79CAAman

These guys. They’ve been swinging these bats since they were little kids. Have no comprehension of what this amount of money is. So once they do get the near-half-bullion dollar contract, they sink into complacency? F-that!

How many more 400+ million dollar contracts can still be shelled out by the handful of teams still being able to do so?

Yes, absolutely  focus on signing Ohtani. 

21 minutes ago, ScottT said:

Trout excluded? Ward? Sandoval?

It’s my opinion that Trout has already checked out. Three games for back spasms? They don’t have some Motrin (or better) in the training room?  Three games and very likely four for back spasms. 
Yeah, Sandoval is still going out there and giving an effort. 

1 hour ago, Waybackman said:

When do we know that the Angels have hit rock bottom?

This group of baseball players (Ohtani excluded) is special. They have not hit rock bottom. Sadly, there’s many more games to be played to hit some historic lows.

2022 Angels… special group you assembled there, perry

I hope his heart is still in the game. I’m having doubts now… 

Maybe it's something as simple as Marsh having his eyes examined.  I can see him going up to the plate with glasses like Red Foxx's character in Harlem Nights.  

23 minutes ago, Anthony Tendon said:

I doubt any of these bums can lay down a proper bunt. These two left gloved bottoms would probably end up launching it 100 feet in the air.

These kids need help, Reed isnt giving it to them. Pure theft, wake up Arte, your coach is robbing you blind!

 

YES!!! Exactly!  You got a runner on second and they can’t move him over.   It’s maddening. If it weren’t for Ohtani, I would say the same… to hell with this team.  What kills me is that this team is wasting the talent of the greatest baseball player they’ll ever share a baseball field with. 

3 minutes ago, nando714 said:

Marsh needs to be sent down

reed is destroying this kid

reed is destroying this “kid”?  Just this kid??

got to disagree, he’s pretty freaking indiscriminate.  

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

 

I think the "win situation" is doing what Erstad Grit said in his last sentence - keep Trout, and do what you need to do build a contender.

It isn't impossible. Every year, you assess what went right and what went wrong; you look at deficiencies, and you address those.

As we've talked about endlessly, the biggest problems for the Angels this year are (in no particular order):

1. Hitters slumping

2. Lack of lineup depth

3. The blowpen

I tend to think that the first is partially because of the last two. The players are disheartened. As some have pointed out, Trout looks checked out. We tend to undersell the psychological component, but it is huge. 

The second can be addressed in the offseason. You either sign a starting middle infielder and a couple good platoon/bench guys, or you go with Rengifo/Stefanic and stock up on a kick-ass bench. You also try to flesh out the upper minors a bit with clean peanut position players.

As for the third, I think this will be solved naturally with the wealth of AA pitching the Angels have. These guys are going to be knocking at the gates, and can be auditioned starting in the second half. 

Meanwhile, trade Syndergaard and anyone else for guys on the cusp. At this point, I think it would be more important to go after AA/AAA players with lower upside than low minors guys with higher upside. Again, a huge problem has been lack of depth - and a lot of this is the high minors. 

He shouldn't be!  He has like over $37 million reasons not to be be.  If the face of the franchise looks "checked out".  This is huge.

How does this team not get 'fired up' by witnessing Ohtani's performance last night?  There's something about this particular team.  They just don't do the fundamentals very well.  It reminds me of USC Football under the clay helton years.  Just not coached up.  

They're for sure going to win, the batting-strikeout title.  In all seriousness, baseball is a weird game.  Maybe this team needs the intangibles (i.e., making contact with the ball) that Fletcher brings.  He's due to come back shortly after the All Star break, perhaps he's the spark plug the team is needing.  Yeah, the division is out of reach but I wouldn't rule out the team getting hot in the second half and making a run at the wild-card spots.  It's happened.  Oh, and it would be helpful if they got a hitting coach/coaches.

Damian Lillard's approach to free agency is encouraging.  I'm hoping Ohtani has similar feelings.  Maybe the two can have lunch and Lillard can give Ohtani some advice!

3 minutes ago, eligrba said:

Make a note of it for the end of the year commemorative dvd.

Wouldn’t the Benny Hill theme music be perfect for this team?

Four game sweep to the O’s. Nope. This team is SPECIAL. Not the low point of the season, I’ll give this team that. This group is focused on setting new standards (the wrong kind). 
Thank God college football is just around the corner. 

16 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

LOL at a 4-game sweep by the Orioles.

I guess firing Maddon wasn't the answer.

I can't imagine how hard it must be for these guys to play out the rest of the year. 75 more games.

Understatement of the year so far. 

What’s wrong with sending perry packing up his desk tomorrow?  What difference would it make to have this organization move forward without a GM?  In this organization… what difference would it make?

Arte would walk away with a FAT profit. Enough for a second yacht. What more can he ask for. He’s had success in life, just not in baseball. 

2 hours ago, ThisismineScios said:

Hallelujah. All I’ve been able to do for the last 6 weeks (wife pregnant, days in hospital, caring for newborn) regarding the Angels is wonder what happened.  Joe was not a good coach. He just wasn’t, and he allowed so many bad habits to build up. He has never managed a bullpen well (Chicago or here), allows players to do what they want, and focuses more on fun than anything else. Very carefree and “ship will right itself mentality. Well after 6 weeks of fun, the league looked and adjusted and figured out how to attack the Angels. And the Angels could not adjust because they don’t have the coaching personnel to do so. They have a lot of bad habits Maddon allowed and now guys can’t fix what they need to. But to have a worse offense than the Pirates, Royals, Orioles, and A’s over the last 7 weeks means you are making zero adjustments. 

Sincere congratulations on the newborn!  
 

Hard to understand how Maddon didn’t have success here considering what he did in Tampa and with the Cubs. Loyalty to bad coaches maybe?

9 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

I would move stefanic up to the leadoff spot, Walsh at 2nd to get him going.

I like that idea  I would bat Marsh 10th

So why fire a World Series winning manager?

3 minutes ago, Stradling said:

What’s supposed to give?  

How is it tolerated. How can this organization fire the manager yet the hitting coach is not canned?

Stats as of today. Team batting strikeouts:

Angels           819

Atlanta          786

Pittsburgh    770

Maddon’s head rolls due to a 12 game  (at the time) losing streak  what gives here?

I’m not getting the opportunity to watch too many games, may be a minor blessing, but from what I’m hearing on the radio, this team is not fundamentally sound. Why do we have coaches?  In yesterday’s game there was a throw in the later innings that was not thrown to the cutoff man and allowed the opposing runner to get to third base. Stuff like this is commonplace with this team. Then there’s the strikeouts. Does Reed work with this team?  Stuff like this wouldn’t be tolerated in football, changes would be made.  Your position-group doesn’t do the fundamentals??? YOU KIDDING ME?

Pro scouting?? I’m all in on this organization getting some. 

Hell of a job you're doing there, Reed.  Major leaguers making just making contact is a sign of improvement... it's come to this.  In July!

2022 Angels fan here and no booze... welcome to my world.