katrinab

are you kidding? those are pretty good considering its the Post Season
i have talked to fans of other teams and their ticket prices for post season are double that

are you kidding? those are pretty good considering its the Post Season
i have talked to fans of other teams and their ticket prices for post season are double that

The entire bullpen

I have a better idea; how about Weaver and Wilson grow a sack and carry this team into the playoffs while Wolf/Leblanc fill in as the number 5?

Jesus we really need to start giving him more runs to work with.

depending on where you sit you should be fine
there will be drunk a-holes but hey those are everywhere
wear your angel jersey with pride ;-)

It sucks losing 3 of 4 to the Dodgers but that's where the frustration should really end
 
team is still in a good position and the division is well within reach.

I love this team's swagger.  I've missed it for far too long and I'm glad they have it back.  I love their aggressiveness and their confidence.  I just love watching these guys get after it.  There's an urgency to the way they play and it's fun to watch.

I think the on-field relationship between Pujols and Trout has become a major part of the success of this team. Those two are absolutely on the same page, which is vitally important. And even more so, they appear to be having a lot of fun together.

Sorry to say but................wild card my AXX, we are only 3.5 games out of first, Let's kick those FXXXXXX A's AXX and take the division.

Tdawg, that's selling us short. That is basically saying we aren't capable of debate. There's a difference between showing your frustration and coming on here with the sole purpose of bitching and complaining. You're a perfect example of someone who comes on here to talk about baseball and you also voice your frustrations. If everyone on here did that then you wouldn't have nearly the amount of complaining about the complainers.

I'm no superfan.  I think people around here know that, so take this for what it's worth.  
 
Many of us get that there is a contingent that don't want MS to be the manager of this team anymore.  Fine.  That's you're opinion and you are welcome to it.  
 
Maybe you are right.  Maybe not.  But this mattress police bullshit is getting old.  
 
"HE RIPPED ANOTHER TAG OFF!! GET THE NOOSE!!"
 
You can grab your pitchforks and torches for every little fart, but take the time to look at his peers in as much detail.  Take the time to review the rest of the game to look at what was done to see how it worked out.  
 
Let's review:
 
I didn't love the ibanez for cron move.  It was probably my least favorite thing he did yesterday.  Raul has a flair for the dramatic or at least the reputation for such.  He's left handed and a vet.  I am not defending it, but it wasn't the end of the world.
Calhoun was then available to play 1b or the OF.  He kept the better defender out of the DH role.  You ever think about that?
 
Cowgill got the start over Calhoun initially.  That worked out pretty well
 
He gave high leverage looks to Morin and Bedrossian.  Even though Morin gave up the run, they did pretty well.  
 
In terms of the sac bunt, take a look at run expectancy charts before you pop off.  It didn't change the overall probability of scoring a run and while it took the bat out of hamilton's hands, it made for a lefty/righty matchup with freese.  Again, not exactly the greatest move in my opinion, but a fireable offense?  ok.  
 
One thing that you are ignoring (of course) is starting Conger vs. a lefty pitcher to catch Santiago.  
 
By all means though, keep screaming at the top of your lungs.  I am sure that will continue to increase the likelihood that someone will respect your opinion.  

i think some people her read a lot more into the situation than there really is
i get that he is struggling badly and a lot of you don't like the guy but come on
some of the things i read on here are ridiculous
 
yes he says stupid things but what ball player doesn't? and i am sure he is getting asked the same questions every single day, and things are in his head right now
but to say that he doesnt care about his team, isn't committed 100% or that he is jealous is kind of absurd

i like the confidence
i would rather them go into the series knowing they are capable of winning then bend over for them like they did the last series

my dentist told me that most dentists, especially ones that cover HMO insurance will try to scam you into anything to try and make a buck
they will tell you that you need things done but they aren't covered by your insurance so they pocket the money
they told me that one of their patients said that a dentist told him he had 12 cavities needing fillings, he went to to my dentist for a 2nd opinion, he only had 1 cavity

I think the Angels take out their frustration on the Stros. Average 8 runs/game this series. Trout will be a monster. Pujols will hit a couple solo shots

im still upbeat because its june 2nd with a ton more games to play
a couple wins this week for the halos and a couple of losses for the A's and we are right back in it, plus we are still leading the wild card race
it was 1 bad series, which is going to happen, they are going to have bad games and struggle
with hamilton back this week, trout feeling better (hopefully) and pujols hopefully pulling his head out of his behind, the team has the potential to kick some butt

im still upbeat because its june 2nd with a ton more games to play
a couple wins this week for the halos and a couple of losses for the A's and we are right back in it, plus we are still leading the wild card race
it was 1 bad series, which is going to happen, they are going to have bad games and struggle
with hamilton back this week, trout feeling better (hopefully) and pujols hopefully pulling his head out of his behind, the team has the potential to kick some butt

i get the sense he just doesnt feel comfortable, it seems he isnt reading the opposing pitcher very well
and i am wondering if his hamstring is bothering him more than they are saying

Something wonderful is happening this year.
 
Just a feeling...

im not too worried about Pujols
i read a comment from him on the angels website that he said playing on turf for 4 days really caused some stress to his lower half
he started to pick it up with the bat yesterday and hopefully with him playing on normal grass again he will get his momentum back

Don't miss the days of Rex and Phys at all. 

By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com Columnist & Satirist 
Good, good.   It’s been a while since I’ve truly felt the Yankee hatred in me, and quite frankly I’ve missed it.  I didn’t realize how just how much I missed it until I started to feel it again, a few days ago.  There were several factors that led to my recent Yankee apathy. 
First and foremost was that the Angels have had a bad run over the last four seasons and most of my baseball ill-will has been aimed at the home team.  It was difficult to generate hatred for another team (although I still maintained my hatred of the Red Sox – that well never dries) when my own team was woeful.  I couldn’t spare any hatred for the Yankees when we had Mathis on our team, or Wells, or various other scapegoats. 
Second was that the Yankees missed the playoffs last year.  Can I get an amen from the congregation!  That almost helped me forget how bad the year was for the Angels.  At the end of last season I also let myself believe, just for a little while, that the Yankees were serious about not going over the salary cap this year.  Yeah, I know. 
Third was that they have Alex Rodriguez on their team (and still do) and the attendant circus that goes with it.  Geddit?  Circus, centaur…ah, never mind.  I hoped that he would still be playing with them this year, and that the Yankees would be forced to pay his salary and stick him on the field.  Wrong again. 
So, the Yankees had slipped off my hatred radar.  And then, the offseason started.  First, they got the blocker, Brian McCann.  Yankees fans should love this bag of douche.  He got his panties in a twist because another douchebag, Carlos Gomez, showed up his former team, and McCann decided to play bridge troll and not let him pass, even though McCann was completely in the wrong.  A self-appointed enforcer of baseball’s unwritten rules will fit perfectly with their self-important fans.  My hatred was getting rekindled.  Good, good…
Next, Derek Jeter announced his retirement and my hatred once again ebbed.  Like most baseball fans, I like Jeter, even though he’s a Yankee (after this year, I’m glad to say, there is nobody on their roster I have to make excuses for liking – I can go back to 100% hatred).  Jeter was a perfect ambassador for baseball and his conduct off the field will forever have my admiration – I’ll never look at gift baskets the same way.  Fortunately, Jeter’s retirement didn’t extinguish the embers of my hatred, because…
The Yankees outbid everybody else for Tanaka.  Damn, I wanted him on the Angels.  I figured he would be good and he’d at least be worth the chance if you could afford him, and I assume Arte Moreno can.  But of course the Yankees wouldn’t be outbid and of course he’s in pinstripes and doing well (so far).  I certainly don’t blame him for chasing the money; I would do the same if I was in his shoes.  Seeing him pitch well is another log on the bonfire of my Yankee hatred.
Also mixed in with the offseason was the Yankees signing Jacoby Ellsbury from the Red Sox.  This move left me conflicted.  Part of me liked it because it pissed off the Red Sox fans, and anything that pisses off the chowds is at least somewhat good.  However, it also stoked the embers a bit because it showed the Yankees in panic mode, signing all the big free agents.  What a bunch of a-holes, signing everybody willy-nilly.  See, it’s different with the Angels and Pujols and Hamilton because, well…it just is.  We’re not the Yankees, OK?
And then the Yankees got off to a good start.  The flames, like in the Johnny Cash song, went higher.  And then I realized that in a few days the Angels are going to Yankee stadium, and the fire burned!  God, it feels good to be thawed by that righteous heat.  Coupled with the Angels typical slow start, the fire raged, and it’s about to see its culmination. 
Add to all of this that Michael Pineda got caught cheating for a second time.  This time it was so obvious that MLB in general and the umpires and Red Sox in particular couldn’t ignore it or make excuses for it.  I look forward to Joe Girardi explaining how he didn’t know what his pitcher was doing, both times he did it.  Are you kidding me?  I know that all baseball teams at least try to cheat, but most of them at least give fans the courtesy of hiding the evidence of said cheating.  Pineda was so arrogant that even after he was caught doing it once he figured he was aces to do it again.  The arrogance of those pinstripes, I tell ya.
I want the Angels to go into Yankee Stadium (or whatever dumb name they have for their new place – Dingusville?  AttentionWhore Stadium?) and to destroy them in three games with a cumulative score of 33-1.  Give them a run in each game for some false hope; maybe even have Jeter hit a home run just so ESPN has something to put in the spank bank.  I look at the schedule on mlb.com and for each game the Yankee pitcher is listed as TBA.  I want them DOA.  I want the Angels to face Sabbathia and beat him so bad that he starts binge-eating and ends up like White Goodman at the end of Dodgeball (I know, he pitches on Thursday so we won’t see him.  Let me rant.)  I want Brian McCann to illegally block the plate while Erick Aybar is trying to score, and Aybar to pile-drive him and send him to the 60-day DL with a fractured skull and displaced labia.  Yes, I’m wishing injury on somebody, but he plays for the Yankees.  Check the bible; it’s OK to wish harm on a sports figure as long as he plays for the Yankees or Red Sox.  I don’t know enough about Ellsbury to wish any harm on him, other than the general malaise that I wish on all Yankees players (Except for Jeter, of course.  Everybody loves Jeter.) – a pox of some sort would do just fine.  OK, I hope he makes a crucial error that costs the Yankees a game and sends them into a downward spiral. 
Furthermore, I hope that those rich fans that half-fill the ultra-expensive seats behind home plate leave each game feeling like they wasted their money and contemplating the life choices that led to them supporting the Yankees and going to a game.  I hope all the other Yankee fans get paper cuts from their tickets, and the ones that have paperless tickets get a benign tumor from their cellphones.  I hope they all spill at least one expensive beer right after purchasing it.  I want that stadium burned to the ground (figuratively, of course) after we pull chocks on Sunday.  Is that too much to ask?
Good, good.  Let the hatred flow through you…


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By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
As a high school teacher, I have found that students are exposed to all sorts of numbers all the time. However, without context, most students can’t make any meaningful understandings from the numbers. Instead, they just treat them as a bunch of repeated digits.
For example, when teaching students about the national debt, I can get them to write down the number, in trillions, of the national debt. But, it’s not until I make them calculate their personal share of the national debt, and, further, calculate how long it would take them to earn that much money at minimum wage, that they understand the importance and concern of its size.
As I thought about Albert Pujols hitting his 500th homerun, I tried to contextualize that number into things that I do to understand its significance. I started with basic things, such as going to the movies. At 42 years old, I would have had to go to about 12 movies for my entire lifetime in order to get to 500. While as a teenager I went to a lot of movies, since having kids I rarely go to the movies, so I’m not sure that I’ve been to 500 movies in my lifetime.
Going to the movies though, is a pretty passive act. It doesn’t require the work and effort that it takes to constantly keep in shape like hitting a homerun requires. So, I thought next about reading books. Reading requires effort and work. To understand Pujols’ feat, I thought how hard it would be for most adults to read a 500 books during a 13-year time span —the equivalent of Pujols hitting 500 homeruns during his career. Most adults would not come close to that level of reading, just like most baseball sluggers don’t come close to hitting 500 homeruns in their careers.
Still though, going to the movies and reading books don’t quite capture the full effect of hitting 500 homeruns. Neither one was a part of my work. And, neither one required a lifetime of dedication and training to accomplish.
So, I thought about my job. I have been a teacher almost as long as Pujols has been a Major Leaguer (I came to teaching later in life and started in 2002). I take my job very seriously, continuously reading the latest research on the subjects I teach, the latest research on how to improve my teaching, and on the latest changes to education such as Common Core to be the best teacher that I can be. 
In a typical year, I typically have several hundred interactions with my students ranging from taking attendance to providing instruction. On any given day, there are numerous possibilities that can happen from all of these interactions. Occasionally, I hit a homerun with a student and have a meaningful impact on his or her life. Sometimes I help a student realize his or her potential. Sometimes I help a student through a difficult personal issue. Sometimes I just make the student smile and feel safe in my classroom. I don’t always hit a homerun with every student, but I sure try to every day. 
Similarly, Pujols dedicates himself very seriously to being a baseball player. He takes each game very seriously, continually researching the opposing pitcher, how to improve his swing, and staying in the best shape he can. Hours before the game even starts, he gets mentally and physically prepared for that night’s game. Over the course of a season, he has hundreds of plate appearances. He doesn’t always hit a homerun, but every time he steps up to the plate, he sure tries. 
Most people, though, aren’t so lucky. They don’t have the opportunity to do something as special as hitting a homerun. Think about your job. What would be a homerun? How long would it take you to achieve that 500 times in your career? How hard and how long would you have to work to achieve that goal?
What struck me most about how Pujols handled accomplishing this incredible feat is how he also handled the aftermath of the achievement. To say that Pujols is a class act is an understatement.
When asked about how he felt becoming one of just 26 Major Leaguers to ever hit 500 homeruns, Pujols thanked in order G-d, all those who coached or helped him along the way, and credited all of his hard work. Afterward, he thanked all of his teammates for their role in helping him achieve the feat. As a father, I want my sons, who are big Pujols fans, to understand the importance of that lesson in humility.
More importantly, coming into the game, more of the media focus was on the Trout/Harper matchup. Starting the series, the storyline was on the next generation—it was as if Pujols had been forgotten. However, Pujols didn’t take that as a slight—he just went out there and played his game. His 500th homerun did what it had to do—helped his team get back to .500 baseball.
A lot has been made about the lack of hype about Pujols’ 500th homerun. No doubt the steroid era played a huge role in that as there have been many recent and tainted entrants into the 500 homerun club. But that’s not Albert Pujols. He plays the game right, and in so doing, is showing a new generation how the game once was—and still should be—played.
What I like most about Albert Pujols is the way he plays the game with respect. Whether it’s not offending an icon from his former team by being called “The Man” in Spanish out of respect for Stan “The Man” Musial, to being an All-Star off the field in his support for children with Down’s Syndrome, he shows respect to all parts of the game.
As a fan of the game of baseball, I’m thrilled that Albert Pujols hit his 500th homerun. As an Angels fan, I’m thrilled it came with our team, and in a team victory. I cannot wait to see him get to 600 and beyond.


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Congratulations to Albert.  Both 499 and 500 were monsters and contributed to an Angel victory.
 
Man, do I love being an Angels fan.