WallyWorld

Forgive me if this has already been discussed, but is it darker around home plate this year? I noticed all the way back in the exhibition games against the Dodgers. Seems like there's a panel of lights or something not on this season. Maybe it's just me.

1 quality start so far and we're in game 10. Yikes.

3 minutes ago, JarsOfClay said:

wow, lighten up.

Guy is the biggest reason I stopped coming to the board as often.

It's threads like this that remind me why I never step foot in the political forum here, and why I got the hell out of Orange County.

bit of a missed opportunity there for the Nats. Runner on 3rd, 1 out, and they don't come through. Should probably be at least 2-0 right now.

Nats look like the favorite on paper with Scherzer going at home vs. Rich Hill on short rest, but who knows. I have a funny feeling the Dodgers will pull this one off.

1 hour ago, halobob said:

The Dodgers are idiots for giving Kersh the ball on short rest today.  Urias at home + Kersh full rest on road for game 5 > Kersh short rest on for game 4 + Hill short rest or Urias game 5 on road.

It's an interesting debate. I see your point. But for me, there is no game 5 if you don't win game 4. When you're facing elimination, you have to do everything in your power to win the game in front of you, and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Kershaw is your horse, you knew you were going to have to ride him in the playoffs to have any success. I'll take my veteran ace over putting the entire season on the shoulders of a rookie teenage pitcher.

Also, you never know what could happen in game 5. Maybe Scherzer implodes or gets hurt, your offense has a big day, and it doesn't even matter who you start.

Like I said, I see both sides of the argument, but I side with the Dodgers on this one, I like the move to use Kershaw today.

So far the best part of the day is Price getting shelled. You got exactly what you paid for, Boston, now suck on it.

nice to see Trout reverse the trend of tailing off in the second half

Better info here: http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/09/01/report-mike-trout-uninjured-in-postgame-car-crash/

sounds like the the serious injury was in a separate accident, which Trout or one of the other cars he was involved with failed to stop in time for. 

one of the stupider posts of the year, so congrats on that.

your counter argument to the Angels being doomed is that they "require a LF" and need to make decisions on two mediocre talents. Oh, and that the LF should come from within or outside the organization.

convincing stuff.

5 hours ago, nate said:

He also happens to have two more years to go on the most expensive managerial contract in baseball history.

I think that's about 90% of it right there. The org is trying to reduce a severely bloated payroll, and most likely isn't going to contend in the next year or two anyway. Why pay Mike Scioscia millions of dollars to NOT manage the team? Might as well wait it out another 2 years and hope Arte is smart enough to never give another manager that kind of contract again.

I'll add that with the way things are going this year, the situation is ripe for players to revolt and for things to get truly ugly. That hasn't happened and we haven't heard or seen of anything, so I have to think the players are still OK with Mike. Again, no point in changing now.

On 8/17/2016 at 11:49 AM, Chuckster70 said:

Stupid article.

The Angels would be in the thick of things in the AL West, or at least right around where the Mariners are if they didn't suffer so many injuries to their SP and other key players..

There is still  hope for 2017, but I hope they just get someone to play LF full-time that can be productive, then address the 2B situation. I'd like to see Cowart or Escobar there with the other playing 3B.

 

Chuck, I give you credit for the fact that you normally manage to stay fairly objective about the team. But this is a homer post if I've ever seen one.

No telling whether they'd be in the "thick of things" in the AL West without so many injuries. You're assuming Richards/Heaney/Tropeano would all be their best selves, and none of those guys has a long enough history to say that would have been the case. Also, the bullpen has been shite, no matter who's been on the field.

With the SP injuries and weak FA class I don't see a whole lot changing next year unless absolutely everything breaks right. 2018 looks like the most realistic earliest point they could be back in contention.

Cool franchise, bro

In my best Hawk Harrelson voice . . . He done.

totally dependent on what they can get in return for him. It sucks that his peak value is coinciding with a really weak market for 3B. 

16 minutes ago, tomsred said:

Except Conger can't field or throw anyone out.

yeah i'd rather have Perez. i said they were comparable because they both can't seem to hit their weight and were both recently demoted. but yes, Perez seems like a better defensive catcher. No clue what the Astros were thinking on that trade.

he and Carlos Perez are pretty comparable at this point, and remember that Dipoto got Nick Tropeano on top of that. A steal of a trade.

I think a big part of what's fueling the anti-CJ sentiment - aside from him generally coming off as a douchebag - is the report from last year that some within the Angels organization (I forget if it was players or the FO) didn't believe he was really hurt. Maybe Fletcher can shed some light on the validity of that report.

But combine that with this year's lost season and CJ's style of pitching (get two outs and then throw 37 pitches trying to get the third out) and it's not hard to see why fans are quick to jump on him.

Me 2 months ago: I'd be ok with them trading Trout.

Me today after seeing the lineup: oh fuck, no point in watching that.

at least this team has gone ahead and decided to be comically bad rather than just merely bad.

2 innings, 2 GIDP. Angeles baseball.

don't know if anyone here listens to the ESPN fantasy baseball podcast, but they got into the Street situation today. Keep in mind they're looking at things from a purely fantasy perspective, but they really ripped into Scioscia for his stubborness re: Street/veteran loyalty. They thought Bedrosian could be someone interesting to watch, but then both joked that Scioscia would probably go with Salas if he ever took Street out of the closer's role, which they don't think he will.

Not saying I agree 100%, just thought you guys would find it interesting. They pretty regularly rip on Scioscia for his lack of progressive thinking. They were in disbelief the other day that Giavotella was getting ABs in the 5 spot and that earlier in the season Scioscia kept putting horrible hitters in the 2 hole ahead of Trout.

Meh, I've never put much stock in what GMs tell reporters, particularly Angels GMs. His actions over the next couple months will speak much louder than anything he says in an interview.