We Wonned!

Bobby Abreu was told moments before his 13th Inning AB that the All-You-Can-Eat Breakfest Buffet at the team hotel only ran until 9:30am, and that the game needed to end soon if they wanted to actually make it back in time.

In a game that seem like it took half a day to complete, the Angels finally overcame the unstoppable beast that was the 2011 Boston Red Sox (who still aren't a .500 team). It was maybe the most gratifying game of the season, in that we actually felt like we were in a good position to win the game for most of the evening, then actually did. Also, beating Boston is ALWAYS sweet, even if we were 0-6 against them this year going into the game.

Oh, and Trevor Bell looks like the real deal. Without him, this game would have been lost hours ago, and we would all be going to bed very depressed right now.

I'm also officially lifting the household ban on Boston Sports being on our TV at home. Good news, because the Bruins are about to make the Eastern Conference Finals in the NHL Playoffs, and its always fun to watch the Celtics lose, especially to NBA Pariah, Lebron James.

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Today's title was inspired by (read: ripped off from) one of my favorite blogs on the internet, I want to go to the zoo with roy halladay, a Philadelphia Phillies blog that is always filled with hilarity and half-assed photoshops. Even if you don't like the Phillies or the National League (who does? Honestly?), I implore you to check him out.

What to Watch on TV Tonight Because the Angels are Probably Going to Stink; Part 1

It's never a good sign when we trot our third best starter out to the mound, and he loses, 7-1. An even worse sign? Our sixth best starter is getting trotted out tonight, against the same team. Last time Matt Palmer Started a game, Dan Haren got the win. Somehow I doubt history repeats itself. So, what are you going to do tonight? Watch the Angels get embarrassed for the second night in a row? There is no need to do that, not with this handy "What to Watch" guide for Tuesday!


If you have MLB.TV:
Roy Halladay is pretty much always must-see-tv, and tonight when he faces off against former Philly Brett Myers and the Milwuakee Brewers. Yeah, I know we all have a strong moral stance against the National League and everything it stands for (Boredom, Actually having a guy who hits .100 in your lineup (who isn't named Jeff Mathis)), but trust me when I say that this is going to be a really good game between two possible playoff teams.
Philadelphia Philles vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 4pm PST, MLB.tv, MLB Network


If you have Cable:
Listen, I know its a show about Fishing, but The Deadliest Catch is one of the best shows on television, period. I can't really explain why, but its damn amazing. So far, you've only missed a two-hour premiere, and now is the best time to jump in if you haven't already.
Deadliest Catch, 9pm PST, Discovery Channel/6pm PST Discovery Channel HD

Josh Gates is in Antarctica to hunt ghosts on tonights season finale of Destination Truth. If none of those words, especially intertwined, don't get you excited, you are dead to me as a person.
Destination Truth, 9pm PST, SyFy/6pm PST SyFy HD


If you don't have Cable:
Go buy basic cable... seriously... You really want to be stuck watching some bullcrap like The Biggest Loser or Seinfeld reruns? Although... if you are really stuck with basic TV, Seinfeld Reruns are always the way to go. I'm sure they are on one channel or another at some point all night.
Seinfeld, Syndicated, Check your Local Listings.

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Also, I don't want to say we lost because Jeff Mathis was in the lineup.... but.... we lost because Jeff Mathis was in the lineup... He is my go-to guy for guilt, regardless of how he performs. I just assume Hank Conger would have gone 4-4 with 4 HR and 6 RBI, and called a perfect game from Ervin Santana.

A Realistic Wishlist for the 2011 Season

The excitement for baseball to return is building up inside of me. I'll probably get back to writing a ton more, and today's post will just be a wish list of realistic expectations for the 2011 MLB Season.

• To Buy a new Hat. I'm kind of sick of the California Angels cap I bought before last season, and according to my wife, I always just buy a new hat at the Stadium the first time we go to a game in April. (Odds: Even)

• For Brandon Wood to never, ever start a game for the Angels. I think if Alberto Callaspo and Macier Izturis can stay healthy, this shouldn't be a problem. I mean, if he has to start some afternoon game I won't be able to watch anyway... that's ok. (Odds: 3-to-1)

• For Scott Kazmir to have an ERA under 5.00. Listen, buddy. Before 2009, you had never even posted an ERA above a 4.00. Then, you decided to stink it up for the Rays, and got traded here, where in 6 games, your ERA was a respectable 1.73. Then, last year happened. Your ERA was almost at 6.00, and for times, you were the league leader in runs allowed. Not Cool. I'm not asking for too much, not even a return to form, just have an average ERA for a 5th Starter. (Odds: 4-to-1)

• For Reggie Willits to make the Big League Roster. After a solid rookie campaign in 2007, Willits skid through 08 and 09, but Willits had a return-to-form in 2010, albeit in limited action. I'd like to see Reggie as a fourth outfielder, with the departure of Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu's move to DH. Also, you don't lose any of the speed with Hunter, Bourjos or Wells out of the lineup. (Odds: 2-to-1)

• For Vernon Wells to hit .280, 28 HR, 90 RBI, .330 OBP. Pretty much his career averages in hitting and OBP, and respectable power numbers. If we can rely on a healthy Morales to hit 30 and 100, that's a pretty good 1-2 punch in the middle of the lineup. (Odds: 4-to-1)

• A Wild-Card Spot. Yeah, thats right, the Rangers can have the West. When the Angels win the West, they are 2-8 in playoffs series. When they win the Wild Card? 3-0. However, the East should have 4 good teams, the Central should have 3 again, and the A's are always competitive. So that leaves 7 teams to compete for a Wild Card (including the Angels), that will be a sticky situation. (Odds: 10-to-1)

• A team that doesn't play in Boston or Philadelphia wins the World Series. I mean, we have already gone over how Carl Crawford is going to sabotage Boston, but Philadelphia has a Pitching Rotation for the ages. Once they get into October, they should be pretty unstoppable. (Odds: 20-to-1)

Thats pretty much it. I'm just so jazzed for baseball, that none of those things could happen (I don't get a new hat, Brandon Wood starts every game, Reggie Willits is stuck in Salt Lake all season, Vernon Wells has a season-ending injury on Opening Day, the A's win the Wild Card and Boston beats Philly in the World Series) and I'd still be thrilled that baseball is back. Other sports can cover up the fact that baseball is gone, but none could ever replace it.

I can smell the Aramark Cheese already......

All Quiet on the Western Front

Don't look now, but the American League West just got a little bit worse. When Cliff Lee decided to take his talents back to the City of Brotherly Love, the Texas Rangers slid right back into mediocrity.

This feels very familiar to a week ago when the Angels let Carl Crawford slip right through their fingers, and another team came out of nowhere and scooped him up with a better deal in a "better baseball city".

So, after a month and a half of off-season deals, the Angels and Rangers have gotten little to show for it. A few relievers and a couple of huge miscues on the top two free agents available. In essence, both teams have got nothing to show for the huge amount of money the supposedly had available to spend this off-season.

In the end, the West comes out the losers, once again. The Angels, Rangers and other West Coast teams just aren't as attractive a local for prospective Free Agents. I've begun to come to terms with this, and hope that the table scraps like the Beltre's and Guerrero's of the world can produce better than I think they can.

Giants Shock Phillies While Bret Favre Struggles.

What a sports weekend.

Saturday, the Number One Ranked Team in College Football loses for the 3rd week in a row (Oklahoma upset by Missouri), and the Giants pull off the biggest NLCS upset in my lifetime.

The Phillies had the Pitching, the Hitting, and the Defense. The Giants really only had the Pitching. The Phillies have about 5 Future Hall-of-Famers, the Giants would be lucky to have more than one. The Phillies had home-field advantage, oh, and the guy who two weeks ago, threw only the second no-hitter in the history of postseason baseball.

The Phillies were EVERYONES pick. I'm pretty sure that before game one, even bay-area papers were selling the Giants. Even when the Giants went up 3-1, there were still experts and analysts who said the Phillies would come back and win the series. But the Giants pushed through all the adversity, including having a less talented team, and won the NL Pennant. Its just the fourth time since moving to San Francisco, and the first time since 2002, when they lost to the Angels.

They have another tough opponent in the Texas Rangers waiting for them in the World Series, but for right now, the little team that could continues to celebrate.

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After an amazing Saturday, there was no way Sunday could be any better, except it almost was.

Many of the televised football games went to the last minutes of action, one between the Ravens and Bills (thats right, the now 0-6 Bills) went to Overtime.

The Dolphins lost to the Steelers on a botched call by the officials, the Chargers fell to the Patriots by way of a missed field-goal that would have tied the game.

But maybe the most heartbreaking defeat was by the Minnesota Vikings and Bret Favre. Favre had a regular Bret Favre game. He threw three interceptions, but still kept Minnesota in the game, even on a gimpy leg. However, when Bret Favre threw the go-ahead touchdown with a minute left on the clock, it was reversed by instant replay. Clearly, the receiver, Percy Harvin, had his foot out of bounds, so it wasn't a catch, but ten years ago, before instant replay, that's the go-ahead touchdown and Bret Favre is the hero today, and not the goat.

I'm 100% behind instant replay, and especially in this case, where the evidence was pretty clear, and the right team won because of it. But you have got to feel for a guy who, 10 years ago, would have been a hero in this game. Instead, he will be ridiculed by the media, be begged to retire by the fans, and why? Because he threw 3 picks and had a passer rating (maybe the dumbest stat in all of professional sports) of 50?

Bret Favre will always either be praised or hated. There is no middle ground. Either he won the game, or he lost it. In Minnesota or around the country, it doesn't matter. Its unfortunate that for the next week, he will be a pariah in Vikings Country, because without him, the Vikings lose last night, not by 4, but by 20.

The Yankees: "Cliff Lee Is Our Daddy..."

Seen here is Cliff Lee taking a break from dominating the Yankees on the mound when Brett Gardner challenged him to a rodeo contest. Cliff Lee won that too.

Last night, Cliff Lee looked like Christy Mathewson, or Walter Johnson, or some other mythical pitcher whom we never saw play, but have heard about how great they are from grandparent and great-grandparents. At some distant point in the future (around when the Yankees Payroll reaches 1 Trillion Dollars), I'll have a little niece or nephew on my lap, and I'll tell him I saw the great Cliff Lee shut down the Mighty Yankees.

Cliff Lee's performance last night all but solidified the Yankees desire to have him in pinstripes, and the rest of the leagues desire to keep him out of the Empire State. With every dominating postseason start against an Eastern Division foe, Cliff Lee must hear the cash registers in the back of his head. If he doesn't sign the biggest contract in the history of baseball in the winter, the owners are doing it wrong. Its been pretty clear, at least since he joined Texas, that Cliff Lee is the most dominant pitcher in the game right now. Not only is he making opponents look silly, they are the Rays and Yankees, the two best teams in the American League.

I have nothing but respect for what Roy Halladay has been able to do in Philadelphia, but lets be fair, its been against the Reds and the rest of the paltry National League, where he gets to face a pitcher 3 times a game. I know he showed his dominance against he AL East for the first decade of his career, but what Cliff Lee has been able to do has out-shined all of that. However, should the Phillies meet the Rangers in the Series, Roy Halladay vs. Cliff Lee in Game 1 would be absolute must-watch TV.

If Cliff Lee can do the unthinkable, and carry Texas to a World Series Title, anything less than making Cliff Lee the most wealthy man in the world wouldn't be enough.

Roy Halladay Slings 2nd Ever Postseason No-Hitter

Thats right, Angels Fans, Erick Aybar + Joe Saunders + two Prospects = Playoff No-Hitter.

For those that don't understand that math, that was the Blue Jays asking price for the best pitcher in baseball last off-season. The Phillies (and Mariners) had enough guys to get the deal done, but the Angels were in the fast track to secure Doc Halladay and only had to give up Aybar, Saunders and two prospects no one has ever heard of. But Tony Reagans liked Aybar and Saunders too much to give them up. What a clown.

Saunders is now a Diamondback (don't get me wrong, I love Dan Haren, but a guy like Halladay comes around once a lifetime) and Erick Aybar had a season-long slump in 2010 after a career-high year in 2009. I wish Angels Management hadn't put so much stock into the absurd numbers the Angels offense put up in 2009. Abreu is too old, Izturis couldn't avoid injuries forever, and Aybar just isn't that talented.

Oh well, Live and Learn, I suppose.

Angels Nation 2010 Postseason Preview

Just so we are all clear, Angels Nation is officially on the San Francisco Giants' and Texas Rangers' Bandwagons. If you are uncomfortable with this, please note that the rest of the league is evil, and should be treated as such. The Yankees, Rays, Braves and Phillies all come from the super evil East Coast, not to mention the Rays play in Florida (Voted most evil state by committee of voters), the Twins and Reds, well, they arent evil, but they are the two worst teams in the playoffs (fact), and no one wants to bandwagon a loser.

Lets start with the matchups in the National League:

Giants vs. Braves - Bobby Cox's last season as a manager, nothing would be a more fitting send off than a World.... boo hoo hoozle. Go cry about the loss of your manager some more Braves Fans. Oh wait, the Braves fans don't even like the Braves. The are probably all bandwagoning the Rays right now, considering they have a better shot at postseason glory. The Giants, on the other hand, have one of the best starting 4's in Baseball, Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Zito. They also have Buster Posey, who is maybe the greatest rookie catcher of all time.
Prediction: Giants in 4

Phillies vs. Reds - Lets get things straight, I dont like the Phillies, but I'll be damned if they dont have the best team in the playoffs. The hitting is amazing, the pitching is out of this world, and they have a coach who has taken this team to the World Series the past two years. I like the story of the Reds, but they dont have the pitching to keep up with the Phils.
Prediction: Phillies in 3


American League:

Rangers vs. Rays - I don't totally hate the Rays, but their unfortunate affiliation with the state of Florida, not to mention their lack of fans with enough income to actually attend their home games, makes me like them very little. Rangers have taken the last month and a half off. They should be the most rested team in baseball right now (the Reds might be just as rested, but they have a crappy team, so...), not to mention they have Cliff Lee, who was really the only bump in the Yankees road to glory last season. Sure, they have to get through a tough Rays team who won the best division in baseball, but they dont have enough starting pitching to keep up with the Rangers.
Prediction: Rangers in 5

Yankees vs. Twins - No Morneau, Mauer isn't at 100%, their best pitcher is probably Carl Pavano, oh, and they have Brian Fuentes. How on earth did the Twins get this far?
Prediction: Yankees in 3

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Angels Nation will continue to be your source for biting 2010 MLB Postseason coverage well into November (because that's when Game's 5-7 of the World Series will be, for some dumbass reason), then, we wont have anything to talk about for a while, except the hyjinks of Kim, Khloe and Kourtney (and all their Kardashian pals!)

New Home, New Saunders?

Joe Saunders, the newest member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, wasn't perfect yesterday, but he was really good. While the Phillies offense has been pretty pedestrian this season, they had become one of the hottest hitting teams in baseball over the last couple of weeks. For Joe to keep them to just 2 runs over seven well pitched innings showed a promising start in Saunders' new uniform.

A few more things that will help Joe, not only is he playing in the National League, where he gets to face the opposing pitcher twice a game (at least), he is playing in the NL West, one of the worst hitting divisions in baseball. Not to mention that he is going to play in a pitchers park in Arizona, and three of the four other NL West parks are pitchers parks as well.

Not to mention a sweet swimming pool in right field.

Joe Saunders will only get better. Not only is the move to the National League going to help his stats, but the trade will probably light a fire under his ass. The last thing he wants is to be considered "trade-able" again.