Ervin Santana

[SoWhat]

3-1

ERA: 2.00

K/BB: 35/5

Has only pitched under 7 Innings once. Our starting pitching has only reached the 7th twice.

Another reason why Dipoto should be canned. Never will I understand how someone can put together a pitching staff so poorly. I'd love to know which metrics Dipoto used to justify signing Blanton & trading for Tommy Hanson.

[Tank]

You saw how Santana pitched last year and throughout his career, right?

[moccasin]

You mean fire Butcher right? If he was still on the Angels, he would have probably sucked.

[SoWhat]

I have, but knowing we were gonna be bottom fishing and gambling on career years, then I would've went with Santana over a Blanton or Hanson. There was alot more upside with Santana than those two.

[The Angels]

I always wish we would have kept Santana and Haren. Even moreso when we got guys like Blanton to replace them. I do think the Vargas trade was worth it though. Not just for Vargas (I admit Morales>Vargas in terms of value), but the freeing up of up Bourjos, the improved outfield defense and freeing up of the DH spot. Imagine what would be happening now if Morales was still here with Pujols desperating needing to DH because of his foot problem.

[ten ocho recon scout]

I was ok with letting haren go (who I loved) because he supposedly was hurt. I wanted to keep santana (who I wasn't for or against) because I thought he looked good in the second half and is still young (ish). It really sucks to see him doing well, but I think the team as a whole (front office, management) was ready to move on because santana was always a headcase.

[Mark68]

I have, but knowing we were gonna be bottom fishing and gambling on career years, then I would've went with Santana over a Blanton or Hanson. There was alot more upside with Santana than those two.

Actually, Dipoto was not gambling on CAREER years. He was gambling on normal years from Vargas/Hanson/Blanton.

 

Of course, that's not gambling. It only looks that way because none of the three has produced even to their career norms to this point.

 

Blanton is a guy who has always given up hits, but normally he doesn't walk anybody. This year, he's walking a ton, which (apparently) fits in with the Angel philosophy of nibbling. For an example, see Wilson, CJ.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Yep. Our pitching and hitters are collectively playing below norms. Is it just a funk? Most likely. Except with young players, most guys will even out one way or another over a full season. I still say weaver/aybar is a bigger deal than most realize.

In the immediate short term, hamilton HAS to be moved down in the order. He not only is killing rallies in front of him, but trumbo being the current best hitter is also paying the price.

[Mark68]

Yep. Our pitching and hitters are collectively playing below norms. Is it just a funk? Most likely. Except with young players, most guys will even out one way or another over a full season. I still say weaver/aybar is a bigger deal than most realize.

In the immediate short term, hamilton HAS to be moved down in the order. He not only is killing rallies in front of him, but trumbo being the current best hitter is also paying the price.

Whatever happened to that experiment with Hamilton hitting 5th? You know, that one game where he was 4-4 and the Angels won.

 

Apparently, it was just a one off. You would think that maybe Scioscia would get it through his thick pasta-laden head that maybe Josh would thrive in the 5-spot.

 

Because he certainly isn't thriving hitting cleanup. The only thing that he cleans up there is Halo rallies.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Seriously. Sosh is very stubborn. And I still think he caters way too much to vets.

Hamilton will be fine. That said, right now its steve finley deja vu. 'He was good last year, so we'll keep his sub .200 bat in the cleanup spot until it comes around. Its only july after all....'

A guy like pujols (last year) I could see crying about being moved. Hamilton doenst strike me as that type. So I have no clue why sosh would hesitate to make that move.

He sat bourjos all last year after a bad 3 weeks. Platooned trumbo last april when he was on fire.booted aybar from leadoff after a bad month (though trout had a lot to do w aybar and bourjos). Etc etc. But he's unwilling to move vets..

[jsnpritchett]

Blanton is a guy who has always given up hits, but normally he doesn't walk anybody. This year, he's walking a ton, which (apparently) fits in with the Angel philosophy of nibbling. For an example, see Wilson, CJ.

 

Coming into the game last night, Blanton had 5 walks this season. 

[Jeff M]

SoWhat, Did you honestly think that resigning Santana was a good idea in August last year. Be honest. I can tell if you're being honest if you say "No".

[OregonLAA]

Maybe Butcher is the problem and not Dipoto

[xboom28x]

I was against letting Santana go only because last year was a career worst and there was no way he was going to duplicate that bad a year again this year. I understand the thought of letting him go, but the Angels could have received more if they had kept him, then, if he excelled but the team didn't, traded him at the deadline for much more.

 

Wells was the issue. DiPoto was doing his best to get under the luxury tax threshold and this is what it netted us. Unfortunate.

[Fontana Halo]

How many former mediocre Angels are out there now playing better than they did before? Santana is just one.

I'm pretty sure it's day to day coaching, not front office management at this point.

[Chuck]

There's no way you fault Jerry Dipoto for letting Santana go. Dude is a headcase and was absolute dogshit for us last year. 

 

The only knock on Dipoto to date is going two years with Blanton. One year would have been much better and as I've said before, he was a good fit for any team as a 5th starter. He's just getting pounded out of the gate unfortunately. 

[mancini79]

All this over 4 starts?

 

This isn't a knee jerk reaction at all!

[jsnpritchett]

All this over 4 starts?

 

This isn't a knee jerk reaction at all!

 

5 

[2002_halos_II]

So far, looks like Dipoto gambled and lost (Hunter, Santana, Haren all look better than Hamilton, Blanton, Vargas). Oh well.

[tomsred]

Some of this is the pressure to change.  If DiPoto keeps Hunter, Wells, and Haren it probably makes a big difference in the record of the team so far, but the fans would have had a fit.

[haloman]

And his head shrunk too..

[HaloMagic]

Some of this is the pressure to change. If DiPoto keeps Hunter, Wells, and Haren it probably makes a big difference in the record of the team so far, but the fans would have had a fit.

I'd say fans are having a fit now.

[Angel Oracle]

Butcher is clearly part of the problem. You can work as hard as possible, but if you can't effectively communicate the findings to your pitchers, then it makes no difference how hard you work. Same thing with Hacker a year ago, time for Butcher to go.

[Erstad Grit]

Actually I started a Poll  thread on this topic on the old site making a case for Santana having a better year than Blanton, Hanson, and Vargas. More than a few agreed with me too. Santana was not garbage last year. He had a horrendous first half. There was a stretch when he carried us.