Everywhere is reporting that Texas and Beltre are on the cusp of a deal.
Damn it.
Really, the Angels' offseason is a stinker.
Okay FO, now what?
Showing posts with label AL West. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AL West. Show all posts
04 January 2011
09 July 2010
thoughts: swept by sox, cliff lee, bench plugs
Geez, lately I've had to start most of my posts with apologies for being MIA. I started my internship this week, so I don't expect that practice to stop, unfortunately.
Anyways, I'll try my best to keep up with Angels news (I didn't find out about the Cliff Lee trade until 5pm!) and post during the weekends.
Also, the shocking trade today and recent (lack of) play by the Angels have thwarted my attemps to post about Kaz. I've got most of the post formed in my head, so it'll be up shortly.
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The last two series have been absolutely discouraging. After the high of winning the Texas series and really the way the team won those games, their play against the Royals and the ChiSox was disgusting, to say the least.
It's unacceptable for the Halos to lose a series to the Royals. Not only are the Royals woefully bad, the Halos have a history of absolutely crushing them. I'd like to thank them for making the Angels' scorching hot June/July last year possible. Remember what I wrote about the Halos needing to take advantage of opportunities? Well, playing a bad team whilst the Rangers played the respectable WhiteSox, qualifies as an opportunity. But its not only that the Halos lost the series and the chance to gain ground, it was the way the team lost those games. Really, how do you manage to score only one run against a Royals starting pitcher not named Zack Greinke? How do you get no-hit by Bruce Chen for 6+ innings? At least the boys showed up for national tv (perhaps they didn't want to get embarrased in front of the whole nation), pounding out 11 runs.
But things didn't improve much in Chicago. I get that the White Sox have a really good pitching staff. But I also understand that the White Sox are not an elite team. They have a respectable lineup with Rios and Konerko, but they also have the likes of Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones. Not to mention the fact that AJ and Quentin are underperforming. Winning one of the four games was a modest expectation. The Angels couldn't muster anything, despite the fact that Peavy pitched less than 2 innings. When I checked the score on Thursday, all I needed to know was the fact that the Angels managed two (two!!) hits. John Danks is very good, but that's just pitiful.
Anyways, I'll try my best to keep up with Angels news (I didn't find out about the Cliff Lee trade until 5pm!) and post during the weekends.
Also, the shocking trade today and recent (lack of) play by the Angels have thwarted my attemps to post about Kaz. I've got most of the post formed in my head, so it'll be up shortly.
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The last two series have been absolutely discouraging. After the high of winning the Texas series and really the way the team won those games, their play against the Royals and the ChiSox was disgusting, to say the least.
It's unacceptable for the Halos to lose a series to the Royals. Not only are the Royals woefully bad, the Halos have a history of absolutely crushing them. I'd like to thank them for making the Angels' scorching hot June/July last year possible. Remember what I wrote about the Halos needing to take advantage of opportunities? Well, playing a bad team whilst the Rangers played the respectable WhiteSox, qualifies as an opportunity. But its not only that the Halos lost the series and the chance to gain ground, it was the way the team lost those games. Really, how do you manage to score only one run against a Royals starting pitcher not named Zack Greinke? How do you get no-hit by Bruce Chen for 6+ innings? At least the boys showed up for national tv (perhaps they didn't want to get embarrased in front of the whole nation), pounding out 11 runs.
But things didn't improve much in Chicago. I get that the White Sox have a really good pitching staff. But I also understand that the White Sox are not an elite team. They have a respectable lineup with Rios and Konerko, but they also have the likes of Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones. Not to mention the fact that AJ and Quentin are underperforming. Winning one of the four games was a modest expectation. The Angels couldn't muster anything, despite the fact that Peavy pitched less than 2 innings. When I checked the score on Thursday, all I needed to know was the fact that the Angels managed two (two!!) hits. John Danks is very good, but that's just pitiful.
01 July 2010
on vlad and vengence
Just a short thought:
I think it is absolutely ridiculous for Halo fans and media to criticize Vlad for showing some emotion and focus in burning the Angels.
First of all, let's not write revisionist history. We know that Vlad looked like a shell of himself last year. We know that mostly everyone doubted he could regain his former glory. And we know that the FO didn't want to give Vlad a multi-year deal (and most Halo fans agreed). Vlad wanted more than what the FO was willing to give and so both sides moved on. By the time Vlad realized that a multi-year deal wasn't going to happen, the Halos had moved on and signed Matsui. Timing just wasn't there. Vlad did NOT turn his back on the Angels and he did NOT bad-mouth the organization (a la Lackey).
Sure, Vlad might have taken the lack of free-agent offers to motivate him and get in shape during the offseason. A good player uses whatever they can to motivate them to constantly strive to be better. And that kind of disappointment is a great motivator. And the prospect of displaying his talents to the Halos (and others) may be pushing him.
But you know, there's also the fact that Texas and the Halos are in the same division. That they're rivals. That this series is actually important, despite what Michael Young says. I'm sure any good athlete tries to step up their game when playing a rival. I'm sure if it was Torii, or Bobby that hit 3HR and got 8RBI in this series, we'd be lauding their ability to perform in the big games.
The point I'm trying to make is that yes, Vlad is looking motivated and doing so well this series. But has anyone thought it might not be because he's looking for revenge, but because this is a big series between two big division rivals?
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I'm gathering my thoughts for a later post on Kaz and the state of the infield. So hopefully by tomorrow my disappointment and discouraged state will have dissippated, and I'll have a clearly thought-out post.
I think it is absolutely ridiculous for Halo fans and media to criticize Vlad for showing some emotion and focus in burning the Angels.
First of all, let's not write revisionist history. We know that Vlad looked like a shell of himself last year. We know that mostly everyone doubted he could regain his former glory. And we know that the FO didn't want to give Vlad a multi-year deal (and most Halo fans agreed). Vlad wanted more than what the FO was willing to give and so both sides moved on. By the time Vlad realized that a multi-year deal wasn't going to happen, the Halos had moved on and signed Matsui. Timing just wasn't there. Vlad did NOT turn his back on the Angels and he did NOT bad-mouth the organization (a la Lackey).
Sure, Vlad might have taken the lack of free-agent offers to motivate him and get in shape during the offseason. A good player uses whatever they can to motivate them to constantly strive to be better. And that kind of disappointment is a great motivator. And the prospect of displaying his talents to the Halos (and others) may be pushing him.
But you know, there's also the fact that Texas and the Halos are in the same division. That they're rivals. That this series is actually important, despite what Michael Young says. I'm sure any good athlete tries to step up their game when playing a rival. I'm sure if it was Torii, or Bobby that hit 3HR and got 8RBI in this series, we'd be lauding their ability to perform in the big games.
The point I'm trying to make is that yes, Vlad is looking motivated and doing so well this series. But has anyone thought it might not be because he's looking for revenge, but because this is a big series between two big division rivals?
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I'm gathering my thoughts for a later post on Kaz and the state of the infield. So hopefully by tomorrow my disappointment and discouraged state will have dissippated, and I'll have a clearly thought-out post.
29 June 2010
thoughts: missed opportunities, texas
Apologies, apologies for the long blog-silence. My "official" excuse is that I've been lacking in commentary lately since I've been mostly dependent on Terry to describe the going-ons on the field. Truthfully, I've also gotten into some lazy habits at home and really haven't taken advantage of this break in between school and summer internship.
Before I go on about the Halos, I want to say congrats to the Lakers for a second consecutive championship. I haven't really been a Lakers fan since, oh, 2000, but Game 7 was definitely exciting and inspiring to watch. Ever since the Lakers (and their fans) have become so spoiled and entitled, I've shied away, but even I have got to admit, they showed a lot of class, humility, and heart to pull out that win.
I'm hoping for some of that comeback power in the Angels, as they sit 4.5 games back the Rangers, and some of that poise, to hopefully serve in the playoffs against whomever comes out of the east.
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The games inbetween this post and last haven't been all too bad. In fact, the Halos went 7-4. But hey, I've been mildly disappointed. Really, those lost games have been about missed opportunites. Firstly, the Halos lost out on a series win against the Brewers and the opportunity to pounce on Dave Bush. Dave Bush, man! I think mostly everyone expected a hit barrage, but instead the Halos got one run while Bush lasted 7.1 innings. (Credit to Bush though, he's been doing much better now). Secondly, the Angels missed out on a chance to sweep the Cubs. Certainly, Zambrano is a good pitcher, but he's nothing like he used to be. Saunders just couldn't pull out his away-magic and really didn't give the team much of a chance. The loss to the Dodgers was much of the same. Even though the Angels managed to get 4ER off of Haeger, for most of 5 innings they made him look a lot better than he is. Add that with Kaz imploding in the 4th inning and bullpen meltdowns in the 7th and 8th, and well, that was a game to turn the page on. Perhaps the most frustrating loss was the latest one. With Texas finally losing (to the Astros, no less!), it was a fantastic opportunity for the Angels to gain a game. But the bullpen let the game (which Weave started and really dominated - 11Ks!) get away and the opportunity flutter on by.
It might seem like a Debbie Downer to highlight the losses, especially since the team isn't anywhere close to the M's, has been partially following Murphy's Law (What can go wrong, will go wrong) and is basically fielding a piecemeal infield. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy the Halos are winning. But after all that talk about how fantasically fantasic the Angels are in interleague play, and how that jumpstarted last year's team, the Halos really "only" went 11-7. A very good record, but not the domination that I think fans and media were hoping for. Sooner or later, the Halos are going to need to seize these opportunities and make a move in the standings. Sure, the Halos have been really good this past month or so, but they still sit 4.5 games out. Within striking distance, but they're going to need to take advantage of Texas's mistakes (i.e. losses) if they're going to rise to the top.
Before I go on about the Halos, I want to say congrats to the Lakers for a second consecutive championship. I haven't really been a Lakers fan since, oh, 2000, but Game 7 was definitely exciting and inspiring to watch. Ever since the Lakers (and their fans) have become so spoiled and entitled, I've shied away, but even I have got to admit, they showed a lot of class, humility, and heart to pull out that win.
I'm hoping for some of that comeback power in the Angels, as they sit 4.5 games back the Rangers, and some of that poise, to hopefully serve in the playoffs against whomever comes out of the east.
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The games inbetween this post and last haven't been all too bad. In fact, the Halos went 7-4. But hey, I've been mildly disappointed. Really, those lost games have been about missed opportunites. Firstly, the Halos lost out on a series win against the Brewers and the opportunity to pounce on Dave Bush. Dave Bush, man! I think mostly everyone expected a hit barrage, but instead the Halos got one run while Bush lasted 7.1 innings. (Credit to Bush though, he's been doing much better now). Secondly, the Angels missed out on a chance to sweep the Cubs. Certainly, Zambrano is a good pitcher, but he's nothing like he used to be. Saunders just couldn't pull out his away-magic and really didn't give the team much of a chance. The loss to the Dodgers was much of the same. Even though the Angels managed to get 4ER off of Haeger, for most of 5 innings they made him look a lot better than he is. Add that with Kaz imploding in the 4th inning and bullpen meltdowns in the 7th and 8th, and well, that was a game to turn the page on. Perhaps the most frustrating loss was the latest one. With Texas finally losing (to the Astros, no less!), it was a fantastic opportunity for the Angels to gain a game. But the bullpen let the game (which Weave started and really dominated - 11Ks!) get away and the opportunity flutter on by.
It might seem like a Debbie Downer to highlight the losses, especially since the team isn't anywhere close to the M's, has been partially following Murphy's Law (What can go wrong, will go wrong) and is basically fielding a piecemeal infield. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy the Halos are winning. But after all that talk about how fantasically fantasic the Angels are in interleague play, and how that jumpstarted last year's team, the Halos really "only" went 11-7. A very good record, but not the domination that I think fans and media were hoping for. Sooner or later, the Halos are going to need to seize these opportunities and make a move in the standings. Sure, the Halos have been really good this past month or so, but they still sit 4.5 games out. Within striking distance, but they're going to need to take advantage of Texas's mistakes (i.e. losses) if they're going to rise to the top.
11 April 2010
thoughts: opening week
Apologies for being MIA for the week - I was rudely reminded that, as a student, studying and hw come before baseball =(.
Anyways, I did manage to catch most of the games, with the exception of Friday's atrocity. Some thoughts/observations:
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Wow, so one week into the season and I've already been irrevocably proven wrong. Remember when I postulated that BWood would go about his business quietly? I still stand by my view that there was little pre-season talk about him. But then when the season started, BWood didn't do himself any favors by opening the season vying for a golden sombrero. I'm not too worried yet - it IS only a week into the season. I had thought he'd need some time to settle into being a major league player, but there seems to be an upswell of fans who are wigging out already. The funny thing is, I suspect that the spotlight on BWood is brighter because the lineup in general has been beyond anemic and he's an easy scapegoat. It's a tough way to open up a major league career, and I hope that BWood can hang in there.
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See, the losses and bad play have not been BWood alone. Sosh said it best:
Anyways, I did manage to catch most of the games, with the exception of Friday's atrocity. Some thoughts/observations:
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Wow, so one week into the season and I've already been irrevocably proven wrong. Remember when I postulated that BWood would go about his business quietly? I still stand by my view that there was little pre-season talk about him. But then when the season started, BWood didn't do himself any favors by opening the season vying for a golden sombrero. I'm not too worried yet - it IS only a week into the season. I had thought he'd need some time to settle into being a major league player, but there seems to be an upswell of fans who are wigging out already. The funny thing is, I suspect that the spotlight on BWood is brighter because the lineup in general has been beyond anemic and he's an easy scapegoat. It's a tough way to open up a major league career, and I hope that BWood can hang in there.
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See, the losses and bad play have not been BWood alone. Sosh said it best:
"We played four crappy games in every aspect..We could have played a triple-A team these last couple of nights and lost."I missed Friday's game, but what stuck out to me in the recaps wasn't the lack of offense or Palmer getting shelled, but the defensive lapses. I'm sure that's what annoyed Sosh the most, cause I sure hate it when players compound sucking with sucking-at-the-fundamental-stuff.
05 January 2010
thoughts: Rory, Kotch, Bay/Holliday, Chapman
Just some tidbits:
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I was utterly shocked when I learned of Rory Markus's death.
I only started listening to the radio broadcasts last season, so I wasn't yet able to discern Rory from Gubi and Terry, but the resonding majority of halo fans liked him the best. I especially liked the "Just another halo victory" call, which I discovered today was Rory's call. A lot of fans were looking forward to having him call every tv game next season. A horrible loss for his family, the Angels, and Halo fans everywhere.
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I was utterly shocked when I learned of Rory Markus's death.
I only started listening to the radio broadcasts last season, so I wasn't yet able to discern Rory from Gubi and Terry, but the resonding majority of halo fans liked him the best. I especially liked the "Just another halo victory" call, which I discovered today was Rory's call. A lot of fans were looking forward to having him call every tv game next season. A horrible loss for his family, the Angels, and Halo fans everywhere.
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23 December 2009
thoughts: Rodney, Yankees, and the M's (again!)
Just some tidbits:
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So the Angels signed Fernando Rodney today. I'm ambivalent about this signing. While yes, Rodney helps to bolster a very bad Angels bullpen (that's already lost 'Dondo and Oliver, but gains Shields back from injury), it's not even close to a slam dunk.
The side that hates this deal says:
First of all, Rodney isn't what you'd call a lights-out reliever. He closed for the Tigers last year to the tune of 37 saves (out of 38 tries) and 2-5 with a 4.40ERA. Not pretty numbers, especially if you notice the declining K/9 rates. Add in the reputation of being erratic, and well, the save percentage doesn't look as appealing. Most backers would argue that most of the damagae to his numbers came in non-save situations, but uh, isn't he coming to Anaheim to set-up??? I can't imagine that Sosh will rock the boat and displace Fuentes unless Fuentes is really bad. Add in the fact that they're spending another $5-6M for a reliever, and the Angels have one pricey bullpen (Fuentes = $9M, Shields = $5.35M, Spier = $5.25M). The Angels had a tradition of a lockdown bullpen earlier in the decade, but well, weren't those built on cheap young talent or reclaimation projects? Throwing so much money at a relief pitcher seems like such a waste of resources.
The optimistic side says:
Rodney is a power arm (which Sosh loves in the bullpen) and has closer experience. He'll push Fuentes for the closer gig, and if Fuentes really sucks, bumping him to the set-up role can prevent his 2011 option from vesting. He's an established closer with great stuff - a mid-90s fastball and a fantastic slider. And he was the best relief option on the FA market. Most other FA relievers have signed elsewhere (Soriano, Saito, Wagner, Capps), unless Valverde and his crazy contract demands sounded appealing. For a bullpen that was in shambles last season, Rodney gives it a good to great addition.
Rodney was the best option out there for the Angels and I guess doing something is better than doing nothing in this case. But I just can't like this signing. Its too many dollars for a relief pitcher that doesn't have a consistant track record. I just hope that I'm wrong.
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So the Angels signed Fernando Rodney today. I'm ambivalent about this signing. While yes, Rodney helps to bolster a very bad Angels bullpen (that's already lost 'Dondo and Oliver, but gains Shields back from injury), it's not even close to a slam dunk.
The side that hates this deal says:
First of all, Rodney isn't what you'd call a lights-out reliever. He closed for the Tigers last year to the tune of 37 saves (out of 38 tries) and 2-5 with a 4.40ERA. Not pretty numbers, especially if you notice the declining K/9 rates. Add in the reputation of being erratic, and well, the save percentage doesn't look as appealing. Most backers would argue that most of the damagae to his numbers came in non-save situations, but uh, isn't he coming to Anaheim to set-up??? I can't imagine that Sosh will rock the boat and displace Fuentes unless Fuentes is really bad. Add in the fact that they're spending another $5-6M for a reliever, and the Angels have one pricey bullpen (Fuentes = $9M, Shields = $5.35M, Spier = $5.25M). The Angels had a tradition of a lockdown bullpen earlier in the decade, but well, weren't those built on cheap young talent or reclaimation projects? Throwing so much money at a relief pitcher seems like such a waste of resources.
The optimistic side says:
Rodney is a power arm (which Sosh loves in the bullpen) and has closer experience. He'll push Fuentes for the closer gig, and if Fuentes really sucks, bumping him to the set-up role can prevent his 2011 option from vesting. He's an established closer with great stuff - a mid-90s fastball and a fantastic slider. And he was the best relief option on the FA market. Most other FA relievers have signed elsewhere (Soriano, Saito, Wagner, Capps), unless Valverde and his crazy contract demands sounded appealing. For a bullpen that was in shambles last season, Rodney gives it a good to great addition.
Rodney was the best option out there for the Angels and I guess doing something is better than doing nothing in this case. But I just can't like this signing. Its too many dollars for a relief pitcher that doesn't have a consistant track record. I just hope that I'm wrong.
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21 December 2009
thoughts: Lackey, M's, Oliver
Just some tidbits:
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I can understand Lackey testing the FA market. I can understand that him getting as much money as he can. I can even understand him following that money to Boston (though I don't like it). What I can't understand is comments that indicate he wanted to go to Boston (and that he and his agent worked hard to convince Theo). I get that the RedSox win a lot (at least in this decade), but don't you think its a big FU to Halo Fans when you say things like "I was always interested in coming here. Winning was definitely my first priority of a team to go to." He's in a tough position - trying to win over RedSox fans, who have definitely disliked him for a long time, (remember he said that the Angels were the better team after '08 ALDS loss) is probably quite hard. But while he's doing that he's alienating Halo fans. It's like he can't wait to burn that bridge between Angels fans.
I'm beginning to really dislike players creditting their wives for helping them make FA decisions. I thought that Teixeira's comment that his wife told him to be a yankee was absolutely stupid. Sure, the NY fans are gonna love her, but now you basically unleash the hatred of 3 fan bases on her. Instead of owning up to your decision like a man, you let her take the responsibility. It seems like Lackey has taken that route too, mentioning his wife's northeastern roots and her family's RedSox fandom. Sure, its gonna endear you to BoSox fans (and help convince Theo you're serious about coming to Boston), but man, it makes it easier for bitter Angels fans to spread the hatred.
You can read the transcript of Lackey's Boston press conference here.
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I can understand Lackey testing the FA market. I can understand that him getting as much money as he can. I can even understand him following that money to Boston (though I don't like it). What I can't understand is comments that indicate he wanted to go to Boston (and that he and his agent worked hard to convince Theo). I get that the RedSox win a lot (at least in this decade), but don't you think its a big FU to Halo Fans when you say things like "I was always interested in coming here. Winning was definitely my first priority of a team to go to." He's in a tough position - trying to win over RedSox fans, who have definitely disliked him for a long time, (remember he said that the Angels were the better team after '08 ALDS loss) is probably quite hard. But while he's doing that he's alienating Halo fans. It's like he can't wait to burn that bridge between Angels fans.
I'm beginning to really dislike players creditting their wives for helping them make FA decisions. I thought that Teixeira's comment that his wife told him to be a yankee was absolutely stupid. Sure, the NY fans are gonna love her, but now you basically unleash the hatred of 3 fan bases on her. Instead of owning up to your decision like a man, you let her take the responsibility. It seems like Lackey has taken that route too, mentioning his wife's northeastern roots and her family's RedSox fandom. Sure, its gonna endear you to BoSox fans (and help convince Theo you're serious about coming to Boston), but man, it makes it easier for bitter Angels fans to spread the hatred.
You can read the transcript of Lackey's Boston press conference here.
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