LightTheHalo

Forward to like July 3-5?

I just think their silence makes what he's doing in Texas right now look even worse. They gave him away for nothing. If they think he's a piece of sh*t, I'd like to hear somebody from the team say that — in more professional terms, of course. Why were they so disappointed by the arbitrator's ruling? Was it simply because he sucked so badly and they really hoped he'd be suspended to save some money or was there a lot more to it? Did they trade him simply because Arte was pissed or were there legitimate concerns about his effect on the club if he returned to play with the Angels?

This is my biggest problem with the whole thing, too. It's like they just expect us as fans to understand why he's hitting jacks and walk-offs for the Rangers now. Why is that OK? Nobody from the team has said dick about why exactly he was traded; we've just been left to speculate.

What was the stupider move by the Angels? Signing him or trading him to a division rival for nothing?

Mac Fur?

Kirk Nieuwenhuis. It'd be awesome if the Angels could somehow pry him from the Mets.

Oh, those numbers are from before he homered today. Talk amongst yourselves.

.387 .424 .516 in 9 minor league games http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=hamilt004jos

The true test will be when he catches for Weaver. If Weav actually provides a quality start and wins, it's Carlos' job to lose.

One of these days I'll have time again, Geoff. Thank you for your kind words. Reading back through those definitely made me feel like it's something I miss doing.

Here's another one I wrote about Vlad that I remember fondly: WAIT 'TIL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME By Geoff Bilau - Angelswin.com Senior Editor To paraphrase LL Cool J, don't call it a comeback; he's been here for years. An Angels fan base that has grown increasingly more fickle in recent years, however, seemed to need a reminder that Vladimir Guerrero is still, in fact, their daddy. Whether due to the more frequent stints on the disabled list, the emergence of younger stars (Kendry Morales) and newer, more exciting faces (Bobby Abreu) or early emotional preparations for what could be Guerrero's final season at the Big A, Angels fans have most definitely distanced themselves from the man who arrived on their doorstep six years ago selling a brand of baseball dominance many had never before witnessed in person. His freakish hitting skills and sheer jubilation at playing the game of baseball were at once captivating and infectious. You may not have watched every pitch of the game, but you certainly stopped whatever you were doing to watch Guerrero's at-bats. Already a four-time All-Star during his first seven seasons in the baseball purgatory that was known as Montreal, Guerrero in 2004 unveiled his star into the bright Southern California sun, where all of baseball could finally see it. He led the Angels to their first Western Division title in 18 years and was rewarded with the American League MVP award. Subsequent seasons brought more division titles, more All-Star appearances, more hardware ... more happy Angels fans. But then came May 2008. Guerrero was suddenly human, enduring a dreadful slump the likes of which Angels fans had never seen from "Super Vlad." He batted just .219 for the month and for the first time since he arrived in Anaheim was not elected to play in the All-Star Game. Guerrero suddenly looked old. Early critics said his bat had slowed down, that he was unable or unwilling to make adjustments; every third strike on a pitch a foot outside in the dirt further evidence of their claims. Further compounding matters was a balky knee that made his already awkward running appear almost painful and limited the number of innings that he could play in the field. Was Guerrero's star burning out that quickly, his body doing to him what so many opposing pitchers could not? Guerrero's second half of 2008, however, seemed to answer that question with a resounding no, as he came storming back with a .330 average and 41 RBI in 56 games. Last November, Guerrero finally opted to have surgery to clean out scar tissue and debris in the right knee that had bothered him the previous few seasons. He vowed to be stronger and more durable back on two strong legs for 2009. "I'm looking forward to it," Guerrero told the Los Angeles Times in February. "Everything feels so good, everything is clean now, but I don't want to predict any numbers for stolen bases or say how I'm going to run in the outfield. I prefer to wait." Guerrero worked hard and was fit enough to return for Opening Day. It was a brief return, though, as a torn pectoral muscle limited him to one extra base hit through eight games and soon forced him back to the disabled list. When he returned in late May, his struggles came back, as well. He went 26 games without a home run and only four doubles. Meanwhile, Torii Hunter and Chone Figgins were carrying an offense that seemed to be dragging Guerrero along with it. Whispers about the end of his career returned — and grew louder with each game. As the calendar turned to July, however, Guerrero started to find his groove once more, homering in consecutive games for the first time all season on July 4-5. He even felt good enough to make his first appearance back in the outfield. Two days later, he was back on the DL, this time after tweaking a muscle behind his left knee while fielding a ball in right field. During the month Guerrero was sidelined (along with Hunter), the Angels offense exploded, averaging better than seven runs per game. Powered by Figgins, Abreu, Morales, Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis, the Angels lineup became so potent, many wondered if it even still had room for an aging, seemingly broken down former MVP. And when Mike Scioscia inserted Guerrero back in the clean up spot upon his return, the move was called everything from "unwise" to "ridiculous." Which brings us back to our mislabeled "comeback." In the seven games since his return, Guerrero has batted .357 and clubbed four home runs, including No. 400 of his career, the eventual game-winner on Monday night. And as the 37,388 fans at the Big A demanded — and received — a curtain call, it appeared that all was right again in Anaheim. Vlad was back. Angels fans not only remembered why they missed him, but perhaps realized for the first time that they really did miss him. Just don't call it a comeback. It's more like "The Way We Were."

More Vlad love from the AW.com archives: #15 - Oct. 11, 2009: Vlad Finishes Some Business By Geoff Bilau - AngelsWin.com Senior Editor It was a moment almost exactly 23 years in the making and the principle players couldn't have been dreamed up any better: Angels and Red Sox. Fenway Park and October. Vladimir Guerrero and Jonathan Papelbon. So much history between the two teams, almost all of it favoring Boston. Recently it was the ALDS sweeps in 2004 and 2007 and the gut-wrenching walk-off hits in those series and again in 2008. All of those, of course, were merely aftershocks to the debacle that was the 1986 ALCS, specifically Game 5 on Oct. 12, 1986. Anybody with more than a passing interest in Angels baseball understands that what happened in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the 2009 ALDS wasn't just a clutch hit off a dominant closer. It was the hit many fans had wanted to see for more than two decades — dare I say it was the hit they needed to see. Though the Angels had already jumped out to a commanding 2-0 series lead on the strength of dominant pitching performances by John Lackey and Jered Weaver in Games 1 and 2 in Anaheim, no Angels fan took a series victory for granted. How could they after all that had happened in the past? And when the Red Sox, back home in their comfy bandbox, roughed up Scott Kazmir and took a 5-2 lead into the eighth inning of Game 3, Angels fans were already fast forwarding to Game 5 and Josh Beckett. Red Sox reliever Billy Wagner, however, allowed the Angels to mount a threat in the eighth, forcing Boston manager Terry Francona to summon Papelbon for a four-out save. In 26 postseason innings, the Red Sox closer had not allowed a single run. But with runners on second and third, Juan Rivera drove Papelbon's first pitch to right field, drawing the Angels to within one, 5-4. All hope seemed to die moments later, however, when pinch runner Reggie Willits was picked off first base to end the inning and the Red Sox added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning. Papelbon made quick work of Maicer Izturis and pinch hitter Gary Matthews Jr. to start the ninth and Game 4 seemed assured. But Erick Aybar, 2008 ALDS goat, lined an 0-2 Papelbon offering into center field to keep the Angels alive. Chone Figgins, in the midst of a horrible series (0-12) worked a seven-pitch walk. When Bobby Abreu slapped a 1-2 pitch over left fielder Jason Bay's head, the Fenway crowd grew so quiet the sound of the ball slamming into the Green Monster echoed throughout the stadium. Aybar scored, the Angels trailed, 6-5, and Game 1 hero Torii Hunter was due up. Francona elected to walk Hunter and load the bases for Guerrero. The face of the Angels franchise for much of the most successful period in team history was no longer the same "Super Vlad," injuries and age sapping much of his power and presence. A likely free agent at season's end, there was every indication this might be Guerrero's last hurrah with the Angels. To nobody's surprise, Guerrero swung at Papelbon's first pitch, a knee-high 95 mph fastball, and served into into center field, where it dropped in front of a fast-charging Jacoby Ellsbury. Figgins and Abreu scored, giving the Angels a 7-6 lead, and Guerrero stood safe at first base with the biggest hit of his postseason career. Papelbon walked off the Fenway Park mound to a chorus of boos. A few minutes later, Brian Fuentes retired Boston in order in the bottom of the ninth and the Angels completed an unbelievable series sweep of the Red Sox. Though they would succumb to the eventual World Champion Yankees, 4-2, in the ALCS (though not before providing two more memorable victories), there was undoubtedly a sense that the Angels had indeed completed some "unfinished business," thanks in huge part to the ninth inning heroics the man who may one day become the first player enshrined in the Hall of Fame as an Angel.

There are some fans gathered outside the stadium on Eutaw Street making noise.

Is he a good bet against an impotent Angels offense, though?

LOL

That guy needs to STFU.

We discovered that I got the innings wrong the first time. Really changes nothing. He sat on the bench while everybody else was on the rail.

Out of context? I took that photo. What context are you talking about? The Angels were batting during a playoff game. Every Angel except Hamilton was on the rail. He sat there for the entire half inning and much of the next one, too.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/04/03/breaking-josh-hamilton-to-receive-no-discipline-in-the-wake-of-his-relapse/ The ruling was based on the arbitrator’s interpretation of Section 4© of the Joint Drug Agreement, which handles violations of a players’ treatment program. Under that section, a player is said to have committed a violation if the player: a. refuses to submit to evaluations and followup tests; b. (“consistently fails to participate in mandatory sessions with his assigned health care professional”; c. his health care professional tells Major League Baseball that the player is not cooperating; or d. the player tests positive for a drug of abuse. None of these applied to Hamilton. Rather, Hamilton self-reported his use of cocaine to Major League Baseball. Said use was characterized to NBC Sports.com by a person familiar with the proceedings as a “slip” as opposed to a “relapse.” Hamilton had, in the past, been involved in isolated incidents involving alcohol, which likewise did not result in any discipline.

One approved by the MLB Players Association, naturally.

Woohoo! Now he can rush back and help the team like he has the past two seasons!

Paging Cory Rasmus ... your turn.

Jones will be 29 this season.

The other day I heard him describe somebody as an important "clog" in the Angels lineup.