AngelsWin.com

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 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 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 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 David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
As a high school teacher, I have found that students are exposed to all sorts of numbers all the time. However, without context, most students can’t make any meaningful understandings from the numbers. Instead, they just treat them as a bunch of repeated digits.
For example, when teaching students about the national debt, I can get them to write down the number, in trillions, of the national debt. But, it’s not until I make them calculate their personal share of the national debt, and, further, calculate how long it would take them to earn that much money at minimum wage, that they understand the importance and concern of its size.
As I thought about Albert Pujols hitting his 500th homerun, I tried to contextualize that number into things that I do to understand its significance. I started with basic things, such as going to the movies. At 42 years old, I would have had to go to about 12 movies for my entire lifetime in order to get to 500. While as a teenager I went to a lot of movies, since having kids I rarely go to the movies, so I’m not sure that I’ve been to 500 movies in my lifetime.
Going to the movies though, is a pretty passive act. It doesn’t require the work and effort that it takes to constantly keep in shape like hitting a homerun requires. So, I thought next about reading books. Reading requires effort and work. To understand Pujols’ feat, I thought how hard it would be for most adults to read a 500 books during a 13-year time span —the equivalent of Pujols hitting 500 homeruns during his career. Most adults would not come close to that level of reading, just like most baseball sluggers don’t come close to hitting 500 homeruns in their careers.
Still though, going to the movies and reading books don’t quite capture the full effect of hitting 500 homeruns. Neither one was a part of my work. And, neither one required a lifetime of dedication and training to accomplish.
So, I thought about my job. I have been a teacher almost as long as Pujols has been a Major Leaguer (I came to teaching later in life and started in 2002). I take my job very seriously, continuously reading the latest research on the subjects I teach, the latest research on how to improve my teaching, and on the latest changes to education such as Common Core to be the best teacher that I can be. 
In a typical year, I typically have several hundred interactions with my students ranging from taking attendance to providing instruction. On any given day, there are numerous possibilities that can happen from all of these interactions. Occasionally, I hit a homerun with a student and have a meaningful impact on his or her life. Sometimes I help a student realize his or her potential. Sometimes I help a student through a difficult personal issue. Sometimes I just make the student smile and feel safe in my classroom. I don’t always hit a homerun with every student, but I sure try to every day. 
Similarly, Pujols dedicates himself very seriously to being a baseball player. He takes each game very seriously, continually researching the opposing pitcher, how to improve his swing, and staying in the best shape he can. Hours before the game even starts, he gets mentally and physically prepared for that night’s game. Over the course of a season, he has hundreds of plate appearances. He doesn’t always hit a homerun, but every time he steps up to the plate, he sure tries. 
Most people, though, aren’t so lucky. They don’t have the opportunity to do something as special as hitting a homerun. Think about your job. What would be a homerun? How long would it take you to achieve that 500 times in your career? How hard and how long would you have to work to achieve that goal?
What struck me most about how Pujols handled accomplishing this incredible feat is how he also handled the aftermath of the achievement. To say that Pujols is a class act is an understatement.
When asked about how he felt becoming one of just 26 Major Leaguers to ever hit 500 homeruns, Pujols thanked in order G-d, all those who coached or helped him along the way, and credited all of his hard work. Afterward, he thanked all of his teammates for their role in helping him achieve the feat. As a father, I want my sons, who are big Pujols fans, to understand the importance of that lesson in humility.
More importantly, coming into the game, more of the media focus was on the Trout/Harper matchup. Starting the series, the storyline was on the next generation—it was as if Pujols had been forgotten. However, Pujols didn’t take that as a slight—he just went out there and played his game. His 500th homerun did what it had to do—helped his team get back to .500 baseball.
A lot has been made about the lack of hype about Pujols’ 500th homerun. No doubt the steroid era played a huge role in that as there have been many recent and tainted entrants into the 500 homerun club. But that’s not Albert Pujols. He plays the game right, and in so doing, is showing a new generation how the game once was—and still should be—played.
What I like most about Albert Pujols is the way he plays the game with respect. Whether it’s not offending an icon from his former team by being called “The Man” in Spanish out of respect for Stan “The Man” Musial, to being an All-Star off the field in his support for children with Down’s Syndrome, he shows respect to all parts of the game.
As a fan of the game of baseball, I’m thrilled that Albert Pujols hit his 500th homerun. As an Angels fan, I’m thrilled it came with our team, and in a team victory. I cannot wait to see him get to 600 and beyond.


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Angels 7 - Nationals 2

The night belonged to Albert Pujols. In the first, Pujols launched a three-run home run to give the Angels the early lead. In the fifth, he took a 1-2 pitch from Nationals starter Taylor Jordan and blasted it over the center field wall for his 500th career home run. Tyler Skaggs allowed just two runs on three hits over seven innings in a dominant performance.


Click here to download the scorecard.   If your new to scoring baseball or just need help interpreting some of the markup, download the key here

By Adam Dodge, AngelsWin.com Senior Columnist - 
Following the Angels' thrilling series with Oakland Athletics, one of the oddest we've seen in quite some time, in which the Angels played three 1-run games, giving two of them away before stealing the finale, they embark on their second road trip of the season. Their first stop - Motor City.
Nestled in the city where a 4-bedroom home costs less than a carton of Newports is Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. If you Google Earth 2100 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201-3470, the stadium's address and slide your finger over the mouse pad you'll actually bear witness to three homicides.  
In a town without jobs or an edible piece of produce, resides twenty-five guys who make up a pretty darn good baseball team.  The Tigers were in the ALCS last year and are clear favorites to win the AL Central Division again in 2014. 
In the off-season the Tigers shipped their power hitting first baseman and professional fat ass Prince Fielder - a guy who likes to eat after he eats - to the Texas Rangers for second baseman and legendary douchebag  Ian Kinsler.
While Detroit's fast food bubble has burst, its Affliction apparel industry is soaring to new heights. 
Despite the Angels' struggles in 2013 and the Tigers' success, our boys took it to them last season, sweeping the season series six games to none. At 7-8, the Angels hope to carry their dominance over Detroit into this weekend's three game series and leave Michigan for the nation's capital on Sunday at .500 or better.  
They'll miss Justin Verlander, which is a shame, because he owns a 4-5 record and an ERA above 4.00 against the Halos lifetime.  The Angels will face off against 2013 Cy Young winner Max Scherzer  on Saturday. 
Should be an incredibly tough series for the Angels. As always, we'll leave homerism in the bag and look at this series objectively. 
Halos sweep, 3-0. 

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By Adam Dodge, AngelsWin.com Senior Columnist - 
Following the Angels' thrilling series with Oakland Athletics, one of the oddest we've seen in quite some time, in which the Angels played three 1-run games, giving two of them away before stealing the finale, they embark on their second road trip of the season. Their first stop - Motor City.
Nestled in the city where a 4-bedroom home costs less than a carton of Newports is Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. If you Google Earth 2100 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201-3470, the stadium's address and slide your finger over the mouse pad you'll actually bear witness to three homicides.  
In a town without jobs or an edible piece of produce, resides twenty-five guys who make up a pretty darn good baseball team.  The Tigers were in the ALCS last year and are clear favorites to win the AL Central Division again in 2014. 
In the off-season the Tigers shipped their power hitting first baseman and professional fat ass Prince Fielder - a guy who likes to eat after he eats - to the Texas Rangers for second baseman and legendary douchebag  Ian Kinsler.
While Detroit's fast food bubble has burst, its Affliction apparel industry is soaring to new heights. 
Despite the Angels' struggles in 2013 and the Tigers' success, our boys took it to them last season, sweeping the season series six games to none. At 7-8, the Angels hope to carry their dominance over Detroit into this weekend's three game series and leave Michigan for the nation's capital on Sunday at .500 or better.  
They'll miss Justin Verlander, which is a shame, because he owns a 4-5 record and an ERA above 4.00 against the Halos lifetime.  The Angels will face off against 2013 Cy Young winner Max Scherzer  on Saturday. 
Should be an incredibly tough series for the Angels. As always, we'll leave homerism in the bag and look at this series objectively. 
Halos sweep, 3-0. 

View the full article

By Adam Dodge, AngelsWin.com Senior Columnist - 
Following the Angels' thrilling series with Oakland Athletics, one of the oddest we've seen in quite some time, in which the Angels played three 1-run games, giving two of them away before stealing the finale, they embark on their second road trip of the season. Their first stop - Motor City.
Nestled in the city where a 4-bedroom home costs less than a carton of Newports is Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. If you Google Earth 2100 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201-3470, the stadium's address and slide your finger over the mouse pad you'll actually bear witness to three homicides.  
In a town without jobs or an edible piece of produce, resides twenty-five guys who make up a pretty darn good baseball team.  The Tigers were in the ALCS last year and are clear favorites to win the AL Central Division again in 2014. 
In the off-season the Tigers shipped their power hitting first baseman and professional fat ass Prince Fielder - a guy who likes to eat after he eats - to the Texas Rangers for second baseman and legendary douchebag  Ian Kinsler.
While Detroit's fast food bubble has burst, its Affliction apparel industry is soaring to new heights. 
Despite the Angels' struggles in 2013 and the Tigers' success, our boys took it to them last season, sweeping the season series six games to none. At 7-8, the Angels hope to carry their dominance over Detroit into this weekend's three game series and leave Michigan for the nation's capital on Sunday at .500 or better.  
They'll miss Justin Verlander, which is a shame, because he owns a 4-5 record and an ERA above 4.00 against the Halos lifetime.  The Angels will face off against 2013 Cy Young winner Max Scherzer  on Saturday. 
Should be an incredibly tough series for the Angels. As always, we'll leave homerism in the bag and look at this series objectively. 
Halos sweep, 3-0. 

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By Glen Mckee, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer, Satire -    Last year during the dismal spring training that accurately foretold a disappointing season, I realized it was never too early to give up on a season.  Even if it hadn’t started already – beat the crowds, give up now!  This offseason the Angels were more conservative in their moves and I approached the season with a small amount of renewed hope.  They traded for promising young pitching, and talked about the importance of a fast start.  Things were looking better.  I had hope.   And then the first three games happened.  The only positive fans could take from them is that perpetual bright-spot Mike Trout was already doing Mike Trout things.  Everybody else was doing horrible things: GIDPs, golden sombreros, errors (both official and unofficial), no hitting with RISP…the list goes on, and there shouldn’t be a list after three games.  Some fans are already hitting the panic button.  I’m not, but I have already hit the “adjusted expectations” button.  Seems like every year I’m hitting it before Peter Cottontail makes his appearance.   It’s obvious that the Angels need something to wake them up, or someone different.  Don Baylor won’t be back for a while so we can’t pin our hopes on him.  Get well soon, Don!  With that in mind, I present to you a few candidates for the newly created Team Doctor position (not to be confused with the Team Physician, an actual doctor).  Following are the top candidates for the job to fix the Angels, listed with their pros and cons.    Dr. Johnny Fever
Pros: He has the “medicine” that just might be what the Angels need.  Guaranteed to help them relax and play looser, and feel less pressure.  His confidence could be inspiring to the Angels.   Cons: Unreliable.  Might not show up on time.  Booger.  Hates disco. 
    Gunnery Sergeant Hartman
Pros: Extremely motivational. Will severely punish players for stupid baserunning, mental lapses, poor situational hitting, and stashing jelly donuts.     Cons: Horrible ending for both him and somebody on the team.  Hates unlocked lockers, which could lead to problems in the clubhouse.     Deepak Chopra    Pros: Will make the Angels feel good about themselves no matter how they perform on the diamond.   Cons: Will make the Angels feel good about themselves no matter how they perform on the diamond. 
    Brad Fullmer     Pros: Doesn’t take any guff.  Has access to the “medicine” (wink!) that the Angels might need.  Former player, so he knows how to get to the stadium.   Cons: Spotty history with the team.  Might go to jail for acquiring the “medicine” the Angels need. 
    Dr. Phil    Pros: His nonsensical, folksy sayings could be just what the Angels need to find their inner resources to play to their capabilities.  Great mustache.  Probably available.   Cons: Ego might not fit in the locker room.  After his pithy sayings, doesn’t bring much else to the table. 
    Me    Pros: Available. Semi-intelligent. Somewhat motivational. Relatively inexpensive. Incredibly handsome.      Cons: None whatsoever, except for the team.    The team obviously needs something to get it going in the right direction, and it needs it now.  Any one of the above candidates (#6) could be just what the Angels need to maximize their potential.  Come on, Arte!  You’re embracing advanced metrics and defensive shifts and, uh, other stuff.  You just need to add one more position to the team and they’ll go all the way.

By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
Growing up, my dad had a poem posted in the house. It was his favorite. Though I really didn’t understand it as a child, I knew it meant something to my dad, so I read it and reread it until I mostly had it memorized.
Now, as an adult, I am glad he had it up in the house. It’s taught me a lot and given me the wisdom to know what to do and when to do it. The words in the poem apply today as much as they did when they were first written.
The Angels did not start the season off the way that any of us wanted. They have not played well. Compared to their Spring Training, they were underwhelming. After winning 10 out of their last 11 games in Spring Training by a combined 83-45, they were swept by the Mariners by a combined 26-8. I know that Spring Training games don’t count, but you can’t look at the start of the season in pure isolation either. It’s just too small of a sample size so far.
At this point, I’m not panicking. I’m still planning on watching all the games and having plenty of fun this season. In no way am I throwing in the towel.
Why?
Because we’re talking about 3 games—a whopping 1.85% of the season.
Now I’m not going to pull out the cliché that games early in the season don’t matter. They do count just as much in the standings as the ones in September. However, what I am saying is that I’m not going to sweat every small detail in a season. The season is too young and the story lines too small for us to truly evaluate all that will happen this summer.
Looking around the leagues, does anyone really think that the Blue Jays will win the A. L. East and that the Yankees will lose all of their games (having dropped 2 against the Astros)? So, why should we believe that the Angels are going to have a poor season just after one bad series?
When I wrote 10 Reasons Why I’m Excited About the 2014 Season, I said “The season won’t be won in a day and it won’t be lost in a day either. No matter what, there are 162 games between now and the end of the season that we cannot predict all that will happen.” That’s just as true today after getting swept by the Mariners as it was when I wrote it, except we now know the outcome of 1.85% of the games.
Baseball is the greatest professional sport because it has peaks and valleys over a 162-game season. It has ebbs and flows. No one wants to start off with an ebb, but that’s what we’ve got. I’m not happy about it, but I’m not pulling out my last few remaining hairs over it either. The best teams will still lose 60 games and the worst teams will still win 60 games. I firmly believe the Angels have the ability to win 92 games this season, and will do that with the team they have.
One thing I specifically want to address. There’s been some criticism of the coaching staff that I think is a bit unwarranted. Anyone who says that they would have pitched to Cano instead of Smoak is delusional. In no way do the numbers support that. That’s akin to saying that after flipping a coin 20 times in a row and getting tails that the 21st time has a greater chance than any other flip of getting heads. The odds are the odds, and sometimes the odds don’t work out in your favor no matter how much Effie Trinket says “may the odds ever be in your favor”. So you always play the odds straight.
I have watched the coaches working with the players. They are working very hard to do their jobs and develop advanced methods to improve the performance on the field. They are doing things that will truly make the Angels one of the more advanced teams in the game, especially with their approach.
So, let’s all take a deep breath and relax. As Douglas Adams taught us, don’t panic. Instead, read the poem below and get ready for this weekend’s series against the Astros. The season has barely begun, and we are but a fraction of the way through it.
If
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream---and not make dreams your master; If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same:. If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings, And never breathe a word about your loss: If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much: If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son! Rudyard Kipling

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by Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Columnist
I remember way back when I was a teenager and my older brother went out on a date.  When I saw him the next morning I asked him “hey, did you get lucky?”  He replied “nope, I didn’t find any money under her bed.”  I gave him a confused look, and then he explained his answer (edited for family consumption).  â€œSeducing a woman is a matter of skill.  Getting lucky is when you find $100 under her bed.”  That stuck with me, and the general message – luck is the domain of those without skill – certainly applies to other areas of life.  Particularly baseball, and not just on the field.
Yesterday, it was made official – Mike Trout is staying with the Angels through at least 2020.  He signed a contract that is beneficial for both him and the Angels, and Angels fans around the globe (myself included) rejoiced.  For the last month or so there had been talk of the Angels working to get an extension done with Trout, and yesterday it happened.
So, of course in the media there is now a lot of talk about how the Angels “got lucky” with Mike Trout.  They got lucky he fell down to them in the draft, they got lucky he wanted to stay with the Angels for a few more years, they got lucky he signed such a friendly contract with them.  Did I miss any of the Angels luck? 
What a load of hogwash, garbage, and sour grapes.  From the moment Mike Trout made his big league debut in 2012, fans of the Red Sox and Yankees had been salivating about the prospect of Trout heading back east to his origins and setting the baseball world right by having the best player in the game on one of their “marquee” teams.  There was no way the Angels would keep Trout, or even that he would want to stay with them beyond his arbitration years.  There was no way the Angels would get “lucky" with Trout.  Fortunately for Angels fans, and baseball in general, Arte Moreno and the Angels relied more on business skill than on getting lucky.   Fans in Boston and New York will have to spend the next six years looking under beds to see if they can find a Benjamin. 
Nothing about Trout playing for the Angels for the next six years has anything to do with luck.  Well, maybe you can say that the Angels had a bit of luck drafting him.  Trout was the #25 pick in the first round, which means that other teams passed on him 24 times, for whatever reason, but the Angels scooped him up.  They may have been lucky that Trout was still available but they also could have passed on him.  They didn’t.  That’s not luck.  That’s just smart.
The Angels recognized that they had an amazing talent and they promoted him to the big leagues in 2012.  That wasn’t luck.  I don’t recall anybody saying that the Nationals were lucky that they promoted Strassburg or Harper so rapidly, and saw them perform so well.  But once again, the Angels got lucky with Trout.
In 2013 the Angels started the season with a curious move: shifting Trout to left field to allow Peter Bourjos, arguably a better defender, to play centerfield.  Mike Trout is a natural centerfielder but agreed to move to left field for the apparent betterment of the team.  Once again, we heard about how the Angels would never be lucky enough to keep Trout, after displacing him from his preferred position.  The experiment didn’t last long due to injuries to Bourjos, and soon Trout was back in centerfield for the rest of the season. 
During the offseason after 2013, there were rumblings that the Angels wanted to extend Trout beyond his arbitration years.  Once again, the Angels would have to get lucky to do that.  Trout wanted to go back to the east coast, or he wanted to play for winner, or he wanted to play in a bigger media market, or a half-dozen other reasons the extension would not happen.  There was no way the Angels would keep him unless they blew him out of the water with an offer.  There was no way the Angels would get lucky.
And here we are, the day after Mike Trout signed a mutually-beneficial contract extension with the Angels.  It’s a contract that will reward him handsomely during his arbitration years and will also make him the (currently) highest-paid player in baseball at the end of it.  And yet, neither the Angels nor Mike Trout got lucky.  Yes, Trout found millions and millions of dollars under his bed, and Arte Moreno (and Angels fans, by surrogate) are smoking a post-coital cigar.  Because it wasn’t luck that kept Mike Trout with the Angels.  It was skill.
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by Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Columnist
I remember way back when I was a teenager and my older brother went out on a date.  When I saw him the next morning I asked him “hey, did you get lucky?”  He replied “nope, I didn’t find any money under her bed.”  I gave him a confused look, and then he explained his answer (edited for family consumption).  â€œSeducing a woman is a matter of skill.  Getting lucky is when you find $100 under her bed.”  That stuck with me, and the general message – luck is the domain of those without skill – certainly applies to other areas of life.  Particularly baseball, and not just on the field.
Yesterday, it was made official – Mike Trout is staying with the Angels through at least 2020.  He signed a contract that is beneficial for both him and the Angels, and Angels fans around the globe (myself included) rejoiced.  For the last month or so there had been talk of the Angels working to get an extension done with Trout, and yesterday it happened.
So, of course in the media there is now a lot of talk about how the Angels “got lucky” with Mike Trout.  They got lucky he fell down to them in the draft, they got lucky he wanted to stay with the Angels for a few more years, they got lucky he signed such a friendly contract with them.  Did I miss any of the Angels luck? 
What a load of hogwash, garbage, and sour grapes.  From the moment Mike Trout made his big league debut in 2012, fans of the Red Sox and Yankees had been salivating about the prospect of Trout heading back east to his origins and setting the baseball world right by having the best player in the game on one of their “marquee” teams.  There was no way the Angels would keep Trout, or even that he would want to stay with them beyond his arbitration years.  There was no way the Angels would get “lucky" with Trout.  Fortunately for Angels fans, and baseball in general, Arte Moreno and the Angels relied more on business skill than on getting lucky.   Fans in Boston and New York will have to spend the next six years looking under beds to see if they can find a Benjamin. 
Nothing about Trout playing for the Angels for the next six years has anything to do with luck.  Well, maybe you can say that the Angels had a bit of luck drafting him.  Trout was the #25 pick in the first round, which means that other teams passed on him 24 times, for whatever reason, but the Angels scooped him up.  They may have been lucky that Trout was still available but they also could have passed on him.  They didn’t.  That’s not luck.  That’s just smart.
The Angels recognized that they had an amazing talent and they promoted him to the big leagues in 2012.  That wasn’t luck.  I don’t recall anybody saying that the Nationals were lucky that they promoted Strassburg or Harper so rapidly, and saw them perform so well.  But once again, the Angels got lucky with Trout.
In 2013 the Angels started the season with a curious move: shifting Trout to left field to allow Peter Bourjos, arguably a better defender, to play centerfield.  Mike Trout is a natural centerfielder but agreed to move to left field for the apparent betterment of the team.  Once again, we heard about how the Angels would never be lucky enough to keep Trout, after displacing him from his preferred position.  The experiment didn’t last long due to injuries to Bourjos, and soon Trout was back in centerfield for the rest of the season. 
During the offseason after 2013, there were rumblings that the Angels wanted to extend Trout beyond his arbitration years.  Once again, the Angels would have to get lucky to do that.  Trout wanted to go back to the east coast, or he wanted to play for winner, or he wanted to play in a bigger media market, or a half-dozen other reasons the extension would not happen.  There was no way the Angels would keep him unless they blew him out of the water with an offer.  There was no way the Angels would get lucky.
And here we are, the day after Mike Trout signed a mutually-beneficial contract extension with the Angels.  It’s a contract that will reward him handsomely during his arbitration years and will also make him the (currently) highest-paid player in baseball at the end of it.  And yet, neither the Angels nor Mike Trout got lucky.  Yes, Trout found millions and millions of dollars under his bed, and Arte Moreno (and Angels fans, by surrogate) are smoking a post-coital cigar.  Because it wasn’t luck that kept Mike Trout with the Angels.  It was skill.
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By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
I’m a fan. And, by definition, fans are supposed to have an irrational exuberance for something. Baseball, like all sports, trade on the irrational belief that all teams can win every season. We all know that can’t happen, but as fans, we believe it. We get excited for our team to win and hope that it happens.
While I always get excited for the start of every Angels season, this year, I’m getting particularly excited. To see why, I came up with a list of the reasons why this year is going to be better than the past few. 
Here’s what I came up with:
10. The Improved Pitching 
Last year, the Angels posted a 6.56 ERA in Spring Training. Not surprisingly, they posted a 10-20 record before the start of the season and got off to a 9-17 record. This year, as of March 27th, the Angels have a 3.47 ERA and a 17-10 record. Not surprisingly, with better pitching, the Angels are off to a 17-10 record in the Cactus League. That is enough to give hope that the April curse is over and that 2014 will be a better season.
9. The Strong Hitting
While the pitching during this year’s Spring Training has dramatically improved, the hitting has not dropped substantially. Last year, the Angels posted a .300/.358/.471 triple slash line during Spring Training and went on to have the 5th best OPS in the game (.743). Over the offseason, the Angels traded slugger Mark Trumbo to improve the pitching and there were some concerns that the offense would suffer. However, that hasn’t been the case. So far in the Cactus League, the Angels have posted a .292/.354/.459 line. And that’s with Josh Hamilton missing nearly two weeks due to an injury. Since the Angels are posting a similar level of offense as last year, it’s very likely that they will have another top-level offense, and that should translate into more games won.
8. The Return of Albert Pujols
Last year watching Albert Pujols play was painful. It hurt knowing how much pain he was in every day trying to play through plantar fasciitis. He wasn’t the same person, and it showed in his numbers. This year, he’s back to the player we all wanted. He’s moving free and easy and playing with confidence. He’s making good defensive plays at 1B instead of just DHing. When he’s hitting, he can be a leader on the club by setting a good example. This year, he should hit close to .300 and hit around 30 or more HRs. That will be a big improvement on last year.
7. A Legitimate 3B
Has it really been over a decade since we’ve had a prototypical 3B—one who can hit for power? I grew up with the concept that corner infield positions should be sources of power—ones that can make a difference with one swing of the bat. I’ve missed that. Instead of always scrapping for hits and scrambling for runs with the bottom of the lineup, we now have another chance to make a difference with one swing. I’m excited to see what David Freese can do and maybe getting double digit HRs out of our 3B.
6. Hector Santiago and Kole Calhoun
They’re great guys. Not just because they came to the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, but because they are great with the fans and are hard-working players. I’ve been following Kole since he was first drafted. He’s worked his tail off to get to where he is, and I’m very happy to see him having such success. There’s nothing like seeing one of your guys making it. And, with Hector, since coming over in the trade, he’s been nothing but pure fun to follow on Twitter. While he might not have come up through our organization, it feels like he’s been with us all along. He’s found a home with us and the fans. And, oh yeah, he has a screwball that can be just sick at times to watch. Following these two all season long is going to be a lot of fun.
5. Improved Minor League Affiliates
When I say that I follow the Angels, I don’t just follow the Major League team—I follow the entire organization. I want to know who is on the Triple-A team to provide depth. I want to follow prospects to see how their developing into the next generation of stars. As Jerry Dipoto told the fans at the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, the Angels have been revamping their Minor League system and they see the organization in ways that the national press does not. In spite of what the prognasticators have said about the Angels’ organization, they had almost all of their affiliates playing in the Minor League post-season. They will have a 1st round draft pick for the first time in a few years. With their newly finished manual for improving all aspects of player development in place, I want to see how it all comes together to turn these players into champions.
4. Quality Time with My Sons
My eldest son is going to turn 8 soon. And, my twins are 6. All of them are playing Little League baseball and are old enough to really start to understand the game. They get that it’s about more than outs and runs. They know where the plays are (they will even tell me) and what types of plays to run when the Angels are hitting. More than ever, baseball is going to provide quality time for me and my sons. Knowing that every day I will be able to watch an Angels game with them means that I have built in family entertainment for the next 6 months. I always treasure my time with them and love that they have the same passion for the game and the team that I have.
3. Josh Hamilton
When the 2012 offseason began, I predicted that the Angels would sign Josh Hamilton. Then, and now, having a left-handed bat with power made a lot of sense for our lineup. I know he struggled last year, but in some ways, that made me more of a fan. Through all of his troubles at the plate, he was still a good player and good to the fans. I find inspiration in his life story and appreciate his willingness to share his failures to help others avoid his mistakes. If you haven’t watched the Tim Mead Dugout Talk on AngelsWin.com, you should just for his story about Josh Hamilton. He tells it well. My bet is that Josh leads the Angels in HRs this season and shows us just why he’s one of the best in the game.
2. It’s Freaking Baseball
I know there are other sports and that people get passionate about them. But none of them have the allure for me like baseball. It’s the perfect game. There’s daily excitement and drama. There are stories that unfold over weeks and months. There are ups and down, stress and relief. There will be something to talk about and discuss for the next 6 months. I’m willing to bet that there will be 5,000 new threads on AngelsWin.com between now and the end of the season. There will be rants and praise. There will be new in-group jokes and new fans to meet. The season won’t be won in a day and it won’t be lost in a day either. No matter what, there are 162 games between now and the end of the season that we cannot predict all that will happen.
1. Mike Trout
Is there anything in baseball he can’t do? I’m not sure. He could hit for the cycle in a game. He could go 5 for 5. He save a game by robbing someone of a homerun. He can steal his way into position to score the game winning run. Whatever he does, it will always be Troutstanding. This is his year. The Angels have a great team and will be playing meaningful games. The writers who get to vote on the awards are going to finally realize that Mike Trout is absolutely the best player in the Major Leagues and will give him a well-deserved MVP Award. I don’t want to miss a single minute of his season. 
Bonus—It’s a Wide Open Race
So the Mariners got Robinson Cano. The Rangers got Prince Fielder. The A’s got—well, they always get something from  . . . somewhere (Billy Beane can beat any magician at pulling a rabbit out of a hat). And the Astros had a winning record against us last year. 
But let’s be honest, no team has a lock on the A. L. West this year. The Mariners have several questions to answer this season. Already Robinson Cano has said that they need another hitter. Their rotation still isn’t set, and they have had injuries. The same is true for the Rangers. The A’s will implode at some point this season. And the Astros are still a couple of years away from contending.
So, the race this year is wide open for the Angels. The team may not win the division, but my bet is that they are going to make it into the post season this year. The pitching is vastly improved. The hitting is good. Pujols and Hamilton are healthy. The team is playing much better. 
Frankly, I’m happy that the experts are discounting us as a team. It gives our guys something to play for—to prove them wrong. They need an attitude, and I think they have it. I want to see them get out of the gate well and play like they can and it will be a good season. I can’t wait for it to start. 
Conclusion
So, there you go. That’s my list as to why I’m excited about the 2014 season. How about you? How are you feeling about 2014 and what’s getting you excited?

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By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Columnist & Satirist
What the?!?!  It’s already the end of March and real baseball (the Aussie excursion doesn’t really count, does it?) is less than a week away?  That means I have only a few days left to get on the “bold predictions” bandwagon.  So without further ado, here are my bold locks – not predictions, because these will happen – for the Angels this year.
Mike Trout will hit over .400 – until September, when he’ll tail off a bit and drop down to around .390 for the season.  There are many old records that will never be broken or milestones that will never be passed again – DiMaggio’s hitting streak, Ripken’s consecutive games streak, AngelsWin.com record for most threads created to discuss a single player (held by Mike Napoli), and the .400 mark will continue to be one of them.  It’s a different game now and even the best hitters like Mike Trout will fail to eclipse the .400 mark.
Speaking of Mike Trout, he’ll be the AL MVP – in the minds of Angels fans, but once again he’ll come in second to Miguel Cabrera because the BBWAA voters suck.  They’re so lame they can’t even figure out that they have an extra B in their initials.  No wonder they can’t get the MVP vote right.
Albert Pujols will have an OPS above .900 – for several months in the season.  He’ll finish a tick below .900 for the year, but that’s still pretty damn good and I’ll be happy with that.  Welcome back, Albert. 
Josh Hamilton will have a great year – with his stocks and other investments.  On the field, though, it will just be a good year.  And as with Pujols, I’ll be happy with that.  What will his numbers be, you ask?  What am I, a psychic?  I dunno, but they’ll be good.  Much better than 2013.  All I know is that I’ll be wasting a lot fewer curses on Hamilton this year. 
Our back three starters will be much better than the pundits predict – which isn’t saying much, because most are predicting them to be below average.  I think they’ll be average-good for #3/#4/#5 starters, which once again is good enough.  One of them will have a breakout year.  I’m not sure which one, but I think it will be Santiago.  Not because I weep for him – I have that luxury – but because as Philly Billy Werndl would say, “he’s a great guy, Glen!”  I like great guys, and sometimes they finish first. 
Kole Calhoun will hit above .300 – no really, he will.  He’s gonna have a breakout year.  It’s gonna be a blast watching him and Trout hitting 1 and 2.  Not even being a soulless ginger will hold him down. 
The Angels will have a good April – for the love of all that is holy, please let them have a good April.  The Rangers and As have been hit hard with injuries.  The first eleven games are against the Mariners, Astros, and Mets.  The Angels have been more focused earlier this spring.  They have to have a good April.  Jobu, I never ask you for anything but now I’m making my only request: please let the Angels have a good April.  You don’t help me now, I say “F&*@ you, Jobu!”  I do it myself. 
The Angels will have a winning record against the Astros – this shouldn’t be a big deal … but it is. 
The most popular promotion at Angels Stadium this year will be – the Cowboy Rally Monkey on July 8.  This is based on an informal survey of my daughter and my girlfriend, both of whom obviously can’t figure out that Mike Trout Gnome day is a thing and happens ten days later.  Love you guys, but yeah…it’s Mike Trout Gnome day by a country mile.  Mike Trout is a baseball deity, gnomes are cool – combing the two is a no-brainer.  It’s like the bacon cheesecake of baseball promotions. 
And finally, the Angels will make the playoffs – for the first time since about 2009, if I remember correctly.  It sure seems like it’s been that long.  The pieces are finally coming together – Mike Trout, low expectations from the press, a couple of players having rebound years, Mike Trout,  good young pitching, Mike Trout, me sacrificing a hobo to Jobu – for a good year (so great that it will break the power of my whammy).  It might not be “World Series Champions” good, but like the rest of the team and government work it will be good enough.  And that’s good enough for me. 

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By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
I’m a fan. And, by definition, fans are supposed to have an irrational exuberance for something. Baseball, like all sports, trade on the irrational belief that all teams can win every season. We all know that can’t happen, but as fans, we believe it. We get excited for our team to win and hope that it happens.
While I always get excited for the start of every Angels season, this year, I’m getting particularly excited. To see why, I came up with a list of the reasons why this year is going to be better than the past few. 
Here’s what I came up with:
10. The Improved Pitching 
Last year, the Angels posted a 6.56 ERA in Spring Training. Not surprisingly, they posted a 10-20 record before the start of the season and got off to a 9-17 record. This year, as of March 27th, the Angels have a 3.47 ERA and a 17-10 record. Not surprisingly, with better pitching, the Angels are off to a 17-10 record in the Cactus League. That is enough to give hope that the April curse is over and that 2014 will be a better season.
9. The Strong Hitting
While the pitching during this year’s Spring Training has dramatically improved, the hitting has not dropped substantially. Last year, the Angels posted a .300/.358/.471 triple slash line during Spring Training and went on to have the 5th best OPS in the game (.743). Over the offseason, the Angels traded slugger Mark Trumbo to improve the pitching and there were some concerns that the offense would suffer. However, that hasn’t been the case. So far in the Cactus League, the Angels have posted a .292/.354/.459 line. And that’s with Josh Hamilton missing nearly two weeks due to an injury. Since the Angels are posting a similar level of offense as last year, it’s very likely that they will have another top-level offense, and that should translate into more games won.
8. The Return of Albert Pujols
Last year watching Albert Pujols play was painful. It hurt knowing how much pain he was in every day trying to play through plantar fasciitis. He wasn’t the same person, and it showed in his numbers. This year, he’s back to the player we all wanted. He’s moving free and easy and playing with confidence. He’s making good defensive plays at 1B instead of just DHing. When he’s hitting, he can be a leader on the club by setting a good example. This year, he should hit close to .300 and hit around 30 or more HRs. That will be a big improvement on last year.
7. A Legitimate 3B
Has it really been over a decade since we’ve had a prototypical 3B—one who can hit for power? I grew up with the concept that corner infield positions should be sources of power—ones that can make a difference with one swing of the bat. I’ve missed that. Instead of always scrapping for hits and scrambling for runs with the bottom of the lineup, we now have another chance to make a difference with one swing. I’m excited to see what David Freese can do and maybe getting double digit HRs out of our 3B.
6. Hector Santiago and Kole Calhoun
They’re great guys. Not just because they came to the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, but because they are great with the fans and are hard-working players. I’ve been following Kole since he was first drafted. He’s worked his tail off to get to where he is, and I’m very happy to see him having such success. There’s nothing like seeing one of your guys making it. And, with Hector, since coming over in the trade, he’s been nothing but pure fun to follow on Twitter. While he might not have come up through our organization, it feels like he’s been with us all along. He’s found a home with us and the fans. And, oh yeah, he has a screwball that can be just sick at times to watch. Following these two all season long is going to be a lot of fun.
5. Improved Minor League Affiliates
When I say that I follow the Angels, I don’t just follow the Major League team—I follow the entire organization. I want to know who is on the Triple-A team to provide depth. I want to follow prospects to see how their developing into the next generation of stars. As Jerry Dipoto told the fans at the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, the Angels have been revamping their Minor League system and they see the organization in ways that the national press does not. In spite of what the prognasticators have said about the Angels’ organization, they had almost all of their affiliates playing in the Minor League post-season. They will have a 1st round draft pick for the first time in a few years. With their newly finished manual for improving all aspects of player development in place, I want to see how it all comes together to turn these players into champions.
4. Quality Time with My Sons
My eldest son is going to turn 8 soon. And, my twins are 6. All of them are playing Little League baseball and are old enough to really start to understand the game. They get that it’s about more than outs and runs. They know where the plays are (they will even tell me) and what types of plays to run when the Angels are hitting. More than ever, baseball is going to provide quality time for me and my sons. Knowing that every day I will be able to watch an Angels game with them means that I have built in family entertainment for the next 6 months. I always treasure my time with them and love that they have the same passion for the game and the team that I have.
3. Josh Hamilton
When the 2012 offseason began, I predicted that the Angels would sign Josh Hamilton. Then, and now, having a left-handed bat with power made a lot of sense for our lineup. I know he struggled last year, but in some ways, that made me more of a fan. Through all of his troubles at the plate, he was still a good player and good to the fans. I find inspiration in his life story and appreciate his willingness to share his failures to help others avoid his mistakes. If you haven’t watched the Tim Mead Dugout Talk on AngelsWin.com, you should just for his story about Josh Hamilton. He tells it well. My bet is that Josh leads the Angels in HRs this season and shows us just why he’s one of the best in the game.
2. It’s Freaking Baseball
I know there are other sports and that people get passionate about them. But none of them have the allure for me like baseball. It’s the perfect game. There’s daily excitement and drama. There are stories that unfold over weeks and months. There are ups and down, stress and relief. There will be something to talk about and discuss for the next 6 months. I’m willing to bet that there will be 5,000 new threads on AngelsWin.com between now and the end of the season. There will be rants and praise. There will be new in-group jokes and new fans to meet. The season won’t be won in a day and it won’t be lost in a day either. No matter what, there are 162 games between now and the end of the season that we cannot predict all that will happen.
1. Mike Trout
Is there anything in baseball he can’t do? I’m not sure. He could hit for the cycle in a game. He could go 5 for 5. He save a game by robbing someone of a homerun. He can steal his way into position to score the game winning run. Whatever he does, it will always be Troutstanding. This is his year. The Angels have a great team and will be playing meaningful games. The writers who get to vote on the awards are going to finally realize that Mike Trout is absolutely the best player in the Major Leagues and will give him a well-deserved MVP Award. I don’t want to miss a single minute of his season. 
Bonus—It’s a Wide Open Race
So the Mariners got Robinson Cano. The Rangers got Prince Fielder. The A’s got—well, they always get something from  . . . somewhere (Billy Beane can beat any magician at pulling a rabbit out of a hat). And the Astros had a winning record against us last year. 
But let’s be honest, no team has a lock on the A. L. West this year. The Mariners have several questions to answer this season. Already Robinson Cano has said that they need another hitter. Their rotation still isn’t set, and they have had injuries. The same is true for the Rangers. The A’s will implode at some point this season. And the Astros are still a couple of years away from contending.
So, the race this year is wide open for the Angels. The team may not win the division, but my bet is that they are going to make it into the post season this year. The pitching is vastly improved. The hitting is good. Pujols and Hamilton are healthy. The team is playing much better. 
Frankly, I’m happy that the experts are discounting us as a team. It gives our guys something to play for—to prove them wrong. They need an attitude, and I think they have it. I want to see them get out of the gate well and play like they can and it will be a good season. I can’t wait for it to start. 
Conclusion
So, there you go. That’s my list as to why I’m excited about the 2014 season. How about you? How are you feeling about 2014 and what’s getting you excited?

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Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6’2” 225 lbs. DOB: 9/27/86 (Salt Lake): 11-13, 4.64 ERA, 29 BBs, 160 Ks, 184.1 IP (Majors): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 BBs, 5 Ks, 5.0 IP
The original Angels pitcher with a beard, Matt Shoemaker is well known to Angels fans, having attended our Spring Training Fanfest in 2012. Last year, fans got a chance to see him in Major League action near the end of the season, when he made a start against the Mariners on September 20th. 
Shoemaker can best be described as a pitcher who pitches to contact. Over the course of his Minor League career with the Angels, he has given up 832 hits in 761.0 innings. This has led to a high ERA, especially when the defense behind him could not help him out with key plays.
Last year, though, Shoemaker had a breakthrough with his cutter, which led to a drop in the number of walks he gave up and a substantial increase in his strikeouts. His fastball sits in the low 90s, and he throws a slider, change and curve. All of his pitches are league average, although the cutter has the potential to be a swing and miss pitch.
Matt Shoemaker’s role with the Angels will be as emergency depth for the team in Triple-A at the start of the season. The recent release of Joe Blanton would not have been possible without the emergence of Matt Shoemaker as a viable candidate to make a spot start and give the Angels a good chance to win a game. Expect to see Matt be one of the top candidates to come up from Salt Lake if the Angels rotation needs a fresh arm.

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Angels fans and beloved long time AngelsWin.com members, we did it! We reached and broke the TEN MILLION comments mark at AngelsWin.com during our 10th anniversary year. 10,000,024 to be exact as of 5:38 pm PST. Though by the time you've read this, we'll be well into the hundreds digit for sure.    That my friends is amazing if you think about it. Back on January 1st we announced our 10 year anniversary as a website so naturally Chuck Richter being a tech guy went to dig up the numbers from our old forum databases on previous AngelsWin.com message board platforms over the years and has been calculating the numbers ever since. Earlier this afternoon Chuck notified us that we both hit and broke the 10 million post mark.    
Thank you for being a valued AngelsWin.com member, supporter and follower over the years Angels fans and friends! Thank you for calling AngelsWin.com your internet home for Angels community and talk 24/7. Thank you for celebrating our 10th anniversary with us this season.    Ten years. That’s a long time. In internet years, that’s almost an eternity.   Think back: where were you 10 years ago? What were you doing? Where did you go to talk Angels baseball?   They say that all it takes for good things to happen is that someone stands up and says I’ll do it. And that’s how AngelsWin.com started— Chuck Richter looked around the internet at the limited options for Angels fans and decided that Angels fans needed and deserved an internet site to call their own. He created AngelsWin.com: a website by Angels fans for Angels fans.   When AngelsWin.com started, it was a small group of friends who got together to talk Angels baseball. There was a lot to talk about: The memories of the 2002 Championship Team were still strong. Arte Moreno made a big splash by signing Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, and Kelvim Escobar. The team seemed poised for a spectacular run.   Not one to be complacent, Chuck wanted to do more than just talk about the Angels. He wanted to help shape the conversation. So, he started reaching out to members on the site and leveraging contacts with the Angels to give Angels fans their own unique perspective where they would drive the course of the conversation.   By doing that, AngelsWin.com became dubbed the “Voice of the Fans” by KNX 1070 AM Radio. Whenever they, or for that matter any media outlet, needed an Angels fan’s perspective, they contacted AngelsWin.com. Whether it was providing commentary for USA Today during the playoffs, commenting on the Dan Haren trade on XM Radio, or giving a perspective on the ongoing negotiations between the team and the City on CNN Latino, AngelsWin.com has been there to be the voice of the fans.   As the website grew, Chuck wanted to branch out into all things related to Angels baseball. For hardcore fans, that meant branching out into all levels of the organization. AngelsWin.com started providing prospect lists, bios, and updates. As the connections between the website and the players grew, we got them to write blogs on our site to give fans a unique perspective into their lives. Over time, we began to advertise with Angels affiliates.   As the collection of writers grew, more possibilities opened for the website. At first it was a few interviews, almost all of which were audio recorded. Hours were spent transcribing them for fans to make them useful for fans. In time, it grew to video interviews and holiday greetings.   Through the steady and professional work put forth by the website, the Angels front office began to pay attention to AngelsWin.com. They became more receptive to our interview requests giving us the chance to truly shape the conversation. AngelsWin.com arranged for online chat interviews with Eddie Bane, the Director of Scouting for the Angels. He gave fans true insights into the development of players who would go on to become staples of the team. Soon, doors opened with Abe Flores, Tony Reagins and Jerry Dipoto.   With content like that, more fans kept coming. Soon AngelsWin.com was busting at the seams and the website needed to be redesigned to handle the volume of traffic. Shortly thereafter, a second redesign had to be done. And by 2013, we had already done our 4th expansion to handle all the Angels traffic. What had once been a little chatboard had become mainstream.   AngelsWin.com has always been about the community. And, there’s no better way to build community than to get people together in person. So, in 2006, a group from AngelsWin.com decided to meet up in Spring Training. At a bar called Hail Marys they met, ate food, drank suds, and relished in Angels’ stories. And thus, the Spring Training Fanfest was born.   But, as with the website itself, the Spring Training Fanfests grew until they too burst at the seams. Within a few years, the crowd could no longer fit into Hail Mary’s—a new location had to be found. Soon, getting together just once a year as a community wasn’t enough; a summer Fanfest at the Big A was added including charity events dedicated to raising funds for the O.C. Miracle League. Even that has grown in just a few short years to include a charity golf tournament, a golf tournament, and a whole weekend of fun.   In 2012, Arte Moreno, the Angel’s owner attended our Spring Training Fanfest to take questions directly from the fans. Since then, Jerry Dipoto, the Angels General Manager, Tim Salmon, Angels regulars, top prospects and all the Angels reporters have come to speak with our ever growing community.   Along the way, AngelsWin.com got credentialed to sit in the press box. Then, we got credentialed to be in the clubhouse and conduct interviews. And, finally, we were invited to the press conferences where we were allowed to ask a question on live national TV!   But really, AngelsWin.com is all about you, the fans. It’s about the community that comes here daily, follows us on Twitter and Facebook, and engages with one another.   So, how shall celebrate our 10-year anniversary? By honoring you, our fans. Over the next year, we will be interviewing members of our community to tell their stories, to share their favorite memories, to relive their greatest moments.   Of course we will continue to do all that makes AngelsWin.com THE internet home for Angels fans. We will continue to debate all things that are Angels baseball. We will continue the Fanfests. We will continue to provide content, news, and prospect lists. We will have our game day chats and our interviews.   As we begin the second decade of our existence, we want to thank you, our fans for making it all possible. What started as an idea 10 years ago has grown into so much more. As each of you has joined our site and encouraged others to come, we have continued to grow and expand our offerings to make AngelsWin.com truly a 24/7 community by Angels fans, for Angels fans.   Be sure to check out our latest amazing interviews with Tim Mead, Jerry Dipoto, Kole Calhoun, Hector Santiago and the media from our #AWFanfest14 Spring event earlier this month -- and tune into our Podcast this Sunday night at 7pm, on the eve of the Angels season opener at home against the Seattle Mariners. Our special guest is Jose Mota.    The true highlight for our staff was that we raised nearly $2500 for each of our two favorite charities in the OC Miracle League and the Angels RBI Foundation. That was a HUGE win for us and for them!    More importantly, we want you to be more involved this season on the Internet Home for Angels fans. As we celebrate 10 years, we have some incredible contests this season that will offer some amazing prizes. We're also delivering what we've called "The New Angels Fan Experience" for all of our members and daily viewers, so be sure to login to the forum and exchange opinion on topics, read the latest news and get some incredible statistical insight from some of the brightest fans and writers on the net.     Finally, save the dates guys and gals. Our Summer Fanfest will be held the weekend of June 20-22nd this summer when the Texas Rangers will be in town. We will have a Charity Golf Tournament on Friday, June 20th our Softball Tournament on the 21st, followed by a massive tailgater under the Big A and a surprise later that weekend.      Best Regards,   AngelsWin.com Staff  

Angels fans and beloved long time AngelsWin.com members, we did it! We reached and broke the TEN MILLION comments mark at AngelsWin.com during our 10th anniversary year. 10,000,024 to be exact as of 5:38 pm PST. Though by the time you've read this, we'll be well into the hundreds digit for sure.    That my friends is amazing if you think about it. Back on January 1st we announced our 10 year anniversary as a website so naturally Chuck Richter being a tech guy went to dig up the numbers from our old forum databases on previous AngelsWin.com message board platforms over the years and has been calculating the numbers ever since. Earlier this afternoon Chuck notified us that we both hit and broke the 10 million post mark.    
Thank you for being a valued AngelsWin.com member, supporter and follower over the years Angels fans and friends! Thank you for calling AngelsWin.com your internet home for Angels community and talk 24/7. Thank you for celebrating our 10th anniversary with us this season.    Ten years. That’s a long time. In internet years, that’s almost an eternity.   Think back: where were you 10 years ago? What were you doing? Where did you go to talk Angels baseball?   They say that all it takes for good things to happen is that someone stands up and says I’ll do it. And that’s how AngelsWin.com started— Chuck Richter looked around the internet at the limited options for Angels fans and decided that Angels fans needed and deserved an internet site to call their own. He created AngelsWin.com: a website by Angels fans for Angels fans.   When AngelsWin.com started, it was a small group of friends who got together to talk Angels baseball. There was a lot to talk about: The memories of the 2002 Championship Team were still strong. Arte Moreno made a big splash by signing Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, and Kelvim Escobar. The team seemed poised for a spectacular run.   Not one to be complacent, Chuck wanted to do more than just talk about the Angels. He wanted to help shape the conversation. So, he started reaching out to members on the site and leveraging contacts with the Angels to give Angels fans their own unique perspective where they would drive the course of the conversation.   By doing that, AngelsWin.com became dubbed the “Voice of the Fans” by KNX 1070 AM Radio. Whenever they, or for that matter any media outlet, needed an Angels fan’s perspective, they contacted AngelsWin.com. Whether it was providing commentary for USA Today during the playoffs, commenting on the Dan Haren trade on XM Radio, or giving a perspective on the ongoing negotiations between the team and the City on CNN Latino, AngelsWin.com has been there to be the voice of the fans.   As the website grew, Chuck wanted to branch out into all things related to Angels baseball. For hardcore fans, that meant branching out into all levels of the organization. AngelsWin.com started providing prospect lists, bios, and updates. As the connections between the website and the players grew, we got them to write blogs on our site to give fans a unique perspective into their lives. Over time, we began to advertise with Angels affiliates.   As the collection of writers grew, more possibilities opened for the website. At first it was a few interviews, almost all of which were audio recorded. Hours were spent transcribing them for fans to make them useful for fans. In time, it grew to video interviews and holiday greetings.   Through the steady and professional work put forth by the website, the Angels front office began to pay attention to AngelsWin.com. They became more receptive to our interview requests giving us the chance to truly shape the conversation. AngelsWin.com arranged for online chat interviews with Eddie Bane, the Director of Scouting for the Angels. He gave fans true insights into the development of players who would go on to become staples of the team. Soon, doors opened with Abe Flores, Tony Reagins and Jerry Dipoto.   With content like that, more fans kept coming. Soon AngelsWin.com was busting at the seams and the website needed to be redesigned to handle the volume of traffic. Shortly thereafter, a second redesign had to be done. And by 2013, we had already done our 4th expansion to handle all the Angels traffic. What had once been a little chatboard had become mainstream.   AngelsWin.com has always been about the community. And, there’s no better way to build community than to get people together in person. So, in 2006, a group from AngelsWin.com decided to meet up in Spring Training. At a bar called Hail Marys they met, ate food, drank suds, and relished in Angels’ stories. And thus, the Spring Training Fanfest was born.   But, as with the website itself, the Spring Training Fanfests grew until they too burst at the seams. Within a few years, the crowd could no longer fit into Hail Mary’s—a new location had to be found. Soon, getting together just once a year as a community wasn’t enough; a summer Fanfest at the Big A was added including charity events dedicated to raising funds for the O.C. Miracle League. Even that has grown in just a few short years to include a charity golf tournament, a golf tournament, and a whole weekend of fun.   In 2012, Arte Moreno, the Angel’s owner attended our Spring Training Fanfest to take questions directly from the fans. Since then, Jerry Dipoto, the Angels General Manager, Tim Salmon, Angels regulars, top prospects and all the Angels reporters have come to speak with our ever growing community.   Along the way, AngelsWin.com got credentialed to sit in the press box. Then, we got credentialed to be in the clubhouse and conduct interviews. And, finally, we were invited to the press conferences where we were allowed to ask a question on live national TV!   But really, AngelsWin.com is all about you, the fans. It’s about the community that comes here daily, follows us on Twitter and Facebook, and engages with one another.   So, how shall celebrate our 10-year anniversary? By honoring you, our fans. Over the next year, we will be interviewing members of our community to tell their stories, to share their favorite memories, to relive their greatest moments.   Of course we will continue to do all that makes AngelsWin.com THE internet home for Angels fans. We will continue to debate all things that are Angels baseball. We will continue the Fanfests. We will continue to provide content, news, and prospect lists. We will have our game day chats and our interviews.   As we begin the second decade of our existence, we want to thank you, our fans for making it all possible. What started as an idea 10 years ago has grown into so much more. As each of you has joined our site and encouraged others to come, we have continued to grow and expand our offerings to make AngelsWin.com truly a 24/7 community by Angels fans, for Angels fans.   Be sure to check out our latest amazing interviews with Tim Mead, Jerry Dipoto, Kole Calhoun, Hector Santiago and the media from our #AWFanfest14 Spring event earlier this month -- and tune into our Podcast this Sunday night at 7pm, on the eve of the Angels season opener at home against the Seattle Mariners. Our special guest is Jose Mota.    The true highlight for our staff was that we raised nearly $2500 for each of our two favorite charities in the OC Miracle League and the Angels RBI Foundation. That was a HUGE win for us and for them!    More importantly, we want you to be more involved this season on the Internet Home for Angels fans. As we celebrate 10 years, we have some incredible contests this season that will offer some amazing prizes. We're also delivering what we've called "The New Angels Fan Experience" for all of our members and daily viewers, so be sure to login to the forum and exchange opinion on topics, read the latest news and get some incredible statistical insight from some of the brightest fans and writers on the net.     Finally, save the dates guys and gals. Our Summer Fanfest will be held the weekend of June 20-22nd this summer when the Texas Rangers will be in town. We will have a Charity Golf Tournament on Friday, June 20th our Softball Tournament on the 21st, followed by a massive tailgater under the Big A and a surprise later that weekend.      Best Regards,   AngelsWin.com Staff  

Angels fans and beloved long time AngelsWin.com members, we did it! We reached and broke the TEN MILLION comments mark at AngelsWin.com during our 10th anniversary year. 10,000,024 to be exact as of 5:38 pm PST. Though by the time you've read this, we'll be well into the hundreds digit for sure.    That my friends is amazing if you think about it. Back on January 1st we announced our 10 year anniversary as a website so naturally Chuck Richter being a tech guy went to dig up the numbers from our old forum databases on previous AngelsWin.com message board platforms over the years and has been calculating the numbers ever since. Earlier this afternoon Chuck notified us that we both hit and broke the 10 million post mark.    
Thank you for being a valued AngelsWin.com member, supporter and follower over the years Angels fans and friends! Thank you for calling AngelsWin.com your internet home for Angels community and talk 24/7. Thank you for celebrating our 10th anniversary with us this season.    Ten years. That’s a long time. In internet years, that’s almost an eternity.   Think back: where were you 10 years ago? What were you doing? Where did you go to talk Angels baseball?   They say that all it takes for good things to happen is that someone stands up and says I’ll do it. And that’s how AngelsWin.com started— Chuck Richter looked around the internet at the limited options for Angels fans and decided that Angels fans needed and deserved an internet site to call their own. He created AngelsWin.com: a website by Angels fans for Angels fans.   When AngelsWin.com started, it was a small group of friends who got together to talk Angels baseball. There was a lot to talk about: The memories of the 2002 Championship Team were still strong. Arte Moreno made a big splash by signing Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, and Kelvim Escobar. The team seemed poised for a spectacular run.   Not one to be complacent, Chuck wanted to do more than just talk about the Angels. He wanted to help shape the conversation. So, he started reaching out to members on the site and leveraging contacts with the Angels to give Angels fans their own unique perspective where they would drive the course of the conversation.   By doing that, AngelsWin.com became dubbed the “Voice of the Fans” by KNX 1070 AM Radio. Whenever they, or for that matter any media outlet, needed an Angels fan’s perspective, they contacted AngelsWin.com. Whether it was providing commentary for USA Today during the playoffs, commenting on the Dan Haren trade on XM Radio, or giving a perspective on the ongoing negotiations between the team and the City on CNN Latino, AngelsWin.com has been there to be the voice of the fans.   As the website grew, Chuck wanted to branch out into all things related to Angels baseball. For hardcore fans, that meant branching out into all levels of the organization. AngelsWin.com started providing prospect lists, bios, and updates. As the connections between the website and the players grew, we got them to write blogs on our site to give fans a unique perspective into their lives. Over time, we began to advertise with Angels affiliates.   As the collection of writers grew, more possibilities opened for the website. At first it was a few interviews, almost all of which were audio recorded. Hours were spent transcribing them for fans to make them useful for fans. In time, it grew to video interviews and holiday greetings.   Through the steady and professional work put forth by the website, the Angels front office began to pay attention to AngelsWin.com. They became more receptive to our interview requests giving us the chance to truly shape the conversation. AngelsWin.com arranged for online chat interviews with Eddie Bane, the Director of Scouting for the Angels. He gave fans true insights into the development of players who would go on to become staples of the team. Soon, doors opened with Abe Flores, Tony Reagins and Jerry Dipoto.   With content like that, more fans kept coming. Soon AngelsWin.com was busting at the seams and the website needed to be redesigned to handle the volume of traffic. Shortly thereafter, a second redesign had to be done. And by 2013, we had already done our 4th expansion to handle all the Angels traffic. What had once been a little chatboard had become mainstream.   AngelsWin.com has always been about the community. And, there’s no better way to build community than to get people together in person. So, in 2006, a group from AngelsWin.com decided to meet up in Spring Training. At a bar called Hail Marys they met, ate food, drank suds, and relished in Angels’ stories. And thus, the Spring Training Fanfest was born.   But, as with the website itself, the Spring Training Fanfests grew until they too burst at the seams. Within a few years, the crowd could no longer fit into Hail Mary’s—a new location had to be found. Soon, getting together just once a year as a community wasn’t enough; a summer Fanfest at the Big A was added including charity events dedicated to raising funds for the O.C. Miracle League. Even that has grown in just a few short years to include a charity golf tournament, a golf tournament, and a whole weekend of fun.   In 2012, Arte Moreno, the Angel’s owner attended our Spring Training Fanfest to take questions directly from the fans. Since then, Jerry Dipoto, the Angels General Manager, Tim Salmon, Angels regulars, top prospects and all the Angels reporters have come to speak with our ever growing community.   Along the way, AngelsWin.com got credentialed to sit in the press box. Then, we got credentialed to be in the clubhouse and conduct interviews. And, finally, we were invited to the press conferences where we were allowed to ask a question on live national TV!   But really, AngelsWin.com is all about you, the fans. It’s about the community that comes here daily, follows us on Twitter and Facebook, and engages with one another.   So, how shall celebrate our 10-year anniversary? By honoring you, our fans. Over the next year, we will be interviewing members of our community to tell their stories, to share their favorite memories, to relive their greatest moments.   Of course we will continue to do all that makes AngelsWin.com THE internet home for Angels fans. We will continue to debate all things that are Angels baseball. We will continue the Fanfests. We will continue to provide content, news, and prospect lists. We will have our game day chats and our interviews.   As we begin the second decade of our existence, we want to thank you, our fans for making it all possible. What started as an idea 10 years ago has grown into so much more. As each of you has joined our site and encouraged others to come, we have continued to grow and expand our offerings to make AngelsWin.com truly a 24/7 community by Angels fans, for Angels fans.   Be sure to check out our latest amazing interviews with Tim Mead, Jerry Dipoto, Kole Calhoun, Hector Santiago and the media from our #AWFanfest14 Spring event earlier this month -- and tune into our Podcast this Sunday night at 7pm, on the eve of the Angels season opener at home against the Seattle Mariners. Our special guest is Jose Mota.    The true highlight for our staff was that we raised nearly $2500 for each of our two favorite charities in the OC Miracle League and the Angels RBI Foundation. That was a HUGE win for us and for them!    More importantly, we want you to be more involved this season on the Internet Home for Angels fans. As we celebrate 10 years, we have some incredible contests this season that will offer some amazing prizes. We're also delivering what we've called "The New Angels Fan Experience" for all of our members and daily viewers, so be sure to login to the forum and exchange opinion on topics, read the latest news and get some incredible statistical insight from some of the brightest fans and writers on the net.     Finally, save the dates guys and gals. Our Summer Fanfest will be held the weekend of June 20-22nd this summer when the Texas Rangers will be in town. We will have a Charity Golf Tournament on Friday, June 20th our Softball Tournament on the 21st, followed by a massive tailgater under the Big A and a surprise later that weekend.      Best Regards,   AngelsWin.com Staff  

By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
I’m a fan. And, by definition, fans are supposed to have an irrational exuberance for something. Baseball, like all sports, trade on the irrational belief that all teams can win every season. We all know that can’t happen, but as fans, we believe it. We get excited for our team to win and hope that it happens.
While I always get excited for the start of every Angels season, this year, I’m getting particularly excited. To see why, I came up with a list of the reasons why this year is going to be better than the past few. 
Here’s what I came up with:
10. The Improved Pitching 
Last year, the Angels posted a 6.56 ERA in Spring Training. Not surprisingly, they posted a 10-20 record before the start of the season and got off to a 9-17 record. This year, as of March 27th, the Angels have a 3.47 ERA and a 17-10 record. Not surprisingly, with better pitching, the Angels are off to a 17-10 record in the Cactus League. That is enough to give hope that the April curse is over and that 2014 will be a better season.
9. The Strong Hitting
While the pitching during this year’s Spring Training has dramatically improved, the hitting has not dropped substantially. Last year, the Angels posted a .300/.358/.471 triple slash line during Spring Training and went on to have the 5th best OPS in the game (.743). Over the offseason, the Angels traded slugger Mark Trumbo to improve the pitching and there were some concerns that the offense would suffer. However, that hasn’t been the case. So far in the Cactus League, the Angels have posted a .292/.354/.459 line. And that’s with Josh Hamilton missing nearly two weeks due to an injury. Since the Angels are posting a similar level of offense as last year, it’s very likely that they will have another top-level offense, and that should translate into more games won.
8. The Return of Albert Pujols
Last year watching Albert Pujols play was painful. It hurt knowing how much pain he was in every day trying to play through plantar fasciitis. He wasn’t the same person, and it showed in his numbers. This year, he’s back to the player we all wanted. He’s moving free and easy and playing with confidence. He’s making good defensive plays at 1B instead of just DHing. When he’s hitting, he can be a leader on the club by setting a good example. This year, he should hit close to .300 and hit around 30 or more HRs. That will be a big improvement on last year.
7. A Legitimate 3B
Has it really been over a decade since we’ve had a prototypical 3B—one who can hit for power? I grew up with the concept that corner infield positions should be sources of power—ones that can make a difference with one swing of the bat. I’ve missed that. Instead of always scrapping for hits and scrambling for runs with the bottom of the lineup, we now have another chance to make a difference with one swing. I’m excited to see what David Freese can do and maybe getting double digit HRs out of our 3B.
6. Hector Santiago and Kole Calhoun
They’re great guys. Not just because they came to the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, but because they are great with the fans and are hard-working players. I’ve been following Kole since he was first drafted. He’s worked his tail off to get to where he is, and I’m very happy to see him having such success. There’s nothing like seeing one of your guys making it. And, with Hector, since coming over in the trade, he’s been nothing but pure fun to follow on Twitter. While he might not have come up through our organization, it feels like he’s been with us all along. He’s found a home with us and the fans. And, oh yeah, he has a screwball that can be just sick at times to watch. Following these two all season long is going to be a lot of fun.
5. Improved Minor League Affiliates
When I say that I follow the Angels, I don’t just follow the Major League team—I follow the entire organization. I want to know who is on the Triple-A team to provide depth. I want to follow prospects to see how their developing into the next generation of stars. As Jerry Dipoto told the fans at the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, the Angels have been revamping their Minor League system and they see the organization in ways that the national press does not. In spite of what the prognasticators have said about the Angels’ organization, they had almost all of their affiliates playing in the Minor League post-season. They will have a 1st round draft pick for the first time in a few years. With their newly finished manual for improving all aspects of player development in place, I want to see how it all comes together to turn these players into champions.
4. Quality Time with My Sons
My eldest son is going to turn 8 soon. And, my twins are 6. All of them are playing Little League baseball and are old enough to really start to understand the game. They get that it’s about more than outs and runs. They know where the plays are (they will even tell me) and what types of plays to run when the Angels are hitting. More than ever, baseball is going to provide quality time for me and my sons. Knowing that every day I will be able to watch an Angels game with them means that I have built in family entertainment for the next 6 months. I always treasure my time with them and love that they have the same passion for the game and the team that I have.
3. Josh Hamilton
When the 2012 offseason began, I predicted that the Angels would sign Josh Hamilton. Then, and now, having a left-handed bat with power made a lot of sense for our lineup. I know he struggled last year, but in some ways, that made me more of a fan. Through all of his troubles at the plate, he was still a good player and good to the fans. I find inspiration in his life story and appreciate his willingness to share his failures to help others avoid his mistakes. If you haven’t watched the Tim Mead Dugout Talk on AngelsWin.com, you should just for his story about Josh Hamilton. He tells it well. My bet is that Josh leads the Angels in HRs this season and shows us just why he’s one of the best in the game.
2. It’s Freaking Baseball
I know there are other sports and that people get passionate about them. But none of them have the allure for me like baseball. It’s the perfect game. There’s daily excitement and drama. There are stories that unfold over weeks and months. There are ups and down, stress and relief. There will be something to talk about and discuss for the next 6 months. I’m willing to bet that there will be 5,000 new threads on AngelsWin.com between now and the end of the season. There will be rants and praise. There will be new in-group jokes and new fans to meet. The season won’t be won in a day and it won’t be lost in a day either. No matter what, there are 162 games between now and the end of the season that we cannot predict all that will happen.
1. Mike Trout
Is there anything in baseball he can’t do? I’m not sure. He could hit for the cycle in a game. He could go 5 for 5. He save a game by robbing someone of a homerun. He can steal his way into position to score the game winning run. Whatever he does, it will always be Troutstanding. This is his year. The Angels have a great team and will be playing meaningful games. The writers who get to vote on the awards are going to finally realize that Mike Trout is absolutely the best player in the Major Leagues and will give him a well-deserved MVP Award. I don’t want to miss a single minute of his season. 
Bonus—It’s a Wide Open Race
So the Mariners got Robinson Cano. The Rangers got Prince Fielder. The A’s got—well, they always get something from  . . . somewhere (Billy Beane can beat any magician at pulling a rabbit out of a hat). And the Astros had a winning record against us last year. 
But let’s be honest, no team has a lock on the A. L. West this year. The Mariners have several questions to answer this season. Already Robinson Cano has said that they need another hitter. Their rotation still isn’t set, and they have had injuries. The same is true for the Rangers. The A’s will implode at some point this season. And the Astros are still a couple of years away from contending.
So, the race this year is wide open for the Angels. The team may not win the division, but my bet is that they are going to make it into the post season this year. The pitching is vastly improved. The hitting is good. Pujols and Hamilton are healthy. The team is playing much better. 
Frankly, I’m happy that the experts are discounting us as a team. It gives our guys something to play for—to prove them wrong. They need an attitude, and I think they have it. I want to see them get out of the gate well and play like they can and it will be a good season. I can’t wait for it to start. 
Conclusion
So, there you go. That’s my list as to why I’m excited about the 2014 season. How about you? How are you feeling about 2014 and what’s getting you excited?

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By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
I’m a fan. And, by definition, fans are supposed to have an irrational exuberance for something. Baseball, like all sports, trade on the irrational belief that all teams can win every season. We all know that can’t happen, but as fans, we believe it. We get excited for our team to win and hope that it happens.
While I always get excited for the start of every Angels season, this year, I’m getting particularly excited. To see why, I came up with a list of the reasons why this year is going to be better than the past few. 
Here’s what I came up with:
10. The Improved Pitching 
Last year, the Angels posted a 6.56 ERA in Spring Training. Not surprisingly, they posted a 10-20 record before the start of the season and got off to a 9-17 record. This year, as of March 27th, the Angels have a 3.47 ERA and a 17-10 record. Not surprisingly, with better pitching, the Angels are off to a 17-10 record in the Cactus League. That is enough to give hope that the April curse is over and that 2014 will be a better season.
9. The Strong Hitting
While the pitching during this year’s Spring Training has dramatically improved, the hitting has not dropped substantially. Last year, the Angels posted a .300/.358/.471 triple slash line during Spring Training and went on to have the 5th best OPS in the game (.743). Over the offseason, the Angels traded slugger Mark Trumbo to improve the pitching and there were some concerns that the offense would suffer. However, that hasn’t been the case. So far in the Cactus League, the Angels have posted a .292/.354/.459 line. And that’s with Josh Hamilton missing nearly two weeks due to an injury. Since the Angels are posting a similar level of offense as last year, it’s very likely that they will have another top-level offense, and that should translate into more games won.
8. The Return of Albert Pujols
Last year watching Albert Pujols play was painful. It hurt knowing how much pain he was in every day trying to play through plantar fasciitis. He wasn’t the same person, and it showed in his numbers. This year, he’s back to the player we all wanted. He’s moving free and easy and playing with confidence. He’s making good defensive plays at 1B instead of just DHing. When he’s hitting, he can be a leader on the club by setting a good example. This year, he should hit close to .300 and hit around 30 or more HRs. That will be a big improvement on last year.
7. A Legitimate 3B
Has it really been over a decade since we’ve had a prototypical 3B—one who can hit for power? I grew up with the concept that corner infield positions should be sources of power—ones that can make a difference with one swing of the bat. I’ve missed that. Instead of always scrapping for hits and scrambling for runs with the bottom of the lineup, we now have another chance to make a difference with one swing. I’m excited to see what David Freese can do and maybe getting double digit HRs out of our 3B.
6. Hector Santiago and Kole Calhoun
They’re great guys. Not just because they came to the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, but because they are great with the fans and are hard-working players. I’ve been following Kole since he was first drafted. He’s worked his tail off to get to where he is, and I’m very happy to see him having such success. There’s nothing like seeing one of your guys making it. And, with Hector, since coming over in the trade, he’s been nothing but pure fun to follow on Twitter. While he might not have come up through our organization, it feels like he’s been with us all along. He’s found a home with us and the fans. And, oh yeah, he has a screwball that can be just sick at times to watch. Following these two all season long is going to be a lot of fun.
5. Improved Minor League Affiliates
When I say that I follow the Angels, I don’t just follow the Major League team—I follow the entire organization. I want to know who is on the Triple-A team to provide depth. I want to follow prospects to see how their developing into the next generation of stars. As Jerry Dipoto told the fans at the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, the Angels have been revamping their Minor League system and they see the organization in ways that the national press does not. In spite of what the prognasticators have said about the Angels’ organization, they had almost all of their affiliates playing in the Minor League post-season. They will have a 1st round draft pick for the first time in a few years. With their newly finished manual for improving all aspects of player development in place, I want to see how it all comes together to turn these players into champions.
4. Quality Time with My Sons
My eldest son is going to turn 8 soon. And, my twins are 6. All of them are playing Little League baseball and are old enough to really start to understand the game. They get that it’s about more than outs and runs. They know where the plays are (they will even tell me) and what types of plays to run when the Angels are hitting. More than ever, baseball is going to provide quality time for me and my sons. Knowing that every day I will be able to watch an Angels game with them means that I have built in family entertainment for the next 6 months. I always treasure my time with them and love that they have the same passion for the game and the team that I have.
3. Josh Hamilton
When the 2012 offseason began, I predicted that the Angels would sign Josh Hamilton. Then, and now, having a left-handed bat with power made a lot of sense for our lineup. I know he struggled last year, but in some ways, that made me more of a fan. Through all of his troubles at the plate, he was still a good player and good to the fans. I find inspiration in his life story and appreciate his willingness to share his failures to help others avoid his mistakes. If you haven’t watched the Tim Mead Dugout Talk on AngelsWin.com, you should just for his story about Josh Hamilton. He tells it well. My bet is that Josh leads the Angels in HRs this season and shows us just why he’s one of the best in the game.
2. It’s Freaking Baseball
I know there are other sports and that people get passionate about them. But none of them have the allure for me like baseball. It’s the perfect game. There’s daily excitement and drama. There are stories that unfold over weeks and months. There are ups and down, stress and relief. There will be something to talk about and discuss for the next 6 months. I’m willing to bet that there will be 5,000 new threads on AngelsWin.com between now and the end of the season. There will be rants and praise. There will be new in-group jokes and new fans to meet. The season won’t be won in a day and it won’t be lost in a day either. No matter what, there are 162 games between now and the end of the season that we cannot predict all that will happen.
1. Mike Trout
Is there anything in baseball he can’t do? I’m not sure. He could hit for the cycle in a game. He could go 5 for 5. He save a game by robbing someone of a homerun. He can steal his way into position to score the game winning run. Whatever he does, it will always be Troutstanding. This is his year. The Angels have a great team and will be playing meaningful games. The writers who get to vote on the awards are going to finally realize that Mike Trout is absolutely the best player in the Major Leagues and will give him a well-deserved MVP Award. I don’t want to miss a single minute of his season. 
Bonus—It’s a Wide Open Race
So the Mariners got Robinson Cano. The Rangers got Prince Fielder. The A’s got—well, they always get something from  . . . somewhere (Billy Beane can beat any magician at pulling a rabbit out of a hat). And the Astros had a winning record against us last year. 
But let’s be honest, no team has a lock on the A. L. West this year. The Mariners have several questions to answer this season. Already Robinson Cano has said that they need another hitter. Their rotation still isn’t set, and they have had injuries. The same is true for the Rangers. The A’s will implode at some point this season. And the Astros are still a couple of years away from contending.
So, the race this year is wide open for the Angels. The team may not win the division, but my bet is that they are going to make it into the post season this year. The pitching is vastly improved. The hitting is good. Pujols and Hamilton are healthy. The team is playing much better. 
Frankly, I’m happy that the experts are discounting us as a team. It gives our guys something to play for—to prove them wrong. They need an attitude, and I think they have it. I want to see them get out of the gate well and play like they can and it will be a good season. I can’t wait for it to start. 
Conclusion
So, there you go. That’s my list as to why I’m excited about the 2014 season. How about you? How are you feeling about 2014 and what’s getting you excited?

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By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
I’m a fan. And, by definition, fans are supposed to have an irrational exuberance for something. Baseball, like all sports, trade on the irrational belief that all teams can win every season. We all know that can’t happen, but as fans, we believe it. We get excited for our team to win and hope that it happens.
While I always get excited for the start of every Angels season, this year, I’m getting particularly excited. To see why, I came up with a list of the reasons why this year is going to be better than the past few. 
Here’s what I came up with:
10. The Improved Pitching 
Last year, the Angels posted a 6.56 ERA in Spring Training. Not surprisingly, they posted a 10-20 record before the start of the season and got off to a 9-17 record. This year, as of March 27th, the Angels have a 3.47 ERA and a 17-10 record. Not surprisingly, with better pitching, the Angels are off to a 17-10 record in the Cactus League. That is enough to give hope that the April curse is over and that 2014 will be a better season.
9. The Strong Hitting
While the pitching during this year’s Spring Training has dramatically improved, the hitting has not dropped substantially. Last year, the Angels posted a .300/.358/.471 triple slash line during Spring Training and went on to have the 5th best OPS in the game (.743). Over the offseason, the Angels traded slugger Mark Trumbo to improve the pitching and there were some concerns that the offense would suffer. However, that hasn’t been the case. So far in the Cactus League, the Angels have posted a .292/.354/.459 line. And that’s with Josh Hamilton missing nearly two weeks due to an injury. Since the Angels are posting a similar level of offense as last year, it’s very likely that they will have another top-level offense, and that should translate into more games won.
8. The Return of Albert Pujols
Last year watching Albert Pujols play was painful. It hurt knowing how much pain he was in every day trying to play through plantar fasciitis. He wasn’t the same person, and it showed in his numbers. This year, he’s back to the player we all wanted. He’s moving free and easy and playing with confidence. He’s making good defensive plays at 1B instead of just DHing. When he’s hitting, he can be a leader on the club by setting a good example. This year, he should hit close to .300 and hit around 30 or more HRs. That will be a big improvement on last year.
7. A Legitimate 3B
Has it really been over a decade since we’ve had a prototypical 3B—one who can hit for power? I grew up with the concept that corner infield positions should be sources of power—ones that can make a difference with one swing of the bat. I’ve missed that. Instead of always scrapping for hits and scrambling for runs with the bottom of the lineup, we now have another chance to make a difference with one swing. I’m excited to see what David Freese can do and maybe getting double digit HRs out of our 3B.
6. Hector Santiago and Kole Calhoun
They’re great guys. Not just because they came to the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, but because they are great with the fans and are hard-working players. I’ve been following Kole since he was first drafted. He’s worked his tail off to get to where he is, and I’m very happy to see him having such success. There’s nothing like seeing one of your guys making it. And, with Hector, since coming over in the trade, he’s been nothing but pure fun to follow on Twitter. While he might not have come up through our organization, it feels like he’s been with us all along. He’s found a home with us and the fans. And, oh yeah, he has a screwball that can be just sick at times to watch. Following these two all season long is going to be a lot of fun.
5. Improved Minor League Affiliates
When I say that I follow the Angels, I don’t just follow the Major League team—I follow the entire organization. I want to know who is on the Triple-A team to provide depth. I want to follow prospects to see how their developing into the next generation of stars. As Jerry Dipoto told the fans at the AngelsWin.com Spring Training Fanfest, the Angels have been revamping their Minor League system and they see the organization in ways that the national press does not. In spite of what the prognasticators have said about the Angels’ organization, they had almost all of their affiliates playing in the Minor League post-season. They will have a 1st round draft pick for the first time in a few years. With their newly finished manual for improving all aspects of player development in place, I want to see how it all comes together to turn these players into champions.
4. Quality Time with My Sons
My eldest son is going to turn 8 soon. And, my twins are 6. All of them are playing Little League baseball and are old enough to really start to understand the game. They get that it’s about more than outs and runs. They know where the plays are (they will even tell me) and what types of plays to run when the Angels are hitting. More than ever, baseball is going to provide quality time for me and my sons. Knowing that every day I will be able to watch an Angels game with them means that I have built in family entertainment for the next 6 months. I always treasure my time with them and love that they have the same passion for the game and the team that I have.
3. Josh Hamilton
When the 2012 offseason began, I predicted that the Angels would sign Josh Hamilton. Then, and now, having a left-handed bat with power made a lot of sense for our lineup. I know he struggled last year, but in some ways, that made me more of a fan. Through all of his troubles at the plate, he was still a good player and good to the fans. I find inspiration in his life story and appreciate his willingness to share his failures to help others avoid his mistakes. If you haven’t watched the Tim Mead Dugout Talk on AngelsWin.com, you should just for his story about Josh Hamilton. He tells it well. My bet is that Josh leads the Angels in HRs this season and shows us just why he’s one of the best in the game.
2. It’s Freaking Baseball
I know there are other sports and that people get passionate about them. But none of them have the allure for me like baseball. It’s the perfect game. There’s daily excitement and drama. There are stories that unfold over weeks and months. There are ups and down, stress and relief. There will be something to talk about and discuss for the next 6 months. I’m willing to bet that there will be 5,000 new threads on AngelsWin.com between now and the end of the season. There will be rants and praise. There will be new in-group jokes and new fans to meet. The season won’t be won in a day and it won’t be lost in a day either. No matter what, there are 162 games between now and the end of the season that we cannot predict all that will happen.
1. Mike Trout
Is there anything in baseball he can’t do? I’m not sure. He could hit for the cycle in a game. He could go 5 for 5. He save a game by robbing someone of a homerun. He can steal his way into position to score the game winning run. Whatever he does, it will always be Troutstanding. This is his year. The Angels have a great team and will be playing meaningful games. The writers who get to vote on the awards are going to finally realize that Mike Trout is absolutely the best player in the Major Leagues and will give him a well-deserved MVP Award. I don’t want to miss a single minute of his season. 
Bonus—It’s a Wide Open Race
So the Mariners got Robinson Cano. The Rangers got Prince Fielder. The A’s got—well, they always get something from  . . . somewhere (Billy Beane can beat any magician at pulling a rabbit out of a hat). And the Astros had a winning record against us last year. 
But let’s be honest, no team has a lock on the A. L. West this year. The Mariners have several questions to answer this season. Already Robinson Cano has said that they need another hitter. Their rotation still isn’t set, and they have had injuries. The same is true for the Rangers. The A’s will implode at some point this season. And the Astros are still a couple of years away from contending.
So, the race this year is wide open for the Angels. The team may not win the division, but my bet is that they are going to make it into the post season this year. The pitching is vastly improved. The hitting is good. Pujols and Hamilton are healthy. The team is playing much better. 
Frankly, I’m happy that the experts are discounting us as a team. It gives our guys something to play for—to prove them wrong. They need an attitude, and I think they have it. I want to see them get out of the gate well and play like they can and it will be a good season. I can’t wait for it to start. 
Conclusion
So, there you go. That’s my list as to why I’m excited about the 2014 season. How about you? How are you feeling about 2014 and what’s getting you excited?

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