Duren, Duren

Not the best of times for Trout. Other than fatherhood and lifetime job security/wealth. Which really transcend all else. But in the world of lower priorities, maybe one of his most unsettling off-seasons ever. A disappointing season stats wise and team wise. Friend and neighbor Eppler fired. Even his Eagles winless. Quite possibly this is going to be a turning point for his mindset going forward. More cynical, more impatient for better team results. Even with a lifetime contract, most players think of the immediate present and near future. And want success as soon as possible. No one has a clue what will happen in five or more years. Thinking that far ahead is an exercise in guesswork.

No GM signs/extends for one year. It is more an insult than an endorsement. In fact, it's an explicit threat. The owner saying that he has to prove he's worth a longer term in this upcoming one year only. And the other GMs know this and have leverage in any trade discussions, knowing Eppler is essentially on probation. With Trout's support for Eppler on and off the field I can't see Arte doing anything radical. Maybe extend Eppler for three years (probably the respectable minimum) and hope he justifies Trout's faith. Sports is supposed to be about winning, but personal relationships within organizations make it hard to be ruthless. Not the George Steinbrenner template.

Maybe it will be best to just forget about this partial, artificial season and think constructively about what comes next whenever a full season returns. The Angels very well could have been a playoff team this year with even a 110 game season like 1981. A poor couple of weeks doomed them at the start and they never got rolling. Fifty more games and I think they get a wildcard. Oh well, no glory this year for any team in terms of history. All sports are irritating me with the fake noise and empty stands. Technically the games are being played, but the fan experience is diminished. Many players respond to real fan emotion and momentum often is heightened by real time fan reaction. Watching these games in empty stadiums with no fans is all cerebral,and one dimensional. No fan or community solidarity. Generally skilled pro athletes doing their jobs, but missing an important dimension. Still better than nothing at all, but eventually a historical anomaly.

Four of the six Angel pitchers in this game with ERAs over 4.00. Mayers and Bedrosian excepted. All seven Dodger pitchers at 3.09 (Jansen) or lower. Four under 2.66. Tells a lot about the season.

So this is contemporary baseball, huh? The almighty homerun. And static boredom in between. Seven homers accounting for all the scoring except the first.. Give me Betts stealing home anytime over the video game slugging template. The balance of play has shifted into unsustainable territory.

What sort of precedent does this set? Unless there are serious issues not disclosed it is the antithesis of team spirit and solidarity. Or loyalty to team mates. Also reinforces the idea the Angels are more a collection of individuals than a close knit unit. Doesn't say much for his professionalism or leadership. Could be a red flag in free agency, though I doubt it.

I think Votto is an interesting case. Almost a 62 WAR, a .305 lifetime batting average and probably will end up with around 350 homers. 420 OBP, 149 OPS + for his career. League leader in OBP and walks for various seasons. Also a one time league MVP and multiple all star. Not necessarily classic first baseman power, but most seasons he consistently hit for 20 plus homers. After 14 years he's declining but still useful. Problem is that he plays for a small market team that mostly was very bad during his career. Now he's a mentor to an emerging team with more talent. HOF first basemen numbers are hard to match, but I see him getting in either on his 5th - 10th or so season of eligibility or via the veteran's committee.

Rex Hudler nay not have been 'classy', but he exemplified hustle and team spirit. Also got the most of his abilities and knew his role, batting around 300 in his Angel career. The antithesis of class could have been Bo Belinsky, but he was the first Angel to get off the field notoriety. This book really brings back what baseball and life was like back then. The other picture is with his fiance, the actress Mamie van Doren.he missed a MLB award dinner that night to go dancing with her!

Funny, but Albert is on pace for roughly the same kind of season (pro rated) that he's had the last few years. Batting average in the 240s, Homer's in the high teens/ lower twenties. Not good enough considering his other flaws but for someone his age and injury history not terrible either. But his playing time still needs to be reduced more next year. It's a shame that he couldn't have just declined more slowly. Such a steep and dramatic difference from his Cardinal days.

Frustrating being on the losing end back to back to a team struggling even more. On paper this team should be much better. This was probably the last televised Angel game of the season in my area. TSN and Sportsnet only pick up a few ESPN or team broadcasts when they need to fill in late start scheduling At least it's a relief from those unending, uninteresting, self referential anecdotes from whoever is doing the ESPN games. Really, who cares? Still have Sirius radio team broadcasts, which somehow disguise the ugliness of some of the action. What you hear isn't as bad as what you see in some of those games.

How much closer to the last playoff spot would they be if they had Calhoun playing regularly instead of Adell? Factoring in power, defense, team leadership? I think even with his hitting flaws Calhoun could have made the difference in half a dozen games at least. The Adell gambit is troubling. He is not progressing. And is getting worse. He shows so many weaknesses in the field and at bat. So much was predicated on him being ready this year. An utter, massive flop, and misjudgment. Too much faith placed on stats, predictions and wishful thinking.

Montreal Canadiens light years ahead of any other team in any sports. When I lived there I saw 18 Stanley Cup championships. Went to a dozen victory parades. Was a regular in the standing room section of the Montreal Forum. Lean decades recently, but a magnificent past that fuels hope for the future. Maybe. When the Expos were dismantled my passion for baseball died. Formerly it was pretty intense. The Angels were my American League team. The early 2000s compensated somewhat for the Expos demise. For the last decade I've gone to an Angel game every year except this season, obviously. Also a fan of the Niners since the 70s. Went to their training camp in Rocklin one year. A fan if USC since the McKay/Robinson years. Finally went to a couple of games in recent years and enjoyed the ambience. Especially beating Notre Dame a few years ago. Not much of a basketball fan since the Showtime Lakers. Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. Used to sneak into games on the Mount Royal side of the stadium when I was a kid. I've lived in Vancouver for years, but have never cared for any of the local teams.

Choosing an MVP in all sports has always been a complicated decision. The definition of 'valuable' doesn't necessarily translate to best player. Valuable also means a player who is most valuable to his team. A player who elevates those around him while still putting up great personal numbers. In other sports the debate gets very nuanced But because baseball is so stats oriented it often does come down to numbers comparisons. At some point the fact that Trout has never led his team even into the lower end of championship contention may turn voters off. There also may be a fatigue stage where voters feel they've rewarded Trout so often that they want to focus on what other great players are doing. Unless Trout has numbers so superior to the closest competitors I have a feeling that we will see a different winner.

Imagine how many nightmare endings would occur over 162 games! Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory has been a constant theme this season. Even with starting pitching being relatively respectable.

Expectations and reputation did matter in his hiring. He has failed to justify that faith so far, but this weird season shouldn't be used against him the way a normal season would. Still, I gave him a D mostly because of his unorthodox tinkering with the lineup and in game moves. In this short season, every inning of every game was important. Too often he lost focus and began experimenting like they were pre-season games. Anyways, hopefully what he has learned will translate into a better next year.

True story! This afternoon I bought a new car. 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Limited. Installed is the Sirius XM system. I never used it before or knew anything about this technology. My previous car was over a decade old with a CD player as the most modern entertainment feature. Now all kinds of online and satellite options. With 3 free months of Sirius I began experimenting. When I downloaded the app this evening in my phone I saw all kinds of sports radio broadcast stations in addition to the music and other entertainment. I found the Angel station, and the very first thing I heard was Rendon making heavy contact and the homerun call! Hopefully it's a good omen. 3 dramatic wins in a row is a nice bit of momentum, hopefully leading to a respectable finish. A sweep will be great against these cheaters.

Ryu would have been nice. Totally predictable every year. But 20 million is high. Ironic he's on the same team now as Stripling. The most positive thing about 2020 is Bundy showing he's a reliable starter. And fairly respectable starting pitching all around. No feel good stories about the hitters, other than maybe Fletcher. Possibly Simmons, but a small sample size. Rendon is pretty much doing as expected. Trout a decent year but below his norm. Bullpen needs more attention than the starters perhaps. Both need upgrades. A real closer would be nice.

Seems like he has no sense of urgency to win soon. With a decade ahead of him he seems to assume that the front office will eventually put a winner together. Maybe in two years, maybe in seven. In the meantime he goes to work and does his individual thing.

Most disappointing now because there seems to be a lack of spirit and collective team solidarity. So many unforced mental and physical errors all year and little accountability. No anger at failure or continued losing. And no real charismatic personalities to try and shake the team up. If you are losing, go down fighting and clawing. Defeatism seems to have set in.

Man, was he ever a great pitcher. He got so much power from his torso/lower body. Great mechanics and durability. I saw him in person a number of times against the Expos, including a great duel with Steve Roger's.

La Stella, Castro and Goodwin were major league players. Maybe journeymen, but able to make rosters and spend some years in the big leagues. They all should be around for at least another few years in one capacity or another. And have modestly long major league careers of five years and more. I wonder if any of the new acquisitions will eventually have major league careers of even average length? So many fringe/medium rated prospects never have careers of any length. We rarely hear about the guys who have their opportunities, fail to impress and then just disappear into the minors and leave the sport.

For those of a cynical mindset, dwelling in a hypothetical future, why not trade Adell in the next two days? Quite possibly he is at max career value right now. Realistically he could easily slide back into his unimpressive form and never be more than an easy out with occasional power. After his two homers, other teams will be alert and interested, thinking he is a rising star. As the mantra seems to be, buy low, sell high. He may bring a return of prospects who mature five years from now. Same with Bundy. Who cares if he's the best pitching acquisition in years? Some raw, unproven prospect may help when Trout is in his mid thirties. Disbelieve what you see, look for the negative and place all your faith in the unknown. And trust scouting reports that usually are radically revised every year.

They could have played better poker and waited till it was closer to the deadline. Near contenders always panic as the deadline approaches. Especially teams like the Jays, who are desperate to squeeze into the playoffs. Or a good team looking for playoff insurance. La Stella and Simmons are perfect for those scenarios. The La Stella trade is ok, not great, not terrible. Time will tell. Also, the odds are that most traded pending free agents don't resign with their old club. Once ties are severed it seems to be final.

Decline is a built in risk. Part of the calculus in paying for talent. It can happen anytime because of injury, age, skill erosion, loss of confidence, a bad attitude/work ethic. Sometimes is slow and gradual, but sometimes it's sudden and immediate. Angels got a couple of good years from Upton, so there were expectations of a slower decline. It is possible he does recover somewhat but not likely to reach close to his career averages. Problem is, he has locked down a roster spot beyond this season. What to do with him then? I can't think of anything that hasn't been tried. A power bat with sluggish bat speed. A poor defensive player. Maybe try to reconstruct his swing with intensive off season coaching? Package him in some kind of esoteric deal and pay for a large chunk of his remaining contract? Do nothing and hope he beats the odds to climb near the Mendoza line? Mostly a pinch hitter with limited platooning?

Good article. Kind of reflects an indecisive, half assed philosophy. Seems more focussed on things like term and control rather than skill and ability.