NrM

every year i'm hopeful that the team will turn the corner and get back to being a winning, championship caliber team. the revelations that have come out over the course of this year no longer inspire me to feel that way.
significant changes need to be in approach and front office personnel, including ownership. until that happens, we're in for a long, dark night.

Excerpts:
"The Angels front office and ownership have consistently believed they’re close to making the playoffs, that the failures have been a result of some misfortune.
“We don’t feel like we’re that far away — we don’t,” Angels GM Perry Minasian said after his club’s 73-89 finish last season. “I think we’re closer than what our record might show to competing.”
The Angels enter the final weekend of this season with a record of 71-88. Injuries have hurt. But they’re still no closer to competing than a season ago.
The Athletic spoke with 17 current and former employees and players with the organization, in an effort to better understand why the Angels have not been able to build better teams around their superstars. The consensus was that under owner Arte Moreno, the organization has not spent at the levels of its competitors in critical areas throughout the franchise, beyond just player payroll. And that this frugality is at the heart of the team’s failures.
“The margins are so small between failure and success in baseball,” said former Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson, speaking broadly about the Angels’ lack of spending. “It could be a 10- or 15-game swing in the standings from just taking care of those ancillary situations.”
...
"At a time when other large-market teams had already moved aggressively to aid technological training and evaluation aids to their organization, the Angels were lagging behind. In 2019, the team brought in advanced pitching and hitting equipment such as Edgertronic cameras, Rapsodo machines and K-Vests, multiple former coaches said.
“Before 2019, we didn’t have anything at all,” said a longtime former coach in the Angels system. “No technology. Bullpens were thrown without any technology. … We were very outdated as an organization. We were years behind other organizations.”
Roughly half of MLB’s 30 teams have established dedicated pitching or hitting labs, according to published reports, and these kinds of advanced facilities are even spreading throughout the collegiate level. One of the better pitching labs in the country is at Wake Forest University. It cost the school about $12 million to create, and allows players and staff alike to hone in on granular areas for improvement — be it a release point, a grip on a certain pitch, or many other details that might lead to improvement.
“Why wouldn’t you get all hooked up to see what fits best for you?” Braves All-Star third-baseman Austin Riley told The Athletic in spring about the Braves’ hitting lab. “I feel like the best hitters are always trying to find that little bit of an edge.”
The Angels have neither hitting nor pitching labs."
...
"Moreno was one of four owners who voted against raising the luxury tax during the lockout in 2022. Historically, Moreno has effectively treated the lowest tier of the tax as a cap for his own spending, and the team’s moves over the last month have underscored that approach.
Matt Thaiss, for example, was activated off the injured list when he was still unable to catch due to his shoulder injury. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Sept. 13. But having Thaiss on the IL and a minor-league player called up in his place would have added marginally to payroll. They didn’t take that approach every time, but people within the organization say the front office remains cognizant of where it stands in relation to the luxury tax. And though it appears they’re actively working to be below it at season’s end, there’s a very real chance they do not finish below the threshold.
Some in the organization now worry that this aggressive push to shed salary will impact the team’s ability to sign free agents moving forward.
This most recent push to save money, however, seemingly fits within a pattern of frugality that can be seen throughout the organization.
The Angels’ only World Series championship came in 2002. Last June, the organization invited players from that team to return to Angel Stadium for a ceremony. The Angels hyped up the event, which included a shirt giveaway. On a Wednesday night against the Royals, and with Ohtani scheduled to pitch, the Angels sold nearly 35,000 tickets, which was 15,000 more than the night before.
But the Angels did not pay for travel for those former players to attend the event, sources said, requiring them to foot the expense themselves if they wanted to be there."
 
 

Dude should be pitching in MLB, regardless if he is a douche.

Let me be clear on this:
She is on record admitting she had sex with him in order to defraud him.
Pursuant to California Penal Code §261 he was raped.  She needs to be prosecuted. 

Remember when Arte finally talked earlier this season and when they asked him about investing in the organization he just started talking about stadium maintenance lol.  He’s awesome.   

I'd rather he sell the team to someone who understands how to build a winner. Arte knows advertising and public relations. The fact that he's not incensed with the many years of losing says a lot. He's satisfied with filling the seats and making money.

It's not a secret that Arte is about business and not winning. 

Money is reserved for flash in the pan free agents, not for long term executives.

filter that down below the FO organizational chart -- and you start to see why the scouting sucks, prospect development sucks, international sucks, etc., etc.  

2010 draft is where the cracks started.
Cowart, Bedrosian, Clarke, Bolden, and Lindsey in the top 40 overall picks
That’s the best they could do?
One guy who had very limited MLB experience 
One reliever who had one good season
Two guys who never even made it to AA 
One guy who had a very small cup of coffee with another MLB team 

You couldn't have fucked up the organization any more if you had tried.
 
Are you really a Dodger fan who always intended to make this organization a laughingstock? If so, mission accomplished. 
 
Sell the fucking team. We don't want you here any more. 

Wait, what??  He knew it "a few weeks ago" and they didn't announce it?  Clown show.

Good interview from Blum.  Sounds like the injury was more serious than originally talked about, but Ward seems to have a good attitude about what happened and his road to recovery.
Excerpts from the article for those who don't have access to The Athletic:
"Though Ward did not suffer a concussion, and his eyesight was not impacted, the sinker to his face left him with three fractures: one to his orbital floor directly below his eye, one by his temple, and another by his jaw.
On Aug. 5, Ward underwent surgery. Doctors inserted three different plates. He said that the third was necessary because the doctor found that his skull was loose.
Coming out of the operation, Ward could not eat solid foods, forced to consume only liquids and broth. Nor could he breathe out of his nose because of four-inch splints in each nostril. He said he’s become “a mouth breather” and a heavy snorer, acknowledging he’s probably become a nuisance to his wife.
It’s been a little more than a month since surgery. Ward still hasn’t been able to drink through a straw."
...
"In one way, Ward will never be the same. The sinker to his face left him with a broken nose, resulting in what he called a “banana shape” curve. But doctors couldn’t reconstruct his nose exactly as it was before. So the slight curve remains on his bridge. That imperfection has become a point of pride.
“I think it’s kind of good for me to have that too,” Ward said. “Not that I want to be reminded of what happened. But I think it is kind of a cool story. These things happen, and it’s OK with me.”
That mindset has permeated Ward’s thinking throughout this whole ordeal. He said he has come to terms with the injury. He knows there will be questions about his ability to get back in the box. One of his greatest gifts as a hitter is his comfort at the plate and his ability to recognize pitches — things that could be impacted by emotional scars left by taking a pitch to the face. But he intends to come back as the same hitter he was before the injury.
“(I’ll) try to basically get as comfortable as I can and forget what happened,” said Ward, who hopes that adding a new C-flap to his batting helmet will help allay any lingering fears. “Put that in the back of your mind and let other thoughts take control.”
 

First off, all of us  cannot express how much your kind words about our brother Lou have meant to us. We've been reading your comments and messages. Second, thanks to the many who have reached out privately. I tried to write reach of you back it's been too difficult. So I thought I would send this out to the Angel Win family. I was given the difficult job of going to through my brother's tablet to find some pictures we can use for his services this Friday, September 8th. You wouldn't believe the amount of screenshots he had of your posts going back SEVERAL years! He loved this site and it brought him joy until his final days. He had 3 tabs open so he could read all the wonderful, funny and especially smart ass comments you all made about him after learning about his health. This site brought him so much joy. Some have asked about sending flowers, cards or well wishes. What you may not know is that our brother wanted to move to Mexico and help with kids and children who are in need of assistance (orphanages). My sister and oldest brother are in the process of finding a charity that will help. So if you'd like, please wait on the flowers and I'll post something once it's been solidified. He had this group picture pinned to his photo log so it shows up first. next picture, Lou is the one on the left taken WAY back in the day and finally, his marker that will be at his burial site. Thanks again for everything...and GO HALOS! 

So the Angels pay a 20% tax for going over this season, and if they exceed the threshold for a second straight year in 2024, they pay a 30% tax.  The tax becomes 50% for the third consecutive season over the threshold.
Also, when the Angels lose Shohei Ohtani, having already made him a qualifying offer, they now will receive a compensation pick after the fourth round rather than the second round, which would have been the case if they had been under the threshold.
Brilliant!

Farm ranked 28th in MLB (BR) Out of playoff contention Over the luxury tax  Three strikes. Time to GTFO Moreno. 

This is a 70-75 Win team WITH Ohtani.

I realized like 5 years ago this team would never win anything as long as Arte owns the team.  He's not going to approve a full rebuild.  I 100% expect them to spend more money again this offseason, and again not go over the luxury tax, to try to win with the young group we have + free agents + whatever you get from Trout/Rendon

Phuck the Luxury Tax.... Ohtani is Gonzo. No way he stays not even the probably 30% chance he was going to.
I saw it..
1. I said Arte is either saving for Luxury Tax.
2. They spoke with Ohtani and all the BS news stories about surgery etc.  He's said he is gone!
3. Arte is selling all or a controlling interest in the club.
4. Arte told everyone we are cleaning house everyone is gone at the end of the season!
5. MLB & Players Association will be investigating this.
6. The fans got screwed... 
7. A single AA Catcher and a borderline prospect doesn't mean anything to me.
8. This just goes to show the ineptness of the Internal workings of the Entire Organization and their offensive and pitching philosophies...
9. Time to change the website name to Angelblues.com

I'll say this.... and everyone here is free to take it as they want.
And I've been a pretty big Moreno supporter over the years, until recently (it's past time to sell).
@Jeff Fletcher mentioned things in the org have gotten better recently. And maybe they have (I'll take his word for it).
But some years back I was having dinner with a few players. A few were Angels, the others different teams. And we were discussing who the Angels might get in the offseason. And I mentioned whoever I thought at the time they needed.
And the table basically laughed and said "no chance".
Here's the interesting part...
One of the guys told me, almost apologeticly because he knew I was an Angel fan, that "honestly bro... most guys don't want to play here." And i was kind of baffled. 
Keep in mind this wasn't too far removed from the salad years, where we were one of the best teams in baseball for a decade. And we had signed some pretty big names in recent years.
But then collectively they started complaining about how cheap the org was, in comparison to other teams.
Now keep in mind the things they mentioned, I took as "you guys are kind of fucking spoiled, if that's what you're complaining about." 
That being said, when they gave examples of what was the norm for other teams, I could at least understand why if the money is mostly equal, the perks might be the tiebreaker.
Again, like I said. The examples I was given that night to me were kind of "cmon dude, grow up." Like CJ Wilson talking about no breakfast or chick fil A. Well, my work (and I'm sure everyone else's here) doesn't give me breakfast either. 
But I could see it getting old if say you're constantly for example chartering shitty airlines or cheap hotels or something like that. If you know guys on other teams who get first class everything.

Hey Arte Moreno, next time you think about telling a GM who to sign ,
DON’T

Rendon could flat-out confirm what these reports say, and some of you would still be like, "We just need a little more information."