Man, I need a mellow ST game right now.   Just got back from Costco and the warehouse was filled with panicked shoppers.   Some of their brains just weren't working anymore.   It was funny at times, but I don't know if I'd like to work there on a day like today.   Got home...washed my hands six times....and now it's time to get into summer mode listening to Terry and Jose.

1 hour ago, mymerlincat said:

Smart FA signings?  All of Eppler’s free agent signings have been garbage.

1 hour ago, mymerlincat said:

He’s the only good one, but I’m talking MLB free agents

Sure, Eppler made some short term FA signings that didnt' work out.  But most of them had a chance to be a good move.   Hindsight is 20/20.    And are any of those busts still on our payroll?

Rendon?  Ohtani?  Tehran, Bundy, and Castro at fairly low risk?     

50 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Still a no.

Yeah, I'm thinking his act won't play well with current Angel team leadership.

IMHO, the Angels were slow to adjust to the post-steroid era.     Eppler gets it that young cost-controlled talent is no longer just for low budget teams.   By rebuilding the farm and refusing to give up our best prospects for "win now" (which doesn't win now), AND making smart FA signings....were doing things right these days.    Now that we are doing things smarter, our big market is starting to give us an advantage again.  I think we'll be so much better in 2020 and then even better in 2021 and onward. 

Shohei looking a bit lost at the plate today...

Maddon: ‘Hard To Imagine’ Griffin Canning Not Starting Season On IL

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/maddon-hard-to-imagine-griffin-canning-not-starting-season-on-il.html

This new guy Rendon showing some potential....

The extension is great news.   I was set to switch back to Hulu tonight so I could watch the game tomorrow.    Thanks to all for the update.

Astros should have to retire Fiers' number and hire him as their accountability coach.

Mathis being Mathis.

I love it that we've gotten to see so much of Adell so far....

Another "silver lining" could be that our current rotation  (lots of depth, no stars) might be the best way to go in an era when so many pitchers (of all levels) are having trouble staying healthy.    If four mid to low level guys end up needing TJ, the team can replace them fairly easily and the team won't be hamstrung financially.

2 minutes ago, Ray McKigney said:

I thought MLB TV carries both the home and away feeds for games? I thought it was just that you can't watch any games that are broadcast on FSW (if you're in the local market) until the game is over. That's what my cousin, who has MLB TV, told me. Maybe I misunderstood him.

BTW, I'm in the same boat as you. I switched to YTTV a few months ago and I really like it. Has FOX sports regional (until Saturday) and MLB Network. None of the other streaming services had exactly what I needed. Now, neither does YTTV, apparently. What a drag.

I'm so used to getting the home games live...switching back and forth from TV to car radio at times.....I think I wouldn't like having to watch it on delay as much.    Yeah, I liked getting MLB network w/o having to pay extra too.   

So, since MLB.TV only carries away games, I guess my only option is to switch back to Hulu.  Too bad.  The family just got used to YTTV and they were liking it.

4 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

Ugh. I just bought YouTube TV. Though I also pay for MLB TV so I should be good.

Same here (Just switched from Hulu to YTTV).   I haven't done the MLB.TV thing for years.    They carry the Angels regular season?

Brutal news.   Hope he's ok.

40 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Too many pitchers throw too hard too soon in their development?      Are Little Leagues, Pony Leagues, etc. going to eventually understand that? 

Canning didn't pitch that many innings at UCLA, and has been treated with kid gloves here.   And still, two shutdowns and now this 

This my theory too.   I've seen some incredibly, unbelievably, amazingly stupid things done by fathers.   Fathers who thought they were doing the right thing to give their kid an advantage in making a HS team in the hyper-competitive area.   

One manager had his talented son throwing the max in our league, then sneaking in multiple Travel ball starts in the same week.    The kid was good enough to be scouted by HS coaches and they tried to warn the father that he was making a big mistake.   He didn't listen.    Then the kid's arm was injured and the father still made him pitch.  Parents were upset with the father, but he still wouldn't listen.  He thought he was showing his son how to be tougher than other players.   When the father finally shut him down for the season, it was too late.  The kid couldn't even throw from 1B to the pitcher.  He literally had to roll the ball back.    The manager asked us to be on his team again next season.   We said no thanks.    We joined a different league and the last we heard was the kid never pitched again.

2 hours ago, RBM said:

My first thought was I like how this guy writes. Who is he? So I googled Joe Sheehan and read some of his other stuff and he is legit. I like the journalistic angle he takes to the heart of the matter. His December 2019 article discussing the three biggest challenges for baseball in the 2020's was prophetic - attached below. They were (1) put more baseball back into the game (2) make the game more competitive and (3) how baseball can balance it's history with the new gambling landscape. 

 The Astros cheating scandal came out the same month so I think Joe Sheehan's third point would now include real time e-cheating. I think MLB needs to handle real time e-cheating the same way they currently deal with gambling - discuss it with every player each year, apply zero tolerance and a ban for life.

My second thought was of course the Angels have the most on the line in 2020. For all of Sheehan's reasons and more. Then I realized I've felt the same way every February since I can remember following my favorite team. Having the most on the line is relative from the perspective of a fan.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/sheehan-combating-baseballs-three-biggest-challenges-in-the-2020s/

 

Although I disagree with his conclusion that the Angels have the most to lose,  I don't hold it against a writer for throwing the idea out there.   If a different slant on things helps people think about and/or discuss an issue, then it's all good.

4 hours ago, Kevinb said:

Disagree. We aren't a favorite hence we don't have anything on the line. No pressure on the Angels. They aren't supposed to win the division. But they will. 

Also, we didn't screw up the team's future to improve, so we can be even better in 2021 and beyond.

.I thought it was Colon for a second.

Here's hoping that Bundy begins a lot of second innings with 15 pitches thrown and a 2 run lead.

The Garbage Pail Kids, consensus favorites to win the AL West,  will finish third.     Sure, their well-deserved disrespect from fans and other teams will be a challenge.   But, what will really sink them is their aging rotation (with less high-end depth now) and perhaps some of the hitters not being quite as elite w/o the benefit of knowing which pitch is coming next.

Oh, and wile I'm here...just got back from seeing Ford vs Ferrari w/ my son.    Both of us through it was great...I'm a little too young to remember most of the real life story, which I think made it even better.   

Well, goodnight all.  (except that evil sith lord Arte!)     Gorilla out!

1 minute ago, True Grich said:

Restoring toast... now that would be interesting.

It's in very bad shape.....I think electroplating will be involved.   

1 minute ago, Dtwncbad said:

I am sure you will absorb from the video that toasters would never need to be restored if Arte didn’t suck as a human being.

Yep, I'm just so fired up about Arte and his toaster rusting shenanigans.....