Angels 11, Cubs 0 - MLB - CBSSports.com
Two Angels outfield prospects had big days: Terry Evans went 5 for 5 with a homer and Peter Bourjos celebrated his 23rd birthday by homering and tripling.
Another fine outing by the Angels pitching staff.
Weaver makes case to start opener - angelsbaseball.com
Angels manager Mike Scioscia will officially announce his team's Opening Day starter on Thursday. On Wednesday, Jered Weaver, who is on track to pitch the first game of the regular season against Minnesota on Monday, reminded everyone why he is the front-runner. Weaver allowed one hit in five scoreless innings in the Angels' 11-0 victory against the Cubs on Wednesday at HoHoKam Stadium. The right-hander struck out nine and did not walk a batter in the 60-pitch outing.
Weaver is the ace of the Angels "Red Barons" (that's the nickname I just made up for the Angels starting pitching squad. You can send the royalty checks via Paypal).
Organizational Rankings: #6 – Seattle - FanGraphs Baseball
The combination of a winnable division and a high variance roster gives the Mariners a legitimate chance at winning the World Series this year, even with a roster that has plenty of warts. They’re not the favorites, certainly, but if you ran the 2010 season 1,000 times, the Mariners would end up champions in a non-trivial amount of them. They’d also finish last a bunch of times, which is part of the risk they’ve had to accept. But we cannot ignore the fact that among the 30 MLB clubs, Seattle is more likely to win the title in 2010 than most of their competitors.
You knew this was coming, right? When Cameron had the Angels at #11, and then claimed there was no fan bias in the ranking, you had to figure the Mariners would be pretty high up. And I completely understand if there were bias. I know there would be no way I could write an unbiased article ranking teams because I spend so much more time analyzing the Angels than the other 29 teams. To keep away from any possible "fanboy bias", I'll leave the Angels out of this and ask, who in their right mind would rank the Mariners ahead of the Phillies? And not by just one spot, but three? I got this story by way of The Baseball Think Factory, where this Fangraph article is being commented about. Two of my favorite comments:
"Howie Kendrick, Mike Napoli, and Brandon Wood are as good as the 3-4-5 hitters Oakland or Seattle has. And they will be batting 7-8-9."
"Also, the Mariners can have a large payroll and have a smart front office. Unlike say the Angels, who I guess run their team on a shoestring budget and whose management hasn't fielded a winning team in over five months."
I emailed Dave Cameron to see if he'd be interested in doing a chat on Halos Heaven about his rankings. He replied he was really busy this week, but would be happy to answer any questions. Here's your chance -- if you have any questions for Dave, please ask them below in the comments section and I'll forward them to him.
Is the Angels' offense moving back to the American League? - The Orange County Register
"We are going to be a team that has the ability to drive the ball better than we have at any time since maybe 2000," Scioscia said, invoking the most aberrational offensive season in Angels history. The 2000 Angels (Scioscia's first team) hit a franchise-record 236 home runs, the only time in franchise history they have topped 200 home runs.
Kendry Morales’ star is on the rise - latimes.com
It's premature to proclaim but not preposterous to think that Kendry Morales could be to the Angels over the next six seasons what Vladimir Guerrero was to them the past six: a slugger to build an offense around.Morales, who is batting .380 (19 for 50) with two homers and 12 RBIs this spring, is beginning to look and act like a player of Guerrero's stature.
Willits could open season on DL - The Orange County Register
If Willits goes to the DL to start the season, that would open the door for Evans, the only one of the other outfield candidates who plays center field. Robb Quinlan, Michael Ryan, Corey Aldridge and Wilson would then be competing for the final two spots on the bench – one if the Angels decide to open the season with a 12-man pitching staff (unlikely at this point).
I forget where I read a comment about this story (it may have been on AngelsWin, but I'm not sure), but someone speculated the reason for putting Willits on the DL was to make it easier to get Evans through waivers. Not a bad theory, if the Angels can keep Evans in the majors for the first week or so, the other teams will have already made their roster moves, meaning less of a chance Evans gets claimed.
Angels expanding radio reach - angelsbaseball.com
On Wednesday, 710 ESPN (KSPN) and KLAA AM 830 announced a new partnership beginning April 5 that will bring 60 Angels games to 710 ESPN while allowing listeners of KLAA the opportunity to hear some of ESPN Radio's national weekday programming.
Obviously, this has no impact on me in Wisconsin, but I'll miss the humorous comments about colon cleansing. Okay, maybe not so much.
Red Sox are no Angels - The Boston Globe
When it comes to opening day box office draws, Red Sox fans might be forgiven for thinking their team is tops. But according to a new survey, they Red Sox are no Angels - or Yankees or Twins either. A new survey by StubHub, the ticket marketplace owned by eBay Inc., concludes that the Angels versus the Yankees in New York is the shaping up to be the most expensive opening day ticket, with an average ticket price of $230.
It's those transplanted Californians who have escaped the balmy So Cal weather for the seasons in New York who are buying up all of those tickets.
Offseason Free Agent Spending By Team - MLBTradeRumors.com
A total of $972MM was spent on Major League free agent contracts this offseason, led by the Red Sox at $137MM. The Marlins are on bottom, with no big league free agent contracts signed. Each team spent about $32MM on average. 1. Red Sox - $137,030,000 2. Cardinals - $129,450,000 3. Mets - $75,350,000 4. Brewers - $55,650,000 5. Angels - $52,000,000
I thought this was very interesting. The Angels spent the fifth-most amount of money on free agents this past off season, after so many said the Angels off season was bad. I know it's not how much you spend that determines success, but in many of the things I read about the Angels off season, I was under the impression that they didn't do as much as other teams.
Picking apart our offseason MLB Power Poll - Stan McNeal - Sporting News
6. Angels. We would rank few clubs this high after losing their All-Star leadoff hitter, No. 1 starter, future Hall of Fame DH and key lefthanded reliever. But we believe in Mike Scioscia.
7. Mariners. If we'd known Casey Kotchman and Milton Bradley would be manning the 3 hole and cleanup spot, we'd have bumped Seattle out of the top 10.
A review of their preview.
BDD ‘10 Team Previews — Los Angeles Angels : Baseball Daily Digest
It is unlikely that this year’s team will come close to the runs scored by the 2009 version, so the season may depend on run prevention and, in particular, the reliability of Ervin Santana and Scott Kazmir. The consistency of the bullpen, especially Brian Fuentes, will also be important. That Fuentes led the league in saves in 2009 shows the meaninglessness of that statistic.
And another preview.
AL West: Angels' top-dog status hinges on Weaver - Yahoo! Sports
And while Weaver may lack the snarl and World Series Game 7 pedigree of departed Angels ace John Lackey, his record after 110 starts – 51-27 – is well ahead of Lackey’s 43-38.
It must be preview season.
Comparison of Hitters and Pitchers on the DL - Beyond the Box Score
Someone asked me for this data, so since I had it available, I decided to create some pretty graphs. Here are how pitchers and hitters compare in trips to DL, days on DL and salary lost due to time on DL;
You'll have to follow the link to see the pretty graphs, but it's worth it.
Denard Span of Minnesota Twins hits mother with foul ball - ESPN
In a shocking split-second, Span hit a hard foul ball that struck his mom in the upper chest Wednesday. She was treated by paramedics and back in the stands minutes later. "Tell everyone that I'm all right," Wanda Wilson told The Associated Press hours later by telephone. "Everyone was so worried, he was so worried. But I'm all right." "As the ball was in the air, I realized that it was going after my mom," Span said after arriving back at Twins' headquarters in Fort Myers. "When I saw her go down, I just couldn't do nothing but go after her.""That's what hurt me the most," Span said, "when she started crying.""What the odds of that happening?" Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson said.
If there were about 7000 fans in the stands, and one of them were Span's mom, I think the odds were 1:7000.
"Scrabble" nickname is awesome but impossible - umpbump.com
This morning Paul emailed the UmpBump writers with a new candidate for best nickname in baseball. It seems the Blue Jays’ Marc Rzepczynski is nicknamed "Scrabble." Awesome!
Yesterday's awesomeness:
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Groundouts-flyouts: Weaver, Jr 1-4, Shields, S 1-2, Rodney 1-0, Carmona, I 2-0, McKiernan 3-0, Zambrano, C 3-3, Marshall 2-1, Samardzija 0-2, Russell, J 1-1, Berg 3-0, Caridad 0-0. Batters faced: Weaver, Jr 16, Shields, S 3, Rodney 3, Carmona, I 6, McKiernan 3, Zambrano, C 18, Marshall 3, Samardzija 6, Russell, J 6, Berg 6, Caridad 5. Umpires: HP: John Tumpane. 1B: Gary Darling. 2B: . 3B: Rob Drake. Weather: 82 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 15 mph, Out to LF. T: 2:20. Att: 7,707. March 31, 2010 |
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0 recs | 74 comments
While Seattle is being overestimated by a select few...
…I can’t poopoo their chances either. They are an 85 win team who improved themselves in the offseason. I fully expect this to be a highly competitive division, edge to Texas, with even Oakland having an outside shot at slipping through, if everything fell into place for them.
People went a little nuts about Cameron positioning the Angels at #11, but what would that have amounted to last year? An 87-75 record. That was Minnesota, Texas and Florida last season. One division winner, and two second place teams. It’s not like calling the Halos the Nats or the Orioles.
I could see the Halos winning 87 to 89 teams this season in a newly competitive division. I could also see outside chances of them winning 94 or 84.
There are completely defensible arguments for Anaheim, Texas or Seattle winning this year. Not sure why folks are so scandalized about some thinking Seattle may have a chance — calling it “idiocy” and tearing one’s shirt over conveys less confidence than you might think.
Turks Teeth - April 1, 2010
I never said they didn't have a chance.
The idiocy (in my opinion) is that Fangraphs thinks there are only 5 teams in all of baseball who are better than the Mariners. Let’s leave the Angels out of it (to avoid any bias), but I think the Phillies, Braves, Rockies, Dodgers and Rangers are all better than the Mariners.
When a team who scored the lowest amount of runs in the league (46 less than the Royals) upgrades their offense by adding Figgins and Bradley, I’m not convinced they’ve gotten that much better.
WiHaloFan - April 1, 2010
And keep in mind they LOST Beltre and Branyan.
Now with Figgins/Ichiro as a 1-2 they’re likely to have lots of baserunners. But the honest truth is their lineup has no power. They’re going to be relying on a singles based offense, and while that can work (The Angels have provided way too much evidence to say otherwise), I’m not sure it means they’re going to score more runs than last year.
TheOptimist - April 1, 2010
Singles based offense
yeah, it can work. But the problem is that they don’t have AVG/OBP hitters, either. They OBP’d .314 last year. The lowest the Angels have OBP’d, beginning with their W.S. year, is .325 (in 2005). They’ve AVERAGED a .337 OBP. Seattle also batted .258 last year, a number the Angels haven’t reached since 1999 (.256), and haven’t come within 10 points of since 2001 (.261).
So a singles based offense has the potential to work, yes (though as Angels fans we know it can be feast or famine)…the problem is you need to first have people who can even hit singles.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 1, 2010
Thanks for the #'s.
That’s pretty convincing.
Rally Manatee - April 1, 2010
Are you volunteering for Sabermetrician Camp?
Do it, CKoD, be all you can be!
Join the Few, the Loud, The Sabermarines.
Commander_Nate - April 1, 2010
Haha
nah. I’m still sticking to pretty simple stuff. I get scared when I venture away from my OBP/SLG/AVG numbers. RISP is as risque as I get.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 1, 2010
Given consistent AB's, Kotch is a pretty decent AVG bet, 280-290 probably.
We KNOW Figgs will be an improvement over Beltre in OBP and likely also in BA. Bradley’s pretty good at OBP and could be a decent batting average guy, but we all know about his reliability issues. Other than that…yeah. Sweeney/Griffey/Byrnes WHOEVER they use at DH is unlikely to well BA wise. Johnson’s as bad as Mathis, Wilson’s terrible and on the wrong side of 30, Lopez’s OBP sits at .300, and they got Gutierrez for his glove. So they have some bright spots but overall I agree their offense is likely to be unreliable at best.
TheOptimist - April 1, 2010
Yeah, they have a couple interesting new pieces
that could contribute some OBP/AVG here and there. But really, an objective look at Figgins can tell you he’s on the wrong side of 30, he runs into a lot of outs on the basepaths (league leader in caught stealing), and he’s missed 50ish games in two of the last three seasons.
Kotchman and Bradley I wouldn’t count on getting full playing time. Bradley hasn’t had 450 PAs in years.
I can see a team improvement to somewhere in the .320 range, but this team just cannot hit for shit. And, as has been stated, they’ve lost their BIGGEST power threat from last year…a guy who hit 12 more homers than anyone else on the team, save the otherwise-anemic Lopez.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 1, 2010
Agreed.
When I saw they had Kotch hitting 3rd, I relaxed a little. They really are not very potent after the pesky 1 and 2 hitters, especially compared to teams like the Phillies, Yankees, and yes, the Angels.
One thing I will be interested in seeing is, if Figgins leads off, will Ichiro change his hitting any? I’ve heard commentators say for years that he could hit more for power if he felt like it, and that in BP, he hits a lot out. So, now is his chance to show us if that’s true. That is, IF they hit him 2nd. That’s what I would do. I’d also hit Bradley or Griffey 3rd, and put Kotch down at 5th or 6th.
Rally Manatee - April 1, 2010
Figgins won't lead off
mattwelch - April 1, 2010
I heard that, too, about Ichiro...
and thought they would move Itchy to the 2 with Figgins leading off.
Downing Rules - April 2, 2010
My $0.02
Every year the Halos outperform their pythag record. However, not ONCE have we been outscored by our opponents during the time. They were not an 85 win team last year. They were a 75 win team that got outscored by their opponents by 52 runs. They have a 1-2 pitching staff, and a 1-4 lineup.
And if this were the Angels upgrading a team that was outscored by 50 runs, fangraphs would claim that we were using smoke and mirrors and that there is no way we contend. When you write for an unbiased website, and you don’t leave your bias out of it when making ridiculous claims, you’re an idiot.
halofan4life - April 1, 2010
It's the disproportionate amount of fellating Seattle has been recieving more than anything
Everyone is used to that with Boston and New York, but now Seattle is getting the same treatment for no real justifiable reason.
There are 27 other teams out there, with a good portion of them deserving at least as much attention as the Mariners, if not more.
Commander_Nate - April 1, 2010
It started out as national fellating, but now it's more becoming more of a self-fellating thing.
And the more they do it in public, they may want think about chilling it a bit before they have to register with megan’s list.
snowhor - April 1, 2010 via mobile
M's fans have a right to be excited about their organization
After the slow-motion trainwreck that was the Bavasi era, things are looking really, really positive for them right now. Jack Zdurienwhatever has only been on the job for a year, but due to a combination of good luck and good timing, the Mariners have offloaded all of the bad baseball players Bavasi spent millions on. But the enthusiasm is running away with common sense. Consider the things that Zduriensomethingorother has had break his way:
1. Sexson, Beltre, Washburn, Bautista (anyone else?) all had their contracts expire.
2. Kenji Johjima just happened to decide he’d rather play in Japan than finish his contract.
3. The Cubs splurged on Bradley, pissed him off, then chose to trade him for worthless Carlos Silva.
4. The Phillies gave away Cliff Lee for God knows what reason.
5. The M’s had a +16 game swing in actual vs. expected performance between 2008 and 2009.
That has nothing to do with being a baseball genius and everything to do with having at least half a brain (half more than Bavasi had) and being in the right place at the right time. If Jim Hendry approaches you and says, “I’ll sell you this slightly used $20 bill for $5,” then I think the choice is clear. Now, it’s not impossible than Zdurienhoweveryousayit actually is a baseball genius, but how can we know after such a short period of time? He’s done a good job not being an idiot by making all the no-brainers, but we’ll have to wait and see about the following:
1. Was it a good idea to bet $40 million on Chone Figgins on the wrong side of 30?
2. Could Franklin Gutierrez be the next Corey Patterson?
3. Are current defensive metrics actually a reliable measure of player value?
4. Do the Mariners really have a good rotation, or a top-heavy one?
5. Can Zdurienxczohxc build and maintain a farm system?
I don’t know yet. What I do know is that on paper the Mariners look to be on the fringe of competitiveness with a minor-league system that is not particularly strong. I would be more upbeat about the Rangers. But when your basis of comparison is Bill Bavasi, well, just about anything looks like winning the World Series.
Suboptimal - April 1, 2010
Slow motion for meh
Commander_Nate - April 1, 2010
Zdurie________. Ha ha!
Rally Manatee - April 1, 2010
I just want the season to start already
so we can all stop fighting over hypothetical bullshit.
dmhead - April 1, 2010
Amen!
Quad Fin Rider - April 1, 2010
Rec'd
red floyd - April 1, 2010
What do the Angels need to do to stop the Media Suckage of Seattle?
Angels have been in the playoffs 6 times out of 8, yet Seattle is better.
Angels finish the season in 1st place 5 of the last 6 years, yet Seattle is better.
Angels lose three overrated and aging player and Seattle adds Kotchman, Bradley, and Lee, yet Seattle is better.
Angels pitching staff is the best in the American League, yet Seattle is better.
The media needs to take there knee pads off and stop sucking Seattle because this year will be a repeat of last year. Teams start out fast but the Angels will finish in First. Media jump on a bandwagon that wins for a change. Ride the wave of playoff appearances with the Angels. The Angels are not a flash in the pan or a revolt. The Angels are a force to stay, a new powerful dynasty of baseball power in the backyard of Disneyland.
GO ANGELS
DAD OF VLAD - April 1, 2010
it is starting to turn the other way
more and more are starting to see the angels as favorable – after seattle’s spring training – which i don’t get. i mean really it is spring training, only watch it for the rookies (like Jason Heward) .
i would ask him how the angels have a “low” payroll – in 2009 the angels had the 6th highest. why are the m’s ahead of the two time defending nl champion, three headed monster of howard, utley, and rollins, lefty-righty duo of hamels and holliday, phillies?
did he rank the teams based on how many times they won out of 1,000 or pull it out of his arse
Halos in DE - April 1, 2010
The Angels hit 173 home runs last season. In 2010, they'll hit...
Over 9000!!AlanFalcon - April 1, 2010
Also, Wi could stand to take Statistics 101.
But it’s kinda boring so I understand if you don’t want to.
AlanFalcon - April 1, 2010
Huh? Please explain.
WiHaloFan - April 1, 2010
Is he saying because HRs alone don't matter as much as other stats?
I’m confused too, buddy.
Rally Manatee - April 1, 2010
He's cofused too
He’s a video game hack…what does he know
Funke5ive - April 2, 2010
DAMN YOU 4CHAN
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 1, 2010
Rule 1 and 2
WiHaloFan - April 1, 2010
I don't follow the rules because I want as little to do with that place as possible
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 1, 2010
technically rules 1 and 2 only apply to a certain part of 4chan
PhiSlamma - April 1, 2010
You are correct sir.
WiHaloFan - April 1, 2010
Was that originally a 4chan joke? I had thought it started on Youtube.
TheOptimist - April 1, 2010
For about five years,
every single meme started on 4chan. Not so much any more, but that one was a 4chan original, I’m pretty sure.
misterjonez - April 2, 2010
They will hit that many this season
I played out a full season on The video game “The Bigs 2” on the WII and we ended with 500 home runs. Who knew that Aybar would hit 50 in a season.
A true measure of the season, also ended 162 – 0.
DAD OF VLAD - April 1, 2010
I have a question for Cameron
where did you get that stuff, and how much was it?
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 1, 2010
Fearless Mets-biased prediction:
The Mets win more games this year than the Mariners.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 1, 2010
I don't have a problem with our offense leaning more towards power
Think about probably the two greatest games in Angels history – Game 6 of the 2002 World Series and Game 5 of the 2002 ALCS – Homeruns were key factors in those games. Small ball is fun to watch and definitely valuable, but being able to deflate your opponents with one swing sure makes things easier.
To Dave Cameron: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood – statistically speaking, of course?
Commander_Nate - April 1, 2010
How much Dick?
How much Dick Wood a Dick Wood Dick if a Dick Wood could Dick Wood?
Rally Manatee - April 1, 2010
...
not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 1, 2010
Well, yeah, the Angels are playing the Yankees in the most expensive stadium, but...
SUCK IT BOSTON!!!!
red floyd - April 1, 2010
Every comment should end that way
SUCK IT BOSTON!!!!
DAD OF VLAD - April 1, 2010
Can I have a dollar?
Rev Halofan - April 1, 2010
Benedict Lackey is pitching to the Twins right now on espn.
Now can I have a dollar? He has sat down 9 Twins in a row even though it is mostly their B team. No Mauer or Morneau. He gave up a homerun to Thome already.
44FAN - April 1, 2010
Thome
the only hope for my fantasy team
Rev Halofan - April 1, 2010
I'll give you a dollar
If you tell me if you have a brother that is an English professor, because the guy looks almost identical to you. Oh yeah, and he likes the Angels!
OceanBird - April 1, 2010
I am not related to any academics
that would be a no. but us leprechaun descendents all look alike
Rev Halofan - April 1, 2010
Especially with that damn B on your cap.
Rally Manatee - April 1, 2010
Q for Dave
You broke down the M’s rankings into three separate categories: Present Talent, Future Talent, and Management. In what area do you believe the Mariners outrank the Angels? I ask because for the life of me I can’t see how they’d outrank the Angels in any category.
In terms of Present Talent, the Angels have an aging but very talented OF, one of the best infields in baseball with a question mark at 3B, one of the best batting catchers in baseball, a remarkably solid 1-5 rotation, and a decent if not stellar bullpen.
In terms of Future Talent, the Angels like the M’s have much of their young talent in place already. Kendrick, Aybar, Morales, Weaver, Santana, Saunders, Jepsen Wood and Napoli are all under team control for atleast 3 more years. In addition to that the Halos have Peter Bourjos as an excellent CF glove and Trevor Reckling perhaps a year removed from being ready to start. They also have a bevy of talent emerging in their lower minor league system.
In terms of Management, I’m not sure what there is to say. The Angels have turned out 6 playoff teams in 8 years, won a minimum of 89 games each of the past 6, own a 100 mil+ payroll, have one of the best attendance rates in baseball (top 5 in 6 of the last seven seasons, 6th in the other), They get players they need, they’ve had no problem getting young talent, and they outperform expectations every year. The Angels have built the kind of organization everyone wants: a consistent winner lots of people want to go see.
So…yeah. I’ll cop to being an Angels fan, but I honestly don’t think there’s much to argue in what I’ve written. At best you might give the M’s an edge in future talent, but the other 2 categories pretty much go to the Halos. So I’m curious where you differ, Dave.
TheOptimist - April 1, 2010
i dont even see much of an edge they got in future talent
even if I take off my red glasses, I still dont see any advantage they have over us at all.
desecrator09 - April 1, 2010
One thing that I think gets overlooked in the season predictions
is the Angels improved bullpen over last year. Last year it took awhile for the Angels relievers to find themselves but once they did they were outstanding, particularly Jepsen and Bulger. Do you guys know in the 2nd half of the season last year they combined for 64 innings and gave up only 1 homer?
Combine having them for a full year along with having Shields back and that far more than covers the loss of Oliver.
MH252525 - April 1, 2010
^this^
desecrator09 - April 1, 2010
Exactly
So many of those games where we had a 5, 6, 7 run lead and saw the bullpen give it away won’t happen this year, or at least it’s likely they won’t.
That game where we had basically pounded the Twins into submission and then the bullpen melted, ending with Bulger giving up a cycle-completing grand slam to Kubel pissed me off to no end.
That was the first time since 2002 that I actually acknowledged the gremlins in the back of my head telling me the Angels might be out of it by the end of May.
Commander_Nate - April 1, 2010
Q for Cameron
DO you get stomach aches? With the top of your head so far up your ass, i assume it hits the bottom of your stomach, at least when you are walking or sitting.
Rev Halofan - April 1, 2010
A hilarious quote from Matt in the BBTF thread
TheOptimist - April 1, 2010
no reason we should be hitting near 200 HRs this yr
its the same players as last yr but replacing Vlady with Matsui which means more HRs. Not to mention Abreu’s probable improvement from last yr
desecrator09 - April 1, 2010
*no reason we shouldn't*
desecrator09 - April 1, 2010
argghh i meant Morales' probable improvement
damn ’shrooms…
desecrator09 - April 1, 2010
Dear Mr. Cameron....
What would it take to have a good friend, girlfriend, mother or wife go down to the local Walgreens (or Osco’s) and buy a big tub of Vaseline so that you can properly pull your head out of your ass without getting a neck strain.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - April 1, 2010
rofl
beautiful
desecrator09 - April 1, 2010
Same story, different year.
The Angels are often overlooked and underrated, but we have always sort of liked it that way. This is nothing new. There’s no reason to be bitter. It can be enjoyable to root for the underdog when we are confident the dog’s got bite. We know our team will contend, and we don’t need validation from any Camerons or Espins.
I think I say this every year, we just have to stay humble, and hope our boys prove themselves on the field. Let’s hope they continue to be the team with intangibles that are off the charts, the team with HEART. And as fans, let’s not go down the slippery slope of Spanks and Sux. We are not entitled to anything, we are just grateful to witness this golden age of winning.
Rally Manatee - April 1, 2010
Well said...
Who cares what the preseason projections are. Let the season begin!
thetooth - April 1, 2010
Odds on Span's mom getting hit were probably a little higher since she was sitting in the front row...
just sayin’…
or I guess her odds of getting hit were < 1 in 7,000 due to proximity. Farther from the plate you sit the less chance of a line drive being able to reach you. Still thought your comment was pretty funny though! ;)
K3YEROUT - April 1, 2010
If you wanna get technical about it
the “1 in 7000” comment only applies at all to begin with if you’re talking about the odds of it hitting a specific person, with the precondition that it hit any person at all in attendance. Because the odds are significantly LESS than 1 in 7,000, without such a condition, with any number of incalculable variables playing into the mess. ;)
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 1, 2010
ESPN on AM 830
I’m not sure which is worse… listening to real estate scams and colon cleansing informercial, or the Boston/NewYork fellatio that we’re going to be getting instead.
red floyd - April 1, 2010
What? Please explain.
I haven’t heard about what you’re referring to.
Rally Manatee - April 1, 2010
See the link
“Angels expanding radio reach – angelsbaseball.com” above
red floyd - April 1, 2010
Thanks
Rally Manatee - April 3, 2010
"Dave, could you please list all of your daily medications?
I’m concerned about potential drug interactions."
“Does every day seem especially sunny and bright for you – even in Seattle? Even, perhaps, painfully bright?”
“Any vertigo? Noticing any difficulty organizing your thoughts?”
“Please describe your relationship with your mother.”
“Does it hurt when you pee?”
LAASurfin - April 2, 2010
Dave, after reading all of our intelligent questions posed here...
do you have any shred of respect left for Angel fans?
Downing Rules - April 2, 2010
Dave, when fellating the Mariners do you focus on the shaft or the balls primarily?
linkbruin - April 3, 2010
I got a real question
How do you weigh each component of the rankings? Is future talent equal to current talent? Is a prospect valued more heavily than an average player already starting in the major leagues? What about budgetary concerns? The A’s could have the best farm system in the history of baseball but in six years, they wont be able to afford more than one or two of them. How much did Zduriencik affect the rankings? What are these rankings trying to say? If every team had an unlimited budget, and there was no free agency, trades, or minor league drafts, this team would probably be doing pretty good in ten years?
anaheim angels - April 3, 2010
With regards to the FanGraphs rankings
Not enough emphasis was placed on team financial profiles. I would have incorporated the team’s finances, along with the blend of current talent, future talent, and management, in order to rank MLB teams.
Unfortunately, MLB teams do not have to disclose audited financial statements. However, Forbes provides a yearly assessment of the value of each MLB franchise. The 2010 valuations aren’t ready yet, but here is the link to the 2009 valuations.
This is really fantastic stuff, as Forbes discusses team value (including a valuation breakdown), revenues, payroll, debt, etc.
Here is the top 10 (based on current Team Value)
1) Yankees
2) Mets
3) Red Sox
4) Dodgers
5) Cubs
6) Angels
7) Phillies
8) Cardinals
9) Giants
10) White Sox
I’m not suggesting that teams be ranked by finances alone. But it’s a very important aspect with regards to achieving and maintaining on-field success.
Fan Since 1981 - April 6, 2010
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