Our Picks

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -



 



APRIL 26, 2002

GAME 22 - BLUE JAYS AT ANGELS 



 



ANAHEIM- Kevin Appier threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings and got 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief from Dennis Cook, Al Levine and Troy Percival (3rd save) as the Angels topped the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-0, before 25,296 at Edison Field.



 



The Angels offense supported Appier with 10 hits, including three from Garret Anderson and two from Brad Fullmer.  Troy Glaus added a two-run double.



 



The win was the Angels second in a row following a 6-14 start, the worst in franchise history.



---

APRIL 25, 2002

OFF DAY - NOTEBOOK



 



ANAHEIM -- What's wrong with the Angels? Would you believe nothing?




Sure, the Angels have played poorly during many of their 21 games, of which they've won only seven. And they have a long way to go to make up for their poor start, which matches the 1976 team as the worst in franchise history.

 



But what made many in and around the organization optimistic about this year's team is still there. What hasn't been there are the consistency and continuity required to make a team successful over the long haul.



 



On the rare occasions the offense has been productive, the pitching has faltered. When the pitching has been good, the offense was non-existent. And the bullpen as a whole has been a disappointment.

Share your favorite Angels (Video) memories.

Post yours here!

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 



 



APRIL 24, 2002



GAME 21 - ANGELS AT MARINERS



 



SEATTLE -- It's difficult to determine which was a bigger surprise Wednesday night. Was it a loss by the Seattle Mariners, only the second in their past 16 games? Or was it Orlando Palmeiro, with six home runs in 11-plus professional seasons, batting third for the Angels?



 



The two were related, as Palmeiro had three hits in helping the Angels salvage one victory in the three-game series with the Mariners, a 10-6 win before 37,212 at Safeco Field.



 



Angels starter Jarrod Washburn (2-2), who gave up three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings, won both of his starts on the road trip, the only games the Angels won in their seven games against the A's and Mariners.



 



The Angels had a season-high 16 hits, including four by Bengie Molina and three each by Garret Anderson and Troy Glaus. It was theAngels' first win in seven games against the Mariners this season.



 



The Angels got another welcomed sight -- a home run by TimSalmon, his first of the season and first in 32 games and 114 at-bats going back to last Sept. 21.



 



Salmon began the season as the club's No. 3 hitter, but has been dropped in the order in favor of Glaus, Anderson or Brad Fullmer. It was Palmeiro's turn to hit third on Wednesday.



 



Palmeiro didn't quite know how to react when reporters informed him of his place in the lineup: ''I just show up to play. If that'swhere (manager Mike Scioscia) put me, that's where I hit.''



 



Palmeiro has been hitting lately, which is why Scioscia put him there. With his three hits Wednesday, Palmeiro has eight hits in his past17 at-bats. He's been getting a chance to play as center fielder Darin Erstad recovers from a concussion.

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

APRIL 22, 2002
GAME 19- ANGELS AT MARINERS

SEATTLE -- It's one thing when a team's pitchers have trouble throwing the ball over the plate. A couple of Angels pitchers showed Monday night that an inability to throw to first base can have equally destructive consequences.

Angels starter Scott Schoeneweis discovered that the hard way in a 16-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners before 33,119 at Safeco Field. The Angels have lost all five games to the Mariners this season and 20 of 24 going back to last season. They are 9 1/2 games behind Seattle in the American League West. 

Schoeneweis (1-3) was tagged for eight runs in just 2 1/3 innings, but his troubles started with a throw to first in the third inning. With one out, Mike Cameron hit a comebacker to Schoeneweis, who fielded the ball to the left of the mound and turned to throw to first. Instead, he stopped his throwing motion, re-cocked his arm and threw the ball away for an error as Cameron went all the way to third.

''He read my eyes and saw they weren't focused on him,'' said first baseman Scott Spiezio, who was playing deep and off the line and had a long way to go to get to first. ''I think it scared him. I told him, don't worry, just throw it. I'll pick up the ball in the air.''

Instead of having two out and nobody on, the Mariners were in business. A walk, an RBI double, an RBI single and an intentional walk later, Mark McLemore hit a grand slam to put the finishing touches on Schoeneweis.

It turned into a six-run inning and an 8-0 Mariners lead. It was only the third inning, but the game was over.

APRIL 21, 2002



GAME 18 - ANGELS AT A's



 



OAKLAND -- The Angels got a solid performance from their starting pitcher, played good defense and had timely hitting. But when their game against the Oakland A's ended, the Angels walked off the field with their heads down.



 



Greg Myers hit a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the ninth inning off Angels closer Troy Percival to lift the A's to a 6-5 victory before 20,088 Sunday night at the Oakland Coliseum. The Angels immediately left Oakland for Seattle having lost three of four in the series.



 



''I ain't got nothing to say, bro,'' Angels catcher Bengie Molina said. ''Sorry.''



 



Most of the Angels tried to focus on the positives they could take out of the game. Starter Aaron Sele gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings and was relieved by Dennis Cook, who threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



 



Garret Anderson had three hits, Orlando Palmeiro, Tim Salmon and Molina each had two. Jeff DaVanon got down a key sacrifice bunt with two strikes. The Angels went 4 for 7 as a team with runners in scoring position. First baseman Scott Spiezio made two outstanding defensive plays.



 



They took a 5-3 lead into the ninth, but Percival served it up quickly. Making only his third appearance of the season, Percival gave up singles to Miguel Tejada and Terrence Long before yielding the home run to Myers.



 



Percival said his pitches that were hit weren't such bad pitches, but the pitch selection was. Tejada went the other way with a curveball that was up and singled to right. Long also went the other way, hitting a fastball that was up to left field for a single.



 



Up stepped Myers, a longtime friend of Percival's as both are from Riverside.



 



''He's a good friend of mine but that doesn't mean I want to throw a pitch he hits for a homer,'' Percival said.

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 



 



APRIL 20, 2002

GAME 17 - ANGELS AT A's



 



OAKLAND -- A couple of Angels could not agree on who was at fault for their 8-7 loss to the Oakland A's Saturday afternoon before 20,253 atthe Oakland Coliseum.



 



There was first baseman Scott Spiezio, who made a throwing error in the eighth inning that led to two unearned runs. And there was pitcherAl Levine, who gave up those runs, blowing a 7-6 lead after the Angels had rallied from a 6-0 deficit.



 



Spiezio and Levine each blamed himself, and neither was willing to listen to the other side.



 



''I (expletive) sucked,'' said Levine, who gave up asacrifice fly to Frank Menechino that tied it and a two-out RBI single to Scott Hatteberg that turned out to be the game-winner. ''I (expletive) had the lead and I lost it. End of the day. I didn't throw strikes.



 



''(Spiezio's error) had nothing to do with it. Whether or not that play's made, I've still got to do my job.''



 



The fateful eighth inning began with the Angels leading,7-6, but Levine walked Greg Myers with one out. Carlos Pena followed with a slow roller to Spiezio at first, but his throw to second to force pinch runnerMark Ellis was wide and pulled shortstop David Eckstein off the base.



 



Levine then walked Jeremy Giambi to load the bases before yielding Menechino's sacrifice fly and Hatteberg's RBI single. David Justice followed with a walk but the Angels escaped further damage when right fielderOrlando Palmeiro made a diving catch of Eric Chavez's line drive.



 



''Yeah, I rushed it,'' Spiezio said of his throw. ''It was a slowly hit ball and I think I got a little greedy and tried to force a double play when it might not have been there. There's no excuse for that. I didn't plant my feet and take my time. It was pretty dumb.



 



''If I put Al in a better situation then things might've been different. I take the blame for that, definitely.''

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 



 



APRIL 18, 2002



GAME 15 - ANGELS AT A's



 



OAKLAND -- This one, they couldn't blame on Tim Salmon.



 



With Salmon on the bench to rest his sagging ego, the Angels' offense struggled against the Oakland A's No. 5 starter and lost, 4-2, before 9,145 at the Oakland Coliseum.



 



Starting pitcher Eric Hiljus beat the Angels for the second time this season, holding them to four hits through seven innings. The Angels managed a solo home run by Scott Spiezio in the sixth inning and a sacrifice fly by Brad Fullmer -- his first RBI of the season -- in the eighth. The Angels finished with seven hits, dropping their team batting average to .220.



 



After the game, Angels manager Mike Scioscia met with several Angels hitters to ''bounce some things off them.''



 



''As far as the chemistry of the team, as far as the desire to win on the club, all the intangibles are absolutely in place,'' Scioscia said. ''You won't find a group of guys more accountable and who take it harder than these guys. In the long run that's what's going to turn it around. These guys are too talented to have an extended drought.



 



''We're trying to get offensive momentum going in the right direction. That's what's frustrating, not one game. Right now we've got key pieces of the offense making it difficult for us to get the continuity we're looking for.''



 



Salmon, hitting .143, is one of those key pieces. Troy Glaus, who is hitless in his past 19 at-bats, is another. Garret Anderson, batting .211, is yet another.

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 



 



APRIL 16, 2002



GAME 13 - RANGERS AT ANGELS



 



ANAHEIM -- First, Darin Erstad used his head. Then, he used his bat.



 



After nearly taking down the outfield fence with his head in an attempt to make a catch in second inning, Erstad lined a two-run double in the bottom of the 10th inning to overcome a 5-4 deficit and give the Angels a 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers Tuesday night before 15,385 at Edison Field.



 



The Rangers had taken a 5-4 lead in the top of the 10th onan RBI double by Rafael Palmeiro, which set up the bottom of the inning. With one out, Jose Nieves reached on an infield single off Rangers closer JohnRocker.



 



David Eckstein followed with a walk, which brought up Erstad, who lined a 0-2 pitch into the right field corner, scoring both baserunners to win it. Erstad had never faced Rocker before Tuesday.



 



''He has great stuff and he throws hard, but he's struggled with his command,'' Erstad said of Rocker. ''I'm just locked in to an area and hope he throws it there, because you can't cover the whole plate with a guy like that.''



 



Angels starter Aaron Sele struggled early but made it through 6 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and eight hits. His early troubles also made it a busy night for Erstad.

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 



 



APRIL 15, 2002



OFF DAY - NOTEBOOK



 



ANAHEIM -- There is one Angel hitter who is not off to a slow start -- leadoff hitter David Eckstein. Going into Tuesday's game against the Rangers, Eckstein is hitting .340 and has an on-base percentage of .373.



 



Eckstein already has had six games with at least two hits, including three games with three hits. He's also been the Angels' best clutch hitter, batting .500 (5 for 10) with runners in scoring position.



 



''We need that piece of the puzzle that we get with Eck,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ''He's feeling more confident in his position and his role every day.''



 



Eckstein is a natural second baseman, but has made all the routine plays and a few spectacular plays early in the season at shortstop.



 



*



 



Al Levine is hoping his days as the Angels' closer will soon be over, because that would mean regular closer Troy Percival is healthy again.



 



Percival, who is eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday, will likely throw a simulated game Tuesday, then possibly make a rehab appearance on Thursday. That would set him up for a return to the active roster on Saturday.



 



Levine, though, has been solid in Percival's absence, going three for three in save opportunities.







View the full article

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 

APRIL 14, 2002

GAME 12 - A's at ANGELS



 



ANAHEIM - David Eckstein went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead the Angels to a 4-1 win over the Oakland A's and snapping a six-game losing streak before 32,881 at Edison Field.



 



Angels starter Kevin Appier gave up one run and four hits in seven innings to earn his first victory of the season. Al Levine pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.















 

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

APRIL 12, 2002

GAME 10 - A's at ANGELS

ANAHEIM -- Four years ago the Walt Disney Co. spent $100 million to renovate Anaheim Stadium, and this past winter the Angels had their trademark Big A painted red, to match the team's new uniforms.

But the Angels might be wise to consider scrapping the place and playing at a local high school field if the current trend continues.

The Angels' 5-1 loss to the Oakland A's Friday night at Edison Field was the club's fifth loss in a row, all five at home. This season, they've fallen seven times in eight home games. Including the final 12 home games last season, the Angels have lost 18 of 20 in their home park.

The 31,815 in attendance Friday didn't leave early, though, not with a postgame fireworks show planned. But that meant they were forced to sit through another loss to a division foe. The Angels are 2-5 against the A.L. West this season after going 17-41 last year.

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

APRIL 11, 2002
GAME 9 - MARINERS AT ANGELS

ANAHEIM -- Only moments after Angels manager Mike Scioscia held a closed-door meeting to tell his players to relax, right fielder Tim Salmon was doing anything but, taking batting practice in the underground cage.

The Seattle Mariners beat the Angels, 8-4, Thursday night before 18,806 at Edison Field, completing a four-game sweep in Anaheim for the first time in franchise history. Going back to last season, the Mariners have beaten the Angels 12 consecutive games in Anaheim and 19 of 23 overall.

APRIL 8, 2002



GAME 6 - MARINERS AT ANGELS



 



By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 



 



ANAHEIM Jarrod Washburn threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings, but the Angels bullpen blew a 3-0 lead in a 5-4 win by the Seattle Mariners Monday night before 16,908 at Edison Field.



 



Donne Wall gave up two runs and Ben Weber three as the Mariners rallied in the seventh and eighth innings. Ex-Angel Shigetoshi Hasegawa (1-0) earned the victory in relief over Weber (1-1).



 



Brad Fullmer had two hits and Bengie Molina drove in two for the Angels, but it was not enough to overcome the defending division champs.



 

As has been mentioned already, Mike Trout’s greatness is largely the result of his well-rounded game: he’s a bonafide .300 hitter (career .305 BA, five of eight years above .300), a prodigious power hitter (six of eight seasons of 30+ HR, career .581 SLG), steals bases (averaging almost 25 per season), and is a good defender. But perhaps the key to the entire mix is his plate discipline. Trout is known for his ability to work the count, his pitch recognition, and a rather selflessly patient approach that leads to a ton of walks.

#18a: Walks Through Age 27

Mickey Mantle 892


Eddie Yost 874


Mel Ott 803


Mike Trout 803


Jimmie Foxx 781



As you can see, Trout 4th through age 27, behind Mantle--a very similar player (which we'll look at later)--and a few high walk players who all started very young. Foxx and Ott are well-known Hall of Famers, while Yost is not. As an aside, he was an interesting and rather rare player: he drew 100  walks--123 or more, actually--eight times in his career, leading the AL five times. His career triple-slash was .254/.394/.371, meaning he walked a ton but didn't hit for a high average, never hitting .300, and had little power, only surpassing 12 HR once (21 in 1959, near the end of his career). He also didn't steal bases, meaning he was a one-tool player--drawing walks--but one of the best all-time.

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 

APRIL 7, 2002
RAINED OUT - ANGELS AT RANGERS

NOTEBOOK

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Tim Salmon didn't blink when he saw Saturday's lineup, which showed he was the designated hitter instead of his normal spot in right field. But it wasn't as easy to shrug off when it happened again Sunday.

Though Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers was rained out and it never actually happened, Salmon was left to wonder why.

''I guess Garret (Anderson) and Darin (Erstad) fought harder than I did,'' Salmon said of his fellow outfielders. ''I guess Garret and Darin didn't want to do it.'' Salmon said he talked with manager Mike Scioscia about it.

''He said, 'It's your's,' '' Salmon said. ''I said, 'What about the other guys?' He said  they didn't want to do it.''

Salmon was the DH Saturday as Orlando Palmeiro started in right field. Sunday, Jeff DaVanon was listed in the lineup as the right fielder.

''Tim handles DH better,'' Scioscia said. ''I think DaVanon's more comfortable in right field (than the other outfield spots). And I think Timmy's still battling that knee a tad. If there's an opportunity to get him off his feet, we'll take it.''

Salmon was hit by a pitch on his right knee during spring training, but said his knee is fine. Asked if he was concerned about back-to-back games as a DH, Salmon said he wasn't.

''No, because those guys will get their days,'' he said.

Salmon has a .285 career average as a DH, where Erstad has hit .338 at DH and Anderson .323. But Salmon has more experience as a DH than the others. Because of a foot problem, Salmon spent nearly all of the 1998 season as the DH. He has 613 career at-bats as a DH, compared to 154 for Erstad and 127 for Anderson.

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 

APRIL 6, 2002
GAME 5 - ANGELS AT RANGERS

ARLINGTON, Texas -- It was the perfect situation for your $22-million-per-year superstar. Bases loaded, two out in the bottom of the ninth, his team down by three.

APRIL 5, 2002

GAME 4 - ANGELS AT RANGERS

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor


ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Scott Schoeneweis did Friday what Jarrod Washburn, Kevin Appier and Aaron Sele could not in the Angels' first three games of the season -- pitch into the sixth inning.

In fact, Schoeneweis went a few steps further, going into the ninth inning and leading the Angels to a 3-1 victory over the dangerous Texas Rangers Friday afternoon before Vice President Dick Cheney and a sellout crowd of 49,617 at The Ballpark in Arlington.



 



While his fellow starters needed around 100 pitches to get through five, Schoeneweis walked off the mound with one out in the ninth having made 99 pitches. He gave up one run and five hits, struck out six and walked only one.



 



The Rangers' murderers' row of Alex Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro and Ivan Rodriguez combined to go 2 for 12 with four strikeouts against Schoeneweis. Alex Rodriguez struck out three times himself, including taking a called third strike in the ninth inning that caused him to slam his bat to the ground.



 



''I don't know what happened to us,'' Rodriguez said. ''He took it to us. Our thing is, I think we were too aggressive.''



 



Schoeneweis kept the Rangers off balance by changing speeds and throwing fewer sinkers, his primary pitch.



 



''We mixed it up,'' catcher Bengie Molina said. ''They all know he throws a sinker, but we mixed in a fastball and changeup. We got 'em by surprise. Last year he didn't have a changeup.''



 



Schoeneweis entered the ninth inning and gave up a leadoff double to Gabe Kapler. He struck out Alex Rodriguez looking on a slider and was taken out of the game. Al Levine came in and retired Gonzalez on a groundout and Palmeiro on a flyout to earn his first save.

APRIL 3, 2002


GAME 3 - INDIANS AT ANGELS


ANAHEIM -- Cleveland Indians starter Chuck Finley was unable to make his scheduled start against the Angels Wednesday night so he could tend to family matters after his wife, actress Tawny Kitaen, was arrested on charges of spousal abuse and battery.

APRIL 2, 2002

GAME 2 - INDIANS AT ANGELS

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor

ANAHEIM -- Kevin Appier's first start as an Angel won't be one to tell the grandkids about years from now, but the end result was one the Angels will gladly accept.
 
Appier, who came to the Angels from the Mets in a trade for Mo Vaughn Dec. 27, bobbed and weaved his way through five innings in the Angels' 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians Tuesday night before 20,055 at Edison Field. 

Appier gave up four runs (two earned) and four hits while making 106 pitches, which helped to cut short his first night in Angel red. The win, though, was more a result of the bullpen and the offense, which scored five runs with two outs.

Ben Weber (two scoreless innings), Al Levine (one scoreless inning) and Troy Percival (first save) combined to throw four innings in relief of Appier, allowing one run and two hits. Russell Branyan homered off Percival in the ninth for the only run.

The Angels got most of their offense from the top of the lineup, where David Eckstein and Darin Erstad combined for five hits, two stolen bases, four runs and three RBIs. Eckstein had three hits, scored three runs, stole a base and made an outstanding defensive play.

Even Troy Glaus went to the opposite field, hitting a two-run double to right-center field in the seventh inning, providing the margin for victory. The Angels stole three bases and ran the bases aggressively all night.

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor 

APRIL 1, 2002 - OFF DAY

ANAHEIM -- After a good and relatively healthy spring, the Angels were excited to open the season Sunday night against the Indians. Probably too excited.

The Angels lost, 6-0, but were done in during the first inning. Though settled down after it, starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn was erratic in the opening inning, during which he gave up a leadoff walk and five singles. A miscommunication on a relay play between right fielder Tim Salmon and shortstop David Eckstein resulted in an error, also in the first inning.

We’re going to come back to advanced statistics in a bit, but for now, let’s take a break for the old-timers and focus on something a bit more vanilla: The Triple Crown statistics--batting average, dingers, ribbies--as well as runs scored and stolen bases.

#14: Batting Average (Active Leaders)

When you think of what Trout brings to the plate, batting average isn’t  the first thing that comes to mind: he’s never led the league, never hit .330, although has settled in as a solid .300 hitter. That said, his .305 lifetime average is good for 4th among active players, behind only Miguel Cabrera (.315), Jose Altuve (.315), and Joe Votto (.307).

#15: Home Runs (Through Age 27)

Trout is known for his power, however, and is one of the most prolific young home run hitters in baseball history.

On November 12th, 2018 the Angels RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani was named the 2018 Jackie Robinson American League Rookie of the Year in an announcement made by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The 24-year-old was the third player in Angels’ history to earn the honor, joining Tim Salmon (1993) and Mike Trout (2012). He also became the fourth Japanese-born player to win a Rookie of the Year Award in the Major Leagues, joining Hideo Nomo (1995), Kazuhiro Sasaki (2000) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001).

Ohtani finished with 137 points in the balloting process, including 25 of 30 first place votes. He finished 48 points ahead of second place finisher Miguel Andujar of the New York Yankees (89 points).

Last year I was playing with the idea of an article series that collected 27 amazing Trout stats that I was going to publish on the blog throughout the offseason. Obviously that didn't happen, but I started it and thought I'd share them over the next month or two, as we face a delayed season of indeterminate length.

I find this whole situation fascinating. So what say you my fellow Angel fans. Since no sports are actually happening. What do you guys think?

So, I was planning on a bigger piece to kind of encompass everything until 2020 but, with recent suspension of all baseball related activities, I thought this would give something else to discuss...so here's part 1:

I always find it fascinating to look back into decisions made by the Angels franchise that essentially define its nature, both within the fan base and from the outsider's perspective.  With the franchise closing in on 60 years, we are now starting to get dividing lines in regards to specific eras of its history that take us from the expansionist beginning, the surprise success of '62, the Fregosi-led teams of the mid-to-late 60's and the fight for team identity and relevance,  the trade before the '72 season that brought them Nolan Ryan, "Tanana and Ryan and two days of cryin'", the death of Lyman Bostock, "Yes We Can!" in 1979,, Buzzie Bavasi thinking Ryan was just a .500 pitcher, the veteran-led playoff team of '82, the disastrous game 5 of the 1986 ALCS...

Lots to review and breakdown but I was more curious as to the turning points, both positive and negative, that have occurred since Arte Moreno's purchase of the franchise in 2003.  With the Angels coming off a World Championship in 2002, and the sale of the franchise note announced until May 15, 2003, Arte didn't really get a chance to make his mark until the off-season.