Inside Pitch

Who's got time to pitch when you got tires to buy and fish to catch.

I don't think they care -- the new park will bring in fans, and if they start winning around then they will keep them coming.

Meh -- here's to getting the number one overall pick in the draft....

I thought they used him as a SP last year... 92-93 works either way.

Yup - this would be ideal.

One of my picks to click this year (Jared Ruxer), is off to a good start in Low A -- just wish they would get aggressive with him and put him in Hi-A, particularly while they are using him as a RP... Scotty you been able to watch him pitch at all this year? Has moving to the pen upped the readings on the FB at all? He was sitting 91-94 at Kentucky before the TJ surgery...

I would certainly hope so, he's only 5 inches taller and has 30 pounds on Johnson. Anyway, whether or not he has more pop isn't really the debate -- the fact that he falls short of what you'd expect from someone with his swing and size is. In 2605 minor league PA's he's hit a total of 42 Hrs. In 611 plate appearances in the hitters' paradise that is SLC he's hit 8 -- the 2Bs are nice -- but he's not 22 anymore and the word projectable isn't really something that can be applied to his power at this point... and lets be real... the marine layer isn't likely to positively impact his HR totals. When push comes to shove I'm not trying to say Sherm>Kubitza. I'm saying Kubitza doesn't bring anything to the table that should really hinder/block Johnson. I don't believe they are being looked at in the same way. Last I checked KK has been getting game time all over the diamond... 1B, 3B, LF, (a couple games at 2B), but they clearly see him as a corner position guy. Johnson more of a middle IF dude. I want both of them to force their way onto the big league club -- there is a need in both areas. It's good to see Sherm in AAA, and hopefully they both tear it up. Neither one of them is going to get to the majors on the strength of their gloves.

Based on the eye test -- Escobar has looked awful.- Based on the DRS (minimum 190 innings) he's been neutral, lumped in with guys like Freese, Maikel Franco, and Kyle Seager. It's early still but Josh Donaldson is having a bad defensive season by his standards. fWar wise, Escobar ranks 12th... All in all, he's not been a problem child...

This is more about the lack of in house talent than anything to do with money. They don't want to lose Choi, they can send Ortega down. For all the talk about them wanting to be competitive, this season may be about figuring out who to keep and who to punt.

He's the same exact age (same DOB), as Kubitza, so if he's too old, then so is KK. My issue with his performance is he's old for that league and he needs to be moved up. The knock on Kubitza is and always has been that he doesn't show the kind of pop you'd expect for a guy his size, his career high for HRs in any one season is 12. Johnson's 7 HRs last year in Arkansas matched Kubitza's total at SLC -- So while KK may look like the better source of power he comes up short in game situations and always has. Arakawa, Fletcher, Baldoquin, and Sanger are all either at the same level as him (Yarbs), or below him - so basically the only real object ahead of him is Cowart. When the main competition for your job are guys like Gia, Yarbs, Kubitza, Cowart, and a bunch of guys college guys in Low and High A, you've got a chance... Particularly on a team in need of guys who can get on base. He's got warts but in this system he's potentially useful.

The Jerry fan is club trying really really hard in this thread... http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=0&type=1&season=2016&month=0&season1=2016&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=10,d Simmons' bat is suspect, the glove isn't.

C'mon... Wasn't striking a nerve what you were aiming for? Naps has always done that. He was always ground zero for the Scioscia angst, a fact made even worse when he was traded.. Not gonna lie, I think it's funny the subject still has that effect on people even now that he's a shell of what he used to be. So, well played, Sir. BTW, his .831 OPS as an Angel is right in line with his career average of .835, he was always an offensive threat... unfortunately for him he's not really that player anymore. Regardless, the failure to sign Balls Beltre and subsequent Wells/Naps trade was the death knell of the Angels golden era of baseball.

LOL.... Im looking forward to his "its a false test, I've been banging a chick on medication for heavy acne". That's become the excuse of choice when people get popped for Clostebol, one of the old East German PEDs from the cold war era that has been getting used more and more of late.

Nate Smith got SLCed last night, Brutal game that was 14-13 when I finally fell asleep... 15 MPH winds in that park leads to LOL...

By the time you posted this, they were no longer a first place team.

MS likes hard throwers late in games in large part because they tend to offer a different look than the exiting SP. Perhaps you could list the many hard tossing SPs we have held on to for too long during MS's tenure in Anaheim? While we are at it... Was it Mike Scioscia that moved a veteran to the BP to make room for John Lackey? Was it Mike Scioscia who moved Fernando Rodney out of the closer role for Jordan Walden? Perhaps you've forgotten Scott Shields took Appier's rotation spot when he was let go... Who was it that decided Jered Weaver should be starting over Jeff Weaver? MS was also the guy that moved Bartolo out of the rotation for Saunders in 2007, they did the whole phantom injury BS but it was pretty clear the guy throwing every day in the BP wasn't hurt... Tyler Chatwood got 25+ starts in 2011 as a 21 year old. For all his faults and tendencies to give veterans a long rope, the rotation is the one area where MS has historically been relatively quick to act...

Pretty sure Mike Scioscia understands the concept of pitcher fatigue -- Smith was spent, the Pan Am Games really seemed to tire him. IMO, Smith's biggest problem isn't velocity or a poor showing at the end of the last year..... as you pointed out it's Skaggs.

Ditto.... This has been an awful year ... I still remember the first time an artist died that actually hit home with me -- Joe Strummer, 2002. It was the first real hit at my youth.

Yeah, I don't care if they keep Gentry around. Ortega and Choi could actually still become useful players. Gentry is what he is.

Perez displaced Ianetta.... Dude started all but 8 games after September 1st when the Angels were trying to scratch their way back into contention...

You mean like Perez?

Taylor Blake Ward ‏@TaylorBlakeWard 3m3 minutes ago Andrew Heaney had MRI today, news is positive according to team which should mean injury remains strained flexor muscle #Angels 0 retweets0 likes Reply Retweet Like More

Thats amazing... Crazy part is it won't keep teams from doing it again.

It was a bad use of assets. They traded a potential everyday player for a middle reliever... teams that do that end up paying a heavy price for the lack of vision. Also, it's a matter of opinion but Calhoun had fewer than 300 at bats at the time of the trade, he wasn't established to the point where it afforded the Angels the luxury of moving a 22 year old OF in AAA to make sure he had a spot... particularly not given the state of our farm system at THAT time.

Silver linings!!!