Final Score in Detroit: Angels: 4 Tigers: 9
Trevor Bell pitched well but an Angels offense with Maicer Izturis batting cleanup is one of those instances where, after a lifetime of being told to respect the game, you scratch your head by holding your hand still and shaking NO NO NO NO as fast as the vertebrae in your neck and your sense of reality can stand. Now recite that first sentence in a crescendoing Vincent Price voice, softly at first and building until you are shouting the last five words louder and louder and ending it with a THRILLER laugh and you will be close answering "For Whom the Bell Tolls"... it tolls for WE...
Scot Shields walked the bases loaded with 1 out in the 8th in a semi-close game. The final member of the 2002 Angels team still wearing a Halo is tarnishing his legacy and generally stinking.
Missus Halofan screaming about the Shields meltdown: "DAM SHIELDS! Shields is like a slot machine at 4 in the morning... you walk up thinking that it paid off before so maybe it will do it again and it doesn't. There's no payout with Shields."
Meanwhile... Angels Centerfielder Peter Bourjos is awesome, running in the outfield like a baseball player and not a sack of cement falling off the tailgate of your truck.
Game Thread Roll Call: Epic Dean, MH252525, K3YEROUT, Dontbatvlad4th, ~MMP~, firebird81, ryanfea, (!ts_a_C.A._thing), Slasher52, Rev Halofan, Kingfish1, The Limey, RexTookMyStash, mattwelch, 101halo, ladybug, hbhalofan, Dono Romantico, clover_black, AlanFalcon, maze88, sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher, PhiSlamma, Angels_48, agent_99, tanana40, halofolife, AngelsBaseball, Wally's World, gyoung08, Gokyle45, daze, ANewFoundThrice, Suboptimal, OC Awhole1, moosemastr
Total Users: 36 • Total Posts: 524
0 recs | 79 comments
Voted Aybar
but I would lay this one at the feet of Soth. Your impotent offense scores 10 runs and you respond by sitting some responsible and shuffling your lineup. The teams that are playoff bound have fairly concrete batting orders, this every night is different thing is getting old.
Dontbatvlad4th - August 8, 2010
I agree with Missus Halofan. And it's sad, really.
On a separate note, “It tolls for WE”? I know it rhymes with ‘thee’, but i just can’t accept the use of a subject pronoun after a preposition. Sorry, it’s the English geek in me.
agent_99 - August 8, 2010
Latin is a dead language
English ain’t.
You ever heard of poetry?
It fucks grammar for pleasure, not procreation.
Rev Halofan - August 8, 2010
I saw that coming even as I typed my comment
Good thing I developed that thick skin, huh?
agent_99 - August 8, 2010
Such manner of copulation, used agressively and with inappropriate orifices,
is probably how Latin died in the first place. That English is still alive is not a sufficient reason to kill it.
Stirrups - August 9, 2010
Verba sapienti sat est
rspencer - August 9, 2010
entitas ipsa involvit aptitudinem ad extorquendum certum assensum
Stirrups - August 9, 2010
Reg. Penn'a Dep't Agr.
I only had one year of high school Latin!
rspencer - August 10, 2010
One of the common latin sayings.
“Reality involves a power to compel sure assent.”
Which, in this context, means:
The
ev-Raye
owns-aye
alosheaven-hay
and
an-cay
ooo-day
atever-way
he
ants-way.
And-aye
e-way
have to
ollow-fay.
Stirrups - August 11, 2010
That my lord doth defend my honour and my native tongue causeth my affection to wax evermore,
though I have been left to twist in the wind lo these many days.
Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim
agent_99 - August 9, 2010
condemnant quod non intellegunt
Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.
Stirrups - August 10, 2010
I voted Shields but would also like to vote Soth
A) the lineup was craptastic
B) he needs to know that at this stage of his career Bell is a 5 IP MAX pitcher and just be thankful when he gives you that just like Kazmir did yesterday.
C) the pitcher that HH faithful voted as the best in our bullpen was brought in to keep it a 4 run game with runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out??? while we watch the pitcher voted the worst walk 3 guys with every other pitch being a wild pitch (which I know is in part to having the pathetic Maffis behind the plate… I mean even when he does stop the ball he runs 20 feet away from homeplate as he’s shocked to find he actually blocked it) only to give up a very predictable hit to Damon who I think has always hit Shields well.
Also Howie pisses me the hell off playing 1B, Angels are playing like crap and he’s a big part of it with his I can’t lay off a slider in the lefthanded batters box to save my life, and then Tigers are getting hits in the 8th and he’s grinning like it’s an Ice Cream Social….. F That bring back Erstad if only because I know he’d be scowling in those situations and showing the emotions that I know 99.4% of Angels fans were feeling at that exact moment.
MH252525 - August 8, 2010
Are you seriously lobbying for Erstad in 2010?
Rally Manatee - August 8, 2010
no of course not
I just don’t want Howie over there looking like he’s hosting a talk show over at first with the Angels playing like crap with their season slipping away.
MH252525 - August 8, 2010
The Missus inadvertedly suggests a good idea
I think I feel like getting the hell out of town
Zoe Necrosis - August 8, 2010
I loved Scot Shields.
Now, not so much, the game was still within reach until he imploded. We probably wouldn’t have won, but now we’ll never know. Plenty of blame to go around though.
halofolife - August 8, 2010
mike is clearly picking names out of a hat in this days
shields has blow like 15 games this year and this dude still trust him we have better arms in the pen and captian morgan brings out the shield
halo4lifeinny - August 8, 2010
maybe we should all chip in and buy MIke a Sorting Hat from Harry Potter
although I’m sure he’d just ignore it when Mathis puts it on and it says, “DFA his ass NOW!”
MH252525 - August 8, 2010
"sack of cement falling off the tailgate of your truck" -- excellent metaphor
The only good thing about the remaining games this season is seeing Bourjos on the field. It’s no wonder Torii wanted to sit 4 out without an appeal.
daze - August 8, 2010
Well, hell. I missed the whole game.
Maybe it’s better that I did, though.
Stupid time difference. Forgot I was looking at the Detroit site last night when I checked the time for today’s game.
opiejeanne - August 8, 2010
same here......
all around
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2010
Sack of cement
I think the sack of cement still has a faster first step than Rivera. Fear not faithful fans, shields only has about another 3/4 season of goodwill stored up in the tank w/sosh, so by next June Mike might star to lose faith in him. Might.
aces666high - August 8, 2010
Howie can't play first and shields can't pitch
Sosh, get a brain implant you fat dummy.
clover_black - August 8, 2010
BOTG = Scioscia
Bell should never have come back out in the 6th after barely getting out of the 5th with minimal damage. And Shields should have come out after giving up 2 walks on 9 pitches, or at least after giving up the 3rd walk; or better yet never brought into the game in the first place.
Maicer batting 4th seemed somewhat idiotic but he did get 2 hits that helped produce the first 2 runs.
Meanwhile on the radio during one of Bourges’s AB’s Terry Smith says: “Peter’s in the hole…”
Fred Fredrix - August 8, 2010
I
Don’t get it :/
HalosBiggestFan - August 8, 2010 via mobile
He brought Bell back out
so’s I could win my HH bet for once.
rspencer - August 8, 2010
He brought Bell back out
so’s I could LOSE my HH bet yet again!
agent_99 - August 8, 2010
Sorry about that, 99!
rspencer - August 9, 2010
Speaking of HH points.....
anyone know where the results are now? I thought they were listed in the post-game thread but I haven’t been able to find them for a few games now. Just wanting to know if I’m in the negative yet?
Thanks.
angelsfan7 - August 9, 2010
ol Scottnak
has been on vacation as of late. They should be up tonight but that’s my guess.
blast21dave - August 9, 2010
Would you believe...
red floyd - August 9, 2010
At this point, who cares?
I would like to see a whole lot of our young players. Trumbo at first, Kohn and Thompson as set-up guys, Why not get King Cong some MLB experience? Too early? How much worse could he be? And even though I know he sucks terribly, might as well let Wood start the rest of the games. Who knows? Maybe he will finally figure it out. If not there is no way I will pay any money if he is on the opening day roster nxt season.
Wally's World - August 8, 2010
Scott Shields
When is Mike Scioscia going to let go over 2002 and Scott Shields and see that Shields is wash up and does nothing but lose games for us ! I see Shields in the game and I know we are going to be in trouble and in most case were are. Move on Mike !
mojo2045 - August 8, 2010
Limit the length of Shields' outings
In the 7th he was pitching well. In the 8th he was all over the place.
I have also seen his control desert him in his first inning of work.
Based on that I say pull him when he starts to get wild, because when he loses it it’s less likely that he will recover then when he was at his prime.
California Cajun - August 8, 2010
so you mean adjust managerial decisions based on what players have
done their previous outings in the past season rather than the past 8 years??? Hmm… your ideas sound interesting to have a newsletter I can subscribe to?
MH252525 - August 8, 2010
The newsletter is called Mission Championship.
I will always appreciate Shields’ long-time contributions to the Angels.
California Cajun - August 8, 2010
Scioscia why?
MS has been a great manager for the Angels and is undeniably the best in franchise history. However his trend on sticking with players that were once good or that he just seems to favor without justification has become chronic. Whether it’s Q, Shields or Mathis that keep getting put in critical game situations where they do what they now do best…suck badly, is just getting old. This season is lost, why not play some young guys who might just be able to help next year?
grahams98 - August 8, 2010
The season is lost for Seattle, Baltimore, and Cleveland, but not for the Angels
This is August 8. If you concede the season now the newer players won’t develop a championship mentality. Perhaps Brandon Wood was hyped too much and held back too long. Evidently the club has decided that some of the minor league guys who figure to contribute aren’t ready for major league pitching.
I like Haren, Bourjos even he’s batting .100 after 20 at bats. With Bourjos the outfield doesn’t look so much like Jurassic Park. Get another outfielder and Torii Hunter is your only old one, as opposed to three old timers at the start of this year.
Texas doesn’t have playoff experience. Nobody likes the position we are in now, but if we were to catch them it would enhance this franchise’s standing more than if we had just waltzed in. The New York Yankees had an 18-year period from 1949-64 when they won 16 pennants, and some of those years they won the pennant without being the better team. The Angels with their organizational approach can be a dynasty in the making. I don’t think anybody will ever dominate like the Yankees did, but the ability to win in years when you are not the stronger team will put you in the Boston-New York class of elite franchises. They win when they have all the pieces, they win when key players are injured, they win when they are in transition, they win when the transition is complete.
There’s a lot to play for this season.
California Cajun - August 8, 2010
Frontline Office should take Blame
The blame should go to the front office and not Scioscia. He was not the one hiring
players. It should fall on Tony Reagins head after all, he added Kazmir at big bucks
which was a big mistake, lost Texeira, Anderson, Guerrero and added just Matsui?
The addition of Callaspo and Haren will help this team little if any. We need a revamp
of the line up but, trading deadline passed and we did not add any hitters? Sure,
there are lots of games remaining and all the cheerleading is not going to change
the fact that we have player issues which were not dealt with all the opportunities to
do so! On the plus side, Reagins and Moreno have more incentive to revamp the
line up when this season is over! Not over yet, but, pretty close due to the imbecile
moves of Reagins!
JimmyBlue - August 8, 2010
I can't disagree with you more regarding Reagins' moves.
First, I don’t think Kazmir is the big mistake you think he is. Kazmir has just come off the DL and given a solid start against Detroit. If it proves that he just doesn’t have the stamina to go 6 or more innings, I think he would make a great addition to the bullpen.
Texeira was never going to stay with the Angels but he did what he was hired to do: give the team excellent defense at first while supplying offense during the playoffs. Was it his fault that no one else on the team decided to show up that year?
Anderson, Guerrero and Matsui? Anderson just got DF A’d by the Dodgers (season batting avg of .180), and Guerrero and Matsui were literally a coin toss. I would rather the Angels’ FO had taken the bet for their own guy, Guerrero, but if he ended up playing like Matsui is now, you and everyone else would be blaming the FO for keeping the guy. Matsui, on the other hand, is the reigning MVP of the WS. Who knew, really? Yes, I think we owed it to Vladdy to re-sign him, but sometimes it’s a crap shoot.
Reagins isn’t an idiot. we’re all just Monday morning quarterbacks.
agent_99 - August 8, 2010
The Angels are a teflon organization
It’s apparent to me that all the decisions regarding personnel are made collectively, so nobody gets all the credit or all the blame from Arte on down. Scioscia makes the managerial moves, but I think everyone had a share in deciding who the players are.
I honestly think to some extent the Angels are still recovering from their past of 50 years and not one home-grown player in the Hall of Fame. I also think they are righting the ship and are doing the right things. It’s just hard to hang in there after tasting the wine in 2002.
California Cajun - August 8, 2010
You're right.
And I think we’ve become spoiled by the Angels’ success at winning the division so often- we now expect it every year. And that’s a good thing. It is also a tribute to how well the organization is managed.
agent_99 - August 8, 2010
So, you think signing a pitcher who has so many injuries is a wise
move? At the very least, Kazmir is damaged goods and his inept
performance in last year’s playoffs speaks for itself! Not saying
Texeira is staying with the Angels, but, seriously, is he the only
hitter out there? The Padres signed Tejada and Ludwick to boost
their line up and what have the Angels FO done to replace the guys
we lost? I give him credit for acquiring Haren which I think is a good
move. Other than that, what has he really done to improve the team
assuming the Angels are still trying to win and win the World Series?
JimmyBlue - August 8, 2010
You have
This:
And then this:
Way to stay on point.
halofan4life - August 8, 2010
I admit that I don't know as much of the subtleties of the game as a majority of those that post here,
but I think the Angels’ FO has done a pretty good job, actually. Without giving away the farm, they have gotten a solid third baseman, a number one pitcher and neither are season rentals.
Sometimes, things don’t go according to plan. Last year there was a point in the season when every Angel was batting at .300 or above. The lineup this year really isn’t all that different. I think the Angels just stumbled out of the gate, and have not been able to regain their composure.
I would like to respond to each of your points, but to be honest, you are kind of all over the page, even to the point of contradicting yourself (see your remarks regarding Haren), so I’m not gonna even try.
I will not give up on this team until they are mathematically eliminated, but I hold no illusions of glory.
agent_99 - August 8, 2010
Tejada and Ludwick haven't done the Padres that much good.
Tejada is 7-30 with 7 rbi’s and Ludwick is batting .250 with 2 rbi’s. The Padres are 4-4 with them. I don’t know how those can be looked at as substantial moves to help them get a whole lot better. Tejada is a shell of what he was in Oakland. Haren has at least 2 more years of being a top of the rotation guy. We have a better chance of making this a better team in the off season. Right now, we are not very good, but we put ourselves in a much better position going into next year, which I think was smart of Reagins. We saw what happened when we went and got a big bat rental with Tex. He was great for us, but bailed. Haren and Callaspo aren’t going to bail.
gyoung08 - August 8, 2010
You are deluding yourself when you have the same players and you
expect a different result. Seriously, the Angels need a revamp. If not,
then, we will have more of the same next year. This team is sorely
lacking in hitters, another good starting pitcher and a couple of
pitchers who can be relied on in the bullpen. Making do will not
cut it anymore as has been proven this year and maybe, next
year depending on what the front office does.
JimmyBlue - August 9, 2010
Superb answer
Don’t get me wrong; I think Reagins must bear much of the responsibility for the inadequacies of this year’s team, but not for the moves in question here.
rspencer - August 8, 2010
You're not looking at the math.
This isn’t just about the Angels seizing their destiny anymore. There are only 49 games left to play (51 for Texas). Even if Texas were to play sub-500 ball and go 25-26 from here on out, the Angels would need to go 34-15 to beat them. 19 games over 500 from here on out AND Texas has to cooperate by playing much worse than they’ve played all season.
Not happening.
Turks Teeth - August 8, 2010 via mobile
My point is that we have some games left. Let's play them and then review the season after it's over.
California Cajun - August 8, 2010
Rev, please reiterate the BOTG rules.
I thought Sosh was never an option. We limit BOTG to players, right? It’s too easy otherwise. We could blame every loss on the manager for the 1 or 2 decisions that didn’t work out. Of course, with the benefit of HD quality hindsight, we all think we know better than Sosh, and we are 162-0 in our armchair, fantasy managing. That’s not the point of BOTG.
Rally Manatee - August 8, 2010
Hindsight lol
across the plethora of Angels fan sites out there surely known of them were 2nd guessing that lineup before the first pitch was thrown…….
MH252525 - August 8, 2010
none of them
MH252525 - August 8, 2010
"...we all think we know better than Sosh"
Have some faith in yourself and comprehend what a bad line-up, and who should and should not be playing certain positions.
You can do it. I believe in you.
clover_black - August 8, 2010
(bad line-up is)
clover_black - August 8, 2010
This lineup was no surprise
I knew when I woke up this morning the lineup would be a stinker (although I sure didn’t envision Maicer batting cleanup!). When we’ve taken the first two games of a 3-game weekend series, Mike almost seems to try to lose. Sure, a big part of it is his liking to rest people on Sunday, but in the current situation we need to win all the games we can. Besides, Torii is already getting a good long rest.
I’ve said this many times: while I of course realize that Mike knows a hell of a lot more about baseball than I do, there are some moves he makes that just don’t make any perceptible sense in terms of winning a game.
rspencer - August 8, 2010
Personally I thought Bell pitched very well (considering it was the cold-as-ice Tigers)
He deserved a better fate. Some shoddy defense behind him (mostly) and a floating strike zone (Inge) cost him. 4 runs could have been enough to win this game. Kelly made a lunging sprinting catch of a Mathis drive to dead CF early in this game to end an Angel threat.
IMO that is 2 good starts in a row for Bell and I look forward to what he brings in his next outing.
No idea why Napoli sits in this game, but we have said that many times before. He finds his way into Soth’s doghouse more often than we can count. Day game after a night game? Who knows…the Howie at 1b experiment needs to end immediately. If Collapso needs to sit so that Gazoo can play 3b, then so be it…Naps power threat needs to be in the game after his big game yesterday.
K3YEROUT - August 8, 2010
Gazoo plays 3b = hello DL
Fred Fredrix - August 8, 2010
OT:
Vlad just PH GIDP with tying run on 2nd…..A’s beat Texas again.
Haha.
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2010
Small victories
lol
Epic Dean - August 8, 2010
I havent seen many "Shoulda kept Vlad" posts lately.....
Him and Oliver have struggled lately.
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2010
Shoulda kept Oliver
I’m not giving up on that one, even if he’s struggled lately. Vlad I’m okay with.
Suboptimal - August 8, 2010
Shoulda kept Benjie!
rspencer - August 8, 2010
Benji Gil?
or Bengie Molina?
b0rd3rline - August 8, 2010
I knew that looked wrong, but I couldn't figure out how
Bengie Molina (sorry about that!).
rspencer - August 9, 2010
Should a kept D O D. cool nickname to boot.
Wally's World - August 8, 2010
SOS pitches against us tomorrow
Sure he’ll be pumped.
vladtheimpaler - August 8, 2010
oh yeah
Gokyle45 - August 8, 2010
Oh, great.
rspencer - August 8, 2010
Let's hope he doesn't dance.
Downing Rules - August 9, 2010
At least Joe Saunders got lit up today.
We can take comfort in that.
bc56274 - August 8, 2010
Why?
We still like Saunders damn it
ryanfea - August 8, 2010
This^
agent_99 - August 8, 2010
poor diamondbacks.
I think with that loss now they’re 24 and a half games back lol.
(!ts_a_C.A._thing) - August 9, 2010 via mobile
Dustin Moseley pitching tonight?
I’ll have to tune in for that. He could be our #5. Or #4. Hell, maybe #3.
bc56274 - August 8, 2010
Mose's line
6.1IP 6H 2R 2ER 2BB 5K
Not to shabby………..
:-(
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2010
BOTG = Joel Pineiro
for getting injured and forcing Bell into the rotation.
Chzburger Jones - August 9, 2010
At least Bell's getting some innings
It’s not like he’s costing us the division. Give him some more experience at the ML level. Unless Kazmir totally bottoms out, he’s out #5 guy next year.
Kernel - August 9, 2010
Can anybody please tell me what the point is to sending Shields to the mound, at all?
Is the rest of the ’pen completely out of gas?
Is there some reasonable amount of hope that Shields will suddenly regain form, somehow against all historical precedent in the history of baseball careers?
Is Sosh just looking to burn 20 pitches and praying for the least amount of damage to the game situation that is possible?
Does Shields need some number of Appearances for something important?
Honestly, what the hell is the deal here? It totally eludes me.
Stirrups - August 9, 2010
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