Dtwncbad

I don't expect a "dramatic" change. I'm looking for a positive contribution. All the pieces matter. I will gladly trade some wins this season for an extra contributing player on the roster in the future. I can find my retirement in one dramatic transaction. . . You can get a few bodies with upside to put into the system hoping one turns into a regular player. I'll trade a few wins in 2017 to add a few winning numbers to my lottery. . .

Of course. It's just a yawner in the meantime. To me, it is notable that the Pujols homers do nothing for me emotionally. Of all the players on this roster, Pujols has become the guy I don't hesitate going to the fridge during his at bats. . .And again that is notable to me since I think he was signed to be the exact opposite effect. I never care about the money. I only care about it if it forces the Angels to keep this guy in the lineup everyday, batting third, and the product is not very good. I have been a pretty big fan of Pujols. I just knew this day was coming. Willie Mays was tough to watch at the end. . . It happens. Intellectually we all know a homer is not an out and it puts a run on the board. Of course! But a Pujols homer, to me, just is not thrilling or exciting in any way emotionally. We kind of expect a dude that big to be able to pop one here and there at his age. . .don't we? The present product is marginal at best. I'm not bitter or a bad fan or not capable of acknowledging the actual run on the scoreboard for not getting a raise in my pulse over a Pujols homer. He is gonna hit some more. I'm not trying that hard to not miss them.

Really I don't feel bitter. I felt like I simply made a point that a Pujols homer (sadly) isn't very exciting given the big picture. The tone goes sideways when a bunch of people spin that into something it is not.

If you don't get my point, you are in denial. So thank you in return for helping me make my point. Did you get the #604 commemorative pin so you can relive that magic moment forever?

Ichiro, arguably the hit king of the earth, who is hitting .220 and has an OPS of .555, got a hit the other day!!!!!! It was SO EXCITING!!! Marlins fans were speechless from the event. One Marlin fan shrugged and was attacked for not getting a boner over the blooper from the future hall of famer. . .

I said they don't excite me. I didn't "complain" about a home run. It was not exciting. There is now no thrill for me, typically, with Pujols home runs because overall he just isn't very good, so they seem like novelty. That's "twaty"? Can I invite you to join reality?

When I was a kid, wins and losses every day mattered so much and the hope of reaching the postseason was all that mattered. Now almost 40 years later is does the team, on paper and in my heart, have a puncher's chance at teaching the world series. I have no interest in sneaking into a wildcard IF I think it will be a quick exit from simply not being good enough. I think this roster is simply not good enough. The natural next step is I want a better roster in years to come. The last thing I want is winning 6 straight out of the AS break making it "wrong" to be sellers at the deadline. I would rather lose 95 games and have a better roster and farm going forward than win 83 games and have an early exit.

Tug McGroin

I hope you are smart enough to understand the Angels win yesterday with you at DH, right? Yes the guy hit a solo hr in the first. My point about "free appetizer" is that the bigger picture analysis takes over sometimes and the thrill of not paying for chicken fingers in isolation is gone. Pujols is still a negative WAR player. He really isn't helping them win. The team is under .500, and he is, (among other reasons) at the center of the reason why. No, I am not thrilled in the least bit with a solo hr by Pujols in the 1st inning. I can't stop seeing the big picture.

It was.

The way his game has evolved even his home runs seem pretty boring . . It's like driving 90 minutes in traffic to a restaurant to get a free appetizer. Cool free appetizer??

Heck yes. Gladly give you 9% with no payment due for a decade. I would consider it a gift.

Marginal product at a premium price. Maybe he should open a chain of steak houses with that same value proposition.

I don't want to be too pessimistic but I am concerned about the reported detail that he was clocked at 82mph left handed.

Segura has been in the majors 4 years. 2 excellent years and 2 years where he kind of stunk. I would like to have Segura now too but just saying remember how much fans were hot and cold on Ervin Santana. I just don't want to pretend Segura hasn't had some long frustrating stretches for fans of his team. 0 WAR in 146 games in 2014. .3 WAR in 142 games in 2015. . . . Angel fans would have been calling for his head over that 288 game stretch of 0 WAR. . .

I seriously don't get how people think this was dumb for the Mets. They borrowed almost 6 million bucks basically unsecured, at 8%, with zero payments due for years and years and years. The no payments due period is a HUGE detail. Bonilla could have invested that money into something secured, like real estate development, and yielded double the return. Please, anyone, if you want Bonilla's deal contact me. Ill give you 9% instead of 8%, no problem. I'll build a mini storage warehouse or an industrial park or a wedding venue. . .. and collect rents for years and years and years and build equity in the property and then pay you back with future cash flow and i will end up owning a multi million dollar cash flowing property risking none of my own money. The key to making this deal sweet for the borrower is the fact that no payments were due for a long long time. That kind of loan can be very risky to the investor and they typically want much more than 8% in that structure. The Mets got 6 million at 8% with no payments due for 11 years!!! 11 years! Look up private construction loans where people needs millions to build properties and cannot start a payment stream back to the investor for years. Look it up. 12% rates AND 10% equity. Bonilla got 8% and no equity. I'm not saying an 8% return isn't nice security for Bonilla. But it was also a very nice deal for the Mets who were in a hard money cash crunch situation. Once you include a term for an extended no payment period like 10 or 11 years, 8% is cheap money.

I really don't understand how Trout can be healthy enough to play in live baseball games but he can't play in the All Star Game. I am not a big AS Game guy. . But Trout has been building an All STAR game performance history that is becoming part of his legacy. If he is healthy enough to play then let him play.

More fun with numbers: My guess is there is a .0001 percent chance he actually is a jerk. And 99.9999 percent chance you just hate him because you are jealous. Sports is full of obvious jerks. I have seen zero evidence Pujols belongs in that club. I hate his current production. I fear his future production. I see the inefficient albatross contract going forward. But I don't think he is a jerk. He has given me no reason to think that. I bet you hate him most on the 1st and 15th of every month.

Let me borrow your number to argue with you. 99.9999 percent of people people frustrated with his regression have not called him a jerk. Noticing the obvious and talking about it isn't calling him a jerk.

Is the manager position part of the entertainment package you are selling? I know having a good manager is important, and stability is also important. But you can't get stale either. Scioscia has been here long enough. If nothing else, I am just bored with him. I don't believe in a revolving door annually for the manager but a new one every 5-7 years seems healthy to me. 18 years with one manager would also be fine if the team was collecting poatseason series trophies. It's time for a change. And that doesn't mean I hate Scioscia or that I think he has been terrible. Good or bad, that is a long enough run.

To be fair, I also don't KNOW Pujols can even keep his OPS at .662. My brain tells me this is a one way street going South. At some point (at OPS under 600?) you may have to make a decision even if you don't KNOW for sure what that decision brings.

Mistake letting Vargas go? Really? Sure because the Angels have suffered from being just one #4 starter away. . .

Maybe the DL is the best spot for him for like 80% of the time over the next 4 years. I can't see any way to get out of the money. That money is gone. So now its about playing time and a roster spot. Just a sidenote I laugh when I hear people say he still has his power. That's absurd. His hr/fly ball ratio is like half is what it was in his prime. He has warning track power now. A few sneak over the wall. . .but the guy absolutely is a shell of his former self in terms of power.

Please trade Nolasco. Please. I want to open a roster spot for Jack Lazorko.

I am afraid of Darvish. We haven't done very well buying "stars" away from Texas.