LAA Road Tripper

Iannetta was playing so poorly that Butera got DFA'd. OK.

Iannetta was playing so poorly that Butera got DFA'd. OK.

Iannetta was playing so poorly that Butera got DFA'd. OK.

So far, based upon everything I've seen out of this team, I'm thrilled with 9 and 11. They could easily be 4-16 or something in that neighborhood. Hitting has been atrocious, starting pitching has been hit or miss, defense has been substandard. And it's been pretty boring on top of it all. Looking forward to a brighter looking May and beyond but right now there are troubling signs.

Taxpayers are getting hosed on that deal and the county officials are hoping people will ride their bikes because they won't have any parking or upgraded transportation in time for the opening.

I sure hope Navarro makes the team.  I like how he plays.

Mine are all World Series Game 7s.
1960 - Mazeroski's HR wins it for the Pirates over the Yankees, the only Game 7 walk off HR ever.
1955 - Brooklyn's only championship.
1991 - Minnesota's 10 inning 1-0 win over Atlanta.
1924 - Washington's only WS win.
1971 - Pittsburgh's upset over Baltimore.
I didn't mention 2002 because I was fortunate to be there (and Game 6, too.) I'll never forget my brother and I were absolutely stunned. I had Dave Henderson flashbacks (was there for that one, as well, right by the left field foul pole) as soon as Kenny Lofton swung with two outs with the tying runs on base and sent the ball to deep right center. It really seemed to me that he got more of it than he did but then Erstad waved his arms and that was that. I remember some guy bought a whole box of World Champion Angels hats and was giving them away and I just missed grabbing the last one. We stayed inside the ballpark until they told us to leave about an hour or so later. There's a landscape photograph of that moment right as the fireworks were exploding in the sky and the celebration was beginning that I have in my home office. Whoever took the picture must have been within an arms reach of me. Great memory.

Just to clarify all two-team markets, except for some strange reason the Bay Area, are overlapped territories. That means that theoretically the Cubs would have no power to stop the White Sox from building a new ballpark on the North Side, or the Mets from stopping a new Yankee Stadium in Queens, etc. and the Dodgers couldn't stop a new Angels stadium near LA Live. Now there may be other logistical, political or financial reasons why that wouldn't happen but MLB territorial restriction isn't one of them.

I remember this series as a kid. Early July, might have been going into the All Star Break but don't quote me on that. Actually, in Game 1 Nolan Ryan had a no-hitter going until Reggie Jackson broke it up with a single with one out in the 9th. I was at this game. I remember it was a little controversial because they charged CF Rick Miller with an error earlier in the game that could have easily been called a hit. Then in Game 2, Don Baylor hit a game-tying 3-run HR off the left field foul pole with 2 out in the 9th for the tie then Merv Rettenmund knocked in the game-winner in the 12th. That set up Grich on Sunday. I can still recall listening to the game by the pool. Two outs, down by a run, nobody on, a base hit and then Bobby went opposite field for the HR. Good times.

Willie Mays Aikens
Larry Harlow - had the game-winning hit in Game 3 of the ALCS in 1979

always blamed Josh Paul and NOT AJ Pierzynski for the playoff call debacle vs. White Sox.
 
Josh Paul should have made the tag even if the ump blew the call or made some nonsense no call.
 
once the ball is close to the dirt in anyway, the catcher should instinctively tag the batter and not roll the ball back to the mound......
 
so random players?  Josh Paul -- that's what I think.........oh well.

Clearly, the Easter Bunny would win.

Exactly.  Because NFL viewers in general don't give a toss about the match-up.  It's enough to have any match-up.  The NFL and the networks/cable broadcasters have made every game, big or small, an event.  Modern America doesn't need much of a push to turn on an NFL game, cook up a feces load of chili, buy a case of beer, and invite one or more persons over for the "big game."  
 
There's a reason the NFL is pushing hard to make the Thursday night game as big as the Sunday night game, which the NFL wanted to make as big as the Monday night game...It's the #1 reason they're gradually pulling the game off the NFL network while trying to save face.  It wasn't getting the ratings there.  As always with the NFL, the game is secondary.
 
It was inconceivable to the NFL that subscribers were not demanding their carrier pick-up the NFL network.  This harmed the NFL in two ways:  they couldn't make the millions in annual carriage fees they thought they would, and with the limited viewership, the NFL couldn't market its "can't miss match-ups" as effectively.  This hasn't been covered like the Doyyers/Time Warner spat, but it's a similar situation.  Understandably, the NFL doesn't want to talk up a carriage fee spat because it is presumably worried that viewers are quite happy with the amount of football they get now and doesn't want to appear like it's not the only sport everybody wants all the time.
 
Notice that the talk with the NFL is often about how big the ratings are.  The game is not the thing in the NFL.  It's the peripherals.  

I've written it once, I've written it a thousand times...the NFL's popularity is not a victory of the game of football. Its current success is a triumph of marketing.  The NFL, with its broadcasting allies, understand that the present day American wants a good excuse to cook, eat, drink and sit in front of the TV where we can compare over-sized jerseys and tattoos.  Plus, in the MMA era of trash talking and lifted trucks, the NFL is a likely ally. 
 
Baseball, with its hushed tone and - in the post-season - five or seven game series, is not built for instant gratification or tough talk.  The NFL marketing department has mastered the art of feeding our present day event-ized mentality where TV viewers are looking for an excuse to sit on their asses and eat and get hammered.  Every game is marketed with an angle, even if the teams involved are chum.
 
I'm surprised that the NBA is ranked so low.  I would bet those umpteen time outs in the final few minutes are part of its lack of popularity.  

This is really just KC's revenge for the A's up and leaving their city. Been saving it up for 47 years for an opportune time like tonight.

End of thread.  Play to win, help players avoid injuries. Done.

He's really been a lot more selective this season. 45 walks!

Can we get left and right leg measurements before we sign him?

Tell you what, how about the Angels just keep playing good ball and winning? A few of you gave mentioned 1995. Been there. And I've been there for the playoffs in '82 and '86. We can play mathematical games all day long but as quick as Oakland fans saw their team go from one game back to five is as quick as we can see it, too. OGAAT.

Tell you what, how about the Angels just keep playing good ball and winning? A few of you gave mentioned 1995. Been there. And I've been there for the playoffs in '82 and '86. We can play mathematical games all day long but as quick as Oakland fans saw their team go from one game back to five is as quick as we can see it, too. OGAAT.

Without getting ahead of ourselves, and I hate to say it, but I could really see a protest possibly being upheld. Otero was in the baseline but the rule allows that to field the ball. It's up to Aybar to avoid him and he's allowed to if the fielder hasn't yet fielded the ball. And he's the one that Aybar ran into, after he had it.
The only thing I can think of is that the 1B blocked him even though Eric never touched him. That might be the ruling.

Even if Colon did fall all the way it probably doesn't make sense to claim him at that point. Since no other team would be in line after the Angels, he'd be available in a trade anyway without the possibility the Mets just dropping the whole contract in Dipoto's lap. Of course, another team could jump in on a trade though.

The new 'catcher's can't block the plate rule' is a disaster IMO.
 
It is open to various interpretations, can't be enforced/ called uniformly and leads to absurd results.
 
we already saw one aspect of this in the Dodgers-Angels game where Freese throw as off line and Iannetta felt (rightly or wrongly) that he couldn't cross over (which would have been blocking the plate potentially) to get the ball.........it cost us the game....
 
Yesterday's call in the ChiSox/ SF game is an example........the guy at the plate is out by a mile and the call gets over-turned because ChiSox catcher (Flowers) may have been blocking the plate.......(when you see this call, one understands better why Iannetta felt paralyzed on the Dodger game play).
 
ChiSox Manager Robin Venutra rightfully argued the call and got kicked out the game......that run scoring led to a seven run inning that lost the game for the White Sox.
 
Let's get back to baseball - scrap this new rule.
 
We'll have  a new commissioner (the vote is today although there might not be a final outcome today) for next year........first thing he should do is scrap this rule.
 
It's unworkable.

AJ Pierzynski is up now. If I burst into flames please tell my family I love them.

I have enjoyed watching baseball and the Halos more than any other sport over the years. I'm extremely frustrated with the poor baseball this team has been playing for the past few seasons. Tonight I turned the game on in the 5th and saw them down 4-1 and lost all interest in watching the rest (watching a show about gold on the History channel now). It really bothers me that I feel this way because the Angels have a player in Trout that is a once in a generation type player and I'm not watching because the rest of it ruins the experience. They may win the game tonight but my interest in watching any games at all is dwindling. Just thought I'd vent here since most here are Angel fans and MAY understand. Although some might think I'm just being a b***h.