5 Ways to Fix the Angels Bullpen and (hopefully) Save the Season.

So, it's no secret that to this point in the Angels 2014 season, the biggest problem facing the team is the atrocious bullpen.  It's been a problem for years, but thanks to other weaknesses in the team, went mostly unnoticed by many.  Well, now that the offense is hot and the starting rotation seems pretty solid (roughly as good as anyone else in the AL right now with the exception of Oakland), it's pretty clear that the Bullpen is to blame for at least a few of the Angel's 10 losses so far this year.  With an ERA of almost 5.00 (and roughly 60% of inherited runners scored), the Angels Bullpen not only looks bad in person, but on paper as well.   So, how do they fix it?

1. Find a Way to Cut Ties with Kevin Jepsen

I've had my problems with Jepsen in the past... just click on his name at the bottle of this article to take you to all the other times I've poo'ed all over him.  But it's not just a personal vendetta (like I have with Aybar, who has admittedly been a pretty good player from time to time), he is genuinely a bad player.  It's not like he doesn't have the talent.  He can throw heat and has a decent set of off-speed pitches, but he can't locate for shit.  He will leave batting-practice pitches over the plate frequently and his numbers reflect this.  Over his career, he has a -0.07 WAR (Wins Above Replacement).  That's right.  The Angels are paying someone $1.5 Million to cost themselves almost a whole win over a league-average replacement player that they'd be paying 1/3rd of that.

If they can trade him, great.  If not, who cares.  Don't send him to Salt Lake... don't send him to Arkansas... don't even send him to Inland Empire.  Just cut him.  Eat the salary and you will pretty much be guaranteeing yourself a whole win this season, which with a second wildcard team could be the difference.  Also, maybe a change of scenery is just what Jepsen needs to finally realize all that potential.

2. Replace the Entire Bullpen Staff

Yeah, I think it's great that Steve Soliz has been on the team for so long... first as Bullpen catcher, and now as Bullpen coach... but maybe it's time for him to move on.  Maybe be a pitching coach in the minors somewhere... but he needs a change of scenery just as much as Jepsen does.  The Angels pen needs a new voice to follow.

It's also way more likely that the team would be willing to cut ties with Soliz and Tom Gregario (Bullpen Catcher) than it is Mike Butcher.  I know Butcher probably needs to be replaced as well, but he is now one of just a few of Scioscia's buddies that is left with the team.  Until Scioscia is gone, Butcher isn't going anywhere.

3. Sign Octavio Dotel

After losing Jepsen and a good chuck of the staff in the Bullpen, the Angels will have an open roster spot and a need for a veteran voice in that clubhouse.  Octavio Dotel has been pitching for a long time and he has done it all.  He has been a starter, a closer and everything in between.  He knows what it's like to win it all (2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals, so he also has a relationship with Pujols and Freese), and he won't cost you any prospects, like trading for someone from another team would.

The Angels probably don't need another 40 year old in the clubhouse, but he brings enough to the table that it would be worth their time to consider it.  His health would be the only issue in bringing him in, as he needed to miss the entire second half of last season with Elbow Inflammation.  If he can still pitch, bring him in, even if it's in a limited role.

4. Experiment with Minor League Guys

It's not the easiest solution to the problem, but at this point, could Joe Random from AA be any worse than what we have now?  Maybe, but not likely.  If you are going to be risking a loss anytime you turn to the pen, why not do it with a guy that COULD be the next big thing?

This would also help from putting too many innings on the arms of your starters and the newly-acquired Dotel.

5. Let Other Pitchers Compete for the Closing Role

Scioscia has shown in the past that he isn't afraid to swap closers at a moments notice (Fernando Rodney lost his job just two weeks into the season a few years back), so why stick with Ernesto Frieri?  He has shown that he is shaky at best in the role, and while the rest of the bullpen hasn't really shown what it takes to close out games, maybe a little competition would ignite a fire under the entire staff (especially Frieri himself).

Dotel has closed in the past, and there is SOMEONE who is actually closing out games at every other level.  Maybe make the jump now and see where it takes you.

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Now, even if all these steps don't completely fix the bullpen, they will at least make it BETTER.  The way the team is built now, this is probably a team that could go .500 even with the bullpen they have now.  If you can shave off a few losses and maybe a run from that ERA, the Angels have a playoff contender on their hands.

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.

In Downs We Trust

For whatever reason, when it comes to closers (not named Brian Fuentes), Mike Scioscia seems to have them on a very short leash.  After allowing to Tampa Bay Rays to come back and win in the 9th inning last night, Scioscialism seems to have pulled the plug on Walden being our full time closer (for now).  He said today that the closer of the immediate future will be Scott Downs, who has easily been our most reliable arm out of the bullpen the last two seasons.

But is this the right move?  Not only is it completely stunting the growth of Jordan Walden (who might never be the same after losing his job like this), but is the role right for Downs?  He seemed very comfortable over the last few seasons as a lefty specialist and set-up man, but not everyone can make the transition from the 8th to the 9th.  We know Downs is clutch, but it takes a special kind of player to get the hardest three outs of a ballgame.

Starting him off as the Closer in Cleveland is a very smart idea, its a lineup of predominately left-handed hitters, so any situation he might find himself in late in the game, he will likely see at least one left handed hitter.  This is also the right time of the season to make changes like this.  We just have to wait and see if its actually the right move for the Angels.

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It was also announced today that Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals super prospect and former #1 overall pick in the draft) was going to get called up to the Majors on Saturday and would make his major league debut.  My only problem with this?  He is off to a cold start in AAA.

In only 82 Plate Appearances, Harper is hitting an incredibly average .250 with 1 home run, 3 RBI's and a few doubles.  He is slugging only .355, which is an Ecksteinien number.  The Washinton Nationals need this kid to be the next Ryan Braun, not the next David Eckstein.  I have him in 2/3rds of my fantasy leagues, so I'm happy about that, but I still think the call-up is too soon for the blossoming star.

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Just an observation I made yesterday that I didn't vocalize on Twitter (@Angels-nation): Angels radio announcer Terry Smith made a very solid call on the Walk-Off Home Run yesterday by the Rays.  He almost sounded excited that he was there to be a part of it.  Clearly not as excited as he would have been had the Angels been the ones walking off, but still happy for the Rays, none the less.  Some might not care for that in their hometown announcer, but a bit of neutrality is good for announcers, even if they aren't on National TV/Radio.  He just sounded happy to be witnessing a great baseball moment, no matter the team.  I appreciate that, and there are few in the league as good as Smith.  We are lucky fans.

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This is from Reddit.com, and is awesome:

Winter Meetings Recap Part 3: Everything Else.

Before Arte broke the bank on deals to Albert and CJ, before Jerry Dipoto locked his name into SoCal sports folklore a month into the job, there were a few moves that would have made Anaheim a better team in 2012, even without King Albert and Mighty CJ.

Move 1: Jeff Mathis traded to Toronto for Brad Mills

It could have been Jeff Mathis to Toronto for more of Vernon Wells' contract (I'm sure he has more hiding somewhere). Hell, it could have been Jeff Mathis to Toronto for a bag of baseballs and a hoagie, this was a great deal for the Angels. Even if Brad Mills never steps on the mound at the Big A, neither will Jeff Mathis (at least in Angel red). I liked Jeff Mathis, I really did, and he was a nice guy, but his bat was a cancer to the team. Its unfortunate Hank Conger didn't have a stellar 2011, because he probably could have muscled a few starts away from him. Simply taking away Mike Scioscia's ability to start Jeff Mathis for 100+ games in 2012, I knew I already loved Jerry Dipoto as a GM.

Move 2: Tyler Chatwood traded to Colorado for Chris Iannetta

Is Iannetta the worlds best defensive catcher? No. But lets face it, neither was Mathis. I like this deal for a couple reasons. I don't think Chatwood is quite up to par to be a solid big league starter in the American League, at least not right now. I love the step up from Mathis to Iannetta in terms of On Base Percentage (.220something to .357 over their careers). Plus Iannetta has some pop in his bat, not as much as Napoli did, but he is a 20 HR guy. With Iannetta in the lineup, the only weakness offensively is really Vernon Wells, and considering he hit 25 homers in 2011, that isn't a bad thing.

Move 3: Angels sign Right Handed Reliever LaTroy Hawkins for 1 year, $3 Million

Adding a great right-handed compliment to Scott Downs in an improving Bullpen was a great move on its own, then you throw in the fact that he is a long-time friend of Torii Hunter and a fantastic clubhouse guy? This was a steal at $3 Million. The signing was overshadowed by the signings of Pujols and Wilson (which happened only hours later), but it could just as important in bringing the Angels a World Series title in 2012.

If the Angels don't do anything else this off-season but re-sign all the arbitration guys (Kendrick, Aybar, etc), they are already primed to be among the top contenders in the American League. With the Yankees and Red Sox getting older, and the Rangers pitching in question, it could be a perfect storm for the Angels this October. But lets hold off on any World Series talk until this team wins a few games. Still no reason not to be excited for baseball to return. Only 67 days until pitchers and catchers report!

1000 is a Magic Number

Mike Scioscia has already done more for the Angels than all other Managers in Angels History combined. 5 Division Titles, An American League Pennant and, most importantly, a World Series Title. Not to mention he has made the Angels a competitive team for almost an entire decade. Yesterday, The Angels had not one, but TWO comebacks to clinch Scioscia's 1000th career win, all with the Halos.

Scioscia has pretty much confirmed that he will have his number retired, a street named after him in Anaheim and, should he continue on this career path, a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. If nothing else, he will live on forever for the amazing faces he makes whenever the Angels screw up or the Umps botch a call. Now that Joe Torre has retired, I'd argue that Scioscia is the best manager in the bigs right now. I know Tony La Russa is still in the league, but I'd argue he was never that great.

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Now its time for me to beg something of you, Angels Fans. Now that the Lakers, Kings and Ducks are done, and we all hate The Dodgers, its time to shift 100% of your sports focus on our beloved baseball team. Buy hats, buy jerseys, buy shirts, and most importantly, buy tickets to the games. Considering the great ticket deals and the sweet floppy sun hats for Mothers Day, the fact that yesterday's game didn't sell out is a little disappointing.

Lets sell out games, lets put our money were our mouths are and support this team. Is it the best team in baseball? No, but they are the best shot for the LA Area to win a Championship this year. They are a really likable group of guys who aren't the best at what they do, but they do it well enough to win more games than they lose, and they are a solid 2 games ahead of Oakland and Texas in first place. Put your support and love into this team, and I promise you will be rewarded for your time.

The Curse of Jeff Mathis

A long time ago, on a baseball field far, far away (in Texas), a young man was being groomed. Being groomed to be the best, and to save a franchise.

Not many know what happened, but on a dark night in late 2009, after the dust had settled on a long postseason battle with the Yankees, Jeff Mathis turned. After being a hero in a losing effort, Mathis went mad. He alienated himself with his friends, teammates and mentors.

His mood changed, he went from a bright and sunny disposition to becoming of the most dark and brooding players in the league. He eventually slayed his best friend, a young warrior named Mike Napoli... leaving him for dead before he was allowed to flee for Canada.

Mathis came to destroy what he once loved, which was Angels Baseball and all it stood for. Mathis had defected to the dark side underneath the all-seeing eyes of Manager Mike Scioscia. He was filled with hate and darkness, spreading his piss-poor play to his teammates.

This is where our story comes, to the present day. With Jeff Mathis under the spell of the Dark Side, will our longtime leader Mike Scioscia and Angels Baseball's newest hope, Hank Conger, be able to thwart the plans of the evil Mathis before its too late? Or will Angels Baseball succumb to the dark side (and 4th Place)? Only time will tell. Stay tuned, baseball fans.

Halos Slide Past Sox for 4th Straight Win

Vernon Wells scored his 3rd run in 3 games. Hank Conger and Howie Kendrick left the yard. Tyler Chatwood held the Sox to 1 run over 7 Innings of work, for the first win of his big-league career. It was a solid day all around for the Angels, who beat the Sox 7-2 after a 130 minute rain delay on Saturday Afternoon.

The biggest story of the day might be happening behind the scenes, however. On Saturday, Conger made his third straight start (and his 5th start in the last 6 games), after the lineup was announced, former golden boy Jeff Mathis went right to the top and asked to have a behind-closed-doors meeting with Skipper Mike Scioscia. He said he wanted more playing time, then didn't talk to the press afterward. Scioscia said the meeting was positive and he liked that Mathis asked him to play more.

However, after a three-run home run by Conger in the 6th inning, he used his abilities to ask for more playing time. This contest to be the Staring Catcher could get interesting. Not only is Conger effective at the plate, he can also throw out runners. Something Mathis has struggled with in 2011. Mathis will block the plate a bit better, and some have said he calls a better game (Angels pitchers have still been solid in Conger's starts, so I don't buy that as a plus for Mathis), but Mathis is a liability at the plate. There are Pitchers with better hitting stats in the last season and a half than Mathis.

Should Conger continue to hit the ball well, Angel Fans should hope that gives Scioscia little choice but to play the Huntington Beach native. However, I think we all remember a guy named Mike Napoli who also hit the ball incredibly well, and lost significant playing time to Mathis. Lets just hope Hank Conger doesn't become Napoli 2.0.


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Random Thoughts:

-Chatwood looked incredibly solid against the Sox today. Could it have been the cold weather? Maybe. Lets hold off on any incredulous judgments until he gets to face the Sox on Thursday (in Anaheim)

-These are the ugliest promotional giveaway caps of all-time:












They are supposed to resemble a "rally cap", which is when you turn a hat inside out and place it on your head for a rally. Instead, they look REALLY stupid.

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Angels look to sweep the Chicago White Sox tomorrow when Dan Haren (3-0, 0.73) faces off against Mark Buerhle (1-0, 4.26). Haren is 0-1 with a 4.67 ERA in his career against Chicago, while Buerhle is 2-6 with a 4.38 ERA against the Angels. Haren hopes to get his 3rd win in 9 days.

I Told Ya So

Alberto Callaspo and Hank Conger led the Angels offense today, which helped push the club past the struggling Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3. Jered Weaver pitched an almost flawless game, his only real mistake coming on a solo shot to former Angel Sean Rodriguez (Yeah, the same one we traded to get Scott Kazmir). Jordan Walden made his first appearance as the Angels new Closer (a position anointed to him today), and shut down the Rays in the 9th.

So... I told ya so. Callaspo needs to find a way into the lineup everyday, and maybe Conger should split starts with Jeff Mathis 50/50. I know Mike Scioscia just made the move to get Walden closing games, and he isn't known for a ton of on-the-spot decisions at the same time, but the firing of Rodney (don't get too excited, he is still on the team) is a good start.

Dan Haren looks to improve the Angels to 3-3 tomorrow in the series closer against youngster Jeremy Hellickson, who was 4-0 with a 3.47 ERA in 2010.

Oh Kendrys, Where Art Thou?

From down 5-0 to up 9-7, I thought this team had figured it out. Then Fernando Rodney walks the bases loaded in the 9th, and almost immediately Vernon Wells drops a ball in the outfield and lets the tying runs score. Then almost two hours and 4 Innings Later, Matt Treanor hits a walk-off three-run-homer off of a tired Jason Bulger.

There were a ton of problems with this game. First was Scott Kazmir, pitching what I can only hope in his final game as a member of the Angels, who allowed 5 runs in 1.2 Innings of "work". I was honestly shocked that Mike Scioscia pulled him as quickly as he did. I hope this is a sign that Scioscia is ready to move forward as an manger and will pull guys who aren't up to the task of playing at a Major League level (Read: Jeff Mathis).

Speaking of Jeff Mathis, our "Defensive-Presence" catcher who always "calls a good game", went 0-for-6 in the extra inning game, plummeting his 2011 batting average to .154. Not to mention his "great game calling" led to at 12-run outing by one of the worst offensive teams in baseball, and he has thrown out 1 of 9 would-be base-stealers. ONE! OF NINE!!! So this talk about Mathis being this "superior defensive catcher" is turning out to be total Bullshit. Unless he turns this around (either at the plate or, at the very least, behind it), Bobby Wilson or Hank Conger NEED to see more time in the lineup.

There were some bright spots in yesterdays game. The Angels hit 5 home runs (including 2 by Howie Kendrick), and Rich Thompson came in and pitched a great 3.1 innings of relief for Scott Kazmir, and really put the Angels back in the game. Jason Bulger showed he could be a decent option out of bullpen (Especially if its not for 3 innings). Jordan Walden showed he is as dominant as I think he can be, while Rodney came that much closer to losing his Closer role.

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I had planned on doing something yesterday recapping what happened around the league over Opening Weekend, but I really had no desire to write yesterday after the longest 5 hours of baseball I've ever watched. I might touch on some of the stuff going on around the league occasionally, since I'm currently working on a goal to watch at least one game of each team around the league. Philadelphia and Texas look better than I expected while Milwaukee and Boston look much worse.

Just Another Disappointing Day in Anaheim

I didn't get to see most of the game, but I heard most of it.. and what a dismal performance. You'd think in a game where we scored 4 runs, I couldn't get on the offenses case, but here we are. They left a ton of runners stranded in Scoring Position, and had numerous instances where they had a runner on second or third with fewer than two outs, and still failed to produce the run.

Equally as depressing as the anemic offense was the play in the field, which pushed across a run on a strikeout. Then the haphazard bullpen, whose star is Kevin Jepsen, put KC over the top for good in the 8th. If Mike Scioscia goes back to Jepsen in a similar set-up situation ever again, his sanity should be questioned. I almost hope that we get all these bullpen kinks worked out now... even if it means we have to start out 1-5, just so we establish the right guys in the right roles before the games start to mean more in August and September.

The only positives today were Alberto Callaspo and Erick Aybar, who went a combined 4-7 (with a walk) and drove in half of the Angels 4 runs. Torii Hunter hit his 2nd home run of the season, and Ervin Santana looked good, but had obvious room for improvement.

Words Cannot Describe...

Well, maybe just a few:

We
Need
A
New
Bullpen.


Two games into the season, our Bullpen (with the exception of Jordan Walden, who was once again hot tonight) looks horrendous. I don't think the addition of Scott Downs is going to improve the situation, and we may have to begin looking towards the free agent market, the Bees or even at trades to help stop the bleeding.

Also, Bobby Abreu isn't a #3 hitter, and Scioscia needs to stop treating him as one.

Mathis Shines, Bullpen Does the Opposite, Angels Win Anyway

On his 28th Birthday, Jeff Mathis went ahead and hit a home run, throw in a double and an Angels win, and it was a pretty good birthday present.

While the Angels beat the Royals, 4-2, it wasn't an easy one. Jered Weaver looked amazing, giving up zero runs through 6.1 innings, but then the Bullpen decided to make things interesting. The only guy out of the pen who looked in command of his stuff was Jordan Walden. Michael Kohn didn't look bad, but he didn't look that great either. Fernando Rodney put runners on the corners with two outs, then watched Alex Gordon almost take him deep to end the game (if he swung any earlier, it would have been a no-doubter). Thankfully, Gordon struck out a few pitches later and the Angels won.

The offense looked better than I expected, including a DEEP home run by Torii Hunter to get them started. But if the Bullpen is going to play like this all season, we are going to need to get more than 6.1 Innings out of our starters. It was an embarassing display put on by our pen today. I don't know if its Scioscia putting his trust in the wrong guys, or something completely different, but this was bad.

Dan Haren gets a chance to push the Angels to 2-0 tomorrow. Lets hope he can go a little further into the game and with a bigger lead.

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Random Thoughts:
- Billy Butler looks like a chubby Country Music Star
- Vernon Wells had an average first day, had a nice double.
- Mark Trumbo looked rattled at the plate today, but was solid defensively at first.
- Of all the games played today, the only snoozer was Braves/Nationals. It was 2-0 early and you could tell it was already over.
- Can't wait to see the Freaky Franchise dominate the Dodgers tonight.

The 10 Greatest Seasons in Angels History: #9 - 2000

The Angels only went 82-80, but it signaled the start of an era. It was the first season of the Mike Scioscia regime here in Anaheim. It was also a really fun season to watch the Angels, even if they were never really in contention for a playoff spot.

Troy Glaus led the AL with 47 Homers, while Mo Vaughn, Garret Anderson and Tim Salmon followed with 36, 35 and 34 respectively. Really though... as much as we come down on Steroids, how much fun were those 11-9 games with 6 homers on either side? Jarrod Washburn somehow went 7-2 with a 3.74 ERA, while Troy Percival notched 32 Saves. Darin Erstad was really the catalyst for the club, hitting .355 with 25 Home Runs and 100 RBI's. This season really added some excitement to baseball in Anaheim for the first time since 1986.

While they finished around .500, this was probably one of the most important seasons in Angels History. It began a decade of a winning attitude in Anaheim, and helped lead to the sale of the club to Arte Moreno in 2003.

The 10 Greatest Seasons in Angels History: #10 - 2006

As one of only two non-playoff years to make the list, 2006 won't really be remembered by baseball historians for any significance (I mean, hell, did you even remember that the St. Louis Cardinals, led by David Eckstein and JEFF Weaver won the World Series that year?!), but it will probably remain firmly in the thoughts of Angels Fans everywhere for quite some time.

It started out bad... then only got worse. By the end of June, the Angels were 31-40, 8 games out of first place and things were not looking up. Then suddenly, when the Calender flipped to July, the Angels flipped a switch, and by the end of the month, were tied for the division lead. Things kind of evened out throughout the rest of the season and we ended up losing the division by 4 games, although we were contending up to the last week of the season.

Now, this season isn't memorable just because we won fewer games than the A's, no. It marked the last time that former World Champions Tim Salmon, Adam Kennedy, Darin Erstad, Brendan Donnelly and pitching coach Bud Black would ever put on an Angel Uniform. Most importantly it marked the end of an era for the team. The Tim Salmon Era.

I was lucky enough to see Salmon's final at-bats in person (from far off in Left, but I was still there), and the crowd wanted so desperately to see #300. It never happened, and we all went home a little upset that day, but as time has passed, it was really an honor to be there. To be able to cheer for him in a Major League setting for one final time (that is, until his number gets retired!) was an experience I'll never forget.

It was also the first season we got a sneak preview of our Ace to be, Jered Weaver. He came up, then went back down, then came back up... we jerked him around so much that season, I'm still shocked he started 9-0. He even had an ERA as low as 1.12 at times during that run. Simply Incredible. If Scioscia gave him a fair shake, he probably could have been the AL Rookie of the Year.

It was a tough luck season for the Angels, but I felt like it help the fan base grow. We had to understand that we could still have a good season under Moreno and still fail to make the postseason. It made 2010 a little easier to swallow. Is it actually one of the ten best seasons for the Angels? Probably not, but its the one I'll most fondly remember that didn't end with us raising a banner.


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I bet you noticed that two of the top 10 aren't playoff teams... quick math dictates that one playoff team didn't make it.... any guesses? Times up. 2007 won't be making the list. It was a year that brought us Shea Hillenbrand and maybe our most embarrassing playoff exit ever (at least Vlad hit a Grand Slam in the sweep of 2004).

I'll revisit this list on off-days during the season, and at least one more time before the season starts on Thursday.

Say It Aint So, Scott!

Rumors are running rampant that the Colorado Rockies would be interested in trading for Left Handed Pitcher Scott Kazmir. Uh... I'll throw in 20 bucks to sweeten the deal. Is this the Rockies really trying to improve their team? Is this them making up for sending us Brian Fuentes? (kind of a "No hard feelings"deal?)

No matter why the Rockies had this lapse in judgment, lets take advantage of it. I dont care if they want to send us a Turkey Sandwich and a bag of baseballs, if they are taking Kazmir and his contract, let them at it.

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In other news, former Angels Pitching Coach Bud Black won the National League Manager of the Year award. This is great news for Ron Roenicke, who will become the third former Angels Coach under Mike Scioscia to become a manager for another team. The first two, being Black and Rays Manager Joe Maddon, who won the AL Manager of the Year award in 2008.

Everyone here at Angels Nation is incredibly happy and proud for Bud, and wish the best for him in the future.

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In other, other news, Felix Hernandez was announced as the AL Cy Young Award winner today. While its rare that I'm happy for a Division Rival in such a way, its kind of nice. The 24-Year-Old had a stat line of 0-3, 4.13 ERA in 32.2 Innings Pitched against the Angels this past season. Thats right, one of the worst offensive teams in baseball slapped around the Cy Young Winner in 5 starts. Its not the best thing about this season for the Angels, but it will something nice to throw in the face of gloating Mariners fans.

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In More other news, Angels Nation would also like to congratulate the following:
Ron Gardenhire for winning AL Manager of the Year (after being the runner-up 5 times, twice to Mike Scioscia)
Roy Halladay for winning NL Cy Young (Duh..)
Buster Posey and Neftali Feliz for winning Rookie of the Year in their respective leagues.
Dan Uggla for getting the hell out of Florida (I bet Braves fans wish this move would have happened about 4 months ago)
Vladimir Guerrero for winning an AL Silver Slugger award. (No hard feelings, chap)

Meet The New Boss...

Angels Bench coach Ron Roenicke has been hired as the new Manager of the Milwuakee Brewers. The news came as a shock to Angels and Brewers fans both. For the most part, with the backdrop of the World Series, Angels fans were unaware Roenicke was even in the running. Many Brewers fans thought former Mets skipper Bobby Valentine was a sure thing.

However, Brew Crew fans shouldnt fret. Ron Roenicke has managerial experience in the minor leagues, and has spent the last 5 seasons picking the brain of one of the best managers in baseball in Mike Scioscia. Roeknicke also becomes the third former Angels coach under Scioscia's reign to become a big league manager, with Bud Black in San Diego and Joe Maddon in Tampa Bay being the first two.

I must say, I'm incredibly happy for Roenicke to finally have control of a big league club all his own, and in the weak NL Central, with an already impressive lineup including perennial all-stars in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, he could be poised for a division championship in the very near future. Taking Scioscia's brand of small ball to a small market club like the Brewers makes great sense, and has worked wonders so far in San Diego and Tampa Bay (San Diego hasnt turned that into a playoff team yet, but they came VERY close this year, only losing out on the last day to the eventual world champion Giants).

Suffice to say, Angels Nation will probably have at least some coverage of Roenicke's first week in Milwaukee, and will probably visit in a couple times during the 2011 campaign. We wish nothing but the best of luck to Ron in his new endeavors, and hope he decides to take Mickey Hatcher with him.

Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory.

Pathetic.

That is really the only word that can be used to describe the Angels Bullpen right now.

After Brian Fuentes blew yet another save in the 9th inning last night (why Scioscia keeps running that blown save waiting to happen out there, I'll never know), Scot Shields was in rare form last night. He looked incredible, against every other batter... but the ones in between scraped across the winning run.

I could get on the Offense for not playing better against one of the worst pitchers in the league, but keep in mind that Joe Saunders, when playing in Anaheim, has been one of the worst pitchers in the league. He went out and threw his best game of the season. True, he was helped by some great defense behind him, but when isnt a pitcher who throws a great game helped by his defense?

The blame for last nights loss is squarely on the shoulders of three men. First and foremost, Mike Scioscia. Why on earth, when your pitcher has a complete game shutout going, do you bring in the most inconsistent closing pitcher of the last 3 years? Then, when you need to bring in a pitcher to shut them down for an inning in the tenth, do you bring in a past-his-prime pitcher who is only still on the team because of what he has done for us in the past?

The other two who are to blame are obviously Fuentes and Shields, but Shields least of all. I think he is still as shocked as we are that he still has a job with the Angels, let alone is being called into the most important inning of the game.

Fuentes shouldn't be closing anymore, and thats not Fuentes' fault. True, he sucks, but bringing him in wasnt his call, it was Mike's.

Mike Scioscia... for the love of god, when your pitcher is throwing a shutout, regardless of the inning, pitch-count, or runners on base... leave him in the damn game. Don't go to the shakiest bullpen in the American League. We could have drawn a game closer to Texas last night, who lost to Chicago, due to Bullpen problems of their own, but instead, we still sit 3.5 games back, wondering what could have been.