Orange County Register: Miller: Hey, Angels fans, it's time to panic

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM – In this space two days ago, I wrote about the Angels’ thinned-out rotation and suggested it might be a concern in October, a suggestion I chose to convey thusly: THE ANGELS COULD BE DOOMED!!! Just hours later, in their game Monday, Matt...

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[Blarg]

This was a really dumb article. 

[Angelsfirst]

Serious waste of time reading that.

[Link]

Terrible. All the things the Angels have overcome and a "very mild oblique strain" is the one that should make us panic?

The writer also does a fantastic job trivializing all the accomplishments of the Halos and their ability to succeed without key players while contradicting himself frequently.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Link

[stormngt]

The article only says what a lot are thinking. We could be in trouble. I hope not but if Shoemaker is out for the playoffs we are screwed.

[Angelsjunky]

I thought Shoemaker will only miss his next start. If that's the case, no big deal - he'll be more rested for the postseason.

[floplag]

on the day we clinch a post season berth, this fishwrap hack writes this...

[Angel Oracle]

Uhh, oblique injuries are not minor.

Is it not possible that he misses part of the post-season?

Given that the rotation is Weaver, Santiago, and Nibs plus bailing wire, you can forget about the Halos chances in the post-season if Shoemaker can't pitch!

And even if they somehow ride that rotation through the ALDS, facing the O's in the ALCS might as well be 1979 all over again.

Because that rotation would be barely better than Ryan, Frost, Tanana, and Knapp were in 1979.

This has been a great ride, given the injuries.

They deserve mad props for this season.

I'm just being brutally honest of their chances without Shoemaker.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[fan_since79]

If Shoemaker thinks his mild strain is no big deal, that's good enough for me. He's a beast. He'll pitch through it if he has to. The extra rest will also do him good. I look forward to him picking up right where he left off.

 

I'm more worried about CJ than anything else. We need him to get his act together and throw strikes. No nibbling allowed in the playoffs!

Edited September 17, 2014 by fan_since79

[DoubleOffTheWall]

I have no idea how we are going to win in the postseason with all of our injuries.

You need at least two guys to pitch well so Shoe cant just come back, he needs to pick up right where he left off.

Lester and Lackey were enough to carry the sox last year, with blah performances from their other starters. Wainwright and Wacha the same for the Cardinals.

But we are looking at possibly just Weaver, with a banged up shoe and question marks with nibs and santiago.

To me, the nationals have it easy this year. They got all things going while the other teams all seem to have at least one or two major issues.

[fan_since79]

Dodgers will probably be down to Kershaw and Greinke, unless Ryu can get well fast. The bullpen is not good either, with the exception of Jansen and Howell.

Edited September 17, 2014 by fan_since79

[Mark68]

CJ needs to get out of his own head, now.

 

He is his own (and his team's) worst enemy.

 

Oblique strains can be problematic and linger, as Miller stated.

 

The good news is, if CJ rights the ship, we wouldn't necessarily need a fourth starter in the ALDS, which gives Shoemaker an extra couple of weeks to rest.

 

IF CJ rights the ship.

[mulwin444]

You could look at pretty much any point in the season and begin a statement with "I don't see how..." and yet the Angels keep winning.  They've suffered injuries or ailments to Pujols, Wilson, Green, Hamilton, Calhoun, Freese, Richards, Skaggs, Street, Shoemaker, demotions to Santiago, Cron, struggles from Trout and others mentioned and yet they still have the best record in baseball with 11 games left, magic number of 2, and with a 3 game lead for HFA throughout the playoffs.  They have to go 7-4 to have the best record in franchise history.  A team can win despite missing some pieces.  Does it make it harder?  Sure, but if this team has proven anything, its resilient. 

 

I guess it comes down to how you want to experience this season.  You can spend the rest of the time worrying and complaining about stuff that could happen or enjoy what is happening.  Either way, you have no control over the outcome, you can't influence the manager to make a different choice, and you can't uninjure a player that is thought to be essential.  There are a number of examples of championship teams that won despite issues that were viewed as challenging or insurmountable.  Time will tell if the 2014 Angels are one of those teams.

Edited September 17, 2014 by mulwin444

[Jay]

It's really not news that we have a thin rotation, this has been the case all season.  Somehow the Angels have won despite the thin rotation.  The usual formula for a WS champion begins with a strong rotation but hopefully this year will be different.

[Angel Oracle]

That formula in 2002 was different.  

The rotation was just a little above average, and was average in the post-season.    The bullpen was great, and the frenetic hitting did the rest in the post-season.

But, has this pen been overworked thanks to the lack of innings from the starters in 2014?

 

Shoemaker was the one guy, along with Weaver since late August, who could give you 6-7 innings a start.

Lose him for the post-season, and I don't see a way for this team to prevail.

 

As I said earlier here, it's been a great season.   But the injuries and lack of starter innings may finally be catching up.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[Palomar]

This article was only stating the obvious.  We have all thought it, but not sure why an article about something so obvious was necessary. Um, yes we know. The "formula" that the experts have created for winning in the postseason will definitely be tested for this team.  But, somehow the Angels have the best record in baseball despite not adhering to this formula.  Not an ideal situaiton but we shall see what happens.     

[Angel Oracle]

True, but any team can only absorb so many hits to the rotation.

First Skaggs, then GRich, and now Shoemaker

[laagamer]

How does this guy have a job?

[70runner]

CJ looming as the Angels wild card for the playoffs.  If Shoemaker is out for the first round, it won't get done with Weaver alone.  Sure we have the best record, have overcome adversity (though I would argue losing Hamilton was not adverse), but playoffs place a premium on pitching, not who has the best record.   Without Shoe & GR it is difficult to describe the Angels starting staff as playoff caliber.   Nibs will have to show up.

[Link]

Uhh, oblique injuries are not minor.

Is it not possible that he misses part of the post-season?

 

 

 

I know that the Halos have a history of injuries lasting longer and being worse than originally described but when the first MRI came back they weren't even sure he'd miss a start and Shoe was saying (I can't seem to find the quote) that he felt like he could go out there for his next start.  Considering the situation they're in (already clinched and clinching the division soon) there's no real need for deception so I doubt they're lying when they say that the one start he's missing is simply precautionary.  Shoemaker is also a gamer so he can probably pitch through a little pain in the postseason if he has to.

 

Of course there's some small possibility that he comes back pitching differently or that the injury nags when he tries to come back but I'm inclined to take this at face value given the situation.  I don't think it's a big deal even though it's an oblique injury.  "minor ____ strain" is basically what they say when the MRI doesn't show anything ><  I've been told that a few times and the only one that took a while to recover from was my lower back, which took 6-8 weeks, but I doubt that's the case here.

[Jay]

Nibs will have to show up.

 

Yep.

[QuinlansMinion]

Holy overreactions.  We can afford to skip Shoemaker's next start.  Its probably for the best, considering his inexperience.  He's had a heavy work load since he joined the rotation, resting up for the postseason can work out for the best.

[Hollyw00d]

CJ has not fared well in the playoffs. Granted it was with Texas and a few years ago, but he hasn't exactly improved since signing with the angels. Dude struggles to get through even weak lineups at this point.

someone else is going to have to step up, I'm not expecting much from wilson

[tomsred]