Jeff Williams

Among the Angels 2018 Leadoff Options to Consider:
(Revere is likely out of the fold but, they missed him without leading off down the stretch after Upton arrived).
Sign Revere, make him a Chone Figgins for OF, MI or CI utility, and put him at leadoff.
(I bet Scioscia might be asking that himself).  
"Altuve is out there if the Astros don't pick up his 6mil option but that's a [big] fat chance!" someone mentioned.

He'll probably hang it up this offseason.  Did picking up Upton indicate for that?  Might end up signing a lucrative deal for a STL final tour next season.   

Meyer lost, Richards encouraging, Heaney out for one start.  Skaggs, Nolasco, Bridwell, Richards, ?  Solid mid-close bullpen in tact, team rested, 19 games left.  Sux that the old folks that made the schedule had the Twins playing the Pads (who beat the Dodgers 2 of 3 and the Dodgers losing 11 in a row since) but, The Mad Dog likes the Angels for that 2nd WC.  Why, because of their game battle-tested drive.

Richards encouraging toward their drive to the post season, still a lot of games left!

Meyer lost, Richards encouraging, Heaney out for one start.  Skaggs, Nolasco, Bridwell, Richards, ?  Solid mid-close bullpen in tact, team rested, 19 games left.  Sux that the old folks that made the schedule had the Twins playing the Pads (who beat the Dodgers 2 of 3 and the Dodgers losing 11 in a row since) but, The Mad Dog likes the Angels for that 2nd WC.  Why, because of their game battle-tested drive.

Astros vs Angels:
Sick Rotation + Correa returning on the horizon - bullpen vs Sick Lineup + Richards returning on the horizon + bullpen.
Added, Astros have won 20 since after the AS break; the Angels with 24, 18 of which for August.   
What the pundits question: the Angels relative weaker starting rotation. 
What they Overlook:
39 COMEBACK WINS HELD BY A SICK BULLPEN WITH CHAVEZ AS THE ADDED ROCK TO IT.  

Astros vs Angels:
Sick Rotation + Correa returning on the horizon - bullpen vs Sick Lineup + Richards returning on the horizon + bullpen.
Added, Astros have won 20 since after the AS break; the Angels with 24, 18 of which for August.   
What the pundits question: the Angels relative weaker starting rotation. 
What they Overlook:
39 COMEBACK WINS HELD BY A SICK BULLPEN WITH CHAVEZ AS THE ADDED ROCK TO IT.  

10 of his 12 HRs on the season since the 2nd 1/2.  .258 AVG raised now from what what 1st 1/2,  .213 say?  
He mashes as long as he's healthy tremendous for this group.  
With Altuve having Trout and Simmons in his rearview mirror over that WAR Position Player leader, they might be gelling to the finish.  
 

The lineup is good where it is at, the bullpen is baseball's best, and Verlander would be an extraordinary, rewarding, reinforcing add to the rotation to this season and beyond.  If Arte would give Epp the go, willing to take on the money, no need to hesitate.  
Call it nabbing the early free agent prize in my book.
 

Back to Verlander.  Should/will Arte reward this present team with him?  Huge contract, but could be worth the investment at the same time.  The man can still bring it with impact.

GREAT ROADTRIP, COME ON HOME AND TAKE IT TO THEM IN THIS BIG HOMESTAND.  HOPEFULLY JC IS OKAY!

GREAT ROADTRIP, COME ON HOME AND TAKE IT TO THEM IN THIS BIG HOMESTAND.  HOPEFULLY JC IS OKAY!

A few thoughts since Wed:  
Chavez looked sharp out of the pen on Wed.  While Sciosh threw in the wrinkle with Fri night's game of bringing Cam in the 6th, I thought he might bring in Chavez for the 9th.  Tip of the cap to Machado who singlehandedly won that game for them.
That's baseball and the Halos are resilient to come back Sat and win it without wearing the heartbreak on their sleeves.  Ramirez is quite underrated, with the win and quality starts he has put together throughout the season.
Simmons has slumped and Altuve has taken over the WAR position lead.  
The Norris breather helped and he looked sharp tonight.  Andrew Bailey has been off the DL and hasn't come out out of baseball's best bullpen, yet.  You wonder if they will put him on waivers for a trade; maybe for that guy from the Washington system, after all?   We'll see.
 

\to A few thoughts before I begin:
Trout doesn't have a cape but is damn close to having one.  Norris is tired, stuff is flat, he might rebound with the right tweaking in between, but it's uncharted territory that he probably needs a breather for his own good altogether.  Not the Doug Corbett vacation request, but he could use a little breather. 
The assembly with this team has been interesting all season, and if they can stay healthy of getting key pieces back into their rotation beginning with Skaggs, then maybe Heaney, and even Richards, this could be quite the winning club down the stretch.  Shades of 1995 for the Astros?  Well, they're hobbling and baseball is the wierdest game!  When you're running on all cylinders focused on playing winning baseball, you move up, it's that simple.  Beginning with the figment of Jay Buehner's say to the camara's that Mid-August, 1995, with the Angels ahead of them 10.5 games at that point, "we got Griff back and we're just going to hang around and see what this thing can do."   
Everything around Trout is working, the team held fort while he was out, Simmons is quite underrated of an impact key element hitting extremely well (gipped out of an AS...idiots!), and Cron and Calhoun are looking really nice of getting back to their hitting forms.  Their back end bullpen is solid, and they have Scioscia. 
The Angels could be making things look interesting toward the MLB playoffs.             

\to A few thoughts before I begin:
Trout doesn't have a cape but is damn close to having one.  Norris is tired, stuff is flat, he might rebound with the right tweaking in between, but it's uncharted territory that he probably needs a breather for his own good altogether.  Not the Doug Corbett vacation request, but he could use a little breather. 
The assembly with this team has been interesting all season, and if they can stay healthy of getting key pieces back into their rotation beginning with Skaggs, then maybe Heaney, and even Richards, this could be quite the winning club down the stretch.  Shades of 1995 for the Astros?  Well, they're hobbling and baseball is the wierdest game!  When you're running on all cylinders focused on playing winning baseball, you move up, it's that simple.  Beginning with the figment of Jay Buehner's say to the camara's that Mid-August, 1995, with the Angels ahead of them 10.5 games at that point, "we got Griff back and we're just going to hang around and see what this thing can do."   
Everything around Trout is working, the team held fort while he was out, Simmons is quite underrated of an impact key element hitting extremely well (gipped out of an AS...idiots!), and Cron and Calhoun are looking really nice of getting back to their hitting forms.  Their back end bullpen is solid, and they have Scioscia. 
The Angels could be making things look interesting toward the MLB playoffs.             

\to A few thoughts before I begin:
Trout doesn't have a cape but is damn close to having one.  Norris is tired, stuff is flat, he might rebound with the right tweaking in between, but it's uncharted territory that he probably needs a breather for his own good altogether.  Not the Doug Corbett vacation request, but he could use a little breather. 
The assembly with this team has been interesting all season, and if they can stay healthy of getting key pieces back into their rotation beginning with Skaggs, then maybe Heaney, and even Richards, this could be quite the winning club down the stretch.  Shades of 1995 for the Astros?  Well, they're hobbling and baseball is the wierdest game!  When you're running on all cylinders focused on playing winning baseball, you move up, it's that simple.  Beginning with the figment of Jay Buehner's say to the camara's that Mid-August, 1995, with the Angels ahead of them 10.5 games at that point, "we got Griff back and we're just going to hang around and see what this thing can do."   
Everything around Trout is working, the team held fort while he was out, Simmons is quite underrated of an impact key element hitting extremely well (gipped out of an AS...idiots!), and Cron and Calhoun are looking really nice of getting back to their hitting forms.  Their back end bullpen is solid, and they have Scioscia. 
The Angels could be making things look interesting toward the MLB playoffs.             

\to A few thoughts before I begin:
Trout doesn't have a cape but is damn close to having one.  Norris is tired, stuff is flat, he might rebound with the right tweaking in between, but it's uncharted territory that he probably needs a breather for his own good altogether.  Not the Doug Corbett vacation request, but he could use a little breather. 
The assembly with this team has been interesting all season, and if they can stay healthy of getting key pieces back into their rotation beginning with Skaggs, then maybe Heaney, and even Richards, this could be quite the winning club down the stretch.  Shades of 1995 for the Astros?  Well, they're hobbling and baseball is the wierdest game!  When you're running on all cylinders focused on playing winning baseball, you move up, it's that simple.  Beginning with the figment of Jay Buehner's say to the camara's that Mid-August, 1995, with the Angels ahead of them 10.5 games at that point, "we got Griff back and we're just going to hang around and see what this thing can do."   
Everything around Trout is working, the team held fort while he was out, Simmons is quite underrated of an impact key element hitting extremely well (gipped out of an AS...idiots!), and Cron and Calhoun are looking really nice of getting back to their hitting forms.  Their back end bullpen is solid, and they have Scioscia. 
The Angels could be making things look interesting toward the MLB playoffs.             

How about a Tom Slick?  YAAAY!

Norris for AJ Cole from the Nationals.  
Field the team hot after relievers and work from there, or a team that might flip the reliever on a delayed 3-way trade.  The Rockies, Nationals, Royals (believe it or not after Davis) are a few teams off the top of the mind.  Norris is the higher chip because he can close, Hernandez the lower.  Eppler seems to pounce upon the change of venue opportunity of shooting for the good makeup underscore, seemingly falling off mid-late 20's prospectus player, such as with Meyer of last year.  Maybe that could be Cole?              
   
 

Cowart is the dark horse 2B impact they have needed that I have been predicting.  It's been a pecking order at that position to set up for him while they've been holding fort.  He may wind up at 3B next year if they don't extend Escobar, but maybe this is the era, finally.
We shall see.  Yet, his more relaxed, patient approach with letting it come to him and trusting his instincts could be bringing a nice game as he has at Salt Lake this season.   
 

Cowart is the dark horse 2B impact they have needed that I have been predicting.  It's been a pecking order at that position to set up for him while they've been holding fort.  He may wind up at 3B next year if they don't extend Escobar, but maybe this is the era, finally.
We shall see.  Yet, his more relaxed, patient approach with letting it come to him and trusting his instincts could be bringing a nice game as he has at Salt Lake this season.   
 

Hint: I attended Angel Stadium that day after traffic school to watch him beat Lompoc for the CIF South Section Championship on the mound. 

Geez, where is the L in ur name?!  Shortlived, my God!!  Oberholzer that is!

Geez, where is the L in ur name?!  Shortlived, my God!!  Oberholzer that is!

If also this year, the Angels have a 36% win record (above .500) throughout their history during the  Olympic years.  And provided this year, 8 of the 9 sub-.500 seasons would be 76 wins or less on a season.
 
2016:  49-64 as of 8/11/16
2012:  89-73
2008: 100-62
2004: 92-70
2000: 82-80
1996:  70-91
1992:  72-90
1988:  75-87
1984:  81-81
1980:  65-95
1976:  76-86
1972:  75-80
1968:  67-95
1964:  82-80