Making the Case for Brandon Wood

10 days till Opening Day. I've really got nothing else to talk about because I'll be damned if I'm going to sit through 9 innings of a spring training game and analyze meaningless baseball. So, lets go over why Brandon Wood is going to have a renaissance season. AL Comeback Player of the Year, anyone?

Last spring, when the Third Basemen job essentially fell into Wood's lap, he was looking forward to it, but had a shaky spring. While he hit .278 with 3 Triples (random...), he looked uneasy at third, and only had 1 home run to go along with a .792 OPS (On Base Percentage + Slugging (Total Bases/At-Bats)). To compare: an average OPS is about .800, a really good OPS is around 1.000, and Albert Pujols averages a 1.1oo OPS. Needless to say, his power and ability to get on base were just ok... not something you are looking for in a Third Baseman.

So, you combine the slow start in spring to the fact that he never really had to earn anything, and maybe Brandon Wood took it easy. Maybe he had no concerns over Spring, and would get a fresh start in April. That never came, he played even worse than he did in spring, then became set back by injuries, then eventually lost his job to Macier Izturis, then got shoved even further down the Depth Chart when Alberto Callaspo came to town. Did Wood deserve this? Absolutely. He was one of the worst (if not THE worst) starting position players in all of the American League. He hit .146, with 4 whole Home Runs and a OPS of .382. Completely miserable numbers.

Brandon Wood's one saving grace? He couldn't get sent down to the Minors. Yeah, I mean, he could. The only problem is, he would have to get through waivers first, and if someone tries to claim him, he is stuck in Anaheim anyway. Last May or so, there was a very good chance he would get grabbed by a struggling team looking for any kind of offense. They could take a chance, and if he didn't pan out, its not a huge deal. Fast forward to today, however, Wood would probably pass through Waivers without much problem, if things get really bad, Wood could just get waived outright and be out of a job, and that's another motivating factor for the young "slugger".

Lets go over all of Wood's motivational tools (in case you missed them): He is third on the depth chart, he was the AL LVP (least valuable player) in 2010, he can wind up in Salt Lake or without a job pretty easily, and he has to earn EVERYTHING.

This kid's got the talent, obviously. You can't get drafted as high as he did, make your way through the minor league system, put up the numbers in Triple A that he did, and not have any talent. The problem seems to be his confidence. He changed his batting stance and swing just about every other at-bat last season, he mis-played balls in the field that a little leaguer could've handled, and he just looked like a nervous wreck at times last season. If he can build up his confidence in some pinch hitting situations, and the occasional spot start, Brandon Wood could turn out to be the player we all thought he would be.

In 2011, Brandon Wood should get a clean slate from all of us. Forget the disaster that was 2010, and if we all expect him to fail (like he probably still will (see what I did there...)), maybe we will get something special from this nice young man out of Texas.



(Ed. Note: I used parenthesis inside parenthesis TWICE in this article. I need to take a writing class or something....)

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.

Garret Anderson Calls It Quits After 17 Seasons

After 17 Seasons, 15 of them in an Angel Uniform, Garret Anderson has retired from Major League Baseball. With the Angels, Garret hit 272 Home Runs (2nd all-time behind Tim Salmon), 1292 RBI's, 2368 Hits (Both Angel's Records) and was a 3-time All-Star, a Home Run Derby Champion and, most importantly, a World Series Champion.

Garret Anderson also holds the Angels' records for RBI's in a single game (10) and consecutive games with an RBI (12). Most importantly, Anderson hit the eventual game-winning double in Game 7 of the World Series against the Giants. While the end of his Angel Career will be remembered as a slowing superstar who couldn't quite cut it in the outfield, he will likely be remembered as one of the two or three best offensive players in Angels history.

While his playing days might be over, I'm sure many would love to see Anderson as a hitting coach, or in some sort of an advisory role. Only time will tell what the future holds for Anderson, but I for one would love to see him back with the Angels organization.

Its Going to be a Long Season

That is, if what is going on RIGHT NOW in Spring Training games is any indication. In the Angels Cactus League match with the A's, Jeff Mathis just grounded out to the Shortstop and Mike Napoli hit a 3 Run Homer for Texas against the Royals. I expect this to be the norm for the remainder of the season. By getting to play everyday, Napoli will put up something along the lines of .270, 30 Homers and 80 RBI's, while Jeff Mathis will do something in the range of .230, 5 Homers and 35 RBI's. While Jeff Mathis will probably play more sound defense and have a shot at a gold glove, but that difference in production will likely hinder the team more than Mathis' Defensive Output will help it.

I'm happy to have Jeff Mathis on my team, he is a cool guy, and there is nothing wrong with him as a player, but its just tough to think that a team that already has its offensive struggles could have had a considerable upgrade at a position not normally known for its offensive output. Its going to be hard to do, but I'm still going to root for Napoli to have great season in Texas, and put up career highs. I'm just hoping Mathis can do the same.

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......

Kendry Unlikely to be Ready for Opening Day

The official statement today was that Kendry being ready for opening day isn't 100%. As an Angel fan, I read this first as "Kendry to be out for 2011", then as "Kendry back at All-Star Break", finally as "Kendry shelved till May". He has a tightness in the surgically repaired ankle he broke while celebrating a walk-off home run last May. A tightness. That could be anything from "the weather is changing" to "I'm never going to be the same, and you should trade me before I step on the field again while I still have some value."

How about that? Why don't we trade him now, before its too late? There is a gentleman in St. Louis who is looking for a giant contract extension from a team that isn't giving it to him... a 3 time NL MVP, Nine time All-Star, Current NL Home Run Champion and former NL Batting Champ. Is that so crazy? To want to trade for Albert Pujols? Who Doesn't?

Granted, we would have to give up a TON for him. Once he is here, he will also want about a billion dollars over 15 years, or something like that. However, I think the Angels have the pieces to make it work. Send Kendry Morales, Mark Trumbo, Hank Conger and a pitching prospect (pick one) to St. Louis for Albert Pujols. Trade a guy who will never be the same, two unproven rookies and an unknown arm... for a future Hall-of-Famer in the prime of his career? Seems like an easy choice, right?

I'm sure something like this will never go through. If there is something the Angels Front Office has proven, they don't like giving up prospects, period. I think they still feel burned by letting Bobby Jenks slip through their fingers. If this deal were to ever go through, it would take a complete change of heart by Tony Reagins, Arte Moreno and the whole staff. Its not going to happen, but if I were the Angels GM, I'd do this in a heartbeat. I'd also sign Albert to 29 Million a Year for 7-8 years... but that's just me.

An Incredibly Tough Choice.

Let me preface by saying that I will not be a fan of the new team(s) in Los Angeles if its the Raiders or Rams. Ok, moving on...

Recently, plans were announced to start building Farmers Field in Downtown Los Angeles right next to Staples Center (where the Clippers, Kings and Lakers play), and construction would begin as soon as the league put the wheels in motion towards putting a new team in Los Angeles. This was both great news and terrible news, all at the same time.

On one hand, it would fantastic to have a local team to be able to actually see NFL games in person (Yeah, I could go down to San Diego, but there is a 100% chance I'd have to see a Chargers game, and that sounds awful), I'd have a team that I know would be on TV every week, and that I could find merchandise for very easily. (Well, in theory. The Clippers play in LA, but have you ever gone looking for a Clippers shirt? Impossible).

However, there is the tiny fact that I'm a die hard Jets fan. I love the Jets. I love Mark Sanchez, Rex Ryan, and the whole gang (except for Jason Taylor... screw him). I own Jets Jerseys, I have Jets blankets and sweaters. I get the feeling I'll be a Jets fan till I die. Its very unlikely the Jets will be the team moving to LA.

Thus, my dilemma. I'd love to root for the local team, go crazy for them in person and at bars. I'd love to strut around town in an LA Football Jersey (that isn't from the AFL, USFL or XFL, Go LA Xtreme!). But do I turn my back on my beloved Jets? OR, do I become that douche who puts it all in for more than one team per sport? Don't get me wrong, I will cheer for other teams in games/seasons where my team isn't in it... but this is on a totally different level.

I've got a few years to decide, and who knows, the Jets COULD pack their bags and head west, but that seems like an incredibly unlikely scenario. Until then, I've just got this awful decision hanging over my head.


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Yeah, I know I said I wouldn't post anything that wasn't Angels Baseball anymore, but my other blog fell flat on its face, and I wanted my loyal readers to know I wasn't dead. Besides, the Angels haven't done anything since they traded for Vernon Wells (Which has not yet been confirmed to be a big April Fools prank, more on that April 2nd). Oh well, Pitchers and Catchers report in a week and a half.