This video was made by a fellow Angels fan (the Goat, apparently), and recently posted to Youtube. Read more about the deal in this thread at the Rev's site. It's for "OX4", which is probably the best song on Ride's 'Going Blank Again' album, although it's unquestionable overshadowed by the opening track "Leave Them All Behind", which is the second video down. Enjoy. And I'll just note, one the crappy things about videos and songs on the radio is the good stuff they cut out to package it into a few minutes. One of the best parts of LTAB is the two minute introduction, which is entirely cut out for the video.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Angels blow it again
Walks, defensive mistakes, untimely pitching, the same old story for the Angels, as they build on an unexpected come from behind thriller on Monday by dropping the next two games in less than dramatic fashion. The bright spots were once again Orlando Cabrera, who reached base three times, and Mike Napoli, who ripped an RBI double in the seventh to tie the score and give Angels fans hope for a half inning until Scot Shields threw up all over himself.
Ervin Santana suffered through one bad inning, and a couple where he made a lot of pitches, which meant he only last through seven, and even that was on more than expected. He settled down and breezed through his last few innings, but a multitude of walks, including one that drove in the Rockies first run, pushed up his pitch count.
I'm not sure how much longer they can go on like this. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it's time to start playing the guys who will part of the next good Angels team. I'll settle for Kendrick and Jered Weaver right now. And I really think they need to test the market for Cabrera. Someone needs a short stop, and he'll never have the value he has right now.
Three with the Dodgers, who had it handed to them by the Twins. We'll see if the Angels can salvage some pride after the drubbing they took earlier this season.
Ervin Santana suffered through one bad inning, and a couple where he made a lot of pitches, which meant he only last through seven, and even that was on more than expected. He settled down and breezed through his last few innings, but a multitude of walks, including one that drove in the Rockies first run, pushed up his pitch count.
I'm not sure how much longer they can go on like this. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it's time to start playing the guys who will part of the next good Angels team. I'll settle for Kendrick and Jered Weaver right now. And I really think they need to test the market for Cabrera. Someone needs a short stop, and he'll never have the value he has right now.
Three with the Dodgers, who had it handed to them by the Twins. We'll see if the Angels can salvage some pride after the drubbing they took earlier this season.
Farmar Stays Home
Not exactly the way we were hoping he would, but Jordan Farmar was selected by the Lakers with the 26th pick in the draft. Of course, I watch the NBA about as frequently as I update this blog, so while I root for the Lakers, my interest in professional basketball is virtually nil. However, it's nice to see Jordan selected in the first round, and it's good to know that he'll be staying in LA. As someone mentioned over at Bruins Nation, I'm not sure he's the perfect fit for that system. The trianle offense doesn't really require a true point guard, and you'd usually prefer someone at that position with a little more size. But that assumes that the Lakers will be playing for Phil Jackson or a protege for much of Jordan's career, which they probably won't. I can't imagine much will be expected of him next year, but you never really know how a guy is going to adjust.
Ryan Hollins was also selected, going with the 50th pick to the Charlotte Bobcats. Just goes to show you how different the pro game is from the college game. Hollins went one pick after Leon Powe, who has ten times the skill of Ryan Hollins. But Hollins is tall, and can leap out of the building.
The Illini made a little noise as well. James Augustine went to Orlando with the 41st pick, and in effort to increase the sale of their merchandise in Central Illinois, the Utah Jazz selected Dee Brown with the 46th pick, reuniting him with former backcourt mate Deron Williams. The Jazz instantly became the second favorite team for a lot of Bulls fans, if not outright favorite. As much as I despised the Jazz in the Malone and Stockton days, I admit I'll be rooting for them now.
Ryan Hollins was also selected, going with the 50th pick to the Charlotte Bobcats. Just goes to show you how different the pro game is from the college game. Hollins went one pick after Leon Powe, who has ten times the skill of Ryan Hollins. But Hollins is tall, and can leap out of the building.
The Illini made a little noise as well. James Augustine went to Orlando with the 41st pick, and in effort to increase the sale of their merchandise in Central Illinois, the Utah Jazz selected Dee Brown with the 46th pick, reuniting him with former backcourt mate Deron Williams. The Jazz instantly became the second favorite team for a lot of Bulls fans, if not outright favorite. As much as I despised the Jazz in the Malone and Stockton days, I admit I'll be rooting for them now.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Rockies 4; Angels 5
This was kind of a fun game to watch. Turn it on, get discouraged, do other stuff around the apartment while the game plays in the background, give up hope, then watch the Angels put up a five spot in the 8th to win the game. And just in case you got a little too happy, Frankie made matters a little more interesting by giving up a two out shot in the ninth, suddenly making a two out RBI single by Juan Rivera all that much more important. Frankie then gave up a 390 foot shot in to JD Closser that fell just short of the wall and into Chone Figgins' glove.
Even the most pessimistic among us keep hope alive after just about every win, and wins like this go double for that. When the team comes back and wins a game that they really shouldn't, you always think it's the one that helps them turn the corner, that leads to a long winning streak. Well, we'll find out this week if that's the case.
But while the team has teeter-tottered between being in the race and out of the race, three players have made the season worth watching. One is plying his trade in triple A due to an inexplicable brain cramp that seems to have afflicted all of the team's upper management. Meanwhile, we've been treated to fantastic first halves from Orlando Cabrera, who has now reached base safely in 54 or 55 straight games, and Michael Napoli, who has added an ability to hit for average to the plate discipline and power he showed in his minor league career, a career that he doesn't figure to continue. Both played major roles in tonight's victory, with the OC extending his streak with an RBI single in the ninth, and Napoli ripping an opposite field double that drove home the tying and and go ahead runs. No matter what happens this season, they've provided a heck of a lot of entertainment.
And they all provided a nice present for John Lackey, who pitched well enough to win, and actually did win for once. He had to be patient, but he got a double play line drive to escape a bases loaded, one out jam in the second inning that could have essentially iced the game for the Rockies if it had been a few feet up, left, or right. But such is baseball. And if the Angels do use this game to spur them to bigger and better and things, they can look back at that lucky line drive as a turning point.
Even the most pessimistic among us keep hope alive after just about every win, and wins like this go double for that. When the team comes back and wins a game that they really shouldn't, you always think it's the one that helps them turn the corner, that leads to a long winning streak. Well, we'll find out this week if that's the case.
But while the team has teeter-tottered between being in the race and out of the race, three players have made the season worth watching. One is plying his trade in triple A due to an inexplicable brain cramp that seems to have afflicted all of the team's upper management. Meanwhile, we've been treated to fantastic first halves from Orlando Cabrera, who has now reached base safely in 54 or 55 straight games, and Michael Napoli, who has added an ability to hit for average to the plate discipline and power he showed in his minor league career, a career that he doesn't figure to continue. Both played major roles in tonight's victory, with the OC extending his streak with an RBI single in the ninth, and Napoli ripping an opposite field double that drove home the tying and and go ahead runs. No matter what happens this season, they've provided a heck of a lot of entertainment.
And they all provided a nice present for John Lackey, who pitched well enough to win, and actually did win for once. He had to be patient, but he got a double play line drive to escape a bases loaded, one out jam in the second inning that could have essentially iced the game for the Rockies if it had been a few feet up, left, or right. But such is baseball. And if the Angels do use this game to spur them to bigger and better and things, they can look back at that lucky line drive as a turning point.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Haven't posted much
A short vacation and a mediocre team to follow will do that to a guy. The Angels continue to muddle along at a pace that will seem them reach .500 sometime around never, and with the A's making their patented mid-season surge, the whole "we're still within striking distance" thing will no doubt be over soon. Meanwhile, Jered Weaver's alleged mental issues with being demoted appear to be far fetched, as he absolutely dominated in his second AAA start since inexplicably being demoted over a week ago. He struck out 14 and gave up two hits in a complete game shutout. Well done, braintrust.
Across the globe, the U.S. got dicked in both games against Italy and Ghana, and predictably limped home after failing to make it out of group play. The English have yet to play an inspired match, but they also have yet to lose. Only they and the Germans remain among teams I'm fond of now that the Dutch have bowed out in one of the most poorly officiated games of the tournament. Someone explain to me how it's not a penalty when you kick a guy in the chest in the 18 yard box.
The NHL entry draft was yesterday, and well, I didn't even know about it. Anyway, Pavol Demitra is gone, making my decision to get my most recently purchased jersey customized with Lubomir Visnovsky all that much more prescient. In return, they get a top prospect Patrick O'Sullivan, who's American, and with the pick they received in the deal, drafted Trevor Lewis, who also appears to be American. So thumbs up as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, I was kind of writing just to write today, so that's what you get.
Across the globe, the U.S. got dicked in both games against Italy and Ghana, and predictably limped home after failing to make it out of group play. The English have yet to play an inspired match, but they also have yet to lose. Only they and the Germans remain among teams I'm fond of now that the Dutch have bowed out in one of the most poorly officiated games of the tournament. Someone explain to me how it's not a penalty when you kick a guy in the chest in the 18 yard box.
The NHL entry draft was yesterday, and well, I didn't even know about it. Anyway, Pavol Demitra is gone, making my decision to get my most recently purchased jersey customized with Lubomir Visnovsky all that much more prescient. In return, they get a top prospect Patrick O'Sullivan, who's American, and with the pick they received in the deal, drafted Trevor Lewis, who also appears to be American. So thumbs up as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, I was kind of writing just to write today, so that's what you get.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Front office to fan base: You can all go home now
Tonight, June 16th (PDT), the Angels front office officially gave up on the 2006 season. They've made the decision to send Jered Weaver back to AAA. Apparently the solution to the defensive woes that in practice have cost the Angels at least seven or eight games this year is to send down the one person that has been their best player over the last three weeks.
Bill Stoneman = Charlatan. And not in the good "Tim Burgess" way.
What kind of person looks at this team, a team that scores roughly 3 runs per game against the Royals and Padres, a team that gives their opponents 10 innings every night, a team who's offense has a history of making luggage like Mark Redman look like Cy Young, and decides the best way to compete is to send down their best pitcher? Quite frankly, it's madness.
Publicly, I gave up on this season a long time ago, but personally, I watch almost every game, I take every game seriously, and I realize they really aren't that far out of first place. But the facts are these:
Look, if they don't care about winning, let's go the whole nine. Deal Kennedy. Deal Cabrera (seriously, he'll NEVER have the value he has right now). Deal them for prospects in the low minors (like local boy Ryan Tucker). Deal a pitcher or two, like Colon. Call up Saunders and see if he can stick at this level. I'd love the rotation next year to be Santana, Jered, Saunders, Lackey, and Escobar.
Right now, there isn't one level near the top of the organization that cares about winning. But the fact is, ten years ago, we'd have killed to be in this position. Oh well, the shit we're taking this season is going to make the next few feel a lot better.
Bill Stoneman = Charlatan. And not in the good "Tim Burgess" way.
What kind of person looks at this team, a team that scores roughly 3 runs per game against the Royals and Padres, a team that gives their opponents 10 innings every night, a team who's offense has a history of making luggage like Mark Redman look like Cy Young, and decides the best way to compete is to send down their best pitcher? Quite frankly, it's madness.
Publicly, I gave up on this season a long time ago, but personally, I watch almost every game, I take every game seriously, and I realize they really aren't that far out of first place. But the facts are these:
- On the field, they look like they don't care about winning;
- To the extent that they do care, they apparently aren't willing to work on the things they need to work on in order to tighten up their play;
- The front office is more concerned with saving face and not upsetting veterans than they are with winning games.
Look, if they don't care about winning, let's go the whole nine. Deal Kennedy. Deal Cabrera (seriously, he'll NEVER have the value he has right now). Deal them for prospects in the low minors (like local boy Ryan Tucker). Deal a pitcher or two, like Colon. Call up Saunders and see if he can stick at this level. I'd love the rotation next year to be Santana, Jered, Saunders, Lackey, and Escobar.
Right now, there isn't one level near the top of the organization that cares about winning. But the fact is, ten years ago, we'd have killed to be in this position. Oh well, the shit we're taking this season is going to make the next few feel a lot better.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Good luck music
I'm posting this in hopes it brings the Angels luck. Also, it's stuff you all should listen to. I'm currently reading this book about these guys, and so far it's pretty good.
Acceptable
The Angels opened the week by taking three of four from arguably the worst team that MLB has seen in the last forty years. Of course, that's one fewer loss than the Royals handed the A's, but I digress.
On the positive side, the pitching was fairly solid, although it's tough to judge just how good they were considering it was the Royals offense that they were facing. Then again, considering the defense they had behind them, the fact that they only allowed 10 runs in four games is downright amazing, but I'll get to that. Both Mike Napoli and Dallas McPherson are showing a nice approach at the plate, actually willing to take a walk. Napoli's 10th inning walk last night spurred the Angels on to their third victory in the series. Orlando Cabrera has absolutely been on fire, reaching base in something like 46 games straight. He was 7/16 in the series, extending the streak last night with a single in what should have been his last at bat, then piling on with the game winning hit in the bottom of the 10th.
On the negative side, Vlad (4/16) and GA (2/15) are slumping, though in Vlad's defense (when you read that, try not to actually think about Vlad's defense), he did hit a homer last night that looked to be the difference until....what else? Crappy defense was their undoing on Wednesday, and it almost did them in last night as well. Ya know, it's one thing to be a poor team defensively. Some guys just aren't skilled with the glove, and no matter how much they practice, they just don't get much better. It's another thing to be stupid and lazy, and too many of the errors lately have been of the stupid and lazy variety. Between Vlad's dropped pop-ups (lazy), Figgins' chucks into right field (stupid) and Jose Molina's ill-advised and unneccesary fling into center field last night (galactically stupid), they're playing like a bunch of little leaguers in teh field. They've already allowed more unearned runs this season than they allowed all of last season. A month into the season, it was a sample size thing. We weren't all that concerned because any team can have a bad month, and if you pull a random month out of any season, even the best defensive teams probably would look less than adequate at some point. But it's mid-June, and the mistakes almost seem to be increasing.
Credit Frankie Rodriguez for getting the job done last night in the 8th inning (and ninth, FWIW). But Jose Molina really needs a brain transplant. His idiotic throw into center field cost the Angels the lead, and very nearly the game. I was pretty sure that Matt Stairs was going to come through for the Royals again, just as he had twice earlier in the previous 10 innings.
So the Angels sit five games behind the first place and surging A's. Interleague starts up again tonight with a three game set against the Padres. Two of three would be nice, but at some point, this team needs to put a streak together. As we saw last weekend, those houses of cards are easily knocked down by a quick Marine breeze.
On the positive side, the pitching was fairly solid, although it's tough to judge just how good they were considering it was the Royals offense that they were facing. Then again, considering the defense they had behind them, the fact that they only allowed 10 runs in four games is downright amazing, but I'll get to that. Both Mike Napoli and Dallas McPherson are showing a nice approach at the plate, actually willing to take a walk. Napoli's 10th inning walk last night spurred the Angels on to their third victory in the series. Orlando Cabrera has absolutely been on fire, reaching base in something like 46 games straight. He was 7/16 in the series, extending the streak last night with a single in what should have been his last at bat, then piling on with the game winning hit in the bottom of the 10th.
On the negative side, Vlad (4/16) and GA (2/15) are slumping, though in Vlad's defense (when you read that, try not to actually think about Vlad's defense), he did hit a homer last night that looked to be the difference until....what else? Crappy defense was their undoing on Wednesday, and it almost did them in last night as well. Ya know, it's one thing to be a poor team defensively. Some guys just aren't skilled with the glove, and no matter how much they practice, they just don't get much better. It's another thing to be stupid and lazy, and too many of the errors lately have been of the stupid and lazy variety. Between Vlad's dropped pop-ups (lazy), Figgins' chucks into right field (stupid) and Jose Molina's ill-advised and unneccesary fling into center field last night (galactically stupid), they're playing like a bunch of little leaguers in teh field. They've already allowed more unearned runs this season than they allowed all of last season. A month into the season, it was a sample size thing. We weren't all that concerned because any team can have a bad month, and if you pull a random month out of any season, even the best defensive teams probably would look less than adequate at some point. But it's mid-June, and the mistakes almost seem to be increasing.
Credit Frankie Rodriguez for getting the job done last night in the 8th inning (and ninth, FWIW). But Jose Molina really needs a brain transplant. His idiotic throw into center field cost the Angels the lead, and very nearly the game. I was pretty sure that Matt Stairs was going to come through for the Royals again, just as he had twice earlier in the previous 10 innings.
So the Angels sit five games behind the first place and surging A's. Interleague starts up again tonight with a three game set against the Padres. Two of three would be nice, but at some point, this team needs to put a streak together. As we saw last weekend, those houses of cards are easily knocked down by a quick Marine breeze.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Monday, June 12, 2006
9 days gone in 3
In one brief weekend, the Angels erased all of the good work they'd done over the last week and half, dropping the three games to .500 that it had taken them nine games to earn. Even worse, really, since the sweeep came against a division rival, all while the Rangers and especially the A's were making time against actual good teams. So really, two weeks of work were undone in less than 48 hours.
There's something that this team just doesn't have. They score a ton of runs when the pitching is good. They can't win close games. They have a bad habit of letting the first few innings of a game dictate the outcome. They either score early and quit, or they give up runs early and quit. They refuse to play anything resembling a major league caliber defense. Their pitchers refuse to throw strikes when they get ahead in counts. They're simply not very good. As enjoyable as they've been to watch over the previous 15 games, their series wins were hollow. You don't get back into a race by winning two of three over an extended period, precisely because one bad stretch wipes out weeks worth of effort, as they've just shown.
Tonight they start a four game stretch again quite possibly the worst team in forty years. If they split this series, it will be one of the most embarrassing moments of the last six or seven years. And while some of us have been convinced for a while that the Angels are done, almost anything short of a sweep will probably convince others as well.
It's gonna be a long, boring summer from here on out folks.
There's something that this team just doesn't have. They score a ton of runs when the pitching is good. They can't win close games. They have a bad habit of letting the first few innings of a game dictate the outcome. They either score early and quit, or they give up runs early and quit. They refuse to play anything resembling a major league caliber defense. Their pitchers refuse to throw strikes when they get ahead in counts. They're simply not very good. As enjoyable as they've been to watch over the previous 15 games, their series wins were hollow. You don't get back into a race by winning two of three over an extended period, precisely because one bad stretch wipes out weeks worth of effort, as they've just shown.
Tonight they start a four game stretch again quite possibly the worst team in forty years. If they split this series, it will be one of the most embarrassing moments of the last six or seven years. And while some of us have been convinced for a while that the Angels are done, almost anything short of a sweep will probably convince others as well.
It's gonna be a long, boring summer from here on out folks.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Slacking again
There's really no excuse for my lack of writing in the last week, other than your basic "I just haven't felt like it". But the Angels completed their fifth consecutive series win, all 2-1, making them 10-5 in their last ten game. it's been a mix of good play combined with mediocre opponents, but five over .500 is five over .500, so I'm not complaining. They continue to be erratic on defense. Their loss in the first game to the D-Rays was a classic combination of poor defense and a failure to take advantage of opportunities on offense, as they weren't able to push a run across despite putting a ton of runners on base.
The key has been the offensive resurgence. Over the last seven days (not including today's game), they're getting on base at a .369 clip, while slugging .462 for an OPS of .832. They've done this as their pitching staff has held their opponents to .315./.391. Vlad continues to do what Vlad does, but over that stretch McPherson has been productive, and Cabrera has been on fire (he's now reached base in 38 straight games). Perhaps most surprising, Michael Napoli has kept up his production, hitting .300 over the last week, with his second homer of that stretch, a three run shot, coming in today's victory in Tampa.
On the other side, the pitching has really been picking up. Santana turned in fantastic performance last night. Jeff Weaver has been downright mediocre (which is an improvement), and John Lackey turned in a terrific effort on national television Sunday night. But the big news so far has been the emergence of Jered Weaver. Phenomenal in his debut, he's since turned in two more excellent performances, and has started his career 3-0. He's got a tremendous amount of raw talent, and as he hones those skills and adds another pitch or so (a two seamer with a little more movement, sayeth the Chronicler), he could develop into an ace.
If that all weren't enough, Joe Saunders has decided he's just not going to give up any more runs in the minors; Howie Kendrick apparently learned something about hitting he didn't already know while he was in the majors and has used it to hitter about .400 since his return to AAA; and Brandon Wood has figured something out which has allowed him to club long ball after long ball while pushing his average back up toward .300. If Eddie Bane really has the touch, we can expect great things from Hank Conger.
Truth be told, I still think the playoffs are a longshot. The offense can't keep up this level of production for long, and the pitching will even out. But the good news is that slight regressions in both, with some improved ham 'n egging, and this team could put together an extended run of success that takes them toward the top of the division. There's definitely a lot of hope.
The key has been the offensive resurgence. Over the last seven days (not including today's game), they're getting on base at a .369 clip, while slugging .462 for an OPS of .832. They've done this as their pitching staff has held their opponents to .315./.391. Vlad continues to do what Vlad does, but over that stretch McPherson has been productive, and Cabrera has been on fire (he's now reached base in 38 straight games). Perhaps most surprising, Michael Napoli has kept up his production, hitting .300 over the last week, with his second homer of that stretch, a three run shot, coming in today's victory in Tampa.
On the other side, the pitching has really been picking up. Santana turned in fantastic performance last night. Jeff Weaver has been downright mediocre (which is an improvement), and John Lackey turned in a terrific effort on national television Sunday night. But the big news so far has been the emergence of Jered Weaver. Phenomenal in his debut, he's since turned in two more excellent performances, and has started his career 3-0. He's got a tremendous amount of raw talent, and as he hones those skills and adds another pitch or so (a two seamer with a little more movement, sayeth the Chronicler), he could develop into an ace.
If that all weren't enough, Joe Saunders has decided he's just not going to give up any more runs in the minors; Howie Kendrick apparently learned something about hitting he didn't already know while he was in the majors and has used it to hitter about .400 since his return to AAA; and Brandon Wood has figured something out which has allowed him to club long ball after long ball while pushing his average back up toward .300. If Eddie Bane really has the touch, we can expect great things from Hank Conger.
Truth be told, I still think the playoffs are a longshot. The offense can't keep up this level of production for long, and the pitching will even out. But the good news is that slight regressions in both, with some improved ham 'n egging, and this team could put together an extended run of success that takes them toward the top of the division. There's definitely a lot of hope.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Angels 10: Indians 3
So it looks like this Weaver kid might be kind of good. Of course, he's benefitted from a ton of run support, which is irrelevant when evaluating his performance. What's not irrelevant is the tremendous oufield defense he's received, crucial for a fly ball pitcher. In his debut, it was a bullet from Vlad to cut a runner off at the plate for a double play. Tonight it was a fantastic catch by Chone Figgins off of Casey Blake, which led to a double play as Travis Hafner was nowhere near first base. But eight strike outs against four hits and two walks is nothing to sneeze at. He was mixing his pitches well, hitting his spots, and staying ahead of the hitters for the most part. And let's be honest, this wasn't the Royals. This is the second most prolific offense in the majors. It stands in stark contrast to the last road debut by an Angels pitcher, also in Cleveland. In that game last year, Ervin Santana gave up the cycle to the first four batters he faced.
On the other side, for the second straight Jered Weaver start, the Angels clubbed three home runs, taking a 2-0 lead on Vlad's shot in the first, and adding insurance on a two run blast by D-Mac and a three jun jack from GA. Those were three of the ten hits pounded out by the Angels, nicely complementing their six (six!!) walks, including two each from Napoli and the OC. Someone in Cleveland has either refused to teach pitchers how to hold runners, or Tim Laker has a weaker arm than my six year old niece, because the Angels managed to steal six bases in this game, three by Figgins.
That makes seven wins in their last nine, and they're creeping closer to .500. I'm with my brother on this one. They're not going to win the division with fewer than 81 wins, so discussing where they are in the division race is kind of pointless. Get back to .500, then let's take stock of the situation.
Happy and secure Kelvim takes the pill tomorrow night. A win would provide the Angels with their fourth straight series win and another chance at their first sweep of the season.
On the other side, for the second straight Jered Weaver start, the Angels clubbed three home runs, taking a 2-0 lead on Vlad's shot in the first, and adding insurance on a two run blast by D-Mac and a three jun jack from GA. Those were three of the ten hits pounded out by the Angels, nicely complementing their six (six!!) walks, including two each from Napoli and the OC. Someone in Cleveland has either refused to teach pitchers how to hold runners, or Tim Laker has a weaker arm than my six year old niece, because the Angels managed to steal six bases in this game, three by Figgins.
That makes seven wins in their last nine, and they're creeping closer to .500. I'm with my brother on this one. They're not going to win the division with fewer than 81 wins, so discussing where they are in the division race is kind of pointless. Get back to .500, then let's take stock of the situation.
Happy and secure Kelvim takes the pill tomorrow night. A win would provide the Angels with their fourth straight series win and another chance at their first sweep of the season.
Off Day, so here's some music
I went over to Reckless Records yesterday because I had to kill some time while getting my glasses fixed, and spennt my time going through their used CDs. It's something I used to do all the time when I was back in LA and there were some good used record stores around. Then in Champaign, we had Record Swap, which, other than maybe Amoeba and Lou's, is probably the best used record store I've ever been to. Haven't really done it as much in Chicago though. Strangely there don't appear to be as many good stores in my area outside of Reckless, and honestly, this was the first time I'd gone there.
Found a bunch of good stuff, although I was looking for the La's CD, which they didn't have. It was stolen along with my car a few years ago, and though the car was found, I never got the CD back. But aside from that, I was able to pick up:
UPDATE - Youtube removed the first Broadcast video I posted, so here's a replica, and another tune.
Found a bunch of good stuff, although I was looking for the La's CD, which they didn't have. It was stolen along with my car a few years ago, and though the car was found, I never got the CD back. But aside from that, I was able to pick up:
- The The - Mind Bomb
- Apples in Stereo - Tone Soul Evolution
- Spacemen 3 - Recurring
- Beta Band - Hot Shots II (already had it burned, but I decided to pick up the original
- Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes
- Broadcast - The Noise Made By People
UPDATE - Youtube removed the first Broadcast video I posted, so here's a replica, and another tune.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Twins 7; Angels 1
Well, make that six out of eight. On the bright side, there weren't any wasted efforts tonight. Not one player in an Angels uniform deserved to win this game except for maybe Jose Molina, and almost all of them deserved to lose it. Ervin Santana, who pitches great in night games at home, apparently took the mound while the sun was shining a little too brightly, because he got roughed up for three runs in the first, and that was all the Twins and Francisco Liriano needed. Santana recovered and pitched seven strong innings giving up only the three earned runs with another unearned run added in. JC Romero followed with a perfect eighth, but Hector Carrasco was absolutely putrid in the ninth giving up three runs on five hits to the first five batters he faced, and that was pretty much all she wrote.
Liriano was terrific for the Twins. His 90mph slider and solid change kept the Halo hitters off base all night. They didn't get a hit until the sixth inning, and even that required a bad call from first base umpire Ed Hickox. They actually got a little threat going in that inning, putting runners at second and third with only one out. Then Garret Anderson and Vlad Guerrero suddenly caught a case of Junior Felix disease, which caused them to swing at a combined five consecutive pitches out of the strike zone, promptly ending the threat, and really any hope that the Angels had to come back.
As if the contrast in pitching performances wasn't enough, Juan Rivera had enough action in center to show why he really shouldn't be playing center unless he's hitting. Figgins was part of two double plays, but unfortunately both were on the offensive end, the second coming when he broke from first on a rip by Garret which was caught nicely by Lew Ford in right field to end the eighth. He also botched a play at second that Kennedy clearly would have made. Molina was the lone bright spot, reaching base twice via the base on balls. He also made a fantastic play to pick Jason Kubel off third base to end the sixth inning. Everyone else sucked, though.
In other news, the Angels inked Kelvim Escobar to three more years, with terms undisclosed. Assuming the money is reasonable, I like the move. Escobar has been solid when healthy, and he's young enough that the Angels have now locked up four spots in their rotation for the next few years, and they have all five spots already booked for next year. That should allow someone like Saunders to work out of the pen next year before possibly moving into the rotation in 2008, and by the time Escobar's deal is up, Nick Adenhart and Jose Arredondo are just about ready.
Off day tomorrow, then on to underachieving Cleveland, who could break out, or hopefully continue to underachieve. Should be good pitching matchups throughout.
Liriano was terrific for the Twins. His 90mph slider and solid change kept the Halo hitters off base all night. They didn't get a hit until the sixth inning, and even that required a bad call from first base umpire Ed Hickox. They actually got a little threat going in that inning, putting runners at second and third with only one out. Then Garret Anderson and Vlad Guerrero suddenly caught a case of Junior Felix disease, which caused them to swing at a combined five consecutive pitches out of the strike zone, promptly ending the threat, and really any hope that the Angels had to come back.
As if the contrast in pitching performances wasn't enough, Juan Rivera had enough action in center to show why he really shouldn't be playing center unless he's hitting. Figgins was part of two double plays, but unfortunately both were on the offensive end, the second coming when he broke from first on a rip by Garret which was caught nicely by Lew Ford in right field to end the eighth. He also botched a play at second that Kennedy clearly would have made. Molina was the lone bright spot, reaching base twice via the base on balls. He also made a fantastic play to pick Jason Kubel off third base to end the sixth inning. Everyone else sucked, though.
In other news, the Angels inked Kelvim Escobar to three more years, with terms undisclosed. Assuming the money is reasonable, I like the move. Escobar has been solid when healthy, and he's young enough that the Angels have now locked up four spots in their rotation for the next few years, and they have all five spots already booked for next year. That should allow someone like Saunders to work out of the pen next year before possibly moving into the rotation in 2008, and by the time Escobar's deal is up, Nick Adenhart and Jose Arredondo are just about ready.
Off day tomorrow, then on to underachieving Cleveland, who could break out, or hopefully continue to underachieve. Should be good pitching matchups throughout.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Twins 3; Angels 6
And with that, the Angels have won three consecutive series. They'll likely remain one game back of the Oakland A's They're now tied with the Oakland A's, and five games back of the Texas Rangers, and they're actually over .500 in their last ten, having won six of their last seven.
I missed a fair amount of this one thanks to Extra Innings showing this game on the same channel on which they carried the Tigers loss to the Yankees, which went into extra innings. That combined with an unscheduled nap on the couch, and well, it was 6-3 when I came to. It was actually a nice surprise considering when I first looked at the screen, I thought it said 3-0.
Second consecutive quality start for Weaver the Elder, some nice work by Donnelly in the 8th (thanks to a weird strikeout), and more Frankie dominance in the ninth (funny how those injury rumors have died down). For the second straight game, the guys at the top of the lineup got the job done. Figgins scored after a pair of leadoff walks, while the OC went 2-4 with a double and an RBI, making this the 31st consecutive game in which he has reached base. Aside from his awful start in the field, he's really putting together a solid season. Even Juan Rivera chipped in with a home run to add some insurance. On the downside, a second straight ofer from Kendry has finally dropped his average below .300, but he continues to play solid defense.
Tomorrow night the Angels face one of the top pitching prospects in the game. So far all he's done is go 3-0 with a 2.51 ERA this season, and he's allowed all of one run in his two starts. The Angels counter with their own future star in Ervin Santana, who is a completely different pitcher during night games at home. Throw in a struggling Twins offense, and this should be another close low scoring affair with the Twins, as if the Angels play any other type of game against the Twins.
This is starting to get fun again.
I missed a fair amount of this one thanks to Extra Innings showing this game on the same channel on which they carried the Tigers loss to the Yankees, which went into extra innings. That combined with an unscheduled nap on the couch, and well, it was 6-3 when I came to. It was actually a nice surprise considering when I first looked at the screen, I thought it said 3-0.
Second consecutive quality start for Weaver the Elder, some nice work by Donnelly in the 8th (thanks to a weird strikeout), and more Frankie dominance in the ninth (funny how those injury rumors have died down). For the second straight game, the guys at the top of the lineup got the job done. Figgins scored after a pair of leadoff walks, while the OC went 2-4 with a double and an RBI, making this the 31st consecutive game in which he has reached base. Aside from his awful start in the field, he's really putting together a solid season. Even Juan Rivera chipped in with a home run to add some insurance. On the downside, a second straight ofer from Kendry has finally dropped his average below .300, but he continues to play solid defense.
Tomorrow night the Angels face one of the top pitching prospects in the game. So far all he's done is go 3-0 with a 2.51 ERA this season, and he's allowed all of one run in his two starts. The Angels counter with their own future star in Ervin Santana, who is a completely different pitcher during night games at home. Throw in a struggling Twins offense, and this should be another close low scoring affair with the Twins, as if the Angels play any other type of game against the Twins.
This is starting to get fun again.
Twins 3; Angels 4
Looks like a picked a good day to start getting back into this. This is the type of victory the Angels have been able to put together over the last couple of years. A good outing by the starter, the offense scraps for some runs, they turn it over to the bullpen who shuts the opponent down, and the offense finds a way to pull out the victory.
Aside from the six combined hits by the top two hitters, there were some things in this game that I really liked to see. The Angels have gotten very few bad calls in their favor this season. It seems they've all gone against them, and tonight was no differen as Marvin Hudson took away a double and an RBI on a rip by Garret Anderson down the first base line. Replays appeared to show the ball was fair, but Hudson ruled it foul, and Anderson and Scioscia let him know how wrong he was. No bother. GA knocked the next pitch into center for an RBI single. So while they didn't get the call, they didn't let it bother them and got the run anyway.
The Angels defense has been one of their bugaboos all season. They rank near the bottom if the NBA in fielding percentage. But they made up for a big error in the tenth inning. After Orlando Cabrera made a two out error on an ill-advised throw to first base (Rondell White had it beat anyway), Frankie and Adam Kennedy combined to pick White off on a beautifully executed pickoff play at second. And not only did the Angels make up for their defensive miscue, they actually took advantage of their opponents'. They score the tying run on two plays that were inexplicably ruled hits in the eighth inning (apparently official scorekeepers don't expect much out of major leaguers defensively), and they scored the winning run after Figgins went from first to third on a botched pickoff throw to first from Jesse Crain to Justin Morneau.
Just another tight game with the Twins, who always seem to be within a run or two of the Angels, but lately often seem to be on the losing end. Rough nights for the kids save for Mike Napoli's single in his only at bat. This was a game the Angels would have lost pretty much all season up until about the last two weeks. They appear to be turning things around, and they're starting to get some breaks. Let's hope it snowballs. They could just rip through the soft spot of their schedule.
Aside from the six combined hits by the top two hitters, there were some things in this game that I really liked to see. The Angels have gotten very few bad calls in their favor this season. It seems they've all gone against them, and tonight was no differen as Marvin Hudson took away a double and an RBI on a rip by Garret Anderson down the first base line. Replays appeared to show the ball was fair, but Hudson ruled it foul, and Anderson and Scioscia let him know how wrong he was. No bother. GA knocked the next pitch into center for an RBI single. So while they didn't get the call, they didn't let it bother them and got the run anyway.
The Angels defense has been one of their bugaboos all season. They rank near the bottom if the NBA in fielding percentage. But they made up for a big error in the tenth inning. After Orlando Cabrera made a two out error on an ill-advised throw to first base (Rondell White had it beat anyway), Frankie and Adam Kennedy combined to pick White off on a beautifully executed pickoff play at second. And not only did the Angels make up for their defensive miscue, they actually took advantage of their opponents'. They score the tying run on two plays that were inexplicably ruled hits in the eighth inning (apparently official scorekeepers don't expect much out of major leaguers defensively), and they scored the winning run after Figgins went from first to third on a botched pickoff throw to first from Jesse Crain to Justin Morneau.
Just another tight game with the Twins, who always seem to be within a run or two of the Angels, but lately often seem to be on the losing end. Rough nights for the kids save for Mike Napoli's single in his only at bat. This was a game the Angels would have lost pretty much all season up until about the last two weeks. They appear to be turning things around, and they're starting to get some breaks. Let's hope it snowballs. They could just rip through the soft spot of their schedule.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Slowly Coming Out Of It
The Angels have now won two consecutive series, and they really should have completed the sweep yesterday. They're coming into a stretch of games against very beatable teams, and if they can find a way to heat up, and if the rest of the division stays dormant, they very well could find themselves within a game or two on either side of first place in three weeks. Honestly, I had no idea they'd be in this position a few weeks ago, but the combination of unispired play compared against even more unispired play from the rest of the division has them within a handful of games of the top.
There are certainly reasons for optimism, moreso than there were three weeks ago. Specifically, the optimism is being provided by Michael Napoli, Kendry Morales, Dallas McPherson, and Jered Weaver. Napoli has been solid behind the plate, solid with a bat, and incredibly, he'll actually take a walk. McPherson still swings big and misses a lot, but he's hit a couple of big homers, and you can't argue that he isn't fun to watch at the plate. Morales has been a revelation. A slow started at almost every level, he's already hit two homers and has nine hits in his first five games. Despite his reputation as a butcher with the glove, he's made some sparkling plays in the field. I still have high hopes for Kotchman, but he has to be a little concerned at this point. And at a time where the starting staff needed a boost, all Jered Weaver did was throw seven shutout innings while striking out five and allowing only three hits. In the meantime, Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick have gotten their cups of coffee, and they'll be better prepared to deal with the big leagues when they're actually expected to produce.
If the team isn't going to win, all I ask is that they be interesting to watch. With the future of the team in the lineup today, they're an interesting ballclub for Angels fans to watch, and the injection of youth into the lineup has put them back on the winning track for the time being, and the schedule in the near future gives me a glimmer of hope. I'm going to start easing my way back into this. Of course, if they stop winning, then I'm clearly a jinx and will need to stop again. Let's hope they get it started tonight.
There are certainly reasons for optimism, moreso than there were three weeks ago. Specifically, the optimism is being provided by Michael Napoli, Kendry Morales, Dallas McPherson, and Jered Weaver. Napoli has been solid behind the plate, solid with a bat, and incredibly, he'll actually take a walk. McPherson still swings big and misses a lot, but he's hit a couple of big homers, and you can't argue that he isn't fun to watch at the plate. Morales has been a revelation. A slow started at almost every level, he's already hit two homers and has nine hits in his first five games. Despite his reputation as a butcher with the glove, he's made some sparkling plays in the field. I still have high hopes for Kotchman, but he has to be a little concerned at this point. And at a time where the starting staff needed a boost, all Jered Weaver did was throw seven shutout innings while striking out five and allowing only three hits. In the meantime, Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick have gotten their cups of coffee, and they'll be better prepared to deal with the big leagues when they're actually expected to produce.
If the team isn't going to win, all I ask is that they be interesting to watch. With the future of the team in the lineup today, they're an interesting ballclub for Angels fans to watch, and the injection of youth into the lineup has put them back on the winning track for the time being, and the schedule in the near future gives me a glimmer of hope. I'm going to start easing my way back into this. Of course, if they stop winning, then I'm clearly a jinx and will need to stop again. Let's hope they get it started tonight.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Three Weeks
On May 2, three weeks ago today, I gave up on this team. I received a fair amount of criticism, and normally I wouldn't have given up on a team that was only a few games out, but based on what I had seen on the field, the team showed no fire, no ability to scrape out wins, and no chance to contend for the division. I was hoping that I would be writing a different post today. I don't like being right about this kind of stuff. But the last three weeks haven't done anything to remotely indicate that my eyes had been deceiving me over the first month of the season.
The Angels are 5-13 since that day, and have fallen six and a half games back of first place Texas. I'd imagine that they'll finish this series in that position, or be 8.5 games back. I can't see them winning both of the next two games. They've lost six games in a row. They were absolutely embarrassed by the Dodgers over the weekend. They're three games behind the Mariners in dead last in the AL West.
The problem with this team is that they aren't even that interesting to watch. It's just a bunch of old guys losing. If they'd make the decision to play the kids, they'd at least be interesting. We all knew that this was going to be a transition year, and we all hoped that they had enough to stick around and make the season interesting. But a lot of folks are now throwing blame around, to Scioscia, to Stoneman, to the players, hell one idiot was even criticising Moreno for not spending enough on payroll. The thing is, Stoneman was in a very difficult position this off-season. When you have as much talent as the Angels have coming up, you don't want to block it. The problem is that all of that talent was 1.5-2 years away. It would be nice to fill holes while that talent develops. But you can't do that via the free agent market. Anybody worth signing is getting 3, 4, 5 year deals. They aren't signing for a year or two. So you're forced to sign a guy long term with the idea that you're either going to have to move him in a few years, or you're going to have to deal prospects. The result is that three years later, you're back to square one. I'll note here that this was the reason that I think it was indefensible to refuse arbitration to Bengie. Worst case scenario, he would have been back for one year, which was exactly what they needed him for.
There's absolutely no reason to blame anyone in particular for this season. I'm not the type of person that wants to see the Angels become the Yankees of the West. I'd love to have their success, but for me, part of what made 2002 so great was that almost everyone on that team got their star in Angels uniforms. They were fun to root for because they were our guys. That doesn't mean I like Vlad or Bartolo any less, but I'd like to see the Angels succeed with guys that they develop, filling holes with free agent talent when necessary. It's no secret why Tim Salmon is the most popular player on the current club. This isn't to say that there isn't going to be goats in individual games. But going in, there was a high probability of volatility this season. This was team that could be great, or could be awful. Unfortunately, they're awful. And though I've thrown in the towel on the season, I'm still an Angels die hard.
So the key word is patience. When you look back over the first 40 years of the franchise, we've been incredibly blessed as fans for the past five years. I think we can survive a year of lumps. The future is still very bright.
The Angels are 5-13 since that day, and have fallen six and a half games back of first place Texas. I'd imagine that they'll finish this series in that position, or be 8.5 games back. I can't see them winning both of the next two games. They've lost six games in a row. They were absolutely embarrassed by the Dodgers over the weekend. They're three games behind the Mariners in dead last in the AL West.
The problem with this team is that they aren't even that interesting to watch. It's just a bunch of old guys losing. If they'd make the decision to play the kids, they'd at least be interesting. We all knew that this was going to be a transition year, and we all hoped that they had enough to stick around and make the season interesting. But a lot of folks are now throwing blame around, to Scioscia, to Stoneman, to the players, hell one idiot was even criticising Moreno for not spending enough on payroll. The thing is, Stoneman was in a very difficult position this off-season. When you have as much talent as the Angels have coming up, you don't want to block it. The problem is that all of that talent was 1.5-2 years away. It would be nice to fill holes while that talent develops. But you can't do that via the free agent market. Anybody worth signing is getting 3, 4, 5 year deals. They aren't signing for a year or two. So you're forced to sign a guy long term with the idea that you're either going to have to move him in a few years, or you're going to have to deal prospects. The result is that three years later, you're back to square one. I'll note here that this was the reason that I think it was indefensible to refuse arbitration to Bengie. Worst case scenario, he would have been back for one year, which was exactly what they needed him for.
There's absolutely no reason to blame anyone in particular for this season. I'm not the type of person that wants to see the Angels become the Yankees of the West. I'd love to have their success, but for me, part of what made 2002 so great was that almost everyone on that team got their star in Angels uniforms. They were fun to root for because they were our guys. That doesn't mean I like Vlad or Bartolo any less, but I'd like to see the Angels succeed with guys that they develop, filling holes with free agent talent when necessary. It's no secret why Tim Salmon is the most popular player on the current club. This isn't to say that there isn't going to be goats in individual games. But going in, there was a high probability of volatility this season. This was team that could be great, or could be awful. Unfortunately, they're awful. And though I've thrown in the towel on the season, I'm still an Angels die hard.
So the key word is patience. When you look back over the first 40 years of the franchise, we've been incredibly blessed as fans for the past five years. I think we can survive a year of lumps. The future is still very bright.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Quick clarification
A few people have mentioned that Adam Kennedy is one of the few guys they wouldn't trade, at least not yet. Keep in mind that when I suggest dealing Kennedy, it's purely for contract reasons. His deal is up after this year, and I don't believe he'll be brought back, and I think he has some (not much, but some) value on the trade market. I like Kennedy, and I love his defense, but I don't think he'll be on the next good Angels team. I say deal him while we can get something for him.
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