Angel Oracle

But with the new WC game, TEN MLB teams make the post-season. 33.3% is still a significant number, granted the smallest in the 4 major sports with football next at 37.5%.

Not that it matters much in all likelihood, but I did omit 4 names of coaches who were here in the 2010-2013 time period. Mickey Hatcher, Rob Picciolo, Jim Eppard, and Steve Soliz

Favorite position player: Trout Least favorite position player: Kendrick Favorite pitcher: Weaver Least favorite pitcher: Blantana

I am leaning towards Arte Moreno.

But, but, we have the great Howie Kendrick and his $8.5 million/season salary and annual .700s OPS with so-so defense and a stupid number of GIDPs.

Moral to the story = Arte needs to stay out of dictating which players play here. All of that money spent on players over 30 when starting off here = fools gold. No more over 30 FAs signed to big money contracts, thank you! After thinking about it, while it's true that Reagins sucked, and that Scioscia and Butcher are not what people thought they were back in the 2000s, the biggest blame goes to: Arte Moreno and his 1980s Steinbrenner ways destroying what Stoneman had built from 2000-2007. What caused Arte Moreno to go ape s_it on spending money on over age 30 players, starting with GMJHGH in 2007, and ignore the farm system and foreign presence???? The $1 million question is: how does the farm system look currently from a pitching standpoint? Will we get out of this bad pitching rut in the next 2-3 years?

Lakers are in the post-season. Memphis leads Utah 81-67 with 2:45 to play. Now let's get the #7 seed by beating Houston.

He'd be better than gopher ball Lowe, that's for sure. What's the overs/unders on when Lowe is released? I say 1 month.

There may be some truth to that MT, but many of these pitchers who have arrived here since 2009 (when Kazmir arrived) so far all have one thing in common: They haven't produced here as well as they did before arriving here. Vargas wasn't this bad in 2013. Blantana is Blantana, but definately not this bad pre-2013. Kazmir had one good month in September 2009 and fell apart at age 25. Rodney never even pitched as well as he did in Detroit. Haren was solid for a year or so, and then faltered in 2012 at age 31. And it goes on. Granted, my other thread's subject matter (too many new pitchers learning to work with new catchers) might also play a part in this; as well as Arte's extravagances forcing Dipoto to settle for less talented than needed pitching; not to mention Reagins' role in the destruction of the farm system. It's like I've said before, this is a total org breakdown leaving us with a few superstars, a few solid players, too many mediocre players, and a broken farm system and almost non-existant foreign presence. How long will it take to fix all of that?

Okay, assuming there may be some truth to my thread's subject matter, how long does it take a bunch of new pitchers to adapt to new catchers? 1 month? 2 months? ASB? A year?

Thank you Butcher, now leave.

Our lefty hitters scuffled some to get the barrel on the pitches.

Hubs, your point about stability is a good one. BUT, isn't there also a point when having the same manager for too long begins to be counter productive? Not everyone can be like an Alston or Lasorda. Alston did it because of the strong farm system and pitching emphasis. Lasorda did it due to the farm system and type A personality that kept the players motivated. Granted Scioscia isn't to blame for the terrible farm system, but maybe the holdovers are getting tired of his methods? Butcher for sure hasn't been very good with helping to fix pitchers when they slump.

One Shuck PH = 5 straight starts

LOL "Talk to the glove!"

The only issues I ever had with Stoneman were never, eever trading prospects and never, eever offering arb to pending FAs and thus losing the draft picks. But I can see the latter, with the former in place leading to plenty of prospects anyway. And just one other thing: GMJHGH. I just wish he had bent a little, and was more willing to trade a prospect or two to help fill in a hole at the MLB level, without depleting the farm. Also, his style would have worked better if our scouts were better and thus found better players to draft and sign from Latin America. For sure though: Stoneman >>>>>>>>>>>> Reagins.

Okay, I'm all for bringing Maddon back as bench coach. Of course that has zero % chance of happening. We have a better chance at Bud Black maybe being out as Padres' manager after 2013, and coming back here as pitching coach.

Yep, I was pretty sure that Richard's and Carter's 2 on 1 would win it in OT. Niemi was ridiculous. Quick was solid, and it was a pretty good shootout battle. I was so glad to get a point after trailing 2-0 to a team with ONE regulation loss at home so far. Both teams are now tied for 4th in the WC with 5 games to play.

No prob, Memphis has this. But yeah, now I'm sorry they acquired Nash and his umpteen ailments. Guy just needs to retire already.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9168739/ncaa-director-enforcement-david-didion-takes-job-auburn Sure this guy will make sure Auburn abides by the rules. Suuuuurrreeeee Talk about the hen and the henhouse?

Now if only a prospect named Roger Clemens surfaced elsewhere, what a potential rivalry.

What players have come here in the past 5 years, who performed at or better than their previous numbers for at least 2 years here? It's got to be a small %.

Back to self-bans?

Ric Wilson's strategy >>>> Eddie Bane's draft and hope strategy.

Are Wood's and Sappington's pitch repitoires extensive enough to be starters? Or do they project as relievers long term? It is nice to finally be developing pitchers with great stuff, seeing how overly finesse oriented the MLB staff is currently, aside from Richards and 2 or 3 relievers.