Stars Win

[Docwaukee]

19 minutes ago, floplag said:

i meant during the post, they were better in the post than they were during the season.

they had a .724 ops during the playoffs and .792 during the regular season.  

they had a 3.29 era in the playoffs and 3.75 during the regular season.  

they played 14 games during the playoffs.  Those numbers could easily be any 14 game stretch they had during the regular season.  

I didn't see Ted Williams.  I didn't see a team that was overly hot.  Just one that had better players.  Where that depth of talent could help you overcome Chris Sale having a 4.11 era in the playoffs or Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts not doing much.    

[Hubs]

If you look at the three most successful teams in the Mike Scioscia era, it was 2002, 2005, and 2009. Although they won more games in 2008, that team was more of a hot streak winner, like 2014, and got swept out of the playoffs.

In 2002, they had an offense that scored 851 runs and allowed 644.

In 2005, they scored 761 and allowed 643

In 2009, they scored 883 and allowed 761 runs.

 

Getting back to a near 200 run differential is what they need to do to be a World Series contender. This years team had -1 differential, but was actually around 40-50 most of the year, until that last homestand where they got killed like 58-3 or whatever against the Astros and A's.

The Red Sox this year scored 876 runs and allowed 647. Right where the Angels need to be (and were in 2002).

What do the Sox have that the Angels don't? A deeper lineup and a deeper staff. Both teams have an elite top 3 hitter, a great DH type, but the Sox had league average (by OPS+) hitters at 5 regular positions, with two more in the 90-100 OPS+ range and then one at 81 (Nunez) but they too were horrible at C. The Angels had league average OPS at 4 positions, then two at 90-100, one at 80, one at 71, and one at 62. The Red Sox certainly had better hitters, but I expected them to be better than the Angels by a long shot individually, but it's not as high as I thought. They had a better bench, particularly later in the season with Pearce, Kinsler, etc.

They also had a better pitching staff, not just by performance and top end, but durability. I understand this is why the Angels want to improve their staff.

But by the numbers, they need a starter to replicate the numbers than Ohtani and Richards gave them in 24+ starts, and a guy to supplement them and improve their depth. If they have 5 (or 6) starters next season throw at least 23 starts, they'll be much better off. Last season they had 3 in Skaggs, Heaney and Barria. The Sox had 4, and probably would've had 5 if they hadn't upgraded one rotation spot.

 

The Angels in 09, by contrast had 10 regular hitters hit league average or better. Their pitching wasn't as good as either of this years teams. In 2002 and 2005, the Angels had a much better staff than in 2009 or 14 or 18.

 

If the Angels want to score 800+ runs, they need to figure out the lineup, add a legit leadoff hitter, which all of the other Angels teams, and this years Red Sox team have had.

I think the Angels can have above league average offense from Trout (obviously), Ohtani, Upton, Simmons. Cozart, Calhoun, Fletcher, Ward and Pujols couls also get there especially if they all played less games, which means a deeper bench. But the Angels need to add a C (Smith and Briceno might be league average combined)

I think they need two or three bats and two pitchers. One of those might come from the minors, but the others have to come from free agency and trades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GrittyVeterans]

Red Sox were the best team this year. The real World Series this year was the ALCS. The National League is a very poor league the last couple years.

[floplag]

54 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

they had a .724 ops during the playoffs and .792 during the regular season.  

they had a 3.29 era in the playoffs and 3.75 during the regular season.  

they played 14 games during the playoffs.  Those numbers could easily be any 14 game stretch they had during the regular season.  

I didn't see Ted Williams.  I didn't see a team that was overly hot.  Just one that had better players.  Where that depth of talent could help you overcome Chris Sale having a 4.11 era in the playoffs or Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts not doing much.    

Precisely my points, Pierce and other what you would call backups outplaying those guys and the entire team Williams-esque with RISP and 2 outs for example. 
No matter, it is what it is, they were the better team in a very lopsided series.  At no time did i have any faith the Dodgers would win or come back in any of those games 
 

[Tank]

2 hours ago, Dochalo said:

how do you win 108 games and not be THAT good? 

Their biggest losing streak was 3 games all season and that happened 4 times.  They won 4 or more games in a row 14 times.  

Don't get me wrong, my hate for them runs deep.  To the point where I was rooting for the 'other team' in every series.  But their performance in 2018 was one of the most dominant in baseball history sad to say.  

 

1 hour ago, floplag said:

i meant during the post, they were better in the post than they were during the season.

i must be missing something from your perspective on this. 

they set a franchise record with 108 wins, then blew through the playoffs with relative ease. what am i missing?

[Vegas Halo Fan]

One interesting aside: Chris Sale became the ninth pitcher, and the first since 1945, to record the first and last outs of a World Series.

[Tank]

1 hour ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

One interesting aside: Chris Sale became the ninth pitcher, and the first since 1945, to record the first and last outs of a World Series.

in the era of the closer and heavy bullpen use, it's easy to see why it hasn't happened since WWII.

Anyone know when the last complete game in the WS was? I'm guessing it might have been Jack Morris in game 7 in 92 or 93.

[Taylor]

15 hours ago, Tank said:

i'd love to have benintendi on the angels.

I wonder if the Red Sox intendi to trade him.

[yk9001]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/10/29/royals-johnny-cueto-makes-history-world-series-complete-game/74786368/

[Tank]

21 minutes ago, Taylor said:

I wonder if the Red Sox intendi to trade him.

not bad, taylor, not bad.

[Docwaukee]

3 hours ago, floplag said:

Precisely my points, Pierce and other what you would call backups outplaying those guys and the entire team Williams-esque with RISP and 2 outs for example. 
No matter, it is what it is, they were the better team in a very lopsided series.  At no time did i have any faith the Dodgers would win or come back in any of those games 
 

it seemed like your point was that they got hot and played over their heads.  they didn't.  martinez, betts, benintendi, bogaerts, moreland, holt and devers were all worse in the world series than during the regular season.  One of their platoon players who played vs. lefties every time there was one on the mound during the regular season after being acquired by the red sox got hot and hit the crap out of lefties.  BTW, he had a .959 ops vs. lefties during the regular season and .890 overall.  .901 overall with Boston.  

 

[ten ocho recon scout]

16 hours ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

I hadn't checked the totals. I know that once upon a time, the Dodgers ate a bunch of Boston's worst contracts (funny, we always seem to get stuck with ours).

I mentioned this to some friends over the weekend. It cant be understated.

Its not just that teams like boston, the dodgers, and NY spend money. We spend money. So does San Fran, etc. The difference is those teams continue to spend money, even with some really bad contracts.

My point. And the little trivia i dropped to my dodger buddies this weekend. Boston went all in back in the 2011 off season. By the 2012 season, the team was bad. And super expensive. They looked like theyd have problems for a long time.

Then the dodgers decided to take on crawford and becketts contracts to get agon.

Boston wins the series in 2013. So the dodgers helped the sox win 2 rings :O)

But like arch stanton said above, boston has paid some bad money to win, too. The dodgers the last several years not only had kershaw, grienke and other expensive (but good) players, they did so while paying the bad money going to kemp (when he was not on the team) crawford until recently, etc.

Most teams, if not all, can afford a few really expensive players. Only a handful can afford the risk of those real expensive players getting hurt or pujolsing.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I'm wondering if Kershaw is going to opt out.

[ten ocho recon scout]

1 hour ago, Tank said:

in the era of the closer and heavy bullpen use, it's easy to see why it hasn't happened since WWII.

Anyone know when the last complete game in the WS was? I'm guessing it might have been Jack Morris in game 7 in 92 or 93.

When kershaw starts, the game is finished....if that counts?

[Tank]

35 minutes ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

I'm wondering if Kershaw is going to opt out.

with his notoriously poor playoff performances, i can't see any team forking over huge bucks for him. he'd be smart to stay put.

[ten ocho recon scout]

46 minutes ago, Tank said:

with his notoriously poor playoff performances, i can't see any team forking over huge bucks for him. he'd be smart to stay put.

I totally agree. And youd think hed really want a ring. 

But i wonder if he wants to go home? Maybe take less and go to houston?

But i think he wants to stay. Hes got a great thing going there. And as much as i haye the dodgers, hes one of those guys who should play his career out in one uniform.

[Hubs]

I think the Angels are going to spend to compete in 2019. It has been reported that they are going to be close to the luxury tax, but with a new manager and two of the best young stars in the game, and a lot of exciting youth, and a very inexpensive pitching staff, I can see them adding a few high dollar players.

Not Machado or Harper, but you know maybe they get Realmuto and McCutchen and Josh Donaldson, plus Corbin and Eovaldi.

Yes I realize that's a big add, but say they get Donaldson and McCutchen for affordable contracts (say $20M total including Realmuto), and then spent $30 million on Corbin and Eovaldi.

They could cut some weight by releasing some of the arbitration eligible players, but I could see them splurging.

[GrittyVeterans]

41 minutes ago, Hubs said:

I think the Angels are going to spend to compete in 2019. It has been reported that they are going to be close to the luxury tax, but with a new manager and two of the best young stars in the game, and a lot of exciting youth, and a very inexpensive pitching staff, I can see them adding a few high dollar players.

Not Machado or Harper, but you know maybe they get Realmuto and McCutchen and Josh Donaldson, plus Corbin and Eovaldi.

Yes I realize that's a big add, but say they get Donaldson and McCutchen for affordable contracts (say $20M total including Realmuto), and then spent $30 million on Corbin and Eovaldi.

They could cut some weight by releasing some of the arbitration eligible players, but I could see them splurging.

They aren't getting 4 players of that caliber with only 30 million to spend. It just isn't happening. They have budget to bring in one good player and 3 average ones probably.

20 million total for Realmuto, Donaldson, and McCutchen? That's crazy, Cutch and Donaldson will get at least $10M each and probably closer to 15.

I think if they can get Realmuto, Corbin, and 2 solid relievers that would be something to celebrate.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

The Giants trolling the Dodgers after the World Series. Kershaw and Puig pose with their WS participation trophies, while Bumgarner and Posey sit in recliners with their three championship trophies.

[arch stanton]

Good that those two Giants players sit in the background since they're probably never playing another October game. At least the Dogs still have a potential future