Coachbulldog

Craig Carton, along with Boomer Esiason, host the morning show on WFAN in NYC. I listen to the show on my phone once in a while and, even though he is entertaining, Craig Carton is about as unreliable of a source as you can find in the media.

I'm in the minority here, but I hate the Cardinals and the whole "best fans in baseball" nonsense. I'm rooting for the Dodgers.

Since 2004 four of the six years the Angels were eliminated by teams that had a better regular season record. With the exception of 2014, the Angels were up against teams that were every bit their equal and, in some cases, perhaps slightly better.

Baseball will always be my favorite too. Your points on how baseball can improve are right on. Next year, the regular season doesn't end until October 4. This likely pushes the World Series into November. Baseball should end no later than October 31.

Correct, especially when everything broke the Royals way. I have not heard this, but if true it is a huge advantage for the Angels. This is very true. Yost didn't have to manage much last night. If the game comes down to Yost having to make a key decision it will be to the Angels advantage. I have to believe the Angels will be much better against Vargas if they face him again. Mentally, Guthrie is very weak. Ask any Rockies fan that watched him completely give up when things didn't go his way pitching at Coors Field. Granted, Coors Field is tough place to pitch, but a real MLB pitcher would compete and battle. Guthrie did neither. If the Angels could string a few hits together and score a few runs early against him I predict he will fold. Where did the nickname "Big Game James" come from anyway? His post-season ERA is 5.26. That doesn't scream "big game" does it? Agree. One bad game does not change the key fact that the Angels are a better team with a better manager. I understand the best team doesn't always win and enthusiasm, confidence, and good luck can trump talent and skill. But the series didn't end last night.

Actually, I was not against the Shields-Myers trade. The window was open for the Royals and I would rather a team go for it than hold on to prospects that "might" become Major League players. Lost in all the discussion of the trade is Wade Davis. He is a shut down arm out of the bullpen. My issues with Moore was his infatuation with players Mike Jacobs, Yuniesky Betancourt, Kyle Davies, and Jose Guillen. He never could seem to decide which direction he wanted to go. He seems to have grown in the job and I have softened my view of him.

The Angels are the favorites because they are by far a better team. Beside Alex Gordon, there isn't a player in Kansas City's starting lineup that would start for the Angels. I suppose anything can happen in a best of five series, but usually talent wins out. The Royals running game looked good against Oakland but keep this in mind, the potential for KC to run themselves out of a game is very high. As for the Royals bullpen, KC has to be ahead in the 7th inning for them to be a factor.

Ned Yost managing the Royals gives the Angels a huge advantage.

I can relate to a lot of what you said and I too could write a dissertation about my feelings about the upcoming series. I am from Kansas City and was 12 years old in 1969 when the Royals came into existence. I saw the second game the Royals ever played, the first game at what is now called Kauffman Stadium, and several of the playoff games in the 70s and 80s. I still remember how wonderful I felt when the Royals finally beat the Yankees in 1980 to advance to the World Series and the total euphoria when the 1985 World Series ended. I moved to Utah in 1991 and continued to be a Royals fan until distance and the continuing disgrace the organization was becoming opened the door for me to follow other teams. When the Rockies came began they were on television here and it was fun to have a team to watch that was competitive. I'm still a Rockies fan even though the state of their organization rivals the Royals at their lowest depth. I became an Angels fan in 2001 when Salt Lake became the Halos affiliate. For most of the time, the Angels have had a great farm system and a lot of good ball players have come through here on their way to Major Leagues. When the Halos take the field on Thursday it will feature many former Salt Lake players. Jered Weaver, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Kole Calhoun, Mike Trout, etc.... Even though the Rockies and Angels are the MLB teams I follow and root for, the Salt Lake Bees are my favorite team and it is impossible for me to root against guys that played here. If you would have asked me two nights ago if the Royals end up playing the Angels who would I root for I would have quickly said the Angels. But now I'm really torn. I don't like Royals GM Dayton Moore or manger Ned Yost, and I only watched the Royals once or twice a week this season. But as the game progressed last night, feelings for the Royals that I haven't experienced in decades came pouring out. Turns out, that buried under the huge pile of three decades of losing and poor organizational decisions, the part of me that is a Royals fan is still there. It might be foolish for a 57 year old man to be conflicted about a post season baseball series but I am. My family and friends in Kansas City are all excited about the Royals. My Utah family and friends are Angels fans. And me, I'm both.

Weaver was locked in and throwing as well as he has in a while. I have no concern with his approach after the team staked him to a 9-0 lead.

Escobar could turn out to be the A's Jose Guillen.

I remember the 1964 Kansas City A's having five of Cuban players, but the 1944 Washington Senators had nine: Preston Gomez, Mike Guerra, Rene Monteaguudo, Baby Ortiz, Roberto Ortiz, Luis Saurez, Gil Torres, Sandy Ullrich, Roy Valdes Credit to ESPN Mark Simon for this information. @misimonespn

Wouldn't even have to photoshop his picture on the day he's signed.

In which case it will matter no more than the other losses the Angels will have this season.

Does Miguel Cabrera's 10 year-$30 million extension effect Trout's negotiations with the Angels? Most people agree that Trout is better player than Cabrera so shouldn't Trout's extension be worth more?

Agree with Doc on Shoemaker. He is decent depth for the rotation and the Angels would be better served by keeping him in that position. Recent history of MLB pitching MLB rotations indicates that, even if Shoemaker begins the year in AAA, he will end up making a 5-10 starts for the Angels during the season.

According to an exchange of tweets I had with Ken Rosenthal, it is not possible for this clause to be written into the contract. https://twitter.com/SLBeesFan/status/441972089667338240

Trout becomes a free agent at the All Star break of his walk year......imagine how that would play out.

Not that we didn't already know it, but here's more evidence that Red Sox fans are ignorant idiots. Trout is a Moron!

From the "everyone thinks they're a comedian department"

I've signed for the course. It looks like it could be interesting and fun.

Correct. That is what I was trying to get it in my post when I pointed out that players that were considered valuable in one era have not always been considered valuable in another.

Long before there was anything known as advanced statistical analysis, "the mold" was ever changing. The type of player that contributed in one era might not be the type of player that contributes in another. Guys like Mark Belanger, John Roseboro, and Dal Maxvill wouldn't get a shot today but Orioles, Dodgers, and Cardinals fans knew what it was like to win a title with them.

I say either wipe the slate clean and no one from the period gets in or vote the best players in from that era regardless of their connection with PEDs. Trying to have it both ways is huge failure.