Jeremiah

You can also include Dipoto quitting midseason. I don’t this is a great point for the Angels, though. It definitely speaks to the quality of executive that the team hired since Stoneman stepped down. It has also been reported by local press that the Angels GM job is not very attractive to experienced GMs.

This is an overly broad generalization, but there is definitely a kernel of truth there. I’ve been around on this site for a long time, generally on the periphery. There are definitely users who get very defensive when negative critiques of the Angels are presented. I also agree that some users will go beyond disagreeing on a point, and insult the other person as well, which is unnecessary. A good argument will be able to stand on its own merits.

I think this also a big part of it. Over the decades we’ve seen increased specialization in baseball, especially as it relates to pitchers. Along with that we’ve seen increased pitching academies and “experts.” I’m sure most are legit, but the idea is more about getting kids drafted or signed. Velocity, and the mechanics to get it, are probably the easiest path. So that’s what is emphasized. The NCAA and MLB want players who throw hard and put spin on the ball, whether or not that is necessarily a pitcher’s strength. Not everyone throws gas. Add in how much fans want fastball numbers on the scoreboard, and the way the NCAA absolutely abuses pitchers, and there’s plenty of blame to go around. That said, I tend to agree with Gubi’s take that the clock has little, if anything to do with it. For example, Mark Buehrle used to go about 15 seconds between pitches.

I think it has most to do the increased velocity and spin combined with increased strikeouts. The more MLB is focused on three true outcomes, the more max effort pitches are thrown. Tricking hitters and pitching to the rights contact is where the real talent used to be. I’m sure umpires are still waiting for the final pitches from Greg Maddux and Jamie Moyer to cross the plate, and yet they could still control a baseball game. I don’t think the clock has as much to do with it as the change in approach to baseball does.

I don’t think the significance of this can be overstated. Whether it’s true or not, the negative perception of the Angels as an organization is out there. I think the Angels need to tear it down completely and rebuild from the foundation up. They need to restock their farm with high draft picks and international signings that can create a steady group of “next man up” players. They probably cannot do that with Arte and Carpino in place. Until a baseball ops person with real authority to implement a plan is there, the team will probably continue to operate in the 75-85 win area, barely in the periphery of the playoffs.

I’m an English teacher. The misuse of “myself” is one of my biggest pet peeves.

I agree with this. Completely speculative, but I think the seemingly unclear direction is based on Trout and Rendon still being on the roster and wanting to compete, as well as a manager like Ron Washington not signing on for a rebuild. Washington’s stated goal is to run down the AL West. They’re trying to win, and Wash has said he’ll stick with the players who are performing. That probably means Hicks and Sano until injuries force the issue. IP said in another thread that the team is “rebuilding… ish.” That’s a difficult needle to thread. Teams need a great baseball ops department as well as great minor league depth to make that work.

Another great win over VAN. I hope they have gotten their special teams back on track. They looked better last night against a good team. The Kings don’t leave California again until the playoffs, so they’re set up to get into good shape between now and then.

Gallows humor is laughter in the face of a desperate or hopeless situation. Sometimes all you can do is laugh about these contract situations. All I asked was why the Rendon jokes bother you so much. What you responded with was a crass and classless joke about someone who died because her struggle with addiction. That is pretty terrible, and it’s not even remotely the same thing.

It a little gallows humor. I don’t get why this bothers you so much.

Yes, you are correct. There are game day shuttles from the station to Oracle Park.

I get what you’re saying, but I genuinely feel that if the team is good, the rest matters a whole lot less. People talk about how bad Dodger Stadium is, how violent it has become there, and how hard it is to get there (it is). Yet, they have no trouble selling it out. I’ve been to Yankee Stadium before this most recent buildout. It smelled like urine and trash. It was packed on a midweek day game against a mediocre CLE team. The Coliseum abuts a BART station, so there’s no need to even be “in the area.” Just take the train directly to and from the stadium like they do in NYC and SF. It comes down to an ownership that commits to marketing the team effectively and partnering with local businesses and the community. Plus, you have to put a product on the field that people will pay to see. In their history, the A’s have only had one (!) owner who did those things: Walter Haas. From 1980-1994, the A’s drew every well and maintained a very competitive roster. No one before or since ever did, not even Finley. I think disinterested ownership has always been their problem.

The A’s will pay no rent for their three or four seasons at Sutter Health Park. Sacramento won’t even get their city name on any of the gear or the media. The team will just be Athletics. Lots of people will lose their jobs because the team will just use Kings current staff. Just billionaires helping out billionaires.

For starters, the Dodgers spent the $100M on renovations themselves. It’s probably faster that way. With the Angels it’s been more complicated. Over the last 20 years, Angel Stadium has had about $50M in renovations, with the city footing $12M of that. It’s probably harder to get renovations done if the team and a civic entity need to figure out who’s paying for them.

Honestly, I don’t get the memorabilia market either. It does seem the team was being pretty shady with the fans, though. Fans have been trading significant HR baseballs for team gear for decades now, so they should have been ready with a generous offer. They’re a very wealthy organization. They can afford to take care of fans. Now they look like cheapskates.

I would guess the Coyotes as long as they win the land auction in June. They plan to pay for the land and the full construction themselves, which would likely make the process quicker. It’s estimated to cost about $2.5B, and shows these guys can pay for their sandboxes themselves. Most just want a handout. https://www.reuters.com/sports/coyotes-announce-plan-build-privately-funded-arena-2024-04-05/

That’s why the Raiders and the A’s went about it through legislative action: to avoid the voters. It’s the slimiest part of the political machine. It’s just back room dealings with kickbacks for the power players involved. It’s a boondoggle. All of these public stadium projects are.

Akil Thomas nets his first NHL goal! Awesome to see, and I hope the Kings can keep bringing up good, young talent as they need.

For real:

One of the great ironies here is Fisher, with his dad, put together the investment group that kept the Giants from leaving SF for Tampa in ‘92.

I just can’t revel in this the way others seem to. I remember when it came out 20 years ago that the Angels were among the final four options for MLB to contract, just eliminate, because reasons. As part of the plan, the A’s would have then been relocated to Anaheim. I was still living in LA at the time, and I was stunned that that could have happened, and the Angels would never have had the chance to win a World Series. The A’s fans have been jerked around for decades by people who can afford to write a check for a new stadium, but want our tax money for it instead. The billionaires want us to pay for their sandboxes as well as tickets to enter those sandboxes we paid to construct. It’s disgusting. The city and Fisher were $97M apart in getting the Howard Terminal stadium built 10 years ago, $97M on a 30-year lease. That’s less than the cost of a journeyman MIF per year. And Fisher said no because he wants a sweetheart deal where the public will pay for it through legislation. He knows, as more and more owners are finding out, that voters won’t approve this stuff. In fact, voters in Jackson County just rejected a sales tax extension to pay for the Royals and Chiefs stadium projects. And now the Cheifs are talking about possible relocation, because of course… No, I can’t revel in this. It almost happened to my favorite team already, and it definitely can at a later date.

Vivek Renadive is a scumbag for this. He came in and saved the Kings from leaving for Seattle in 2013, only to now pave the way through his town for the A’s to leave Oakland. NBC Sports must have caved on the broadcast deal as well, still giving Fisher some money, or else this wouldn’t be a possibility.

Maybe, but I’m not looking to invalidate anyone’s actual experience visiting the area. My two trips in the past year have been great. I couldn’t imagine driving myself around there, though. Parking looks expensive and a PITA. The train and the bus make it so much simpler. I wish we had a good public train system here in Vegas.