fanfromday1

One solution that everyone seems to be avoiding is - if Ohtani feels that this team isn't a winning organization, why don't the Angels trade him while his trade value is in the stratosphere? I'm sure he would bring back a boatload of prospects or even a couple of quality arms. (not that I'm in favor of that scenario). 

One solution that everyone seems to be avoiding is - if Ohtani feels that this team isn't a winning organization, why don't the Angels trade him while his trade value is in the stratosphere? I'm sure he would bring back a boatload of prospects or even a couple of quality arms. (not that I'm in favor of that scenario). 

The Angels aren't stupid enough (at least I hope they aren't) to just let Ohtani walk at the end of his contract.

After last year, I don't mind one bit. 
Bad baseball is better than no baseball, at least to me.

Last year, someone complained to my administration because they found my American flag mask to be offensive. I wore it on 9/11. Admin asked me to take it off and put on a different mask. I refused, and there's nothing they could do about it. 
But yes, there are large swaths of people out there that are indeed offended by our flag, and that's why I said I felt we've lost our way again. 
But I don't want to change the topic of this thread. 9/11 and everything it changed in our country, everyone has a story and honestly, I never get tired of hearing personal stories. It humanizes and unites us all. 

My wife woke me up after the second plane hit the second tower. Could hardly believe what I was seeing. Tried to soak in as much as I could as I knew we were going to spend the day talking about it at school and the kids would need to see calm and composure from me so they didn’t panic. 
 
It was hard to leave home but school was still going to be open so I drove in. The second tower collapsed while I was on the freeway and I was pissed and in tears at how awful this was. I figured there’d easily be 20,000 dead. 
 
The pentagon plane really shook up any part of me that wasn’t shook up already. Made me wonder where else they were headed. Then we heard rumors that the White House or Capitol or both were being evacuated. My head was spinning, and no one had any idea what else might be coming. We even heard rumors that Disneyland might be a target.
it was an emotionally brutal day. But on September 12, people started flying flags everywhere, especially on their cars. I miss that spirit of unity and love for country that became very prominent. Our differences were out of sight for a good while, and that was a wonderful thing to experience. I wish that spirit would have lasted a whole lot longer. 

Back on Sept. 11, 2001 I was still teaching school. I was watching the news on TV that morning and was just about to leave home when the first, and then the second plane hit the Twin Towers. I gradually realized that this was developing into one of those historic events that everyone would remember for years to come. Kind of like Pearl Harbor or the JFK assassination. So I put a video tape in the recorder and set it for eight hours of recording time. Then I grabbed the second TV out of the den and took it to school so my students and I could watch it in the the classroom. (back then you didn't need a cable box to watch TV).
During the day my classroom was full of not only students, but also other teachers who came in on their free period to watch and get up-dates on the disaster. Many of the office staff, including the Principal and Deans stopped by as well. They all lined up against the back wall. Apparently, outside of the library, I had the only TV on campus that day.
I made it a point, in each class, to ask all in attendance (students as well as the adults) for their thoughts at that current moment. Most of the answers I got back were just the expected prayers of sadness or how this event just instantly tore families apart. But some of the answers I got back were answers that I didn't even expect. Some of the replies were that they feared that there were still planes in the air that were headed to the Los Angeles area (our location) to strike more targets. Several of the students had relatives, or friends, who lived in the New York area and they were worried about them. Many questions were about whether or not we would be going to War with whoever committed this horrible attack. There were also several debates as to whether they themselves would jump out of a window or wait for possible rescue if they were trapped in the towers. I was so glad that there were other adults in my classroom that day, because there was no way that I was prepared for some of the questions or replies that were being thrown at me. I was just as confused at some of the happenings of that day as everyone else.
I have visited both of the 9/11 and Pearl Harbor Memorials over the last several years. Maybe, because it was more of a current event, the 9/11 Memorial seemed like a much more somber or reverent site. But visitors at both locations were highly respectful and thoughtful, many leaving flowers or other mementos. Oh yea, remember that eight hour VHS tape that I said that I tossed in the recorder that morning before I left for school? I still have it, but to this day (20 years) I have never watched it.

I was working that day and our dispatch center put out an ALERT tone stating that a national disaster was unfolding in New York City and that all off going shift personnel were to remain on duty and not go home.  This was around 530am, so I got out of bed in our dorm and went to the TV.  There were already guys coming in to relieve us, and no one was saying a word.  Not a word.  16 guys just staring at the TV, just in time to see the 2nd jet hit the 2nd tower.  That’s when I knew we were in deep shit.  We watched from our firehouse in LA, not knowing if we were next.  Rumors were flying around that Downtown LA was a target and be ready.  Then the first tower fell…..then the 2nd.
Being a member of our Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team, we knew after we got clearance from our Terrorism Unit that we were clear, we set off for NYC and “the pile”.  I stayed at the pile for 17 days, working day and night.  What I saw will never, ever leave my mind.  Ever.  I don’t talk about it much, and anniversaries like this stir up a lot of anger and emotions.  Yesterday was a tough day at work, but the tributes and sporting events help keep the mind occupied.
Unfortunately, I will never forget, because I can’t ever forget.  I will live with what I saw for the rest of my life, and not a day goes by that I don’t think of 343 firefighters dying, and 3,000 plus innocent lives lost.  
 
I echo the thoughts of @Second Basepost above mine.  We were so strong and United back then.  I hope someday we can get back to those days.

Back on Sept. 11, 2001 I was still teaching school. I was watching the news on TV that morning and was just about to leave home when the first, and then the second plane hit the Twin Towers. I gradually realized that this was developing into one of those historic events that everyone would remember for years to come. Kind of like Pearl Harbor or the JFK assassination. So I put a video tape in the recorder and set it for eight hours of recording time. Then I grabbed the second TV out of the den and took it to school so my students and I could watch it in the the classroom. (back then you didn't need a cable box to watch TV).
During the day my classroom was full of not only students, but also other teachers who came in on their free period to watch and get up-dates on the disaster. Many of the office staff, including the Principal and Deans stopped by as well. They all lined up against the back wall. Apparently, outside of the library, I had the only TV on campus that day.
I made it a point, in each class, to ask all in attendance (students as well as the adults) for their thoughts at that current moment. Most of the answers I got back were just the expected prayers of sadness or how this event just instantly tore families apart. But some of the answers I got back were answers that I didn't even expect. Some of the replies were that they feared that there were still planes in the air that were headed to the Los Angeles area (our location) to strike more targets. Several of the students had relatives, or friends, who lived in the New York area and they were worried about them. Many questions were about whether or not we would be going to War with whoever committed this horrible attack. There were also several debates as to whether they themselves would jump out of a window or wait for possible rescue if they were trapped in the towers. I was so glad that there were other adults in my classroom that day, because there was no way that I was prepared for some of the questions or replies that were being thrown at me. I was just as confused at some of the happenings of that day as everyone else.
I have visited both of the 9/11 and Pearl Harbor Memorials over the last several years. Maybe, because it was more of a current event, the 9/11 Memorial seemed like a much more somber or reverent site. But visitors at both locations were highly respectful and thoughtful, many leaving flowers or other mementos. Oh yea, remember that eight hour VHS tape that I said that I tossed in the recorder that morning before I left for school? I still have it, but to this day (20 years) I have never watched it.

Back on Sept. 11, 2001 I was still teaching school. I was watching the news on TV that morning and was just about to leave home when the first, and then the second plane hit the Twin Towers. I gradually realized that this was developing into one of those historic events that everyone would remember for years to come. Kind of like Pearl Harbor or the JFK assassination. So I put a video tape in the recorder and set it for eight hours of recording time. Then I grabbed the second TV out of the den and took it to school so my students and I could watch it in the the classroom. (back then you didn't need a cable box to watch TV).
During the day my classroom was full of not only students, but also other teachers who came in on their free period to watch and get up-dates on the disaster. Many of the office staff, including the Principal and Deans stopped by as well. They all lined up against the back wall. Apparently, outside of the library, I had the only TV on campus that day.
I made it a point, in each class, to ask all in attendance (students as well as the adults) for their thoughts at that current moment. Most of the answers I got back were just the expected prayers of sadness or how this event just instantly tore families apart. But some of the answers I got back were answers that I didn't even expect. Some of the replies were that they feared that there were still planes in the air that were headed to the Los Angeles area (our location) to strike more targets. Several of the students had relatives, or friends, who lived in the New York area and they were worried about them. Many questions were about whether or not we would be going to War with whoever committed this horrible attack. There were also several debates as to whether they themselves would jump out of a window or wait for possible rescue if they were trapped in the towers. I was so glad that there were other adults in my classroom that day, because there was no way that I was prepared for some of the questions or replies that were being thrown at me. I was just as confused at some of the happenings of that day as everyone else.
I have visited both of the 9/11 and Pearl Harbor Memorials over the last several years. Maybe, because it was more of a current event, the 9/11 Memorial seemed like a much more somber or reverent site. But visitors at both locations were highly respectful and thoughtful, many leaving flowers or other mementos. Oh yea, remember that eight hour VHS tape that I said that I tossed in the recorder that morning before I left for school? I still have it, but to this day (20 years) I have never watched it.

I was at Fort Benning waiting on my Ranger school to start when i was woken up by my room mate.  My first thought was why is Peter Jennings on ESPN? I had fallen asleep watching ESPN apparently.  Then it went into anger, and sadness.  The sad part is, i am EOD and i know lots about explosions.  Knowing it was planes and fuel, Fire + liquid against steel is not a good combo, i had a horrible feeling that those towers would collapse.  Then we heard about the pentagon, a building I have visited multiple times and knew some that worked there, I couldn't help but wonder if they were ok.  We had been called for muster so we immediately got dressed and assembled.  Within 30 mins i was on a plane back to Grafenwoehr Germany to rejoin my unit.  We spent almost the whole flight glued to com's getting every bit of information we could, no one slept, the adrenaline was high and every one was pumped we wanted pay back.

I was a freshman in High School during shop class. It was the 3rd or 4th day of school. 
The teacher was a subby and was incredibly stupid. Started talking about how Nostradamus predicted this and how cool that was. We didn't quite grasp it at the time but that was incredibly disrespectful. No thought to the people in that building and on those planes. Just a bunch of BS about a "prediction" that never actually happened.
Also, my aunt took the same flight out of Boston to LAX the week before. Literally 9/4. 

Back on Sept. 11, 2001 I was still teaching school. I was watching the news on TV that morning and was just about to leave home when the first, and then the second plane hit the Twin Towers. I gradually realized that this was developing into one of those historic events that everyone would remember for years to come. Kind of like Pearl Harbor or the JFK assassination. So I put a video tape in the recorder and set it for eight hours of recording time. Then I grabbed the second TV out of the den and took it to school so my students and I could watch it in the the classroom. (back then you didn't need a cable box to watch TV).
During the day my classroom was full of not only students, but also other teachers who came in on their free period to watch and get up-dates on the disaster. Many of the office staff, including the Principal and Deans stopped by as well. They all lined up against the back wall. Apparently, outside of the library, I had the only TV on campus that day.
I made it a point, in each class, to ask all in attendance (students as well as the adults) for their thoughts at that current moment. Most of the answers I got back were just the expected prayers of sadness or how this event just instantly tore families apart. But some of the answers I got back were answers that I didn't even expect. Some of the replies were that they feared that there were still planes in the air that were headed to the Los Angeles area (our location) to strike more targets. Several of the students had relatives, or friends, who lived in the New York area and they were worried about them. Many questions were about whether or not we would be going to War with whoever committed this horrible attack. There were also several debates as to whether they themselves would jump out of a window or wait for possible rescue if they were trapped in the towers. I was so glad that there were other adults in my classroom that day, because there was no way that I was prepared for some of the questions or replies that were being thrown at me. I was just as confused at some of the happenings of that day as everyone else.
I have visited both of the 9/11 and Pearl Harbor Memorials over the last several years. Maybe, because it was more of a current event, the 9/11 Memorial seemed like a much more somber or reverent site. But visitors at both locations were highly respectful and thoughtful, many leaving flowers or other mementos. Oh yea, remember that eight hour VHS tape that I said that I tossed in the recorder that morning before I left for school? I still have it, but to this day (20 years) I have never watched it.

Adell and Marsh are playing well enough that if they finish the year like this or better, you should be able to set sights much higher than Max Meyer or another Marlins prospect. 
Doesn’t mean you have to trade one, but I’m glad they didn’t make that move at the deadline. If we move one of these guys, it better be for a relatively proven and tested MLB frontline arm.
It was a good, sensible gamble to bring them up and give them time - they had gone from top prospects to top prospects with some risk/flaws (Adell’s performance, Marsh’s health) and are now looking once again more like top prospects.
Makes it much easier to talk about guys like Castillo or Alcantara or Marquez or Glasnow+ or Flaherty or whatever, where before you were looking more at topping out their value in deals like Marsh for Meyer or other arms with a little more risk, uncertainty, lack of control, etc. Don’t need to trade either but you’ve swung it back into your favor with their value increasing.

Pass....being arguably the top arm, he's going to get a hell of a contract. His track record isn't long enough for me to feel comfortable, and a guy so reliant on a splitter for his production is a little too risky. 
Contract-wise, he reminds me of what happened with Patrick Corbin. He pitched well leading up to his free agency and raked in a huge deal being the best FA pitcher available, despite not really being a true #1. Gausman feels like a repeat of that, and we're seeing now how the Corbin deal is looking quite worrisome.
I'd rather shop in the guys who land $30-$85m total money deal. If things go south - most FA pitching deals do - I'd want someone who is easier to cut, easier to trade, easier to move.
I keep looking at the 3/$30m deals that both Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson got and think finding guys for something resembling that is a great place to start. You might not get the guaranteed bonafide frontline production that a peak Gausman or Corbin could bring, but I argue the Angels would benefit just as much from durable, solid mid-tier pitching as they would frontline help. Let Ohtani or Sandoval or Rodriguez ideally blossom into #1-#2 production - Ohtani is basically there, and Sandoval sure was getting close - and hope you strike gold on a mid-range guy who overperforms like Lynn and eventually Gibson did. Don't forget that we should be able to trade for a frontline arm as well, maybe not this winter, but between Marsh, Adell, Adams, a ton of pitching prospects, and a ton of SS prospects, the Halos should be able to pull a trigger on a frontline arm (with more affordable salary) sometime in the next 12-18 months. I would MUCH rather trade for a frontline guy than sign someone like Gausman expecting it and wind up seeing a contract go bust as they so often do.
Eduardo Rodriguez would be a good arm to target, and I like Marcus Stroman and Anthony DeSclafani too.

I hope the whole Yankee team steps over the 1st base foul line and eventually disappear like Moonlight Graham did. Damn Yankees!

His HR output is a little fluky (though admittedly he has shown more power in the minors in recent years).  Still even with the recent HR binge, he's only hitting .241 with a .277 OBP. When the  HR rate normalizes, he's going to look like a pretty weak hitter.  I don't think the Angels want to go into next year with him as their starting SS.  In fact, I'd say it'd be borderline crazy for them to if they actually hope to contend.

Heaney is a Free-agent at the end of the year, so it's still possible that the Angels could resign him. No, they wouldn't do that to us would they? 

Heaney is a Free-agent at the end of the year, so it's still possible that the Angels could resign him. No, they wouldn't do that to us would they? 

I agree with @Second Base's assessment completely...I'm not throwing in the towel on him based off last year or his mixed results this year. 
Just simply think he can help us get a pitcher we desperately need, that we can't afford to wait for his potential to be actualized, and that it would be easier to replace his production than it would developing the arm he'd help bring in.

It's amazing how far we've come since then.
I don't care about beating a dead horse here but Eppler really turned this shit around. We just haven't seen it at the big league level yet. We will.

Mike Trout made his debut 10 years ago today, July 8, 2011. Read what he's accomplished in that time.
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/10-years-of-mike-trout-celebrating-10th-anniversary-of-angels-stars-mlb-debut-with-10-incredible-stats/

I like that idea. But, he is being paid $9 m this year. So he will want more next year. I just don't see the Angels paying 9+ for a closer when there are so many other needs, with limited payroll.

I'm a fan of sabermetrics in general, but in many ways, advanced stats have ruined the the natural flow of baseball.

It's never to early to start building for next season. I agree with what jsnpritchett said above: