itsKnoppUitsme

It also means he will have one less opportunity to GIDP! 

I'm pretty sure CubsWin is pissed that they didn't hold onto Roy Hobbs for those 15 or so years when he disappeared from baseball.

The Whole wWide Angelswin World was surprised!

At one point in the game, Richards was just FILTHY,
dominating Yankee hitters,
and they were just blabbin on about Girardi's wife and other nonsense not related to the game.
Finally, after GR struck out his 2nd batter of the inning
Buck interrupts Kruk and says so & so strikes for the 2nd out of the inning ( sorry I forgot who was up)
and then they go right back to what they were blabbin about 
They are TERRIBLE!

The Whole wWide Angelswin World was surprised!

"could"
 
That said, Grichuk is a friend of mine and our website. Wishing him the best of luck. He was blocked here for a full time role with Calhoun, Trout and Hamilton. Though I still wish we had him, he'd be a gigantic upgrade over Shuck and be a good fill in guy, then trade bait for a better bullpen arm (and possibly more) down the road. Ugh!

By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com - 
  I don't know about you, but last night's late inning meltdown by Ernesto Frieri against the Washington Nationals have left an excruciating sting inside. Typically I'd turn pages faster than Mike Scioscia and focus on silver linings, so naturally the next morning I was ready for the next contest, optimistic as ever. The way that the bullpen has performed so far have chipped away at my optimism and my overall excitement, despite a team that leads the majors in home runs and boasts a very good starting rotation for the first time in a couple years. It has been four years since we had a solid bullpen and its been even longer since we had BULLS in our pen. The days of Percival, K-Rod, Shields, Weber and Donnelly seem like ages ago.   What's incredibly frustrating this particular season is the Angels could easily be tied for first place with the Texas Rangers or at worst just a 1/2 game out and tied with the Oakland A's in the AL West if it wasn't for the bullpen struggling thus far. Angels closer Ernesto Frieri is 0-2 with a 9.35 earned-run average and two blown saves in 10 games this season, and he's given up five home runs in 82/3 innings.   It's well known that the Angels manager favors veteran and gives them a long rope when struggling, but Mike Scioscia needs to listen to his mind and not his heart and fix the mess that is the bullpen. After all this is a game in which wins dictate success, not clubhouse friendships. I mean, how many games do you have to lose in April before you make a change? The mind set from the front office down to the coaching staff was to get off to a better start in April so that the Angels are not chasing several games back from May through September. The Angels need to act fast and make changes yesterday. These games in April are very important, so the length of this proverbial veteran rope that is issued by Scioscia should be much shorter after four straight dismal campaigns.    Without appearing to have all the answers and outsmarting Scioscia, to me it's a simple solution that will require just four in-house moves to reduce the amount of late inning debacles going forward.    Step one:  Promote Joe Smith to the new closer role. Outside of one bad appearance for the Angels, he's the one guy that can get outs late in the ball game. Smith has been solid over 10 innings. He's posted a 3.60 ERA, with 11 strikeouts and three walks.    Step two: Release Kevin Jepsen. I get it, he throws 94-95 MPH and has a curve that breaks hard. But stuff shouldn't buy you time on a major league roster if results contrast your abilities. Jepsen is the proud owner of a career 1.45 WHIP and 4.39 ERA over seven seasons and 250 games. Guys, that's just not good, especially as a late inning guy trying to hold score and keep the opponents off the bases.   Step three: Demote Frieri to take Jepsen's spot in the bullpen order until he figures shit out and gets his fastball command back. Clearly Frieri has no idea where his fastball is going. A quote from Frieri himself: "I'm missing with everything — my fastball, my changeup, my slider," Frieri said. "My arm feels good. My fastball is coming out good too. I'm just missing. … Even when I'm ahead in the count, man. I can't be leaving balls down the middle, because I'm going to get hurt."   Do we really want a guy to close out a ball game that is "missing with everything"? The Angels starting pitchers have been fantastic and the Angels offense leads major league baseball in home runs and has put us in a position to win ball games despite the absence of Hamilton and Calhoun. It is a shame to have 8 innings of well pitched ball and runs put on the board, only to have it all erased by one player who cannot seem to locate his pitches.    Step four: Promote one of Michael Morin, RJ Alvarez or Cam Bedrosian (more on them below) and have either one take the 7th inning spot in the bullpen. Michael Kohn who has been very effective can take the 8th inning while Joe Smith closes out ball games. After seeing 2-3 innings of fireballers, Joe Smith is even tougher to hit in the 9th.   As I mentioned above, Ernesto Frieri has given up 5 long balls across 8 2/3 innings already this season, something not even Joe Blanton could match. But just to bring some clarity as to how bad that is my friends, Angels top relief prospect RJ Alvarez has allowed less dingers over his three year career in the minors with 4.   Why are home runs allowed something we should look at? Well when you're calling upon your closer to enter the game with a one-run lead, all it takes is a solo blast to tie it up and a bloop and blast to blow the game.   Let's take a closer look at the big three, equipped with some recent scouting reports I've captured this month.   R.J. Alvarez has allowed just 4 home runs in 86 1/3 innings. He has also struck out 131 batters across 86 1/3 minor league innings, while only giving up 59 hits. Alvarez has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .103 BAA (batting average against)   Scouting take: Alvarez has the best 1-2 combo of the three, with a fastball that reaches 97-99 MPH and a devastating slider that is a true major league out pitch. Alvarez has big league closer stuff. A slight change to his pitching mechanics have seen better results for Alvarez fastball command this season, resulting in just two free passes with the Travelers.   Michael Morin has allowed just 7 home runs in 112 2/3 career minor league innings. Morin has struck out 116 across 112 2/3 innings. The former UNC closer recorded 22 saves in 2013 out of 23 opportunities.    Scouting take: Morin has the most experience in pressure situations late in the game, going back to his college days. Morin's fastball reaches 95 MPH, but generally sits at 92-93 MPH that he locates well and keeps down in the zone. His changeup is one of the best in the minors and is on the same level as Jered Weaver's. Morin's curveball is nothing spectacular, but he can get it over for strike and give the hitter something to think about. Morin is even better after facing hitters after his first appearance against them, which is usually the opposite. Morin will probably get the first shot of the three when the Angels reach down to their farm system for talent this season.    Cam Bedrosian has not allowed a home run since his promotion to High-A last summer where he worked exclusively out of the bullpen. Combining his 2013 IE 66er's numbers with his work this season, Bedrock has struck out 30 batters across 16 1/3 innings. He's also given up just 5 hits over those 16.1 innings of relief. Bedrosian has yet to be scored upon this season and boasts a .42 BAA.    Scouting take: Eddie Bane drafted Cam because of his arm and bloodlines, son of former big league closer Steve Bedrosian. Bedrock like his dad has a filthy slider that generates ugly swings and misses and a hard fastball that's tough to center because of the movement on the pitch. Cam is consistently in the 95-96 MPH range with his fastball, but since moving to the bullpen it touches 97-98 MPH when he wants to reach back for something extra. Cam also has a curveball and changeup, both of which are improving, but nowhere rival his fastball/slider combo.

Ladies and gents, these kids are good. Reminds me of the type of numbers we've seen in the minors from former Angel Francisco Rodriguez and current flamer thrower Michael Kohn who a year removed from Tommy John surgery had a decent return in 2013, only to return to his former self so far this season by sporting a 1.53 ERA, fanning 13 over 11 innings.

Dipoto, you've built a solid team to compete and do some damage in the playoffs. Please do not waste the talent on this roster by letting gazelle's out of the bullpen, it's time to round up some bulls like the Angels once had to buck this trend of late inning losses.

Emily Litella: I'm here tonight to speak out against burning nets. Those are the nets that firefighters use to catch people falling from burning buildings. It's bad enough the building is on fire, why would anyone want to burn the nets too?! That's a terrible idea!! What's the matter with people these days?! The young people just go around wanting to destroy things. What's wrong with them?! I can't believe…

Chevy Chase: (interrupting) Miss Litella?

Emily Litella: Yes?

Chevy Chase: The update was about Sean Burnett, not burning nets. He's a pitcher who's been very slow to recover from numerous injuries, and has been off the roster for what seems like forever.

Emily Litella. Oh, I'm sorry…. Never mind, but in that case tell him to get his butt back on the mound and pronto! It's not right for the Angels bullpen to blow leads night after night like that! And the manager seems like a nice fellow but I just don't understand the things he does during the game...
 
Chevy Chase: Thank you, Miss Emily Litella.


(RIP, Gilda Radner)
 

He'll throw 1 pitch and his arm will literally explode, and then he will retire.

Jim Abbott

Mathis is doing terrible to start the year... But don't worry, it's a small sample size.

If Ibanez can hit some doubles on those outside pitches instead of pulling them into that shift he could be a really important guy for us. He seems to have more of that "clutch" aura about him than most of our guys. I'm going to call Ibanez's doubles to left field oppo taquitos for now on. 

Peter B had been openly on the market, for a pitcher in return, for nearly a year. Dipoto pulled the trigger on the best, maybe the only, deal he was offered. Freese isn't good, but he is on this team, and what people should be pulling their hair over is the fact that he isn't riding the pine with better options available. The trade was made and the past is just that. It is what we do NOW, to face that reality, that matters.

Probably not the only one in the stadium that fell down in disbelief.

That's a pretty short memory considering Blanton was in the rotation last season.

Sorry, but just had to get that pun in there. What a great night otherwise, though. That was as bad of a pitching performance as I can remember from a player. 

While I doubt Ian Stewart will be the savior of this team, credit him for grabbing the opportunity when presented.  He's definitely played his way into deserving time over a guy who's struggling badly.  

Call that MF'er up

All I know is that if the last play of the game was made by Jeter, we'd be stuck watching highlights of it for the next 10 years while the guys in Bristol fawned like starstruck teenage girls.

Thank you, howie, for the quick and responsive answer

dude might want to stop using fruit ninja to help his swing.  

By Adam Dodge, AngelsWin.com Senior Columnist - 
Following the Angels' thrilling series with Oakland Athletics, one of the oddest we've seen in quite some time, in which the Angels played three 1-run games, giving two of them away before stealing the finale, they embark on their second road trip of the season. Their first stop - Motor City.
Nestled in the city where a 4-bedroom home costs less than a carton of Newports is Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. If you Google Earth 2100 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201-3470, the stadium's address and slide your finger over the mouse pad you'll actually bear witness to three homicides.  
In a town without jobs or an edible piece of produce, resides twenty-five guys who make up a pretty darn good baseball team.  The Tigers were in the ALCS last year and are clear favorites to win the AL Central Division again in 2014. 
In the off-season the Tigers shipped their power hitting first baseman and professional fat ass Prince Fielder - a guy who likes to eat after he eats - to the Texas Rangers for second baseman and legendary douchebag  Ian Kinsler.
While Detroit's fast food bubble has burst, its Affliction apparel industry is soaring to new heights. 
Despite the Angels' struggles in 2013 and the Tigers' success, our boys took it to them last season, sweeping the season series six games to none. At 7-8, the Angels hope to carry their dominance over Detroit into this weekend's three game series and leave Michigan for the nation's capital on Sunday at .500 or better.  
They'll miss Justin Verlander, which is a shame, because he owns a 4-5 record and an ERA above 4.00 against the Halos lifetime.  The Angels will face off against 2013 Cy Young winner Max Scherzer  on Saturday. 
Should be an incredibly tough series for the Angels. As always, we'll leave homerism in the bag and look at this series objectively. 
Halos sweep, 3-0. 

View the full article

I have finally converted to Team Fire Scioscia. 
 
Unbelievable..

@Alden_Gonzalez: With DLR, #Angels determined he was injured after optioning him. Since you can't option an injured player, they voided it & put him on DL.
Options don't work like that. Players that have options left can be optioned down many times during the season.

Angels won again with our 5th man in the rotation. I'll take it and run . Still have blanton nightmares