Johnny G, The Red Baron and Why The 2015 Angels Are Always Fun to Watch

Yeah, it's the middle of May and the Angels are still under .500.

Yeah, we had to deal with the entire Josh Hamilton fiasco throughout April and now the Angels are paying him to play for rival Texas.

Yeah, Jered Weaver has looked more like Jeff Weaver for 85% of his starts.

But honestly, this year has already been a lot of fun.

Last night against the Colorado Rockies, Johnny Giavotella (Howie Kendrick's replacement at 2nd base) hit his 6th Game Winning RBI of the season.  Considering the Angels have only won 16 games to this point, that is quite the impressive feat (even more impressive, he only has 13 RBI on the season, so roughly half of his RBI's have won the game for the Halos).  Not only is Johnny G ridiculously clutch, he is also just a fantastic at-bat to watch every time he steps up to the plate.

He makes the pitcher work almost every time up, even if he isn't getting on base or driving in a run.  He knows what he is looking for and when he gets it, he almost always connects.  Although I don't know if messing with success is the right thing to do, Johnny G seems like the perfect #2 hitter for this Angels lineup.  He would make things happen, he isn't afraid to sacrifice an at-bat to move a runner over and he can drive in more runs hitting higher in the lineup.

Also a ton of fun to watch this year is Kole Calhoun (who has been dubbed the Red Baron by Angels announcer Victor Rojas).  Calhoun has been a pretty solid outfielder for the Angels the last couple of seasons, slowly improving his game piece by piece, but it seems like 2015 is the year he puts it all together.  He leads the Angels in batting average, is 2nd on the team in RBI (despite hitting lead-off) and has been gold glove caliber every night in Right Field.  His at-bats are what you want from a traditional lead-off guy.  He sees a lot of pitches and when he gets on base (second on the team in OBP) he has enough speed to distract the pitcher.  Kole Calhoun is one of two Angels who should be locks for the All-Star Game, and hopefully the rest of the country catches on soon enough.

Even though this year hasn't been without it's pitching woes (don't get me started on Weaver, Shoemaker or Houston Street), it's also had plenty of surprises as well.  Hector Santiago came over last season in the trade that sent Mark Trumbo to Arizona (we also got Tyler Skaggs in that deal), he immediately got off to a rough start (0-7, with a 4.50+ ERA).  He eventually calmed down and had a mostly respectable 2nd half of the season, but expectations were still pretty low coming into 2015.  Now, he has a 2.57 ERA (HALF of where it was this time last year) and has looked pretty damn good in all six of his starts so far this year (even in giving up four runs to the Giants a few weeks ago, he was locating his pitches pretty well and a few got away from him).  He isn't going to be winning a Cy Young anytime soon, but as a #4 Pitcher, he is exactly what the Angels need right now.

Speaking of pitching, the true ace of the staff this season has been... wait... this can't be right... no, yeah... it's CJ Wilson.  Aside from one bad start in his 2nd game of the season, Wilson has been far more consistent this year than in his first few as an Angel.  While Weaver has struggled and Richards is getting back to 100% after knee surgery last August, Wilson has certainly stepped up as the ace of this staff.  While the Angels are 4-3 in games started by Wilson, he has certainly given them the best opportunity to win (with the exception of that start against the Royals in his 2nd game of the year).  His walks and home runs are way down, as are his WHIP and ERA.  Even if he hasn't been perfect, I'll always feel good about a game CJ Wilson is starting in 2015.

So there you have it, just four of the multiple reasons why the 2015 Los Angeles Angels are always fun to watch.  I also got through this entire article without mentioning the MOST fun reason to watch the Angels: Future President of Earth Mike Trout.  Yeah, you know... the best player in baseball who basically eliminated his only weakness, the high fastball.  Even if this season ends with 85ish wins and an early exit in the playoffs, it will a lot of fun to watch thanks to guys like Johnny G, The Red Baron and the gang.

The First Cut Is The Deepest

So there I was.  Harmlessly flipping through channels on Tuesday night.  The Angel game had ended early so I flipped over to see what the Dodgers were doing.  Then I finally saw it.  Howie Kendrick in Dodger Blue.  Not only was it difficult to see, but it was Howie driving in a go-ahead run against the Padres.  Thankfully, the Padres eventually took the game, but the damage was done.  My heart was in two.

I'm really happy with what Johnny Giavotella has been doing for the Angels over the last month or so.  He had a three-hit game in Wednesday's rubber match with the Mariners and has been solid defensively at 2nd base.  But in the long run, he is no Howie Kendrick.  Since Adam Kennedy left the club in 2006, Kendrick has been a constant, and been my favorite player, especially through the dark times (2010-2012).

Literally two articles ago was my Ode to Kendrick, so going over all the reasons I'll miss him is redundant.  But actually seeing him play baseball in a Dodger uniform for the first time stung a lot more than I was ready for.

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Fortunately, the play of the Angels has been good enough to start the season that little things like seeing Howie in a Dodgers uniform and Hank Conger in an Astros uni aren't hurting THAT bad.

The pitching has been marvelous, especially CJ Wilson with his 8 Innings of shutout baseball against the M's on Tuesday.  Weaver was a little shaky on Opening Day, but had he not been facing Felix Hernandez, he probably would have had better run support.

Hitting has been a little inconsistent, but like I said earlier, Giavotella has been a pleasant surprise while guys like Calhoun and Aybar try to find their groove.  David Freese looks like the player we THOUGHT we were getting last year, and Matt Joyce looks like he could actually contribute while Hamilton is... away.  (I'll probably do another article on Hamilton at some point in the near future, meant to do one about a month ago)

Looking forward to the home opener tonight, and with any luck, we can open our season taking 4 of 6 from the 2014 AL Champs (Royals) and everyone's sexy pick to the be the 2015 AL Champs (Mariners).  My only concern is that Hector Santiago is on the mound tonight, and to say that he got off to a slow start last season is like saying King Joffrey from Game of Thrones is kind-of a jerk.

My 2015 Hall of Fame Ballot

Listen, I already know what you are gonna say... "But Josh, shouldn't this post have been made a few days ago, or like... a week ago?"  And yes, you have a valid point. But, a few contributing factors led to this being delayed:

1. About now is when the douchey "my opinion actually matters in all this" baseball writers will post their actual ballots to their own blogs for those cheap HoF frenzy hits.  So if in this bizarro world where I'm actually given a Hall of Fame vote, I'd be the douchey baseball writer who posts his own list after the inductees have been announced.  (But not the one who let his dumb fans fill in his ballot for him, like Dan LeBetard, what an idiot)

2. The holidays were a busy time and I've just now gotten back to a regular schedule.

3. I'm really lazy*.

*- Biggest contributing factor

So, the Hall of Fame Class of 2015 has already been announced, and for the most part, baseball writers got it right... But I still have a ballot of my own.  So, following the actual rules of voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame (i.e. No Pete Rose), here is my highly anticipated list:

1. Randy Johnson, Pitcher.  Montreal Expos (1988-89), Seattle Mariners (1989-98), Houston Astros (1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004, 2007-08), New York Yankees (2005-2006), San Francisco Giants (2009)

He is one of the four guys who actually made it in this year, and good for him.  He was one of the scariest pitchers to face in all of baseball for nearly 20 years, especially for left handed batters.  But what really gets him in the hall?  

BHWP (Birds hit with pitch):

Randy Johnson - 1

Rest of baseball, ever - 0

Those are some really impressive numbers there.  Congrats, Randy.

2. John Smoltz, Pitcher.  Atlanta Braves (1988-2008), Boston Red Sox (2009), St. Louis Cardinals (2009)

My 2nd guy is also a pitcher and also made it in the hall this year.  What makes Smoltz really special is that he did whatever the Braves needed from him for twenty years.  

Braves: "Hey Smoltzy, we need a great starting pitcher and a World Series ring"

Smoltz: "How's 157 Wins and a 1995 World Championship sound?"

Braves: "Hey Smoltzy, we screwed up and forgot to sign a closer, you good?"

Smoltz: "I can do 158 Saves and a 2.30 ERA over four years..."

Braves: "So... John, hate to do this to you again... but we really need a third starter behind our young guys..."

Smoltz: "I guess I can do another 47 wins over four years and lead the league in games started at age 39..."

John Smoltz is a pro and a damn fine hall of famer.

3. Mike Piazza, Catcher. Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-1998), Florida Marlins (1998), New York Mets (1998-2005), San Diego Padres (2006), Oakland Athletics (2007)

He is the greatest hitting catcher of all time.  He probably hit the most important home run in New York, NY's history on September 21st, 2001.  He also may or may not have done steroids.  That is the real reason he is the first guy on my list who ISNT on this year's class.  It's a stupid reason, because unlike Bonds, Clemens, McGwire and Sosa... there isn't any real proof he did or didn't.  There is a really good chance that we will elect a number of hall of famers over the next 10-15 years that at one point or another took a steroid of some sort for one reason or another.  Why are we going to exclude one of the nicest guys in baseball and the best hitting catcher of all-freaking-time?  It's stupid and another reason why the BBWAA is a joke.

4. Craig Biggio, Second Baseman, Catcher and Outfielder.  Houston Astros (1988-2007)

Another guy who would do whatever his team asked of him and did it all really well.  Not your prototypical hall of famer, but if you compare the careers of Craig Biggio and Derek Jeter (who likely is a first ballot hall of famer in 2019), they are very similar.  Smaller guys who played their hearts out day in and day out, put up good to very good stats just about every year and were clubhouse leaders.  If they were to swap teams, Craig Biggio is the one with 5 World Series rings, without a doubt.

Also, I really like when guys have careers of 15+ years and they stay with the same team.  Dude gets bonus points just for that.

5. Edgar Martinez, Third Baseman and Designated Hitter.  Seattle Mariners (1987-2004)

Here is another gripe of mine.  When the Hall of Fame takes this holier-than-thou stance against specialty positions.  There are very few Closers or Relief Pitchers in the hall, and zero guys who made a career out of being a Designated Hitter (I know you are going to say Jim Rice, but he played FAR more games in the Outfield than at DH.  Martinez played a huge majority of his career at DH).  It's stupid.  Edgar Martinez is the best and most consistent full-time DH of all time, and deserves a spot in the Hall for that accomplishment.

If you are the best at something, you should be recognized... even if it's just hitting.  There are certainly guys already in the Hall who took fielding about as seriously as Martinez did.  It's dumb and needs to be rectified.

6. Pedro Martinez, Pitcher.  Los Angeles Dodgers (1992-1993, Montreal Expos (1994-1997), Boston Red Sox (1998-2004), New York Mets (2005-2008), Philadelphia Phillies (2009)

"Why is Pedro so low?" you might ask.  Well, because the little bit of my blood that still secretly roots for the 1998-2003 Yankees freaking hates Pedro Martinez.  Also, his hall-of-fame worthy years were only about half of his career.  Johnson and Smoltz (the other pitchers so far) were at the top of the league for 15-20 years.  Pedro was there for about 7.

That's not to say what Pedro did in those seven years wasn't some of the best pitching performances of all time... but rolling his short-term success (comparatively) into the fact that I hated Pedro for a long time... he is sixth on my ballot.  Still a hall-of-famer... but screw him for throwing 72-year-old Don Zimmer onto the ground by his damn ears.  Piece of crap.

7. Curt Schilling, Pitcher. Baltimore Orioles (1988-1990), Houston Astros (1991), Philadelphia Phillies (1992-2000), Arizona Diamondbacks (2000-2003), Boston Red Sox (2004-2007)

You know what is going to be one of the great injustices in baseball history?  The fact that Curt Schilling won't be a hall of famer, but his damn bloody sock has been there for a decade.

There are a lot of reasons to not like Curt Schilling.  He is a crap baseball analyst.  He lost thousands of people their jobs by mismanaging his video game studio.  Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS.  

But after all that, he does have far too many fantastic postseason starts (and consistently great regular seasons) to not be in the Hall.  He probably never will be, but at least his DNA will be there forever.

8. Lee Smith, Pitcher.  Chicago Cubs (1980-1987), Boston Red Sox (1988-1990), St. Louis Cardinals (1990-93), New York Yankees (1993), Baltimore Orioles (1994), California Angels (1995-96), Cincinnati Reds (1996), Montreal Expos (1997)

The only player on my ballot that I never actually saw play (sorry, Tim Raines).  He was the career leader in saves until Trevor Hoffman finally passed him 15 or so years later... one of the best closers of all time who will probably never earn his spot in the hall because of BBWAA prejudices.  It's a dumb thing that needs to change.

9. Barry Bonds, Left Fielder.  Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-1992), San Francisco Giants (1993-2007)

So.... Yeah.  Did Steroids.  Did Lots of them.  Was a complete dick.  

However, the Hall isn't without it's assholes (see: Ty Cobb, everyone who didn't let Black People play until the 1940's, etc).

Also, there is little doubt in anyone's mind that without Steroids, Bonds would have ended up with 500 home runs, 500 stolen bases, 2000 Career Runs and a lifetime batting average hovering around .300.  Those are some solid Hall of Fame numbers, even without the extra 250 Home Runs that Steroids added.  

I know it's the BBWAA's way of "punishing" Bonds for his illicit steroid use (in an era when AT LEAST 75% of the players had to be taking them) and all those years of him not being nice to them... but screw that.  He was already on his way to be one of the best players of the 1990's before all the steroid stuff really started.  It's another dumb thing that makes me hate what the Baseball Hall of Fame stands for.

10. Troy Percival, Pitcher.  California/Anaheim Angels (1995-2004), Detroit Tigers (2005), St. Louis Cardinals (2007), Tampa Bay Rays (2008-2009)

Okay, this is my Homer Vote.  Yeah, it probably could have gone to someone like Sosa or Raines who deserves it more... but Troy Percival was the lone bright spot on those late-1990's Angels teams.  He had an impressive 350+ career saves over a relatively short (for a closer) big league career.  

I've even forgiven him for retiring as an Angel, then coming out of retirement to pitch three more seasons, then retiring as an Angel again as though nothing happened. 

Actually, wait... screw that... I haven't.  Sammy Sosa gets this vote.  Screw you, Troy... Angel fans never forget... 

An Ode to a Kendrick

This is gonna be a tough one.

For nine seasons, there was one consistent presence in the Angels locker room.  Howard Joseph Kendrick played 2nd Base and wore #47 for most of those nine seasons (splitting time with Adam Kennedy and Macier Izturis a bit in those first few years).  He was always going to be the Angels next batting champion.  

In 2012, Kendrick (along with Shortstop Erick Aybar, who disappointingly remains an Angel at the time of writing) signed a four year extension to cement the middle of the Angels infield for the next few years while they begun to sign big name after big name (and got lucky by drafting some kid named Trout).  

Howie had been here through it all.  He had seen the last hoorah of the Guerrero years, when we finally vanquished the Red Sox in the playoffs.  He had been here for the 2010 All-Star Game and 50th anniversary season (earning himself a spot in the All Star Game in 2011).  Which also means he was here for some pretty dark years.  Nothing extraordinarily bad, but playing a lot of meaningless baseball in August and September.  

He was also here for the resurgence, and the signings of guys like Pujols, Wilson and Hamilton.  Sure, none of those guys are really effecting how well the team is doing today, but those were exciting times, right?

So in 2014, in large thanks to Mr. Kendrick (who finished 18th in the AL MVP voting), the Angels returned to the postseason for the first time in 5 years (when they beat those damn Sox).  After being upset by a team-of-destiny in the Royals, the Angels front office said they wouldn't be making a ton of moves, and why would they?  The Angels were the best regular season team in baseball with some good players returning from injury.  To quote Jerry Dipoto: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Somehow, "If it ain't broke, why not break it?" wasn't also said by Mr. Dipoto.

I'm sure the players the Angels received for Kendrick are some quality guys... but they aren't Howie.

So now, the effin' Dodgers are going to get those batting titles.  The effin' Dodgers are going to get the glory years of Howie Kendrick.  Of all the teams in the league, why did it have to be the Dodgers?

I'll miss Howie for a number of reasons.  Naturally, he was one of my favorite players since joining the club, despite taking the spot of my former favorite player, Adam Kennedy.  He was the lone bright spot of those 2010 and 2011 seasons.  He was also the sole inspiration for starting this blog.  It was a walk-off bunt against the Indians to win the Angels a big game back in April of 2010 that got this place started.

For his nine years of service to the Angels organization... for his countless big plays and great attitude... for everything you have done since arriving in 2006...

Thank you, Howie Kendrick.  You were a great Angel and you will be an even better Dodger.

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I mean, it would be pretty easy to be a better Dodger... the bar is so much lower there.

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.

The Angels are LITERALLY Insane

Albert Einstein (widely regarded as one of, if not the, smartest guys ever) defined Insanity as doing the same thing over again but expecting different results.  If Einstein is to be believed, what the Angels are doing is actually insane.

Leading 4-1 heading into the final inning of play against the Washington Nationals, the Angels looked poised to sweep the series and hop ahead of .500 for the first time on the season.  The team was in high spirits, with Pujols hitting his 500th career home run the night before and the offense clicking for the first time on the road in a long time.

Then, as the team has done too many times over the past two seasons, they put the ball and the game in the hands of closer Ernesto Frieri.  As you might expect, Frieri blew the save, giving up 3 runs to tie the game before handing the ball off to another one of the rotating crew of lackluster bullpen guys.

The Halos, although still winning the series in Wahshington, now face tomorrow realizing they were three outs from a series sweep but once again left the ball in the hands of the inept-at-best Ernesto Frieri.

If things are going to improve for the Angels this season, and seasons ahead, they need to stop relying on one of the most inconsistent closers in baseball.  I'm not sure what the solution is, but anything at this point would be better than the insanity the Angels are dealing with now.

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.