Six Ways to Cope With A Losing Team

In their 53 seasons of existence, the Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels have only started 2-8 twice.  The first was in 1961, the Angels' first season, and now, in their 53rd season, the Angels have once again started 2-8.  After only picking up one road win each in Cincinnati and Arlington, the Halos are an embarrassing 0-4 to start the season in Anaheim, including a 5-0 loss against the Houston Astros on Friday night.  A team many projected to be among the league's worst clubs this season, and finish with less than 60 wins.  Now, the Astros are a decent 4-6, and are two games ahead of the Angels, who sit alone at the cellar of the AL West.

What can we do?  As fans, we can't fix the pitching.  We can't get timely hits.  We can hardly root for this team, right?  Wrong.  But how does one cope with a last place team?  Let this article be your handy guide!

1. Don't Sweat The Small Stuff - Bad teams are bad for a reason.  They either don't have the talent, or chemistry, or drive of their winning counterparts.  It's hard to tell at this point in the season what the Angels are having trouble with, but it's clear that the formula isn't working.  So simply don't sweat the small stuff.  Albert Pujols doesn't run out a ground ball?  Don't worry about it Albert, you have to stay healthy for another 8 years!  Eric Aybar strikes out looking?  At least you didn't ground into a double play, buddy!  Kevin Jepsen allows two home runs in 2/3rds of an inning?  Don't let it get to you, Kevin.  It could have been 4!

The first and second rules are very similar, but also vastly different in a very important way...

2. Get Excited About The Little Things - Normally, a lot of little things in a game can go a long way.  Say Pujols grounds out, but it gets Mike Trout to third with one out.  That's amazing, cheer loudly.  Jason Vargas gives up three runs over six innings of work in a losing effort?  The offense will get you next time, and hey, that's a quality start, keep your chin up!  That pretty much puts you in the upper echelon of Angels pitching this year.  Anything that is a positive for the Angels will stick out like a sore thumb, it won't be hard to notice.

3. Root for Former Angels on New Teams - Vernon Wells is tearing it up in New York.  Hitting over .300 and with a similarly high OBP, the change of scenery did great things for his mojo.  He may not have set the world on fire in Anaheim, but he was the nicest guy imaginable.  Speaking of impossibly nice people, Torii Hunter is hitting over .400!   Sure, Detroit may have weaseled their way into the playoffs last year in an easy division, but it's still better than rooting for the Red Sox.

4. You Get A Chance to See Our Talent Grow - The Minor Leagues are for the birds.  Why wait when you can have the future of your team here today?!  With injuries to Aybar and Alberto Callaspo, Luis Jimenez got the call from Salt Lake to join the club on Friday.  He may be a little raw, but thanks to our rough start, there is very little pressure on this kid to perform at a major league level right away.  If things continue to look rough, look for more prospects to join the team well ahead of schedule!

5. Don't Buy Tickets For Future Games Now - Just imagine the pie on your face in July when the Angels have a 31-59 record and tickets to Friday Nights game are just $2 at the door, and you paid $45 back in April!  You should still go to games, but be smart and wait for bargains!  A $2 ticket will get you in the door, and by the 7th inning you will be sitting behind the Angels Dugout!

6. Update Your Resumes - I get the feeling there will quite a few job openings at Angel Stadium in the coming months if things continue to look this bleak.  Imagine how awesome "Interim Manager" would look on your resume in a couple years!

What Were The Yankees Thinking?

Though they are getting him at a discount, will Vernon Wells really be the answer in the big apple?

It was one of the quieter Angels pre-seasons in memory up until yesterday.

The regulars were playing well, our pitching looked solid (if not a step down from last year's rotation), and although we didn't have a good spring record, the Angels were playing well together.  Even Vernon Wells was having an out-of-ordinary Arizona Performance.  4 Homers, a Dozen RBI, and an impressive 1.112 OPS.  It looked as though he might continue to steal playing time from Peter Bourjos.

Then, out of the blue, reports were coming in that the Yankees and Angels had agreed on terms to send the aging outfielder (who already announced his plans to retire after the 2014 season), and at least a chunk of his remaining 42 Million Dollars to New York.

This probably made me happier than it should have.  Vernon is a nice guy, a REALLY nice guy, actually.  He is one of the best locker room guys on a team full of good locker room guys.  But lets face it, his performance on the field has left something to be desired, to say the least.  Trading away fan favorites Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to pick up around $80 Million in Payroll is probably not a team's best move, but after getting snubbed in the free agent market, the Angels front office was desperate.  This move basically led to the forced resignation of then Angels GM Tony Reagins, and brought upon the Jerry Dipoto era, along with overpaying for Pujols, Wilson and later, Josh Hamilton.

Even after all that, Vernon Wells was still guaranteed 42 Million Dollars over the next two seasons, of which he would probably spend a majority on the bench, being a good locker room guy.  It didn't stop owner Arte Moreno from continuing to spend, so Angels fans didn't really think much of it.  We would essentially have a really expensive pinch hitter, or someone to (hopefully) pressure Peter Bourjos into playing better and guarantee his starting spot in Center Field.

Then the Yankees lost 201 of their Home Runs from 2012.  Between Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeria and Curtis Granderson (as well as guys like Raul Ibanez and Russell Martin, who left in free agency), injuries were going to take their toll on the 2013 New York Yankees, especially for the first 2-3 months of the season, while those perennial All-Stars figured to be out of action.  The Yankees outfield figured to be some combination of Ichiro, Brett Gardner (himself returning from an injury that forced him to miss 150 games in 2012), rookie Melky Mesa and Juan Rivera.  Yes, THAT Juan Rivera.

So that ended up forcing the Yankees hand into finding some pop for their lineup, as Rivera, Ichiro and Gardner hit a combined 18 Home Runs in 2012 (for comparison, Curtis Granderson hit 43 playing Centerfield for the Yankees last season).  In comes Vernon Wells.  They knew getting him would just be a matter of taking on enough of his contract, and that number was around $13 Million.  Vernon Wells (and his no-trade clause) approves the deal, and wham-bam-thank-you-maam, the Vernon Wells era is over in Anaheim.

I truly believe this is an "everybody wins" kind of deal.  Even when Granderson comes back to the Yankees lineup this summer, that team of creaky old men will no doubt lead to more time on the DL than any other big league squad this year.  That will likely mean Vernon Wells will play in about 140 games this season, or roughly double what he saw in 2012 with the Angels.  He will get to play again, and he will be doing so in a good hitters park.  His numbers (and likely his confidence) will rise, and the Yankees will get a solid-hitting outfielder to fill in for their myriad of injuries.

The winners on the Angels side are not only Arte Moreno, who makes a cool $13 Million on the deal (after just assuming he would have to eat the rest of the $42 Million Tony Reagins Mistake), but Peter Bourjos is the big winner.  He now can comfortably play every day in Centerfield, knowing he can grow into being a capable hitter without an 11-year veteran breathing down his neck.  If he starts the season hitting around .200, it doesn't matter, because new 4th outfielder Kole Calhoun isn't going to be stealing anyone's job anytime soon.

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

Thoughts From The Last Two Weeks

My absence from posting the last few weeks hasn't gone unnoticed, and I'd like to preface by saying: I HAVE been watching the games (or most of them at least), and they have still been winning, so that's a relief.

So, what do I think of the last two weeks, including today?  Well, brace yourselves, I have the answer to that question no one wants to know the answer to.

Regarding the Angels:
- Watching Ernesto Frieri right now is what I remember watching Francisco Rodriguez in 2002 was like.  He came into the game, and you knew two things: no one was getting a hit, and more importantly, you were going to see one or more strikeouts (usually more).  He is dominant in a way that I would have never expected.  I'm really glad the club has the rights to him for the next few years.

- Garrett Richards is the real deal, and is ready to make a permanent impact on this team NOW.  If we spend the next few months (probably the rest of the season) yanking him back and fourth between Anaheim and Salt Lake, trying to decide if we really trust Ervin Santana to look like June 16th Ervin or The Rest of 2012 Ervin, its only going to blow his confidence and then we have another Brandon Wood/Dallas McPherson/Kevin Jepsen on our hands.  No one wants that.  Either trade Santana or send him to the bullpen.

- Mike Trout deserves all the love he gets, from me and from anyone else giving it to him.  His numbers make him an All-Star (should be a starter, but missing April will probably kill that chance), and god forbid he goes on another stretch like he did in May.  He could be an MVP candidate at the end of the season.  Oh yeah, and he will win a Silver Slugger and Rookie of the Year too, just because he can.  When the Angels slim their salary this offseason (by either trading away/releasing Vernon Wells and Ervin Santana, plus re-signing Hunter at a huge discount), they need to focus on two things: giving Frieri support in the Bullpen (assuming Downs leaves as well), and saving up to give Trout the huge Evan Longorian contract extension he already deserves.

- On a more somber note, I want to see Peter Bourjos play everyday in a Major League lineup.  If that has to be in Washington, or Houston, or wherever it has to be, he deserves to play.  Sitting on the bench 85% of the time isn't going to warm up his bat.  We can get some of that bullpen help now, or even a more capable defensive 3rd baseman than Alberto Callaspo.  I know Callaspo doesn't commit errors, but I think that is more because of his lack of range and athleticism than his skilled defensive prowess.

Regarding the Rest of Baseball:
- The Washington Nationals are the real deal, people. They are going to make some deal at the deadline and run away with this division.  The Phillies are dead in the water and neither the Mets nor Marlins are talented enough to make a serious run, in my opinion.  The Braves could give them a scare, but they will likely choke it away.

Regarding the Rest of the Sports World:
- I'm happy for the Los Angeles Kings, and their devoted (read: not bandwagon) fans, but I'm still a bitter Ducks fan who won't be happy until their "dynasty" has dissolved and they are back in the draft lottery with us.  That being said, its only two months until Training Camps!  The Ducks have made a number of positive moves this offseason, I hope that can equate to the 3-4 extra wins they would have needed to be the 8 seed in the West (the seed the Kings were, and rode to the Stanley Cup).

- It looks like the NBA Finals isn't going to be as good as we all hoped.  Lebron and the Heat seem to be running away with things (now up 2-1 after winning Game 3 in Miami about 15 minutes ago).  Oh, and the next two games are in Miami too.  With the way Kevin Durant and the Thunder have been choking away opportunities, I'm guessing its going to be a 5 game series and Lebron will finally get his ring.

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.

Trout Begins Takeover of OC

It was only a matter of time before this kid took over the southland.  He already has more home runs than Pujols, more steals than Bourjos, and a higher average than anyone on the team (if he qualified, he'd be tied for the 5th highest average in the majors).

Since joining the team on April 28th, Mike Trout has helped the Angels to a 12-10 record.  It might not sound like much (and before the weekend collapse in San Diego, it was a far more impressive 12-8), but when you consider how this team started B.T.* (6-14, tied for the worst start in franchise history), its quite an improvement.

What really counts is that he is playing at his best when this team needs him the most.  The Angels are still 18-24, and after the rough weekend, are back in the cellar in the AL West.  This week could prove fruitful, as the next 7 games are against the A's and Mariners... so this could be the perfect opportunity to flirt with .500 before the Yankees come into town.

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I told you guys about Amarista... it was a mistake to let him go, even though Ernesto Frieri is a great arm for our bullpen, Ammy is going to be that little Mr. Everything for the Padres.  He almost single-handedly beat us on Saturday, then continued to play tough on Sunday.  I'd much rather have him coming off the bench than Macier Izturis.  I like Izzy as much as the next guy, but his production has almost fallen off the map the last couple seasons.

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* - B.T. = Before Trout.  B.T. and A.T. (After Trout) are how Angels Nation will be referring to the stages of the 2012 Angels campaign.

I Wish You Would Step Back From That Ledge, My Friends...

Let me preface this post by saying that yes, no one loves bitching about my beloved Halos more than me.  I have been calling for Mickey Hatcher's head for the better part of two seasons now... and I simply don't like Erick Aybar, but the stuff I've been seeing on Twitter and message boards recently is making me sad to be an Angels fan.

On twitter after tonight's loss against a good Blue Jays team, there is actually momentum behind firing Mike Scioscia... you know its not a good sign when the only guy to bring our team ANY playoff success is trying to be made out to be some sacrificial lamb.  Like if we fire Mike and bring in some unemployed schmuck, he is going to turn this ship around and take us to the postseason.  Get real people, Terry Francona isn't going to do anything but hasten our trip to mediocrity.  He took maybe the best on-paper team of all time, the 2011 Red Sox... got them off to a 0-7 start, then back into contention, only to lose their playoff spot on the final game of the season after an epic collapse gave the Rays a chance.  Yeah, he is who I want leading an already struggling club.

Mike is a two-time Manager of the Year (2002, 2009) and has more than 1000 victories as our manager, and has taken us to the playoffs 6 times... DOUBLE what ALL previous Angels' Managers combined had gotten before him in nearly 40 years.  I think the man knows what he is doing, and I trust him to take us back there, even if its with a team that looks almost nothing like the one we have on the field.

The other person that people are rallying against is our new slugger, and future Hall of Famer, Albert Pujols.  Yes, I will admit that he is having, by far, the worst 5 week span of his career.  And yes, I'll also concede that the immediate future isn't looking good.  But to think that a career .328 hitter (in St. Louis) isn't going to turn it around and raise his average back above the Mendoza line is ridiculous.  I can sit here and make a ton of excuses, but the real problem isn't so cut and dry, otherwise Albert would have figured it out by now.  He is just in a slump, and nothing is going to get him out of it better than letting him go out there and get his AB's in every day.  Maybe give him a day off this weekend, but there is no need to consider benching the all-star, or cutting his playing time in any way.

So, you are sitting there, probably still unable to get your Angels gear off fast enough, yelling at your computer screen, saying "Well then, smart-ass, who do we blame for our 10-17 start?!".

The answer is simple: No one.  It's 27 games... we have 135 left to play.  If we finish the season playing .600 baseball (this team is more than good enough to play at that level), we finish the season with 91 wins.  With the two wild-cards, and the additional win here and there, this club should easily find itself in the playoffs, at which point anything can happen.

Here at Angels Nation, we aren't going to be hitting any kind of panic button until we find ourselves under .500 after July 1st.  When that happens, I'll be glad to write each and every one of you an apology, and I'll get out my "Fire Mike" signs.