Inside Pitch

I don't think English could handle the load... The language would break.

Agreed... Remember that huge inning that was started by back to back bunts? Was that the Yankees game? Game Two?

My bad LT, I was actually referring to the contact play, which in many cases has resulted in squeezes.... The entire league knows the contact play is always on and defends for it. I don't have any issues with the hit and run, I don't consider it playing small ball, but there are certain teams where it's just not as effective and it should be taken into consideration.. The contact play, sac bunts -- that sort of small ball is much less effective than it's made out to be and typically drives me nuts. As a whole, I don't have a problem with intentional outs so long as they are used as an almost defensive mechanism -- such as a hitter getting behind and then looking to just drive the runner in. I hate when a guy goes up thinking sac fly with a 0-0 count. Not saying it's wrong, it's just a personal preference. Like I said, I don't have issues with Mike playing for one run, I don't like how often or how early he goes that route, in the past with our offenses being what they were it may have made a little more sense. With this team, less so. I remember Mauch once had Reggie lay down a bunt and the defense completely being taken by surprise. Nobody had ever had Reggie do that before Mauch, and it was awesome.

Ultimately a team should play to it's strengths. I hate sac bunts, but don't mind guys that can bunt for hits. The hit and run can put pressure on a defense; when you're playing Detroit it's a good thing, when you're playing Seattle or Oakland, it likely isn't. I really don't want to see the Angels become a station to station, wait for the three run bomb sort of team although it's hard to argue the middle of the order isn't capable of just that. My problem with Mike Scioscia isn't that he plays small ball, Gene Mauch played small ball regardless of who was on his team. My problem with MS at times is that he makes some of it's elements a non issue by over-using them. Case in point the suicide squeeze. I genuinely believe the Angels would be more successful with the small ball stuff if they did it less often.

He went 15-27 on bunt hit attempts last year -- a .556 success rate which was 8th best in baseball. He went 14-32 for a .438 success rate in 2011, good for 8th best in baseball.

I thought that was interesting when you consider the totals they list for each team. They are projecting identical FIP figures of 3.97 and the rates are pretty close but the Angels had an edge in IP totals.

Wells' heat map resembles that of a menopausal woman..

It may mean your boy Jimenez gets to stay up along with Calhoun. Regardless of what we get back, it's a net positive to clear 6.5 mil and a roster spot for someone younger and of greater use at a position of potential need.

Ramirez has looked awful this spring, Lowe much less so. I fear the Angels will need to dumpster dive for some RP the next few days.

2012 ERA Away Cain - 3.56 Vogelson - 3.87 Zito - 4.34 Bumgarner - 4.40 Lincecum - 6.63 NL Average - 4.15

Mike Scioscia saying "he's a little concerned" is pretty much equal to Paul Revere mounting a horse and taking flight to Lexington.

Dipoto is going to get a lot of praise for this and he should given he was able to exploit the Yankees' situation, but I do recall reading several articles where Arte was supposedly not willing to eat as much of the contract as others were wanting him to in order to make a trade. So, while Jerry will get most of the praise, I think Moreno deserves some of the props.

I hate when people use that line. It's not a little boys game played by men, it's a man's game played by little boys.. Baseball's history is pretty seedy, it's rife with corruption, racism, and all sorts of social issues little boys have no freaking clue about but that didn't keep dad's from trying to share the game with their children. The problem of course is that those little boys tend to grow up into opinionated fans that get really lippy on message boards while saying absolutely nothing. Doc and Chuck both nailed it.. There is thoughtful discussion and then there is the AM32 brand of agenda driven tripe that some try to inject into every thread. I personally don't care if people rip the team but it's really not much to ask people to engage their brains before hitting the post button. This bullpen is freaking frightening right now.

So the US lost the WBC, but because Tex was injured while at the WBC, the Yanks can take on 13 mil for Wells and thus the Angels win big? I have never loved the WBC more than right now....

He's been awful for us, but he's likely an upgrade over Juan Rivera, and that was the Yankees reality.

I agree the rub is losing the pick and that the Angels need to get their farm in order, but, I don't think the Halos have as much in common with the Yankees as you're painting it but (I may be reading you wrong), I do agree they are heading in the same direction unless to go back to investing in the farm system. Still, the current Angels team is largely made up of farm hands or acquired via the farm. Looking at our starting 9 position players and 7 of the spots in the lineup were either graduated from the farm (Aybar, Trout, Kendrick, Trumbo, Bourjos), or obtained using pieces from the farm (Ianetta, and Callaspo), one of which was a former farmhand. The pitching staff has a lot more purchased items but as a whole, the Angels only feature 6 players who were brought in as FA's; Pujols, Hamilton, Downs, Burnett, Wilson, Blanton. You could add Williams into that group but he's more of an example of someone who was picked up off the discard pile. Among position players only Pujols (33), and Hamilton (32), will play this season at older than their age 30 season (Ianetta, Kendrick, Callaspo), or under (Trout 21, Bourjos 26, Trumbo 27, Aybar 29). The Yankees by comparison have two players who will be 30 (Cano), or younger (Gardner at 29), in their starting 9. The Rangers noted for their being such an in house product have essentially the same number of FA's; Beltre, Darvish, AJ. Berkman, Frasor, Lowe, Nathan. Darvish was posted, but that doesn't change the fact he came with a 50 million posting fee (purchase), and then 50 Mil to sign. There is also Leonys Martin who went to the highest bidder as an International FA.. Age-wise, the Rangers starting 9 only has three players who enter their age 30 season (Andrus 24, Martin 25, and Moreland 27). Everyone else will be playing in their age 31 or older season. Their pitching staff on the other hand is much more youthful. The Angels as a whole seem to have a lot of guys right smack in the middle of their "traditional" primes (27-31), but they really do need to spend the next couple years getting the farm system turned around or they will in fact find themselves in the same situation the Yankees find themselves in come 2015. Cron, RG, and Cowart could go a long way's towards helping the farm system's position player ranks, but the lack of pitching needs to be addressed.

You guys may want to look at the ESPN Fantasy baseball.. Its a pretty clean process.

Pretty sure he was talking about the Rangers' players reaction to winning the game...

Same -- I didn't mind losing Lackey either, although, I didn't think he would crater the way he has.....

FWIW, the Rangers broadcast did a fairly good job of showing Rangers fans mobbing Hamilton for autographs before the game and cheering when we went yard. I'm sure many of the locals are upset with him, but that silence for Josh thing is sorta pathetic.. Not that I blame the guy for trying to capitalize on it and turn a buck.

Your promise is duly noted. You guys show Josh, you mean business.. you rascals! Also I thank you for pointing out that the Rangers ST home is not their regular season home and that opposing fans are more abundant. Had you not clarified that I would have gone on believing the Rangers play their home games in Arizona. All BS aside, I do agree with you that Ranger fans will likely boo him, I'd expect most fans to react the same way after the things he's been quoted as saying.

The dream ends

Just a couple observations tonight... 1 - The Angels rally started almost immediately after AM32 was banned. I'd take that as a sign from above. 2 - Being in Miami, I watched the MLB Network feed which happened to be the Texas broadcast. There was no silence for Josh when he went yard, in fact the place was loud, really, really loud. Apparently, they are saving the silence for the regular season, or the Angels fans in attendance made the home crowd look bad. Either way, it was funny.

I see more Mike Lieberthal, than I do Victor Martinez, but that would still be a very nice player.