Kaz as a Halo is done.
Not that I have much to say about it. The writing has been on the wall for quite some time. And since a Kaz post is right below this, I figured I should put in an update.
My take?
Disappointment. What a waste.
But now the Angels (and angels&aimee) can close the book and move on.
The book on the 2011 season hasn't quite closed, yet I'm looking forward to the future and enjoying the glimpses today..
Bourjos, Walden, Conger, Trumbo, Chatwood........... Trout
Showing posts with label my bad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my bad. Show all posts
15 June 2011
21 January 2011
confusion, derision
I was obviously disappointed when CC signed with the BoSox.
I was obviously frustrated when Beltre signed with the Rangers.
But I am completely out of my mind now that the Angels have acquired Vernon Wells.
(No disrespect to Wells. It's not his fault that the FO got swindled.)
I'd say that I'm pretty even-kneeled when it comes to criticizing the FO. There's no doubt that I was skeptical about their offseason moves, but I generally give them the benefit of the doubt. But then again, the FO isn't known to do such epically inexplicible things that even I, a common observant baseball fan, know is foolish.
Napoli and Rivera are useful pieces, to a degree. I'm not a particularly big fan of either. I know that Naps is getting expensive and that Rivera is moderately priced. I know that Vernon Wells is a useful piece. He had some good years before a string of bad years, but he rebounded nicely last year. Oh, the asterisk? He's massively overpaid to the tune of $86/4Yrs remaining - widely regarded as one of the most unmovable contracts in baseball.
I had a bad morning and well, just had a feeling that some Angels trade news was waiting for me at home. I was thinking that Tony traded for someone to upgrade the LF situation. So I was excited to hear that Naps was being traded. I was even optimistic when it was revealed that Wells was the one coming to Anaheim. I could have accepted a trade that brought cash along with Wells, to offset his ridiculous contract. But its unbelievable that the FO would bring in that contract without any compensation. The Angels FO is doing the Jays and AA a very big SOLID by not only bailing them out, but by paying them Naps and Rivera! I don't see the reason, Tony, I don't!
I was obviously frustrated when Beltre signed with the Rangers.
But I am completely out of my mind now that the Angels have acquired Vernon Wells.
(No disrespect to Wells. It's not his fault that the FO got swindled.)
I'd say that I'm pretty even-kneeled when it comes to criticizing the FO. There's no doubt that I was skeptical about their offseason moves, but I generally give them the benefit of the doubt. But then again, the FO isn't known to do such epically inexplicible things that even I, a common observant baseball fan, know is foolish.
Napoli and Rivera are useful pieces, to a degree. I'm not a particularly big fan of either. I know that Naps is getting expensive and that Rivera is moderately priced. I know that Vernon Wells is a useful piece. He had some good years before a string of bad years, but he rebounded nicely last year. Oh, the asterisk? He's massively overpaid to the tune of $86/4Yrs remaining - widely regarded as one of the most unmovable contracts in baseball.
I had a bad morning and well, just had a feeling that some Angels trade news was waiting for me at home. I was thinking that Tony traded for someone to upgrade the LF situation. So I was excited to hear that Naps was being traded. I was even optimistic when it was revealed that Wells was the one coming to Anaheim. I could have accepted a trade that brought cash along with Wells, to offset his ridiculous contract. But its unbelievable that the FO would bring in that contract without any compensation. The Angels FO is doing the Jays and AA a very big SOLID by not only bailing them out, but by paying them Naps and Rivera! I don't see the reason, Tony, I don't!
22 October 2010
resurrection!
No, your eyes are not deceiving you.
Yes this is a new post.
Yes, I'm raising angels&aimee back from the dead.
It's ALIVE!!! ALIVE!!!!
Okay, I got my corny joke quota out of the way. =)
Anyways, I'm back mostly because I never intended to put down this blog for good. I'm pretty disappointed and ashamed that the first season of angels&aimee was so much of a disaster (much like the Halo's season... I certainly hope that they too are disappointed and ashamed). However, I certainly learned a lot from the experience, and hopefully some good can come out of a lost season.
I certainly have a renewed respect for unpaid bloggers, especially those that additionally hold down a full-time job (and/or families and/or a social life, etc.). Blogging is certainly something that requires a firm commitment. It's quite easy for me to put aside this blog, under the guise of not-enough-time-for-luxuries and the madness of work/school. Funnily enough, I encountered an appropriate quote in one of my classes - "Blogs are like sharks, they must keep swimming or they die." (- Garr Reynolds). As I move on to my second season as a citizen of the halosphere, I'm going to keep that in mind as I try to strike a balance between "keep swimming" and fulfilling other commitments, between thoughtful & substantial posts and the quick & easy blurbs.
What definitely helps is that my love for the Halos and baseball hasn't lessened, contrary to the semi-death of this blog. I still believe that the Angels have what it takes to return to glory, even with the shake-ups in the FO. I've kept my eye on the baseball world and have been checking the playoff games (I kind of can't avoid all the excited Giants fans in the Bay Area). I was supremely disappointed that I missed Doc's no-hitter. Darn classes. Later, I'll hopefully have a cumulative post on my thoughts about this year's postseason and the effects, if any, it may have on the Angels.
Right now, I'm brainstorming on post ideas for what's looking to be a pivotal offseason, both for the Halos and for angels&aimee. I've already decided that this season warrants a review and analysis so I can hash out where I think the Angels need to go from here. Of course there will be thoughts about signings and trades. And then it'll be the sophomore season for this blog and hopefully, I will continue to learn and grow to become a better fan and blogger.
So onward we go. The Angels and Aimee.
Yes this is a new post.
Yes, I'm raising angels&aimee back from the dead.
It's ALIVE!!! ALIVE!!!!
Okay, I got my corny joke quota out of the way. =)
Anyways, I'm back mostly because I never intended to put down this blog for good. I'm pretty disappointed and ashamed that the first season of angels&aimee was so much of a disaster (much like the Halo's season... I certainly hope that they too are disappointed and ashamed). However, I certainly learned a lot from the experience, and hopefully some good can come out of a lost season.
I certainly have a renewed respect for unpaid bloggers, especially those that additionally hold down a full-time job (and/or families and/or a social life, etc.). Blogging is certainly something that requires a firm commitment. It's quite easy for me to put aside this blog, under the guise of not-enough-time-for-luxuries and the madness of work/school. Funnily enough, I encountered an appropriate quote in one of my classes - "Blogs are like sharks, they must keep swimming or they die." (- Garr Reynolds). As I move on to my second season as a citizen of the halosphere, I'm going to keep that in mind as I try to strike a balance between "keep swimming" and fulfilling other commitments, between thoughtful & substantial posts and the quick & easy blurbs.
What definitely helps is that my love for the Halos and baseball hasn't lessened, contrary to the semi-death of this blog. I still believe that the Angels have what it takes to return to glory, even with the shake-ups in the FO. I've kept my eye on the baseball world and have been checking the playoff games (I kind of can't avoid all the excited Giants fans in the Bay Area). I was supremely disappointed that I missed Doc's no-hitter. Darn classes. Later, I'll hopefully have a cumulative post on my thoughts about this year's postseason and the effects, if any, it may have on the Angels.
Right now, I'm brainstorming on post ideas for what's looking to be a pivotal offseason, both for the Halos and for angels&aimee. I've already decided that this season warrants a review and analysis so I can hash out where I think the Angels need to go from here. Of course there will be thoughts about signings and trades. And then it'll be the sophomore season for this blog and hopefully, I will continue to learn and grow to become a better fan and blogger.
So onward we go. The Angels and Aimee.
25 July 2010
kaz is broken, but not trash
Obviously, I've been putting off writing about Kaz for a while now. It's actually been a lot longer than July 1st, when I promised a Kaz post. In fact, it's been on my mind since early-June, when Kaz's "progress" was clearly slow-moving. After each shaky start I kept hoping, "hey, maybe he'll turn it around in his next start." And since that disaster in Boston, he had generally spared me the indignity of admitting just how wrong I was. But as Kaz continued to dovetail, it became obviously apparent just how cowardly I have been.
Well I suppose that it's better that I just get it over with.
This post?
Yeah, I was wrong.
Frankly, Kaz hasn't been ace-like. Not even close. He hasn't been close to worth his contract this year ($8M this year, $12M next) nor has trading for him been really a win (SRod has improved and is doing passable in Tampa Bay - the Halos certainly could've used him for infield depth). Kaz has been frustratingly tantalizing - good and bad, and always prone to a bad inning. And then he and Butch would discuss trying/working on something new. After all the promise of his offseason workouts, the sum of him this season has ranged from mediocre to spectacularly bad. That's probably a part of why he's been a target for fan disenchantment - he's been an epitome of a disappointment, and a summation of the team as a whole.
I know I can't defend his play. And I know that his results do not justify his pay.
But whether it's pride, stubbornness, faith, or complete idiocity, I'm still optimistic.
Well I suppose that it's better that I just get it over with.
This post?
Yeah, I was wrong.
Frankly, Kaz hasn't been ace-like. Not even close. He hasn't been close to worth his contract this year ($8M this year, $12M next) nor has trading for him been really a win (SRod has improved and is doing passable in Tampa Bay - the Halos certainly could've used him for infield depth). Kaz has been frustratingly tantalizing - good and bad, and always prone to a bad inning. And then he and Butch would discuss trying/working on something new. After all the promise of his offseason workouts, the sum of him this season has ranged from mediocre to spectacularly bad. That's probably a part of why he's been a target for fan disenchantment - he's been an epitome of a disappointment, and a summation of the team as a whole.
I know I can't defend his play. And I know that his results do not justify his pay.
But whether it's pride, stubbornness, faith, or complete idiocity, I'm still optimistic.
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:
--------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------
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:
--------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------
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.
07 March 2010
thoughts: ST games, Rojas, GA, etc.
It's about time for me to go into my finals-studying isolation, so posting here should be quite sparse for a few weeks.
Just some tidbits:
--------------------------------
Cactus League play started this past Friday and the Angels pulled out an exciting tie (can you sense the sarcasm?). Then followed with two less-than-exciting losses (to the Rockies and A's). I don't really care about spring training wins/losses (you figure they've gotta win sometime, right?), but the real treat was having the opportunity to see young prospects like Reckling, Chatwood, Amarista, Trumbo, Conger, etc. I'm still waiting to see Chaffee and Smith in action, so it's not so fun that yesterday's game wasn't televised and today's game got rained out.
--------------------------------
Victor Rojas, the newly hired Angels play-by-play announcer, explained why he decided to leave MLB Network to come to the Angels. Well, mostly it was him explaining how he got the MLBN gig in the first place and how he grew into the role. Two thoughts - first, it speaks really well of him that, although he didn't have any broadcasting experience, he dove right into the work, was amendable to adapting on the fly, and never really shied away from trying new things. Secondly, that as much as he professes to have loved his work on MLBN, Arte got him to come to Anaheim. Specifically, "...most importantly [I left] because ... Mr. Moreno (I promise I will learn to call you Arte) wanted to make a commitment to me and the family." When the announcement was made and the resultant feedback in the halosphere was positive, I kinda wondered how the Angels enticed a national broadcaster to leave a network he helped build to come to Anaheim, where the west coast bias is in full swing. All indications point to it being a great hire and for all you doubters out there, here's another instance where Arte is doing all he can to make the Angels experience a great one.
I'm looking forward to seeing Rojas in action!
--------------------------------
Just some tidbits:
--------------------------------
Cactus League play started this past Friday and the Angels pulled out an exciting tie (can you sense the sarcasm?). Then followed with two less-than-exciting losses (to the Rockies and A's). I don't really care about spring training wins/losses (you figure they've gotta win sometime, right?), but the real treat was having the opportunity to see young prospects like Reckling, Chatwood, Amarista, Trumbo, Conger, etc. I'm still waiting to see Chaffee and Smith in action, so it's not so fun that yesterday's game wasn't televised and today's game got rained out.
--------------------------------
Victor Rojas, the newly hired Angels play-by-play announcer, explained why he decided to leave MLB Network to come to the Angels. Well, mostly it was him explaining how he got the MLBN gig in the first place and how he grew into the role. Two thoughts - first, it speaks really well of him that, although he didn't have any broadcasting experience, he dove right into the work, was amendable to adapting on the fly, and never really shied away from trying new things. Secondly, that as much as he professes to have loved his work on MLBN, Arte got him to come to Anaheim. Specifically, "...most importantly [I left] because ... Mr. Moreno (I promise I will learn to call you Arte) wanted to make a commitment to me and the family." When the announcement was made and the resultant feedback in the halosphere was positive, I kinda wondered how the Angels enticed a national broadcaster to leave a network he helped build to come to Anaheim, where the west coast bias is in full swing. All indications point to it being a great hire and for all you doubters out there, here's another instance where Arte is doing all he can to make the Angels experience a great one.
I'm looking forward to seeing Rojas in action!
--------------------------------
02 March 2010
news, but nothing new
So remember when I said that the start of spring training would mean that news will start flowing? Well I was only partially right. It's been a flow of news with mostly eye-rolling (in)significance. I don't want angels&aimee to be about reporting/rehashing news, but just to show you the absolute derth of stuff to comment on, here's a sampling of the news since I made that horrible statement:
- Mathis won his arbitration case and said the process was "interesting." Sosh added that Mathis has more offensive ability than he's shown.
- Matsui arrived in camp. The waiting Japanese media rejoiced that they didn't need to take video/pictures of his locker anymore.
- Kaz was sick with a sore throat and fever and was sent home for a day.
- Guns aren't allowed in the clubhouse.
- Rain washed out some workouts last weekend.
- Shields and Jepsen have been taking the slow track in workouts. Rodney has also been held back due to his shins.
- Matsui's Japanese media throng is a circus and they have an unsatiable need for Matsui news
- Torii is fine after offseason surgery.
- Rodney came to the Angels to try to win a championship, not to close.
- Abreu is gonna hit second in the lineup.
- Sosh says that BWood's defense is more important than his offensive production, in terms of keeping playing time. He also compared him to Glaus
- Saunders is looking forward to golfing with Smoltz next offseason.
- Naps is trying out a new, bigger glove to improve his defense and hopefully earn more playing time.
- More stuff about the lack of an ace in the rotation. And more stuff on why that doesn't really matter.
- Ervin is working towards more consistancy.
- Kendry switched agents (from the Hendricks brothers to Boras) after he discovered that $300K was taken from his bank account without his permission, allegedly by a (now former) employee of the Hendricks brothers.
- Q was surprised and pleased to be back with the Angels.
- The Angels had photo day.
- The latin players miss Vlad and his mom's food.
- Willits is once again organizing a toy drive for players' and coaches' children and a local school/shelter.
- Saunders is trying to get back to where he was in 2008.
- Kendry's still not in camp because of some immigration snafu.
- Rumors that the Angels signed Erstad were disproved.
- Kendry finally arrived in camp.
yawn.
I love that spring training is all about anticipation and optimism for the new season, but really, I'm becoming quite impatient. Baseball, please!
If you haven't already, check out the pictures from Tempe. It makes me envy those at spring training even more, especially when I'm sitting in class learning how a solid becomes a liquid.
- Mathis won his arbitration case and said the process was "interesting." Sosh added that Mathis has more offensive ability than he's shown.
- Matsui arrived in camp. The waiting Japanese media rejoiced that they didn't need to take video/pictures of his locker anymore.
- Kaz was sick with a sore throat and fever and was sent home for a day.
- Guns aren't allowed in the clubhouse.
- Rain washed out some workouts last weekend.
- Shields and Jepsen have been taking the slow track in workouts. Rodney has also been held back due to his shins.
- Matsui's Japanese media throng is a circus and they have an unsatiable need for Matsui news
- Torii is fine after offseason surgery.
- Rodney came to the Angels to try to win a championship, not to close.
- Abreu is gonna hit second in the lineup.
- Sosh says that BWood's defense is more important than his offensive production, in terms of keeping playing time. He also compared him to Glaus
- Saunders is looking forward to golfing with Smoltz next offseason.
- Naps is trying out a new, bigger glove to improve his defense and hopefully earn more playing time.
- More stuff about the lack of an ace in the rotation. And more stuff on why that doesn't really matter.
- Ervin is working towards more consistancy.
- Kendry switched agents (from the Hendricks brothers to Boras) after he discovered that $300K was taken from his bank account without his permission, allegedly by a (now former) employee of the Hendricks brothers.
- Q was surprised and pleased to be back with the Angels.
- The Angels had photo day.
- The latin players miss Vlad and his mom's food.
- Willits is once again organizing a toy drive for players' and coaches' children and a local school/shelter.
- Saunders is trying to get back to where he was in 2008.
- Kendry's still not in camp because of some immigration snafu.
- Rumors that the Angels signed Erstad were disproved.
- Kendry finally arrived in camp.
yawn.
I love that spring training is all about anticipation and optimism for the new season, but really, I'm becoming quite impatient. Baseball, please!
If you haven't already, check out the pictures from Tempe. It makes me envy those at spring training even more, especially when I'm sitting in class learning how a solid becomes a liquid.
