I don't understand the gloating

[T.G.]

I have always viewed the A's as the Angels main rival; not the Yankees, Red Sox or Rangers or another "hot" team in any given year.  It's deep rooted for me and goes back many, many years. 

 

I hate everything about the A's... and their demise has brought me great joy (right or wrong). 

Edited October 1, 2014 by True Grich

[Bruce Nye]

I think it is hilarious that Billy Beane traded away top prospects (something he never does) to build his playoff team.  The media jumped on it tried to convince us losing Cespedes was not a big deal.  Picking up the Big Donkey - who still hasn't played in a post-season game - was also entertaining.  The fact that BB snubbed his nose at the AL West and made plans to play the Tigers is huge for a sports fan - we got to see the almighty BB go down in flames.

 

What's not to enjoy seeing that?  The four game sweep in Anaheim was nothing short of epic. 

[Angels Never Die]

Yes and the last line was indicative of it. You pulled the "But I have black friends" or "I'm not racist, but..."

Your thread is really overreacting. I saw more props to KC and happiness a rival or possible better team lost than what you are inferring.

 

The last line would only resemble that if the content that preceded it was truly judgmental.  I hope you're not implying that all attempts to re-assure/clarify are necessarily indicative of the opposite being true.

 

I didn't scour every post, and I never implied there were no positive feelings about KC winning in addition to satisfaction with the A's losing, but I saw plenty of people happy that the A's lost and not just for any possible practical reason (like not wanting to face them in the next series.)  Maybe I just can't see what I said very well from outside my own perspective, but I was just trying to express my reaction to it and hopefully understand where other people come from better, which I think I do now based on others responses.  I have no interest in ideas about what makes a good/better fan, I think a fan is whatever people want it to be, it's entirely subjective.  If anything, my attitude is much more likely to be met with accusations of not being a "real" fan.

[floplag]

Now the rumors are already flying on another fire sale to restock...
Smardjia, Donaldson, others all being mentioned as the As now have glaring holes at many spots having traded away key peices that were supposed to fill them and too many guys heading into FA.
Speculation is that this was the plan all along to trade for them, make a run, then trade them away again to restock.
Im sure all we will be hearing all off season is how Beane is lurking to make his moves...

[Angels Never Die]

Yeah, the Cubs trade was such a huge mistake, and not even close to being a necessary gamble. Addison Russell was their best position prospect in the last 10 years, if not longer.  The Lester trade though? I don't see that as being a bad gamble or a big loss, as I don't think Cespedes is really all that great or hard to replace.

[T.G.]

The thing that I find amusing is that when the outcome doesn't match the statistical analysis of the A's and all their sabermetric fans - they chalk it up to bad luck.  They said the Angels were lucky in 2002... some of them are saying it about the Royals last night.

 

Was it luck that Moss had two homers last night? 

 

I hate the A's.

[floplag]

Yeah, the Cubs trade was such a huge mistake, and not even close to being a necessary gamble. Addison Russell was their best position prospect in the last 10 years, if not longer.  The Lester trade though? I don't see that as being a bad gamble or a big loss, as I don't think Cespedes is really all that great or hard to replace.

not gonna re-hash all that but if it were that easy he wouldnt have had any value to get a guy like Lester either.  statistically, you are right, hes inline with a lot of other guys, and i know other factors were involved, but its hard to evaluate it as anything other than a loss when you look at the results pre/post trade.

[Hollyw00d]

The A's lost, and the angels are still in the playoffs. Whats hard to understand?

[Angels Never Die]

The thing that I find amusing is that when the outcome doesn't match the statistical analysis of the A's and all their sabermetric fans - they chalk it up to bad luck.  They said the Angels were lucky in 2002... some of them are saying it about the Royals last night.

 

Was it luck that Moss had two homers last night? 

 

I hate the A's.

 

One game is a very pitiful sample size, so I agree with them, but if they were to have won and then they attributed that one win to sabermetrics or whatever, then they'd be hypocrites.

[T.G.]

One game is a very pitiful sample size, so I agree with them, but if they were to have won and then they attributed that one win to sabermetrics or whatever, then they'd be hypocrites.

 

How about... in this one game, the Royals were simply better.  End of story and have a nice off-season....

[stevestevens]

I became an Angels fan in the early 80's. The roided up bash brothers dethroned the angels. I have hated then since that time and have always viewed then as our main rival.

Combine that with the fact that every had crowned them and the meltdown was a blast to watch.

[Angels Never Die]

not gonna re-hash all that but if it were that easy he wouldnt have had any value to get a guy like Lester either.  statistically, you are right, hes inline with a lot of other guys, and i know other factors were involved, but its hard to evaluate it as anything other than a loss when you look at the results pre/post trade.

 

Well, 2 months of Lester, and supposedly Boston is confident they can possibly get him back, and in return, they get a solid everyday player who's under contract for another year. I don't know if Boston had better options, but from the A's POV, I thought it was a very reasonable gamble, I just don't think that about the Cubs trade.

 

It's correlated, but that's hardly enough evidence to support it being causal, especially when other A's players dropped off in terms of production in the second half (and Cespedes did worse after the trade as well, so perhaps his production was destined to drop off too.) Is it a loss in hindsight? Perhaps, they are out Cespedes and (likely) Lester with no division title or playoff success to show for it, but that's all in hindsight, a gamble can still be a good one even if it doesn't pay off. So I think their failure after the trade was merely incidental.

[stormngt]

We're just setting us up for those famous KARMA IS A B!TCH threads that will appear if KC rolls the Halos...

No, Karma would have been a b!tch had we lost to the A's in the ALDS.

 

There is no Karma in play against the Royals.

[Blarg]

I am really happy the division rival A's bit the dust yesterday. It's not tribalism or any other bullcrap pop psychology reason other than my team is still in it and a rival isn't. I enjoy the success of my team and the failure of other teams that oppose them. You have screw loose to follow sports any other way. It's like making the Angels your "significant other team" which is not a real commitment but it sounds like it to your coffee house friends on Facebook.

**** the A's.

[DW711]

I'm not saying it's weird or anything that you guys are reacting this way to the A's game last night, it's obviously completely expected reactions, but it just really doesn't resonate with me personally. I've always respected their organization, and have had no reason to have negative feelings towards them.  I guess it's just hard for me to revel in other people's misfortunes, especially when I have respect for how generally well run their organization is.  I've always thought the A's have been great adversaries to the Angels and have helped create good memories in fights for the division.  I wouldn't have minded playing them in a series at all, it would've been fun to finally meet in the playoffs since it didn't happen in '02 (which I was both relieved and disappointed about.)  I suppose it's all harmless ribbing, but it was a one-game playoff, any team can lose like that at least once.  I'm not saying they haven't fallen off for the last couple of months as well, but it's not like the Angels haven't been there before themselves.

 

Anyway, I'm just getting some thoughts out, not trying to judge anyone.

 

I was honestly expecting it to be worse. Like other people are saying it's a rivalry and that's all fine and good.

 

If I was an Angels fan...I'd actually be a bit disappointed.

 

I'd much rather actually face the number one rival team than the Royals.

 

KC is a good match up, but when is the last time the A's and Angels played in the post season?

[Hollyw00d]

Never?

[floplag]

Well, 2 months of Lester, and supposedly Boston is confident they can possibly get him back, and in return, they get a solid everyday player who's under contract for another year. I don't know if Boston had better options, but from the A's POV, I thought it was a very reasonable gamble, I just don't think that about the Cubs trade.

 

It's correlated, but that's hardly enough evidence to support it being causal, especially when other A's players dropped off in terms of production in the second half (and Cespedes did worse after the trade as well, so perhaps his production was destined to drop off too.) Is it a loss in hindsight? Perhaps, they are out Cespedes and (likely) Lester with no division title or playoff success to show for it, but that's all in hindsight, a gamble can still be a good one even if it doesn't pay off. So I think their failure after the trade was merely incidental.

we all know the logic behind it at this point, but, its the results im talking about.

the ones thing all the stats cant account for is the presence.

i find it much easier to think that losing the one real presence in their lineup affected them as being more likely than they all slumped at the same time.   i cant prove it, nor can you, but when you factor in the timing and everything else not in the stat book, it isnt a hard conclusion.

 

[floplag]

I was honestly expecting it to be worse. Like other people are saying it's a rivalry and that's all fine and good.

 

If I was an Angels fan...I'd actually be a bit disappointed.

 

I'd much rather actually face the number one rival team than the Royals.

 

KC is a good match up, but when is the last time the A's and Angels played in the post season?

 

see the thing is though that anyone not an A's fan is pretty sick of hearing about moneyball and beane.  this collapse is entertaining to us as its can hopefully finally shut up the pundits and let the rest of us get back to real baseball over strat-o-matic. 

no offense to you or other A's Fans, but the rest of us are a little fed up with it and glad to see it take an arrow to the knee

[Angel Oracle]

Trading Cespedes messed with the lineup mojo, as it put more pressure on Donaldson, Moss, Norris, et al.

Getting Lester back was important, but with the offense imploding Lester's value was lessened.

 

The Russell trade will ONLY work out if Samardzija re-signs with them.   We pretty much know the answer to that one, given Moneyball. 

The Addison Russells are not ordinary Rondons.

 

And I am sick and tired, sick and tired, sick and tired of them taking pitch after pitch.

Have some b_lls, and attack pitches!

They even make Trout look like Vlad with plate aggressiveness.

 

But, and it's a big but, lineups that exercise extreme patience at the plate generally don't do as well in the post-season because post-season pitching staffs usually have better control throughout. 

Why else have the A'ths only won something like 1 out of 8 post-season series' since 2000?  

Edited October 1, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[Kendo36]

Worst thread of the season

[Blarg]

Not even close Kendo.

[WallyWorld]

I don't understand not understanding it. 

[Jimmag]

I don't know for some reason I woke up in a really good mood this morning.

[Blarg]

You're just gloating.

[T.G.]

If I was an Angels fan...I'd actually be a bit disappointed.

 

I'd much rather actually face the number one rival team than the Royals.

 

I can understand your thought process, but I don't operate that way.  I don't think my heart could take it.  Same goes for the possibility of a Freeway World Series... the thought of that makes me way too anxious.  If it happens, it happens... but I'd rather avoid that kind of emotional roller coaster if at all possible.  I acknowledge that there is nothing sweeter than beating your rival when it matters most - but living through the process takes its toll!