AngelsWin.com

Los Angeles Angels Top-50 Prospects Midseason Report   Taylor Lindsey is our choice for top Angels prospect at the mid-way point of the 2013 season
  By David Saltzer, Scott Stedman and Chuck Richter   With the Angels reaching the midpoint of the season, and most of the Minor Leagues having played their All-Star Game, we at AngelsWin.com are proud to present a midseason report for the Los Angeles Angels Top-50 Prospects. Rather than just presenting an update on each player on our Top-50 Prospects List from before the 2013 season, we tried to give fans a sense of how players are moving on the depth chart within the organization.   In looking at the Angels organization, there’s no denying that it has several weaknesses. Overall, the bulk of the talent is at the lower levels. There’s not much help at Triple-A, and while there is some strong talent at Double-A, it’s at least a year or more away from producing in the Major Leagues.    In terms of pitching, particularly starting pitching and lock-down closers, the organization is lacking. Due to some injuries, it is devoid of power arms. But, all that may change. The Angels went heavily after pitchers in the 2013 draft, and AngelsWin.com did not include them in our Midseason Report because we have yet to evaluate them. Many of them, such as Hunter Green, will appear in our 2014 Los Angeles Angels Top-50 Prospects list this winter.   Additionally, we did not include many of the Dominican Academy players who are just now making their way over to the United States. Although some do appear on here, we expect several of them to move up the list as we have a better opportunity to see them in action and get updates from our contacts about their performance.   Many players throughout the organization are starting to move levels. As such, our midseason report lists the most current team for that player. And, the stats will continue to move as we used the most recent stats for the player as of June 29, 2013.    As fans, it is easy to get caught up in all of the organizational rankings by the national magazines. And, while we at AngelsWin.com readily admit that the Angels’ organization does not have the level of talent that it had a few years ago, we also want to make clear that the Angels do indeed have prospects who will become solid players and contributors at the Major League level in the next few years. We have talked with scouts from every organization and they are aware of and have scouted many of the players on this list and they have given praise to several of these players. Excluding Triple-A, which has yet to announce their All-Star roster, the Angels placed 13 players in Minor League All-Star games (8 at Double-A, 3 at High Single-A, and 2 at Low Single-A). So, even with a low organizational ranking, Angels fans should not despair. There is still a future within this organization.   1. Taylor Lindsey 2B – Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) .271/.330/.457 DOB: 12/02/1991   Not yet 22, Taylor Lindsey is responding nicely to the challenge of Double-A ball. When the Angels drafted him in the 1st round of the 2010 draft (37th overall), they liked his bat and thought he’d develop some power. That power is now showing at AA, where he has hit 11 HR in just 76 games—2 more than he had all of last year in 134 games! With some improvement to his defense, Lindsey could develop into a legitimate #2 hitter for the Angels and a solid contributor within the next 2 years.   2. Randal Grichuk OF – Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) .251/.312/.472 DOB: 08/13/1991   Like Lindsey, Randal Grichuk is very young for the league and is making the adjustments to separate him from the pack. As the pick before Mike Trout, expectations were lofty for the outfielder and it looks as if he is beginning to realize some of his potential. Grichuk’s solid first half puts him in the top 10 in Total Bases in the Texas League. Recently, a scout that AngelsWin spoke to likened Grichuk to Jason Bay (the good Jason Bay) and feels they have a similar skill set. Grichuk figures to get his first MLB action soon, perhaps next year, but his long-term path to a starting role remains cloudy.   3. Kaleb Cowart 3B – Arkansas Travelers (Double-A).218/.285/.320
DOB: 06/02/1992   Although Kaleb Cowart’s struggles have made headlines in the first half, scouts still agree that he is one to keep as they believe he will be a productive major leaguer one day. Just barely 21, the switch-hitting third-baseman profiles as a middle-of-the-order hitter if he can refine his left-handed stroke. From the right side, Cowart has a .295/.368/.459 line. Defensively, Cowart possesses an above average arm and he handles the hot corner well. Cowart needs some time to make the adjustments to his level, but is still a known commodity to all opposing scouts and very highly regarded.   4. Alex Yarbrough 2B – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) .316/.343/.503 DOB: 08/03/1991   After a solid but unspectacular 2012 with the Cedar Rapids Kernals, Alex Yarbrough has burst onto the scene with a remarkable 2013 first-half. Yarbrough, a 4th round selection in 2012, is leading the California League in hits (98) and second in Total Bases (154). He has a smooth stroke from the left-side and projects to have gap-to-gap power. At second-base, Yarbrough has made strides but his range is just average. If he continues to hit the way he has, Yarbrough has a chance to climb to the top of the prospect list.   5. Mark Sappington SP – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) 3.97 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 90.2 IP, 41 BB, 73 K DOB: 11/17/1990   Mark Sappington wowed scouts in Spring Training with his fastball reaching the upper 90s and his large presence on the mound. In April, he dominated High-A with his power fastball, tight slider and occasional changeup, with a solid presence on the mound. Since then, his control has eluded him somewhat but he still holds the key for long-term success as a starter. He looks to be about two years away from a possible big league debut.   6. R.J. Alvarez P – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) 2.62 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 34.1 IP, 16 BB, 54 K DOB: 06/08/1991   R.J. Alvarez was the Angels first selection in the 2012 draft, a 3rd round pick out of Florida Atlantic University. He features a hard and heavy fastball, low to mid 90s as a starter, and touching upper 90s as a reliever. His slider is already plus and his changeup has shown much promise. Although Alvarez got a couple starts in the first-half, his future remains as a possible lock-down closer. Most likely the starts are to get him extra innings to accelerate his progress.    7. Kole Calhoun OF – Salt Lake Bees (Triple-A) .345/.420/.570 DOB: 10/14/1987   With a glut of outfielders ahead of him, Kole Calhoun has done everything possible in Triple-A to breakthrough to the big leagues—even working out at 1B. Not only is he keeping his OPS above 1.000, his defense is improving, now in the 65-70 range on the 20-80 scouting scale. All five of Calhoun’s tools are at least average with his speed, defense and bat a tick above average. Calhoun’s future remains cloudy, as it would likely take some sort of trade for him to get regular playing time at the Major League level.   8. Eric Stamets SS – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) .289/.356/.365 DOB: 09/25/1991   A scout recently compared Eric Stamets to Angel-great David Eckstein in that they are both grinders with similar skill sets. In fact, Eckstein’s 2002 slash line in which he was voted 11th in the MVP race, is nearly identical to Stamets’ 2013. Stamets, like Eckstein, has minimal power but makes up for it with a solid hit tool, plus speed and an understanding of the strike zone. Defensively, Stamets profiles as a Gold Glover. The sky is the limit for Stamets—it all depends on how much his bat develops.   9. Mike Morin RP – Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) 1.76 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 41 IP, 5 BB, 45 K DOB: 05/03/1991   In what appears to be another valuable pick from the 2012 draft, Mike Morin has blossomed into a top 10 prospect as a reliever, which is tough to do. He possesses a fastball in the low 90s with an average curveball and nearly unhittable changeup. His control is impeccable. Recently promoted to Double-A Arkansas, Morin profiles as a set up man, possibly for the aforementioned R.J. Alvarez.   10. C.J. Cron 1B/DH – Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) .288/.329/.421 DOB: 01/05/1990   Drafted in the 1st round in the 2011 draft, expectations were sky high for C.J. Cron with scouts drooling over his power. Cron was at High-A in 2012 and had a solid but unspectacular season, drawing disapproval from his critics for his extremely low walk rate. The low walk rate has stayed low in 2013, but he is still maintaining a good hit tool even though his power has diminished. Scouts still like Cron’s power in the long-run but he is struggling to show it in-game.    11. Zach Borenstein OF – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) .315/.357/.613 DOB: 07/23/1990   Zach Borenstein has really put his name on the Angels’ radar this season with his incredible display of power. Currently, Borenstein ranks 2nd in the league in slugging and 3rd in home runs. Now, he is nursing a strained hip flexor and is on the DL now but it should not keep him out much longer. All of his tools presently check-in at average with the exception being his power at above average. Like any other outfielder in the system, Borenstein will have trouble becoming a starter in this organization due to the pure number of players ahead of him on the depth chart.    12. Reid Scoggins SP/RP – Burlington Bees (Low Single-A) 3.98 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 40.2 IP, 23 BB, 46 K DOB: 07/18/1990   Reid Scoggins was a high-risk, high-reward 13th round pick in 2012 with reports that he was touching triple digits on the gun. This year, the Angels have tried to stretch him out as a starter, although it looks his future remains in the bullpen. If he returns to the bullpen his track to the major leagues would be much quicker considering his power stuff.   13. Luis Jimenez 3B – Salt Lake Bees (Triple-A) .297/.343/.422 DOB: 01/18/1988   After a brief stint with the Angels, Luis Jimenez proved he has the ability to provide a spark to any dugout and lineup that he is in. Jimenez, now 25, is above average at third-base with a very strong throwing arm. His bat will decide his future. If the gap-to-gap power that he has shown in the minors develops in the majors, he could possibly be a starter in the future, or with more work at 1B, a backup corner infielder.   14. Cam Bedrosian RP – Burlington Bees (Low Single-A) 6.25 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 36 IP, 15 BB, 40 K DOB: 10/02/1991   In the beginning of 2013, Cam Bedrosian was back as a starter nearly 2 years removed from Tommy John surgery. He continued to struggle in that role, so he was moved to the bullpen where he has since improved and reaffirmed his status as a true prospect. In the bullpen, Bedrosian has logged 31 innings with a 3.19 ERA and 37 strikeouts, walking just 9. Still young for his division, Bedrosian has time to develop into top 10 prospect.    15. Matt Long OF/2B – Salt Lake Bees (Triple-A)  .301/.399/.476 DOB: 04/30/1987   Like Kole Calhoun, Matt Long is another underappreciated and underrated player. He doesn’t have any one tool that sticks out, but is a solid player across the board. A capable outfielder, able to play all OF positions, Long went back to playing 2B in 2012 in order to make himself more versatile. Long is capable of providing depth at either position, and could have a Major League future in a bench role.   16. Nick Maronde RP – Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) 4.54 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 33.2 IP, 131 BB, 38 K DOB: 09/05/1989   Last year saw Nick Maronde have a meteoric rise from a starter in Single-A all the way up to pitching out of the pen in the Major Leagues. He was one of the fastest players from the 2011 draft to reach the Major Leagues. However, this year, Maronde has struggled with his velocity and command, resulting in more walks allowed. Maronde has only allowed 25 hits and only 3 HRs so far, so when he is on, he is keeping the batters off-balanced. If Maronde’s velocity returns, and he can consistently get back to getting strike one on hitters, he will return to the Angels’ bullpen in the future.   17. Sherman Johnson 3B/2B – Burlington Bees (Low Single-A) .239/.363/.338 DOB: 07/15/1990   A leadoff hitter, Sherman Johnson has walked more times in his professional career than he has struck out (90 BBs vs. 89 Ks in 115 games). In addition to playing the infield, Johnson has played some games in the OF to become a jack of all trades. As such, he has value down the road as a super-utility player, where having a great approach at the plate will help.   18. Travis Witherspoon OF – Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) .216/.300/.349 DOB: 04/16/19879   After raking with the IE66ers in the first half of 2012, Witherspoon earned a promotion to Double-A where he struggled in the second half. Those struggles continued for most of this year, although there are signs that he is pulling out of it (he has a .280/.364/.347 line with 8 SBs for the month of June). Witherspoon still profiles as a 4th/5th OFer with speed, capable of playing all the OF positions. However far he goes will depend on his bat, especially with the crowded outfield in the Angels organization.    19. Michael Snyder 1B – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) .275/.321/.493 DOB: 06/17/1990   Originally drafted as a 3B, Snyder was moved to 1B last year, and has only played that position on the field this year. Snyder has a long swing that generates a lot of power. His 20 2Bs have him tied for 4th in the Cal League and his 13 HRs have him tied for 9th. For a big guy (6’4”) Snyder moves well, having plated 3 triples both last year and this year. Snyder will need to improve his plate discipline to move through the logjam that the Angels have at 1B.   20. Mike Piazza SP/RP  â€“ Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) 3.60 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 60 IP, 26 BB, 67 K DOB: 11/24/1986   After a very good 2012 for the Travelers last season, Piazza returned to the team in 2013 and has put up the same great numbers. In regards to his body stature and mechanics, Piazza draws up memories of Matt Palmer. Since the end of May, Piazza has been starting, which will help him develop as a long-man/spot star type pitcher.   21. Abel Baker C – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) .273/.330/.406 DOB: 10/26/1990   For those old enough to remember, the “C” for Abel Baker stands for Catcher, not Charlie. Offensively, Baker has slightly increased his power and OB% this year, even though that has resulted in more Ks. Defensively, Baker throws out just over a 1/4th of all opposing base stealers, and handles the pitching staff well. With catchers taking longer to develop than other players, Baker is still on the development curve and is the top catching prospect in the organization.   22. Jeremy Berg RP – Salt Lake Bees (Triple-A) 3.13 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 46.0 IP, 11 BB, 37 K DOB: 07/17/1986   With the Angels’ bullpen being the way it has been this year, it is very frustrating to see Jeremy Berg not getting a shot in the Majors. In his 5 years as a pro, Berg has a career 3.07 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 8.4 K/ 9 IP, 3.77 K:BB ratio, 2.2 BB/ 9 IP, and has only allowed 0.5 HR/9 IP. The knock on Berg has been his velocity, which sits in the upper 80s. But, as a sidearm/submariner, that works, especially with all of his breaking pitches that he can locate in any count. Adding Berg to the bullpen would give Scioscia an entirely different look, which with the way the bullpen has been, would be a breath of fresh air.    23. Austin Wood SP  â€“ AZL Angels (Low Rookie/Rehab) 4.15 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 21.2 IP, 12 BB, 18 K DOB: 07/11/1990   Out of action with arm injuries since May 7th, Austin Wood has yet to retake the mound while on rehab with the AZL-Angels. Wood was a high risk/high reward pick, with upper 90s heat and raw control. When Wood recovers, he will need to still work on his mechanics, especially making a repeatable delivery. With a career average of over 5 BB/9 IP, Wood needs to attack and finish off more hitters—converting more BBs into Ks. When he does, he has the chance to be one of the true power arms in the organization.   24. Michael Roth SP – Los Angeles Angels (Major Leagues) 3.61 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 47.1 IP, 18 BB, 31 K DOB: 02/15/1990   Angels fans already got a look at Michael Roth earlier this season, and are getting a second look at him right now. Roth is a soft-tossing lefty who generates success and groundouts by keeping hitters off balance. His changeup is a plus pitch, and he can command his offspeed pitches well, especially against lefties. With Scott Downs a FA after this season, Roth has a future role in the bullpen.   25. Joey Krehbiel RP – Burlington Bees (Low Single-A) 4.11 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 30.2 IP, 19 BB, 31 K DOB: 12/20/1992   One of the few HS players taken in the 2011 draft, Joey Krehbiel was transitioned from 3B to the mound in his first professional season. Since then, Krehbiel has been developing into a solid reliever with a fastball, curve, and changeup arsenal. At 20 years old, Krehbiel has a chance to fill out more and add a little to his velocity. A flyball pitcher, Krehbiel will need to work more on keeping the ball down and away from lefties, who have provided most of the damage against him this season.    26. Eduard Santos RP – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) 2.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 44.1 IP, 16 BB, 50 K DOB: 07/11/1990   As mentioned above, the Angels are finally bringing over their first big wave of talent out of their Dominican Academy. Signed at age 18 in 2008, Eduard Santos has filled out and throws low-90s heat, with developing secondary pitches. With the Angels in need of bullpen arms, Santos has a chance to move fast as he adjusts to pitching in America and at the higher levels.    27. Pedro Toribio 2B/SS – Burlington Bees (Low Single-A) .300/.333/.350 DOB: 07/21/1990   Pedro Toribio is a switch-hitting infielder who fits into the typical mold that the Angels have developed over the years. Skinny, athletic, with plus range, speed, and arm, Toribio is still raw, but developing. A good contact hitter, Toribio needs to work counts better to give his speed a chance on the basepaths. And, while he has plus speed, he needs to get better reads and jumps to be more successful (8 CS in 24 attempts).    28. Alex Keudell SP – Burlington Bees (Low Single-A) 3.04 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 76.0 IP, 22 BB, 52 K DOB: 02/25/1990   After being drafted by the Rays in 2012, the Angels picked up Alex Keudell after he was released at the end of last year. Keudell, the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year for the University of Oregon relies on a funky side-arm delivery that generates upper 80s and occasionally 90 mph heat. Keudell generates success by throwing plenty of offspeed pitches to keep hitters off balance. While doing well as a starter for now, AngelsWin.com believes that Keudell could have more success as a reliever down the road, relying on the offspeed pitches to generate more ground balls.    29. A. J. Schugel SP – Salt Lake Bees (Triple-A) 6.43 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 84.0 IP, 32 BB, 71 K DOB: 06/27/1989   Although the PCL is known for being a hitter’s league, A. J. Schugel has been struggling in 2013. While his walk rate is not up, and his K rate is not down, the number of hits he’s allowing, especially homeruns, is way up. Last year, Schugel gave up 117 hits in 140.1 IP, including 9 HRs, whereas this year, Schugel has already given up 84 hits including 11 HRs in just 84.0 IP. The good news is that Schugel has a “young” arm, having been converted into a pitcher after being drafted. However, Schugel will need to work on keeping the ball down in the zone with more movement to have success in the Major Leagues.   30. Jose Rondon SS Orem Owlz (High Rookie) .286/.394/.393 DOB: 03/03/1994   Not yet 20, Jose Rondon has looked comfortable in the Pioneer League at the plate and at shortstop. Physically imposing, Rondon is smooth in nearly everything he does with plus-plus baseball instincts and makeup. His swing is free and quick and shows promise for power considering his body type. Some see him as a third-baseman down the road but he has enough range to stay at shortstop for now. The only thing keeping Rondon from the top part of this list is the lack of games he has played. After this season, the Venezuelan may shoot up the list, as his potential is off-the-charts.   31. Kramer Sneed SP – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) 3.12 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 66.1 IP, 20 BB, 64 K DOB: 10/07/1988   Although old for the California League, Sneed, who was acquired for Vernon Wells, has put up a great season for the 66ers. His stuff won’t wow you but he gets outs and he is a living, breathing lefty which helps his cause tremendously. He profiles as a possible long-man out of the bullpen.   32. Pat Lowery SP – Burlington Bees (Low Single-A) 3.83 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 56.1 IP, 30 BB, 28 K DOB: 04/02/1990   Lowery features a high 80s fastball that generates a lot of ground ball outs. His control escapes him often and couple that with not a lot of strikeouts and it isn’t a good combination. Lowery may end up in the bullpen.   33. Kevin Johnson RP  â€“ Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) 2.41 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 33.2 IP, 7 BB, 16K DOB: 08/19/1988   Kevin Johnson is a big left-handed reliever that, similarly to Lowery, gets outs but doesn’t feature the big stuff that other prospects do. His strength is getting and keeping hitters off-balanced throughout an at bat. AngelsWin sees Johnson as a possible LOOGY (Lefty-One-Out-Guy).    34. Eswarlin Jimenez SP – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A)   5.24 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 68.2 IP, 19 BB, 35 K  DOB: 11/27/1991   After a stellar 2012, Jimenez flew to #10 on our prospect list for his ability to keep the ball low in the zone and keep batters off the bases due to the lack of walks. This year, the walk rate is up and the strike out rate is down. To reestablish himself, Jimenez must locate his low 90s fastball better and keep his off-speed pitches down.   35. Zach Wright C – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) .233/.338/.306 DOB: 01/10/1990   Zach Wright supplied surprising power for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in Low-A last year as a catcher, slugging over .400. But this year, the power has inexplicably disappeared even though he has moved to league easier on hitters. One thing has remained, though: Wright’s stellar plate discipline which will aid him in the future.   36. Michael Cisco RP  â€“ Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) 2.51 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 32.1 IP, 10 BB, 25 K DOB: 05/23/1987   Acquired from the Phillies in Spring Training for… nothing, Cisco has been one of Arkansas’ best relievers. His fastball sits in the 90-92 range but his secondary stuff can be iffy at times. His plus command will only help him going forward.   37. Tyler DeLoach SP – Burlington Bees (Low Single-A) 3.60 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 15 IP, 5 BB, 16 K DOB: 04/12/1991   DeLoach was a 26th round selection in 2012 mainly due to his large size, 6’6” 240, and the fact that he was a lefty with three pitches. While his fastball remains fringy, his curveball has shown to have a large amount of depth.   38. Joel Capote OF – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) .240/.315/.297 DOB: 12/08/1989   The Angels decided to push Capote this year to accelerate him to a more age appropriate league. So far it has proven to be a struggle for the outfielder. When on, Capote has slightly above average speed, and can play all three outfield positions, but with the crowded Angels outfield, will have to improve with the bat to earn a backup OF job.   39. Drew Heid OF  â€“ Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) .266/.358/.372 DOB: 12/14/1987   Drew Heid has always had a good eye throughout his stops in the minors and he also plays a solid defense. As a left-handed bat, Heid profiles as a possible 4th or 5th outfielder. He plays the game the right way and isn’t afraid to get dirty.   40. Daniel Tillman RP – Inland Empire 66ers (High Single-A) 5.84 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 10 BB, 11 K DOB: 03/14/1989   After struggling with Arkansas in the beginning of the season, Tillman was placed on the DL for an undisclosed issue. Since rehabbing in AZL, Tillman seems to have regained his form. When he is on top of his game, Tillman throws a heavy fastball with a sweeping slider that generates a lot of strikeouts. Recently assigned to the IE66ers, Tillman looks to be getting his season back on track.   41. Yency Almonte SP Orem Owlz (High Rookie) 8.64 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 8.1 IP, 3 BB, 5 K DOB: 06/04/1994   Just barely 19, Almonte had a good enough spring to earn a spot in the Owlz rotation. He has a very fluid and repeatable set of mechanics which is rare in a young pitcher. His fastball and curveball have the potential to be plus pitches. Almonte is another player who has the possibility of really jumping up this list in a year or two.   42. Jett Bandy C – Arkansas Travelers (Double-A) .237/.306/.368 DOB: 03/26/1990   There’s not much separating Jett Bandy from Abel Baker in terms of catching depth within the organization. Bandy is a few months older than Baker and playing at Double-A. Baker is left-handed, Bandy is a righty. Both show power and hitting skills. Both have earned praise from their pitching staff for their solid work behind the plate. Both could develop into serviceable catchers in the Major Leagues.   43. Mike Clevinger SP – AZL Angels (Low Rookie/Rehab) --------------------- DOB: 12/21/1990   Clevinger was a 4th round pick in 2011, and is still recovering from Tommy John surgery from nearly a year ago. When healthy, his fastball is in the low 90s and he has a solid curveball. His future may be in the bullpen.   44. Matt Shoemaker SP – Salt Lake Bees (Triple-A) 4.80 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 108.2 IP, 19 BB, 90 K DOB: 09/27/1986   With simple mechanics and knack for pin-pointing location, Shoemaker has proved very valuable as an anchor in the Bees rotation. Last year he added a cutter to his repertoire. Earlier this week, the Angels turned down a trade of Shoemaker to the Mets, so they must see value in his work. Shoemaker is likely one of the next players on the list on the Angels depth chart.    45. Victor Alcantara SP Orem Owlz (High Rookie) 16.20 ERA, 3.60 WHIP, 5 IP, 5 BB, 3 K DOB: 04/03/1993   Alcantara has raw mechanics and very powerful but wild stuff. His fastball can reach the upper 90s and he also throws a slider with a ton of movement. The most likely scenario is that Alcantara shifts to the bullpen and focuses on controlling his stuff for one inning.   46. Kody Eaves 2B – Orem Owlz (High Rookie) .200/.222/.343 DOB: 07/08/1993   Eaves was a 16th round pick last year and immediately moved from the hot corner to second base. His left-handed swing is very linear and he produces a lot of torque in his swing which profiles well as he moves up.   47. Nataneal Delgado OF – AZL Angels (Low Rookie/Rehab) .125/.118/.188 DOB: 10/23/1995   Delgado was given the biggest bonus out of the Dominican last year for the Halos as he flashed plus power from the left-side in practice and training. He has a sound approach and creates plus bat speed with his aggressive swing. Time is on Delgado’s side.   48. Gabriel Perez SP – AZL Angels (Low Rookie/Rehab) --------------------- DOB: 06/03/1991   One of the biggest arms with 2011 DSL championship team, Perez had a terrific 2012 with the Orem Owlz. However, now injured, Perez has not been able to join a team yet this season. He has a powerful fastball and very advanced changeup. When healthy, Perez figures to join the Burlington Bees.   49. Daniel Hurtado SP/RP – Orem Owlz (High Rookie) 1.69 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 5.1 IP, 3 BB, 3 K DOB: 07/25/1992   Tall and lanky, Hurtado creates great downward action on his 88-91 fastball. While his off-speed stuff remains fringy, Hurtado could really grow with more innings in the States.   50. Ivan Melo SP – AZL Angels (Low Rookie/Rehab) --------------------- DOB: 07/21/1994   Yet to debut in the United States, Melo has been raved about by scouts for his huge curveball and ability to throw any pitch at any time. Currently on the DL, Melo will begin to play in games for the AZL Angels within the next month.

By Scott Stedman, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
1. Luis Jimenez, 3B, Salt Lake Bees Past 10 Games: 17/40 (.425), 1 Double, 1 Triple, 1 HR, 9 Runs, 11 RBIs, 5 SB Overall: .297/.343/.422 with 3 HRs and 8 SBs
What’s Up: As Alberto Callaspo continues to struggle mightily with the Angels, posting a -0.4 WAR, Luis Jimenez has begun to really swing the bat well for the Bees.  In April, Angels' fans got a taste of what Jimenez brings to the table when he is on: A spark to any team's dugout, good hands at third base, and a solid gap-to-gap stroke at the plate.  His production tailed off when his playing time decreased with the big club, but in Salt Lake with consistent at-bats, Jimenez has been red hot.  In addition to the offensive production, Jimenez has been playing both third and first-base which gives him more versatility in the long-run.  He also has been successful at stealing bases (8/10), which adds another dynamic to his game.  I would not be surprised if Lucho was recalled to platoon with the struggling Callaspo.  At this point, it wouldn't hurt much.
2. Eric Stamets, SS, Inland Empire 66ers Past 10 Games: 15/41 (366), 2 Doubles, 1 Triple, 1 HR, 10 Runs, 3 RBIs, 1 SB Overall: .299/.377/.384 with 1 HR and 8 SBs
What’s Up:  Eric Stamets has put up an extremely consistent 2013 campaign and solidified his position as one of the Angels' better prospects.  The 21-year-old shortstop has 3 plus tools - hitting, speed, and fielding.  In fact, his fielding has often been characterized as having Gold Glove potential, and from what I have seen, this is no exaggeration.  At the plate, Stamets is a slap-hitter who can occasionally barrel-up a ball into the gap.  He is also a hitter that hardly strikes out and walks a ton, which is often a good predictor for long-term success with hitters that don't have a ton of power.  As a 6th round pick in 2012, Stamets looks like a complete steal and could potentially be the replacement for Erick Aybar when his contract is up.
3. R.J. Alvarez, RP/SP, Inland Empire 66ers  Past 10 Games: 3-0, 0 Saves, 1.13 ERA, 16 IP, 9 H, 6 BB, 30 K, 0.94 WHIP Overall: 3-1, 0 Saves, 2.54 ERA, 28.1 IP, 20 H, 16 BB, 40 K, 1.27 WHIP, .194 BAA
What’s Up: R.J. Alvarez was the first selection for the Halos in the 2012 draft (3rd round), but has continued to fly somewhat under-the-radar in his first full season of pro ball.  If his basic numbers (2.54 ERA, .194 BAA) don't grab your attention, check out these other stats - 14.93 K/9, 2.13 FIP, 81.5 % LOB - they tell the true story of the incredible season that Alvarez is having.  On Thursday, Alvarez surprisingly made a start for the 66ers, the first his first career.  While it's unclear if this is going to be a regular occurrence, Alvarez certainly has the repertoire to be a starter - fastball in the mid 90s, tight slider and serviceable change-up.  The only thing that holds R.J. back is his command which can be spotty at times.  As a reliever, Alvarez profiles as a closer or 8th inning guy, and as a starter it is too early to tell.
4. Mike Morin, RP, Inland Empire 66ers Past 10 Games: 0-0, 6 Saves, 1.59 ERA, 11.1 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 14 K, 0.97 WHIP Overall: 3-1, 7 Saves, 1.78 ERA, 35.1 IP, 27 H, 5 BB, 40 K, 0.91 WHIP, .218 BAA
What’s Up:  Mike Morin is now a veteran of the AngelsWin Prospect Hotlist, but at this point, I am having a hard time leaving him off! By now, most of you know the deal with Morin, but let's recap.  He possesses a low 90s fastball that he controls very well, a decent overhand curve and the best changeup in the system.  A truly devastating pitch.  Morin was another pick in the 2012 draft, in the 13th round.  With picks such as Morin, Yarbrough, Sappington, Stamets and others, the 2012 draft is shaping up to be an incredible one for the Angels.  The 22-year-old Morin could move up with Alvarez and combine to make a lock-down back-end of the bullpen, dare I say like Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez.  
5. Taylor Lindsey, 2B, Arkansas Travelers  Past 10 Games: 11/36 (.306), 2 Doubles, 2 Triples, 2 HRs, 7 Runs, 5 RBIs, 0 SBs Overall: .275/.336/.472 with 10 HR and 2 SBs
What’s Up:  Taylor Lindsey was one of those high-risk, high-reward high-school picks by the Angels back in 2010 and it looks like the risk in that decision is slowly diminishing.  Lindsey's hitting style is not orthodox - he starts with his hands next to his chest and whips the bat with an Ichiro style approach.  However, he is able to maintain plus hand-eye-coordination and now his power is beginning to develop.  Lindsey is putting up a SLG% of more than 60 points over last season and in a much tougher hitting environment in Arkansas.  Lindsey's potential is as a #2 hitter, potentially hitting .300 with 15 HRs and either scoring or driving in gobs of runs depending on where Mike Trout hits in the lineup.  After Kendrick and Aybar, the Angels have plenty of viable options in the minor leagues including Yarbrough, Stamets, and Sherman Johnson.  But, Lindsey may have the best career out of all of them.  
Affiliate Reports:
Salt Lake Bees:  The Bees went 4-3 this week bringing them right up to .500 on the season, 35-35.  Kole Calhoun and Efren Navarro continue to kill it offensively, hitting .346 and .339 respectively.  In the rotation, Matt Shoemaker leads the staff with 92 innings pitched and 74 strikeouts.  Jeremy Berg is getting it done in the bullpen with a 2.45 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.
Arkansas Travelers: Arkansas had a 3-4 week dropping below .500, 34-35.  Top prospect Kaleb Cowart is still struggling heavily with his OPS dropping well below .600.  Randal Grichuk, however, has been heating up of late bringing his OPS to near .800.  On the pitching side, the only true prospect that is holding his own is Michael Roth with an ERA of 3.38.
Inland Empire 66ers: The 66ers have really turned it on lately culminating with a 5-1 week.  They were eliminated from winning the 1st half in their division, but they will stay in 2nd place.  IE's offense has been scorching, led by Yarbrough, Stamets, Borenstein and Snyder.  As profiled, Morin and Alvarez have formed a lock down bullpen.
Burlington Bees: Burlington had a mediocre week, going 3-3 and remaining last in their division.  Kyle Johnson continues to hit (.314) and steal plenty of bases (30).  He also has a .416 OBP.  Alex Keudell and Ryan Crowley have carried the rotation but it has been too little too late.  Reid Scoggins was placed on the 7-day-DL
AZL Angels: The AZL Angels start next week.  Most of the 2013 draft picks will start here, along with Dominican signees Nataneal Delgado and Ricky Martinez.
DSL Angels:  The Dominican Summer League Angels have begun their season 8-4 in just 2nd place behind the 12-1 Rangers.  The Angels are coming off back-to-back championships.  One of the big signees, 18-year-old Jose Mendoza tossed 6 no-hit innings on Saturday.  He has a 1.23 ERA in 14.2 IP.  The 2nd largest bonus last year was given to 16-year-old Mario Martinez, who has hit .213 thus far.
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A day after the Angels selected LHP Hunter Green out of Kentucky with their first pick (2nd round, 59th overall), on Day 1 of the Amateur Draft, Ric Wilson and staff selected seven consecutive pitchers from rounds 2-8, equaling the most consecutive pitchers selected to open a draft in team history (1999).With their third round pick (93rd pick overall), the Angels selected right-handed pitcher Kenyan Middleton, a two-sport standout at Lane Community College in Eugene, OR.  Standing at 6’3” and weighing 210 pounds, the freshman played shooting guard on the basketball team (11 points and 4.6 rebounds per game).  On the mound, he went 2-3 with a 3.42 ERA (42 IP – 16 ER) and one save in 2013 (14 G). The right-hander struck out 45 batters and allowed 23 hits in his only season for the Titans.
A two-sport star at Milwaukie High School, Middleton went 5-2 with a 2.26 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 55 innings as a senior. He also batted .532 at the plate, hitting seven home runs and stealing 28 bases without being caught, in addition to scoring 20 points per game for the basketball team.
The Halos’ fourth round pick (127th pick overall) was RHP Elliot Morris, a sophomore at Pierce College in Lakewood, WA. Morris, 21, went 4-3 with a 1.76 ERA (66.1 IP – 13 ER) for Pierce, striking out 95 batters while allowing only 44 hits in 12 games (11 starts). Hailing from Federal Way, WA, the birthplace of current Halo catcher Hank Conger, Morris had a 1.58 ERA and 12.4 K/9 in two years at Pierce.
With their fifth round pick, the Angels selected RHP Kyle McGowin, a junior at Savannah State University. McGowin, 21, went 12-2 with a 2.02 ERA (120.1 IP – 27 ER) and two saves last season for the Tigers, striking out 135 (third in Division I) while walking just 30. A semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, McGowin is the first pitcher ever drafted out of SSU. In the MEAC Championship Game against Bethune-Cookman, he threw 10 shutout innings on 144 pitches to earn the win and send Savannah State to the NCAA tournament.
The sixth round featured RHP Harrison Cooney from Florida Gulf Coast University.  In 21 appearances on the season (5 starts), Cooney finished with a 6-6 record and a 3.24 ERA in 66.2 innings of work as a junior.  The Angels selected yet another pitcher in RHP Garrett Nuss from Seminole State College (FL) with their sixth pick.  Halos’ eighth round selection LHP Nate Smith from Furman University (SC). The seven consecutive pitchers selected to open the draft matched the most in club history (1999).
The club took their first position player in the ninth round (8th pick) with catcher Stephen McGee from Florida State University.  McGee batted .299 with 8 HRs and 45 RBI in 55 games for the Seminoles during his junior campaign.  To round out the second day, the Angels chose RHP Grant Gordon from Missouri State University with their 10th round pick (9th overall pick).

The Angels selected 30 players on day three of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, as announced by Angels’ Director of Scouting Ric Wilson. The Angels selected LHP Hunter Green (Warren East HS, Bowling Green, KY) with their first overall selection during the second round of the Draft on Thursday and yesterday selected eight players on the Draft’s second day. The club selected seven consecutive pitchers from rounds 2-8, equaling the most consecutive pitchers selected to open a draft in team history (1999).  In total, the Angels selected 39 players.
Overall, the club selected 35 college players and four high school players; 21 pitchers (15 RHP, 6 LHP), six infielders, three catchers and nine outfielders.  
Among the final draft day's noteworthy picks includes two players with ties to California: LHP Jonah Wesley (11th round, Tracy, CA) & LHP Cole Swanson (19th round, San Diego, CA). Additionally, the Angels selected three players from Furman University (LHP Nate Smith, 8th round, RF Taylor Johnson, 31st round & RHP Dan Tobik, 40th round).  Four colleges had two players selected by the Angels: Illinois State - (CF Chad Hinshaw, 15th round & RF Eric Aguilera, 34th round), Texas A&M – Corpus Christi - (RHP Trevor Foss, 22nd round & C Eric Weiss, 35th round), UNLV - (CF Mark Shannon, 24th round & LF Brandon Bayardi, 36th round) & Univ. of Texas – San Antonio (CF Riley Good, 14th round & RHP Clint Sharp, 38th round).
AngelsWin.com will schedule a live chat with Scouting Director Ric Wilson (TIME/DATE TBD)
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By Greg Bird, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
Let me start the train of articles pointing the finger at who’s to blame for this Halo mess. The season looks bleak and long at this point. Everything seems to be going wrong and I mean everything. The question is could the Angels have done things differently and changed their fortunes? I want to look back at the offseason pitching moves to see if there are moves that could have been made that would have turned things around. This is the question I want to answer, is DiPoto to blame for this mess? Were Jerry’s pitching moves the big blunder that cost the season? I’m focusing on pitching because I believe the Hamilton signing was happening whether DiPoto wanted it or not.
Let’s first identify the pitchers that the Angels could’ve targeted last winter. Here are the starters that were available to sign or keep: Grienke, Lohse, Sanchez, Santana, Haren, Dempster, Saunders, Ryu, Marquis, McCarthy, Guthrie and Jackson. This is the list of relievers that were available to sign: Uehara, Broxton, League, and Fujikawa. Did the front office miss gems in this class of free agents?
To analyze these pitchers I’m going to use two stats, ERA and ERA+. I will also include W/L records from time to time but I don’t put much stock in that statistic since it is more of a team statistic. ERA+ compares a pitchers ERA to the league average ERA and adjusts it for park factors. It is set on a 100 point scale. If a player has a 105 ERA+ it means they are 5 % better than the league in ERA when adjusted for parks they pitch in. 
Since the bullpen has been an area of concern and frustration let’s start there. The two relievers the Angels did sign have been hanging out on the DL all year. When Burnett has pitched, he has done well with a 0.93 ERA and a 424 ERA+. To put Burnett’s 424 ERA+ in perspective; he is 324% better than league average! (Warning: think small sample size here, 9.2IP)
Of the available bullpen arms only Uehara has provided good value to his team. He has a 2.39 ERA and an ERA+ of 183 while on a 1 year $4.25 million contract. Broxton has been run-of-the-mill with a 4.10 ERA and an ERA+ of 102. He is making $7 million per year on a 3 year contract. This is really good money and he is only providing league average production. League and Fujikawa have been awful this year. Fujikawa is out for the season with Tommy John’s surgery after posting an ERA+ of 78 and Brandon League has an ERA+ of 62. 
Of the 5 or 6 relievers who were available as free agents (do we count Madson?) only 1 has provided good value to their team. Burnett’s was admittedly a slight injury risk but he has been excellent when he has been on the field. Aside from missing on Uehara, DiPoto did avoid all of the other expensive mistakes on the market. Uehara wasn’t a complete miss because the Angel bullpen really needed a solid left-hander and Koji didn’t fit that need. Based on his options DiPoto was slightly above average in building a bullpen but hit with a nasty injury bug. Grade: B
The starting market was interesting and very confusing. The real values on the market were Anibal Sanchez, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Jeremy Guthrie and Ervin Santana (Yes, that Ervin!) Sanchez was the ace of the class with a 6-5 record, a 2.65 ERA, and sporting a 159 ERA+. Ryu was the next catch of the offseason with his 6-2 record, a 2.72 ERA, and a 135 ERA+. While both of these starters were great signings they were also relatively expensive. Sanchez signed a 5 year $80 million contract and Ryu signed a 6 year $36 million contract with a $25.7 million posting fee ($61.7 million total.) I wonder if Tony Reagins’ lack of foreign scouting precluded the Angels from being fully aware of Ryu’s talent level and in no position to bid on him. In any case, the Hamilton signing made both of these contracts financially impossible.
Guthrie would’ve been a good value signing but I don’t think many people in baseball saw that coming. Guthrie has a 7-3 record, a 3.60 ERA, and a 114 ERA+.  This isn’t ace level but definitely worth his 3 year $25 million contract. Santana, who most fans were glad to be rid of, is having one of his random good years. His record is a meager 4-5 but he has a 2.99 ERA and a 137 ERA+. These two starters could’ve been in the Angel rotation but I don’t think many would’ve been excited by these signings more than they were by Blanton. 
Grienke, Dempster, Lohse, and Marquis are pretty much the definition of average. These starters all have an ERA+ between 95 and 100, with Lohse having the 100. I’m not saying these pitchers wouldn’t be an improvement over Blanton but they are just slightly better than Hanson (93 ERA+) and a little worse than Vargas (103 ERA+.) Grienke is vastly overpaid and Lohse is moderately overpaid, especially when the draft pick compensation is factored in. Dempster is overpaid as well with his 2 year $26.5 million contract but not as much as the other two starters. Marquis could’ve been a good value but I don’t think anybody thought that was possible. It is also possible that Marquis’ season is Petco dependent and he could’ve failed in the AL or in an easier park to hit. 
The rest of the available starters have done poorly. They all have an ERA+ between 70 and 80. To put it another way, these starters are 20%-30% worse than the league average pitcher. Compared to Blanton’s 65 ERA+ they are improvements, but not worth being in a rotation. This group includes Brandon McCarthy and Joe Saunders, who were on the wish lists of many fans during the offseason as replacements for Vargas or Blanton. Brandon and Joe are not very good this year. McCarthy has a 2-4 record, a 5.00 ERA, and an ERA+ of 80. Saunders has a 4-6 record, 5.12 ERA, and an ERA+ of 73. Haren and Edwin Jackson both have an ERA+ of 70 and are just not worth running out there every fifth day. 
DiPoto missed on Guthrie, but so did most GMs; he wasn’t a hot commodity. DiPoto possibly missed on Marquis, but it isn’t certain he would’ve done as well for the Angels. DiPoto did miss out on Sanchez and Ryu but the signing of Hamilton pretty much ruled him out of being able to afford those contracts. Blanton (2 years/$15 million) was a complete mistake and even Dempster (2years/$26.5 million) or McCarthy (2 years/$18 million) would’ve been a slight improvement.  The pitching market was full of mistakes to avoid, Grienke (6 years/$147 million) and Lohse (3 year/$33 million.) DiPoto did avoid those really bad contracts. I would say that DiPoto was average in navigating the starting pitching market. Grade: C
In evaluating the whole pitching market, now in hindsight, it doesn’t look like there was much value to be had. It is important to note that Vargas has been a bright spot for the Angels and Hanson isn’t terrible, yet. I would say that DiPoto tried his theory of flyball pitching and good outfield defense that has had some limited success and one very notable failure. Looking at the evidence I don’t see a smoking gun to lay all of this disaster at DiPoto’s feet (someone higher up decided on Hamilton.) 
Overall I’d give DiPoto a grade of C+ on his offseason pitching moves, based on the information he had at the time. I think it is best we lay off the, “fire DiPoto” movement and try to look elsewhere to find the smoking gun to blame this fiasco on.

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By Ellen Bell, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer -    Molly Jolly gets asked the same question all the time.   "How did you get such a cool job?"   As Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration, Jolly oversees financial matters for the Angels. It may seem that working in professional sports requires specialized talents. But the steps that brought her to the front office of a major league baseball team are the same ones needed for success at any job: finding your passion, making a plan, and gathering as many skills and experiences along the way.    When Jolly was a kid in Florida, going to Miami Dolphins games with her dad, she couldn't have known that she would one day work for a professional sports franchise. Instead, she started on a typical career path, majoring in economics and accounting and working in a traditional corporate environment.    Her job at the Atlantic Ritchfield Company (ARCO) led her to Anchorage, Alaska where she was an inventory accountant and financial analyst for their exploratory drilling operation. While in Alaska, Jolly became interested in the business operations of the local minor league hockey team. This attraction to the financial side of professional sports set her on a course that would lead to her future career.   “I had run the gamut of the oil experience,” said Jolly. “I was looking for a change.”   She brought her dream of a new career in the entertainment/sports industry with her to  Los Angeles, where she earned her MBA in Business Administration at UCLA.  For her thesis project she wrote a business plan for buying a minor league hockey team. This  led to consulting work with the Long Beach Ice Dogs. It was about this time when The Disney Company was looking for a Director of Finance for both the Anaheim Ducks and the Angels.    The right job came along at just the right time.   Success may have seemed like an overnight stroke of good luck, but it was really a result of years of business experience and an intentional plan to join the industry of her choice.    “It was a combination of moving in the right direction and then having enough momentum to make it happen when the opportunity came along.”   Today, Molly Jolly is responsible for the financial and administrative side of the Angels Organization, which includes everything from financial reporting and budgeting to ticketing operations and human resources. From her side of things, working in the front office of a major league baseball team is no different than any other corporation.   “Baseball is a business,” said Jolly. “Having a broad tool kit of transportable skills is more important than knowing the difference between an ball and a strike.”   Being a woman makes little difference when it comes to business opportunities in the professional sports industry.    “In the Angels organization, we need people with a wide variety of skills,” Jolly explains. “Regardless of gender or sports experience. We look for people who are good at what they do.”   During home games, she can be found at Angels Stadium, making sure that all is going smoothly. Being on duty during the game is part of the job description in professional sports. But every once and awhile, Jolly likes to takes a break and enjoy the same experience as the fans. Once on her birthday, she told her husband that she wanted to sit in the stands, eat a hot dog and watch the game like everyone else.    “Nobody knew who I was. I could just relax and enjoy the game like all the other fans.”   Look for my next 'Women of Angels Baseball' segment on Monday, June 17th as I uncover yet another influential woman behind 
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By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -  
JUNE 12, 2002
GAME 63 - PIRATES AT ANGELS
ANAHEIM -- David Eckstein did it his way this time.
The Angels' 5-foot-7 shortstop is the first to say his major league-leading three grand slams this season were flukes, but the Edison Field crowd buzzed in anticipation when Eckstein stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and the game with the Pittsburgh Pirates tied at 4 in the seventh inning Wednesday night.
Eckstein ripped a line drive to center field, where the ball ricocheted off center fielder Chad Hermansen's left shin and got past right fielder Craig Wilson. By the time the smoke cleared Eckstein was on third with a three-run triple and the Angels were on their way to an 8-5 win in front of 17,096 fans.
With the win the Angels took two of three from the Pirates and remain one game behind first-place Seattle in the A.L. West.
Eckstein's exploits with the bases loaded this season have become well-known throughout baseball, but he has maintained that hitting the ball in the air is not his game. He has eight at-bats with the bases loaded this season, getting four hits (three homers and a triple).
``He's by far the most fundamentally sound player I've ever played with,'' Angels center fielder Darin Erstad said. ``He doesn't try to do too much and he knows what he wants to do. That's why he's so successful.''
Eckstein went into the game hitting .382 with runners in scoring position, ninth best in the American League.
``Even though it wasn't a grand slam,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, ''we'll take it.''
Angels reliever Ben Weber (3-2) pitched two innings in relief of starter Aaron Sele to get the win. Troy Percival pitched the ninth for his 15th save.
The Angels' winning rally started with Scott Spiezio's one-out walk. Spiezio went to second when Bengie Molina grounded out for the second out of the inning. After an intentional walk to Brad Fullmer, Orlando Palmeiro had an infield single to load the bases for Eckstein.
Eckstein got ahead in the count, 2-0, then took a strike. He lined the next pitch off Pirates reliever Brian Boehringer (3-2) to clear the bases and the Angels were on their way.
The Pirates played most of the game without manager Lloyd McClendon and bench coach Bill Virdon because both were ejected.
McClendon was ejected by home plate umpire Rick Reed after he complained that Scioscia was spending too much time arguing with first-base ump Tim Tschida in the fourth inning. McClendon argued that Scioscia's extended time on the field was hurting Pirates pitcher Joe Beimel, but it was McClendon that ended up feeling the hurt, getting ejected for the third time this season.
Virdon, a former major league manager for 13 seasons, was thrown out by Tschida for arguing a disputed call at first base in the sixth inning.
``It was pretty simple,'' Reed said. ''(McClendon) showed a definite lack of respect for this crew. Then, all of a sudden, he started getting off on stuff that happened last year. I wasn't aware there was anything that went on last year. I said, `We'll clean up the argument (with Scioscia).' But (McClendon) didn't want to listen. He just wanted to be abusive ... he decided that he was going to be loud, demonstrative and abusive, so he got what he deserved.''
The Angels jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, getting a two-run double from Fullmer and an RBI single by Benji Gil. The contributions from Fullmer and Gil, who added another RBI single later in the game, were big on a night when Nos. 3 and 4 hitters Troy Glaus and Garret Anderson went a combined 1 for 9.
``We've got a solid lineup top to bottom,'' Fullmer said. ``Even though Troy and Garret didn't get pitches to hit, we've got guys that can come up with big hits.''
Sele, who got a no-decision, gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings.
NOTEBOOK
ANAHEIM -- Angels general manager Bill Stoneman said his phone is ringing a lot more these days, and much of the time it's another GM on the other end of the line.

While Stoneman says the club is always looking to improve itself, a trade isn't always the best way to go about it. And besides, the club is doing well enough where too much tinkering can be a bad thing.
``The interesting thing about this club is that it's such a balanced club,'' Stoneman said. ``The approach we take is, if a player becomes available, what position does he play? If it's an improvement on what we have, we'll take a look at it.''
As of now the Angels' biggest area of concern is the bullpen. Set-up man Al Levine has struggled lately because of a sore shoulder. Donne Wall has been inconsistent all season and holds the worst ERA on the staff (6.43).
The Angels have an abundance of middle infielders with Benji Gil and Jose Nieves backing up starters David Eckstein and Adam Kennedy. But Stoneman said there's no reason to deal someone if they can improve themselves simply by going to their farm system for help.
At Triple-A Salt Lake, the Angels have Brendan Donnelly (4-0, 3.96 ERA) and Scot Shields (2-2, 3.06) pitching particularly well out of the bullpen.
``Especially with Al out we really haven't performed well out of the 'pen the last little while,'' Stoneman said. ``That's this week's easy focus, but next week's focus might be different. We were patient the first 20 games when we weren't going good, and then we totally caught fire. You have to ride the highs and lows. If a team looks at us to find what our glaring weakness is, we don't have one.''
*
Center fielder Darin Erstad was not in the starting lineup Wednesday, replaced by Julio Ramirez. Erstad missed seven games in late April because of a concussion, but Wednesday's day off was simply a chance to get him some rest. Erstad is hitting .189 (7 for 37) on the homestand.
``Like a lot of our guys, he's been playing a lot,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``We've got to stretch him out, and with the National League games it's tough to get him rest without getting him out of the lineup. This is meant to recharge him. We're definitely looking at the long haul.''
*
Angels hitters went into Wednesday's game with 298 strikeouts this season, the fewest in the majors. Scioscia said it's a reflection of the coaching staff's approach since the beginning of spring training.
``The emphasis on situational hitting is part of that,'' Scioscia said. ``With a two-strike approach you work to get a good pitch to hit and you work to get the count in your favor.''
*
After an off day today, the Angels begin their longest road trip of the year -- 14 games in four cities, starting Friday at Dodger Stadium. After three games against the Dodgers, the Angels will play three against the Cardinals, three against the Brewers and five against the Rangers.

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By Ellen Bell, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 

Like many of us, I am not married to my first crush.

Don’t get me wrong; the Angels are my boys. I am a faithful fan through thick and thin, even though it’s been pretty lean lately.  For 17 seasons I have worn my Angel red proudly.
But long before I loved Tim Salmon, and Darin Erstad, there was Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg and, yes, even Bill Buckner.
I learned to love baseball in the bleachers of Wrigley Field, ditching high school with my buddies just like Ferris Bueller. I grew up pledging my allegiance to the Cubs and if you’ve ever spent anytime in Chicago, you know the truth of the phrase, “once a North Sider, always a North Sider.”
I maintained my devotion when I moved to California, as I trudged all the way up to see the Cubbies at Dodger Stadium every summer. But when I started a family of my own, I looked for a local solution. 
There were the Angels, twenty minutes from my house, ready to be my new family’s home team.  We had no expectations; no loyalties. Just the desire to expose our children to the game that we loved. I couldn’t name half of the players at our first game. After all this was the American League where they cheated with their silly Designated Hitter...
But game after game, as our kids grew, so did our love for the Angels. They weren’t winning a lot of games back then and the roster wasn’t full of all-stars, but I was used to that. After all, I was still a Cubs fan. The Angels won me over with their grit and perseverance. Plus, I like to root for the underdog. 
When the miracle of the 2002 season came around, I was able to share the incredible rarity of that experience with my kids. When you love two teams that are never expected to make the play-offs, you understand the sheer joy and incredible blessing of a once-in-a-lifetime season like that. I drank in every inning. 
Then it all changed. The Angels transformed into a team on the rise; a pre-season favorite to win it all. The Cubs even made a run in 2008, when they had the best record in the National League. As a fan, I wasn’t used to this at all. Angels in first place? Cubs in first place? What would happen next; the Clippers would become relevant? For an entire season I reveled in the success of my two teams, even daring to imagine a World Series matchup.
But the Baseball Gods punished me for my arrogance, and neither team made it past the first round of the playoffs. Curses, foiled again.
This year, I’m in more familiar territory. My Cubs are struggling. My Angels are struggling. Halo fans may be uncomfortable with this place, but frankly, I’m used to it.
So last night, when I drove to the Big A to see my teams meet up, I was more than a bit excited. The team of my past would be on the field with the team of my present. I wore my Sandberg jersey along with my Pujols T-shirt to celebrate. 
Anyone who loves baseball knows that being a fan is about more than celebrating when your team wins. It’s about history, childhood memories, unbelievable games, and heartbreaking disappointments. It’s all wrapped up into the experience of loving a team, whether they play thousands of miles away or right in your own backyard. 
Last night, even before the first pitch was thrown, I knew it would be a great game.
For one night at least, there was no way that my team was going to lose. View the full article

By Ellen Bell, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 

Like many of us, I am not married to my first crush.

Don’t get me wrong; the Angels are my boys. I am a faithful fan through thick and thin, even though it’s been pretty lean lately.  For 17 seasons I have worn my Angel red proudly.
But long before I loved Tim Salmon, and Darin Erstad, there was Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg and, yes, even Bill Buckner.
I learned to love baseball in the bleachers of Wrigley Field, ditching high school with my buddies just like Ferris Bueller. I grew up pledging my allegiance to the Cubs and if you’ve ever spent anytime in Chicago, you know the truth of the phrase, “once a North Sider, always a North Sider.”
I maintained my devotion when I moved to California, as I trudged all the way up to see the Cubbies at Dodger Stadium every summer. But when I started a family of my own, I looked for a local solution. 
There were the Angels, twenty minutes from my house, ready to be my new family’s home team.  We had no expectations; no loyalties. Just the desire to expose our children to the game that we loved. I couldn’t name half of the players at our first game. After all this was the American League where they cheated with their silly Designated Hitter...
But game after game, as our kids grew, so did our love for the Angels. They weren’t winning a lot of games back then and the roster wasn’t full of all-stars, but I was used to that. After all, I was still a Cubs fan. The Angels won me over with their grit and perseverance. Plus, I like to root for the underdog. 
When the miracle of the 2002 season came around, I was able to share the incredible rarity of that experience with my kids. When you love two teams that are never expected to make the play-offs, you understand the sheer joy and incredible blessing of a once-in-a-lifetime season like that. I drank in every inning. 
Then it all changed. The Angels transformed into a team on the rise; a pre-season favorite to win it all. The Cubs even made a run in 2008, when they had the best record in the National League. As a fan, I wasn’t used to this at all. Angels in first place? Cubs in first place? What would happen next; the Clippers would become relevant? For an entire season I reveled in the success of my two teams, even daring to imagine a World Series matchup.
But the Baseball Gods punished me for my arrogance, and neither team made it past the first round of the playoffs. Curses, foiled again.
This year, I’m in more familiar territory. My Cubs are struggling. My Angels are struggling. Halo fans may be uncomfortable with this place, but frankly, I’m used to it.
So last night, when I drove to the Big A to see my teams meet up, I was more than a bit excited. The team of my past would be on the field with the team of my present. I wore my Sandberg jersey along with my Pujols T-shirt to celebrate. 
Anyone who loves baseball knows that being a fan is about more than celebrating when your team wins. It’s about history, childhood memories, unbelievable games, and heartbreaking disappointments. It’s all wrapped up into the experience of loving a team, whether they play thousands of miles away or right in your own backyard. 
Last night, even before the first pitch was thrown, I knew it would be a great game.
For one night at least, there was no way that my team was going to lose. View the full article

AngelsWin.com's Official 2013 Angels Baseball Bingo Cards

 
 By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer

By Greg Bird, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
What about the fact that Hamilton and Pujols are not living up to their large contracts? Rbat is a stat that Baseball Reference uses to compute how many “runs better or worse than average” a player is at the plate.
While Hamilton has an Rbat of -5 and Pujols has an Rbat of 3 the team has an overall Rbat of 21. This ties the Angels with Boston for 6th in the majors in this statistic. This amount of runs alone should be good enough to put the team into the playoff race and above the .500 mark. 
If pitching or hitting aren’t the big culprits then what is left? Base running and Fielding/Defense are the next two obvious places to look.
How are the Angels on the basepaths? They’ve been caught stealing 16 times this season which is 4th worst in baseball. This has led to a 59% success rate at stealing bases which is 28th in the major leagues. To put it in perspective, if a team is successful less than about 67% of the time then they are giving away runs. If you’ve been watching games this is not a surprise to you.
FanGraphs has a base running stat and it says the Angels have cost themselves 2.2 runs on the bases. Baseball Reference has a stat that calculates the runs lost on the bases (Rbaser) and it says the Angels have lost 3 runs on the bases and are tied for 23rd worst. No matter the stat used, the Angels are not running well or smart this season. However, a 3 run differential is hardly enough to cause this terrible prolonged slump.
How about team defense? Coming into 2013 I thought this would be the best part of the team. We had a defense first third baseman in Callaspo, a very good shortstop, an improving quality second baseman, a former gold glove first baseman in Pujols with a quality backup in Trumbo, an adequate catcher, and one of the best outfields in baseball. I realize advanced defensive metrics are volatile and need more time to normalize than a third of a season but we need to something to evaluate the fielding so I will use them. 
But first let’s start with just traditional statistics, errors and unearned runs. I realize these are very subjective stats and not very useful but I don’t want to alienate the old guard by only using newer stats. The Angels have 38 errors which ties them with the Astros for 25th in the majors. For perspective, the Dodgers have committed 44 errors, the worst mark in baseball.  The Angels’ 38 errors have led to 16 unearned runs, 9th most allowed in MLB. But this is only 6 more runs than the Yankees who have given up the fewest number of unearned runs. The number of unearned runs doesn’t seem terrible but committing so many errors is concerning. What do advanced metrics say about Angel fielding? 
Baseball Reference has a stat called Rfield that evaluates a player’s defense above or below average. Average for Rfield is set at 0 and talked about in terms of runs saved or lost. The Angels defense has a -40 Rfield. This ranks them 29th out of 30 teams, just ahead of Seattle. On FanGraphs they have a fielding value for each player/team and again the Angels rank 29th with a -16.8, this time just ahead of Minnesota. Again on FanGraphs there is another stat called Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) that is computed from both “film study and computer comparisons” and by using the fielding bible. It is a value of runs above or below average. The Angels are tied for last in baseball, with Seattle, with a -41.
According to both Baseball Reference and FanGraphs the Angels defense has cost us about 40 runs over an average defense. Comparing the Angels to the best team defense in the league, the Diamondbacks, they have cost themselves 81 runs MORE than Arizona! That’s right the Diamondbacks are listed as saving 41 runs more than average, an 81 run swing!
In perspective, if we had just an average defense up till now our Runs For (RF) would be 252 and our new Runs Against (RA) would be 227 (it is 267 now.) If we could have had a top third defense, which I expected when the season began, we would have given up only about 217 runs. This is a similar RF/RA to Arizona who has a 243/220 and a 32-25 W/L record. Our record would be similar if our defense was just in the top third in the league. The Angels would be in the middle of the playoff race with that record.
Does it seem out of the realm of possibility that our defense is the smoking gun? I don’t think so. I’ve been to 18 games at the Big A this season and 12 of those were losses and I’ve seen almost every game on TV, just ask my wife. I have seen a lot of losing baseball this season and the more I watch the defense the more it bothers me. I don’t know why they are playing such bad defense but the numbers say they are doing really poorly and so do my eyes. I’d bet that if the defense hadn’t given up so many runs then maybe our pitching would look a lot better on paper. 
How do they fix it? I’m not sure. They are certainly capable of playing much better in the field than this. Maybe some defensive drills are in order? Will it be too little too late? I hope not but I am worried it will be. It is said a team wins with pitching and defense. The elephant in the room seems to be the Angels’ defense.

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By Greg Bird, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
What about the fact that Hamilton and Pujols are not living up to their large contracts? Rbat is a stat that Baseball Reference uses to compute how many “runs better or worse than average” a player is at the plate.
While Hamilton has an Rbat of -5 and Pujols has an Rbat of 3 the team has an overall Rbat of 21. This ties the Angels with Boston for 6th in the majors in this statistic. This amount of runs alone should be good enough to put the team into the playoff race and above the .500 mark. 
If pitching or hitting aren’t the big culprits then what is left? Base running and Fielding/Defense are the next two obvious places to look.
How are the Angels on the basepaths? They’ve been caught stealing 16 times this season which is 4th worst in baseball. This has led to a 59% success rate at stealing bases which is 28th in the major leagues. To put it in perspective, if a team is successful less than about 67% of the time then they are giving away runs. If you’ve been watching games this is not a surprise to you.
FanGraphs has a base running stat and it says the Angels have cost themselves 2.2 runs on the bases. Baseball Reference has a stat that calculates the runs lost on the bases (Rbaser) and it says the Angels have lost 3 runs on the bases and are tied for 23rd worst. No matter the stat used, the Angels are not running well or smart this season. However, a 3 run differential is hardly enough to cause this terrible prolonged slump.
How about team defense? Coming into 2013 I thought this would be the best part of the team. We had a defense first third baseman in Callaspo, a very good shortstop, an improving quality second baseman, a former gold glove first baseman in Pujols with a quality backup in Trumbo, an adequate catcher, and one of the best outfields in baseball. I realize advanced defensive metrics are volatile and need more time to normalize than a third of a season but we need to something to evaluate the fielding so I will use them. 
But first let’s start with just traditional statistics, errors and unearned runs. I realize these are very subjective stats and not very useful but I don’t want to alienate the old guard by only using newer stats. The Angels have 38 errors which ties them with the Astros for 25th in the majors. For perspective, the Dodgers have committed 44 errors, the worst mark in baseball.  The Angels’ 38 errors have led to 16 unearned runs, 9th most allowed in MLB. But this is only 6 more runs than the Yankees who have given up the fewest number of unearned runs. The number of unearned runs doesn’t seem terrible but committing so many errors is concerning. What do advanced metrics say about Angel fielding? 
Baseball Reference has a stat called Rfield that evaluates a player’s defense above or below average. Average for Rfield is set at 0 and talked about in terms of runs saved or lost. The Angels defense has a -40 Rfield. This ranks them 29th out of 30 teams, just ahead of Seattle. On FanGraphs they have a fielding value for each player/team and again the Angels rank 29th with a -16.8, this time just ahead of Minnesota. Again on FanGraphs there is another stat called Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) that is computed from both “film study and computer comparisons” and by using the fielding bible. It is a value of runs above or below average. The Angels are tied for last in baseball, with Seattle, with a -41.
According to both Baseball Reference and FanGraphs the Angels defense has cost us about 40 runs over an average defense. Comparing the Angels to the best team defense in the league, the Diamondbacks, they have cost themselves 81 runs MORE than Arizona! That’s right the Diamondbacks are listed as saving 41 runs more than average, an 81 run swing!
In perspective, if we had just an average defense up till now our Runs For (RF) would be 252 and our new Runs Against (RA) would be 227 (it is 267 now.) If we could have had a top third defense, which I expected when the season began, we would have given up only about 217 runs. This is a similar RF/RA to Arizona who has a 243/220 and a 32-25 W/L record. Our record would be similar if our defense was just in the top third in the league. The Angels would be in the middle of the playoff race with that record.
Does it seem out of the realm of possibility that our defense is the smoking gun? I don’t think so. I’ve been to 18 games at the Big A this season and 12 of those were losses and I’ve seen almost every game on TV, just ask my wife. I have seen a lot of losing baseball this season and the more I watch the defense the more it bothers me. I don’t know why they are playing such bad defense but the numbers say they are doing really poorly and so do my eyes. I’d bet that if the defense hadn’t given up so many runs then maybe our pitching would look a lot better on paper. 
How do they fix it? I’m not sure. They are certainly capable of playing much better in the field than this. Maybe some defensive drills are in order? Will it be too little too late? I hope not but I am worried it will be. It is said a team wins with pitching and defense. The elephant in the room seems to be the Angels’ defense.

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AngelsWin.com's Official 2013 Angels Baseball Bingo Cards

 
 By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer

AngelsWin.com's Official 2013 Angels Baseball Bingo Cards

 
 By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer

AngelsWin.com's Official 2013 Angels Baseball Bingo Cards

 
 By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer

AngelsWin.com's Official 2013 Angels Baseball Bingo Cards

 
 By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer

AngelsWin.com's Official 2013 Angels Baseball Bingo Cards

 
 By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer

By Scott Stedman, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
1. Sherman Johnson, 2B/3B, Burlington Bees Past 10 Games: 12/36 (.336), 3 Doubles, 1 Triple, 0 HRs, 10 Runs, 4 RBIs, 0 SB Overall: .246/.359/.339 with 0 HRs and 6 SB
What’s Up: If you thought Chris Iannetta was the only one that could walk an ungodly amount of times, think again.  Sherman Johnson, AngelsWin's #12 prospect coming into the year, has 31 walks this season leading to a .113 swing in his average/on-base percentage.  Johnson' incredible plate discipline is just one of his assets.  Not only can he play both second and third-base, but he has a good glove at both positions to go along with a plus arm.  The 22-year-old Johnson's bat is the part of his game that will determine how far and how well he can play.  While he flashes potential of becoming a solid top of the lineup hitter, the consistency has yet to arrive.  This week, Johnson slugged .472, showing that there is some sneaky power in his bat as well.  Long-term, Johnson may eventually become a very solid utility man for the Halos.
2. Kole Calhoun, OF, Salt Lake Bees Past 10 Games: 17/41 (.415), 3 Doubles, 0 Triples, 3 HRs, 10 Runs, 13 RBIs, 3 SB Overall: .387/.466/.581 with 3 HRs and 5 SB
What’s Up: It looks like the Angels may need to give Kole Calhoun another chance, and soon.  Since coming off the DL in Salt Lake, Calhoun has done nothing but rake.  Remarkably, Calhoun has hit lefties (.375) nearly as well as righties (.391), so he shouldn't have to worry about being platooned anywhere down the road.  By now, we all know what Calhoun brings to the table: a gritty, Erstadian style of play, with 5 average-plus tools.  Calhoun can easily play all three of the outfield positions, but has been playing mainly center-field this year.  Should any of the current Angels outfielders go down, Calhoun needs to be given the chance to start for the Halos.
3. Taylor Lindsey, 2B, Arkansas Travelers Past 10 Games: 13/38 (.333), 2 Doubles, 1 Triple, 1 HR, 3 Runs, 4 RBIs, 0 SB Overall: .261/.320/.424 with 7 HRs and 2 SB
What’s Up: Taylor Lindsey has completely made up for an April in which he hit just .208 - and more.  The 21-year-old former supplemental first-round pick has brought his OPS up to nearly .750 in a tough hitting environment in Arkansas.  Lindsey, 2011's Pioneer League MVP, has confirmed what scouts believed going into the 2010 draft - he has extraordinary hand-eye coordination from the left-side and can square up any pitch, anywhere.  What scouts didn't foresee, however, is his power.  He was labeled as a guy who may get a hold of 5-8 home-runs a year, but now it seems as if 15 may not be out of the question.  His defense remains a work in progress, but he is, without a doubt, getting better with time.  Taylor Lindsey may in fact be the eventual replacement of Howie Kendrick.
4. Mike Morin, RP, Inland Empire 66ers Past 10 Games: 0-0, 5 Saves, 2.08 ERA, 13 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 15 K, 0.92 WHIP Overall: 3-1, 7 Saves, 1.84 ERA, 29.1 IP, 23 H, 3 BB, 34 K, 0.89 WHIP, .221 BAA
What’s Up:  At this point, it's difficult to come up with an answer to the question, "Why is Mike Morin still in High-A ball"?  Not only is Morin not allowing many hits or runs at all, he has walked 3 (!!) batters all season.  That is just ridiculous, and a breath of fresh air, considering what the Angels are working with in their bullpen this season.  The 22-year-old Morin encompasses the best change-up in the organization by far, and sits in the low 90s with his fastball with impeccable command and control.  A conservative timeline puts Morin with the Angels sometime in 2014 although if they continue to fall further and further out of the playoff race, I would not be surprised to see Morin in the big leagues in September of this year.  
5. Kaleb Cowart, 3B, Arkansas Travelers Past 10 Games: 11/36 (.306), 0 Doubles, 1 Triple, 0 HR, 7 Runs, 3 RBIs, 1 SB Overall: .226/.286/.333 with 3 HR and 6 SB
What’s Up:  It feels great to be able to put Kaleb Cowart on the Hotlist considering his brutal start to the season.  Although the power has not shown up this year for the Angels top prospect, it looks as if the bat is slowly but surely coming around.  Cowart's weakness coming into the season was that his swing from the left-side got long at times, causing him to be tardy on the fastball.  This is what plagued him at the beginning of the year but he is coming around now with a quicker swing.  Defensively, Cowart had struggled as well - 11 errors thus far - but as his hitting improves, I expect his fielding to get back to normal as well.  The only thing that Cowart's slow start hurt is his timeline to the big leagues.  The potential for the former 1st round pick is still sky high.  Sunday was his 21st birthday, so happy birthday Kaleb!
Affiliate Reports:
Salt Lake Bees: The Bees went 4-3 this week, staying in 3rd place in their division.  Offensively, Brad Hawpe, Efren Navarro and Matt Long are carrying the team.  On Sunday, Matt Shoemaker was the first Bees pitcher to strike out 10 since Jerome Williams did it in 2011.  Out of the bullpen, Ryan Brasier has tossed 5 consecutive scoreless outings.  
Arkansas Travelers: Arkansas' 2-4 week dropped them to .500 and second-place in the Texas League North.  Jett Bandy and C.J. Cron continue to hit very well for the Travs'.  Bandy especially is quickly working his way up the catching depth chart.  Randal Grichuk was forced on to the 15-day DL with a lower back strain.  Not much positive news to report from the pitching side.
Inland Empire 66ers: The 66ers are back at .500 after a disappointing 2-5 week.  R.J. Alvarez has really shined out of the bullpen lately, although his walk rate is still fairly high.  Eric Stamets, Michael Snyder, and Alex Yarbrough have excelled lately, carrying the team offensively.  All three of those players have extremely high ceilings. 
Burlington Bees: Burlington had to play catch up this week after being rained out a lot in the last month.  They went 4-4 but still remain in the cellar of the division.  Cam Bedrosian continues to turn heads out of the bullpen - remaining lights out.  Joey Krehbiel has put together a string of 7 consecutive shutout outings.  He has 27 strikeouts in just 21 innings.

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By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
So I’m sitting here “watching” the Angels lose to the Astros one more time.  I’m at work so the watching is via ESPN’s gamecast, about the only thing ESPN does well anymore (unless they want to advertise onangelswin.com, in which case everything about ESPN is aces!).  Since I don’t have a broadcast to listen to I have some music on, and I’m listening to some Bruce Springsteen.  After the Astros just scored their sixth run – effectively putting the game out of reach at 6-2, even though it was already done at 4-2 – there was a moment of serendipity as the beautiful song “I Wish I Were Blind” came on.  It perfectly fits how I feel about the team right now, with the memory of the eight-game winning streak already vanishing like the memory of the last time Albert Pujols ran without looking like a penguin.  Click on the YouTube video below, enjoy the song, and read along to my lyrics that have been changed to be Angels-centric…

I love to see the start of baseball

In the early spring
I love to see the message of hope
The new season brings
But when I see the Angels fold
Against the Houston Astros
I wish I were blind
When I see this team play ball

I love to see Mike Trout hit a  
Single that gets him to third
I love to watch the ball leave the park
Off Mark Trumbo’s bat
Then I see, yet another
Botched hit and run play kill a rally
And I wish I were blind
When I watch this team play ball

This team struggles against all the worst pitchers
And their bats that once score more than five runs
Can barely get two
And the joy I once got from watching them play
Is banished from me
And a dismal team, is all baby that my heart sees

And though this team is staffed
With players like Pujols and Josh Hamilton
Oh I wish I were blind
When I see this team play ball

This team struggles against just about every pitcher
Every two run defecit they face
Feels more like ten
And the joy I once got from watching them play
Is banished from me
And a dismal team, is all baby that my heart sees

And though we have Mike Trout, and maybe one or two other players
I still like to watch
Oh I wish I were blind
When I see this team play ball View the full article

By Robert Cunningham, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer -
Mike Trout is awesome.

All of us are aware of his capability, especially at such a young age. It is almost unprecedented in baseball history.
For a while now I have been toying with the idea of a “periodic article series”  focusing solely on Mike Trout and his past and hopefully, many, future accomplishments.
I wanted to make the series witty, fun, and, most importantly, informative about Trout’s current and potential achievements on the field. If I go 1 for 3, in this endeavor, I’ll be happy (and more importantly hitting for average).
As with all monumental and miniscule ideas (your choice) I had to put the electrons that are firing across my brain onto paper or, in this case, electrons firing across the Internet.
The real problem became what to name the series? I like Mike Trout a lot as I am sure many of you do as well. It is possible that Mike will read this article and I want him to be impressed.
In fact I want him to be so impressed that he says, “That Robert sure is a good guy…. I wonder if he would be my friend?” I’m sure Mike needs a good friend in his life and I certainly feel, like all of you, that I am well qualified and will successfully meet his friend criteria.
I mean just look at what we already have in common! We both are, currently, in the state of California, we both are adored by our fans (right tdawg!.... tdawg?), and we both gained weight during the offseason!
So I thought, “Self, why don’t you just go ahead and assume that Mike Trout will want to be your friend!” I quickly began brainstorming article titles and came up with some real gems like “I want to be liked by Mike” and the illustrious and clever “Friends with Trout”.
As time (quickly) passed I began to realize how presumptuous it was of me to assume that Mr. Trout would have the time or energy to invest in our future friendship. I quickly realized that being friends with Trout will probably never happen (or could it? Mike? Please!.... Wait, does that sound desperate?).
I quickly shelved those efforts and decided to refocus on the periodic series that will highlight Mike Trout fun facts and possible milestones that number 27 could potentially break from a historical perspective.
Recently Mike hit 3 triples over a seven game span. The fact that Mike is leading the league in triples intrigued me enough to look at how many doubles, triples, and home runs he has for the season so far and, if he continues at this pace, what totals will he finish with at the end of the season.
First of all Mr. Trout (or would you just prefer Mike?) has made 237 Plate Appearances (PA’s) this season and currently has 14 doubles, 6 triples, and 10 home runs over 54 games played.
At Mikey’s current pace (4.61 PA’s/Game) he will eclipse 700 PA’s by the end of the season assuming he plays in all of the remaining games (Scioscia may sit him a game or two but I doubt it).
If he maintains that pace in both PA’s and extra-base hits, Mike would end up with over 40 doubles, 17 triples, and 30 home runs! Fantastic production!
So, the next questions that popped into my little brain were: How does this compare to other players, who are 22 years or younger, throughout the hallowed ages of baseball? Are there any other players who accomplished this trifecta in previous seasons?
To FanGraphs we go!
To help narrow the list down I began with the always hard to hit triple. Since 1871 there have only been 33 separate player seasons, age 22 or younger, where a player has hit 17 or more triples in one season.
Only one player, Mr. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, had more than one season (two, to be exact, in 1911 and 1912) above the 17 triple mark. The rest of the list is dotted with familiar names such as Cobb, Musial, Vaughan, Crawford (Carl and Sam), Hornsby, Reyes, et. al.
Next I took that list of 33 players and identified those that also hit 30 or more HR’s and….. Whoa! Stop and take a deep breath!
Since 1871 there has NEVER been a player, 22 years or younger, who has hit 17 or more triples AND 30 or more home runs! In fact there has never been a player, 22 years or younger, who has hit 17 or more triples AND 20 or more home runs!
The uniqueness of this potential accomplishment made me temporarily expand the search to see how many players, no matter what their age, have actually accomplished a 17+ Triple/30+ Home Run season.
As it turns out, there are precious few: Willie Mays (20/35) in 1957, Jim Bottomley (20/31) in 1928, Jimmy Rollins (20/30) in 2007, Stan Musial (18/39) in 1948, and the legendary Lou Gehrig (18/47 and 17/41) who had two seasons, in 1927 and 1930, at that level.
That’s it! Only five players have ever accomplished a season where they hit 17 or more triples along with 30 or more home runs!
This just shows how rare it is to find a true power/speed combination in baseball. Many players are hyped (and some rightfully so) with this tag but when you look at the names above you can better appreciate what true talent really is.
So, with that little interesting sidebar analyzed, I will now return to our regularly scheduled discussion.
At the ripe age of 22, Mike Trout has another chance to make a unique mark on baseball history. His current pace of a 40/17/30 double, triple, home run season has never been seen in the annals of baseball history by someone so young.
Oh and let’s not forget about the doubles comparison. Compared to the five players who have accomplished a 17+/30+ Triple/HR season how does Trout’s doubles pace compare to those players?
Mays had a 26/20/35 2B, 3B, HR season. Bottomley had a 42/20/31 season. Rollins went  38/20/30 in his lone season. Musial had a 46/18/39 season. Finally, Gehrig had a 52/18/47 and a 42/17/41, season, respectively.
Clearly Trout is on a similar doubles pace as the group he is chasing. Mike has the chance, once again, to join some elite company in the history of baseball. If he can continue at this pace he will become only one of six players to ever finish a season with such an abundance of extra base hits.
Also, let me point out one last thing. Only two of those players, Mays and Rollins had more than a dozen stolen bases. Willie had 38 and Rollins had 41 in their respective seasons. Trout is currently on pace for 35 stolen bases, which just heightens the potential greatness that this season can bring.
I’m sure Trout will inspire me to write another “Trends with Trout” article in the near future, but until then continue to enjoy the young man who is playing baseball the way it was meant to be played and cheer him on to another potentially history-making season! Go Angels!

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The outlook for the 21-27 Angels is not nearly as grim as it once was this season. Every portion of the Angels' game has picked up during a six-game win streak and there is further reason for optimism with ace Jered Weaver on the mend.
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By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Director of Social Media
Where do you go when you have a question?  You ask an expert!
Angels fans have lots of questions about this team right now:  "Are they still in it?"  "What should we expect from Weaver upon his return?"  "Is Mike Trout going to beat out Miggy for MVP this year?"   "Am I the only one who wants to jump off a cliff when they hear "Buttercup?"  
These are all valid questions, and they deserve answers!  So we worked to assemble a sophisticated group of experts to answers all your Halo related inquiries.
Unfortunately, our efforts to assemble such a group fell a little short.  So in the absence of actual experts, AngelsWin.com Podcast hosts, Adam Dodge & Geoff Stoddart, along with AngelsWin.com founder, Chuck Richter, said they'd step up and take on the challenge.
On this Sunday's podcast, the boys will be talking Angels baseball and answering your questions.  You can Tweet your questions using the hashtag #AskAWExperts, post a question on our Facebook page or post a question on our board's Fan Forum.  No question is too tough for them to take head on, so ask away!
AngelsWin.com, Ask The "Experts."  Because if we don't know the answer … you can bet we'll make one up!
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By Scott Stedman, AngelsWin.com Staff Reporter -    1. Randal Grichuk, OF, Arkansas Travelers 

Past 10 Games: 13/39 (.333), 5 Doubles, 0 Triples, 3 HRs, 9 Runs, 9 RBIs, 0 SB Overall: .228/.281/.463 with 6 HRs and 1 SB   What’s Up:  Randal Grichuk is single-handedly proving that the pitcher-friendly Double-A does not always damper power hitter's numbers.  Though it took Grichuk a month or so before the average started to climb, his power remained consistent, leading the team in extra-base hits with 19.  His 1.042 OPS in the last 10 games shows that this extraordinary power does not displays signs of slowing anytime soon.  Grichuk continues to draw parallels to Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur - tremendous power, a plus-plus arm and above average defense, with both of their downfalls being plate discipline.  However, Grichuk's walk rate has increased 1.6% from last season and has much more time to improve as Grichuk is still only 21-years-old.  Of note:  Grichuk's 69 total bases are good for 10th in the Texas League, a testament to his power-speed combination.  The 6'1" outfielder definitely has a chance at getting a look on the Angels in September if he can keep this play up.   2. Zach Borenstein, OF, Inland Empire 66ers Past 10 Games: 17/39 (.436), 4 Doubles, 1 Triples, 2 HRs, 6 Runs, 6 RBIs, 0 SB Overall: .345/.380/.690 with 12 HRs and 4 SB   What’s Up: Zach Borenstein just will not cool down.  This is Borenstein's 3rd consecutive week on the AngelsWin prospect hotlist - and for good reason.  This week, the 22-year-old's OPS was 1.207, bringing his total OPS to 1.070; incredible.  Borenstein leads the California League in home runs, total bases, slugging percentage, among others.  When he is going right, Borenstein has quick hands from the left side and drives the ball with authority to all fields, similar to that of Kole Calhoun.  On the bases and in the outfield, Borenstein is average to slightly above average, but his potential with the bat makes up for any shortcomings he may have.  Breaking from the Angels' norms, Borenstein actually thrives with runners in scoring position - hitting .410.  That is a true breath of fresh air.  However, only 2 home runs in the past 5 games? Unacceptable.     3. Taylor Lindsey, 2B, Arkansas Travelers Past 10 Games: 12/36 (.333), 2 Doubles, 0 Triples, 3 HRs, 6 Runs, 6 RBIs, 0 SB Overall: .236/.292/.414 with 6 HRs and 2 SB   What’s Up: Raise your hand if you thought Taylor Lindsey would be leading the Arkansas Travelers in home runs in mid-May.  And not only is Lindsey showing some serious power, his walk rate has increased by over 3%.  The 21-year-old second baseman has an unorthodox coil/spring-like swing but he encompasses some of the best hand-eye coordination in the organization.  Former Angels Scouting Director Eddie Bane goes so far as to say that Lindsey is the best hitter in the Angels minor leagues - above Cowart and Cron.  Defensively, Lindsey has some question marks, just as Howie Kendrick did coming up through the system, but he figures to get better as he gets more playing time under his belt.  Lindsey is also in that group of players who may get some playing time with the Angels in September if his numbers with the Travs' continue to improve.    4. Michael Snyder, 1B/3B, Inland Empire 66ers Past 10 Games: 11/37 (.297), 1 Double, 1 Triple, 4 HR, 8 Runs, 7 RBIs, 0 SB Overall: .276/.327/.506 with 8 HR and 0 SB   What’s Up:  Borenstein and Snyder have proved to be a helluva 4-5 punch in the 66ers lineup this season.  Snyder, a big-bodied former third-baseman was selected by the Halos in the 23rd round of the 2012 draft and immediately had a solid season with the Orem Owlz which earned him the 22nd spot on AngelsWin's prospect list.  Snyder's most impressive tool is his power which could potentially be as high as a 60-65 on the 20-80 scouting scale as seen by his 10 doubles and 8 home runs already this season.  Snyder is very quiet at the plate and has a natural gap to gap stroke.  Defensively, Snyder is currently below average at first and profiles to be a future DH.  With his bat, though, Snyder could be attractive to many teams if he can't find his way passed the glut of first basemen on the Angels.   5. Abel Baker, C, Inland Empire 66ers  Past 10 Games: 14/34 (.412), 4 Doubles, 1 Triple, 1 HR, 4 Runs, 5 RBIs, 0 SB Overall: .316/.359/.491 with 1 HR and 0 SB   What’s Up:  Abel Baker just continues to hit.  He came into the year as simply the backup catcher to Zach Wright, but because of his stick, Baker has thrust himself into the lineup on a regular basis.  Coming into the year, defense was supposed to be the 22-year-old's strong suit, and it still is, but the emergence of the bat is exciting to say the least.  Personally, I have had Baker at a 1.81 pop time, which is very advanced.  He also moves freely behind the plate and is quick on his feet.  He is definitely the type of catcher that Mike Scioscia prefers.  Although Baker does not produce much power at the plate, he is patient as could one day be a .270-.280 hitter in the big leagues.    Affiliate Reports:   Salt Lake Bees:  The Bees went 4-2 this week staying in 3rd place in their division.  Veteran Brad Hawpe continues to swing a very hot bat, getting on base about 41% of the time.  Efren Navarro is also having a great season, with an OPS well above .900.  Of note: Kole Calhoun was activated off the DL on Sunday, going 2-5 in his first game back.  Reliever Ty Kelley is joining the squad after an impressive season with the 66ers thus far.     Arkansas Travelers:  Arkansas had an incredible week, going 6-1 and catapulting them into first place.  This is due in the large part to the big hitters, Grichuk, Lindsey, Cron, etc. starting to actually hit.  Nick Maronde has a 2.70 ERA in his last 10 games with 23 strikeouts.  Catcher Jett Bandy was swinging an extremely hot bat before going on the DL with a bruised elbow.     Inland Empire 66ers: Just like the Bees, the 66ers went 4-2 this week.  They currently lead their division by a game and a half.  Reliever Mike Morin is stupid good.  29 Ks/2BBs with a 1.80 ERA and WHIP well below 1.  I highly doubt he is in IE much longer.  Mark Sappington continues to plug away, with his ERA hovering around 2 and K/9 around 9.     Burlington Bees: Burlington endured a tough week with a 3-5 record and playing a doubleheader, falling to the cellar in the division at 15-24. Eduard Santon, a 23-year-old pitcher has 32 Ks in just 26 innings.  1B/3B Michael Bolaski is hitting .371 in his past 10 games.  He is just 21-years-old and has the potential to be a breakout prospect.  

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Columnist - 
A Brief History of Franchise Ineptitude
I’ve never really liked the way the Angels were run. I started following the team around 1980, although I was just a kid and only vaguely followed them, not getting serious about the team until 1987, the year after their ill-fated 1986 campaign. The Angels had been to the playoffs three times in the previous eight years, and finished 1st or 2nd in the division in six of the last nine years (1978-86), so for most of my early years they had been a contender. 
After the accursed 1986 season, the franchise entered another dark age that rivaled their first decade and a half; as with 1961-1978, from 1987 to 2001, a span of 15 years, they didn’t make a playoff appearance. There were a couple of close calls, most notably the infamous Great Collapse of 1995, which for me was the low-point in Angels history. While 1986 was disappointing, it was the culmination of the Buzzie Bavasi and Mike Port crafted mercenary teams. The big stars were imports from other organization like Bobby Grich, Doug DeCinces, Reggie Jackson, and Rod Carew, and thus didn’t quite have the “these are my guys” feel that is symptomatic of a homegrown team. 
It wasn’t until the late 80s that the Angels began to focus more on player development. The first wave, including players like Wally Joyner, Devon White, and Jack Howell, didn’t bear fruit, perhaps partially because the Angels still relied upon bringing in aging free agents past their prime. The rosters of the late 80s and early 90s are veritable "Who’s Who" of 80s All-Star teams, yet of course all well past All-Star performance. When Tim Salmon arrived in 1993 and won Rookie of the Year, a new and more hopeful era began.  In 1995 the team was a mixture of a talented young outfield of Salmon, Jim Edmonds, and Garret Anderson, stalwart shortstop Gary DiSarcina hitting well, franchise cornerstone Chuck Finley leading the rotation, and a mixture of imports including sparkplug Tony Philips and first baseman JT Snow. On August 16 the team was 64-38 with a 10.5 game lead. What happened next was one of the worst collapses in baseball history and rather inexplicable. The Angels went 9-28 over their next 37 games, falling 3 games behind the Seattle Mariners. They then proceeded to win five games in a row to force a one game tiebreaker with the Mariners. What followed was probably the most painful game I’ve ever watched. A fading Mark Langston faced Cy Young Award winning Randy Johnson. Through six and a half innings the Mariners had a narrow 1-0 lead and then the bottom of the 7th happened. Langston loaded the bases which Luis Sojo cleared on a double, and then scored on a wild throw from Langston. The Mariners followed up with 4 more runs in the 8th and the game was lost 9-1.
The 1996 team struggled, finishing 70-91 and in last place, but then the team perked up in 1997 and ‘98, finishing 2nd place both years. But the homegrown talent of the 90s never manifested in a playoff run, not until a new wave of talent came in and 2002 happened. I write “happened” because just as the collapse of 1995 was unexplainable, so was the success of 2002. Like the 1995 team, the 2002 squad was a mixture of homegrown talent – including Salmon and Anderson, but also Jarrod Washburn, John Lackey, Darin Erstad, Troy Glaus, and Francisco Rodriguez – and imports like Adam Kennedy, David Eckstein, Brad Fullmer and Scott Spiezio. The team wasn’t bursting with talent, but it was well-balanced and had a heart of gold. 
Predictably, the 2003 team – comprised of most of the same players – disappointed. The fire was lost and what remained was the talent, which wasn’t overwhelming. But the offseason saw new team owner Arte Moreno wanting to make a “big splash,” and the Angels surprised by signing superstar Vladimir Guerrero, as well as pitchers Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar, and trading for problematic but talented outfielder Jose Guillen. If 2002 was the Golden Year of Angels baseball, 2004-09 was an echoing Golden Age. The Angels made the playoffs in every year but 2006, and even then they contended but finished 2nd.
A new level of expectation was established for Angels fans. After 41 years (1961-2001) with only three playoff appearances, the Angels went eight years with six appearances including a World Series championship. If the Angels weren’t quite yet a first tier franchise like the Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, and Cardinals, they were in the next group down. Life was good for Angels fans.
By the end of 2009 the franchise and fans were getting a bit world-weary. It was the third year in a row, and fifth of six years, of losing in the first or second round of the playoffs. The team was very good, but something was always missing. A shake-up was believed to be needed, so core players of the 2004-09 were let go of – most notably aging Vlad Guerrero and lineup sparkplug Chone Figgins. The Angels brought in former Yankees star Hideki Matsui and hoped to rely upon the homegrown core of Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Kendrys Morales, and Brandon Wood, as well as the veteran leadership of Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu.
2010 was the team’s worst year since 2003 and the team finished 80-82. The homegrown talent wasn’t quite as talented as hoped, with Wood in particular being a massive disappointment. Owner Arte Moreno and General Manager had big plans for the offseason, looking to be in on both Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre. They balked at the asking price of both and in what could only be described as a panic move of desperation, traded Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to the Blue Jays for Vernon Wells and almost all of his $89 million contract. Wells was coming off a pretty good year, hitting 31 HR with an .847 OPS, but he had established a good-year, bad-year pattern and despite his superstar money had only really had a couple of superstar caliber seasons, in 2003 and 2006. He was considered untradeable due to his hugely overpriced contract until the Angels came along.
This trade sent the franchise reeling. Wells was a monumental disappointment in 2011, hitting .218/.248/.412, with one of the lowest on-base percentages in baseball history. The Angels perked up a bit overall, finishing 86-76 but still 10 games behind the Rangers and missing the wildcard by 5 games. Arte Moreno wasn’t satisfied, and neither were the relatively newly jaded Angels fans that were used to the success of 2002-09. 
Tony Reagins was demoted and relatively young Jerry Dipoto brought in. Moreno and Dipoto got to work and pulled off the two biggest free agent acquisitions of the 2011 Winter Meetings, signing mega-star Albert Pujols and Texas ace CJ Wilson. Things were looking bright until, well, the season started. Pujols got off to a terrible start and the team was at 15-21 on May 14th. The next day notorious hitting coach Mickey Hatcher was fired. Whether that catalyzed the Angels or if they finally just figured things out—and of course a 20-year old by the name of Mike Trout had finally arrived—the Angels began to play well and went 42-26 through the end of July, pulling back into contention. But the Angels faded in August and despite a strong September were still watching the playoffs from their couches, finishing 5 games behind the Athletics and 4 behind the Wildcard teams.
Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire
This brings us almost to the present. For the last few years before 2012 the problem had been the hitting, not the pitching (well, at least not the starting pitching). In 2012 the hitting finally started firing on all cylinders, but the pitching fell apart, even with the late-season trade for Zack Greinke. Going into the offseason the plan was, or should have been, to re-vitalize the pitching staff. But the Angels balked at the asking price of Zack Greinke, who ended up going across town to the tune of 6 years and $147 million. The Angels also traded erratic starter Ervin Santana for Brandon Sisk in an obvious salary dump, and didn’t pick up declining starter Dan Haren’s option. So the Angels were left with a rotation of staff ace Jered Weaver, disappointing but solid CJ Wilson, and…Jerome Williams? Garret Richards? Brad Mills?
But never fear, Jerry Dipoto was in command. In non-chronological order he traded Kendrys Morales – who didn’t really have a position and was obviously not the same player he was in 2009 – for Jason Vargas. He also traded Jordan Walden for Tommy Hanson and, in his most head-scratching move of the offseason, signed Joe Blanton for two years and $15 million. 
The real surprise was when the Angels, instead of going hard after Greinke consolation prize Anibal Sanchez or some other above average starter, signed Josh Hamilton for 5 years and $125 million. No one else was willing to give him more than 4 years, and for some reason the Rangers seemed quite willing to let him go – perhaps because of his injury-prone history and his erratic performance of 2012 - but Arte wanted a big name and a big bat and Arte holds the purse-strings. 
So the Angels gambled. They gambled that A) The cobbled together rotation would be solid enough to let a supposed high-powered offense led by aging superstars Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols.
So far, not good. As of the time of writing, the morning of May 18th, the Angels sit at 15-27, 12 games below .500 and 12 games behind the Texas Rangers. 12 games! And we’re only a quarter of the way into the season.
There is no way around the fact that 2013 has been a disaster. Dipoto’s gambles have not paid off. While Wilson, Vargas and Hanson have held their own and basically been league average starters (although Wilson is being paid to be better than that), Joe Blanton has been a disaster (to the tune of an 0-7 record and 6.46 ERA through 8 starts). Jered Weaver has missed most of the season to injury and when he pitched, all of two starts, he was throwing soft 85-mph fastballs. 
But the real goats of the season have been, first and foremost, Josh Hamilton and, secondly, Albert Pujols. Hamilton owns a .606 OPS and his performance at the plate can be best exemplified by his 9 walks to 48 strikeouts. Pujols, while starting better than last year, has been mediocre, hitting .242 with a .741 OPS. Together the two combine for an fWAR of -0.4, mainly due to Hamilton’s -0.4 (yet let us remind ourselves that Pujols 0.0 fWAR means he’s been of replacement value this year – that’s Paul McAnulty territory; it’s going to be a long nine years, folks).
The rest of the lineup has been solid, if unspectacular. For most of the year Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo played well, but Trumbo has struggled of late and Bourjos, surprise surprise, is injured. Mike Trout started slow but is playing very well, fWAR at 2.3, currently 6th in the majors. The bullpen has been, well, OK I guess – if blowing their usual saves.
To rub salt in wounds, former Angels are having good seasons across the league. Vernon Wells has seemingly discovered the flower of life, hitting .287/.345/.513 with 10 HR. Torii Hunter is also playing well, although seems to be fading and has only hit one HR. Perhaps worst of all is the fact that Ervin Santana is having his best season since his career in 2008, with a 2.79 ERA through 7 starts. Even Dan Haren, despite a 4.76 ERA, has pitched decently of late.
Where to Go From Here?
This brings us to the question. Or rather, there are many questions but I think we can simmer them down to two:
1) What’s wrong with this franchise?  2) What can and should be done about it?
Fans have looked to blame everyone and everything: Mike Butcher, Mike Scioscia, Jerry Dipoto, Arte Moreno, the players, the city, the team, the Indian burial ground, probably Barack Obama. Rather than trying to find someone to blame, it would behoove the powers-that-be to focus on how to make this team right – what to do. And unfortunately there is no easy answer.
Arte Moreno has been quite liberal with throwing his money around. While money can buy you a good team, it isn’t inherently causative that the more you spend, the more games you win. You have to spend that money well and the Angels, for the most part, have not done that. What is even more important is developing a strong farm system and savvy moves that optimize performance for cost.
Jerry Dipoto has made some savvy moves, but also some dunder-headed ones. In some ways he seems like he wants to be a moneyball-type GM, but is burdened by having too much money to spend, and the Steinbrenner-esque shadow of Arte Moreno looming over him.
What is wrong with this franchise is, I believe, what is also wrong with this country: a focus on the short-term and a lack of sustainability. Things not working out? Spend more! Buy buy buy!
The Angels need to look at their farm system as a garden, the prospects as flowers in the garden, and the major league team as a bouquet made from that garden. The bulk of that bouquet should be from the garden; that is the most cost-effective way to produce a bouquet and, furthermore, flowers fresh from one’s own backyard will be more beautiful and healthy than those imported from miles away. Now occasionally, when you want to bring in something exotic or to accent the bouquet, go ahead. But that should always be secondary and supplemental.
The Angels need to focus on the garden – on the farm system. It is terrible right now. Even the so-called “top prospects” like Kaleb Cowart, CJ Cron, Nick Maronde and Taylor Lindsey have struggled this year (although all are doing better, except for Cowart).
What can be done? This is the problem. At this point less is more. Let the team ride it out. Maybe make some minor adjustments, but by no means strip the minor league system further, or trade away someone like Peter Bourjos to bring in a rental to solidify the staff. Stop with the foolishness – enough damage has already been done. The Angels need to stop taking the psychiatric approach: prescribe one medication, then another to counter-act the side-effects of the first, then a third to counter-act the side-effects of the second, etc. It spirals out of control and you’re left with…well, a 15-27 record despite the 7th highest payroll in the majors.
Hey, at least the Angels aren’t the Dodgers, who have been almost equally inept but with a payroll almost $100 million higher.
From 2010 to the present the Angels have missed out on the playoffs. 2013 looks little different. We can hope, though, that Arte Moreno learns his lesson and stops throwing money around on bad gambles. We can hope that Jerry Dipoto has the long-range plan in mind so that the Angels can, once again, return to contention during Mike Trout’s prime years. Given that Trout’s only 21 that might sound fatalistic, but remember that the Angels have put a lot of eggs in just a small basket – they have $95 million invested in four players – Pujols, Hamilton, Weaver, and Wilson – in 2016, all four of whom have been disappointments this year. Hopefully the Angels stop trying to fix mistakes with further mistakes and take a more sustainable approach towards long-term success.
We can hope.

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By Ellen Bell, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
It was my New Year’s resolution. A dare, if you will.

Over the years I had listened to many National Anthem singers at the ballpark. One day, I said to myself,
“I can do that.”
I’m not really sure what drove me to call the Angels Front Office to inquire about an audition in January of 1998. But for whatever the reason, I made the call, recorded a short cassette tape, and mailed it in. I told myself that the dare was complete. I had made the effort and followed through. Mission accomplished.
Then I got the call.
I came home to find a message from the Angels on my answering machine, wondering if I’d like to sing the National Anthem in April. My kids, who were only 6 and 3 at the time, wanted to know why my face looked funny. 
“Mommy’s gonna sing at the Angels game,” I answered weakly.
“Will you be on that giant TV screen in the field?” Tyler asked.
I had to sit down.
When the big day arrived and I drove to the stadium filled with a mixture of excitement and dread. I was thrilled for the opportunity but my anticipation was laced with panic. What if I messed up? What if I sang off key and embarrassed all of the neighbors and friends who had bought tickets to come and support me? 
But what of it all went well and I had the time of my life?
I hung on to that thought as I met the Andre, the Angels Stage Manager at the time, who walked me through the tunnels and then up the elevator to the press level. There I met Peggy Duquesnel, the wonderfully talented musician who used to play live organ music during every home game. Peggy made me feel right at home as we ran through the anthem and practiced “Take Me Out to The Ballgame.” She was a stickler for the lyrics, and insisted that every soloist sang…”I don’t care if I never get back.”  Even now, I still listen to the singers to see if they get it right.
After rehearsal, we took the elevator down to the dugout suites level.  Andre showed me to the dressing room that was so close to the field I could hear the crack of the bats as the players took batting practice.  Minutes later, I stepped up onto the field behind home plate and took a look around.
It was a beautiful, warm spring evening and the stadium was slowly filling with fans. Peggy’s music was floating over the field and I scanned the stadium around me, trying to memorize everything.  David Courtney announced the lineup of the visiting team and then “Spirit in the Sky” began to play over the loud speaker. This was my signal to step up and take my position at the microphone. To this day, no matter where I am when I hear that song, my stomach fills with butterflies.
Then David Courtney said, “Now would you please rise and kindly remove your hats and join Ms Ellen Bell in the singing of our National Anthem.”
I glanced up at the giant image of myself on the jumbotron and quickly looked away. I decided to smile and focus on the flag in the outfield instead.
“Oh say can you see…”
A funny thing happens when you’re singing the National Anthem in front of thousands of people. Your mind begins to play tricks on you. Sure, you try to stay focused on the task at hand, but a little voice in your head tries to mess you up. This is why I will always have empathy for Christina Aguilera or anyone else who has flubbed the lyrics. Suddenly, in the middle of the song, I was absolutely convinced that I had sung the wrong words. I looked at the cameraman to see if he was confused by my jumbled lyrics, but his expression told me nothing.  I continued on, singing through to the money note at the end, still believing that I had screwed the whole thing up.
“….O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.”
The cheers went up and I felt as if Mo Vaughn had been lifted off my shoulders. I walked off the field and whispered to my husband,
“Did I get the words right?”
“You were perfect,” he said just as the umpires took the field.
After that first night, I went on to sing the National Anthem more than 50 times at southern California sporting events. I had the honor of singing at Dodgers Stadium, Staples Center and on the ice for the Ducks when they still played at “The Pond.” But more than 30 of those games were for the Anaheim Angels, who always treated me and my family as if we were part of theirs.  I have many wonderful memories from singing at Angels Stadium, but I have to say that the best are from that very first night,
...when I dared myself to step up to the plate.

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By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Columnist - 
A Brief History of Franchise Ineptitude
I’ve never really liked the way the Angels were run. I started following the team around 1980, although I was just a kid and only vaguely followed them, not getting serious about the team until 1987, the year after their ill-fated 1986 campaign. The Angels had been to the playoffs three times in the previous eight years, and finished 1st or 2nd in the division in six of the last nine years (1978-86), so for most of my early years they had been a contender. 
After the accursed 1986 season, the franchise entered another dark age that rivaled their first decade and a half; as with 1961-1978, from 1987 to 2001, a span of 15 years, they didn’t make a playoff appearance. There were a couple of close calls, most notably the infamous Great Collapse of 1995, which for me was the low-point in Angels history. While 1986 was disappointing, it was the culmination of the Buzzie Bavasi and Mike Port crafted mercenary teams. The big stars were imports from other organization like Bobby Grich, Doug DeCinces, Reggie Jackson, and Rod Carew, and thus didn’t quite have the “these are my guys” feel that is symptomatic of a homegrown team. 
It wasn’t until the late 80s that the Angels began to focus more on player development. The first wave, including players like Wally Joyner, Devon White, and Jack Howell, didn’t bear fruit, perhaps partially because the Angels still relied upon bringing in aging free agents past their prime. The rosters of the late 80s and early 90s are veritable "Who’s Who" of 80s All-Star teams, yet of course all well past All-Star performance. When Tim Salmon arrived in 1993 and won Rookie of the Year, a new and more hopeful era began.  In 1995 the team was a mixture of a talented young outfield of Salmon, Jim Edmonds, and Garret Anderson, stalwart shortstop Gary DiSarcina hitting well, franchise cornerstone Chuck Finley leading the rotation, and a mixture of imports including sparkplug Tony Philips and first baseman JT Snow. On August 16 the team was 64-38 with a 10.5 game lead. What happened next was one of the worst collapses in baseball history and rather inexplicable. The Angels went 9-28 over their next 37 games, falling 3 games behind the Seattle Mariners. They then proceeded to win five games in a row to force a one game tiebreaker with the Mariners. What followed was probably the most painful game I’ve ever watched. A fading Mark Langston faced Cy Young Award winning Randy Johnson. Through six and a half innings the Mariners had a narrow 1-0 lead and then the bottom of the 7th happened. Langston loaded the bases which Luis Sojo cleared on a double, and then scored on a wild throw from Langston. The Mariners followed up with 4 more runs in the 8th and the game was lost 9-1.
The 1996 team struggled, finishing 70-91 and in last place, but then the team perked up in 1997 and ‘98, finishing 2nd place both years. But the homegrown talent of the 90s never manifested in a playoff run, not until a new wave of talent came in and 2002 happened. I write “happened” because just as the collapse of 1995 was unexplainable, so was the success of 2002. Like the 1995 team, the 2002 squad was a mixture of homegrown talent – including Salmon and Anderson, but also Jarrod Washburn, John Lackey, Darin Erstad, Troy Glaus, and Francisco Rodriguez – and imports like Adam Kennedy, David Eckstein, Brad Fullmer and Scott Spiezio. The team wasn’t bursting with talent, but it was well-balanced and had a heart of gold. 
Predictably, the 2003 team – comprised of most of the same players – disappointed. The fire was lost and what remained was the talent, which wasn’t overwhelming. But the offseason saw new team owner Arte Moreno wanting to make a “big splash,” and the Angels surprised by signing superstar Vladimir Guerrero, as well as pitchers Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar, and trading for problematic but talented outfielder Jose Guillen. If 2002 was the Golden Year of Angels baseball, 2004-09 was an echoing Golden Age. The Angels made the playoffs in every year but 2006, and even then they contended but finished 2nd.
A new level of expectation was established for Angels fans. After 41 years (1961-2001) with only three playoff appearances, the Angels went eight years with six appearances including a World Series championship. If the Angels weren’t quite yet a first tier franchise like the Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, and Cardinals, they were in the next group down. Life was good for Angels fans.
By the end of 2009 the franchise and fans were getting a bit world-weary. It was the third year in a row, and fifth of six years, of losing in the first or second round of the playoffs. The team was very good, but something was always missing. A shake-up was believed to be needed, so core players of the 2004-09 were let go of – most notably aging Vlad Guerrero and lineup sparkplug Chone Figgins. The Angels brought in former Yankees star Hideki Matsui and hoped to rely upon the homegrown core of Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Kendrys Morales, and Brandon Wood, as well as the veteran leadership of Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu.
2010 was the team’s worst year since 2003 and the team finished 80-82. The homegrown talent wasn’t quite as talented as hoped, with Wood in particular being a massive disappointment. Owner Arte Moreno and General Manager had big plans for the offseason, looking to be in on both Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre. They balked at the asking price of both and in what could only be described as a panic move of desperation, traded Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to the Blue Jays for Vernon Wells and almost all of his $89 million contract. Wells was coming off a pretty good year, hitting 31 HR with an .847 OPS, but he had established a good-year, bad-year pattern and despite his superstar money had only really had a couple of superstar caliber seasons, in 2003 and 2006. He was considered untradeable due to his hugely overpriced contract until the Angels came along.
This trade sent the franchise reeling. Wells was a monumental disappointment in 2011, hitting .218/.248/.412, with one of the lowest on-base percentages in baseball history. The Angels perked up a bit overall, finishing 86-76 but still 10 games behind the Rangers and missing the wildcard by 5 games. Arte Moreno wasn’t satisfied, and neither were the relatively newly jaded Angels fans that were used to the success of 2002-09. 
Tony Reagins was demoted and relatively young Jerry Dipoto brought in. Moreno and Dipoto got to work and pulled off the two biggest free agent acquisitions of the 2011 Winter Meetings, signing mega-star Albert Pujols and Texas ace CJ Wilson. Things were looking bright until, well, the season started. Pujols got off to a terrible start and the team was at 15-21 on May 14th. The next day notorious hitting coach Mickey Hatcher was fired. Whether that catalyzed the Angels or if they finally just figured things out—and of course a 20-year old by the name of Mike Trout had finally arrived—the Angels began to play well and went 42-26 through the end of July, pulling back into contention. But the Angels faded in August and despite a strong September were still watching the playoffs from their couches, finishing 5 games behind the Athletics and 4 behind the Wildcard teams.
Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire
This brings us almost to the present. For the last few years before 2012 the problem had been the hitting, not the pitching (well, at least not the starting pitching). In 2012 the hitting finally started firing on all cylinders, but the pitching fell apart, even with the late-season trade for Zack Greinke. Going into the offseason the plan was, or should have been, to re-vitalize the pitching staff. But the Angels balked at the asking price of Zack Greinke, who ended up going across town to the tune of 6 years and $147 million. The Angels also traded erratic starter Ervin Santana for Brandon Sisk in an obvious salary dump, and didn’t pick up declining starter Dan Haren’s option. So the Angels were left with a rotation of staff ace Jered Weaver, disappointing but solid CJ Wilson, and…Jerome Williams? Garret Richards? Brad Mills?
But never fear, Jerry Dipoto was in command. In non-chronological order he traded Kendrys Morales – who didn’t really have a position and was obviously not the same player he was in 2009 – for Jason Vargas. He also traded Jordan Walden for Tommy Hanson and, in his most head-scratching move of the offseason, signed Joe Blanton for two years and $15 million. 
The real surprise was when the Angels, instead of going hard after Greinke consolation prize Anibal Sanchez or some other above average starter, signed Josh Hamilton for 5 years and $125 million. No one else was willing to give him more than 4 years, and for some reason the Rangers seemed quite willing to let him go – perhaps because of his injury-prone history and his erratic performance of 2012 - but Arte wanted a big name and a big bat and Arte holds the purse-strings. 
So the Angels gambled. They gambled that A) The cobbled together rotation would be solid enough to let a supposed high-powered offense led by aging superstars Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols.
So far, not good. As of the time of writing, the morning of May 18th, the Angels sit at 15-27, 12 games below .500 and 12 games behind the Texas Rangers. 12 games! And we’re only a quarter of the way into the season.
There is no way around the fact that 2013 has been a disaster. Dipoto’s gambles have not paid off. While Wilson, Vargas and Hanson have held their own and basically been league average starters (although Wilson is being paid to be better than that), Joe Blanton has been a disaster (to the tune of an 0-7 record and 6.46 ERA through 8 starts). Jered Weaver has missed most of the season to injury and when he pitched, all of two starts, he was throwing soft 85-mph fastballs. 
But the real goats of the season have been, first and foremost, Josh Hamilton and, secondly, Albert Pujols. Hamilton owns a .606 OPS and his performance at the plate can be best exemplified by his 9 walks to 48 strikeouts. Pujols, while starting better than last year, has been mediocre, hitting .242 with a .741 OPS. Together the two combine for an fWAR of -0.4, mainly due to Hamilton’s -0.4 (yet let us remind ourselves that Pujols 0.0 fWAR means he’s been of replacement value this year – that’s Paul McAnulty territory; it’s going to be a long nine years, folks).
The rest of the lineup has been solid, if unspectacular. For most of the year Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo played well, but Trumbo has struggled of late and Bourjos, surprise surprise, is injured. Mike Trout started slow but is playing very well, fWAR at 2.3, currently 6th in the majors. The bullpen has been, well, OK I guess – if blowing their usual saves.
To rub salt in wounds, former Angels are having good seasons across the league. Vernon Wells has seemingly discovered the flower of life, hitting .287/.345/.513 with 10 HR. Torii Hunter is also playing well, although seems to be fading and has only hit one HR. Perhaps worst of all is the fact that Ervin Santana is having his best season since his career in 2008, with a 2.79 ERA through 7 starts. Even Dan Haren, despite a 4.76 ERA, has pitched decently of late.
Where to Go From Here?
This brings us to the question. Or rather, there are many questions but I think we can simmer them down to two:
1) What’s wrong with this franchise?  2) What can and should be done about it?
Fans have looked to blame everyone and everything: Mike Butcher, Mike Scioscia, Jerry Dipoto, Arte Moreno, the players, the city, the team, the Indian burial ground, probably Barack Obama. Rather than trying to find someone to blame, it would behoove the powers-that-be to focus on how to make this team right – what to do. And unfortunately there is no easy answer.
Arte Moreno has been quite liberal with throwing his money around. While money can buy you a good team, it isn’t inherently causative that the more you spend, the more games you win. You have to spend that money well and the Angels, for the most part, have not done that. What is even more important is developing a strong farm system and savvy moves that optimize performance for cost.
Jerry Dipoto has made some savvy moves, but also some dunder-headed ones. In some ways he seems like he wants to be a moneyball-type GM, but is burdened by having too much money to spend, and the Steinbrenner-esque shadow of Arte Moreno looming over him.
What is wrong with this franchise is, I believe, what is also wrong with this country: a focus on the short-term and a lack of sustainability. Things not working out? Spend more! Buy buy buy!
The Angels need to look at their farm system as a garden, the prospects as flowers in the garden, and the major league team as a bouquet made from that garden. The bulk of that bouquet should be from the garden; that is the most cost-effective way to produce a bouquet and, furthermore, flowers fresh from one’s own backyard will be more beautiful and healthy than those imported from miles away. Now occasionally, when you want to bring in something exotic or to accent the bouquet, go ahead. But that should always be secondary and supplemental.
The Angels need to focus on the garden – on the farm system. It is terrible right now. Even the so-called “top prospects” like Kaleb Cowart, CJ Cron, Nick Maronde and Taylor Lindsey have struggled this year (although all are doing better, except for Cowart).
What can be done? This is the problem. At this point less is more. Let the team ride it out. Maybe make some minor adjustments, but by no means strip the minor league system further, or trade away someone like Peter Bourjos to bring in a rental to solidify the staff. Stop with the foolishness – enough damage has already been done. The Angels need to stop taking the psychiatric approach: prescribe one medication, then another to counter-act the side-effects of the first, then a third to counter-act the side-effects of the second, etc. It spirals out of control and you’re left with…well, a 15-27 record despite the 7th highest payroll in the majors.
Hey, at least the Angels aren’t the Dodgers, who have been almost equally inept but with a payroll almost $100 million higher.
From 2010 to the present the Angels have missed out on the playoffs. 2013 looks little different. We can hope, though, that Arte Moreno learns his lesson and stops throwing money around on bad gambles. We can hope that Jerry Dipoto has the long-range plan in mind so that the Angels can, once again, return to contention during Mike Trout’s prime years. Given that Trout’s only 21 that might sound fatalistic, but remember that the Angels have put a lot of eggs in just a small basket – they have $95 million invested in four players – Pujols, Hamilton, Weaver, and Wilson – in 2016, all four of whom have been disappointments this year. Hopefully the Angels stop trying to fix mistakes with further mistakes and take a more sustainable approach towards long-term success.
We can hope.

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