A New Member Commenting on What I Like about Your 2014 Angels and Similarities to 2002

[instant karma]

Hi All:

 

Thank you for welcoming me aboard Angels Win.  This is my second post.  My first was in spring training, sharing my optimism for the year to come.

 

Some observations (some of which I know have been shared by others in past posts):

 

• Oakland's extended hot streak reminds me of 2002.  That was the year that Oakland finished with 103 wins, winning the West.  Beyond us winning the series in 2002, what I most remember was that despite how scorchingly hot Oakland was, they could not separate from us in a significant way.  The A's won 20 consecutive games in a stretch from August to September, but we stayed nearly as hot all the way.  This years Angels team reminds me of that.

• I love the way the back end of our rotation (Skaggs and Shoemaker) are contributing.
•  
• Who knew--we now have a bullpen that is lights-out and reliable.  Sciocisa and Dipoto deserves props for this.  Scisocia uses the first half of the season to sort things out roster-wise.  I don't think her gets enough credit for that. He now has people in roles that they can succeed in.  
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• The American League is weak this year.  The only formidable opponents the Angels are contending with are the A's, Seattle (because of their pitching), Detroit (who are weaker then last year) and Baltimore (who I think will win the East).
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• World series caliber teams show an ability to come from behind.  Unlike like year, the 2014 Angels fight to the last out and have the most come from behind victories as any in the majors.  Very cool.
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• World Series caliber teams have a string bench.  The 1988 Dodgers has the Stunt Men.  This Angels team has that kind of bench, with people like McDonald, Cowgill, Green, etc, who are all making contributions. 
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• World Series caliber teams have we versus I mentality which leads to a strong club house/chemistry.  We  have that in 2014.  You can tell that everyone is on the same page and different people contribute on a daily basis.  I love the fact we beat Texas' brains out on Thursday and Mike Trout had no hits.  Other people contributed.
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• World series caliber teams have leaders.  This team does with Poujols, Weaver, Freeze, and Trout (who in earlier years was probably too green to take on a laedership role.

I don't know if the Angels will win the series this year. I do believe the direction they have taken will lead to a world series in the near future.

 

PS:  I am concerned about CJ Wilson.  Never have been a fan.  He seems like a nice guy with no balls and no ability to pitch well in meaningful games.  He's got great stuff but he thinks too much.  I don't know why he doesn't throw more strikes.

[Chris]

Solid overall post and welcome.  I'm really enjoying this team as well.

 

But I have to ask, Mike Trout had no hits on Thursday?  I must have imagined that 3 run HR that Trout hit in the 3rd; and caught by that kid behind CF wall and thrown back.

[Sam Sanchez]

Enjoyed the post.

[Spencer]

tl;dr

pubes

[Chris]

I could be wrong but I think we went 17-3 while the A's won 20 in a row in 2002.  I think we finished with 99 wins as a wild card team; obviously a strong wild card team and a champion. 

[Chuck]

Good post! 

[ukyah]

solid post, but i've got to call you out on the "thinks too much" catchphrase. nobody thinks too much. cj is a nibbler, it's who he is as a pitcher. when it's working it works, and when he's off, he's way off. take him as he comes, which is pretty good most of the time.

 

i totally agree about the angels hanging with oakland as in 2002. i had the same thought through this last stretch where we won a ton of games, but didn't make up a ton of ground, which is the negative way of looking at it. the positive way is that oakland won all those games and didn't put any real distance between themselves and the angels.

[mopuddin]

I could be wrong but I think we went 17-3 while the A's won 20 in a row in 2002.  I think we finished with 99 wins as a wild card team; obviously a strong wild card team and a champion. 

 

yeah, 20 in a row. that shit is gnarly. and this a's team is looking the same. they just refuse to lose. it's getting really annoying.

 

but all in all, these two teams are the best in baseball. not just the al west. not just in the al, but in all of baseball. this is a great year to be an angels, or dare i say - an a's fan. hell, it's a great year to baseball fan on the west coast. this is some good baseball right here, folks.

Edited July 12, 2014 by mopuddin

[Slegnaac]

I agree with the comments about the leadership on this team being solid.

I don't think this team is score board watching. What Oakland is doing at this point doesn't matter to them. They are only concerned with what they can do on the field each night.

[gotbeer]

The one big difference between 2002 and 2014 that scares me.  In 2002, we got the wildcard and kicked in the Yankees teeth in a 5 game set, but we lost the first game of every playoff series that year.  In 2014, if we make the wildcard, it's a one game free for all.  

[Inside Pitch]

 

i totally agree about the angels hanging with oakland as in 2002. i had the same thought through this last stretch where we won a ton of games, but didn't make up a ton of ground, which is the negative way of looking at it. the positive way is that oakland won all those games and didn't put any real distance between themselves and the angels.

 

All that did was make me bitter.   Watching us win day after day and not gain, in fact some days we lost ground while at the same time the Dodgers gained like 9.5 games on the Giants chapped me.   We were outplaying the Dodgers and getting nowhere.  Even worse, places like MLB Network was slobberknocking all over the Dodgers when in reality they should have been talking about the Giants pulling a 95 Angels in June.

[ukyah]

All that did was make me bitter.   Watching us win day after day and not gain, in fact some days we lost ground while at the same time the Dodgers gained like 9.5 games on the Giants chapped me.   We were outplaying the Dodgers and getting nowhere.  Even worse, places like MLB Network was slobberknocking all over the Dodgers when in reality they should have been talking about the Giants pulling a 95 Angels in June.

just change your attitude. like i said, the angels hung with an opponent through a tough stretch. they could have played better than .500 ball and found themselves 10 games back. 

 

it's a fair assumption, based off of what beane has said, that the stretch of games is what prompted the A's to trade all those prospects for samardizja and hammels. it's going to be a tough task to dethrone the A's, but the angels are showing that they're up to the task. i grew up boxing and i equate it to the truth, which is that it usually takes a tough fight to beat the champ. they tend to not stay down early.