Angels are hoping for an improved offensive performance from everyone, especially Albert Pujols

[ukyah]

7 hours ago, fan_since79 said:

In shape or out of shape, he would do better if he didn't try to hit a home run with every swing, but go back to some fundamentals, like hitting the ball the other way and just going with the pitch. The ground balls to the left side and the weak pop ups are maddening.

It's also possible that his problems are from not being able to catch up to the fastball anymore. That's simply from age, and not fixable.

it's called a "slider speed bat". aged players have to start cheating on the fastball in order to handle it. 

personally, i would like if pujols at least attempted some physical fitness, but that's clearly not his bag. players age and i can live with that. aged players make too much money for their production, most of the time because they were underpaid when they were young, and i can live with that. what i can't live with, is that the angels keep letting him lead the cart and hitting him 4 or 5. the dude needs to be in the 6 or 7 spot. somebody act like they're the friggin boss and tell him where he's going to hit in the lineup.

[well_red]

This is an amazing stat from the article I didn't realize (is it true?), guess 25 homeruns is a completely pointless benchmark.

Pujols hit 23 home runs last season, but so did more than half of all players who had at least 500 at-bats.

[eligrba]

1 hour ago, well_red said:

This is an amazing stat from the article I didn't realize (is it true?), guess 25 homeruns is a completely pointless benchmark.

Pujols hit 23 home runs last season, but so did more than half of all players who had at least 500 at-bats.

Thank God the ball was juiced.

[70runner]

Pujols will show up at the Buttes for ST with his usual big Butte.  He was fat, slow, and once again a double play machine in 2017.  Was there a team directive during the season that he remain overweight?  His motivation is questionable...and not helped much by his manager's guarantee of a key MOTO spot despite his ranking among the worst players in MLB and pursuit of the record for being thrown out at 1st from the outfield. 

[beatlesrule]

 

[The_Outrunner]

Baseball is hard when you're 45

[Vegas Halo Fan]

On 11/16/2017 at 3:45 PM, Tank said:

i'm keeping my porch light on until albert hits at least .250. i hope you'll join me, YK.

I'm waiting for the Publishers Clearing House van to show up at my house with my lifetime check, and it has about an equal chance of happening.

[tomsred]

2 hours ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

I'm waiting for the Publishers Clearing House van to show up at my house with my lifetime check, and it has about an equal chance of happening.

So let's see if I have this right.  You're willing to take a lot of money for doing nothing, just like Pujols?  Or is it more like Hamilton?

[Vegas Halo Fan]

34 minutes ago, tomsred said:

So let's see if I have this right.  You're willing to take a lot of money for doing nothing, just like Pujols?  Or is it more like Hamilton?

It makes no difference, as long as I am paid a lot for producing nothing. It would probably be more like Pujols, because if I get that much cash, I'm not spending it on cocaine.

[Erstad Grit]

What's concerning to me was the trend late in the year to put infielders DEEP against pujols.  It worked.  Take away his ground ball singles and numbers fall even more.  

[IEAngelsfan]

3 hours ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

I'm waiting for the Publishers Clearing House van to show up at my house with my lifetime check, and it has about an equal chance of happening.

Yeah, that's not happening............cuz I'm winning it!

[Waybackman]

I am convinced that as long as Pujols is in the lineup, the Angels' chances of getting in the playoffs are remote.

[tdawg87]

14 minutes ago, Waybackman said:

I am convinced that as long as Pujols is in the lineup, the Angels' chances of getting in the playoffs are remote.

I think Trout and Upton balance that out tbh. A full year of those two probably gets us 5 more wins.

[Waybackman]

10 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

I think Trout and Upton balance that out tbh. A full year of those two probably gets us 5 more wins.

 Well, that's 85 wins. Hardly promising for the post season. Especially with Houston in our division. But as they say "Hope Springs Eternal"

i will once again watch another season with unrealistic expectations only to be ground into a raging pessimist by July. I love baseball! I love the Angels!

[Stradling]

5 minutes ago, Waybackman said:

 Well, that's 85 wins. Hardly promising for the post season. Especially with Houston in our division. But as they say "Hope Springs Eternal"

i will once again watch another season with unrealistic expectations only to be ground into a raging pessimist by July. I love baseball! I love the Angels!

If you think the team is an 85 win team now (which I don’t), then you should be a little more optimistic, considering they are more than likely going to get a second baseman and an improvement at either first or third.  Those three positions were so bad it would be very easy to see them gaining 5 more wins with modest upgrades.  There’s your 90.  

[tdawg87]

And with the pitching (hopefully) healthy, that's another 2-3 wins.

[Waybackman]

The sky's the limit!

[Angels#1Fan]

100 wins in 2018 are just around the corner...well sort of.
 

[Angel Oracle]

Most of the starters will need to build up their stamina in 2018, since very few of them pitched any real innings amount in 2017, and heck even in 2016.   It will be tricky for Sosh to work with that.

2019 is the year to shoot for, for expecting post-season play. 

[WeatherWonk]

On 11/17/2017 at 9:37 AM, Stradling said:

I completely agree.  If he took the approach he has with runners in scoring position he would be MUCH better at getting on base.  Not that Albert standing on first helps a ton, considering it takes two doubles AND a home run to score him from first.  

This is all so true. I see Albert swinging for the fences in situations where it isnt needed. I hope he realizes that he will never get to 700 HRs, if that is his motivation. 

But, in reference to the post you quoted, I dont think the problem is Albert being unable to catch up to a fastball. Look how often he hits it to the left side. He needs to take outside strikes the other way, instead of trying to pull it and grounding out to short.

Albert really does seem like the psychological type that will want to come into camp in great shape. I think he can do it.

But even if he does, he needs to EARN being returned to 3rd or 4th in the order. We cant just leave him there for a month, if he isnt hitting at least .270 with an OBP of at least .310. ANYONE else; Simmons, Cron, Calhoun will get 100 rbis in front of Trout and Upton.

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, WeatherWonk said:

This is all so true. I see Albert swinging for the fences in situations where it isnt needed. I hope he realizes that he will never get to 700 HRs, if that is his motivation. 

But, in reference to the post you quoted, I dont think the problem is Albert being unable to catch up to a fastball. Look how often he hits it to the left side. He needs to take outside strikes the other way, instead of trying to pull it and grounding out to short.

Albert really does seem like the psychological type that will want to come into camp in great shape. I think he can do it.

But even if he does, he needs to EARN being returned to 3rd or 4th in the order. We cant just leave him there for a month, if he isnt hitting at least .270 with an OBP of at least .310. ANYONE else; Simmons, Cron, Calhoun will get 100 rbis in front of Trout and Upton.

I agree he needs to earn it.  Sadly most of last year it was Albert outperforming guys like Espinosa, Cron and Valbuena.  

I think he has lost bat speed, and the reason he can still hit the ball to the left side is the same reason he looks ridiculous on many curve balls, he is up there guessing.  

When he uses the whole field he is a much better hitter.  Like I said though, not sure what good he is on first base with one or two outs when it is going to take two hits to score him more times than not.  

Sign some guys that move him down the line up.  Sign a lead off hitter.  Sign a middle of the order bat.  You do this and he will have to earn his way up the line up.  Last year for the first 4 or 5 months, he was there by default.  

[Angel Oracle]

As mentioned before, I am hopeful that Pujols can have a bit of a recovery type season in 2018 and then retire after 2019 (passing Mays into top 5 career HR hitters?), with the team Bonillaing the remaining $59 million for 2020-2021 over say 10 years (with interest about $6.5 million/year).  

[fan_since79]

On 11/17/2017 at 6:40 PM, 70runner said:

Pujols will show up at the Buttes for ST with his usual big Butte.  He was fat, slow, and once again a double play machine in 2017.  Was there a team directive during the season that he remain overweight?  His motivation is questionable...and not helped much by his manager's guarantee of a key MOTO spot despite his ranking among the worst players in MLB and pursuit of the record for being thrown out at 1st from the outfield. 

The real scandal is keeping him in the cleanup spot. Completely irrational. But that's Scioscia for you.

But...but...the RBI's, you say. Yeah, and the .286 OBP and countless GIDP's and weak ground balls to the left side.

He's a 6 or 7-spot hitter, no higher than that. And a part-time player too.

[JarsOfClay]

3 minutes ago, fan_since79 said:

The real scandal is keeping him in the cleanup spot. Completely irrational. But that's Scioscia for you.

But...but...the RBI's, you say. Yeah, and the .286 OBP and countless GIDP's and weak ground balls to the left side.

He's a 6 or 7-spot hitter, no higher than that. And a part-time player too.

Clean up spot?  He shouldn't even be in the lineup.  It's unbelievable at this point.

The guy is costing the team 5 wins a year just by playing and the angels seem completely content with that.  Sad.

[yk9001]

1 hour ago, JarsOfClay said:

Clean up spot?  He shouldn't even be in the lineup.  It's unbelievable at this point.

The guy is costing the team 5 wins a year just by playing and the angels seem completely content with that.  Sad.