FINAL SCORE IN ANAHEIM: Tigers 4, Angels 3 ... Three outs away from Jered Weaver's 3rd win of the season, the Angels saw closer Brian Fuentes return from the disabled list in time to choke up the save and then the game. The Lefty never touched 90 on the gun and a monstrous HR by Miguel Cabrera set in motion a two-run 9th for the Motor City Cats.
The Angels were shutout for 8 straight innings after scoring 3 runs in the 1st inning, 2 on a Kendry Morales HR. Weaver pitched fantastic and deserved better.
There once was a disabled man
Who swore he had healed all he can
He went back to work
but his neck made a jerk
As a Tiger sent his pitch to a fan
We had 82 commenters churn out 1600+ comments in 2 game threads ... GAME THREAD 1 and GT2 ... roll call after the poll...
Roll Call: halofolife, ladybug, deejayelleseven, vlad IS my man, Raaddad, Angels_48, DAD OF VLAD, eyespy, ryanfea, salmonforever, cath619, linkbruin, red floyd, ~MMP~, opiejeanne, TheOptimist, hobbit_86, Dono Romantico, 44FAN, b0rd3rline, K3YEROUT, AlanFalcon, LiteUpThatHalo, Zu Long, WiHaloFan, RexTookMyStash, Anaheim71420, Rev Halofan, sothball, angels_rally_mom, Slasher52, Fan Since 1981, Halowood, RedFog, Angelsrthebest101, princeton11loveshalos, Robviously, Clutch, moosemastr, SenorChuckles, desecrator09, Funke5ive, chairmanofthebar, OC Awhole1, dr-awkward, blast21dave, BigBangRobbDawgg, firebird81, reddawnman, Ed@northridge, THE VOICE, angelfan1954, Figgi4life, Balls and Strikes, mikvitu, angelskid2210, angels all star 2010, lightupthehalo29, adirondackangelfan, ZiK, Quad Fin Rider, sctrojan13, ANewFoundThrice, TheKingfish, NW angels Fan, Scotty G, Caseys Kiss of Death, big0lbad, UCIHalo, poguemahone, Quinlan's Goofy Swing, MsForever, Northwest, OCangels, RedHatHalo, clover_black, The Furious Bat of Howie47, HALO N BRIMSTONE, AndersonsGreatLegs, phoenix15, hbhalofan, mjhsieh
Total Users: 82
Total Posts: 1616
Total Threads: 2
0 recs | 276 comments
BLAME WOOD FOR THIS LOST
he did not get a hit
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
Napoli didn't get a hit either.
SenorChuckles - April 21, 2010
that is ok
he is the NAP
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
Matsui is the blame.
SenorChuckles - April 21, 2010
Abooo is to blame
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
sucks for Weaver
Scotty G - April 21, 2010
Fuentes Sucks
There everything that needs to be said in this post has been said
ryanfea - April 21, 2010
Big Easy Halofan - April 21, 2010
Thanks.
cheered up my night
vlad IS my man - April 21, 2010
That is F'ing awesome
Figgi4life - April 21, 2010 via mobile
his face makes that picture
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
damn, you work fast!
Wrecked
Quad Fin Rider - April 21, 2010
It was at 5 recs
I rec’d it, and it went to 8.
I am obviously the Raptor Jesus.
TheKingfish - April 21, 2010
Lets get it to 20
ryanfea - April 21, 2010
15.
It was 12, I pressed it and it went to 15.
Figgi4life - April 21, 2010
I gave him the 20th rec
blast21dave - April 21, 2010
now forty
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
Let's get it to 50!
We can do this, people.
LazorkoRules - April 22, 2010
Rec'd from me too!
Awesomeness! Thank you man
blast21dave - April 21, 2010
Throwing paper airplanes....
That fly into the stratosphere after being hit by opponent’s bats and soon have their own orbit.
Enough space junk already.
hbhalofan - April 21, 2010
You need to fanshot that
So we can rec it for real.
Figgi4life - April 21, 2010
worst american born closer, with a spanish name, on the angels.
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
rec 22
Rally Manatee - April 21, 2010
rec 25
Fred Fredrix - April 21, 2010
I got rec #30!
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
Outstanding!
ryanfea - April 21, 2010
this guy is a joke seriously
halo4lifeinny - April 21, 2010
Rec 32
Thanks for the laugh
haloduck - April 21, 2010
AWESOME
Makes things a little better. Mahalo
eyespy - April 21, 2010
Had to throw a rec in there too
red floyd - April 22, 2010
Oh, it was #52
red floyd - April 22, 2010
#59
desecrator09 - April 22, 2010
rec 62
this has got to be the most rec’d comment of all time.
angels4adam - April 25, 2010
I hate Dinosaurs
let’s sign Obama, better situational lefty
vlad IS my man - April 21, 2010
Zing!
Figgi4life - April 21, 2010 via mobile
Ha!
Clutch - April 21, 2010
Back to .500
:(
chairmanofthebar - April 21, 2010
Ask your week-ago self: Would I be happy with a .500 Angels club in a week?
Answer: No. I wouldn’t be happy… I’d be ecstatic!
AlanFalcon - April 21, 2010
Ain't that the truth.
halofolife - April 21, 2010
At keast
Rodney only messed up 1 save last year. Someone needs to tell Sosh that Fuentes isn’t Percival or K-Rod. If he gets runners on board, most of the time those runners are gonna score.
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
VILE VILE VILE
Are you F-ing kidding me! Despicable display…and Brandon Wood really is terrible…very discouraging loss…
Halopauly - April 21, 2010
Way to randomly throw in the Brandon Wood hate there buddy...
When he had no more to do with this loss than the rest of the offense…or Fuentes…
What did the guy do to you, take a dump in your Wheaties? 37 ABs! 37!
Clutch - April 21, 2010
no - Wheaties are fine, but
what he has done and continues to do is strikeout, leave men on, and perform like a single A everyday player
Halopauly - April 21, 2010
40 at-bats
clearly the magic number for being terrible is either 38 or 39, didn’t you get the memo?
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
you're right
Brandon Wood is the greatest player ever! Just look at his numbers! And the consistency! Fantastic! Oh yeah, and his fielding is hall of fame too!
Halopauly - April 21, 2010
You got me
clearly showing rational, mid-April patience for a first-year prospect through his first handful of at-bats is the same thing as declaring him to be Mike Schmidt.
Who the hell taught you to argue, Ann Coulter?
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
give him two years then make the call
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
Give who two years, Wood or Halopauly?
Because by Halopauly’s logic, I should use this small sample size of postings in this thread to declare him the worst HH poster this year.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
Wood two years - Halopauly years ago
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
Interestingly enough
Halopauly’s post sample size is nearly identical to Wood’s at-bat total in 2010.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
I AM A TALKING HEAD
Argue argue argue blah blah argue argue blah rabble rabble rabble rabble
teopeht - April 21, 2010
You want to keep a sub .100 hitter on the lineup for 2 years?
That’s what the National League is for.
ttsec - April 22, 2010
beauty, mate
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
LAME!
I pointed out in another thread that you consider hall of famer Mike Schmidt to be a failure as well. So, that’s what your thoughts are worth.
jjackflash - April 22, 2010
Comparing Brandon Wood to Mike Schmidt is ...
silly. Several HOFers had slow career starts. Mantle, for example. Many, many more nobodies had slow starts.
LazorkoRules - April 22, 2010
That's the point
silly. The sample size is waaaaaaay to small to make any kind of judgment.
jjackflash - April 22, 2010
Exhibit A why Rodney is now the team's closer
Too bad he can’t pitch every day
hk47 - April 21, 2010
Why can't he
pitch every day?
haloforlife - April 21, 2010
There's these cool little ligaments in a pitcher arms.
The more often a pitcher pitches, muscles around these ligaments begin to weaken, and therefore provide less protection for the ligaments. When this happens, the ligaments become significantly more prone to being injured. A pitcher has a difficult time pitching with busted ligaments in their elbow and/or shoulder. Therefore, because we would like to have our best pitchers out there for as many games THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, we rest them every once in a while, so they don’t end up getting Tommy John or other surgeries, and being FORCED to use Fuentes in save situations. Got it?
b0rd3rline - April 21, 2010
yeah thanks....
you must be a PT. haha =)
haloforlife - April 21, 2010
You would be correct.
Glad I didn’t make myself look like a fool. Its hard to think coherently when you just witnessed a blown save after a beautifully pitched game otherwise.
b0rd3rline - April 21, 2010
unless his name is Scot Shields
LosAngel - April 21, 2010
Didn't you hear though?
Scot Shields has a rubber arm!
b0rd3rline - April 21, 2010
Change that to "HAD" a rubber arm
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
I keep telling myself that's why Sosh used Fuentes.
Was Rodney actually deemed unavailable for this game, or did Sosh really just opt to NOT use the guy who has been almost perfect this season?
Rally Manatee - April 21, 2010
I am starting to think that Scioscia really doesn't follow his ONE GAME AT A TIME mantra...
It seems to me that he’s willing to throw away a game or two in the name of still winning the series.
Take today, he gives it away, but I think he will manage tomorrow’s game much more seriously to win the series. Had the Halos won tonight, he would have made some other screwy personnel move just to see if it works. Maybe he’s going to start Q at third base?
Downing Rules - April 21, 2010
What?
Get some sleep, methinks.
AlanFalcon - April 21, 2010
Sadly, I kinda thought the same thing.
I said to my wife, “I wonder if he just really didn’t care that much about winning this one.” He obviously didn’t make the right decisions to put us in the best scenario to win. And this was not a “hindsight is 20-20” thing. EVERYONE knew as soon as Fuentes came in that it was a bad move.
Rally Manatee - April 21, 2010
if this means Fuentes is no longer the de facto closer, I am ok with it
I’m down with closer by match up, but I’d prefer to at least see these guys have the opportunity to finish their inning. I wouldn’t want to see Fuentes come in only to face 1 guy in the 9th. I want my closer to have a feeling of ownership for closing out any game he’s asked to pitch in.
LosAngel - April 22, 2010
saves.
most overrated stat ever.
i cant stand this turd throwin’ slow-pitch on the mound. sosh will trot him out there in other clutch situations, and, by blind luck, will eventually pitch decent.
clover_black - April 21, 2010
The extreme irony of your position, posted as it is amidst the magnitude of volcanic angst in this thread, is not lost on me.
Near perfection.
Stirrups - April 21, 2010
Saves are overrated ...
until you can’t get them.
The Mets from 2 years ago would be the most obvious example.
LazorkoRules - April 22, 2010
the logic is solid that Rodney shouldnt of been out there...
but where is the logic in putting in your “just activated” LEFTY closer against one of the best right handed bats in all of the majors ?
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
Hobson's choice.
AlanFalcon - April 21, 2010
where's the mistress and the gun
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
Or, I guess, Morton's fork.
AlanFalcon - April 21, 2010
HEY LOOK, THE S.S. FUENTES IS PULLING INTO THE DOCK
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
That sucks
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
I think you meant this one...
Balls and Strikes - April 21, 2010
One thing's for sure
I’m not changing Fuentes’ diaper tonight. Damnit.
Salmonella - April 21, 2010
fantastic post!
Halopauly - April 21, 2010
FU entes
Fred Fredrix - April 21, 2010
The entire offense minus Kendry should be an option
~MMP~ - April 21, 2010
Fuentsuxs
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
The offense
although weak, did its job today. It gave the pitchers a lead into the 9th. Fuentes should’ve closed out the game like Rodney had done the past 5 games.
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
I completely agree the team gave Fuentes the lead in the 9th that is his job to shut the door its what he is payed to do
Angelsrthebest101 - April 21, 2010
Well, no
the offense gave the pitching a lead early, and the pitching made it last until late by being stellar enough to make up for the weak offensive performance.
By that logic, a walk, passed ball, balk, and sac fly in the 8th to give the Angels a 1-0 lead would also be doing their job by “giving the team a lead into the 9th.”
The offense blew.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
it did suck but they had the lead and Fuentes coughed it up he did not do his part period
Angelsrthebest101 - April 21, 2010
I never said otherwise
read, please.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
name of the game is to have 1 more run than the other team @ the end of the game..
up until Soft-Tosser hit the mound, mission was accomplished.
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
Having one more run than the other team
is NOT the same thing as having a good offense. It was good starting pitching that gave us one more run.
I didn’t let Fuentes off the hook, I’m just saying it’s horseshit to say the offense was good merely because it put us ahead for 8 innings.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
nobody is saying the offense played well tonight its not just their job to perform and they scored enough runs to win this game
Unfortunately some ass hat came in and fudged things up
Angelsrthebest101 - April 21, 2010
...
Scoring 3 runs in the first inning and then never again is not an offense’s job. Scoring three runs a game would make you the worst offense in baseball by a large margin. Just because you timed your runs well enough to have them plated before the other team plated theirs doesn’t mean your job was done. Had the Angels scored their 3 after the Tigers had scored their 4, no one would make the argument the Angels’ offense did their job.
No one is letting Fuentes off the hook…I’m merely saying it’s horseshit to say the offense “did it’s job.”
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
i hear what you're saying.
i didnt say the offense was great either, it actually wasnt great last night either, despite the good starting pitching i think the hit totals between the Angels and opponents probably hasnt been too vast during the win streak. between the starting pitching and the pop-gun offense, the halos had enough to WIN, but alas…
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
free Maicer Izturis
Fred Fredrix - April 21, 2010
well said
Halopauly - April 21, 2010
Let Maicer take the reins already Sosh!
HALO N BRIMSTONE - April 21, 2010
Yeah.
Mice-tits should’ve definitely come in to close tonight. Would’ve solved everything.
b0rd3rline - April 21, 2010
couldnt have done much worse...
Balls and Strikes - April 21, 2010
kep the mouse caged
release the couger
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
Picked the first option before I read the second.
I immediately regret that decision. Awesome poll, Rev.
moosemastr - April 21, 2010
Equitable blame shared between Fuentes for his idiotic pitch selection and
Sosh for making such a bonehead move in a close game.
HALO N BRIMSTONE - April 21, 2010
I seem to remember a game like that last year
TheKingfish - April 21, 2010
playoffs, by chance?
Fred Fredrix - April 21, 2010
I wonder if that Cabrera HR has even landed yet
Quad Fin Rider - April 21, 2010
Yeah It's in my backyard!
HALO N BRIMSTONE - April 21, 2010
Maybe that ball was hit further then Bond’s
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
don't think s o
Angelsrthebest101 - April 21, 2010
well it hurt more. At least Bond’s only got solo shots.
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
that wasn’t a GW HR
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
Its orbiting next to the Manny shot off of Krod
gorams77 - April 21, 2010
so.....blame NAPS
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
Liking the post-game Limericks!
Nice job Rev
hbhalofan - April 21, 2010
Seconded.
Very clever.
moosemastr - April 21, 2010
Thirded
Love them limericks
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
Who Fuentesed?
jhens76 - April 21, 2010
He who smelt it, dealt it.
Stirrups - April 21, 2010
I blame the All-Star game
we won 5 in a row and then they show the uniforms and we lose.
I know i am not reading into this but could ESPN have been calling the pitches to the bitch on the hill known as Fuentesux?
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
The offense
although weak, did its job today.
Scoring 3 runs in the first inning and then never again is not an offense’s job. Scoring three runs a game would make you the worst offense in baseball by a large margin. Just because you timed your runs well enough to have them plated before the other team plated theirs doesn’t mean your job was done. Had the Angels scored their 3 after the Tigers had scored their 4, no one would make the argument the Angels’ offense did their job.
No one is letting Fuentes off the hook…I’m merely saying it’s horseshit to say the offense "did it’s job."
So the Angels always gonna avg 6 runs per game? Look at the Phillies and Braves. The Phillies scored 2 runs in 1 inning, but that was enough for a win. That’s why a pitching staff is there. To bridge the gap.
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
Please learn to reply
no, the Angels offense isn’t going to score 6 runs. That’s called a scarecrow argument.
Not every offense is going to do its job every day. And on days when it can only push across three runs, it has NOT done it’s job. How is this so exceedingly difficult to grasp? Performing at a level significantly below league average (or team average) on a given day means, on that given day, it has not done its job. Giving it credit for “scoring more than the other team” doesn’t mean they’ve done their job.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
i blame the wind
Fuentes probably does too
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
What does Brian Fuentes have in common with the wind?
They both blew hard tonight.
Downing Rules - April 21, 2010
BA-BOOM!!!
Win.
moosemastr - April 21, 2010
Possible
he is a big pile of shit and the updraft caused by the heat escaping produced a upward funnel of air that took allowed all the balls to land where no one was at or out in one case
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
People! People! You are completely missing the point.
Fuentes can pitch like this all year and he will still be guaranteed to be paid
Nine. Million. Dollars.
Having guaranteed money, regardless of performance, that’s a great thing.
(chokes up) …….. It’s so beautiful …… (begins to sob tears of joy)………….blown save after blown save…..big pay cheques rolling in no matter what………..(sniffs) Oh. That’s pretty fantastic. You gotta feel good about that.
And damn it. Those fans had absolutely no right to boo like that. They should be cheering. Don’t they realize that despite wasting three hours of their time and their money that Fuentes will still be paid this year
Nine. Million. Dollars.
Don’t be booing. Cheer! Cheer! Cheer! Hooray! Guaranteed money. Wooooo!
Fan Since 1981 - April 21, 2010
ill have what he's having ...
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
Oh yeah. It help if my post is read using Stephen Colbert's voice of mocking satire.
Fan Since 1981 - April 21, 2010
And it helps if I spell it 'helps'.
Fan Since 1981 - April 21, 2010
O Christ
I’m gonna go get even more wasted now
F-it—the kids are asleep…………
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
Do you think he gets paid before he suck or after he sucks
“the money is on the nightstand bitch”
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
before during and after...
Balls and Strikes - April 21, 2010
at least he didn't rack up another finished game
1 step closer to dumping him next year
LosAngel - April 21, 2010
The pitch
to Cabrera was just over the plate. I think he meant that pitch to jam him for an easy pop out, instead that pitch was located worse then the pitch he game A-Rod.
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
Worse than the one to A-Rod by far
because the pitch he threw to A-Rod, if thrown in 29 other ballparks, would have been a harmless fly out that we’d all have forgotten about by now.
Caseys Kiss of Death - April 21, 2010
it was not worse than A-Rod
A-Rod was an 0-2 pitch and it should not have been anywhere near the strike zone. At least this was a 3-2 pitch.
Although, the rest of the Tigers lineup behind Cabrera sucks, so he should have been pitched around. I don’t care if he is the leadoff batter, he is the man…and slow as hell on the basepaths.
LosAngel - April 21, 2010
BOTG=Mathis
For his inopportune absence
HALO N BRIMSTONE - April 21, 2010
i want to know how far that homer went
so we may measure the suck that is Fuentes
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
Yeah, that would make a terrific new pitcher's stat:
Suck o’ meter
HALO N BRIMSTONE - April 21, 2010
Fuentes leads MLB with 100,000 pts on the suck o’ meter?
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
He's good at something, at least
moosemastr - April 21, 2010
Fuentes goes in the HoF with MLB record 1,000,000,000,000 pts. Extra pts for blowing a post-season game?
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
The homer travelled so far
that it went into the volcano in Iceland and stopped it from erupting.
Fan Since 1981 - April 21, 2010
hahahahahahaha
a home run with international meterological implications
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
i see now... FUENTES the hero !!
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
I also want to hear Jeff Biggs try to spin this tonight...
cause im sure he’ll be facing utter carnage on “Angels Talk” tonight
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
That's why he still has a job with KLAA
HALO N BRIMSTONE - April 21, 2010
FOO FOO!!!
Rally Manatee - April 21, 2010
The current vote in the poll
says it all.
At las count: 54 Brian Fuentes
55 Can’t even say his name
lightupthehalo29 - April 21, 2010
Brandon Wood is nearing the batting average of an anorexic girl's weight.
bc56274 - April 21, 2010
He should bunt as a last resort
and force more walks. So, where’s the versatile Rob Quinlan?
HALO N BRIMSTONE - April 21, 2010
a fat one still
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
I think he may have snuck a cheeseburger. From now on it's crackers only. As in, a cracker.
bc56274 - April 21, 2010
every hit and bump in avg.
represents the food binge before the purge
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
I would rather throw a national league pitcher in Wood's place at this juncture.
Downing Rules - April 21, 2010
On a positive note
How ’bout that Stokes??!!?……………..
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
too late
to be useful. Maybe Sosh should’ve had him close the game.
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
he was nasty (for his one batter...)
And good ol Fat Chick actually looked somewhat adequate tonight
The pen is not a total loss
(unless Soth keeps troting out Feuntesaurus to try to save a game………….)
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
the first of what will surely be many L's for fuentes this year
glad i was here to see it!
ihearhowie2.0 - April 21, 2010
Well how many of these mammoth suck jobs
will Soth countenance before he lets Rockin Rodney show em how it’s done again???
move him to left-handed specialist quick!!!!!and there won’t be so many losses for him and us
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
I wish it rained
That way we could have been spared that shit.
The Aybar bobbleheads are sweet though
Epic Dean - April 21, 2010
Positive Note: I think most won the pregame pick
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
probably. No need for a pinch runner
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
There ya go
there is a silver lining
I moved past 1000 finally
I’nm betting like a little old lady at the $1 blackjack table
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
i did one big bet and lost it all
making my way back up to win
DAD OF VLAD - April 21, 2010
I don't blame Fuentes in this,
He did what is to be expected of a guy that just got off the DL and was used improperly. Soth is the one at fault here. Fuentes is not being used in the role he can excel at. In 71 abs to lefties last year he only allowed 3 extra base hits…. all of them were only doubles as well. Instead he is thrust into a role where he is going to face mostly righties as he did tonight.
Rodney on the other hand, has splits that are pretty much equal in that lefties and righties hit him about the same. I personally don’t think Rodney is all that great of a pitcher, but his splits make him the EASY choice for closer. Fuentes should come in and face the Josh Hamiltons, Daric Bartons, Ichiro, Figgins, Kotchmans of the world and I honest think he would EXCEL at doing that. It’s just that the Angels are so ass backwards. Their lefty reliever (Oliver) last year that doesn’t have split issues, they use as a loogy, and the one that does they use as a closer.
MH252525 - April 21, 2010
Rodney needs days off too though.
~MMP~ - April 21, 2010
Right--that's why you can't blame Soth
(though I would have gone with Stoked…)
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
ughhhhh
Bulger is the BETTER pitcher than Fuentes against righties based on a large sample, and he had only thrown EIGHT pitches…….. and he had just looked dominated.
MH252525 - April 21, 2010
then you let Bulger finish it off
you know the guy that got through the 8th on 8 pitches, looked outstanding, and had the OPS vs righties well under 100 points LOWER than Fuentes last year.
MH252525 - April 21, 2010
True
~MMP~ - April 21, 2010
that’s
what a lot of people say. Use Fuentes as a lefty specialist or against a lefty dominated lineup. The Twins are a good example with Morneau and Mauer. Against a hot power hitting righty, not so much. Maybe Fuentes would’ve had better luck pitching against Bonds.
phoenix15 - April 21, 2010
Fantastic assessment...
I was thinking “What the hell, this guy just got off the DL and is a lefty who is going to face a hard hitting Miguel Cabrera.” I moved closer to the fence in F101 in the hopes of getting an HR ball, as I EXPECTED it to happen. MCab drove it somewhere where I couldn’t get it.
Downing Rules - April 21, 2010
Would you have kept it, thrown it back, or thrown it at Fuentes?
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
throw it back to fuentes after writing this note...
Dear Fuentes,
no more meatballs over the plate
signed,
the fan who caught this in the parking lot
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
Or how 'bout:
Dear Brian,
Please go on the DL again
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
You could also add,
P.S. 88 MPH is not a FB in Major League Baseball. It is the MPH required for a delorean’s flux capacitor to kick in.
halofolife - April 21, 2010
No.
signed,
a confused and bewildered Icelander
Fan Since 1981 - April 21, 2010
p.p.s.
thanks for plugging up that volcano !
BigBangRobbDawgg - April 21, 2010
we have a winner
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
BOTG cannot go to Sosh.
It’s a rule.
Rally Manatee - April 21, 2010
Nothing pretty to see here, I guess I will move on, turn the page check my pregame picks score.
44FAN - April 21, 2010
My wife called the Cabrera homer after seeing 1 of his foul hacks
and it was all downhill from there
Epic Dean - April 21, 2010
I hate it when they're right.....
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
They're always right
Epic Dean - April 21, 2010
Fortunately
they never let you know it (right….)
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
Never lest me forget it
Epic Dean - April 21, 2010
God i'm glad i'm divorced.
halofolife - April 21, 2010
rec'd for awesomeness
clover_black - April 21, 2010
That's sad.
And probably not entirely true.
Rally Manatee - April 21, 2010
Thank you Dr. Phil.
halofolife - April 22, 2010
We aren't providing a good example for the young folk I'm afraid
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
The sooner people learn that she's always right
the better marriage gets
Epic Dean - April 21, 2010
Yea, perhaps our cautionary tales will help prepare others
for the rigors of married/living together life
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
I love my wife, but never, in 20 years of marriage, have I been right
red floyd - April 22, 2010
My wife showed the good judgment to say "yes"
So now I give her the benefit of the doubt.
rspencer - April 22, 2010
I was at the game
and a 10 year old was berating Soth for putting in Fuentes well before he had thrown a pitch.
It’s that f’ing obvious, but Soth is so stuck in his, this is my 7th inning guy, this is my 8th inning guy, this is my closer.
Also the other thing that pisses me off to no end, is the whole Brandon Wood debacle, the Angels had a great opportunity to see what Brandon could do at the major league level when he had been hot at the minor league level, but instead Soth gave him sporadic playing time. I’m not saying he should have played everyday, but Soth gave playing time to Q who EVERYONE knew was NEVER going to be an everyday player, and had sucked horribly the previous 3 years………… Even when B Wood would show signs last year he’d be on the bench the very next day. He had a solid start against CC Sabathia last year, and then boom, riding pine. Thanks a lot Soth, I’m so glad you gave those abs to Q……………..
MH252525 - April 21, 2010
I think it is a given that the Angels have butchered the growth and maturation of Brandon Wood as a ballplayer. He has been setup to fail from the time he was first called up to the Majors…I agree with your statements above.
Now…even as one of his biggest fans, I admit to being concerned!
K3YEROUT - April 22, 2010
They have been leaving prospects "on the vine" a bit too long.
Downing Rules - April 22, 2010
Tommy Lasorda sez:
“THIS FUIN’ JOB IS NOT THAT FUIN’ EASY!!”
rspencer - April 22, 2010
Okay, that did not come out right, thanks to the HTML thang
Please put a few asterisks betweein the U and I in FUIN’. Thank you.
rspencer - April 22, 2010
Meltdown bullpen
Every night is like Russian Roulette with these guys. Who’s going to be overpowering over perfect inning? Who’s going to walk everything in sight and toss up a cookie for extra bases? Who knows! Let’s put them on the hill and find out. It must be driving the coaching staff crazy. Somehow they managed to turn it around last year and salvage a tolerable bullpen from what was a walking nightmare in April/May. But I’m starting to get the feeling we’ll see Jepsen closing by the All-Star Break.
Suboptimal - April 21, 2010
What's wrong with continuing with Rodney?
Downing Rules - April 22, 2010
Current AL West Standings
Athletics 9-7
Mariners 9-7
Angels 8-8
Rangers 5-9
2009 AL West Standings (after 16 Angels games)
Mariners 11-6
Rangers 7-9
Angels 6-10
Athletics 5-10
source
2008 AL West Standings (after 16 Angels games)
Athletics 9-7
Angels 9-7
Mariners 8-8
Rangers 6-9
source
2007 AL West Standings (after 16 Angels games)
Athletics 9-7
Mariners 5-7
Angels 7-9
Rangers 6-10
source
Fan Since 1981 - April 21, 2010
So. how does knowing this ...
help with today’s loss?
eyespy - April 21, 2010
AlanFalcon - April 21, 2010
Would be better without the typo.
Still, funny.
Rally Manatee - April 21, 2010
i think that by definition there needs to be misspellings in lolcats
teopeht - April 22, 2010
You would think that!
You can’t even spell theopet correctly!
Rally Manatee - April 22, 2010
oh so we are going to get bounced out of the post season this year also?
why even bother watching when I can just look at baseball-reference.com and see what we did last year.
clover_black - April 21, 2010
You're right.
If a team can’t win the World Series, well then fuck it.
Let’s all follow the Canadian Football League and cheer for the Roughriders.
Fan Since 1981 - April 21, 2010
Did you know the 1996 angels were 8-8 after 16 games?
Did you know that means the 2010 angels will finish 70-91?
clover_black - April 21, 2010
strike that.
just give me perspective stats that make me happy.
clover_black - April 21, 2010
Pop quiz!
Does this team more closely resemble the 2009 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim or the 1996 California Angels?
The clock is ticking…
AlanFalcon - April 21, 2010
resembel
as in the “no mullets” fashion statement this squad is making?
Rev Halofan - April 21, 2010
can you tell hideki matsui and chili davis apart?
exactly.
clover_black - April 21, 2010
To better explain: The standings illustrate
Mike Scioscia’s teams during the past three years have not gotten off to blazing starts.
And that’s fine. Because as the evidence has shown:
MIKE SCIOSCIA DOES A DAMN GOOD JOB OF MANAGING A TEAM OVER 162 GAMES.
This is not a 16 game season.
It’s not an 84 game season.
It’s not a 125 game season.
It’s a One Hundred and Sixty Two game season.
People are getting too worked up over one loss.
Fan Since 1981 - April 21, 2010
i invest too much time and alcohol
not to get worked up over a loss.
clover_black - April 22, 2010
+1
Raaddad - April 22, 2010
Yeah - I'm no chicken little about the record right now....
but that doesn’t help me from being pissed off at He who shall not be named
gorams77 - April 21, 2010
when did we sign Lord Voldemort
as our closer? I’d be pretty happy with some accio liquor cabinet right about now.
teopeht - April 21, 2010
Also for those saying Rodney needed a rest
You take a W when you can get a W when you have to face Verlander followed by the Yankees for 3 games. I’d put even money on the Angels not even having a save situation the next 4 games.
MH252525 - April 21, 2010
How about the next 40?
AlanFalcon - April 21, 2010
yikes
Rally Manatee - April 21, 2010
I would rather beat the Yankees than the Tigers
After two consecutive saves Monday and Tuesday it was wise to give Fernando Rodney the night off and see what Brian Fuentes could do. I say that without watching the game. I was at my son’s Open House tonight and missed the game. Scoiscia can watch the store while I am busy elsewhere. Who would you rather trust as night watchman?
It is just one blown save. Brian Fuentes is not Luis Sanchez of early 1980’s Angels “Arson Squad” lore. Luis Sanchez was the Angel contemporary equivalent of the Baltimore Orioles Don Stanhouse—Stan the Man Unusual. Earl Weaver referred to Stanhouse as “Full Pack.”
I am a DTE Energy stockholder. I told the Tiger fan in front of me to leave the lights on when he gets off work! DTE owns the Fermi nuclear reactor. Yes, I am pro-nuclear. What did you expect from someone who kept an eye on Soviet satellites, missiles and radars?
Yetijuice - April 21, 2010
Me for nuclear power too!
But there’s a profusion of confusion about fusion out there.
rspencer - April 22, 2010
It's a moot point
Fuentes is back; Soth puts him in.
He said he would do it and he did it.
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
you're already at Acceptance?
clover_black - April 21, 2010
understanding comment fail
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
understanding 5 stages of loss fail
Rev Halofan - April 21, 2010
Oh, ok...
Thought it was more of the smart ass response—my mistake
paranoid
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
if it's a moot point
then why are we joining together as Angels fans to talk….
MH252525 - April 21, 2010
good point
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
Thanks for the clarification
New to this; never quite thought about it from that perspective I guess
Raaddad - April 21, 2010
LOOK OUT, HE'S GOT A FUENTESAURUS!
And he’s not afraid to use it!
rspencer - April 22, 2010
Fernando Rodney
PLZ
NA1NSXR - April 21, 2010
I went to Roger's Open House at school tonight
I am glad I missed this one. After a blown save I can think of an obscene version of Brian Fuentes initials B. F. No, the first one is not Blown. All together now “Jolly Ollie B. F.”
For the record I have seen Brian Fuentes record 16 lifetime saves versus 3 blown saves. For those of you keeping score at home for every blown save I have seen Fuentes have he has successfully converted more than five saves.
Yes, it was the perfect night for the school to have Open House. It was cold, windy and wet here in east Orange about an hour before gametime. I doubt it rained at the Big A during the game as I was there last night (and had to wipe raindrops off my seat with napkins). That was our coldest game of the year as the Angels came away with a 6-5 victory over the Tigs. The Halos made Porcupine Pie out of Tig starter Rick Porcello.
A Tiger fan sitting in front of me last night said he was at the game where Denny McLain won his 30th game in 1968 (that was a 5-4 win over Oakland at Tiger Stadium. Al Kaline had a walk-off single in the last of the ninth to win it. Reggie Jackson tagged McLain for two home runs in the game). I replied that I saw McLain win his 29th game that year at the Big A. Rick Reichardt and Tom Satriano hit home runs off of McLain in a 7-2 Detroit victory. Earlier that season (May 29th) I saw McLain pitch a 4-hit 13 strikeout 3-0 shutout against the Angels. That remains the most strikeouts I have seen a pitcher record in a shutout. I did see Nolan Ryan get 16 strikeouts in a 9-1 win over the Tigers in June 1979, but that was not a shutout.
Yetijuice - April 21, 2010
but wait
how did the parent teacher conference go?
Rev Halofan - April 21, 2010
Roger's 4th grade teacher gave him a thumbs up
She suggested to me that we visit the 5th grade classrooms so Roger could get an idea what next year’s class will be like. They will have State projects. Roger has already claimed Louisiana because he is a New Orleans Saints fan. The NFL schedule came out yesterday and it looks like we will be spending Thanksgiving week in New Orleans and Dallas. My crystal ball forecast has us in New Orleans November 21 for the Seattle Seahawks @ N.O. Saints game and in Dallas for the Saints @ Cowboys Thanksgiving game (November 25). To make it a trifecta we will go to Death Valley in Baton Rouge on November 20 for the Mississippi @ LSU game. I am a college football fan. That LSU home game will be the highlight of the trip for me. Bourbon Street and Jackson Square in New Orleans will get the silver and bronze medals. Pat O’Briens or bust! Play that Hurricane Carter song by Bob Dylan!
Yetijuice - April 22, 2010
Jackson Square
the guy from the $20 Bill is up there on his high horse, I thought there should be an ATM at the base of the statue for people to take their own Andrew Jackson portraits home but you know they will just end up trading them for goods and services.
Rev Halofan - April 22, 2010
I will root for the Saints in both games
I am a UCLA Bruins fan and I was at the Coliseum last November when Pete Carroll had the Trojan qb take a knee and then throw a long pass for a touchdown. Poor sportsmanship, last class. It is a no-brainer that I will be pulling for the Saints versus the Seahawks. I always root for whoever is playing the Cowboys so guess my wish when I am pulling this year’s Thanksgiving turkey wishbone. I just stayed in a Marriot Hotel in Arlington on April 7th and 8th that is walking distance to both the Rangers and Cowboys home digs. I have seen the Cowboys sports palace from the outside. Next time I will check out the inside. I doubt we will be invited to John Lackey’s suite.
Goods and services? Roger will trade his Jackson’s for a Reggie Bush # 5 jersey. No, Reggie is not my favorite player. After last November I like him better than Pete Carroll. You can talk about college football players being slaves, but Mr. Reggie’s family got a $150,000 rent subsidy on a house in San Diego that is twice as large as mine. I just put $89,000 worth of slab foundation repairs under our house in the past seven weeks. I learned new terms like “steel brackets” and “pilings” (a.k.a. “piers”). The senior Bushes should know the joys of home ownership when they land on the Monopoly board “Chance” space.
Yetijuice - April 22, 2010
No it was nueheisel (no idea how to spell that) who showed no class.
Carroll had Barkley take a knee to end the game. Neuheisel called the time out to keep playing. So, SC kept playing. You can’t call it classless because you don’t like how Nueheisel’s decision to keep playing turned out.
snowhor - April 23, 2010 via mobile
You hit "post" before you got to the point.
“Mr. Madison, what you have just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”
Rally Manatee - April 21, 2010
it had much more of a point
than your (totally unoriginal) attempt at scolding him.
Rev Halofan - April 22, 2010
Ooh, burned by the Rev.
That doesn’t happen often to me. Sorry, I was ornery last night.
Rally Manatee - April 22, 2010
Rodney’s not a whole lot better than Fuentes, Jepsen’s our best arm in the pen.
Wood has a terrible hack, huge hole, play Maicer and pinch hit wood when you need a desperation bomb late in the game.
notablogger - April 22, 2010
I booed
ReggieBullits - April 22, 2010
i think we all know what should have happened
Q should have come into close the game!
joeyz34 - April 22, 2010
Hm.
For some reason google docs wont take the excel file…. hopefully it’ll work when i get to work or something
scottnak - April 22, 2010
I didn't like it as soon as read fuentes was off the DL
I knew he would play today and there was a good chance we would be disappointed. I dont blame the sosh but i think his faith in certain players lingers a bit too long. Rodney has closer material. Fuentes should be trying to prove he still has it by putting him in less important, large lead or deficit situations.
OCangels - April 22, 2010
DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PITCHER IS BRIAN FUENTES. AMEN.
firebird81 - April 22, 2010
There's number 50 rec
I’ve been having computer problems or this would have been done long ago.
BP Scanner - April 22, 2010
Blame of the game =
Write in candidate for me. I will go with Mike Scoscia for using Fuentes instead of Rodney.
vr, Xei
Xeifrank - April 22, 2010
That isn't an option.
For a reason.
AlanFalcon - April 22, 2010
Do I dare ask
what the reason is. :)
Xeifrank - April 22, 2010
How many games in a row was Soth supposed to use Rodney? And against his former team? They were due to catch up with a tired pitcher…setting someone up for failure is not good, not to mention injury.
K3YEROUT - April 22, 2010
That is a legitimate reason, if he was “officially” unavailable for the game. Did Scoscia say that? Had thrown 18 and 14 pitches the night(s) before. I think Rodney should atleast pitched to the first right handed hitter. But either way, Fuentes as the Angels closer is going to cause a lot of consternation no matter how you slice it.
vr, Xei
Xeifrank - April 22, 2010
While it is not an OFFICIAL option...
after sleeping on it, I tend to agree with you.
I have yet to hear Scioscia’s explanation for bringing in Fuentes in that situation. It made no sense. We all KNEW he was going to give up a home run.
Downing Rules - April 22, 2010
Here's Scioscia's and Leyland's Comments:
Downing Rules - April 22, 2010
Here's the deal...
This is on Fuentes primarily.
Secondarily Naps put one finger down for pitch 9 to MIggy. The ONE guy who can REALLY hurt you in that lineup. Miggy had fouled off/seen 7 of Fuentes best fastballs already. You think he had it timed? WTF? You put down 2 fingers for that sweeping breaking ball and take your chances at this point. That timed fastball was going nowhere good…and I have to say as a baseball fan in general, that ball was pretty to watch. Miggy hit that about as far as it was possible to hit one on a night like that! So I give secondary blame to Naps for calling that pitch (and for having a shitty night at the plate).
Thirdly, our offense blew last night (and really the 2 nights prior).
This is a team loss. Yeah, Fuentes sucked but really…our blowpen was spent, Fuentes hadn’t thrown in a mlb game in 2 weeks, and you expected anything different against the heart of the Tigers order? Everyone seems to forget that Rodney’s saves have mostly come against the bottom of the team’s orders…I am not thoroughly impressed yet. Give Fuentes a break. I really don’t know who should be our closer right now, but there was plenty of blame to go around last night…time to move along…
K3YEROUT - April 22, 2010
i agree with the team loss
We were outhit by the Tigers for three games in a row now.
Yes, Fuentes sucked.
But our offense should have put up more than 4 hits and 3 runs when Tigers had 2 errors in the game.
Give Fuentes few more save opportunities like we are giving opportunities with Brandon Wood before making any rash decisions. We still have long ways to go.
dan73962 - April 22, 2010
Does Nap call the pitches
or does Sosh from the dugout? Just asking.
Xeifrank - April 22, 2010
napoli
Soth insists they cal the game as they see it.
Rev Halofan - April 22, 2010
Nap puts the sign down
Fuentes should have shaken him off and like you said, thrown one of the hottest hitters in the league nothing but breaking balls.
Raaddad - April 22, 2010
Really a good AB by Miggy…but 7 Fuentes fastballs to him? Even I know better than that…
K3YEROUT - April 22, 2010
So true
I mean, do what Frankie and Percy did with guys like Miggy: pitch him extra carefully, and worse come to worse, walk him.
Raaddad - April 22, 2010
Blew him away.
It helps when your fastball is mid to upper 90s.
red floyd - April 22, 2010
The future of baseball will remember Brandon Wood
only for the “Wood line”, .100, or probably going to be .000.
ttsec - April 22, 2010
the picture of fuentes
was right next to the picture of bradley (in recommended fan shots) giving the finger…hmm
Halos in DE - April 22, 2010
I was really freaked out
When I saw Fuentes come in to the game to pitch to Cabrera. I just knew he was gonna give it up and wreck the game for Weaver and the Angels. I had just told my wife after the count was 3 and 2, ‘they should walk him or he is gonna get one and hit it out’ and out it went. Then he walks the next guy… wow, take him out already! Souch lost that one for us, that’s ‘fer sure.’
xavier c - April 22, 2010
Awesome; Brian Fuents Sucks Facebook Group!
Join this facebook group! It could make you feel better. I lost sleep last night, I saw Weaver’s heart get taken out by Fuentes… Join Now!
yeahjohn - April 22, 2010
The double standard.
This crossed my mind later last night. Why does Sosh say he’ll go with the hotter player when it pertains to Napoli and Mathis, or other position players, but he doesn’t use the same standard for the bullpen? That is aggravating. Rodney is obviously hot right now, so stick with him as closer.
Rally Manatee - April 22, 2010
best point of season
Rev Halofan - April 22, 2010
why, thank you
Rally Manatee - April 23, 2010
To elaborate a bit,
Sosh has no problem juggling the lineup depending on who are the hot hitters right now, who the opposing pitcher is, or who needs rest. But Sosh, or any manager to my knowledge, will not apply the same logic to the bullpen. I say, if you REALLY need an out, bring in the pitcher who is most likely to get that out. In fact, in pitching, you have the luxury of bringing in the equivalent to “the clean up hitter” whenever you want, as opposed to only when his turn in the order
I’m a little wary of this whole “role” idea in pitching. Shouldn’t a pitcher be able to accomplish whatever task he is assigned to? I can understand it to an extent, if the stats show a certain pitcher cannot get lefties out, ever, then obviously it wouldn’t make as much sense to bring him in to face 2 or 3 lefties in a row.
Rally Manatee - April 23, 2010
Oops didn't mean to hit post.
Crying baby’s fault. I was actually going to hit “cancel” because I wasn’t really sure I liked what I was writing. Oh well, it’s out there now. So, it should read:
“when his turn in the order comes around.” Then, I think I was going to have a third paragraph, but I lost the idea now. The magic is gone.
Rally Manatee - April 23, 2010
Because Scioscia's always been big on players not losing their jobs due to injury.
I would like to think that if Fuentes had been healthy and just sucked, then Rodney would be the closer still.
~MMP~ - April 22, 2010
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