Homebrewer

I live just above Briceburg (Midpines) We fish regularly between the Briceburg bridge and the El Portal cutoff. Some real nice fish in there the last 2-3 years, River is still a little high and silty right now, but it should be getting good soon.

"Nothing but black in your world?".... is making it personal. If someone want's to complain about the overall tone, that is one thing. Making it personal is another. I am not an established or well known poster, so I guess that makes it OK.

As is my right on a public forum, discussing a bad baseball team, in a thread titled "I think it's time for a break". Does the title of Moderator come with the privilege of handing out personal insults? I read somewhere that, for the rest of us, that was frowned upon around here.

At least in a minor league park, you will see some effort.

Oh...and the trout limit here on the upper Merced (just below Yosemite) goes up to 5 tomorrow morning!

Cracked the top on my newest beer last night, a California lager (think Anchor Steam). It turned out spectacularly delicious. 6.84 ABV too. Some of the yard long cucumbers I was worried about finally poked their heads through the soil this morning. Life is wonderful.

^^^^^ This. Even Scioscia said it more than once in interviews during ST. The honorable thing would be to fall on his sword.

Same here. Didn't watch the game, or even check on the score last night at all. (first time this season) Found out they lost 6-0 when I sat down at the computer about a 1/2 hour ago. Listening to KFI this morn, and the guy doing sports didn't even mention the Angels score either. It isn't even MAY! When the die-hards like us are tuning out in April, the casual fan (who fill the stadium each night), is going to be noticeably absent. This will finally force changes that should have happened long ago.

Dumbest move by an MLB owner....ever

The sky caved in when Arte gave Scioscia a 10 year contract.

The sky crashed on this team 4-5 years ago. If you want to be a fan and survive...you need good beer.

RELAXING.... With a home-brewed semi-clone (artistic license) of Anchor Steam's Bock.. Cheers, Brothers.

The problem might be not simply development, but just as much in evaluation. Take Carpenter as the example. How long has he been in this org? (seems like a long time) How many times has he been up and down? (seems like it has been quite a few) WHO decided that this guy was ML material and just needed some work, in the first place? Butcher has had a dismal career here, and "fall guy" or not, it is long past time for some new direction. His "in game" relief choices (has to at least give suggestions to MS) are as ineffective as his mound visits. Dipoto obviously knows pitching. He got Frieri at a crucial time. He traded Haren for two good young pitchers...and that has turned out as pretty much robbery. I feel that being the new guy, Dipoto has received some pretty bad info from some inept coaches, when it come to evaluating the young pitching in this org. Time for "Butchy" to go. It won't solve every problem, but at least it is a start. Dipoto has to know someone he trusts, to fill the role. Just like with firing Hatcher, Dipoto will have to fight both Scioscia and Moreno to get it done, since both of them have shown that they value personal loyalty, way above winning baseball games.

Watching Lucho play solid inspired baseball, seems to have inspired Howie. Sometimes a team needs a spark to get the fire going. Callapso has never been a spark. Callapso has always been the epitome of a "going through the motions" type player. Torii, last season, called the team out for going through the motions. Let's hope Dipoto and Scioscia don't put out the flame that Lucho has been fanning since he has been here.

Howie is the most "clutch" player on this team. In spring training games. He traditionally falls off a little after April 1.

I am pretty sure that Arte is saying the same thing, when he see's club level seats being sold for less than a movie ticket.

The longer Scioscia has been the field general, the more this team has taken on his personality. Boring, no fire, and completely predictable. The excitement that should be part of the game, has been missing for quite a while now.

Reagins was a figurehead. Scioscia as GM was THE disaster. Arte thought Scioscia was a baseball GOD. 10 YEAR CONTRACT?? Arte has this mess on his hands, by his own doing.

The "hurried decision" was appointing Scioscia manager for life, and naming Reagins as the "in house mouthpiece" for Scioscia. Those Reagins-Scioscia seasons have been devastating. The minors got depleted...Corbin-Skaggs would be looking good right now, but Dipoto, when with the Dbacks ...was bright enough to take them for Harden. The Scioscia GM years, with Reagins as the front man, are costing this team dearly. Arte Moreno has to be given the majority of the blame for the teams current state.

"Let em fire me, I don't care"

I have been on the Hire Ryne Sandberg bandwagon for years. For anyone who has not read his HOF induction speech.. Please do. This is the guy I want managing a team I love. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=rs-speech080105

I was trying to decide between the Direct TV pkg and MLBtv. After watching ONE WEEK of this, think I will save my money. Arte is going to be looking at a ton of empty seats, real soon. Maybe his love affair with Scioscia will come to an end with a half empty stadium in mid April.

One week into the season: Pitching to Votto, in a crucial, late game situation, with 1st base open. Leaving a clearly lost and floundering (threw to the backstop twice) Lowe in until he gave up a 3 run bomb. Not only leaving Jepsen in last night, but not even having anyone ready in the pen. Gave up a 3 run bomb. All in the 1st week of the season. Scioscia was exposed as the slow, dull witted, stubborn, predictable, manager he is... the day Joe Maddon emptied his locker. I am a lifetime Angel fan who watches nearly ever game....and I lost respect for him, as a manager, back in 08. When Dipoto and Arte fired Hatcher early last season I felt some hope that the FO was starting to figure it out. Until Dipoto and Arte grow a pair and do the same with Scioscia...something that should have been done YEARS ago, I will still watch every game....but with more fear than hope. I am glad that we play Oakland so many times, so that Arte and Dipoto can sit in their suite and watch Melvin take Scioscia to school. Maybe someday Arte's light bulb will come on. If Arte wants to see the HALO lit up, he better light up his brain and start listening to his GM, who is not a big Scioscia fan, even though he plays one on TV.

6 AND 14 BABY!!

Yes, relievers have bad days. He was bad when he came into the game. He was bad to every batter he faced. A manager who has been in the game for 40 years shouldn't have to wait until the guy gives up all the baserunners AND 3 run hr before hes notices the guy is having a "bad day". Bad day is a very polite way of putting what Lowe showed yesterday into words, my choice would not be so kind.