disarcina

Flood was pretty bitter about his treatment by MLB and specifically later on, from MLB players - when a journeyman MIF made millions and was set for life - something that Curt Flood's sacrifices literally made possible. Vegas Halos Fan has it right about Curt Flood's potential had he played a full career - not mentioned in his post (but implied and is true) -- Curt Flood's actions made him a target of MLB owners and establishment and he was pretty much persona non gratis in baseball and teammates tended to steer clear of him and the controversy surrounding him -- he was essentially hounded out of MLB. Now, he did have a reputation as being a difficult person but that's the attitude it took to take the stand that he did and - ultimately, YEARS LATER, got the results that he did. The top dollar players are always going to be the top dollar guys - Curt Flood's sacrifices certainly made their lives better -- but the ones who really should be grateful for Curt Flood's actions and sacrifices are the utility players and back of the pen 25th guy on the roster with four or five year (total) MLB careers who made several million a year.....

Now ONE spot left. need one more AW poster who would like to be in a 'low maintenance' FLB league this season, e-mail me. include your e-mail address in the text of the e-mail.

There should be a special plaque / even room for Curt Flood at the HOF -- it should be endorsed, sponsored and financed with contributions from the MLBPA -- they are the major beneficiaries of the sacrifices made by Curt Flood (that negatively impacted and shortened his playing career -- essentially, Curt Flood gave up a significant amount of income and revenue stream to his family for the betterment of every MLBPA member from his time onward - Curt Flood himself never benefitted financially from his efforts - in fact, just the opposite). Every MLB player today should be grateful to Curt Flood. But the tone-deaf HOF committee seems to not understand these things. I am still amazed at their total case of tone-deafness in not inducting a major MLB goodwill Ambassador - Buck O'Neill -- to the HOF when the Committee had a chance to do so before Buck O'Neill passed away. They missed out having Buck O'Neill giving a great induction speech with a smile a mile wide and an unmatched enthusiasm for the game that did not always treat him well. How MLB / HOF committee missed that is beyond me. Video of that speech -- which never had the chance to be given -- would have been on the highlight reels for years to come..........I will never understand that call - it was a no brainer IMO. and Curt Flood ? Probably did as much to impact today's game as much as any player who ever played the game. But no room in the Hall for him............

I have TWO spots open in an ESPN Fantasy League Baseball league that was started with AngelsWin.com members some 15 years ago or so (time flies). It is an EIGHT team league, we have SIX spots filled - some with the original members from 15 years ago. This is a fun league that is designed to not take up to much time and be very convenient -- it is an auto-pick draft, rotissierie (spelled wrong) scoring. The league is designed for those who want to keep up with MLB players but are not hard core FLB types addicted to fantasy games. We do an auto pick draft because the league owners are busy people and trying to coordinate getting folks at the same time (forget about the same place) for a live draft is logistically impossible and too time consuming to set up. This league is fun and NOT time consuming. You can make line up changes at your convenience any time of day or night. It can take as little as 5 to 10 minutes a week if you keep somewhat of a set line up and arrange your starting pitching for the week. GRAND PRIZE: Bragging rights and personal fulfillment/ contentment. it does make following the MLB season - all teams - all players - more fun IMO. It is a KEEPER league and if you want to sign on you will have the roster from last year's team of non-returning owners. You will be able to pick up to FIVE KEEPERS - deadline in March 19. the auto-pick draft is March 22. We do not have many rules (well the first and foremost rule is HAVE FUN) - but one rule we do have that is VERY important - is that if sign on to be a team owner - PLEASE PLAY ALL SEASON LONG right to the last game of the season. To do otherwise is not fair to all the other league owners and each owner's participation (or lack of same) impacts the whole league. We have had folks drop out mid-season because their team was hopelessly out of it and when that happens - it impacts the entire league standings ** (see footnote). The cost is FREE. Please send me an e-mail at : tj.staffel@comcast.net if you would like ONE of the two spots. Because I am not an IT whiz of any sort - please include your e-mail address in the e-mail you send me so that I can properly send you a league invite. The time table is short --please respond ASAP - pretty much first request, first served. let me know. ** a story about an Angelswin.com poster who signed up for the league a number of years ago and then, just stopped participating about mid-season. His team was not doing that well at mid-season and he stopped making any roster/ line up moves. Somehow from midseason to the end of the year, the guy's team moved from last to about third place or so. Amazing. About a month after the season ended, a message/ e-mail went out to all the team owners apologizing for the lack of participation - it was from the guy's wife. The guy had passed away about mid-season !! I just did not have the heart to let her know that her husband's team flourished from mid-season on and finished the year strong !!!

I'm wondering why the Stripling/ Peterson deal was ever announced in the first place. The Angels seemed to be on the back end of the Betts/ Price blockbuster with some deal involving Minnesota. The player the Twins were to get had some issue with a physical so suddenly the Angels- Dodgers deal is on hold. Meanwhile, Peterson loses his arbitration hearing with the Dodgers (probably too many strikeouts). The Stripling/ Peterson deal was sort of announced after the fact of the Betts/Price blockbuster and did not make some of the original reports of the trade winding up a day or two later as 'late news' almost a 'players to be named later' sort of way and, in fact, I think there were some Halos players (prospects) to be named later in the Dodgers deal. Stripling would have been in competition to be our number three - Peterson could haver platooned at first base (Peterson can't hit lefties). But - oh well -- why are they bagging on Arte for this -- there are two teams involved - ask the Dodgers front office --- sounds like the Dogs were dragging their feet waiting for the Joc Peterson arbitration hearing to be completed.

Vladdylonglegs -- hard to argue / dispute your statement -- just today was discussing going to some games this year and we have some relatives visiting us in September -- so the issue of getting tickets now or waiting came up. May comment -- based on the past several seasons, getting tickets to a Halos game in September - even on a game day walk up basis -- should NOT be difficult. And , YES, the attendance listed for MLB games are almost certainly FUZZY MATH at best and outright fraudulent at worst.....but they do tabulte TICKETS SOLD. Where I think things really go off the rails is where the team releases tickets at the last minute to ticket brokers at the last minute (probably at drastically reduced prices or maybe just dump them) and count those as 'tickets sold' that results in what we all see (and not just in Anaheim) onTV -- an announced attendance of 30,000 to 40,000 and TV shots of entire empty sections -- even right behind the plate and in the good box seats along first and third. It can be really embarrassing -- I remember watching games last year thinking that, the late great Chick Hearn (LAKERS announcer) used to have a great line for this situation : "announced crowd of 25,178 tonight, if that's the case, there's a lot a fans who came to game dressed up as empty seats......."

HALOS have had sub .500 seasons for the past four years - last winning record season was 2015. Halos have drawn THREE MILLION fans or more every year since 2003 -- 16 straight seasons -- Three Million fans a year, win, lose or draw - FOUR straight sub .500 seasons -- do the math -- not a lot of incentive to improve.

to answer the question - did the Angels acquire enough pitching over the winter? NO. Halos realty don't have a MLB rotation to start the season. the guys they obtained follow the Cahill, Harvey etc. route of acquiring question marks and hope they pan out. I think we win 83 games (how many years in a row have we been under ,500 - I'll check it ) but miss the playoffs, we are going to be in a lot of 9-7 type games this year - a true AL team.

SF Giants need pitching - who doesn't; ? -- I would be very surprised if Cahill breaks camp on the SF roster.

it's too bad - I sort of liked the deal -- more the Ross Stripling aspect of it than the Joc Peterson, oh well, I can understand Arte's impatience.

I wish Ausmus well. No negative feelings towards his Halos time at all. He came here and did what was asked -- he was to be a three year guy filling the spot waiting for someone like Eric Chavez to be ready to lead the Halos forward. then Joe Maddon become available - and once that happened -- and actually, the deal was likely in place before he officially left the Cubs - Arte grabbed him up and accelerated the Halo's time table and sort of scrapped the re-building era headed by Ausmus. Dusty Baker (now 70) seems to be a short term guy for Houston -- I think Ausmus still had two years on his Halos contract so he can wait around without missing a paycheck.

always like PJB with us -- was very happy when he made the ST roster (was it just last year or 2018) and started the season with the Halos, but midnight struck and the slippers came off -- he was released by mid-May. - did not get much playing time and really couldn't contribute much to the team in that role. the issue with players like Bourgos - speed demons with great defensive glove skills -- is when they start losing their wheels and slow up a step -- it's pretty much a stiff decline. Chone Figgins - same thing. but when they are in their prime speeding around the bases and making plays in the filed -- what great players that add excitement to the game. I wish PJB wetland hopes his future finds him back in the Halos organization in some capacity.

Doc Rivers comments on KCAL -9 : honestly - perhaps my favorite coach anywhere -- always a class act in the toughest of times and circumstances. honest emotion from him in the interview on KCAL -9 -- says he did not have a lot to say but said a lot. Class Act guy.

this tragic story only grows worse as the day wears on -- now the announcement that the long time coach from Orange Coast College baseball team, Johnny Altobelli and his wife and daughter all were on the helicopter and perished with the others -- just terrible news all day, does anyone know, is /was Johnny Altobelli, the OCC coach for 24 years -- was he any relation to Joe Altobelli the SF Giants manager back in the 80's or so and former MLB player? KCAL - 9 has been wall to wall coverage on this all day, What a terrible day, Awful news all around,

Halos need to pick up a quality starter but what's left and/or available in a ST time trade? I agree with the assessments (some posted in this thread) that call the Halos 'improved', will finish above .500 but likely not a playoff team. I see an 85/86 win team that stays in contention for the second wild card spot into mid-September but ultimately falls short.

what did the guy do to get in trouble for impersonating Omar Olivares? Did he come on in to pitch in relief for his industrial beer league team (the roster filled with his bowling buddies) only to give up a game winning walk off triple that cleared the bases for the opposing team?

trade Adell ? I say NO - let him start in RF and see if he's ready for prime time and maybe even a ROY season, IN ANAHEIM.

Houston, we have a problem. they still have the players -- but disarray at the front office top and manager level will be a distraction. how about this ? New Asfros manager - CRAIG BIGGIO. hometown hero, HOF guy -- instant favorite. but, does he want the job ????

92 win team minus 5 or 6 equals 87/86.

I think Houston wins the AL West. Halos could be one of the wild card teams. Much depends on whether Teheran (and Bundy) can eat some innings as rotation guys instead of being Cahill and Harvey redux from 2019. Halos 2020 line up is a typical AL offensive based game line up - so if the rotation can eat innings and get into the sixth inning in most games -- the Halos will have a chance to win / be in almost every game, That's a turn around right there, If the position players can stay healthy and if Simmons can return to his 2018 form on offense (perhaps moving him up in the line up to be a place setter) - this team could score a lot of runs, Having said all this -- the Halos gambles on broken down starters trying to regain form has not been good in recent years.......so the real difference maker may be some deadline deal to pick up that key rotation guy for the stretch run.

geez - really? Time does fly by...................

AW.corn ? - see I still have the typos glitch after all these years -- it's the somewhat new MAC I have with the smaller key board combined with fat fingers.........not a good combo. Or if AW.com comes out AW.corn again here, I can blame it on spell check.

Maldonado seems to have more MLB experience than Stassi who is said to be a quality defensive catcher but somewhat unproven. Maldonado was a gold glover for us, has had success with winning Houston teams and seems to work well with pitchers making a good rotation even better (and in the Angels case, a mediocre to OK rotation decent). but all of this does not matter anymore unless we're going to continue the Maldonado or Stassi issue like the board once did with the Mathis or Napoli issue (perhaps to this day??) Castro seems to be the guy for 2020 and with the 2020 Halos line up there might be more room for a purely defensive catcher who hits .235 in a 'good' year.

I want to thank Chuck and everyone who operates AW.com behind the scenes for almost 15 years (how long has it been? - more than a decade) of AW.com. while my (and others) participation tends to fluctuate depending on how the season is going for the Halos and what's going on in our personal and work lives -- AW.com is always here waiting for us,. The regular posters are all for the most part a great group of folks and on this board - unlike some others - you can actually learn some things about the day to day news of the Angels - its always great to have Jeff Fletcher posting here giving us further insights and often setting us straight (I love the way he cuts posters no slack and cuts right to the chase as to what's really going on !) It's been a tough decade for the Halos - I look forward to Joe Madden's leadership - I think it will make a difference. My favorite 'Halos' moment of the past decade is more than a moment -- it's Andrelton Simmons proving day in and day out he is one of the best defensive SS in MLB for the past five plus years -- TROUT is TROUT and a once in (several) generations type player - he's great to watch -- but don't overlook Simmons -- he's been great for our Halos and on offense as well (which really wasn't expected). We gave up pitching to get him (and the guy Atlanta got had some issues in 2019 which was supposed to be his 'break out' season but wasn't) but I think we essentially stole him from Atlanta -- of course, the guy Atlanta has at SS right now is pretty good as well. I also agree with Chuck's post on this thread about his favorite Angelswin.com events/ moments. Happy New Year everyone on this site - you're all great --

ADD: Castro and Stassi should work on their bunting skills in Tempe this ST --