What's the root cause?

[red321]

Actually no, the big acquisition was Sean Burnett, Madson was more of an educated gamble.  Pitching is clearly this teams weak link, but if they performed just at career norms, we'd be in position to win a lot of ballgames.  Looking at this talented roster and blaming Dipoto because nearly everyone is shitting themselves is what is asinine.  

 

 

Who is below career norms? You keep saying, and yet go look up and down the roster...whose performance is surprising so far?

[jshep]

Well, you're right that on the offensive side it's pretty much Hamilton and Trout. Of course they were both big pieces of this lineup heading into this season.

But on the pitching side?

Blanton

Vargas

Wilson

Weaver

for sure

You might be able to throw Jepsen in there. Maybeee Downs if you want to stretch it a little more.

But the performance of 4/5ths of this rotation is definitely below expectations or surprising or whatever you want to call it thus far.

[ispy45]

Nobody is asking the coaching staff to turn #5 starters into all stars, another idiotic statement, we're asking them to keep us in ballgames.  3 runs in six innings, a 4.50 ERA, that's what we ask.  This club is clearly supposed to slug the ball as its main source of wins.  The bullpen with the addition of Burnett and eventually Madson is supposed to be better.  It's a roster that if everyone plays just to their normal capabilities wins a lot of games.  That is not happening.  There is something else going on here in regards to the atmosphere in the clubhouse or in the lack of focus and mental preparation for each game.  

clearly you're not watching the games or falling asleep when we are on defense.

[Ohtaniland]

The 2011 Angels Opening Day roster. That team failed to make the playoffs and Arte Moreno brought in Jerry Dipoto to make changes. Well some significant changes have been made (check below) and something is still not working. The biggest common denominator in all of this is Mike Scioscia.

 

 

1 3B Maicer Izturis Gone

2 2B Howie Kendrick 
3 DH Bobby Abreu Gone

4 RF Torii Hunter Gone
5 LF Vernon Wells Gone
6 SS Erick Aybar

7 1B Mark Trumbo

8 C Jeff Mathis Gone
9 CF Peter Bourjos

Bench
C Hank Conger

C Bobby Wilson Gone

IF Alberto Callaspo

IF Brandon Wood Gone

OF Chris Pettit Gone

Starting Rotation

1 RHP Jered Weaver
2 RHP Dan Haren Gone
3 RHP Ervin Santana Gone
4 LHP Scott Kazmir Gone

Bullpen
CL RHP Fernando Rodney Gone
SU RHP Kevin Jepsen
SU LHP Hisanori Takahashi Gone
MID RHP Jordan Walden Gone

MID RHP Michael Kohn
MID RHP Jason Bulger  Gone

LR RHP Rich Thompson Gone
 

Disabled List
Position Players
1B Kendrys Morales Gone
3B Freddy Sandoval Gone
OF Reggie Willits Gone
Pitchers
RHP Bobby Cassevah Gone
RHP Joel Pineiro Gone 
LHP Scott Downs
 

[moccasin]

The weakest link of this team, is scouting. The battery has no game plan whatsoever, and has no idea on how to face opposing hitters.

[bdavis621]

Everybody from the top down is the root cause.

[YouthofToday]

Winning is a false stat.

[acro2008]

Arguing who's at fault and who's not is p1ssing into the wind.  As a collective team this is one sorry @ss ball club so far.  The lineup is very good and the pitching before the season was expected to be a little better than average.   Scioscia deserves blame, Dipoto does, Arte does and so does the coaching staff.  They set the tone and the tone stinks.  From leadership  to urgency, this team is lacking big time.

[MacNasty]

The Angels pitchers don't bean enough batters for hitting home runs.

 

Maybe a bench clearing brawl will wake this team up.  It can't hurt, at this point.  Yes, I'd like to see that.

[AZMike]

Maybe a bench clearing brawl will wake this team up.  It can't hurt, at this point.  Yes, I'd like to see that.

I briefly flipped to the A's game and really wanted to see Colon bean Fielder and enjoy an epic Sumo match at the mound ensue. Didn't pan out that way (Fielder crushed a 3R homer)

[Angel Oracle]

I'm not very high on Dipoto either.