Griffey's Corner

Good to know that you assume they are perfect.... so I guess that we will no longer need your services on this message board.... as clearly you are done with critiquing.

When the Angels were winning last year.... despite all the problems they had. It was when they were stealing a lot of bases with Maybin & company. Stealing bases is a great way to win ballgames. It screws with the pitcher.... they are distracted.... they throw more fastballs. It puts a lot of pressure on the defense. And speed rarely goes into slumps.

So do you have a point?

Yeah I saw storm.... whatever post that earlier. He seems like a smart guy.... so I was surprised he said that. Your point is spot on. If you are that worried about him getting hurt than they should just lock him up with the fragile china.

yeah me too. I remember when he had 49 stolen bases.... and on the last day of the season he was thrown out trying to steal second against the Mariners..... still upset about that. I would love for him to be the first 60/60 player in history.

That is a great point. We are so much better on paper than the Twins. We should be destroying them. A 4 game sweep and there season would have ended. We are keeping the Twins season on life support.

Sorry forgot Point #7..... If you are a MLB player and you do not know how to bunt than you should not be on the roster...... EVERYBODY should know that skill because at some point you may be called upon in Game 7 of the World Series to do it. And I do not want to hear about how hard bunting is..... it is a lot easier to bunt a 95 mph fastball..... than to take a stride and full swing and try and hit the ball..... all these MLB players can hit the ball..... well except for the pitchers..... but than again that is why they are bunting all the time..... because it is a much easier skill set to learn. Thank you.

Point #1....So as I was saying last week I am not necessarily advocating Calhoun start dropping down all these bunts..... but whatever way possible he needs to keep the defense honest and spray the ball using the whole field. Bunting was just one idea to facilitate breaking the radical shift they play on him. As I mentioned last week I would prefer a strikeout vs. these weak rolled over ground balls. Point #2.... Eric Young Jr. played very well last year.... he was a spark plug.... when Trout went down with an injury he helped keep our season alive. He can steal bases & do some other nice things. He also plays with a lot of emotion.... which I think is good for a baseball team. He cares about winning. Point #3.... I have no idea why they signed Chris Young. Point #4... It's bad enough the Angels are on the hook for the Pujols & Valbuena salaries.... this year I am approximating around $40,000,000. But you are making a bad decision even worse when you jettison your first round pick CJ Cron who you have spent so much time & resources in developing and improving his defense. I do not think CJ Cron is a world beater but when the season started I predicted.... not on this board that he would hit .283 and hit 32 HR's. Which at least is giving you average production. We gave up CJ for a bag of peanuts.... even though between the 3 he is the best player.... because of the salaries.... that is so messed up. Point #5..... I wanted Fletcher to start at 2b and use the money saved to sign some bullpen help.... instead we added Kinsler and whatever he is making? I am guessing around $10,000,000? And I am not a Kinsler basher... I just think the money could have been spent better elsewhere. Point #6A.... Quit playing scared to win.... There is NO reason Shohei cannot DH more.... or at least pinch hit with the game on the line instead of sending up less than desirables. Batting once in a game is less tiring than having sex at night..... are the Angels regulating his sex the night before he pitches? I doubt it.... so that being the case let him play.... Bad News Bears reference there. Point #6B.... Let or tell Trout to steal..... what is his track record this year on stolen bases? 90%? If that gives you the win.... than do not manage scared. Some of this falls on Mr. Scioscia.... & I say that respectfully I am sure when it comes to baseball he is a frickin genius..... But if someone with a lot less knowledge of the game can see these things.... shouldn't he? Thank you all for taking the time to read this.... I guess I am just really pissed that they lose these games that I feel like are so winnable.

What i hope does not happen is he hits .330 on the season & only gets 300 plate appearances.... I think that would be a shame. And also for the record we still have a very small sample size of everything so moving slowly is probably cool..... for awhile. I am just saying if he keeps hitting the crap out of the baseball..... what than?

If he DH's 5 times a week I am fine with that. I probably would never want him to play OF..... maybe in time a little 1B.

Wow! Did I not say "For the record I believe Shohei is a better pitcher than that.... better pitcher than average. The argument is IF... big if Shohei can put up Mike Trout numbers do you risk benching Shohei half the time.... It has nothing to do with whether Mike Trout can pitch.... THE POINT is if you have a player who can put up Trout numbers do you have him sit half the time.... whatever the reason. Do you guys drink a lot during the games? With this I do agree. quit making these guys out to be a bunch of wimps. They are young and can handle a lot. If you treat someone like a baby than they will act like a baby. The other day someone made a post as to why baseball players do not hustle.... because they could hurt themselves..... I do not see football players not hustle because of the off chance they might pull a muscle.

he's an amazing player. At what point if his pitching is around a 4.00 ERA..... but he really can hit for a .340 BA & 40 HR's a year over a full season of at bats. That would be like Mike Trout numbers..... would we really bench Mike Trout for half the season to let him pitch to a tune of an average ERA? For the record I believe Shohei is a better pitcher than that. I want to be really clear in light of some of the special cases on this forum.

I agree. Maybe at some point 1B.... RF I do not have the balls for that... at least not yet.... probably never will.

Anyone that has ever actually played the game knows that to bunt a ball is much easier than taking a full swing and making contact. Case in point look at when pitchers come to bat. It is a much easier skill to learn. Pitchers are much more adept at bunting than swinging away.

Hey Lou last thing before I go & start my day. Yesterday all I say is that Calhoun needs to use the whole field whatever way he can grounders or even bunts, whatever. You take the opposite position.... why I do not know? So last night Calhoun comes up in a close game in the 9th takes a pitch outside pulls it rolls over and hits another weak grounder for a game ending ground ball DP. Today I say that Shohei should hit as much as he wants as long as he keeps hitting this well. You than take it into some tangent of tiredness when your arguments are so silly. Look at what Shohei has done at the plate and the Angels record when he plays and does not play. You seem like such a clever and smart guy.... so act like it.

15-6 when Ohtani plays.

Again I am sorry I did not know you were personal buddies with Shohei. So please tell me what exactly was Shohei referring to. Because if your assumption is correct than Shohei was literally complaining because he did not start ONE time with a lefty on the mound...... Now everything I have read & heard about Shohei is that he is the consummate team player..... that does not sound like something Shohei would do just because it happened once or even twice..... SO the only thing we can deduce is that if you asked Shohei.... he wants to be out there every day or real close to it.

Too Funny!!! How the heck do you know what Shohei was referring to???????? How do you know he was happy in Japan hitting only half the time under his old manager? Maybe that is one of the reasons he wanted to play somewhere else? All he said was he wanted to play more. Are we to assume that the one time he is not starting because a lefty is on the mound that he is going to complain? That does not sound like Shohei. he probably complained because the way he sees it there was 10 times he was benched that he did not agree with. I bet if you asked him he wants to play everyday. I am not playing the victim. You have been very entertaining. And I do like your avatar picture & your Seinfeld reference.

as long as Shohei is hitting above .300 I think he should hit more.... that is ALL I am saying.

I was wondering when Lou's buddy would show up. I really don't think I did. I started by saying Shohei should play more.

I think you are taking this argument and getting sidetracked.... I am not advocating Shohei pitch more..... I am advocating Shohei hit more..... and your stance was he would be too tired and his arm would fly off.

I really am not. My opinion was done by my own research. My own self experiences..... and yes than I throw in Ryan's name to lend weight to my argument.

I like it. You have a very impressive baseball acumen. But on the flip side you listed a handful of pitchers.... out of thousands. I can name a handful of Angels pitchers... recently..... that have had arm problems. Some of the players you listed did not exactly take care of their bodies.... unless you consider cocaine good.

I like your ideas. I always like going with the younger players. I am just not so sure Mr. Scioscia will do it. I think Kinsler's leash will be quite long. I think Calhoun is going to also get plenty more opportunities.

yeah Ryan is not the only one that says it. Don't come to your own opinion just form your opinion on what others say..... got it....LOL. Dude you are too funny. I agree about the quality.... if Blanton had gotten hurt I would have had no problem with that..... That is not what you jumped down my back on. It is weird that you mentioned that because yesterday I almost said the exact same thing addition by subtraction.... or maybe I did? I was referencing Blanton & Salas... LOL. A lot of the current coaches and front office personnel do not know why it is happening.... so before you make them out to be these all knowing gurus.... they do not know why it is going on or what to do about it.... many articles on this subject. My point is & was Shoehei should be playing more..... and than you jumped down my back on that.... and started talking too tired and it should not be done, etc...... well shohei does not think he is too tired to do it..... So that alone all your other arguments are just BS.... entertaining BS..... But BS all the same. And furthermore as long as Shohei is hitting..... and we have 2 or 3 guys in the lineup right now struggling.... than I think Shohei should be hitting more. Every game we lose in May counts the same in September. If a guy is tearing the cover off the ball than he should be playing more than half the time..... How do you know that Shohei wants to sit the day before he pitches or the day after? Because that was what is manager in Japan did? Sounds like Shohei wants to play and prove himself. And yes Ryan is a badass. I am trying to get along with you & have good baseball conversations.... but when you keep misquoting me, and trying to turn what I am saying you are making it difficult.