How do you define the Angels?

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Based on another conversation, I'm curious how fans here define the club over its existence.

I imagine the answers will vary widely based on the age of the fans. There are a lot of guys on here that were fans from the beginning. There are fans like me who started in the mid 70s and remembered mostly empty stadiums on nights when future HOFs would face each other on the mound. There are also fans who arrived after 2002, a magical year that made up for lots of heartache.

How do you see the club? Obviously the dynamic of the team has changed. I would argue that the "Yes we can" guys from 79 are different from the "86" guys and different from the Mo Vaughn era teams like the 2002 team.

I see the club as being a fun club in the 60s (Clyde wright) to a tougher club in the 70s, that became skilled at various positions to make the playoffs twice in the 80s to a lost team in the 90s (the bus crash didn't help) to the grittiest team in 02, to a team today struggling to find an identity. But I believe Trout is the guy to make this team like the Cleveland Naps, or Cobb's Tigers, or the DiMaggio Yankees, Williams' Red Sox.

Is there a player that personifies the Angels or a word or description that best describes the club to you?

I know this seems like a topic that would be buried on a 9am slot on the MLB channel, but clearly everyone sees this team, its current players, and its history very differently despite all sharing a love for the Angels.

[Amazing Larry]

I define the Angels as a Major League baseball team.

[Angel Oracle]

I define them as having had too many down periods in franchise history, because of switching direction more often than Barry Sanders on the football field.  

 

Settle on one direction, preferably one that includes:  building the farm, having solid foreign presence, not overpaying for over age 30 players, and making strategic trades that don't sell off the farm for quick fixes!

In other words, mimic St. L.   

Edited January 2, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[mtangelsfan]

Now?  In the last decade?  The 2000's?  The last 20 years?

 

 

It is hard to define the entire thing.  They have been horrible, hopeless, great, mediocre, good, frustrating, fun, boring, exciting, miserable, exaserbating, exhilerating, entertaining and everything in between.

[Brent Maguire]

I became a fan in the 2000's because... well I'm only 19 so it's just when I started growing up. 

 

I was pretty damn lucky to start getting into baseball right when the Angels were in the middle of their best run in the team's history. These last few years haven't been as fun to watch compared to years like 2008 and 2009 but I also realize that it used to be much worse.

 

Winning is obviously very important but I enjoy the Angels because they play 20 minutes away and I have the flexibility to go out to the Big A whenever I so desire. Seriously, Angels Stadium has been a 2nd home to me for the past 5-6 years.

 

Even when the team isn't playing well, it's still baseball to me and the Angels are my team so I'll continue to watch them as long as I live. I really hope they stay in Anaheim and that Arte is interested to keep the team here long term. 

 

Anyways, back to the topic, I think the best way to describe the Angels in my lifetime is "change". When I first got into the team, it was about a balance of pitching, offense and defense. Those Division winning teams didn't have super high payrolls and didn't rely on one player to carry them. Now, the team is literally in contention because of one player in Mike Trout. It's quite a different team but I'm still enjoying watching them play. 

[Angelsjunky]

Loveable losers

[Scott34]

The team that Mike Trout plays for.

[maximus p]

I define them as having had too many down periods in franchise history, 

 

Settle on one direction, preferably one that includes:  building the farm, having solid foreign presence, not overpaying for over age 30 players, and making strategic trades that don't sell off the farm for quick fixes!

In other words, mimic St. L.   

Will this team ever learn not to put hopes on over 30 age guys (Raul, I am looking in your direction).

[tdawg87]

Will this team ever learn not to put hopes on over 30 age guys (Raul, I am looking in your direction).

 

Ibanez got a 1 year/2.75 million dollar contract. Nobody is putting any "hopes" on him.

[yvangelfan]

The Angels are the coolest team in MLB. (except Joe Blanton and Michael Kohn)

[nate]

I am 31 so really the late 80's and early 90's are when I could really start appreciating the team.  I was a huge fan of Chili Davis, he is probably the first star Angels player I really was crazy about.  Wally Joyner and Chuck Finley too.  My dad was a huge fan of the Angels so there was no question I would be a fan.  I have been as long as I can remember.

 

I remember being heart broken by the team in 95.  My first experience with sports heartbreak.

[Blarg]

I view them as my home town team and the only team I have been a fan of.

[JAHV76]

A team that historically have had a lot of bad luck with one lucky year. Lyman Bostick, Donnie Moore, the bus crash, Nick Adenhart, to name a few examples of the tragedies. They are a team that has played through tragic situations only to come out on top once. Lets hope 2014 changes things. Good or bad I will always root for the Angels.

[maximus p]

Ibanez got a 1 year/2.75 million dollar contract. Nobody is putting any "hopes" on him.

Why even sign him then?  With the size of the contract, they will need to get about 0.5 WAR.

 

Anyone know what it takes to accrue that?  

[Adam]

25 mostly heterosexual cap tippers making bukoo bucks

[tdawg87]

Why even sign him then?  With the size of the contract, they will need to get about 0.5 WAR.

 

The Angels needed a DH who could fill the gap left by Trumbo. Ibanez was a cheap option who put up a .793 OPS in 2013 and a 2.3 oWAR.

[jangel7]

As the California Angels. Always and forever for me.

[maximus p]

The Angels needed a DH who could fill the gap left by Trumbo. Ibanez was a cheap option who put up a .793 OPS in 2013 and a 2.3 oWAR.

Man I sure hope he can repeat that, but it was built in the 1st half.

1st half:  267/314/578-892

2nd half:  203/295/345-640

[Inside Pitch]

They are God's team...  Says so in the bible, probably...

 

The Angels pre and post 2002 are hard to compare.  For most of their history they were as star crossed a franchise as there was in MLB.  There seemed to be a perpetual sense of foreboding even when things were going well....  At times it felt like we as fans didn't wan't to look over our shoulder for fear it might all fall apart.

 

Winning the WS changed everything, the talk of curses and burial grounds stopped.  The Halos became a 1st division club.  When bad things happened there were people to blame.  There was less talk about "luck" or being "unlucky".  The Angels became a team you expected to win and if they didn't the LOSING became a topic of conversation NATIONALLY.  

 

Nobody outside of OC cared if the Angels won or lost before 2002 in much the same manner that nobody cares when the Ms win or lose outside of Seattle.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Inside Pitch

[Inside Pitch]

Man I sure hope he can repeat that, but it was built in the 1st half.

1st half:  267/314/578-892

2nd half:  203/295/345-640

 

Mark Trumbo 2nd half 2013...  .218/.268/425 - .693

 

My guess is that if Ibanez falls off the second half, the Angels will go to a DH rotation much more easily than they would have if Trumbo were still here and sucking gas the second half as is his norm.

 

Pray Cron takes a big step forward and is ready to contribute the second half -- if that happens then the Halos should be okay.

[eligrba]

The Cowboy's team.

 

Gene Mauch would be the face of the franchise.

[Bruce Nye]

Mark Trumbo 2nd half 2013...  .218/.268/425 - .693

 

My guess is that if Ibanez falls off the second half, the Angels will go to a DH rotation much more easily than they would have if Trumbo were still here and sucking gas the second half as is his norm.

 

Pray Cron takes a big step forward and is ready to contribute the second half -- if that happens then the Halos should be okay.

 

 

LOL - I first thought "Pray Cron" was a shortened name like "J-Lo." and I was trying to figure out who it was.

[RePLAY]

classy

[HaloCory22]

I view them as my family. I devote 7 months a year to these guys (8 if we're in the post season) As much as I bitch and complain when they're struggling, I do it cus I truly care about this team. When they're hurting, I'm hurting. When they're soaring, I'm in cloud 9.

[Ohtaniland]

I view this year's team as a team that's in a "win now" mode or start rebuilding. There are three guys in Scioscia, Dipoto and Butcher that will be walking the plank if they don't make the playoffs again.