A Tale of Two Players

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

In Which I Obsess About Uniforms, Part 3

Happy St. Patrick's Day, and sorry about the delay between posts, but Spring Training is boring to write about (even if its delightfully charming to watch).  Thankfully for me (and all of you!), there were quite a few uniform changes in baseball during the off-season, and I'm thrilled to spout off my wonderful opinion about all of them.

But first thing's first... can we please put an end to holiday uniforms?

The atrocity that reminded me to even do this article in the first place were the Phillies hideous green alternates that they wore for their spring game today against Toronto (more on the Jays later).  Here is Scott Podsednik walking to first base in one of these atrocities:

He looks like Christmas... not a good look for Mid-March.  I get it if you are Boston, a city steeped in Irish heritage (and their special uniforms in Basketball and Hockey are quite alright), but everyone else should just back off.

While we are on the subject, lets just do away with those awful flag hats for Memorial Day, July 4th, etc... 

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Ok, now that I'm done with the festive nonsense invading baseball, lets move on to a more pressing matter, the hideous quality of the new-look Miami Marlins.  Their new logo looks like it belongs to a fast food chain that serves seafood.  While the regular white and grey default jersey's don't look too bad (and the Black alternate is almost kind of sharp), the home ORANGE alternate is one of the worst things I've ever seen...

But you know what?  They are so awful, they almost become awesomely bad, in the sense that the 1980's Rainbow Astros jerseys were awesomely bad, and I kinda want one... 

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The only other team that really underwent a severe Jersey makeover in the off-season (New logo, new colors, everything) was the Toronto Blue Jays, and oh my god, this is how you re-invent yourself.

Seriously you guys... Even Jeff Mathis can't look bad in these stunners.  Going back to the look and feel of the jerseys they first came into the league with, but properly avoiding light blue, while still having the freshness of a new jersey.  While they aren't the best jerseys in the league (Cardinals, Dodgers and Yankees all tie for first), they are certainly the best revamp job since the Angels switched to Red in 2002.  Not only does Toronto have maybe the best farm system, top to bottom, in all of baseball, but they are going to look good too.  The next decade of success couldn't have happened to a better group of fans.  Now we just need to fix everything about the Royals.

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One last thing I need to touch on.  While the Orioles didn't go all out in revamping their jerseys, they did bring back an old friend to all their caps and logos this year, The Bird!

I have a personal admiration of The Bird, and have always been a fan of the black cap with the white front and orange brim.  This causes problems at my home, because my wife hates The Bird.  She says he looks like a Saturday morning breakfast cereal mascot.  I don't understand why that is a problem.  He is awesome, and the caps look great.

It's going to be another rough season in Baltimore (only because the other four clubs in that division are so much better), but things are going to be looking up in the future, and they are going to continue to have some of the best caps in the league.

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Oh hey, I almost forgot to mention that the picture I led with, of the Texas Rangers throwbacks, is what the Rangers are going to be using to commemorate their 40th season.  That's right, they are ripping off our idea from last year, for a less important anniversary season.  I don't understand why they would want to look back so fondly at those hideous jerseys (the second from the left, from the late 80's/early 90's isn't so bad, the rest are awful)... they didn't make the playoffs in Texas until 1996, and didn't have a World Series appearance until 2010.  Some history.

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In actual Angels news:

- Garret Richards looked GREAT yesterday in his spring start against the Indians, I really hope he wins the 5th starter spot.  He is going to have a good season, no matter where he plays.

- Kendrys Morales is making quite a few starts for the minor league teams in spring training now.  He might actually be ready for April 6th!

- Chris Iannetta, who left the game in the 2nd inning yesterday with tenderness in his wrist, is day-to-day.

In Angels Nation news:

- A regular season preview post should pop up sometime next week full of terrible predictions that will never come true (I picked the Phillies over the Sox last year, haha).

- Angels Nation will be making its pilgrimage to Arizona for spring training next weekend, very excited.

Let Bobby Walk.

So, you want to play every day?  Good luck, buddy.

In a recent radio interview, Bobby Abreu said he is still an everyday player in the major leagues, and if the Angels don't see it that way (and they don't, between Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales, there isn't going to be anywhere for him to play), they should just trade him somewhere where he can play every day.

Here is the problem with that, Mr. Abreu.  You are a liability in the field, so you can't really go to the NL.  Now you look at the teams in the AL who would need DH's.  MAYBE Texas, although they need somewhere for their constantly injured players to ease their way back into the lineup.  Otherwise, its a lot of teams who already have a DH and Outfielders more capable than you are.

At this point, you are looking to go to a Kansas City, Houston or Pittsburgh where you are going to lose, A LOT.  You are telling me that being an everyday player on a 60 win team is better than being an important role player on a World Series contender?

Have fun in Houston buddy, see you next year.

Looking Ahead to 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wherefore Art Thou Kendrys?

Almost 12 Months since his horrific injury celebrating a walk-off win against Seattle, Kendrys Morales received a grim bit of news. He won't be back for the 2011 season, and some are speculating he won't ever be back.

As it stands, the Angels are still 1.5 games ahead of Oakland and Texas for first place in the AL West, a division that looks far more winnable than it did a month ago when Texas started the season 9-1. Even more promising for the Halos is the surprisingly good play of youngsters Mark Trumbo and Hank Conger. Trumbo got the nod after spring training when the Angels learned Kendrys wouldn't be ready for Opening Day. Many thought he'd get a nice month/month and a half in the bigs before being sent back down to Salt Lake in favor of Morales.

Now, it would seem, that Trumbo is going to get to continue this audition for the rest of the season, and continue his Rookie of the Year campaign. Trumbo already leads AL rookie hitters in Hits, Home Runs, Doubles, RBI's and, wait for it, Stolen Bases! Granted, he also has 20 more AB's than the next closest rookie (Toronto's JP Arencibia), but his numbers speak for themselves. He is also second in Batting Average behind teammate Hank Conger.

If things don't work out for Kendrys, the Angels community will be upset, and it will be sad. This poor guy comes from Cuba just to play baseball (and for freedom, I suppose), and when things finally start to go his way, his career is cut short on a freak accident. But as an organization, the Angels will continue to stand strong, and that really is a testament to how amazingly well built an organization this is. Already this season, guys like Aybar, Morales, Kazmir, Pineiro, Downs, Izturis, Wells and Willits have all missed some time, but the Angels have prospered, and find themselves in the drivers seat of the American League West once again. Its a great season to be an Angels fan, Kendrys or no Kendrys.

Angels Having Worst Season in Team History

At least, that's what reading twitter on a nightly basis, or listening to Terry Smith take call-after-call on Angel Talk after the games would lead you to believe. Don't get me wrong. I'm incredibly glass-half-empty on a number of things, including my beloved Angels, but some of the stuff I've read and heard has been just silly. Between the Bullpen, Vernon Wells, Jeff Mathis, Scott Kazmir and our hitting with RISP, you'd think we were the worst team in baseball. We are 7-5... Is it great? No, but we are only two games back of the Rangers, who started 6-0. But I figured since its an off day, and I'm kinda bored, so lets play along!

So, its pretty clear through 12 games that this team isn't ready for any kind of sustained level of success. The bullpen has been MISERABLE, costing Ervin Santana wins in all three of his starts, and Dan Haren a win in one of his. Its like we gathered the guys scalping tickets on Gene Autry, slapped some random jerseys on their backs, and tossed them into our bullpen to blow our leads. That is, if we even get a lead!

The Angels have been historically bad offensively... I mean, I've got no stats here to back me up, but from what I've seen, with my own eyes, this is a bad team with runners in scoring position. We never come up with the big hits, or any hits at all for that matter. Its like we are taking negative steroids or something. To be honest though, this offensive haphazardness really begins and ends with our "big" off-season grab, Vernon BLEEPING Wells!

I don't think its possible to have a worse start to a season than the one Vernon Wells is having... I mean, isn't he only hitting like .100 now? What a bum! We trade beloved fan favorites Juan Rivera and Mike Napoli for this guy, and he just craps out all over the field. I don't know why he ever got a gold glove, dude plays the same level of defense as 35-year-old Garret Anderson. The Vernon Wells trade might be the worst one we have ever made, if it wasn't for some douche name Scott Kazmir!

(Ok, in all honesty here, I do not like the Scott Kazmir deal, and to be honest, the best option for him at this point is to let him go, eat the final year (years?) of his contract and just wash our hands of the whole thing. Find some sort of starter-by-committee with Palmer, Thompson, Takahashi and Chatwood. The only way out of this mess is to let him go. No foolin..)

So really, at this point, we are actually hoping and praying for the return of Erick Aybar, Joel Pineiro and Kendrys Morales? One guy who plays about the most average defense of anyone on our team, another guy who hasn't even given us a whole season of solid baseball, and a third who broke his leg celebrating? Good Grief. We are going to be lucky if we can squeak past the Mariners for third place...

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This was fun, we should do it again some time.

The Really Big 2011 Angels Preview

Well, just about 24 hours till the Angels open the season in Kansas City against the Royals, and that means its about time for an in depth season preview. Lets start out by looking at the Losses the Angels Roster took over the offseason:

Mike Napoli (Traded to Toronto) - Total dick move by the Blue Jays to trade him back into our division, but his power from the Catcher's position will be missed, but I think we can get by. If Jeff Mathis can show a solid improvement, we should be ok. If not, Hank Conger is waiting in the wings.

Juan Rivera (Traded to Toronto) - Oh no, an average hitting and poor fielding outfielder on a team packed with outfield depth, what ever will we do?!?

Hideki Matsui (Signed with Oakland) - Oh no, an average hitting and poor fielding outfielder on a team packed with outfield depth, what ever will we do?!? I know people are thinking he is going to help Oakland take back the division this year, but did those people watch the Angels play at all last year? If anything, making sure he played every game was more of a hindrance to the Angels. Have fun Oakland.

Ryan Budde (Signed with Toronto) - He went from a situation where he will never play to another situation where he will never play. That's a shame, he is a good guy. Hopefully it works out for him somewhere.

Kevin Frandsen (Signed with San Diego) - Its a shame to see him go, especially now with Morales' uncertainty, he was a good utility infielder and he will be missed.

Robb Quinlan (Released) - It will be weird to know that he won't be waiting in the wings in Salt Lake, hoping for someone to get hurt so he can get called up... but at the same time, he hasn't really done anything for the team since what, 2006?

Scot Shields (Retired) - Its a shame to see him go, but he hasn't really been the same pitcher since 2007, but as that last link to the 2002 team, it was a sad day when he retired.

Ron Roenicke (Hired as Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers) - One of my favorite all-time bench coaches for the Angels, its really good to see him get a shot at managing a big league club, especially one with such promise like the Brewers. He will probably be the toughest guy to replace on the whole list.

Now, in a natural progression, we look at the additions the Angels made for 2011:

Vernon Wells (Acquired in Trade from Toronto) - Easily our biggest acquisition in the offseason, Wells is essentially a Torii Hunter who hits for a bit more power and a bit less average. If he can perform to the level he achieved last year, he will be a valuable asset for the middle of our lineup. If not, well, there is no way he could be as bad as Steve Finley.

Scott Downs (Free Agent Signing) - With such uncertainty in our Closer role, Downs will be a good addition to the team, that is, if he cant stop injuring himself while playing with his kids. Also, looking a lot less like The Joker will help.

Hisanori Takahashi (Free Agent Signing) - I'm normally wary of anyone coming to our team from the Mets, but this lefty is going to bring a solidity to the long relief role that we lost when we let Darren Oliver go to Texas. He can also come in for the spot start, in case Scott Kazmir turns out to be the bust we all know he is going to be.

Rob Picciolo (Former Infield Instructor) - Our new bench coach has big shoes to fill, but will he be the right man for the job? I suppose only time will tell how Rob fits in as Mike Scioscia's new right hand man.

Overall, we lost a bit more talent than we gained, or so it would seem on paper, but I still firmly believe the Angels will finish 2011 above .500. A full season of Dan Haren, and at least 4 Months of Kendrys Morales should help remedy the loss in talent. Lets grade the team on a few attributes.

Defense:

Infield: Without Morales, this group suffers a bit. Morales is a damn fine defensive first basemen, and really solidifies this group. Without him, you have Mark Trumbo, Brandon Wood and Howie Kendrick platooning over there. Howie brings some solidity to Second, and as much as I don't like him, Erick Aybar will likely be our everyday starter at Shortstop. Third Base is another question mark, as Macier Izturis, Alberto Callaspo, and at least for a short time, Brandon Wood look to get starts at the hot corner. This is a solid infield up the middle, but with all the questions on the corners, it brings down the grade a bit. C+

Outfield: We now have the outfield depth that some teams dream of. Our starting 3 of Wells, Bourjos and Hunter (left to right) might be the best in baseball, at least defensively. Take into consideration that we have solid backups in Bobby Abreu, Reggie Willits and Chris Pettit. This is easily our safest bet this season. A

Catcher: We all know what Jeff Mathis brings to the table defensively at catcher, but if his bat continues to suffer, a more offensive minded Hank Conger may need to be the answer behind the plate. B

Offense:

Contact: Overall, this isn't a very patient team. Eric Aybar will swing at anything, and the rest of the team will swing at almost everything. Expect even fewer walks than last year for this club, and more strikeouts. C-

Speed: Peter Bourjos might be the fastest player in the league, and it doesn't get much worse from there. The only guy in the starting lineup who won't steal 10 bases this year is Jeff Mathis, and its not like he is Molina-Brother-Slow at all. If anything, this team will need to revisit its roots and play a ton of small-ball this season if they want to remain competitive. A+

Power: Again, another lacking aspect of our offense last year was Power. Napoli led the team with 26 Home Runs, and he is now in Texas. Vernon Wells is probably good for 25, Hunter is good for another 20, but unless Trumbo really gets off to a hot start, or Morales comes back sooner than I expect, Power is going to be another troublesome area for our club. C

Pitching:

Starters: If speed is our strongest asset, our starting rotation is right behind. Even with the huge question marks at the back of the rotation (will Pineiro ever get healthy? Is Kazmir really going to be our 5th Starter come May 1st?), this is still one of the best rotations in the American League. Led by a pair of Aces in Dan Haren and Jered Weaver. These two are both good enough to make the All-Star Team and contend for Cy Young Awards for years to come. We may be entering our last couple seasons with Weaver, so the time to win might be now. Ervin Santana in the 3 slot is one of the best 3rd Pitchers in all of baseball, that is, if he can ditch the "I only pitch well in even-numbered years" jinx. A

Bullpen: Our Bullpen overall is very strong. A couple of lefties help fix a huge problem we had last year, and Takahashi is a great guy to have at your disposal. He can start, mop up, or even close for you. Scott Downs could be our Closer come May, but for now he is a great set-up guy for Rodney (when he gets healthy, that is). Jordan Walden might be the one guy everyone is talking about though. This flame-throwing righty seems to be the heir-apparent to Rodney in the pen, and I wouldn't be surprised if he is our Closer come the All-Star Break. B+

Closer: Fernando Rodney might have the hottest seat in all of baseball. If he doesn't come out of the gates perfect, he could lose his job in a matter of weeks. I know Scioscia likes to stick with his guys, but anyone can tell that he is at wits end with Rodney. I'd be shocked if he is still in an Angel uniform come August 1st. C-

So, now that we have gone over who is gone, who is new, and what everyone looks like now. Seems like a proper time to go over predictions. Lets do this on a month by month basis.

April: 17-10
The Angels start out with a favorable schedule in Kansas City and Tampa to face the depleted Rays. Then a few easy series at home against the Blue Jays and Indians before heading back out on the road to face Chicago and Texas. The month wraps up nicely after a tough 4-game series against Boston in Anaheim.

May: 17-13
May is going to be a tough month, as the Angels only get ONE off day on May 12th. Combine that with a four-game series in Boston and another series in Texas, its going to be a rough month, and 17 wins might be kind.

June: 15-10
Another tough month in June, as it see the Angels playing the Yankees in Anaheim, then traveling to New York to play the Mets before coming back to California to play the Dodgers in LA. They don't play on any Thursday that month, its a bit strange.

July: 13-13
The toughest part of July is a 10 game road trip at the end of the month that takes the Halos through Baltimore, Cleveland and Detroit.

August: 14-13
Trips to New York (to play the Yankees) and Toronto start out an already tough month that sees a third trip to Texas towards the end of August. This might be their first losing month of the season.

September: 14-12
Another trip through the tougher AL opponents as the Angels play the Twins, Yankees and Orioles (yes, I'm sold on Baltimore this year), and the season ends with a vital 3-game set against the Rangers in Anaheim.

Overall: 90-72
While I don't think 90 wins is going to be enough to top the Rangers in the division, it could be enough to steal a Wild Card spot from the Yankees or Twins. The Angels should play above .500 for the entire season, and if they don't, while I won't be surprised, I will be disappointed. They are still a top 10 team in the league, and they should be able to play like one, even if no one thinks they can.

Final Division Standings predictions:
AL West:
Texas Rangers - 92-70
LA Angels - 90-72
Oakland A's - 80-82
Seattle Mariners - 69-73

AL Central:
Chicago White Sox - 95-67
Minnesota Twins - 91-71
Detroit Tigers - 85-77
Cleveland Indians - 78-84
Kansas City Royals - 62-100

AL East:
Boston Red Sox - 101-61
New York Yankees - 91-71
Baltimore Orioles - 88-74
Toronto Blue Jays - 82-80
Tampa Bay Rays - 79-83

NL West:
Colorado Rockies - 90-72
San Francisco Giants - 89-73
Los Angeles Dodgers - 83-79
San Diego Padres - 80-82
Arizona Diamondbacks - 78-84

NL Central:
Milwaukee Brewers - 89-73
Cincinnati Reds - 85-77
St. Louis Cardinals - 85-77
Houston Astros - 81-81
Chicago Cubs - 73-89
Pittsburgh Pirates - 59-103

NL East:
Philadelphia Phillies - 99-63
Atlanta Braves - 95-67
Washington Nationals - 83-79
Florida Marlins - 76-86
New York Mets - 66-96

Wild Card Playoff: Yankees defeat Twins
ALDS: Red Sox defeat Rangers, 3-2; White Sox defeat Yankees, 3-1
NLDS: Phillies defeat Brewers, 3-0; Braves defeat Rockies, 3-2
ALCS: Boston Red Sox defeat Chicago White Sox, 4-1
NLCS: Philadelphia Phillies defeat Atlanta Braves, 4-2
World Series: Philadelphia Phillies defeat Boston Red Sox, 4-3

Award Winners:
AL MVP - Adrian Gonzalez (Boston Red Sox)
NL MVP - Prince Fielder (Milwaukee Brewers)
AL Cy Young - Jon Lester (Boston Red Sox)
NL Cy Young - Roy Halladay (Philadelphia Phillies)
AL Rookie of the Year - Kyle Drabek (Toronto Blue Jays)
NL Rookie of the Year - Freddie Freeman (Atlanta Braves)
AL Coach of the Year - Buck Showalter (Baltimore Orioles)
NL Coach of the Year - Ron Roenicke (Milwaukee Brewers)

So there you have it, my obligatory and random 2011 predictions for all of baseball. If I get 40% of these right, someone owes me a coke. Regardless of what happens, though, this is shaping up to be one of the best seasons in recent memory for both the Angels and the rest of the league. I can't wait to watch it, discuss it and write about it!

The Mystique of Fantasy Baseball

There is a fine line between casual fan and die-hard fan. It a very simple line. Do you think you could run the team better? If not, and you really don't care about the offseason squabbling or trade rumors... congrats, you are a casual fan. Enjoy your life of worry-free Octobers and occasional weeknight out with your wife/husband/etc. Those of us who really dig deep into the every-day operations of our favorite teams will always tell you one thing "I could totally do a better job" So man has gone out and created ways for us to prove to our friend and colleagues (but mostly ourselves) that we could actually do it better. The more recent of the two is "Franchise" modes in sports games. Any sports game worth a damn will feature this mode, where you take over the role of a GM, Owner and/or Coach. You can trade, sign and release player, choose how they play, and even (in some of the deeper games) set prices on tickets, parking and food.

The original "Who can be the best fake GM" game, however, was Fantasy Baseball. It's since exploded into just about every sport, and last I heard, Fantasy Football was almost as big of a business as the NFL itself. Between website fees, fantasy handbooks and a subscription to ESPN Insider, Fantasy Baseball (or any sport for that matter) can be an expensive undertaking, for usually little to no reward. But we keep coming back to it year after year. I, in fact, have two leagues this year. A traditional Roto League, where all your stats are accumulated throughout the season, and the person with the best overall stats at the end of the season is considered the winner, and then a Head-to-Head league, which takes weekly match-ups between teams in the league and whomever has the best stats that week gets a Win, and it works more like a traditional sports season, where the top 2-6 teams get into the playoffs, and continue the head-to-head matchups until a champion is crowned.

Why do I do it? I've never won a cent playing fantasy baseball (mostly due to the fact that I join or create free leagues), but every year I want to come back and do it again. Learn from the mistakes I'd made in years past. This year, for example, I need to draft power. My only power bat last year was Kendrys Morales, and we all know how that turned out come June. I do it because there is that little part of me that dreams to be a GM for a big pro-sports franchise, and nothing makes me happier than when I draft this little known guy out of Milwaukee and he turns my season around.

While I've never really "won" at fantasy baseball, that doesn't matter. The fact that its just around is enough for me. Its going to be an exciting year of baseball, and I'll have something riding on every game.

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I'd like to thank Drew Litton for his cartoon I used for today's article. He worked for a now defunct newspaper, The Rocky Mountain News. He was a cartoonist for the paper, which closed its doors over two years ago. I'd go on some rant about the death of the printed news, but then who the hell would read blogs?

Do Spring Injuries Dilute Opening Day?

I think its pretty obvious that in my mosaic above, The Joker (oh, that's Scott Downs? Holy Shit, Batman...) is the least important of the injuries above, but this is an Angels Blog, and he is an Angels player, and I like to keep things relative. That being said, this has been a tough Spring for some of the favorites to win it all (or at least some) this year.

Zack Greinke and Adam Wainwright, two NL Central Ace's, went down this spring, and while the Brewers (who just traded for Greinke in the offseason) are only going to miss about a month of their star pitcher, the Cardinals are going to lose Wainwright for likely the entirety of the 2011 season. These two looked to solidify the NL Central as one of the most competitive divisions in baseball, and while it still likely will be, this give the Reds a ton of room to sneak back into the discussion. If Greinke can bounce back and pitch like a Cy Young Caliber player, I still think the Brewers are the best bet, but if not... the Central is wide open.

In what seems to be an epidemic, strained obliques have put the Opening Day statuses of Yankees Outfield Curtis Granderson and Giants Closer (and Facial Hair Messiah) Brain Wilson into considerable doubt. Its just a precautionary step, but Wilson had his bullpen session yesterday cut short, and the team announced that he is doubtful for Opening Day. Similar reports are coming from Yankees camp regarding Granderson.

A little closer to home, the Angels are currently looking at two (possibly three) everyday starters beginning the season on the Disabled List. Kendrys Morales, who of course is still nursing that leg he broke into a million pieces back in May. Also on that list are guys who hurt themselves during Spring, Joel Pineiro and Scott Downs. It would seem that Pineiro would return very shortly into the season (a week or so), but Scott Downs is going to be out as long as it takes for his broken toe to heal. The toe he broke playing with his kids (great start to your Angel career, Scott).

In the case of the Angels, some of the setbacks are almost welcome, in the sense that we get to see Mark Trumbo face big league pitching to start the season, and it will continue the tale of Brandon Wood's heroic comeback. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait for Kendrys to get back, but Trumbo is going to be a ton of fun to follow for the first month or so of the season. However, losing Downs to start the year is going to hurt an already thin bullpen, and god forbid Scott Kazmir start the season as horrendously as he ended 2010 and we have to move Takahashi to the Rotation.

I suppose my whole point of this article was "Do we really need 6 weeks of Spring Training?" It seems like right now, most players are ready for the season to start, and those who aren't, well, maybe they should re-evaluate their offseason routine. I'm all for watching a few innings of meaningless baseball for a couple days in March, and seeing some of the prospects face big-league pitchers is a fun distraction, but half those kids have already been sent packing back to the minors, and the other half are going soon. I like Spring Training as much as the next guy, but it seems like its been over-saturated, and cutting a week or two off could help put an end to some of these meaningless spring injuries that kinda put a wet blanket over the festivities of Opening Day.


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Coming Tomorrow: Part 1 of the 10 Greatest Seasons in Angels History

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.

Angels End 2010 Campaign with a W.

In what was likely his final game as an Angel, Hideki Matsui hit a homerun, part of 6 runs that helped propel the Angels past the Rangers for their 80th win of the season. It was his 21st of the season, and his 83rd and 84th RBI's on the season. Sure, those are slightly down from his season last year which culminated in a World Series MVP award, but much better than I would have thought back in May, when he was struggling at the plate and losing AB's to Juan Rivera.

Mark Trumbo finally got his first big league hit yesterday on an RBI-Single. Its highly unlikely he will start the season anywhere but Salt Lake, but the the kind of promise he showed (even going hit-less until yesterday), I doubt he will stay there long.

Dan Haren got his 12th win of the season yesterday, and his 5th as an Angel. In his 14 games as an Angel, Haren posted a 2.87 ERA, going 5-4 with 75 K's to just 25 Walks. His strikeout pace fell a bit, but he continued to get guys out and put the Angels in a position to win.

It was a competitive weekend series with the Rangers, and the Angels were able to hold their own with the West Champs (who begin their Postseason run in Tampa on Wednesday, which we will cover more tomorrow.) As a fan, I'm looking forward to 2011. With Kendry Morales back in the lineup, and a sturdier Bullpen, the Angels could make a deep October run.

Angels Refuse to Limp Across Finish Line

Ervin Santana threw a complete-game shutout last night for his career best 17th win of the season.

You know, if not for the injury to Kendry Morales and the Miserable performance from our Bullpen, the Angels would have had a pretty good year.

They still can. With last nights win, the Angels are 75-76 on the season, and still just a game and a half out of second place (and 8.5 out of first?!?!).

While I don't think for one second the Angels will actually complete any kind of monumental comeback (Oakland still has a shot, though, considering they start a four game series against Texas in Oakland tomorrow), I think this little run they are putting on to end the season is a great sign for 2011.

Dan Haren tries to complete the sweep against Texas tonight, he will go up against CJ Wilson, who at one point was the teams best pitcher, but has recently come back down to earth.

The Angels Glass is Half-Empty.

The Rangers have lost 7 of their last 10, and only lost a game and a half in the standings. The just got swept by the East-Leading Rays, but have lost NO ground in their quest to take their first Division crown in a decade.

The Angels, on the other hand, have had their fair share of obsticles. Loss of offensive weapons Guerrero and Figgins to Free Agency, loss of Morales to injury, Brandon Wood, the inability to ever trade for a bat to replace Morales, and long cold streaks at the plate by everyone on the team.

Even so, this team has stayed around .500 all season long, and has never really fallen all the way out of the West race.

The only problem? They are playing like they are out of it.

When you watch the Angels play today, take notice that no one will wait for the right pitch. They will try to do too much with the junk that is thrown to them. Most of them will not have that extra spring in their step, and The Pitchers will sweat more than Roger Clemens in Washington. They are playing like a team that has nothing to play for, even though they only find themselves 8 games out with 41 to play (including 7 against Texas).

If the players are going to play like they are out of the race, I'm going to start writing like they are out of the race. Its all misery, all the time!

Personally, I cant wait for September 1st to get here, to see how the young players (who will more than likely get plenty of playing time) perform at a big league level. I've really enjoyed watching Peter Bourjos the last few weeks, and I'd like to see what guys like Mark Trumbo and Hank Conger can do against big league pitching.

Also, the Carl Crawford Countdown has begun! 115 Days till the free agency period begins! Oh, and by the way, the Rangers magic number is down to 35.

Are You Ready For Some Football?!!

Or Basketball? Or Hockey? Or anything but Baseball?

Angels lost again, resulting in their first time getting swept at home in 2 years. Things aren't going to get much better with Texas visiting this weekend.

In a worst case scenario, the Angels would find themselves 13 games back on August 2nd, and Texas' magic number to clinch the division (or at least eliminate the Angels) would be down to 44.

It looks like now is a better time than ever to trade away Abreu, Matsui, and Pineiro (if he is ok) for some prospects or good young major league talent to a contender. Build towards next year, where we will have a whole season of Dan Haren, Kendry Morales and Carl Crawford.

Anyway, Go Jets!

Light That Baby Up!

Feels Good, Man.

The offense exploded, the defense was solid, and Ervin Santata, while not great, was better than he has been. I didn't get to see most of the game, but I heard it on AM830, and watched the game-cast on mlb.com. So I couldn't watch every players little nuances like I'd like to, but everyone was hitting, so there really wasn't much to see.

I'm sure Brandon Wood and Mike Napoli struck out swinging at least once in this game, but who cares? An 11-3 victory against a division rival is always sweet. Add in the fact that the Rangers cant solve the Blue Jays (who we swept a month ago, by the way) right now, and we could be as close at 2 1/2 games back in the division by days end.

Will it happen? It would have to be a perfect storm, but it would be nice, considering the Angels short, 2-game, road trip to Texas immediately following today's game. As of this second, the Jays are beating the Rangers 5-2 in the bottom of the 7th, so it looks like the first half of what needs to happen will happen. Good luck Angels!

A Few Thoughts:
- Kendry Morales needs to start spreading out this offensive production throughout the week. I mean, 2 homers and 5 RBI's in a game is nice, but when he had 1 whole RBI the rest of the week so far, thats room for improvement.
- If we are going to start winning, winning by a lot will be an important factor, so as to keep Brian Fuentes from meddling in our winning business.
- I know beating up on the A's doesnt seem like much, but they are still the second best team in the division, and beating division rivals is whats important at this point.

Around the League:
- The Rays optioned DH Pat Burrell for assignment. He was maybe the least productive DH in the AL East. I can't feel too bad for them, considering they have the best record in baseball, but bad free agent signings always sting. I remember after the 2008 season, when Teixeira split, many "experts" called for the Angels to sign him. I dont say this often, but good job, Tony Regans.

Thats more like it!

Saunders pitched the Angels first complete game shutout of the year. Morales and Matsui had key hits in four run inning, and there were almost zero mistakes made on the field, by either team.

I really cant say much about this game other than that. It was the best Saunders has looked all season, by far. It was the best Matsui and Morales have looked this month.

Scioscia finally tinkered with the lineup the right way. Having Kendrick hit in the two hole is bloody brilliant. Matsui and Morales have a little stress lifted from them, and our best RBI guy with runners in scoring position (other than the injured Izturis) is hitting clean-up.

What I'm most happy about, is that we finally looked like a playoff team again.

A few thoughts:
- Hope you didnt go to the kitchen to get a drink in the middle innings, because by the time you came back, the game would have been over.
- Really hope they give Frandsen another shot at third, even though Wood didnt look completely miserable last night at the plate, he still wasnt good. Made some nice plays in the field though.
- Napoli called a good game, but I'm more ready now than ever for Mathis to come back. Having two rally killers back-to-back in the lineup is going to kill us down the stretch.


Around the League:
- Roy Oswalt told the Houston Astros that if it would help them rebuild for the future, he would waive his no-trade clause. I can't be the only fan in America who hopes that he could come to their team, I just dont think we have the flashy prospects to get a deal done anymore. I'm thinking the Dodgers, Rangers and Red Sox probably have the players (and the need for another solid starting pitcher) to get a deal done.

Also, a special thanks goes out to my friend, Alex, for the new site header. Looks good, man.

Feels Good, Man.

It was not pretty. But Juan Rivera's sacrifice fly to win the game in the 11th inning might be the sweetest victory the Angels have had all year. Walk-off wins are always nice, but against the best team in baseball, and with the opportunity to gain a half-game on the two teams ahead of them in the division, this one felt good.

But, it should have never gotten to that point. Aybar even made getting lucky look difficult in the first inning, eventually scoring the first run of the game. Torii added a home run in the 3rd, and Napoli hit a no-doubter for two in the 4th. Pineiro was dominant all game, and left the game leading 4-0.

Rodney gave up a run, but otherwise looked solid. One run in a four run game isnt going to ruin anything. Then Brian Fuentes, with his newly added porno 'stache, looked to close the door on the game. After giving up a solo shot to the good Aybar (Willy), letting a couple guys get on, he gave up a two-out double to Evan Longoria, who drove in the tying run.

There were some fine defensive plays in the extra frames. Bulger came in and had a great showing. Trevor Bell struck out Longoria, and that ended up earning him the W.

Morales got a great opposite field single, Willits did his job and bunted him over, and with Rivera at the plate, a wild pitch (although it should have been a passed ball, I digress) got Morales to third, and a deep fly ball drove home Morales.

Great win for the Angels, and a great game to watch, even though it went almost 4 1/2 hours. Tonight, I'm hoping for an even better, and hopefully shorter, game. Its a match-up of Kazmir, who may or may not be facing the Rays for the first time since being traded last year, I'm not 100% sure, but I'm gonna say he is, because its a better story, and Jeff Niemann, someone who I've never seen pitch before, but is 2-0 with a nice ERA. Plus, its bucket cap night... aw yeah.

A few thoughts:
- Personally, I LOVE Fuentes' new Porno Stache. Its currently his only redeeming quality.
- Good to see Napoli FINALLY turning his season around. Thankfully its not too late.
- I'm still wondering why Brandon Wood is still starting. Frandsen has been nothing but solid.
- I'm also happy to see Trevor Bell back in the bigs. He had a rough go of it last year, but he is going to be a fantastic young pitcher.
- I'm not promising anything, but I would not be surprised if we are back over .500 by the end of this homestand.

Angels Record: 15-19
Outlook: Incredibly positive

Oh, No, There Goes Tokyo, Go Go Godzilla!

Not really Tokyo, but Seattle is close enough, right?

It was actually an incredibly well played game on both sides. Joe Saunders wasnt as bad as I thought he would be (even Jeff Weaver won some games, lets not get too excited). Kevin Frandsen had a perfectly fine day, which was his first as an Angel.

Everyone out of the bullpen, although not fantastic, was good. Fuentes wasnt spectacular, but he was the best he has been all season. Morales hit a shot out to right field, Hunter broke out of his little slump and looked better all game.

Ichiro and Mike Sweeney tied it up for the M's, but the Bullpen held them at bay for the rest of the game. Then Godzilla got just his second RBI since this blog started (and the first in the month of May) in the top of the 10th. Its good to see him (hopefully) break out of his slump, and a visit to Seattle seems to be just what this team needed to get back in the swing of things.

A few thoughts:
- Tomorrow is Mother's Day, you know what that means? PINK BATS! Hell yeah.
- I don't think I'd be too sad if Frandsen replaced Wood at third for the foreseeable future.
- I don't think I'd be too sad if we just didn't field a Shortstop till Izturis returns from his injury.
- With Rivera getting his stroke back yesterday, and Hunter, Morales and Godzilla doing it today, could we finally be turning this season around?

Oh, and the title is a reference to a Blue Oyster Cult song called "Godzilla". Listen to it, its good.

Angels Record: 14-18
Outlook: Good, but I'm still wondering if this is just a bad team playing the worst team.

We suck again....

Now, before I chicken-little all over this blog. Many things were good today. Matt Palmer, Morales started hitting again, Hunter hits ANOTHER three-run bomb.

However, the million run 4th inning for the Tigers (I might be exaggerating that number a bit) TOTALLY killed us today. It seems like Pineiro isn't going to be this amazing savior of a pitcher, but someone who will be incredibly streaky.

He should fit in pretty well with the rest of the rotation.

Matt Palmer is my early candidate for the Nick Adenhart Award. He has come in and kept the team in the game during some pretty dire situations.

All that being said, this is going to be a LONG season. However, if the Rangers can beat the M's tonight (its currently tied, but Cliff Lee is dealing), all four teams in the American League West will be tied for first place.

Thats right, we will have played a months worth of baseball, and we will back to where we all started. Fantastic.

Record: 12-12
Outlook: The Sky is Falling, sort of.