2006

I could use this space to do a season review, but the Chronicler already covered that, and frankly, if I want to relive the season, I can just go back and re-read the things I wrote over the last five months. So I'd rather use this space to look ahead. In some sense, these season previews are extremely premature, but that doesn't make them any less fun. So keeping in mind that I haven't really worked out a format, and that it could change throughout the course of this post, I'll do a position by position analysis of what what I suspect we'll see, and what I'd like to see next season. So let's get started

CATCHER

What I suspect we'll see: I think there's a 50/50 chance that Bengie will be back next season, if not better. I think teams are smart enough to realize that this season was an abberation offensively, and while he had an excellent ALDS, I'm guessing that will be balanced out by his unimpressive ALCS. Teams that do their homework will realize that his defense has suffered, although he does deserve some credit for the success of the pitching staff. He'll get some action on the market, but as the dollars go up, teams will realize that he really isn't that much of an upgrade, regardless of what they currently have behind the plate, and though they may overpay, the Angels will pony up the extra half million it will probably take to sign him. Failing that, I think Jose will get 65-70% of the starts, with Mathis backing him up.

What I'd like to see: Bengie in another uniform, Mathis the majority starter, with Jose backing him up and getting the starts against the toughest right handers. I'd like to see about 70% Jose in April, with that trending downward by about 7-10% each month, to the point where Mathis is getting most of the starts by July, with the idea of Mathis being the number 1 guy in 2007.

FIRST BASE

What I suspect we'll see: Erstad. He'll be here one more year, and I really don't think they're going to move him back to the outfield. In the team's opinion, the risk of injury is too great. As I mentioned in a comment at the Chronicler's site, I say big deal. What's the downside of an Erstad injury to anyone not named Darin Erstad? Are they really that much worse off without him in the lineup? Kotchman will factor in as well. Between days off for Erstad and the DH position, I think he'll play in roughly 120 games

What I'd like to see: Kotchman, Kotchman, and more Kotchman, with Erstad either in center field or left out. kotch needs to play every day. The Angels need his bat in the lineup, and the drop-off defensively, if the scouts are right, will be negligible. It certainly won't be enough to make up the gap in the extra offense that Kotchman will provide.

SECOND BASE

What I suspect we'll see: Kennedy. Another year on the contract, and what could be a big year. He's another year removed from his 2004 injury, and he's in a contract year, which should add some incentive. I see no downside, really. The only alternatives are to make Figgins the every day second baseman, or to use Izturis, and neither of those are realistic or necessary. And if he does break out, he'll either be a key piece in a third straight trip to the post-season, or he'll be dealt in late July for a mid-level prospect or better.

What I'd like to see: See above. I think that pretty much covers it. Looking ahead, I'd expect that he will not be re-signed as the team prepares to turn the position over to Howie Kendrick in 2007.

THIRD BASE

What I suspect we'll see: McPherson, occasionally spelled by Figgins and, on rare occasions, Izturis, with some time at DH. D-Mac missed much of spring training last season, and the first few weeks of the season. Despite a power surge in late May/early June, he never really got going, and injuries were probably the main culprit. His defense, in my opinion, was adequate to good, and a pleasant surprise given the scouting reports coming in. Although he lacks the range of Glaus, I found his arm to be much more consistent.

What I'd like to see: Lots and lots of D-Mac. I really do think that with a full spring, and if his injuries are behind him, he could hit 30+ homers next year.

SHORT STOP

What I suspect we'll see: Orlando Cabrera proved himself to be an outstanding defensive shortstop, and deserves some credit for the improvement of the pitching staff. The Angels could use some more offense out of him, and although reports are that he felt more comfortable in the 2 hole, his numbers didn't improve appreciably when in that spot. Still, he doesn't strike out a great deal, and he's not an awful hitter as a number 2. But I wouldn't expect great things from him offensively over the last three seasons of his contract. If he's average in two of those and above average in the other, I think that's all the Angels can reasonably hope for.

What I'd like to see: I have no problem with OC staying in OC for two more years, but I'd like to think the Angels will be smart enough to move him out if and when Brandon is ready.

LEFT FIELD

What I suspect we'll see: Garret Anderson will spend the majority of time here should he stay healthy. The rest of the time he'll DH, and this spot will be covered by some combination of Juan Rivera and Chone Figgins. GA has three years left, kids. He's not going anywhere.

What I'd like to see: Rivera and Figgins almost exclusively with the occasional start by Anderson, unless the winter rest relieves Anderson of some of his many ailments. When healthy, he's an excellent fielder, but he was clearly affected by some combination of age and injury this season.

CENTER FIELD

What I suspect we'll see: Unfortunately, I think management will commit to Finley here until mid-May or so, by which time he'll either have experienced a rebirth, or he will have made clear to everyone that he's done. There was optimism late in the season when he was benched for long stretches. And he did provide some very big hits down the stretch in the race for the division championship, but after Scioscia took the bait, Finley pulled the switch, disappearing in the playoffs until Scioscia, in a desperate move, benched him in favor of the aging Anderson in center in game five of the ALCS.

What I'd like to see: Erstad for the majority of the season, spelled by Figgins when he isn't giving someone else a day off. Like I said earlier, it's possible that his body can't handle a full season of center field. Well, for starters, that's what Figgins is for. And second, so what? If he gets hurt, the result is that his bat comes out of the lineup in exchange for maybe a small drop-off on defense (but not assuredly), and a loss of some versatility as Figgins would become the every day center fielder. That's a chance I'm willing to take.

RIGHT FIELD

What I suspect we'll see: Vlad.

What I'd like to see: A rotation of Izturis and Quinlan. Just kidding of course. Despite missing a month of the season after Ron Roenicke inexplicably sent him from first on a double, leading to an awkward slide and a shoulder injury, Vlad still hit 30 homers (leading the team by a ton), and drove in over a hundred runs. He suffered through a stretch where he wasn't getting anything to hit, a frequent target of intentional walks. When he did get something to hit, he obviously tried to do too much and went into a prolonged slump. He escaped in time to lead the team to another division title. He'll be a fixture here at least through 2007, at which point he might move to DH for the final year of his current contract.

DESIGNATED HITTER

What I suspect we'll see: Some sort of platoon by Kotchman and Rivera, both of whom should be in the field more often than not. They'll be splitting at bats when they should both be in the lineup.

What I'd like to see: Mostly Anderson. Play him in left about 25-30% of the time, on which days Figgins can give McPherson or Vlad a day off their feet at DH.

BENCH

What I suspect we'll see: Ztu, Quinlan, Davanon, whomever is sitting in favor of Figgins, that day's loser in the Kotchman/Rivera battle, and the backup catcher of the day.

What I'd like to see: Ztu, Quinlan, Davanon, whomever is sitting in favor of Figgins, and maybe Brian Specht or Zach Sorensen, either of whom if taught to play outfield, could be a very versatile utility guy, and could at least be as valuable as Finley, who should be cut barring a terrific spring. Granted, I know virtually nothing about Specht other than he's a middle infielder who had a very solid season as the bat coming back from injury. Someone who knows more can tell me I'm full of crap. But if the first four are set, you really need another outfielder (although Quinlan can play left). I'd rather one of those guys learn than surrender more at bats to Finley. Also, backup catcher of the day.

STARTING ROTATION

What I suspect we'll see: Colon, Escobar, Lackey, Santana, and Byrd, or another free agent. Washburn leaving appears to be a done deal at this point, which leaves Byrd as the likely candidate to return, preferably with a one year deal. If he commands too much on the free agent market, then I wouldn't mind seeing Arte either go for broke with a guy like A.J. Burnett (hey, fight fire with fire, our AJ against yours). The alternative would be to see who steps up among Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver, and Chris Bootcheck, with the option of a late spring trade if none of those guys are capable of winning the job.

What I'd like to see: Pretty much what you see above. I say let Washburn go, unless something breaks and he's not as valuable as we suspect. Bring Byrd back, but only on a year deal, or maybe a one year deal with an option/buyout for the second year. Give Saunders a chance to grow another year, or even make him the lefty and long option out of the pen, with an eye on moving him into the rotation in 2007, alongside Weaver who would replace Escobar as his contract expires.

BULLPEN

What I suspect we'll see: Frankie and Shields are no-brainers, as it probably another year of Donnelly and Yan. I expect final two spots to be used on Bootcheck and whatever lefty they sign in the coming months, if not Saunders. I'd have no problem with Saunders in this position, but I'd like to see him as more than a LOOGY if he's going to start in 2007. He could be a good in that role, however, if they also give him longer outings in mop-up.

What I'd like to see: Pretty much what you see above. What I don't want to see is big money being thrown at a LOOGY or seventh inning guy. First, I think this coaching staff has shown an excellent ability to identify middle to late relief talent, Turnbow, Wise, and Jenks notwithstanding. I don't know, maybe the magic is gone, but I think those guys validate this skill more than anything. The talent is there, they just need to utilize it a little better than they did this season. I'd rather not see them throw money at this spot. Lord knows too many bad contracts have been given to the Mark Petkovseks and Mike Remlingers of the world. Relief talent at the back of the rotation is often a crapshoot. I'll take my chances with the coaching staff and use that money elsewhere.

To shorthand it, here's what I suspect to see on opening day next season:

Pos  Player
DH   Figgins
SS   Cabrera
RF   Guerrero
LF   Anderson
3B   McPherson
C    Bengie/Jose Molina
1B   Erstad
CF   Finley
2B   Kennedy

SP   Colon
SP   Escobar
SP   Lackey
SP   Santana
SP   Byrd

Bench   Quinlan, Izturis, Davanon, Backup catcher,
Rivera, Kotchman

Pen   Frankie, Shields, Donnelly, Yan, Bootcheck,
Saunders, or free agent

I think that's 26 players, actually, so something's gotta give. Someone will probably get hurt in the spring.

Here's what I'd like to see, with what I see as the difference (positive/negative):

Pos  Player     gain/loss
CF   Figgins    =
SS   Cabrera    =
RF   Guerrero   =
DH   Anderson   + over 2005 DH spot
LF   Rivera     + def and probably off over GA
3B   McPherson  + power makes up for def lost (Fig)
1B   Kotchman   + Offense makes up for slight def loss
C    Mathis     - growing pains, but a long term move
2B   Kennedy    + one year removed from injury

SP   Colon      - slight regression
SP   Escobar    + hopefully healthy
SP   Lackey     + continued improvement
SP   Santana    + year of experience
SP   Byrd/FA    + over last year's #5 depending

Bench   Quinlan, Izturis, Davanon, Backup catcher,
Finley/Specht/Sorensen

Pen   Frankie, Shields, Donnelly, Yan, Bootcheck,
Saunders, or free agent

I see the bench and pen being about the same. Not appreciably better, not significantly worse.

Clearly, there's a lot that can and will happen between now and when pitchers and catchers report, and probably some more movement between that time and opening day. This is essentially an exercise in futility before we know what might happen. According to the Times, they could anyone from Konerko to ManRam to Carlos Delgado. Really, I hope they don't. If I'd wanted them to do something like that, I would have put it up there. This Angels team has the minor league talent and the budget to be the spend the next decade as the Yankees of the last decade. I'd rather not see them blow that by becoming the Mets of the last decade, throwing good money after bad. This is the strongest the farm has even been in my lifetime, and it's happening at a time where we all have the tools to follow the progress of the prospects like never before. Winning is fun, but one of the things that made 2002 great was the personnel that the Angels took to the Championship. I think it will be more fun to watch a victory lap by the guys that we followed as they climbed the ladder. As such, my general philosophy is when in doubt, go with the kids.

Time to relax and watch the lucky ones battle it out. I've got a hockey season, college football season, and college basketball season to keep me busy until March, but I'll always have one eye trained on the Angels. Fire up the hot stove. It's gonna be an interesting winter.

Day off

Been a long season. No hockey tonight. No Angels for a while. Takin' a day off. I'll have a more substantial season wrap up/look ahead post tomorrow.

Anyway, it seems like a good time to say thank you to everyone who stopped by here on a regular basis, and even to those who just stopped by occasionally. I've enjoyed keeping this thing going for a while, and it was an exciting, frustrating, infuriating, and fun season. I'll be doing occasional Angels stuff during the off-season, commenting on developments as they........develop, I guess.

I'll also be doing the other non-baseball stuff I've been doing all along, like concert reviews, the infrequently random off topic posts, etc. I'll also be doing more or less the same thing for the LA Kings, UCLA football and basketball, and Illinois basketball (I'd rather not admit we have a football team), all of which should be over or winding down in time for the next baseball season to start.

Thanks to the rest of the halosphere, you know who they are, for directing some traffic over this way. The give and take between our community has been interesting and insightful, and I look forward to continuing it over the off-season and into next year. I don't do it for the numbers (which is good, because the numbers ain't too impressive), but it's nice to know that someone is reading every now and then. Thanks to the non-baseball linkers like Pops, JenJen, the Ironchef, NFLAdam, and Pinko and the crew at 3Bulls! (I have another video extra coming soon, I swear). Read 'em. They're funny, and they're better writers than I am.

So thanks again. I'm not going anywhere, so don't be strangers.

Over

I think the lesson is clear. Winning game one is for suckers.

There's probably more I should write about this game, this series, this season, but I just don't feel like doing it right now. Everything went wrong for this team at the wrong time. And it may sound petty, it may sound like I'm not giving the White Sox starters any credit, but this was not a major league offense that they were facing. This was the same offense we'd seen disappear for weeks at a time during the regular season. This offense was worse than when Vlad was on the DL, because at least then there wasn't another automatic out in the lineup back then (only semi-automatic). Four complete games is not the sign of a hot staff, it's the sign of major leaguers facing a high school team.

Were the umps to blame? They certainly didn't help. None of the losses were their fault, but in another universe, it would be nice to see how the series would have played out with something approaching competent officiating. I said before that if the Angels won or if the Sox put it away early, then we can't blame the umps. I still think that's true. If this team was truly shaken up by some bad calls, and as a result could not find a way to push through, then they didn't deserve to be in this position to begin with.

There's a lot of work that needs to be done in the off-season, and I'll probably address that in the next few days, but I will say that there's a lot of work that I think simply won't be done. Too many guys that need to be shown the door are still under contract. We can all talk about what we think they need to do, and what we hope they will do, but when it all comes down to it, Darin Erstad will be at first base next season. Steve Finely will be in center. Garret Anderson will be patrolling left. Juan Rivera will be on the bench. Bengie Molina will probably be behind the plate. I'll say right now that 2006 does not look good, and while 2007 looks better (assuming Stoneman doesn't get all trade-happy), I don't think we'll be back in the post-season before 2008, when Kendrick, Wood, Morales, McPherson, Mathis, and Kotchman will be in the lineup every day.

White Sox 4; Angels 3 - White Sox win series 4 games to 1

A veritable offensive explosion, all three runs of it, for the Angels wasn't enough. No umpires to blame this time, just basic stupidity.

If there's more scoring, I don't care.

Kings 3: Blue Jackets 1

I was watching this on the split screen, with the Angels on one side and the Kings on the other. Man, this widescreen technology rocks. Anyway, seemed like a pretty good game by the defense, and LaBarbera is taking some strides toward making himself the number one goaltender.

Armstrong got a gift goal as the Kings finally scored on a 2 man adavantage when he was able to bank one off the defenseman and into the net. They added the second one a nice little two man play from Avery to Frolov, who picked the pass out of his skate, then drove it through Mark Denis' five hole. Cammalleri finished the scoring for the Kings when he rifled one from just inside the left circle past Denis low to his stick side. Two points on the night for Cammy, who needs to get going if he wants to see his name on the lineup sheet.

4-1 on the homestand, which is a nice turnaround from the opening season loss. Their 4-2 record, and 8 points, has them tied with Dallas for the lead in the Pacific Division (Dallas with a game in hand), as they take to the road for two games before returning home for three more. These next five games take on added importance because they'll spend most of November on the road, including two trips to Chicago. A couple with Detroit in that stretch, as well as matchups with Dallas in Vacouver. They need to take advantage of the soft spots in the schedule if they want to make the playoffs.

UCLA 44; Wazzu 41 (F-OT)

Well, I was so distraught about the Angels loss that I didn't have the heart to do a write up on this game last night. In addition, I was pretty pissed off at the way the Bruins played last night, especially on defense. I've never sat and watched one of my teams come back from such a huge deficit and been so indifferent. I was just pissed at the predictable way in which they gave up 180 rushing yards to Jerome Harrison in the first half

Give the Bruins a lot of credit, though. Every time I though "they need seven here or the game is over", they got into the end-zone. Drew Olson looked shaky early, but he really put it together in the second half, ending the game with 338 yards and five touchdowns. On the ground Maurice Jones-Drew had over 100 yards and a touchdown (the game winner in OT), as well as a 45 yard receiving touchdown.

The key to the game, in my opinion, was the drive at the end of the third quarter/beginning of the fourth. With the Bruins trailing by 17, and the defense finally starting to step up, UCLA took the ball on their own 20 with 23 seconds remaining. They got a pass interference call for 15 yards. Then Olson threw to Jones-Drew for 12 yards, ending in a late hit penalty for another fifteen yards. As time expired in the third quarter, WSU roughed Olson for another 15 yards, setting up an untimed play at the end of the quarter. 3 plays, 23 seconds, 57 yards. Olson then completed a 7 yard pass to Marcus Everett before the teams switched sides of the field. Another quick hit to Everett got the ball to the nine yard line, and from there, Olson hit Marcedes Lewis for the touchdown. 80 yards, 53 seconds, 7 points. It's a lot easier to come back from a 1o point deficit in one quarter than a 17 point deficit. And I can't fail to mention that the drive that tied the game was 96 yards long. Impressive work by the senior quarterback.

Tough game, first real road test, and under difficult circumstances, they found a way to pull it out. The Bruins are still undefeated, and they're officially bowl eligible. But my expectations for this season are certainly tempered a bit. After watching the last two games, watching the defensive line get hammered, and watching Berkely's and Wazzu's running backs have field days againt the Bruins defense, I swear, Reggie Bush is going to run for 1,000 yards against this team.

White Sox 8; Angels 2; Sox prepare for tomorrow's victory laps

It was mentioned in the Times this week, but basically, the offense that threatened to derail the Angels' season so many times over the last few months reared it's ugly head at the wrong time, and for once, the pitchers couldn't bail them out. I've gotta agree with Rob. I am absolutely shocked that this team found a way to win 95 games this season. The Angels had exactly one hitter with more than 20 home runs this season. Guys that would have finished second on the Angels in homers this year include Johnny Gomes (in less than 400 at bats), Craig Monroe, Jay Payton, Chris Shelton, and four or five guys on the White Sox. In addition to lacking any measurable power, they also were great at not getting on base. It's a testament to how awful the AL West was this year that they were able to make the playoffs. The Angels did lead the league in batting average with runners in scoring position. Unfortunately, in order to take advantage of that, you actually need to get runners in scoring position.

I haven't gone through every at bat, but I don't think Chone Figgins has hit one ball on the ground in this series. That's really great. A guy with his speed has either popped up or struck out just about every time up. Vlad is now one for sixteen in this series, and still hasn't had an extra base hit in the post-season. He's hit exactly one ball hard, and it ended in an out.

The White Sox have an excellent pitching staff, but it certainly isn't, as a whole, demonstrably better than it was earlier in the season. I'm sorry if it sounds petty, but I just can't in good conscience credit the White Sox pitching staff to the extent that most of the press will. If they do this to the Cardinals, or maybe even the Astros, that will be impressive. The proof is in the three straight complete games. That just doesn't happen unless you're a major league pitching staff facing a double A offense, which is pretty much what the Angels are right now.

This offense, plainly and simply, sucks. Sucks hard. And quite honestly, it's a couple years away from getting better. D-Mac and Kotchman need a full year at this level to adjust. In 2007, hopefully the right moves are made such that our starting infield is Kotchman, Kendrick, Wood, and McPherson.

This game, for all intents and purposes, was over just three batters into the game. I don't think there's anyone, if asked for an objective opinion, who believed the Angels would (not could) score three or more runs tonight. They remind me a lot of the '95 Angels during that stretch in August where they were losing game practically before they started. They'd go out, give up a bunch of runs in the first, and the offense would pretty much just give up. The Kid didn't have it, and the offense is simply unable of picking their pitcher up.

Unsurprisingly, the umpiring crew missed two more calls tonight against the Angels, failing to recognize a faily obvious catcher's interference, turing a bases loaded, none out situation into a inning ending double play. Later, Ed Rapuano blew a call on a pick-off of Podsednik, who would later steal and score. The one call that went the Angels way was actually the right call. Everyone realizes that middle infielders get the "neighborhood" play, but that's usually when they actually touch the base. So far, the only breaks the Angels have gotten from the umps in the post-season have actually all been by-the-book correct calls. But it's irrelevant. This team simply can't hit. And while they may not be as bad next year, they won't be appreciably better until Finley, Erstad, Molina, and maybe even Kennedy are no longer regulars in the lineup (only because Kennedy is likely to be replaced by a much better hitter). That's not until 2007.

There's one more game left, but it's pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point. I actually expect Byrd to pitch really well for five or six innings, but at some point the Sox will push a run or two across, and that's all they're going to need.

Oh well, we'll always have 2002.

White Sox 3; Angels 0

That's the score through a third of inning.

It was a fun and infuriating season. Time to start thinking about next year.

And I still don't want them to go anywhere near signing Konerko.

*UPDATE* - Another game, another screw job by the home plate ump. Oh well.

*UPDATE 2* - Well, looky there, a screw job by the first base umpire this time.

White Sox - 5; Angels - 2: Sox lead ALCS 2-1: Series essentially over

All of the bluster of game 2 and the off day that followed were quickly forgotten. John Lackey, from his third pitch of the night, simply didn't have it. He couldn't throw his sharp curve ball for strikes, and the White Sox weren't biting at the pitches off the plate or down in the zone. Lackey's first couple of strikeouts came on fastballs, which is fairly rare for him. The at bat that showed he was done, in my opinion, was the Crede at bat in the second. He got ahead 1-2, and simply refused to throw him a curve ball. Actually, I think he finally got him to ground out on a breaking pitch, but only after five or six consecutive fastballs, to a hitter who he should be able to strike out on a two strike curve just about every time. To me, that was a sign that Lackey knew he simply didn't have it.

On the other side of the ball, not to take anything away from Garland, but this offense really sucks, and it pretty much has all year. They have one guy who can hit for power, and he hasn't been able to hit the ball out of the infield. Not that it would matter if he could, because they don't have anyone who can get on base in front of him. Suffice to say, when you can't hit, and your pitcher can't get anybody out, it's not exactly a winning combination. Like I said, I don't mean to diminish what Garland did, but he worked against a below average offense whose table setter can't find first base, and whose only slugger doesn't have an extra base in the post-season. I think the guys the Angels sent to the Arizona Fall League could outhit the big club. Honestly, Wood, Kendrick and Morales can't get here soon enough, because these guys are pathetic wastes of at bats, with the exception of maybe Cabrera.

It's only game three, but in my opinion, this was a game the Angels really had to have. They had their best pitcher (Lackey was better than Colon for the last four months), and they were facing a guy they've handled pretty well in the past, and who was coming off about two weeks without pitching. From this point on, until a possible but increasingly unlikely game 7, the White Sox will have the better matchup on the mound for the rest of the series. They haven't had to use their pen, and at this rate, they won't have to. I honestly can't see the Angels having much of a chance to win this series, and quite honestly, I'd be mildly surprised if the series got back to Chicago.

Tomorrow night they throw the kid out there, who was terrific against the Yankees, and had what was likely the most impressive start of his young career against the Sox back in his second start of the season. He'll be going at night, and at home, both advantages for Santana, but you can only do so much when your offense refuses to hit. They face a pitcher who has handled them pretty well in the past. I can't see the Angels getting more than two runs the way they're swinging it. One mistake by Santana and, well, let's just be thankful that the UCLA game will be on at the same time.

Anyway, time to fire up the hot stove. The silver lining might be, as Rob alluded to at the Rev's site, this may force Stoneman to actually do something about the offense. And hopefully, and believe me, I pray about this at night, I don't care if he hits a home run in every single at bat the rest of the series, please, please, please do not go after Paul Konerko.

The other side: South Side Sox

Quick Note

Just a quick thanks to all of the visitors I've had the last couple of days. I know I can get a little short with people in the comments from time to time. Try not to take it personally. But thanks for coming around. I've appreciated the back and forth. Hopefully we'll have a great last 3-5 games, decided 100% by the players on the field with no umpire extra-intervention. Remember, I've gotta live in this town with a lot of you.

Thanks to Vince and the Cheat for the links.

I know where you've been, and I know what you've been doing, Don't lie to me

Via Rob, who got it from David Pinto, Eddings just doesn't know when to quit. According to this article in SI, Eddings claims that earlier in the game, he called a dropped third strike more emphatically. So now we have Eddings NOT calling a dropped third strike as he had done earlier in the game, and we have him making the same arm movement he made on every strikeout. Yet the players are magically supposed to realize that all of the sudden, with two out in the bottom of the ninth, he changed his mind on how he would call this play. Sometime between that point earlier in the game, he decided to stop alerting players to dropped third strikes, and he decided to make his fist pump motion BEFORE the batter was tagged on such plays for the first time all game. Hmm, what do you call someone who does such a thing?


That goes for you guys too, Mike Port and Steve Palermo. You really ought to watch a video of the game before embarrassing yourselves with statements like:

(Palermo) "I hope people realize that if we are able to clarify this, Doug Eddings did everything he was compelled to do and required to do. And he did all of those things consistently. He did his job."

Umm, not quite, Steve.

(Port) "Summarily, Doug Eddings did nothing wrong. He gave the same signal for all swinging strikes. If the question is, 'Did he call Pierzynski out on strikes?' The answer is no. He was indicating the batter swung at the pitch."

Hey Mike, can you tell me why his 'strike' call on every other third strike in the dirt all night wasn't given until AFTER the batter had been tagged? Betcha can't, because you're a hack. And you've always been a hack, which is why the Angels did crap when you were with the ballclub.

Meanwhile, everyone's (including me) favorite whipping boy is the voice of reason:

After arriving in Orange County on Thursday, in preparation for tonight's Game 3 between the White Sox and Angels, McCarver expressed his point of view.

"The most salient thing that comes to my mind is the catcher can feel he has caught the ball without it short-hopping into the mitt," McCarver said. "As a catcher you just automatically roll the ball back to the pitcher. Inning over.

"Josh Paul caught the ball. He knew he caught the ball. You know if there is leather between the dirt and the ball. As a catcher, he just knows that instinctively. I know Josh Paul has been taking some heat, but he shouldn't be.

"If anything, give credit to A.J. Pierzynski for running down to first base. He took a shot, and it worked out for him."

Eddings said after the game that the ball changed directions before it reached Paul's glove, meaning it hit the dirt.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see it that way," McCarver said. "Every replay I saw shows that ball was caught.

"I think the White Sox know they got away with one. But what are they going to do, not take it?"

As much as I dislike listening to McCarver, he's right. And it's not the first time. In 2002, after two pitches, he predicted that if Felix Rodriguez missed to Scott Spiezio inside, Spiezio would hit a three run homer. Six pitches later, you know what happened.

Mark this day on your calendar. I may never agree with Tim McCarver and Joe Sheehan on the same day ever again.

Red Wings 5; Kings 2

Didn't see the first period and some of the second as I was at a Baseball Prospectus event. What I did see was not good. The Kings looked flat. They couldn't keep the puck from bouncing all over place, and they could never get settled in the offensive zone despite numerous opportunities on the power play. They something like seven power plays with about four shots, and two shorthanded goals against.

Despite all this, they still had a chance to escape with at least a point. Jeremy Roenick's goal on a great setup from Dustin Brown drew the Kings even with just under six minutes to play. It wouldn't last long, as Johan Franzen would put the Wings back up under a minute later. It was a bad goal to give up for Garon. Short side, over his shoulder.

Still, the Kings got a power play soon after, couldn't get anything going on the 6-4 after they pulled Garon, and Henrik Zetterberg put it away with an empty netter. After a scuffle in front, during which Avery drew another power play (albeit with only 40 seconds left). Jiri Fischer empty netter closed the scoring.

Unfortunately, Joe Corvo was guilty on the turnover that led the Wings second goal, which meand the LGK swords will be out again, despite his recent solid play. Two steps forward, one step back. I still like the way they're hitting, but they looked like they didn't know what to do with the puck for the whole third period.

I really will try to concentrate a little more on hockey, but it will be tough during the rest of the baseball post-season.

The Day After

It's an off day. We've all had some time to relax and reflect. A lot has been said on both sides, and this might be a good time to lay out where I stand, in case it's not clear.

• To begin with, I harbor no animosity toward Pierzynski, the White Sox, or anyone else associated with either team on the basis of this play. I've never liked AJ, but that has nothing to do with my analysis of this play. The Sox benefitted, just as the Angels would have if the roles were reversed. AJ made a heads up play and it worked.
• Eddings showed everyone, this time on a much larger stage, that he simply is not a competent umpire, and should be nowhere near anything over double A, let alone a major league post-season game. He simply doesn't have the nads for the position. As the Chronicler pointed out, back in May he blew an obvious call against the Angels. Darin Erstad swung, and in doing so, knocked the glove off of the hand of catcher John Buck. The glove landed out in front of the plate, yet catcher's interference was not called. There was physical evidence right in front of him, and he still missed it. The guy is like a deer in the headlights out there. He simply doesn't have the stones to make the right call when he realizes he has screwed up.
  
• Eddings missed last night's call twice. First, replays clearly show the ball never touched the ground. Did it change direction? Yes. It did so because the natural direction of the ball when it hits the top of the webbing is to move toward the center of the webbing. As Paul had the web of the glove inverted, the natural motion of the ball was to move up, into the deep part of the webbing, after it entered his glove. Think of it like dropping something into trampoline. It bounces toward the center. It's the same concept. This change of direction is the only shred the true believers (read: some Sox fans) have to cling to. Cognitive dissonance can be a scary thing, so I don't blame them. But the fact is, there is no replay which ever shows the ball hitting the ground. In addition, he blew it again when he screwed up the out call (see below)
• In addition to being incompetent, he's also a bald faced liar. He lied in front of everyone on national television. He claimed that his motion was consistent with his calls all night. This is simply a lie. On every strike three that bounced in the dirt, he distinctly waited until after the batter had been tagged to make the fist pump call of out. When there wasn't any question, he made the motion right after making his "no contact" motion, just as he did on the strikeout of AJ. When asked about it by reporters, he lied in front of everyone.
• Even today Eddings has shown what a pathetic excuse for an umpire he is. Asked about the call, he said

  "The only thing I'm down on myself is I should have sold it either way,...I should have either said, 'No catch,' or, if I did have a catch, that he was out. Which I never said: 'He's out,'".

  What a putz. 24 hours later and he's still not sure he made the right call. And I don't mean he's not sure he made the right gesture. The guy's still not sure whether he had a catch or not! Good God, man, make a call and stand by it! This is what passes for a post-season umpire?
  
• The call was not the sole reason the Angels lost the game. They failed to advance runners, they didn't hit, and they made a mistake in the first inning that cost them a run. Escobar cannot hold runners, which Ozuna took advantage of, and Escobar hung a splitter to Crede, his only bad pitch of the night. But to claim that the play didn't have a major impact on the outcome of the game is to simply deny reality. The inning was over, the Angels were coming up, and the game was going to extra innings, where the Angels had beat the White Sox just a month before. The extra baserunner scored the winning run. So enough with the "that's not why they lost" crap. It's a major factor in why they lost. Let's call a spade a spade.
• I have complete faith in Mike Scioscia and the men on the field to put this loss behind them and come out ready to play tomorrow. It's not as if they lost a game they were definitely going to win. This team suffered a more crushing defeat over the A's on August 11th when Frankie dropped the throw from the catcher, allowing Jason Kendall to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, pushing Oakland into sole posession of first place. The Angels responded by beating Oakland the next day, and going 30-18 down the stretch to run away with the division. Scioscia keeps his guys focused, and unlike their fans (like me), they don't dwell on this stuff.

I was at the Chicago Pizza Feed for Baseball Prospectus tonight, and both Nate Silver and Christina Kahrl said something that surprised me. Nate said this one of the 10 worst blown calls in major league baseball history. Kahrl (no fan of the Angels by any means) said that in her opinion, it blows away even Don Denkinger's blunder in the 1985 World Series, as that was an error in judgement, and wasn't compounded by complete and total indecision. Do I agree? I don't know. Let's see how the series turns out. It may not matter. The Angels could still win. The Sox could win the next three decisively. I do think, however, that if the Sox win this series, this will be placed right alongside Donnie Moore in Angels lore.

Five game series now, and the Angels have home field, and their ace starting it off (let's face it, Lackey was much better than Colon in the second half). They had an opportunity to win (not their only opportunity) stolen from them, but they still have the upper hand in this series. But I'll repeat, they need Vlad or Figgins, preferably both, to produce. They're both streaky, and maybe they'll break out, but the hour is getting late. The time to rise is now.

*UPDATE* - Rob posts this Sports By Brooks blog entry, which discussing Eddings and his incompetence. It was written by Brooks Melchior, a sports radio guy. I don't really know who he is. Sounds about right, though. Via L.A. Observed. While you're there, check out the blog entry on Smacksaw. Apparently he's not to happy with Romey. REACTION!!

Just a thought

Lackey's a strike out pitcher who should ring up a fair amount on Friday. I'll tell ya what, if I'm Bengie in the next game, I tag out every batter on a strike out. I do it on balls that don't come close to the ground. I do it when the batter swings at a pitch over his head. I do it on called strikes. And I make sure I stare right down at Eddings when I'm doing it.

But I'm a dick, so maybe that's just me.

White Sox plus Eddings 2; Angels 1

**UPDATE 4**
I'm moving this one to the top, because you need to read this entry with this post in mind, so click the link, read the post over at BTF, then read the rest. Or don't, it's up to you. The Chronicler with a great post detailing other similar situations throughout the game. In a nutshell, on every single at bat that ended in a bounced third strike, Eddings waited until the batter had been tagged out to pump his fist. Also, it details how Eddings is a liar. Now, back to the original post.

Well, it's a shame it had to end that way. The White Sox were given this game by Doug Eddings. It's a shame that incompetence has to decide such an important game, but such is baseball. What makes this tough to take is that 1) You hate to use your bullpen up, have them pitch lights out, and have the game stolen from them, and 2) Eddings blew the call not once, but TWICE! He not only missed the fact that the ball didn't bounce, but he made the out call! He pumped his freaking fist!

A well pitched game on both sides, with it's share of close calls, this was one exciting baseball game. Buehrle was as good as most people expected him to be, and Washburn really gutted out a great performance under the circumstances. His error in the first inning proved costly, as it allowed the Sox to get on the board first. Poor coaching by Joey Cora cost the Sox a run in the second when he sent Rowand, who had doubled and advanced to third on a misplay by Vlad. Quinlan retrieved the ball and fired it to the plate where Jose Molina tagged out Rowand, just barely, preserving the one run deficit. Eddings had a large strike zone all night long, and both pitchers benefitted, perhaps Wash a little more than Buehrle. Admittedly, he called Konerko out on a bad called when he said Konerko swung at strike three. He didn't, and Eddings didn't even ask for help, a running theme for him tonight. Quinlan repeated his heroics of September 9th, when he homered off of Buehrle to tie a game the Angels eventually won, repeating the feat tonight. The Angels had an opportunity with Davanon on second, but Figgins continues to fail in crucial situations, and Cabrera's deep fly ball wasn't quite deep enough. The White Sox threated as well, getting Crede to second with one out before Uribe lined to left. Crede was caught off second and doubled off on a great throw by GA. The play wasn't without controversy, but the replays appeared to show he was out.

Escobar was terrific, pitching three innings and striking out five, inlcuding the play that will be talked about all series. Granted, the third strike to Pierszynski was close, but replays pretty clearly showed the ball didn't hit the dirt. Eddings called strike three, then, and I can't stress this enough, pumped his fist indicating "out". We all watch a lot of baseball, and we all know that umpires DO NOT MAKE THE OUT CALL until the runner has been tagged on a dropped or bounced third strike. Inexplicably, Eddings must have forgotten that. He allowed Pierszynski to reach first, Ozuna ran and took second on the slow working Escobar, and Crede, coming up big again, lined in the winning run.

Another coupla things about this play that seemed strange, and for which I'm sure we'll hear no explanation. First, do you ever see catchers not tag batters on dropped or bounced third strikes if there's any chance it hit the ground. Usually it's automatic. I think that's a clear sign that Paul knew he caught it. Second, EVERY SINGLE BALL that comes into contact with the dirt is removed from play these days. Seriously, watch a game and look for this and you'll notice it if you haven't already. Eddings could very easily simply gone and checked the ball. This isn't unprecedented. Umpires occasionally do this looking for shoe polish if a batter claim he was hit in the foot. All he had to do was walk out and look for the scuff mark. He froze. He screwed up not once, but twice, and when he could have taken corrective action, he failed to act. It's inexcusable, and he shouldn't work another post-season game. Fortunately, he'll be on the foul lines for the next couple of games, but that job requires a close eye on balls in the dirt, and I'm not sure he's up to the task. I know one thing, he ought to be thanking his lucky stars the next game is Anaheim. New York, Boston, or God forbid Philly, and he'd be ducking D-cells all night long. Hell, even in Anaheim, I might beg off for fear of my own safety if I were him.

I'm not sure what the rule is in this situation. Judgment calls are not protestable (a perfectly cromulent word), but in this instance, I'm not sure if the Angels can protest the game on the basis of their reliance on Eddings call of out. He can't even really claim that he changed his mind at that point. It's one thing to start making a call of out, then change it to safe when you see a ball drop, or a foot come off the bag, or something similar. It's still within the flow of the play. But imagine a bases loaded situation, a batter grounds out, the first baseman catches the ball, the ump calls out, the players leave the field, and the runners keep running for some reason. An ump couldn't very well change his mind a minute or two after the fact. I don't know, maybe he was just pumping his fist because he liked the organ music or something. If I'm Scioscia, I lodge my protest, and I let Major League Baseball tell the world that they're fine with incompetence. Again, I'm not talking about an error or difference in judgment. I'm talking about a team's reliance on the call made by an umpire.

Coincidentally, the Arkansas Travellers, the Angels AA affiliate, lost their championship this season. The game ended when the final batter struck out, AFTER four balls had been thrown. The ump lost track of the count, called the batter back to the box, and called him out on the next pitch. Shoddy officiating and out and out incompetence is one thing in AA. But this the ALCS. Eddings joins a select group including Don Denkinger, and probably some other people I can't remember right now. The sad thing is that Josh Paul, who did nothing wrong, get's charged with the error that leads to the Sox second unearned run. And I don't care John Kruk says. He can take that ball and shove right up his chute. Josh Paul caught the ball, on the fly, and the umpire signaled out. It's really that simple. When he called strikes, he stuck his right arm out.

But that's baseball. That's why we watch. You never know what's going to happen. Certainly the Angels didn't deserve to win, but they didn't deserve to lose either, and they DEFINITELY didn't deserve to lose like that. It's unfortunate, and it puts the Angels really in a must win situation in game three. They have arguable their best pitcher going. He'll be on full rest. And they're facing a guy they've hammered this season and over his career. But Chone Figgins needs to show up. Vlad needs to show up. Somebody with a bat needs to show up.

We'll see ya Friday night.

**Update** after replays, Doug Eddings is a flat out liar. The man is a bald faced liar. If he is claiming he didn't call AJ out, he's a liar. You can watch every strike out. His strike call is to flex his right arm out, almost like a one handed safe call with his right hand. To make the out call, ALL NIGHT LONG, he pumped his fist. He called AJ out. And great job by Harold Reynolds and the baseball tonight crew to point this out. The fact is, the Angels were robbed. Like I said, they didn't deserve to win, but they didn't derserve to lose like that. FWIW, the one Sox fan I've talked to tonight (my law school roommate) agrees with me. If I were him, I'd take it. Lord knows the Angels have benefitted from bad calls this season. But this is really an embarrassment. Doug Eddings should be removed from the crew. First, he's not a very good ump. Second, he's a liar. I have a lot more respect for umps that suck, but stick by their calls. Anyway, I'm clearly bitter right now, and I didn't write a lot of things that I wanted to. The guys at South Side Sox have been nice enough to link over here, and hey, I like the traffic, so I'm trying to seem fair, although one of the reasons they've linked here (I can only imagine) is to show the Angels fan side of things. So Sox fans, if I'm way off base, feel free to say so in the comments.

**UPDATE 2** Apparently there's some discussion about reliance on the call. Paul may have tossed the ball back before Eddings made the call. Two things. First, replays are incoclusive, but there may be some merit to that. I see the fist pump, then I see the ball come into the screen. Regardless, if there was any doubt, Escobar could have been there to pick it up and throw AJ out. It's not just Paul's reliance that I'm speaking about. It all of the Angels infielders. And they all saw it. Second, none of us know what he said, if he said anything, or if he ever says anything. There's no way to tell on this point.

**UPDATE 3** If you have the chance, watch the strikeout of Bengie Molina in the 6th. One argument being made is that the fist pump is his strike call, not his out call. Couple of problems for this. If this is the case, he didn't signal out on a strikeout all night. 12 guys walked back to the dugout without being signaled out. Second, watch that Molina play, it's the smoking gun. Bengie swings and misses, and the bat goes flying. AJ catches it. Eddings makes the no contact sign. Then he waits. He had a rhythm to the two arm motions all night long. Not this time. He waited until AJ tagged Molina before making the fist pump. If he's claiming that he never made an out call, he's a liar.

The other side: Exile in Wrigleyville; South Side Sox.

A response to Rob

I get the impression that the Chisox faithful really aren't that faithful; the team has a perennially hard time selling itself. They're in a bad part of town, so bad that they had to change the park because the sightlines outside it led to views of some real urban nightmares.

I may be misinterpreting, but let me chime in here. Bear in mind, I got to roughly 10-12 Sox games per year, give or take.

First, the area where Commiskey is really isn't that bad, especially with the Robert Taylor homes coming down. The Bridgeport neighborhood, especially just north and west of the park has some really nice homes. Now, these are adjacent to some rough neighborhoods, but the park itself is in a pretty decent neighborhood. As my Sox friends will point out, the last person killed outside a stadium in Chicago was at Wrigley.

Second, I don't know what you mean by "Change the park". The view since the projects came down is fine. You pretty much look out over IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) and the Dan Ryan. What they didn't do, but should have done, is rotate the park about 100 degrees to the north to show the skyline. I assume they didn't do this because of the sun or something, but walking out of the upper deck on the third base side on a clear day or night, you'll see one of the best views of the skyline in town. Why they didn't take advantage of this, I don't know. Personally, I still prefer Commiskey to Wrigley. To me, it's a major league stadium. I grew up going to monolithic ballparks surrounded by parking lots, so it feels more like home to me, and really is a lot like Dodger Stadium, which I still love despite despising the Dodgers.

Third, Sox fans are exactly the opposite of what you describe. They are fiercely faithful. There just aren't that many. In many ways, they're like the Angels pre 2002. They don't draw wonderfully, but they're never under 15,000 or 20,000 per game, much like the Angels in the old days. I've often said, any asshole in Chicago can claim to be a Cubs fan. But if you say you're a White Sox fan, chances are you're REALLY a White Sox fan. No one claims to be a Sox fan just to be cool. You can replace "Chicago", "Cubs", and "White Sox" in that last sentence with "Los Angeles", "Dodgers", and "Angels" respectively, and apply it to pre-2002, and I think it fits both towns.

In my experience, on a per capita basis, Sox fans tend to me more pure baseball fans than Cubs fans. This isn't a surprise to anyone, I'm sure, but if there's one thing I would not accuse Sox fans of, it's a lack of devotion. As to why they seemed deflated last night, I'm not sure. There's a certain sense of defeatism among Sox fans, one that regular readers of this blog are familiar with from yours truly. Plus, I never got the sense that they were totally out of the game. They got pretty load when they got guys on. But remember, they had a hard time getting anything resembling a real rally going in the latter innings because of bad baserunning and poor execution. I suspect that tonight will be different.

*update*: In the comments, anonymous writes: "Major League Rulebook, 1.04 "... It is desirable that the line from home base through the pitchers plate to second base shall run East Northeast...."

A fine point. However, the current orientation of the Cell is southeast. Old Commiskey ran Northeast. In this satellite photo, you can see the orientation of the Cell. If you look in the parking lot directly north of current home plate, you'll see a small white circle with a line extending directly north toward the small park. That's the old home plate and third base line. Also, check this page from the baseball almanac. There's really no rhyme or reason to ballpark orientations. Rule 1.04 doesn't appear to be well followed.

Kings 3; Oilers 1

The Angels quite rudely took a little long to wrap up game one against the White Sox, so I only saw bits and pieces of the first period. Corvo got the scoring on started on the power play, firing home a one-timer on a nice feed from Luc. The Oilers tied is before the period ended.

The Kings took the lead back in the second on a power play goal by Dustin Brown, who walked right in from the left wing boards and whipped a shot between the skates of Oilers goalie Ty Conklin (Alaska native). It wasn't the only impressive play by Brown, who threw his body all over the rink, at one point knocking down Chris Pronger who had left himself vulnerable by reaching for a puck in mid-air. The Kings have been very physical in the last couple of games. I don't know if it's a new philosophy, or if it's the impact of some new blood on the roster, but it's fun to watch.

Belanger finished the scoring on a rebound of Sean Avery shot, putting the Kings up 3-1, which turned out to be the final score. LaBarbera was phenomenal, making a lot of big saves. Since the first game melt-down, both goalies have really been as good as could be expected. I'm not sure why a team needs a number goalie during the regular season. I could see the Kings going with a more balanced version of the old Hrudey-Berthiaume tandem this season, and being very successful with. Both teams struggled on the two man advantage, with the Oilers failing to score on a two minute 5 on 3, while the Kings also had extended time with two extra men, to no avail.

They'll face the Red Wings on Thursday. The games at the beginning of the season count just as much as the games at the end of the season, so all of these are important. The Wings are off to a great start, although two of their wins have come against St. Louis, who looked down this season until hammering the Blackhawks last night.

Angels 3; White Sox 2 - Angels lead ALCS 1-0

Quite honestly, I'm not surprised the Angels won this game when you look at all of the ingredients:

• The Angels have played well at the Cell this year
• Byrd has come up with some stellar performances when needed
• Many have said that with all of that travel, you hit the wall on day 2 (be wary of tomorrow night)
• As good as Contreras has been, he hasn't been great against the Angels
• The White Sox offense is good, but facing the Yankees offense is like swinging a weighted bat

Byrd was terrific. Let's not forget that he was pitching on short rest. His last start was Friday, and he threw a fair amount of pitches, though he wasn't extended. He got tagged by Crede, who has been very hot to end the season, on a hanger, and he was hit hard at times, but not hard enough. Contreras was also fantastic, really only making one mistake. For the second time in as many nights, the opposing starter was let down by his defense. After a single by Finley, a pefectly executed hit and run single by Kennedy, and a sac bunt by Figgins, Cabrera bounced one to third. With Finley breaking on the play, Crede's moment of indecision allowed the run to score, and he failed to retire Cabrera at first, leaving runners on first and third. Vlad then bounced back to the pitcher. Instead of getting the easy out at home (with Kennedy running), Cabrera attempted to start an inning ending double play, but the ball was hit too softly, and a great take out slide by Cabrera allowed the run to score. 3-0 Angels, and that was all they would need.

On the flip side, the Angels weren't forced to pay for their mistakes. Kennedy tried to make an impossible play on a bad bounce of a ball that shattered Uribe's bat. He threw it away, allowing Uribe to reach. Just an aside, anyone else notice how few balls go into dugouts now that Mo Vaughan fences have been erected in front of dugouts everywhere? Anyway, after Podsednik struck out (he failed to get the bunt down), and Iguchi popped up, Jermaine Dye singled. It wouldn't matter after Konerko flew out. In the ninth, Figgins misread and botched a wacky bounce on a ball off the end of Everett's bat. He redeemed himself by making a great play on a sacrifice attempt by Rowand, throwing out pinch runner Ozuna at second. A fly out and a strike out later, and the Angels had their first series opening win since 198.....I won't say it. Since you know when.

Scioscia continues to push the right buttons in the post-season. Two runners were erased on the basepaths, including Scott Podsednik on a first pitch pitch-out, which Byrd, Molina, and Cabrera executed perfectly. It was a good example of how the Angels covered for the errors, and made the White Sox pay for theirs. That was the difference. Six of the last seven Angels runs have come either on outs or plays that should have been outs. It's tough to score enough runs that way, but hopefully the productive outs and lucky miscues are just giving the bats some time to heat up.

Wash will give it a go tomorrow night if he can think straight. He'll face Mark Buerhle. Those two met up back in September (a game which I attended). Neither figured in the decision. The Angels won in 12 innings, Vlad scoring from second on a bunt by Molina. Speaking of Vlad, he finally hit the ball hard, driving Rowand to the track on a ball I could have sworn was gone off the bat. I still maintain, he and Figgins have to produce for the Angels to win this series. They've got the first one out of the way. They needed a split, and by winning game one, they've given themselves a chance to head home 2-0.

Check out what they're saying on the other side: South Side Sox; Exile in Wrigleyville. Vince, the Cheat, and I think Keith as well, are all BTF guys, so it's all good. Vince and I may not speak at the next meet-up, though.

Quick prediction before the series starts

Starters: them
Relievers: us
Catcher: draw
Infield: us on defense, them on offense, slight edge to them
Outfield: us if Vlad shows up, them if he doesn't
bench: us
Coaching: us

Pretty darn close. I have to a) pick the Angels, and b) root for a seventh game because I have tickets for that one. So here goes a tough one.

Angels in seven.

Angels 5; Yankees 3

I had a sneaking suspicion that Bart would not be able to go tonight. I mean, how many guys say "I won't be ready Sunday, but I should be fine on Monday"? And for whatever reason, be it back, shoulder, whatever, he gave all he could, but couldn't get out of the second inning. In stepped the kid. As I said over at the Rev's site, this is what legends are made of. And while his performance wasn't quite legendary, it was damn close. Five and a third, three runs on five hits. He escaped big trouble in the fifth, getting two pop ups, followed by a strike out and a friendly call from Joe West. Mea Culpa, I expected every close call to go against the Angels tonight, and I was partially wrong (the strike zone for the kid in the early innings was ridiculously small).

The bullpen, much maligned in August and last night, got the job done tonight. Kelvim was excellent, and Frankie got the big ground balls when he needed them. The pitching, the most important ingredient all year, gave this team no fewer than four more games.

One of the strenghts of the Mike Scioscia Angels has been their baserunning. It didn't show up in the stolen base numbers in this series, but it showed up tonight. Cabrera made a great read on a Vlad single, and later scored from third on a sac fly. Vlad got a great read, and won a huge gamble, going from first to third on a Bengie single, and later scored after getting a tremendous jump on a weak grounder by Erstad.

There's not much else I can say. It was a great game. I was nervous as hell all day, but this is why we all plug in. It's why we all watch. Why we all pick teams to root for instead of being detached observes (except for maybe Repoz). Keep coming back, because for the next week or so, you'll be reading one of the most unpopular people in Chicago. I can't wait to go to work tomorrow.

*update*: Welcome Sploid readers. Thanks for the link, fat.

*update 2*: Welcome South Side Sox readers. I count many friends among your ranks.

On the bright side

The Kings won. I didn't see more than bits and pieces of this one because of the Angels game, but I did see Pavol Demitra rifle home the game winner in overtime on some nifty foot work that you used to see out of Mark Messier and Craig Johnson. And yes, that's the only time you'll see Mark Messier and Craig Johnson in the same sentence.

Three one goal games, and the Kings are 2-1.

Yankees 3; Angels 2

Not really a surprising result. While not really a surprise, the effectiveness of the Angels bullpen in the first three games of the series was somewhat unexpected. The relievers live on the margins, and they are successful when they get hitters to chase pitches out of the strike zone. The Yankees don't chase pitches out of the strike zone. What results are walks, weak hits, and occasionally a hard hit ball on get me over pitch. That's what happened tonight. The Angels took a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning and were victimized by a cheap hit, a walk, another cheap hit, and a ground ball that should have been a perfect ball on which to cut-off the eventual winning run at the plate. But add a poorly thrown ball by Figgins to the previous cuts, and before long, you've opened a big enough wound to bleed away a lead. One run was enough for Mariano Rivera, who operates with the largest strike zone of anyone in the post-season.

Lackey was terrific. I'm not sure I would have removed him, as he'd only thrown 78 pitches, but Matsui has had good success against him. But we've seen the bullpen go through stretches this season where they couldn't get the big out at the proper time. They couldn't throw a strike when they desperately needed to. That, and the offense's inability to hit an average pitcher, cost them the game tonight.

We're also seeing something that wasn't all that unpredictable, and that's a brutal lack of production by Vlad. I mentioned earlier about how I was worried that he might try to do too much and swing himself into a slump. It happened in last year's playoffs, where his only real contribution was a grand slam that sent the game into extra innings when they already trailed two games to one. In his seven post-season games, the engine of the Angels offense is hitting .230 with one home run. I'm not placing blame, but the fact is, the Angels cannot win a post-season series without some help from Vlad. So far, they haven't gotten it.

It will come as no surprise that I'm not optimistic about game five. Bart is ailing, and while I think he'll give everything he has tomorrow night, the fact is we taxed the bullpen again tonight. 25 pitches out of Shields, 35 out of Escobar, and unlike the Yankees, the Angels don't have Randy Johnson available in the bullpen. Bart is going to have to have go at least six, if not seven. Too add to that, there's the Fox factor. Bart, like many of our reliever, lives on the margins. He needs to get the pitches on the corners, and sometimes just off the corners, for strikes. If the ump has a narrow strike zone, this Yankee offense will pound him. What we need right now is John Hirschbeck.

Injury and Illness

Bartolo Colon told Scioscia that he would not be ready to pitch game four today. He was sent back to SoCal and said he'd be ready for game five. They might need him, because ESPN just reported that J-Dub has a throat infection, and John Lackey, on three days rest, will start game four tonight.

The offense needs to get to Chacon early, but honestly, if anyone can thrive in this situation, it's Lackey. He's been there, done that. He's pitched in the most pressure packed game anyone could imagine, and pitched well. In addition, the day off yesterday gave extra rest to Shields and Escobar, plus, Santana should be ready as well. Lackey needs to give only five strong innings, and the pen should get them the rest of the way.

Let's hope for the best.

UCLA 47; UC Berkeley 40

Really a terrific game. There were a lot of reasons the Bruins should have lost this game. Horrible penalties that negated big plays. A bad break on missed fumble call right before UC Berkeley's first touchdown. An inexplicable failure of about 8 guys to bring down Marshawn Lynch on a huge 3rd and ten, leading to the conversion, and ultimately another touchdown. Honestly, I though the Bruins had lost the game on that play.

Maurice Drew was outstanding, scoring 5 touchdowns on the day, three on the ground, one through the air, and another on a punt return. After last week's poor showing, he really made ammends tonight. Drew Olson did not have a particularly great game, probably due in part to Berkeley's focus on his primary weapon, Marcedes Lewis. Also impacting his numbers were bad penalties and a couple of drops, including one that would have gone for a score if hadn't gone right through "Clutch Receiver" Joe Cowan's hands.

With just under 10 minutes to play, I was composing in my head a post about how Karl Dorrel had lost this game by choosing to punt on fourth and short from around midfield. Instead, they faked it, getting the ball into the hands of Jarrad Page who rumbled for the first down and much more, setting up a big touchdown. For the second straight week, Marcus Everett made the key reception to set up the game winning touchdown.

This team still has some problems, mostly on the defensive line. The Bears ran all over the Bruins, although the defense did make some key big plays. Tonight's injury to Brigham Harwell is really going to hurt on the D-line. Major credit goes to Trey Brown as well, who's interception sealed the victory. Minutes earlier he allowed a reception on a play where Ayoob telegraphed his pass, but for some reason Brown peeled off the receiver, leading to about six yards on a play that should have gone for no more than three. But he made the right read at the right time, and he helped the Bruins get to 5-0.

The Bruins will be favored in the next four, and probably next five games. 10-0 going into the U$C game is a very real possibility. Dorrell won't survive a 2001 like implosion.

Rain out

Not that you come here for news or anything, but if you haven't heard, today's game is rained out. We'll do it again tomorrow. Big question as to who takes the pill. Gotta figure it's going to be Bart. He'll be on his normal rest. So what happens with Wash? Well, hopefully he keeps his mouth shut and doesn't make any waves. I feel for him. He's had a great year, and he wants to play. He's earned it. But for whatever reason, Scioscia doesn't quite trust him. This ESPN article, probably from AP, still says Washburn vs. Chacon. But don't be surprised to see Bart vs. Moose tomorrow.

Comeback: Angels lead series 2 games to 1

Obviously, my last post was premature. Clearly, I'm drunk right now, mostly because I live about 200 feet from 10 different bars, but I digress. The bats woke up at the right time. This team, at least for one night, stepped up when they were needed the most. After blowing a 5-0 lead, they scratched, they clawed, they got an ump to make an honest call, and they got the effort out of the bullpen that they needed to take a 2-1 series lead. Worst case scenario, the Angels have Bart on full rest at home to win the series.

I spent the late afternoon at a bar downtown with Sox fans watching the White Sox winning their first post-season series in, like, forever. I've never seen my friends so happy. I remember that feeling from 2002.

It will be sad to see them lose the next series to the Angels.

Mostly, I'm glad I'll see Wash pitch again. He's had a great year, and I think he'll lead us to another round tomorrow. I'll admit it, I want J-Dub back in the fold for two more years, but I don't think the Angels will re-sign him. Let's make up for it by sending him out as a two time world champ.

Oh, and just a reminder, I am fucking wasted right now.

JUST KIDDING!!! Implosion; Yankees lead series 2-1

It was all right there. A 5-0 lead with 18 outs to go. 18 is a lot, but so is 5 runs. A blast, an error, a 12 hop single, a bloop single, another walk, and a rip to the gap made short work of the five run lead. It cost the Yankees only three outs to take control of the game, of the series.

A few days from now, we'll all be asking why, in the pivotal game of the series, the pitcher with the fourth best ERA in the league couldn't get the ball in his hands. Even better on the road. Only Scioscia and Bud Black know that. This isn't to denigrate Paul Byrd, who did a tremendous job for the Angels this year, but is there anyone, anywhere, who can explain why Jarrod Washburn wasn't starting this game.

When this offense scores five runs, the team has to win. But let's face it. The teams that win in the playoffs have reliable offenses and good enough pitching staffs. If it was the other way around, the Braves would have won 10 World Championships. There will be a lot of questions this off-season, but the biggest will be "where are the runs going to come from?" The Yankees have the ability to come from behind. The same ability the Angels had in 2002. That's what wins.

The series isn't over. The Yankees still have to win one more. But the Angels are looking at a huge hill in front of them, and they need to find the strength to climb it. It would help if they had a lead off man who could get on base. So we sit, and we wait, and watch maybe only one more game. There's always hope, I guess.

**UPDATE** Well, maybe not. Double, single, single, single, and we're back in business. C'mon boys, let's get this thing done.

**Update 2**

So far this whole "Dewey defeats Truman" thing is working. So read the post above, take it to heart, and realize that we're winning, and we currently have the bases juiced with no one out. Thank God they no longer have El Duque, who worked out of this earlier today.

**Update 3**

I keep doubting, they keep winning. See, there's method to my madness, yeswecan. Do NOT doubt me. If I give up again, you know we're going to win.

Kings 3; Coyotes 2

Nice win in the home opener for the Kings last night. Both teams were playing back to back games, so I'm not sure this feels as good as winning the second of back to back games normally does, but it's win nonetheless, and after Wednesday's debacle, it was much needed.

Three of the guys who are going to need to produce if the Kings want to be successful got on the scoreboard. Luc got his first of the season with a rocket from the left-wing circle after Parros had cleared some space, firing a perfect shot inside the far post. Frolov got his first of the season on the power play, knocking home the rebound of a Pavol Demitra shot. Finally, Demitra picked up his first of the season on a rare power play rush, flipping home a north-south pass from Frolov.

The defense stepped up and played a solid game. Much to the chagrin of many over at Lets Go Kings, Joe Corvo was the best defenseman on the ice. He made solid passes, got his shots on net, threw his body around, and made a terrific diving poke check to negate a scoring chance when he had been left all alone by his teammates. I think this is going to be a breakout year for Corvo. And while his off-ice issues will never endear him to many in the hardcore fan base, a solid season from Corvo is a must if this team wants to make the playoffs.

The Kings worked a lot harder last night, likely the result of not opening up a four goal lead in the first period. They skated harder, they hit smarter, and they stayed out of the penalty box for the most part. That's going to be a key to this season, as it seems that their PK is just awful so far. In the new NHL, that has to change if they want to make the post-season.

LaBarbera looked solid in nets, stopping 27 shots to pick up the win. I wouldn't be disappointed if they simply didn't name a number one goaltender and instead just rotated the position like in the old Hrudey/Berthiaume days. Then again, if one of them wants to elevate his game and grab that role, that's fine too. Next up are the Wild on Sunday night, who started the season without King killer Marian Gaborik. It didn't bother them Wednesday, as they beat the Flames 6-3. No word on whether he'll be in the lineup Sunday.

Branching out

My first post on a different blog is up. Head over to check out the Seitz Video Extra on the Bulls!' song of the day blog.

Angels ride the clutch; Series tied 1-1

So this is what I wrote roundabout the fourth inning

It's all over but the shouting, folks. Oftentimes in sports, there are little things that happen which, when isolated, don't seem to have much of an impact on the action. But when looked at in a broader context, these little things foreshadow the bigger things to come. A player in a slump hits line drives right at someone. A pitcher just barely off his game gives up bloop singles on great pitches. Tonight's game was full of evidence that the Angels are done, and they were done by the fourth inning. What am I talking about? In the third inning, after a lead off single, the Angels called a hit and run. A sinker ball pitcher throws a pitch practically over Figgins' head. Chone fails to make contact, and Posada has a perfect pitch to throw on. Kennedy heads back to the dugout. In the fourth, the Angels get a one out baserunner. Vlad tries to steal second. Cano, on the move to cover the bag, is in perfect position to field a ground ball which would have been a hit at any other time.

These are what they call "the breaks" and the Angels aren't getting them. In 2002, they got all the breaks. A Robin Ventura smash hits the high wall in right when it would have been long gone if it had been just a few feet to the left. Spiezio collides with AJ Pierszynski in game 2 of the ALCS, kicking the ball out of AJ's glove, giving the Angels a first inning lead. In the post-season, the teams are so close that the one that wins is the one that gets the breaks. It wasn't meant to be for the 2005 Angels, and there's no better evidence than the fact that the A's are getting all the breaks.

As has been the case many times over the years, the Angels faced a no name pitcher with decent, but not eye-popping numbers, and they make him look like the greatest pitcher in history. The Yankees decided to go with a strong infield defense with the sinkerballer on the mound, planning on getting a large number of ground balls, and the Angels were more than willing to oblige. They could have started Giambi in center field and gotten away with, because nothing was getting to the outfield in the air. Lackey, on the other hand, threw a lot of pitches, walked a few, and could not avoid getting touched up by the stout Yankees offense. When they pushed their second run across in the fifth inning, the job was all but complete. If you want one stat that's indicative of this offense, look no further than their igniter, Chone Figgins. Through two games, to this point, he's 0 for 7, with three strikeouts. His career in the post-season as a regular (five games) he's now 2 for 21 with no walks, and 8 strike outs. That's not exactly what you look for out of your lead off hitter.

The Angels had another fine season. They can add another year to their division championship banner. But for the second straight year, the Angels will leave the party early, likely after the minimum number of required games. The gas is on, the match is lit, and it will soon be time to fire up the hot stove.

I consider it cathartic to prepare myself for the worst. Otherwise, I end up watching my team blow a huge lead, like the Kings tonight, and it catches me completely off guard.

Anyway, I was 100% wrong. The breaks, well, they broke. Things started going the Angels' way. They finally made the Yankees pay for an error, and then they went and did it again in the seventh after Finley's bunt pulled Cano off the bag at first. Lackey didn't pitch badly, but he did walk way too many hitters. Of course, perhaps the walk isn't a bad option against a team of mashers. I really think if the Angels get to the next round and face Chicago, the pitchers will feel like they were swinging the weighted bat in the this series.

The top of the lineup continues to disappoint. Figgins and Anderson have been brutal with the bat in their hands, Chone's making up for it on defense. Clutch hits from Molina and Cabrera kept the wheels turning, and the bullpen looked sharp, Frankie's meatball to Posada notwithstanding. Big credit to Mike Scioscia for calling the pitch-out at a crucial moment, and props to Escobar, Bengie, and Cabrera for executing. Bengie practically caught the ball in front of home plate, and threw a perfect strike. I thought that was a real turning point.

Now it's back to New York to face their big black nemesis. Paul Byrd has come up big for the Angels at important times this season, so here's hoping he can find a few more good starts in that surgically repaired arm. My big hope for tonight's game is that Vlad will learn that the team can win without him doing everything at the plate. He needs to relax, and maybe some of the other guys picking up the slack will help him do that.

Stars 5; Kings 4

Well, maybe I won't get center ice. The Kings got four goals in the first period, three in the first five minutes, but found themselves shorthanded 13 times to Dallas' 2. The result was predictable, as Dallas scored three times in the second period, and twice in the third. The Kings could barely get the goaltender out of the net in the final minute.

It's gonna be a long season.

Neglect

Because of the success of the Angels, I've barely had any time to cover the Kings. With the NHL season getting underway tonight, it's probably a good time to mention that this blog will hopefully start featuring more Kings stuff in future, with one caveat. I calledt Comcast yesterday to order the Center Ice package, and the person with whom I spoke couldn't find any evidence that they were carrying it this year. This, quite naturally, pissed me off. However, the Center Ice package uses the same channels as the Extra Innings package. The on-screen guide has those channels showing games tonight, includind the season opener between the Kings and Stars. There's a free preview this week, so it's possible that the person I spoke with is simply a moron. I guess it's possible that they're showing the preview, but not offering the package for some reason. Honestly, with Comcast purchasing the rights to broadcast national NHL games on its stations, like OLN, you'd think their cable outlets would all be offering the package and promoting their product. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that cable companies are stupid.

Anyway, with the rule changes, roster changes, and anything else that might have changed in the year the NHL took off, I have no idea what to expect. The Kings disappointed me this off-season, either not pursuing good targets, or failing in those pursuits. We've been told that this CBA is what they've been positioning themselves for the last few years, and they didn't really act like it this summer. They did have a terrific team in Manchester last season, so maybe they're expecting big things from the kids. The pundits don't seem to be, but those guys are rarely on the mark.

So I guess we'll sit back and see if the lack of movement pans out.

Angels offense offensive. Yankees win game one.

In the end, you really only needed to watch the first inning, as the game was summed up nicely after only six outs. No killer instinct on the mound, no killer instict at the plate. Bart was able to get ahead, but didn't have the ability to put hitters away. On the other side, Vlad took two meatballs for strikes before grounding out on a pitch that practically bounced on the plate.

Honestly, this concerns me about Vlad. I mentioned it earlier in the season when he was being walked intentionally virtually every time up. He doesn't have the care free attitude of Cabrera. You can tell he lets things get to him. Those walks led him right into a long slump, and the team slumped along with him. Take the grand slam away from last year's playoffs, and he didn't hit .150 in that series. He seems to have the temperament of a guy who is going to try too hard. I hope it doesn't take a 2-0 series deficit to loosen him up this year.

Colon looked like he was falling in love with the radar gun. He was bringing heat, to be sure, but he wouldn't get away from it, and he got burned. Tough to criticise him, though. Last year in the first half of the season, he was getting killed on two strike off-speed stuff, so I guess he's gotta do what he thinks he's gotta do. All of the damage was done with two outs. The Yankees are a team that you cannot afford to leave on life support. Bart could not plunge the knife in when he needed to.

The offense simply isn't reliable enough to score runs when the team is trailing. Their recent run of comeback wins notwithstanding, this isn't really a rally offense. It's not really a good offense, and if they get behind again, they're in trouble. Remember, this is all against a guy who got absolutely hammered by the Orioles in his last start.

Tomorrow night is the series, folks. The pitching matchup says the Angels should win, but this is a terrific Yankees offense against an anemic and unreliable Angels offense. I expect them to, at the very least, put up a better fight. But the next game is it. Lose and it's over. Win and they still have some sort of chance. They needed this one. The Angels had their ace on the mound against a shaky starter, and the Angels made Mussina look about 8 years younger. Leave the bats at home again tomorrow, and the hot stove starts heating up.

The deal with the comments

So yeah, like Richard and Rob, I've been getting ton of comment spam lately. At least one or two, if not more after every post. You might not notice, because I'm one diligent bastard, but trust me, it's grating. So for the time being, I'm going to a word verification system. Think of it as Blogger's way of shirking their responsibility and passing the frustration on to me, who has in turn decided to pass it on to you. Please don't let it keep you from commenting. The more the merrier, unless you're a spammer, in which case you'll be deleted, but quick. This is only a trial period.

Earlimart w/ Richard Swift and the Sons of National Freedom @ Schuba's - 10/2/2005

It really doesn't seem like there's that much to review, really. It was just a few months ago that Earlimart came to Schubas with Okkervil River. Last night's show was pretty much more of the same, with a similar setlist. They threw in a couple of new tracks, and there was maybe one more that I couldn't recognize, but I don't know if it was new or not. Which isn't to say the show wasn't fantastic. It was. Normally a three piece act, they brought along another guitarist/bassist, and a full time keyboard player. That didn't keep the lovely and talented Arianna Murray from moving back and forth between bass and keyboards. She was looking quite fetching, with hair that seemed a bit blonder than the the last time. And speaking of hair, I almost didn't recognize Aaron Espinoza at first, his hair a little longer than the last time.

Richard Swift kicked off the night, playing a couple of solo tunes at the piano. The crowd was pretty sparse, but it was a Sunday night. While I wasn't expecting a big crowd, I was expecting a little more than we got. Swift was recommended to me by cupie and yeswecan over at Halo's Heaven, and he didn't disappoint. Some classic troubador fare, but this guy really has a terrific voice. Kind of reminded me of Rufus Wainwright at times. After the first couple of songs, a backing band who I can only assume were the Sons of National Freedom took the stage and turned the set into a rollicking good time. Swift did a couple more alone before the band retook the stage to finish off the set. Talked to him after the show and he seemed like a pretty good guy. I'm still listening to his album, but so far so good.

Earlimart followed with a set that included the following:

• First Instant, Last Report
• The Hidden Track
• We Drink on the Job
• The Movies
• Sounds
• All They Ever Do is Talk
• Unintentional Tape Manipulations
• Heaven Adores You
• Broke the Furniture
• A Bell and a Whistle (they closed with this one)

It seems like they played more than that, so maybe they did. That's about 13 or 14 songs, though, so no complaints. Pretty fun evening. At one point Espinoza spilled his beer, which coincidentally led right into "We Drink on the Job". At one point he solicited for a sleigh bell player for "Broke the Furniture". I guess I could have gone up there. I was only about 8 feet from the stage, which was more or less the front row because of the small crowd. But honestly, no one wants to see another guy up there, so the girl in front of me finally volunteered her friend. Speaking of "Broke the Furniture", it's really an indictment of country music that bands who aren't country can write better country songs than bands who are country. I'm thinking not only of this one, but Gone for Good by the Shins as well.

This is a band that you really need to listen to, because they're really good. I'm pretty sure you can still stream their album from their website, so you have no excuse not to. But it's not enough just to listen. You need to see them live if the opportunity presents itself, because in person, it's just so much better. All of those little parts that make you say "man, that would sound better if it were way louder," well, they're way louder, and more intense. Lots of energy, and ultimately lots of fun.

I'm guessing they'll probably take some time off and record, but hopefully they'll be back before too long.

Predictions

I suppose I ought to do one of these things before tomorrow. So without any rhyme or reason to them, here goes:

Angels over Yankees in four - The Yankees may have better pitching, as Alex Belth seems to think, but here's where he's wrong. The Angels will prevent runs better. And they'll do it better in this series. I've actually had this argument before, where one of us is talking about actual pitching ability, while the other is referring to run prevention in general. Fine. Split that hair if you like. The Angels are better at keeping runs off the board, and that's why they'll win this series.

White Sox over Red Sox in four - Every post-season needs one series that goes against what everyone predicts. This one will be it. Once again, run prevention will be the difference. They don't give MVPs for this series, but my pick to click is Aaron Rowand. You read it here first. Unless someone beat me to it.

Angels over White Sox in seven - The Angels will win a dramatic seventh game, with yours truly in attendance, after which I will take the red line to Fullerton, get off and walk east toward my apartment, and stop in at the Children's Hospital emergency room on the way, because I won't be leaving the Cell unscathed.

Cardinals over Padres in three - Every post-season needs on series that goes against what everyone predicts. This one won't be it.

Braves over Astros - Why? Because the Braves always beat the Astros in the playoffs. Except last year, but that was an anomoly.

Braves over Cardinals in six - Bobby Cox outmanages Tony LaRussa, who.....aw, who am I kidding? I don't know dick about the National League anymore. I just want the Cardinals to lose.

Angels over Braves in six - The team that has been in the post-season forever loses to the team who will be in the post-season for the next forever.

There, it's saved for posterity.

Things I've learned from "The Alternative"

VH-1 Classic has a show that runs Wednesdays and Thursdays for an hour, and Sundays for two hours (10:00 am and pm Central time). Today's really sucked, but was salvaged at the end by showing the Damned's version of Arthur Lee and Love's "Alone Again Or".

This show has some issues, in my opinion. First, while they do tend to stick what one generally would consider "alternative", occasionally they'll throw a White Zombie or Ministry video in there. I like to think I was pretty well tuned in to the mainstream wing of the alternative scene 15 years ago, at least up until KROQ started playing really crappy stuff at the end of the '90s. These are not bands I would have considered alternative at the time. Second, and this isn't really a criticism, they play stuff that never got anywhere near a radio station with more than 1,000 watts while it the music was contemporary. Just today they played "Eye of Fatima" by Camper Van Beethoven. Also, they'll play obscure videos from bands that had decent hits, but they'll never play the hits. Take Gang of Four, for example. They play the video for "Is It Love" all the freaking time. But they never play "I Love a Man in a Uniform". Maybe they need an order.

One of the most interesting things I've noticed, however, is their selection of artists in heavy rotation. I swear, if you were a 17 year old kid doing a paper on major alternative acts of the last 25 years, you would thing that The Jam/The Style Council/Paul Weller, and the Sisters of Mercy were among the hugest fucking acts of all time. Now, the Jam were huge, but mostly only among people who wore black nylon jackets with orange lining and rode Vespas. And the Sisters of Mercy? I'll admit, I think Vision Thing is a pretty terrific album, and that's before taking into account the camp value, and "This Corrosion" is a classic song, but did anybody really listen to these guys back then, at least in this country? You certainly wouldn't expect them to show up on virtually every program.

That said, I'll give the VH-1 folks props, as they do play Lush and My Bloody Valentine a lot, but they don't play nearly enough Stone Roses or Echo and the Bunnymen. I guess I could start doing a "video of the every couple of days", but I wouldn't want to step on Pinko's toes.

95-67

It's hard to believe, having watched as many games as I did this season, that this is the second best team in Angels history. But there it is. 95 wins. Good enough to win the A.L. West by seven games. Good enough to take home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Good enough to play the Yankees in the first round, which thankfully means night games, which means I can actually see them play. It also means that I may have a couple of fires put out at work by the time they (hopefully) play the White Sox in the ALCS. Some other factoids, as have been noted in the halosphere: Figgins led the league in stolen bases (note to Podsednik, you have to reach base to steal), and Frankie led the AL in saves, even with his DL time, and his sucking time.

A rematch of the 2002 ALDS, this features the same offensive powerhouse Yankees, with even worse pitching than they had three years ago. The Angels enter, once again, a team with excellent pitching, but their offense is worse. We'll find out if it's worse to the same degree as the Yankees pitching. I think the Angels should win this series, but maybe they'd be better off if I gave up all hope.

No excuses. The rotation is set. The bullpen is rested. The offense is.....deep, I guess, but not necessarily reliable. It's October, folks. The most wonderful time of the year.