HaloRed16

EWWW, THAT'S A BINGO!! He may be on pace for 46 HR's, but what difference does that make with lack of run production and too many sluggers giving into the pitcher. Pujols and Hamilton have proven track records to hit for AVG. Besides, they're locked in. Cashner would be the main pot sweetner with the deal, about intimidating as they get, Denorfia would complement with the Scioscia scheme of things. A bit of a knee-jerk reaction from last night after blowing a lead to the worst team in baseball. I'll drop the suggestion and see this lineup through more, I'm just afraid it may be easier for opposing pitchers as it is. Hopefully that won't be the case, but Scioscia's more and more a misfit if this continues to go on.

It's feast or famine with that team assembled on the field right now, a lot of power but striking out. Trumbo's stock is considerably up, yet he SO's a lot himself. If this team is to keep Scioscia, then they would have to shake off the top, while Trumbo is presently that most valuable chip for them to leverage upon. Otherwise, if the Angels are dump Scioscia, then the feast or famine dilemma persists, and that spells inconsistency as we're seeing now. They found the Padres a trading partner last year and they might, as well, find them again this year. They need a guy who can hit for avg, hardly striking out, in order for the team to make it more difficult on opposing pitchers than they're showing now. Chris Denorfia, I think, is quite ideal for that. For SD, they add a needed power ingredient, and with Trumbo projected highly more valuable then Denorfia to them, they might add Cashner. Trumbo to SD Denorfia and Cashner to LAA Would you do it?

We all know him as the aggressive, first-pitch hitter (more like swinger nowadays), and he was Brett Anderson's gravy in Oakland (by those sweet breaking balls as they were to begin with), but you're right he's needed adjustment. The more I look at it, after referring to Baseball-Reference.com, he had the most home runs to his career last year. He drove the ball so much over the wall the early part of the season that it made him Home Runnerish leading to his 162 K's. Aside from quitting chewing tobacco, he fall off in the second half to Dave Kingman Complex without keeping to himself (as damn good hitter he is). Whether it might or might not be by the lumber he's selected with it, I agree, he should re-focus, and that would be to go back to the hitter he was before: The all fields, consistent contact hitter, striking out less TRY EASIER, JOSH! (WITH GEORGE BRETT HIMSELF CONVINCED BY IT WITH CHARLIE LAU), IT'S THE BEST APPROACH OF KEEPING FOCUS. I'd rather see him take that approach to the plate with men on base than swinging for the downs all the time. Mostly mental up to this point, then, right?

Or, maybe it's the bat length, rather, that's he's speeding up the barrel through the zone, and it's not the weight. Either way, he should be calibrating with different wood about now. I looked into it. Looks have been deceiving. He swings a 34.5 to 35, with a 33 oz weight. It's looked heavy with it relatively longer and a skinny handle, big barrel weight. It looks like a mismatch with his hitting type, regardless. How do you think we get out of this nightmare, guys?

Share your input, don't be facetious! Obviously, he needs to adjust. He's not getting good looks of over-committing at the plate. Maybe that's what he's used too attributable to past success, I don't know, but he's missing dearly by it. I'm shocked by the "swinging and missing" nightmare, myself. But that over-committing is by starting the heavier bat. Even with the past success, it's always been in the back of my mind that that heavier bat weight he's selected will eventually catch up with him and slow him down by the type of hitter he is. He's has a Ted Williams style of hitting to begin with and should be swinging a LIGHTER bat now. END OF STORY.

Well said, and this Halo Red has been saying BLOW UP THE BUTTERCUP over several seasons now. The ladies sing it but it's not a baseball song, it doesn't belong, even Gubby's been saying that all along.

Disagree. Look at Pujols as to how he's had to adjust with it from the Ohio Valley, now look at Hamilton. Both benefited from hitting within lighter (hot) air. I say it does effect, apparenlty until summer nears, too. It was that way with Salmon throughout his career. Why not drop the bat weight in the meantime if the case?

You go by the numbers but I go by what I see. It's the type of hitter involved as the reason. He's lead arm extension from the wrists. A-Gone is lead arm extension from the hips. I contrast the 2 with both taking a heavy bat weight with them to the plate. A-Gone controls it through the zone as it seems to get away from Hamilton. Drop the weight and he'd have better control, that's the bottom line. Bat speed's not the issue with Hamilton, he has it all in the world, it just needs calibration with the lumber better, and I think that might happen as the season goes along.

He's strong but he doesn't have the lighter Texas air to swing that big of a stick anymore. The heavier marine layer density you can see is just dragging him from behind.

Like A-Gone, he carries among the heaviest lumber in the game with him to the plate, do you think he'll need to drop on that eventually?

...why not? Randy Johnson did it with Nolan Ryan. Garret Anderson, btw, is probably the Angels future hitting coach.

Offer to fly Garret Anderson up to Seattle (if he isn't there already) to instruct you on how to hit lefties better. Your approach is awful and part of that yearly salary could be put to this investment.

Keep them coming, continue to get your swings in without letting up on the 9-0 1st inning lead, fellas!! Bust up this Tigers team, yeah baby!!!

The starting pitching will get better. Cold-windy-cold places on the road so far, I'm willing to give a mulligan on it.

P-Bo must settle in, by hitting 9th to do so.

...when he gets back from the DL. Care to debate? Here's my take: Sciosh will want the man who strikes out least, who has speed and can steal bases, who can bunt, and who can hit for avg. Aybar met across the board on this last year (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAA/2012.shtml) Trout was sensational of a leadoff hitter last year, no question, but he also SO 139 times. Trout gets on base frequently with the infield single, but so has Derek Jeter who has batted 2nd most of his career. Jeter hasn't SO more than 139 in any season but he did 125 in 1997. In the meantime, Jeter hasn't hit more HR than Trout in any season. Hence, Trout must stay lower in the order. Look at Whitaker, 1984 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/1984.shtml) who batted 2.89 and SO about the same amount of BB with a .357 OBP. He only stole 6 that year. But as a free swinger, he got on base right, right? Aybar's best for #1 with this team.

Kruk commented by the Halos intentions and Sciosh confirmed that as well on Thursday before the game. I wouldn't knock him so much here.

Bumping up the thread since this is where the discussion began. Hasn't materialized over the last two nights but Scioscia's eager to get Aybar back and put him at 1 in the lineup. Callaspo the first night and Bourjos for second didn't work, nor probably will it. The WBC interfered where Sciosh would have seen more of Aybar at the 1 and Trout at 2 during Spring. And unfortunately, Aybar day-to-day now has delayed him from getting the jump. But Personally, I think the lineup will anchor from that point of return. Remember, the 1984 Tigers with the free-swinging Lou Whitaker atop that lineup, it can be done here.

Consider Bud Norris (good pitcher, btw) got the best of them for tonight's game, hitting rock bottom this early in the season, and hold no BP on Saturday (Trout bobblehead day) to regain focus and perspective. Can a team assembled like that play tight and flat for long? Absolutely not!! The swagger will come, just waiting for that moment to click.

How do you fix this team? Everyone just shut up for now and let things settle before jumping the schnide, that's how you fix it!!

ESPN's John Kruk uttered on Baseball Tonight before Sunday's game that the Angels believe Mike Trout will eventually bat 2nd. There's no denying it. You can't have somebody bat in between but Trout, Pujols, and Ham successively for this lineup to maximally produce runs. Especially, as Ham can catch Pujols on the basepaths now, they have to bat Pujols 4th until he overcomes that Platar Faciatis. As soon as opening day tomorrow, I believe this will be the lineup: Aybar Trout Hamilton Pujols Trumbo Kendrick Callaspo Ianetta Bourjos

On a side note: It's a matter a time whether Nate McLouth will remain in the O's lineup, and keep your eye on LJ Hoes perhaps replacing him in 2013. Hoes doesn't have the power but he's a good-looking ballplayer across the board between the bat and glove.

Benjie's was an entirely different animal with hardly SO at the plate that they'll probably never find again, but it's a benchmark. Send Conger to the O's for C prospect Michael Ohlman and LHP prospect Bennett Parry. The O's are loaded with pitching in their system and Parry would be interesting to grab along with it.

If the O's have a catcher hidden w/in their system of the Molina type (Benjie or Yadier) then I'd ask for him in exchange for Conger. That would include driving them in with men on base, hardly striking out, throwing out runners and fielding at a high percentage. We've missed that!

I wouldn't trade them for a bullpen arm. Meanwhile, everybody, Machado is far from it of trying to get. Conger can probably DH, he's waning away from the Halos future plans, and it might be good for them to tap into that O's fluffy farm in the process.