My god people. Just enjoy baseball.

[eligrba]

The first two games revealed the reality of this club at this time.  There is work to do before anyone should consider the Angels a viable playoff team.  The Angels are just a bottom tier team at this moment of the season but it doesn't mean that they will stay there.  The Astros demonstrate a level of play that every contending team should be at when opening the season.  This seems like every Angel team I've watched in April. Every other team increases their competitiveness when the season begins while the Angels continue with their spring training approach.

A sweep by the Astros may not be the worst thing that could happen to this team.  The players being counted on need to do more offensively than walk back and forth between the dugout and home plate.

[fan_since79]

This bullpen (allegedly new and improved??) looks scary bad at the moment.

 

[Jason]

6 minutes ago, eligrba said:

The first two games revealed the reality of this club at this time.  There is work to do before anyone should consider the Angels a viable playoff team.  The Angels are just a bottom tier team at this moment of the season but it doesn't mean that they will stay there.  The Astros demonstrate a level of play that every contending team should be at when opening the season.  This seems like every Angel team I've watched in April. Every other team increases their competitiveness when the season begins while the Angels continue with their spring training approach.

A sweep by the Astros may not be the worst thing that could happen to this team.  The players being counted on need to do more offensively than walk back and forth between the dugout and home plate.

You could have posted this 10 years ago and it would be relevant every single year 

[Stradling]

The issue isn’t the bullpen, the issue is the bats.  If the bats were awake and performing they would be at least 1-1 if not 2-0.  You use your bullpen different in a game where you are winning versus a game where you are losing.  

[cysomeawfulpitcher]

"Enjoy 6 and maybe 7 straight losing seasons because cheapskate owner don't care about pitching!"
"Enjoy that 2 of those seasons were one below 500 because of the turn the page bs philosophy!"

[Jason]

5 minutes ago, cysomeawfulpitcher said:

"Enjoy 6 and maybe 7 straight losing seasons because cheapskate owner don't care about pitching!"
"Enjoy that 2 of those seasons were one below 500 because of the turn the page bs philosophy!"

The reason this team is mediocre every year is because they have been terrible at scouting, drafting and developing players. If they did that then they would be contending because they have spent big money on players 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Jason

[Angel Oracle]

22 minutes ago, Jason said:

The reason this team is mediocre every year is because they have been terrible at scouting, drafting and developing players. If they did that then they would be contending because they have spent big money on players 

Just wanted to say, THIS times infinity.

[arch stanton]

1 minute ago, Angel Oracle said:

Just wanted to say, THIS infinity times

Fixed 

[Angels 1961]

42 minutes ago, eligrba said:

The first two games revealed the reality of this club at this time.  There is work to do before anyone should consider the Angels a viable playoff team.  The Angels are just a bottom tier team at this moment of the season but it doesn't mean that they will stay there.  The Astros demonstrate a level of play that every contending team should be at when opening the season.  This seems like every Angel team I've watched in April. Every other team increases their competitiveness when the season begins while the Angels continue with their spring training approach.

A sweep by the Astros may not be the worst thing that could happen to this team.  The players being counted on need to do more offensively than walk back and forth between the dugout and home plate.

PLAYOFFS, PLAYOFFS Angels just trying to win a game. Playoffs after 6 losing seasons. Could be time to tear it apart. Maybe give Mike a call.

[Angelsjunky]

I agree that there's such a thing as taking the game too seriously, and too much grief. But part of the fun of fandom is getting outraged, and share that with fellow fans. It is cathartic.

So sure, to those who go over the top: lighten up, it's just a game.

But also, to those who complain about the complainers: lighten up, it's just fandom.

[Puget Sound Angel]

I understand what you are saying.

But I waited six months for this?

[Lou]

33 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

I agree that there's such a thing as taking the game too seriously, and too much grief. But part of the fun of fandom is getting outraged, and share that with fellow fans. It is cathartic.

So sure, to those who go over the top: lighten up, it's just a game.

But also, to those who complain about the complainers: lighten up, it's just fandom.

This is true, but it's still fun to laugh at those when they get outraged with 98.8% of the season left to play. 

[mmc]

My god halonatic13.  Just enjoy the board.

[Angelsjunky]

11 minutes ago, Lou said:

This is true, but it's still fun to laugh at those when get outraged with 98.8% of the season left to play. 

Yes, agreed - or, at least, point out again and again (and again) that there's 98.8% of the season left, and no player is defined by a single game or three, etc etc etc.

Jo Adell is a perfect example of how it is easy to go too far one way or the other. We have two extremes:

1. He's a bust and can't play baseball.

2. He'll be fine, a star in the making.

There's a moderate view, which is "He's talented, should turn out to be at least a good regular, but there are legitimate concerns and he has some real issues."

The other thing with Adell is that baseball development isn't linear. Sometimes a player struggles and then in the span of a week, everything clicks and things start falling into place.

Also, as I've said before, we're burdened with the extremes of Mike Trout and Brandon Wood in our recent memory, so it is tempting to think that every prospect is either one or the other, when 99.9% of them are somewhere in-between.

Very few prospects are insta-stars like Trout, and very few players with Adell's talent turn into Brandon Wood. There are also plenty of very good players who take some years to develop. I was looking up Michael Brantley last night, who is interesting because he's a bit of a throwback, but also a good example of slow maturation.

Brantley had -1.1 WAR through his first 100 games (age 22-23), then mediocre to average for his next 414 (average 1.9 WAR for age 24-26 seasons), then had his breakout best season at age 27 (6.5 WAR) and has been a consistently good player since (averaging 3.4 WAR per 150 games played).

Adell has only played in 75 games, half of which can be written off as being called up too soon in 2020. It might take some time.

Edited April 9, 2022 by Angelsjunky

[Crampknees]

Luckily for me the west coast games I fall asleep before the bullpen comes on.  Did we lose? 

[beatlesrule]

32 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Yes, agreed - or, at least, point out again and again (and again) that there's 98.8% of the season left, and no player is defined by a single game or three, etc etc etc.

Jo Adell is a perfect example of how it is easy to go too far one way or the other. We have two extremes:

1. He's a bust and can't play baseball.

2. He'll be fine, a star in the making.

There's a moderate view, which is "He's talented, should turn out to be at least a good regular, but there are legitimate concerns and he has some real issues."

The other thing with Adell is that baseball development isn't linear. Sometimes a player struggles and then in the span of a week, everything clicks and things start falling into place.

Also, as I've said before, we're burdened with the extremes of Mike Trout and Brandon Wood in our recent memory, so it is tempting to think that every prospect is either one or the other, when 99.9% of them are somewhere in-between.

Very few prospects are insta-stars like Trout, and very few players with Adell's talent turn into Brandon Wood. There are also plenty of very good players who take some years to develop. I was looking up Michael Brantley last night, who is interesting because he's a bit of a throwback, but also a good example of slow maturation.

Brantley had -1.1 WAR through his first 100 games (age 22-23), then mediocre to average for his next 414 (average 1.9 WAR for age 24-26 seasons), then had his breakout best season at age 27 (6.5 WAR) and has been a consistently good player since (averaging 3.4 WAR per 150 games played).

Adell has only played in 75 games, half of which can be written off as being called up too soon in 2020. It might take some time.

Brantley wasn't drafted in the first round and wasn't considered a top 3 prospect though. Not a good comparison relative to what is expected of both players.

[Stradling]

Just now, beatlesrule said:

Brantley wasn't drafted in the first round and wasn't considered a top 3 prospect though. Not a good comparison relative to what is expected of both players.

You missed the point entirely. 

[eligrba]

30 minutes ago, Crampknees said:

Luckily for me the west coast games I fall asleep before the bullpen comes on.  Did we lose? 

The bullpen came in......and you had to ask?

[AngelsLakersFan]

3 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

Brantley wasn't drafted in the first round and wasn't considered a top 3 prospect though. Not a good comparison relative to what is expected of both players.

Where you are drafted and your prospect status doesn't really have anything to do with the path a player ultimately takes developmentally. 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Where you are drafted and your prospect status doesn't really have anything to do with the path a player ultimately takes developmentally. 

Yep. 

[UndertheHalo]

I’m going to set myself on fire under the big hats at the Big A if my demands are not met and the Angels miss the playoffs. 

[NrM]

When fans stop complaining and venting their frustrations, that's when you know a team is truly irrelevant 

That usually happens a few months into the season for the Angels. 

 

What a stupid thread

[UndertheHalo]

AW never stops complaining about the Angels.  This is how the Angels know they’re loved. 

Edited April 9, 2022 by UndertheHalo

[Jason]

3 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Where you are drafted and your prospect status doesn't really have anything to do with the path a player ultimately takes developmentally. 

This is somewhat true but it is reasonable to expect high draft picks to either develop quicker or perform at a high level 

[Lou]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

This is somewhat true but it is reasonable to expect high draft picks to either develop quicker or perform at a high level 

For us?