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.

This team is about as miserable as a projected GOOD baseball team gets.

Yet so many of you spend your time here putting down the people that have the guts to tell you that it's bad.

Some of us have had stated reasons why we thought it might not BE great.

I understand why you might not want to hear it, yet again..

But some of us have been saying it for a long time, and here we are...

ANOTHER 3rd or 4th place finish in a 4 or 5 team division.

Who needs meds?

The people that don't like Scioscia style baseball, or the people that cant imagine that there is anyone better?

You guys need serious meds.

No meds will  wake you up.

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

If you think that what happens in an inning, or a play in a game right now, matters, then you need some meds.

This 2013 version of an Angels team is done.

This team is going to finish FAR down in the standings.

Get a grip people.

The only thing that matters right now is the plan for the future.

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.

Yeah, the Use Your Illusions albums were crap. That was all Axl Rose thinking he was way better than he actually was and insisting on releasing two crappy albums instead of one really good album. I was working at a record store when those were released and we had a "satisfaction guaranteed" policy. Both of those albums were returned 10 times more than any other new releases. 

 

I remember hearing Bleach and Facelift  for the first times too. There was something definitely changing when those came out. Louder Than Love and Ten were pretty important albums too. I always liked Alice in Chains the most out of all those bands. Nirvana was cool too, but his lyrics were always so nonsensical to me. 

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.

What happens play to play, day to day, inning to inning, right now, doesn't matter.

Anyone mentally involved in baseball games, at this point, is fooling themselves.

THE GAMES DO NOT MATTER ANY MORE!!!

What REALLY matters is how it can be fixed in a couple years down the line.

Pujols and Hamilton are TOAST... In a couple years they will both be out of baseball.

CJ and his hot GF are going to retire in Fiji...

 

This org is in a clusterfeck of mindbending proportions.

Scioscia and his staff, and the high paid stars are complete failures.

They are ALL done.

What happens during an inning of a game right now is nothing.

NOTHING!

Anyone that is looking at a game, or a play in a game, and getting upset at it at this point....come on.. 

WHO FREAKIN CARES??

This team has problems, serious long term problems, with no solution in sight for YEARS down the line.

What happened TODAY is cupcake.

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

No they weren't. 

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

They were already a huge band before the Black album. They played 2 nights at Long Beach arena and 3 nights at Irvine Meadows on the And Justice For All tour. It was the Black album that made them radio-friendly and MTV-friendly. So I guess that did technically launch them into another level. The radio station KNAC played all of their songs before the Black album though, not just One. As a matter of fact, everyday they had "Mandatory Metallica" where they played five or six of their songs in a row.

 

The majority of what they play live today is from the first four albums. They can fall back on them live. Yeah, they play the Black album crap too, but people go to see them play the early stuff. That's probably why they did a tour recently where they played Ride the Lightning in it's entirety. I remember when the Black album was released. I bought it the day it came out and have never been so disappointed by an album from a band I liked before or since.

 

The fact is that during the 90s, after the grunge thing happened, they made the decision to become less metal so that they would fit into what was popular at the time and still be able to get radio airplay. Coincidentally, it was around this same time that KNAC folded and there were no more radio stations left that played hard rock/heavy metal. And ever since then their new music has no direction. Load/Reload was their answer to grunge. St. Anger is how they responded to Nu-Metal, which is why Lars insisted on no guitar solos. Death Magnetic was them trying to get back to the sound of the first four albums, but they just didn't have the chops or writing ability anymore. 

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.

All rock music was originally done by young males who were pissed off at the world. That doesn't mean that a band/artist can't continue to play the genre of music that made them popular/famous. Slayer and Anthrax are all comprised of rich guys, but they seem to stick to their guns when it comes to their music. They know that is what their fans want to hear and that is what brought them their success. Metallica is simply a case of Lars wanting to follow the trends of what is popular at the point in time they go in to record a new album. If you look at each album that they have released since the Black album, they change their musical style according to what type of heavy music was popular at that time. Luckily for them, they have the luxury of being able to always fall back on the greatness of their first four albums. 

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.

cumberbath's depiction of khan is way better than the original.

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.

In all fairness to Metallica, thrash metal is a young persons music.  It is music that is supposed to be done by people who are pissed at the world and don't give a f^ck.  It is very hard for multi-millionaires like they are now, to dublicate that.

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

Hello... the A's have won NINE World Series titles. That is nine times the number the Angels have won. Only the Yankees and Cardinals have won more. Just sayin'.

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...

This is a message board. Of I have a caveat that it is IMO then, well, it is IMO.

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.

Moreno the micromanager is a bigger problem than Dipoto or Scioscia IMO.

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

If you are a Trek fan you are thinking they just shit on all of the previous movies and the series taking scenes out of context and switching roles, killing off characters before their time, introducing characters that shouldn't exist yet. All in all sloppy ass writing wrapped around a bunch of efx.

I didn't think any of this...

"The Outlaw Torn" and "Bleeding Me" are two of the best songs they have ever done.

"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

Old school metal 4 life!!!!!!

I'll take Load/Reload over Kill 'em All any day of the week. Come at me.

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.

No way. It was a mistake replacing him with Joe Blanton.

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.

I get that.  I'm not saying that method doesn't work. There's no one way to build a winning team.  To each his own.  The Yankees and Angels can win with hefty payrolls; the A's and Rays can win with a miniscule one.  If you're winning, why does it matter?  But you're sitting around pondering why would anyone wish they rooted for a team like the A's -- like they're the quasimodo of baseball so to speak.  Why wouldn't anyone wish their team had as much recent success for half the price? 

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

I chose the time frame the Angels consistenly started winning for a fair argument.  If I really wanted to be a douchebag, I'd go from 1968-2012, then there's not even a comparison, the A's trumps anyone not named the yankees.  however, for the last 12 seasons - quite possibly the golden age of Angels' baseball - the A's have kept up with them for the most part.    The Angels won their only title when they were operating no differently than the A's, and then they started buying players and they haven't reached the WS since.  Is that 2002 team better than the let's say the 2008 Angels?  I doubt it. It's just that the playoffs are a crapshoot.  Especially in the wildcard era. That's why WS titles is irrelevant in this argument.  The Angels have 5 divisions titles, the A's have also 5.  And that's that. 

 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

when your team is bogged down by some of the worst contracts in history and likely won't recover for several years, you have to hang your hat on something.

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

there's more to an organization's success than winning a world series, guy.

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

Is five seasons really that long considering most MLB teams haven't reached the playoffs for decades?  guess how many times the angels have won the division the last 12 years?  5 times! just like the A's!  get off your high horse.  the angels haven't been that much successful despite the higher payroll.

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...