MacNasty

FA option who might be a quick study for a mid-rotation spot. Arte is probably not feeling a big contract, but it's a chance to make this team better without giving up more of our depleted system.

I like their chances tonight. Lackey is pitching well, but there's no reason this lineup can't rock him. I want to see him throwing a tantrum in the dugout around the third inning after he gets pulled.

Hate to admit I turned the game off after Trumbo's strikeout, didn't think they had it in them to come back. Guess feeling like a jinx now is what I deserve.

Yep. No matter how they try to change it with feeds from the "other" major cities like their LA, Dallas, etc sites, they are an east coast network. Which is why I also don't watch ESPN unless it's the only option I have.

Problem is for the division we aren't chasing just one team, but two teams that have more consistent pitching. And the wildcard can be very tough to chase given the amount of teams, one or two of which will rise and make a run of it to the end. I don't want to be negative, so I'll admit we do have a chance, just like I have a chance of winning the powerball.

Again, the key with Pujols is that if the Angels will simply sit him he might end up giving us the "Old" Albert down the stretch. He obviously is going to keep trying to help the team, they just need to give him some time to heal. Trumbo has nothing really do to with that. If you want to sit him, fine, but that is simply another discussion imo.

As long as Josh stays on the dip, I think he'll be fine the rest of the way.

You're trying too hard. A healthy Pujols can help the team much more than he currently is. Sitting him has nothing to do with Trumbo's production or lack thereof.

Seems like every time Howie has found himself in the early half of the lineup he has struggled. But I would like to see them DL Pujols and stick Howie in his spot for a little while.

Well no matter how many times it has been said, it is still valid. The dude needs to put his ego aside and get some rest. Or maybe Sciosh just needs to make the call.

I would like to see the Angels find some starting pitchers that can throw heat. It just seems like our staff is forced to nibble at the plate and if the calls aren't going their way they struggle. Weave is a guy I love, one of my favorite Angels ever. But I do have to admit his lack of velocity is a big concern.

The key is they finally have a good manager in Clint Hurdle. That's why I was saying before that I'd like to see the Angels add him if they were to fire Sciosh, because I believe he'd do very well with a lineup as talented as ours. He got the most out of the Rockies when they were healthy, and is now doing very well with a young and ultra-cheap roster in Pittsburgh. Either way, while they Pirates have a sorry history in the last 20 years they're actually competitive now, and have been under Hurdle, which is impressive even with the late season swoons. But a franchise to emulate? Now that's funny.

He's too talented not to pull out of this funk. I'd like to see Sciosh bench him for a while or throw him on the DL so he can get his head right.

I agree and if you think back he's always had that kind of leadership ability. I recall him making comments re: Texas the other year when he was much more unproven. That is what I hate most about the Pujols and Hamilton signings. Neither of them seem to have taken charge of this team from a leadership perspective, and it just seems like the clubhouse has a void in that regard. I suspect we'll see Trout be that guy at some point, where he sheds the aw-shucks attitude and starts to challenge his fellow players, but for now yeah it would be nice to see Trumbo be that guy.

Great article and I agree with the overall grade. But when I consider Dipoto and his performance, for me it's some of the other stuff that is irritating... 1. Is he man enough to tell Arte to GTFO of his rice bowl? Knowing how to handle your owner is a huge part of being a successful GM. I just get the feeling that Arte thinks he is helping by running around in consecutive seasons making big signings which is handcuffing his GM a bit in his decision making. This offseason Dipoto might need a sitdown with Arte to ensure he is setting the course he wants. 2. One thing Stoneman was amazing at was evaluating the coaching staff. Sciosh's staff was ridiculous when he came aboard, and that was all Stoneman. Dipoto needs to tweek this staff at a minimum, there is no doubt about it in my mind. Lastly, there is a chance that they need to blow this whole thing up. If I were GM I'd hire Hurdle away from the Pirates and watch this team's offense explode. But either way Dipoto is heading into a very crucial window in his tenure. My take is that if you're going to get fired, ensure you get fired doing it the way you want it done, and if you go down swinging so be it.

I seem to recall buyer beware posts from the Rangers' fans after the signing and thought it was sour grapes. But I'm not ready to hate on Wilson yet, I'm still in "blame Butcher" mode with many of our rotation ills. I just have a feeling he'd be much better with another team. And that sucks.

Personally I am not a big fan of this staff. I love Sciosh, but from my view the coaching for the staff/bullpen has been weak since Black left. Hatcher being fired was way overdue, and at this point I'm still not sold on his replacement being anything more than a minors hitting coach. Looking at this staff and how it's been handled, I think they miss Stoneman's shrewd eye for coaching talent; that staff from our championship team was stacked. Whether or not DiPoto can regain that remains to be seen imo.

This is a weak part of the schedule, and they're beating the teams they SHOULD beat. Which is an improvement, a start, baby steps, whatever you want to call it. They just need to continue building on the basics and hope this team comes together the way they look like they should on paper. Either way, the good thing here is the season is now becoming enjoyable to watch again. That's really all I care about, is relevance. Do we have a chance? Yes, and that's enough for me right now.

Blowton will get rocked tonight as usual, hopefully we'll see the bad Santana.

I like the way they're playing almost as much as I like halobob's avatar.

This team is starting to look the way I expected them to. I don't give us a chance in hell of winning the division, but it sure is nice to not want to smash my coffee table every time they're on.

4 wins in last 6 games. Trout looking like his "last year" self. Bullpen gettin it done... Who knows, maybe this team is going to start climbing out of this hole a bit.

I think he'll be fired after the season. This team won't suddenly become good enough to take this division, not gonna happen. So as far as I'm concerned Sciosh is done. Here's the concern for me though... I don't want to inherit an interim coach that it takes two years to realize isn't good enough. That's what we're looking at with our hitting coach, the dude made a little difference and suddenly he's the answer. As far as I'm concerned, it needs to be blown up not because of only because of Sciosh and ideological differences with DiPoto, but because they need to rebuild the staff. We need a new hitting and pitching coach, IMO. So basically just blow the whole thing up and build the whole staff around a new guy like Stoneman did when he stacked Sciosh's staff in the beginning.

Trumbo is a guy who is hard to figure, because his sheer power changes the equation at the plate. He is without a doubt the type of hitter who can lead the league in home runs. The kind of hitter who terrifies even the best pitchers. When he's on, a popup for someone else is a dinger for him. I really don't care what his OBP is. But I do think he is going to keep pushing and working to get better, and THAT is why I won't underestimate the guy. I underestimated him when he came up. Personally I think he can settle in as a guy who hits just below .300 but with crazy power as he moves into his prime years, which is a heck of a combination.

Need another post for the Tejas series! Keep it up!