avejoe1

Weaver didn't lose last night's game.  Scioscia did.  It is early in the season and starting pitchers like Weaver should not be expected to go as many innings as later in the year.  Of course, stubborn Scioscia was oblivious to Weaver tiring in the 6th inning and should have pulled him after that second walk.  But no, Scioscia didn't care if Weaver was tired and left him in so Seattle could tie the game.  My gosh, a lead against Hernandez was huge and should have been protected at all costs.  But no, Scioscia didn't care if Weaver had tired.  Then instead of pulling him at the end of the inning after great defense saved a run, Scioscia throws an obviously tired Weaver back out so Seattle could take the lead before bringing in the bullpen.  I can't remember worse Manager decisions but then last year is a long time in the past.
 
Also, the Angels seem to make two bad acquisitions every year.  Two years ago it was Burnett and Madsen.  Last year it was Hamilton and Blanton.  This year is would appear to be Freese and the DH, Ibanez.  It makes me sick ...
 
p.s.  Did the injury to Don Baylor remind you of another early injury in the past which seemed to jinx a season?  (Mo Vaughn)

Reggie Bush and his parents did break the NCAA rules on impermissible benefits.  USC football had no knowledge of those NCAA violations and was not involved in them.  The NCAA's corrupt investigators and infractions committee members lied, lied, lied to assure the Trojan football team was punished and then utilized that opening to put draconian sanctions in place.  If you had read anything on what the NCAA report said and what the recent ruling in the McNair case stated regarding the improper conduct by the NCAA in this matter, you would not be so glib in your comments.

I have brought this up previously.  The only answer I have received is that it takes time to develop relationships with players, coaches, etc. and the Angels are just starting to rebuilt those international relationships.  It actually sounds like a big excuse for not having spent and not spending now the international money. 

It is THAT important to change the culture of the Angels.  This team has had a bad habit of signing many older, past their prime major league free agents with draft pick compensation attached.  As such, these "solutions" quickly become liabilities producing nothing, placing a drag on the roster and soaking up tens of millions every year.  With so few top draft picks year after year, there is no one to step up and replace them from the minors.  Then add to this a poor draft/scouting staff in the past and you get poor draft picks with the ones that are exercised.  When there was a top pick, this team's tendency was to choose a high school player assuring many years in the minors even if the player picked was good.  If by some miracle a few these picks actually turn out to have some ability after numerous years in the minors, these were normally traded away in another of the many misguided (ie. stupid) short-term solutions for the big league roster (Skaggs, Corbin, Segura).  Add to that the refusal of the Angels to buy high side amateur draft players with big demands (when they were available a few years ago) because that actually cost money.  Add to that refusal to sign high side international free agents for many years because that cost money as well.  Add to that the total collapse of the Dominican team/international scouting due to fraud and incompetence. This is been a complete mess for a long time.  It is about time it changed. 

What then is the definition of a stupid organization?
 
Would it be one that makes a FA signing like Gary Matthews Jr ( giving a 1st round pick to the Rangers) and then has to wait out years of that contract in order to rid itself of such a bad decision?  What is the excuse later when the same team goes out and trades for a Vernon Wells, not only taking on more money in another long-term contract but also giving away a good player (Napoli) for nothing?  As such, the Wells trade was not only bad but WORSE than the Matthews signing.  This is irrefutable.  It is the height of stupidity to make a bad decision (Matthews), think about it, analyze it, go though season after season regretting such a miserable mistake, and then go out and make an even bigger stupid mistake (Wells).
 
What is unbelievable is the number of mistakes this organization makes.  Every year it is another intended short term fix that results in nothing positive.  Kazmir, Haren, Greinke, Pujols, Hamilton, Madsen, Burnett, Hansen, Blanton, ...  When will this list be long enough before someone realizes this isn't the way to build a long-term winning team?  I think the Angels have worked long and hard to make these FA acquisitions and trades.  They have earned the term "STUPID" going about it with unyielding determination.  The Angels have a right to now wear the term with pride.
 
Please forgive any grammar or spelling errors.

I fault GM Dipoto on the Zack Greinke deal without getting any commitment from Greinke for a longer stay in Anaheim.  It was clearly evident then that Jean Segura was worth more than any half year rental of Greinke.
 
The Angels have been poor at developing prospects for a number of years now.  With numerous misses on high draft picks, failures to sign top Latin free agents, failures to sign top prospects (Posey, Harvey) and then having high picks fail to make it out of the minors, it is disheartening to see the few that do become successful traded away.  Jean Segura was one real bright spot in a sea of darkness.  He showed that he could hit, had speed and could play major league defense.  I believe he also switch hit and had the potential to bat 2nd which has been a sore spot in the Angel lineup for some time.
 
Keeping Segura was the perfect opportunity to make the Angels younger by replacing a veteran (Howie Kendrick) at 2nd or (Erick Aybar) at short instead of giving both long-term, high dollar contracts.  It was just stupid to give up such potential and youth and savings for the half year of Greinke.
 
(The big problem for me is that this is a repeat of the Dan Haren type deal showing that the Angels never learn from their mistakes.  The Angels had needed left-handed starters for years.  They went about solving the problem the long way by using rare first and second round picks to draft Tyler Skaggs and Pat Corbin.  Then when these two showed real promise, they traded them away for a year and a half of an old warrior going down hill.  I continue to be dismayed that such statistical geniuses make the same stupid mistakes year after year.)

I fault GM Dipoto on the Zack Greinke deal without getting any commitment from Greinke for a longer stay in Anaheim.  It was clearly evident then that Jean Segura was worth more than any half year rental of Greinke.
 
The Angels have been poor at developing prospects for a number of years now.  With numerous misses on high draft picks, failures to sign top Latin free agents, failures to sign top prospects (Posey, Harvey) and then having high picks fail to make it out of the minors, it is disheartening to see the few that do become successful traded away.  Jean Segura was one real bright spot in a sea of darkness.  He showed that he could hit, had speed and could play major league defense.  I believe he also switch hit and had the potential to bat 2nd which has been a sore spot in the Angel lineup for some time.
 
Keeping Segura was the perfect opportunity to make the Angels younger by replacing a veteran (Howie Kendrick) at 2nd or (Erick Aybar) at short instead of giving both long-term, high dollar contracts.  It was just stupid to give up such potential and youth and savings for the half year of Greinke.
 
(The big problem for me is that this is a repeat of the Dan Haren type deal showing that the Angels never learn from their mistakes.  The Angels had needed left-handed starters for years.  They went about solving the problem the long way by using rare first and second round picks to draft Tyler Skaggs and Pat Corbin.  Then when these two showed real promise, they traded them away for a year and a half of an old warrior going down hill.  I continue to be dismayed that such statistical geniuses make the same stupid mistakes year after year.)

All of the analysis boils down to this.  Jerry Dipoto is good at making trades for pitching.  He sucks at signing free agent pitchers.
 
The good:  Trading Jordan Walden to Atlanta for RH starter Tommy Hanson and trading Kendrys Morales to Seattle for LH starter Jason Vargas.  Where would the Angels be without these two solid starters?  Much has been made of the lack of stability in the starting pitching but without these two it would have been a total disaster.  Dipoto deserves significant credit for getting the trades for these two starters right.
 
The bad:  The obvious is signing RH starter Joe Blanton and his batting practice fastball to a guaranteed THREE YEAR CONTRACT.  Why is it that when the Angels really screw up it has to be for three to ten years?  The next two which have proven to be equally bad are the signings of RH reliever Ryan Madsen and LH reliever Sean Burnett.  My gosh, don't the Angels have any scouts who can look at a player at the end of a year and see the guy's not the same player as earlier in that year?  Do the Angels always have to sign free agents according to how their statistics look on paper (ie. past performance) without any projection as to how they can be expected to decline due to age or be unavailable due to a history of injury?  Look back at most Angels free agent signings and you have to wonder if any fantasy league participant could have done as badly.

The Angels minor league system is deficient because it is always deficient.  It was not an accident that Cedar Rapids dropped the Angels for another organization.  It was not an accident that Rancho dropped the Angels who had to go out to San Bernardino.  These cities/stadiums gave up on the Angels because they were not provided the prospects to make their teams successful.  Salt Lake remains the AAA city because no one else wants it.  Arkansas remains with the Angels because they have a giant outfield which screws up power hitting prospects.  This shows long-term neglect by the Angels of their minor league system.
 
The Angels have been plugging holes like firemen in the major league club for many, many years by signing major league free agents with compensation due and by trading away minor league prospects.  The problem has been in the PARENT CLUB.  A team should be able to bring up trained, tested, minor league quality prospects to plug holes and then use them in a manner that they gain experience to grow into major league regulars.  Scioscia doesn't train prospects.  Prospects are brought up too early and then discarded (see newest examples to be:  Michael Kohn, Roth, Maronde).  Draft choices have been significantly lesser due to compensation.  Draft choices exercised have often been busts.  Money to buy top prospects when that system was in place was not spent (Buster Posey, Matt Harvey, Nick Castellanos).  International free agents were not signed (like the Rangers and Athletics regularly do). The International Director was lining his pocket instead of doing his job.  Dominican players and that minor team were neglected.
 
I am not indicting Jerry Dipoto in this as he was left with Tony Reagins mess which was Bill Stoneman's mess, etc. etc.  Throwing money at Gary Matthews Jr, Albert Pujols and Hamilton is not the solution, it is the problem.  Trading for Dan Haren and Vernon Wells is not the solution, it is the problem.  Arte Moreno has to start investing heavily in acquiring and preparing prospects so when holes arrive in the Angels, there are minor league prospects ready to move up.  Once a fire has started, it is a bit late to start thinking about fire prevention.

The Angels minor league system is deficient because it is always deficient.  It was not an accident that Cedar Rapids dropped the Angels for another organization.  It was not an accident that Rancho dropped the Angels who had to go out to San Bernardino.  These cities/stadiums gave up on the Angels because they were not provided the prospects to make their teams successful.  Salt Lake remains the AAA city because no one else wants it.  Arkansas remains with the Angels because they have a giant outfield which screws up power hitting prospects.  This shows long-term neglect by the Angels of their minor league system.
 
The Angels have been plugging holes like firemen in the major league club for many, many years by signing major league free agents with compensation due and by trading away minor league prospects.  The problem has been in the PARENT CLUB.  A team should be able to bring up trained, tested, minor league quality prospects to plug holes and then use them in a manner that they gain experience to grow into major league regulars.  Scioscia doesn't train prospects.  Prospects are brought up too early and then discarded (see newest examples to be:  Michael Kohn, Roth, Maronde).  Draft choices have been significantly lesser due to compensation.  Draft choices exercised have often been busts.  Money to buy top prospects when that system was in place was not spent (Buster Posey, Matt Harvey, Nick Castellanos).  International free agents were not signed (like the Rangers and Athletics regularly do). The International Director was lining his pocket instead of doing his job.  Dominican players and that minor team were neglected.
 
I am not indicting Jerry Dipoto in this as he was left with Tony Reagins mess which was Bill Stoneman's mess, etc. etc.  Throwing money at Gary Matthews Jr, Albert Pujols and Hamilton is not the solution, it is the problem.  Trading for Dan Haren and Vernon Wells is not the solution, it is the problem.  Arte Moreno has to start investing heavily in acquiring and preparing prospects so when holes arrive in the Angels, there are minor league prospects ready to move up.  Once a fire has started, it is a bit late to start thinking about fire prevention.