mulwin444

1.63 WHIP .332 AVG 13 HR 76.2 IP The guy is terrible and is a big reason why the Angels are struggling to get to .500. I happy that he hasn't completely sucked against offenses he shouldn't (KAN, LAD, and HOU) but BOS again exposed him for what he is and, if the Angels are serious about doing something this season, he shouldn't be near a start unless both WIlliams and Richards are injured.

One more post like this just might change everything. Keep going...don't give up the fight

Well, hopefully, for your sake, your wish comes true. I'd hate to see all that negative energy consuming you result in nothing. If everything breaks right, they can be out of by August just in time for you to rip your favorite Pro football organization.

What really got me interested in Alice In Chains was the Sap EP...I remember thinking "Holy crap, these guys are something" then "Dirt came out and I don't think I took it out of CD player for most of '92.

I never thought I'd see a poster on here that would make Angels Oracle seem calm and reflective. My advice...up the meds.

Nah, he's got facts...just can't show us, of course.

It's not a coincidence that KNAC folded when Grunge dominated...the entire musical landscape shifted '89 - '91 and bands that were not universally popular fell by the side as time went on. I remember being in High School, picking up "Louder Than Love", "Facelift" and "Bleach , and thinking "cool albums" but I had no idea what was to come. As disappointed in "Black Album" as I was, I remember being more put off by the "Use Your Illusion 1 and 2" albums...it was like 10 great songs surrounded by demos.

The first four albums didn't make them. "One" was the only song getting serious airplay and they were really only considered Gods among Metal fans. It wasn't until the "Black Album" came out that they launched into the stratosphere. You have to evolve as an artist as well, though. Metallica can't just re-write "Welcome Home: Sanitarium" for 9th time otherwise they are just going to get bored with themselves. Having written music and been in bands, you write what you are feeling at the time...Lars and James aren't the same now as they were when they wrote "Motorbreath". As such, I don't have a problem with them doing something like "Load" in principle, my main problem with the album is the songs sucked. I thought "Until It Sleeps" and "Hero of the Day" were both interesting and different but shit like "Ain't My Bitch", "Ronnie", "Mama Said", "King Nothing", etc were uninspired garbage. Same thing with "Re-load", interesting songs like "Carpe Diem Baby", "Fixxxer", "Fuel", and "The Memory Remains" are surrounded by crap like "Slither", "Devil's Dance", Better Than You", "Prince Charming", etc. Also, they seriously need to drop the "Unforgiven" series...one was fine but the last two sound like outtakes. I'd say that, after a muddled "St Anger", "Death Magnetic" was step in the right direction but even those songs felt they were stretched out consciously to say "Hey, look, all our song s are over 7 minutes" as opposed to putting something in the songs to make you want to listen for 7 minutes. U2 probably reinvented themselves the best. From "Boy" though "Rattle and Hum" they did about everything they could do on the road they were traveling and "Achung Baby" gave them new life.

Hmmm...I wouldn't say "way better". They're just different. After a lackluster "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" , Star Trek II, and particularly Ricardo Montalbon's Kahn, saved the franchise. I just watched it recently and he was consistent with his character that he introduced in the original series. I thought they were both equally good in the roles they were given.

Blanton was only obvious misstep that I saw by Dipto...I haven't agreed with every move but there is a logic behind them. Sean Burnett: averaged 70 games the last four seasons with a low WHIP...has a strained left forearm and has only pitched 13 games Tommy Hanson: Step-brother dies leading to a loss of significant time Josh Hamilton: Lifetime .900 OPS coming off one of his best offensive seasons. For me, the biggest concern was the DL time he incurred over the past 4 seasons as opposed to an offensive slump. I don't know how you can predict a sub-.700 OPS? Albert Pujols: Greatest right-handed hitter of his generation who had one DL visit in his career still in his early 30's playing at a low-physical impact position in 1B. CJ Wilson: A left-handed SP who averaged 200 innings since he became a starter coming off his best season (223.1 IP, 2.94 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, .232 BAA, 206 K) pitching half his games in one of the best hitting parks in the league. Trading Jean Segura for 3 months of Greinke: They were still in it at the time and needed a solid starter to solidify the staff. Fact is, with extensions for Aybar and Kendrick already inked, Segura was without a position. You could argue that Segura could have moved to 3B but Jimenez was already entrenched there at SLC. Chris Ianetta: Say what you want to about his average but the guy has value in terms of OBP and SLG. Mathis wishes he could sniff Ianetta's offensive figures. Just trying to put some perspective out there that, while I don't agree with every move Dipoto has done, his isn't pulling these moves out of his ass.

Hence why Bruce Springsteen hasn't been relevant for 30 years...Can't sing "Tramps like us/Baby, we were born to run..." when you're driving an M5

Awesome...Do you have a Connie Mack poster right next to the pennant celebrating the first WS championship back in 1910? Never mind the fact that both the A's and Angels have the same amount of WS victories in the last 39 years...

Figured...

I don't get why this teams staff has a perverse desire to waste outs like they arr used sunflower shells. Add the contact play at home that never works, runners (E-Bar I'm looking at you) that get doubled off on routine fly balls, getting caught between bases on throws home after basehits (that f'n kill rallies), and getting picked off base by the catcher. It would be one thing if this was a new phenomenon but it's been F'n years...the coaching staff has a the baseball memory equivalent to someone who has suffered a head injury.

Hmmm...still waiting on this info you supposedly have on Moreno that gives greater insight into comments like this

I didn't think any of this...

"Bleeding Me" was decent...I can at least listen to the whole thing. "Outlaw Torn" meanders directionless until it just stops. If we are considering just "Load" and Re-load", I'd take "Fixxxer" in terms of the 8 minute+ songs

If my choice is $13 mil for one season of Santana or $15 mil for two seasons of Blanton...I'd still go with Santana

You are a liar, sir. (slaps you with a dualing glove) "Load" was appropriately named...there was some decent stuff off "Re-load" but neither get worked into rotation. I would rather listen to the Motorhead covers they did at Lemmy's B-Day then anything put out on those two steaming piles.

Yeah, I would have much rather have given Ervin his extension, knowing that there is at least the posibility that he be dominant at times, versus the hot, wet paperbag of garbage that is Joe Blanton...at greater cost as well.

No, that's not what I wrote. I didn't question why someone would root for the A's nor am I critical of those who do root for them. There is a lot to be impressed with about the A's the past two seasons (especially Bob Melvin's handling of the roster he's been given). I wrote why would you want to suffer through 4 losing/1 average season if you didn't have to? I think some lose sight of the fact that it took time for the A's to become competitive again and, as players leave for FA or are traded for new prospects, there is no guarantee they can find another Seth Smith or Brandon Moss to handle platoon roles so effectively. Maybe the BP arms you depend start underperforming or become injured and the margin of error becomes that must thinner for a franchise who has to exist on limited resources. Despite the shitty contracts to Hamilton and Pujols, the Angels will survive because they have solid revenue. Personally, I don't think the Angels will as hamstrung in spending money as people think...I am more concerned about the state of the minors and depth needed to fill in for potential injuries

And the Yankees have multiple division titles in the same time frame in a more competitive division using the "buy em'" method. It wasn't until the Angels started spending money under Moreno that they've had their most consistent success (under Disney, 1996-2003 = 1 wild card, under Moreno 2003 to present = 5 division titles) It comes down to who you spend it on, if they had invested 8 years in Prince Fielder versus 10 years in an older Pujols, I'd say they would be in a much better position. You are still spending a truck load of cash either way but you are getting more for your dollar. Same thing goes for Hamilton...I would have much rather have found a way to get someone like Choo in a trade and bat him 2nd between Trout and Pujols and lock him up to an extension then given the problematic Josh a $125 mil commitment

Ah, so we are dealing in "could be's" versus "actuals"...whatever works for you

When you lose back-to-back World Series, one in epic fashion, you have to hang your hat on something.

Easy, overly-sensitive A's fan. I don't possess a horse, much less one of enormous stature. Just stating facts: from 2007-2011, the A's sucked balls and have had one playoff appearance in the six seasons (see, I can pick random time frames too!) in the last 6 seasons, the Angels have won 3 division titles to the A's 1...oh, yeah, and won a WS in the last 12 years. Those who want to be like the A's need to consider what it took to be the A's of 2012-2013...