Oh Captain, My Captain

Although an easier route would be to complain about Ernesto Frieri blowing YET ANOTHER win for the Angels last night, I feel like the only thing I've done this season is complain about the bullpen (which is pretty much the only thing I have to complain about this Angels team so far), and tonight marks a very special occasion.

Tonight is, in all likely-hood, Derek Jeter's final visit to Angel Stadium as a professional baseball player.

Sure, there is an off-chance the teams meet in the playoffs, or hell freezes over and the Yankees trade Jeter to Detroit at the deadline, but neither of those are really all that likely.

So, with perhaps the most important player of the last 20 years making his final trip to Southern California, it's time to reflect a little bit on Mr. November and how he has impacted the game.  If you are at all uncomfortable with someone speaking fondly of the Yankees, now would be a good time to back out of this article.  I know it will be rough for some of you, but the Yankees aren't all bad.

Growing up, Jeter wanted to be a Yankee.  He got his wish when he was drafted by the club in 1992 right out of high school.  He made it to the big leagues by 1995 and won Rookie of the Year (and his first of 5 World Championships) in 1996.  After winning a title in 4 of his first 5 full seasons in the big leagues, things began to slow down for the Yankees but Jeter always stayed faithful.  In the Free Agency era, most guys never make it more than a few years with the same team, let alone their entire career, and Jeter never once even hinted at the idea of leaving New York.

Jeter got his fifth World Series ring in 2009 and has had roughly a billion other accolades during his time in the big leagues (not limited to, but including 13 trips to the All-Star Game, 5 Silver Slugger awards, 5 Gold Gloves and the Roberto Clemente award).  He has been team captain for the Yankees since 2003 (his 11 years as captain are the longest in team history), and although most of his career took place during the Steroid Era, his name has never appeared on any list, he never failed a test and his name has never really ever been associated with any kind of performance enhancements.  By all accounts, Jeter has always played the game the right way, always has had the right attitude, and always says the right thing.  A sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, Jeter is the best player of his generation.

So I hope those lucky enough to be in attendance tonight are gracious enough to understand the importance Jeter has had on the game of baseball the last 19 years, and give him one hell of a send-off.

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Also for those lucky enough to be in attendance: If you are seated in left field and they begin to warm up Frieri... I'm not encouraging you to throw things at him until he sits down, but I'm also not not encouraging you to do so.

What Were The Yankees Thinking?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wanted: Trade Partner for Disgruntled Outfielder

Will accept:  Bags of baseballs, gift certificates to Red Lobster, Brandon Wood.

After failed attempts at a match with New York and Cleveland, we are just trying to find a good home for old Left Fielder, Bobby.  After we got some new players, we just didn't have the time to spend with him anymore, and he has done nothing but mope around the house for the last month.  If you think you have the space and can give him the attention he needs, we'd be more than happy to make a trade with you.  We will just take just about anything for him at this point, he just needs a home.

Contact: (714)555-4256

Angels Talk to Lee's Agent (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Free Agency)

As the Winter Meetings come to a close, and more players are getting signed, the Angels have stood firmly planted on their stance of not signing anyone you've heard of. Since signing former Mets Reliever Takahashi, the Angels haven't done much of anything, except continue to be in the talks in signing Free Agents Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre. Well, last night, Angels GM Tony Reagins was in contact with Professional Yankee's Daddy Cliff Lee's Agent Darek Braunecker (I've give you a second to catch up with that run-on.... ok, lets go). If for nothing else, just to ruffle the feathers of the Yankees and Rangers (the only two teams considered to be true contenders for the Cy Young Winner). However, there are a number of great reasons for the Angels to sign Cliff Lee, lets go over them now:

1. Our biggest rivals, the Rangers and Yankees, won't have him. This is easily the most important, as Cliff Lee has always had a good track record against the Angels and in Angel Stadium.

2. Between Lee, Weaver, Haren, Santana and Pineiro, the Angels would have maybe the best rotation in Major League history. A man can dream, can't he?

3. It would likely force the Yankees or Rangers to acquire Zach Greinke from the Royals. Therefore making 100% of the games the Angels play against Kansas City a complete waste of time for everyone involved.

While its simply a pipe dream, and to be honest, I'd rather have Crawford and Beltre than just Lee, its still something pretty amazing to think about. Maybe someday, we will get a GM with the balls to pull this off.

As it is now, though, Cliff Lee and his agent are keeping the other top Free Agents hostage. The Yankees aren't going to pursue Crawford or Beltre too strongly until they know if they've got Cliff Lee or not. The Rangers aren't going to do a damn thing either. The Red Sox seem to have made their moves, and everyone seems too poor to make a run at Crawford right now.

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Moving on to other Hot Stove news:

-Carlos Pena has agreed to a one year contract with the Chicago Cubs. I don't think it will be enough to make them contenders, but at worst, it makes them better.

-The Kansas City Royals sign Jeff Francouer. Oh man... I know who my 2011 World Series pick will be now.

-Jack Cust signs with the Seattle Mariners. Oh man... I know who my 2011 World Series pick will be now.

-Paul Konerko is staying in Chicago to play for the White Sox. With how high they were speaking of him, and how no one else really showed any interest, I'm shocked... to say the least.

The Hot Stove is on Fire.

Eh, maybe thats a slight exaggeration. Miguel Tejada is taking his talents to the Bay Area, to replace Juan Uribe on the defending Champion San Francisco Giants. Man, I'd never thought I'd have to type that sentence.

In more hot stove tid-bits:

-The Dodgers (who signed the aforementioned Uribe) traded Ryan Theriot to the Cardinals for a right-handed minor league pitcher.

-The Texas Rangers bolstered (we'll see...) their bullpen by signing Japanese Side-Armer Yoshinori Tateyama, formerly of the Nippon-Ham Fighters (my favorite team name in all of sports) of the Japanese Pacific League. Tateyama had a career low 1.80 ERA in 58 appearances last season.

-The Oakland A's have reported interest in former Astros/Yankee First Basemen Lance Berkman. When asked about the Athletics interest, Berkman was quoted as saying "Woah, someone is interested? Did they not see my 3 month Yankee career".

-The Texas teams signed a couple of lackluster backup catchers this week in Yorvit Torreabla and Huberto Quintero (to the Rangers and Astros, respectively), the rest of the league was reportedly unaware these guys still played baseball.

-The Colorado Rockies handed all-star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki a blank check Tuesday. It ended up being good enough for the 8th highest contract in MLB History. Thats right. 1 time all-star of the Colorado Rockies, Troy Tulowitzki, is going to be one of the 10 wealthiest men in baseball history. Go figure. Tulo is guaranteed $157.7 Million Dollars over the next 10 years. Insane.

-The Rangers (again with the Rangers? I had to talk about you for all of October, its time for you to go away now) reportedly were interested in signing long-time Yankee Lefty Andy Pettitte, but have recently denied such claims. Rumor has it the Yankees were upset that they were even talking to the winningest pitcher in post-season history, and threatened to offer Cliff Lee even more money to leave Texas. If the Rangers stay relevant, this could be a great rivalry for years to come.

-No word yet on Carl Crawford, but the most recent report I heard was that most GM's and Experts would be shocked if, at this point, he didn't end up an Angel by the first of the year.

I've already written far too much, and for that, I apologize. Oh, and yes, the picture is taken from The Sims, but that was the best picture of a stove on fire the internet had to offer.

Molina Leads Power Surge Past Yanks

Ok, Angels Fans, I'm giving you one more chance to hop on the Rangers bandwagon.

I told you back, right after the season, that they were going to do big things. You should take that negative energy you used all season against the Rangers, and use it for good. They were the lesser of 4 evils. I could go on.

But the best reason to root for the Rangers, as they inch themselves one game closer to a World Series berth, is that Bengie Molina is playing like its 2002 all over again. Josh Hamilton will probably win the ALCS MVP, but Molina's impact on both this series, and the series with Tampa, is irrefutable.

Don't get me wrong, Angels Fans, as soon as Postseason Baseball comes to a close, and a World Champion is crowned, I'll go back to hating the Rangers like I always do, but for right now, they are my horse in this race, and it looks like I picked the right horse.

Oh, and enjoy the Karma, Mark Teixeira. It couldn't have happened to a better person.

The Yankees: "Cliff Lee Is Our Daddy..."

Seen here is Cliff Lee taking a break from dominating the Yankees on the mound when Brett Gardner challenged him to a rodeo contest. Cliff Lee won that too.

Last night, Cliff Lee looked like Christy Mathewson, or Walter Johnson, or some other mythical pitcher whom we never saw play, but have heard about how great they are from grandparent and great-grandparents. At some distant point in the future (around when the Yankees Payroll reaches 1 Trillion Dollars), I'll have a little niece or nephew on my lap, and I'll tell him I saw the great Cliff Lee shut down the Mighty Yankees.

Cliff Lee's performance last night all but solidified the Yankees desire to have him in pinstripes, and the rest of the leagues desire to keep him out of the Empire State. With every dominating postseason start against an Eastern Division foe, Cliff Lee must hear the cash registers in the back of his head. If he doesn't sign the biggest contract in the history of baseball in the winter, the owners are doing it wrong. Its been pretty clear, at least since he joined Texas, that Cliff Lee is the most dominant pitcher in the game right now. Not only is he making opponents look silly, they are the Rays and Yankees, the two best teams in the American League.

I have nothing but respect for what Roy Halladay has been able to do in Philadelphia, but lets be fair, its been against the Reds and the rest of the paltry National League, where he gets to face a pitcher 3 times a game. I know he showed his dominance against he AL East for the first decade of his career, but what Cliff Lee has been able to do has out-shined all of that. However, should the Phillies meet the Rangers in the Series, Roy Halladay vs. Cliff Lee in Game 1 would be absolute must-watch TV.

If Cliff Lee can do the unthinkable, and carry Texas to a World Series Title, anything less than making Cliff Lee the most wealthy man in the world wouldn't be enough.

Rangers Keep Hope Alive, Tie Series 1-1.

The Rangers took the lead early and, unlike yesterdays collapse, never gave it up. They continued to pour on the runs, ending up beating the Yankees by a 7-2 score. It was Texas' first ever postseason home victory. It also ended a 10 game losing streak to the Yankees in postseason play.

The Rangers used a little bit of everything to get past the Yanks. Elvis Andrus stole home to score the first run of the game, David Murphy homered, and there were plenty of clutch hits with Runners in Scoring Position.

Robinson Cano was the sole run-scorer for the Yankees, scoring from third on a double, and hitting his second home run of the series. He also took Neftali Feliz deep with two on and two out in the ninth, but it was caught off the wall by Nelson Cruz to end the game.

If the Yankees want to win this series, they are going to need to have the rest of the lineup step-up like Cano. The last thing they wanted to do was give the Rangers momentum going back to Yankees Stadium with Cliff Lee on the mound in Game 3. The Yankees will respond with Andy Pettitte, they all-time Winningest Pitcher in Postseason history, but this is more of a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" kind of league, so Cliff Lee has a big edge in that match-up.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch Roy Halladay throw another No-Hitter against the Giants (6 down, 21 to go).

Its Just The Yankees Being The Yankees...

The Rangers had a 5-0 lead on the Yankees. Then a 5-1 lead. Then 5-2. Then 5-4. Then it was tied, 5-5. Then the Rangers had lost the lead, and eventually the game.

Spearheaded by a 5-run 8th Inning, the Yankees did what the Yankees always do, find a way to win in October. The Rangers used five different pitchers in that 8th inning, none of them able to stop the bleeding until it was far too late. Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera then came in and shut the door. Before you knew it, the State of Texas had gone from jubilant to shell-shocked. Once again unable to beat the Mighty Yankees in the playoffs.

Some people could blame the wonky strike-zone the home plate umpire had, some could blame the over-managing on the part of Ron Washington. In all honesty, you cant really blame anyone. The Yankees have the payroll and the history, especially against the Rangers. You thought the 8 game winning streak vs. the Twins was impressive? The Yankees have now won 10 straight in the playoffs against the Rangers, and are 10-1 all time.

Angels fans can certainly sympathize. For the better part of two decades, the Boston Red Sox had been our impassable object from the East. Trust me when I tell you, Rangers fans, all this abuse makes the moment you get past your Achilles heel so much sweeter. When the Angels came back last year to beat the Red Sox in Game 3 of the ALDS, it almost felt as good as Darin Erstad catching the final out of the World Series.

Colby Lewis takes the slab for the Rangers today against Phil Hughes of the Yankees. Good luck, Texas, you will need it.

Rangers' Lee Dominates to Push Texas Into ALCS

One final dominate pitching performance in the ALDS was really all it took for the Rangers to find themselves in the ALCS. Cliff Lee pitched a complete game, struck out 10 and only gave up one earned run to help lead Texas to its first Playoff Series victory ever.

The Rangers used small ball to get an early lead, then more small ball to push the score to 3-1. Ian Kinsler added insurance in the 9th with his 3rd Homer of the Postseason, and the Rangers went on to win 5-1, and win the series 3-2. It was the first time in baseball history that the away team won every game of the series.

The Rangers have home-field advantage in the ALCS, however, and their sights have to be on winning Games 1 and 2 at home, because the Yankees in October are near un-beatable in Yankee Stadium. Cliff Lee will be ready to go in Game 3, the first game in Yankee Stadium, but if the Rangers find themselves in an 0-2 hole, then it might be too little, too late.

Regardless of what happens in the ALCS, however, you have to consider this season a success for the Rangers. The first Division Title in ten years, and the first playoff series victory in franchise history. When you throw all that together with the fact that this team was bankrupt and being threatened by Major League Baseball to get their act together, or the league would seize control of the club six months ago, not to mention the positive drug test for Manager Ron Washington, which led many in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area calling for his job, this season will be as much of a success for this team as whomever wins the World Series, in my opinion. Granted, a trip to the World Series or even a Championship will taste even sweeter for Texas, but they should be really proud of where they are.

Oh, and a nice note from the Rangers celebration, Josh Hamilton (who overcame drug and alcohol addictions to make a comeback to the Majors), who was relatively absent from the Western Division Championship celebration because of all the champagne and such, was doused by his teammates in Ginger Ale. Its kinda silly, but its cute.

By the way, I was 100% correct in my Division Series predictions, and my LCS predictions will come tomorrow, so you will know who makes the World Series a week before anyone else.

Angels Nation 2010 Postseason Preview

Just so we are all clear, Angels Nation is officially on the San Francisco Giants' and Texas Rangers' Bandwagons. If you are uncomfortable with this, please note that the rest of the league is evil, and should be treated as such. The Yankees, Rays, Braves and Phillies all come from the super evil East Coast, not to mention the Rays play in Florida (Voted most evil state by committee of voters), the Twins and Reds, well, they arent evil, but they are the two worst teams in the playoffs (fact), and no one wants to bandwagon a loser.

Lets start with the matchups in the National League:

Giants vs. Braves - Bobby Cox's last season as a manager, nothing would be a more fitting send off than a World.... boo hoo hoozle. Go cry about the loss of your manager some more Braves Fans. Oh wait, the Braves fans don't even like the Braves. The are probably all bandwagoning the Rays right now, considering they have a better shot at postseason glory. The Giants, on the other hand, have one of the best starting 4's in Baseball, Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Zito. They also have Buster Posey, who is maybe the greatest rookie catcher of all time.
Prediction: Giants in 4

Phillies vs. Reds - Lets get things straight, I dont like the Phillies, but I'll be damned if they dont have the best team in the playoffs. The hitting is amazing, the pitching is out of this world, and they have a coach who has taken this team to the World Series the past two years. I like the story of the Reds, but they dont have the pitching to keep up with the Phils.
Prediction: Phillies in 3


American League:

Rangers vs. Rays - I don't totally hate the Rays, but their unfortunate affiliation with the state of Florida, not to mention their lack of fans with enough income to actually attend their home games, makes me like them very little. Rangers have taken the last month and a half off. They should be the most rested team in baseball right now (the Reds might be just as rested, but they have a crappy team, so...), not to mention they have Cliff Lee, who was really the only bump in the Yankees road to glory last season. Sure, they have to get through a tough Rays team who won the best division in baseball, but they dont have enough starting pitching to keep up with the Rangers.
Prediction: Rangers in 5

Yankees vs. Twins - No Morneau, Mauer isn't at 100%, their best pitcher is probably Carl Pavano, oh, and they have Brian Fuentes. How on earth did the Twins get this far?
Prediction: Yankees in 3

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Angels Nation will continue to be your source for biting 2010 MLB Postseason coverage well into November (because that's when Game's 5-7 of the World Series will be, for some dumbass reason), then, we wont have anything to talk about for a while, except the hyjinks of Kim, Khloe and Kourtney (and all their Kardashian pals!)

Sean O'Savior?

After a few first inning jitters, which are totally excusable, considering not every 22-year-old is asked to make his first start of the season in Yankee Stadium in the middle of a pennant race, Sean ended up making the New York Yankees look more like Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

In the Angels commanding 10-2 win last night, there were two clear heroes: Mike Napoli and Sean O'Sullivan. Its pretty clear that the rest of the Angels lineup was pretty pleased to have Macier Izturis back in the lineup as well. This finally looks like a team that could make a serious playoff push.

In O'Sullivan's past major league appearances, including a few starts, he has always looked pretty average. But if you take into account that those were a 21-year-old O'Sullivan, getting his first taste of big league ball, you start to wonder if last night's start was a fluke, or the next wave of young Angel Pitching?

I can only hope that a dominant performance against the best team in baseball (with one of the best, if not the best offenses) is a sign of things to come.

On the bright side, its not going to take a whole lot to impress me more than the man he is replacing, the "Injured" Scott Kazmir.