Steve Finley Retrospective (2005)

[fan_since79]

In light of the Matt Joyce situation.

 

 

August 10th:

"We need production," Scioscia said. "We have a lot of confidence in Steve, but we have to find some offensive chemistry. We'll see how things unfold. We have some options, if it's not Finley. But if he swings the bat the way he's capable of, it gives us another dimension. We want to give that a chance to fall into place."

 

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/aug/10/sports/sp-angelreport10

 

 

August 21st:

Scioscia said, "As a player, you're the first one to realize you're slipping a little bit, but you're the last one to know you've fallen off the slope and it's over."

 

"I appreciate the opportunity he's (Scioscia) given me to try to work this out," Finley said. "It can't be easy to do and there's nobody that feels worse about it than I do. The fans in this ballpark have not seen me anywhere close to what I can do. It's disappointing for them, I know. It's disappointing for myself. I know they're seeing this guy, saying, 'Why the hell did we go out and get this guy? He's terrible.' "

 

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/aug/21/sports/sp-bbcol21

 

 

August 31st:

Mike Scioscia's patience with struggling center fielder Steve Finley appears to have finally run out. Finley was effectively benched Tuesday, losing his starting job due to a season-long slump that saw him batting just .215 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs with a month remaining in the season.

"We're looking at 30 games left, but you're really looking at a shorter season than that —— we need to start scoring some runs and be in the position we want to be in for the last couple weeks of the season," Scioscia said. "We're going to go with the productive bats."

 

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2005/aug/31/finley-the-odd-man-out/

 

[Angel Oracle]

Took you long enough Scioscia!

At least you learned your lesson and benched Mr. Pop-Up a lot quicker.

[nate]

I think that if Cowgill weren't hurt Joyce would be on the bench already.  We don't have any OF options.

[WallyWorld]

"a season-long slump that saw him batting just .215 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs with a month remaining in the season."

 

haha it speaks to how unbelievably awful Joyce has been that I see those numbers and think, 'hey that's not bad!'

[Chris]

Joyce would need to go on a tear to reach .215 9 HR's 48 RBI's

[DMVol]

I think that if Cowgill weren't hurt Joyce would be on the bench already.  We don't have any OF options.

Didn't seem huge when Cowgill went down but he would have been an option to take AB's from Joyce....but maybe not, Scioscia loves to platoon....

[Chris]

They were asking Scioscia about lineups and he said he has to fill out a lineup card and give veterans enough at bats to find it.  He basically was saying he has to run some dead bodies out there, but he didn't use the exact term dead bodies.

[Second Base]

So you're saying we'll bench Joyce at the end of August?

[laagamer]

Steve Finley's name is dead to me. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

Scioscia had other options than Finley. Those were pretty deep teams. Today there really might not be a better alternative to Matt Joyce, as shocking as that sounds.

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

Who?

[fan_since79]

Finley was a 40-year old gritty veteran in 2005. Scioscia must have shed some tears when he finally had to bench him.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Finley is still a sore spot for me because e was signed instead of beltran who i wanted more than anyone. But i figured hed be decent...off the top of my head he was close to a 40 home run guy the year before, and basically carried the dogs to a pennant.

But good gid was he bad. Making it worse, this was when we were competing with teams like the skanks and sux that just had ridiculous offenses. GA was already in his downslide years (power wise) and sosh kept rolling out finley to bat 5th...that was tough to watch

[AngelsLakersFan]

Who?

 

Not sure if you were directing that at me but let me answer as if you were anyway :-)

 

The Angels were playing Darin Erstad at first base that year while Casey Kotchman road the bench with a 122 OPS+

 

The also had Figgins, who could've played more games in center to give Dallas McPherson more at bats. 

 

Heck they could've slide GA over to CF and given more at bats to Juan Rivera.

 

This is the most egregious case of Scioscia going with veterans over youth to the detriment of the team. Kotchman and McPherson were two of the highest rated prospects in all the baseball at the time, and holding their own at the major league level.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Good breakdown alf. I actually forgot all those guys were around. Erstad in CF would have made a lot more sense with kotchman starting.

[papawealey]

Batting .215 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs? Veritable outburst of slugging performance compared with Joyce.

[2112]

Good breakdown alf. I actually forgot all those guys were around. Erstad in CF would have made a lot more sense with kotchman starting.

 

Was that the year that Scioscia kept saying that Erstad couldn't move back to center because of the throwing arm angle difference of the two positions?

 

Never understood that quote since outfielders are usually backup firstbasemen.

[JoJo26]

Let's not forget...when the playoffs started...Scioscia started Finely.....threw back into the fire...where he sucked.

 

This was ANOTHER Arte signing because Finely hit that slam for Los Doyers clinching the Division. Just like star gazing Arte signed Matsui and Albert and Josh and went after Freeser. 

 

It's like Arte watches who captures lightning in a bottle...and goes "WOW - we can get him? Get him!"...disregarding things like:

 

AGE

SEASON LONG PRODUCTION

CAREER TRENDS

 

Fargin' idiot...

[dimitrig]

This is the most egregious case of Scioscia going with veterans over youth to the detriment of the team. Kotchman and McPherson were two of the highest rated prospects in all the baseball at the time, and holding their own at the major league level.

 

Kotchman and McPherson both accomplished very little when they got the ABs.

[JoJo26]

I remember we traded Kotchman for Teixeria...and people were miffed. 

 

Let's compare stats since that trade:

 

Kotchman is out of baseball after hitting exactly 40 home runs since traded from the Halos

Teixeria has over 160 homers since being traded from ATL to Anaheim.

 

Therefore - Kotchman sucked...

[Angel Oracle]

Let's not forget...when the playoffs started...Scioscia started Finely.....threw back into the fire...where he sucked.

This was ANOTHER Arte signing because Finely hit that slam for Los Doyers clinching the Division. Just like star gazing Arte signed Matsui and Albert and Josh and went after Freeser.

It's like Arte watches who captures lightning in a bottle...and goes "WOW - we can get him? Get him!"...disregarding things like:

AGE

SEASON LONG PRODUCTION

CAREER TRENDS

Fargin' idiot...

There he is, starry-eyed Arte. He might as well be one of those autograph seekers that Reggie despises.

[yk9001]

Let's not forget...when the playoffs started...Scioscia started Finely.....threw back into the fire...where he sucked.

 

This was ANOTHER Arte signing because Finely hit that slam for Los Doyers clinching the Division. Just like star gazing Arte signed Matsui and Albert and Josh and went after Freeser. 

 

It's like Arte watches who captures lightning in a bottle...and goes "WOW - we can get him? Get him!"...disregarding things like:

 

AGE

SEASON LONG PRODUCTION

CAREER TRENDS

 

Fargin' idiot...

I had no recollection that MS started Finley in the playoffs. Check out his stat lines.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/finlest01-bat.shtml

 

 

Don't forget the $50 million GMJ catch that Matthews made for Texas.  The poster boy for lightning in a bottle.

Edited July 27, 2015 by yk9001

[JoJo26]

I had no recollection that MS started Finley in the playoffs. Check out his stat lines.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/finlest01-bat.shtml

 

 

 

ALDS vs. NYY :

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2005_ALDS2.shtml

 

 

ALCS vs. ChiSox

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2005_ALCS.shtml

 

See for yourself....Scioscia batted him 8th....buck fifty...

[AngelsLakersFan]

Kotchman and McPherson both accomplished very little when they got the ABs.

 

Not true. While neither had much of a career both had stretches where they were solid big league players. Finley was already washed up and no longer capable of playing at the big league level.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Not true. While neither had much of a career both had stretches where they were solid big league players. Finley was already washed up and no longer capable of playing at the big league level.

Like wells, he literally just fell off a cliff. He was very solid the years before. Yeah, he was old, but was still producing big time with az and the dogs the year before. It was just the start of a sh*tshow merry go round in center until torii got here