LAA Road Tripper

Certainly, any successful team needs talent. They’re really not that far away at least offensively. But it’s not an either or thing. The Angels also need some kind of edge which is just code for accountability. This franchise is just way too comfortable with mediocrity. They need an Erstad-like figure. No one crazy, just a strong, steadying presence. And I don’t who that is. As much as I respect and am impressed by Trout as a human being and generational superstar, it ain’t him. Fine. But someone or better yet a handful of players need to fill that role.

Billy, in all due respect the litmus test is Ws and Ls.

A lot of accurate comments in this thread and I think IP is particularly spot on. Good clubs don't continually make mental errors, miss multiple opportunities, etc. especially in key moments. And that's just what's disturbing on the field. The bigger picture is that there's just something missing from this franchise. A lack of urgency and accountability and a comfort level with mediocrity to begin with. This is not a mid-market team like many have mislabeled it. They're in the second largest market in the country and should act like it. One of the reasons I was excited about Maddon returning was that I thought this might be the start of a culture improvement. Granted, it's early but I don't like what I see so far.

Just recounted in my head and I forgot that I saw the Nats at RFK. So 38.

37. Every current ballpark except for the new ones in Atlanta and obviously Arlington plus a few of the older stadiums. I’ve been blessed to have a career where I travel and enough flexibility to coincide trips with the MLB schedule.

I was at this game as a kid. I was a big fan of Rick Miller, too and thought he could have made the catch. However, it was a bit of a stretch calling that an error. Anyway, the next night was Baylor’s tying home run off the left field foul pole in the ninth and Merv Rettenmund hitting the walkoff in extras. Finally, with two out an no one on in the bottom of the ninth it looked like the Yankees would salvage the last game going into the All Star break. But a walk brought Grich to the plate and Bobby hit a fly ball to right that just sneaked over the fence. I remember my brother and me swimming in our pool at our home in Fullerton listening to the game on KMPC going nuts after they won. That was the catapult to the division championship 2 1/2 months later. That and the KC series the last week of ‘82 were a couple of the best regular season series I can remember.

To me, there are scenarios and windows when you need to overpay. I felt that way about Adrian Beltre a few years back and I think the same thing applies to Cole now. I'm sure that's how the Angels viewed Pujols. It was discussed here ad nauseam that a 10 year deal was too long but if you got vintage Albert for the first five, then it was worth it. And it would have been but that didn't happen. Cole may not end up here but given the circumstances I'd be disappointed and frankly surprised if the Angels are outbid by some other team.

Pat Dobson. 20 game winner number 4.

Angels and Rockies. Only two franchises to never lose 100 games. So we’ve got that.

I think a radical realignment is a bad idea. Let's face it, if baseball were introduced to the public in the 21st century, it would be a second or third tier sport. It's a leisurely game that relies on nuance in a society where nuance has little value. No other sport in America is supported by its legacy and tradition like baseball. No other sport honors its statistics so highly either. To steamroll the existing leagues would detract much more than the sport would gain in my opinion. Although I'm not a particular fan of pitchers hitting, I actually like the fact that the NL hasn't adopted the DH if only to hold on to one last vestige of differentiation. So the trick is how does the sport leverage its history -- and there's a ton of value in the brand if done correctly -- yet position itself for the future? Replicating the NBA and NFL is a fool's game. You can't win that way and if that's the path Rob Manfred and team elect I think it's a long term loser. In the end, baseball has to live or die on its own merits. So I'm not sure what to do moving forward but I'm pretty clear on what not to do. I'm also good with two new expansion teams slotted into each league. Portland and Montreal or Charlotte would be my choice.

My job takes me all around the country. It’s always interesting to get the local flavor across the US. Having grown up in Southern California and still live here, I’ve always found it interesting how this area gets so caught up on county boundaries. Literally no other place is like it. I was in the Minneapolis area earlier this week and went from county to county without any impact of note. No one who lives in Edina is hit with “Well, it’s not really Minneapolis or Hennepin County.” But in SoCal a different county is like a different world. Look at a map, the old kind with yellow representing population. You know what you see when you look at the entire metro area? One metro area from Calabasas to Ranch Cucamonga to San Clemente. Every other place in America would consider that a city.

Actually, they did. They beat Cincinnati 4 games to one and won the AL quite comfortably. But they did lose the World Series in both ‘60 and ‘62 if that matters.

So very sorry to hear this sad and tragic news. I’m praying for you and your family.

Regardless of the passion for baseball in the DR, Cuba, Mexico City, etc., I’ll go on record as saying that there will never be any MLB franchises in those locations. The economic, political and other logistical barriers are just too high. That’s not how the business of professional sports works. There is a reason why the Sun Belt has more NHL teams than Canada and it’s not because they love their hockey more.

I never envisioned a scenario where I would pull for the Boston Red Sox to win the World Series but here we are. After typing that I think i’m going to be sick. Correction: After typing that, I’m sick.

I really do like Anderson’s stuff. Now if he could only throw strikes...

Just what an incredibly terrible and tragic situation. My heart really goes out to Jessica and her family, praying for them a peace that goes beyond understanding because I doubt that understanding exists right now. I cannot imagine the pain and confusion that the Cox family is enduring. Very, very sad. Mike rightfully needs to be with his wife as long as possible while dealing with his own pain of losing a friend. I'm sure Trout will be back at some point in 2018 but that is so secondary to everything it's hardly perceptible.

Greetings tonight from Citi Field, home of the Angels, East Coast chapter.

Pretty much right there with you. I could never pull for Boston unless there was a direct benefit to the Angels. Although I was always a big Scully fan I just couldn’t root for the Dodgers. Yankees? I agree there, too. I don’t generally want them to win but their fan base is much more tolerable to me than the Red Sox base since they handle winning a bit better. Also, I can’t stand Bay Area teams. Oddly enough, though, I can put up with the A’s as long as they aren’t too successful probably because of their little brother status compared to the Giants.

Arcia = the Angels’ Max Muncy? OK. Maybe that’s wishful thinking. But he’s exciting.

I was at Ohtani’s first home start on the mound in April when the feeling was just the opposite. The stadium was buzzing, hope was in the air. Seems like a long time ago now.

If he didn’t used to be Albert Pujols, and say he started his career in 2012 with the Angels, could you imagine any universe in which he would have gotten the leash he’s gotten over the years? This franchise is just way too polite.

Pupils Ks. Shocker.

Right. Sorry.

Seems to me that if you’re an MLB umpire, you’ve probably been umpiring for a while and someone thought you were good enough at it to give you that job. Given that, I would suspect that you would have an understanding of what constitutes a strike and you would be in good position to differentiate that from a ball. But apparently I am mistaken.