Sho-Mei The Money!!!

Alright, so here's the deal.  It's been a long season.  If I had been writing regularly, I would have most definitely made an ass out of myself as the conductor of the Justin Upton/Brandon Phillips Hype Train.  On September 1, there wasn't anyone who could convince me that the Angels weren't winning the 2nd Wild Card, beating the Yanks in New York and steam rolling the Indians en route to an ALCS appearance.

But then the rag-tag bullpen finally started to regress to the mean, where they should have been all along.  Average, maybe even a little below average.

Fine.

Who cares?

Not me.

We've still got Trout, Upton, Simmons... oh... right... the rest of our lineup is made up of Martin Maldonado (GREAT defensive catcher, well deserving Gold Glove Recipient, but like... kinda bad hitter?), A 58-Year-Old Brandon Phillips (I'm close enough), and some slow guy wearing Albert Pujols' jersey for some reason.  Okay, so the offense has some holes, but this is still a better team than the Twins, right?!  The Twins?!? I mean, Come ON!!

No, they weren't.  It was a long and difficult September with spikes of hope mixed with droughts of reality.

The Angels finished 81-81.  Pure Mediocrity.  "Wasting" another year of the greatest player to lace up his sneakers in 50 years.

So, where do the Angels go for 2018?  They've already locked up Justin Upton for 5 years.  That's great.  That's awesome.  Left Field is solved and it's got a reliable All-Star who can actually hit at Angel Stadium.  Love it.

Obviously, the highest highs of the baseball off season are right around the corner, and there are few big names that can solve some of the teams other issues, and I'll get to the boring ones over the next few days (Stanton, Gordon, Arrieta, etc), BUT, in a weird move with the Braves today, the Angels sent a minor league pitcher to Atlanta for Jim Johnson and their budget for International Players.

First off, I didn't even know that was something you could do?!  What a weird trading piece, and the fact that the Braves even still had theirs to trade after their recent punishment from the league for violating International Player signing policies... that's a whole other wrinkle to this that I don't want to unpack.  I'm just happy it happened.

It makes Anaheim an actual player in the race for Baseball's most exciting free agent: Shohei Ohtani.

Shohei Ohtani is like Baseball's Kazuchika Okada.  Okada is probably the best professional wrestler in the world (Pro Wrestling, you know... WWE...).  He has had more great matches over the last five years than anyone else in the world.  BUT, to the North American wrestling fans, he is just a name.  That guy who your super dorky friend who watches LITERALLY EVERY WRESTLING will tell you about whenever you try to bring up how good that AJ Styles match was ("Yeah man, AJ is great, but no one can hold a candle to Okada!" "Shut up, Brad!  I'm not inviting you to my house anymore...)

I've seen about as much of Ohtani pitch (Last Year's World Baseball Classic) as I have Okada wrestle (His two matches with Kenny Omega and one with Cody in 2017).  Ohtani is talked about over here like Okada is.  We talk about Ohtani like he could walk onto any mound in any stadium in the world and be lights out. We talk about Okada like he could stand in any ring in any arena in the world and have a five star match with anyone.  They are "unknown" excellence.  Only unknown because they aren't on our television's in North America week after week.

Why do the Angels need Ohtani?  Well, for obvious reasons (Our Rotation is more fragile than a glass museum of Faberge eggs; even if he doesn't hit often, he is still another resource for our spotty lineup), BUT, to stretch out the wrestling analogy... Trout needs his contemporary.  The Angels have potentially one of the best 10 players of all time on their team right now, and no one else on the roster even comes close.  Ohtani could be close. What would Hulk Hogan have been without "Macho Man" Randy Savage?  What would Ric Flair have been without Sting?  Bret without Shawn?  Austin without Rock?

To be the best of all time you need another great by your side.  Someone who brings out the best in you and you in them.  Jordan had Pippen.  Rice had Montana.  Okada has Omega.  Trout needs Ohtani.

Why not?  What's stopping him?  We are offering the chance to play alongside the best player in the world at what he does and show that you are his equal.  To play in one of the most pleasant parts of Earth's atmosphere, with a relatively relaxed media, a relatively patient and accepting fan base and, oh yeah, Disneyland is right fucking there.

So yeah.  Break the bank.  Go get Trout his Macho Man.

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.

Nancy Drew and The Case of the Missing Offense

Man, what a rough couple of games.  I was trying to stay mostly positive after Monday's game, but game 2 was almost a carbon copy of game 1.  Andrew "Babyface" Heaney had a little more trouble than Garrett Richards did but the bullpen did a better job of limiting the damage.  Still basically the same outcome.

In fact, Heaney was mostly effective outside of that one rough inning... similar to Richards... the offense was a nonstarter (aside from one pity run) once again... and no one was playing with any intensity, especially in the middle of the lineup.  

Over the first two games, the Angels 2-3-5 hitters have one hit and six strikeouts in 22 At-Bats to start the season.  The only hit was a fairly pedestrian single by Kole Calhoun in his first AB of the season.  Former MVP Mike Trout has 3 of those Strikeouts and I don't think Albert Pujols has hit the ball past second base yet this season.

It would be one thing if it was just a chunk of our lineup not hitting effectively for a couple games... whatever, no big deal... but it just feels like there is zero intensity out there right now.  On offense, no one is really working the counts (Neither Cubs starter needed more than 93 pitches to get through 7 innings of work), no one is showing a ton of hustle on the bases or on defense... it just feels like this week has just been a continuation of Spring Training.  

This team is talented, or at least shows the promise of talent, at just about every position.  Things will start to fall into place.  But the start to the 2016 season has been harder to watch than an episode of Big Bang Theory with the laugh track removed.

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Tonight:

The Rangers are in town with Derek Holland on the mound.  Hector "Which One Are You Gonna Get?" Santiago is on the mound for the Angels.  Trout and Pujols have great career numbers against Holland, if they are going to get out of this rut, tonight is the night.

How To Fix The Home Run Derby

The All-Star Break is upon us and that means it's time once again for the Home Run Derby. Maybe the inexplicably boring and pointless four hours of baseball all year long, despite being centered around the most exciting moment of any game.  It shouldn't be this way.  Getting the best sluggers in the game together for the sole purpose of hitting a baseball as far as possible shouldn't be so dull.  So, how do we fix it?  I've got some solutions.

CHANGE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ABOUT YOURSELF, HOME RUN DERBY

The format (either whatever nonsensical playoff-bracket style they are using this year, or the boring old format of years past) is simply broken.  Nothing about it is entertaining or fun.  It feels like work for everyone, both the players trying to squeeze another couple of home runs out of their last "outs", and the fans trying to keep up with the half-dozen minor changes every year.  Just scrap it all.  The only thing that should stay the same is that it's a bunch of all-stars trying to hit home runs in ugly All-Star caps so New Era can get a nice boost in sales during July.

EXPAND THE FIELD

Hold on, I know that seems like it would only make things longer, but I'll get to that later.  In the meantime, it would be a lot more captivating if fans of every team (or at least most teams) had a horse in the race.  Expand the field to somewhere between 20 and 30 players (or, more simply, each team that sends a hitter to the ASG gets to participate.  This year, that would be 23 guys), getting more eyes on the event.  Plus, who wouldn't want to see Dee Gordon in a Home Run Derby?

1 ROUND, 10 SWINGS, 1 WINNER

It's simple.  All 20-30 batters get 10 swings.  Home Run or not, it counts against that number.  At the end of the 20ish batters getting 10 swings, whomever has the most home runs in that time wins.  That's it.  Game over.  Come back tomorrow for an actual baseball game.

NO MORE TAKING STRIKES

Needlessly adding minutes and minutes per batter is guys just staring at pitches down the middle.  Screw that.  Have an umpire back there.  If you don't swing at a strike, it counts against your swing total.  Don't like it?  Get a better pitcher next year.  Alternatively, don't take such a silly thing so seriously.

MAKE IT ALL ABOUT CHARITY

Let's say you win the one-round home run derby by hitting 7 homers in your 10 swings.  Awesome!  Here is a $100,000 for the local charity of your choice.  Did you show up and lose?  Don't worry about it, Puig, here is $10,000 for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Los Angeles.  If there is a tie, either the two winners can split the prize, or the sponsors can pony up a second grand prize, their choice.

So now, worst case scenario, even if it's still boring as crap and takes 4 hours, at least we raised ~$250,000 for local charities in almost every MLB city.  Good publicity for the players, the event and the league itself (as well as Taco Bell or State Farm or wherever the money for the donations come from).

WINNER GETS 10 1ST PLACE VOTES FOR MVP

Just kidding.  Wouldn't that be really stupid?  What next, the All-Star Game determining home field advantage for the World Series?

There it is, five simple steps to fixing the Home Run Derby and making sure the ESPYs aren't the 2nd most exciting thing in sports the second week of July.

You're Welcome, Major League Baseball.

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Good luck to Pujols in the actual Home Run Derby.  Also, hopefully the AL wins the ASG so we can get Game 7.... in Kansas City.

The 144.5 Million Dollar Man

Today the Los Angeles Angels made a big time move, an even bigger one than dropping the biggest negative on the ballclub.  The Angels have signed Trout to a six year extension (that begins after his current, $1 Million dollar deal for 2014) worth $144.5 Million.  Getting the best player in baseball for $24 Million a year from 2015-2020 is an amazing bargain for the ballclub, which is a nice change of pace, considering the enormous bounties owed to Pujols, Hamilton and Wilson over those years.

Compare it to the deal Miguel Cabrera (really the only other guy who could even be considered for Trout's "Best Player in Baseball" crown), who got over  $300 Million for the next 10 years.  So not only are the Angels getting a discount of about $6 Million annually, they are getting Trout while he is in his Mid-to-Late 20's, rather than the Tigers and Cabrera, who will be 41 when the deal runs out at the end of the 2024 season.

I could post all these stats and bullcrap going over why Trout is better than Miggy, but it's pointless.  You are on one side of that argument or the other.  Either you are smart and know that what Trout does for the Angels is almost unquantifiable, or you are 100 years old and still think Batting Average and RBI's mean anything anymore.  Either we are friends or we aren't.  You aren't going to change your mind and neither am I.

Regardless of where you fall on the debate of who is the better player, everyone can agree that Mike Trout has more MVP-caliber seasons ahead of him.  So the Angels getting Trout for 80% of what the Tigers are overpaying Cabrera is clearly a fantastic bargain for the club, especially since they don't have to worry about paying him until 2015 when Vernon Wells and Joe Blanton come off the payroll.

Even if things aren't great in Anaheim for the next seven seasons, at least we have the best (and one of the most exciting) player in baseball to enjoy and give us a reason to come to the ballpark.

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In other news, the Angels announced that former MVP (and another great Angels "27") Vladimir Guerrero will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day on Monday.

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!

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.

Blowpen Issues Aside, Halos Need New-Look Lineup

Yes, yes, its a bit silly to argue for a re-arranged lineup after a 9-run outing against the Minnesota Twins, but there is still so much room for improvement in that area.  I'm going to go down the lineups and examine the problems with where guys are hitting, and try to figure something else out.

Leadoff - Erick Aybar
If you have been reading this blog for longer than a few weeks, you know my sour opinion of our gold-glove shortstop.  Since his outrageous 2009 season, he has cooled off quite a bit at the plate.  A .266 Batting Average, a .313 On-base Percentage, and an average of 75 strikeouts (already has 3 this season in 5 games).  Those aren't good numbers for a lead-off hitter on an elite team (for example, Ian Kinsler has a .366 OBP and averages about 10 few strikeouts, plus more power, per season in that span), and Aybar has never been the most patient hitter, and when he tries to be, he ends up striking out even more.  The Angels don't really have a true option here (Peter Bourjos is also a bit of a free-swinger, but has better speed).

2nd - Howie Kendrick
Yeah, this is about as appropriate a spot as any in the Angels Lineup.  Kendrick has a good mix of speed, power and patience to be a perfect 2-hole hitter on this club.  It's pretty clear now he won't be winning any batting titles in the near future, but he is still a great guy to have on a club, and hitting in this spot.

3rd - Albert Pujols
The best hitter in baseball should probably hit where the best hitter on your team is supposed to hit.  Especially with the early power outage, if Pujols can just get on for Hunter and Morales behind him, this is going to be his best spot.

Clean-up - Torii Hunter (Lefties)/Kendrys Morales (Righties)
Here is my problem with the current Angels lineup, they have 3 #5 hitters, and a guy who gets paid like a Clean-up Hitter, but hits like a #8 hitter.  Hunter shouldn't be the source of power and protection for Pujols. There is nothing that strikes fear into a pitchers eyes about Hunter.  I love having him on the team, and he is a great clubhouse guy, but he should never be the clean-up guy, especially at his age.  Morales seems like the clear choice here, but his struggles against lefties can be a concern.  I say leave him in to clean-up against everyone, and on his day's off, have Trumbo DH and hit clean-up, just to see what he can do in that spot.

5th - Vernon Wells/Mark Trumbo/Torii Hunter/Kendrys Morales
Vernon Wells should never see the top half of the lineup ever again, even with his solid game offensively today.  If you've been watching him all season, you know that is going to be the exception, not the rule.  Mark Trumbo seems like a natural fit to hit 5th in any lineup with that mammoth power (and tendency to strike-out).  My problem with Hunter hitting here is that, again, he doesn't quite have the power to put any fear into the pitcher.  You can just put Morales on and wait for Hunter to strike out or ground into a double play.

6th - Mark Trumbo/Vernon Wells/Kendrys Morales
This spot can go a number of ways, the Angels haven't been getting a ton of production out of the 6 spot (with the exception of the few times Morales has been there), and that could change if you slip Torii Hunter down here.  He isn't going to win any batting titles or silver sluggers, but Hunters still a solid hitter who could give you .275/20 HR/75 RBI hitting in the right situation, I think that situation is 6th.

7th - Alberto Callaspo/Mark Trumbo/Vernon Wells
If you are going to have Callaspo in the lineup, this is the perfect place to have him.  The Angels likely want to continue to use him on a pretty regularly basis, and with good reason (Trumbo has had his fair share of struggles defensively at third base).  His bat can be a bit streaky, but knows how to hit with guys on base.  Vernon Wells should probably hit here if Callaspo is getting the night off.

8th - Chris Iannetta
Yeah, this seems pretty perfect.  Iannetta isn't going to rock anyone's world, but he has probably been our best hitter with RISP this season, and hitting 8th, there is a good chance you will have plenty of guys on base throughout the course of the season.

9th - Peter Bourjos
Again, I can't complain too much here.  He had 124 strikeouts this year, but he also can also round the bases in 14 seconds (in a home run trot from home to first, mind you).  He has the speed of a lead-off hitter, but until he learns the patience of one, he is perfectly suited in the 9th spot.

Now, in a perfect world, here is what he Angels lineup will look like when take on the Minnesota Twins again in the beginning of May:

SS - Erick Aybar
2B - Howie Kendrick
1B - Albert Pujols
DH - Kendrys Morales
3B - Mark Trumbo
RF - Torii Hunter
CF - Peter Bourjos
C - Chris Iannetta
LF - Mike Trout

Yeah, that would be pretty outstanding.  The Angels will have cut or traded Bobby Abreu, moved up Mike Trout from AAA (where he is hitting over .400 with a Home Run, a Triple, 4 RBI and gets on base in nearly half his plate appearances.), and have him in the starting lineup over Wells, who becomes the new 4th outfielder.  Bourjos moves up thanks to his ability to hit into the gaps (and occasionally out of the park) and Trout will hit 9th until he shows he can put up those all-star numbers in the bigs.

Now, if we can get a decent bullpen, we might actually be able to hold the leads that amazing lineup would put up.

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Things might be getting worse for the Bullpen.  Scott Downs, who left today because of an injury to his left ankle, and is one of our more consistent relievers, might be missing some time.  Nothing wrong internally (so it seems so far), but he was walking around with crutches.  Likely will be seeing some time on the 15-Day DL.

Alternate Universe MLB; Episode 1: Prince Heads North

Welcome to the Alternate Universe MLB, where things that didn't happen did, and things that did happen didn't.  We begin our adventures with the legacy of one Prince Fielder, and what would have happened if he went to another of his father's teams, the Toronto Blue Jays.

Let us go back in our time machine of choice (mine is the TARDIS) to one week ago, when Prince Fielder was still deciding what Major League city he should make his home for the next 5-10 years.  When visiting Toronto, they roll out the red carpet.  They offer him big dollars, long years, incentives, a lifetime supply of Maple Syrup and the Key to Canada (which it turns out only opens bland beer factories and a safe full of Bryan Adams and Celine Dion records).  He gets to bat after the great Jose Bautista in an already electric lineup (that just added big time slugger Jeff Mathis), and has joined a club with one of the best fanbases in the league.

April rolls around and the new-look (down to the Jerseys, which are damn fly, and I'll get to in an upcoming "In Which I Obsess About Uniforms" column in the near future) Blue Jays are off to a fast start.  Fielder starts to shed a bit of weight to be able to last the entirety of his huge contract he signed with the Jays.  After finding themselves in first place at the end of May, Toronto begins to put its eggs in the Felix Hernandez basket.  They want an Ace who can help put the exclamation point on an already great club.

June 15th, 2012, and the Blue Jays just finished off a deal that sends half their farm to Seattle for King Felix. They also increase the food budget for travel days, which was already getting strained keeping Prince Fielder happy.  Now with both the King and Prince, the Jays are poised for a postseason bid, their first since becoming back-to-back World Series Champions in 1993.

October 3nd, 2012, The Blue Jays wrap up the Division Title, finishing with an even 100 wins, a full 10 games ahead of the 2nd place Yankees.  Felix and Prince both figure into the Cy Young and MVP discussions (respectively), and John Farrell is the clear favorite for Manager of the Year.  Things are going to be tough in the postseason, as the Jays need to take down the two-time AL Pennant winning Texas Rangers, who won the Wild Card.

October 10th, 2012.  In just 3 short games, the Blue Jays finish off the Rangers and look forward to Albert Pujols and the resurgent Angels (did you really expect anything less?).  After many battles in the NL Central, Fielder and Pujols already have a long rivalry.  The Series goes 7 games, with King Felix outdueling Dan Haren in a 2-1 Jays victory.  Toronto is back in the World Series!

October 30th, 2012.  In 6 games, three of which were won by King Felix (who won the World Series MVP and eventually the AL Cy Young), the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series!

This begins a long and storied chapter in the franchises history.  After re-signing Bautista and King Felix to huge extensions, the Great White North becomes a free agent destination for the better part of the '10's.  Prince retires in 2019 after 573 Home Runs and 4 World Series Titles.  He enters the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2024.  Like Joe Carter before him, Prince will transcend the game of baseball in Canada, becoming the most beloved ballplayer in Canada.

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Obviously, none of this happened or will happen, but this is the kind of BS I have to write about when the Angels have done jack diddly since signing Pujols and Wilson.  At least Pitchers and Catchers report in few weeks.

Winter Meetings Recap Part 2: CJ Wilson

This one is really simple. We paid a good price (less than the Yanks and Sox paid for AJ Burnett and John Lackey, respectively) for the best Free Agent Pitcher available, someone who would be an ace on 2/3rds of the teams in the major leagues, but will slide in somewhere between 2 and 4 for the Angels.

A Southern Californian native, Wilson makes the easy choice to live here year-round. In addition, he brings a respectable resume and will fit in nicely with our group of poorly groomed starters. Now that the Angels have perhaps the best starting rotation in baseball (even with a number of question marks regarding the 5th spot), all we need is 2-3 runs a game for an easy victory.

Take into account our bolstered bullpen (more on that coming soon), and full year of Jordan Walden closing games, this should be a pitching staff that simply dominates its opponents night after night. Then you consider that we ripped away Wilson from our biggest rival, who now lacks a true ace, and CJ becomes that much more valuable. While the Pujols deal might be a tad pricey, I feel like the Angels paid a great price for CJ Wilson, who will bring the Halos 15-18 Wins and a sub 3.50 ERA.

Winter Meetings Recap Part 1: I'm Just Albert

So, are you ready for a Seat, Soda and Hot Dog at Angel Stadium to be twice as expensive as it was last year, when our starting First Baseman was a "oh shit, Kendrys isn't ready" replacement from AAA? Well, maybe not twice as expensive, but it will be damn close.

After finally figuring out the combination to his safe, Angels owner Arte Moreno finally put up some big numbers to bring in some big stars, none of them bigger than 3-Time NL MVP Albert Pujols, considered by many to already be a Top 5 hitter all-time.

Many are already jumping on the Angels for making the deal. Complaining that Pujols will be 42 in the 10th year of his deal. While that is true, if the Angels can manage a World Championship or two in the first 6 or 7 years of the deal, won't that be worth still paying the best player of the last 30 years $25 Million when he is in his 40's? Not to mention he will be in the American League, where once his legs start to slow down, he can move over to Designated Hitter fairly easily.

Its pretty clear that if the Cardinals had signed the slugger to the similar deal they had proposed (10 years, $220 million), no one would be saying anything but "Its good for the Cardinals to finally pay the man." That's just it, for years, the Cardinals had underpaid for the future Hall-of-Famer, its about time he gets paid what he is worth.

I could go on and on, defending the Halos on the Albert Pujols deal. In the end, if you think its a bad deal, I'm not going to change your mind. Everyone made up their mind about it yesterday, and nothing is going to change that. In 10 years, we will find out who was right. Until then, its just a lot of fun to talk about.

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Its pretty hilarious how mad St. Louis Cardinals fans are about Pujols leaving, as though he left them in the cold. 3 MVP awards, 10 All-Star Games, 3 NL Pennants, 2 Championships. That is a pretty fantastic decade. He had been upset with the way the Cardinals management had underpaid him all these years, and he stayed loyal as long as he could. The Cardinals will recover, and probably fight for a playoff spot again next year. St. Louis needs to just be happy that their hero deserved to get paid, and get paid he did.

Also, this (stolen from twitter, who stole it from ESPN) made me laugh:

Welcome to the Evil Empire

Its been a long time coming.

Years and years of talk, years and years of "this will be the year Arte opens his wallet". Finally, that waiting and patience has paid off. Spending roughly $340 Million on Albert Pujols (a top 5 hitter all time), CJ Wilson (Our biggest rivals Ace and the best free agent pitching available) and LaTroy Hawkins (A veteran left handed reliever who is a great clubhouse guy and long-time friend of Torii Hunter).

Now, I'll go a little deeper into the discussion about Albert and CJ a little later, but I just wanted to take today to establish the Angels as the new "Bad Guys" in town. With our $150 Million Payroll (likely quite a bit more, when things are all said and done) we are no longer a upper middle class team. We are the 1%. We are the Yankees of the West, and I couldn't be happier. As Angels fans, we need to relish this opportunity to be the most hated team this side of the Mississippi. Tease fans of poor teams, and welcome the boos you receive when you don your Angels apparel in opposing parks.

You are on notice Angels fans. You need to step up to the plate, absorb the hate as well as our Yankee brethren to the east do. You need to sell out games against bad teams. You need to cheer as loud as you can for Albert, CJ, Jered and the rest of the gang. If we are going to spend money like the Yankees, we need to be as loud and passionate as their fans.

I believe in you Angels fans, now lets get out there and let Arte know he has our full support.

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I'm not going to sit here and pretend like I've been writing since July, because I haven't been. But I'm back now and that's all that matters. I've already contacted the new owners of AngelsNation.net and asked if they'd be willing to sell the name back to me. Otherwise, this will likely be AngelsNation.org in a few weeks. Its good to be back.

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.