When a team is winning, it can be hard to argue that adjustments need to be made. And yet, Angels manager Mike “The Soth” Scioscia regularly tinkers with lineups and positions, under the guise of giving a deep team its needed at-bats.
Is there an area where Soth should tinker more?
More Napoli? At the expense of Mathis playing time or of a resting outfielder’s DH time.
More Willits? Tell that to Arte paying Gary Matthews-Stoneman $10 million.
Waiting on Howie and Figgy to lead us to the promised-land? It is a long season – will back-to-back 0-fers by either player lead you to holler for their benching?
DFA Quinlan? Note Robb’s playing time was microscoping when Figgy, Howie and Izzy were healthy. He is pretty much an in-game insurance policy at that point.
More Rivera ABs? See Willits above.
More Kendry Morales? Not with a healthy Kotchman as well as 6 competent and/or overpaid outfielders vying for the rotating DH.
All it is going to take is back-to-back 0-fers by Aybar for an Izturis Mob to demand more playing time for the ultimate role-player.
Oh, and then there is the pitching: What would life be like had we brought up Nick Green instead of Nick Adenhart? Stop it with the What-Ifs... we are in first place.
DFA Bootcheck? With Moseley’s arrival, this could happen, but you’re gambling on Arredondo for sure, then.
It is not checkers, it is a human chess the Soth must manage.
Re-Sign Frankie? Arte has vollied, but the future is always uncertain, this could be the last season in baseball for all we know what with global warming and/or nuclear somethings blowing up out there depending on your political persuasion; it must be done NOW and The Soth is doing it.
We hope.
0 recs | 36 comments
there are a lot of times where mike releases his lineups and i think he is such a bonehead. but he does know his team 100000x better then us
its pretty obvious either GA or Vlad need to DH fulltime, how many more misplayed balls need to happen before they accept this. it looks pretty bad for rivera /willits besides the PH role. it seems that mike sosh knows that they don’t have a spot (to get settled) but can’t resist switching them in every now and then. DFA bootcheck and quinlan- i think itd be better for both sides.
izturis- i don’t really think he’s a good fit for the role sosh has him in. batting 5th on occasion just cause he’s got a high RISP. can somebody confirm what his RISP is this season, I couldn’t find it anywhere???? why does mike like him so much, is it cause he works hard or has a “high baseball iq”? personally i don’t think hes that talented
GMJ- i’m okay with gary being in the lineup but does he really have to swing for a homerun every single time??? i swear i have seen him in situations so many times when theres someone on 2nd base with 0 out and he either K’s or flysout. move the running over for once. sure hes been successful a couple of times before but in the long run i think hes hurting the team by doing that.
what do you guys think?
stezo - May 19, 2008
well
I think Izzy’s a good player, and he’s finding his stroke right now and getting on base. He’d be a starting shortstop on probably 10 other teams in baseball, so I don’t really want to write him off, particularly after his reasonably good batting and defense last year.
Gary, I’m not sure what to do with. He seemed so happy to finally get a long-term deal and really likes the organization, but I’m sure we pissed him off my signing Torii and part of his struggles at the plate are related to his current mental condition. The guy’s been bouncing around his whole career, finally settles in, then the team goes and essentially replaces him after his first season. I can understand why he’s searching. He can be a productive player, as he does have more power than much of our lineup. That said, if he can turn himself into a Mike Napoli that’s all we need. The strikeouts are fine, but if you’re gonna strike out constantly, you need to walk, also, and he’s not doing so much of that.
Vlad needs to sit. I know it, you know it, Mike knows it, and Vlad knows it. He’s probably hurt. He’s also old.
GA isn’t horrendous in the field only because he doesn’t make mistakes. He also doesn’t take risks, which means he gives up more singles than, say, GMJ in left. He also avoids giving up triples when he dives and misses. Thinking about GA diving makes me giggle.
Boots and Quinlan are both occasionally valuable members of the team, if you ask me, although neither of them really deserve their roster spots. I’d prefer Bootcheck to Moseley. Moseley’s undeniably bad. He was good last season for about a month. Bootcheck was good for three months. The choice is easy. Quinlan isn’t going anywhere because he has naked pictures of Sosh, or something.
Carl Johnson - May 19, 2008
maicers #s are turrible (as barkley would say)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/bsplit.cgi?n1=izturma01&year=2008
with runners in scoring posish and 2 outs hes a stellar 2-12, and he is slugging his way to the tune of a mark of .275 at angels stadium. on the bright side his fenway OPS is over 1.000
anaheim angels - May 19, 2008
Comparison
Moseley has a career ERA+ of 81
Bootcheck has a career ERA+ of 77
But the biggest difference to me is that Moseley has been mostly a spot 5th starter.
Bootcheck has been a reliever that has been WAY overused by Sowsh’s choice whereas there was no better option than to start moseley.
I think moseley would flourish as a long reliever/mop, whereas Bootcheck is completely useless no matter the situation.
angels4adam - May 20, 2008
I'll agree with what was written...
all except for one thing: “The Soth”? Really?
I read that as “Sloth” sans the “L”. Shouldn’t “Sosh” or “Socsh” be more apropos?
shiftyeyedgoat - May 19, 2008
I know right
it bothers me too. It doesnt fit.
Also its too beautiful for you not to be at my house playing catch and drinking beer.
PhiSlamma - May 19, 2008
I don't like it either.
Sounds like someone with a horrible lithp trying to say Sosh.
ReggieBullits - May 19, 2008
RISP
http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?c_id=ana&baseballScope=LAA&subScope=pos&teamPosCode=all&statType=1&timeSubFrame=2008&sitSplit=rsp&venueID=&Submit=Submit&timeFrame=1
Izzy is hitting a surprising 300 w/RISP.
While the team leader (healthy team leader) is not suprisingly El Kotcho
PhiSlamma - May 19, 2008
RISP?
Try this view
wumbug - May 19, 2008
Same thing
cept sorted differently. I think chances are very important, as someone like howie kendrick who is batting 750 RISP has only 8 games. Why sort by average when its immediately scewed by small sample size. Chances show who has the most opportunites and what they did with them.
So, no, I wont try that view.
PhiSlamma - May 19, 2008
Well said
It’s easy for us to criticize every little decision. And in the past week, our winning percentage has slipped. Yet we’re in first place and continue to win. So it’s hard to complain. We’re fans of a great organization, so we simply need to sit back and enjoy the ride.
Los Angeles de Anaheim - May 19, 2008
And then there is the defense:
Our superior defense gives us the edge over most opposing teams. It is the difference when we win games against a team that hits better than we do, or in games where we just can’t buy a hit against ace pitching. This was evident during the series with the Dodgers and the number of errors they committed. If the Angels performed that poorly on the field, we fans would be appalled. The Angels just don’t make inexcusable errors that allow extra runs to score like the many other teams we watch.
Is there a delicate balance that needs to be stuck when Scioscia fills out his roster sheet between offense and defense? Maybe we are too focused on who should be playing according to how hot their bat is rather than looking at the big picture that Scioscia sees so clearly as the leader of the team. Scioscia and his staff has spoiled us rotten by giving us a team so skilled in the fundamentals of baseball defensive play that all we have left to complain about is who should be batting second, and so and so’s current slump. Lucky us. Sometimes I think we take our defense too much for granted.
44FAN - May 19, 2008
Matthews' past. Is what convinced Sosh to stick with him.
Sosh is the one who opted to keep putting Matthews in the lineup, while they have outfielders Torii Hunter, Garret Anderson, Vladimir Guerrero, Reggie Willits and Juan Rivera healthy and willing to play every day.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/scioscia-matthews-batting-2045880-day-find
I read a couple of days ago that Preston Gomez is still in the hospital.
Does anyone know his Condition?
Funke5ive - May 19, 2008
Give Scioscia a break
I agree that we need to cut Sosh (I too hate Soth) a great big break. However, I thought this article was silly. Mathews is not a person with an incredible past (like Vladdy or even GA) who deserves weeks of patience. He is a guy who turned one HGH-laden season into a $50 million payday (courtesy of Bill Stoneman), and is now reverting to his true level (or even lower, if the HGH rumors are true).
For that matter, Juan Rivera’s past gives him a much better right to be given an every day position and chance. His 2006 season was absolutely great (our second best hitter), and if not for a freak broken leg in the off-season, he would be our 4th outfielder/DH now. The only reason he is still playing is because 1) he is being paid too much to sit, and 2) Sosh has an irrational hatred of JR.
Having said that, I really do think Sosh is a great manager, and I often feel we should give him a chance before criticizing (see Erick Aybar).
halofan91 - May 19, 2008
Obviously
“he” in the last paragraph is GMJ, not JR. Sorry
halofan91 - May 19, 2008
Re: Article
Do you think the Dodgers might need another CFer?
wumbug - May 19, 2008
LOL
GMJ is at least better (and cheaper) than Andruw (my mother couldn’t spell) Jones
halofan91 - May 19, 2008
HGH
Should be dumped, but he’s making $10 million a year and I’d be inclined to say he should get better. The hits aren’t just falling his way right now. He helped the team a lot through many stretches in 2007 and I don’t see why he couldn’t do the same this year, even if he is strictly a glorified fourth outfielder.
BBFan1 - May 19, 2008
Slightly Better
Theoretically, he shouldn’t be as bad as he is now, but his current line of .223/.311/.349 isn’t that far off from his career numbers to really expect much more from him. Look at his comps, and you see a bunch of 4th/5th outfielder types. The problem is that his contract requires “the Soth” to use him as if he is at least a front-line player, if not an all-star, and it continually hurts the team. I have no idea whether Scioscia actually believes he’s better than he is, or if he simply feels that his hand is forced. Either way, it continues to hurt the team.
Other than that, though, it’s really hard to find serious fault with the Soth. He’s the winningest manager in team history, and his success is unmatched.
jjackflash - May 19, 2008
his babip this year is a low .262
as opposed to his career .296 babip. so he has been very unlucky this season, and his batting average should rise 30-50 points, which also translates into increases for OBP and SLG. but at the moment he is 18% worse then the average MLB hitter, although his glove should make some of that up
anaheim angels - May 19, 2008
sorry i didnt make it that clear
BABIP is batting average for balls hit into play (H/(ABs- HRs-Ks-Sacs)) roughly. the average is around .295 or so. a low BABIP means the hitter is getting very unlucky while a high BABIP means he is getting very lucky
anaheim angels - May 19, 2008
but I see
what you mean about him being unlucky. He “should” have about four more hits to this point, or about one every ten games. I question whether he really has the ability to improve at this point, though.
jjackflash - May 20, 2008
30-50 points
in his dreams. Forget about BABIP; in the real world, his career batting average was .249 before his aberrant 2006 campaign. It was .253 last year. If you simply leave out his 2006 season, his batting average today stands at .248.
So, he might raise his average by as much as 30 points, if he gets lucky. interestingly, Scott Spiezio is the only one of his top-5 comparables who did anything at age 33 or older. It’s much more likely that his .223 average stays where it is, or gets even worse. He’s truly a terrible hitter at this point.
jjackflash - May 20, 2008
HGH
isnt quite as season-changing as you are all making it out to be. If you actually read up on the studies it doesnt do so much that it would raise a players average from .220 to .320.
The problem with GMJ is between his ears, not what he isnt taking.
http://www.advice-hgh.com/human-growth-hormone.html
Basically in extremely large doses it might help keep your energy level up for all 162 games. It wont help you hit a fastball. If Rev took crap-loads of HGH from now until next season, he cant walk into Angels camp and drill 90mph fastballs to the fountain.
It does aid in weight lifting, but the effect might translate minimally. Maybe a double or two would turn into a homerun, if the same workout routine is maintained. Coupled with steroids, then you could see actual results in power production.
Depending on the type of stuff GMJ ordered, he may be using a pill/power/or oral HGH supplement which is significantly less potent.
I think its more of a placebo with some good side effects that would help with a season, but not exactly turn someone like Moseley into a good pitcher, or GMJ into 2004 Vlad.
PhiSlamma - May 19, 2008
So I can stop with the hghg?
...my dream is dead … you killed my dream, doc…
Rev Halofan - May 19, 2008
lol
ok, maybe just step up the dosage to triple and you could probably turn on a Zito fastball.
actually, hell, you could do that without HGH
PhiSlamma - May 19, 2008
great post rev
you gave mike’s position
he wants to win more than we do
this team will do what is nesassary(sp?(i’m sure there’s a “c”)) to win
we took a chance on that psycho guillen
then cut him at the end of the season
even though cutting him might have cost us our chance to reach the play-offs
and did cost us our chance to advance
the ape was benched and we started some kid in game seven
of the world series!!!
ape was later dfa’d (lot’s of green)
maybe he knows more about gmj’s abilities than us
maybe he’s hoping gmj will do well enough to be traded
and get something back for him
maybe he thinks gmj is a good major leaguer
i think we should stop pretending that we are the manager at this site
let’s pretend we are the owner
would you force an ex-major leaguer
who is managing your team to bench someone
i bet artie posts here to relieve his frusterations
now i’m sure that artie has more inside info we do
but if you woke up tommorrow with that boston blackie moustache
would you make demands on sciosc?
i’d like to see naps dh when he isn’t catching
i’d like to see rivera get more at bats
either through starting or pinch hitting in most games for aybar, izzy, or Q
if he started, who sits?
love reggie, where’s he fit?
bat vlad lower?
morales seems great, play him over kotch? no way!
teach him to play third if possible
i’m so lucky, i only have to worry about paying rent
hope the irs and state board of equalization won’t garnish my wages
and my daughters will stay away from boys like i was
good luck artie and mike
keep winning
hittheg - May 20, 2008
i think calling Guillen "ape"
could get you into trouble some places.
Rev Halofan - May 20, 2008
by the way
yes, resign frankie
i hated him when he wanted more
but he is the best now
i whined when he went to arbrtration
but if we can get him back, do it
what is he worth?
i don’t know
how long?
i don’t know
just sprinkle fairy dust and make it happen
thanks,
be my santa
hittheg - May 20, 2008
these posts hurt my ocular cavities...
Downing Rules - May 20, 2008
nice iambic pentameter
NoDakHalo - May 20, 2008
or a crackhead's haiku
yeswecan - May 20, 2008
Izturis mob won't be necessary
If Iz comes on strong and Aybars OBP keeps plummeting, coach won’t have a problem with the veteran Iz at SS. Of course, Iz would have to stay healthy, which he has yet to prove he can do.
vladtheimpaler - May 20, 2008
if izzy can't
and aybar (which i don’t think he will, sucks)
figgy at ss
Q at 3rd
problamatic
that’s why we don’t dfa Q
he’s still better than wood and brown, now
hittheg - May 20, 2008
I don't see many folk downplaying Aybar here
I guess we all really want him to do well. I just have this feeling (hope I am wrong) that he is a .220 avg .240 OBP slap hitter in the long run. And your right, no one else has even come close to showing something at the ML level except for the old school boys.
I will hope in one hand, and play the proven in the other until hope prooves worthy.
vladtheimpaler - May 20, 2008
Aybar's minor league numbers suggest he's much better than a .220 slap hitter
Carl Johnson - May 20, 2008
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