Spring Training is a week in and I'm back to watching/listening/consuming Angels baseball.
What, are you surprised? I'm not that much a bandwagon fan.
If you truly care about someone/something, you never walk away after the first fight. You come back and try to work it out.
So I'm (somewhat) reconciled with the thought that the FO (cue Gob Bluth) made a huge mistake. But I'm still struggling to regain the faith and trust I held for FO moves. It's an ongoing process.
I'm actually not too concerned that I'm still skeptical of the FO. Isn't that a hallmark of any good relationship? That each challenges, inspires, and pushes the other? I want the Angels to be the best that they can be. They in turn, challenge and inspire me to be the best fan I can be. And of course, I give them unconditional love. Er, I just can't quit them!
It took me a long time (as you can see from the archives) to come back here. I tend to post when I feel like I have something to say - when the Angels give me something to say, to feel. And the past month or so, I've been sifting through how I feel about the FO and this season.
Showing posts with label the team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the team. Show all posts
05 March 2011
15 November 2010
in retrospect: 2010
The 2010 season was something of a rollercoaster.
During the offseason, I commented that the 2010 season would be something of a bridge year, where Tony and the FO were trying to see what the young core could do. I especially remember that I included a comment from Halosheaven.com:
For the most point, the whole "young core" flopped. (Of course, Weave isn't included in that.)
Perhaps the most perplexing of all, the veterans were no help either. Torii was the only consistant performer while others like Abreu and Rivera had career-worst years.
I remember chatting with my supervisor during my summer internship (he's a Phillies fan). He asked me point-blank what was up with the Angels and I really didn't know what to say. This was after the Haren trade and after Bourjos had been called up - and the team continued to tank. But I realized, everytime there was a glimmer of hope, the Halos couldn't latch on and ride a bit of momentum. Case in point: Haren arrived from the Dbacks, the Halos got swept by the BoSox => Haren got to spend 5 days on a "contending team." :::sigh::
There was no consistancy.
The good news is that a lot of the roster performed way under any reasonable expectations. I'm not advocating bringing back the team as is, but I'm allowing myself some optimism, cause let's face it - the team is a whole lot better than what it showed in 2010.
It was pretty much a long list of disappointments. Luckily, there were a few (glimmering) bright spots in a dismal season.
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During the offseason, I commented that the 2010 season would be something of a bridge year, where Tony and the FO were trying to see what the young core could do. I especially remember that I included a comment from Halosheaven.com:
"You know what this offseason is? A challenge/gamble to our young core: OK, which one of you is going to be a star? ... This young core is getting more expensive every year, limiting our ability to go after free agents, but they’re also all around 26, 27 years old. A couple of breakout seasons and we’ll forget all about what a lousy offseason this was supposed to be."Well, we all saw how that ended up.
For the most point, the whole "young core" flopped. (Of course, Weave isn't included in that.)
Perhaps the most perplexing of all, the veterans were no help either. Torii was the only consistant performer while others like Abreu and Rivera had career-worst years.
I remember chatting with my supervisor during my summer internship (he's a Phillies fan). He asked me point-blank what was up with the Angels and I really didn't know what to say. This was after the Haren trade and after Bourjos had been called up - and the team continued to tank. But I realized, everytime there was a glimmer of hope, the Halos couldn't latch on and ride a bit of momentum. Case in point: Haren arrived from the Dbacks, the Halos got swept by the BoSox => Haren got to spend 5 days on a "contending team." :::sigh::
There was no consistancy.
The good news is that a lot of the roster performed way under any reasonable expectations. I'm not advocating bringing back the team as is, but I'm allowing myself some optimism, cause let's face it - the team is a whole lot better than what it showed in 2010.
It was pretty much a long list of disappointments. Luckily, there were a few (glimmering) bright spots in a dismal season.
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28 July 2010
thoughts: Lackey, .500, Pineiro out
I've been able to read the paper daily to get my Angels news. You can imagine my surprise to see this:
Sure, Angel fans were caught off-guard with his signing with the RedSox. I'm sure many fans, young and old struggled to accept that he would be with a team every Angels fan has learned to hate. I know I certainly did. But I think they, and I, would have been able to get over the shock and accept the fact that Boston offered a contract that was much better than what the Angels were offering. See Figgins, Chone.
Had he left with grace, with the consciousness that his move to the RedSox would hurt Angels fans, maybe he could have expected a better homecoming.
But he did not.
He left scorning the organization, the team, and the fans. Is he so arrogant that he believes he's above the consequences of those actions?
Lackey said he didn't know what kind of reception to expect from Angels fans but added that he "hopes they respect the things I did here, for sure."If Lackey had an accurate memory, he would know better than to expect anything less than the reception he got.
Sure, Angel fans were caught off-guard with his signing with the RedSox. I'm sure many fans, young and old struggled to accept that he would be with a team every Angels fan has learned to hate. I know I certainly did. But I think they, and I, would have been able to get over the shock and accept the fact that Boston offered a contract that was much better than what the Angels were offering. See Figgins, Chone.
Had he left with grace, with the consciousness that his move to the RedSox would hurt Angels fans, maybe he could have expected a better homecoming.
But he did not.
He left scorning the organization, the team, and the fans. Is he so arrogant that he believes he's above the consequences of those actions?
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.
15 June 2010
home sweet home?
Well after a very hectic last couple of weeks, I'm finally back home in Southern California for the summer.
And just about the time that the Halos returned from their marathon 14-game road trip. Unfortunately, me being home means that my mlb.tv account is useless and I'm once again dependent on Terry. Though I'm not complaining about not seeing last night's game.
Last night started promising enough, with Saunders breezing through 2 innings (despite all those fly balls) and the Halos scoring some early runs thanks to Frandsen. It seemed like Joe could wiggle out of the jam in the 3rd - until Ryan Braun sent the ball over the fence for a grand slam. And Saundo never really recovered. Those that didn't hit the ball hard, he walked, regressing to his early season form.
(Terry mentioned a perplexing split between Joe's home and away performances. Much like Abreau's hitting splits, those kind of extreme results at home and on the road are interesting.)
Of course, it was clear that it was just one of those games, so the real news was Aybar's injury. After seeing the replay, I don't think that there was any intent from McGehee - it was just an unfortunate result of a hard play and an errant throw. Hopefully Aybar is only out for a week or so, because the Angels' infield depth is already stretched at the seams.
With the ineptitude of BWood, injury of Kendry, and fragile-ness of Izzy, the Angels are running out of quality players to plug into holes. Frandsen has been a pleasant surprise and very much a critical piece. But it'd be wishful thinking to believe that the Angels can pull another one of those out of Salt Lake. Aybar's injury needs to be short-lived, otherwise the Angels are in real trouble. The ironic thing is that in the preseason, many talking heads and bloggers (like me!) noted the lack of the usual Angels depth. They just figured the weak point was in the aging outfield, rather than the young, homegrown infield. But while none of the outfielders (including Matsui!) have hit the DL, five infielders have (Wilson, Mathis, BWood, Izzy, KMo). Just goes to show the unpredictability of a season.
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And just about the time that the Halos returned from their marathon 14-game road trip. Unfortunately, me being home means that my mlb.tv account is useless and I'm once again dependent on Terry. Though I'm not complaining about not seeing last night's game.
Last night started promising enough, with Saunders breezing through 2 innings (despite all those fly balls) and the Halos scoring some early runs thanks to Frandsen. It seemed like Joe could wiggle out of the jam in the 3rd - until Ryan Braun sent the ball over the fence for a grand slam. And Saundo never really recovered. Those that didn't hit the ball hard, he walked, regressing to his early season form.
(Terry mentioned a perplexing split between Joe's home and away performances. Much like Abreau's hitting splits, those kind of extreme results at home and on the road are interesting.)
Of course, it was clear that it was just one of those games, so the real news was Aybar's injury. After seeing the replay, I don't think that there was any intent from McGehee - it was just an unfortunate result of a hard play and an errant throw. Hopefully Aybar is only out for a week or so, because the Angels' infield depth is already stretched at the seams.
With the ineptitude of BWood, injury of Kendry, and fragile-ness of Izzy, the Angels are running out of quality players to plug into holes. Frandsen has been a pleasant surprise and very much a critical piece. But it'd be wishful thinking to believe that the Angels can pull another one of those out of Salt Lake. Aybar's injury needs to be short-lived, otherwise the Angels are in real trouble. The ironic thing is that in the preseason, many talking heads and bloggers (like me!) noted the lack of the usual Angels depth. They just figured the weak point was in the aging outfield, rather than the young, homegrown infield. But while none of the outfielders (including Matsui!) have hit the DL, five infielders have (Wilson, Mathis, BWood, Izzy, KMo). Just goes to show the unpredictability of a season.
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30 May 2010
replacement players
Yesterday, Doc Halladay threw a perfect game - something any baseball fan can appreciate. Yesterday, the Lakers closed out the Suns and are making their third consecutive trip to the Finals - something all Los Angelenos are aware of. But to this Halo fan, the only thing that mattered yesterday was the walk-off broken leg of Kendry Morales.
Now its a new day, with some perspective and a level head.
Well at least for most the halosphere.
In the wake of Kendry's unbelievable injury, there has been a flurry of trade proposals and evaluations on the halosphere, the interwebs, and the media. I was thinking about this myself, since there is no clear-cut heir apparent. (And why would there be? After last year, KMo was sure to be entrenched there). There's two main things to consider: Worse case, Kendry is only going to be out for the rest of the season, and the Angels farm system is woefully barren (hence the excitement of those great prospects in Cedar Rapids and the 5 first round picks next next week). I can't see the FO making a blockbuster trade (Konerko, Berkman) just to fill in 1B for 3/4ths a season and deplete the farm even more. There is no way that the Angels could (or would) get AGon, Pena or Fielder. I wondered a bit about Mike Lowell, but I'm wary that the Red Sox will try to gouge Reagins, despite their desire to move him. The only out-of-house options I could see happening would be cheap free-agent types (Ryan Garko, Jermaine Dye). Halosheaven has got it right - the Angels won't be doing anything drastic, it's going to be in-house.
I wouldn't be surprised if 1B is a revolving door. I wouldn't expect BWood, Wilson, Q, or Naps to be there everyday, but I think all can handle the position at around replacement level. Apparently, Sosh sees the obvious least-sucky option - Naps is at 1B today. I'm surprised, to say the least. Firstly, that Sosh would throw Naps in there so suddenly (he hasn't played there since 2006 in the minors) and that he would do so with Mathis still on the DL. Well we'll see how this evolves - at least Naps can swing the bat.
They say that baseball is a game of adjustments and really, this is just another challenge for the Angels. Kendry was the best young player in the lineup, but now its up to the underperforming veterans (Matsui, Abreu, Rivera, and to some extent Torii) to start pull their weight.
Now its a new day, with some perspective and a level head.
Well at least for most the halosphere.
In the wake of Kendry's unbelievable injury, there has been a flurry of trade proposals and evaluations on the halosphere, the interwebs, and the media. I was thinking about this myself, since there is no clear-cut heir apparent. (And why would there be? After last year, KMo was sure to be entrenched there). There's two main things to consider: Worse case, Kendry is only going to be out for the rest of the season, and the Angels farm system is woefully barren (hence the excitement of those great prospects in Cedar Rapids and the 5 first round picks next next week). I can't see the FO making a blockbuster trade (Konerko, Berkman) just to fill in 1B for 3/4ths a season and deplete the farm even more. There is no way that the Angels could (or would) get AGon, Pena or Fielder. I wondered a bit about Mike Lowell, but I'm wary that the Red Sox will try to gouge Reagins, despite their desire to move him. The only out-of-house options I could see happening would be cheap free-agent types (Ryan Garko, Jermaine Dye). Halosheaven has got it right - the Angels won't be doing anything drastic, it's going to be in-house.
I wouldn't be surprised if 1B is a revolving door. I wouldn't expect BWood, Wilson, Q, or Naps to be there everyday, but I think all can handle the position at around replacement level. Apparently, Sosh sees the obvious least-sucky option - Naps is at 1B today. I'm surprised, to say the least. Firstly, that Sosh would throw Naps in there so suddenly (he hasn't played there since 2006 in the minors) and that he would do so with Mathis still on the DL. Well we'll see how this evolves - at least Naps can swing the bat.
They say that baseball is a game of adjustments and really, this is just another challenge for the Angels. Kendry was the best young player in the lineup, but now its up to the underperforming veterans (Matsui, Abreu, Rivera, and to some extent Torii) to start pull their weight.
16 May 2010
sweep!
Just checking in...
These coming weeks are looking to be very hectic for me as my magnetism project will be consuming me. Just a few thoughts:
- I was very proud that the Angels took heed of what I said in my last post. Even though they lost that game, they ended up threatening in the 8th inning and not giving up.
- I actually really liked Kaz's and Sosh's postgame comments. Firstly, Kaz noted that going 5IP isn't acceptable. And secondly, he stated "I know I have what it takes to be a quality starter in this league." It really goes back to the fact that Kaz is going to do whatever he can to get back to where he can be. He and Butcher are going to work on his mechanics to try to get him back to where he needs to be. Truthfully, I don't know how much good it will do and how quickly it can produce results. But I was relieved that Sosh decided to keep him in the rotation (shows some faith) and that the Angels are "still trying to unlock Kaz and get him to be the pitcher we know he can be." At least the Angels are still as hopeful as I am that Kaz is better than he's shown.
- There were two great articles in the LA Times. One was on the role of pitching coaches. Another was T.J. Simer's article on Wednesday. I enjoyed the Angels coverage with the acerbic wit, though you know, I think he's developed some respect for Fuentes!
- That loss last Wednesday was disappointing. Partially because it was because Weave was on the mound and he's risen so high that my expectations have risen accordingly. But it was also the defensive miscues that were so difficult to stomach.
- Friday's masterful performance from Saundo was perhaps the opposite of Wednesday's loss. It seemed to come out of left field! But anyway, that is MUCH closer to the Saunders that Angels fans are used to seeing. I have a sneaky suspicion that the wide strike zone and ineptitude of A's hitters had a lot to do with Saunder's success. Nevertheless, it has to do wonders for Saunder's confidence. I loved to see the smile he had when he hugged Naps and then Weave.
- Saturday's game was good to see. After the initial fear that the Angels bats were going to get no-hit (why is it that Angels hitters can't hit rookie pitchers??), they got some breaks and really broke out. I loved that they didn't show any mercy, but were always working for more runs and never seemed satisfied. During the past losing streak, there were times where the offense simply believed that what they did was enough and they went into hibernation.
- Missed most of Sunday's win, but it was good to see some momentum being built. In fact, a pretty great day: Angels sweep the A's, Tampa Bay beats Seattle, Toronto sweeps Texas, Detroit wins against the Red Sox (and scores 5ER against Lackey), and the Twins come back against the Yankees. Great day!
- One of the best things about two complete games and a blowout in this sweep was the complete irrelevance of the bullpen. If the rotation can limit the bullpen appearances half as good as it did this weekend, there would be much less of a glaring hole.
- The Angels seemed a lot more like themselves during the sweep. The M's seemed to be the right tonic last weekend, but the Halos regressed against the Rays. Will the A's prove to be a more potent cure-all?
- I'm curious to see how the Angels respond to Texas. Surprisingly their first meeting, but I think the outcome of those two games can go a long way to setting the tone for the rivalry.
- After the Rangers, the Angels embark on a stretch of games where the opponents are noticably weaker than the early schedule has provided. I'm definitely looking forward to it.
These coming weeks are looking to be very hectic for me as my magnetism project will be consuming me. Just a few thoughts:
- I was very proud that the Angels took heed of what I said in my last post. Even though they lost that game, they ended up threatening in the 8th inning and not giving up.
- I actually really liked Kaz's and Sosh's postgame comments. Firstly, Kaz noted that going 5IP isn't acceptable. And secondly, he stated "I know I have what it takes to be a quality starter in this league." It really goes back to the fact that Kaz is going to do whatever he can to get back to where he can be. He and Butcher are going to work on his mechanics to try to get him back to where he needs to be. Truthfully, I don't know how much good it will do and how quickly it can produce results. But I was relieved that Sosh decided to keep him in the rotation (shows some faith) and that the Angels are "still trying to unlock Kaz and get him to be the pitcher we know he can be." At least the Angels are still as hopeful as I am that Kaz is better than he's shown.
- There were two great articles in the LA Times. One was on the role of pitching coaches. Another was T.J. Simer's article on Wednesday. I enjoyed the Angels coverage with the acerbic wit, though you know, I think he's developed some respect for Fuentes!
- That loss last Wednesday was disappointing. Partially because it was because Weave was on the mound and he's risen so high that my expectations have risen accordingly. But it was also the defensive miscues that were so difficult to stomach.
- Friday's masterful performance from Saundo was perhaps the opposite of Wednesday's loss. It seemed to come out of left field! But anyway, that is MUCH closer to the Saunders that Angels fans are used to seeing. I have a sneaky suspicion that the wide strike zone and ineptitude of A's hitters had a lot to do with Saunder's success. Nevertheless, it has to do wonders for Saunder's confidence. I loved to see the smile he had when he hugged Naps and then Weave.
- Saturday's game was good to see. After the initial fear that the Angels bats were going to get no-hit (why is it that Angels hitters can't hit rookie pitchers??), they got some breaks and really broke out. I loved that they didn't show any mercy, but were always working for more runs and never seemed satisfied. During the past losing streak, there were times where the offense simply believed that what they did was enough and they went into hibernation.
- Missed most of Sunday's win, but it was good to see some momentum being built. In fact, a pretty great day: Angels sweep the A's, Tampa Bay beats Seattle, Toronto sweeps Texas, Detroit wins against the Red Sox (and scores 5ER against Lackey), and the Twins come back against the Yankees. Great day!
- One of the best things about two complete games and a blowout in this sweep was the complete irrelevance of the bullpen. If the rotation can limit the bullpen appearances half as good as it did this weekend, there would be much less of a glaring hole.
- The Angels seemed a lot more like themselves during the sweep. The M's seemed to be the right tonic last weekend, but the Halos regressed against the Rays. Will the A's prove to be a more potent cure-all?
- I'm curious to see how the Angels respond to Texas. Surprisingly their first meeting, but I think the outcome of those two games can go a long way to setting the tone for the rivalry.
- After the Rangers, the Angels embark on a stretch of games where the opponents are noticably weaker than the early schedule has provided. I'm definitely looking forward to it.
11 May 2010
progress?
A quote from Torii after Monday's win:
Today, (so far) this game is a blowout. I want to see the Angels fight through it, chip away, do anything but lay down and conceed the game. I would consider that a big step forward after that awful road trip.
Kaz took some baby steps today. I don't think he did as bad as the line suggests. He didn't give up any extra base hits and a few of the hits were of the infield variety. And 3ER after that disaster in Boston is a definite improvement. Of course, the big things holding him down (walks, pitch count) did not improve. He wasn't economical with his pitches, for the most part lived on the outer edges of the plate, and was at 108 pitches in 5IP. We'll see if he can at least keep heading in the right direction.
Weave vs. Price tomorrow should be a great game. Hopefully I'll get to catch some of it!
“That felt good,” Hunter said. “It was good to get away from that road trip. That was a disaster. We’d like to apologize to the fans, to the front office and everybody because of the way we played. It was terrible. But we won two out of three in Seattle and kind of built off of it.”Coming back home has been met with better play from the Halos. Not great or really even good, but passable. Yesterday's win highlighted the holes in defense, baserunning (2 strike 'em out, throw 'em out DPs), and of course the bullpen. They dug out the win though, which I though was the best sign. The Rays could've very well stolen the game, but I thought that the Angels were very much in it and had the momentum. They gritted through to win it.
Today, (so far) this game is a blowout. I want to see the Angels fight through it, chip away, do anything but lay down and conceed the game. I would consider that a big step forward after that awful road trip.
Kaz took some baby steps today. I don't think he did as bad as the line suggests. He didn't give up any extra base hits and a few of the hits were of the infield variety. And 3ER after that disaster in Boston is a definite improvement. Of course, the big things holding him down (walks, pitch count) did not improve. He wasn't economical with his pitches, for the most part lived on the outer edges of the plate, and was at 108 pitches in 5IP. We'll see if he can at least keep heading in the right direction.
Weave vs. Price tomorrow should be a great game. Hopefully I'll get to catch some of it!
09 May 2010
perfect and not so much
Dallas Braden threw a perfect game today. And not against some puff-piece lineup either. Tampa Bay is one of the hottest teams in the league with the best record in baseball. Tough for the Rays - they've been at the wrong end of a perfect game for the second time in a row.
Despite the fact that Braden is an Oakland pitcher, I was rooting for him. That whole spat with A-Rod was amusing to me (a bystander), but I took Dallas's side. Even though Dallas may have flipped out unnecessarily over the whole it's-a-unwritten-rule and that-is-my-mound-! thing, I thought A-rod was the one that looked like the jerk. A-rod could've (and should've!) taken the high road and said something along the lines of "I didn't mean any disrespect," and "I've never heard of that unwritten rule." Instead, A-rod took a dig at him, saying that he didn't expect to be called out by someone with "a handful of wins." That's just arrogant and disrespectful. It ended up making the whole incident more than it was. Even worse, in response to Dallas's interview with a reporter, A-rod couldn't let go of his ego and stoked the fire even more with his comment on not wanting to extend his "15 minutes of fame."
Well now Dallas Braden has much more than 15 minutes of fame as A-rod's crazy nemesis. Congrats to Dallas, now he's written in the history of baseball.
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Now onto Angels baseball.
Yesterday the Angels pretty much were asking the M's to take the game. Thankfully, the M's are such a mess that they didn't know how to. Saunders took some positive steps forward, even though he unravelled in the end against a pitiful lineup. Same with the bullpen, as each reliever seemed to teeter on the brink of fail. Fuentes provided a surprising lockdown inning, striking out two and giving up no baserunners. With the new mustache, I can't help but think he looks like Mario, even though he's Latino, not Italian. Maybe he'll start throwing some fireballs. Frandsen made a great Angels debut, going 3-4 with some nice stops at 3rd and some high throws. Nothing much to note, except it didn't look like the Angels built upon the previous win. I wouldn't say they regressed - it took some guts to win that game in extras when you know that Stokes and Fuentes were all that was left in the bullpen. I guess I was disappointed that they didn't take off right off the bat. I guess it's gonna take some time for the Angels to turn on the switch.
Today's play didn't really help. Misplays abound, horrible relief, and silent bats. Silver lining was the terrific 3.2 innings Ervin pitched before losing focus and imploding. That and the terrific defensive plays by Reggie and Rivera in the outfield to get two assists. Also, at least there's the solstice in knowing that today was probably one of the worse lineups Sosh could trot out. Q as DH!?! I'd think letting Ryan play the outfield with Abreu as the DH would be better. But hey, I'm just a blogger, maybe Sosh was counting on Q's communion with pink bats...
Tomorrow's another day and another game. We'll see how the Halos respond to losing and returning back home.
Despite the fact that Braden is an Oakland pitcher, I was rooting for him. That whole spat with A-Rod was amusing to me (a bystander), but I took Dallas's side. Even though Dallas may have flipped out unnecessarily over the whole it's-a-unwritten-rule and that-is-my-mound-! thing, I thought A-rod was the one that looked like the jerk. A-rod could've (and should've!) taken the high road and said something along the lines of "I didn't mean any disrespect," and "I've never heard of that unwritten rule." Instead, A-rod took a dig at him, saying that he didn't expect to be called out by someone with "a handful of wins." That's just arrogant and disrespectful. It ended up making the whole incident more than it was. Even worse, in response to Dallas's interview with a reporter, A-rod couldn't let go of his ego and stoked the fire even more with his comment on not wanting to extend his "15 minutes of fame."
Well now Dallas Braden has much more than 15 minutes of fame as A-rod's crazy nemesis. Congrats to Dallas, now he's written in the history of baseball.
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Now onto Angels baseball.
Yesterday the Angels pretty much were asking the M's to take the game. Thankfully, the M's are such a mess that they didn't know how to. Saunders took some positive steps forward, even though he unravelled in the end against a pitiful lineup. Same with the bullpen, as each reliever seemed to teeter on the brink of fail. Fuentes provided a surprising lockdown inning, striking out two and giving up no baserunners. With the new mustache, I can't help but think he looks like Mario, even though he's Latino, not Italian. Maybe he'll start throwing some fireballs. Frandsen made a great Angels debut, going 3-4 with some nice stops at 3rd and some high throws. Nothing much to note, except it didn't look like the Angels built upon the previous win. I wouldn't say they regressed - it took some guts to win that game in extras when you know that Stokes and Fuentes were all that was left in the bullpen. I guess I was disappointed that they didn't take off right off the bat. I guess it's gonna take some time for the Angels to turn on the switch.
Today's play didn't really help. Misplays abound, horrible relief, and silent bats. Silver lining was the terrific 3.2 innings Ervin pitched before losing focus and imploding. That and the terrific defensive plays by Reggie and Rivera in the outfield to get two assists. Also, at least there's the solstice in knowing that today was probably one of the worse lineups Sosh could trot out. Q as DH!?! I'd think letting Ryan play the outfield with Abreu as the DH would be better. But hey, I'm just a blogger, maybe Sosh was counting on Q's communion with pink bats...
Tomorrow's another day and another game. We'll see how the Halos respond to losing and returning back home.
17 April 2010
thoughts: week two
Some thoughts/observations from Week Two:
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Two outings by Saundo bookended this week. The first, against the A's was encouraging after he struggled against Minnesota. Cruising into the 7th inning, the wheels just came off and Saundo was stuck with the loss. Today, against the Blue Jays, he was fantastic. Beyond the great game and the win, I think his performance was critical in bringing some consistancy to the quality of starting pitching and some encouragement to the players and fans. I'm definitely more optimistic after Saunders followed Weaver's great outing with one of his own.
Overall, the rotation seems to be on its way to working itself out. Pineiro gave some life to the Halos with his 7IP 1ER performance on Wednesday and (:::crosses fingers:::) seems on his way to proving he's not a one-season wonder, but a Reagins steal. Weaver delievered once again and (:::crosses fingers:::) seems on his way to solidifying himself atop the rotation. As for those talented-but-erratic members of the rotation I have such high hopes for - they're still a work in progress. Ervin did okay on Tuesday, but he didn't get much luck in wiggling out of jams. He ended up complaining about the umps in the media, which gets a big thumbs down from me. Get your head into your game, Ervin and have some fun. I'm not quite sure what to make of him yet. Kaz is even more of a mystery since he's only had one start. Naps raved about his slider in warmups, but it completely abandoned Kaz once he was on the mound. I'm not sure what to make of that. At times he seemed to be uncomfortable with his footing in the first inning. His pace was also noticably slower than in spring training. Nevertheless, he seemed to be in control for the first three innings, but then his mechanics appeared to explode and disaster followed. For Kaz to be successful, he needs his slider, but more importantly, he needs to stay within his mechanics and locate his fastball. He has plenty of time to turn it around, but he needs to trust himself.
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Two outings by Saundo bookended this week. The first, against the A's was encouraging after he struggled against Minnesota. Cruising into the 7th inning, the wheels just came off and Saundo was stuck with the loss. Today, against the Blue Jays, he was fantastic. Beyond the great game and the win, I think his performance was critical in bringing some consistancy to the quality of starting pitching and some encouragement to the players and fans. I'm definitely more optimistic after Saunders followed Weaver's great outing with one of his own.
Overall, the rotation seems to be on its way to working itself out. Pineiro gave some life to the Halos with his 7IP 1ER performance on Wednesday and (:::crosses fingers:::) seems on his way to proving he's not a one-season wonder, but a Reagins steal. Weaver delievered once again and (:::crosses fingers:::) seems on his way to solidifying himself atop the rotation. As for those talented-but-erratic members of the rotation I have such high hopes for - they're still a work in progress. Ervin did okay on Tuesday, but he didn't get much luck in wiggling out of jams. He ended up complaining about the umps in the media, which gets a big thumbs down from me. Get your head into your game, Ervin and have some fun. I'm not quite sure what to make of him yet. Kaz is even more of a mystery since he's only had one start. Naps raved about his slider in warmups, but it completely abandoned Kaz once he was on the mound. I'm not sure what to make of that. At times he seemed to be uncomfortable with his footing in the first inning. His pace was also noticably slower than in spring training. Nevertheless, he seemed to be in control for the first three innings, but then his mechanics appeared to explode and disaster followed. For Kaz to be successful, he needs his slider, but more importantly, he needs to stay within his mechanics and locate his fastball. He has plenty of time to turn it around, but he needs to trust himself.
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30 March 2010
thoughts: today's game, some ?s to ponder
Just some tidbits:
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Only caught some of today's game, but some observations:
- The Angels stranded way too many runners.
- Kaz seemed to work better when his pace seemed quicker than normal.
- Mathis caught Kaz again. If Sosh sticks with this + having Mathis catch Ervin (like he has in the past), Jeff would be paired with the dynamic-but-erratic pitchers in the rotation.
- Aybar stole 2nd and 3rd in one inning (and was stranded!) but the play at 3rd was very close. I agree that Aybar is bound to be scary on the basepaths, but I think he'll be learning (trial by fire!) at least.
- Mathis hit the ball hard, following a recent trend. Yeah, it's just spring training, but is it too naive to *hope* for some improvement in his bat?
- Jose Mota and Terry Smith seem to be gelling together. At least there isn't anymore of the awkward silences or interupting each other. Mota, in particular, seems to be growing into the role, though he does the Angels's promotional statements too often.
- Mathis threw out two baserunners on two very good throws, but had three baserunners steal on bad throws. Interestingly, one of the outs was at third base when he threw from his knees, like he did on Thursday.
- Kaz looked good for the most part. Though I suspect even if he'd bombed, I'd stay firm with my belief in him. Chalk it up to irrational fan faith!
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Only caught some of today's game, but some observations:
- The Angels stranded way too many runners.
- Kaz seemed to work better when his pace seemed quicker than normal.
- Mathis caught Kaz again. If Sosh sticks with this + having Mathis catch Ervin (like he has in the past), Jeff would be paired with the dynamic-but-erratic pitchers in the rotation.
- Aybar stole 2nd and 3rd in one inning (and was stranded!) but the play at 3rd was very close. I agree that Aybar is bound to be scary on the basepaths, but I think he'll be learning (trial by fire!) at least.
- Mathis hit the ball hard, following a recent trend. Yeah, it's just spring training, but is it too naive to *hope* for some improvement in his bat?
- Jose Mota and Terry Smith seem to be gelling together. At least there isn't anymore of the awkward silences or interupting each other. Mota, in particular, seems to be growing into the role, though he does the Angels's promotional statements too often.
- Mathis threw out two baserunners on two very good throws, but had three baserunners steal on bad throws. Interestingly, one of the outs was at third base when he threw from his knees, like he did on Thursday.
- Kaz looked good for the most part. Though I suspect even if he'd bombed, I'd stay firm with my belief in him. Chalk it up to irrational fan faith!
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28 March 2010
thoughts: ST recap, organization rankings
Back in NorCal, where the rain is due to kickoff another quarter...
Just some (long) tidbits:
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Which Rodney are we gonna get - the one that was dominating on Saturday (no hits, two strikeouts) or the one that was wild today (4ER, 3BB)? Ah yeah, the inconsistancy is his trademark - but it's also been fitting considering the Halo's play this spring.
Other notables this past weekend was Matsui making his first put-out (surprisingly, didn't hear more about that), hitting his first HR and taking a (seemingly) bajillion walks. Torii and Howie seem to be getting into a groove and it was interesting to see Aybar take five straight pitches for a walk today. Abreu hit some homers recently, which was a pleasant surprise. The offense is scoring in bunches, so I guess we'll all see if that translates this season to the "offensive chemistry" that Sosh is looking for in the lineup.
On the pitching side, things are much the same. Some causes for optimism, some for worry. Saundo struck out SIX batters yesterday, which is a crapload for a pitch-to-contact guy. Don't really know what to make of that - he still allowed three ER over 4 1/3IP. Ervin was scratched last Tuesday but pitched four really good innings today before becoming unravelled in the 5th. I'm kinda curious why Sosh had Weav pitch in a minor league game in Tempe on Friday rather vs. the Giants. I know that the stated excuse was that the Halos wanted a more controlled environment where he wouldn't have to bat. But Weav has already "batted" this spring, and it's not like he'd be allowed to swing anyways. Reports said he felt good (the generic report from every pitcher in the spring!) and gave up some HRs. Maybe he's still working on those new pitches Pineiro taught him? Whatever it is, the Halos used the opportunity to showcase Reckling. It's seriously hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he's only 20 years-old. Ironically, the best performance from the rotation this past week goes to Pineiro (0ER, 5IP), though he was facing the Royals. And of course, the biggest news for me was missing the chance to see Kaz pitch after he was scratched with shoulder stiffness. He says he's fine, Sosh says he's fine, so I guess it won't do me much good to worry about it. We'll see when the regular season comes around.
And really, it couldn't come fast enough. I'm tired to having to temper my enthusiasm or concern with the required "Well, it's only spring training." I'm ready to start cheering on the thumping of the AL West and those teams from the East.
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Just some (long) tidbits:
--------------------------------
Which Rodney are we gonna get - the one that was dominating on Saturday (no hits, two strikeouts) or the one that was wild today (4ER, 3BB)? Ah yeah, the inconsistancy is his trademark - but it's also been fitting considering the Halo's play this spring.
Other notables this past weekend was Matsui making his first put-out (surprisingly, didn't hear more about that), hitting his first HR and taking a (seemingly) bajillion walks. Torii and Howie seem to be getting into a groove and it was interesting to see Aybar take five straight pitches for a walk today. Abreu hit some homers recently, which was a pleasant surprise. The offense is scoring in bunches, so I guess we'll all see if that translates this season to the "offensive chemistry" that Sosh is looking for in the lineup.
On the pitching side, things are much the same. Some causes for optimism, some for worry. Saundo struck out SIX batters yesterday, which is a crapload for a pitch-to-contact guy. Don't really know what to make of that - he still allowed three ER over 4 1/3IP. Ervin was scratched last Tuesday but pitched four really good innings today before becoming unravelled in the 5th. I'm kinda curious why Sosh had Weav pitch in a minor league game in Tempe on Friday rather vs. the Giants. I know that the stated excuse was that the Halos wanted a more controlled environment where he wouldn't have to bat. But Weav has already "batted" this spring, and it's not like he'd be allowed to swing anyways. Reports said he felt good (the generic report from every pitcher in the spring!) and gave up some HRs. Maybe he's still working on those new pitches Pineiro taught him? Whatever it is, the Halos used the opportunity to showcase Reckling. It's seriously hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he's only 20 years-old. Ironically, the best performance from the rotation this past week goes to Pineiro (0ER, 5IP), though he was facing the Royals. And of course, the biggest news for me was missing the chance to see Kaz pitch after he was scratched with shoulder stiffness. He says he's fine, Sosh says he's fine, so I guess it won't do me much good to worry about it. We'll see when the regular season comes around.
And really, it couldn't come fast enough. I'm tired to having to temper my enthusiasm or concern with the required "Well, it's only spring training." I'm ready to start cheering on the thumping of the AL West and those teams from the East.
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24 March 2010
thoughts: ST games, snuggies &more
Finals are over and I'm finally feeling the warm sun of SoCal. Not much stuff to comment on that hasn't already been beaten to death, just a bunch of notes...
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Spring training games haven't changed much from my last entry. The Angels have (finally) sprinkled in some wins with all those losses and have sent some of the youngins down to minor league camp. What has stood out the most for me is the inconsistancy of the Angels' play. I mean, for a long stretch of the losses, it seemed like they couldn't hit anything. A string of spring training games with only 3 or 4 hits is puzzling. But then they came back with multiple double-digit run games. And then the pitching! Ervin looks absolutely dominating in back-to-back games then gets hammered in a Triple-A game and the AAAA relievers alternate between horrible and capable. Like I've said, I don't really care about spring training wins/losses, but the inconsistancy can be quite annoying. I guess, it's just an extension of the unpredictability of the team this season.
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The announcement that the Angels are going to try to break a world record made me laugh. I'm pretty sure the the potential publicity doesn't outweigh the ridiculousness of it all. I mean, Snuggies - really? I'd rather that the marketing department find better ways to promote the Angels (and their fans) but at least it gave me (and others) a good laugh.
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Another article that gave me a good laugh - Bengie Molina was (once) a shortstop. It's definitely one of those "REALLY?" moments and, as a commentor noted, a revelation that even Bengie is probably faster than a great deal of fans.
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Spring training games haven't changed much from my last entry. The Angels have (finally) sprinkled in some wins with all those losses and have sent some of the youngins down to minor league camp. What has stood out the most for me is the inconsistancy of the Angels' play. I mean, for a long stretch of the losses, it seemed like they couldn't hit anything. A string of spring training games with only 3 or 4 hits is puzzling. But then they came back with multiple double-digit run games. And then the pitching! Ervin looks absolutely dominating in back-to-back games then gets hammered in a Triple-A game and the AAAA relievers alternate between horrible and capable. Like I've said, I don't really care about spring training wins/losses, but the inconsistancy can be quite annoying. I guess, it's just an extension of the unpredictability of the team this season.
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The announcement that the Angels are going to try to break a world record made me laugh. I'm pretty sure the the potential publicity doesn't outweigh the ridiculousness of it all. I mean, Snuggies - really? I'd rather that the marketing department find better ways to promote the Angels (and their fans) but at least it gave me (and others) a good laugh.
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Another article that gave me a good laugh - Bengie Molina was (once) a shortstop. It's definitely one of those "REALLY?" moments and, as a commentor noted, a revelation that even Bengie is probably faster than a great deal of fans.
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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.
21 February 2010
the big questions
The interesting thing about this upcoming season and this Angels team is the prevalence of uncertainty. Oh, you can count on Scioscia and the winning culture in the organization. But a team in transition, like the Angels, has a lot of questions. Here are what I think are the big three over-arching questions for this season, in increasing importance:
Can the Angels stay healthy?
The Angels' depth has always been a strength these recent years as young prospects Willits, Wood, Rodriguiz were given long stretches of playing time to fill in for injured regulars. Well, that depth is noticably thinner. Can the Angels survive if multiple regulars are confined to the bench?
In the infield, Izzy remains as a fantastic super sub. However, the middle infield list behind him is, well, non-existant. Sean Rodriguiz is a Ray, Wood is expected to be manning third base and the top middle infield prospects played in low-A ball or lower last season. At catcher, Wilson is out of options, so unless he makes the 25-man roster, he will most likely be lost to another team. And for the corner infield, rotation and bullpen, there remains familiar and servicable replacements in AAA, but who among them are clear-cut above replacement level? The outfield is the area of most concern, due to the collective ages of Abreu-Hunter-Rivera (and -Mastui, if you believe in those knees). This is where I wonder if Angels fans will miss having GMJ on the bench. Prospects Evans, Pettit and Bourjous have shown some promise, but are unproven, and Willits has displayed a noticable slide since his magical 2007 campaign.
Can the Angels stay healthy?
The Angels' depth has always been a strength these recent years as young prospects Willits, Wood, Rodriguiz were given long stretches of playing time to fill in for injured regulars. Well, that depth is noticably thinner. Can the Angels survive if multiple regulars are confined to the bench?
In the infield, Izzy remains as a fantastic super sub. However, the middle infield list behind him is, well, non-existant. Sean Rodriguiz is a Ray, Wood is expected to be manning third base and the top middle infield prospects played in low-A ball or lower last season. At catcher, Wilson is out of options, so unless he makes the 25-man roster, he will most likely be lost to another team. And for the corner infield, rotation and bullpen, there remains familiar and servicable replacements in AAA, but who among them are clear-cut above replacement level? The outfield is the area of most concern, due to the collective ages of Abreu-Hunter-Rivera (and -Mastui, if you believe in those knees). This is where I wonder if Angels fans will miss having GMJ on the bench. Prospects Evans, Pettit and Bourjous have shown some promise, but are unproven, and Willits has displayed a noticable slide since his magical 2007 campaign.
20 November 2009
offseason hysteria
Like many other halo fans, I'm suffering from angels withdrawl.
Unlike many other halo fans, I'm still keeping my sanity.
The hoopla of the offseason is in full swing as I read many outlandish proposals in the halosphere on what the FO should do. The team won 97 games last year, swept the Red Sox and played with plenty of heart to fight NY to six games. This team does not need a major overhaul. REPEAT: This team does not need a major overhaul.
First of all, let me qualify this by saying that I err on the side of caution when it comes to trades and signings. I didn't believe in trading for Halladay in June (still don't) and I shruged at the Abreu signing last offseason. I believe that the key to success is the farm. And the Angels have done a very good job in that respect. They have a very good, young core with a lot of promise, mostly homegrown. Weaver (27), Santana (27), Saunders (28) and Kaz (25!) in the rotation. Aybar (25!), Howie (26), KMo (26), Naps (28) and Mathis (26) in the infield. These guys are going to have more affect on the future success of the team than the signing of Holliday or trading for Granderson. Yes, these guys haven't established themselves like say, Ryan Howard, but if they've all shown flashes of promise. The Angels need to rely on their young talent not trade it away. They need more seasoning, but with this core the Angels' future is very bright.
Unlike many other halo fans, I'm still keeping my sanity.
The hoopla of the offseason is in full swing as I read many outlandish proposals in the halosphere on what the FO should do. The team won 97 games last year, swept the Red Sox and played with plenty of heart to fight NY to six games. This team does not need a major overhaul. REPEAT: This team does not need a major overhaul.
First of all, let me qualify this by saying that I err on the side of caution when it comes to trades and signings. I didn't believe in trading for Halladay in June (still don't) and I shruged at the Abreu signing last offseason. I believe that the key to success is the farm. And the Angels have done a very good job in that respect. They have a very good, young core with a lot of promise, mostly homegrown. Weaver (27), Santana (27), Saunders (28) and Kaz (25!) in the rotation. Aybar (25!), Howie (26), KMo (26), Naps (28) and Mathis (26) in the infield. These guys are going to have more affect on the future success of the team than the signing of Holliday or trading for Granderson. Yes, these guys haven't established themselves like say, Ryan Howard, but if they've all shown flashes of promise. The Angels need to rely on their young talent not trade it away. They need more seasoning, but with this core the Angels' future is very bright.
