Billy Eppler appreciation thread

[WicketMaiden]

10 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

 

I believe this is about to change with the likes of Detmers, Rodriguez and Daniel coming soon. There's a handful of others on their way as well after a couple more minor league seasons. 

The fact that Barria is just 24, Suarez is 23, Sandoval 24 and Canning is 25 that bodes well for a young rotation going forward. 

Especially as they will be led by 27 year old ace Shohei Ohtani. 

[Chuck]

1 hour ago, WicketMaiden said:

Especially as they will be led by 27 year old ace Shohei Ohtani. 

I mean think about it, if everything falls into place this could be our rotation next year if we didn't add anyone via FA or a trade, though it's unlikely as I do believe will bring in at least one pitcher, maybe even two but...

This is how old these guys will be entering the 2022 season led by Shohei Ohtani & Patrick Sandoval.

Ohtani (27)

Sandoval (25)

Detmers (22)

Bachman (22)

C. Rodriguez (23)

Suarez (24)

Barria (25)

Canning (25)

 

[WicketMaiden]

1 hour ago, Chuckster70 said:

I mean think about it, if everything falls into place this could be our rotation next year if we didn't add anyone via FA or a trade, though it's unlikely as I do believe will bring in at least one pitcher, maybe even two but...

This is how old these guys will be entering the 2022 season led by Shohei Ohtani & Patrick Sandoval.

Ohtani (27)

Sandoval (25)

Detmers (22)

Bachman (22)

C. Rodriguez (23)

Suarez (24)

Barria (25)

Canning (25)

 

I think an experienced veteran frontline pitcher to lead the staff would be a huge boon alongside all that youth and inexperience - someone to do the job Cobb is apparently doing this year in the clubhouse. Fun times ahead.

[Jay]

So are we better off now or worse?

Thanks.

[Chuck]

3 minutes ago, Jay said:

So are we better off now or worse?

Thanks.

Better. We just need to build a very good bullpen. Every team atop the standings or in contention has a good bullpen.

[WicketMaiden]

21 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Better. We just need to build a very good bullpen. Every team atop the standings or in contention has a good bullpen.

I'm hoping one or two of the new draftees will graduate to the pen sometime next year. Lots of good two-pitch college arms were drafted that look good for a reliever role long term.

[Taylor]

Eppler is very underrated here. I strongly suspect he was hamstrung by Arte.

[Taylor]

Also, very good thread, but Craig?

 

[Blarg]

13 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

^^^^
 

This is why the Angels pitching hasn’t been good. 

To be fair, Eppler inherited pretty much nothing in the minors outside of a surprising David Fletcher to take one of the three open infield spots. He had nothing for the outfield. So he traded for and did free agency for pitching while he tried to flood the minors with players that could ease the burden since Hamilton was sucking up 25 million doing hookers and blow. Hard to focus on developing pitching when you have no budget for anyone to catch the ball when hit. 

His downfall as far as pitching was Weaver aged out, Richards, Heaney, Skaggs and Ohtani all missed multiple years with injuries. Top of the rotation starters that couldn't start. His drafts pretty much depended on those guys carrying the load for a few years but they couldn't. 

It wasn't that he was ignorant of the need to develop pitching but it was one notch below fielding the other 7 positions outside of Trout. People here talk about rebuilding but the only player on the roster that was in the field when Eppler started is Trout. The only pitcher is Heaney that he traded for.

[Second Base]

13 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

 

I believe this is about to change with the likes of Detmers, Rodriguez and Daniel coming soon. There's a handful of others on their way as well after a couple more minor league seasons. 

The fact that Barria is just 24, Suarez is 23, Sandoval 24 and Canning is 25 that bodes well for a young rotation going forward. 

The Angels pitching has been atrocious and it has cost millions of dollars per year. But with all these homegrown arms now encroaching upon the majors, I too feel that will turn around. 

But worst care scenario, now three Angels crappy pitching will cost 20-30 million less per year. 

But enough can't be said about the Angels YOUNG, HOMEGROWN pitching. I capitalized those because it's been the missing pieces for years. Now, not only do the Angels have it, but they figure to be 7-deep with it, with more on the way in the form of Bachman, Davis, Bush, Kochanowicz, Marceaux and Hidalgo. 

And the bullpen itself has sucked because the Angels haven't had anyone from the farm that can come up and take a spot. That too is about to change with Wantz, Oliver Ortega, Aaron Hernandez, and more. I'm not so naive to believe every single SP prospect will develop into a big league starter, and so if you start throwing names in there like Canning or Chris Rodriguez, suddenly that unit becomes pretty dynamic. 

A good farm system and homegrown pitching fixes all the organization's ailments. 

[rafibomb]

This is why it is important to have a heavy international presence and not just spend it all on one player. The Arizona League is absolutely stacked with potentially high-end international talent all practically signed under Eppler as well.

 

[stormngt]

12 hours ago, Dochalo said:

so if the Angels make the playoffs this year off the backs of Ohtani, Trout, Rendon, Stassi, Sandoval, Suarez, Fletcher, Walsh, Upton, Barria, and others obtained by his predecessors then Minasian should get all the credit because he brought in Iglesias, Cobb, Cishek, Iglesias, Quintana, Watson etc.?

Teams are built and unbuilt over time.  Not from year to year.  You're so used to seeing it done that way by following the Angels that you think it's normal.  It's not.  Eppler improved this team and the franchise as a whole.  

Let's take your black and white mentality a step further.  Every year, there is only one successful GM.  Pure and simple.   

Fair or unfair,  the credit is given to the person in charge at the time.  That's just life 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, stormngt said:

Fair or unfair,  the credit is given to the person in charge at the time.  That's just life 

I blame Dipoto for a lot of the issues here. When we have success in the coming years I’ll absolutely give credit to the regime that brought in the players that made it possible. If that’s Minasian, great!  If it’s Eppler, great! Just like I have Bavasi credit for the talent that brought us 2002. 

[stormngt]

7 minutes ago, Stradling said:

I blame Dipoto for a lot of the issues here. When we have success in the coming years I’ll absolutely give credit to the regime that brought in the players that made it possible. If that’s Minasian, great!  If it’s Eppler, great! Just like I have Bavasi credit for the talent that brought us 2002. 

I am not saying your wrong.  In fact I agree with you.  However as time goes by people give credit to those who were charge

Only the most knowledgeable fan would give Bavasi credit for the 2002 championship.  Great majority gives credit to Stoneman

[DCAngelsFan]

1 hour ago, rafibomb said:

This is why it is important to have a heavy international presence and not just spend it all on one player. The Arizona League is absolutely stacked with potentially high-end international talent all practically signed under Eppler as well.

 

I feel like that's half of our talent deficit of the last few years came from - a complete withdrawal from the international market, (combined with poor amateur drafting and lost draft picks from signing bad free agents. ) 

You can't dabble in the internationals - it's a big commitment because the hit rates are pretty low - you need to sign a lot of lottery tickets before you get a Wander Franco or a Tatis or an Altuve.  Just ask Tampa Bay.

Big time failure by the Angels, up thru the Dipoto era.  

[beatlesrule]

If you want to look at it that way, all GM's have help from the former GM. Stoneman was the GM when the Angels won the World Series but with players that Bavasi got him.

Reagins won with players Stoneman got him. Dipoto's 2014 team's best record was thanks to Reagins. Eppler didn't win but he used guys Dipoto drafted to sculpt today's roster currently in charge by Minasian. The next GM will have players Minasian got him etc etc. Why even get a new GM if the previous GM gets all the credit if a team wins or loses?

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

If you want to look at it that way, all GM's have help from the former GM. Stoneman was the GM when the Angels won the World Series but with players that Bavasi got him.

Reagins won with players Stoneman got him. Dipoto's 2014 team's best record was thanks to Reagins. Eppler didn't win but he used guys Dipoto drafted to sculpt today's roster currently in charge by Minasian. The next GM will have players Minasian got him etc etc. Why even get a new GM if the previous GM gets all the credit if a team wins or loses?

Correct the previous GM has an impact on the next GMs success or failure. 

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, stormngt said:

I am not saying your wrong.  In fact I agree with you.  However as time goes by people give credit to those who were charge

Only the most knowledgeable fan would give Bavasi credit for the 2002 championship.  Great majority gives credit to Stoneman

Bavasi was a bad to terrible GM who had a really good scouting director.  Stoneman gets the credit because he fixed everything Bavasi broke.  I had more access to the Bavasi era Angels than any at point since and it was a total clusterfuck below the surface.  2002 happened because Stoneman told ownership to STFU, and because he hired the right people to manage and rebuild the team from the bottom up.  The one thing he wasn't able to prevent from happening was the Edmonds trade and even that may have ended up working in the Angels favor given AK's postseason heroics in 02.

Also, Bavasi was maybe one of the best human beings to ever be in the Angels organization, but the things that made him a good person also hurt him as a GM.

[ten ocho recon scout]

3 hours ago, rafibomb said:

This is why it is important to have a heavy international presence and not just spend it all on one player. The Arizona League is absolutely stacked with potentially high-end international talent all practically signed under Eppler as well.

 

Tucupita Marcano.... really hope he makes it

[Lou]

2 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Tucupita Marcano.... really hope he makes it

I hear TuMarc loves Taco Bell, so don't get your hopes up.

[beatlesrule]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

Bavasi was a bad to terrible GM who had a really good scouting director.  Stoneman gets the credit because he fixed everything Bavasi broke.  I had more access to the Bavasi era Angels than any at point since and it was a total clusterfuck below the surface.  2002 happened because Stoneman told ownership to STFU, and because he hired the right people to manage and rebuild the team from the bottom up.  The one thing he wasn't able to prevent from happening was the Edmonds trade and even that may have ended up working in the Angels favor given AK's postseason heroics in 02.

Also, Bavasi was maybe one of the best human beings to ever be in the Angels organization, but the things that made him a good person also hurt him as a GM.

Well, Bavasi helped the Angels win a world Series.

[Stradling]

22 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

Well, Bavasi helped the Angels win a world Series.

Yes. 

[Inside Pitch]

3 hours ago, beatlesrule said:

Well, Bavasi helped the Angels win a world Series.

Yes, by stepping down.

[beatlesrule]

What about the players he left Stoneman? They helped win the World Series.

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

What about the players he left Stoneman? They helped win the World Series.

Yes