Doug Van Oort Sr

I feel very lucky to have grown up in Orange County and listened to hundreds if not thousands of Angels and Rams games.  He always made you feel like you were at the game, and that you knew each of the Angel players personally.  He always made the game exciting and that was an accomplishment in itself for some really bad Angel teams. 

I have said this before:

 

There isn't a manager in baseball who would have started Cowgill over Hamilton in the playoffs. Quit talking like that was an rational option.  During the playoffs you go with your best and you hope your best performs.  Hamilton didn't but Hamilton having a bad year is the equivalent of Cowgill having an average year.  

 

Trout, Ianetta, Cron, Freese:  All had just one more hit than Hamilton.  You really think Cowgill would have made a difference?  Your fooling yourself.  The whole team sucked on offense.  

 

You guys talk as if only Cowgill would have played we would have won the ALDS.

In the regular season you take Hamilton who hasn't played in a month on a rehab assignment to see some live pitching and get his timing down.  Since this was not an option the Angels put him into a short 5 game series to get his timing down.  I would of taken Cowgil, or even Navarro.  Hamilton sucks the life out of this team.

I dont even blame him for playing Hamilton.

 

Hamilton is supposedly healthy now, has a huge contract and a track record for power hitting.  We have to play the guys we have.  What I do blame him for is some of his idiotic choices in-games, but we wouldnt have to resort to this garbage if the offense just doesnt choke.

Seems to me after a player misses a long period of time they usually send him to the minors to face some live pitching.  Now this is not possible at this time of year, so we just insert him in the lineup in the playoffs to get his timing down.  Then again he looks about as good as he did most of the year.  Would love to know what the Angels record was with and without Hamilton in the lineup this year.

Oakland or Seattle would be ideal. They are both lefty heavy lineups so CJ/Santiago could turn in a good outing vs them. Santiago has had no issues with Oakland all year and Seattle has now made CJ look like a good pitcher his last 2 outings vs them

I can't disagree with you more about Oakland.  Oakland is a patient team at the plate and requires a pitcher to throw strikes.  CJ does not throw strikes, if batters don't swing at bad pitches he walks them.  

I only have one complaint with Hamilton and it's not his fault.  It's MS stupidity in batting him 4th and putting a huge hole in he middle of the lineup.  

If they hit Trout again next weekend it will be time for one of the Angel pitchers to take a shot at Beltre.  I am not a fan of throwing at batters but sometimes you have to protect your teammates.  Somebody earlier said that players can possibly get hurt in brawls, several players are hurt every year getting hit by pitches.  

As great as the Angels are playing it's hard to not be excited, unless you are old enough to remember the 1995 season.  Keeping the faith but I will hold my celebration until they clinch the division.

Best Angels team ever? 

 

 

 

...And it has Pujols batting 3rd  

I am excited about this years Angels team, but lets keep thing in perspective.  Any long time Angel fan can remember 1995.  Still a lot of games to be played and anything can happen.

Angel's should probably keep him around. Reminds me of that guy Erstad.

The way he plays the game reminds me a lot of Erstad.  I don't think he has the talent Erstad does but he plays hard every play, lots of grit!

He is a beast. Would like to see him get that obp above .350

I think he is doing great batting leadoff, unfortunatley he has 3 outs batting behind him right now.

Grilli sucks ass

Funny thing is I don't care.  Would of taken a bag of balls. 

No, I can't find anything better than facts. When an umpire gives you a strike call 10" below the knees, you are pitching on luck alone.

It all comes around, on Friday night the umpire was squeezing Richards and had a lot of strikes that were called balls.  Great thing about baseball and having different umpires every night.

Lack of hustle? Who cares ..... jesus he was out before he got half way down the baseline.

 

****ing coaches .... he just came off a quadriceps injury ....

I was glad to see him get pulled, IMO it does not happen enough.  He started jogging as soon as he left the batters box.  

Posted back on the LA Times message board back in the 90's and early 2000's before Chuck created Angelswin.com.