In Search of a New Angels Team Identity

[AngelsWin.com]

By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer

For those of us old enough to remember the series on TV, imagine this article narrated by Leonard Nimoy.

The story of the offseason has been mostly written. Chapter one was to focus on the starting pitching. Chapter two was about the need to improve the bullpen. Chapter three delved into the need to improve third base. The rest of the book was a deep analysis of the failure to get off to a winning month of April.

Unfortunately, the analysis to date about the failure to get off to a hot start in April has mostly focused on the wrong aspects. So far, most of the focus has been on ways to change the players’ routines in Spring Training and not on the real issue that has plagued the team: the lack of a clear identity.

Looking back at the Angels’ record in 2013 tells a more complex story than just a problem with Spring Training workout regimens. The 2013 Angels lacked a team identity that can be easily shown by looking at its win-loss record.

Overall, the 2013 team had a win-loss record of 78-84 (.481). On the surface, this record doesn’t look so bad. However, a deeper look into the record reveals that the team played with three distinct personalities based on who they were playing. Instead of playing at a consistent level against all opponents as a team, as a team, they consistently played at the level of their opponents. This can be shown by looking how the 2013 Angels did playing against their A. L. West rivals, how they played at home in general, and how they played against all the other teams that went to the playoffs.

Against their divisional rivals, the 2013 Angels did not show a strong identity. They were not confident and did not come out to beat those teams. Overall against the A.L. West, the Angels were 32-44 (.421). That means that the 2013 Angels had a winning record against every other team that they played (46-40 or .535). One team in particular, the Rangers, literally sank the Angels by winning 15 out of the 19 games played. The Astros, who posted an overall .315 win-percentage garnered nearly 20% of their total victories against the Angels by taking 10 out of 19 games. That level of play against divisional opponents is unacceptable. Losses to divisional rivals hurt doubly as they lower your place in the standings while raising theirs.

Similarly, the 2013 Angels did not show that a winning character where they should have—at home. We all, about the advantages that come with being the home team whereas typically teams play better at home than they do on the road, using the comforts and advantages of their home ballpark to secure extra victories, the 2013 Angels had a 39-42 record (.481) both at home and on the road. Every other team that went to the playoffs in 2013 had a substantially better record at home than they had on the road. That failure by the Angels to win at home not only hurt them in the standings, but also in the turnstiles as fewer fans turned out to see the team struggle at home.

Considering that the 2013 Angels overall had a losing record, there was one area where they truly excelled. When they played teams outside the A.L. West who ultimately went to the playoffs they had a surprising win-loss record of 20-18 (.526). In 2013, the Angels played the Cardinals, Dodgers, Indians, Rays, Reds, Red Sox, Tigers and even with all their problems were able to post a positive record. They even managed a seasonal sweep against the Tigers (winning 6 games) showing that they could pull out victories against the best teams in baseball. While this should give Angels fans hope for 2014, it also shows that the 2013 team lacked a consistency in its identity.

One of the beauties of a team sport is watching a group perform at a level that exceeds the sum of the individuals on the team. Championship caliber teams regularly do this. They play with heart. They walk with swagger. They have an identity. They beat the teams that they should beat (the weaker opponents). They win against their divisional rivals, taking the series against each of them. They play over .500 against the best the league has to offer.

Under Mike Scioscia, the Angels have definitely learned the lesson of “one game at a time.” In its essential form, it means to focus on just the game at hand and to not let things that happened in the past affect the performance of the present or future. It’s not always easy to “turn the page” and let things go, but, over the course of a 162-game season, it is an essential skill.

However, at the same time, in order for teams to play with a passion, they need an identity around which they can rally. They need a leader who can inspire, motivate, and push the rest of the team to perform at a higher level. As the expression goes, they need someone who can “carry the team on his back” for a while—someone with determination and grit.

Last year, the Angels did not have that person. As individuals, they had the talent to beat the best in the game. And, their win-loss record showed that. However, as a team, they could not maintain that against the teams they needed to beat (their divisional rivals) and the teams they should have beat (everyone else—especially those with sub-.500 records). They did not have the person who could carry the team on his back and could raise the overall level of play for the team.

This is not to blame anyone. Pujols’ injury made it impossible for him to maintain his elite level. And, Pujols demonstrates his leadership best when he performs at an elite level on the field. Think back to how he played from June on in 2012. I can still picture him after hitting one of his 50 doubles cheering and clapping on 2^nd base trying to lift the team.

It’s also not fair to put this burden on Trout because he is still too young to carry an entire team. Most people his age are still in college or deep within the Minor Leagues rather than performing at the level he is.

And, it’s not fair to place the blame on Josh Hamilton. One cannot be a team leader in his first year with an organization. Furthermore, he had nagging injuries for most of the season that sapped his skills until the end of the season.

Leadership is not a skill that can be taught. While it can be refined and improved to a limited extent, either one primarily has that as a skill or one does not. We all know what it’s like to have a good leader to follow, whether it was in the military, on a sports team, or as a boss. We also all know what it’s like to not have that. We feel rudderless and lost.

This lack of leadership helps explain why the Angels have gotten off to slow starts consistently for the past few years. Without the presence of a strong leader, the team has stumbled out of the gate until it figures out its identity for the year.

This lack of an identity also explains what was the prequel to this offseason’s book: the signing of Don Baylor and Gary Disarcina as coaches. It’s not surprising that both have long ties to the organization. Unlike Pujols and Hamilton, both of whom came over as free agents, both are known to all levels of the organization and can immediately begin to exert immediate influence on the team.

Make no mistake about it: even with Baylor and Disarcina, the mantra of one game at a time will continue. No matter what, the Angels will have tough losses in 2014 and will need to be able to get past them before more damage is done.

However, what Baylor and Disarcina will provide is a steady presence in the clubhouse that will push the team onto greater accomplishments from the get-go. They will provide the identity and leadership until the clubhouse gels and team leaders are established. They will be the steady hand on the oar which will allow Scioscia to focus on the bigger issues of the season.

In listening to all the interviews with the Angels management and former players, everyone has talked at length about the “presence” that the new coaches will bring, particularly the “presence” of Don Baylor. Even Bobby Grich on KLAA radio talked about that with Victor Rojas and Terry Smith. That “presence” is what the Angels have been missing and needing in order to do better. In time, the players will take over and define their roles as leaders and will form a new team identity based on their own personalities. Until then, though, it will be up to Baylor and Disarcina to provide that steady push to get the team to win the games that they should win and to win the games that they need to.

In time, I believe that Trout will become a vocal team leader. He learned a lot from Torii Hunter and will hopefully absorb more from Baylor and Disarcina. Ultimately, he will bat third in the lineup and can provide the clutch hits to lift the team.

I also believe that this year that Hamilton and Pujols will also provide more leadership this year. Both feed off of their successes and will be better able to do so now that they are healthy. C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver will both lead at the front of the rotation and the bullpen will be more secure with the addition of Joe Smith. In all, the 2014 team is on the right path to forming its unique identity. Angels fans should be confident about the 2014 team so far. Through minor tweaking and key upgrades to the rotation and bullpen, this new team should be substantially better at the start of the season.

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[Spirit]

Good stuff, David!

[Spencer]

It was a difficult article to read because I kept trying to keep Spock's voice in my head

[Mark68]

It was a difficult article to read because I kept trying to keep Spock's voice in my head

I usually try James Earl Jones.

 

Or the movie trailer guy...

[Brent Maguire]

Nice article!

I'm not a huge believer of coaches making a big different but bringing in a guy like Baylor can't hurt whatsoever.

I felt like the team was very complacent for most of the year. Baylor seems like the type of coach who can knock some sense into the guys when they aren't playing well.

[maximus p]

Take away Texas vs. LAA and Hou (32-6), and Texas had a very pedestrian 59-65.  Take away the state of Texas vs. LAA (13-25) and the Halos had a 65-59 record.

Edited January 10, 2014 by maximus p

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Considering that the 2013 Angels overall had a losing record, there was one area where they truly excelled. When they played teams outside the A.L. West who ultimately went to the playoffs they had a surprising win-loss record of 20-18 (.526). In 2013, the Angels played the Cardinals, Dodgers, Indians, Rays, Reds, Red Sox, Tigers and even with all their problems were able to post a positive record. They even managed a seasonal sweep against the Tigers (winning 6 games) showing that they could pull out victories against the best teams in baseball. While this should give Angels fans hope for 2014, it also shows that the 2013 team lacked a consistency in its identity.

 

This result was skewed by their sweep of six games against the Tigers. Apart from Detroit, the Angels were 14-18 against these clubs.

[Chuck]

Damn, hopping in the waaaaay back machine, here's an article Adam wrote for us some 6-7 years ago.

 

Identity Crisis - Part 1 of a 2 part series

 

Photo by Eric Notti
 

Angels Still Not “Big” Market
By Adam Dodge - AngelsWin.com Senior Writer

From the moment the Boston Red Sox recorded the final out of the 2007 World Series, and the off-season officially began there was a strange vibe surrounding the Angels and permeating amongst Angel fans. This was to be a different off-season. One which would see the Angels finally land a superstar to compliment, even supplant Vladimir Guerrero.

With two premier King Kong power bats on the market we debated whether or not the Angels should acquire Alex Rodriguez or the younger, slightly less dynamic, Miguel Cabrera. The Angels were to be major players for both. When Rodriguez promptly opted out, then resigned with the Yankees the only debate which remained was what the Angels should offer the Marlins for their star slugger.

Other than aggressive whispers about the Dodgers’, no other Major League team seemed interested in matching Florida’s perceived price. Cabrera was to be an Angel. Admittedly, my skepticism that the Angels would actually pull off a trade for a player of Cabrera’s ability was matched by just a few. After all, the Angels had concluded each of the last several off-seasons without completing a trade of any significance. And despite the thoughts that new General Manager Tony Reagins’ aggressive approach would be the difference, it was hard to believe that trend would change. But after weeks of hearing and reading the countless reports about the Angels’ continued talks with Marlins’ management and the lack of reports about other viable suitors my skepticism faded and my hope became faith. I believed. The only questions which remained were when the trade would be completed, and which players would be leaving the Angels organization.

When yesterday it was announced that the Marlins had reached an agreement with the Detroit Tigers to send both Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Motor City, the sting I felt was as great as I had felt after any Angel regular or post-season loss. I was absolutely crushed emotionally.

But why?

At the beginning of the off-season I was certain that any interest in acquiring such a player was just that…interest. It had not entered my mind that the Angels would actually pull the trigger. But something had happened over the past month. Chips began to fall. The Angels shockingly traded gold glove shortstop and team leader, Orlando Cabrera. Jon Garland came in return, giving the Angels a surplus of starting pitchers. Certainly one (or more) of those remaining were to be traded. But another surprise was about to occur. When the Angels signed centerfielder, Torii Hunter to a 5 year, $90 million mega contract my previous notions about Angels’ owner Arte Moreno immediately changed.

I had always believed that the Angels, though not economically challenged, would never reach a payroll level close to the Boston Red Sox, the league’s second richest team. The organization to me, was always going to be an upper mid-market franchise, able to improve the team through free agency when necessary, but more reliant on their farm system than the big market teams. But with the signing of Hunter, more of a luxury than a necessity, the impending contract extensions of Guerrero and John Lackey, and the what seemed to be inevitable acquisition of Cabrera, who himself would be extended to a mega deal, I quickly changed my view. Arte meant business. The Angels were going to do and pay whatever necessary to win now and in the future.

But that mirage disappeared immediately when the Angels failed to land Cabrera. It was Detroit that meant business. What a sucker I was. I had never felt more gullible in my entire life. Because a team and owner that “meant business” would have never let that happen.

Let me be clear. I am not indicting the Angel franchise. I am not questioning their desire to win. I am simply questioning their desire to win at all costs, which I had been duped into believing had become the Angel philosophy sometime between Manny Ramirez’s walk off home-run in game two of the 2007 ALDS and the complete embarrassment that was game three.

But the Angel philosophy had not shifted. If it had they would have overpaid for the one player worth it. They would have included Brandon Wood and two pitchers to make the deal happen if that’s what it would have took. They would have taken on Willis as the Tigers did.

I am not complaining that the Angels are not in the economic class of the Yankees or Sox. I’m not suggesting that Angels mortgage the future to win for a season or two. My only demand is that the Angels choose and stick with an identity. And unlike some, I don’t care which.

If you’re going to talk like a bully and push like a bully then you had better fight like a bully. The Angels are still punchless, unwilling to take the necessary steps to back up the “talk.” It’s the misleading rhetoric and supplemental actions which are the primary cause of my disappointment.

By making us believe that the organization’s intentions are on par with those of the Red Sox ,Yankees and Tigers, the unsettling feeling of being the fourth or fifth best American League team (on paper) is all the more difficult to swallow. In contrast, a forthright declaration that the Angels will NEVER approach that class, would make winning an AL West title more valuable than currently perceived and would allow the fan base to embrace the underdog role with more ferocity.

Granted, the off-season is not over and though the Angels failed to acquire the superstar they coveted, there is still a possibility the team will be improved. In fact, my impression that Arte is suffering from an identity crisis may be false. He could acquire Eric Bedard and Miguel Tejada from Baltimore, further increasing payroll. A deal completely off the radar could be made. But if the manner in which the Angels failed to land Cabrera is any indication, the Angels will be outbid or unwilling to alter their methodology drastically enough to consummate a major deal.

If so, Arte and the Angels should admit as much. As fans we could once again be grateful for what we have rather than whining about what we don’t.

[Ohtaniland]

Dave it's a great article and is spot on about the teams lack of leadership. But let's be real, Albert Pujols needs some leadership training because a slumping or injured ballplayer can still be a good leader in the clubhouse. Was it Torii Hunter who said that Albert Pujols has a bad attitude and pouts if HE has a bad game even if the team wins? It's a team sport and you win or lose as a team.

[Chuck]

Dave it's a great article and is spot on about the teams lack of leadership. But let's be real, Albert Pujols needs some leadership training because a slumping or injured ballplayer can still be a good leader in the clubhouse. Was it Torii Hunter who said that Albert Pujols has a bad attitude and pouts if HE has a bad game even if the team wins? It's a team sport and you win or lose as a team.

 

I don't expect a guy who's never been a clubhouse leader become on later on in his career. Salmon and Anderson were not that way either and I'm OK with that.

[Ohtaniland]

Kinda interesting but I don't know if it has any merit....

 

 

Albert Pujols Is A Great Ballplayer, But Not A Great Leader

 

 

[Dave Saltzer]

It was a difficult article to read because I kept trying to keep Spock's voice in my head

At least it wasn't on bigfoot or anything, and I didn't link in the music from the intro to the show . . . 

[Dave Saltzer]

Take away Texas vs. LAA and Hou (32-6), and Texas had a very pedestrian 59-65.  Take away the state of Texas vs. LAA (13-25) and the Halos had a 65-59 record.

Yep. We didn't beat the teams we should have beaten, and we didn't. I have strong hope for the 2014 season. If we can form a good team identity, we have the players to be a playoff bound team.

[Dave Saltzer]

Dave it's a great article and is spot on about the teams lack of leadership. But let's be real, Albert Pujols needs some leadership training because a slumping or injured ballplayer can still be a good leader in the clubhouse. Was it Torii Hunter who said that Albert Pujols has a bad attitude and pouts if HE has a bad game even if the team wins? It's a team sport and you win or lose as a team.

There are multiple facets of leadership. I don't know if Pujols is the kind of guy who would take every player under his wings and mentor him, much like Torii did with Trout. I do remember him demonstrating more on the field leadership trying to pump up the team as he was getting his 50 doubles in 2012. 

 

I think adding Baylor specifically was to fill the vacuum created with the departure of Hunter so that Baylor, a former MVP would develop Trout into a current MVP (he should have won both years IMHO) as well as develop someone like Kole Calhoun.

[Sully151]

Sometimes I feel like the Angels are a bit of a robotic team. There aren't a lot of personalities on the team that stand out. There also doesn't seem to be a lot of chemistry among the players. It is almost like they forget that even though this is a job they are being well paid for, it is also supposed to be fun. They go out, play the game (sometimes seemingly without passion) and move on to the next. Last season there was the whole clap your hands look into the dugout thing they were doing. I think this was an attempt at chemistry, but it often looked forced.

 

When Hunter was here,  he was a team leader partly because of his personality. He also helped Trout a ton in his first year. He is a mentor that Trout missed last year. The kid is 22 and because of his abilities, that sometimes gets forgotten. He needs someone to look up to and immulate, and I don't think Hamilton or Pujols are those guys. I remember hearing about Hunter sitting near Trout and teaching him about post game interviews, how to handle the pressures of the game, etc.

 

There was talk last year about Trumbo being a team leader and, I think he was, but that ship has sailed.  He could carry the team on his back offesnsively for short bursts, but then would dissapear and that makes it impossible to be a "team leader" when you are trying to figure out your own s*** while having long conversations with your bat between pitches.

 

If I am not mistaken, Howie is the current position player that has been with the team the longest. It wolud be nice if he stepped up and took control of the team the way Hunter would, but I don't think he has the personality to do it

 

I recall talk of Aybar being a leader amongst the Latin players, but I am not sure other players really look up to him.

 

Freese is new to the team, Calhoun is essentially a rookie and Hank and Ianetta just don't look like they have it in them.

 

This leaves the pitching staff and Hamilton and Pujols.

There is a ton of ability in this team, they just need to come together as a team and develop that swagger and chemistry. My fear is that because of the "robotic" nature of this team and the seemingly lack of personality that this may not happen with the current roster.

 

Maybe they need to do some trust falls and ropes courses  during Spring Training.