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I was concerned about Walden going into last season because of his Spring Training performance (or lack thereof) and got blasted by a lot of you defending him saying "maybe he is working on a pitch" and other typical spring training cliches. Well, turned out he lost his closers role about a week into the season.

 

I have the same feeling about Wilson. Let's hope I am hitting .500

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I was concerned about Walden going into last season because of his Spring Training performance (or lack thereof) and got blasted by a lot of you defending him saying "maybe he is working on a pitch" and other typical spring training cliches. Well, turned out he lost his closers role about a week into the season.

 

I have the same feeling about Wilson. Let's hope I am hitting .500

 

As long as he throws strikes, CJ will be fine. None of us can predict that...

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This is not meant to be a cop out, but imo, spring training pitching is always a worry, even if a staff is doing great.  Something just clicks on Opening Day when everything changes.  There's a different focus, different distractions and different line-ups.  It can all come together and it can all fall apart.

 

My bet is the Angels pen and starting pitching improve greatly within the first week or two of the season.  But will they improve enough?

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I have the same concerns as everyone else. That said, I tjink a big part of it is because we are so used to dominant pitching.

2002 had a starting staff worse than this, albeit with a better bullpen (by far). But the offense this year should be huge. I think pujols bounces back decently. Trout and hamilton will fall off a bit, but we should still score 5-6 a game (averages), enough to support a mediocre staff. The skanks won it just recently w sabathia and burnett. Vargas can be phil hughes. Hanson can be better (fingers crossed)

Basically its a different approach than were used to so no one has the warm and fuzzy just yet.

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I have the same concerns as everyone else. That said, I tjink a big part of it is because we are so used to dominant pitching.

2002 had a starting staff worse than this, albeit with a better bullpen (by far). 

 

That's the rub, the 2002 team didn't break camp with that shutdown pen..  not even close,.

 

Among the pitchers on the opening day roster that year...  

 

Mark Lukasiewicz who had put up an ERA over 6.00 the previous year as a 28 year old rookie.

Ben Weber had likewise managed an ERA over 6.00 for his career as a 30 year old rookie.

Al Levine was 31 years old and a proud owner of 5.30 ERA (made debut at 28)

Lou Pote had been picked off the scrap pile, made his debut at age 27, and was coming off a 4.26 ERA season entering 2002.

Dennis Cook was 39 years old and coming off a 5.54 ERA in the NL...

Donne Wall, 34 years old and fresh off a 4.84 ERA in Shea Stadium of all places.

Percy.

 

That was the bullpen.  ONE sure thing, and a guy in Pote that had proven himself a pretty reliable middle reliever.

 

Scot Shields was called up in June.  

Brendan Donnelly I think opened with the Angels was sent down and then recalled in June.  Didn't establish himself until July.  Schoeneweis was demoted to the pen.

KRod didn't get called up until September.

 

People here have just grown accustomed to shut down pens -- as a whole we have been very good in that area for a very long time.   But if you compare the people in place this year to the guys that were on that 2002 roster to start the season it's hard to argue we aren't in much better shape.

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im ok with it now but come playoff time our rotation is not going to strike fear in anyone.

my friends up here say: "great offseason for your angels. great bats but with those starters you get the pleasure of being the latest team to lose to the giants in the world series."

and its hard to not agree with them.

 

Watch Blanton and Hanson 2013 become Zito and Linecum 2012.

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That's the rub, the 2002 team didn't break camp with that shutdown pen..  not even close,.

 

Among the pitchers on the opening day roster that year...  

 

Mark Lukasiewicz who had put up an ERA over 6.00 the previous year as a 28 year old rookie.

Ben Weber had likewise managed an ERA over 6.00 for his career as a 30 year old rookie.

Al Levine was 31 years old and a proud owner of 5.30 ERA (made debut at 28)

Lou Pote had been picked off the scrap pile, made his debut at age 27, and was coming off a 4.26 ERA season entering 2002.

Dennis Cook was 39 years old and coming off a 5.54 ERA in the NL...

Donne Wall, 34 years old and fresh off a 4.84 ERA in Shea Stadium of all places.

Percy.

 

That was the bullpen.  ONE sure thing, and a guy in Pote that had proven himself a pretty reliable middle reliever.

 

Scot Shields was called up in June.  

Brendan Donnelly I think opened with the Angels was sent down and then recalled in June.  Didn't establish himself until July.  Schoeneweis was demoted to the pen.

KRod didn't get called up until September.

 

People here have just grown accustomed to shut down pens -- as a whole we have been very good in that area for a very long time.   But if you compare the people in place this year to the guys that were on that 2002 roster to start the season it's hard to argue we aren't in much better shape.

 

Yeah, we've really been spoiled by the Angels bullpen of the recent past. A huge part of those consecutive playoff appearances was the bullpen (especially Scot Shields). Anyway, what you are saying is not only true of 2002. Almost every year it takes until about the ASB to form a cohesive pen. It was just as true when we signed Romero and Oliver, as when we traded for Frieri.

 

Still, I'm more excited about this year's pen than any in the recent past. Frieri, Downs, and Jepsen is a shutdown pen. Add Burnett and you have 4 guys who have proven they can get the job done. Then Madson will come back. Be patient; it will probably take him a while to return to form, even after he returns to the mound. But, then we'll have yet another arm to slot in the closer's role, moving everyone down an inning.

 

Williams will be just fine in long relief and you have Richards as a wild card.

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We have a lot of IFs with the starters, but you can play that game with any team's rotation.  It is the pen that has cost this team the most, and it's looking like it will be the pen again unless some of these guys settle in.

 

You just never know with pitching, anyway.  Crossing my fingers, but still I'd say that if the pen can get it together the division is ours.

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