Duren, Duren

Game wasn't broadcast on MLB Extra Innings, but tomorrow and the Red Sox series will be. So it's nice to see that they bounced back solidly. 

Anderson is now the Anderson they thought they were getting. Just took a year to show up. 

Rengifo has made himself a real solid ballplayer. Hard work, perseverance, versatility. I would slot him in more regularly, but ease him in, depending on matchups and other lineup tweaking. Glad we have been patient with him. 

I'd cut Washington some more slack. He's new to this set of players and needs first hand game observation to really get a feel for things. Both individually  and how they sync together in the batting order.

Nine games are a minimal sample, though important. But conversely, every game counts and can't be wasted on questionable experiments. So it's a fine line. 

I'd be patient through this week, but when they go on the road I'd hope he can process what he's seen and just play the players who can best be counted on to be steady immediately. Not treating things as a longer term project. And that he tweaks the batting order accordingly. 

There have to be reasons he hasn't sold. Especially at his age.

Financial? Is keeping the team more beneficial than selling it? Factoring in tax and all other factors. 

Family legacy? Related to financial. Does he believe that his family will benefit from ownership longer term when he isn't there? Assuming that things like a new stadium and various future partnerships will be part of the post Arte planning. Rather than other forms inheritance can take. Also it would mean that the family name would still have this public presence into the future.

Ego/Stubbornness? Having on field failures his whole tenure maybe he just wants to hang on till the team finally succeeds. By whatever criteria that he values. As well as stubbornness in taking  advice that contradicted his ideas. Even though they may have helped. 

Tone deaf? Perhaps he and his inner circle just don't care about public and media perception. 

These factors are probably all part of the equation in varying degrees. And probably other reasons too that are more private. 

It's a shame that things have deteriorated incrementally over time. But that's just the way things are. 

Hopefully they take the series and keep the momentum rolling.

Unfortunately MLB Extra  innings isn't televising it. They only show a maximum of 11 games at a time. That ain't one. Next Angel broadcast is Tuesday.

Never in doubt! 

All pitching was dominant. Opportunistic offense. 

These are the type of building blocks for a positive season. 

Most of the game Angel hitters were patient. Once they got the lead they've been swinging at bad pitches. More work for Laker and Washington still to do. 

Outfielders active now. Got away with one hard hit pitch thanks to Trout. 

Knuckle curve revisited! I think Burt Hooten of the Cubs was the first to popularize it. 

Looks like it's all up to the bullpen and defense now in a one run game. 

Cimber channeling Herget. Hopefully of 2021 not 2022. Each pitch is an adventure. 

Control is critical for off speed / oddball delivery pitchers. 

Just now, Salty Shakas said:

Here we go Halos!

Could have been a decisive inning, but the lead now needs to be held by the bullpen. 

Yes! Inner diamond problems by Boston and opportunistic play by the Angels. 

Inner diamond rally?

Bats need to wake up. Can't waste this start.

Great stuff. Big breaking curve, good heat, consistently hitting his location. 

Regarding the MLB revisionism 

Why not take a look at every historical record? DiMaggio's hitting steak for instance. There must have been some questionable plays in there. 

Obviously they didn't have the technology or multiple angle video for those games. But once you give a group power to change history there's a possibility of abuse. 

Good for Randazzo to blast the pinheads at MLB. 

This retro minutiae tweaking is disgusting. Essentially revising history for who knows what purposes? Betting connections now need to be considered for so many things in games and beyond. In all sports. 

17 mph separation between Detmers hard and soft pitches. 96  - 79. And so far, good control. 

The Spectrum Dodger ad is kind of insulting when shown during an Angel broadcast. 

One thing we've learned is that Washington isn't swayed by public opinion. And sticks to his plan regardless of early outcome.

Which is fine to a point. But when there is clear evidence something isn't working over a fair amount of time  we will see how he deals with things. Rendon leadoff and Soriano usage for instance. Also some other rotational choices. 

But is still very early and the sample size is small. Yet if the team expects to be relevant then each game is important.

In three and a half hours there was maybe ten minutes of excitement. Never had the lead. Easily lost two come from behind ties in a matter of minutes. Allowed five homers. Other than the grand slam mostly weak at bats 

Oh well, tomorrow is a new day. 

Washington seems to be focussing more on process and system rather than going all out inning by inning to win. The Soriano experiment is taking precedence over game situations tonight. 

Just now, The Ghost of Bob Starr said:

Is this good for Soriano?

It's worse now.

I guess we won't see Soriano this weekend. 

It'll come down to the big bats in the ninth against Jansen if the score stays the same. 

Soriano fails twice. 

Now they absolutely need a hold here.