s still very early in the off season and it may be a long while before anything significant happens. For some perspective, check out Sam Miller’s piece from November 17, 2010 when he outlined the dates that Arte has spent his money. Sam gives us a detailed timeline of all the significant moves and when they happened under Arte’s watch.

By the way, if Arte happens to spend some of his money on Adrian Beltre, I’d be pretty happy about that. I know, I know, I’ve already talked about this a couple times. I only bring it up again because I’d like to point you in the direction of Halos Heaven’s Matt Welch who does an excellent job of separating some of the facts from fiction in his “Adrian Beltre’s Walk Seasons, and Other Illusions.”

Speaking of illusions, I posted something last week about how the A’s seemed to be trying to corner the market on third basemen. Well, turns out their offer to Adrian Beltre was little more than a PR move according to reports on mlbtraderumors.com

Really? That’s the kind of PR the A’s do? I guess it falls in line with Money Ball on some level; I guess they’re making news without spending any real money. Whatever. I just hate the A’s.

Since it’s such a slow news day, err week… err month, I thought I’d spend a little time talking about the blogosphere.

I’d like to give a shout out to some Angel blogs out there. Blogging on a consistent basis is hard work. It takes a lot of time and dedication to try and keep a blog relevant and up to date. Here are some great bloggers who are doing exactly that:

Angels Nation broke in around April of 2010 and seem to be going strong.

AngelsWin has been around a while and is one of the gold standards in blogging. They’re much more than a blog, they’re more like a one-stop-shop for everything Angels. They have organized get-togethers, a message board, orginal content and much more.

L.A. Angels Insider is the handy work of Eric Denton. His site is striving to be much more than a blog as well. You can find great podcast interviews and other “insider” information on his site regularly. Eric has also told me that he’s developing other features on his site that are sure to be of value to Angel fans.

Monkey with a Halo is a blogging warrior. Garrett Wilson posts a lot of stuff on a regular basis. Nothing gets past this guy. He is currently taking a short break from blogging, but his site is always a great place to visit. He’s never lacking for an opinion on all things Angels and that's a good thing.

Halos Heaven is another of the gold standards in blogging. It is also much more than a blog with an absolutely huge following. Be sure to check them out for all the latest discussions, original content, news and much more.

The Angels Blog on the O.C. Register web site is easily one of my favorite places to visit on a regular basis. Sam Miller, Dan Woike, Bill Plunkett, Keith Sharon and the rest of the staff give you a little bit of everything. Fun videos, sabermetrics, news, interviews, photos, you name it – these guys are on it.

The Angels, in order is a very special blog. If you love baseball cards and the Angels than this blog is a little slice of heaven. The author goal is have a signature of every player who has ever been with the Angels. He’s posting his collection one player at a time starting with the first to debut as an Angel in 1961.

Last, but not least is a brand new entry into the blogosphere: This is a very simple game is penned by blithescribe who regularly comments on my posts here. Blithescribe provides some truly unique perspectives on the game of baseball and the Angels (of course). It’s a great blog and I hope this one sticks around.

There are a great many Angel blogs on the internet, the ones I’ve highlighted here seem to be the most consistent. In other words, they don’t disappear for months at a time. They’re also very good and each offers something unique for every Angel fan.

I have a more complete list on the right side of this blog, but again – consistency isn’t a strong point of all of them. Again, blogging ain’t easy. Just saying.

My hope is that we will continue to see Angel bloggers sprouting up all over the place because the more people we have talking about the Angels the better.

Hot Stove Potpourri and other stuff

This is pretty random stuff, so bear with me...

The Atlanta Braves made the biggest early splash this off season by acquiring Dan Uggla for Omar Infante and Mike Dunn. Shortly after the deal was announced one could hear the “I can’t believe my (fill-in-the-blank) team didn’t try to get him” comments everywhere.

Several Angel fans on message boards and even in the comment section of one my recent posts had even proposed that the Angels make Uggla a target. I’m glad they didn’t.

Most wanted to make Uggla the Angels’ third baseman despite the fact that he had 18 errors at second base. That’s a lot of errors folks. Uggla at third base would have been a nightmare, in my opinion. Besides, every time I think of him, I remember how badly he had the “yipes” in the 2008 all-star game. Remember that? He made three errors in that game. Players who perform that badly on a big stage really scare me.

No doubt his bat is impressive, but let’s also keep in mind that he’s going to be a free agent after this next season and has already turned down four-year, $48 million offer. Word is he’s looking for a five-year, $71 million deal.

What’s up with the Oakland A’s? Reports have come out that they have offer on the table for Adrian Beltre. They just acquired Edwin Encarnacion and already have Kevin Kouzmanoff on their roster. Trying to corner the market on third basemen?

Beltre is an interesting free agent, most fans either like him or hate him and there’s no real middle ground. Many will harp on the fact that his two best years came in contract years while more reasonable people (like me, ha-ha) focus on the fact that his overall numbers are pretty solid. Hey if you don’t believe me, look them up yourself. Those 25+ homeruns in all but one injury-plagued season in Seattle look pretty good to me. You will also see that he hit more homeruns away from Fenway than at Fenway. Not bad, huh?

I’ve actually been waging this argument about Beltre all off season – but many are clinging to the idea that he’s only good in contract years. All I’m saying is that he sure beats the alternatives.

Speaking of third basemen. Ever wonder what happened to Dallas McPherson? Well, he just signed with the Chicago White Sox. He’s still hitting homeruns (22 in 2010) and apparently still unable to play full seasons (84 games).

Speaking of third basemen… Wait didn’t I just say that? How about Shea Hillenbrand; where is he now? He and his wife run Marley Farms which is an animal rescue facility. Pretty cool. I wonder if Brandon Wood can work there. Hey, it’s in Gilbert, AZ and Wood is from Arizona.

I guess that was harsh.

Don’t get me wrong, I really wanted to see Wood succeed in the biggest way, but when ESPN’s Keith Law says “I saw Wood in the Arizona Fall League, where the Angels sent him as (I assume) a favor to help him find a potential home for 2011. He can still crush a fastball ... and still can't adjust to a breaking ball. He's a poor man's Mark Reynolds, but with the potential to be a much better defender. I'd take a shot at him if I was an NL GM with a spot at third for a high-risk, high-reward flier; in that circuit, Wood could hit .220 but play enough defense and hit enough home runs to be above replacement level” – it doesn’t look like Wood will be playing for the Angels next season.

Switching gears (enough about really bad 3B, right?)...

Congratulations to Bud Black for being named the 2010 National League Manager of the Year. He joins Joe Maddon (2008) as a former Angels coach who has won a Manager of the Year award. Will Ron Roenicke (new manager of the Milwaukee Brewers) be next?

Congratulations also go out to Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners for winning the 2010 AL CY Young Award. Okay, I really didn’t want to congratulate him; I really wanted to point out that his ERA against the Angels was 4.13 (5 starts) and even a little higher – 4.28 against the Rangers (6 starts). Let’s call that a “fun fact.” No matter how dominant he was (and he definitely was), he sure didn’t dominate the Angels or Rangers. Just saying.

Best Hot Stove rumor so far… According to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies are interested in…. are you ready for this? Drum roll please…. Wait for it… Ready? Here it comes.... Scott Kazmir!!

Yes, you read that right. I almost fell out of my chair when I read this. It's funny... didn't I write a piece last off season related to Scott Kazmir and "swagger?" Yikes, that was some bad blogging. Now, if this rumor from Renck has any legs what-so-ever, Troy Renck might become my new favorite sports reporter.

Speaking of favorites… Check out Sam Miller’s piece from the OC Register regarding Hank Conger’s off season. Every time I read about Conger, I become more and more impressed with his maturity and mind set. Sam Miller on the other hand? Well, not so much. Just kidding.

By the way I hate the smell of potpourri...

The Hot Stove Season is officially cooking

I’ve had a lot of time to think about what the Angels might do this off season and even more time thinking about what I would do. Somewhere between the two is the master plan to rule baseball for generations to come. Okay, maybe not…

In all seriousness, I do expect the Angels to do something unexpected.

Most scenarios being discussed revolve around signing Carl Crawford and/or Adrian Beltre (two signings I believe will happen). If they do those two things, I’m just not sure it will be enough.

I have a plan. I know, I know, you’re thinking here comes another hair brain idea from a fan. Hold on and don’t be so quick to judge. I promise you that I won’t throw out some whacked out idea that has Albert Pujols coming to Anaheim for Juan Rivera. My proposal has some merit and if you let me explain my rational maybe, just maybe it will make sense.

Howie Kendrick is expendable. Whoa. What? “Future batting champ” Howie? Yes. The way I see it, Alberto Callaspo can play 2B and do just as good a job, if not better. Compare their statistics. Kendrick had a better OPS (.721) to Callaspo’s 674 OPS. However, their career OPS numbers (Callaspo .720/Kendrick .752) are close.

Here’s the thing - Callaspo struck out just 42 times compared to Kendrick’s 94 K’s. Callaspo is one of the toughest hitters to fan in baseball. He has better bat control.

Ding. The bell just went off in your head, didn’t it? You see it now, don’t you? Callaspo is Mike Scoscia’s kind of player.

Look, the Angels have been waiting for Howie Kendrick to become the #2 hitter they need; however, he has failed to embrace that role. Why not put the guy who is better suited for that role in the #2 spot? I believe Callaspo is the perfect #2 hitter.

But… Howie has more power right? Nope. They each hit 10 homeruns last year.

Hear me out. Callaspo and Kendrick are both 27 years old (Callaspo is a few months older). Kendrick has more service time and made $1.75 million to Callaspo’s $460,000. The way I see it, Callaspo is just as good and is cheaper.

Besides, the Angels have a plethora of middle infielders who can serve as backup. Maicer “The Tin Man” Izturis and Kevin Frandsen can fill that role. Plus, the Angels have organizational depth here with Alexi Amarista and Jean Segura in the minors and playing well. Someone has to go! Who has more appeal in a trade? Howie Kendrick does, that’s who. He’s got that “P” thing going for him. You know the “potential” thing? I’m sure there’s a team out there who would love to take Howie in a deal.

What team? I’m glad you asked. I’m thinking the Washington Nationals as possible trade partners. And no, I’m not trying to suggest they trade Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper to the Angels. The way I see it, the Nationals have an abundance of outfielders. They have Mike Morse, Nyjer Morgan, Josh Willingham, Roger Bernadina, prospects Justin Maxwell and Harper. They also have Willie Harris who plays just about everywhere (but is also a free agent).

What they don’t have is a second baseman. Adam Kennedy’s option was declined and they’re in the market for a middle infielder (with apologies to Danny Espinosa).

I’m proposing a Howie Kendrick for Roger Bernadina trade. Bernadina is a 26 year old left handed hitting player who can play all three outfield positions. He has moderate power (11 homeruns in 414 AB’s), stole 16 bases and plays exceptional defense.

I see Bernadina as the new Angels right fielder.

What about Torii Hunter, you ask?

I’m glad you asked because here’s where things get interesting. I would not be surprised to see Hunter back in CF next year. Which begs yet another question, right? What about Peter Bourjos.

I’m a huge Bourjos fan, but I have a feeling that his .204 batting average and .237 OBP is going to keep him from being handed the everyday CF job going into the 2011 season. I just don’t think the Angels will be willing to be patient with him and will look for a more immediate solution. Which makes my idea of a Crawford, Hunter, Bernadina outfield seem plausible.

There’s also the Mike Trout factor. Trout is considered by many to be the best prospect in all of baseball and he also happens to be a centerfielder. While I know it’s easy to get caught up in the hype that comes with that kind of tag, I don’t think it’s unrealistic to believe that Trout could be on the big league roster by 2012.

If you buy into what people like Keith Law of ESPN or Jim Callis of Baseball America are saying, then it’s reasonable to believe he will arrive sooner rather than later.

Do the math.

Hunter has two years left on his contract. Trout is on his way and he and Bourjos play the same position. If the Angels sign Carl Crawford something has to give eventually. It’s conceivable that Bourjos will become a fourth outfielder or traded. Like it or not, Bourjos is somewhat expendable.

Now don’t get me wrong – I wouldn’t mind seeing a Crawford, Bourjos, Hunter outfield; in fact, like most fans, I love the idea. However, this team is in desperate need of offense and in order to contend for a World Series title, big changes have to be made. The Angels can’t afford to carry a .200 hitter going into the 2011 season (yes, this also applies to Jeff Mathis).

Let’s not forget that 2011 will be the Angels’ 50th Anniversary. Expect a big splash and bold moves. I have to believe that Arte Moreno isn’t going to settle for another season like the one we all just endured.

Besides, I’m trying to think outside the box here.

So with that in mind, know this - Jeff Mathis is done. Wishful thinking? Perhaps, but consider this – Mathis only saw 39 AB’s in the last month of the season (including a couple days in October). I think this means something. The popular belief is that Mike Napoli is on his way out because Mike Scioscia seems to prefer Mathis for his defensive skills.

Well, I’m throwing that idea out the window based on his diminished playing time at the end of the season. I also don’t need to remind Angel fans that Mathis hit a putrid .195 with a .219 OBP. Like Bourjos, I don’t believe the Angels can afford to carry Mathis on their opening day roster; at least not as the everyday catcher.

I believe the Angels would like to trade Mathis, but that’s truly wishful thinking. Look for Mathis to be non-tendered and released. I see a Mike Napoli/Bobby Wilson tandem behind the plate in 2011.

If you’re thinking Hank Conger will be on the 25 man roster next April, think again. He was released from his Venezuelan team because of his lack of hitting. He’s going to start the year at AAA again.

I know this idea of Napoli staying in Anaheim is outside the popular opinion, but the way I see it the trade market for catchers is slim while the free agent market is booming. Teams looking to add a catcher have Victor Martinez, Miguel Olivo, John Buck, Ramon Hernandez, Rod Barajas, Yorvit Torrealba, and others to look at in the free agent market. Mark it down – Mike Napoli is not going to be traded.

Juan Rivera on the other hand will be dealt for pennies on the dollar. Even though Rivera’s contract is affordable to a lot of teams ($5.25 million), moving him will be difficult, but necessary. I could see a trade to Colorado for utility man Clint Barmes. Rivera could become their right fielder and even spell Todd Helton at first base once in a while.

Colorado could also be the kind of change in scenery or should I say altitude that Rivera needs. Another possible destination could be St. Louis where he could platoon with John Jay (a left handed hitter).

Now, about that bull pen…. Well, if you’re looking at Rafael Soriano, I suggest you look elsewhere. The Angels haven’t had much luck dipping into the free agent market when it comes to relievers. Think about Justin Speier, Brian Fuentes and Fernando Rodney. Not a pretty picture, huh?

I believe they are more likely to trade for a short term solution rather than signing someone to a multi-year deal. The Angels will have Rodney, Kevin Jepsen, Jordan Walden, Michael Kohn, Jason Bulger and most likely either Rich Thompson or Matt Palmer in the pen. While there isn’t a definitive closer in the bunch per say, it’s possible that any one of Walden, Jepsen or Kohn could emerge in that role. I suppose that even Rodney is a possibility.

And there you have it. The ranting of a mad man or the insightful opinion of a long time fan. You decide. Chances are no one will see what’s coming and the Angels will baffle us all.

In the mean time – it’s fun to speculate; after all, the Hot Stove Season is officially open for business.

Comings and goings

Seems like the Angels have been making a lot of news of late and trust me, it’s not because of their play on the field (even though it’s been good this week). I don’t normally recap a lot of news, but today I decided to take some time to update True Grich readers about what’s been going on.

The Goings:

Scot Shields is contemplating retirement. He hasn’t announced anything official, but he’s definitely thinking about it.

This from the LA Times blog: "I would say probably," Shields said before the Angels' game against the Oakland Athletics Tuesday night. "There's a business and a personal side of it. From the business side, you look at the bullpen and you can see all the young relievers they have coming up.

"On the personal side, your family comes first, and I've missed too much of my life with them. It might be time to go home."

I have mixed emotions about this one. On one hand I think it’s probably time for Shields to “go home.” On the other hand, it’s a sad day. Shields who was named “Setup Man of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated earned that title for good reason.

Last night I wore Dan Haren’s name and number on my back; in retrospect, I should have worn Shields’ t-shirt as a tribute to his contributions over the years. When you think about it; he had a thankless job. When he was great, everyone took him for granted and when he failed, Angel fans came down pretty hard on him. Heck, I even blogged about his crappy season this year.

Also leaving; the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. No, they’re not leaving the Epicenter, they’re leaving the Angels. They’re dumping the Angels for the Dodgers…

"The Dodgers are one of the most prestigious teams in all of sports and we are excited to begin our partnership with them in Rancho Cucamonga," said Quakes Managing Partner Bobby Brett.

Are you kidding me? The Dodgers used to be one of” the most prestigious teams,” but not any more (in my opinion). Then again, when you only draw 2,099 for the championship game of the Cal League something had to give.

I’ll miss going to the Epicenter. Hopefully, the Angels will land at a nice facility next year; although I have no idea where that might be right now. The two obvious choices are Bakersfield (former home for the Reds’ Single A affiliate) and San Bernardino (which was the Dodgers’ Single A home). I have to say neither one of them appeals to me much.

Next up: File this one under “I didn’t see this coming:”

It appears that the Director of Scouting for the Angels, Eddie Bane is on his way out.

The story broke via Twitter by John Manuel of Baseball America and was confirmed by the O.C. Register’s Dan Woike.

I always got the impression that Bane was highly regarded; so this news comes as a bit of a surprise. He was most recently a candidate for the General Manager’s job in Arizona that went to Kevin Towers.

Bane drafted the likes of Nick Adenhart, Mike Trout, Hank Conger, Jordan Walden and others. I’ll be curious to see if we learn more about the “why” in the coming days.

The Comings…

Mark Whicker of the OC Registers believes that Mike Trout come be up with the big club as soon as next season. Whickers points to current youngsters like the Cubs’ Starlin Castro (age 20); the Braves’ Jason Heyward (just turned 21) and the Marlins’ Mike Stanton (age 20) as examples of young guys who took the fast track to the bigs.

It’s easy to get excited about Trout. All you have to do is read what all the experts who rate prospects have to say about him or just see him play for that matter to start believing he’s coming soon.

Trout’s progress will be fun and exciting to watch. He could be that rare talent that arrives early and if he does – it could make the Angels outfield situation interesting as well. His natural position is center field which is currently occupied by Peter Bourjos and recently occupied by Torii Hunter.

I speculated in my last post that Trout’s anticipated arrival could mean Bourjos could be used in a trade (an idea my wife really got upset with me for even mentioning).

Also coming? How about Adrian Beltre.

Rob Bradford of WEEI talked with Beltre recently and Beltre told him, "I'll see what's best for me and my family," Beltre explained. "This year I was selfish enough, coming to the East Coast, knowing my wife was pregnant and she would be away from me basically for the whole year. This year is going to be more a family thing. It's been tough. I haven't seen family like l wanted to. We're going to settle down, discuss it, and see what's best for us."

Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports' Hardball Talk seems to think that the Angels are a natural fit for him.

Beltre is one of those guys who really seems to polarize baseball fans. Some are sure he’s likely to be a bust once he signs a big contract and others look at him as a viable piece for upgrading an offense and defense (myself included).

I’ll admit that when I first thought about the possibility of Beltre coming to Anaheim, I immediately dismissed it, but once I really looked at his statistics I found them to better than I thought and warmed to the idea.

The idea of Beltre possibly coming to Anaheim makes sense when you factor in what Tony Reagins told Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles: "You always have to take account of how the finances work, but we're not limited financially in any way," Reagins said. "Whatever we need to do that makes sense and that's reasonable, we'll address."

Saxon recaps the Angels recent organizational meetings in his blog; which had one noted absentee in Arte Moreno.

Saxon quotes Reagins who summed the two days by saying "We need to get better in every aspect of what we do," Reagins said. "That's pretty much the tone of the meeting."

Also coming; well sort of…

Mark Trumbo got a start in right field today. The OC Register’s Woike quoted Mike Scioscia as saying “We definitely want to take a look out there. In drills, he’s great, but you want to put him into a game and see how he reacts to the ball off the bat,” Scioscia said. “It just helps us an evaluation tool. It gives us a baseline.”

I only wonder why it took so long for the Angels to start playing Trumbo. If he can live up to expectations he would solve a lot of the Angels woes.

Finally, file this one under “Long gone.” Even still, his 2010 season is the gift that keeps giving…

Rob Munstis from The Bottomline Red Sox blog writes “The Red Sox were officially eliminated from the playoffs last night.”

“I find it fitting that John Lackey was on the hill for this moment. Sure he pitched well last night (6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 K) but you know what?”

“Too little too late Johnny-boy. I don't blame you for signing for $18 million per year... I blame Theo for that. But 13-11 with a 4.47 ERA, a 1.43 and a .280 opponent batting average?”

Well Rob, I feel your pain; however, I can’t say that Angel fans miss Lackey much given his subpar year. In fact, most of us are taking great delight in his subpar 2010 performance.

Just saying.