Torridd

Thx Rally.

I love optimism! It all depends on the pitching. If Trumbo and Pujols and/or Hamilton can get hot, it's surely possible. 

Don't you understand? Against the Angels, the Astros are throwing JR Richard, Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, and Roger Clemens. Of COURSE we're gonna get our hat handed to us.

It was a good risk trade in my opinion.

Sure wish the Angels could face Porcello every time they play the Tigers.

Great news. Bourjos is a crucial part of this team.

Liar Liar - Beating himself up in the bathroom
 
Raising Arizona - Diaper Robbery scene
 
Back to School - Dangerfield is showing pictures to his wife that he had taken while she was fooling around on him:
 
"Here's you. Here's you and Loverboy. Here's you, Loverboy and what's with the midget?" 

I'll never get off the Arte bangwagon....I remember Jackie Autry....he's made mistakes and maybe we're in for a dry spell but I appreciate his aggresiveness and willingness to spend...

Saw The Ides of March. Pretty good. Great cast and didn't realize Clooney also directed it.

"...Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols and Erik Aybar need to actually start hitting -- in which case Trumbo's offense is superfluous. But if the multimillionaires don't come through, then Trumbo's contribution is pointless, because no one cares whether you win 80 games instead of 75. Either way, they don't need Mark Trumbo."
 
I completely disagree with his point regarding Trumbo.

Good posts here. To answer eaterfan, I think we have to go the route that doc mentioned. Hope that Pujols and Hamilton have a resurgence next year, get another pitcher, sign Vargas and tweak the bullpen.
 
I don't believe management believes this team needs blowing up and neither do I. I know things don't look good and next season could be worse if the "Bash Brothers" continue this trend, however we've got into bed with these guys and management has to see things through for a certain time. Pujols is going on his second year and Hamilton has done 3 months. That's not even close to enough time for a fire sale.

not the right time yet. 
 
I am not opposed to moving a guy if the outlook is bleak and he's coming up on FA as well as if there is a replacement. 
 
Howie isn't a FA till after 2015.  Lindsey is having a nice year, but I wouldn't count on him to be ready.  They just invested in pujols and hamilton so they aren't going to give up on that yet. 
 
They still need to see if the current team can put things together.  Add a pitcher in the offseason and re-sign vargas or someone else.  get rid of blanton and add another pen arm.  Hope the aliens return the real Hamilton and that pujols foot heals. 
 
Mid next year at the earliest, but I would give it till the offseason between 2014/15 or even the deadline of 2015. 
 
Prospects are no sure thing.  One seems to make it for every 2 that don't.  I wouldn't get too caught up in it.  Been there done that

making a trade because a certain player's stock will never be higher (or at least you think it won't) is not a good enough reason to make a trade. You make a trade if there is a net gain for the team. In order for that to be the case, you have to find a partner that is willing to give up good pitching (the most prized commodity in baseball) in return. I don't think the Angels have any plans of not being contenders over the next few years. There is no way they go into a fire sale mode and trade off their young or middle aged talent (in baseball playing age) to restock their farm. IMHO. I just don't see that happening nor do I think it's necessary.

oh brother. Howie's good season has nothing to do with the season being over already. That's ridiculous. Oh and Howie didn't have a crap year last year. It wasn't as good as this year for sure, but it was hardly crap. The notion that he doesn't play well under pressure or he is not a championship caliber player is utter hogwash.

Realistically what could you expect to get for a 2B who is having a career year?  A contending team is not going to weaken their existing team to get Kendrick, so it seems to me the best the Angels can expect would be two good prospects.  There would be no Trouts, Puigs, Harpers in that bunch.  What is the likelihood of a prospect making an immediate (2014) team improvement?  Statistics show there are more McPhersons and Woods than Salmons and Erstads.  For proven Major league talent, you can expect two RPs with a good record.
 
Do the Angels need to make a drastic move like that?  No, I don't think so.  It's true, this season is a bust.  Where the Angels need immediate improvement is in pitching.  So the FA market will again be tapped and hopefully the foreign market.
 
So the answer is - no.

pitching is a premium in MLB, who needs a 2B so bad that they would trade a top level pitching prospect or two to get him? I doubt that kind of trade partner exists. 
 
Oh, and no to trading Kendrick unless there is a net gain fro the team - IOW a significant return.

You have what it takes to be a major league umpire!

Howie is what he is.  He's been actually swinging more this year than the previous two years.  Back to early in his career when he seemed better off.  He may just be this type of player.  He's not gonna get on base a ton unless his avg is high. He plays solid defense.
 
Because he's susceptible to the hard slider, he's gonna have some trouble in the later innings with pen guys who tend to throw a ton of sliders.  But his other production makes up for it.  He's a solid value and gets the job done.  He frustrating at times.  Kinda like CJ in that you can't help but focus on the fact that they could be more, but sometimes good enough is ok as long as everyone else around you does their job. 

Never understand the dislike toward these two players. Both very good defensively and above average hitters for their positions on team friendly deals.
They're basically the best you can get without giving ridiculous contracts like tulo, andrus, kinsler.

With as bad as we have been playing, we are only 8 games out of the wild card.
 
Not sure what needs to happen but this team has the ability and talent to put together a pretty nice run.
 
For those of you that jumped on the Angels bandwagon post 2002, here is a historical tidbit:
 
September 1995 the Angels had a 13 game lead in the AL West only to be in a tie with Mariners at season's end. We lost a 13 game lead in one month!!
 
As far as I can tell we still have 3 Months!!! to make up an 8 game deficit to make the palyoffs.
 
Hang in there Angel fans, we can still do this!!!

I don't think Reagins is close to Erin Moran.

I also think Reagins got a bum rap. You just get tired of arguing with these guys after awhile. Besides Wells and Abreu, I think he did pretty well. Kazmir and Fuentes were good bets that didn't work out. See what happened with Rodney the year after.
 
I don't think Reagins has much to do with what's happening now. The starters and offense were pretty good when he was here. The bullpen was his biggest problem.

No.

They really do all look the same, eh buddy? 

I find it interesting that Dipoto's screwups...were Arte's fault...and yet there is no consideration that Arte was the driving force to "make something happen" after Crawford fell through...resulting in Wells. The Angels are in win mode now...just like they were when they started dealing youngsters at the deadline.
 
As far as I can tell, the Angels were a helluva lot better under Reagins, than they are under Dipoto.