Halo Herald

Climbing The Blog Ladder

2006-01-27T10:03:00.000-08:00

The Halo Herald has been a lot of fun for me this past year. I have had a chance to interact with other Angel fans and write about a team I really care about. What some of you might not know is that I also have been a contributing writer for the Arizona Diamondbacks blog over at Most Valuable Network. When I started this blog I contacted Evan Brunell over at MVN and inquired about writing there about the Angels. Evan liked my stuff but had a couple of very good writers already covering the Halos. He offered me a chance to write about the D-Backs and as an Arizona resident I thought that would be a natural. The problem is, I spent far more time writing about the Angels on the Halo Herald then I did the D-Backs at MVN because I care a lot more about the Angels than the D-Backs. Well long-story short, the Angel writers at MVN moved on to a new site and Evan asked me to start writing about the Angels for MVN. So the Halo Herald has now moved over under the MVN banner. What will this lucrative deal pay? Well, the same as my last lucrative deal: nothing. Blog writers do this free of charge which supposedly is why we are so credible. I don't necessarily buy into that -- a few choice Spring Training tickets and I would write for a week about how critical the grounds-keepers at Tempe Diablo are to the overall success of the team.

But this remains a hobby for me. Something done strictly for the joy of doing it. That being said, I still want to maximize the number of readers of the Herald and over at MVN the odds of getting seen by more people will skyrocket. A year ago MVN had upwards of 14,000 users per day. While that is for all major sports teams, if only 1% wander over to the Halo Herald it would mean 140 people checking it out every day. At the Herald's peak it draws about 60 people per day while averaging just 34 per day over the course of a month. While I get a warm feeling when I see the hit ticker move steadily towards 20,000 I know that is very small compared to the number of people who will be reading MVN. So in the interest of gaining readers you can find the Herald over at MVN -- and for the time being -- right here as well. I am not sure if I will continue this page to mirror the MVN posts, put some edgier content over here or simply ditch it. But I hope those who have been faithful readers of the Halo Herald will follow me over to MVN as we start down the path of another great season of Angel baseball. I will place a link to the Halo Herald MVN page on the sidebar for your linking convenience.

Angels Legal Defense: "So What?"

2006-01-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

According to today's LA Times, the entire defense of the Angels in it's suit with the city of Anaheim over the name "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" instead of "Anaheim Angels" amounts to "So What?". While critics of the team have lobbied that the 'intent' of the agreement was for the team to be named the "Anaheim Angels" the real issue according to the team's lawyers is the verbiage in the contract which does not explicitly say what the team will be called, only that the name "Anaheim" will appear in it somewhere.

This friends and neighbors is why we have contracts in the first place. In business I agree to or write several contracts every year. The reason is so that in the event of a dispute we can default back to the agreement to find a remedy. A good contract explicitly explains what is intended, there is nothing left to doubt. The city of Anaheim signed a flawed document and in my opinion that is why they will lose the case. They have no one to blame but themselves.

Anaheim's contention is that the clause in the contract regarding the name of the team was left 'flexible' for former team owner Disney so they could make changes if their marketing team ever wanted. At the time Disney owned both the Angels and Anaheim's pro hockey team, The Mighty Ducks. The official name of The Ducks is 'The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim' so it is not inconceivable that they figured Disney may, at some point, choose to call the team 'The Angels of Anaheim' or worse 'The Amazing Angels of Anaheim'. Whew, that is a lot of alliteration for a Wednesday.

But what was apparently inconceivable to the city was that the team would one day choose to put the name of a second city in the name. That oversight is the fault of Anaheim's legal representation and if anyone should be sued it ought to have been them. A simple line in the contract stating something to the affect of "The Angels will utilize "Anaheim" as their home designation within their official name and in all marketing and exclude any other city, state, municipality or unofficial geographic designations." Done deal, iron-clad, no doubt about what the team will be called. That would have left flexibility for ownership to call them "The Slamtastic Anaheim Angels" but it would have forbid Disney or any subsequent owner from inserting 'Los Angeles', 'California', 'Orange County' or 'Southland' into the name. Therefore the court can not and should not hold Arte Moreno or the Angels accountable.

Moreno is a successful businessman and as such is very familiar with contracts. You can rest assured his legal team studied this prior to his purchase of the team and were satisfied that should they change they name and should the city sue, they had a case. Business people see much more clearly than politicians. They understand that the only thing that matters is the agreement that was signed between Disney and the city. Not their 'intent'. This quote from the Times article succinctly addressing the Angels position:

If the city relied on (former Disney Sports President Tony) Tavares' representations about the prominence of the Anaheim name in marketing and the limits on possible team names, Moreno said, the city should have negotiated those promises into the lease.

Duh. Put what you want in writing. Otherwise what is the point of having a contract? Further, Arte Moreno could not base his offer to buy the team on something as subjective as intent. He based his offer on what he felt the value of the team was and, more importantly, what he thought the potential value of the team could become and that is partly based on the agreements previous ownership has signed. Clearly the judge in this case, Peter Polos, does not want this to go to the jury. He tried to get the team to mediate their dispute and settle outside of court. So far without luck. Ultimately this trial is looking more and more like it will come to a resolution inside the court room. When it does it will then fall to Judge Polos to make a determination as to whether or not their could be more than one interpretation of the agreement. If he does than he would, according to the Times article "tell the jury whether it can consider that intent in determining whether the Angels broke their lease."

So for the city to come out victorious they will have to convince Polos that there are multiple ways to interpret the lease AND that the intent of the key negotiators in the agreement is valid. Two former Disney/Angel employees gave testimony this week and both sounded like they had Paul Bunyan size axes to grind. Tony Tavares, who was head of Disney Sports which ran both the Angels and Mighty Ducks during the Disney ownership days, had strong words for former boss Michael Eisner. When Eisner said his first inclination was to call the baseball team "The Mighty Angels of Anaheim" Tavares testified his reaction was

"I thought [that] was only the second-stupidest idea I've ever heard in the history of sports," Tavares said, surpassed only by the Mighty Ducks, the Disney hockey team Eisner named after a Disney movie.

I have to hand it to Tavares, the 'Mighty Angels' moniker was monumentally stupid. But at least Eisner did not paint himself into a box and force the name "Anaheim Angels" into the contract. Perhaps his motives were wrong but the idea was right. Disney wanted the Anaheim name anyway because they were trying to build brand awareness with the Anaheim name to bring more tourists to Disneyland. A venture far more profitable than baseball. Clearly Disney saw the Angels as additional marketing muscle to bring people to the resorts.

The Angels former Chief of Business Operations, Kevin Urlich also testified that when Arte Moreno presented him with the business plan to change the Angels name to 'Los Angeles Angels"he asked Moreno "whether the Angels might become like the Clippers, second fiddle to a more popular Los Angeles team. Moreno fired Uhlich four months later."

Way to suck up to the new boss Kevin. The Clippers sealed their fate by being losers for decades with a cheap-skate owner. I don't think Arte appreciated being put in the same class as Donald Sterling.

So the star witnesses for the prosecution are disgruntled former Angel employees? Should take Angel lawyers about 15 minutes to discredit their testimony. One thing is certain, should this go to jury there will be a bitter rift between the Angels and the city of Anaheim for many years. The good news is that politicians come and go so hopefully some sane people will take office before 2015 when Moreno has the option to get out of the lease and move the team.

No More Gettin' Shiggy Wit It

2006-01-23T14:35:00.000-08:00

Former Halos reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa has announced his retirement from baseball. Shiggy spent five years with the Angels (1997 - 2001) before leaving as a free-agent and signing with the Seattle Mariners (great timing Shig, one more year and you coulda had a ring!). Hasegawa's best year as an Angel was 2000 when he went 10-6 with 9 saves and a 3.57 ERA. The Angels signed the Kobe, Japan native away from the Japanese leagues at a time when few teams ventured to the far east for talent. These days major league teams routinely have scouts in Japan all the time but back in the 1980's it was unusual for a team like the Angels (who were one of the last MLB teams to scout the Latin leagues) to find talent so far from home.

Hasegawa's best year in the majors came with Seattle in 2003 when he had 16 saves and a microscopic 1.48 ERA. Always smiling, Shiggy will be remembered as a solid teammate who was well-liked by fans, players and managers. He will also be remembered for a forgettable play on the Will Smith song "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" which became "Gettin' Shiggy Wit It". The worst part were the legions of Caucasian Angel fans attempting to dance to the Will Smith tune in the stands. While the kids were cute the adults (usually inebriated) were just sad.

Shiggy was one of the good guys. Not someone who will ever be in Cooperstown or remembered in great Halo montages (though Halofan has a nice one here). Simply a good man who was a good pitcher. We need more Shiggy's in the game today.

Is This the Start of Angels Media Empire?

2006-01-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

The LA Times reported yesterday that the Angels are closing in on an agreement to purchase Spanish language radio station 830 AM which they would utilize to broadcast their own Spanish-language game broadcasts. The team is currently without an outlet for their Spanish broadcasts while English broadcasts can be heard on 710 AM.

While the short-term benefits of the acquisition are obvious, it is the Angels' long-term media plans that are of particular interest. According to the Times article, the 710 AM English broadcasts have spotty reception, particularly at night. When the agreement with 710 expires in two years the Angels could convert 830 into an English-language station and make that their flagship station. With a strong 50,000 watt signal, 830 should enjoy strong reception over most of the Southland and the station could become a Angels-centric station or simply go to All-Sports. Of course, that would put the Angels back in the market for a Spanish-language station in 2008.

Even more intriguing is the possibility of the Angels starting their own cable/satellite channel ala the Yankees (YES) and Red Sox (NESN). According to a 2003 Forbes article, the YES Network alone generates an estimated $200 million in cable revenues and advertising. The sweetest part of the deal for Yankee Kingpin George Steinbrenner is that this money is not subject to revenue sharing so Big George's 60% stake goes right in his pocket. No wonder he has been spending with wild abandon the last five years.

When Disney owned the Angels they were involved in heated negotiations with Fox Sports Network and threatened to start "ESPN West" and use it to showcase the Halos. The Angels went so far as to put a big banner in right field proclaiming the new network would be coming soon. Alas, Fox capitulated and ESPN West died quietly in a boardroom. But the Angels have been expanding their reach ever since Arte Moreno took over the team in 2004 and a television network would seem right up his alley. As an out-of-state Halo fan I for one would love a network that showcased the majority of their games. Fox tried to get the Angels to sign a 10-year extension of their television contract for a reported $340 million which is in the same neighborhood as the Dodgers deal with FSN. The Angels declined the offer so in retaliation Fox has reduced the number of Angel games it will show to the minimum 50 games outlined in the current contract which would really piss me off if not for the fact that I subscribe to DirecTV and can therefore get most Angel games via their opposition's TV coverage. Failing that, MLB.com does offer almost every game on the computer but I did not buy a 50" HD plasma television so I could squint at a grainy four inch box on my computer. Bastards.

After saying all that I hope Moreno does start his own network. Just like artists becoming empowered by selling their own music on the internet, sports franchises can control their own destiny's only when they also control their own broadcasts. While owners can fret over every detail of the 'game experience' for those 45,000 or so fans who attend on any given night. They have surprisingly little to say about how their team is framed within the television to the 400,000+ people who may tune in. While Fox does an OK job it is by no means the experience that Yankee fans get from YES or even the optimum experience fans should hope for from Moreno & Company. Potential programming can span the Angels universe from fan forums to player biographies to in-depth analysis. While the games would be the main meal, there are plenty of tasty appetizers and desserts that could enhance the overall viewing experience. Given that most fans get their information and derive opinions of the team directly from television broadcasts, should owners not have more of a say in how there teams are presented?

Well This Sucks

2006-01-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

According to Josh at Pearly Gates, the Angels contract with Tim Salmon is nothing more than a sham to allow the long-time Angel a chance to make another team. The PG piece is derived from an interview Salmon gave the Orange County Register and in reviewing the article, things do not look good for the Big Fish to be sending any more balls 'upstream' in Anaheim. Consider this:

"The Angels basically told me there's not a job to win," Salmon said. "The team is moving on without Tim Salmon. I understand it. I don't blame them. I look around and, yeah, I'd like to think I fit into their plans, but from their standpoint, I'm probably not the first guy they're going to plug in."

-- Tim Salmon to OC Register

Considering the Angels just signed Juan Rivera to a two-year deal to be the 4th outfielder/DH and Kendry Morales will be competing for a bench job this spring (having already been awarded a fat contract last year) that pretty much leaves Salmon as a potential backup player buried deep on the Halos' bench. Unless Salmon is just crushing the ball in Spring Training it looks like the Angels and Tim Salmon will part company this March.

Firstly I hope Salmon hits about .450 in spring with a .750 SLG and forces the Angels to put him on their roster, but I would not bet the mortgage on that. My second selfish hope is that he signs with the D-Backs. Arizona signed Eric Byrnes to be their center fielder and have Luis Gonzalez in left and Shawn Green in right. But their depth after that consists of Luis Terrero, Scott Hairston and Chris Young. With highly regarded prospect Young almost a dead-lock to start the year in the minors, Salmon could be the 4th outfielder on that club and get substantial playing time as other players are rested and off the bench. As an added benefit, family-man Salmon could play home games near his off-season home in Arizona.

In any case, heres to hoping Salmon can end his career on his terms and with a bang.

MLB.com: Donnelly Signs One Year Deal for $950k

2006-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

The Angels brought their final arbitration-eligible player into the fold on Wednesday by signing reliever Brendan Donnelly to a one-year deal worth a reported $950,000. Donnelly more than doubled his 2004 salary of $420,000. The big right-hander had requested $1.05 million when exchanging arbitration figures with the Halos and the team countered with an offer of $850,000.

Donnelly was the last of seven arbitration cases the Angels faced this year. With all players now under contract GM Bill Stoneman can concentrate on putting together multi-year deals for players the Angels are interested in retaining long-term. Presumably that would include Frankie Rodriguez, John Lackey and Chone Figgins in the near-term.

The 34-year old Donnelly has become an important set-up man for the Angel bullpen though last season he may be best remembered for getting suspended by the league for having pine tar (an illegal substance for fielders) on his glove. Donnelly contended that as a 'big guy' he tended to sweat a lot and needed the pine tar to keep the ball from slipping out of his hand. Coincidentally, the Washington DC native was called to task for the illegal substance by Nationals manager Frank Robinson who had a short but bitter exchange with Angels skipper Mike Scioscia through the media with Robinson declaring he had lost some respect for the Angels manager.

Donnelly had spent ten years toiling in the minor leagues before the Angels promoted him in 2002. Donnelly led all Angel pitchers with five World Series appearances that year and did not allow a run in 7 2/3 innings as the Angels claimed their first and only World Championship.

A Belated Happy Birthday!

2006-01-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

With no fanfare, the Halo Herald quietly celebrated it's first anniversay back on December 29th. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to stop by for a read every now and then. While I do not receive a ton of feedback, what I have gotten has been very positive. A special shout out to Uncle Al (not my Uncle mind you but a frequent commentor) who wrote a particularly nice comment back in November when I was a bit spotty in my blogging:

Just a quick note to say how much I've enjoyed this website during the past 11 months or so. As I've noticed that your posts over the past couple or three months have gotten fewer and much farther in between, it has occurred to me that one day I might click on the link only to find that Halo Herald is no more. So, better to say my thanks now rather than after it's too late.

Most of us who write about whatever subjects interest us, do it for ourselves. It is our ability to vent frustrations, celebrate triumphs and get some sort of artistic expression 'out there' (Perhaps 'artistic' is not he right work but bear with me). When the real world puts the pressure on and we run short on time, energy or whatever, we rely on feedback for motivation so once again let me say thanks for the kind note Al, and thanks to everyone else.

You may have noticed that I have turned off the comments. It's not that I want to exclude anyone, I just was getting the crap spammed out of me. Some ingenious hackers apparently invented software to plant posts on blogs which were then automatically e-mailed to me. I was getting somewhere around 10 - 30 e-mails a day from these bogus posts and therefore would not read any posts sent to me. The posts would read something like "Hey nice blog. I really enjoyred your comments. If you could please see my blog on NORWEGIAN SEX WEASELS I will be sure to stop by again!" Now I see that Blogger has added some verification process to eliminate this so I will turn the comments back on and see if it works out.

Stoneman Should Take Page From Bavasi's Book

2006-01-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

The Angels success in the 1980's and early 1990's could be directly attributed to a cadre of core players including Tim Salmon, Garrett Anderson, Jim Edmonds and Troy Percival. Former Halo GM Bill Bavasi has the good sense to sign these young players to long-term deals that ultimately proved to be of significant cost savings to the Angels. It also had the added benefit of keeping some great players together through some of the best years of their respective careers while at the same time building a fan base that grew to know and cherish the players. It was a special time in that the Angel farm system produced some remarkable talent and the front office had the presence of mind to think of the future and sign them long-term.

Now history has a chance to repeat itself with a current crop of key players including John Lackey, Scot Shields, Frankie Rodriguez and Chone Figgins who all have signed one-year deals to avoid arbitration this season. If Angel GM Bill Stoneman can sign these key players to long-term deals it will provide the Angels, as Stoneman pointed out to the LA Times, a way to "predict our expenses" while offering the players security in the form of "guaranteed money". There is risk on both sides as the players face the possiblity that the market will pass them by (see: Molina, Bengie) while the team assumes responsibility to pay the players' contract even if he does not perform (see: Finley, Steve) or is injured (see: Salmon, Tim). I for one would lock these guys up early in 2006 to 4 year deals. As Bavasi cemented an All-Star caliber outfield for years, Stoneman could bring the same stability to the bullpen and rotation. On the field the Angels will no doubt try to extend the deal of Vladimir Guerrero but all bets are off for the rest of the batters. In particular jeopardy are the jobs of current Angel infielders. Last season Troy Glaus was sent packing in favor of Dallas McPherson at third base and that job may fall to Chone Figgins in '06 if D-Mac can not return from hip surgery. Bengie Molina was replaced this year by Jeff Mathis behind the plate and Casey Kotchman finally moved Darin Erstad off first base (though his demise was delayed thanks to Steve Finley whose moribund play facilitated a trade to the Giants and a move from first to center field for Erstad). At second base Adam Kennedy now has young Howie Kendrick breathing down his neck and Orlando Cabrera should be feeling considerable heat to start hitting before Brandon Wood supplants him at short. By this time next year we could be looking at an Angel infield comprised entirely of Halo farm hands with an average age around 24. Beyond the infield the Angels have Kendry Morales who can play first or outfield and young pitchers like Ervin Santana, Stephen Shell, Jared Weaver and Chris Bootcheck who could all play pivotal roles on current and upcoming Angel teams.

This group of promising young hitters (and Santana) would represent the second wave of potential long-term contract candidates that could stabilize the Halo line-up for many years. Of course these players, like the current crop of pitchers fishing for long-term deals, would have to prove themselves at the major league level over several years (and likely become arbitration eligible) before Arte Moreno will hand out his hard earned cash. But by bringing groups of players up together the Angels will have a 'team' mentality already branded into them and potentially a longing to stay together that Stoneman can use to his advantage in negotiating long-term deals. With the circus of their name-change trial and their lack of activity in the free-agent market this year, the timing is ripe for the Halos to appease their fans by securing the future of current players with the club. After losing fan favorite Glaus, the Angel faithful are itchy for some certainty with their club. All those people who dropped $125 on Steve Finley jerseys last year want some assurances before they plunk down another C-Note+ for a replica John Lackey jersey and K-Rod bobblehead.

Angels Sign K-Rod & Shields to One-Year Pacts

2006-01-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Angels came to terms with closer Frankie Rodriguez and set-up man Scot Shields on Tuesday with contracts worth $3.78 million and $2.1 million respectively. The pitching tandem of Shields and Rodriguez are integral to the Halo bullpen and the signing of these two players puts to rest, at least for one year, the question of whether the team would keep one of the best bullpens in baseball intact.

Rodriguez converted 45 saves last season in his first year as the Angels' closer including his last 18 in a row. While K-Rod hit some rough patches that led to a 2-5 record, he overall had an excellent season with a 2.45 ERA. The new contract represents a significant upgrade over his 2005 salary of $440,000.

Shields is the most versatile pitcher in the major leagues who is able to pitch short relief, long relief, close, set-up and provide an occasional spot start. Shields was used primarily as a set-up man to Rodriguez in 2005 and likely will resume that duty in 2006. Shields will more than double his 2005 salary of $900,000 with the new deal. Along with fellow set-up man Brendan Donnelly, Shields and Rodriguez form a trio of pitchers that effectively bridge the gap between the 7th and 9th innings for manager Mike Scioscia and the Angel starters.

Donnelly now remains the only arbitration-eligible player and he is reportedly seeking a deal worth $1.1 million. The Angels have countered with an offer at $900,000 and it seems likely the two sides will work out a compromise prior to their scheduled arbitration hearing next month. With newcomer JC Romero now added to the mix as their designated left-handed assassin and fill-in set-up man, the Halo bullpen will be loaded and ready for 2006 once Donnelly is signed.

Lackey Signs One-Year Deal for $3.76 Million

2006-01-18T08:06:00.000-08:00

The Angels signed starting pitcher John Lackey to a one-year deal Monday worth a reported $3.76 million according to CNN/SI. It was a tale of two seasons for Lackey who, sadly enough, led Angel starters with a 3.44 ERA last season. But it was Lackey's 8-1 finish to year with a sparkling 2.57 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star Break that gives Angel management hope that he may finally develop into a full-season quality starter this year. Lackey was arbitration eligible so GM Bill Stoneman avoids that potential pitfall with the one-year deal.

The question remains, why have the Halos not offered Lackey a multi-year deal? There could be several reasons but likely they are not offering the kind of money Big John wants until he gives them a full season of quality pitching. Hopefully the Angels get a strong start from Lackey this season and hammer out a 3 or 4 year extension before the season ends. If '8-1' Lackey pitches he is firmly entrenched as the #3 starter behind Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar. If 'Sloppy John' is pitching he looks more like a guy competing with Hector Carrasco for the #5 spot. Lackey has the talent, he just needs to add season-long consistency to elevate his game and bring him the contract that deserves.

The CNN/SI piece also points out the Angels signed Jose Molina to a $2.1 million two-year deal to serve as Jeff Mathis' backup (assuming the promising rookie claims and keeps the starting job this spring). So apparently Jose is not holding any grudges against the Angels for not signing big brother Bengie who is still floating in free-agent limbo. In a CNN/SI 'Truth & Rumors' article they quote a New York News piece that points out that after spurning the Mets' 3-year $21 million offer, the former Halo backstop will now likely sign a one-year deal with the Blue Jays for considerably less (plus he gets to pay Canadian taxes). The New York paper goes on to say:

But now that Molina can probably be signed on the cheap, maybe the Yankees should consider signing him and releasing Jorge Posada.

Which begs the question, since when are the Yankees suddenly concerned with signing bargains? If that were to happen though the next logical thing would be for the Angels to sign Posada in an Orlando-Cabreraesque reshuffle of AL catchers. In reality though, if Mr. Mathis is good enough for the Angels to pass on Molina, they certainly would pass on Posada.

Erstad Returns to Center; Figgins Back to Third

2006-01-15T22:25:00.000-08:00

Catching up on some older news, the Angels re-annoited Darin Erstad their center fielder and in doing so set some other balls in motion. With a newly minted 3-year deal in his pocket, Chone Figgins has been told to be ready to play third base in case Dallas McPherson is not quite ready. McPherson, who is rehabbing from hip surgury is said to be at "running a three-quarters speed, hitting off a tee and playing soft toss". How to you run at 3/4 speed? Is that anything like the Jimmy Buffett song "Living and Dying in 3/4 Time"? Well I hope D-Mac is up to 4/5 speed by the time Spring Training opens next month. Should McPherson either not be ready or play badly, Figgy will be there to start at the hot corner. Nothing like a little pressure cooker situation coming off serious hip surgery to get you running 100% right Big D?

Speaking of competition, Darin Erstad seems to feel he will have some for the center field gig. According to the gold glover "I've been told to be ready to play center. I haven't been told the job is mine, just to be ready. So, that is what I'm doing." Should young Mr. McPherson come out clubbing in Spring would Figgins have to compete with Erstad for the starting job in center? It is possible since Figgins will apparently be around until 2008 while Erstad's contract expires after this season.

One person who should be giddy this spring is Casey Kotchman. The highly touted first base prospect whose path to the majors has been blocked by Erstad and his bloated salary the past couple of years. Kotchman will finally have the Angels first base job from the get go this Spring and should have, in my opinion, had the job after last spring when he out hit Erstad but still found himself shipped off to Triple A when the Angels could not bring themselves to bench a guy they were paying $8,250,000. That kind of injustice can play with a young guy's head. When Kotchman was called up early in the season he went hitless over seven games and was demoted back to the minors. But a little time seemed to have given Kotchman the perspective he needed because when he was called back up to the big club in August he clubbed 6 homers and posted an OPS of .945. Kotchman topped that off by hitting .339 during the last month of the season. That was apparently enough to convince the Angels' brass that he should become the full-time first baseman. That and the fact that they could not sign Paul Konerko. So like Dallas McPherson last season, Kotchman becomes the latest prospect given a job prior to Spring Training. We can only hope this turns out better than last season's injury-filled fiasco.

For 2007, Angel fans can look forward to similar battles at second base (Howie Kendrick vs. Adam Kennedy) and shortstop (Brandon Wood vs. Orlando Cabrera). Unless injuries bring the prospects up early in 2006 that is.

Angels Ink Figgins and Rivera to Extensions

2006-01-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

Update: According to ABC Rivera will actually earn a total of $3.25 million over the next two years. $1.25 million for '06 and and a cool $2 mil for 2007. I still give the signing a thumbs up.

The Los Angeles Angels took care of some internal business yesterday when they extended the contracts of utility man extroidinaire Chone Figgins and reserve outfielder Juan Rivera. Despite not being considered 'starters' for 2006, both will get plenty of playing time spelling starters, playing off the bench and filling in when starters go down with an injury.

According to MLB.com Figgins will receive $10.5 million for an additional three years service while Rivera was extended for two more seasons for a much more economical $1.5 million. Both players made just $390,000 last year so the new contracts represent a significant upgrade, particularly in Figgins' case. As most Angel fans know, Figgins' contributions have been legion ever since he came to prominence during the Angels' Championship season of 2002, primarily as pinch-runner who gave manager Mike Scioscia speed on the base paths late in games. That led to many late-inning comebacks for the Halos and eventually their first ever World Series triumph. In following seasons Figgins' prominence rose as he displayed continued development with the bat and a penchant for being able to play virtually any position on the diamond save pitcher and catcher. After injuries sidelined Troy Glaus in 2004 and Dallas McPherson in 2005, Figgins became the primary third baseman. A role he could resume in 2006 should McPherson not be able to return from injury and reclaim the job. He also has extended playing time in centerfield, shortstop and second base (his 'natural' position). In all Figgins started at six different positions for Los Angeles, a feat he also accomplished in 2004. In addition to his defensive versatility, Figgins has developed into an offensive threat, raising his batting average from .167 in limited action during the 2002 campaign to .296 in 2003 & '04. While his average fell to .290 last season Figgins' other offensive categories continued on a positive trajectory with career highs in runs, hits, doubles, HR's and he led the major leagues in stolen bases with 62. Chone Figgins will turn 28 on January 22nd and his youth, durability and versatility make him a solid investment in the Angels' future.

Juan Rivera was something of an afterthought to many Angel fans. He was one of the guys the Angels got when they rode Jose Guillen out on a rail to Montreal/Washington. But Rivera set career marks for home runs (15) and RBI last season and was particularly impressive late in the year when he started each of the last 17 games for the Halos and hit .308 from August 1 until the end of the year. That helped propel the club to a 14-3 record to end the year and allowed LA a chance to clinch the division early with a comfortable 7 game margin over Oakland. Rivera's ability to spell outfielder and fill the DH role while making significant contributions with the bat have made him an important part of the club.

City of Anaheim Wants $300 Million for Angel Name Change

2005-12-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

The LA Times reported that the amount the City of Anaheim is seeking from the Angels is $300 million due to the loss of "hundreds of millions of impressions" of the city name as a result of the Angels changing their name to "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" in lieu of "Anaheim Angels". The trial between the team and the city is due to go to court January 9th and the city is hoping that a jury will find the Angels have broken the 'spirit' of their agreement with the city to include the name "Anaheim" within their official name. If so, Judge Peter Polos would likely order the Angels to restore the "Anaheim" portion of their name to the forefront while dropping the Los Angeles designation altogether.

Is anyone else surprised this argument is still being carried on? Has the ship not sailed and everyone pretty much gotten over the clunky LA of A deal? Apparently not as Mayor Curt Pringle continues to push this issue into court is a desperate attempt to save political face.

A couple of points should be clarified however:

1. The City of Anaheim will never see one red dime from the Angels organization. The $300 million figure is complete blue sky and how anyone say with a remote amount of accuracy what the lost "impressions" are through 2029 (when the lease expires) is preposterous. Further, what is the cost and/or value of an "impression"? What if I, as a result of all of this, now have a negative impression? Does that detract from the value of having "Anaheim" associated with "Angels"? Does that lower the $300 million figure? If so then the Disney years probably put the city in a severe 'impressions deficit' in terms of negative impact.

2. The "real" numbers of the Arte Moreno era are far more impressive than the fantasy tripe dreamed up by Anaheim's attorneys. In court papers already filed the Angels say the city has received more than $5 million in revenue sharing over the past three years. Compare that to the Disney years when the city received just $400,000 over SIX seasons. But let's give Disney some due, the team did, despite Michael Eisner's best efforts, win a World Series in their last season of ownership despite the gaudy "For Sale" sign posted in front of Edison Field (now Angels Stadium) for most of 2001 & 2002. That definitely gave the Moreno team a boost heading into their first season but the last two years of ticket sales were because the Angels were putting a good product on the field in terms of a competitive ball club. But c'mon, a 1200% increase in revenue sharing in half the time and the city is complaining?

This begs the question, would the City be happier had the team stayed the course with the name but instead of investing in players like Vladimir Guerrero and Bartolo Colon they blew themselves up ala the Marlins? Or worse, the LA Dodgers? I, speaking as a fan, am glad they have decided to behave as a big market team by signing great players. Let Minnesota, Oakland and Florida auction off their expensive talent -- I want to keep my Vlad, Barts and K-Rods.

I guess what every tax payer in the city of Anaheim has to ask themselves is that if they had a client who pissed you off with a personal slight but they just earned you $5 million in half the time a previous client had earned you $400,000, how would they treat that client? Would you be like the city of Anaheim and sue them, calling them names or would you pick up the phone and say 'thanks'? Well, if you are a politician and you don't materially share in the windfall you sue. The only commodity politicos trade in is favors and how they look and nothing buys free newscast airtime like a salicious law suit. Money is a garish side-issue and whether or not something 'paid off' economically for the voters is beside-the-point --- if you don't look good.

3. Suppose for a minute the city wins their case (and it is a long shot). The Judge says the Angels must be called the 'Anaheim Angels' and Pringle & Co "win". What happens next? Does Moreno throw in the towel and go about business as usual? Doubtful. I would suspect Moreno would look into exiting the Angel lease early. There is at least one provision where he can do so around 2016 -- now a mere 10 years away. Just about the right amount of time to find a new location, purchase some property and develop an entire stadium, shopping center, entertainment complex and bedroom community. I for one would feel a bit awkward for Anaheim. Forcing your name on someone who does not want it is just a little creepy in this day and age. But Anaheim wants their money and the name too. It is not good enough to host a perennial playoff team whose associated glory brings untold positive 'impressions'. If the city of Anaheim wants to know what happens to a midling metropolis that loses such a tenant, just check in with Irving, Texas in about five years. The Cowboys will be moving to Arlington in the next couple of years after which the number of times the city of Irving is mentioned on a newscast, web page or print media will roughly match that of Ozark, Alabama. Not that Anaheim is a second-class city, they will still have Disney. But in sports terms they will fall behind Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Arlington and Omaha in media coverage and positive buzz. Anaheim will be a small convention city whose biggest performers will be college basketball and the Wiggles.

Happy Festivus!

2005-12-23T11:10:00.000-08:00

A festivus for the rest of us! May you enjoy this happy day with a beneficial airing of the grivances, an exciting feat of strength and of course a raising of the pole.

Evil Empire Strikes at Boston's Dark Heart

2005-12-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

For pure drama, you have to love the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Personally I despise both of these teams and take pleasure in the pain they inflict on one another. The latest chapter came as beloved Red Sox hero Johnny Damon accepted a $52 million four-year deal from human ATM George Steinbrenner. This came after the Sox reportedly offered Damon $40 million over 4 years and publicly stated that was all they could afford. That was a red-carpet invitation for the Yankees to show-up at the last minute and overwhelm Damon with a substantially bigger offer.

While the Angels have had an incredibly mediocre off-season, it pales next to the Red Sox who have lost their most popular player while failing to improve their team with any significant free-agent signings. In addition their best hitter, Manny Ramirez, is demanding a trade. Now the stage is set for Theo Epstein to stage a dramatic return to try and salvage the Red Sox from completely imploding.

Mariners Claim Woods Off Waivers

2005-12-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

The Angels waived left-handed starter Jake Woods Tuesday who was then claimed by the Seattle Mariners. Seattle continues their off-season of 'sloppy-seconds' picking up Woods just a day after signing former Halo starter Jarrod Washburn to a rediculous 4 year contract.

The unraveling of Woods is a mystery. The kid got his first shot in the majors last season when the Angels gave him a couple of starts where the lefty went 1-1 with a 4.55 ERA. When Woods was optioned back to Triple A Salt Lake he appeared in 11 games where his ERA ballooned to 5.89 despite going 3-1.

Woods is a finesse pitcher with a big curveball and a fastball that struggles to break 90 mph. But my gut reaction is that GM Bill Stoneman may have given up too early. I would like to hear the rest of this story.

Jeff Weaver Next for Halos?

2005-12-21T21:20:00.000-08:00

MLB.com reported back on the December 5th that Scott Boras was "thought" to be talking to the Angels about a contract for his client, Jeff Weaver. The right-handed starter who played for the Dodgers last season is the brother of Angel prospect (and 2004 first round pick) Jared Weaver. Jeff Weaver went 14-11 with a 4.22 ERA for the Blue Crew and has a career 78 - 87 record with a 4.44 ERA.

The Angels make a decent fit for Weaver, who is a Southern California native and a natural mentor for his brother Jared. But Angel GM Bill Stoneman can not overpay for a guy with an ERA north of 4 but with Scott Boras as his agent, that might be easier said than done. It is not clear what the market for Weaver is right now but the eight-year veteran who turns 30 this August is entering a crucial stage of his career. Weaver needs to prove he can excel at the Major League level, something he has never done. Partly it has to do with the fact that Weaver has played on some pretty bad teams including the Detroit Tigers (1999 - 2002) and the LA Dodgers last season. Inbetween he spent a couple of seasons with the Yankees where Weaver looked to be overwhelmed before being traded out of town in 2004 to the Dodgers after posting a 7-9 record with a horrendous 5.99 ERA.

If the Angels do sign Weaver the question becomes is he guaranteed a spot in the rotation? The Angels have promised Hector Carrasco that he could compete for a starting job in Spring Training but if Weaver is offered a contract it would figure to be his rotation spot to lose. Weaver set a career high in wins last season with 14 and walked just 43 batters compared to 157 strikeouts. While his ERA has been questionable, Weaver's control seems to be pinpoint. This could be a case where a pitcher just needs to learn to pitch smarter and confront less to become a truly outstanding player. If that is the case, then this is the opportune time to bring in the elder Weaver.

Josh Paul Traded to D-Rays

2005-12-21T21:04:00.000-08:00

The Angels may have a bit of vengeful side. After Josh Paul's egregious fielding mishap in game two of the ALCS last season, many figured his days in Anaheim were numbered. The Halos traded the backup catcher to Major League Baseball's version of purgatory: Tampa Bay. Paul hit an anemic .189 with 2 HR in 34 games last season. In return the Devil Rays sent the Angels minor league infielder Travis Schlichting, a 21-year-old who spent last season in Single A where he hit .252 with 3 HR and 39 RBI in 111 games.

Don't be looking for your "Schlichting" Angels jersey any time soon. This very well could be the last time that name appears in print.

Angels Trade Finley to G-Men for Alfonzo

2005-12-21T20:32:00.000-08:00

The Angels raised the white flag on their 2004 free-agent signing of Steve Finley by trading the 40 year-old centerfielder to the San Francisco Giants for the comparably youthful Edgardo Alfonzo. The 32-year-old veteran will be a utility infielder for the Halos, playing second and third. While Finley's struggles in Anaheim (.222 avg, 12 HR) are attributed to an injury he suffered in the second game of the season, the reason for Alfonzo's slump in 2005 is more difficult to identify. Giants GM Brian Sabean could not say for certain why Alfonzo hit 2 homers in April and no more for the rest of the season while batting just .241 in the second half of the season.

"I go back to that first year [2003] -- he performed pretty well, but for some reason, once he got to the West Coast, there was culture shock," said Sabean. "He left New York where he was so loved and lived in that area, and I don't know how he was able to break those ties or ever did.

"There was a combination of factors. I think he'd be the first to admit expectations didn't happen, but I don't hold that against the player. He gave the effort."

So the natural cure to Alfonzo's longing to be on the east coast was to trade him to the Angels? There is a reason Sabean's initials are B.S. While "culture shock" might be an excuse for a rookie, a 32-year old veteran from Venezuela is not likely to be that freaked-out by a move to Frisco. More likely is that Alfonzo was either dinged-up or struggled early due to a general degeneration of skills. He also may have lost some confidence -- particularly when Pedro Feliz played well at third in '05 and slugged 20 HR's and with 81 RBI. Alfonzo is a career .287 hitter who has seen his homerun production drop each of the past six years since 1999 when he slugged 27 for the Mets. In 2000 Alfonzo backed up his strong '99 campaign with a .324 average and 25 more HR's. After signing with the Giants in 2003 Fonzie's average dropped nearly 50 points and he had just 13 HR. In a study of the numbers, Alfonzo appears to be a player in steady decline offensively. This will be his first American League team and Edgardo will be an insurance policy on injury plagued Dallas McPherson.

Bottom line is that the Giants and Angels just traded a couple of guys that turned out to be busts as marquee free-agent-signings. I would give the edge to the Giants on this simply because if Finley was injured last year he at least has a chance to be better in 2006. Alfonzo on the other hand looks like a guy running out of gas. The contracts were a wash financially and this trade will do little to help the Angels other than give them another back-up infielder instead of a back-up outfielder. Worst case for the Halos is that they release Alfonzo in spring training to little fanfare instead of releasing Finley, in which case everyone would talk about what a bad signing it was. Thanks to blogs though, even if Alfonzo is released we will talk about what a bad signing Finley was which was topped off by a bad trade.

Alfonzo will likely have to compete in Spring Training with Robb Quinlan and Maicer Izturis for the utility infielder role with former utility man Chone Figgins now slated to be the Angels full-time centerfielder. Figgins more than deserves the opportunity to be a full-time starter after serving as the Angels uber-utility player for the past three seasons. Alfonzo does not figure to be an Angel long even he makes the team in 2006 with a bevy of young infielders primed to make the jump to the big leagues in the next year or two including Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick and Kendry Morales.

Eerie Quiet From Angels

2005-12-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

One can jump to a lot of conclusions with regard to the Angels lack of action on the free-agent and trade fronts. After failing to sign first baseman Paul Konerko the Angels made a minor trade for a left-handed reliever with a questionable work ethic and released Jeff Devanon and Josh Paul while letting Jarrod Washburn and Bengie Molina leave quietly. They also failed to re-sign Paul Byrd by making the right offer too late. That is a lot of subtraction with very little addition. Clearly the Angels are not sitting idly back, believing their team is ready to compete with the White Sox, Red Sox, Yankees and A's with this severely weakened squad?

Of course not. The Angels appear to be working on two fronts with varying levels of complexity. Here are the two most likely areas the Angels are exploring.

1. Secure a back-up catcher to mentor Jeff Mathis. No disrespect to Jose Molina but he is not the answer. The most logical guy for the job is currently Mike Piazza. The venerable veteran catcher would likely welcome a return to the west coast, always a nice place to retire. He can play first and catch occasionally while helping acclimate a guy that could have very Piazza-like numbers in the next few years.

Obstacles: Money

2. Big Bopper to Protect Vlad. The guy they covet is Manny Ramirez but the Red Sox have been unreasonable in their trade demands. While contractually the Red Sox do not have to move Manny, it would be in their best interest to do so. The quirky left-fielder has let them know in no uncertain terms that he wants to be moved and his first choice is the Angels. If they do not trade Ramirez, the Red Sox could have a thermo-nuclear bomb waiting to go off in their clubhouse. It will likely cost the Angels a couple of high-end prospects and a starting hitter to replace Ramirez in the Red Sox line-up. That means a third-team will likely be needed to get the deal done. The Diamondbacks have shown a willingness to unload Troy Glaus but with the Boston acquisition of Mike Lowell, Glaus would have to play first and/or DH for the Sox. Of course, there is also the chance the Angels could simply reacquire their former third baseman and platoon him with the injury-plagued Dallas McPherson between third and DH or trade Erstad to the D-Backs and convert Glaus to a first baseman.

Another option is KC first baseman Mike Sweeney but he too is an injury risk and an expensive one.

When exploring the Angels' current needs you have to take a look at each position.

Starting Rotation: Colon, Escobar, Santana, Lackey, Carrasco. The #5 position is the wild-card and the Angels are apparently counting on competition for Carrasco coming from the minors. Chris Bootcheck, Joe Saunders and Jake Woods could provide some in spring training. Late in the year their is a slim chance that Jared Weaver could become available. One other possibility is starter Jeff Weaver though his representation by Scott Boras makes that a long-shot.

Bullpen: JC Romero was the left-handed assassin they needed and the Angels have to feel pretty good about keeping the pen intact. K-Rod will close with Shield and Donnelly setting up. Esteban Yan, Kevin Gregg and one or two of the losers in the starting job battle will fill-out the rest of the relievers.

Catcher: Bill Stoneman cleaned house, letting Bengie Molina walk away without offering him arbitration and designating Josh Paul for assignment. That leaves just Jose Molina and Jeff Mathis to catch with the idea being Mathis will be the opening day starter for the Halos. Defensively Mathis is ready, having been compared to Jason Varitek for his style of play and ability to handle pitchers. How Mathis handles things offensively is another question. Should he win the starting job in spring training Mathis would be an early Rookie of the Year candidate.

First Base: Erstad is the finest fielding first baseman in the league and Casey Kotchman is ready to take over should Erstad become injured or traded.

Second Base: After returning from a horrible knee injury last season, Adam Kennedy remained one of the finest #9 hitters in the league while providing solid defense. Howie Kendrick is tearing through the minors and should see a lot of time in Triple A this season and will be Major League ready either late in '06 or by 2007 for sure if he stays on pace.

Shortstop: Orlando Cabrera was steady at short and continues to develop as a hitter. Heavy hitting Brandon Wood is making a lot of noise in the minors and Arizona Fall League so should Cabrera get injured or become unproductive, the kid might get a shot. Wood should be the starter by 2007 barring injury or set backs in his development. Maicer Izturis was a nice surprise but the light-hitting shortstop would be a liability at the plate. Chone Figgins also can play short (and just about every other position save pitcher and catcher).

Third Base: The future was bright for Dallas McPherson. So much so the Angels let Troy Glaus walk. That did not work out so well as McPherson was dogged by injuries and missed most of 2005. Word is he has recovered and is ready for Spring Training. Maybe 2006 will be the real debut for the longball hitting kid at the hot corner? If not, Robb Quinlan is there to back-up D-Mac.

Left Field- Garrett Anderson was not the same hitter in '05, hitting under .300 for the first time since 2001 and slugging just 17 HR's while providing limited protection for Vlad Guerrero. Anderson did play in 142 games and will be looking to recapture his 2003 form when he hit .315 with 29 HR and 116 RBI. If Anderson struggles the Angels have Juan Rivera who hit .271 with 15 HR in 106 games last season. But for the Angels to succeed, they will need Garrett to play like the GA of 2002 - 2003.

Center Field - The Steve Finley experiment failed miserably last season. The 40 year old saw his average drop 41 points from 2004, a season in which it fell 12 points from '03. His HR production dropped from 23 in 2003 to 13 in 2004 to 12 last season. That is starting to look like the slipper slope of old age ending the career of a fine ball player. But Finley will have a chance to reverse that course in spring training and given their lack of options, the Angels may just have to suck it up in '06. With literally no prospects close to ready, the Angels only alternatives are Chone Figgins and Darin Erstad. Erstad's own age and brittle nature seems to preclude him from the job while Figgins is needed to back-up several other positions. If Erick Aybar or Brandon Wood prove themselves capable of backing up Cabrera, that would free Figgins for the center field gig. In any case, look for Finley to start the year in the outfield with a hook coming in May or June should he not be able to keep is average over .200.

Right Field - Vlad Guerrero. 'Nuff said.

DH - Juan Rivera has the inside track but Kendry Morales could give him some competition in spring training. If Morales requires some Triple A seasoning then he could still be a mid-season call-up for the Angels.

All-in-all the Angels do not have a lot of holes. But if they go forward with this team, they will be asking for Dallas McPherson, Steve Finley and Garrett Anderson to show a lot more than they did last season. In addition Jeff Mathis will need to develop very quickly to help people forget about losing Bengie Molina.

Dodgers Becoming Red Sox West

2005-12-18T09:07:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly come to terms with former Red Sox and Cubs shortstop Nomar Garciaparra on a one-year, incentive-laden contract that could pay him up to $8 million. But with the Blue Crew having already signed Rafael Furcal to play shortstop, Nomar will likely see time at first-base and left-field.

So the Dodgers transformation into the 2003 Boston Red Sox continues as they have now hired the manager, third baseman and shortstop from that team this year to go with starting pitcher Derek Lowe signed prior to the start of last season. Perhaps the Dodgers think they can skip the Red Sox 86 year-long dry spell by recreating the team they fielded just before winning the World Series in 2004. But the way the Dodgers luck has run since 1988 (the last year they won a World Series title) the curse will now run in reverse and LA will get their next championship around 2090.

Seriously, their really is nothing inherently wrong in taking a flyer on Nomar, a once-great hitter who has quickly become a creaky relic of his own bygone age. By signing him to a contract built on achieving certain objectives, the Dodgers do not have to risk much. For Garciaparra it is a chance to play for his hometown team as both he and the Dodgers try to reach back for another taste of their previous glory. The odds however, are that neither will achieve the heights they once occupied during the tenure of this contract.

Another metamorphosis now seems complete as the Angels and Dodgers have exchanged all aspects of their respective personalities. The Angels are the team with a recent record of winning, superstar players and a rich farm system. The Dodgers are signing players past-their-prime, competing (or trying to) in the weakest division in baseball and struggling to find an identity. My how the times have changed in Southern California baseball.

Mariners Close in on Washburn

2005-12-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Mariners are reportedly close to signing left-handed starter Jarrod Washburn to a deal worth $35 to $40 million over 4 years. The former Angel was not offered arbitration by the Halos and was allowed to walk-away as a free-agent.

And that my friends is why the Seattle Mariners continue to be no threat to compete in the AL West and how the Angels improve themselves without doing a thing. They waste their money on two sluggers last season, one of which had only one good year to his name (Adrian Beltre) and the other was coming off a major shoulder injury (Richie Sexson). Now the ever-busy Mariner brain-trust is going to sign the ultimate 'contract year' player in Washburn. The only really good season of Washburn's career came in '02 when he won 18 games with an ERA of 3.15. He then meandered through his next three seasons going 29 - 31 with ERA's of 4.43, 4.64 and 3.20. His best year of the three? Yup, his latest contract year when it became apparent the Angels were not inclined to re-sign him. His ERA would have been higher had Washburn not had a good bullpen to save him the past few years. But even with a bullpen, his ERA (other than '05) is not good.

So now Wash will take the big payday and build himself a nice hunting lodge up in Wisconsin, show-up reluctantly to spring training and ignore Seattle's fans. Then we gets lit-up at Safeco Field the fans can watch him nonchalantly waltz off the field, not a care in the world. I have not seen a player so immune to losing since Jim Edmonds left. I could forgive Rugburn for not showing emotion and even grinning stupidly when opposing batters launched his weak junk back over the fence. I could forgive him for being inconsiderate of fans. But the whole smirking package has just become too much to take recently. Washedupburn is the anti-Erstad and a surly ice-cube for a hot team. The Angels were right to let him and equally self-centered agent, Scott Boras, walk. Now the Angels should take away Boras' Dugout Suite because those seats are way too sweet for Satan.

A's Get Bradley from Blue Crew

2005-12-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

In a move that probably came a year too late, the Dodgers unloaded centerfielder and perennial head-case Milton Bradley on the Oakland A's. The Dodgers got a pretty good outfield prospect from Oakland in the form of Andre Ethier who was the Double A pitcher of the year and smoked Arizona Fall League pitching hitting .366 21 RBI and a .495 OBP in 23 games. In return Oakland got injected with clubhouse cancer and also received reserve infielder Antonio Perez. In 98 games last season Perez hit .297 with 3 HR and 23 RBI while making just $320,500. Those are the kind of numbers that send sabermetrists like Billy Beane into fits of giggles.

Bradley's numbers from 2005, .290 avg with 13 HR, 38 RBI and a .350 OBP with extended time on the disabled list while making $2.5 million have to be less enthralling to Beane but the potential of Bradley hitting .321 with 61 runs scored and 73 stolen bases as he did in 2003 with Cleveland was just too good to pass up. Of course the one thing number crunchers like Beane usually do not take into account are Bradley's other accomplishments from the last season which included being accused of choking his pregnant wife and calling Jeff Kent a racist. Those came on top of 2004's highlight reel of off-the-field antics which included throwing a plastic bottle into the stands at a fan at Chavez Ravine, throwing a hissy-fit after getting ejected and then nearly fist-fighting with a sportswriter during the Dodgers brief playoff run.

As I and many others pointed out in 2004, the way the Angels and Dodgers conducted their business with regard to problem players spoke volumes. The Angels immediately suspended Jose Guillen for the season before shipping him off to the Nationals. The Dodgers endured another 14 months of Milton Bradley induced stress before finally dumping him on Oakland. They did get a decent prospect but giving up Perez may have shifted this deal firmly into the A's win column. Oakland's primary center-fielder will be Mark Kotsay but his history of back injuries makes Bradley a decent, if not expensive, insurance policy. With a $2.5 million salary the A's will find a way to keep Bradley in the line-up, either playing right or at DH. But the over-under on when Bradley destroys Oakland’s clubhouse chemistry currently stands at September 2006. While Bradley could be a fine ballplayer he is simply too much of wildcard emotionally and a perpetual injury risk himself.

I am not sure why Oakland would make this move unless they found something wrong with Ethier. Perhaps they thought his hot streak in the Arizona Fall League was a fluke and the time was right to move him. Time will tell on this one but anytime a divisional rival picks-up a lunatic like Bradley I have to smile.

Angels DFA Paul -- Twins Glad to See Romero Go

2005-12-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

To make room for newly acquired reliever J.C. Romero the Angels have designated catcher Josh Paul for assignment for the purpose of giving him is unconditional release. And that my friends is what happens to bone-headed back-up-catchers-that-don't-tag-batters-with-low-called-strike-three-balls- in-the-ALCS-but-instead-toss-it-to-the-mound-and-jog-off-the-field. So let that be a lesson for young you little leaguers out there.

In related news the LA Times had a report that the Minnesota Twins -- in particular manager Ron Gardenhire -- were not sad to see Romero go. Many had wondered why the Angels had acquired a front-line left-handed reliever for next-to-nothing and according to the Twins the Angels just bought themselves a head-case. Romero became more and more inconsistant and claimed he was 'disrespected' by the Twins. Gardenhire's response:

"That's bull," Gardenhire told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "If he wasn't being respected how did he get a two-year contract? Give me a break. I like J.C., but his mannerisms on the mound never changed. J.C. helped us get through a lot of things, but it is time for a change here."

So no love lost there. But to each story there is another side and Romero's is that he simply had an ill-defined role in Minnesota that left him out of sorts and not knowing when he would pitch.

"I never knew what I was going to do," said Romero, who will make $2.2 million in 2006. "One day I was a set-up man, one day I was a left-handed specialist, one day I was a long man, sometimes I didn't pitch for seven days. In 2002, my role was the seventh or eighth inning, I knew when I was going to go in, so I could prepare myself.

"The last two years, I had no clue when I would pitch, if I was going to pitch. I got out of my groove. I'm a guy who pitches better the more I pitch. I was inconsistent at times. That's my fault. My role changed. I couldn't adjust."

Presumably Romero's role in Anaheim will be extremely well defined. He knows he comes in as the #3 or #4 guy in the bullpen. Frankie closes, Shields and Donnelly set-up at the righties and Romero will set-up at the lefty. He may be used as a designated left-handed assassin from time-to-time but Romero should work regularly for the Angels and, I would guess, primarily in the 6th to 8th innings depending on the situation.

It sounds like the situation with the Twins was a communications issue. Minnesota managers are not known for their candor and I can see Gardenhire suddenly using Romero diffrently without feeling a need to explain it to him. Like his quote above says, in Gardy's mind the money showed that the Twins loved Romero and he should just be ready to pitch when needed. Period.

There are no more fragile psyches in sports than relief pitchers and as a former catcher I would expect Scioscia to be in tune with his pitcher's needs, even ones who need a little extra stroking. That is my Angel-fan wish anyway. It is possible that Romero will not work out any better for the Angels than he did for the Twins. But the potential reward of a season like Romero had in 2002 (9-2 with 1.89 ERA) is worth the minimal risk the Angels had to put forth.

Angels Acquire reliever J.C. Romero From Twins

2005-12-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

The Angels pulled the trigger on a trade to bring left-handed reliever J.C. Romero to Anaheim in 2006. The Halos had to give the Twins infield prospect Alexi Casilla who started last season in Double A Arkansas before being promoted to Triple A Salt Lake on April 30th. Strangely, Casilla played just 13 games and was then bumped all the way down to Single A Cedar Rapids where he batted .325 with 11 doubles, 3 triples and 3 HR's.

Romero, who had a career year in 2002 going 9-2 with a 1.89 ERA, has been less effective of late compiling a 4-3 record in 2005 with a 3.47 ERA. More troubling was Romero's lack of control last season when he walked 39 batters in 57 innings of work. Compare that with his 2002 season when he walked just 36 in 81 innings pitched.

I originally balked at the idea of the Angels spending one of their top prospects to acquire Romero, but given the Twins took almost nothing (like the Angels really needed another light-hitting infielder) I have to give this move a thumbs-up. Romero is the left-handed reliever the Angels have done without (to their detriment) since 2003 when Scott Shoeneweiss was allowed to leave. Longer than that given the fact that Shoeneweiss was largely an ineffective reliever (or starter for that matter).

If the Angels can work with Romero to get him back to some semblance of his 2002 self, then they may have found a gem. If Romero is only has good as he has been the past couple of years he is still better than several other reliever hacks that have wandered through the Angels clubhouse in recent years. The $1.25 million Romero made last season makes him a bit pricier than most Angel relievers, at least until Scot Shields and Frankie Rodriguez's arbitration hearings.

Next up: Get a big bat for the middle of the lineup.

Stoneman Spinning Wheels

2005-12-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

Bill Stoneman concluded his stay at the GM winter meetings in Dallas having accomplished very little. The Angels have not acquired a strong middle-of-the-lineup bat or a reliever and the deals that the LA Times reported were 'in the works' would not in my opinion make the Angels any better than they are now.

According to the Times these are the 'hot' deals Stoneman is pursuing:

1. C Javy Lopez - The Orioles are offering up Lopez whose knees will no longer make him a viable starting catcher. The O's are finishing up a deal for Ramon Hernandez which makes Javy and his $8.5 million contract for 2006 more than available. The proposed deal is an even swap for Darin Erstad with the idea being Lopez would become the Angels full-time DH and emergency catcher.

Analysis: What? Similar salaries, similar batting stats with the only real difference being the Angels lose a gold-glove caliber defensive first baseman. It does open up first for Casey Kotchman but if the Angels are intent on going that route why not shift Erstad back to center and let Finley DH? Will Javy Lopez give Guerrero protection in the lineup? They won't be able to walk Vladdy fast enough if that is what the Halo brass is thinking.

2. RP J.C. Romero - The long-time Twins reliever is apparently being shopped after he had some altercations with Minnesota skipper Ron Gardenhire. Cost: a prospect. How high is not known but presumably it would not be any of the Angels 'crown jewels'. While Romero was a top reliever in 2002 he has not been nearly as effective over the last three seasons with an ERA hovering just under 4.

Analysis: Romero's $2.2 million is a bit spendy but on the other-hand he is left-handed. But a deteriorating lefty with an attitude problem might not be the answer in the bullpen.

3. RP Ricardo Rincon - The A's lefty for the past three seasons is a free-agent coming off a fairly lousy 2005 season which saw his ERA jump from 3.68 in 2004 to 4.34 last season. He also had an ugly walk-to-strike-out ratio of 20:27 and made just under $2 million last year. On second thought, maybe that Romero trade is not such a bad idea.

4. 1B/DH Frank Thomas - The Big Hurt has been cut loose by the ChiSox after two injury-plagued seasons finished his career in the Windy City. I thought the days of the Angels signing washed-up sluggers to finish their careers in the quiet comfort of Orange County were over. Nothing good can come of this.

5. SS Nomar Garciaparra - When the Sox were shopping Nomar a couple of years ago I liked the idea of his coming to the Angels. But with Brandon Wood knocking on the door and Orlando Cabera holding down the fort -- there is no need or reason to sign him now.

Not one of these players would make a significant difference to the Angels. Of the entire group I would probably say Romero makes the most sense. When the Angels said goodbye to Jarrod Washburn they lost their last lefty. While I am not sorry to see Washburn go I would like to see the Halos acquire at least one decent lefty for the pen.

Angels DFA Jeff DeVanon

2005-12-08T09:58:00.000-08:00

The Angels said goodbye to a long-time bench player when Jeff DeVanon was Designated for Assignment Wednesday to make room for free-agent pitcher Hector Carrasco.

DeVanon has shown some streaks of strong hitting in the past but lacked the consistant bat to make him a full-time player.

Richard at Pearly Gates is a long-time DeVanon devotee but even he seems to realize that losing JD has essentially no effect on the Angels going forward. The Halos have a strong contingent of players ready to contribute from the bench including Juan Rivera, Chone Figgins, Robb Quinlan, Maicer Izturis and prospects such as Jeff Mathis, Howie Kendrick and Brandon Wood though it is unlikely Kendrick or Wood would make the big club unless an injury opened up a spot.

Washburn's Angel Days Are Over

2005-12-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

Thank God.

From the LA Times:

"They have to make business decisions, but I feel a little underappreciated for what I've done the last few years," Washburn said by phone from his Wisconsin home. "I wanted to be an Angel my entire career," so much so that last season he offered to sit down with Stoneman — and without his agent, Scott Boras — to negotiate an extension. Stoneman declined.

"It would have been nice to have a man-to-man talk [with Stoneman], for him to tell me we're going in this direction, and this is why," Washburn said. "That hurts. It's a lack of respect."

Really? I thought it a lack of respect the way you didn't seem to care when you lost. Or the way you blew off fans during Spring Training. Take your raggedy arm, home-run-surrendering smirk and lousy attitude elsewhere.

Angels Don't Offer Molina Arbitration

2005-12-08T09:22:00.000-08:00

In a somewhat surprising move, the Angels did not offer salary arbitration to free-agent catcher Bengie Molina. Many (including me) thought this was a no-brainer given the Angels would only have to commit to Molina for one more year, giving prospect Jeff Mathis another year to develop. Worse for Molina, the market for veteran catchers is drying up quickly with both the Mets and Diamondbacks filling their needs via trade this week. That means Molina may have to take a job sharing the catching duties or as a backup. He could catch-on with a club like the Twins who have health problems with their rookie phenom Joe Mauer. But he will have to compete with Mike Piazza who is also looking to catch-on somewhere as a part-time catcher/DH. The Angels have been mentioned as a team that might be interested in Piazza and the dispatch of Molina would help clear the way for a deal there.

According to the LA Times, the company line is that the Angels wanted to create an opportunity for Mathis on the big club. While Molina is an excellent receiver, the Halo pitching staff is not exactly difficult to catch (with the noted exception of K-Rod). But the Angels are taking a bit of an offensive gamble at the catching position if Mathis does not win the starting job. Jose Molina as the primary catcher is not a pretty thought from a run-production perspective.

"We were leaning toward arbitration with Bengie, but with the emergence of Mathis and right behind him, Mike Napoli, I didn't want to throw up a roadblock that would impede them," General Manager Bill Stoneman said. "It wasn't an easy decision, because Bengie has been a great trooper, a good player, for a number of years."

The Angels can not offer Molina a contract until May 1st which means his days with the Halos are likely over.

The Angels continue to clean-out catchers as they attempt to trade Josh Paul to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After the phantom strikeout in the ALCS when Paul tossed the ball towards the mound and ran off the field, it probably is best to remove Paul and all memories of that play. It also is easy to say goodbye to a very mediocre player.

All Quiet On Manny Front

2005-12-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

Officials from the Angels, Red Sox and Diamondbacks along with Peter Gammons all have thrown cold water on the Manny-to-Anaheim rumors. I have to agree, because of the sheer magnitude of the deal it is unlikely to get done but I remain hopeful. Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated however believes that Ramirez will end up with a halo of his own before Spring Training. From today's SI Newsletter Verducci says:

Manny Ramirez's latest "trade me" request is by far the firmest he's given the club over the past three years. And the Sox are actively trying to move him. "My guess as to where he winds up: the Angels, his first choice, in a possible three-way trade that would bring the Diamondbacks' Troy Glaus to Boston to play first base," Verducci says. The potential of Ramirez and Vladimir Guerrero in the same lineup would certainly take some of the buzz away from the Blue Jays, who continued their preholiday spending spree yesterday by signing free-agent righthander A.J. Burnett to a five-year, $55 million contract. (That's $102 million between Burnett and closer B.J. Ryan.)

Angel GM Bill Stoneman has also been in contact with Kansas City regarding Mike Sweeney but the Royals want Casey Kotchman AND Brandon Wood for a broken-down 32-year-old hitter who is averaging just 115 games a season the past four years. I think someone has slipped some crack into the barbecue sauce up there in KC. I would suggest leaving Sweeney and his $22 million contract for the next two seasons safely stashed in KC where neither can hurt anyone except Royal fans.

Juan Pierre was traded to the Cubs today so scratch #2 from my wish list. The Marlins received pitcher Sergio Mitre, two Double-A pitching prospects and a 2-for-1 admission coupon to the Sears Tower Observation Deck (not valid on holidays or weekends) for Pierre. This likely ends the latest Marlins team demolition and any hope for playoffs until 2009.

The Diamondbacks traded for catcher Johnny Estrada today, giving up promising reliever Oscar Villarreal and less promising reliever Lance Cormier. Estrada was an All-Star in 2004 but after a violent collision with Darin Erstad last June he was "not the same behind or at the plate." Viarreal had a phenomenal rookie season in '03 but injuries limited his effectiveness in both 2004 and '05. This good be a fairly even win-win trade if both players bounce back or could severely swing one way or another depending on who performs.

The Padres acquired Red Sox backup catcher Doug Mirabelli in a trade for second-baseman Mark Loretta. It is a great deal for the Sox who acquire a 'gamer' and fan favorite in Loretta. Mirabelli is considered to be one of the better back-up catchers in the majors and fills a void in San Diego made when Ramon Hernandez left. One person who will be concerned by this is Tim Wakefield who used Mirabelli exclusively as his receiver. So good luck to Jason Veritek who now gets to catch a knuckleballer once a week.

So what does all this activity with catchers mean for the Angels? The likelihood of Bengie Molina returning just skyrocketed. The Angels will offer Molina arbitration tonight and he will undoubtedly take it. It insures a nice fat one-year deal for the veteran and gives the Angels another year to prep young Jeff Mathis. Likely Mathis will start the year in the minors but given Bengie's health the past few years the odds are good that the kid will get called-up at some point in 2006.

In other arbitration news the Angels will also offer arbitration to Paul Byrd. Why would they do that you ask? Because Byrd has to deny it (having already signed a deal with Cleveland) and it will then insure the Angels of a high draft pick as compensation. The Angels will likely NOT offer arbitration to Jarrod Washburn. With Burnett signing and Javier Vazquez about to be traded by Arizona, the next tier of pitchers will likely start to sign and that will include Washburn.

The LA Times is reporting that Boston is now regretting the signing of human-error machine Edgar Renteria and have inquired about the possibility of a trade for Orlando Cabrera. The Sox are probably a year early to ask since Brandon Wood will likely not be ready to join the big club until 2007. However the Angels could start either Chone Figgins or Maicer Izturis at short in the interim. I would not think the Angels would move Cabrera for the simple fact that he is one of Vlad Guerrero's best friends and one thing the Angels have going for them is team harmony. Don't rock the boat.

Winter Meeting Musings

2005-12-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

As Bill Stoneman settles in for the General Manager's meetings in Dallas, let's take a look at the moves the Angels have made so far in the off-season and the Halo Herald's wish list for this week.

Angels Miss Konerko

The Halos made no secret of their covetous pursuit of Paul Konerko and went after him hard. The Angels presented Konerko with a 5 year, $60 million dollar deal up front. The White Sox scrambled and matched the offer late for an 11th hour re-signing of their slugger. But when asked how close he was to signing with the another team (the Angels) Konerko replied "you wouldn't believe how close."

HH Grade: A for effort. The Angels offered the right contract to the right player and he simply opted to go elsewhere. Fresh off a World Series victory it is hard to blame PK for re-upping with the home team.

Angels Cut Ties With Paul Byrd

Unlike with Konerko, the Angels apparently took their time making and then upgrading subsequent offers before asking him to make an immediate decision. Reportedly the Angels original offer of a one-year deal for $5 million was quickly bested by the Indians (2 years at $14.25 million with an option on a third year that could push the deal to $22 million) and the Royals (3 years at $22 million) after the Angels exclusive negotiating period with Byrd ran out. The Angels eventually increased their offer to two years at $11 million before finally offering two years, $14 million. But unlike Konerko, Byrd felt no home town loyalty to a team that only employed him for one year and took the Indians offer instead.

HH Grade: C According to Byrd, negotiations with the Angels were slow and he was being courted by six other teams. "That made me feel very wanted by other teams" and "it made me think that the Angels might be going in a different direction." Sort of. The Angels were actively purusing Hector Carrasco and wanted an answer from Byrd immediately so that they could concentrate on Carrasco if necessary. "Money wasn't an issue" said Byrd. "It was the deadline. I didn't want to make decision that would affect my family for the next three years in minutes, in hours. There was a lot of pressure. The Angels didn't give me the time." Yeah, Ok, whatever Paul. Convenient out for you but everyone knows you would prefer to be closer to your home in Atlanta. Gee, should I make $14 million and live in Southern California? What a tought choice between freaking Cleveland, OH and Orange County. Take it from a guy who has to live in Arizona, that was a no-freaking brainer Paul. So be it. I'm not all that excited about a starting pitcher who gets flustered "under pressure". After Byrd could not answer by their deadline, the Angels cut ties with him, rescinding their previous offer. According to Byrd the Angels could have re-signed him to a one-year deal at the end of last season. If that is true then shame on Stoneman & Co. for missing that bargain opportunity.

Angels Make No Effort to Re-sign Washburn

What a shock. The man best known for giving up a towering home run to David Ortiz to end the Angels playoffs in 2004 and a towering home-run to Barry Bonds in the World Series can now give up towering home-runs somewhere else.

HH Grade: A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From a report on the Angels website: "It really didn't surprise me or upset me," Washburn said of hearing that the Angels were not going to attempt to re-sign him. "I knew we had not been contacted. I wasn't really ever given an explanation. As soon as the year was done, it was 100 percent in my mind that it was my last as an Angel." Really? After David Ortiz ended the Angels '04 season it was 100% in my mind that you shouldn't be an Angel.

Angels Sign Pitcher Hector Carrasco

In a move that may have surprised some, the Angels gave relief pitcher Hector Carrasco $6.1 million and a two-year contract plus a shot at the starting rotation.

HH Grade: B Stoneman was decisive when he figured out what he wanted. Carrasco at $6.1 million instead of Byrd at $14 million. So kudos for clipping coupons and finding a 'bargain'. But Carrasco is only a bargain if their gambit to turn him into a #5 starter pays off and he can match Byrd's numbers of 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA. With the Nationals last year Carrasco went 5-4 with a 2.04 ERA in 64 games which included five starts in September. He did not go past 6 innings in any of those outings and went 1-1 with 4 no-decisions. Carrasco as a starter will likely tax the Angel bullpen but probably not much more than Byrd did once he is able to build-up his stamina.

Interestingly, Carrasco pitched in relief against the A's, Mariners and Rangers in interleague play but not the Angels. Carrasco pitched 6.1 innings against the Angels' divisional rivals and gave up 0 runs on 4 hits. Overall a bit of a gamble for the Angels but there seems to be more upside with HC. Best possible scenario is he turns out to be a 15 - 18 game winner. Worst case - Hello long-relief duty. As Jeff Howe at League of Angels mentions, the key difference between Byrd and Carrasco is the number of walks. Carrasco has been more wild over the course of his career with a 1.65 K/BB ratio. Stat geeks love to tell how many walks a guy gives up per 9 innings. Well, Carrasco is not going to give you 9 innings so it does not matter. He is going to give up a walk every 2 innings according to his stats last season. A changeup and cutter Carrasco added to his repertoire has changed his style of pitching and made him much more dangerous. This guy is a good risk at the right price. He will have to beat out minor league prospects Joe Saunders, Chris Bootcheck and Jared Weaver as well as anyone else the Halos invite to camp this spring.

Halos Stay on Sideline with B. Molina

The New York Mets presented Bengie Molina with a $24 million three-year deal before abruptly taking it off the table and completing a trade with Florida for catcher Paul LoDuca. That takes the biggest spender out of the market and leaves Molina with two options: (1) Sign a less lucrative (and likely shorter) deal with a second-tier (spending wise) team such as Arizona, Houston or San Diego; or (2) Accept arbitration from the Angels and sign a nice one-year deal, pushing this free-agent stuff to 2006-07. If he does opt for the one-year deal it will be fantastic for the Angels. It gives Jeff Mathis another year to mature, likely in the bigs as a #3 catcher and takes a level of uncertainty out of the 2006 catching position. After the McPherson debacle of 2005 the Angels have got to be a little gun-shy turning over a major league job to a rookie. For Molina a one-year deal can help him continue to develop as a hitter and prove he can remain healthy all season.

HH Grade: A If they lose him then at least the Angels did not have to make a long-term commitment to a guy with a short-term Angel future. If he comes back, even better as it will be on the Angels' terms.

Angels Sign Tim Salmon to Minor League Contract

Everybody wants this to work. After missing the entire 2005 season with injuries, Salmon has a chance to comeback and leave the game with his head held high. Salmon agreed to a $400,000 minor league deal and likely was happy to do it after fleecing the Angels for $10 million last season. Salmon needs 10 HR's for 300 in his career and 11 RBI for 1,000 in his career. If Salmon can make the team he will clearly be a DH/bench player. But given the touchy nature of Vlad Guerrero's and Garrett Anderson's backs he would likely see plenty of playing time.

HH Grade: A - Class move by both organization and player.

So what work needs to be done? Plenty. Here is my wish list for Bill Stoneman at the winter meetings:

1. Manny Ramirez -- Not asking much, just a $54 million left-fielder with a 'quirky' personality. The very private Ramirez is a perfect fit with the Angels, a team already inhabited by hermits such as Vladimir Guerrero, Garrett Anderson, Adam Kennedy and Darin Erstad. Guys so low-key only dogs can hear them. Manny can take the family shopping at Fashion Island and odds are he won't get a second glance as opposed the rabid 'Red Sox Nation' fans who stalked the slugger like Amy Fisher. If the Angels can make the economics work out they could send Erstad out east with him. But likely they will need to get a third team involved and rumors involving the Arizona Diamondbacks are starting to heat-up again. The D-Backs would not mind unloading Troy Glaus' salary and could package him in as part of the deal heading to Boston. In return, the Angels would likely have to send a couple of prized prospects to Phoenix. Arizona has a glut of corner infielders and outfielders but a severe shortage at centerfield and catcher. The D-Backs will likely be looking for help along the lines of a Chone Figgins to fill their centerfield slot which would be a steep price. Maybe we could coax them into taking Steve Finley back? If not a starter for center then a couple of highly placed prospects will likely be needed. This is a trade possiblity that should be monitoried closely (and I shall).

2. Juan Pierre - If the Angels do have to package-up Figgy in a Ramirez deal how about stopping by the Florida Marlins fire-sale and picking out a late-model centerfielder? Blazing speed and a prototypical lead-off hitter -- Pierre would be a nice addition.

3. Johnny Damon - The caveman is a free-agent but it would take a boat-load of cash to get him out of bean town. The suicide rate in the northeast would skyrocket if the Sox lost both Ramirez and Damon in the same off-season.

4. Jeff Weaver -- According to the Ventura County Star Weaver's agent, Satan, err -- Scott Boras, was seen talking with representatives of the Angels. Interesting. Big brother could mentor little brother Jared while throwing to the brothers Molina. Only hitch would be explaining to Hector Carrasco how we now seem to have a complete set of starting pitchers. We only said you could 'compete' to start in the rotation Hector, now go to Tempe and compete with these five established big league starters. This could dove-tail with a potential Manny Ramirez trade should the Angels have to ship off a starting pitcher to Arizona (John Lackey perhaps?).

Some rumors I would like quashed: Angels are interested in Frank Thomas (can he still walk?).
Angels are interested in Mike Piazza (does that mean we get Lo Duca in 2 - 5 years?).

Letter to Santa

2005-12-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

With Paul Konerko re-upping with the White Sox this week despite a nice offer from the Halos, I have decided to go directly to the Big Guy with my Angel wishes for this offseason.....

Dear Santa,

A lot of my friends have been telling me lately that you do not exist and that I should grow-up already. But after seeing the last four World Series championships going to the Angels, Marlins, Red Sox and White Sox it seems clear to me that you have indeed been answering some pretty audacious requests from desperate baseball fans around the country. So before your inbox overflows with letters from Cub fan, I thought I better get my humble requests in for the Angels 2006 team.

1. A healthy hip for Dallas McPherson that will let us, finally, be able to forget Troy Glaus.
2. Barring that, can we have Glaus back?
3. An epiphany to Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle that he would be far better off politically to join forces with the Angels rather than goad them into making veiled threats to move the club because "Anaheim" is placed last rather than first in their name.
4. A free-agent power-hitter to give Vlad some protection in the Angels line-up.
5. Please send Jarrod Washburn far, far away.
6. A new Angel contract for Paul Byrd that will keep him in Anaheim until 2007.
7. If not Byrd, how about Jeff Weaver so he can smooth the transition for baby brother Jared?
8. A smooth trip to Spring Training with no month-long lay-overs on Caribbean islands for Kendry Morales. I really want to see this kid play!
9. Either arbitration from the Angels for a nice one-year deal or a big fat free-agent contract for Bengie Molina to play elsewhere. The Angels are too deep at catcher to give him a long deal but Bengie deserves it from someone.
10. For the Angels to give Tim Salmon a one-year deal so we can see the Big Fish go out healthy and helping the club to another championship.
11. Great seats in June when the Angels play the D-Backs in Phoenix.

Your Pal,

Richard

Emerging From My Post-Season of Discontent

2005-10-31T14:02:00.000-08:00

As everyone knows, baseball season is over. I could not muster the strength to comment on the Angels exodus at the hands of the newly crowned World Champion White Sox. The blown calls, the offensive slumber of the Halos (or if you prefer, the dominant pitching of the Sox). Without going into anymore detail, suffice it to say the Angels finished right where they should have: second-place in the AL and likely, as the second-best team in the Majors.

But now comes the fun part, the giddy anticipation of fans as they play pseudo-GM and prognosticate on what they think should be done to push their team over the hump. For some teams like Kansas City it usually begins with something like "first you blow-up the current team..." Fortunately for Halo fans they are tantalizingly close. What would have happened had Bartolo Colon and Dallas McPherson both stayed healthy and been able to play to their awesome potential through October? What if the Steve Finley acquisition had not been a colossal failure? These little set-backs are part-and-parcel with the game of baseball and it is the deep teams, that can draw on a prospect or grizzled veteran to fill the shoes of an injured teammate, that makes all the difference in the world. It is also why keeping Troy Glaus would have been an awfully shrewd move. So now we look ahead because one thing is certain, there will be new names on the roster next spring and Angel fans will likely bid adieu to others.

Jarrod Washburn, Paul Byrd, Bengie Molina and Tim Salmon are all free-agents. The Angels have stated a desire to re-sign Molina but with two high-level pitching prospects they are reluctant to overspend (no matter if Molina is well worth it or not) or commit themselves to anything longer than a three year deal. It would be prudent for the Angels to ink Bengie to a three-year contract (or two year with an option if they can manage it). The leverage on their side has been Molina's lack of power and his frequent visits to the disabled list. Plus there is a comfort-level for Molina to play with his brother and within the friendly confines of Angel Stadium. As for the Angels, if they opt to go elsewhere for their primary catching duties they could simply promote their other Molina, Jose, and/or hope that either Jeff Mathis or Mike Napoli can make a run for the job in Spring Training. Had Molina been clubbing 25 - 30 HR's a year with limited time on the DL he could command a hefty wage in 2006 but this might be a case where both Molina and the Angels enter into a contract-of-convenience to their mutual benefit. Molina can prove himself durable and likely increase his offensive abilities (which continue to steadily improve) while the Angels can bridge the time between the Molina era and the next-in-line-to-catch era.

Champions Are Made of This

2005-10-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

The Angels got hosed in game 2. Terrible call that the Chicago White Sox (and you have to give them all the credit in the world for this) took advantage of. Tip of the halo to the South Siders. As much as the Angels and their fans may want to lay the blame for the game 2 loss on the umpire, you have to keep in mind a couple of things. (1) WWMHD -- What Would Molina Have Done? Had Mike Scioscia had either Molina brother behind the plate instead of Paul during game 2 they would have, in all likelihood, slapped Pierzynski with their glove just for good measure at the end of the inning. Paul made a rookie mistake that I guarantee you he will never make again (at least for the Angels though I doubt, barring injury, we will see much of Mr. Paul the rest of this post-season). So blame Paul or blame Scioscia for not having another catcher in there. (2) This was a 1-1 game in the 9th, the Angels should have been able to generate another run earlier in the game. The only thing that is keeping Angel fans from cringing at the Halo offense is that Chicago looks worse. At least Scioscia seems to be making all the right calls in terms of stolen bases, pitch-outs, etc. Guillen is just getting shown-up to this point.

But this is where the Champs are separated from the chumps. Losers cry about how unfair the game is, winners quietly and decisively go about their business. In my estimation a Mike Scioscia led team has already put game 2 behind them (at least as much as the media will allow them to) and have their energies focused on game 3 in Anaheim Friday night. The stage is set for the Angels to have a "statement" game. They are facing a pitcher they dominated in the regular season (2-0 vs. Jon Garland while hitting a robust .358 against him with 2 HR and 10 ER in 13 innings pitched) and should have a little more grit to their game after getting held to just one run by Mark Buehrle. The crowd will be loud at Angel Stadium, thunder sticks ablazing and beach balls flying. A 2-0 lead coming home would have been great, but the Angels have now taken over home field advantage and could close things out at home with a three-game sweep. I would settle for 2 out of three with a Garland/Lackey re-match in the works for a potential game 7 in Chicago. The last time Lackey pitched a game 7 the Angels became World Champions.

Wood Hits 4 HR's in Fall League Game

2005-10-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Republic reported today that Angels shortstop prospect Brandon Wood clubbed four dingers in a single game yesterday, leading Surprise to a 20-1 victory over Grand Canyon. Wood now has 7 HR's in just 5 fall games.

From Baseball America, Wood was also named to the 2005 Minor League All-Star Team after posting 101 exra-base hits this year. Also named to the team was Halo second-base prospect Howie Kendrick who hit .367 at Rancho Cucamonga while also posting an impressive .617 slugging percentage. That is an amazing middle infield combination for Angel fans to look forward to. If these two prospects were to continue to develop and perform at that high of a level the Angels could become a serious power-hitting team by 2007 or 2008.

It is good to be an Angel fan...

ESPN: Colon off ALCS Roster

2005-10-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

According to ESPN, the Angels have left pitcher Bartolo Colon off the ALCS roster meaning the team can not play their ace at any time in the series. Colon left the game yesterday with what the Angels described as an "inflamed shoulder".

Given that Colon was 0-1 and they still ousted the Yankees, this should not be a devastating blow. While I would certainly prefer a healthy Bartolo Colon, young Ervin Santana has proven he can pitch in the post-season. Another option is to move Kelvim Escobar back to the starting rotation and shift Santana to the bullpen but this is unlikely given the Angels finished the season with Santana as the starter and Escobar in the pen to great effect.

Probable Pitchers

Tonight: Paul Byrd vs. Jose Contreras
Game 2: Jarrod Washburn vs. Mark Buehrle
Game 3: John Lackey vs. Jon Garland
Game 4: Ervin Santana vs. Freddy Garcia
Game 5: Byrd vs. Contreras
Game 6: Washburn vs. Buehrle
Game 7: Lackey vs. Garland

Obviously, this is speculation at this point though Chicago's rotation is rested and appears to be fairly set.

Looks like ESPN.com readers are rooting for and picking the White Sox to win this series (42.6% are currently saying the Sox will win the series 4-2). Not surprisingly they give the starting pitching advantage to the healthy Sox but they say the Angels have a better bullpen, closer, line-up and manager but will still lose the series. The voters give a slight edge (54.1% to 45.9% to the Sox as the better defense which I would argue). I know good pitching beats good hitting but this poll defies logic.

Angels Will Need to Juggle Rotation for ALCS

2005-10-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

The Angels starting rotation is in tatters with Colon leaving his start tonight with a shoulder injury and Jarrod Washburn suffering from menstrual cramps. That leaves the Angels with, essentially, a three-man rotation of Paul Byrd, John Lackey and Ervin Santana. If needed, Kelvim Escobar could be available to start a game as well. The Angels will likely rely on Byrd to open the series against Jose Contreras tomorrow night. In two previous starts against the Halos Contreras is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA. Byrd faced the Chi Sox once this year and was victorious despite giving up 5 runs in 6 innings for a 7.50 ERA. While Contreras has been red-hot to end the regular season and against the Bo Sox in the Divisional Series, Byrd has struggled giving up 4, 4, 5 and 5 runs in his past four starts respectively. Byrd's last 'quality' start was on September 18th when he pitched 6.2 innings, giving up 7 hits but just 1 run.

On paper the White Sox, who are rested and ready to face a jet-lagged Angels squad, appear to have a clear advantage in game one. The Angels will rely on guile, adrenaline and probably a case of Red Bull to pull themselves together for tomorrow night's game. I am not optimistic for the Halos to win game one but if they can pull out a victory in game two they will be well positioned. The Angels game two starter is a big mystery at this point. It could be the aforementioned Washburn but do not be surprised to see Escobar or even Scot Shields make a spot start if needed. The Angels will get a day off after game two and will then host the Sox in Anaheim for the next two games and a third if necessary. Lackey will start game 3 and if the Angels can get Colon back for game 4 and Santana for game 5 they will have a good chance to put the Sox on their heels. If the series goes back to Chicago Scioscia will likely try to have Lackey and either Colon or Santana available for those last two games.

Halos Advance to ALCS

2005-10-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

The Angels dispatched the New York Yankees 5-3 on Monday night to win the Divisional Series 3 games to 2 and advance to the American League Championship Series. It was a strange game that saw Angel starter Bartolo Colon leave in the 2nd inning with a shoulder injury and rookie Ervin Santana step-up to pitch 5 1/3 innings of 2-run ball to earn his first post-season victory.

Colon did not look that bad, despite what Fox announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver thought. He was definitely trying to 'pitch' rather than overpower hitters but was not getting the called strikes he would have needed to be successful. So the Angels did the prudent thing and pulled Colon in favor of the rookie who beared a strong resemblence to a 2002 rookie by the name of Frankie Rodriguez who went a long way towards eliminating the Yankees that year. By now the Yankees and their obnoxious fan base have got to really be sick of Angel rookies.

The New Yorkers have a pretty good rookie themselves in second baseman Robinson Cano but he made a critical baserunning mistake in the fifth inning to snuff a Yankee rally. After beaning A-Rod, Santana walked Giambi and faced runners at first and second with no-one out. The moronic duo of Buck & McCarver were both "stunned" that the Angels were not getting someone warmed up in the bullpen. Surely had Rodriguez and Giambi advanced to third and second the bullpen would have swung into action but credit Scioscia for knowing that constantly warming-up pitchers can put as much stress on them as actually entering a game. The Angels now have both Scot Shields and Brendan Donnelly rested and ready for game one of the ALCS and with Paul Byrd likely to start, I can guarantee you they will both likley see action on Tuesday night. But back to tonight's game....Santana bounced back in the fifth by getting Sheffield and Matsui to pop-up which brought the rookie Cano up with two on and two out. Santana struck him out but the final strike was in the dirt and Molina appeared to throw the ball away down the first base line. That would have brought up Bernie Williams with the bases loaded but Cano was called out for not running within the first-base lines and therefore interfering with Molina's throw down to Erstad. At first glance this looked like a generous call for the Angels but upon further review Cano was clearly outside the lines while scampering down to first. Erstad had set-up on the inside of the first base bag while Molina threw to the opposite side. Had Cano run within the base lines then Erstad likely can make the play therefore the call by the umpire was spot-on.

Randy Johnson rebounded from his lousy game 3 performance with 4.1 innings of scoreless relief but by then the damage had already been done. The Halo hitters got to Yankee starter Mike Mussina for three runs in the second and two more in the third. Trailing 2-0, the Angels got on the board with a Garrett Anderson solo home-run to right field. After Bengie Molina and Darin Erstad reached base, Adam Kennedy skied a fly ball to deep right-center where Bubba Crosby and Sheffield collided on the warning track. The ball seemed to bounce off of Sheffield's glove and both Erstad and Molina scored with Kennedy winding-up on third with a triple.

Game Notes

* The Yankees out-hit the Angels 11-9 but were outscored 5-3.
* Four Yankee hitters accounted for all eleven of their hits (Jeter - 3, Giambi - 3, Sheffield - 3, Crosby - 2).
* It has been 10 years since the Angels infamous 1995 collapse which was culminated with a loss in a one-game playoff to Seattle. The starting pitcher for the Mariners in that game was Randy Johnson. Tonight we finally got some revenge on Johnson. One more name to scratch off our list.

Back to Back!

2005-09-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

The Angels completed their first goal in 2005: Repeat as AL West Division Champions. With a 4-3 victory over their arch rival, Oakland Athletics, the Halos clinched their second consecutive division title. Young Ervin Santana held the A's to two runs in 6.2 innings before Scot Shields came on in the with two out in the seventh with runners at second at third. Shields induced a ground ball to third baseman Chone Figgins for the final out of the inning and then retired the A's in order in the eighth inning. Closer Frankie Rodriguez gave up a solo home run to Marco Scutaro which brought the A's to within a single run with no outs in the ninth inning. But K-Rod sat down the next three Oakland batters to secure his 43rd save and send the Angels to the post-season for the third time in the past four years.

With the playoffs slated to start a week from tonight the Angels have plenty of time to set their post-season roster and rest weary players from the marathon season behind them. In particular, Bartolo Colon, Vladimir Guerrero, Garrett Anderson and Scot Shields have looked like some rest could in the past few weeks. Though Shields has come on strong over his past four appearances, pitching 5.1 scoreless innings helping the Angels to close out the 2005 campaign with a lot more authority than 2004 when the Angels did not clinch until the second-to-last game of the season.

A few notes on tonight's post-game:

*What was up with Rex Hudler's "interview" of Vlad Guerrero? He asked him to respond in either Spanish or English and Guerrero rambled on in speed Spanish while most viewers (me included) just watched with dazed and confused looks on their collective faces. For $12.4 million this season the big man can watch Bull Durham and learn his cliches. "I just want to do my best and help the ball club."

*Why was Tim Salmon getting interviewed? The big man did nothing but pull down $10 million to rehab all season and he gets on TV? Why not interview Brian Downing and Doug DeCinces while your at it?

* Props to Mike Scioscia for asking Hudler just before he doused his head with beer "will this hair stay on?"

Rock on Angel fans, time to party and enjoy watching those baseball snobs in the northeast panic about missing the playoffs while our spot is secure.

Halos Can Clinch With Split

2005-09-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

The Angels open a series with second-place Oakland tonight that, barring a sweep by the A's, should culminate in their first ever back-to-back AL West Division titles. With their magic number at 4, the Angels need just two wins against Oakland to eliminate the A's and win the division. This has to be the team's goal as a single victory in the series would force the Angels to win two of their final three games on the road in Texas (or hope for Oakland to lose in Seattle).

The A's certainly have had no home-field advantage recently. So far in September, Oakland has lost 8 of 12 in their beloved concrete oval helping the Angels open up a 4 game lead despite a somewhat mediocre 15-9 mark this month. The Texas Rangers just took 2 of 3 from the fading A's who look like a team ready to surrender. The Angels can put them out of their misery with two quick wins which would also allow the Halos to rest their overworked bullpen and key starters in anticipation of the post-season.

The Angels put Division Series tickets on sale today and as of 5 pm were sold out for the three potential games at the Big A. In looking ahead to potential competitors, the Angels could literally face just about any team. If the current standings were to hold, then the White Sox would finish as the Division Champ with the most wins. The Tribe would win the wild-card but since a division team can not face a wild-card from within their own division the Sox would play the Angels. If either New York or Boston win the wild-card then the Angels would face whoever wins the AL East while Chicago draws the wild-card.

Angels May Juggle Rotation for Final A's Series

2005-09-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

ESPN is reporting that the Angels are considering pushing Bartolo Colon from Sunday's scheduled start against Tampa Bay so that the Cy Young candidate can instead pitch the opening game of a crucial four-game set in Oakland. In all likelihood, the four games against the Athletics will likely settle the AL West race for this season.

The same ESPN article stated that Jarrod Washburn will return to pitch on Saturday against the Rays. That would set him up to pitch the final game in the Oakland series as well which may very well be the last regular season game that Wash throws for the Halos. A 7-8 season (so far) and a forearm plagued by tendinitis is not what he had hoped for in a contract year. If the Angels are desperate they may sign him to another one year deal in the same range as this year's $6.5 million deal. Hopefully the club can find a better use for that cash and simply keep Santana in the rotation next year. One use might be to find some better bullpen arms or a legitimate candidate to fill the DH role.

Seventh Heaven: Angels Rally to Drop Magic Number to 9

2005-09-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

The Angels staged a dramatic 4-run seventh-inning rally to defeat the Texas Rangers 7-6 in a game where the Angels looked outgunned at the plate and overmatched on the mound. Texas starter Kameron Loe cruised through the first 3.1 innings, giving up just a run on 2 hits and a K. But while facing Vladamir Guerrero the Angel slugger returned a K-Lo offering in the form of a line drive directly at his skull. The ball miraculously hit Loe's head perfectly, deflecting to third base for the out and not leaving a cut or a mark of any kind (at least initially). Loe left the game but he looked as though he was ready to start pitching again. Hopefully his injury was as mild as it appeared but to anyone who has seen the replay, dude is lucky to be alive much less unharmed.

But despite Loe leaving the game the Angels managed just one more run off the Ranger pen through the next 3.2 innings while the Rangers touched-up Lackey for four runs and Brendan Donnelly for one more to open up a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. Then the Angels started playing small ball with three singles before Orlando Cabrera singled again to cash in two of the baserunners and cut the Texas lead to 5-4. Buck Showalter elected to walk Guerrero with runners at first at second to load the bases again. Then pinch-hitter Jose Molina singled up the middle to bring in two more runs and give the Halos the lead, 6-5. Frankie Rodriguez made it stand-up in the 9th, notching his 40th save of the season, and the Angels opened up a 2 1/2 game lead over Oakland.

Showalter made three pitching changes in the seventh inning and each time the incoming pitcher gave up a key hit (or two). While Showalter looked like an ineffective general, Sciocsia came off as a genius, countering the Texas pitchers with pinch-hitters Robb Quinlan and Jose Molina who both came through with clutch hits.

A's Lose -- Magic Number Now at 10

2005-09-21T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Twins knocked off the Oakland A's this afternoon 10-3, pushing the A's a full two games behind the Angels in the AL West division race. That presents the Halos with a chance to extend that lead to 2 1/2 games with a win tonight against the Texas Rangers. The game is on ESPN at 7:05 pm and features John Lackey on the mound for LA while Kameron Loe takes the hill for the Rangers. Loe is 4-1 since being promoted from the bullpen to the starting rotation by Texas Dictator Buck Showalter.

Loe faced the Angels back on June 28th and gave up three runs without getting an out. But Loe bounced back the next night and pitched a scoreless inning, surrendering just one hit. In his recent streak as a starter Loe has beaten Minnesota twice, Seattle and the White Sox while losing to Oakland. Not exactly the toughest competition this past month. The kid will get a better test tonight despite the inconstency of the Angel hitting attack.

Random Thoughts

2005-09-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

When linking up the movie Major League to my post earlier today I found out on IMDB that Pedro Cerrano was played by none other than Dennis Haysbert from the FOX show 24 (he played President Palmer). I'm not sure why I find that funny but I do.

As I continue to brood about the Angels bullpen and the 'opportunity cost' of not keeping Derrick Turnbow and Bobby Jenks, I wonder how many other Angel prospects are toiling in the minors but would be major leaguers if given the chance in Anaheim or elsewhere. After reading this post over at Chronicles of the Lads I have to summize the answer is 'many'. Can't wait to read about the minor league pitchers next week.

Richard at Pearly Gates continues to make me laugh. Unfortunately I missed the controversial Larry Young call on Thursday as I had a Cub Scout meeting with my son. That along with the fact that Angel highlights sucked on ESPN and Fox (see Josh's post here) so I had to catch-up with this one at PG.

Halos Finish Off Sox 10-5

2005-09-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Angels won their second game in a row over the White Sox 10-5 on Saturday. Building on the momentum of Friday's dramatic 12th inning victory, the Angels have put together a little three game road win streak after dropping their last six away from Anaheim.

The move ensures that the Angels will leave Chicago with at least a piece of first place. The Angels hold a 1 1/2 game lead over Oakland with the A's taking on Texas in Arlington tonight. Tomorrow it will be John Lackey against the White Sox's Orlando Hernandez. It will be tough for the Angels to sweep the Sox but if they can do it then it sends a strong message should the Angels see Chicago in the post-season.

The Angels will now enter the final 21 games of the season where the schedule clearly favors them over Oakland. After finishing the current road trip with three games against Seattle, the Halos open their final homestand of the season with four games against the stumbling Tigers and three against the Rangers. The Angels finish the home set with a three game series against the Devil Rays where the Angels will no doubt look to repay them for the sweep the D-Rays dropped on the Angels in St. Pete.

Then the real fun begins, four games on the road in Oakland that could very likely decide the season followed by a three-game series in Texas to close out the 2005 campaign.

But what about the Athletics schedule you ask? Well the A's will finish their series with the Rangers tomorrow and then head straight to Cleveland for four games starting Monday night against the red-hot Tribe. Cleveland leads the wild-card and no doubt both teams will look at this as a 'playoff atmosphere' match-up. After finishing with the Indians on Wednesday the A's go to Boston to open up another four game series against the AL East leading Red Sox. They fly cross-country back to Oakland on Sunday the 18th to host the Twins on Monday who still have an outside chance at the AL wildcard. Once the Twins series is over the A's will finally get a day off after enduring 13 straight games. After that they get to warm-up against Texas for three before the Angels come to town for the all-important four games Sept. 26 - 29 before closing out their season with three games in Seattle. That means the Athletics have 14 of their next 18 games against teams fighting for the playoffs. The Angels in contrast have just 5 of their next 18 games against teams with legitimate playoff hopes.

The Angel Bullpen That Coulda Been

2005-09-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Judging from Friday's game, the Angels clearly gave up on pitcher Bobby Jenks ( 3.0 IP, 1 H 0 R 1 BB 5 K) a tad early. I was shocked when they released him last year (ostensibly to make room for Kendry Morales -- surely there was other dead weight that the Angels could have ditched -- like Jarrod Washburn for instance). Of course we have to remember that Jenks was a complete lunatic reminiscent of David Wells in his partying prime. But sometimes a clubhouse needs a crazy guy to act as either comic relief or a lightening rod. Some lunatics are bad (see: Guillen, Jose or Bradley, Milton). Other times they serve an important role (see: Lima, Jose 2004). The Angels thought they were releasing a guy with problems and a stress fracture. Now they know they let a guy go who can throw over a 100 mph with terrific stuff (and also can put away liquor in Mantlesque fashion). Of course, it could all blow-up for Jenks any day but given his low salary the risk is minimal for the White Sox.

So instead of Esteban Yan and Kevin Gregg, the Angels could have a bullpen bolstered by Jenks and Derrick Turnbow (now the Brewers closer with a 6-1 record, 1.70 ERA and 30 saves). It is always easy to Monday-Morning-Quarterback personnel decisions but how Bill Stoneman elected to keep Tim Bittner (released Sept 1) and Wil Nieves (later traded for Bret Prinz -- also released Sept 1). Bottom line is that if the Angels had Jenks and Turnbow in the bullpen they would probably have a 5 game lead over Oakland right now. It's not like the Angels let go of a couple of guys who took another 2 or 3 years to develop. These are guys who were in the majors the very next year and based on their statistics would be the TOP TWO guys in the Angels bullpen right now. Better than K-Rod, better than Shields, and a lot better than Donnelly (sans pine tar) or the other stiffs currently making-up the lower echelon of Halo relievers. Now let me backtrack a bit by saying that both Rodriguez and Shields have been better in prior years than either Jenks or Turnbow. Further, they are having fairly nice years and I do not think the Angels should have sacrificed either of those two to retain Jenks & Turnbow (is it just me or does that sound like a morning radio show? Welcome back to Zoo 100 FM with Hi-Jenks & Turnbow in the Morning!). But it is painfully obvious that the Angels made a couple of sizable mistakes in letting them go. And they made a defacto confession by releasing Bittner and Prinz last week. For that Bill Stoneman will have to be held accountable. Along with the miserable failure of the Steve Finley signing (though Fin has shown signs of life the past couple of games including two hits and an HR today) Stoneman will be taking his lumps if the Angels either fail to make the playoffs or are ousted in the first round again.

Of course, an optimist could look at the situation and say isn't it great how the Halo's are so stocked with talent they can let those two guys walk and still have the most loaded minor league system in baseball? Sorry, I don't buy it. Yes Ervin Santana has been great. Yes, Joe Saunders is giving Angel fans a preview with his impressive outings this season. But the only prospects who really get graded are the ones who come to the majors and if they show up in a uniform other than the Angels, it is a big fat blemish on your resume. Still, it does make me wonder how many players toiling in the Angels farm system could make the jump and be the next Santana, Turnbow or Jenks.

Angels Go 'Major League' to Top ChiSox and Build Momentum

2005-09-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

In a play not seen since the movie "Major League", Vlad Guerrero scored in the 12th inning of Friday night's game on a sacrifice bunt in one of the ugliest game-winning-scores in history. The Halos edge the White Sox 6-5 and maintain a full game lead over Oakland. After the game Guerrero found a sign on his locker that said "Willie Mayes Hayes" played. That was the name of the character in Major League played by Wesley Snipes (back when he got sixth billing behind Corbin Bernson and James "Lou Brown" Gammon). In the final scene of that movie a broken-down catcher played by Tom Berenger (back when he got top billing in a flick) was trying to hit Snipe's Willie Mayes Hayes in from second with the game-winning score with two outs. After pointing to centerfield with his bat (ala Babe Ruth), Berenger's character layes down a bunt and beats it out as Hayes rounds third and scores ahead of the throw.

Guerrero's at-bat was nothing out of Hollywood. He hit a towering fly ball to left-center that he (along with just about everyone else) thought was a homerun. Guerrero flipped his bat and watched his fly ball until he realized it was dying in the swirling winds of Chicago and bounced off the face of Minnie Minosa on the left-center field wall. The Halo slugger should have been standing at second by the time the ball was picked up but instead was taking long, furious strides between first and second, trying desperately to make up for lost time. Guerrero slid safely in to second, a split-second ahead of the strong throw from Aaron Rowand. With no outs Scioscia elected to have Bengie Molina bunt Guerrero to third and give Darin Erstad a chance to knock him in. Maybe it was Guerrero trying to atone for his lack of hustle on his almost-homerun. Maybe he was just sick and tired of losing extra inning games (the Angels lead the majors with 10 extra-inning losses). Most likely it was simply his hyper-competitive nature coming out. But whatever it was the sparked Guerrero, I like it. Molina's bunt was picture perfect. The ball died about 10 feet down the third base line and just about any Angel player except B. Molina could have beaten it out. But the sloth-footed Bengie was, not surprisingly thrown out. Guerrero's jump from second was excellent and by the time the bunt was fielded he was already hitting third and not slowing down despite the pleas from third base coach Ron Roenicke. A good throw to home and Guerrero would be toast. But Tadahito Iguchi, who was covering first, threw the ball a bit up the line and forced Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski to lunge towards third and lose his balance. At the same time Guerrero was running on the outside of the baseline and flailing himself at the plate. His fingers touched home and Pierzynski's tag missed sending Guerrero and the Angels into celebration. Frankie Rodriguez closed out the bottom of the 9th with surprisingly little drama and the Angels opened up the series in Chicago with a big win.

Say what you will about statistics and on-base percentage. But when you are down to the final three weeks of the season with a slim one-game lead, you need something extra. Guerrero almost quashed any hope of building on the win in Boston by dogging it on his double. Had he been cut down at second and the Angels lost that game, they would be tied for first with seriously negative vibes. But instead, Guerrero seizes his opportunity and the Angels grab the elusive magic elixer of pennant races: momentum. Speaking of momentum, the Angels lead the White Sox today 10 - 4 in the top of the 8th inning. Tonight the A's can do some scoreboard watching down at the Ballpark in Arlington and know the pressure is on them to just keep pace.

Red Hot Q Ready for Anaheim

2005-08-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Per the LA Times, Robb Quinlan has been tearing-up Triple A pitching, with 11 hits in his last 4 games. And his timing could not be better. With Dallas McPherson's year apparently coming to a close and Steve Finley not showing any signs of becoming a productive hitter again, Quinlan can step into the third base job for the Angels which would then bounce Chone Figgins into center field.

Last season Quinlan hit .344 with 5 HR and 23 RBI over 56 games but was ineffective during his stint with the Angels earlier this season. Injuries may have played a role in that however since Quinlan went on the DL July 1 with neck and shoulder injuries. A healthy Quinlan could be just the boost that the sometimes sluggish Halo offense needs.

Quinlan joined the Angels last night and will be activated today for the Halo's game in Baltimore. The ever-inconsistent Jarrod Washburn faces the O's Eric DuBose who shut-out the A's over six innings in his only start of the season on August 17th.

Put a Fork Him, McPherson is Done

2005-08-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Angel third baseman Dallas McPherson's season is over though an official announcement has not yet been made. The rookie slugger has been hopping doctors faster than Rush Limbaugh in need of a pill fix hoping to procure an opinion from some medical professional that he can indeed continue to play this year and postpone surgery on his bone-spurred and cartilage damaged hip. According to the LA Times, doctors at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado suggested McPherson have surgery immediately to shave down the bone spur and repair the damaged cartilage in D-Mac's bum hip. In their opinion, to play further this season is to runt he risk of further damage. Not wanting to believe the good doctors in Colorado McPherson headed to Tennessee where Titans' team doctor Thomas Byrd seconded the Colorado doctors' opinion.

This is an absolute no-brainer. The Angels have far too big an investment in McPherson to risk losing him beyond 2005. Get the surgery done, start rehab and be ready for Spring Training next March. With a recovery time estimated at three months, D-Mac could even play some winter ball to help him get ready for the Angels '06 campaign.

Angels Bullpen Still Struggling

2005-08-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Angels showed a lot of heart last night, coming back to tie the Red Sox with two runs knocked in on a clutch two-out single from Bengie Molina. But the bullpen provided no relief once again as Scot Shields gave up a run in the 10th that provided Boston with the margin they needed to get the victory. Shields gave up two hits and then walked the bases loaded before a groundout from Manny Ramirez plated the go-ahead run.

An inning earlier Frankie Rodriguez continued to struggle as he pitched the ninth with the score tied at 3. Rodriguez gave up a couple of hits but managed to wriggle out of the jam. The good news is K-Rod's velocity seemed to be back on his fastball which was clocked at 94 mph last night. But his control is still an issue and hitters are able to stroke his once unhittable slider.

Tough loss but teams are going to lose games like this occassionally. It will be a test of charcter today to see how they battle back against a pitcher (Boston's Bronson Arroyo) that they should be able to handle. Game of the week on Fox at 1 pm.

Holyfield Barred From Boxing in NY

2005-08-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was barred from fighting in New York by the state's athletic commission because of "poor performance and diminished skills" in recent fights.

I wonder if the Angels can get a similar ban for Steve Finley? Finley is one of the 'good guys' but it is just pathetic watching him struggle and get booed each night.

Spiezio Released by M's

2005-08-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Scott Spiezio, forever etched in Angels' history for his clutch game 6 homerun in the 2002 World Series, was released yesterday by the Seattle Mariners. Seattle GM Bill Bavasi made a monumental mistake by confusing Spiezio's role on the Angels as a cornerstone guy rather than a 'Super Sub'. The Angels did make Spiezio their starting first baseman but he was a stop-gap solution as most Halo first basemen are. The Angels seem to just stick whoever is handy out at first. But who can blame them, the Halos have not had a long-term solution at first since Mo Vaughn and we all know how that turned out Though the Angels may have their first base anchor in-house with Casey Kotchman and the rumor mill has been churning furiously with speculation of Darin Erstad being put back in the outfield to make room for the youngster.

Credit Spiezio and his agent with turning one mediocre season and a spectacular postseason into a $9.3 million contract that will keep Sandfrog playing the beach circuit for the next 10 years at least. In fact, the Mariners still owe Spiezio $3.1 million for 2006 plus a $250,000 buyout for 2007 meaning the Spiez will be the highest paid grunge rocker in the OC. Spiezio is a career .253 hitter and prior to signing with Seattle hit .265 for the Angels in 2003, just 12 months after his "career year" in Anaheim (.285 with 12 HR and 82 rbi). But Spiezio's numbers cratered in the Emerald City when he posted a .215 average with 10 HR and 41 rbi. Numbers so garish the Seattle Times noted that the normally frugal Mariners were compelled "to sign Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre fill two spots that Spiezio could not." While the signing was an obvious mistake in the Al Davis "trophy collection" manner of player acquisitions, Spiezio could end up being a pleasant memory compared to the $64 million the Mariners committed to Beltre who has provided little offensive justification for that amount of jack (.262, 17 HR, 72 rbi). The Mariners are like that guy who bought a ton of tech stocks right at their pinnacle and was left holding worthless paper when the market crashed.

Spiezio could still latch on with another club, but after struggling all season as a backup it is unclear who would be desperate enough to give him and his .065 batting average a job. If KC were to unload Sweeney on the Angels or another club they might take a flyer on him given it would only cost them the league minimum salary. According to the Times, the Seattle GM seemed "happy to be rid of a mistake."

"It was entering into the realm of a demoralizing situation and it was best to remove him and let the club move forward," Bavasi said.

My guess is that Bavasi being in Seattle is "entering into the realm of a demoralizing situation." Perhaps he will be the next one sent packing up north.

Weaver Has Strong Outing for Travs

2005-08-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

Jared Weaver may have turned a corner in his preperation for the big leagues on Thursday night. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Weaver pitched 6 2/3 strong innings for the Halos Double A affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers. The Travs defeated the Frisco Roughriders (I'm sorry but there is just nothing non-gay about that name) 7-2 as Weaver finished the game with 2 K, 5 H and 4 BB.

Weaver had a tough first inning, surrendering a one-run double and a sac fly but then Weaver "finally found something out in the later innings and everything came together and it worked great". After the first inning the 'Dream' Weaver held the opposition scoreless. So what was this miraculous revelation?

"I think I was trying to be too fine with my pitches, " Weaver said. "today I talked to (Mike Butcher), the pitching rover, and he told me to attack the zone and that's what I did in the second inning and after that everything worked. I was cutting everything off...threw the fastball, threw the slider and everything else."

What? Whatever, so long as it helped him. Weaver had an unforgettable home debut prior to Thursday when Springfield pummelled him 8-4. The Gazette says Weaver then "went on the road where his ERA swelled to 5.68." Also of note, Erick Aybar and Kendry Morales each had 2-run HR's to support Weaver.

I would love to see that team play. I just don't want to have to go to Arkansas.

Great Match-Up Tonight

2005-08-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

John Lackey (10-4, 3.63) faces off against the man who would not be an Angel, Matt Clement (11-3, 4.53) in what should be a very entertaining game tonight in Anaheim. Lackey has not lost since July 9th and based on the last month, he should throw a shut-out for at least 7 innings.

On July 17 Lackey throws 7 innings and gives up 0 runs.
On July 22 Lackey throws 5.1 innings and gives up 2 runs.
On July 28 Lackey throws 7 innings and gives up 0 runs.
On August 3 Lackey throws 6.2 innings and gives up 2 runs.
On August 9 Lackey throws 7 innings and gives up 0 runs.
On August 14 Lackey throws 6.1 innings and gives up 5 runs.

So clearly, on August 19 (today) Lackey with throw 7 innings and give up 0 runs.

Go big John.

Psst.....Your Holes Are Showing

2005-08-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Angels delivered a nice message last night with a 13-4 thumping of Boston. Colon was strong, and newly promoted reliever Greg Jones got some mop-up work in the ninth. Jones gave-up a meaningless solo HR to Bill Mueller but other than that chink-in-the-armor retired the other three batters he faced. A fresh arm in the pen is good news as the big three of Shields, Donnelly & Rodriguez have looked ragged of late. The bullpen 'B' squad of Esteban Yan, Joel Peralta and Kevin Gregg do not appear to have Mike Scioscia's confidence to enter games with less than a four run margin.

With Garrett Anderson out for who-knows-how-long (is it just me or does this mysterious ailment/lack-of-healing feel exactly like the arthritis thing all over again?) and Dallas McPherson possibly done for the year, the Angels have some big holes in their line-up. Teams are pitching around Vladimir Guerrero (Oakland walked him with the bases empty in the 9th inning of a tie game -- it worked, the A's went on to win the game in the bottom of the ninth) and it is being left up to Bengie Molina, Steve Finley, Casey Kotchman and Juan Rivera to produce. They did last night, in spades. Well Molina, Kotchman and Rivera did (10 for 19 with 9 rbi -- Finley was his typical useless self at 0-4). But they did not the previous two nights (both Angel losses).

But there could be help on the way:

Richard points out that Brett Prinz is alive and pitching in the minors. Pitching pretty damn well at that.

Kelvim Escobar is rumored to be headed for the pen. What the hell, if Curt Schilling can be a mediocre one-legged closer than surely Kelvim is up to the task. He has experience as a closer and should be comfortable down there.

Chris Bootcheck and Joe Saunders both looked good in their brief big league stints. Look for them to be back when rosters expand in September.

Peter Gammons hints on his ESPN Insider column that Mike Sweeney could still be a possibility:

"We don't have Angels GM Bill Stoneman's phone records to know how many times he has talked to Royals general manager Allard Baird about acquiring Sweeney"

I know, he isn't saying anything concrete in that cryptic quote but I think that's the point. He is inferring a possible deal give that Sweeney cleared waivers and the Angels have a big hole where Garrett Anderson use to bat. If Sweeney is added, Erstad moves to center and Finley is shown the door then the Angels would finish the year with a pretty stout line-up of: Figgins, Cabrera, Erstad, Guerrero, Sweeney, Molina, Rivera Kotchman & Kennedy. If Kotchman keeps his HR's coming he could find his way to the 6 hole or higher. Rivera is a hot second-half player so he could get more playing time, particularly if the Royals were being unreasonable in their demands for a player with a big salary.

Joe Morgan had this nugget on Guerrero and the road to another AL West Championship:

"...the outcome of the AL West race will depend on Guerrero. In my preseason forecast, I said the Angels needed another MVP-type season from Vladimir in order to win. Well, he's doing just that."

Angels Have Opportunity to Extend Lead

2005-08-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

The O's edged the A's 5-3 today, giving the Angels a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL West. They can up that to a full three games with a victory tonight in the series finale against Toronto.

The game is on ESPN 2 so grab a cold one and go enjoy.

Bullpen Struggling - K-Rod Blows Game for Saunders

2005-08-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Joe Saunders made a great first impression on the Angels and their fans Tuesday night. Unfortunately the suddenly struggling Halo bullpen coughed up a one run lead and the game in the ninth inning to deny Saunders his first big league victory and, more importantly, for the Angels to extend their lead in the AL West to 3 full games over the stumbling A's.

Saunders scattered five hits over 7.1 innings, allowing just two runs to the Blue Jays. Along the way he struck out two and walked a pair in his first start. Saunders left the game with the Angels leading 3-2 in the eighty. Scot Shields finished off the last two batters and then the game was turned over to Francisco Rodriguez. But Rodriguez, who looked ragged the night before when he walked two and gave up a hit before escaping a bases loaded jam in the ninth. On Tuesday control problems plagued the Angel closer again as he walked two and gave up two hits and two runs before being pulled by Mike Scioscia for Kevin Gregg who recorded the final two outs in the ninth with no more damage inflicted. The Angels tried to rally against Jays closer Miguel Batista, starting the bottom of the ninth with a walk to Juan Rivera. But Casey Kotchman hit into a fielder's choice and Steve Finley flied out leaving it up to red-hot Adam Kennedy to try and extend the game. But Kennedy grounded out to the second baseman and the Halos were left frustrated.

The big question is how big a deal is the recent trouble in the pen? A few games are no big deal. But the Angels have blown 8 of their past 16 save chances which is absolutely unacceptable. The Angels thanked Joe Saunders for his fine effort by immediately sending him back to Triple A after the game and recalling reliever Greg Jones. A move meant to fortify a bullpen that has seen the three premier relievers on the team (Rodriguez, Sheilds and Donnelly) all struggle in recent weeks. Of the three it appears that Shields is the most steady right now having given up 4 earned runs on 13 hits over his past 12 innings pitched. But if you take out one appearance against Oakland where he surrendered 3 runs then Shields has only given up one earned run over his past 11 innings pitched. Similarly Donnelly has given-up 7 runs on 11 hits over his past 9.1 innings of work but 4 of those runs came in one inning against Oakland. Donnelly has not given up a run in his last three appearances (two against Seattle and one against Toronto). But most troubling is Frankie Rodriguez with his 7 earned runs allowed on 7 hits over his last 6.2 innings pitched. Equally alarming are the high number of walks BB-Rod is giving-up: 10 over his last 6.2 innings to go with his 11 strikeouts. Compare that to his 2004 numbers where he pitched 84 innings and walked 33 batters while striking out 123. Scioscia's explanation for K-Rod's collapse:

"He's got a complicated delivery with amazing stuff," the Halo manager said, "and when that gets a little out of whack, there's gonna be a price to pay."

Yeah, OK Mike. But maybe he should not be closing one-run games until he works the kinks out, eh? If the Angels are going to open this race up and take advantage of Oakland's struggling then they have to close out teams like Toronto. I can sort of understand Shields and Donnelly pinching against Oakland since they are in the midst of a division race. But the closer has to be unflappable -- particularly against teams from other countries. If Rodriguez is hurt then he needs to let Scioscia know so everyone else can get bumped up in the pecking order with Shields closing. Otherwise Bud Black needs to spend every waking moment trying to figure out where K-Rod's mechanics are off and fix them.

The Curse of the Benbino

2005-08-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

It's hard to feel bad for Red Sox fan. He has movies made about him, a championship (replica) ring from the 2004 season and a pretty damn good team to root for in one of the most fabled ballparks in history. But lets face it, when Boston won the World Series last year they lost their soul. This team was about losing, make no mistake about it. The Red Sox Nation's entire identity was about being losers and scraping themselves up to go at it again next season. Winning is OK up until a point but then they had to unravel. These obnoxious noreasters would wail about what great fans they were and then wrap themselves in their collective Red Sox flag and drown their sorrows in gallons of the nearest pilsner. But now that they have won they are just another bloated and overpaid team from the northeast.

But thankfully for Red Sox fan there is the great Ben Affleck. As most everyone who is plugged into popular culture knows, Affleck is a die-hard Sox fan. Who can ever forget the disgusting image of Affleck and Jennifer Lopez snuggling at Angel Stadium (in damn fine seats behind the Angels dugout) while he smugly wore his Boston cap and she was dressed in some sort of fur-lined skin-tight outfit with a Dr. Zhivago Russian snow hat. Bizarre. Anyway, Affleck's birthday was yesterday, August 15th. In addition to celebrating his 33rd year on Earth, Big Ben is also notching another year in the Red Sox new curse: The Curse of the Benbino TM. TCOTB is simply the fact that the Red Sox have lost on August 15th every year since 1998. The last Sox victory on the 15th day of August came in 1997 when they defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-4 at Fenway Park. coincidentally, the Twins won the World Series exactly ten years earlier so clearly there are dark forces at work here.

But to officially be a 'curse' you need to not only lose but lose in excruciating ways. For Affleck to have his special day affiliated with Red Sox losing may seem excruciating to him but we are looking for a shared experience that will hurt-so-good for all of Red Sox Nation. Enter this year's TCOTB game at Comerica Park where the Sox were looking to finally breakout and end this curse as they led the Tigers 6 - 3 entering the 8th inning. Chad Bradford came into the game and gave up an earned run but the Sox were still leading 6 - 4 with Curt Schilling ready to pitch the 9th and all talk of curses once and for all. Placido Polanco singled off Schilling to start the inning but the veteran rebounded, inducing a popout from Chris Shelton. Schilling looked to be in control until Dmitri Young blasted a shot off the left field fence right where it meets the center field fence. Polanco scored and by the time the Sox had the ball back to the infield Young was belly-flopping into third. Enter pinch-runner Nook Logan who was singled home by Magglio Ordonez and we have a tie game. No doubt visions of Affleck danced in the heads of Red Sox players and fans everywhere. Craig Monroe then walked on four pitches moving Ordonez into scoring position with the winning run. But Schilling struck out Brandon Inge and with two outs John McDonald and his career .238 average was up. Detroit Manager Alan Trammel had Ivan Rodriguez on the bench and available to pinch-hit but he was out of infielders. If Pudge failed to come through then he would not have anyone available to play shortstop in extra innings. So McDonald battled Schilling, falling quickly to an 0-2 count. Schilling tried to finish off McDonald with a split-fingered fast ball but he left it too high and McDonald stroked it down the left field line past Manny Ramirez, scoring Ordonez and preserving The Curse of the Benbino TM.

Feel the burn Red Sox fan, you have at least a portion of your identity returned to you thanks to the Affleck.

Angels Win with 'B' Team

2005-08-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

What the hell happened to the Angels roster? Here is the starting line-up from last night's 7-6, 11 inning victory over Toronto:

1. Chone Figgins CF
2. Orlando Cabrera SS
3. Darin Erstad 1B
4. Vlad Guerrero RF
5. Bengie Molina DH
6. Juan Rivera LF
7. Jose Molina C
8. Maicer Izturis 3B
9. Adam Kennedy 2B

Suddenly we are a bunch of slap hitters plus Guerrero. In addition we had Jeff DeVanon, Casey Kotchman and Jeff Mathis all enter the game at some point (going a combined 0 for 3). So out of 12 players involved last night there were five players projected to be full-time starters. Six if you count Figgins, which I don't. While he has been a super bench player I would not start him ahead of any of the regulars except maybe Finley who still can't seem to hit but is much better defensively.

This power-packed roster managed 13 hits, 10 of them singles. The other three were doubles by Guerrero, Rivera and Cabrera.

Scioscia snuck one by the Jays with this line-up and he will try and one-up himself tonight by starting Joe Saunders in his major league debut. The left-hander was 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA at Triple A. Saunders was promoted earlier this season after posting an 8-4 record with a 3.49 ERA at Double A. Scioscia decided to give Paul Byrd a few days of rest after he suffered some stiffness in his back while the team was in Seattle. But Byrd claims to "feel good now". The Angel skipper said "we wanted to give Paul a couple extra days to get rid of some stiffness, if it's September, in the middle of a pennant race, Paul probably makes his start (Tuesday)." Saunders draws a break though as he will be opposing Scott Downs who is 1-2 with a 5.02 ERA. Downs has been in the Jays pen all season but in his first start last week he gave up just 2 hits over 7 innings against Detroit and posted his first win of the season. Should be a different story tonight though as Downs makes his road start debut against a tough hitting Angels team that has won four straight.

Sounds like Scioscia is using Byrd's tight back to get a glimpse of Saunders and perhaps audition him for a post-season roster spot. The way the Angel bullpen has underperformed of late he might just want to have some options on the table come October.

Injury Update

Speaking of options, Kelvim Escobar had a sideline session yesterday and was "effective" throwing all of his pitches. On the Southern California Sports Report Escobar stated last night that he just needed to work on locating his fastball and he would be ready to return. Now Escobar will throw a simulated game on Thursday or Friday and if all goes well will begin a rehab assignment next week.

Escobar is no stranger to working out of a bullpen. He was the closer for awhile in Toronto and spent much of his time north of the border working from the Jays pen. So long as young Ervin Santana is effective it is starting to sound like the Angels would be happy to continue the season with Colon, Lackey, Washburn, Byrd & Santana as the starters. However, having a healthy Kelvim Escobar available in case of injury would be a nice luxury for the Angels. From the pen he could be valuable in long-relief or even in a set-up role should Shields or Donnelly continue to falter. The Angels likely want to treat Escobar gently as he has never been on the DL this long (since June 10th) and no one is quite sure how he will respond.

Dallas McPherson 'tweaked' his back during his rehab assignment with Salt Lake. Per Scioscia they will "shut down" D-Mac for "a little bit" and wait for results from tests done on Monday. So the Izturis/Figgins mini-me third base rotation will continue for the foreseeable future.

The most troubling injury is to Garrett Anderson who has twin ailments: a sore back and patellar tendinitis in his left knee. He was held out Monday and according to Scioscia was "much better" on Monday thought still not good enough to get the nod at DH. He could start tonight at DH for the Angels. The Halos need Anderson in the line-up to protect Guerrero who was pitched around twice and had no rbi's (though he did manage a couple of hits and scored once). Bengie Molina, hitting behind Vlad last night, left four runners on base and finished the night 1-4 with no rbi's. Juan Rivera was in the number 6 hole and left 3 on base though he did manage to hit one runner in. In total the Angels left 18 on the bases last night and will need to improve their batting average with runners in scoring position if they want to pull away from the struggling A's.

Tim Salmon Out for Year

2005-08-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

In a move that surprised absolutely no one, Tim Salmon will not play in 2005. Recovering from shoulder and knee surgeries, Salmon has not progressed far enough in his recovery to warrant a return to the team this season. According to Manager Mike Scioscia Salmon is "not an option this year."

The bigger question is whether Salmon will EVER play another game for the Angels. One thing is certain, Salmon will not be earning $10 million next season like he has in 2005. Hopefully Salmon will come back at a severely reduced rate and try to end his run with the Angels. Looking ahead to 2006 the Angels may have a tough time finding a spot to play Salmon even if he can and wants to return to Anaheim. With Casey Kotchman getting hot and a healthy Dallas McPherson pushing Chone Figgins off the bag at third someone will have to sit to make room for the Big Fish. Others who may push for a roster spot next season include current bench players Jeff DeVanon and Juan Rivera along with promising minor leaguer Kendry Morales.

I would predict that Salmon, if healthy, may venture to play a season for his hometown Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs recently moved right-fielder Shawn Green to center to replace Jose Cruz Jr who was released by Arizona. But Arizona has to juggle players between first base and right field now with Chad Tracy, Tony Clark and super prospect Conor Jackson all sharing the duties. Arizona may have to part with one of those players though to improve their pitching in the offseason.

Guerrero Named 'Player of the Week'

2005-08-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

5 HR, 13 RBI, 9 R and a slugging percentage of 1.182. Not a bad week really. Thankfully Guerrero is making up for the worst month of his pro career (.208 average, 5 HR, 21 RBI in July) by having a month's worth of production this past week. Like last season, it appears that Vlad is going to haul the Angels up his back and carry them over the finish line himself.

Darin Erstad said it best: "What can I say about the guy? It is rediculous".

It is the second time Guerrero has been named Player of the Week in the AL. The last time was the week of October 4, 2004.

A's Will Fall Just Like Rangers

2005-08-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

Back on June 1st I predicted that the Texas Rangers would fall from contention in the ALWest. I bring this up not to gloat (though the over/under on Buck Showalter's resignation/firing now stands at 34 days) but to predict the impending slide of the Oakland Athletics.

The Rangers fall-from-grace was easy to call because they have no pitching. They had Kenny Rogers but even I did not foresee the mess his season would turn into. The Texas bullpen was woeful and a team of power hitters are going to eventually hit a rough patch. That adds up to an inevitable losing streak and the Rangers have delivered in spades.

The A's on the other hand do have pitching. Both at the front of a game (Harden, Zito, Haren) and now in a revamped bullpen (Witasick, Dushscherer, Street). But what Oakland does not have is a lot of experience in the pen or with their starters. They also have the weakest hitting line-up in the AL West. I mean, c'mon, when your most feared hitter after Eric Chavez is Nick Swisher than you are not exactly making opposing pitchers lose sleep the night before an A's game. But before I explain why the Athletics are destined to fall, I must give Oakland credit. They have done an amazing job with limited talent. Many of their young players have plenty of potential talent, particularly the pitchers. But real bankable talent such as Eric Chavez is extremely limited. So I must advise our adversaries to the north that the end is coming A's fan. Oakland managed to steal a couple games from the Angels thanks to a pair of uncharacteristic late-inning meltdowns in the Halo bullpen, but do not expect that to happen again. There is only seven weeks left in the regular season so the A's will stay reasonably close just playing .500 ball. But as they showed in their last two series, Oakland is in the midst of a severe power outage at the plate. The A's are averaging just 2.8 runs a game over their past six and have gone 3-3 thanks to some great starting pitching. But they very easily could have gone 1-5 had the Angels not handed them two games. When the A's were hot in July they were winning games by large margins. They outscored Texas 26 - 16 in a four game set and won a series from Chicago by outscoring the Sox 23 - 11. That hitting could not and has not continued. While the bats cooled off the pitching has kept Oakland from fading. But as AL hitters get a second and third look at the young hurlers from NoCal, look for them to start to struggle.

When the story of the 2005 season is written, about Oakland it will be said that this was one streaky team. Horrible to start, great in the middle but faded down the stretch. It is in the dog days of August, when arms get heavy, that the tested veterans prove their metal. Pitchers like Bartolo Colon and Paul Byrd will flourish while relative newbies like Danny Haren and Rich Harden will begin to either wilt in the summer heat or simply break down. Likewise, young hitters like Nick Swisher and Dan Johnson, players who have never endured a long major league season, will find the grind taking its toll on their inexperienced bodies. The Angel hitters are veterans. Guerrero, Anderson, Erstad, Kennedy, Figgins and Molina have all been through the war together and know how to close. They will finish the season strong and the young A's will finish 5 games back in second place, gunning for a wild-card spot against the resurgent Yankees.

The Fresh New Face of Satan

2005-08-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Scott Boras has been the designated poster boy for the Prince of Darkness for awhile now. Keeping promising young players from starting their careers because they were not millionaires enough times over (see: Weaver, Jared or Drew, Stephen or countless others....). But super-agent scumbag supreme Drew Rosenhaus has now eclipsed Boras as the new 'Satan' is the sports representation business.

Of course there is nothing 'new' about Rosenhaus who has been representing NFL clients for over a decade. Rosenhaus was the inspiration for the character "Bob Sugar" in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire and his loud, aggressive style has provided him with plenty of detractors over the years. Rosenhaus elevated himself to elite status in 2003 when he boldly predicted that Willis McGahee would be a first-round pick despite the fact that he suffered a severe knee injury that required reconstructive surgery at the end of his final college season. But the Buffalo Bills proved Rosenhaus right by taking McGahee with the 23rd overall pick and a new agent ascended to hell's highest throne. Many will defend Rosenhaus, saying that what he did for McGahee and many others is simply good representation. With McGahee I would say, absolutely. He represented his client very well and definitely earned his 3% commission. But with other players like Green Bay's Javon Walker, he does a disservice by advising them to violate their contracts and hold-out. In football more than any other sport this can be devastating. Players who miss training camps are generally not in football shape and one tackle can end a career. This is not the move of someone who is more concerned with is client's well being than feathering his own nest.

Now comes the sorted tale of Terrell Owens. A fiasco that is, by a very long-shot, the sleaziest contract negotiation in modern history. The up-shot of the story is that Owens signed a contract last season with the Eagles (after first demanding a trade from the 49ers and then refusing a trade to the Ravens before finally agreeing to go to the Eagles) that some people thought might have been on the conservative side. Keep in mind, Owens was not a free-agent and in no position to dictate where he played yet somehow he did. So for that option is appeared to those of us watching from the outside that he simply decided to take a bit less and play where he would be happy. All seemed well as the Eagles went to the Super Bowl but Owens was anything but happy. He stewed over being paid less than guys like Randy Moss (another problem child player). In steps Rosehaus who guarantees TO a better contract if he signs with him. TO agrees that he is worth more and signs with Team Rosenhaus to get a new deal done. Rosenhaus advises TO to sit out off-season workouts but does allow him to show-up to training camp. Big mistake. TO is such a mouthpiece that the first thing he does is talk smack about the team's most popular player and their equally popular coach. Who is advising this guy, Rush Limbaugh? Or as Chris Sprow put it in the Chicago Sports Review "From what I can tell, Owens has hired John Rocker LLC for his public relations work." Sprow's best line:

"Owens is like a child trying to get a better allowance who skips the whole cleaning your room routine and decides to show up at his mom's PTA meeting to call her a whore who routinely burns books."

Classic.

This is just a case of gasoline meeting fire. Inflammatory agent meets ignitable superstar equals scorched Earth campaign. But what is really interesting about this to everyone except Eagles fans is that there does not appear to be a solution anywhere in sight. Last week Philly coach Andy Reid sent Owens home for a week for telling him to "shut up" and telling the team's offensive coordinator that "you do not talk to me unless I talk to you first". I'm guessing that TO is not a student of Dale Carnegie.

Rest easy Angel fans, Rosenhaus does not dabble in baseball yet. Though the Eagles may have learned something from Arte Moreno's dealings with Scott Boras last season. They do not appear to have any intention of giving in and will force Owens to either play for them under the terms of his old contract or not play for anyone this season.

Angels Back in First......for now

2005-08-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Angels completed a sweep of the lowly Mariners, repaying the northerners for the four-game sweep they laid on the Halos just before the All-Star Break that went a long-way to helping the A's catch, and briefly pass, the Angels in the standings.

Most notable was Vladimir Guerrero's twin upper-deck shots in game 1. The Ruthian blasts traveled a combined 865 feet though Manager Mike Scioscia quipped "I wish we could break that up into about 40 singles". Uh, no thanks Mike. Much more entertaining for us at home to watch the stunned faces of Mariner fans who have to be wondering what in the hell happened to this once viable franchise.

The Angels pounded Seattle pitching for 25 runs on 42 hits in the three-game set. Guerrero was a one-man demolition crew, going 8 for 14 (.571) with 3 HR's and 5 rbi's. One reason Guerrero has been able to find pitches to hit is that the Angels are offering plenty of protection behind him. Even with a gimpy Garret Anderson the Angels Guerrero-Support-Group are getting the job done. On Friday it was Bengie Molina going 3-5 and further down the line-up Adam Kennedy's 2-2 performance. On Saturday Anderson and Steve Finley combined to go for 2 for 5 at DH while Juan Rivera collected 3 hits in 5 AB's in the #6 hole. On Sunday the trifecta of Casey Kotchman, Juan Rivera and Adam Kennedy went 6 for 11. So giving Guerrero a free-pass is not as easy an option for AL managers as walking Barry Bonds has been for NL skippers. But I for one was watching Sunday and told my wife that it was a big mistake to pitch to Guerrero with runners at first and third. Walk the bases loaded and take your chances with Molina. Since I was watching on DirecTV in Arizona I had the Mariner's telecast and they were soothing Seattle fans with news that Guerrero was 0-5 with a K against incoming reliever Julio Mateo. I responded to my TV "which means that Guerrero is due." Naturally, Guerrero went yard but then, surprisingly, Molina did too! So perhaps the M's were doomed no matter what they did. In any case, it is much more fun being on this end of Guerrero's majestic blasts and watching opposing teams scramble to find a way to pitch to him.

Kotchman: Roid Rage?

2005-08-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Forget any comparisons to Wally Joyner, the power-challenged former Halo first baseman. Angel first-baseman-of-the-future Casey Kotchman has, in three games, shattered those old perceptions and suddenly looks more like a juiced Jason Giambi than the slick-fielding singles hitter he had been heretofore described as. Of course, even Joyner had a brief flirtation with power that spawned "Wally World" during his rookie season as did Erstad. So we should probably hold off on annoiting the kid as anything more than 'promising' at this point.

But still, the question of what exactly Casey Kotchman will become is fast becoming an Angel fan favorite. Flash-in-the-pan or Superstar? The next 'Donny Baseball' or a 2010 'Whatever-Happened-To' segment on Angels in the Infield? It is universally accepted that Kotchman is one of the most prized blue chippers that the Angels posses. The only real question is if he can continue to develop as a ballplayer and fulfill his promise. Clearly the next logical progression for Kotchman was to find his power. To develop his plate-discipline beyond being a tough strikeout to being able to recognize and hit 'his' pitches. The ones that find the alleys and the ones that leave the park. In hitting his first, second and third career homers in his first three games this season, it would seem Kotchman has indeed found his power-game. If he can continue to hit the ball off the rocks at Angel Stadium then Darin Erstad could find himself in Troy Glaus limbo as the Angels start envisioning their infield anchored by a couple of players hitting 40 HR's a year for under a million bucks in salary....for both. But with Dallas McPherson battling injuries and Kotchman still unproven, that remains a beautiful but elusive dream for Arte Moreno & Company.

From the outside looking in it would appear that Kotchman would have been an ideal candidate for the BALCO player enhancement program. A great fielder with an undeniable mastery of the strike zone but who had 'warning-track' power. But Kotch also has a father who is a scout for the Angels and with his pedigree, it is not likely he would be foolish enough to experiment with steroids now. Even with limited power numbers Kotchman's ascent to the majors was all but assured. Even if not with the Halos, Kotchman was the subject of rampant trade rumors these season (most sending him to KC for Mike Sweeney). That in and of itself should have told all Angel fans that he was about to breakout. But things are different nowadays in the OC since the GM in Anaheim does not, like his predecessors, trade away prospects for aged power hitters looking for a nice climate to retire in. No, the Angels, undoubtedly tempted to add a bat to a slumping line-up, instead opted for patience. And a reshuffled line-up and a timely call-up. So far it is working (albeit against the D-Rays) but the real test comes in the next three days when the Angels square off with the A's in Oakland. An important series though not do-or-die. But it is an opportunity for the Angels to shove the A-Train off the tracks and try to regain momentum in a division that has been drifting away from them for the past month.

Matinee Today

2005-08-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Angels have a 1 pm day game as they attempt to close-out the Orioles with their first series sweep since taking three from the Royals July 1 - 3.

Interesting start for what the Mariners hope will be their rookie phenom, Felix Hernandez. He is only 19 years old and has rocketed through the M's farm club. With Seattle going nowhere they decided he might as well see some big league hitters. Hernandez got into huge trouble in the first by giving up a two singles, and two walks that plated a run for Detroit. But with the bases loaded the kid got Dimitri Young to hit into a double play (first to home to first) and then struck out Pudge Rodriguez to get out of the jam. Later in the third he hit Polanco who stole second and made it to third on a groundout. With two outs catcher Wiki Gonzalez gives up a passed ball to allow Polanco to score. So the Tigers lead 2-0 in the top of the fourth. Get use to no run support and mediocre defense Felix.

Nice to see Matt Clement getting rocked by the Royals (4-0 in the third). Serves you right for not signing with the Angels you skinny prick.

In the 5th inning in Minnesota the A's & Twins are locked-up 1-1. The pitchers today are Zito & Lohse. In the bottom of the 5th the Twins have runners at first & second with nobody out...

Back for More

2005-08-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

Since my self-imposed hiatus from Angels blogging on July 12:

* The Halos went 8-9 the rest of July and shrank a comfortable 8 game lead over Texas to a 1 game (as of yesterday) lead over Oakland.
* Vlad Guerrero had the lowest monthly batting average of his career (.208) but in his first two games of August he seems to have turned things around, hitting .714 with 2 HR and 7 RBI while walking twice and striking out zero times.
* I saw the funniest movie in a long time in The Wedding Crashers. I have not seen a movie with that many quotable lines since Napoleon Dynamite.
* Two Major League Players have been hit with suspensions for steroid use: Raphael Palmeiro and Ryan Franklin. Why one can understand why Franklin could use a boost, why would a sure-fire hall-of-famer like Palmeiro besmirch his reputation by validating Jose Canseco? Could he just not get that 3,000 his without being on the juice? Of course, like Barry Bonds, Palmeiro now finds himself in much hotter water as the United States Congress will investigate him for perjury after his denial before that body of "ever" using steroids. Maybe old Raffy just decided now would be a good time to give 'roids a try, who knows. One thing is certain, he will deny "knowingly" taking any performance enhancing drugs. Most people who know anything about steroids put zero credence into this argument but perhaps the general public will cut him a break if he says "I thought I was taking Altoids -- you know, for minty fresh breath." Then again, maybe his lady thought his Viagra needed some extra punch.
*Speaking of steroids, my last post on 7/12 was regarding Brett Boone being signed by the Twins. Yeah, well they released his now-steroid-free ass and BB had better hand them up or get back on the juice because he is stinking. His brother meanwhile just signed to play for the Indians again in '06.
* Dallas McPherson and Jarrod Washburn both went to the DL. McPherson is making some rehab starts in the minors while Wash will be shutdown for at least a week (he is eligible to come off on August 12th). That means another start is likely for rookie Chris Bootcheck which will give the Angels two rooks in the rotation.
* John Lackey has just been nails over his last four starts. The big righty has had two shut-out performances (7 innings in Minnesota and 8 in Toronto) while allowing two runs in each of his outings against the Yankees (5.1 innings) and last night against the O's (6.2 innings). Nice to see the good 'ole boy stepping up with his team needs him the most.

Overall it has been a pretty sucky month for Angel fans but I dare say the worst is likely over. Despite having to start two rookies in the rotation the bats are coming around (32 runs in their last four games) and their recent losses were due to tragic performances from the bullpen. If there is one area where the Angels do not need to worry it is the pen and they apparently have straightened themselves out. We will have to wait until the Angels get in a jam again to see how they perform under pressure but so long as the hitters keep giving the starters huge margins to work with then the bullpen is taken out of the equation anyway.

Oakland will not continue to play .800 ball. They always fall back to Earth and so long as the Angels can stay with them (and they look to have done that) then they will be fine. Huge series next week in Oakland for the Halos that could go a long way to setting a tone for the stretch run.

Twins Acquire Boone

2005-07-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Twins who have a scuffling offense, made a move this week to acquire Seattle Mariners' second baseman Bret Boone. Boone, 36, was designated for assignment by the M's and was hours away from being placed on waivers when the deal was struck. For the Twins is represents a very low risk deal as Seattle has agreed to pick up the balance of Boone's salary for 2005 ($4.6 million) and will receive a "low level" minor league prospect in exchange. Seattle had no other deals on the table so they took the Twins offer rather than see Boone leave and receive nothing in return.

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Twins are hoping that being in a playoff chase will reinvigorate Boone. The Twins trail the White Sox by nine games and have looked lethargic offensively. On that count Boone should fit-in immediately with a lethargic .231 average of his own plus 7 HR and 33 RBI so far in '05. The Twins have used six second baseman so far this season and they have combined to hit .279 with 4 HR and 20 RBI. So Boone does represent something of an upgrade in terms of power and he should do well in the Metrodome. "I love playing there. I really do" Boone said to more than a few raised eyebrows. In 27 games, Boone has hit .271 with 4 HR and 16 RBI at the Homerdome. Curiously, Boone's best numbers appear to be at Angel Stadium where he has hit .349 with 11 HR and 29 RBI in 41 games. Had AK not recovered so thoroughly from his knee surgery it is entirely possible the Angels may have made a run at Boone.

Wow, That Sucked

2005-07-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Four losses in a row to the Mariners was not the way most Angel fans (or probably players, front-office personnel or coaches) hoped to end the first-half. But that is exactly what happened as Angel pitching fell apart but generally in only one or two innings of each game. In game one Bartolo Colon could not settle down in the first two innings and gave up 7 runs. A 5-run fifth inning was the undoing for Washburn in game two and Lackey in game three. The final game saw rookie Ervin Santana lit-up for 5 runs himself though he did it in the fourth inning.

It was a remarkable lack of poise for a team that usually looks polished and professional. It was even more remarkable that it happened four times in a row. Apparently the Angels started their All-Star Break four days earlier than everyone else. But their is a silver lining here. If you are going to have a four game losing streak better to do it just before the All-Star Break than right after. The walking wounded should have a chance to recover as centerfielder Steve Finley played in a Class A game for Rancho Cucamonga where he went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored this past Saturday. Per manager Mike Scioscia, Finley will be activated Thursday and pitcher Jake Woods optioned back to Triple A. Scioscia feels that Woods needs work, particularly on his breaking ball and he will not get the opportunity to pitch regularly in Anaheim. Scioscia thinks highly of the kid, saying "Jake has such upside" and that once he finds his breaking pitch "I think he's gonna have a prominent role on this staff." Woods was 1-1 with a 3.90 ERA in 27 appearances for the Angels -- not bad numbers at all. You have to like having Woods in the wings as a starter for the next five years or so.

Shortstop Orlando Cabrera is also edging closer to a return to the starting line-up as he will resume swinging a bat over the All-Star Break. In what appears to be an indictment of Maicer Izturis' defense, Scioscia said "If he's (Cabrera) ready to play defense, he's a part of our equation that we need". Of course, that could simply be praise of Cabrera's D as well. In any case it does not look like they plan to give OC any rehab starts prior to a return with the big club.

McPherson Back on DL

2005-07-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Dallas McPherson, the young third base phenom whose huge upside promise prompted the Angels to forego re-signing Troy Glaus, is back on the 15 day disable list, this time for inflammation in his left hip. Just what in the name of Geritol is going on here? A hip injury? Just how old is this McPherson 'kid' anyway? Is it another 'Ramon Ortiz' episode where his true age was disguised to enhance his value? In a truly scary statement McPherson said Angel doctors "guaranteed" him that he "would be fine" and this would not be a recurring injury. Watch out for those 'guarantees' kid, it is the surest sign of trouble.

After Glaus was lost for much of the 2004 season with a shoulder injury the Angels thought they were making the prudent move is bringing in McPherson due in part to his durability and cheap price. There was also the fact that Glaus was a preening primadonna but mostly it was the gargantuan home runs that D-Mac launched in minor league parks around the country that excited the Halo brass. Oh, did I mention he plays for about $10 million a year less than Glaus?

Whatever; the Angels now have Chone Figgins at the hot corner which, given his hot bat and improved defense (Figgy made a sparkling dive-catch-throw 'em out play at third last night) is not all bad. But that means Figgins is not available to fill-in other holes in the Halo line-up like centerfield and shortstop or to give regulars like Adam Kennedy and Vlad Guerrero a rest. The All-Star Break is coming at an opportune time for the Angels as they have four key pieces of their team all cooling their collective heels in the clubhouse rehabing various injuries (Steve Finley, Orlando Cabrera, Kelvim Escobar and now McPherson). The 'B' team had been doing well until Thursday when McPherson said the pain from his injury "became steadily worse" and the Mariners rolled into town and took three in a row in convincing fashion from the suddenly bumbling, fumbling and unable-to-hit-in-key-situations Angels.

Weaver Rounding into Form

2005-07-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

The Angels top pick from 2004, Jared 'Dream' Weaver, was a wee-bit rusty after taking nearly a year-off in a contract dispute with the ball club. But since signing a little over a month ago Weaver has been toiling for Class A Rancho Cucamonga with limited success (16 hits in his first 9 1/3 innings and a 9.64 ERA). But last Tuesday Weaver picked-up his first minor league victory after throwing five innings of two-hit ball for the Quakes. Despite his inflated ERA early on, Weaver has demonstrated his legendary control by walking just 3 batters in 14 1/3 innings while striking out 20.

Look for Weaver to make the jump to the bigs sometime in 2006 when the Angels and Dodgers will both sport Izturis' and Weaver's on their rosters.

Halos Take Two of Three from Twins

2005-07-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Garrett Anderson was Mr. Incredible yesterday, depositing a two-out two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh off Minnesota starter Johan Santana to give the Angels their first lead of the game. Then in the top of the eighth it was Anderson gunning down Michael Ryan at the plate to snuff out a Twins rally and help to preserve a tenuous 7-6 Halo victory. Ryan represented the tying run and was trying to score from third on a fly-out but Anderson threw a bullet just wide of the plate but catcher Jose Molina made a great catch-and-tag to complete the double play. It was Ryan's birthday but I don't think he appreciated the gift(s) that Anderson and the Angels bestowed on him and the Twins Wednesday.

Angel starter Paul Byrd was bailed out by Anderson after going 6.2 innings while surrendering 5 runs on 5 hits. Byrd has had a great month, not losing since a June 7th game against Atlanta where he gave up just 3 runs on 9 hits. Over the past month Byrd is 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA and one of the reasons the Angels have now opened a 8.5 game lead over second-place Texas. Of course one of the other reasons in Anderson who is having a memorable 2005 campaign. The Angel left-fielder is hitting .311 with 11 HR and 64 RBI in 80 games this season. Compare that with just 75 RBI in Anderson's injury shortened 112 games last year. GA in on pace for the most runs-batted-in in a season since his 123 RBI efforts in 2001 & 2002. Last week in a game against the Dodgers Anderson recorded the 1,000 RBI of his career and suddenly (at least to me) Garrett is within grasp of stats that no other Angel has dreamed of. Consider that Anderson celebrated his 33rd birthday last week and is putting-up the best numbers of his career and that in 2006 (barring injury) GA should record his 2,000 hit and 250th home-run. Further, if he can have, say, five more similarly productive years he could have 3,000 hits and 300 HR's. Instant first-ballot with those numbers. But five more productive years are certainly no given particularly with a guy already afflicted with arthritis. But then again, it could happen...

M's Designate Boone for Assignment

2005-07-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Could Bret Boone be one of the first victims of MLB's tougher stance on performing enhancement drugs? Or could it be that the 36-year-old second-baseman's career has simply run it's course? Whatever the case Bret Boone was designated for assignment by the Mariners on Sunday morning and has played his last game in a Seattle uniform. The Mariners promoted second baseman Jose Lopez and outfieder Chris Snelling from their Triple-A affiliate Tacoma while placing outfielder Dave Hansen on the 15-day DL.

In essence Seattle is waving the white flag on the 2005 season just before the All-Star Break as they now sit firmly ensconced in the AL West basement, 15.5 games behind front-running Los Angeles. It has to be bitterly disappointing for Mariner fans who came into the season with high hopes after their team secured the services of two highly regarded free-agents in first baseman Richie Sexson and third baseman Adrian Beltre. The power-hitting duo gave Seattle arguably the best power-hitting infield corner combination in the majors. But both have been a disappointment with Beltre struggling with his power (just 8 homeruns) and Sexson struggling everywhere else (.238 average but still has clubbed 17 HR's). But as most baseball experts predicted, Seattle's woeful starting rotation was not up to the task and the entire Mariner pitching staff combined for 4.40 ERA, 19th in the major leagues.

The curious career of Bret Boone began in Seattle in 1992 when the young prospect played in 109 games over two seasons before signing to play for the Reds in 1994. Boone was a mainstay for Cincinnati for five years where he became known for good defense and mediocre offense while averaging 11 HR's over four seasons. But an interesting thing happened in Boone's contract year of 1997 when he suddenly exploded for 24 HR's and 95 RBI, far more productive numbers then in any previous season. Boone then played out three one-year contracts in a row for Atlanta, San Diego and the Mariners. For the Braves and San Diego Boone had virtually identical numbers hitting .252 with 19 HR's in Atlanta and .251 with 20 HR's for the Padres. But with Seattle Boone had another miraculous transformation of his game when he jumped his average by 80 points to .331 and his HR's production to 37. Boone was now officially in an elite class of power-hitting second baseman and commanded a big contract from the Mariners in 2002 for three years and $25 million. The M's picked-up his 2005 option and agreed to pay him $9.25 million this season, of which they still owe him around half.

So is it just good fortune and hard work that made Bret Boone one of the great "contract year" hitters of our generation? Or could it be that a guy with proverbial "warning track" power dabbled in performance enhancing drugs just when he needed them most. Unlike someone such as Barry Bonds who apparently sprinkled steroids on his corn flakes each morning, Boone took a more proactive approach to preserve his health but still reel in the big bucks. If so, who is the bigger fraud -- the guy who only juices-up and plays really well in contract years or the guy who juices up, scores the big bucks and then gives the fans something to cheer about every year? Tough choice but I'm gonna half to say I'll take neither thank you very much. If (and it is only an 'if' for now) Boone did take PED's in contract years then he should be prosecuted for fraud and the Mariner's refunded their money. My guess is that you will see Bret Boone fade from being a player and re-emerge as a coach ala his Dad. Boone is smart enough to know that at 36 he can not compete (without help from his 'little friends') with younger more naturally talented players. He also is a family man who likely does not want to risk his long-term health in order to sign one more big contract. But letting go for athletes is never an easy thing and it will be interesting to see what Boone does now. In my opinion, if he goes quietly into the night then it is an affirmation of PED use. But then again, there really is nothing he could do at this point that would keep people from asking the 'steroid' question. Unless he were to simply slip out of sight.

Colon Dominates for 7, Angels win 5-3

2005-07-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

For the second night in a row the Angels were cruising towards a 5-0 shut-out of the Royals with Bartolo Colon throwing a one-hitter. But Colon is not the complete-game animal he once was (9 CG for the White Sox in 2003 vs. 0 in '04 and 2 so far in '05) but Angel Skipper Mike Scioscia no doubt hoped his starter could give the Angel pen a respite and stuck with Colon. But a complete game was not in the cards as KC pecked away at Colon in the eighth inning with a double and three singles, scoring three and forcing Scioscia to bring in K-Rod for the final 1.2 innings to preserve a 5-3 win for the Angels ace. Thanks to two losses and a five-run win in the previous three games, Rodriguez had not pitched in four days and was the one guy in the pen who actually could have used some work anyway.

The Angels continue to take care of business against the teams that they must beat, i.e. the Kansas Royals of the world. They must continue this effort against two other struggling teams, the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners who the Halos face at home to close-out the first-half of the 2005 campaign. When the Angels return from the All-Star Break they will hit the road and face the Twins again followed by two important series against the hot A's and the New York Yankees. The Oakland series will go a long way in telling just how good the A's (and the Angels for that matter) really are. The Yankees, though struggling as they are, could still be a post-season foe and if the Angels can put a whipping on them now it might serve them well come October.

Let's Not Get Carried Away with the A's

2005-07-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, Oakland has been on a nice run. From the way sports radio was raving about the A's recent hot streak you would figure they must be just a couple of games out and ready to run away with the West. Reality Check: Oakland is 9.5 games back in a division that is not the NL West. The translation is that it will take more than a month of fattening up on lightweights like Seattle and San Francisco to catch the Angels.

I'm not saying Oakland is not a team that could get back in the mix, but I will reserve judgement until July 14 - 24 when they play eight against the Rangers and three against the Angels. By then we will know if this Athletics team has the staying power to contend for the AL West. I question whether they have the depth to withstand a little adversity when it comes a knocking as it always does.

Halos Take Care of KC 5-0

2005-07-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

The Angels ended their two-game losing streak thanks to Paul Byrd who threw a two-hitter at his former employers, the hapless Royals. Byrd, who has had an up-and-down season thus far with the Angels, returned to his glory days (17 game winner for KC in 2002) and was treated to the "bird wave" by his former fans which he returned as he walked off the mound. If you are not familiar with this hip gesture, it resembles the effeminate 'halo wave' from the feature film "Angels in the Outfield". There is just no cool way to pull this move off and Byrd and the Royal fans looked like a bunch of dorks. But with Arte lowering beer prices at Angels Stadium there is still a modicum of a chance that some Halo fans will pick-up on this. We can only hope they are seated far, far away in the upper reaches of the View Section. Somewhere in Anaheim the original 'Watermelon Heads' may be having an emergency meeting to reconvene as the "Byrd Boys".

Back on the field Bengie Molina had three hits and an RBI while Adam Kennedy had a pair of hits. Vlad Guerrero continued his hot streak with a hit and two RBI's while Mr. Double Garrett Anderson hit his 18th two-bagger of the season.

Texas Venting Against Angels Young Arms

2005-06-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Texas Rangers are venting their frustrations (losing, Rogers-Rage, etc) on rookie Ervin Santana this afternoon as they barraged the youngster for 7 runs in just 4 innings. The hitting barrage continued against Joel Peralta who yielded his first earned run since June 5th. He yielded 5 in fact in his one inning of work before Jake Woods took over to allow two more earned runs the following inning. In the bottom of the seventh the score is Texas 16 Angels 3 and Woods is back on the mound to absorb more punishment and give a break to the rest of the Halo bullpen. Woods just surrendered a two-run jack to Hank Blalock and now the third homerun of the day to Kevin Mench! I have to keep retyping this as Texas scores faster than I can get this stupid post entered.

The Angel pitchers have served up gopher balls in a big way as Mark Teixeira joins Mench in having a multi-homer day with two jacks while Soriano and Dellucci and the aforementioned Blalock earlier hit long-balls of their own.

After the Angels lose this game (they now trail 18-3) their lead on Texas will be 6 1/2 games, the same as it was going into the four game series.

The Angels will enjoy a 'soft' portion of their schedule going into the All-Star Break as they face the lowly Royals in KC before returning home against Minnesota and Seattle. After the Break the Halos head to the Twin Cities for a quick 4-game roadie against the Twinks before returning home to face Oakland and the Yankees. They finish the month on the road in Toronto and the Bronx. Should be a very interesting month.

Score Update: Angels get a run on a single by Vlad Guerrero that plates Chone Figgins but the big rally they need is foiled by Josh Paul who hits into a double play. Not quite sure why Paul is now catching and Jose Molina is at first but when it is 18-4 I don't care all that much.

Where was Silent Bob?

2005-06-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

Apparently Ben Affleck married Jennifer Garner on some exclusive celebrity island. But more noteworthy was this tidbit from USA Today:

Affleck had a low-key bachelor party June 24 at his Brentwood, Calif., home attended by Chasing Amy costar Jason Mewes, Us says.

Affleck has a bachelor party and the only person noted as attending was Jason Mewes, famous as 'Jay' of 'Jay & Silent Bob' fame? I'll bet it was low-key. Very mellow with lots of muchies available if you get my drift. Still, if your Garner it beats having a bachelor party thrown for your fiance by say, Charlie Sheen.

Rangers End Halo's Streak at 8

2005-06-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Angels came close to notching their ninth win a row last night when Dallas McPherson homered off Texas closer Francisco Cordero in the ninth to tie the game. But Texas came back in the 11th to win the game off of reliever Scot Shields.

Still, you have to admire this team that is giving Texas all they can handle every night. The Angels will look to win the series outright tonight when rookie Ervin Santana takes the hill against Texas right-hander Chris Young. Santana has been very strong at home this season but in his only road start the youngster gave up six runs on eight hits to the Indians. But that was Santana's first start in the majors so look for a more confident and poised pitcher tonight in Arlington.

Young had not given up more than three runs since April 17 before he faced the Angels last week and was battered for 5 runs in just 5 innings. But he did bounce back against Houston to hold the 'Stros to just 3 runs over 7 innings. Still, in three starts against Young the Halo hitters are averaging better than a run an inning. Not to mention the fact that Angel hitters always feel comfortable swinging the lumber at the Ballpark.

Awesome Site

2005-06-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

Update: I have gotten some e-mails from people who have tried to access Google Earth but when they reach the download page they get this message:

Google Earth downloads temporarily delayed

Thanks for your interest in Google Earth, but we're sorry we can't offer you a download right now. As you know, Google Earth is in beta, and we're still building out our ability to take on new users. We're making good progress, and expect to be able to accept new downloads shortly, so we recommend you check back daily at earth.google.com. We hope to be able to welcome you and other new planet surfers soon.

We appreciate your patience,

The Google Earth Team

That sucks. But this is from the people who brought you G-Mail -- the wonderful free e-mail account that you can't get unless you are 'referred' by someone else. Do not fret, everyone will be assimilated by Google in good time...
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For anyone with a mild interest in geography the pay site once known as "Keyhole" has been assimilated by corporate giant Google and transmogrified into the now free "Google Earth". You have to download some software on to your PC (sorry Mac guy, they don't have this for you yet) and then you can do "flyovers" from one location to another using high resolution digital satellite pictures. Of course, if you want really high definition you have to pay for Google Earth Pro but the free version is good enough for most people. I flew from my house in Arizona over to Angels Stadium (just plug in 2000 Gene Autry Way, Anaheim, CA) and then hit "Search" and you will fly right to it. Fairly awesome technology while quite frightening at the same time. Now the trendy stalker can invest $400 for Google Earth Pro and watch his ex-girlfriend for hours on end from the conform of his Mom's basement.

It is apparent that the government (or whoever has access to the satellites) can watch what we are doing quite easily from space.

Viva Big Brother.

Court: Angels Can Keep "L.A." Name for Now

2005-06-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

In a blow to the city of Anaheim's ongoing battle to have their name reinstated as part of the Angels official moniker, a state appeals court ruled that the Angels can continue to refer to themselves as the Los Angeles Angels until the matter goes to trial on November 7th.

In a case that gets weaker and less relevant by the moment, the city was hoping a temporary injunction would restore the name "Anaheim Angels" to the organization. Angels owner Arte Moreno changed the name in January in order to make the team more marketable to not only all Southern Californians, but to those outside the area who want to associate themselves with the name "Los Angeles". Just not necessarily followed by "Dodgers".

Anaheim is facing an uphill battle as the Angels are enjoying one of their best seasons on the field and are referred to on a daily basis by local, national and international media as the "Los Angeles Angels" and occasionally as the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" (their official name). The LA Angels name, while certainly not warmly embraced by many Halo faithful, is at the very least being tolerated thanks in large part to their first-place standing in the American League West Division. This latest set-back for the city of Anaheim comes just as the Angels are making their most aggressive push of the season, opening a 6 1/2 game lead over second-place Texas and establishing themselves as one of the elite teams in Major League Baseball.

The 'worst-case' scenario for the city would be for the Angels to go on to win the World Series. But even a Division Championship as the "Los Angeles Angels" could be enough to win over stubborn fans of the Anaheim Angels name. So far this season fans do not seem to be holding any grudges as the Angels are on course for another 3 million in attendance for the year.

Angels Start Crucial Series With 5-1 Win Over Texas

2005-06-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

The Angels welcomed division rival Texas to town tonight and put together the type of game that Halo management had hoped to see more of this season. Dominant pitching from Paul Byrd and power hitting from Vlad Guerrero were the story as the Angels dumped the Rangers 5-1.

Halo hitters pummeled Texas starter Chris Young for 10 hits and five runs while handing the tough rightie just his second loss since April 28th. In fact, Young has only given up five or more runs twice this season and the other time was on April 12th when the Angels touched him up for 7 runs. Young will get a shot at redemption next week when the Angels visit Arlington but chances are he will not be looking forward to facing a suddenly healthy and potent Angel line-up, particularly when they seem to have his number. Young's numbers against the Angels in 2005: 0-2 with an 8.76 ERA.

The top of the order came through on Monday as Darin Erstad and Chone Figgins combined to go 5 for 10 with 3 runs scored. In addition to his homer, Guerrero also doubled and knocked in four of the Halo's five runs.

Other Notes from Monday:

Darin Erstad extended his hitting streak to 20 games and set a career best mark for consecutive games with at least one hit. The 20 game mark is tied for the longest streak in the majors this season as well.

Maicer Izturis returned from the DL and got the start due to a late scratch of Orlando Cabrera who complained of a sore right elbow. X-rays were negative but Cabrera said he woke-up Monday morning and "it felt like I threw nine innings yesterday." Izturis was recalled on June 18th while infielder Robb Quinlan was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake.

The Angels signed 16 players from the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. Obviously none of these young men are represented by Scott Boras.

Donnybrook! Almost...

2005-06-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Colonel seems to be up to some new tricks. After twice being called for going to his mouth in games last week, reliever Brendan Donnelly was thrown out of tonight's game before he even threw a warm-up pitch. Washington Manager Frank Robinson protested that Donnelly was gaining some sort of illegal advantage due to his glove. It was not immediately clear if the Nationals thought he had an illegal substance but Angel color commentator Rex Hudler speculated that metal eyelets on the glove can be manipulated in such a way that a pitcher can get a 'cut' on the ball. A cut ball can then be thrown with considerably more movement.

Angel play-by-play announcer Steve Physioc reported later in the inning that pine tar was found in Donnelly's glove. According to Mark Gubicza, the pine tar helps a pitcher grip the ball and throw better breaking pitches. Then again, maybe it was for defensive purposes -- kind of like those velcro gloves and balls that kids learn to catch with.

Angels skipper Mike Scioscia became a bit heated, as you would expect, and walked over to Robinson and let him know what a pansy move it was (at least that was my interpretation) and walked away. Sixty-nine year old Robinson must have felt his integrity was impuned and got testy with Scioscia, stalking him as the Angel manager was walking back to the dugout. The gruff and grayed Robinson looked like a Leisure World resident who was denied his evening pudding cup. As the managers exchanged words the benches emptied and then the bullpens. The highlight was watching Nationals coaches restrain an enraged Jose Guillen who must have been thinking he could finally get some payback on Scioscia for his late-season suspension in 2004. You could almost hear everyone in the Nats dugout yelling "SERENITY NOW, SERENITY NOW!" desperately trying to keep Guillen from grabbing some lumber and going after big Mike. Those with "pre-All-Star Break" on the Guillen-meltdown over/under should be feeling pretty giddy. If Shields plunks him in the eighth he could have an aneurysm right there on the field. Guillen was booed in his return yesterday and he said he could not understand it after he did so much to help get them into the playoffs.

Damn, Guillen just jacked a two-run homer off Shields to tie the game. Should have plunked him.

Anyway, the fans booed him through that at-bat right until he shut them up quick. That is the last guy they should have pitched too. Way to big of an emotional lift for Guillen and Washington on that one. Suddenly Robinson looks genius for getting Donnelly out of the game. We'll see how this one works out. The real shame is that rookie Ervin Santana pitched a helluva game before Shields gave it up. Now Shields has given up back-to-back hits with one out in the eighth. Enough blogging -- if the game is still on then go watch it!

Update: Guillen's HR ignited a comeback that led the Nats to a 6-3 victory. In a post-game interview the Nationals Manager Frank Robinson said Mike Scioscia made what he infered as a "threatening comment". According to Robinson Scioscia told him "I'm gonna have every one of your pitchers undress when they come into the game." Robinson went on to say "I don't thnk that was called for. I don't think that was necessary." True to his word, Scioscia had Washington reliever Gary Majewski checked. When the umpires reported Majewski was clean Scioscia insisted that he tighten the laces on his glove which looked to be about ten inches long. Trainers trimmed the laces and the game continued. Unfortunately. Said Robinson of Scioscia having Majewski checked "that was weak."

Whether or not Jose Guillen tipped off the Nationals to Donnelly's pine tar tactics will never be known but Robinson flatly denied it saying "what we saw on video watching this ballclub, that... he had something in his glove. Jose didn't tell us anything. We didn't ask him anything about...that ballclub." Whatever. Geezer. Bottom line is Robinson got the best of Scioscia and the Angels by calling them on something that likely other clubs have suspected. Perhaps The Colonel was eating the excess pine tar everytime he went to his mouth but somehow getting called for "going to the mouth" last week and pine tar in the glove this week is connected. Donnelly could be facing a fine, suspension or both. But without his sticky friend he might be out of a job in the Halo bullpen.

Angels Showing That Championship Swagger

2005-06-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

This is not a perfect team. In fact, the glaring holes in the bullpen and in the starting rotation stick-out like the proverbial sore thumbs. But something has happened over the course of the past two weeks that is beginning to transform the 2005 Los Angeles Angels from a nice team in to a Championship caliber team.

1. 6-6 Road Trip equals Champs? When you face some of the toughest home teams in the Majors and still manage to split you have to be happy. If this were the playoffs and you had to play four in Boston you would probably be thrilled to walk away with two wins and then make the assumption you can win the majority of your own home games. It started off well yesterday as they snapped the Nationals 10-game win streak. With two more against the Nats followed by three with Florida, six with Texas (with a three-pack against the Blue Crew in between) the Angels are picking the perfect time to come together.

2. No blowout losses. During the last road trip the Halos did not lose a game by more than 3 runs. You have to go back to May 22nd to find a game the Angels did lose by more than 3 runs -- and that was just four runs to the Dodgers. In fact, for the season the Angels have won 11 games by a margin of five runs or better and lost just 4. That is a telling statistic in that the Angels have the lumber to punish many teams but enough pitching to keep them in most games. If the bullpen has finished their dubious detour into Diamondback territory, then the Angel hitters should be able to give them more than enough support.

3. Confidence is high. Repeat, confidence IS high. The long-awaited return of likening to Angel bats seems to be upon us. The Angels scored 10 runs against the White Sox, 13 against the Red Sox, 8 against Tim Hudson and the Braves and then posted 12 against the Mets. All on the road. Not to mention the eleven runs they pasted on the Nats last night in Anaheim. The Angels even gutted out a 4-3 victory over Pedro Martinez & the Mets to take the weekend series at Shea Stadium. This team knows it can score runs and now with a little taste of success, look for it to happen early and often from here on out. Dallas McPherson and Steve Finley are coming out of their shells and if those guys produce on a regular basis then becomes a very intimidating offense for opposing pitchers.

4. Pitching is good enough. No one is going to mention Cy Young and the Angels unless K-Rod catches fire the last half. But the starters are serviceable and with the exception of Kelvim Escobar seem somewhat durable. Ervin Santana returns to the mound tonight and if he can build on the success he had in his last outing, the Angels might have just filled a rotation spot for the next five years or so. The bullpen remains weary with Scot Shields and Brendan Donnelly (who gave up a walk-off 3 run dinger on Saturday to Cliff Floyd) still not back to where they were a year or two ago. But with the offense raking, they may have more runs to work with.

5. This is a two-team division. Neither the Mariners or A's are going to do anything to improve their clubs and right now, those are two pathetic teams. The Rangers are the only competition and right after I predicted their inevitable collapse in June, they went on to lose eight of their first 12 games in June. It's going to get worse for Texas as the Angels will look to step on their neck and enter the All-Star Break with a 7 game lead. If that happens look for an even uglier July as the Rangers play the Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles and Toronto. The Angels also have games with the Yanks but the difference is that the Angels are not the Yankees' bitch unlike another team I could mention.

A lot could go wrong and I may regret putting these thoughts down -- but if I am right (and I am) then look for the Angels to start putting some distance between themselves and the Rangers. I will also go out on a limb and predict that the Angels will be the second team to clinch their division (after St. Louis who should clinch in early August).

Colon Shaky but Bullpen Holds and Offense Surges to Down Sox 13 - 6

2005-06-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

The Angels got some sweet payback on Saturday in Boston as they victimized the Boston bullpen much as theirs had been the previous few nights. Los Angeles scored 12 runs in the final four innings to rout he Red Sox 13-7. In a strange reversal of the Angels recent pitching trends, starting pitcher Bartolo Colon was touched-up early by Red Sox hitters for five runs on ten hits despite an excellent strikeout to walk ratio of 11:1. Colon allowed nine men to bat in the second inning and was fortunate to escape with limited damage as the Sox posted three runs to take the lead. Colon gave up two more runs (1 in the third and 1 in the fifth) before he was pulled after six somewhat shaky innings. But Angel batters came alive in the top of the seventh to stake Colon to a 6-5 lead before the Halo bullpen's mojo began to turn. The not-so-dynamic duo of The Colonel & Scot Shields held the potent Boston offense to one run over two innings and the on-again/off-again Halo hitters continued their offensive onslaught and roughed-up the Red Sox bullpen for 11 hits and 11 runs. Joel Peralta finished the Sox off in the 9th inning, retiring the side in order. In three appearances this season Peralta has pitched 4.2 inning and given up just a single hit and no earned runs. In addition he has 7 K's and only 1 walk.

Many expected Peralta to be sent down when Frankie Rodriguez returned from the DL but instead the Angels sent Chris Bootcheck back to the minors. The logic is right as Peralta is more suited for the middle relief or set-up role while Bootcheck is a starter of the future for the Halos and can only get work as a starter in Triple A Salt Lake.

Garrett Anderson led Angel hitters as he pounded out 4 hits in 6 at-bats including . In addition Anderson collected 4 RBI's which vaulted him into to the top of the Angels all-time RBI leaders with 990 as he passed Tim Salmon. Within the next few weeks Anderson should become the first Angel player in history to reach 1000 RBI's with the team.

Bullpen in Crisis -- Squiggy on the Scene

2005-06-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

It's official, the Angels bullpen has been designated a National Disaster Area. The suddenly ominous duo of Brendan Donnelly & Scot Shields managed to spoil a just-off-the-DL quality start (has he had any other kind?) by Kelvim Escobar (6 IP 3 H 1 R 2BB 8 K) who left the game with a 4-1 lead at Fenway Park. The Colonel started the Red Sox rally by serving up a double to Kevin Millar and then walking Bill Mueller before giving up a towering double to Mark Bellhorn that plated Millar and moved Mueller to third. Johnny Damon grounded out to first scoring Mueller from third and advancing Bellhorn. That apparently was enough for Scioscia who decided to run Scot Shields out despite the fact that he has given up 4 runs in his last 2.2 innings pitched. Shields continued to pitch like he has an injury of some sort as he gave up a sac fly that tied the game at 4 but then induced Manny Ramirez to ground out back to the mound. In the eighth it was Shields again and more questionable managing by Scioscia. After giving up a single to Trot Nixon Shields struck out Jason Varitek but the pitch in the dirt allowed Nixon to steal second. In order to put the double-play in order Scioscia walked Bill Mueller intentionally to get to Mark Bellhorn. Now this would have been a fine move IF Shields could be counted on to force Bellhorn to hit a ground ball. But Shields could not be counted on to even get the ball put in play as he walked Bellhorn and then had to face Johnny Damon with the bases juiced. Damon naturally doubled, clearing the bases and dooming the Angels. The Halos did load the bases in the ninth but Steve Finley. who could have had a defining moment for himself as an Angel, instead struck out to end the game. Blech.

In the Yahoo! game wrap-up wayyyy down at the bottom under "notes" is this gem:

Among the celebrities in the crowd were David Lander, who played Squiggy in the sitcom ``Laverne and Shirley,'' and Susan St. James of ``Kate and Allie.'' St. James and her husband, NBC sports executive Dick Ebersol, were in town to attend the naming of a ballfield after their son, Teddy, who died in a plane crash."

I guess when Ben Affleck & Matt Damon are not in town Boston is pretty hard-up for 'celebrities'. This sounds more like a casting call for a really bad season of "The Surreal Life". Guess who I saw buying a hot dog at Fenway.....David Lander! Yes, that David Lander!

Texas Loses in Extras at Detroit

2005-06-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

My prediction that Texas would unravel this month is starting to come to fruition. The Rangers are 0-2 in June after Texas closer Francisco Cordero blew his third save of the season by allowing two runs in the ninth to the Tigers. Cordero boosted his ERA to 3.97 in the process.

Texas manager Buck Showalter allowed starter Chris Young to go 7 1/3 but opted to bring in Cordero in the eighth. A testament to the Rangers lack of bullpen depth. Cordero recorded the final two outs in the eight before getting touched-up in the ninth.

That elite Ranger pen sealed their fate in the 10th when Nick Regillo (ERA 4.76) managed to get just one out before surrendering the game losing single to Craig Monroe.

Finger Lickin' Pitchin' and other Chicago notes

2005-06-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

For the second game in a row, reliever Brendan Donnelly was cited by umpires for "going to his mouth" while standing on the pitching mound. In each case the batter was awarded a "ball". Donnelly looked baffled on each occasion and Manager Mike Scioscia defended him to the umpire on Tuesday as umpires cited him twice. But on Wednesday, as Donnelly stared plaintively at his manager after getting caught tasting his digits, Scioscia mimed to Donnelly that he was licking his fingers and gave him a look that seemed to say "keep your fingers out of your mouth you friggin' moron." The orally fixated Donnelly went on to give-up a run for the second game in a row but this time the Angels were sporting a three run lead leaving Donnelly off-the-hook. For his "finger lickin' good" pitching Donnelly shall heretofore be known as 'The Colonel'.

The Colonel thought that the infractions were a result of complaints from Chicago Manager Ozzie Guillen with the strategy being to get inside the Colonel's head. If so, bravo Guillen because it seemed to work quite nicely. Darin Erstad and pitching coach Bud Black both had to visit with the Colonel to get him calmed down enough to pitch. Black even hurled a dirt clod from the pitchers mound towards Chicago's dugout in a silent protest to what the Colonel described as a "tired" tactic.
Troy who? Dallas McPherson has started to fill-out those huge shoes left behind by Troy Glaus. McPherson belted a home-run and a double while collecting three RBI yesterday as he extended his hitting streak to eight games. When asked if he was in an offensive groove, the ever-humble D-Mac responded "I don't know if I'm even at the point of seeing the ball well. We'll see how it goes." Over the last week and a half it goes well Big D, very well.

Are there any worse announcers on the planet than the White Sox duo of Ken "Hawk" Harrelson and Darrin Jackson? As an Arizona resident I subscribe to the Major League Baseball package on DirecTV and am forced to watch the Fox Sports feed for the home team. So this week it was the Chi Sox which means every time an Angel strikes out I am subjected to the horrible "HE GONE" from Harrelson. For those of you who have not heard these characters in action and consider Rex Hudler to be a homer, you need to be educated. These guys cheer openly and seemingly with emotion for the Sox players. Apparently they do not want to meet the same fate at their counterpart for the Cubs who got axed for criticizing the players too much. I know that team ownership picks the announcers and there is a definite home bias but c'mon. After a loud cheer for a Sox home run the announcer was barely audible when McPherson blasted one to center. I wonder what they sound like when the Sox are 20 games back as they likely will be in September?

Thanks for the Heart Palpitations

2005-06-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

K-Rod returned last night and damn near gave me heart failure. Here is his line from the ninth inning:

1.0 IP 1 H 1 R 3 BB 3 K

I think it is safe to say that Frankie did not quite have his control back as he walked the bases loaded and gave up a hit. Another example of why closers should not be used in non-closing situations. I'm sure Scioscia wanted to give the kid a little work as Frankie charged in from the bullpen in the ninth with a four-run lead. He started fine, striking out A.J. Pierzynski but Jermaine Dye (who homered in the 9th to beat the Angels yesterday) was down 0-2 before doubling off the centerfield wall. Timo Perez then struck out and it looked like all was right with the world. Then K-Rod forgot how to strow strikes and walked the next three batters including Frank Thomas whose base-on ball forced in a run. Juan Uribe stood at the plate representing the winning run and it looked like he was going to have a walk-off Grand Slam as he hit a towering fly ball to left that just drifted foul. But Uribe struck out on the next pitch the Angels shaky victory was in the books. By the end of the night the Angels found themselves just a few percentage points behind Texas for second place.

Paul Byrd looked very hittable on Wednesday, giving up five runs on six hits. The silver lining for Byrd was that he did not walk a batter but did manage to strike out six.

Harold Reynolds is a Whore

2005-06-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

Splashy headline for a Wednesday but it sums up my feelings quite well. Before the season Reynolds was practically gushing about the Angels and their eventual crowning as AL West champs and the great chance they had to return to the World Series. Yesterday on ESPN Radio he has completely flip-flopped and now contends that Texas is the greatest thing since sliced bread and will undoubtedly win the West. Ugh. While I am happy to accept that the Angels hitting has been pathetic and a couple of key injuries have severely limited them over the past week, I am not ready to write them off just yet Howie.

The Rangers are red-hot thanks to some timely pitching and absolutely scorching bats. But they also have had an extremely favorable schedule the past two weeks. The Rangers have won nine in a row at home against the Astros, Royals, White Sox and Tigers. Not exactly the Yankees, Red Sox and Angels. A nice recovery after starting May by losing two of three to both Cleveland and Detroit. Good news for Texas fans is that the party continues with two more against Detroit and then three against KC. But the worm turns a bit after that with road sets at Philly and Florida before returning home to face Atlanta and Washington. But June really gets interesting the last two weeks when Texas and the Angels meet seven times in eleven days. The Halos will likely be at full strength with Guerrero and the division could look a whole lot clearer in about 30 days.

Now don't get me wrong, Texas is a fine ball club with some extremely talented hitters. Chris Young could be a great pitcher one day but right now he is just a really tall guy with some good stuff. Hitters have and will continue to figure him out.

In the interest of being fair, the Angels had a pretty easy schedule in May too and did not take advantage of it (save a sweep of the Royals at home). The Halos lost two of three to Detroit and Cleveland But did win two of three from the Dodgers and swept the Mariners. But a closer look at what went wrong in May -- namely eleven losses -- shows that five of those came by a single run. Clearly a deficiency in the Angels hitting that, had it been corrected could have given them 23 wins instead of 17. A 17-11 record is nothing to sneeze at when you play as poorly as this team did the past month.

Most other prognosticators are not making the mistake Reynolds is. He did not foresee the Rangers rise last season and he is blind to their inevitable collapse in 2005 for the following reasons:

1. Buck Showalter Meltdown Time-- Bucky D's tenure with both the Yankees and Diamondbacks were unabashed successes. Both teams came from nowhere to build great teams that would go on to win World Championships......Without Showalter. Why? Because players, media, coaches, bat boys and just about anyone who crosses the path of Buck Showalter comes to despise him. Both times Showalter lasted into his third season before his mini-empires caved in on him. His teams quit on him and he was axed. Look for the Rangers to reach this mark around mid-August in what could be a spectacular spin out.

2. Pitching - Ryan Drese, Chan Ho Park and Pedro Astacio still make up 3/5 of the rotation and those guys all have ERA's around 5. Kenny Rogers is nowhere near as good as his 1.65 ERA might suggest. He could well win 18 games as he did last season but I doubt it. Look for the gambler to come back to Earth when his ERA starts it's eventual climb up to Rogers' career number of 4.20. Last season he had a 4.76 ERA but somehow won 18. I suspect this year he will start to unravel in late June and he finishes the year with 15 wins. Young's numbers will also creep up but not to the extent Rogers' will. Look for Young to finish the year with an ERA around 4.00 and 15 wins. Park's ERA has already jumped from 3.86 in April to 5.40 in May and yet he did not lose a game in May (2-0) thanks to the hot hitting of his teammates. Park will completely devolve over the next few months and he will be lucky to scrap together 12 wins. Another added bonus is that Texas has zero depth in their starters. If one goes down to injury (and they will) they have to start someone like R.A. Dickey.

3. The Angels have sucked big time and still remain just one game behind Texas. The Angels will have their own 9 game win streaks but the difference is that when things go sour for Texas they could lose five or six in a row. The Angels have enough pitching to make sure they can survive just about any rough patch and remain competitive. The Angels best days are ahead while Texas may be peaking right about now.

K-Rod Back Tonight.....Thank God

2005-06-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

And not a damn minute too soon it would seem as the Angels bullpen has coughed up two losses in as many nights. Just when the hitting starts to click a little bit the bullpen craps out. To make room for Rodriguez Chris Bootcheck was sent back to Salt Lake. Bootcheck pitched four innings in relief on May 28th, giving up just two hits and no runs to earn his first big league save.

While the bullpen gave away the game for the second night in a row do not overlook what was a horrendous fielding error by Chone Figgins (though generously scored a double by the White Sox scorer) that put the bullpen in the position to lose in the first place. In the fourth inning Carl Everett hit a towering fly ball to right into the swirling Chicago wind. Figgins drifted around like a drunk before finally missing the ball, allowing it to bounce over the fence for a ground-rule double. Everett eventually scored on a sac fly and that proved to be a decisive run. Figgins is a defensive disaster anywhere except centerfield or middle infield but for some reason the Angels continue to think he is a 'jack-of-all-trades'. I fully expect to see him pitch and catch before the season's out just so the Angels can say he did it. Jeff DeVanon is a much better right fielder and would have caught the Everett fly.

But last night's bigger goat was one Brendan Donnelly who pitched a hitless eighth (mowing down the #3, 4 & 5 hitters) before surrendering a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth to the first batter he faced - Jermaine Dye. Perhaps Richard is right and Donnelly is only a one-inning pitcher now. Why in a tie-game Scioscia does not turn it over to one of the youngsters who could, if necessary, go three or four innings is beyond me. Maybe he figured if Donnelly could have nursed his way through the ninth the Angels could have pushed a run across in the 10th and then Shields could have come in to give up two runs to lose the game. The Angels were deep into Chicago's bullpen with Ozzie Guillen having already used up three pitchers. The Angels only used Donnelly and it looked like Scioscia had the Sox right where he wanted them.

Of course, had Francisco Rodriguez been available then it would have been Shields in the ninth with Frankie ready to shut it down in the bottom half of the inning (if necessary). The problem with losing a guy like K-Rod is that everyone in the bullpen is out of place. Donnelly should be pitching in the sixth or seventh inning with Shields in the 8th and Frankie in the 9th. Instead you have Shields get shelled in the 9th on Tuesday and Donnelly being overextended in the 9th on Wednesday. Hopefully with K-Rod back in the fold tonight everyone can get their mojo back and pitch where they are comfortable.

Preview: Two reclamation projects clash in Chi-Town as Jose Contreras and the White Sox will try and sweep the Halos and Paul Byrd out of town. Contreras is coming off a 7 inning, 3 hit, 3 run loss to the Angels in Anaheim on May 26th. In Byrd's last outing he gave up 8 hits to the Royals while surrendering 3 runs and getting a no-decision. Byrd has six consecutive starts where he has not given up more than 3 runs and gone a minimum of 6 innings. Not exactly "quality" starts but generally good enough to win if the bats are working and the bullpen is functional. The Halos are 0 for 2 on those counts so far against the Chi Sox. The Angels could easily have won either of the past two games and will need someone to pick them up on their shoulders and carry them throught this mini-rough patch. That man would normally be Vlad Guerrero but with the big guy still on the DL the job falls to Garrett Anderson. Over his past four games GA is hitting at a .500 clip going 8 for 16 with 2 HR & 2 doubles. While he seems to be single-handedly keeping the Angels in games he is not getting them over the proverbial hump. The Halos need their table setters, Erstad & Figgins, to be in position to score when Anderson is up. Finley needs to quit being a blackhole in the #3 spot or Scioscia is going to have to bump him down to the #6 slot. Finley had three home-runs in May. THREE! His average improved to .291 but he is still not anywhere near where ne needs to be.

Guerrero Update: From KFFL"The Los Angeles Daily News reports Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim OF Vladimir Guerrero (shoulder) has resumed playing catch but will not likely pick up a bat until June 6 at the earliest." The Rotowire quote below KFFL also says Guerrero could be swinging a bat by next Monday and quotes Scioscia "if the inflammation stays out and the strength continues to where it needs to be, he should keep that progression, it could come quickly."

Look for Guerrero to be hitting BP within seven days but do not expect to see him activated until the Angels return home on the 6/13 to host the Nationals. With the Halos playing in NL parks from 6/6 to 6/12 it is unlikely Scioscia would want to risk further injury by forcing Guerrero to play right rather than DH for a few games.

Angels Sign Weaver at Deadline

2005-05-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

In dramatic fashion the Angels signed 2004 first-round pick Jared Weaver to a contract prior to the 9 pm deadline yesterday. Had the Angels not signed Weaver yesterday they would have lost their rights to the 6-7 right-hander from Long Beach State and he would have re-entered the 2005 draft.

The Angels, per club policy, did not release any details on the minor-league contract but Weaver was reportedly seeking a $5.5 million signing bonus on a minor league contract. The major inducement to signing a minor league contract is Weaver's ability to collect the entire signing bonus up-front as opposed to a major league deal that would have allowed the Angels to spread it out over the length of the contract.

Mike Giovanna reported in today's LA Times that it was Weaver who "blinked" in the hard-ball negotiations between the Halos and Weaver's agent Scott Boras as the former Long Beach State standout agreed to what had been the Angels "final offer" of $4 million. It is expected that Weaver will report to the Angels Class A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga which is starting to look like a very interesting team with both Weaver and Kendry Morales. Though the Angels website reports that Weaver will only be sent there so team officials can "work him out and assess his levels of fitness and development". One good thing about Boras is he likely did not let the kid sit around and eat Cheetos while playing eight hours of Playstation a day. Boras operates a top flight conditioning center in Southern California and Weaver likely has spent a little time on the treadmill and throwing over the past 10 months. I would expect him to be sent to Arkansas to join the Travelers rotation unless he really is in need of conditioning. In that case send him over here to Arizona for a little "extended Spring Training" where the 105 degree temps will shed the pounds faster than Jenny Craig.

Boras, commenting on his expectations of Weaver's accent through the Angels' farm system:

"I have four or five players in this draft who are first-round picks, but none are as close to the major leagues as Jered Weaver,"

Boras estimates that Weaver was worth "$1.5 million to $2 million more to someone else." But with the Weaver family comfortable financially thanks to big brother Jeff pitching for the Dodgers there was little incentive for Jared to get greedy (other than pride and family bragging rights). From the start the pairing of Weaver and the Angels looked like a match made in heaven with the hometown kid being selected by the Angels, team long on talent but not noticeably strong in starting pitching. Weaver is a sinkerball pitcher who depends on solid defense to help get him outs and with one of the most talented middle-infields in baseball, the Angels are well suited to compliment Weaver's natural abilities.

The big question is why this negotiation took nearly a year, robbing both Weaver and the Angels of a chance to utilize him in 2005 and possibly 2006. Weaver's asking price last year was $10 million which dropped to $6 million in March and $5.5 million last week. Angel GM Bill Stoneman on the other hand did not budge in his negotiations and continued what has become the Angels business model of tough negotiations and not overpaying players for "potential". The ballclub has shown they are willing to pay market rates (or close) for players in their prime such as Vladimir Guerrero, the new regime in Anaheim seems to have set a ceiling of $4 million for players with big upside but no experience. Both Weaver and former Cuban player Kendry Morales signed $4 million deals to start their careers with the Angels. The tough stance on signing Weaver also dovetails with the Angels overall "team" philosophy that led to the suspension and eventual trading of Jose Guillen and reported harmony in the Halo clubhouse. As individuals the Angels may not like negotiating with Stoneman they seem to respond to the notion that what is good for the team will be, in the long-run, good for them as players.

Will the Angels be exchanging Jared for Jarrod (Washburn) in 2006? We can only hope so. With Jake Woods and Chris Bootcheck both getting extended looks in the majors this season (not to mention Ervin Santana) the Angels could have a number of options in 2006. Bartolo Colon, Kelvim Escobar and Paul Byrd will all be under contract but both Washburn and John Lackey are pitching under one-year deals in 2005 and could be replaced by the youngsters. In particular, Washburn's $6.5 million per season price seems vastly out of step with such an inconsistent pitcher and if Byrd does not start putting a few wins together, his $5 million price tag is going to look a bit overburdening as well. Lackey only pitches well for about half the season but at $440,000 he remains a relative bargain. With $4 million already invested in Weaver, the Angels will likely try to get the kid to the big leagues as fast as his arm is ready. The Angels made news this spring by wrapping-up one of the best bullpens in baseball for a total payroll outlay of just $3.5 million. Now imagine a starting rotation by 2007 with Weaver, Santana, Bootcheck and possibly Steven Shell, Dustin Moseley or Joe Saunders for a total price (sans signing bonus') of around $3 million per season total? Unlikely? Yes, since the Angels will likely want and need to keep some veteran leadership around the young pitchers but even if only three of these guys make the team that leaves a lot of cash on the table to re-sign key sluggers like Anderson and Guerrero while still having enough left-over to bring in a free-agent hired gun. Of course, by then they will be paying their bullpen market rates unless they can replenish from the minors there. The bottom line is that by having so much talent in the minor leagues the Angels will have a lot of options going forward and a competitive team for the next decade.

"I just don't know enough about him," Stoneman said, when asked how close to the big leagues Weaver is. "He hasn't pitched competitively in a year, and we're not sure what kind of shape he's in. We definitely don't want to rush things Â but as soon as he's ready for a challenge, we want to give him one."

Bill Stoneman in today's LA Times

***********************************************************************************

Weaver's Long Beach State Career:

Record: 37-9
ERA: 2.43
Strikeouts: 431 (3 seasons)
Best year: Junior season 15-1 with 1.62 ERA and 213 K's, 21 BB over 144 innings

Weaver Watch Ends Monday

2005-05-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

Angels first round pick Jared Weaver was scheduled to start a simulated game for the Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League on Saturday and his agent, Scott "El Diablo" Boras stated that the former Long Beach State 49er could make another appearance next week.

The LA Times reported that "about 20 teams" were expected to attend the simulated game and that Angels GM Bill Stoneman was "unaware" of the game. The Times further reported that Boras is asking for $5.5 million in a minor league contract or $6 million plus $750,000 in "appearance bonuses" in a major league deal. The Angels have offered $4 million in a minor league contract or $5.25 million for a major league contract. So roughly $1.5 million is separating the two parties with both having said they have submitted "final" offers.

In my opinion Stoneman must stand his ground or he will lose face with all future negotiations. When he says "final" he has got to mean it. You can make a similar case for Boras but if Weaver directs him to accept the deal then he will have no choice but to acquiesce to his clients demand. Clearly this entire deals falls on Weaver's shoulders and he would be wise to accept for a number of reasons. If he goes back into the draft he could end up being drafted by a less desirable team (call Mike Sweeney for some insight here). In addition there is the remote chance of injury. How would it look if in the middle of throwing a simulated game his elbow pops and he is faced with Tommy John surgery before signing a contract? He would then be looking at a severely discounted deal that would keep him out of the majors until 2007 at the very earliest.

In order to save face Stoneman could offer an extra incentive clause (like leading the AL in strikeouts) that would reward Weaver for hitting a highly unlikely goal. But even so, Stoneman would still risk losing some credibility in future negotiations.

Hopefully these stubborn individuals come to an agreement that results in the Angels signing him in the next 24 hours. If not, the Angels can always select Stephen Drew. Another Boras client and first-round pick of the Diamondbacks who is also holding out and is a teammate of Weaver's on the Riversharks. Perhaps the D-Backs could take a flyer on Weaver and these guys might get to play for the Riversharks for quite awhile.

Angels Have Options on Offense

2005-05-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

Hopefully the Angels newly found production will continue, but if not they do have options. Owner Arte Moreno is "monitoring" the offense (as are we all Arte) and reportedly had set a deadline of "late June" to decide if a "fix was necessary".

Kendry Morales finally made it through immigration and reported to the Halos Class A affiliate: the Rancho Cucamonga Earthquakes. Morales has been shaking the ground since his arrival hitting a home run in his first professional at-bat and through six games is hitting .385 with two doubles, two HR and six RBIs.

Mike Sweeney, who has toiled for some woeful KC teams during his career is reportedly not opposed to coming to Anaheim. Duh. Sweeney has a no-trade clause to every team except the five California teams, Arizona, Seattle and the Cubs. That is one odd mix of clubs to be willing to join. Of course when you play for the Royals there are not too many destinations that would be wore. Sweeney should amend his no-trade clause to just Toronto, Pittsburgh and Colorado. Sweeney gets $11 million per season now but a trade would trigger a $1.5 million raise. Sweeney has said he would consider forgoing the raise to play for the Angels. But with KC reportedly looking for a top prospect the Angels are not likely to give up any of their promising talent for an $11 million DH though Esteban Yan might be available.

Flash Point!

2005-05-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

May 27, 2005. The date that could be remembered as the day the Angels started to put it all together. After enduring 1/4 of the 2005 campaign with as much firepower as the Moroccan National Guard, the Angels finally are looking like the team that showed so much progress back in March. The Halos have counted themselves lucky to stay in first place as long as they have thanks in large part to an over-achieving starting pitching staff and a solid bullpen. But all along they have had to do without the run-producing machine that Angel fans (and pitchers) have come to expect. It bottomed out this past week when the Angels fell to dead-last in the majors in on-base-percentage. This coincided with the Texas Rangers, who have been able to both pitch & hit of late, pulled into a first-place tie with the Angels after reeling off seven wins in a row.

But in the ninth inning of their 48th game of the season the Angels stared down the barrel at a five-run deficit. A loss would drop them to second-place and in the minds of many Angel-faithful, a death-spiral down the American League West standings. But instead the Angels offense rose like Lazarus and posted five-runs to tie the score. Then, in the bottom of the tenth inning rookie third baseman (and promised phenom) Dallas McPherson hit a Glausian homerun to propel the Halos to an improbable 9-8 come-from-behind win over Kansas City.

The Angels followed that up with a 14-1 thrashing of the Royals on Saturday night as they welcomed Kelvim Escobar back from the disable list. Escobar went five innings, giving up 1 run on 4 hits while surrendering two walks and striking out seven. Chris Bootcheck finished-up the final four innings, holding the Royals to just two hits while walking a pair and striking out two. This was the whole enchilada. Quality starting pitching, sturdy relief and an offensive power-house that led to the Angels third victory in a row and a 1/2 game lead over the rained-out Rangers.

Yes, it was the Royals. But the story is not the Royals, it is the Angels. A team that looked equally pathetic with their bats against Minnesota or the Mariners. With 23 runs scored over the past two games the Halos matched their production in the previous eight games. After wrapping up tomorrow against the Royals the Angels will have to fly to Chicago and play a day game against the White Sox for Memorial Day (televised on ESPN 2). If the Angels can maintain their current level of play over the three game set with Chicago then they will be ready to take on the Red Sox at Fenway June 3 - 5. That is followed by six interleague games on the road against Atlanta and the New York Mets. That is followed by home games against the Nationals (and Jose Guillen), the first-place Marlins, the red-hot Rangers and a three game set against the Dodgers. The Angels then finish June with four games in Arlington that could go a long way to deciding the fate of the AL West.

That is a very tough June schedule and one that, without a resurgence in the offense, could bury the Angels five, six or eight games behind Texas. This scoring flurry comes at just the right time. Now the Angels have to build on their success and get through June with a winning record.

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Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez is reported to be right on schedule to return to the Halo bullpen next week. The LA Times noted on their web site that the Angels plan to activate him next Wednesday. Not a minute too soon. Hopefully the Angels will release Esteban Yan and keep Chris Bootcheck in the majors.

While Vladimir Guerrero has not resumed baseball activities, the prognosis for him to return remains the first week of June.

The Trade That Should Have Been

2005-05-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

Back during the winter meetings of 2001 Angel GM Bill Stoneman had a hand-shake deal to send Darin Erstad to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Jon Garland, outfielder Chris Singleton and a couple of minor leaguers. But the suits at Disney refused to OK the deal and Stoneman lost face (and a good deal of credibility I would wager) when the Angels had to back out of the deal. In the three seasons that followed Garland was barely noticeable, earning 12 wins each year and losing 12, 13 and 11 games respectively from 2002 to 2004. A mediocre pitcher that maybe Disney execs were right to be wary of. Until 2005 that is. Starting the year 8-0 with a superb 2.41 ERA Garland suddenly appeared to be fulfilling all of the promise that so many people had been predicting for him since his Major League debut in 2000.

Erstad meanwhile has hit around .280 with 10 HR and 70 RBI. Not exactly superstar numbers even factoring in a couple of Golden Glove awards. But Erstad has been pulling down a superstar salary ($8.25 million in 2005) while Garland pulls down a far more pedestrian $3.5 million. Which means that the Angels by now could have either signed a free-agent first baseman or outfielder with the remaining $5 million.

Should the Angels have made the trade? Absolutely. Would the Angels still have won the World Series in 2002? Who knows? But given Erstad's numbers in 2002 (.283 10 HR 73 RBI) it is not hard to imagine the Angels finding a free-agent center fielder to fill the void for that magical season. But one thing is certain, Erstad never regained the form of his 2000 season when he led the league in hitting with a .355 average with uexpected power (25 HR) and 100 RBI. He looked like the proverbial 5-tool player. The Angels paid him like he would return to that form but he never had. Not even a sniff. Garland, 5 years younger than Erstad, now has so much more obvious upside that Stoneman has to be revered for his foresight. Both in the value of Garland and the overrated value of Erstad. At 25 Garland looks poised to enter his prime as a dominant pitcher while Erstad looks like he will be holding the door open for Casey Kotchman any day now.

Santana and Angels Hand Garland First Loss

2005-05-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

Rookie phenom-to-be Ervin "Babyface" Santana tamed the red-hot Chicago White Sox on Monday night while handing previously undefeated Jon Garland (8-1) his first set-back of 2005, tossing an impressive 5 hit complete game shutout in just his second big league start. The Angel offense remains as anemic as ever and their devolution into a National League ball club appears to be complete. Using timely hitting and Scioscia's beloved "small ball" strategy, the Angels cobbled together 4 runs while limiting the Sox to just 4 hits. With Vlad Guerrero sidelined with a shoulder injury for the next two weeks and Garrett Anderson going 0-4, Bengie Molina was the only Halo with a batting average over .300 when the dust settled on Monday night.

It was a good night for ending streaks apparently as Garland's string of 8 winning decisions in a row ended on the same night Chicago's current eight-game streak was also halted. In addition Santana put an end to Scott Posednik's 15 game hitting streak, shutting down the Sox's left-fielder and lead-off hitter who suffered through an 0-4 night with a K.

The most hits came from unlikely sources as Darin Erstad and Orlando Cabrera each had 3 hits. But the four Halo runs came courtesy of Adam Kennedy and Bengie Molina. Kennedy had a 2-run base hit in the second inning with two outs to stake the Angels to an early lead. Molina padded that lead in the sixth inning with a towering homerun shot to deep center. It was Molina again in the eighth who came up with a bloop single to plate Dallas McPherson who was at third with two outs.

It was unclear if Scioscia was going to let Santana work the ninth inning as the Angels were batting in the eighth. Scioscia was shown on TV talking to Santana and Rex Hudler surmised that he was telling the kid he pitched great but he was going to let the bullpen finish it up for him. Scot Shields was warming-up in the bullpen but after the Angels increased the lead to four and made it a non-save situation, Santana was given the green light to finish the game. A throwing error by Dallas McPherson allowed Paul Konerko to reach second with two outs. But A.J. Pierzynski grounded out to Darin Erstad to end the game and light up both the Halo atop Angel Stadium and Santana's 500 megawatt smile that is destined to grace more than a few sports pages tomorrow morning.

Santana Gets the Call, Will Start Tuesday

2005-05-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

One of the Angels' top pitching prospects, Ervin Santana, will be promoted from Double A Arkansas to start for the big club on Tuesday for injured Kelvim Escobar. The 22 year-old has risen steadily through the Halo organization since being signed as a free-agent in 2000. Santana is 5-1 with a sparkling 2.31 ERA for the Travelers.

Santana is seen by many as a 'sure thing' starter for the Angels at some point, but with the big club short-handed in both the bullpen and starting rotations Manager Mike Scioscia elected to keep Kevin Gregg in the pen and promote Santana. Scioscia's other option was to bring back Triple A pitcher Chris Bootcheck who already has pitched five innings of relief for the Angels, giving up 2 hits and 0 runs. With Escobar out at least two starts it figures that Bootcheck could still get a call back to the majors if Santana stumbles in his debut.

Santana is listed as 6-2 and 160 pounds and is known for having a very good fastball and slider. Seeing him pitch tomorrow could be a peek into the near future as several Halo pitching prospects are getting tantalizingly close to major-league ready. In addition to Santana and Bootcheck the Angels have Steven Shell and Joe Saunders and any of the four could break into the starting rotation in the next couple of years.

K-Rod Out Monday and Possibly More

2005-05-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

The Angels web site reported today that closer Francisco Rodriguez has a strained right forearm and his status was "uncertain" in the near term. Scot Shields will take over the closing duties in K-Rod's absence. Shields converted his third save of the season on Monday, sitting down the Indians in order including two strikeouts.

This is troubling. The Halo pen has been exemplary but if they lose Rodriguez for any length of time is will mean a lot more Kevin Gregg (5.85 ERA) and Esteban Yan (4.08 ERA) in the 7th and 8th innings. Shields is a stud and closing will be no problem for him. It's getting to Shields that is the worry. The starters are going to have to step-up their game in the short term to make up for this loss.

Byrd IS the Wyrd as Halos Win

2005-05-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

The promise that was Paul Byrd is finally coming to fruition for the Angels. The veteran right-hander threw a 3-hit shut-out over seven innings and was visibly upset when Angel Skipper Mike Scioscia gave him the hook in eighth. Brendan Donnelly took over and immediately spoiled the shutout by giving up a run but escaped further damage to preserve the Angels' 2-run margin. Scot Shields, filling in for the injured Francisco Cordova, closed out the ninth with a K-Rodesque fastball (mid 90's) striking out two of the three batters he faced to earn the save (3).

The Angels offense is still stuttering, they manufactured three runs on just 7 hits Monday with Vladimir Guerrero providing the lone extra-base hit (an rbi double in the fourth). The only good news was that Guerrero and Anderson both seem to be seeing the ball extremely well, collecting two hits apiece. But Figgins, Rivera, Quinlan and Josh Paul all had 0fers to keep the Angels alleged high-powered offense in neutral.

LA has been getting some stellar pitching of late as the starters and bullpen have held opposing teams to 3 runs or less in their past four games. Unfortunately other than the anomoly that was the 9 run offensive explosion on Sunday, the Angel bats remain quiet. Whats worse, they are quiet against teams with questionable pitching such as Detroit and Cleveland.

So whose to blame? Well a quick perusal of the stats tells the story pretty quickly. The offense, as it is, is being carried by Guerrero and Anderson who are batting .317 & .302 respectively and are ranked #1 and 2 in RBI's, doubles and hits (tied at 45). Darin Erstad is an anchor at the top of the line-up, hitting an abysmal .237 with an even more abysmal on-base-percentage of .283. Steve Finley, who sat out Monday with a sore groin, is right on the Mendoza Line hitting .200 while third baseman Dallas McPherson continues to look lost, hitting just .214 with 1 HR. The reserves are also not picking up the slack with Jose Molina batting .186, Robb Quinlan flailing about with a .170 average and Josh Paul not even hitting Maicer Izturis' weight with a .130 average.

Is it time to panic? Not yet. The pitching (and a horrible division) is keeping most Angel fans and likely Mike Scioscia, from losing it completely. So there are two perspectives: (1) This team is barely hanging on and the end is near; or (2) When this team starts to hit, look out. At this point I opt for #2 though I am starting to get concerned. The Angels need to get the following three things done to remain atop the AL West:

1. Keep Bengie Molina healthy. That's Bengie, with a 'B' -- Not Jose (with a 'hosed'). Bengie, when healthy, is one of the elite catchers in the game. Yeah I know, when he gets a hit I can go all the way to my garage, get a cold beer, take a couple of swigs and still be back on the couch before Big Ben chugs around first base. But the man is hitting .282 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in just 13 games. For persective, Orlando Cabrera has 3 HR and 12 RBI in 38 games.

2. McPherson needs to become a big leaguer already. I'm not asking for 40 HR but I would expect our starting third baseman to hit .250 and have 20 HR's before the year is through. McPherson is not even close to being on track to do that yet. But there is hope as D-Mac has four hits in his last 16 AB's and raised his average from a dismal .190 to a pathetic .214.

3. Table setters need to set the damn table. Our #1 (Figgins) and #2 (Erstad) hitters on Monday are both hitting below .245. For his part Figgins did not even get a sniff of first base, going 0 for 4. Erstad had a hit and a walk while scoring two of the Angels three runs. Bottom line is we need more production out of these guys and more quality AB's.