AngelsWin.com

By Toby Hunt, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
There's usually a lot of talk during the baseball season about the “unwritten rules” of the game. Rules that aren't enforced by umpires or league officials, but by butt-hurt man-babies who don't think you should be dropping a bunt when your team is up by 7 runs. If you happen to break one of these “rules”, you won't be suspended, nor will you be fined. But you WILL get a stern talking to by one of the opposing team's players or coaches. Oakland's Jed Lowrie received a particularly stern talking to by Astros' manager Bo Porter after Lowrie decided to slap Bo's wife in the face. At least that's what you'd think he had done after watching Porter's reaction. No, the issue was with Lowrie bunting in the first inning after the A's had already put up a 7 spot on Houston.                                          “You apologize to my wife right now young man!”
Now you might be thinking to yourself, “Why is that such a big deal? It's only the first inning” and you would be absolutely correct. But that's the thing, why is it such a big deal? Why are things like this such taboo in the baseball world? This is just one example of many that seem to happen every few weeks or so. Someone stares too long at a homerun ball, tempers flare, someone gets ejected, dogs and cats living together, mass-hysteria. So, why do these incidents happen with such regularity?
Now I'm no sports psychologist. Lord knows I've had my share of mental breakdowns and poo-smearing episodes. But I think a big part of this has to do with their egos. Pitchers hate it when a batter admires his homerun ball like a giant Kate Upton hologram is being projected in the outfield bleachers, just as batters hate when a closer gets overly pumped up after a big save. This isn't because those guys are breaking some long standing tradition of respect and “gentlemanly conduct”. No, they just hate the fact that someone got the best of them. Understandably, players and coaches will overreact in the heat of the moment when emotions are high. But do the benches really need to clear when Slappy McBloophit decides he wants to bunt his way on in a blowout?
  “Man, I haven't had a bunt single in a while” - Erick Aybar before his at bat in the 9th inning of a 27-2 game.
I mean what's the big deal? Don't players want to succeed? Should a hitter just concede an out because his team is winning by 8 or 9 runs? Should a pitcher go shake hands with a batter after striking him out and say “You'll get me next time!”? How often do we see a basketball player dunk in some poor guy's face, then stare at him and say rude things about his momma? Or a football player basically tea-bag a quarterback after a big sack (pun intended)? And don't even get me started on touchdown celebrations. See this is why people don't respect baseball players, because you can't so much as gently pump your fist after a big play without kicking sand in somebody's vagina.
One of my favorite, and lesser-known unwritten rules, is the “Relievers take it easy on relievers” code, in which a National League reliever will pretty much throw nothing but fastballs to another reliever should they get the chance to have an at bat. Now, it's rare that you see a relief pitcher actually in the batter's box as most of them will be pinch hit for. However, should the opportunity arise, relievers apparently have a code that basically says “Ok, I know you probably haven't swung a bat in years, so here's a bunch of fastballs down the middle”. This is an attempt to not hurt his wittle feewings by blowing him away with your best stuff. Of course, this is unlikely to happen in a close game, but it's still absurd because a pitcher is basically giving a hitter the best chance to get a hit. All because it's “respectful”. These are grown men we are talking about here.
“I think every batter is a reliever.”
To many people, baseball is a game of tradition. It's a gentleman's sport and many of these “codes” exist simply to uphold those traditions. That's all well and good, but shouldn't “gentlemen” react as such when one of these rules is broken, instead of starting a fight and yelling words at each other that would make their mothers oh so proud? It's like going to a fancy dinner party with all the old rich white folk in town. You take a sip of your tea but neglect to lift your pinkie off the glass, and then all the old rich white folk start stabbing you. Can't players just get revenge the old fashioned way? By hitting a homerun in their next at bat? Or striking a batter out when you face him again? Or, if you happen to be a manager, how about having a talk with the opposing manager after the game, or even the offending player? I know managers are supposed to protect their players and all that, but storming out onto the field and scolding someone just looks stupid and sets a bad example. I guess the lesson to be learned here is never make Bo Porter mildly irritated.
Ultimately, baseball is supposed to be fun. Sure, every sport has rules and ethics that all players and coaches need to abide by. It's the same in all walks of life. But having all these “rules” that are either completely outdated, or downright absurd just dulls the game and makes it more like a friendly get-together at the local library than an actual sport. I guess bench-clearing brawls and skirmishes have their own entertainment value, but most of the time they just end with a bunch of guys standing on the field looking at each other awkwardly before being herded back to their places of respite. It slows the game down and adds nothing of value to the experience. Just go out there, have fun, and stop getting your panties in a wad.

View the full article

By Toby Hunt, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
There's usually a lot of talk during the baseball season about the “unwritten rules” of the game. Rules that aren't enforced by umpires or league officials, but by butt-hurt man-babies who don't think you should be dropping a bunt when your team is up by 7 runs. If you happen to break one of these “rules”, you won't be suspended, nor will you be fined. But you WILL get a stern talking to by one of the opposing team's players or coaches. Oakland's Jed Lowrie received a particularly stern talking to by Astros' manager Bo Porter after Lowrie decided to slap Bo's wife in the face. At least that's what you'd think he had done after watching Porter's reaction. No, the issue was with Lowrie bunting in the first inning after the A's had already put up a 7 spot on Houston.                                          “You apologize to my wife right now young man!”
Now you might be thinking to yourself, “Why is that such a big deal? It's only the first inning” and you would be absolutely correct. But that's the thing, why is it such a big deal? Why are things like this such taboo in the baseball world? This is just one example of many that seem to happen every few weeks or so. Someone stares too long at a homerun ball, tempers flare, someone gets ejected, dogs and cats living together, mass-hysteria. So, why do these incidents happen with such regularity?
Now I'm no sports psychologist. Lord knows I've had my share of mental breakdowns and poo-smearing episodes. But I think a big part of this has to do with their egos. Pitchers hate it when a batter admires his homerun ball like a giant Kate Upton hologram is being projected in the outfield bleachers, just as batters hate when a closer gets overly pumped up after a big save. This isn't because those guys are breaking some long standing tradition of respect and “gentlemanly conduct”. No, they just hate the fact that someone got the best of them. Understandably, players and coaches will overreact in the heat of the moment when emotions are high. But do the benches really need to clear when Slappy McBloophit decides he wants to bunt his way on in a blowout?
  “Man, I haven't had a bunt single in a while” - Erick Aybar before his at bat in the 9th inning of a 27-2 game.
I mean what's the big deal? Don't players want to succeed? Should a hitter just concede an out because his team is winning by 8 or 9 runs? Should a pitcher go shake hands with a batter after striking him out and say “You'll get me next time!”? How often do we see a basketball player dunk in some poor guy's face, then stare at him and say rude things about his momma? Or a football player basically tea-bag a quarterback after a big sack (pun intended)? And don't even get me started on touchdown celebrations. See this is why people don't respect baseball players, because you can't so much as gently pump your fist after a big play without kicking sand in somebody's vagina.
One of my favorite, and lesser-known unwritten rules, is the “Relievers take it easy on relievers” code, in which a National League reliever will pretty much throw nothing but fastballs to another reliever should they get the chance to have an at bat. Now, it's rare that you see a relief pitcher actually in the batter's box as most of them will be pinch hit for. However, should the opportunity arise, relievers apparently have a code that basically says “Ok, I know you probably haven't swung a bat in years, so here's a bunch of fastballs down the middle”. This is an attempt to not hurt his wittle feewings by blowing him away with your best stuff. Of course, this is unlikely to happen in a close game, but it's still absurd because a pitcher is basically giving a hitter the best chance to get a hit. All because it's “respectful”. These are grown men we are talking about here.
“I think every batter is a reliever.”
To many people, baseball is a game of tradition. It's a gentleman's sport and many of these “codes” exist simply to uphold those traditions. That's all well and good, but shouldn't “gentlemen” react as such when one of these rules is broken, instead of starting a fight and yelling words at each other that would make their mothers oh so proud? It's like going to a fancy dinner party with all the old rich white folk in town. You take a sip of your tea but neglect to lift your pinkie off the glass, and then all the old rich white folk start stabbing you. Can't players just get revenge the old fashioned way? By hitting a homerun in their next at bat? Or striking a batter out when you face him again? Or, if you happen to be a manager, how about having a talk with the opposing manager after the game, or even the offending player? I know managers are supposed to protect their players and all that, but storming out onto the field and scolding someone just looks stupid and sets a bad example. I guess the lesson to be learned here is never make Bo Porter mildly irritated.
Ultimately, baseball is supposed to be fun. Sure, every sport has rules and ethics that all players and coaches need to abide by. It's the same in all walks of life. But having all these “rules” that are either completely outdated, or downright absurd just dulls the game and makes it more like a friendly get-together at the local library than an actual sport. I guess bench-clearing brawls and skirmishes have their own entertainment value, but most of the time they just end with a bunch of guys standing on the field looking at each other awkwardly before being herded back to their places of respite. It slows the game down and adds nothing of value to the experience. Just go out there, have fun, and stop getting your panties in a wad.

View the full article

By Toby Hunt, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
There's usually a lot of talk during the baseball season about the “unwritten rules” of the game. Rules that aren't enforced by umpires or league officials, but by butt-hurt man-babies who don't think you should be dropping a bunt when your team is up by 7 runs. If you happen to break one of these “rules”, you won't be suspended, nor will you be fined. But you WILL get a stern talking to by one of the opposing team's players or coaches. Oakland's Jed Lowrie received a particularly stern talking to by Astros' manager Bo Porter after Lowrie decided to slap Bo's wife in the face. At least that's what you'd think he had done after watching Porter's reaction. No, the issue was with Lowrie bunting in the first inning after the A's had already put up a 7 spot on Houston.                                          “You apologize to my wife right now young man!”
Now you might be thinking to yourself, “Why is that such a big deal? It's only the first inning” and you would be absolutely correct. But that's the thing, why is it such a big deal? Why are things like this such taboo in the baseball world? This is just one example of many that seem to happen every few weeks or so. Someone stares too long at a homerun ball, tempers flare, someone gets ejected, dogs and cats living together, mass-hysteria. So, why do these incidents happen with such regularity?
Now I'm no sports psychologist. Lord knows I've had my share of mental breakdowns and poo-smearing episodes. But I think a big part of this has to do with their egos. Pitchers hate it when a batter admires his homerun ball like a giant Kate Upton hologram is being projected in the outfield bleachers, just as batters hate when a closer gets overly pumped up after a big save. This isn't because those guys are breaking some long standing tradition of respect and “gentlemanly conduct”. No, they just hate the fact that someone got the best of them. Understandably, players and coaches will overreact in the heat of the moment when emotions are high. But do the benches really need to clear when Slappy McBloophit decides he wants to bunt his way on in a blowout?
  “Man, I haven't had a bunt single in a while” - Erick Aybar before his at bat in the 9th inning of a 27-2 game.
I mean what's the big deal? Don't players want to succeed? Should a hitter just concede an out because his team is winning by 8 or 9 runs? Should a pitcher go shake hands with a batter after striking him out and say “You'll get me next time!”? How often do we see a basketball player dunk in some poor guy's face, then stare at him and say rude things about his momma? Or a football player basically tea-bag a quarterback after a big sack (pun intended)? And don't even get me started on touchdown celebrations. See this is why people don't respect baseball players, because you can't so much as gently pump your fist after a big play without kicking sand in somebody's vagina.
One of my favorite, and lesser-known unwritten rules, is the “Relievers take it easy on relievers” code, in which a National League reliever will pretty much throw nothing but fastballs to another reliever should they get the chance to have an at bat. Now, it's rare that you see a relief pitcher actually in the batter's box as most of them will be pinch hit for. However, should the opportunity arise, relievers apparently have a code that basically says “Ok, I know you probably haven't swung a bat in years, so here's a bunch of fastballs down the middle”. This is an attempt to not hurt his wittle feewings by blowing him away with your best stuff. Of course, this is unlikely to happen in a close game, but it's still absurd because a pitcher is basically giving a hitter the best chance to get a hit. All because it's “respectful”. These are grown men we are talking about here.
“I think every batter is a reliever.”
To many people, baseball is a game of tradition. It's a gentleman's sport and many of these “codes” exist simply to uphold those traditions. That's all well and good, but shouldn't “gentlemen” react as such when one of these rules is broken, instead of starting a fight and yelling words at each other that would make their mothers oh so proud? It's like going to a fancy dinner party with all the old rich white folk in town. You take a sip of your tea but neglect to lift your pinkie off the glass, and then all the old rich white folk start stabbing you. Can't players just get revenge the old fashioned way? By hitting a homerun in their next at bat? Or striking a batter out when you face him again? Or, if you happen to be a manager, how about having a talk with the opposing manager after the game, or even the offending player? I know managers are supposed to protect their players and all that, but storming out onto the field and scolding someone just looks stupid and sets a bad example. I guess the lesson to be learned here is never make Bo Porter mildly irritated.
Ultimately, baseball is supposed to be fun. Sure, every sport has rules and ethics that all players and coaches need to abide by. It's the same in all walks of life. But having all these “rules” that are either completely outdated, or downright absurd just dulls the game and makes it more like a friendly get-together at the local library than an actual sport. I guess bench-clearing brawls and skirmishes have their own entertainment value, but most of the time they just end with a bunch of guys standing on the field looking at each other awkwardly before being herded back to their places of respite. It slows the game down and adds nothing of value to the experience. Just go out there, have fun, and stop getting your panties in a wad.

View the full article

By Toby Hunt, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
There's usually a lot of talk during the baseball season about the “unwritten rules” of the game. Rules that aren't enforced by umpires or league officials, but by butt-hurt man-babies who don't think you should be dropping a bunt when your team is up by 7 runs. If you happen to break one of these “rules”, you won't be suspended, nor will you be fined. But you WILL get a stern talking to by one of the opposing team's players or coaches. Oakland's Jed Lowrie received a particularly stern talking to by Astros' manager Bo Porter after Lowrie decided to slap Bo's wife in the face. At least that's what you'd think he had done after watching Porter's reaction. No, the issue was with Lowrie bunting in the first inning after the A's had already put up a 7 spot on Houston.                                          “You apologize to my wife right now young man!”
Now you might be thinking to yourself, “Why is that such a big deal? It's only the first inning” and you would be absolutely correct. But that's the thing, why is it such a big deal? Why are things like this such taboo in the baseball world? This is just one example of many that seem to happen every few weeks or so. Someone stares too long at a homerun ball, tempers flare, someone gets ejected, dogs and cats living together, mass-hysteria. So, why do these incidents happen with such regularity?
Now I'm no sports psychologist. Lord knows I've had my share of mental breakdowns and poo-smearing episodes. But I think a big part of this has to do with their egos. Pitchers hate it when a batter admires his homerun ball like a giant Kate Upton hologram is being projected in the outfield bleachers, just as batters hate when a closer gets overly pumped up after a big save. This isn't because those guys are breaking some long standing tradition of respect and “gentlemanly conduct”. No, they just hate the fact that someone got the best of them. Understandably, players and coaches will overreact in the heat of the moment when emotions are high. But do the benches really need to clear when Slappy McBloophit decides he wants to bunt his way on in a blowout?
  “Man, I haven't had a bunt single in a while” - Erick Aybar before his at bat in the 9th inning of a 27-2 game.
I mean what's the big deal? Don't players want to succeed? Should a hitter just concede an out because his team is winning by 8 or 9 runs? Should a pitcher go shake hands with a batter after striking him out and say “You'll get me next time!”? How often do we see a basketball player dunk in some poor guy's face, then stare at him and say rude things about his momma? Or a football player basically tea-bag a quarterback after a big sack (pun intended)? And don't even get me started on touchdown celebrations. See this is why people don't respect baseball players, because you can't so much as gently pump your fist after a big play without kicking sand in somebody's vagina.
One of my favorite, and lesser-known unwritten rules, is the “Relievers take it easy on relievers” code, in which a National League reliever will pretty much throw nothing but fastballs to another reliever should they get the chance to have an at bat. Now, it's rare that you see a relief pitcher actually in the batter's box as most of them will be pinch hit for. However, should the opportunity arise, relievers apparently have a code that basically says “Ok, I know you probably haven't swung a bat in years, so here's a bunch of fastballs down the middle”. This is an attempt to not hurt his wittle feewings by blowing him away with your best stuff. Of course, this is unlikely to happen in a close game, but it's still absurd because a pitcher is basically giving a hitter the best chance to get a hit. All because it's “respectful”. These are grown men we are talking about here.
“I think every batter is a reliever.”
To many people, baseball is a game of tradition. It's a gentleman's sport and many of these “codes” exist simply to uphold those traditions. That's all well and good, but shouldn't “gentlemen” react as such when one of these rules is broken, instead of starting a fight and yelling words at each other that would make their mothers oh so proud? It's like going to a fancy dinner party with all the old rich white folk in town. You take a sip of your tea but neglect to lift your pinkie off the glass, and then all the old rich white folk start stabbing you. Can't players just get revenge the old fashioned way? By hitting a homerun in their next at bat? Or striking a batter out when you face him again? Or, if you happen to be a manager, how about having a talk with the opposing manager after the game, or even the offending player? I know managers are supposed to protect their players and all that, but storming out onto the field and scolding someone just looks stupid and sets a bad example. I guess the lesson to be learned here is never make Bo Porter mildly irritated.
Ultimately, baseball is supposed to be fun. Sure, every sport has rules and ethics that all players and coaches need to abide by. It's the same in all walks of life. But having all these “rules” that are either completely outdated, or downright absurd just dulls the game and makes it more like a friendly get-together at the local library than an actual sport. I guess bench-clearing brawls and skirmishes have their own entertainment value, but most of the time they just end with a bunch of guys standing on the field looking at each other awkwardly before being herded back to their places of respite. It slows the game down and adds nothing of value to the experience. Just go out there, have fun, and stop getting your panties in a wad.

View the full article

This week we continue our feature series celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by highlighting one our members and big time contributors to our forum discussions. 
 
Toby (tdawg87) has been not only a tremendous contributor to forum discussion over the years, but he also delivers some of the funniest one-liners and sarcastic humor on the website. One more thing to add before hearing from Toby himself; since March 1st of 2013 when we rolled out our new forum software, it came implemented with the Facebook "LIKE" system. Toby leads all AngelsWin.com members with 3112 'LIKES' on his posts in just over a full year. That's well over a thousand more than founder & executive editor of AngelsWin.com, Chuck Richter (1848).
 
Without further ado, here's our interview with AngelsWin.com's most liked member! 
 
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
 
tdawg87: I believe it was the beginning of 2008 when I first decided to sign up and start posting. I had been a lifelong lurker (and occasional troll) of the Official Message Board for about 5 years or so, and had lurked here for a couple years after finding the link on the main board. I signed up here and decided to actually contribute when I saw that the people here were much more down to earth and less "clique-y" than the OMB.
 
The name "tdawg87" was initially meant as a joke. My first name is Toby and I was born in 1987, but literally no one in the history of my life has called me "tdawg". It just kind of stuck. I tried changing it for about a day but I received many angry messages and death threats through pm's so I decided to change it back.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What keeps you coming back to the site?
 
tdawg87: Honestly, the Angels themselves. There is always something to talk about with this team, be it good, bad, or Aybar-related. It's fun to talk about the team when they are winning, and it's just as fun to talk about them when they lose. There are so many different fans and personalities on AngelsWin that it's almost impossible to not be entertained by it.
 
Other than that, it's cool to be a part of what has become the "official" or "definitive" Angels board. There are players and management who read the site, as well as people with the inside scoop who will contribute to the forum as well.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
 
tdawg87: The Gameday threads are way too fun. Commenting (read: Complaining) about the game as it goes on pitch-by-pitch is a great experience. I always seem to miss a lot of the classics though. I think I was here a bit too late for the "Common Courtesy" thread, although I remember reading it and having a good laugh.
 
I like Glen's articles a lot because he seems to have a similar sense of humor as I, and from what I hear he also has an incredible butt. That's just what I've heard though.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
 
tdawg87: I have been to exactly 0 of these events. If I lived out west I'd certainly be at most of them, or at least the softball and golf events. Unfortunately I live on the east coast so there is no way for me to attend anything.
 
At some point in the future I will. Maybe. If somebody pays for my plane ticket. And lets me crash on their couch. Or bed. And buys all my food and beer.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
 
tdawg87: Why not? It has everything an Angels fan would need and then some. If you want a place to read in-depth articles regarding the organization from top to bottom, you come here. If you want a place to get insider interviews and perspectives that no one else has, you come here. If you want to get naked and do the Charleston when Trout hits a homerun, you come here. Even if you just need a place to vent when the team looks like poop, you can come here. It's great to have a place that is welcome to any and all fans who are allowed to support their team the way they see fit.
 
AngelsWin.com:  In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
 
tdawg87: I think it's an amalgamation of everything. The message board is, as Adam put it, "where the magic happens", but even if you aren't into that there is so much more this site offers to keep your attention.
 
It really has become the official Angels site in many respects. There is no place else with this active a community and this much contribution inside and out. People have worked and continue to work very hard at keeping this place active and relevant with not only Angels fans, but the organization itself.
 
Ligther Side
 
AngelsWin.com:  Where do you live and what do you do?
 
tdawg87: Unfortunately I live on the east coast in New Hampshire. You are probably asking yourself "Why is there an Angels fan living in New Hampshire, of all places" and I will get to that in a minute. Just calm your tits for like 5 seconds.
 
Within the last 2 years I started working at a bank. A money-bank, not a sperm-bank, sorry. I process mortgage loans. I still don't know what that means but I get my own office which is cool.
 
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
 
tdawg87: My journey as an Angels fan is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
 
Basically, my dad grew up in So-cal and he grew up an Angels fan. My brother was born and lived out there for a while and it caught on with him as well. I was born in New Hampshire after my parents decided they wanted to shovel snow for the rest of their lives. My only interaction with Angels' baseball was when they were on NESN (the Red Sox sports network) and the extremely rare ESPN appearance. I was 5 when I started actually getting into the games and understanding what the hell was going on. I remember having to watch every last out, no matter what the score was. I would also run to my room and cry when they lost, so not much has changed actually. Basically, my first introduction to the Angels was through the Red Sox. I suppose this is like being introduced to your future wife by having a car battery attached to your nipples. I guess some people are into that sort of thing, but it was painful and caused massive chaffing. Thus, my hatred of the Red Sox was born while I was still occasionally shitting my pants.
 
That went on for about 5 years until it happened: I discovered I was too cool. I was too cool to like the same team my dad and brother liked. I had to be different. Oh don't worry, I still followed the Angels. But I did so from the safety of the closet. I openly bragged to my dad and brother about how I was now a White Sox fan (I was a Bulls fan at the time, so I thought "Hey this team is also from Chicago!"-10 year old logic) and how much better they were than the Angels. I honestly cannot explain what was going on in my head. I just wanted to be different for no reason.
 
It's funny because I don't think they realize even to this day that I would always check the Angels' score when they weren't looking because man that shit was in my blood.
 
Anyway, that lasted until 2001 when my dad bought the Extra Innings package for direct tv. I guess I though to myself "damn, now the Angels are on most nights, I can't keep up this charade any longer". So I sat down with him and had a nice talk. It was difficult to come out to my dad like that, as it is for most people in the closet, but he accepted me for who I was and never once judged me. 
 
Ever since then I've been following every game, throwing several tantrums along the way.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
 
tdawg87: That I remember? I think it was 1991 or 1992. It was actually in Angels Stadium. We were out visiting relatives and going to Disney and all that. I believe it was against the Yankees and the Angels won 1-0.
 
I remember my aunt buying me a Florida Marlins hat for whatever ungodly reason. I guess in my 4 year old mind teal + black + ugly fish wrapped around a big F = I'm the coolest kid in kindergarten.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
 
tdawg87: Garret Anderson was always my favorite growing up. I loved watching him play, and I guess a part of me sympathized with his "meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. I always thought he was cool as hell. Like, the Billy Dee Williams of baseball. Except he was kind of lazy and shy and hated when you approached him at golf shops.
 
These days I guess I kind of like Mike Trout. Also have a thing for Aybar. He's a good player, but he also does some incredibly stupid yet hilarious things. You never know what will happen next with him. Will he swing at a pitch that hits him in the balls? Will he try stealing 2nd with the bases loaded? Will he moon the pitcher at home plate after hitting a homerun? You just never know what he will do.
 
As for interactions, I got Brad Fullmer's autograph in 2002. Also Bud Black nana-pointed at me when I yelled his name. Somewhere in some box is an autograph from the Angels' bullpen coach/catcher at the time. He was a heavy-set Hispanic fellow (it wasn't Bengie I swear). To this day I still don't know who he was or what his name was. But hey, he signed something for me so that's cool.
 
AngelsWin.com:  How do you survive the offseason?
 
tdawg87: By watching football and hockey. Basketball bores the absolute crap out of me. I guess I just kind of sit around and do nothing like I always do, only there's less baseball involved and less inexplicable nudity.
 
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
 
tdawg87: I enjoy long walks on the beach, Aerosmith, and hanging out with my friends. I play guitar and am actually a decent cook. Send me an email if this interests you.
 

*Here's our list of our 2014 AngelsWin.com Member Appreciation Interviews

Adam Dodge

By Toby Hunt, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
There's usually a lot of talk during the baseball season about the “unwritten rules” of the game. Rules that aren't enforced by umpires or league officials, but by butt-hurt man-babies who don't think you should be dropping a bunt when your team is up by 7 runs. If you happen to break one of these “rules”, you won't be suspended, nor will you be fined. But you WILL get a stern talking to by one of the opposing team's players or coaches. Oakland's Jed Lowrie received a particularly stern talking to by Astros' manager Bo Porter after Lowrie decided to slap Bo's wife in the face. At least that's what you'd think he had done after watching Porter's reaction. No, the issue was with Lowrie bunting in the first inning after the A's had already put up a 7 spot on Houston.                                          “You apologize to my wife right now young man!”
Now you might be thinking to yourself, “Why is that such a big deal? It's only the first inning” and you would be absolutely correct. But that's the thing, why is it such a big deal? Why are things like this such taboo in the baseball world? This is just one example of many that seem to happen every few weeks or so. Someone stares too long at a homerun ball, tempers flare, someone gets ejected, dogs and cats living together, mass-hysteria. So, why do these incidents happen with such regularity?
Now I'm no sports psychologist. Lord knows I've had my share of mental breakdowns and poo-smearing episodes. But I think a big part of this has to do with their egos. Pitchers hate it when a batter admires his homerun ball like a giant Kate Upton hologram is being projected in the outfield bleachers, just as batters hate when a closer gets overly pumped up after a big save. This isn't because those guys are breaking some long standing tradition of respect and “gentlemanly conduct”. No, they just hate the fact that someone got the best of them. Understandably, players and coaches will overreact in the heat of the moment when emotions are high. But do the benches really need to clear when Slappy McBloophit decides he wants to bunt his way on in a blowout?
  “Man, I haven't had a bunt single in a while” - Erick Aybar before his at bat in the 9th inning of a 27-2 game.
I mean what's the big deal? Don't players want to succeed? Should a hitter just concede an out because his team is winning by 8 or 9 runs? Should a pitcher go shake hands with a batter after striking him out and say “You'll get me next time!”? How often do we see a basketball player dunk in some poor guy's face, then stare at him and say rude things about his momma? Or a football player basically tea-bag a quarterback after a big sack (pun intended)? And don't even get me started on touchdown celebrations. See this is why people don't respect baseball players, because you can't so much as gently pump your fist after a big play without kicking sand in somebody's vagina.
One of my favorite, and lesser-known unwritten rules, is the “Relievers take it easy on relievers” code, in which a National League reliever will pretty much throw nothing but fastballs to another reliever should they get the chance to have an at bat. Now, it's rare that you see a relief pitcher actually in the batter's box as most of them will be pinch hit for. However, should the opportunity arise, relievers apparently have a code that basically says “Ok, I know you probably haven't swung a bat in years, so here's a bunch of fastballs down the middle”. This is an attempt to not hurt his wittle feewings by blowing him away with your best stuff. Of course, this is unlikely to happen in a close game, but it's still absurd because a pitcher is basically giving a hitter the best chance to get a hit. All because it's “respectful”. These are grown men we are talking about here.
“I think every batter is a reliever.”
To many people, baseball is a game of tradition. It's a gentleman's sport and many of these “codes” exist simply to uphold those traditions. That's all well and good, but shouldn't “gentlemen” react as such when one of these rules is broken, instead of starting a fight and yelling words at each other that would make their mothers oh so proud? It's like going to a fancy dinner party with all the old rich white folk in town. You take a sip of your tea but neglect to lift your pinkie off the glass, and then all the old rich white folk start stabbing you. Can't players just get revenge the old fashioned way? By hitting a homerun in their next at bat? Or striking a batter out when you face him again? Or, if you happen to be a manager, how about having a talk with the opposing manager after the game, or even the offending player? I know managers are supposed to protect their players and all that, but storming out onto the field and scolding someone just looks stupid and sets a bad example. I guess the lesson to be learned here is never make Bo Porter mildly irritated.
Ultimately, baseball is supposed to be fun. Sure, every sport has rules and ethics that all players and coaches need to abide by. It's the same in all walks of life. But having all these “rules” that are either completely outdated, or downright absurd just dulls the game and makes it more like a friendly get-together at the local library than an actual sport. I guess bench-clearing brawls and skirmishes have their own entertainment value, but most of the time they just end with a bunch of guys standing on the field looking at each other awkwardly before being herded back to their places of respite. It slows the game down and adds nothing of value to the experience. Just go out there, have fun, and stop getting your panties in a wad.

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This week we continue our feature series celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by highlighting one our members and big time contributors to our forum discussions. 
 
Toby (tdawg87) has been not only a tremendous contributor to forum discussion over the years, but he also delivers some of the funniest one-liners and sarcastic humor on the website. One more thing to add before hearing from Toby himself; since March 1st of 2013 when we rolled out our new forum software, it came implemented with the Facebook "LIKE" system. Toby leads all AngelsWin.com members with 3112 'LIKES' on his posts in just over a full year. That's well over a thousand more than founder & executive editor of AngelsWin.com, Chuck Richter (1848).
 
Without further ado, here's our interview with AngelsWin.com's most liked member! 
 
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
 
tdawg87: I believe it was the beginning of 2008 when I first decided to sign up and start posting. I had been a lifelong lurker (and occasional troll) of the Official Message Board for about 5 years or so, and had lurked here for a couple years after finding the link on the main board. I signed up here and decided to actually contribute when I saw that the people here were much more down to earth and less "clique-y" than the OMB.
 
The name "tdawg87" was initially meant as a joke. My first name is Toby and I was born in 1987, but literally no one in the history of my life has called me "tdawg". It just kind of stuck. I tried changing it for about a day but I received many angry messages and death threats through pm's so I decided to change it back.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What keeps you coming back to the site?
 
tdawg87: Honestly, the Angels themselves. There is always something to talk about with this team, be it good, bad, or Aybar-related. It's fun to talk about the team when they are winning, and it's just as fun to talk about them when they lose. There are so many different fans and personalities on AngelsWin that it's almost impossible to not be entertained by it.
 
Other than that, it's cool to be a part of what has become the "official" or "definitive" Angels board. There are players and management who read the site, as well as people with the inside scoop who will contribute to the forum as well.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
 
tdawg87: The Gameday threads are way too fun. Commenting (read: Complaining) about the game as it goes on pitch-by-pitch is a great experience. I always seem to miss a lot of the classics though. I think I was here a bit too late for the "Common Courtesy" thread, although I remember reading it and having a good laugh.
 
I like Glen's articles a lot because he seems to have a similar sense of humor as I, and from what I hear he also has an incredible butt. That's just what I've heard though.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
 
tdawg87: I have been to exactly 0 of these events. If I lived out west I'd certainly be at most of them, or at least the softball and golf events. Unfortunately I live on the east coast so there is no way for me to attend anything.
 
At some point in the future I will. Maybe. If somebody pays for my plane ticket. And lets me crash on their couch. Or bed. And buys all my food and beer.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
 
tdawg87: Why not? It has everything an Angels fan would need and then some. If you want a place to read in-depth articles regarding the organization from top to bottom, you come here. If you want a place to get insider interviews and perspectives that no one else has, you come here. If you want to get naked and do the Charleston when Trout hits a homerun, you come here. Even if you just need a place to vent when the team looks like poop, you can come here. It's great to have a place that is welcome to any and all fans who are allowed to support their team the way they see fit.
 
AngelsWin.com:  In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
 
tdawg87: I think it's an amalgamation of everything. The message board is, as Adam put it, "where the magic happens", but even if you aren't into that there is so much more this site offers to keep your attention.
 
It really has become the official Angels site in many respects. There is no place else with this active a community and this much contribution inside and out. People have worked and continue to work very hard at keeping this place active and relevant with not only Angels fans, but the organization itself.
 
Ligther Side
 
AngelsWin.com:  Where do you live and what do you do?
 
tdawg87: Unfortunately I live on the east coast in New Hampshire. You are probably asking yourself "Why is there an Angels fan living in New Hampshire, of all places" and I will get to that in a minute. Just calm your tits for like 5 seconds.
 
Within the last 2 years I started working at a bank. A money-bank, not a sperm-bank, sorry. I process mortgage loans. I still don't know what that means but I get my own office which is cool.
 
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
 
tdawg87: My journey as an Angels fan is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
 
Basically, my dad grew up in So-cal and he grew up an Angels fan. My brother was born and lived out there for a while and it caught on with him as well. I was born in New Hampshire after my parents decided they wanted to shovel snow for the rest of their lives. My only interaction with Angels' baseball was when they were on NESN (the Red Sox sports network) and the extremely rare ESPN appearance. I was 5 when I started actually getting into the games and understanding what the hell was going on. I remember having to watch every last out, no matter what the score was. I would also run to my room and cry when they lost, so not much has changed actually. Basically, my first introduction to the Angels was through the Red Sox. I suppose this is like being introduced to your future wife by having a car battery attached to your nipples. I guess some people are into that sort of thing, but it was painful and caused massive chaffing. Thus, my hatred of the Red Sox was born while I was still occasionally shitting my pants.
 
That went on for about 5 years until it happened: I discovered I was too cool. I was too cool to like the same team my dad and brother liked. I had to be different. Oh don't worry, I still followed the Angels. But I did so from the safety of the closet. I openly bragged to my dad and brother about how I was now a White Sox fan (I was a Bulls fan at the time, so I thought "Hey this team is also from Chicago!"-10 year old logic) and how much better they were than the Angels. I honestly cannot explain what was going on in my head. I just wanted to be different for no reason.
 
It's funny because I don't think they realize even to this day that I would always check the Angels' score when they weren't looking because man that shit was in my blood.
 
Anyway, that lasted until 2001 when my dad bought the Extra Innings package for direct tv. I guess I though to myself "damn, now the Angels are on most nights, I can't keep up this charade any longer". So I sat down with him and had a nice talk. It was difficult to come out to my dad like that, as it is for most people in the closet, but he accepted me for who I was and never once judged me. 
 
Ever since then I've been following every game, throwing several tantrums along the way.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
 
tdawg87: That I remember? I think it was 1991 or 1992. It was actually in Angels Stadium. We were out visiting relatives and going to Disney and all that. I believe it was against the Yankees and the Angels won 1-0.
 
I remember my aunt buying me a Florida Marlins hat for whatever ungodly reason. I guess in my 4 year old mind teal + black + ugly fish wrapped around a big F = I'm the coolest kid in kindergarten.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
 
tdawg87: Garret Anderson was always my favorite growing up. I loved watching him play, and I guess a part of me sympathized with his "meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. I always thought he was cool as hell. Like, the Billy Dee Williams of baseball. Except he was kind of lazy and shy and hated when you approached him at golf shops.
 
These days I guess I kind of like Mike Trout. Also have a thing for Aybar. He's a good player, but he also does some incredibly stupid yet hilarious things. You never know what will happen next with him. Will he swing at a pitch that hits him in the balls? Will he try stealing 2nd with the bases loaded? Will he moon the pitcher at home plate after hitting a homerun? You just never know what he will do.
 
As for interactions, I got Brad Fullmer's autograph in 2002. Also Bud Black nana-pointed at me when I yelled his name. Somewhere in some box is an autograph from the Angels' bullpen coach/catcher at the time. He was a heavy-set Hispanic fellow (it wasn't Bengie I swear). To this day I still don't know who he was or what his name was. But hey, he signed something for me so that's cool.
 
AngelsWin.com:  How do you survive the offseason?
 
tdawg87: By watching football and hockey. Basketball bores the absolute crap out of me. I guess I just kind of sit around and do nothing like I always do, only there's less baseball involved and less inexplicable nudity.
 
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
 
tdawg87: I enjoy long walks on the beach, Aerosmith, and hanging out with my friends. I play guitar and am actually a decent cook. Send me an email if this interests you.
 

*Here's our list of our 2014 AngelsWin.com Member Appreciation Interviews

Adam Dodge

This week we continue our feature series celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by highlighting one our members and big time contributors to our forum discussions. 
 
Toby (tdawg87) has been not only a tremendous contributor to forum discussion over the years, but he also delivers some of the funniest one-liners and sarcastic humor on the website. One more thing to add before hearing from Toby himself; since March 1st of 2013 when we rolled out our new forum software, it came implemented with the Facebook "LIKE" system. Toby leads all AngelsWin.com members with 3112 'LIKES' on his posts in just over a full year. That's well over a thousand more than founder & executive editor of AngelsWin.com, Chuck Richter (1848).
 
Without further ado, here's our interview with AngelsWin.com's most liked member! 
 
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
 
tdawg87: I believe it was the beginning of 2008 when I first decided to sign up and start posting. I had been a lifelong lurker (and occasional troll) of the Official Message Board for about 5 years or so, and had lurked here for a couple years after finding the link on the main board. I signed up here and decided to actually contribute when I saw that the people here were much more down to earth and less "clique-y" than the OMB.
 
The name "tdawg87" was initially meant as a joke. My first name is Toby and I was born in 1987, but literally no one in the history of my life has called me "tdawg". It just kind of stuck. I tried changing it for about a day but I received many angry messages and death threats through pm's so I decided to change it back.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What keeps you coming back to the site?
 
tdawg87: Honestly, the Angels themselves. There is always something to talk about with this team, be it good, bad, or Aybar-related. It's fun to talk about the team when they are winning, and it's just as fun to talk about them when they lose. There are so many different fans and personalities on AngelsWin that it's almost impossible to not be entertained by it.
 
Other than that, it's cool to be a part of what has become the "official" or "definitive" Angels board. There are players and management who read the site, as well as people with the inside scoop who will contribute to the forum as well.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
 
tdawg87: The Gameday threads are way too fun. Commenting (read: Complaining) about the game as it goes on pitch-by-pitch is a great experience. I always seem to miss a lot of the classics though. I think I was here a bit too late for the "Common Courtesy" thread, although I remember reading it and having a good laugh.
 
I like Glen's articles a lot because he seems to have a similar sense of humor as I, and from what I hear he also has an incredible butt. That's just what I've heard though.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
 
tdawg87: I have been to exactly 0 of these events. If I lived out west I'd certainly be at most of them, or at least the softball and golf events. Unfortunately I live on the east coast so there is no way for me to attend anything.
 
At some point in the future I will. Maybe. If somebody pays for my plane ticket. And lets me crash on their couch. Or bed. And buys all my food and beer.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
 
tdawg87: Why not? It has everything an Angels fan would need and then some. If you want a place to read in-depth articles regarding the organization from top to bottom, you come here. If you want a place to get insider interviews and perspectives that no one else has, you come here. If you want to get naked and do the Charleston when Trout hits a homerun, you come here. Even if you just need a place to vent when the team looks like poop, you can come here. It's great to have a place that is welcome to any and all fans who are allowed to support their team the way they see fit.
 
AngelsWin.com:  In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
 
tdawg87: I think it's an amalgamation of everything. The message board is, as Adam put it, "where the magic happens", but even if you aren't into that there is so much more this site offers to keep your attention.
 
It really has become the official Angels site in many respects. There is no place else with this active a community and this much contribution inside and out. People have worked and continue to work very hard at keeping this place active and relevant with not only Angels fans, but the organization itself.
 
Ligther Side
 
AngelsWin.com:  Where do you live and what do you do?
 
tdawg87: Unfortunately I live on the east coast in New Hampshire. You are probably asking yourself "Why is there an Angels fan living in New Hampshire, of all places" and I will get to that in a minute. Just calm your tits for like 5 seconds.
 
Within the last 2 years I started working at a bank. A money-bank, not a sperm-bank, sorry. I process mortgage loans. I still don't know what that means but I get my own office which is cool.
 
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
 
tdawg87: My journey as an Angels fan is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
 
Basically, my dad grew up in So-cal and he grew up an Angels fan. My brother was born and lived out there for a while and it caught on with him as well. I was born in New Hampshire after my parents decided they wanted to shovel snow for the rest of their lives. My only interaction with Angels' baseball was when they were on NESN (the Red Sox sports network) and the extremely rare ESPN appearance. I was 5 when I started actually getting into the games and understanding what the hell was going on. I remember having to watch every last out, no matter what the score was. I would also run to my room and cry when they lost, so not much has changed actually. Basically, my first introduction to the Angels was through the Red Sox. I suppose this is like being introduced to your future wife by having a car battery attached to your nipples. I guess some people are into that sort of thing, but it was painful and caused massive chaffing. Thus, my hatred of the Red Sox was born while I was still occasionally shitting my pants.
 
That went on for about 5 years until it happened: I discovered I was too cool. I was too cool to like the same team my dad and brother liked. I had to be different. Oh don't worry, I still followed the Angels. But I did so from the safety of the closet. I openly bragged to my dad and brother about how I was now a White Sox fan (I was a Bulls fan at the time, so I thought "Hey this team is also from Chicago!"-10 year old logic) and how much better they were than the Angels. I honestly cannot explain what was going on in my head. I just wanted to be different for no reason.
 
It's funny because I don't think they realize even to this day that I would always check the Angels' score when they weren't looking because man that shit was in my blood.
 
Anyway, that lasted until 2001 when my dad bought the Extra Innings package for direct tv. I guess I though to myself "damn, now the Angels are on most nights, I can't keep up this charade any longer". So I sat down with him and had a nice talk. It was difficult to come out to my dad like that, as it is for most people in the closet, but he accepted me for who I was and never once judged me. 
 
Ever since then I've been following every game, throwing several tantrums along the way.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
 
tdawg87: That I remember? I think it was 1991 or 1992. It was actually in Angels Stadium. We were out visiting relatives and going to Disney and all that. I believe it was against the Yankees and the Angels won 1-0.
 
I remember my aunt buying me a Florida Marlins hat for whatever ungodly reason. I guess in my 4 year old mind teal + black + ugly fish wrapped around a big F = I'm the coolest kid in kindergarten.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
 
tdawg87: Garret Anderson was always my favorite growing up. I loved watching him play, and I guess a part of me sympathized with his "meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. I always thought he was cool as hell. Like, the Billy Dee Williams of baseball. Except he was kind of lazy and shy and hated when you approached him at golf shops.
 
These days I guess I kind of like Mike Trout. Also have a thing for Aybar. He's a good player, but he also does some incredibly stupid yet hilarious things. You never know what will happen next with him. Will he swing at a pitch that hits him in the balls? Will he try stealing 2nd with the bases loaded? Will he moon the pitcher at home plate after hitting a homerun? You just never know what he will do.
 
As for interactions, I got Brad Fullmer's autograph in 2002. Also Bud Black nana-pointed at me when I yelled his name. Somewhere in some box is an autograph from the Angels' bullpen coach/catcher at the time. He was a heavy-set Hispanic fellow (it wasn't Bengie I swear). To this day I still don't know who he was or what his name was. But hey, he signed something for me so that's cool.
 
AngelsWin.com:  How do you survive the offseason?
 
tdawg87: By watching football and hockey. Basketball bores the absolute crap out of me. I guess I just kind of sit around and do nothing like I always do, only there's less baseball involved and less inexplicable nudity.
 
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
 
tdawg87: I enjoy long walks on the beach, Aerosmith, and hanging out with my friends. I play guitar and am actually a decent cook. Send me an email if this interests you.
 

*Here's our list of our 2014 AngelsWin.com Member Appreciation Interviews

Adam Dodge

This week we continue our feature series celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by highlighting one our members and big time contributors to our forum discussions. 
 
Toby (tdawg87) has been not only a tremendous contributor to forum discussion over the years, but he also delivers some of the funniest one-liners and sarcastic humor on the website. One more thing to add before hearing from Toby himself; since March 1st of 2013 when we rolled out our new forum software, it came implemented with the Facebook "LIKE" system. Toby leads all AngelsWin.com members with 3112 'LIKES' on his posts in just over a full year. That's well over a thousand more than founder & executive editor of AngelsWin.com, Chuck Richter (1848).
 
Without further ado, here's our interview with AngelsWin.com's most liked member! 
 
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
 
tdawg87: I believe it was the beginning of 2008 when I first decided to sign up and start posting. I had been a lifelong lurker (and occasional troll) of the Official Message Board for about 5 years or so, and had lurked here for a couple years after finding the link on the main board. I signed up here and decided to actually contribute when I saw that the people here were much more down to earth and less "clique-y" than the OMB.
 
The name "tdawg87" was initially meant as a joke. My first name is Toby and I was born in 1987, but literally no one in the history of my life has called me "tdawg". It just kind of stuck. I tried changing it for about a day but I received many angry messages and death threats through pm's so I decided to change it back.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What keeps you coming back to the site?
 
tdawg87: Honestly, the Angels themselves. There is always something to talk about with this team, be it good, bad, or Aybar-related. It's fun to talk about the team when they are winning, and it's just as fun to talk about them when they lose. There are so many different fans and personalities on AngelsWin that it's almost impossible to not be entertained by it.
 
Other than that, it's cool to be a part of what has become the "official" or "definitive" Angels board. There are players and management who read the site, as well as people with the inside scoop who will contribute to the forum as well.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
 
tdawg87: The Gameday threads are way too fun. Commenting (read: Complaining) about the game as it goes on pitch-by-pitch is a great experience. I always seem to miss a lot of the classics though. I think I was here a bit too late for the "Common Courtesy" thread, although I remember reading it and having a good laugh.
 
I like Glen's articles a lot because he seems to have a similar sense of humor as I, and from what I hear he also has an incredible butt. That's just what I've heard though.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
 
tdawg87: I have been to exactly 0 of these events. If I lived out west I'd certainly be at most of them, or at least the softball and golf events. Unfortunately I live on the east coast so there is no way for me to attend anything.
 
At some point in the future I will. Maybe. If somebody pays for my plane ticket. And lets me crash on their couch. Or bed. And buys all my food and beer.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
 
tdawg87: Why not? It has everything an Angels fan would need and then some. If you want a place to read in-depth articles regarding the organization from top to bottom, you come here. If you want a place to get insider interviews and perspectives that no one else has, you come here. If you want to get naked and do the Charleston when Trout hits a homerun, you come here. Even if you just need a place to vent when the team looks like poop, you can come here. It's great to have a place that is welcome to any and all fans who are allowed to support their team the way they see fit.
 
AngelsWin.com:  In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
 
tdawg87: I think it's an amalgamation of everything. The message board is, as Adam put it, "where the magic happens", but even if you aren't into that there is so much more this site offers to keep your attention.
 
It really has become the official Angels site in many respects. There is no place else with this active a community and this much contribution inside and out. People have worked and continue to work very hard at keeping this place active and relevant with not only Angels fans, but the organization itself.
 
Ligther Side
 
AngelsWin.com:  Where do you live and what do you do?
 
tdawg87: Unfortunately I live on the east coast in New Hampshire. You are probably asking yourself "Why is there an Angels fan living in New Hampshire, of all places" and I will get to that in a minute. Just calm your tits for like 5 seconds.
 
Within the last 2 years I started working at a bank. A money-bank, not a sperm-bank, sorry. I process mortgage loans. I still don't know what that means but I get my own office which is cool.
 
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
 
tdawg87: My journey as an Angels fan is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
 
Basically, my dad grew up in So-cal and he grew up an Angels fan. My brother was born and lived out there for a while and it caught on with him as well. I was born in New Hampshire after my parents decided they wanted to shovel snow for the rest of their lives. My only interaction with Angels' baseball was when they were on NESN (the Red Sox sports network) and the extremely rare ESPN appearance. I was 5 when I started actually getting into the games and understanding what the hell was going on. I remember having to watch every last out, no matter what the score was. I would also run to my room and cry when they lost, so not much has changed actually. Basically, my first introduction to the Angels was through the Red Sox. I suppose this is like being introduced to your future wife by having a car battery attached to your nipples. I guess some people are into that sort of thing, but it was painful and caused massive chaffing. Thus, my hatred of the Red Sox was born while I was still occasionally shitting my pants.
 
That went on for about 5 years until it happened: I discovered I was too cool. I was too cool to like the same team my dad and brother liked. I had to be different. Oh don't worry, I still followed the Angels. But I did so from the safety of the closet. I openly bragged to my dad and brother about how I was now a White Sox fan (I was a Bulls fan at the time, so I thought "Hey this team is also from Chicago!"-10 year old logic) and how much better they were than the Angels. I honestly cannot explain what was going on in my head. I just wanted to be different for no reason.
 
It's funny because I don't think they realize even to this day that I would always check the Angels' score when they weren't looking because man that shit was in my blood.
 
Anyway, that lasted until 2001 when my dad bought the Extra Innings package for direct tv. I guess I though to myself "damn, now the Angels are on most nights, I can't keep up this charade any longer". So I sat down with him and had a nice talk. It was difficult to come out to my dad like that, as it is for most people in the closet, but he accepted me for who I was and never once judged me. 
 
Ever since then I've been following every game, throwing several tantrums along the way.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
 
tdawg87: That I remember? I think it was 1991 or 1992. It was actually in Angels Stadium. We were out visiting relatives and going to Disney and all that. I believe it was against the Yankees and the Angels won 1-0.
 
I remember my aunt buying me a Florida Marlins hat for whatever ungodly reason. I guess in my 4 year old mind teal + black + ugly fish wrapped around a big F = I'm the coolest kid in kindergarten.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
 
tdawg87: Garret Anderson was always my favorite growing up. I loved watching him play, and I guess a part of me sympathized with his "meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. I always thought he was cool as hell. Like, the Billy Dee Williams of baseball. Except he was kind of lazy and shy and hated when you approached him at golf shops.
 
These days I guess I kind of like Mike Trout. Also have a thing for Aybar. He's a good player, but he also does some incredibly stupid yet hilarious things. You never know what will happen next with him. Will he swing at a pitch that hits him in the balls? Will he try stealing 2nd with the bases loaded? Will he moon the pitcher at home plate after hitting a homerun? You just never know what he will do.
 
As for interactions, I got Brad Fullmer's autograph in 2002. Also Bud Black nana-pointed at me when I yelled his name. Somewhere in some box is an autograph from the Angels' bullpen coach/catcher at the time. He was a heavy-set Hispanic fellow (it wasn't Bengie I swear). To this day I still don't know who he was or what his name was. But hey, he signed something for me so that's cool.
 
AngelsWin.com:  How do you survive the offseason?
 
tdawg87: By watching football and hockey. Basketball bores the absolute crap out of me. I guess I just kind of sit around and do nothing like I always do, only there's less baseball involved and less inexplicable nudity.
 
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
 
tdawg87: I enjoy long walks on the beach, Aerosmith, and hanging out with my friends. I play guitar and am actually a decent cook. Send me an email if this interests you.
 

*Here's our list of our 2014 AngelsWin.com Member Appreciation Interviews

Adam Dodge

This week we continue our feature series celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by highlighting one our members and big time contributors to our forum discussions. 
 
Toby (tdawg87) has been not only a tremendous contributor to forum discussion over the years, but he also delivers some of the funniest one-liners and sarcastic humor on the website. One more thing to add before hearing from Toby himself; since March 1st of 2013 when we rolled out our new forum software, it came implemented with the Facebook "LIKE" system. Toby leads all AngelsWin.com members with 3112 'LIKES' on his posts in just over a full year. That's well over a thousand more than founder & executive editor of AngelsWin.com, Chuck Richter (1848).
 
Without further ado, here's our interview with AngelsWin.com's most liked member! 
 
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
 
tdawg87: I believe it was the beginning of 2008 when I first decided to sign up and start posting. I had been a lifelong lurker (and occasional troll) of the Official Message Board for about 5 years or so, and had lurked here for a couple years after finding the link on the main board. I signed up here and decided to actually contribute when I saw that the people here were much more down to earth and less "clique-y" than the OMB.
 
The name "tdawg87" was initially meant as a joke. My first name is Toby and I was born in 1987, but literally no one in the history of my life has called me "tdawg". It just kind of stuck. I tried changing it for about a day but I received many angry messages and death threats through pm's so I decided to change it back.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What keeps you coming back to the site?
 
tdawg87: Honestly, the Angels themselves. There is always something to talk about with this team, be it good, bad, or Aybar-related. It's fun to talk about the team when they are winning, and it's just as fun to talk about them when they lose. There are so many different fans and personalities on AngelsWin that it's almost impossible to not be entertained by it.
 
Other than that, it's cool to be a part of what has become the "official" or "definitive" Angels board. There are players and management who read the site, as well as people with the inside scoop who will contribute to the forum as well.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
 
tdawg87: The Gameday threads are way too fun. Commenting (read: Complaining) about the game as it goes on pitch-by-pitch is a great experience. I always seem to miss a lot of the classics though. I think I was here a bit too late for the "Common Courtesy" thread, although I remember reading it and having a good laugh.
 
I like Glen's articles a lot because he seems to have a similar sense of humor as I, and from what I hear he also has an incredible butt. That's just what I've heard though.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
 
tdawg87: I have been to exactly 0 of these events. If I lived out west I'd certainly be at most of them, or at least the softball and golf events. Unfortunately I live on the east coast so there is no way for me to attend anything.
 
At some point in the future I will. Maybe. If somebody pays for my plane ticket. And lets me crash on their couch. Or bed. And buys all my food and beer.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
 
tdawg87: Why not? It has everything an Angels fan would need and then some. If you want a place to read in-depth articles regarding the organization from top to bottom, you come here. If you want a place to get insider interviews and perspectives that no one else has, you come here. If you want to get naked and do the Charleston when Trout hits a homerun, you come here. Even if you just need a place to vent when the team looks like poop, you can come here. It's great to have a place that is welcome to any and all fans who are allowed to support their team the way they see fit.
 
AngelsWin.com:  In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
 
tdawg87: I think it's an amalgamation of everything. The message board is, as Adam put it, "where the magic happens", but even if you aren't into that there is so much more this site offers to keep your attention.
 
It really has become the official Angels site in many respects. There is no place else with this active a community and this much contribution inside and out. People have worked and continue to work very hard at keeping this place active and relevant with not only Angels fans, but the organization itself.
 
Ligther Side
 
AngelsWin.com:  Where do you live and what do you do?
 
tdawg87: Unfortunately I live on the east coast in New Hampshire. You are probably asking yourself "Why is there an Angels fan living in New Hampshire, of all places" and I will get to that in a minute. Just calm your tits for like 5 seconds.
 
Within the last 2 years I started working at a bank. A money-bank, not a sperm-bank, sorry. I process mortgage loans. I still don't know what that means but I get my own office which is cool.
 
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
 
tdawg87: My journey as an Angels fan is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
 
Basically, my dad grew up in So-cal and he grew up an Angels fan. My brother was born and lived out there for a while and it caught on with him as well. I was born in New Hampshire after my parents decided they wanted to shovel snow for the rest of their lives. My only interaction with Angels' baseball was when they were on NESN (the Red Sox sports network) and the extremely rare ESPN appearance. I was 5 when I started actually getting into the games and understanding what the hell was going on. I remember having to watch every last out, no matter what the score was. I would also run to my room and cry when they lost, so not much has changed actually. Basically, my first introduction to the Angels was through the Red Sox. I suppose this is like being introduced to your future wife by having a car battery attached to your nipples. I guess some people are into that sort of thing, but it was painful and caused massive chaffing. Thus, my hatred of the Red Sox was born while I was still occasionally shitting my pants.
 
That went on for about 5 years until it happened: I discovered I was too cool. I was too cool to like the same team my dad and brother liked. I had to be different. Oh don't worry, I still followed the Angels. But I did so from the safety of the closet. I openly bragged to my dad and brother about how I was now a White Sox fan (I was a Bulls fan at the time, so I thought "Hey this team is also from Chicago!"-10 year old logic) and how much better they were than the Angels. I honestly cannot explain what was going on in my head. I just wanted to be different for no reason.
 
It's funny because I don't think they realize even to this day that I would always check the Angels' score when they weren't looking because man that shit was in my blood.
 
Anyway, that lasted until 2001 when my dad bought the Extra Innings package for direct tv. I guess I though to myself "damn, now the Angels are on most nights, I can't keep up this charade any longer". So I sat down with him and had a nice talk. It was difficult to come out to my dad like that, as it is for most people in the closet, but he accepted me for who I was and never once judged me. 
 
Ever since then I've been following every game, throwing several tantrums along the way.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
 
tdawg87: That I remember? I think it was 1991 or 1992. It was actually in Angels Stadium. We were out visiting relatives and going to Disney and all that. I believe it was against the Yankees and the Angels won 1-0.
 
I remember my aunt buying me a Florida Marlins hat for whatever ungodly reason. I guess in my 4 year old mind teal + black + ugly fish wrapped around a big F = I'm the coolest kid in kindergarten.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
 
tdawg87: Garret Anderson was always my favorite growing up. I loved watching him play, and I guess a part of me sympathized with his "meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. I always thought he was cool as hell. Like, the Billy Dee Williams of baseball. Except he was kind of lazy and shy and hated when you approached him at golf shops.
 
These days I guess I kind of like Mike Trout. Also have a thing for Aybar. He's a good player, but he also does some incredibly stupid yet hilarious things. You never know what will happen next with him. Will he swing at a pitch that hits him in the balls? Will he try stealing 2nd with the bases loaded? Will he moon the pitcher at home plate after hitting a homerun? You just never know what he will do.
 
As for interactions, I got Brad Fullmer's autograph in 2002. Also Bud Black nana-pointed at me when I yelled his name. Somewhere in some box is an autograph from the Angels' bullpen coach/catcher at the time. He was a heavy-set Hispanic fellow (it wasn't Bengie I swear). To this day I still don't know who he was or what his name was. But hey, he signed something for me so that's cool.
 
AngelsWin.com:  How do you survive the offseason?
 
tdawg87: By watching football and hockey. Basketball bores the absolute crap out of me. I guess I just kind of sit around and do nothing like I always do, only there's less baseball involved and less inexplicable nudity.
 
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
 
tdawg87: I enjoy long walks on the beach, Aerosmith, and hanging out with my friends. I play guitar and am actually a decent cook. Send me an email if this interests you.
 

*Here's our list of our 2014 AngelsWin.com Member Appreciation Interviews

Adam Dodge

This week we continue our feature series celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by highlighting one our members and big time contributors to our forum discussions. 
 
Toby (tdawg87) has been not only a tremendous contributor to forum discussion over the years, but he also delivers some of the funniest one-liners and sarcastic humor on the website. One more thing to add before hearing from Toby himself; since March 1st of 2013 when we rolled out our new forum software, it came implemented with the Facebook "LIKE" system. Toby leads all AngelsWin.com members with 3112 'LIKES' on his posts in just over a full year. That's well over a thousand more than founder & executive editor of AngelsWin.com, Chuck Richter (1848).
 
Without further ado, here's our interview with AngelsWin.com's most liked member! 
 
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
 
tdawg87: I believe it was the beginning of 2008 when I first decided to sign up and start posting. I had been a lifelong lurker (and occasional troll) of the Official Message Board for about 5 years or so, and had lurked here for a couple years after finding the link on the main board. I signed up here and decided to actually contribute when I saw that the people here were much more down to earth and less "clique-y" than the OMB.
 
The name "tdawg87" was initially meant as a joke. My first name is Toby and I was born in 1987, but literally no one in the history of my life has called me "tdawg". It just kind of stuck. I tried changing it for about a day but I received many angry messages and death threats through pm's so I decided to change it back.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What keeps you coming back to the site?
 
tdawg87: Honestly, the Angels themselves. There is always something to talk about with this team, be it good, bad, or Aybar-related. It's fun to talk about the team when they are winning, and it's just as fun to talk about them when they lose. There are so many different fans and personalities on AngelsWin that it's almost impossible to not be entertained by it.
 
Other than that, it's cool to be a part of what has become the "official" or "definitive" Angels board. There are players and management who read the site, as well as people with the inside scoop who will contribute to the forum as well.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
 
tdawg87: The Gameday threads are way too fun. Commenting (read: Complaining) about the game as it goes on pitch-by-pitch is a great experience. I always seem to miss a lot of the classics though. I think I was here a bit too late for the "Common Courtesy" thread, although I remember reading it and having a good laugh.
 
I like Glen's articles a lot because he seems to have a similar sense of humor as I, and from what I hear he also has an incredible butt. That's just what I've heard though.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
 
tdawg87: I have been to exactly 0 of these events. If I lived out west I'd certainly be at most of them, or at least the softball and golf events. Unfortunately I live on the east coast so there is no way for me to attend anything.
 
At some point in the future I will. Maybe. If somebody pays for my plane ticket. And lets me crash on their couch. Or bed. And buys all my food and beer.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
 
tdawg87: Why not? It has everything an Angels fan would need and then some. If you want a place to read in-depth articles regarding the organization from top to bottom, you come here. If you want a place to get insider interviews and perspectives that no one else has, you come here. If you want to get naked and do the Charleston when Trout hits a homerun, you come here. Even if you just need a place to vent when the team looks like poop, you can come here. It's great to have a place that is welcome to any and all fans who are allowed to support their team the way they see fit.
 
AngelsWin.com:  In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
 
tdawg87: I think it's an amalgamation of everything. The message board is, as Adam put it, "where the magic happens", but even if you aren't into that there is so much more this site offers to keep your attention.
 
It really has become the official Angels site in many respects. There is no place else with this active a community and this much contribution inside and out. People have worked and continue to work very hard at keeping this place active and relevant with not only Angels fans, but the organization itself.
 
Ligther Side
 
AngelsWin.com:  Where do you live and what do you do?
 
tdawg87: Unfortunately I live on the east coast in New Hampshire. You are probably asking yourself "Why is there an Angels fan living in New Hampshire, of all places" and I will get to that in a minute. Just calm your tits for like 5 seconds.
 
Within the last 2 years I started working at a bank. A money-bank, not a sperm-bank, sorry. I process mortgage loans. I still don't know what that means but I get my own office which is cool.
 
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
 
tdawg87: My journey as an Angels fan is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
 
Basically, my dad grew up in So-cal and he grew up an Angels fan. My brother was born and lived out there for a while and it caught on with him as well. I was born in New Hampshire after my parents decided they wanted to shovel snow for the rest of their lives. My only interaction with Angels' baseball was when they were on NESN (the Red Sox sports network) and the extremely rare ESPN appearance. I was 5 when I started actually getting into the games and understanding what the hell was going on. I remember having to watch every last out, no matter what the score was. I would also run to my room and cry when they lost, so not much has changed actually. Basically, my first introduction to the Angels was through the Red Sox. I suppose this is like being introduced to your future wife by having a car battery attached to your nipples. I guess some people are into that sort of thing, but it was painful and caused massive chaffing. Thus, my hatred of the Red Sox was born while I was still occasionally shitting my pants.
 
That went on for about 5 years until it happened: I discovered I was too cool. I was too cool to like the same team my dad and brother liked. I had to be different. Oh don't worry, I still followed the Angels. But I did so from the safety of the closet. I openly bragged to my dad and brother about how I was now a White Sox fan (I was a Bulls fan at the time, so I thought "Hey this team is also from Chicago!"-10 year old logic) and how much better they were than the Angels. I honestly cannot explain what was going on in my head. I just wanted to be different for no reason.
 
It's funny because I don't think they realize even to this day that I would always check the Angels' score when they weren't looking because man that shit was in my blood.
 
Anyway, that lasted until 2001 when my dad bought the Extra Innings package for direct tv. I guess I though to myself "damn, now the Angels are on most nights, I can't keep up this charade any longer". So I sat down with him and had a nice talk. It was difficult to come out to my dad like that, as it is for most people in the closet, but he accepted me for who I was and never once judged me. 
 
Ever since then I've been following every game, throwing several tantrums along the way.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
 
tdawg87: That I remember? I think it was 1991 or 1992. It was actually in Angels Stadium. We were out visiting relatives and going to Disney and all that. I believe it was against the Yankees and the Angels won 1-0.
 
I remember my aunt buying me a Florida Marlins hat for whatever ungodly reason. I guess in my 4 year old mind teal + black + ugly fish wrapped around a big F = I'm the coolest kid in kindergarten.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
 
tdawg87: Garret Anderson was always my favorite growing up. I loved watching him play, and I guess a part of me sympathized with his "meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. I always thought he was cool as hell. Like, the Billy Dee Williams of baseball. Except he was kind of lazy and shy and hated when you approached him at golf shops.
 
These days I guess I kind of like Mike Trout. Also have a thing for Aybar. He's a good player, but he also does some incredibly stupid yet hilarious things. You never know what will happen next with him. Will he swing at a pitch that hits him in the balls? Will he try stealing 2nd with the bases loaded? Will he moon the pitcher at home plate after hitting a homerun? You just never know what he will do.
 
As for interactions, I got Brad Fullmer's autograph in 2002. Also Bud Black nana-pointed at me when I yelled his name. Somewhere in some box is an autograph from the Angels' bullpen coach/catcher at the time. He was a heavy-set Hispanic fellow (it wasn't Bengie I swear). To this day I still don't know who he was or what his name was. But hey, he signed something for me so that's cool.
 
AngelsWin.com:  How do you survive the offseason?
 
tdawg87: By watching football and hockey. Basketball bores the absolute crap out of me. I guess I just kind of sit around and do nothing like I always do, only there's less baseball involved and less inexplicable nudity.
 
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
 
tdawg87: I enjoy long walks on the beach, Aerosmith, and hanging out with my friends. I play guitar and am actually a decent cook. Send me an email if this interests you.
 

*Here's our list of our 2014 AngelsWin.com Member Appreciation Interviews

Adam Dodge

This week we continue our feature series celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by highlighting one our members and big time contributors to our forum discussions. 
 
Toby (tdawg87) has been not only a tremendous contributor to forum discussion over the years, but he also delivers some of the funniest one-liners and sarcastic humor on the website. One more thing to add before hearing from Toby himself; since March 1st of 2013 when we rolled out our new forum software, it came implemented with the Facebook "LIKE" system. Toby leads all AngelsWin.com members with 3112 'LIKES' on his posts in just over a full year. That's well over a thousand more than founder & executive editor of AngelsWin.com, Chuck Richter (1848).
 
Without further ado, here's our interview with AngelsWin.com's most liked member! 
 
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
 
tdawg87: I believe it was the beginning of 2008 when I first decided to sign up and start posting. I had been a lifelong lurker (and occasional troll) of the Official Message Board for about 5 years or so, and had lurked here for a couple years after finding the link on the main board. I signed up here and decided to actually contribute when I saw that the people here were much more down to earth and less "clique-y" than the OMB.
 
The name "tdawg87" was initially meant as a joke. My first name is Toby and I was born in 1987, but literally no one in the history of my life has called me "tdawg". It just kind of stuck. I tried changing it for about a day but I received many angry messages and death threats through pm's so I decided to change it back.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What keeps you coming back to the site?
 
tdawg87: Honestly, the Angels themselves. There is always something to talk about with this team, be it good, bad, or Aybar-related. It's fun to talk about the team when they are winning, and it's just as fun to talk about them when they lose. There are so many different fans and personalities on AngelsWin that it's almost impossible to not be entertained by it.
 
Other than that, it's cool to be a part of what has become the "official" or "definitive" Angels board. There are players and management who read the site, as well as people with the inside scoop who will contribute to the forum as well.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
 
tdawg87: The Gameday threads are way too fun. Commenting (read: Complaining) about the game as it goes on pitch-by-pitch is a great experience. I always seem to miss a lot of the classics though. I think I was here a bit too late for the "Common Courtesy" thread, although I remember reading it and having a good laugh.
 
I like Glen's articles a lot because he seems to have a similar sense of humor as I, and from what I hear he also has an incredible butt. That's just what I've heard though.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
 
tdawg87: I have been to exactly 0 of these events. If I lived out west I'd certainly be at most of them, or at least the softball and golf events. Unfortunately I live on the east coast so there is no way for me to attend anything.
 
At some point in the future I will. Maybe. If somebody pays for my plane ticket. And lets me crash on their couch. Or bed. And buys all my food and beer.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
 
tdawg87: Why not? It has everything an Angels fan would need and then some. If you want a place to read in-depth articles regarding the organization from top to bottom, you come here. If you want a place to get insider interviews and perspectives that no one else has, you come here. If you want to get naked and do the Charleston when Trout hits a homerun, you come here. Even if you just need a place to vent when the team looks like poop, you can come here. It's great to have a place that is welcome to any and all fans who are allowed to support their team the way they see fit.
 
AngelsWin.com:  In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
 
tdawg87: I think it's an amalgamation of everything. The message board is, as Adam put it, "where the magic happens", but even if you aren't into that there is so much more this site offers to keep your attention.
 
It really has become the official Angels site in many respects. There is no place else with this active a community and this much contribution inside and out. People have worked and continue to work very hard at keeping this place active and relevant with not only Angels fans, but the organization itself.
 
Ligther Side
 
AngelsWin.com:  Where do you live and what do you do?
 
tdawg87: Unfortunately I live on the east coast in New Hampshire. You are probably asking yourself "Why is there an Angels fan living in New Hampshire, of all places" and I will get to that in a minute. Just calm your tits for like 5 seconds.
 
Within the last 2 years I started working at a bank. A money-bank, not a sperm-bank, sorry. I process mortgage loans. I still don't know what that means but I get my own office which is cool.
 
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
 
tdawg87: My journey as an Angels fan is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
 
Basically, my dad grew up in So-cal and he grew up an Angels fan. My brother was born and lived out there for a while and it caught on with him as well. I was born in New Hampshire after my parents decided they wanted to shovel snow for the rest of their lives. My only interaction with Angels' baseball was when they were on NESN (the Red Sox sports network) and the extremely rare ESPN appearance. I was 5 when I started actually getting into the games and understanding what the hell was going on. I remember having to watch every last out, no matter what the score was. I would also run to my room and cry when they lost, so not much has changed actually. Basically, my first introduction to the Angels was through the Red Sox. I suppose this is like being introduced to your future wife by having a car battery attached to your nipples. I guess some people are into that sort of thing, but it was painful and caused massive chaffing. Thus, my hatred of the Red Sox was born while I was still occasionally shitting my pants.
 
That went on for about 5 years until it happened: I discovered I was too cool. I was too cool to like the same team my dad and brother liked. I had to be different. Oh don't worry, I still followed the Angels. But I did so from the safety of the closet. I openly bragged to my dad and brother about how I was now a White Sox fan (I was a Bulls fan at the time, so I thought "Hey this team is also from Chicago!"-10 year old logic) and how much better they were than the Angels. I honestly cannot explain what was going on in my head. I just wanted to be different for no reason.
 
It's funny because I don't think they realize even to this day that I would always check the Angels' score when they weren't looking because man that shit was in my blood.
 
Anyway, that lasted until 2001 when my dad bought the Extra Innings package for direct tv. I guess I though to myself "damn, now the Angels are on most nights, I can't keep up this charade any longer". So I sat down with him and had a nice talk. It was difficult to come out to my dad like that, as it is for most people in the closet, but he accepted me for who I was and never once judged me. 
 
Ever since then I've been following every game, throwing several tantrums along the way.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
 
tdawg87: That I remember? I think it was 1991 or 1992. It was actually in Angels Stadium. We were out visiting relatives and going to Disney and all that. I believe it was against the Yankees and the Angels won 1-0.
 
I remember my aunt buying me a Florida Marlins hat for whatever ungodly reason. I guess in my 4 year old mind teal + black + ugly fish wrapped around a big F = I'm the coolest kid in kindergarten.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
 
tdawg87: Garret Anderson was always my favorite growing up. I loved watching him play, and I guess a part of me sympathized with his "meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. I always thought he was cool as hell. Like, the Billy Dee Williams of baseball. Except he was kind of lazy and shy and hated when you approached him at golf shops.
 
These days I guess I kind of like Mike Trout. Also have a thing for Aybar. He's a good player, but he also does some incredibly stupid yet hilarious things. You never know what will happen next with him. Will he swing at a pitch that hits him in the balls? Will he try stealing 2nd with the bases loaded? Will he moon the pitcher at home plate after hitting a homerun? You just never know what he will do.
 
As for interactions, I got Brad Fullmer's autograph in 2002. Also Bud Black nana-pointed at me when I yelled his name. Somewhere in some box is an autograph from the Angels' bullpen coach/catcher at the time. He was a heavy-set Hispanic fellow (it wasn't Bengie I swear). To this day I still don't know who he was or what his name was. But hey, he signed something for me so that's cool.
 
AngelsWin.com:  How do you survive the offseason?
 
tdawg87: By watching football and hockey. Basketball bores the absolute crap out of me. I guess I just kind of sit around and do nothing like I always do, only there's less baseball involved and less inexplicable nudity.
 
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
 
tdawg87: I enjoy long walks on the beach, Aerosmith, and hanging out with my friends. I play guitar and am actually a decent cook. Send me an email if this interests you.
 

*Here's our list of our 2014 AngelsWin.com Member Appreciation Interviews

Adam Dodge

This week we continue our feature series celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by highlighting one our members and big time contributors to our forum discussions. 
 
Toby (tdawg87) has been not only a tremendous contributor to forum discussion over the years, but he also delivers some of the funniest one-liners and sarcastic humor on the website. One more thing to add before hearing from Toby himself; since March 1st of 2013 when we rolled out our new forum software, it came implemented with the Facebook "LIKE" system. Toby leads all AngelsWin.com members with 3112 'LIKES' on his posts in just over a full year. That's well over a thousand more than founder & executive editor of AngelsWin.com, Chuck Richter (1848).
 
Without further ado, here's our interview with AngelsWin.com's most liked member! 
 
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
 
tdawg87: I believe it was the beginning of 2008 when I first decided to sign up and start posting. I had been a lifelong lurker (and occasional troll) of the Official Message Board for about 5 years or so, and had lurked here for a couple years after finding the link on the main board. I signed up here and decided to actually contribute when I saw that the people here were much more down to earth and less "clique-y" than the OMB.
 
The name "tdawg87" was initially meant as a joke. My first name is Toby and I was born in 1987, but literally no one in the history of my life has called me "tdawg". It just kind of stuck. I tried changing it for about a day but I received many angry messages and death threats through pm's so I decided to change it back.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What keeps you coming back to the site?
 
tdawg87: Honestly, the Angels themselves. There is always something to talk about with this team, be it good, bad, or Aybar-related. It's fun to talk about the team when they are winning, and it's just as fun to talk about them when they lose. There are so many different fans and personalities on AngelsWin that it's almost impossible to not be entertained by it.
 
Other than that, it's cool to be a part of what has become the "official" or "definitive" Angels board. There are players and management who read the site, as well as people with the inside scoop who will contribute to the forum as well.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
 
tdawg87: The Gameday threads are way too fun. Commenting (read: Complaining) about the game as it goes on pitch-by-pitch is a great experience. I always seem to miss a lot of the classics though. I think I was here a bit too late for the "Common Courtesy" thread, although I remember reading it and having a good laugh.
 
I like Glen's articles a lot because he seems to have a similar sense of humor as I, and from what I hear he also has an incredible butt. That's just what I've heard though.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
 
tdawg87: I have been to exactly 0 of these events. If I lived out west I'd certainly be at most of them, or at least the softball and golf events. Unfortunately I live on the east coast so there is no way for me to attend anything.
 
At some point in the future I will. Maybe. If somebody pays for my plane ticket. And lets me crash on their couch. Or bed. And buys all my food and beer.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
 
tdawg87: Why not? It has everything an Angels fan would need and then some. If you want a place to read in-depth articles regarding the organization from top to bottom, you come here. If you want a place to get insider interviews and perspectives that no one else has, you come here. If you want to get naked and do the Charleston when Trout hits a homerun, you come here. Even if you just need a place to vent when the team looks like poop, you can come here. It's great to have a place that is welcome to any and all fans who are allowed to support their team the way they see fit.
 
AngelsWin.com:  In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
 
tdawg87: I think it's an amalgamation of everything. The message board is, as Adam put it, "where the magic happens", but even if you aren't into that there is so much more this site offers to keep your attention.
 
It really has become the official Angels site in many respects. There is no place else with this active a community and this much contribution inside and out. People have worked and continue to work very hard at keeping this place active and relevant with not only Angels fans, but the organization itself.
 
Ligther Side
 
AngelsWin.com:  Where do you live and what do you do?
 
tdawg87: Unfortunately I live on the east coast in New Hampshire. You are probably asking yourself "Why is there an Angels fan living in New Hampshire, of all places" and I will get to that in a minute. Just calm your tits for like 5 seconds.
 
Within the last 2 years I started working at a bank. A money-bank, not a sperm-bank, sorry. I process mortgage loans. I still don't know what that means but I get my own office which is cool.
 
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
 
tdawg87: My journey as an Angels fan is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
 
Basically, my dad grew up in So-cal and he grew up an Angels fan. My brother was born and lived out there for a while and it caught on with him as well. I was born in New Hampshire after my parents decided they wanted to shovel snow for the rest of their lives. My only interaction with Angels' baseball was when they were on NESN (the Red Sox sports network) and the extremely rare ESPN appearance. I was 5 when I started actually getting into the games and understanding what the hell was going on. I remember having to watch every last out, no matter what the score was. I would also run to my room and cry when they lost, so not much has changed actually. Basically, my first introduction to the Angels was through the Red Sox. I suppose this is like being introduced to your future wife by having a car battery attached to your nipples. I guess some people are into that sort of thing, but it was painful and caused massive chaffing. Thus, my hatred of the Red Sox was born while I was still occasionally shitting my pants.
 
That went on for about 5 years until it happened: I discovered I was too cool. I was too cool to like the same team my dad and brother liked. I had to be different. Oh don't worry, I still followed the Angels. But I did so from the safety of the closet. I openly bragged to my dad and brother about how I was now a White Sox fan (I was a Bulls fan at the time, so I thought "Hey this team is also from Chicago!"-10 year old logic) and how much better they were than the Angels. I honestly cannot explain what was going on in my head. I just wanted to be different for no reason.
 
It's funny because I don't think they realize even to this day that I would always check the Angels' score when they weren't looking because man that shit was in my blood.
 
Anyway, that lasted until 2001 when my dad bought the Extra Innings package for direct tv. I guess I though to myself "damn, now the Angels are on most nights, I can't keep up this charade any longer". So I sat down with him and had a nice talk. It was difficult to come out to my dad like that, as it is for most people in the closet, but he accepted me for who I was and never once judged me. 
 
Ever since then I've been following every game, throwing several tantrums along the way.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
 
tdawg87: That I remember? I think it was 1991 or 1992. It was actually in Angels Stadium. We were out visiting relatives and going to Disney and all that. I believe it was against the Yankees and the Angels won 1-0.
 
I remember my aunt buying me a Florida Marlins hat for whatever ungodly reason. I guess in my 4 year old mind teal + black + ugly fish wrapped around a big F = I'm the coolest kid in kindergarten.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
 
tdawg87: Garret Anderson was always my favorite growing up. I loved watching him play, and I guess a part of me sympathized with his "meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. I always thought he was cool as hell. Like, the Billy Dee Williams of baseball. Except he was kind of lazy and shy and hated when you approached him at golf shops.
 
These days I guess I kind of like Mike Trout. Also have a thing for Aybar. He's a good player, but he also does some incredibly stupid yet hilarious things. You never know what will happen next with him. Will he swing at a pitch that hits him in the balls? Will he try stealing 2nd with the bases loaded? Will he moon the pitcher at home plate after hitting a homerun? You just never know what he will do.
 
As for interactions, I got Brad Fullmer's autograph in 2002. Also Bud Black nana-pointed at me when I yelled his name. Somewhere in some box is an autograph from the Angels' bullpen coach/catcher at the time. He was a heavy-set Hispanic fellow (it wasn't Bengie I swear). To this day I still don't know who he was or what his name was. But hey, he signed something for me so that's cool.
 
AngelsWin.com:  How do you survive the offseason?
 
tdawg87: By watching football and hockey. Basketball bores the absolute crap out of me. I guess I just kind of sit around and do nothing like I always do, only there's less baseball involved and less inexplicable nudity.
 
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
 
tdawg87: I enjoy long walks on the beach, Aerosmith, and hanging out with my friends. I play guitar and am actually a decent cook. Send me an email if this interests you.
 

*Here's our list of our 2014 AngelsWin.com Member Appreciation Interviews

Adam Dodge

This week we continue our feature series celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by highlighting one our members and big time contributors to our forum discussions. 
 
Toby (tdawg87) has been not only a tremendous contributor to forum discussion over the years, but he also delivers some of the funniest one-liners and sarcastic humor on the website. One more thing to add before hearing from Toby himself; since March 1st of 2013 when we rolled out our new forum software, it came implemented with the Facebook "LIKE" system. Toby leads all AngelsWin.com members with 3112 'LIKES' on his posts in just over a full year. That's well over a thousand more than founder & executive editor of AngelsWin.com, Chuck Richter (1848).
 
Without further ado, here's our interview with AngelsWin.com's most liked member! 
 
AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?
 
tdawg87: I believe it was the beginning of 2008 when I first decided to sign up and start posting. I had been a lifelong lurker (and occasional troll) of the Official Message Board for about 5 years or so, and had lurked here for a couple years after finding the link on the main board. I signed up here and decided to actually contribute when I saw that the people here were much more down to earth and less "clique-y" than the OMB.
 
The name "tdawg87" was initially meant as a joke. My first name is Toby and I was born in 1987, but literally no one in the history of my life has called me "tdawg". It just kind of stuck. I tried changing it for about a day but I received many angry messages and death threats through pm's so I decided to change it back.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What keeps you coming back to the site?
 
tdawg87: Honestly, the Angels themselves. There is always something to talk about with this team, be it good, bad, or Aybar-related. It's fun to talk about the team when they are winning, and it's just as fun to talk about them when they lose. There are so many different fans and personalities on AngelsWin that it's almost impossible to not be entertained by it.
 
Other than that, it's cool to be a part of what has become the "official" or "definitive" Angels board. There are players and management who read the site, as well as people with the inside scoop who will contribute to the forum as well.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?
 
tdawg87: The Gameday threads are way too fun. Commenting (read: Complaining) about the game as it goes on pitch-by-pitch is a great experience. I always seem to miss a lot of the classics though. I think I was here a bit too late for the "Common Courtesy" thread, although I remember reading it and having a good laugh.
 
I like Glen's articles a lot because he seems to have a similar sense of humor as I, and from what I hear he also has an incredible butt. That's just what I've heard though.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?
 
tdawg87: I have been to exactly 0 of these events. If I lived out west I'd certainly be at most of them, or at least the softball and golf events. Unfortunately I live on the east coast so there is no way for me to attend anything.
 
At some point in the future I will. Maybe. If somebody pays for my plane ticket. And lets me crash on their couch. Or bed. And buys all my food and beer.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?
 
tdawg87: Why not? It has everything an Angels fan would need and then some. If you want a place to read in-depth articles regarding the organization from top to bottom, you come here. If you want a place to get insider interviews and perspectives that no one else has, you come here. If you want to get naked and do the Charleston when Trout hits a homerun, you come here. Even if you just need a place to vent when the team looks like poop, you can come here. It's great to have a place that is welcome to any and all fans who are allowed to support their team the way they see fit.
 
AngelsWin.com:  In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?
 
tdawg87: I think it's an amalgamation of everything. The message board is, as Adam put it, "where the magic happens", but even if you aren't into that there is so much more this site offers to keep your attention.
 
It really has become the official Angels site in many respects. There is no place else with this active a community and this much contribution inside and out. People have worked and continue to work very hard at keeping this place active and relevant with not only Angels fans, but the organization itself.
 
Ligther Side
 
AngelsWin.com:  Where do you live and what do you do?
 
tdawg87: Unfortunately I live on the east coast in New Hampshire. You are probably asking yourself "Why is there an Angels fan living in New Hampshire, of all places" and I will get to that in a minute. Just calm your tits for like 5 seconds.
 
Within the last 2 years I started working at a bank. A money-bank, not a sperm-bank, sorry. I process mortgage loans. I still don't know what that means but I get my own office which is cool.
 
AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?
 
tdawg87: My journey as an Angels fan is exactly what you'd expect it to be.
 
Basically, my dad grew up in So-cal and he grew up an Angels fan. My brother was born and lived out there for a while and it caught on with him as well. I was born in New Hampshire after my parents decided they wanted to shovel snow for the rest of their lives. My only interaction with Angels' baseball was when they were on NESN (the Red Sox sports network) and the extremely rare ESPN appearance. I was 5 when I started actually getting into the games and understanding what the hell was going on. I remember having to watch every last out, no matter what the score was. I would also run to my room and cry when they lost, so not much has changed actually. Basically, my first introduction to the Angels was through the Red Sox. I suppose this is like being introduced to your future wife by having a car battery attached to your nipples. I guess some people are into that sort of thing, but it was painful and caused massive chaffing. Thus, my hatred of the Red Sox was born while I was still occasionally shitting my pants.
 
That went on for about 5 years until it happened: I discovered I was too cool. I was too cool to like the same team my dad and brother liked. I had to be different. Oh don't worry, I still followed the Angels. But I did so from the safety of the closet. I openly bragged to my dad and brother about how I was now a White Sox fan (I was a Bulls fan at the time, so I thought "Hey this team is also from Chicago!"-10 year old logic) and how much better they were than the Angels. I honestly cannot explain what was going on in my head. I just wanted to be different for no reason.
 
It's funny because I don't think they realize even to this day that I would always check the Angels' score when they weren't looking because man that shit was in my blood.
 
Anyway, that lasted until 2001 when my dad bought the Extra Innings package for direct tv. I guess I though to myself "damn, now the Angels are on most nights, I can't keep up this charade any longer". So I sat down with him and had a nice talk. It was difficult to come out to my dad like that, as it is for most people in the closet, but he accepted me for who I was and never once judged me. 
 
Ever since then I've been following every game, throwing several tantrums along the way.
 
AngelsWin.com:  What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?
 
tdawg87: That I remember? I think it was 1991 or 1992. It was actually in Angels Stadium. We were out visiting relatives and going to Disney and all that. I believe it was against the Yankees and the Angels won 1-0.
 
I remember my aunt buying me a Florida Marlins hat for whatever ungodly reason. I guess in my 4 year old mind teal + black + ugly fish wrapped around a big F = I'm the coolest kid in kindergarten.
 
AngelsWin.com:  Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?
 
tdawg87: Garret Anderson was always my favorite growing up. I loved watching him play, and I guess a part of me sympathized with his "meh, I'll get to it tomorrow" attitude. I always thought he was cool as hell. Like, the Billy Dee Williams of baseball. Except he was kind of lazy and shy and hated when you approached him at golf shops.
 
These days I guess I kind of like Mike Trout. Also have a thing for Aybar. He's a good player, but he also does some incredibly stupid yet hilarious things. You never know what will happen next with him. Will he swing at a pitch that hits him in the balls? Will he try stealing 2nd with the bases loaded? Will he moon the pitcher at home plate after hitting a homerun? You just never know what he will do.
 
As for interactions, I got Brad Fullmer's autograph in 2002. Also Bud Black nana-pointed at me when I yelled his name. Somewhere in some box is an autograph from the Angels' bullpen coach/catcher at the time. He was a heavy-set Hispanic fellow (it wasn't Bengie I swear). To this day I still don't know who he was or what his name was. But hey, he signed something for me so that's cool.
 
AngelsWin.com:  How do you survive the offseason?
 
tdawg87: By watching football and hockey. Basketball bores the absolute crap out of me. I guess I just kind of sit around and do nothing like I always do, only there's less baseball involved and less inexplicable nudity.
 
AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?
 
tdawg87: I enjoy long walks on the beach, Aerosmith, and hanging out with my friends. I play guitar and am actually a decent cook. Send me an email if this interests you.
 

*Here's our list of our 2014 AngelsWin.com Member Appreciation Interviews

Adam Dodge

As promised we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by focusing on our members, contributors and writers. I'm pleased to debut this weekly feature that we'll be posting throughout the 2014 season by interviewing our longest tenured writer and contributor at AngelsWin.com, Adam Dodge.

Adam has been not only a tremendous contributor to our blog, forum discussion and events over the years, but also a great friend -- met through none other than, AngelsWin.com.

So without further ado, here's our interview with Adam Dodge (pictured below).


  AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?   Adam Dodge: It was early in 2004. I really loved writing. Still do, but back then, when I had zero responsibility and a dead end job, I was really looking to find a hobby - something to fill in the blanks at my 8-5 gig. I had covered High School Football for the LA Times one year and really enjoyed it. I did some web searches for Angels fan sites. I found a few and sent off a few emails. You (Chuck) were the only one to get back to me. I started providing content almost immediately.    I think I was probably the 4th or 5th member of AW.com. Yourself, John Ward, Victor, Rev Robbie and AngelsClippersFaninOz were the only guys I remember being around in the earliest of days.    I actually owe my marriage and the birth of my son Ethan to AW.com. I met my wife through Victor, who has become a great friend over the years. I met Victor on AW.com. I guess I can credit Chuck for my marriage and family. Had you not responded to my email, I never would've joined. Wouldn't have met Victor. That said, I also wouldn't have met Victor's mom, which means had you not responded to my email, I probably wouldn't have a $200/mo pharmacy bill.    AngelsWin.com: What keeps you coming back to the site?   Adam Dodge: A few things. First, I love the Angels and baseball. It is an incredible passion of mine. To be able to share that with others is fantastic.    Comedic relief. If ever I need a laugh to alleviate stress or make my day more enjoyable I can comb through any number of threads. We have some very witty members, who provide so many hilarious jokes, stories, anecdotes...    Finally, the relationships. I mentioned Victor as a friend - someone who was a groomsman at my wedding. Chuck, you and I get together every time I'm in Seattle on business. Jason Brennan helped me with the loan process on my new house. Because of Lou, I now have a Mexican friend. Bruce, the "Geoffs", the Seans, Tank... many others. I've made a lot of friends through this community and I value all of them dearly.    AngelsWin.com: What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?   Adam Dodge: Well, the Kelvim Escobar thread is probably the greatest internet event of all time. I'll never look at a tripod the same way. EVER. The Ghost Shark thread, Cory's break up thread were amazing.    In terms of articles, it really wouldn't be fair. I've come to appreciate all of the writers and features. I was never really a "stats" guy and probably never will be. That said, guys like Jonathon (angelsjunky) and others have really impressed upon me the value of some of the advanced statistical analysis of players.    David Saltzar's and others' interviews of players, executives, personalities and prospects are always great.    One of the coolest things I got to do - maybe THE coolest thing I got to do through my affiliation with AW.com - was interviewing  Dino Ebel. 3rd base coaches, which he was at the time, don't get interviewed often. To get his perspective on the game, the team, other players, his ambitions...that was tremendously satisfying as a fan.    AngelsWin.com: What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?   Adam Dodge: I've been to them all. To see what these events have become is truly humbling and rewarding. It is amazing to think that a website that started with a few poor schmucks arguing about Garret Anderson's level of laziness could give birth to a tremendous community of hundreds, if not thousands of fans. The events are a blast and that we use them to benefit incredible charities like the Miracle League is very inspiring.    AngelsWin.com: Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?   Adam Dodge: I feel like we're a big family. I mentioned specific people with which I've gained as friends above, but there are many others in our community that have really become a part of my life, even if those relationships are experienced in the body of a thread. I look at the last few seasons and how the Angels have struggled. While that has been frustrating for all of us, I kind of dig it at the same time. For the most part, we're all still here every single day sharing our lives with each other, arguing with each other, taking jabs at one another... How sweet the taste of victory will be when the Angels raise their second World Series flag! Whether that is this year or ten years from now. I'll be here and to share it with tdawg and st1ckboy; that is going to be pretty special.    AngelsWin.com: In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?   Adam Dodge: The message board is where the magic happens. It is the lifeblood of the website. I look forward the charity events as well.    Ligther Side   AngelsWin.com: Where do you live and what do you do?   Adam Dodge: We bought our "forever" home (God willing) in Mission Viejo late last year.    I'm the Executive Director (much cheaper alternative to a CEO) of a Human Resources company focusing on the restaurant industry.    AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?   Adam Dodge: When I fell in love with baseball I was four or five years old. I couldn't get enough. I'd watch the Cubs in the morning on WGN, the Braves at 4:05 on TBS and the Angels and Dodgers locally. As a young kid, I just did not like Vin Scully. I thought he was incredibly boring and his voice simply annoyed me. Bob Starr, the Angels' TV guy was fantastic and I just enjoyed watching Angels' broadcasts more than the Dodgers. I made my parents take me to games beginning in 1983 and the rest is history.    AngelsWin.com: What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?   Adam Dodge: My memories are definitely foggy. The first game I have a decent memory of was in 1983 against the Tigers. Bobby Grich and Lou Whittaker were both tremendous second-basemen. I remember both having big games. I think I remember Field Seats being $8.    AngelsWin.com: Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?   Adam Dodge: I often joke on the board that I "love black guys." It is apparently true though. As a kid my favorite player was Rupert Jones, who played three seasons for the Halos in the mid 80s. Chili Davis took Jones' place in 1988. Garret Anderson is probably my all-time favorite Angel. As an adult, I don't really have favorites anymore. I definitely root for the name on the front and not the name on the back. If pressed though, as frustrating as it can be, I kind of have a thing for Howie.   I haven't had any interactions with my favorite players through the years. However, one of my favorite experiences was with Torii Hunter. Then a member of the Twins in 2001, Minnesota was in town for a three game series. I worked across the street from the park back then and would buy a ticket in the right field terrace almost nightly. I'd spend my workday doing research on the visiting teams Right and Centerfielders and heckle them for 9 innings each game of the series. I found all sorts of stuff about Torii's childhood in Pine Bluff, AR.    I was letting him have it - nothing offensive or even funny really. In fact, I think Torii was kind of surprised that a fat white dude in Orange County was yelling at him about his mom's apple pie recipes. He would look up at me and shake his head. I certainly wasn't getting to him.    But, when he came in to catch a line drive and had it go off of his glove for a three base error, I got under his skin a bit. Again, nothing clever or funny but he grew tired of "You suck, Torii!" Inning after inning, while he was warming up I and my buddies would let him have it. His teammate in right field asked him, "what is that about?" (It should be noted that before 2002, there were about 15,000 fans at the games and hardly anyone in the RF terrace. It wasn't difficult to hear what the players were yelling to each other.)Torii threw his hands up in frustration.    A couple more innings passed. We continued to let Torii have it. Finally, an Angels' hitter (I don't remember who) hit a shot into RCF gap. Looked like a sure double, but out of nowhere Torii comes flying toward the wall. He dove head first into the base of the wall and snatched the ball. Lying on his back, definitely shaken up, he looked up at me and said "how's that?" We gave him a standing ovation and a "we're not worthy" waive of our hands. He took a little bow and jogged back to the dugout. When he came out to the outfield in the next inning we continued our cheers. He tipped his cap and gave us that Torii smile.    AngelsWin.com: How do you survive the offseason?   Adam Dodge: Great question. I watch so much baseball - nearly every game during the season. My wife is a champ. To offset the time I give to the Angels, I don't really watch sports between Nov - Apr aside from Golf. The NBA is awful and unwatchable. The NFL is great and while I love football, I don't spend my Sundays in front of the TV. I play a lot of golf and spend more time with the family.    AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?   Adam Dodge: Great question. I don't get offended. I have very specific opinions and a non-negotiable world view, but I understand that everyone sees things their own way and I respect, understand and appreciate that. I do my best to see things from the perspective of others. Also, I text pictures of my poop to my friends.

As promised we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by focusing on our members, contributors and writers. I'm pleased to debut this weekly feature that we'll be posting throughout the 2014 season by interviewing our longest tenured writer and contributor at AngelsWin.com, Adam Dodge.

Adam has been not only a tremendous contributor to our blog, forum discussion and events over the years, but also a great friend -- met through none other than, AngelsWin.com.

So without further ado, here's our interview with Adam Dodge (pictured below).


  AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?   Adam Dodge: It was early in 2004. I really loved writing. Still do, but back then, when I had zero responsibility and a dead end job, I was really looking to find a hobby - something to fill in the blanks at my 8-5 gig. I had covered High School Football for the LA Times one year and really enjoyed it. I did some web searches for Angels fan sites. I found a few and sent off a few emails. You (Chuck) were the only one to get back to me. I started providing content almost immediately.    I think I was probably the 4th or 5th member of AW.com. Yourself, John Ward, Victor, Rev Robbie and AngelsClippersFaninOz were the only guys I remember being around in the earliest of days.    I actually owe my marriage and the birth of my son Ethan to AW.com. I met my wife through Victor, who has become a great friend over the years. I met Victor on AW.com. I guess I can credit Chuck for my marriage and family. Had you not responded to my email, I never would've joined. Wouldn't have met Victor. That said, I also wouldn't have met Victor's mom, which means had you not responded to my email, I probably wouldn't have a $200/mo pharmacy bill.    AngelsWin.com: What keeps you coming back to the site?   Adam Dodge: A few things. First, I love the Angels and baseball. It is an incredible passion of mine. To be able to share that with others is fantastic.    Comedic relief. If ever I need a laugh to alleviate stress or make my day more enjoyable I can comb through any number of threads. We have some very witty members, who provide so many hilarious jokes, stories, anecdotes...    Finally, the relationships. I mentioned Victor as a friend - someone who was a groomsman at my wedding. Chuck, you and I get together every time I'm in Seattle on business. Jason Brennan helped me with the loan process on my new house. Because of Lou, I now have a Mexican friend. Bruce, the "Geoffs", the Seans, Tank... many others. I've made a lot of friends through this community and I value all of them dearly.    AngelsWin.com: What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?   Adam Dodge: Well, the Kelvim Escobar thread is probably the greatest internet event of all time. I'll never look at a tripod the same way. EVER. The Ghost Shark thread, Cory's break up thread were amazing.    In terms of articles, it really wouldn't be fair. I've come to appreciate all of the writers and features. I was never really a "stats" guy and probably never will be. That said, guys like Jonathon (angelsjunky) and others have really impressed upon me the value of some of the advanced statistical analysis of players.    David Saltzar's and others' interviews of players, executives, personalities and prospects are always great.    One of the coolest things I got to do - maybe THE coolest thing I got to do through my affiliation with AW.com - was interviewing  Dino Ebel. 3rd base coaches, which he was at the time, don't get interviewed often. To get his perspective on the game, the team, other players, his ambitions...that was tremendously satisfying as a fan.    AngelsWin.com: What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?   Adam Dodge: I've been to them all. To see what these events have become is truly humbling and rewarding. It is amazing to think that a website that started with a few poor schmucks arguing about Garret Anderson's level of laziness could give birth to a tremendous community of hundreds, if not thousands of fans. The events are a blast and that we use them to benefit incredible charities like the Miracle League is very inspiring.    AngelsWin.com: Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?   Adam Dodge: I feel like we're a big family. I mentioned specific people with which I've gained as friends above, but there are many others in our community that have really become a part of my life, even if those relationships are experienced in the body of a thread. I look at the last few seasons and how the Angels have struggled. While that has been frustrating for all of us, I kind of dig it at the same time. For the most part, we're all still here every single day sharing our lives with each other, arguing with each other, taking jabs at one another... How sweet the taste of victory will be when the Angels raise their second World Series flag! Whether that is this year or ten years from now. I'll be here and to share it with tdawg and st1ckboy; that is going to be pretty special.    AngelsWin.com: In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?   Adam Dodge: The message board is where the magic happens. It is the lifeblood of the website. I look forward the charity events as well.    Ligther Side   AngelsWin.com: Where do you live and what do you do?   Adam Dodge: We bought our "forever" home (God willing) in Mission Viejo late last year.    I'm the Executive Director (much cheaper alternative to a CEO) of a Human Resources company focusing on the restaurant industry.    AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?   Adam Dodge: When I fell in love with baseball I was four or five years old. I couldn't get enough. I'd watch the Cubs in the morning on WGN, the Braves at 4:05 on TBS and the Angels and Dodgers locally. As a young kid, I just did not like Vin Scully. I thought he was incredibly boring and his voice simply annoyed me. Bob Starr, the Angels' TV guy was fantastic and I just enjoyed watching Angels' broadcasts more than the Dodgers. I made my parents take me to games beginning in 1983 and the rest is history.    AngelsWin.com: What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?   Adam Dodge: My memories are definitely foggy. The first game I have a decent memory of was in 1983 against the Tigers. Bobby Grich and Lou Whittaker were both tremendous second-basemen. I remember both having big games. I think I remember Field Seats being $8.    AngelsWin.com: Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?   Adam Dodge: I often joke on the board that I "love black guys." It is apparently true though. As a kid my favorite player was Rupert Jones, who played three seasons for the Halos in the mid 80s. Chili Davis took Jones' place in 1988. Garret Anderson is probably my all-time favorite Angel. As an adult, I don't really have favorites anymore. I definitely root for the name on the front and not the name on the back. If pressed though, as frustrating as it can be, I kind of have a thing for Howie.   I haven't had any interactions with my favorite players through the years. However, one of my favorite experiences was with Torii Hunter. Then a member of the Twins in 2001, Minnesota was in town for a three game series. I worked across the street from the park back then and would buy a ticket in the right field terrace almost nightly. I'd spend my workday doing research on the visiting teams Right and Centerfielders and heckle them for 9 innings each game of the series. I found all sorts of stuff about Torii's childhood in Pine Bluff, AR.    I was letting him have it - nothing offensive or even funny really. In fact, I think Torii was kind of surprised that a fat white dude in Orange County was yelling at him about his mom's apple pie recipes. He would look up at me and shake his head. I certainly wasn't getting to him.    But, when he came in to catch a line drive and had it go off of his glove for a three base error, I got under his skin a bit. Again, nothing clever or funny but he grew tired of "You suck, Torii!" Inning after inning, while he was warming up I and my buddies would let him have it. His teammate in right field asked him, "what is that about?" (It should be noted that before 2002, there were about 15,000 fans at the games and hardly anyone in the RF terrace. It wasn't difficult to hear what the players were yelling to each other.)Torii threw his hands up in frustration.    A couple more innings passed. We continued to let Torii have it. Finally, an Angels' hitter (I don't remember who) hit a shot into RCF gap. Looked like a sure double, but out of nowhere Torii comes flying toward the wall. He dove head first into the base of the wall and snatched the ball. Lying on his back, definitely shaken up, he looked up at me and said "how's that?" We gave him a standing ovation and a "we're not worthy" waive of our hands. He took a little bow and jogged back to the dugout. When he came out to the outfield in the next inning we continued our cheers. He tipped his cap and gave us that Torii smile.    AngelsWin.com: How do you survive the offseason?   Adam Dodge: Great question. I watch so much baseball - nearly every game during the season. My wife is a champ. To offset the time I give to the Angels, I don't really watch sports between Nov - Apr aside from Golf. The NBA is awful and unwatchable. The NFL is great and while I love football, I don't spend my Sundays in front of the TV. I play a lot of golf and spend more time with the family.    AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?   Adam Dodge: Great question. I don't get offended. I have very specific opinions and a non-negotiable world view, but I understand that everyone sees things their own way and I respect, understand and appreciate that. I do my best to see things from the perspective of others. Also, I text pictures of my poop to my friends.

As promised we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary of AngelsWin.com by focusing on our members, contributors and writers. I'm pleased to debut this weekly feature that we'll be posting throughout the 2014 season by interviewing our longest tenured writer and contributor at AngelsWin.com, Adam Dodge.

Adam has been not only a tremendous contributor to our blog, forum discussion and events over the years, but also a great friend -- met through none other than, AngelsWin.com.

So without further ado, here's our interview with Adam Dodge (pictured below).


  AngelsWin.com: When and how did you first come to AngelsWin.com?   Adam Dodge: It was early in 2004. I really loved writing. Still do, but back then, when I had zero responsibility and a dead end job, I was really looking to find a hobby - something to fill in the blanks at my 8-5 gig. I had covered High School Football for the LA Times one year and really enjoyed it. I did some web searches for Angels fan sites. I found a few and sent off a few emails. You (Chuck) were the only one to get back to me. I started providing content almost immediately.    I think I was probably the 4th or 5th member of AW.com. Yourself, John Ward, Victor, Rev Robbie and AngelsClippersFaninOz were the only guys I remember being around in the earliest of days.    I actually owe my marriage and the birth of my son Ethan to AW.com. I met my wife through Victor, who has become a great friend over the years. I met Victor on AW.com. I guess I can credit Chuck for my marriage and family. Had you not responded to my email, I never would've joined. Wouldn't have met Victor. That said, I also wouldn't have met Victor's mom, which means had you not responded to my email, I probably wouldn't have a $200/mo pharmacy bill.    AngelsWin.com: What keeps you coming back to the site?   Adam Dodge: A few things. First, I love the Angels and baseball. It is an incredible passion of mine. To be able to share that with others is fantastic.    Comedic relief. If ever I need a laugh to alleviate stress or make my day more enjoyable I can comb through any number of threads. We have some very witty members, who provide so many hilarious jokes, stories, anecdotes...    Finally, the relationships. I mentioned Victor as a friend - someone who was a groomsman at my wedding. Chuck, you and I get together every time I'm in Seattle on business. Jason Brennan helped me with the loan process on my new house. Because of Lou, I now have a Mexican friend. Bruce, the "Geoffs", the Seans, Tank... many others. I've made a lot of friends through this community and I value all of them dearly.    AngelsWin.com: What have been some of your favorite articles and threads?   Adam Dodge: Well, the Kelvim Escobar thread is probably the greatest internet event of all time. I'll never look at a tripod the same way. EVER. The Ghost Shark thread, Cory's break up thread were amazing.    In terms of articles, it really wouldn't be fair. I've come to appreciate all of the writers and features. I was never really a "stats" guy and probably never will be. That said, guys like Jonathon (angelsjunky) and others have really impressed upon me the value of some of the advanced statistical analysis of players.    David Saltzar's and others' interviews of players, executives, personalities and prospects are always great.    One of the coolest things I got to do - maybe THE coolest thing I got to do through my affiliation with AW.com - was interviewing  Dino Ebel. 3rd base coaches, which he was at the time, don't get interviewed often. To get his perspective on the game, the team, other players, his ambitions...that was tremendously satisfying as a fan.    AngelsWin.com: What in-person events have you attended from AngelsWin.com (Spring/Summer Fanfests, Charity Golf, Charity Softball)?   Adam Dodge: I've been to them all. To see what these events have become is truly humbling and rewarding. It is amazing to think that a website that started with a few poor schmucks arguing about Garret Anderson's level of laziness could give birth to a tremendous community of hundreds, if not thousands of fans. The events are a blast and that we use them to benefit incredible charities like the Miracle League is very inspiring.    AngelsWin.com: Why is AngelsWin.com your internet home for the Angels?   Adam Dodge: I feel like we're a big family. I mentioned specific people with which I've gained as friends above, but there are many others in our community that have really become a part of my life, even if those relationships are experienced in the body of a thread. I look at the last few seasons and how the Angels have struggled. While that has been frustrating for all of us, I kind of dig it at the same time. For the most part, we're all still here every single day sharing our lives with each other, arguing with each other, taking jabs at one another... How sweet the taste of victory will be when the Angels raise their second World Series flag! Whether that is this year or ten years from now. I'll be here and to share it with tdawg and st1ckboy; that is going to be pretty special.    AngelsWin.com: In your opinion, what is AngelsWin.com’s best feature: the articles, charitable events, game-day chat, message boards, Fanfests, podcasts, etc?   Adam Dodge: The message board is where the magic happens. It is the lifeblood of the website. I look forward the charity events as well.    Ligther Side   AngelsWin.com: Where do you live and what do you do?   Adam Dodge: We bought our "forever" home (God willing) in Mission Viejo late last year.    I'm the Executive Director (much cheaper alternative to a CEO) of a Human Resources company focusing on the restaurant industry.    AngelsWin.com: Why are you an Angels fan?   Adam Dodge: When I fell in love with baseball I was four or five years old. I couldn't get enough. I'd watch the Cubs in the morning on WGN, the Braves at 4:05 on TBS and the Angels and Dodgers locally. As a young kid, I just did not like Vin Scully. I thought he was incredibly boring and his voice simply annoyed me. Bob Starr, the Angels' TV guy was fantastic and I just enjoyed watching Angels' broadcasts more than the Dodgers. I made my parents take me to games beginning in 1983 and the rest is history.    AngelsWin.com: What was your first Angels game that you remember? Who’d you go with?   Adam Dodge: My memories are definitely foggy. The first game I have a decent memory of was in 1983 against the Tigers. Bobby Grich and Lou Whittaker were both tremendous second-basemen. I remember both having big games. I think I remember Field Seats being $8.    AngelsWin.com: Who have been your favorite players? Why? Any great stories or interactions with them?   Adam Dodge: I often joke on the board that I "love black guys." It is apparently true though. As a kid my favorite player was Rupert Jones, who played three seasons for the Halos in the mid 80s. Chili Davis took Jones' place in 1988. Garret Anderson is probably my all-time favorite Angel. As an adult, I don't really have favorites anymore. I definitely root for the name on the front and not the name on the back. If pressed though, as frustrating as it can be, I kind of have a thing for Howie.   I haven't had any interactions with my favorite players through the years. However, one of my favorite experiences was with Torii Hunter. Then a member of the Twins in 2001, Minnesota was in town for a three game series. I worked across the street from the park back then and would buy a ticket in the right field terrace almost nightly. I'd spend my workday doing research on the visiting teams Right and Centerfielders and heckle them for 9 innings each game of the series. I found all sorts of stuff about Torii's childhood in Pine Bluff, AR.    I was letting him have it - nothing offensive or even funny really. In fact, I think Torii was kind of surprised that a fat white dude in Orange County was yelling at him about his mom's apple pie recipes. He would look up at me and shake his head. I certainly wasn't getting to him.    But, when he came in to catch a line drive and had it go off of his glove for a three base error, I got under his skin a bit. Again, nothing clever or funny but he grew tired of "You suck, Torii!" Inning after inning, while he was warming up I and my buddies would let him have it. His teammate in right field asked him, "what is that about?" (It should be noted that before 2002, there were about 15,000 fans at the games and hardly anyone in the RF terrace. It wasn't difficult to hear what the players were yelling to each other.)Torii threw his hands up in frustration.    A couple more innings passed. We continued to let Torii have it. Finally, an Angels' hitter (I don't remember who) hit a shot into RCF gap. Looked like a sure double, but out of nowhere Torii comes flying toward the wall. He dove head first into the base of the wall and snatched the ball. Lying on his back, definitely shaken up, he looked up at me and said "how's that?" We gave him a standing ovation and a "we're not worthy" waive of our hands. He took a little bow and jogged back to the dugout. When he came out to the outfield in the next inning we continued our cheers. He tipped his cap and gave us that Torii smile.    AngelsWin.com: How do you survive the offseason?   Adam Dodge: Great question. I watch so much baseball - nearly every game during the season. My wife is a champ. To offset the time I give to the Angels, I don't really watch sports between Nov - Apr aside from Golf. The NBA is awful and unwatchable. The NFL is great and while I love football, I don't spend my Sundays in front of the TV. I play a lot of golf and spend more time with the family.    AngelsWin.com: What’s one thing you’d like everyone in AngelsWin.com to know about you?   Adam Dodge: Great question. I don't get offended. I have very specific opinions and a non-negotiable world view, but I understand that everyone sees things their own way and I respect, understand and appreciate that. I do my best to see things from the perspective of others. Also, I text pictures of my poop to my friends.

By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com - 
  I don't know about you, but last night's late inning meltdown by Ernesto Frieri against the Washington Nationals have left an excruciating sting inside. Typically I'd turn pages faster than Mike Scioscia and focus on silver linings, so naturally the next morning I was ready for the next contest, optimistic as ever. The way that the bullpen has performed so far have chipped away at my optimism and my overall excitement, despite a team that leads the majors in home runs and boasts a very good starting rotation for the first time in a couple years. It has been four years since we had a solid bullpen and its been even longer since we had BULLS in our pen. The days of Percival, K-Rod, Shields, Weber and Donnelly seem like ages ago.   What's incredibly frustrating this particular season is the Angels could easily be tied for first place with the Texas Rangers or at worst just a 1/2 game out and tied with the Oakland A's in the AL West if it wasn't for the bullpen struggling thus far. Angels closer Ernesto Frieri is 0-2 with a 9.35 earned-run average and two blown saves in 10 games this season, and he's given up five home runs in 82/3 innings.   It's well known that the Angels manager favors veteran and gives them a long rope when struggling, but Mike Scioscia needs to listen to his mind and not his heart and fix the mess that is the bullpen. After all this is a game in which wins dictate success, not clubhouse friendships. I mean, how many games do you have to lose in April before you make a change? The mind set from the front office down to the coaching staff was to get off to a better start in April so that the Angels are not chasing several games back from May through September. The Angels need to act fast and make changes yesterday. These games in April are very important, so the length of this proverbial veteran rope that is issued by Scioscia should be much shorter after four straight dismal campaigns.    Without appearing to have all the answers and outsmarting Scioscia, to me it's a simple solution that will require just four in-house moves to reduce the amount of late inning debacles going forward.    Step one:  Promote Joe Smith to the new closer role. Outside of one bad appearance for the Angels, he's the one guy that can get outs late in the ball game. Smith has been solid over 10 innings. He's posted a 3.60 ERA, with 11 strikeouts and three walks.    Step two: Release Kevin Jepsen. I get it, he throws 94-95 MPH and has a curve that breaks hard. But stuff shouldn't buy you time on a major league roster if results contrast your abilities. Jepsen is the proud owner of a career 1.45 WHIP and 4.39 ERA over seven seasons and 250 games. Guys, that's just not good, especially as a late inning guy trying to hold score and keep the opponents off the bases.   Step three: Demote Frieri to take Jepsen's spot in the bullpen order until he figures shit out and gets his fastball command back. Clearly Frieri has no idea where his fastball is going. A quote from Frieri himself: "I'm missing with everything — my fastball, my changeup, my slider," Frieri said. "My arm feels good. My fastball is coming out good too. I'm just missing. … Even when I'm ahead in the count, man. I can't be leaving balls down the middle, because I'm going to get hurt."   Do we really want a guy to close out a ball game that is "missing with everything"? The Angels starting pitchers have been fantastic and the Angels offense leads major league baseball in home runs and has put us in a position to win ball games despite the absence of Hamilton and Calhoun. It is a shame to have 8 innings of well pitched ball and runs put on the board, only to have it all erased by one player who cannot seem to locate his pitches.    Step four: Promote one of Michael Morin, RJ Alvarez or Cam Bedrosian (more on them below) and have either one take the 7th inning spot in the bullpen. Michael Kohn who has been very effective can take the 8th inning while Joe Smith closes out ball games. After seeing 2-3 innings of fireballers, Joe Smith is even tougher to hit in the 9th.   As I mentioned above, Ernesto Frieri has given up 5 long balls across 8 2/3 innings already this season, something not even Joe Blanton could match. But just to bring some clarity as to how bad that is my friends, Angels top relief prospect RJ Alvarez has allowed less dingers over his three year career in the minors with 4.   Why are home runs allowed something we should look at? Well when you're calling upon your closer to enter the game with a one-run lead, all it takes is a solo blast to tie it up and a bloop and blast to blow the game.   Let's take a closer look at the big three, equipped with some recent scouting reports I've captured this month.   R.J. Alvarez has allowed just 4 home runs in 86 1/3 innings. He has also struck out 131 batters across 86 1/3 minor league innings, while only giving up 59 hits. Alvarez has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .103 BAA (batting average against)   Scouting take: Alvarez has the best 1-2 combo of the three, with a fastball that reaches 97-99 MPH and a devastating slider that is a true major league out pitch. Alvarez has big league closer stuff. A slight change to his pitching mechanics have seen better results for Alvarez fastball command this season, resulting in just two free passes with the Travelers.   Michael Morin has allowed just 7 home runs in 112 2/3 career minor league innings. Morin has struck out 116 across 112 2/3 innings. The former UNC closer recorded 22 saves in 2013 out of 23 opportunities.    Scouting take: Morin has the most experience in pressure situations late in the game, going back to his college days. Morin's fastball reaches 95 MPH, but generally sits at 92-93 MPH that he locates well and keeps down in the zone. His changeup is one of the best in the minors and is on the same level as Jered Weaver's. Morin's curveball is nothing spectacular, but he can get it over for strike and give the hitter something to think about. Morin is even better after facing hitters after his first appearance against them, which is usually the opposite. Morin will probably get the first shot of the three when the Angels reach down to their farm system for talent this season.    Cam Bedrosian has not allowed a home run since his promotion to High-A last summer where he worked exclusively out of the bullpen. Combining his 2013 IE 66er's numbers with his work this season, Bedrock has struck out 30 batters across 16 1/3 innings. He's also given up just 5 hits over those 16.1 innings of relief. Bedrosian has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .42 BAA.    Scouting take: Eddie Bane drafted Cam because of his arm and bloodlines, son of former big league closer Steve Bedrosian. Bedrock like his dad has a filthy slider that generates ugly swings and misses and a hard fastball that's tough to center because of the movement on the pitch. Cam is consistently in the 95-96 MPH range with his fastball, but since moving to the bullpen it touches 97-98 MPH when he wants to reach back for something extra. Cam also has a curveball and changeup, both of which are improving, but nowhere rival his fastball/slider combo.

Ladies and gents, these kids are good. Reminds me of the type of numbers we've seen in the minors from former Angel Francisco Rodriguez and current flamer thrower Michael Kohn who a year removed from Tommy John surgery had a decent return in 2013, only to return to his former self so far this season by sporting a 1.53 ERA, fanning 13 over 11 innings.

Dipoto, you've built a solid team to compete and do some damage in the playoffs. Please do not waste the talent on this roster by letting gazelle's out of the bullpen, it's time to round up some bulls like the Angels once had to buck this trend of late inning losses.

By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com - 
  I don't know about you, but last night's late inning meltdown by Ernesto Frieri against the Washington Nationals have left an excruciating sting inside. Typically I'd turn pages faster than Mike Scioscia and focus on silver linings, so naturally the next morning I was ready for the next contest, optimistic as ever. The way that the bullpen has performed so far have chipped away at my optimism and my overall excitement, despite a team that leads the majors in home runs and boasts a very good starting rotation for the first time in a couple years. It has been four years since we had a solid bullpen and its been even longer since we had BULLS in our pen. The days of Percival, K-Rod, Shields, Weber and Donnelly seem like ages ago.   What's incredibly frustrating this particular season is the Angels could easily be tied for first place with the Texas Rangers or at worst just a 1/2 game out and tied with the Oakland A's in the AL West if it wasn't for the bullpen struggling thus far. Angels closer Ernesto Frieri is 0-2 with a 9.35 earned-run average and two blown saves in 10 games this season, and he's given up five home runs in 82/3 innings.   It's well known that the Angels manager favors veteran and gives them a long rope when struggling, but Mike Scioscia needs to listen to his mind and not his heart and fix the mess that is the bullpen. After all this is a game in which wins dictate success, not clubhouse friendships. I mean, how many games do you have to lose in April before you make a change? The mind set from the front office down to the coaching staff was to get off to a better start in April so that the Angels are not chasing several games back from May through September. The Angels need to act fast and make changes yesterday. These games in April are very important, so the length of this proverbial veteran rope that is issued by Scioscia should be much shorter after four straight dismal campaigns.    Without appearing to have all the answers and outsmarting Scioscia, to me it's a simple solution that will require just four in-house moves to reduce the amount of late inning debacles going forward.    Step one:  Promote Joe Smith to the new closer role. Outside of one bad appearance for the Angels, he's the one guy that can get outs late in the ball game. Smith has been solid over 10 innings. He's posted a 3.60 ERA, with 11 strikeouts and three walks.    Step two: Release Kevin Jepsen. I get it, he throws 94-95 MPH and has a curve that breaks hard. But stuff shouldn't buy you time on a major league roster if results contrast your abilities. Jepsen is the proud owner of a career 1.45 WHIP and 4.39 ERA over seven seasons and 250 games. Guys, that's just not good, especially as a late inning guy trying to hold score and keep the opponents off the bases.   Step three: Demote Frieri to take Jepsen's spot in the bullpen order until he figures shit out and gets his fastball command back. Clearly Frieri has no idea where his fastball is going. A quote from Frieri himself: "I'm missing with everything — my fastball, my changeup, my slider," Frieri said. "My arm feels good. My fastball is coming out good too. I'm just missing. … Even when I'm ahead in the count, man. I can't be leaving balls down the middle, because I'm going to get hurt."   Do we really want a guy to close out a ball game that is "missing with everything"? The Angels starting pitchers have been fantastic and the Angels offense leads major league baseball in home runs and has put us in a position to win ball games despite the absence of Hamilton and Calhoun. It is a shame to have 8 innings of well pitched ball and runs put on the board, only to have it all erased by one player who cannot seem to locate his pitches.    Step four: Promote one of Michael Morin, RJ Alvarez or Cam Bedrosian (more on them below) and have either one take the 7th inning spot in the bullpen. Michael Kohn who has been very effective can take the 8th inning while Joe Smith closes out ball games. After seeing 2-3 innings of fireballers, Joe Smith is even tougher to hit in the 9th.   As I mentioned above, Ernesto Frieri has given up 5 long balls across 8 2/3 innings already this season, something not even Joe Blanton could match. But just to bring some clarity as to how bad that is my friends, Angels top relief prospect RJ Alvarez has allowed less dingers over his three year career in the minors with 4.   Why are home runs allowed something we should look at? Well when you're calling upon your closer to enter the game with a one-run lead, all it takes is a solo blast to tie it up and a bloop and blast to blow the game.   Let's take a closer look at the big three, equipped with some recent scouting reports I've captured this month.   R.J. Alvarez has allowed just 4 home runs in 86 1/3 innings. He has also struck out 131 batters across 86 1/3 minor league innings, while only giving up 59 hits. Alvarez has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .103 BAA (batting average against)   Scouting take: Alvarez has the best 1-2 combo of the three, with a fastball that reaches 97-99 MPH and a devastating slider that is a true major league out pitch. Alvarez has big league closer stuff. A slight change to his pitching mechanics have seen better results for Alvarez fastball command this season, resulting in just two free passes with the Travelers.   Michael Morin has allowed just 7 home runs in 112 2/3 career minor league innings. Morin has struck out 116 across 112 2/3 innings. The former UNC closer recorded 22 saves in 2013 out of 23 opportunities.    Scouting take: Morin has the most experience in pressure situations late in the game, going back to his college days. Morin's fastball reaches 95 MPH, but generally sits at 92-93 MPH that he locates well and keeps down in the zone. His changeup is one of the best in the minors and is on the same level as Jered Weaver's. Morin's curveball is nothing spectacular, but he can get it over for strike and give the hitter something to think about. Morin is even better after facing hitters after his first appearance against them, which is usually the opposite. Morin will probably get the first shot of the three when the Angels reach down to their farm system for talent this season.    Cam Bedrosian has not allowed a home run since his promotion to High-A last summer where he worked exclusively out of the bullpen. Combining his 2013 IE 66er's numbers with his work this season, Bedrock has struck out 30 batters across 16 1/3 innings. He's also given up just 5 hits over those 16.1 innings of relief. Bedrosian has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .42 BAA.    Scouting take: Eddie Bane drafted Cam because of his arm and bloodlines, son of former big league closer Steve Bedrosian. Bedrock like his dad has a filthy slider that generates ugly swings and misses and a hard fastball that's tough to center because of the movement on the pitch. Cam is consistently in the 95-96 MPH range with his fastball, but since moving to the bullpen it touches 97-98 MPH when he wants to reach back for something extra. Cam also has a curveball and changeup, both of which are improving, but nowhere rival his fastball/slider combo.

Ladies and gents, these kids are good. Reminds me of the type of numbers we've seen in the minors from former Angel Francisco Rodriguez and current flamer thrower Michael Kohn who a year removed from Tommy John surgery had a decent return in 2013, only to return to his former self so far this season by sporting a 1.53 ERA, fanning 13 over 11 innings.

Dipoto, you've built a solid team to compete and do some damage in the playoffs. Please do not waste the talent on this roster by letting gazelle's out of the bullpen, it's time to round up some bulls like the Angels once had to buck this trend of late inning losses.

By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Columnist & Satirist 
Good, good.   It’s been a while since I’ve truly felt the Yankee hatred in me, and quite frankly I’ve missed it.  I didn’t realize how just how much I missed it until I started to feel it again, a few days ago.  There were several factors that led to my recent Yankee apathy. 
First and foremost was that the Angels have had a bad run over the last four seasons and most of my baseball ill-will has been aimed at the home team.  It was difficult to generate hatred for another team (although I still maintained my hatred of the Red Sox – that well never dries) when my own team was woeful.  I couldn’t spare any hatred for the Yankees when we had Mathis on our team, or Wells, or various other scapegoats. 
Second was that the Yankees missed the playoffs last year.  Can I get an amen from the congregation!  That almost helped me forget how bad the year was for the Angels.  At the end of last season I also let myself believe, just for a little while, that the Yankees were serious about not going over the salary cap this year.  Yeah, I know. 
Third was that they have Alex Rodriguez on their team (and still do) and the attendant circus that goes with it.  Geddit?  Circus, centaur…ah, never mind.  I hoped that he would still be playing with them this year, and that the Yankees would be forced to pay his salary and stick him on the field.  Wrong again. 
So, the Yankees had slipped off my hatred radar.  And then, the offseason started.  First, they got the blocker, Brian McCann.  Yankees fans should love this bag of douche.  He got his panties in a twist because another douchebag, Carlos Gomez, showed up his former team, and McCann decided to play bridge troll and not let him pass, even though McCann was completely in the wrong.  A self-appointed enforcer of baseball’s unwritten rules will fit perfectly with their self-important fans.  My hatred was getting rekindled.  Good, good…
Next, Derek Jeter announced his retirement and my hatred once again ebbed.  Like most baseball fans, I like Jeter, even though he’s a Yankee (after this year, I’m glad to say, there is nobody on their roster I have to make excuses for liking – I can go back to 100% hatred).  Jeter was a perfect ambassador for baseball and his conduct off the field will forever have my admiration – I’ll never look at gift baskets the same way.  Fortunately, Jeter’s retirement didn’t extinguish the embers of my hatred, because…
The Yankees outbid everybody else for Tanaka.  Damn, I wanted him on the Angels.  I figured he would be good and he’d at least be worth the chance if you could afford him, and I assume Arte Moreno can.  But of course the Yankees wouldn’t be outbid and of course he’s in pinstripes and doing well (so far).  I certainly don’t blame him for chasing the money; I would do the same if I was in his shoes.  Seeing him pitch well is another log on the bonfire of my Yankee hatred.
Also mixed in with the offseason was the Yankees signing Jacoby Ellsbury from the Red Sox.  This move left me conflicted.  Part of me liked it because it pissed off the Red Sox fans, and anything that pisses off the chowds is at least somewhat good.  However, it also stoked the embers a bit because it showed the Yankees in panic mode, signing all the big free agents.  What a bunch of a-holes, signing everybody willy-nilly.  See, it’s different with the Angels and Pujols and Hamilton because, well…it just is.  We’re not the Yankees, OK?
And then the Yankees got off to a good start.  The flames, like in the Johnny Cash song, went higher.  And then I realized that in a few days the Angels are going to Yankee stadium, and the fire burned!  God, it feels good to be thawed by that righteous heat.  Coupled with the Angels typical slow start, the fire raged, and it’s about to see its culmination. 
Add to all of this that Michael Pineda got caught cheating for a second time.  This time it was so obvious that MLB in general and the umpires and Red Sox in particular couldn’t ignore it or make excuses for it.  I look forward to Joe Girardi explaining how he didn’t know what his pitcher was doing, both times he did it.  Are you kidding me?  I know that all baseball teams at least try to cheat, but most of them at least give fans the courtesy of hiding the evidence of said cheating.  Pineda was so arrogant that even after he was caught doing it once he figured he was aces to do it again.  The arrogance of those pinstripes, I tell ya.
I want the Angels to go into Yankee Stadium (or whatever dumb name they have for their new place – Dingusville?  AttentionWhore Stadium?) and to destroy them in three games with a cumulative score of 33-1.  Give them a run in each game for some false hope; maybe even have Jeter hit a home run just so ESPN has something to put in the spank bank.  I look at the schedule on mlb.com and for each game the Yankee pitcher is listed as TBA.  I want them DOA.  I want the Angels to face Sabbathia and beat him so bad that he starts binge-eating and ends up like White Goodman at the end of Dodgeball (I know, he pitches on Thursday so we won’t see him.  Let me rant.)  I want Brian McCann to illegally block the plate while Erick Aybar is trying to score, and Aybar to pile-drive him and send him to the 60-day DL with a fractured skull and displaced labia.  Yes, I’m wishing injury on somebody, but he plays for the Yankees.  Check the bible; it’s OK to wish harm on a sports figure as long as he plays for the Yankees or Red Sox.  I don’t know enough about Ellsbury to wish any harm on him, other than the general malaise that I wish on all Yankees players (Except for Jeter, of course.  Everybody loves Jeter.) – a pox of some sort would do just fine.  OK, I hope he makes a crucial error that costs the Yankees a game and sends them into a downward spiral. 
Furthermore, I hope that those rich fans that half-fill the ultra-expensive seats behind home plate leave each game feeling like they wasted their money and contemplating the life choices that led to them supporting the Yankees and going to a game.  I hope all the other Yankee fans get paper cuts from their tickets, and the ones that have paperless tickets get a benign tumor from their cellphones.  I hope they all spill at least one expensive beer right after purchasing it.  I want that stadium burned to the ground (figuratively, of course) after we pull chocks on Sunday.  Is that too much to ask?
Good, good.  Let the hatred flow through you…


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By Adam Dodge, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer - 
After a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise great series in Washington, the Angels head to the Big Apple where they will play a weekend series against the 2003 American League All Star Team.  
New York's collection of old bastards is off to a 12-9 start - good enough for first place in the AL East, but don't be fooled, these guys are a bigger threat at the Bridge table than on the diamond. This is an old, station to station team with limited range on defense. 
Things have changed some in the Yankee dugout. The Gatorade has been replaced by a concoction of 3 parts Ensure/2 parts Metamucil. The sunflower seeds are sodium free and the steps have been replaced by an escalator.
Derek Jeter will don the pinstripes and number 2 for a final season. Unfortunately, there are roughly six million hairy, fat guys and their obnoxious broads who will continue to pay homage to the greatest herpes spreader of all time well into baseball's next era. I'd be a little more excited about The Captain's swan song if Pauly & Polly would stop showing up to Angels Stadium with their glittery signs and massive jaws.
CC Sabathia had gastric bypass surgery in the off-season. Twice. Freak.
The Yanks can pitch a little bit, but the Angels have always performed well in New York under Mike Scioscia. Look for Albert Pujols to continue his power surge and for Mike Trout to catch fire once again. The biggest difference maker and the reason the Angels will sweep the Yankees on the road will be Raul Ibanez, who has a career .936 OPS at the New Yankees Stadium, and has historically heated up toward the end of April.
Prediction: Halos sweep

View the full article

By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com - 
  I don't know about you, but last night's late inning meltdown by Ernesto Frieri against the Washington Nationals have left an excruciating sting inside. Typically I'd turn pages faster than Mike Scioscia and focus on silver linings, so naturally the next morning I was ready for the next contest, optimistic as ever. The way that the bullpen has performed so far have chipped away at my optimism and my overall excitement, despite a team that leads the majors in home runs and boasts a very good starting rotation for the first time in a couple years. It has been four years since we had a solid bullpen and its been even longer since we had BULLS in our pen. The days of Percival, K-Rod, Shields, Weber and Donnelly seem like ages ago.   What's incredibly frustrating this particular season is the Angels could easily be tied for first place with the Texas Rangers or at worst just a 1/2 game out and tied with the Oakland A's in the AL West if it wasn't for the bullpen struggling thus far. Angels closer Ernesto Frieri is 0-2 with a 9.35 earned-run average and two blown saves in 10 games this season, and he's given up five home runs in 82/3 innings.   It's well known that the Angels manager favors veteran and gives them a long rope when struggling, but Mike Scioscia needs to listen to his mind and not his heart and fix the mess that is the bullpen. After all this is a game in which wins dictate success, not clubhouse friendships. I mean, how many games do you have to lose in April before you make a change? The mind set from the front office down to the coaching staff was to get off to a better start in April so that the Angels are not chasing several games back from May through September. The Angels need to act fast and make changes yesterday. These games in April are very important, so the length of this proverbial veteran rope that is issued by Scioscia should be much shorter after four straight dismal campaigns.    Without appearing to have all the answers and outsmarting Scioscia, to me it's a simple solution that will require just four in-house moves to reduce the amount of late inning debacles going forward.    Step one:  Promote Joe Smith to the new closer role. Outside of one bad appearance for the Angels, he's the one guy that can get outs late in the ball game. Smith has been solid over 10 innings. He's posted a 3.60 ERA, with 11 strikeouts and three walks.    Step two: Release Kevin Jepsen. I get it, he throws 94-95 MPH and has a curve that breaks hard. But stuff shouldn't buy you time on a major league roster if results contrast your abilities. Jepsen is the proud owner of a career 1.45 WHIP and 4.39 ERA over seven seasons and 250 games. Guys, that's just not good, especially as a late inning guy trying to hold score and keep the opponents off the bases.   Step three: Demote Frieri to take Jepsen's spot in the bullpen order until he figures shit out and gets his fastball command back. Clearly Frieri has no idea where his fastball is going. A quote from Frieri himself: "I'm missing with everything — my fastball, my changeup, my slider," Frieri said. "My arm feels good. My fastball is coming out good too. I'm just missing. … Even when I'm ahead in the count, man. I can't be leaving balls down the middle, because I'm going to get hurt."   Do we really want a guy to close out a ball game that is "missing with everything"? The Angels starting pitchers have been fantastic and the Angels offense leads major league baseball in home runs and has put us in a position to win ball games despite the absence of Hamilton and Calhoun. It is a shame to have 8 innings of well pitched ball and runs put on the board, only to have it all erased by one player who cannot seem to locate his pitches.    Step four: Promote one of Michael Morin, RJ Alvarez or Cam Bedrosian (more on them below) and have either one take the 7th inning spot in the bullpen. Michael Kohn who has been very effective can take the 8th inning while Joe Smith closes out ball games. After seeing 2-3 innings of fireballers, Joe Smith is even tougher to hit in the 9th.   As I mentioned above, Ernesto Frieri has given up 5 long balls across 8 2/3 innings already this season, something not even Joe Blanton could match. But just to bring some clarity as to how bad that is my friends, Angels top relief prospect RJ Alvarez has allowed less dingers over his three year career in the minors with 4.   Why are home runs allowed something we should look at? Well when you're calling upon your closer to enter the game with a one-run lead, all it takes is a solo blast to tie it up and a bloop and blast to blow the game.   Let's take a closer look at the big three, equipped with some recent scouting reports I've captured this month.   R.J. Alvarez has allowed just 4 home runs in 86 1/3 innings. He has also struck out 131 batters across 86 1/3 minor league innings, while only giving up 59 hits. Alvarez has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .103 BAA (batting average against)   Scouting take: Alvarez has the best 1-2 combo of the three, with a fastball that reaches 97-99 MPH and a devastating slider that is a true major league out pitch. Alvarez has big league closer stuff. A slight change to his pitching mechanics have seen better results for Alvarez fastball command this season, resulting in just two free passes with the Travelers.   Michael Morin has allowed just 7 home runs in 112 2/3 career minor league innings. Morin has struck out 116 across 112 2/3 innings. The former UNC closer recorded 22 saves in 2013 out of 23 opportunities.    Scouting take: Morin has the most experience in pressure situations late in the game, going back to his college days. Morin's fastball reaches 95 MPH, but generally sits at 92-93 MPH that he locates well and keeps down in the zone. His changeup is one of the best in the minors and is on the same level as Jered Weaver's. Morin's curveball is nothing spectacular, but he can get it over for strike and give the hitter something to think about. Morin is even better after facing hitters after his first appearance against them, which is usually the opposite. Morin will probably get the first shot of the three when the Angels reach down to their farm system for talent this season.    Cam Bedrosian has not allowed a home run since his promotion to High-A last summer where he worked exclusively out of the bullpen. Combining his 2013 IE 66er's numbers with his work this season, Bedrock has struck out 30 batters across 16 1/3 innings. He's also given up just 5 hits over those 16.1 innings of relief. Bedrosian has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .42 BAA.    Scouting take: Eddie Bane drafted Cam because of his arm and bloodlines, son of former big league closer Steve Bedrosian. Bedrock like his dad has a filthy slider that generates ugly swings and misses and a hard fastball that's tough to center because of the movement on the pitch. Cam is consistently in the 95-96 MPH range with his fastball, but since moving to the bullpen it touches 97-98 MPH when he wants to reach back for something extra. Cam also has a curveball and changeup, both of which are improving, but nowhere rival his fastball/slider combo.

Ladies and gents, these kids are good. Reminds me of the type of numbers we've seen in the minors from former Angel Francisco Rodriguez and current flamer thrower Michael Kohn who a year removed from Tommy John surgery had a decent return in 2013, only to return to his former self so far this season by sporting a 1.53 ERA, fanning 13 over 11 innings.

Dipoto, you've built a solid team to compete and do some damage in the playoffs. Please do not waste the talent on this roster by letting gazelle's out of the bullpen, it's time to round up some bulls like the Angels once had to buck this trend of late inning losses.

By Adam Dodge, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer - 
After a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise great series in Washington, the Angels head to the Big Apple where they will play a weekend series against the 2003 American League All Star Team.  
New York's collection of old bastards is off to a 12-9 start - good enough for first place in the AL East, but don't be fooled, these guys are a bigger threat at the Bridge table than on the diamond. This is an old, station to station team with limited range on defense. 
Things have changed some in the Yankee dugout. The Gatorade has been replaced by a concoction of 3 parts Ensure/2 parts Metamucil. The sunflower seeds are sodium free and the steps have been replaced by an escalator.
Derek Jeter will don the pinstripes and number 2 for a final season. Unfortunately, there are roughly six million hairy, fat guys and their obnoxious broads who will continue to pay homage to the greatest herpes spreader of all time well into baseball's next era. I'd be a little more excited about The Captain's swan song if Pauly & Polly would stop showing up to Angels Stadium with their glittery signs and massive jaws.
CC Sabathia had gastric bypass surgery in the off-season. Twice. Freak.
The Yanks can pitch a little bit, but the Angels have always performed well in New York under Mike Scioscia. Look for Albert Pujols to continue his power surge and for Mike Trout to catch fire once again. The biggest difference maker and the reason the Angels will sweep the Yankees on the road will be Raul Ibanez, who has a career .936 OPS at the New Yankees Stadium, and has historically heated up toward the end of April.
Prediction: Halos sweep

View the full article

By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com - 
  I don't know about you, but last night's late inning meltdown by Ernesto Frieri against the Washington Nationals have left an excruciating sting inside. Typically I'd turn pages faster than Mike Scioscia and focus on silver linings, so naturally the next morning I was ready for the next contest, optimistic as ever. The way that the bullpen has performed so far have chipped away at my optimism and my overall excitement, despite a team that leads the majors in home runs and boasts a very good starting rotation for the first time in a couple years. It has been four years since we had a solid bullpen and its been even longer since we had BULLS in our pen. The days of Percival, K-Rod, Shields, Weber and Donnelly seem like ages ago.   What's incredibly frustrating this particular season is the Angels could easily be tied for first place with the Texas Rangers or at worst just a 1/2 game out and tied with the Oakland A's in the AL West if it wasn't for the bullpen struggling thus far. Angels closer Ernesto Frieri is 0-2 with a 9.35 earned-run average and two blown saves in 10 games this season, and he's given up five home runs in 82/3 innings.   It's well known that the Angels manager favors veteran and gives them a long rope when struggling, but Mike Scioscia needs to listen to his mind and not his heart and fix the mess that is the bullpen. After all this is a game in which wins dictate success, not clubhouse friendships. I mean, how many games do you have to lose in April before you make a change? The mind set from the front office down to the coaching staff was to get off to a better start in April so that the Angels are not chasing several games back from May through September. The Angels need to act fast and make changes yesterday. These games in April are very important, so the length of this proverbial veteran rope that is issued by Scioscia should be much shorter after four straight dismal campaigns.    Without appearing to have all the answers and outsmarting Scioscia, to me it's a simple solution that will require just four in-house moves to reduce the amount of late inning debacles going forward.    Step one:  Promote Joe Smith to the new closer role. Outside of one bad appearance for the Angels, he's the one guy that can get outs late in the ball game. Smith has been solid over 10 innings. He's posted a 3.60 ERA, with 11 strikeouts and three walks.    Step two: Release Kevin Jepsen. I get it, he throws 94-95 MPH and has a curve that breaks hard. But stuff shouldn't buy you time on a major league roster if results contrast your abilities. Jepsen is the proud owner of a career 1.45 WHIP and 4.39 ERA over seven seasons and 250 games. Guys, that's just not good, especially as a late inning guy trying to hold score and keep the opponents off the bases.   Step three: Demote Frieri to take Jepsen's spot in the bullpen order until he figures shit out and gets his fastball command back. Clearly Frieri has no idea where his fastball is going. A quote from Frieri himself: "I'm missing with everything — my fastball, my changeup, my slider," Frieri said. "My arm feels good. My fastball is coming out good too. I'm just missing. … Even when I'm ahead in the count, man. I can't be leaving balls down the middle, because I'm going to get hurt."   Do we really want a guy to close out a ball game that is "missing with everything"? The Angels starting pitchers have been fantastic and the Angels offense leads major league baseball in home runs and has put us in a position to win ball games despite the absence of Hamilton and Calhoun. It is a shame to have 8 innings of well pitched ball and runs put on the board, only to have it all erased by one player who cannot seem to locate his pitches.    Step four: Promote one of Michael Morin, RJ Alvarez or Cam Bedrosian (more on them below) and have either one take the 7th inning spot in the bullpen. Michael Kohn who has been very effective can take the 8th inning while Joe Smith closes out ball games. After seeing 2-3 innings of fireballers, Joe Smith is even tougher to hit in the 9th.   As I mentioned above, Ernesto Frieri has given up 5 long balls across 8 2/3 innings already this season, something not even Joe Blanton could match. But just to bring some clarity as to how bad that is my friends, Angels top relief prospect RJ Alvarez has allowed less dingers over his three year career in the minors with 4.   Why are home runs allowed something we should look at? Well when you're calling upon your closer to enter the game with a one-run lead, all it takes is a solo blast to tie it up and a bloop and blast to blow the game.   Let's take a closer look at the big three, equipped with some recent scouting reports I've captured this month.   R.J. Alvarez has allowed just 4 home runs in 86 1/3 innings. He has also struck out 131 batters across 86 1/3 minor league innings, while only giving up 59 hits. Alvarez has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .103 BAA (batting average against)   Scouting take: Alvarez has the best 1-2 combo of the three, with a fastball that reaches 97-99 MPH and a devastating slider that is a true major league out pitch. Alvarez has big league closer stuff. A slight change to his pitching mechanics have seen better results for Alvarez fastball command this season, resulting in just two free passes with the Travelers.   Michael Morin has allowed just 7 home runs in 112 2/3 career minor league innings. Morin has struck out 116 across 112 2/3 innings. The former UNC closer recorded 22 saves in 2013 out of 23 opportunities.    Scouting take: Morin has the most experience in pressure situations late in the game, going back to his college days. Morin's fastball reaches 95 MPH, but generally sits at 92-93 MPH that he locates well and keeps down in the zone. His changeup is one of the best in the minors and is on the same level as Jered Weaver's. Morin's curveball is nothing spectacular, but he can get it over for strike and give the hitter something to think about. Morin is even better after facing hitters after his first appearance against them, which is usually the opposite. Morin will probably get the first shot of the three when the Angels reach down to their farm system for talent this season.    Cam Bedrosian has not allowed a home run since his promotion to High-A last summer where he worked exclusively out of the bullpen. Combining his 2013 IE 66er's numbers with his work this season, Bedrock has struck out 30 batters across 16 1/3 innings. He's also given up just 5 hits over those 16.1 innings of relief. Bedrosian has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .42 BAA.    Scouting take: Eddie Bane drafted Cam because of his arm and bloodlines, son of former big league closer Steve Bedrosian. Bedrock like his dad has a filthy slider that generates ugly swings and misses and a hard fastball that's tough to center because of the movement on the pitch. Cam is consistently in the 95-96 MPH range with his fastball, but since moving to the bullpen it touches 97-98 MPH when he wants to reach back for something extra. Cam also has a curveball and changeup, both of which are improving, but nowhere rival his fastball/slider combo.

Ladies and gents, these kids are good. Reminds me of the type of numbers we've seen in the minors from former Angel Francisco Rodriguez and current flamer thrower Michael Kohn who a year removed from Tommy John surgery had a decent return in 2013, only to return to his former self so far this season by sporting a 1.53 ERA, fanning 13 over 11 innings.

Dipoto, you've built a solid team to compete and do some damage in the playoffs. Please do not waste the talent on this roster by letting gazelle's out of the bullpen, it's time to round up some bulls like the Angels once had to buck this trend of late inning losses.

By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com - 
  I don't know about you, but last night's late inning meltdown by Ernesto Frieri against the Washington Nationals have left an excruciating sting inside. Typically I'd turn pages faster than Mike Scioscia and focus on silver linings, so naturally the next morning I was ready for the next contest, optimistic as ever. The way that the bullpen has performed so far have chipped away at my optimism and my overall excitement, despite a team that leads the majors in home runs and boasts a very good starting rotation for the first time in a couple years. It has been four years since we had a solid bullpen and its been even longer since we had BULLS in our pen. The days of Percival, K-Rod, Shields, Weber and Donnelly seem like ages ago.   What's incredibly frustrating this particular season is the Angels could easily be tied for first place with the Texas Rangers or at worst just a 1/2 game out and tied with the Oakland A's in the AL West if it wasn't for the bullpen struggling thus far. Angels closer Ernesto Frieri is 0-2 with a 9.35 earned-run average and two blown saves in 10 games this season, and he's given up five home runs in 82/3 innings.   It's well known that the Angels manager favors veteran and gives them a long rope when struggling, but Mike Scioscia needs to listen to his mind and not his heart and fix the mess that is the bullpen. After all this is a game in which wins dictate success, not clubhouse friendships. I mean, how many games do you have to lose in April before you make a change? The mind set from the front office down to the coaching staff was to get off to a better start in April so that the Angels are not chasing several games back from May through September. The Angels need to act fast and make changes yesterday. These games in April are very important, so the length of this proverbial veteran rope that is issued by Scioscia should be much shorter after four straight dismal campaigns.    Without appearing to have all the answers and outsmarting Scioscia, to me it's a simple solution that will require just four in-house moves to reduce the amount of late inning debacles going forward.    Step one:  Promote Joe Smith to the new closer role. Outside of one bad appearance for the Angels, he's the one guy that can get outs late in the ball game. Smith has been solid over 10 innings. He's posted a 3.60 ERA, with 11 strikeouts and three walks.    Step two: Release Kevin Jepsen. I get it, he throws 94-95 MPH and has a curve that breaks hard. But stuff shouldn't buy you time on a major league roster if results contrast your abilities. Jepsen is the proud owner of a career 1.45 WHIP and 4.39 ERA over seven seasons and 250 games. Guys, that's just not good, especially as a late inning guy trying to hold score and keep the opponents off the bases.   Step three: Demote Frieri to take Jepsen's spot in the bullpen order until he figures shit out and gets his fastball command back. Clearly Frieri has no idea where his fastball is going. A quote from Frieri himself: "I'm missing with everything — my fastball, my changeup, my slider," Frieri said. "My arm feels good. My fastball is coming out good too. I'm just missing. … Even when I'm ahead in the count, man. I can't be leaving balls down the middle, because I'm going to get hurt."   Do we really want a guy to close out a ball game that is "missing with everything"? The Angels starting pitchers have been fantastic and the Angels offense leads major league baseball in home runs and has put us in a position to win ball games despite the absence of Hamilton and Calhoun. It is a shame to have 8 innings of well pitched ball and runs put on the board, only to have it all erased by one player who cannot seem to locate his pitches.    Step four: Promote one of Michael Morin, RJ Alvarez or Cam Bedrosian (more on them below) and have either one take the 7th inning spot in the bullpen. Michael Kohn who has been very effective can take the 8th inning while Joe Smith closes out ball games. After seeing 2-3 innings of fireballers, Joe Smith is even tougher to hit in the 9th.   As I mentioned above, Ernesto Frieri has given up 5 long balls across 8 2/3 innings already this season, something not even Joe Blanton could match. But just to bring some clarity as to how bad that is my friends, Angels top relief prospect RJ Alvarez has allowed less dingers over his three year career in the minors with 4.   Why are home runs allowed something we should look at? Well when you're calling upon your closer to enter the game with a one-run lead, all it takes is a solo blast to tie it up and a bloop and blast to blow the game.   Let's take a closer look at the big three, equipped with some recent scouting reports I've captured this month.   R.J. Alvarez has allowed just 4 home runs in 86 1/3 innings. He has also struck out 131 batters across 86 1/3 minor league innings, while only giving up 59 hits. Alvarez has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .103 BAA (batting average against)   Scouting take: Alvarez has the best 1-2 combo of the three, with a fastball that reaches 97-99 MPH and a devastating slider that is a true major league out pitch. Alvarez has big league closer stuff. A slight change to his pitching mechanics have seen better results for Alvarez fastball command this season, resulting in just two free passes with the Travelers.   Michael Morin has allowed just 7 home runs in 112 2/3 career minor league innings. Morin has struck out 116 across 112 2/3 innings. The former UNC closer recorded 22 saves in 2013 out of 23 opportunities.    Scouting take: Morin has the most experience in pressure situations late in the game, going back to his college days. Morin's fastball reaches 95 MPH, but generally sits at 92-93 MPH that he locates well and keeps down in the zone. His changeup is one of the best in the minors and is on the same level as Jered Weaver's. Morin's curveball is nothing spectacular, but he can get it over for strike and give the hitter something to think about. Morin is even better after facing hitters after his first appearance against them, which is usually the opposite. Morin will probably get the first shot of the three when the Angels reach down to their farm system for talent this season.    Cam Bedrosian has not allowed a home run since his promotion to High-A last summer where he worked exclusively out of the bullpen. Combining his 2013 IE 66er's numbers with his work this season, Bedrock has struck out 30 batters across 16 1/3 innings. He's also given up just 5 hits over those 16.1 innings of relief. Bedrosian has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .42 BAA.    Scouting take: Eddie Bane drafted Cam because of his arm and bloodlines, son of former big league closer Steve Bedrosian. Bedrock like his dad has a filthy slider that generates ugly swings and misses and a hard fastball that's tough to center because of the movement on the pitch. Cam is consistently in the 95-96 MPH range with his fastball, but since moving to the bullpen it touches 97-98 MPH when he wants to reach back for something extra. Cam also has a curveball and changeup, both of which are improving, but nowhere rival his fastball/slider combo.

Ladies and gents, these kids are good. Reminds me of the type of numbers we've seen in the minors from former Angel Francisco Rodriguez and current flamer thrower Michael Kohn who a year removed from Tommy John surgery had a decent return in 2013, only to return to his former self so far this season by sporting a 1.53 ERA, fanning 13 over 11 innings.

Dipoto, you've built a solid team to compete and do some damage in the playoffs. Please do not waste the talent on this roster by letting gazelle's out of the bullpen, it's time to round up some bulls like the Angels once had to buck this trend of late inning losses.