Where Do We Go From Here?

This certainly is NOT where we intended to be.

After another 3-1 loss against the Rays on Sunday (completing the Sweep for Tampa Bay), the Angels have lost 7 of their last 10 and are beginning the slow decent to the bottom of the league.  It's thankfully going to take a few more weeks of futility to catch the likes of Minnesota and Atlanta, but it's certainly the direction this team is headed.

I've been a baseball fan for 18 years now, and I've seen some downright bad Angels teams.  But this one might take the cake.

Questionable front office moves have led to a bit of a stale-mate talent wise.  Pujols' contract isn't getting cheaper.  Trout is almost getting paid what he deserves.  Josh Hamilton is getting paid tens of millions of dollars by the Angels to play for Texas.  Plus there is a lot of money tied up in players who aren't worth most of it.

So rather than address needs in the offseason (Pitching, Left Field, Organizational Depth), a bit of money was spent to fill those holes, but not with anything above replacement-level talent (Sorry not sorry, Daniel Nava/Craig Gentry).  The front office didn't have a lot to spend, and they certainly don't have the prospects to trade anymore.

The Angels' last "real" piece in the minor league system is Kaleb Cowart, but he is a "B"-Level Prospect at best and could only really net the Angels more replacement-level talent.  Essentially putting a band-aid on someone who just lost an arm.  

So what do the Angels do?  I have no idea.  I don't get paid enough to make these decisions, but I'll tell you a few things they SHOULD NOT do.

1. Trade Mike Trout under ANY circumstances - Except one: He asks REALLY, REALLY nicely after another year of this miserable play from the other 24 guys on this club.  If this team finds itself 10 games under .500 to start May 2017... and Trout wants to go somewhere with a chance to win... maybe you let him at that point.   But in 2016, he needs to remain in Anaheim.  There are VERY few teams that even have the combination of Big League and Minor League talent to even net a player like Trout.  A team like the Red Sox might have that combo, with young Major Leaguers like Henry Owens, Xander Bogarts, Mookie Betts, Blake Swihart and Jackie Bradley Jr., plus hot prospects like Yoan Moncada, Rafael Devers and Anderson Epinsoza to fill out a trade... but even if that deal could even come close to happening, why would Boston cripple their future at so many positions just for one guy?  And why would the Angels take a chance on 8 guys who still might not equal the production of Mike Trout?  It doesn't make sense for either side, and that's the only team with enough young players that I'd even begin to consider... so no... there is NO purpose to trade Mike Trout (unless Washington loses their minds and wants to send us Harper+Prospects, and even then... probably not worth it).

2. Trade away ANY prospects - Honestly, with how decrepit the farm system already is, there is no need to make it worse.  No one player is going to save this season for the Halos.  Even if some drunk GM is willing to send an Ace Pitcher our way for Cowart and whatever other junk we have, it will probably be a short-term deal that leads to MAYBE an 80 win season... and then what?   We are back where we started, except that pitcher is in Colorado (probably) and half our rotation is still hurt to start 2017.  Maybe start calling up guys like Cowart and Victor Alcantra and Kyle Kubitza... see if they have anything to contribute to this team, because most of the guys who are already here cannot.

3. Attempt a Full Rebuild - I get it... we have some pieces that could be used to net some okay prospects in an effort to build our farm system.  Calhoun, Simmons, Cron, Tropeano, and even vets like Escobar and Street could net some decent offers, and I'm all for trading a few of those guys away to build the minors, but if we trade all those guys, get maybe a dozen decent prospects for them... all this team is left with in 2017 is Trout, Pujols and a Garret Richards who is still probably 3 months away from pitching off a mound.  Instead, understand that this year is a wash, keep some of our younger talent and remember... a good chunk of money is coming off the books at the end of 2016.

So... how does 2017 look?  CJ Wilson and Jered Weaver both enter free agency.  I cannot imagine a scenario in which either of them are in an Angels uniform next year, which opens up a total of $41 Million next year.  Right there, you could turn that into 3-5 above-average big leaguers in spots like Catcher, 2nd Base, 3rd Base, Left Field, Rotation or Bullpen guys.  

Combine that with a couple trades this July, and you've got a mostly okay Major League team, with a decent amount of organizational depth and Josh Hamilton's contract set to expire in 2018.

This team might be at least another two (long) seasons away from contending for a championship, but at least a "mostly okay" team will put butts in seats, which is going to be a big problem for the team going forward in 2016.

That brings about my final point.  Don't stop supporting this team.  There is a lot to like in the players we've got left.  Mike Trout is obviously an insane talent who is almost worth the ticket price alone... but you've also got Kole Calhoun who is putting together an impressive season at the plate, Albert Pujols chasing historic numbers each night, and guys like Santiago, Tropeano and an aging Jered Weaver trying to hold the rotation together.  It's going to be a long season, but it's always darkest before dawn.

Johnny G, The Red Baron and Why The 2015 Angels Are Always Fun to Watch

Yeah, it's the middle of May and the Angels are still under .500.

Yeah, we had to deal with the entire Josh Hamilton fiasco throughout April and now the Angels are paying him to play for rival Texas.

Yeah, Jered Weaver has looked more like Jeff Weaver for 85% of his starts.

But honestly, this year has already been a lot of fun.

Last night against the Colorado Rockies, Johnny Giavotella (Howie Kendrick's replacement at 2nd base) hit his 6th Game Winning RBI of the season.  Considering the Angels have only won 16 games to this point, that is quite the impressive feat (even more impressive, he only has 13 RBI on the season, so roughly half of his RBI's have won the game for the Halos).  Not only is Johnny G ridiculously clutch, he is also just a fantastic at-bat to watch every time he steps up to the plate.

He makes the pitcher work almost every time up, even if he isn't getting on base or driving in a run.  He knows what he is looking for and when he gets it, he almost always connects.  Although I don't know if messing with success is the right thing to do, Johnny G seems like the perfect #2 hitter for this Angels lineup.  He would make things happen, he isn't afraid to sacrifice an at-bat to move a runner over and he can drive in more runs hitting higher in the lineup.

Also a ton of fun to watch this year is Kole Calhoun (who has been dubbed the Red Baron by Angels announcer Victor Rojas).  Calhoun has been a pretty solid outfielder for the Angels the last couple of seasons, slowly improving his game piece by piece, but it seems like 2015 is the year he puts it all together.  He leads the Angels in batting average, is 2nd on the team in RBI (despite hitting lead-off) and has been gold glove caliber every night in Right Field.  His at-bats are what you want from a traditional lead-off guy.  He sees a lot of pitches and when he gets on base (second on the team in OBP) he has enough speed to distract the pitcher.  Kole Calhoun is one of two Angels who should be locks for the All-Star Game, and hopefully the rest of the country catches on soon enough.

Even though this year hasn't been without it's pitching woes (don't get me started on Weaver, Shoemaker or Houston Street), it's also had plenty of surprises as well.  Hector Santiago came over last season in the trade that sent Mark Trumbo to Arizona (we also got Tyler Skaggs in that deal), he immediately got off to a rough start (0-7, with a 4.50+ ERA).  He eventually calmed down and had a mostly respectable 2nd half of the season, but expectations were still pretty low coming into 2015.  Now, he has a 2.57 ERA (HALF of where it was this time last year) and has looked pretty damn good in all six of his starts so far this year (even in giving up four runs to the Giants a few weeks ago, he was locating his pitches pretty well and a few got away from him).  He isn't going to be winning a Cy Young anytime soon, but as a #4 Pitcher, he is exactly what the Angels need right now.

Speaking of pitching, the true ace of the staff this season has been... wait... this can't be right... no, yeah... it's CJ Wilson.  Aside from one bad start in his 2nd game of the season, Wilson has been far more consistent this year than in his first few as an Angel.  While Weaver has struggled and Richards is getting back to 100% after knee surgery last August, Wilson has certainly stepped up as the ace of this staff.  While the Angels are 4-3 in games started by Wilson, he has certainly given them the best opportunity to win (with the exception of that start against the Royals in his 2nd game of the year).  His walks and home runs are way down, as are his WHIP and ERA.  Even if he hasn't been perfect, I'll always feel good about a game CJ Wilson is starting in 2015.

So there you have it, just four of the multiple reasons why the 2015 Los Angeles Angels are always fun to watch.  I also got through this entire article without mentioning the MOST fun reason to watch the Angels: Future President of Earth Mike Trout.  Yeah, you know... the best player in baseball who basically eliminated his only weakness, the high fastball.  Even if this season ends with 85ish wins and an early exit in the playoffs, it will a lot of fun to watch thanks to guys like Johnny G, The Red Baron and the gang.

What You Need To Know For the All-Star Break

Well, after a great 6-0 win on Sunday Afternoon, the Angels take a ton of momentum heading into the All-Star Break.  Four Angels will be making the trip to Kansas City this weekend: Mark Trumbo, Mike Trout, Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson (though Wilson be sitting out the game to heal from a blister, he will still be in KC for the festivities).  So, what does any of this mean for an Angels fan?  What do you have to watch?  Well, lets take a look at where our Angels will figure in to the Mid-Summer Classic.

Mark Trumbo - Likely one of the favorites heading into the Monday's Home Run Derby, anyone who has gotten to a game a couple hours early knows what kind of show this slugger can put on in batting practice, and a glorified batting practice would be the perfect way to describe the Home Run Derby.  He could be the first Angel's HRD Champion since Garret Anderson in 2003.  It's unclear how A.L. manager Ron Washington will plug Trumbo into the game on Tuesday, but Trumbo can play any of the corners, infield and outfield.  Considering his flair for the dramatic, he could even figure into the vote for All-Star Game MVP should the A.L. win (last Angel to do that: Also Garret Anderson in 2003).

Mike Trout - Likely to come in as a replacement around the same time as Trumbo, he could also factor into the MVP voting, and would likely come in as an Outfield replacement or a pinch runner.  At 20 years old, many think the Rookie is lucky to just be in the game, but the youngster is starting to let the rest of the country know he is well on his way to becoming the best all-around player in the American League.

Jered Weaver - At 10-1, with a minuscule 1.96 ERA (He leads the AL in Win Percentage, ERA and WHIP), he SHOULD be starting his second consecutive All-Star Game for the American League, but Ron Washington opted to go with the more popular Justin Verlander instead.  Also having a good year (though not as good as his 2011 Cy Young winning season), I think its fair that they trade off starting the All-Star game so long as they also trade off winning the Cy Young Award.  No one has been as dominant (save for one bad outing against Texas) as Jered has been this season.

C.J. Wilson - If C.J. is your favorite Angel, you are going to need to tune into the game early, because once is name is announced, he will be taking up a nice warm seat on the dugout bench.  As I pointed out earlier, Wilson is going to use the All-Star break to nurse a blister on his throwing hand.  Jake Peavy will be taking his spot on the roster, but Wilson will still be in Kansas City for all the hoopla and festivities.

Non-Angels to Watch:

Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves - Probably the best story this week.  Chipper Jones has announced he will be retiring at season's end after 20 hall-of-fame years in the league (all with Atlanta).  Along with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, Jones is among the last of the 1990's Superstars that I grew up watching and adoring.  Perhaps the best switch-hitter in history, Jones has a career .304 batting average and 8 All-Star Game appearances.  He won't be in the starting nine for the National League, but coming off the bench, it would be a great All-Star sendoff to see Chipper win an All-Star Game MVP award.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies - Angels fans may want to catch a glimpse of the Phillies All-Star, because he figures to be available in the next week or so as the trade deadline approaches.  It's been rumored that the Angels are incredibly interested in added yet another arm to their enormous staff of good starting pitching (Though Dan Haren and Ervin Santana haven't looked great this year, they both have the potential to be Ace's on just about any staff in baseball), especially with recent injuries to Wilson, Haren and Jerome Williams.

Fernando Rodney, Tampa Bay Rays - Yeah, I've had my fair share of crappy things to say about the former Halo, but Rodney is having a fantastic season in Tampa Bay stepping in as the full-time closer.  I'm actually kind of glad Thug Life found a new home and has thrived (similarly to how I'm happy for Jeff Mathis and his six home runs as a Blue Jay).  If nothing else, as a closer, Rodney figures to be an important piece for the A.L. at the end of the game, especially if it's close.

Half of the Texas Rangers (Mike Napoli, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, Joe Nathan, Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler) - This is just plain stupid.  Ridiculous even.  They only have the 2nd best record in baseball (behind New York by half a game), yet they still managed to dominate 8 of the 30 spots on the All-Star roster.  Half of the problem: limited national exposure to every other American League team that doesn't play in Boston or New York.  The other Half: Ron Washington.  This is why I don't like the Manager getting so much say in who makes it and who doesn't.  But, far be it from me to complain when the Angels got 4 All-Stars (even though you could make strong cases for Frieri and Downs).  I hope the public lashes back at all this Texas support like they have lashed back at the aforementioned New York and Boston.

Official Angels Nation Predictions:

Home Run Derby Champion: Mark Trumbo (duh.)
All-Star Game: 6-5, American League
ASG MVP: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles

Chronicling Irrational Superstition

Recently, my wife and I had noticed that since being in attendance for Jered Weaver's No Hitter, we had not actually watched the Angels win a game.  Any time we attended a game or watched it on television, the Angels would lose, any game we missed (for one reason or another) the Angels would win, without fail since May 2nd.  So we put this to the ultimate test... we stopped watching the Angels.

Day 1 - After losing to the Athletics the previous day, not only was watching our team depressing (they were on a 3 game losing streak against San Diego and Oakland... brutal), but we had noticed the track record of our watching the games over the last month.  So we agreed that until the Angels reached .500, we wouldn't watch another game this season.  Result: Angels win, 5-0 (Oakland).

Day 2 - Well, those were some nice results on day one.  But this study is going to take further testing until we get some solid results.  Result: Angels win, 3-1 (Oakland).

Day 3 - Hey, this team is playing cohesive baseball, Albert Pujols has hit some home runs... Mike Trout continues to be the most exciting young player in baseball... well, this test is starting to sting as the team is finally becoming watchable, but hey, its pretty clear now that they are winning because we aren't watching.  Result: Angels win, 3-0 (Seattle).

Day 4 - Ok, We now really want to watch this team play baseball... we are fixing the rules... When they finally lose, we can watch them again... that was put to the test almost immediately, when the Mariners were winning for most of the game on Friday night... you know, before the great comeback the Angels made in the 9th.  Result: Angels win, 6-4 (Seattle).

Day 5 - Now the 3-day weekend has set in... surely they will lose at some point so we can watch the game on Memorial Day, right?  Well, not today.  Pujols homers in his 3rd straight game, plus Alberto Callaspo hits a pinch-hit grand slam.  That was probably fun to watch.  Oh Well.  Result: Angels win, 5-3 (Seattle).

Day 6 - Ok, the Sunday day game... right before a plane ride back to Anaheim to face the Yankees on Memorial Day.  There is no way they win this game, right?  Well, Morales and Trumbo had other plans.  It wasn't as exciting as the last couple games, but they have just swept 4 games in Seattle.  Result: Angels win, 4-2 (Seattle).

Day 7 - So, I can't watch the game on Memorial Day? Fine. I've got to catch up on Mad Men anyway.  I like our chances tonight with Weaver on the mound.  But it is the Yankees, and you never know with them in town.  My Mother is a lifetime Yankees devotee, and so I got some text updates during the game.  The early 3-0 lead, Weaver leaving the game with a bad back... oh boy... this is where the wheels fall off our season.  My experiment has taken a deadly turn for the worse.  Well, 13 runs later, it's tied up 8-8 in the bottom of the 9th for Trumbo.  He hits the walkoff bomb and the Angels have won 7 in a row, reached .500 and have begun to pull away from the bottom of the pack in the AL West.  Sure, we are still 6.5 back of the Rangers, but only 2.5 back of the second Wild Card spot (new to the league this year).  This is getting silly.  Result: Angels win, 9-8 (New York Yankees).

So, here we are, Day 8 of our experiment, and we have both agreed that even though the Angels have reached .500, we can't watch this club until they finally lose and break this winning streak.  So, I don't really know what I'm rooting for most... the streak to continue (and my odd superstition continues to work), or for the streak to end so I can finally watch this team play baseball.  Because they are finally playing like the team we thought they were when it was assembled in December of last year.

A Tale of Two Players

It's not the most interesting thing in the world, but lets take a look at some stats, shall we?  (Stats taken from 2011 and first 10 games of 2012)

Player A: .219 Average, 27 Home Runs, 70 RBI, 94 K's, Grounded into 9 Double Plays, Makes $21 Million Dollars Per Year.

Player B: .263 Average, 22 Home Runs, 85 RBI, 136 K's, Grounded into 24 Double Plays, Makes $18 Million Dollars Per Year.

Player A gets booed by the home town fans, gets ripped apart by local and national baseball blogs, and is said to have the worst contract in sports history.

Player B is beloved by the home town fans, fans of other teams, and just about everyone in the sports media.

Now, as many of you have figured out, Player A is Vernon Wells and Player B is Torii Hunter, and yes, while Hunter hits for a higher average and has more RBI's for 3 Million fewer dollars per year, he also strikes out a ton and grounds into more double plays (almost 3 times as many).  I get that a big part of this is that Torii Hunter is an extremely nice and funny guy, who often interacts with the media and fans, while Vernon Wells is more the quiet type, and is much more reserved around the few media outlets he speaks to.

At the same time, both are getting paid like they are top 10 outfielders, while neither is putting up the numbers.  Both have won Gold Gloves for their defense, and while maybe Wells has lost a step or two, Hunter continues to have great success after making the move from Center Field to Right Field.  I do think that over the last 172 games, Hunter has been the more valuable player, and is a super nice and personable guy who deserves all the praise he gets from the fans.... but, Vernon Wells doesn't strike out as much as we think he does, hardly ever grounds into double plays, and is far less of a liability out in Left Field than, say, Bobby Abreu.

Next time you think about booing Vernon Wells when he steps up to the plate (just a few minutes after you cheered for Hunter, who ended up striking out), maybe consider that if a few more balls found some grass (or the marine layer didn't knock down a few balls headed for the seats), that Vernon Wells would have numbers incredibly similar to Hunter, who we pay almost as much to do just as average of a job at the plate.

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-Also, congrats to Jered Weaver for reaching 1000 career strikeouts last night against the Oakland A's.  That is no easy task, especially in the AL, where you don't get to face the opposing pitcher 2-3 times a game.

-Another congrats goes out to Kendrys Morales, who hit his first home run since the Walk-Off Grand Slam (and resulting celebration, which took him out of the game for nearly 2 years).  Got his first 4 RBI's of the season last night in a huge 6-0 win.

-Dan Haren looks to rebound tonight from a rough couple of outings against the same Oakland team.  He will face-off against Tyson Ross, a 24-year-old right-hander who has a career 4.18 ERA in 35 Games.

Twitter Helps Heat Up AL West Rivalry

For about 4 years now, Twitter has been a popular place for athletes (both current and retired) to connect with their fans.  From the incredibly popular (like Chad Ochocino and Shaq) to the relatively obscure (Logan Morrison), many athletes can now quickly establish a huge fan base by simply being interesting or funny on twitter.

Well, last night, C.J. Wilson may have crossed a line.  As a prank, he tweeted the phone number of former teammate and current Texas Rangers catcher/first baseman (and former Angel) Mike Napoli.  Now, for many Angels fans (myself included), Napoli was always a favorite.  Even as a Ranger, we rooted for him to do well.  For the most part, we have no ill will towards the former backstop (many of us even think he unjustly lost playing time to the offensively inept Jeff Mathis), but he seems to have quite a bit of ill will towards his former teammates.

Things always seemed tense last year when Nap played against the Angels, especially when Jered Weaver was on the mound.  It makes you wonder if there was more going on behind the scenes than Angels fans knew about.  Could tension between Weaver and Nap led to his being traded for a terrible contract?  Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but regardless, things are about to get even more tense between the clubs.

As reported by Drew Davison, of Foul Territory:

"I don't even know why he did it," Napoli said. "You don't do that. I am not taking it as a prank.


"You know, I haven't even talked to him since the end of last season. We don't have that type of relationship."


Wilson tweeted this later: "Okay I think we've all had a good time, I'm even with mike for saying he can't wait to hit homers off me."


Napoli doesn't remember saying he wanted to hit home runs off Wilson specifically, and was confused why Wilson took it that way.


"I don't even remember saying I want to take him deep," Napoli said. "But as every power hitter, you're always trying to take pitchers deep. So I'll say it now, I'm going to try and take him deep."


So, its pretty clear that outside their working relationship as a pitcher and catcher, Wilson and Napoli didn't really get along in Texas.  Things aren't going to get any smoother with the recent "prank".

I'm quite conflicted as an Angel fan right now.  I want to side with Wilson, as he is now "my guy", but what he did was a little messed up, even if its an easy fix for Napoli (get a new number).  But, at the same time, I want to chastise Napoli for coming off as a bit of a jerk in the media surrounding the incident this morning, but the dude did just get his phone number sent out to 100,000 people, and has likely been fielding prank calls and texts for the better part of 12 hours.


I think I'm going to have to wait and make up my mind during the season, and watch how the whole thing plays out.  For the next week, its going to be sensationalized by the Dallas Media, and laughed off by the Los Angeles media.  Then, it will probably be forgotten about until the teams meet up for the first time this season on May 11th in Texas, where C.J. Wilson will be hit with a wall of boos.

In the end, it will likely just be another chapter in the Angels/Rangers rivalry, which is shaping up to be one of the best in baseball in 2012.

Looking Ahead to 2015

In October of 2015, when the Angels have finished off another World Series run (their 4th in a row), whose names will be engraved on the bottom of the trophy?  What up and coming prospects will have made an impact, and what key players are still around?  Lets take a look.

Mike Trout - By 2015, he will probably be a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate.  By then, the outfield tandem of Trout and Bourjos will have taken the league by storm.  Covering enough room to let Right Fielder Torii Hunter (see below) take most plays off, not that Hunter ever would.  He will hit for average and power, drive in runs, steal bags and take away plenty of hits with his glove.  A five-tool guy in every sense of the word, Mike Trout has become everything Angels fans wanted and more.

Jean Segura - After winning his first World Series title in 2012, Eric Aybar took his talents elsewhere through free agency after the Angels let him know that they weren't going to pay him like he wanted.  It was a clean split, and Aybar currently enjoys playing beside David Wright and Skip Schumaker in St. Louis.  This opened up a big hole that couldn't be filled by Macier Izturis every day, so the Halos called up Segura, a great defensive shortstop with a solid bat.  He doesn't blow anyone away, but establishes himself as a solid  Top 10 Shortstop for the next decade.

Alexi Amarista - He is that everyman kind of guy that every Championship team needs.  He can play wherever and whenever, and does so with a good glove and a steady bat.  The diehards love this guy because he plays for the team and not himself.  Ammy comes up with the occasional big play that cements him as the ultimate utility player for years to come.  He will eventually sign a contract to play everyday in a smaller market, but he never achieves the level of success he found in Anaheim.

Kendrys Morales - Well, did he recover?  Never reaching his true potential, Morales would stick it out for 5 more years, having some success as a DH.  While he almost never plays in the field, nor plays more than 140 games a season, Morales does have key hits in every one of the Angels Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back run of championships.  After 2015, Morales will play one more season as a Yankee, but retire and ultimately become a successful hitting coach.

Torii Hunter - After re-signing with the team in 2013 for a bargain, the 40-year-old Hunter still plays serviceable outfield, and splits some time at DH with Morales.  While not the superstar he was before, he is still beloved by the fans and contributes enough to keep himself in the lineup.  Now with 4 rings to his credit, Hunter has all but cemented his Hall-of-Fame resume, and retires peacefully back to his home near Dallas.

Jered Weaver - Without Weaver, the Angels don't accomplish half of what has been laid out before you.  Weaver keeps up the Cy Young pace, taking home the award twice in the four years, and wins nearly 100 games in that span.  Though backed up by Haren (until 2014) and CJ Wilson, Weaver is clearly the ace of the staff, winning just about every big game down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Jeff Mathis - Lol, jk.  That bum is never coming back.  Just wanted to see you get all worried there for a second.

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So clearly, this is all a big pipe dream.  I'd love to win the next four WS titles, but even the most optimistic fan knows that just isn't in the cards.  I still think we take 2 of the next 4, especially while Pujols, Haren, Weaver and Wilson are at their most effective.  I do think, that besides the four titles and multitudes of awards, these are pretty reasonable expectations of the next 4 years.  Maybe Weaver only gets to 75/80 wins, but that is still really damn impressive.  I do think Segura takes over for Aybar in a year or two, and that Hunter resigns next winter for pennies on the dollar.

As for Trout, well, half the fun of having the best prospect in baseball is watching him develop into a superstar or fall flat on his face (aka The Dallas McPherson Effect).

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Name of my first baseball book: The Dallas McPherson Effect.  It will a super futuristic Sci-Fi where all the good baseball prospects can't make the transition from AAA to the bigs.  Its up to Tom Cruise to find out why (yes, I've already cast the movie).

Have You Seen This Blog?

If seen, please contact Mike. Will respond to "Angels Nation" or "Bloggy".

So... yeah... its been a while. I suppose if it were the offseason, I'd have a decent excuse for my two month hiatus, but its not, and I don't. I'd like to say I was off finishing up a college career, or fighting fires, or some other respectable reason to ignore my baby for 60 days, but I really don't. I have spent my time watching (and catching up on) Doctor Who and playing far too much Call of Duty.

While I've been gone, the Angels, oddly, have not only kept playing, but been playing well. I have been keeping track of the goings on (Russell Branyon, wtf?), and watching their climb up the West standings, but I have only actually watched a few games (maybe one a week?).

I've been thinking about writing again while this place collected dust, and when I came back to it today, I found it to be very ugly. Its no ones fault but my own... who on earth thinks a red and egg shell color scheme looks good? Anyway, I had been thinking about coming back to write, and finally a flurry of awesome enough things happened to where I can form a decent post and give you guys something to sink your teeth into.

1. Jered Weaver is Jered Weaver again. I know he wanted to take May off, so he swapped bodies with his brother Jeff. So while Jeff was trying to figure out big league hitters again, Jered was surfing and getting high (the only two things a guy who looks like that could possibly do with his free time). But since they swapped back in early June, Weaver found his stuff again and is making his bid to be the Starter for the AL in the All-Star Game. I hope this continues all the way to a Cy Young push... because if our most recent Cy Young winner remains Bartolo Colon for much longer, I'm defecting to basketball.

2. Jordan Walden backed into the All-Star Game. So what if the best Closer of all time had to get a bum arm in the first week of July for my boy Jordan to sneak into the All-Star Game? I'll take it, and I'm sure he will too. Remember when we thought Fernando Rodney was going to be our closer for at least the first half of the season? What a difference 4 months makes.

3. Mike Trout makes his Angels Debut tonight! Thats right, our uber-prospect Mike Trout makes his Major League debut tonight, well, hopefully. He is on the team, he has a number, and god-willing, he will be in the starting lineup. Its a shame it took a pulled hamstring from Peter Bourjos to get it done, but I'm still thrilled I'll finally get to watch this young man play.

So does this mean I'll be back to writing every day? Probably not. That stuff burnt me out by May, so its pretty clear that won't be happening again, but its pretty clear from the essay I've just written that my writers block is gone, which is nice. I'll probably do a semi-live blog for the All-Star Game again, but I regret that I'll be at work for the Home Run Derby. It's a shame, I could've used a mid-afternoon nap.

Jered Weaver: The Greatest American Hero

Jered Weaver is the best, around... nothings gonna ever keep him down. Facing down against a four game losing streak, and potentially falling even further back in the West, Jered Weaver brought his "A" game (no pun intended) for the sixth time this season. Solid Offensive contributions from Howie Kendrick and the gang led to an early 5-0 lead, which was more than enough for Weaver.

After Weaver's complete game shutout, his ERA dropped to 0.99. Silly. If there is anyone who will try to argue that Jered Weaver isn't the best pitcher in baseball right now, they clearly have a massive East Coast Bias, and that person should be ignored anyway.

He also struck out 10, and made most of the A's hitters look downright silly. If Weaver can pitch even close to this level for the rest of the season, he is a lock for the Cy Young Award, and hell, maybe even some MVP consideration. He is easily our most valuable player right now, and without him (and Dan Haren), this would likely be a losing ballclub.

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Brandon Wood Update!

Yesterday in Pittsburgh, Brandon Wood finally got to put on a Pirates uniform and start (at third base) for the first time on another club. Wood looked GOOD. Although he was only 1-4, he looked really good in his at-bats, stretching nearly all of them to 3-2 counts, showing a ton of patience and usually getting good wood on the ball. That one hit though? It was a 2-RBI Double that scored the eventual winning runs for the Pirates.

I know its only a coincidence that we are 2-4 since letting him go, but I'd be an awful fake-journalist if I didn't at least point it out.

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Tyler Chatwood, perhaps our third best pitcher at the moment, takes the mound tonight against the A's. He is facing off against Brandon McCarthy, who is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA this season. It should be a good matchup, and if the Angels can get the win today, a sweep is likely with Dan Haren on the mound tomorrow.

Vernon Wells to the Rest of the League: "Playtime is Over"

No idea if he actually said this verbatim, but its essentially what he said with his bat last night, finally hitting his first home run of 2011 (and first as an Angel). If Wells can ride this good night into a hot streak, the Angels are going to be damn near unstoppable. As is stands, the Angels are 11-3 in their last 14 games, even though they are getting next to zero production from Abreu, Hunter and Wells, their 3, 4 and 5 hitters.

Jered Weaver looked as un-hittable as ever, pitching a complete game for his 5th win of the season, taking back first place on the Major League Strikeout Leader-board from The Freaky Franchise, Tim Lincecum.

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Vin Scully is adorable. I was listening to the Dodgers game today and heard the following: "Nancy Bea Hefley serenading the crowd with 1940's music and believe me... what a relief from the music they normally play."

Dude is 83 years old, still doing what he loves, but you gotta feel for the guy. He has gone through such a culture shock the last 30 years or so. The way the players behave and ballpark etiquette have both changed so much. As much as it pains me to say this, I really hope the Dodgers can pull off another Championship before he passes, but with what is currently happening to ownership, that seems highly unlikely.

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Angels start a 4-game series with the hated Boston Red Sox in Anaheim tonight. The probables tonight are Josh Beckett and Tyler Chatwood. If we get the Chatwood we got in Chicago, this should be a great game, if not, we could be in trouble.

Realistically, with the team playing like it is right now, winning 3 of 4 should be an easy task, but for the Angels, playing Boston is never easy. Should be a fun weekend, hope you can make it out to the Stadium!

The Best One-Two Punch in Baseball.

Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain? Maybe if they didn't play in the weakest offensive division in baseball. 4 out of 5 teams play in pitcher friendly parks, and Coors field has cooled down. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee? Maybe in the postseason, but Cliff Lee isn't quite himself before September. No, the best Top of the Rotation in baseball resides here in Anaheim. Jered Weaver and Dan Haren are currently combine for a 6-0 record, including 48 Strikeouts, only 10 Walks, a 0.88 ERA, and a 0.67 WHIP over 45.1 Innings of work. Granted, this is a small sample size, but in the first two weeks of the season, there are no two more dominating pitchers than Weaver and Haren.

Obviously the two headed dragon of Weaver and Haren aren't going to win us 100 games this season (or can they?!), but they are going to help tremendously while Kendrys Morales, Joel Pineiro and Erick Aybar get healthy, and while guys like Peter Bourjos, Mark Trumbo and Tyler Chatwood mature into solid big-league players. Its also very possible that for the first time since 1973 (Nolan Ryan and Bill Singer), the Angels could have two 20-game winners in the same season. The dueling ace's could be a fun but competitve race for All-Star Game roster slots and Cy Young votes.

As bad as this team can be, thats how exciting they can be when either Weaver or Haren toe the slab. Its a shame a .400 win percentage won't get you in the post season.

I Told Ya So

Alberto Callaspo and Hank Conger led the Angels offense today, which helped push the club past the struggling Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3. Jered Weaver pitched an almost flawless game, his only real mistake coming on a solo shot to former Angel Sean Rodriguez (Yeah, the same one we traded to get Scott Kazmir). Jordan Walden made his first appearance as the Angels new Closer (a position anointed to him today), and shut down the Rays in the 9th.

So... I told ya so. Callaspo needs to find a way into the lineup everyday, and maybe Conger should split starts with Jeff Mathis 50/50. I know Mike Scioscia just made the move to get Walden closing games, and he isn't known for a ton of on-the-spot decisions at the same time, but the firing of Rodney (don't get too excited, he is still on the team) is a good start.

Dan Haren looks to improve the Angels to 3-3 tomorrow in the series closer against youngster Jeremy Hellickson, who was 4-0 with a 3.47 ERA in 2010.

Mathis Shines, Bullpen Does the Opposite, Angels Win Anyway

On his 28th Birthday, Jeff Mathis went ahead and hit a home run, throw in a double and an Angels win, and it was a pretty good birthday present.

While the Angels beat the Royals, 4-2, it wasn't an easy one. Jered Weaver looked amazing, giving up zero runs through 6.1 innings, but then the Bullpen decided to make things interesting. The only guy out of the pen who looked in command of his stuff was Jordan Walden. Michael Kohn didn't look bad, but he didn't look that great either. Fernando Rodney put runners on the corners with two outs, then watched Alex Gordon almost take him deep to end the game (if he swung any earlier, it would have been a no-doubter). Thankfully, Gordon struck out a few pitches later and the Angels won.

The offense looked better than I expected, including a DEEP home run by Torii Hunter to get them started. But if the Bullpen is going to play like this all season, we are going to need to get more than 6.1 Innings out of our starters. It was an embarassing display put on by our pen today. I don't know if its Scioscia putting his trust in the wrong guys, or something completely different, but this was bad.

Dan Haren gets a chance to push the Angels to 2-0 tomorrow. Lets hope he can go a little further into the game and with a bigger lead.

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Random Thoughts:
- Billy Butler looks like a chubby Country Music Star
- Vernon Wells had an average first day, had a nice double.
- Mark Trumbo looked rattled at the plate today, but was solid defensively at first.
- Of all the games played today, the only snoozer was Braves/Nationals. It was 2-0 early and you could tell it was already over.
- Can't wait to see the Freaky Franchise dominate the Dodgers tonight.

The 10 Greatest Seasons in Angels History: #10 - 2006

As one of only two non-playoff years to make the list, 2006 won't really be remembered by baseball historians for any significance (I mean, hell, did you even remember that the St. Louis Cardinals, led by David Eckstein and JEFF Weaver won the World Series that year?!), but it will probably remain firmly in the thoughts of Angels Fans everywhere for quite some time.

It started out bad... then only got worse. By the end of June, the Angels were 31-40, 8 games out of first place and things were not looking up. Then suddenly, when the Calender flipped to July, the Angels flipped a switch, and by the end of the month, were tied for the division lead. Things kind of evened out throughout the rest of the season and we ended up losing the division by 4 games, although we were contending up to the last week of the season.

Now, this season isn't memorable just because we won fewer games than the A's, no. It marked the last time that former World Champions Tim Salmon, Adam Kennedy, Darin Erstad, Brendan Donnelly and pitching coach Bud Black would ever put on an Angel Uniform. Most importantly it marked the end of an era for the team. The Tim Salmon Era.

I was lucky enough to see Salmon's final at-bats in person (from far off in Left, but I was still there), and the crowd wanted so desperately to see #300. It never happened, and we all went home a little upset that day, but as time has passed, it was really an honor to be there. To be able to cheer for him in a Major League setting for one final time (that is, until his number gets retired!) was an experience I'll never forget.

It was also the first season we got a sneak preview of our Ace to be, Jered Weaver. He came up, then went back down, then came back up... we jerked him around so much that season, I'm still shocked he started 9-0. He even had an ERA as low as 1.12 at times during that run. Simply Incredible. If Scioscia gave him a fair shake, he probably could have been the AL Rookie of the Year.

It was a tough luck season for the Angels, but I felt like it help the fan base grow. We had to understand that we could still have a good season under Moreno and still fail to make the postseason. It made 2010 a little easier to swallow. Is it actually one of the ten best seasons for the Angels? Probably not, but its the one I'll most fondly remember that didn't end with us raising a banner.


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I bet you noticed that two of the top 10 aren't playoff teams... quick math dictates that one playoff team didn't make it.... any guesses? Times up. 2007 won't be making the list. It was a year that brought us Shea Hillenbrand and maybe our most embarrassing playoff exit ever (at least Vlad hit a Grand Slam in the sweep of 2004).

I'll revisit this list on off-days during the season, and at least one more time before the season starts on Thursday.

5 Reasons to Look Forward to the Angels in 2011

I know that at times this offseason, things looked bleak. Carl Crawford signed in Boston for more money, Napoli and Rivera were traded for an enormous contract and our biggest Free Agent signing was Scott Downs. However, things aren't all bad in Anaheim. Although we couldn't finalize any deals for big-time players, at the same time, we didn't give up any future either. This team is still built to win some now, but if things pan out the way they should, we are built to win like crazy in the near future. Young stars like Hank Conger, Jordan Walden and Mark Trumbo have already shown on a major league level that they are going to be valuable pieces to the Angels future, and we still have even younger guys like Mike Trout, Trevor Reckling and Tyler Chatwood ready to show off in the Minors this year. For 2011, however, we have to look forward to what is here, right now.

1. A full season of Dan Haren and Jered Weaver at the top of our rotation - This one is pretty self-explanatory. The combination of Haren and Weaver has the potential to be the best 1-2 punch in the American League, and considering Weaver's arbitration status (and the fact that his Agent is Scott Boras) its likely we will only get to see this for a couple years. The problem is that Haren and Weaver get the lowest amount of run support on the team. Both Average just over 5 runs of support a game, opposed to Santana and Kazmir, who got almost 7 runs of support per game. It sure did feel like Haren never got any run support, its good to see the stats back me up on that. If the Angels can find a way to put runs on the board when Haren is on the mound, he could rack up 20 wins and be a Cy Young candidate, and Weaver could be right behind him.

2. Flashback Friday - Yeah, its totally cheesy and I'm totally buying into it. Every Friday Night home game, the Angels will wear a different jersey from their past. Personally, I can't wait for the Mid-90's California Angels. I just wish Vlad were still on the team, so I could see him in the Periwinkle Blue Jersey from the Late 90's.

3. To see if Vernon Wells will play like the MVP he is getting paid like - This is only a pipe dream, but in a perfect world, Vernon Wells will hit .310 with 40 Homers and 120 RBI's. Granted, that would still be under-performing, considering his pay rate. However, maybe in a situation where he isn't stuck behind the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees, he will be more apt to play with a bit more vigor, something he hasn't really shown since his huge contact was signed in Toronto.

4. We never win when we think we're going to - This one is a bit strange, but remember March 2002? The Angels were coming off a pretty bad year where they were something like 40 games out of first place (granted, this was because the Mariners won 116 games in 2001, but its bad, nonetheless), and then to make matters worse in April, the Angels got off to a 6-14 start. Then, some 170 games later, we are the Champions of Baseball. Fast-forward to 2003, or really any year since then. We were either coming off a world series win or a division victory, looking for that final piece to put us over the top and make us two-time champs. We were picked by various publications many times to either make or win the world series, but those predictions always fell apart when we played a superior team from the East, even in 2008, when we had that "power bat" in Mark Teixeira. Now, its present day. We are being picked to finish 3rd in the West by most experts. We are coming off a most disappointing winter, and to make matters worse, we were just rated the 24th best team in baseball by Sony (in their upcoming game, MLB 11: The Show). If we get off to a terrible start in April, I'm going to start looking into champagne and 2011 World Champion T-Shirts.

5. My fantastic writing will, once-again, appear everyday! - Again, self-explanatory. You're Welcome.

So, while most Angel fans will just be trying to cling to any highlights this season, or just closing their eyes until 2012/13, I'll be watching every game, just waiting for Vernon Wells to hit another Home Run (I'm pretty positive he is going to hit like, 80 this year), or for Dan Haren to inch closer and closer to a 25 win season. If not any of those, I'll at least be laughing at Erick Aybar is some ridiculous 1960's get-up.

Things I'd Rather Watch...

The Angels lost to Cleveland, the joke of all sports-towns, AGAIN last night, and to be honest, things dont look good going into tonight. Weaver is on the hill tonight, but that has spelled trouble for the Angels in the last two months, getting something like 5 runs in Weavers last 12 starts (I need a stat-checker).

Regardless of the Win or Loss, the Angels have been tough to watch lately. The Offense looks comatose, and the Bullpen seems to think they need to serve up batting practice.

So, lets go through my list of hilarious things I'd rather watch than Angels Baseball right now.

1. The WNBA Finals. At least some of those girls have talent.
2. Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Not only is Khloe married to one of the reigning NBA Champions, but she is a former WWF Women's Champion!
3. Pre-Season Hockey. No Good Reason for this, and its a little sad.
4. Dodgers Baseball. Haha, no, just kidding.

On the bright side, the season is almost mercifully over.

Rangers Magic Number (To Eliminate the Angels): 8
Carl Crawford Countdown: 88

Moving on....

In what is far to depressing to even speak about, the Angels were swept by the White Sox in a four game series in Chicago. They looked awful, and there is no excuse for their play. Santana and Weaver both had good game, and the Offense decided to not show up. While Kazmir and Saunders looked as awful as ever.

Instead of getting really mad about the last 7 games... lets move on and look towards the trade deadline.

It seems like the only thing I ever hear on the radio is how we need a bat. I wish it were that simple. Where we could just go get a bat and win the division.

No, in addition to a third basemen, and maybe another hitting outfielder, there isnt much we can do to clean up the offense. No one is playing anywhere near their potential right, except for maybe Howie Kendrick.

I'd love to go out and get a guy like Mark Reynolds or someone to just have this big pop in our lineup, but realistically, if we want a chance to win the division, we need pitching. Right now, we have maybe 2 pitchers I trust to go out and get a win. Jared Weaver and Ervin Santana (sometimes). We could use one of the many Starters that seem to be coming available (Dan Haren, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, etc). There is also only a couple of guys that can come out of the bullpen and I feel assured that they wont blow the game, and even then... they already have, and it will happen again.

I'm not saying we could go out and get a shut-down closer, but a couple of steady, veteran arms in the bullpen would go a long way to stabilize the entire pitching staff.

If the Angels want to win the division this year, they will have to make some major sacrifices to pick up a bat and a few solid pitchers. Is it worth it, or should we just let Texas have their one season in the sun, and focus on making a significant impact on the free agent market in the winter?

I'd honestly be ok with either option, but if they plan on giving away half the farm system to build a contender this season, they had better have a long-term plan along with it, or we will find ourselves in a similar situation in 2011 and 2012.

The All-Star Game: This Time, it Counts!

At this point, they should just have the Yankees take the field against the NL All-Stars. Whats the point of fan voting when every retaad in the country either votes Yankees or Red Sox, because those are the only damn teams that ever get covered on ESPN.

Granted, I'm really happy for Joe Mauer, that he lead all vote-getters with 5.something million votes... and I'm also REALLY happy that Teixeira and A-Rod arent starting the game (even though A-Rod still made the team, because Joe Girardi plays favorites).

Wait... No... I'm not letting Joe Girardi get by on just a footnote... what terrible decisions. I know the remaining pitchers and bench players arent entirely up to him. But there has got to be a reason the Phil Hughes makes the damn All-Star team, but Jared Weaver, the league leader in strikeouts (and a top 5 guy in most other categories) doesn't make the team. Oh yeah, because Joe Girardi is going to do what ever he can to get half his damn roster on the team.

I'm done being mad about this. For reference later, Votto and Youkilis are who you should vote for for the final vote (even though neither should have not made the team in the first place). Weaver and Barry Zito should have at least been candidates for the final vote.

Oh, and I'm ok with Strasburg not making the team... I also would have been ok with him making the team. There are terrific arguments for both sides.

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I regret calling Scott Kazmir our second-most consistent pitcher about a week ago, because its not true. One week, he looks like the Cy Young candidate he was with Tampa... then other games, like yesterday, he looks like someone who would struggle for a rotation spot with Pittsburgh. If anything, he has shown he is the least consistent pitcher in our rotation. This in a rotation with Saunders and Santana. Go figure.

Oh, and is it too late to write in Paul McAnulty (who will hereby be known as Paul McFatty, because thats far cooler than his actual name) for the All-Star Game? I'm really hoping this strange roster decision works out for the team.

Another strange roster choice was bringing up Cory Aldridge, who had 1 run on no hits with 4 k's in five major league at bats... 9 years ago in Atlanta. I can't possible see where this goes wrong. 0-4 with a strikeout in yesterdays game wasnt a good start.

This Team is Under Construction.

Wins will not be available during construction. For all your Wins needs, please visit one of our other 29 teams.

It seems like just yesterday, we had won 3 of our last 4, and things were looking up... Because it WAS yesterday.

Now, the Angels have lost 3 of 4, drop an important home series. The Angels have dropped to a dismal 6 games below .500.

Its really hard to find one thing that they did wrong, I mean, other than play average defense. Budde had two passed balls, and the fielders just looked lost out there.

I'm almost positive that Erick Aybar is not an actual player, but a hologram. Jared Weaver had a fantastic game on the mound with 12 k's in 7 innings of work. He only allowed one earned run. Its pretty clear that Budde and Weaver should NEVER be battery mates again this season. I dont really like Napoli behind the plate when Weaver pitches either, but at least he catches balls. You know... like a "Catcher".

A few thoughts:
- I'm too mad to think

Angels Record: 15-21
Outlook: If the Angels cant win the weekend series against Oakland, this place will be one step closer to becoming a Washington Nationals blog.

Wait... We won? This cant be right.

I... I... I dont know what to say. I'm in shock. Not only did we win, but we completely outplayed the other team. 8 runs, 3 home runs, a commanding pitching performance (2 hits allowed).

Jeff Weaver had his best start of the season. Scot "LOL" Shields looked like he knew how to pitch again. Juan Rivera, The OTHER Howard and Incrediboy Ryan Budde all went deep.

Weaver not only had his best stuff of the season, but he also took a no hitter into the 7th (thanks a lot, Ken Griffey Jr.). I honestly only kept the game on because of the chance of a no hitter.

I have nothing bad to say the Angels as a whole today, but is Brandon Wood seriously going to strike out EVERY time he has the bat in his hands? He might as well never leave the dugout. Just give the pitcher a strikeout and lets get on with our lives. I truly hope this Michael Ryan kid can replace him sooner rather than later. Also, I think maybe Ryan Budde should start in place of Napoli for the rest of the season. Good luck to Matt Palmer who is probably going to be spending a good chunk of time in Triple A. But he is used to that, so whatever.

Unfortunately, Jeff Weaver... er... Joe Saunders is on the hill tomorrow. Hopefully we can put up a ton of runs again. We WOULD throw up an 8 spot in a game where we only needed 1.

Angels Record: 13-18
Outlook: Baffled but still catious