I've got a strange feeling...

[halonatic13]

That tonight broke off some serious bad juju for us.  I'm beginning to think this is the start of something special. 

Edited July 13, 2019 by halonatic13

[beatlesrule]

 

[halomatt]

[Angel Oracle]

I don’t want to ever in any way trivialize Tyler’s passing.   I’m sure that every one of us on here wishes the clock could be turned back to the June 30 game here, and Tyler remained alive going forward.

I do wonder though if the players and coaches are so focused now to continue this for him, that something crazy good could happen.   Maybe or maybe not this year, but ultimately 

 

[tchula]

I think we all echo those sediments about Tyler, Angel Oracle. 

For the last few years, and in particular with the passing of Tyler, I have had this sense that the Angels were a cursed franchise.  I remember when Adenhart was killed and what that did the organization.  Much of the media failed to mention guys like Valbuena when talking about the recent Angels who died way too young, but I considered the bat flipper an Angel as well when he passed.  And maybe I suffer from tunnel vision, because I do not follow the rest of MLB as nearly as close as I follow the Angels.  But, it seems to me we have an awful lot of players (current and former) who meet tragic ends, even more than other teams.  I could be wrong, but it seems that way to me.  In addition, the mountain of injuries that hit our organization is overwhelming.  It's so ludicrous we joke about how we should just have all our pitchers get TJ surgery so they can just get it out of the way.   For some reason, this organization has just felt a bit cursed or snake bit to me - plagued more so by tragedy and injuries than other organizations (not just baseball but any sport). 

The passing of Skaggs really shook my love for baseball. I've read about athletes dying before, and even ones on my favorite team.  But Skaggs hit me much harder than any other.  A lot harder.  I made a post about him on this very board just two hours before I read about his death.  I still get choked up thinking about it and him.  And I am not an emotional person at all. 

Every morning, like many of you I am sure, after I get up and make coffee I immediately pull up all the Angel's minor league clubs and read how they did the night before.  I live in Houston, so often times I crash before the games are complete and am unable to read about them at night.  But after Skaggs passed, I've had a hard time doing that.  Hell, I couldn't even go near baseball for about a week.  I would read to see how the team is doing, but I truly did not care if they won or lost.  Just recently, I've started prospect hounding a little more, but some times when I would look up stats on the angels mlb website, my eyes go immediately to the Skaggs stat line, and my stomach would sink a bit and I stopped caring again.  

But after last nights game, something is a bit different.  It's like, the universe or the baseball Gods, or whatever just told me that it is OK to care about baseball again.  And because the team probably had it best single day performance in every way on the very night they decided to honor Skaggs signals to me that this team can and will rise above all the tragedy, injuries, and other bullshit and accomplish something special.  I am not saying we will win the world series this year, but I feel this team is headed for great things pretty soon.  It may not be this year, but it will be soon.  It's almost like the Angels just broke their curse.  I do not know, maybe I am still a bit buzzed from the euphoria of our performance last night, but something tells me the curse is over. 

[PattyD22]

7 hours ago, halonatic13 said:

That tonight broke off some serious bad juju for us.  I'm beginning to think this is the start of something special. 

It’s been roughly 8 hours since the magical game last night, and as I was walking out of the stadium, I was thinking this exact same thing.  Maybe, just maybe....

But....we’ve walked this road before.  Many times.  Last night was just unexplainable.  It was emotional.  It was magic.  It will also be very difficult to repeat.  Heck, even for the fans it will be difficult to repeat the energy.  

Matt Harvey is pitching tonight.  Let me repeat that.  Matt Harvey is pitching tonight.  The last time I saw him, baseballs were flying out of Angel Stadium like leather hail stones against the Twins.  

Im sure he’s feeling a lot of pressure to keep this train rolling, and God willing, he can.  But the taste I have from his last outing is slowing polluting all the wonderful thoughts I had from the magic that was last nights game.  I hope I’m wrong.

[John Taylor]

i honestly don't feel right projecting a baseball team's success against the death of a player. I think the best anyone can ask for is that the players go out there and play their hearts out and try to have the most fun they can to honor Tyler, no matter what the end result ends up being. Last night was special, and was really something you couldn't script.

[T.G.]

Last night was special and I think it's ok to just acknowledge that and move forward. Whatever happens next won't take away from the incredible game the Angels played last night.

While we hope this is the start of something amazing - last night will be a great memory regardless.

[JoJo26]

Friday Night just eased some pain....I still tear up when I watch CALLING ALL ANGELS and see Nick. It'll be a long, long time to get over Tyler.

Besides the last time I knew someone who "Had a feeling"...it was this guy:

 

[fan_since79]

I had a dream last night that this was the start of a 17-game win streak. The 18th game, we lose 11-10, then start winning again. 

 

[stormngt]

14 hours ago, halonatic13 said:

That tonight broke off some serious bad juju for us.  I'm beginning to think this is the start of something special. 

Everytime someone gets one of "these" feeling we end up in a losing streak 

[Blarg]

All this will fade. You can't base a season off of a eulogy. Guys, the season is half over and we are a month from the dog days. These guys are not going to be feeling the same way in a month as they are now, they can't, it's unsustainable. Skaggs won't be forgotten, his jersey will still be in his locker and in the dugout but the guys will have to win without being emotionally tied to a tragedy. 

And you guys need to move on with the grieving process and quit thinking the season is going to be affirmation of some sort. Beating the Mariners is great. Last night was magical. They aren't the competition that will being in a playoff race. For the other 14 teams in the AL this is just another season. The Angels are not going to be getting any sympathy wins.

[Blarg]

21 minutes ago, stormngt said:

Everytime someone gets one of "these" feeling we end up in a liaing streak 

Those are the worst.

[tdawg87]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

All this will fade. You can't base a season off of a eulogy. Guys, the season is half over and we are a month from the dog days. These guys are not going to be feeling the same way in a month as they are now, they can't, it's unsustainable. Skaggs won't be forgotten, his jersey will still be in his locker and in the dugout but the guys will have to win without being emotionally tied to a tragedy. 

And you guys need to move on with the grieving process and quit thinking the season is going to be affirmation of some sort. Beating the Mariners is great. Last night was magical. They aren't the competition that will being in a playoff race. For the other 14 teams in the AL this is just another season. The Angels are not going to be getting any sympathy wins.

I agree with most of this, as I honestly think the Angels will lose tonight (You know why), but telling people they need to "move on with the grieving process is just about the most assholish thing you could possibly say. 

Everyone grieves differently. People are still hurt, and they will be for a long time. Don't be a dick.

[SoCalSportsFan]

Certainly makes you want to believe that Tyler was watching over the Angels (and us) last night!

[fan_since79]

After Harvey gets rocked for six runs in the first two innings tonight, we'll be back to reality.

But I'm going to enjoy the glow in the meantime.

 

[Blarg]

Sure doesn't sound like it.

[Lou]

1 hour ago, fan_since79 said:

After Harvey gets rocked for six runs in the first two innings tonight, we'll be back to reality.

But I'm going to enjoy the glow in the meantime.

 

I agree 

[Jay]

Mariners came to town at the right time.

But who knows, maybe the baseball gods are smiling on the Angels right now.

 

[Second Base]

Just a few things to clear up. 

1. There's only one God.

2. It's perfectly ok to dwell within the joy that last night brought all of us. 

3. If the Angels got to play against Dipoto-Servais led teams every game, they'd win 120 games a season. Maybe it sparks a turn around, but let's wait until the Angels stay beating teams better than Seattle before getting carried away. 

[Lou]

2 minutes ago, Second Base said:

3. If the Angels got to play against Dipoto-Servais led teams every game, they'd win 120 games a season. Maybe it sparks a turn around, but let's wait until the Angels stay beating teams better than Seattle before getting carried away. 

We're 6-8 vs Seattle this year

[Second Base]

15 minutes ago, Lou said:

We're 6-8 vs Seattle this year

As with all Dipoyo led teams, just give it a little time, and they all collapse in on themselves. His teams are a deck of cards.

[Pancake Bear]

My first reaction after Skaggs’ passing was that I didn’t know if I’d be able to enjoy baseball again any time soon. But after reflection and watching some of the interviews with management and the guys after the first game (and now last night), it almost seems more important to tune in and support the team. They’re hurting and it feels like it would be the wrong thing to do (for me - can’t speak for anyone else) to stop watching. It’s going to be a tough rest of the year for the team, and even though it’ll be different in some ways than it was earlier in the year, (realistically) they can’t walk away, so I won’t. Whether they go on a roll or finish ten games (or more) under doesn’t so much matter this season. Either way, I’ll be around. 

[Second Base]

3 hours ago, RBM said:

1. That is a matter of faith.

2. That is life as it should be.

3. That is a cold, hard fact.

1. Whether you have faith or not doesn't dictate the presence of God. 

2. The joy extends one night further with another thrashing of the Mariners. 

3. Cold hard facts may not be as enjoyable as warm, soft ones.  

[halonatic13]

18 hours ago, stormngt said:

Everytime someone gets one of "these" feeling we end up in a losing streak 

That's a 2 game winning streak so far.