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2007:
Where the Big Bats Roam
Oct
10th, 2007:
By Sean Scanlon - Angelswin Columnist
Part 3
of the Reds 2007 Season Recap (Part 1 pitching,
Part 2 infield)
If the
Angels infield is where the young bucks reside, the
emerald green (actually, Im a tad bit color blind so
for all I know it could be Kentucky bluegrass green) Angel
Stadium outfield is where the grizzled, and hobbled, vets
reside. Led by future hall of famer Vlad Guerrero most of
the Angel pop resides in the outfield, and most of next years
roster questions also reside in the outfield as well.
Without
further machinations lets get to it.
Vlad
Guerrero
A- - Another spectacular
year from what should be the first hall of famer to be inducted
wearing a Halo. Vlad is the straw that stirs the Angels
drink, the man, the wonder, the freak who has never seen a
pitch he wont hack at. While noticeably hobbled Vlad
continues to put up dominating numbers, near the league lead
in most offensive categories. Watching Vlad hobble around
the bases, questions start to arise; have those years playing
on the concrete turf of Montreal started to catch up with
Vlad, how long will his knees hold up? Moving forward I think
youll start to see Vlad spend more time at the DH position
as his bat will continue to be a critical factor in the Angels
offensive production.
Another
question has also reared its ugly head. Does Mike Scioscias
edict that the Angels will not retaliate make Vlad a
human bulls-eye? Seeing as the league will not take matters
in to their own hands I think its time for the Angels
to revisit this policy. If opposing teams know their star
players can expect some nice backside bruises, it might afford
some protection to the increasing number of pitches that accidentally
end up around Vlads head. Its nice and dandy to
be good sports and all Mike, but enough is enough.
Garret
Anderson
D/A - In Angel's
land there are two rites of spring
pitchers and catchers
reporting and wondering what ailment will slow GA during the
upcoming year. For a man who has arguably been the greatest
career Angel of all-time (notice I said arguably), more "discussions"
have occurred about GA and his abilities than Erstad and his
grittiness. Starting the year knicked up, once again GA seemed
destined to end up back on the DL and leave the Angels
without a presence behind Vlad
and then suddenly out
of nowhere, as if Scioscia lit up the bat signal (available
for $9.98 at your local costume shop), the GA of old appeared.
Hitting the ball out of the park, hustling down the line (some
may say he never actually did that before), driving in runs...it
was 2002 all over again. Until the whole cyclops incident
that is.
So now the question begs
who is the real GA? The dinged
up grizzled vet who has more desire than ability or the middle
of the order run producer we saw down the stretch? A huge
question moving forward, though my expectation is that GA
will be penciled in to the LF/DH role next year. I can already
see the arguments
Scioscia only likes vets and why wont
GA do whats best for the team on the right
look
what happened last year on the left
let the dead horse
beating begin, there is no surer sign of spring in Haloville!
Gary
Matthews
C Probably
the most controversial free-agent signing in recent Angel's
history, and that was before allegations of HGH use. Destined
to become the new Erstad whipping boy in the near future Garys
first year with the Halos had mixed results. Defensively Gary
was close to as advertised, chasing balls down in the gaps
and making numerous game saving plays. There are statheads
who will throw out zone rating, Pythagorean theorems
and Capt. Cheeze Whizs defensive twister percentages
but
the reality is Gary played a solid center field especially
when you consider the two aging warriors to his left and right.
At the
plate was another story, Garys average was below his
career year in Texas, but his number's werent atrocious.
If he can provide solid defense and similar offensive numbers
the next 2-3 years the Angels wont be getting
a bargain for their 10 million
but they wont be
getting ripped off either (hey Finley
feel guilty enough
to send back some of that cash yet?). And for those hang wrining
about the 5 yr. deal...do you really think it's a coincidence
only the first three years include a no trade clause?
Reggie Willits
B A surprise starter
at the beginning of the year when GA was slowed out of the
gate, Reggie Willits opened a lot of eyes. His patient approach,
Elvis like sneer and grit factor won a lot of fans (as the
Reggie
Reggie
Reggie
chants will attest). Tapering
off towards the end of the year as teams learned their best
bet was to throw the ball down the middle of the plate and
make him swing, Reggie still had a solid first year. Roaming
the outfield is another issue
his routes and reads are
definitely below average and he relies on his speed to make
up for mistakes. This is a definite downside, making it hard
to envision Reggie as a 4th outfielder
if hes a
defensive liability. But, with his work ethic, I would hope
he could improve in those areas.
What is
the future for Reggie? To be honest Im not sure. Hes
an Orlando Palmiero type of 4th outfielder who can play all
the outfield positions (but none of them all that well). Reggies
future with the Angels is most likely tied to who they pursue
during the offseason. If the Angels bring in a power bat it
will be in the OF or at 3b (which would move Figgins to the
OF), meaning Reggies days with the Halos could be numbered.
Nathan
Haynes
B I know, a B for
Haynes is ridiculous, but seriously
thats simply
for his helping out Figgins. The Curtis Pride feel good story
of the year, Nathan was the oh yeah, hes still
on the roster guy. Lightening fast with a solid glove,
we didnt see much from Nathan at the plate this year.
I actually dont expect to see him with the Halos next
year, but hell be a nice role player, 4th outfielder,
for some team next year.
Juan
Rivera
INC After
a solid 2006 year the Angels had penciled in Juan to
be a power bat in the lineup, only to see him go down late
in Winter ball with a horrific broken leg (leading to the
signing of Shea Hillenbrand (ha...who saw that link coming?)
for
that he should get an F!). A big question surrounds Juan,
going in to 2008 do you pencil in Juan as a corner OFer/DH?
Or, is he a valuable trade commodity who can be packaged with
an arm?
Terry
Evans
C Another
career minor leaguer who seemed to find himself last year
with St.Louis (as well as provide a moment of comedy as his
dad was caught videotaping his first big league homerun).
He provides a nice arm in the outfield with some pop, but
really doesnt figure in to the Halos long term plans
in the outfield unless something changes.
Tommy Murphy D
My choice for breakout player of the year (which is
why he gets a D...make me look stupid will you) Tommy lost
out to Reggie coming out of spring training and then saw Reggie
grab the bull by the horns and win a big league job when GA
went down. Probably one of the best defensive outfielders
in the Angels system the same problems he had as a no-hit
shortstop in the minors plague him still
he still cant
hit. Another guy who could probably catch on with another
team as a 4th/5th outfielder.
Overall
Outfield Grade B-
Outside of Vlad, and solid half seasons from GA (second half)
and Reggie (first half) the Angels offensive production from
the outfield was hit and miss. Time will tell about the GMJ
contract, and questions exist about who the real GA is. I
wouldnt expect much to change with the Angels
outfield next year as their hands are somewhat tied unless
the Angels do some very surprising things. Next years
most likely scenario is who will man the DH/corner OF role
with Vlad and GA
Rivera or Figgins.
This concludes
my three part analysis of the Angels 2007 season that
was. Oh, don't cry...Next up we'll start on moving forward
and 2008, with the first question probably setting the tone
for this offseason
.to Bill or not to Bill....check in,
you may be surprised! (but probably not).
2007:
First to Third
Oct
10th, 2007:
By Sean Scanlon - Angelswin Columnist
Part 2
of Reds 2007 season recap. (pitching can be found here)
Going in to the 2007 season the big question was
who
was going to provide some pop and protect Vlad in the lineup.
For the most part, neither of those questions were answered,
and a third was added
when were the Angels going to protect
Vlad from becoming a human bullseye. But its safe to
say the Angels exceeded even the most optimistic projections
offensively. Built on an aggressive approach at the plate,
putting the ball in play, situational hitting, and speed on
the bases the Angels confounded the stathead community by
finishing 4th in the AL in offensive output. As Rex and Hud
liked to point out repeatedly
over and over
again
and again
continuously
the Angels led the league
in going first to third. Important? Yes
but really guys
we
get it.
Unfortunately
for Halo fans, ultimately the Angels offensive philosophy
finished with a resounded implosion as their inability to
hit with runners in scoring position meant a quick exit in
the playoffs. After three quick playoff exits in the last
4 years, does this mean the Halos offensive philosophy is
a non-starter? Well, thats a nice topic for another
post
someone get on it.
Lets
break things down a little more
well start with
the infield today and move on to the outfield tomorrow (or
the day after...or sometime in the future...I do have a job).
Mike
Napoli
C Never projected
to be a big offensive force behind the plate Mike didnt
disappoint
he wasnt a big offensive force behind
the plate. He provides occasional pop and some nice plate
discipline, but hes never going to hit for average and
is very streaky. Behind the plate Mike continued to make solid
strides, though he needs to work on his throwing as clubs
ran rampant on Mike, especially during the beginning of the
year. Going in to his third year this is probably what we
can expect from Mike, a decent major league catcher.
Jeff
Mathis
C After
a disastrous 2006 campaign where Jeff was returned to Salt
Lake for being downright awful (both defensively and offensively)
Jeff returned due to injuries and appeared to have made some
strides. Jeff has a fantastic arm that he is not afraid to
show off and calls a good game. At the plate Jeff brings back
unfond memories of no hit all defensive catchers of days gone
by. Long term Jeff may improve at the plate, but hell
never be confused with Johnny Bench.
Casey
Kotchman
C+ - 2005
06
I
mean 07 was supposed to be Caseys break out year. After
missing most of 06 due to, hell
how do you explain mono?
I mean
have you ever heard of a pro athlete going down
with mono? Oh well
After a 2006 Casey returned and didnt
embarrass himself. At one point in the season prior to being
beaned with a pickoff throw Casey appeared to be the missing
bat behind Vlad, only to struggle when he returned from a
concussion. I also think he tends to be a very streaky hitter
when
hes on the line drives pound the gap and he can hit
some monstrous shots
when hes off you can just
write down 4-3 in the scorebook. The big question re: Casey
is will power develop or will he be Mark Grace? On a team
lacking power Mark Grace isnt really the best option.
My guess, Casey continues to make strides and the power develops,
.310, to 20-25 bombs is within his reach.
Howie
Kendrick
B For stretches
this year we all saw what the scouts have been raving about,
Howie is a hit machine. Still prone to chasing breaking pitches,
Howie needs to work on his plate discipline. He also struggled
hitting with runners in scoring position. Personally I expect
Howie to win a few batting titles, hit at the top of the lineup,
and be an Angel stalwart at second for years to come.
Orlando
Cabrera
A You could
make the case he was the Angel MVP this year. A career year
offensively, and a gold glove caliber year in the field. I
would not expect a repeat performance from OC at the plate
and the Angels brass needs to think long and hard about his
future with the team. Hes not getting any younger and
can be expected to regress at the plate. Do you block a talent
like Wood or sign OC to a 2-3 year extension? OCs performance
in 08 will go a long ways towards determining what the Angels
do in that regards.
Chone
Figgins
A- - Chone really should
have been considered for the comeback player of the year award,
not just from his lackluster 06 campaign
but just for
how he started 07. At one point he probably wasnt hitting
his weight and he went on a year long tear starting in mid
May finishing in the top 10 in AL batting. Was it a career
year? Personally, Im not so sure, his improvements werent
due to being lucky, or just hot
but a whole new approach
at the plate. Suddenly Chone started to lay off pitches, drove
the ball to LF, and stopped trying to yank the ball out of
the park. He may not be at 3rd next year, but I would expect
Chone to be the leadoff hitter come April 08 for the Halos.
Maicer
Itzuris
B+ - Folks laughed
when they saw Maicer penciled in at the #5 slot to open the
postseason, but his .400 average with runners in scoring position
was best on the team (actually, I didnt check
but
Im guessing). Maicer also was the most productive hitter
in the Angels lineup during the postseason hitting .333
with an .833 OPS. A solid utility guy who could start for
a lot of teams, dont be surprised if his name appears
in lots of trade rumors this offseason.
Robb
Quinlan
C More useless
hand wringing occurred over Robb than any player on the Angels
come post season roster time. What does Robb provide? A solid
right handed bat who can play the corners and hit lefties
(though he did struggle some this year). Signed to a reasonable
deal next year expect Robb to play a key role on the bench
next year.
Kendry
Morales
C+ - Kendry had
some fantastic moments for the Halos this year, with a key
2 run dinger in early May vs. the Indians in a game that helped
set the Angels season straight. He also returned from Salt
Lake and immediately went on an offensive tear and looked
like he could provide some pop come post-season. Alas, Vlads
injury threw a monkey wrench in to those plans, as Kendry
drew the short straw and returned to the bench so Vlad could
DH. Finally showing signs that he could be the impact back
the Angels have long thought he could be (hey, did you know
he defected from Cuba?) he should be given an opportunity
to win a regular job with the Halos next season. Expect Kendry
to spend lots of time playing winter ball in LF and RF (and
really, have they given up on the 3b idea?).
Erick
Aybar
C- - Erick started
off the season getting thrown out twice trying to steal ending
ball-games. And that was the highlight! Kidding. Erick showed
flashes of brilliance with the glove and that he could be
a solid utility guy. Does he still project as a top-tier major
league short stop? I dont think so. He needs to spend
some time with Nathan Haynes to work on his approach ala Figgins.
Brandon
Wood
C Only mentioned
because he will play prominent in upcoming decisions. Is he
the real deal? Can he be a .280/30hr hitter in the middle
of the order? During his brief callups Brandon didnt
show much. He played solid defense but didnt necessarily
impress at the plate. I would expect Brandon to start 08 in
Salt Lake where he needs to work on his plate discipline and
continue to cut down on his strikeouts.
Season Grade: B (not counting the
postseason)
To wrap it up, the Angels infield had a solid year, with guys
like Figgins and OC providing the spark for the Angels
offense. Howie showed flashes of brilliance and why he can
be considered a future batting title winner and middle of
the order presence. Questions going in to the offseason still
exist though. Is Kotchman the long term answer at first base
and will he develop the power needed from a first baseman?
Will Figgins stay at 3rd or be moved to the OF in place of
a monster bat (cough
arod
cough)? Does Wood work
his way in to the lineup anytime soon? How do you get ABs
for Kendry? Do I know these answers? Nope
thats
why Im not on the Halos payroll (or get paid to write
for this blog).
Next up
the
Angels Outfield
2007:
Arms Control
Oct 9th, 2007:
By Sean Scanlon - Angelswin Columnist
So, now that youve had a chance to soak up my brilliant
analysis (editors note
what a jackarse) of the
2007 postseason that abruptly wasnt, lets take
a deeper look at the 2007 in general, and what it potentially
tells us about the Angels moving forward to 2008. Im
not going to get in to deep statistical analysis, theres
plenty of people who can do that and personally if I wanted
to spend all day looking at stats I would have stuck with
engineering in college instead of drinking and chasing skirts.
In todays
edition of Reds 2007 Season Analysis we shall start
with pitching. Why? Because it's my posting and I can do what
I want. (As youll see, there are a lot of Bs
which
I think is appropriate. For the most part the Angel pitching
was above average and not spectacular).
Projections
called for the Angels to be one of the elite staffs from top
to bottom in all of baseball. Outstanding seasons from Lackey
and Escobar helped at the front-end, but its safe to
say the Angels did not necessarily get what they were looking
for from the bottom of the rotation in guys like Colon and
Santana. Overall the Angels starting staff was solid, kept
the team in games, and at the end of the season was considered
one of the deepest in the AL.
The bullpen,
a stalwart of Angel teams past, was brilliant to start the
season but down the stretch slumped and is probably one of
the biggest off-season questions for the Halos moving forward.
The Starters
John
Lackey
A+
- 2007 was the year Lackey became the ace many thought he
could be, leading the AL in era and finishing just shy of
the 20 win mark (thanks bullpen!). With a free and easy throwing
motion there is no reason to believe John wont continue
to be one of the top starters in the AL and a regular contender
for the Cy Young.
Kelvim
Escobar
A+
- Kelvim also harnessed his lofty abilities and could easily
be considered 1A on the Halos staff, making Stoneman look
like a genius for signing him to a below market extension.
But, unlike Lackey, there are still questions regarding Kelvim
and his on-going health. Knee and shoulder injuries sidelined
Kelvim for brief periods and unless he finds GMJs magic
pouch you have to expect he is going to continue to be sidelined
in the future as he gets older. I would still project him
to be a mainstay in the Angel rotation and one of the top
starters in the AL.
Jered
Weaver
B Jered
had a solid second season as he started to make adjustments,
as the league made adjustments to him. I would no longer consider
him a top of the rotation guy, but he looks to be a solid
#3 starter in the bigs. Concerns have arisen as Jered seemed
to lose velocity at times during the year and also experienced
some shoulder issues. Jered admits coming in to the 07 camp
out of shape which led to him missing a few starts to miss
the year and may have contributed to the decreased velocity.
Jereds off-season assignment
get your arse in shape
and stop hanging out with Deion Sanders.
Joe
Saunders
B Saunders
showed that he belongs in the bigs and can be a nice change
of pace guy who can win 12+ games a year while eating up innings.
Extra credit goes to Joe for keeping his head while on the
Salt Lake shuttle. Moving forward, unless hes part of
a trade, I would expect Joe to settle in to a bottom of the
rotation role for the Halos and break camp
wearing Halo
red instead of that funny looking Salt Lake Bees cap.
Bartolo
Colon
F - The less said
about Bartolo Colon the better
but I wish him well pitching
for Tampa Bay next year. Florida all you can eat restaurants
youve
been warned.
Ervin
Santana
D- - And as for
Ervin
Ervin
Ervin
Ervin
such a tease.
You flash those legs and
sorry, wrong thread. So much
potential, so young, and yet he continues to implode. Going
in to 2008 that is going to be a huge question for the Halos.
I think this is a nice topic for further discussion later
in the year.
Overall
starters grade: B
Bullpen
Frankie
Rodriguez
B Absolutely
dominating in the first half
with some struggles in the
second half. The league is on to Frankie and unless he begins
to control his fastball its going to be another year
of high-wire acts for the Halos. To be effective Frankie needs
to use his devastating slider and when he cant control
his fastball teams have learned to lay off that pitch. Maybe
the biggest question going in to the off-season
what
to do about Frankie?
Scot
Shields
C This might
be a little harsh as Scot was nails in the beginning of the
year but looked like a completely different pitcher late in
the year. This grade is more of a reflection on comparing
Scot to his past performance. Is he worn down or is this just
a mechanical issue? More than anyone I think Scot missed Bud
Black this year and hopefully, with time, Mike Butcher will
get on the same page with Scot. Scots troubles at the
tail end of this year also play in to any discussion regarding
Frankies future as his 4 yr. deal was done in part to
give the Angels some cushion if they decided to part ways
with Frankie in the upcoming years.
Justin
Speier
B Probably
Stonemans best off-season signing Justin came down with
a mysterious illness (folks
stay away from Kotchman!)
early in the season. But overall he did a solid job in the
setup role and looks like he could be a solid bullpen man,
and even close if required.
Darren
Oliver
F/A- - Darren really
deserves two grades. The first half of the season he was a
candidate for a death pool
but he suddenly found the
fountain of youth and was a completely different pitcher the
second half of the year, showing the ability to be a situational
guy as well as eat up middle relief innings. As he reached
his appearance clause hell be a welcome returnee to
the Halo bullpen next year at a reasonable cost.
Dustin
Mosely
B- - Thrust in
to a starting role early in the season due to injuries
and
then in to a setup role when Speier went down, Dustin had
a solid season for the Halos. As the season wore on, Dustins
performance became a bit erratic. Overall it was a solid season
for Dustin who looks like he could be a decent middle relief
guy for the Halos or have some value on the trade market as
he could start for many teams in the league who suck.
Chris
Bootchek
B- - In reality
he gets extra credit for his perseverance. Left off the Angels
40 man roster he easily could have left with his tail between
his legs and caught on with one of the AAAA teams in the league.
Instead he decided to recommit himself and show the Angels
he had what it takes. Sporting a 94mph fastball, with little
to no movement, if Chris isnt hitting his spots he gets
lit up. Probably nothing more than a middle of the pen type
of guy he adds nice depth.
The Salt
Lake Crew Throughout the year various guys were called
up to add depth to the pen. Frankly, none of the callups made
you stand up and say wow and you wouldnt
necessarily expect any of them to push their way in to the
bullpen next year without improvement. Two candidates who
could be considered for the 2008 pen include Rich Thompson,
who has a nice fastball (which is straight as an arrow at
times) and Jason Bulger who has fantastic movement, but cant
throw strikes consistently.
Overall
Bullpen Grade: B
What the Future Holds
Ill
regale everyone with my thoughts on 2008 later, but just some
quick musing on the future of the Halo staff (which are likely
to change).
From a
starters standpoint the Angels are well set for 2008.
The biggest question will be what to do with Ervin and do
the Angels need to part with a guy like Saunders in order
to bring in a bat. But experience tells us the staff is pretty
much set. Lackey, Escobar, Weaver, Saunders and most likely
Santana or a veteran brought in to provide depth if the Angels
have lost all faith in Ervin. Dustin Mosely could be given
an opportunity as well, but the reality is he is nothing more
than a swing guy on this club. The wildcard is Nick Adenhart,
who most likely will start the season in AAA and could be
on the Joe Saunders frequent flier program next year.
The bullpen
is really where the Angels have the most questions next year
pitching wise, and those questions revolve around the two
biggest locks going in to the 2007. What are the Angels going
to do with Frankie? Does he warrant a long-term commitment
or is he the chip you use to bring in a bat? Will Scot regain
his form? Could Scot or Justin handle the closers role
if Frankie is sent packing? Is Bootchek more than a middle
relief arm? Do the Angels have faith that someone from the
Salt Lake crew could step up or do they sign another veteran
free agent? If there are any significant changes in the Angels
pitching staff, this is where you will see it happen.
Next stop
the Angels 2007 offense
Bill doesnt
dig the longball
...and
it ends with a thud
Monday, October 8, 2007
Its
hard to imagine that a season that had so much potential, great
memories, can end with such a resounding thud, as if the Angels
and their fans were given a collective gut punch after eating
a heavy meal and downing a 6 pack of beer. I imagine this is
how it feels to get home early from work, walk in, and find
your significant other diddling Frank Caliendo on your bed while
screaming out
never better. And just a side note...I will
never...ever watch Frank Caliendo or whatever the hell is name
is...the upshot to the early exit (and the fact I won't watch
much of the NL playoffs)...no more Frank TV commercials. Seriously
TBS...we get it...some fat guy who does impressions has a new
tv show coming up.
Well,
I imagine this is how some feel, because to be honest Im
not shell shocked, this wasnt a series the Angels deserved
to win. They were outplayed by a better team. There was no
Fenway mystique, no boneheaded fielding error, or late inning
dinger to grasp victory away from the Halos (see Bill Simmons
re: Levels of Losing). And in part I think that makes it a
little easier for me to swallow.
Without
going in to did the Angels have the right roster, or how the
team is constructed (theres plenty of time for that
to analyze over the off-season), Id like to take a moment
to review why the Angels lost and all the various message
board geniuses who suddenly crawl back out of the woodwork
proclaiming
"I hate to say I told you so
but
see
I told you so." And the reality is most of those
I told you so moments are little more than ignoring
the reality of the situation
the better team at this
stage in the season won. Boston didnt win because they
had two power bats to the Halos one. They didnt win
because of a deadline deal. They didnt win because of
a curse, or HFA. They won because at this stage, this moment
in time, they were a better team and the Angels failed to
produce when it mattered most.
So, without
further ado
lets dissect the prevailing wisdom
on the Boston beatdown.
The Angels
Didnt Care and Are Losers
The less
time spent on this incredibly ignorant theory the better.
A team doesnt win 94 games, play through significant
injuries and juggled lineups, and suddenly not care come October.
If anything the Angels put too much pressure on themselves
as their complete inability to hit with RISP showed. This
is lame and really doesnt deserve more time; but I wanted
to give a special shout out to the stupidity that is this
theory and the tough guys sitting on their couches who can
call other people losers while reaching for another bag of
Doritos.
Scoscia
Is An Idiot For Not Fighting For HFA
Would
HFA been nice? Absolutely, though I think the reality is it
didnt make much difference. To win in the postseason
the Angels were going to have to play well on the road, and
at home. They were most likely going to have to beat Boston,
if not in the first round, then the second round. Hell, the
biggest beat down of the series came during their only home
game. Some fans like to talk about the Fenway curse
as
if somehow a team in 2007 had nightmares about a series in
1986 (when most of these guys werent even teenagers
and probably knew less about the 86 series than the casual
Angels fan).
The Angels
had been hit with injuries all year, and key guys going in
to the final week were obviously dinged up. I believe you
had to rest up guys like Vlad, GA, and OC to try and get them
healthy. And while I dont believe the Angels lost this
series due to injury, the fact is having so many folks dinged
up as it was didnt help. Maybe opening at home against
the Yankees is a completely different postseason, but you
have to win the games that are scheduled and I find it hard
to fault Scioscia for trying to rest up his guys. If they
Angels pushed for HFA and Vlad went down, everyone would be
crying what an idiot Scioscia was for trying for HFA when
Vlad needed rest.
The Angels Lost Due to Injuries
A favorite
of the botox laden Steve Stone, though I dont think
this had a huge impact either. After a 162 game season every
team is dinged up. Did it help having Vlad injured, GMJ out,
GA looking like the villain in a bad Stephan King made for
TV movie, Escobar coming off late season shoulder problems?
Of course not, but this isnt like 2004 where Alfredo
Amazega and Adam Riggs were on the playoff roster. The Angels
did a marvelous job playing through injuries throughout the
year, but the reality is they had most of their horses, if
not at 100%, when it mattered.
Angel
Pitching Didnt Show Up
I actually
havent read many people bring this up, and I think thats
appropriate. The Angel pitching wasnt stellar, but against
a very tough Boston lineup they kept the team in every ballgame
(sans late yesterday after the game was pretty much over).
This doesnt go for Frankie who the Angels need to think
long and hard about come extension discussions.
The Angels
Arent Built For The Playoffs
And by
that I mean the chicks dig the long ball mentality,
Angels need more power bats mentality. Ill spend more
time on this in another posting later, but the long and short
of it is
the Angels were 4th in the league in runs scored
this year. This team knew how to score runs and did it on
a regular basis throughout the year. Could the Angels have
used another power bat in the playoffs? Probably. Is that
the reason they lost? No. The Angels had a very productive
offense this year based on an aggressive approach at the plate,
putting the ball in play, speed on the bases, and most importantly
hitting
with runners on base. They never relied on the home run to
win this year and showed they could do it on a regular basis
(94 times to be exact). Its easy to point to the lack
of home run power, but the reality is the Angels did not lose
because they couldnt out mash Boston
but rather
.
The Angels
Choked the Sawdust Out of the Bats
This year
the Angels hit .284 for the season, they had an OBP of .345
and
they hit .284 with RISP, .301 with an OPS of .803 with runners
on base.
During
the postseason debacle they hit a collective .192, they had
an OBP of .250
and they went 2 for 9,234 with runners
on base. Ok, the reality is they hit .116 with runners on
base and .091 with runners in scoring position, going a collective
2 for 22.
Why did
the Angels lose? Look no further. The Angels had their opportunities
and didnt come through when it mattered, bats turning
to sawdust as they expanded the strike zone and failed to
produce in situations they had produced all year. Sac Flys
became pop-ups, grounds balls through the hole became double
plays. Line drives down the line landed softly in OFers
gloves.
Lets
look at some specific scenarios.
In Game
#1
well, Beckett was simply masterful and no team was
going to hit Josh. But even then the Angels set the tone for
the series in the first inning with Figgins leading off with
a hit and then being left on both second and third by Vlad
and GA. Would pushing across a run have made a difference
at that point? I tend to doubt it, but who knows; maybe it
sets a different tone for the game.
But more importantly lets look at crucial game #2. The
Angels had Dice-K on the ropes numerous times, including the
first inning, and continuously failed to produce. Sure, Manny
hit the dramatic game winning home run, but the Angels never
should have been in that situation.
1st inning - Maicier failed to deliver with first and third
and 2 outs
2nd inning
Angels score 3, but Vlad leaves OC on second with 2
outs
3rd inning
GA leads off with a double, commits a cardinal running
sin trying to advance to 3rd on a ball hit in front of him
and both Kotch and Morales fail to drive in Itzuris from second
4th inning
OC leaves Howie at second with 2 outs
5th inning
Morales leaves Itzuris on 3rd with 2 outs
8th inning
Figgins leaves runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs
6 innings
where the Angels had the chance to push runs across and failed.
Thats where the Angels lost game #2, and it had nothing
to do with lack of power. The opportunities the Angels created
all year were there, and they didnt deliver.
Now, lets
move on to Game #3, where the Angels were knocking Schilling
around early and yet had nothing to show for it.
The third
inning was key to this game. The Angels are able to load the
bases and are poised to take an early important lead. The
crowd was in to this game, Weaver was mowing people down.
Scoring two here potentially redefines the whole series
and
Reggie meekly pops out to the catcher.
The seventh
inning is just another expose in failure to produce. With
the game still 2-0 and the Halos in striking distance Itzuris
gets to 3rd with 1 out
and a pop up to first and strikeout
later the Angels are pretty much done.
So, Sum
It Up Already Red
A lot
went wrong in this series, and there is plenty of blame to
go around. But sometimes it simply comes down to the players
producing when they need to produce. All these theories about
HFA, not being built for the postseason, the players have
no heart
nothing more than chaff. Boston did what they
needed to do, they got timely hits (of the long and short
variety), their ace stepped up when he needed to, and they
played solid baseball. The Angels didnt. They had plenty
of opportunities to win this series, regardless of not having
HFA, players being dinged up, no power, etc
and simply
failed to produce when it matters. 1-2 key hits and game #2
is a different story. If they strike versus Schilling early,
game #3 plays out differently, and hell
if they push
across an early run vs. Beckett who knows what happens (though
I think he still shuts down the Halos).
So, what
does that mean for moving forward? Does this mean the Angels
need to take a look at how the club is built? Does this mean
an overhaul is required? Go big in the offseason? Are they
suddenly the Braves? Stoneman fired? Well
its a
long offseason and theres plenty of time to get to that.
And finally,
it ended with a thud, but thanks to the Angels for a thrilling
season. The fact that people can get so upset about an early
playoff bounce shows just how far this organization has come,
where simply competing is no longer enough and expectations
are much higher. And maybe that, more than anything, tells
you that even after this trouncing its a great time
to be a Halo fan.
BOSTON
LANDS FIRST BLOW
Beckett Dominates Halo Hitters; ALDS To Begin Sunday
By Adam Dodge - Angelswin Senior Writer
It
had been four years since Josh Beckett last pitched in the
post-season. The 2003 World Series Most Valuable Player, who
allowed just two earned runs in his two starts and 16.1 innings
to the New York Yankees in that series, continued his October
dominance on Wednesday night. Beckett held the Angels to just
four singles in a complete game shutout as the Boston Red
Sox took a 1-0 series lead in front of their home fans, winning
game one 4-0.
Becketts
shutout also marked the fifth consecutive post-season game
in which the opposing pitcher has tossed a complete game against
the Angels.
John Lackey
was just 1-4 in seven starts at Fenway Park in his career
and was not sharp on Wednesday, especially early. Lackey fell
behind Kevin Youkilis in the first and grooved a 2-1 fastball.
Youkilis didnt miss it, homering over the green monster
in left center field. For the next couple of innings, Lackey
fell in love with his curveball, and made two mistakes in
the third. Youkilis doubled on a hanger in front of David
Ortiz, who hammered another into the right field seats. After
a walk to Manny Ramirez and a wild pitch, Lackey gave up an
RBI single to Mike Lowell on yet another curveball, albeit
a better one than those to Youkilis and Ortiz. When Lackey
rediscovered his fastball he settled in nicely and gave the
Angels three scoreless innings.
But the
offense could not respond. Beckett, after a lead-off single
to Chone Figgins in the first, retired 19 straight Angels.
Its hard to fault the Angel hitters as Beckett lived
on the corners with a 97MPH fastball, changing eye levels
and mixing in sharp breaking balls and devastating change-ups.
He certainly proved to everyone that he is worthy of being
2007s American League Cy Young winner.
To get
through these Red Sox, the Angels will likely have to face
Beckett again.
Also working
against the Angels is recent history. The team has lost seven
straight post-season games to the Red Sox dating back to 1986
and has not played well at Fenway Park in the Mike Scioscia
era. The team will have to win at least one game in Fenway
if they are to advance to the ALCS.
And they
will.
Thats
right, Angel fans, be ready to celebrate as the Angels have
the pitching edge for the rest of the series.
Kelvim
Escobar takes the hill on Friday night against Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Escobars 3.40 ERA is a full run lower than Dice-Ks.
He also has a winning record in his career at Fenway, and
has been at his best on five or more days of rest, which will
be the scenario tomorrow night.
Offensively,
its simple. Angel hitters must step up. Though their
collective performance on Wednesday night was reminiscent
of the attack they put on the Chicago White Sox
in the 2005 ALCS, this is not the same team. Chone Figgins
and Orlando Cabrera are better now than they were then. Vladimir
Guerrero and Garret Anderson are healthier, and the rest of
the 2007 Angels are much more productive than the role players
of the 2005 team.
It will
be the first time that the Angels will have seen Matsuzaka.
The team was 26-20 in such games this season.
Expecting
a carryover or hangover by the Angels on Friday is as ridiculous
as thinking the Red Sox will ride the momentum
of a game one win. First, the Angels were dominated by arguably
the best pitcher in the American League. They didnt
blow opportunities or squander the game away late. They were
beaten a much easier pill to swallow. Secondly, the
existence of momentum as it relates to the expected outcome
of one baseball game based on the results of another is debatable
in its own right. If momentum in this context does exist,
it certainly will be less of a factor on Friday night as the
teams have Thursday off.
The Red
Sox did what they were supposed to. They won game one at home
on the shoulders of a great pitching performance by their
ace. Nothing shocking about that. Mike Scioscia and the Angels
traveled to Boston with one goal in mind to earn a
split.
And theyve
got the right guy on the mound to get it done.
After
the Angels ride the shoulders of their own ace to victory
on Friday night, get out to the stadium on Sunday for the
START of the ALDS a best of three series, with the
Angels having the home field advantage so many believe is
crucial.
Los
Angeles vs Boston - Take Three
By Eric Denton
Here we
go again.
The match
up Angel fans were dreading. With memories of Dave Henderson
versus Donnie Moore and Jarrod Washburn versus David Ortiz
still fresh in the minds of Angel fans, the Angels vs Red
Sox will meet for the third time in Halos post season history.
So,
does this mean Angel fans should save their playoff ticket
money and not bother showing up ? Does this mean that history
is going to repeat itself yet again ?
I say
no. Why did I come to this conclusion ?
Because
frankly, the Angels haven't played that poor against Boston
this season especially if you take away the three game sweep
Boston handed the Angels in April when the Halos couldn't
have beaten the Bad News Bears. The Angels are 4-3 over their
last seven games against Boston, which includes winning two
of those four games in Fenway Park.
As of
this writing, neither the Angels or Red Sox are playing exceptionally
good baseball. Boston is 4-6 over their last ten games while
the Angels are 5-5. However, things appear better for the
Angels at this point than for Boston.
First
off, the 2007 Angels are a much more talented team than the
one that took the playoff field in 2004. There will be no
Adam Riggs or Alfredo Amezega in the starting lineup this
season. Under performing starters like former Angels Darin
Erstad and Adam Kennedy have been replaced by Casey Kotchman
and Howie Kendrick.
The Angels
will need Vladimir Guerrero, Garret Anderson, Chone Figgins
and Orlando Cabrera primarily to keep up their production
while the rest of the line up doing their job of getting runners
on, over and in. If the top four in the Angels line up produces
the offense should be able to score some runs. Even more so
if Guerrero is able to play right field and the Angels can
add slugger Kendry Morales into the lineup at designated hitter.
On the
pitching front, the Angels will be able to use Kelvim Escobar
as a starter instead of out of the bullpen. The thing Mike
Scioscia is going to want to avoid is John Lackey and Scot
Shields bringing their historical bad showings against Boston
into the playoffs.
As far
as injuries go. There is some question about the availability
of center fielder Gary Matthews Jr., but other than GMJ the
rest of the roster seems to be as healthy as to be expected
this late into the baseball year.
Unlike
2004, it will be the Red Sox who will face the Angels with
many of their contributors at less than 100%.
Sluggers
David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, while always dangerous aren't
having seasons up to their normal power standards. Rookie
of the Year front-runner Dustin Pedroia is slumping. Kevin
Youkilis and Hideki Okajima are nursing injuries. On top of
several starters having disappointing seasons like J.D. Drew,
Julio Lugo, Coco Crisp and Jason Varitek.
As far
as the Red Sox pitching goes. Other than likely Cy Young award
winner Josh Beckett and closer Jonathon Papelbon, it's hard
to call any Red Sox pitchers dominant. So the Angels should
get chances to score off Boston, and it will come down to
their execution with runners in scoring position.
Prediction
: Angels in 4 games. They'll split in Boston and win their
two home games.
John Lackey
will oppose Red Sox ace Josh Beckett in Game 1 Wednesday in
Fenway Park, and Kelvim Escobar will start Game 2 Friday against
Curt Schilling.
ANGEL
MVP's KEY TO POSTSEASON
Figgins
and Guerrero Look to Forget Playoffs Past
By Adam Dodge
As Vladimir
Guerrero and Chone Figgins celebrate a third division title
in four years after yesterdays 7-4 victory over the
Seattle Mariners, they have to be itching to get a crack at
either the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox in the upcoming
ALDS. Arguably the Angels co-Most Valuable Players during
the regular season, neither Figgins nor Guerrero have been
particularly good for the Halos in the postseason. In 2004
and 2005 combined, Figgins reached base just 9 times in 54
plate appearances and was a disappointment defensively. Vladimir
Guerrero wasnt much better hitting just .180 with a
homerun and 7 RBI in his playoff career.
A repeat
of these offensive performances by the clubs key hitters
and the Angels will likely be one and done regardless of which
AL East team they play.
Luckily
for Angel fans, a repeat of 2004 and 2005 is not likely.
After
all, the Chone Figgins of today is much different than the
Chone Figgins of seasons past. His swing is shorter, his discipline
better and his up the middle/other way approach has Figgins
hitting .344 nearly 50 points higher than his career
average. A free swinger in the past, and a hitter that tried
to do way too much, look for Figgins, a league leader in on
base percentage to take many more pitches and gladly accept
walks this go around.
Fans need
only look at Sundays AL West clinching game to see the
change. Twice up with a man on third base, a left handed hitting
Figgins went the other way, each time flying out deep to left
field for sacrifice flies. The former pull happy hitter was
unwilling to negotiate pitchers pitches like the newer
version.
A different
regular season Figgins should logically mean a different postseason
Figgins as well and a much different Angel offense with one
of the games best baserunners on base.
Its
hard to pin point Guerreros past playoff struggles.
Itd be easy to say that he placed too much pressure
on himself and tightened up. But Guerrero did hit a game tying
grand slam in game 3 of the 2004 ALDS against Mike Timlin
and the Boston Red Sox. Its hard to get a bigger hit
under more pressure than that one.
In 2005
the White Sox did successfully, what other teams could not
do during the regular season bust Guerrero in with
fastballs, before living several inches off the plate away
with off-speed pitches. The recent and unexpected return of
a healthy Garret Anderson as a legitimate middle-of-the-order
hitter should allow Guerrero to see better pitches this time
around. Also consider that the Red Sox, Yankees and Indians
do not present the quality or depth of starting pitching the
White Sox had in October, 2005, which shut down not only Guerrero
and the Angels, but each team it faced in the 2005 postseason.
In any
case, Vlady will have to be relatively selective
if he is to have a break out post-season for the Angels and
lead his team to a World Series. That is to say that with
Anderson, Maicer Izturis and Casey Kotchman producing with
runners in scoring position, teams should be reluctant to
completely pitch around the Angels slugger.
Another
factor in the Angels favor is the overall offensive
depth the team has shown this season. Top to bottom, this
Angel club can hit, and is more patient than past versions.
Orlando Cabrera is having a career year. Kotchman has emerged
as a plus hitter with patience and pop, and having a .320+
hitting Howie Kendrick makes the bottom of the line-up formidable.
Once THE offense, Figgins and Guerrero are now - simply part
of a unit.
Figgins
and Guerrero are two of the biggest reasons the Angels are
AL West champions for the third time in four years. And though
they still have to carry the team if it hopes to hang another
World Series flag in left center field, when Manager Mike
Scioscia says they dont, hes not exactly lying
either.
AL
WEST SHOWDOWN
Angels, M's Series Preview
By Adam Dodge - Angelswin.com Senior Writer
August
27th, 2007
2002 saw
the unlikely emergence of the then Anaheim Angels into the
American League West pennant race. Many thought at the time
that the Angels would falter down the stretch. Of course,
that did not happen. The Angels could not overtake the Athletics
in the division, but did win the Wild Card and ultimately
the World Series.
Likewise,
many have waited for the 2007 Seattle Mariners, who sit atop
the AL Wild Card race and just two games behind the Angels,
to finally come down to earth. It's August 27th and with just
five plus weeks remaining in the season it's time for all
to concede that the Mariners are good. Very good!
For the
Angels, nothing's new. The next game the team lines up completely
healthy will be the first in what seems like five years. They
enter this series without leading hitter, Chone Figgins, first
baseman, Casey Kotchman, who are both nursing minor injuries,
and with Juan Rivera, Bartolo Colon and Mike Napoli still
rehabbing their own injuries.
In contrast,
the Mariners have been perhaps the healthiest team in baseball
this season, losing not one regular for any significant time.
At 8-4
against the Mariners this season, the Angels will send John
Lackey (15-8, 3.34 ERA) to the mound in game one. Lackey was
hit hard by the Red Sox two starts ago, and faltered late
against the Yankees in his last appearance. Lackey will be
opposed by Seattle starter, Miguel Batista, who leads the
Mariners' staff with 13 victories, and who beat the Angels
the last time the two teams met. In the key game of the series,
Lackey must return to form. Another bad outing here could
set the tone for the series, which could see a reversal in
the standings if the Angels are swept.
Game two
on Tuesday will see a battle of inconsistent right-handers
as Ervin Santana (5-12, 6.03) will oppose ex-Angel, Jeff Weaver,
who has won his last four decisions.
The series
will conclude with a day game Wednesday and a potentially
great match-up between young hurlers Jered Weaver and Felix
Hernandez.
The Mariners
enter the series having been somewhat cooled in the last couple
days, as they dropped two to the Texas Rangers over the weekend.
The Angels
are glad to be done with Toronto after a four game split of
their own.
KEYS TO
THE SERIES
For the
Angels it has to be production from the top of the line-up.
With Chone Figgins likely to miss all three games, Reggie
Willits will have to get on base from the lead-off spot. Vladimir
Guerrero has been a Mariner killer since arriving in the AL
in 2004 and can be expected to continue his hot hitting. Garret
Anderson is in the midst of his most productive stretch of
the season. If Willits and Orlando Cabrera are able to create
action ahead of them, the Angels will score plenty of runs.
After
dominant outings in their last appearances, Scot Shields and
Frankie Rodriguez appear to have worked out the mechanical
issues, which caused their struggles. If given a lead, the
Mariners will have their work cut out for them if they're
to come back.
This is
a big series, especially for the Mariners, who face a much
tougher road than the Angels the rest of the way.
PREDICTION
The loss
of Figgins proves too much.
Mariners
take series 2 games to 1
Angelswin.com:
The Internet Home for Angel Fans
By Adam Dodge - Angelswin.com Senior Writer
August 21st, 2007
As the players align for their respective team pictures after nine innings of softball it is apparent that the individuals within the group know their place in this world. Their faces red from the midday sun, their shirts and hats covered in sweat and dust, most with grimaces expressing agonizing discomfort…these guys are not cut out for the daily grind faced by ballplayers.
What is this collection of gentlemen ranging in age from 19 to 65? Baseball fans. Specifically, Angel fans that spend much of each day of the baseball season discussing their favorite team on the increasingly popular Angelswin.com, a fan site created and developed along side Don Mason & Eddie Valencia, by long-time Angel Fan and Systems Support Engineer, Chuck Richter.
The Softball game and after party at Danny K’s Sports Grill and Billiards is the first all inclusive get-together for this community of fans since the site went live in February, 2003.
Since then, the site has grown into one of the best places on the web for Angel fans to meet. Richter did not have a mission statement for the site, just a motto – "A site from the fans for the fans."
Angelswin.com is just that as the site’s content is provided directly from Angel fans. The writing staff-Eric Denton, an admin for a major software company, Victor Varadi, a project manager for a web design company and myself, an office manager and stand-up comedian- produces feature articles, columns and series previews and provides game recaps on a weekly basis. The articles can be found on the Angelswin.com homepage and on the site’s accompanying blog.
Angel fans can also get information directly from the Angels, as Vice President of Media Relations, Tim Mead and Angels’ scout, Eddie Bane frequently provide Angelswin.com readers with their insight as to the state of the franchise, the direction it may be moving as well as analysis on minor league prospects. In addition, Richter has taken advantage of Spring Training in Tempe, AZ. annually interviewing coaches and prospects for the site's season preview, a must read for all Angel fans.
Richter has also been fortunate enough to find contributors in or near the team’s minor league affiliates. For example, Angels fans can read weekly updates from Kevin Mark of Salt Lake City, who covers the Bees, the Angels’ AAA affiliate. Mark attends many of the Bees’ home games and provides insightful analysis as to the progress made by Angel prospects and rehabbing veterans. Because of this unique insight Angelswin.com readers already knew what to expect from young players like Howie Kendrick, Mike Napoli and Joe Saunders before they made their Major League debuts.
Every Wednesday afternoon, look for the weekly prospect hotlist as Jason Sinner and Chuck Richter team up to compile a top 10 list of who's hot in the minors, as well as Richter's annual top 20 Prospects list following the season.
On the site’s message board, the most active forum on the net and a real lure for readers, fans can be found posting their thoughts on issues related to the team, its players, front office and other issues related to Major League Baseball, other sports, pop culture, even religion and politics. Discussions and arguments are a 24 hour per day occurrence. These arguments sometimes become heated, but are always entertaining and the board’s moderators never allow things to get out of hand, a major reason why so many have flocked to Angelswin.com.
Geoff Bilau, one of the site’s first regulars and creator of many of the logos found on the site and its new clothing line agrees. "Many of the (message board) posters came over from the message board hosted by ESPN which were seriously flawed by a lack of moderation powers and steady flow of outsiders who sought to exploit that weakness."
As with many message boards, Angelswin.com has had its share of "trolls," whose sole purpose seems to be to cause mischief and mayhem by antagonizing members of the online community with repugnant rants comprised mainly of vulgarity and bad grammar. The board’s moderators are quick to delete the tasteless posts and ban the users who express them.
For the most part, fans will find good natured discussion on the message board, as posters tackle important issues such as Scot Shields’ diet, Kelvim Escobar’s heater and Garret Anderson’s demeanor on the field.
Beware first-timers as sarcasm seems to be the communication method of choice by most of the site’s members, who themselves are often the topic of conversation. Whether it’s someone’s taste in women, adventures in travel, or alma mater the community can be relentless in poking fun at one of their own.
Most everyone who frequents the Angelswin.com message board does so under a pseudonym, which typically provides insight as to some aspect of the poster. For example, "Halo N ‘Zona" resides in Arizona. "Red321" has red hair, "Angel25Fan" for his 25 years + as an Angels fan, and ex-ESPN forum moderator and "ChiliDavisEyez" is apparently a big fan of the former Angel designated hitter’s ability to see the baseball. Although, I am still trying to figure that one out.
"Chonito,", "GlausGirl," "Baseballmom" and "Napacious44" make up the female population. Outnumbered by men by more than 100 to 1, the women often pool their efforts and collectively bash whichever male poster decides it’s his day to play a chauvinist. Often that man is "Angel In Red" (or simply, AIR), the elder statesman if you will. AIR receives grief from all as he is admittedly the oldest regular (based on age) on the site. These spats are all in fun and never serious, but provide entertainment to all that read along.
The greatest topic of debate deals with Angels' General Manager, Bill Stoneman. There are two groups of fans on the board and choosing a side is a requisite of becoming a frequent poster. The Anti-Stonemans and Pro-Stonemans wage daily battle as the two groups debate whether or not Stoneman is good at his job. Some say that his ineffectiveness at the trade deadline through the years is reason enough for Arte Moreno to find a new, more aggressive team architect, while others will argue that the Angels are in the midst of their best run in franchise history in large part due to Stoneman's ability to build a deep farm system. This schism in the Angelswin.com family has not yet led to civil war, but how the Angels finish the season and the manner in which they do so could change that.
During Angels' telecasts, those who are not in attendance often spend some or the entirety of the game in the site's gameday chatroom, typing away cheers for their favorite Angels and curses for Angel opponents. The chatroom is a great way for Angelswin.com members to share in the excitement of the game while also getting an oppurtunity to get to know each other on a personal level. Much like the site's message board be prepared for sarcasm and banter. Keep in mind for when things aren't going the Angels' way, the chatroom is uncensored and many like to express their frustration, present company included.
Angelswin.com provides fans with an alternative to the major baseball websites, focusing solely on coverage of LA's best team from a fan's perspective. The site's graphics and logos are second to none and most importantly it provides a fraternal atmosphere where people can share their love of Angels' baseball without fear of being attacked by the obnoxious sect that flood the other homes of baseball fans on the web.
PART II
Angels Look Towards Playoffs, Beyond in Second Half
By Adam Dodge - Angelswin Columnist
July 11th, 2007
Aside
from the teams first road trip, a lackluster 1-7 performance
and a 4-8 stretch to heading into the All-Star break, the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim played outstanding baseball
in the first half. At 53-35, the team sits atop the American
League Western Division 2.5 games ahead of the surprising
Seattle Mariners.
In a bit
of a role reversal from the last few years, it was the Angels
offense which has carried them to the second best record in
the American League. Strong first half performances from Orlando
Cabrera, Vladimir Guerrero, Reggie Willits, Chone Figgins
and solid contributions from Casey Kotchman, Howie Kendrick
and Gary Matthews Jr. have the Angels near the top of the
league in batting average and runs scored.
For the
Angels to hold off the surging Mariners, the offense will
need to continue to shine. No one expects the Angels
top hitters to hit at their current pace. Reggie Willits has
cooled of late and Orlando Cabrera has not produced as well
over his past few weeks. Likewise, Chone Figgins set an impossible
pace by hitting better than .460 in June. The Angel bats will
collectively cool off a bit in the second half. But that does
not mean the production has to. Expect big halves from MVP
candidate, Guerrero and hard hitting second baseman, Kendrick
who is rounding into shape. Guerrero had a good first half
by his standards, hitting over .320 and driving in more than
70. But consider that he only hit 14 homeruns, a number he
is certain to surpass in the second half. Kendrick suffered
a couple of injuries in the first half, but has been swinging
a hot bat of late and looks primed to take off down the stretch.
Gary Matthews
Jr. has been consistently productive for the Angels, but has
lacked RBI production since mid-June. After starting the season
in the lead-off spot, Mike Scioscia has primarily used Matthews
in the 4 and 5 spot since May. Expect more tinkering, especially
if Willits continues to struggle. It wouldnt be a surprise
if Matthews finds himself in one of the top three spots as
the season progresses.
What is
noticeably certain is that Scioscia has to adjust his current
line-up, which has Guerrero hitting clean-up, rather than
third. A healthy and productive Garret Anderson (no pun intended)
could go a long way in helping Scioscia with that decision.
Any thought of the Angels all-time hits and RBI leader
as a legitimate clean-up man has evaporated more quickly than
an Al Gore III doobie. But if Anderson can produce in 2007s
second half the way he did in 2006, or even in the last week,
the Angels could hit him 5th or 6th, allowing Kendrick to
possibly move up in the line-up as well.
The Angels
have enough good players to absorb slumps from a few provided
the team stays relatively healthy.
Juan Rivera
may also return in the second half and could play a huge role
protecting Vlad down the stretch. Rivera, a proverbial long
shot at this point due to his slow recovery, is nonetheless
yet another quality bat Scioscia can use as the Angels reach
the pennant race.
Assuming
that the Oakland As are unable to overcome their early
season hole and injuries, a big assumption based on their
performance in the second half in recent years, which has
been the best in baseball, the Seattle Mariners will be the
Angels sole hurdle to another AL West championship.
From the Angels been there, done that perspective,
only with a World Series Championship will the 2007 season
be a success.
So, how
do they get there?
While
the offense has been for the most part outstanding, and should
function well in the second half, the Angels must pitch their
way to another ring. Expected to be the strength of the team
entering the season, the pitching has underachieved.
Sure,
John Lackey, an All-Star and Kelvim Esocbar, an All-Star snub
are having career years, but the rest of the rotation has
not pitched as advertised. Jered Weaver has been good, not
great but appears to be hitting a stride at the right time.
Expect a very good final 15 or so starts from Weaver who missed
a lot of spring training and has looked really good of late.
The problem
with the Angels pitching lay in the four and five spots
in the rotation. The Angels are above .500 when Bartolo Colon
pitches, but hardly due to the stocky right-handers
efficiency. Colon got off to a good start but has been lunch
meat on the mound for the last 5-6 weeks as fans have seen
his ERA rise to the mid 6.00s. It seems unfathomable
that Colon will continue to pitch as poorly as he has and
improvement can be expected. Colons first half in 2007
is reminiscent of his 2004 first half bad! Lets
hope he replicates his second half from that season. With
the All-Star break, and the second half rotation set, Colon
will receive nine days off before his next start, which could
be key to his ability to get off to a good start in the second
half.
Most alarming
has been the performance of Ervin Santana, who was off to
great start to his career, posting 28 wins in less than two
years of service. Santana has been awful on the road and just
adequate at home. Theres no doubt that Santana has Major
League stuff, but the fire he showed in big games in his first
two seasons has been non-existent in 2007. His face has exuded
defeat from the very first pitch of most all of his starts.
If hes unable to get on track immediately after the
break, expect Santana to be sent down or to the pen and replaced
by Joe Saunders, who has pitched well and with grit and determination
is his handful of spot starts this season.
If the
Angels are to win the West and go deep into post-season, they
will not only need the starting staff to improve, but also
the bullpen. Only Scot Shields and Frankie Rodriguez have
excelled. Middle relief has been a huge problem for the club
and must get better. Dustin Moseley has been good, but cant
be expected to continue to consistently pitch as well as he
has. A 4.00+ ERA in the minors suggests that Major League
hitters will catch up to the right hander, something that
has already begun recently. It seems that hitters have already
figured Chris Bootcheck out, as he has been shelled in his
most recent outings. The Angels have already designated an
ineffective Hector Carrasco for assignment. Darren Oliver
has been better of late, but will need to continue to improve
in the second half if he is to be counted upon to get left-handers
out late in games.
The good
news is Justin Speier appears to be on the verge of returning
to the Angels in the second half. Speier was lights out before
a viral infection sidelined him early in the season. Speier,
along with an improving Oliver may or may not be enough to
solidify the bullpen.
Bill Stoneman
has been ridiculed for his stubborn attitude towards trades
since he took over GM duties. With the Angels offense
performing consistently well, its the pitching that
can use an upgrade in 2007. As Stoneman is a pitching first
general manager, he may be motivated to move pieces to gain
an arm, specifically for the bullpen.
The Mariners
may not go away. Regardless, the Angels have enough to get
by them and capture another Division title. The Mariners have
played beyond their ability and should be taken seriously.
However, their bullpen cannot be expected to pitch as effectively
in the second half as it has in the first based on past performance
and their rotation has over achieved. Offensively, they are
good, but lack consistent production in the middle of the
line-up as Richie Sexon and Adrian Beltre are prone to long
hitting slumps. Losing Hargrove and his leadership is huge.
Ichiro Suzukis contract situation and the always volatile
Jose Guillen are potential distractions down the stretch.
Look for the Ms to fade around mid-August.
Once in
the playoffs, Mike Scioscia can shorten the rotation. Lackey,
Escobar and Weaver are as formidable a trio as any in the
American League. But against patient hitting teams like Boston,
Detroit and Cleveland, the Angels will be hard pressed to
get their starting pitchers through seven innings. The bullpen
will be a huge factor in determining whether or not the Angels
can get past those teams. Another quality arm in the bullpen
might make the difference between winning a World Series or
being knocked out in the first round, even more so than the
elusive big bat, which does not appear to be available,
and unlikely to be acquired even if it was.
We can
analyze and speculate all we want, but in the end, as with
every season it will come down to the games played on the
field. The Angels, to reach their ultimate goal will need
to beat the Mariners (and As for that matter) head to
head. With ten games remaining against Seattle the opportunity
is there for either team to seize control of the division.
How will
it turn out?
You just
never know.
ANGELS ARE BEST OF THE BEST
AL West Leaders Continue to Roll
By Adam Dodge
No one
is crowned Champion in June, but one of the great
things about baseball is the ongoing speculation as to which
team is best at any point of the season. And on seemingly
any given day an argument can be made for one of a half-dozen
teams. Today, to say that any team is better than the Los
Angeles Angels would result in a difficult to win argument
to be sure.
And truly
there is only one team in baseball that one could argue is
in the Angels class. The Boston Red Sox, who have cooled
of late, are still percentage points ahead of the Halos in
the standings. The New York Mets are often called a great
team. Well, if a great team is good hitting team with a weak
pitching staff that plays in a bad league, then yes, the Mets
are great. With arguably the top five or six teams all playing
in the American League, the Angels franchise best 46-27
start is even more impressive when you consider they match
up with the likes of Cleveland, Detroit, Oakland, Boston and
the New York Yankees, who are on a torrid streak of winning
games at the moment.
Most baseball
related arguments are based on statistical data and a comparison
between teams. That is an efficient, if not effective way
of settling such debates. However, to fully appreciate what
the Angels are doing, we must look beyond statistics. The
brilliance of Scioscias bunch must be witnessed first
hand. The Angels are winning games in every way possible.
They will shut you out, blow you out and come from behind.
We all knew the Angels would out pitch their share of opponents,
but its been the hitting that has led the Angels to
the top of a lot of power rankings. They lack power and rank
near the bottom of the American League in homeruns, but they
can score with anyone right now. The Angels are second in
MLB in hitting, fourth in runs scored, fifth in on base percentage
and sixth in team ERA. Define balance.
And unlike
last season, which saw the Angels win 89 games, the difference
this year is that the team is winning games it has no business
winning largely due to the frenzy hitting offense. Take Tuesday
nights game for example. John Lackey was uncharacteristically
awful. The defense was bad. The Angels found themselves down
9-4 entering the bottom of the 7th inning. Some 20 minutes
and 3 outs later the game was tied. This team resembles the
2002 group. Theyre never out of a game, and they know
how to ride and maintain momentum. Last night the Angels found
themselves in a 4-2 hole entering the bottom of the 7th inning
and scored 6 runs to put the game away. The amazing thing
they
scored all 6 runs while getting just 1 hit. Unlike Angel teams
past, this group has shown an ability to work counts and take
walks thanks in large part due to Reggie Willits and Gary
Matthews Jr.
The Angels
have been lucky. For example, the injury to Garret Anderson
allowed Willits to enter the line up. Willits has responded
by posting a .400+ OBP, and is hitting around .330, while
fitting in nicely to the Angels running game.
This team
is not Vladimir Guerrero and a bunch of throw ins. Still in
the midst of their hottest streak of the season, which has
seen the Angels win 8 consecutive series and 12 of 13, theyve
done in large part without a hot Guerrero or Matthews. The
two have been okay over the past month, but not what they
were in April. Chone Figgins, Casey Kotchman, Mike Napoli
and Howie Kendrick have been blazing hot recently. And this
is noteworthy because many fans and media members were of
the opinion that Scioscia and the Angels should bench both
Figgins and Kotchman in favor of Maicer Izturis and Kendry
Morales. This is a case of Scioscias loyalty and patience
paying off. Ironic because its his patience and loyalty,
which often earns Scioscia the majority of his criticism.
In 2007 it might be responsible for the teams best start
in franchise history.
At 46-27
the Angels look to be cruising towards the playoffs. Theyve
done it by displaying better balance than any team in the
bigs. Their starting pitching, back end of the bullpen and
surprisingly good offense makes the Angels good. That theyre
beating good teams when they themselves play poorly, that
makes them great. And right now, there is no one greater.
TEAM
OF STARS
Angels Should be Well Represented
in San Francisco
By Adam Dodge - Angelswin Columnist
June 6th 2007
With their
5-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins last night the Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim earned their lea |