This team impressed me over the long haul

[Chuck]

Sucks that their bats got cold over just a 3-game span after kicking ass over the long haul.

While the outcome was disappointing, I'm really proud of the team.

Too bad you don't get accolades for being the best over 162. It's a crap shoot in the playoffs and I can just say I'm stoked we finally made it back!

While Hamilton & CJ sucked down the stretch, there's so much to look forward to when thinking about this club's chances heading into the 2015 season.

I for one have turned the page and I'm proud of the job Jerry, Scioscia and the players have done this season.

[FabulousFabregas]

A lot of guys stepped up this year.  Shoemaker, Richards, Calhoun, the guys in the pen, they absolutely changed the direction of this organization and made them contenders again, mad respect to them.  I'll always have fond memories of attending the division clincher, but getting swept by Kansas City is such a waste.

[full circle]

Boy you sure turn the page quick.  Scioscia would be proud.

[Chuck]

A lot of guys stepped up this year.  Shoemaker, Richards, Calhoun, the guys in the pen, they absolutely changed the direction of this organization and made them contenders again, mad respect to them.  I'll always have fond memories of attending the division clincher, but getting swept by Kansas City is such a waste.

 

It's not a waste, FF. These things happen all the time in the playoffs. 

 

The Mariners 116 win season, they were the best on the field and on paper that year and didn't make it out of the second round. It happens! 

 

The 2002 Yankees were a good team and we beat them in the first round. It happens. 

 

The Detroit Tigers have a good rotation and lineup and got swept by the O's. It just happens! 

 

The SF Giants were the Wild Card rep this season and may sweep the best team in the NL with a win tomorrow. It just may happen! 

[Angels]

The postseason is all that ultimately counts. We all know the Red Sox won the title last year. Does anyone rememeber or care what happened during the regular season? Who won the division? WC? Etc.? It's all forgotten and irrelevant.

It was a great regular season but an abysmal postseason.

[full circle]

everybody matures at a different pace, i guess

 

it's a cruel game, and wholly unique.  name me another sport where a team plays 162 games, and then can be eliminated in 4 days of postseason play.  just a cruel game, and terrible timing for the halos.  that's baseball. 

 

somebody once said that secret to a happy life is a bad memory,and nothing provides a better context for that than MLB.

 

 

 

It's real easy to not be upset when you're not a fan of the team and the team you are a fan of has sucked for over a decade.  

 

(edited by MOD. Watch the name calling)

[Ohtaniland]

I just wonder where we would have ended up with a healthy Richards and Skaggs. It was fun being in the winners circle for a change.

[Chuck]

The postseason is all that ultimately counts. We all know the Red Sox won the title last year. Does anyone rememeber or care what happened during the regular season? Who won the division? WC? Etc.? It's all forgotten and irrelevant.

It was a great regular season but an abysmal postseason.

 

When you've missed the playoffs for 4 straight years and get to them with the best record in baseball, it is as a organizational standpoint and fanbase, all that ultimately matters. 

 

I believe it is the start of good things to come. It sucks, we lost 3 games, but losing these 3 games doesn't dissolve all the incredible memories of this amazing 2014 seasons. 

 

The playoffs are and will always be a crapshoot. 

[Jason]

They were cold going into the playoffs and take way too long to snap out of their funks. The off season will be interesting as I wonder what they do with the rotation. The bright sides this year were Shoemaker, Aybar, Calhoun and the bullpen guys.

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

Shields should be target #1. Slot him in the 3 spot -- Weaver (I would prefer Richards, that isn't gonna happen), Richards, Shields, Shoemaker, Santiago or Wilson looks great. 

[Angels]

Anything can happen in the postseason, true. In a short series anything can happen. But it's not entirely a crapshoot. It's not a flip of the coin type thing and it's not entirely random.

For example, was Wilson sucking a result of pure randomness? Or was it a continuation of an ongoing problem that has been going on for 4 months now? How about Hamilton looking lost and awful? Random?

I am proud of the way the Angels played during the regular season and it was a fun season. But the goal should and will always be winning in the postseason.

Looking forward to 2015

[Jason]

Shields should be target #1. Slot him in the 3 spot -- Weaver (I would prefer Richards, that isn't gonna happen), Richards, Shields, Shoemaker, Santiago or Wilson looks great.

Richards won't be ready for 2015 and you used Santiago, Wilson and great in the same sentence. Santiago is a #5 guy (at best). He has shown some good stuff but is far to inconsistent. As for Shields, I agree.

[DoubleOffTheWall]

A few things:

 

1) The 116 win mariners made it to the ALCS, they weren't eliminated in the ALDS. Still, they lost to the Yankees so I guess that is a disappointment.

 

2) I don't believe this playoffs is a crapshoot thing. I do think that luck plays a factor, for sure. But why do the Cardinals, Red Sox, and Giants routinely have success in the playoffs? They may not always win it all, but they advance, they fight hard, and they don't routinely get swept out of the first round. The fact is, those teams know how to play when the stakes are high. The Angels from 04 onwards have shown they continually can't hit, make errors and dumb mistakes, and generally have poor energy.

 

3) This season was good but the only thing I'll really hang on to is how good Richards is and will be. 

 

4) In the words of our very own CJ Wilson, "I am not impressed". 

[bloodbrother]

Things look rosier with this team than they did a year ago, so that's something to celebrate

 

This time last year we were wondering if the Manager or GM would still be here and talking about selling players off. Now, we got some homegrown talent coming through and providing value to the club and the bullpen finally has some reliable pieces to it

 

just need to shore up the rotation some more this offseason and move on from Hamilton

[Chuck]

Things look rosier with this team than they did a year ago, so that's something to celebrate

 

This time last year we were wondering if the Manager or GM would still be here and talking about selling players off. Now, we got some homegrown talent coming through and providing value to the club and the bullpen finally has some reliable pieces to it

 

just need to shore up the rotation some more this offseason and move on from Hamilton

 

I'd like for them to look into acquiring a true leadoff hitter as well. 

 

Would love to bump Calhoun, Trout and Pujols down in the order. 

[Palomar]

It still comes down to everything again being a level playing field once the playoffs start.  Obviously even though the Angels were able to get by with 4 starters the rest of the season after Richards went down, it was a huge factor in a short series,  We got great pitching in two games when the Angels could not hit. Then, Shields was hittable but we did not get the pitching to be competitive. Wilson and Santiago could not get the job done and the overuse of the bullpen finally came back to haunt. 

 

But when a team like the Royals have a series where everything goes right, they make unbelievable plays, and get HRs when they are not a HR team, it's almost like running into a buzz saw.  Even with all this, the Angels could have won 1 or both of the first two games and made a series of it.  Hopefully the experience will help hext year. 

Edited October 6, 2014 by Palomar

[tomsred]

I would also add that this was the best display of team unity that we have had here since 2002.  A good job by the coaches and the manager in keeping them focused considering the adversities (particularly to the starting pitching staff), and in blending in new faces to improve the team (primarily the bullpen) during the season.

 

Just about all teams make changes and transitions year to year, it will be interesting to see how the organization chooses to make changes for next year. 

[Theo]

Sucks that their bats got cold over just a 3-game span after kicking ass over the long haul.

While the outcome was disappointing, I'm really proud of the team.

Too bad you don't get accolades for being the best over 162. It's a crap shoot in the playoffs and I can just say I'm stoked we finally made it back!

While Hamilton & CJ sucked down the stretch, there's so much to look forward to when thinking about this club's chances heading into the 2015 season.

I for one have turned the page and I'm proud of the job Jerry, Scioscia and the players have done this season.

Agree wholeheartedly.  You follow the team and mlb for 30+ years, you learn that most seasons are mediocre for your particular team.  Angels stepped up this season.

[nando714]

From the opening day debacle

To winning the division

To getting swept

Crazy fun ride. Just wished it ended better.

Here's to the 2014 angels so many memories at games, at spring training, to battling oakland, to winning the west , to the low feeling of getting swept.

2015 spring training can't come soon enough

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

Richards won't be ready for 2015 and you used Santiago, Wilson and great in the same sentence. Santiago is a #5 guy (at best). He has shown some good stuff but is far to inconsistent. As for Shields, I agree.

 

Richards will be ready early into the season. 

 

As a #5, Santiago would be good enough to round out our rotation. But I don't think the Angels have the balls to dump CJ.

[Chuck]

Agree wholeheartedly. You follow the team and mlb for 30+ years, you learn that most seasons are mediocre for your particular team. Angels stepped up this season.

+1

34 years here!

[ScottT]

Agreed.  A month ago, nobody would've been surprised if the Angels played in the wild card game... which I'm sure even unreasonable people agree is a crapshoot.  It's really a coin flip, though.  Winning the division helped their overall chances, but it still is unlikely they'll make the World Series, even if they are a better team. 

[laagamer]

Organizations are fickle in sports today.

 

I hope no decisions are made in haste. 

[Brandon]

Remember all the negative threads and hate on the bullpen? Long season.

 

Tough pill to swallow because I thought we had the best team in baseball like '09.

 

I will say a playoff rotation of Richards, Weaver, Shoemaker is pretty beastly.

 

Too bad the offense didn't play close to what they are capable of.

[FabulousFabregas]

It's not a waste, FF. These things happen all the time in the playoffs. 

 

The Mariners 116 win season, they were the best on the field and on paper that year and didn't make it out of the second round. It happens! 

 

The 2002 Yankees were a good team and we beat them in the first round. It happens. 

 

The Detroit Tigers have a good rotation and lineup and got swept by the O's. It just happens! 

 

The SF Giants were the Wild Card rep this season and may sweep the best team in the NL with a win tomorrow. It just may happen! 

I know, I'll always have good memories of the regular season from this year, but bad memories of the playoffs.  The biggest positive is that we hadn't won the division in 4 years.  I probably hadn't celebrated a division win like that since 2004 or 2005.