Could be an awful offseason.

The Angels decided to bring back both Scioscia and Dipoto this upcoming season after hinting that one of them were going to be dismissed of their duties. Scioscia needed to come back as he is still one of the top managers in the league. Dipoto is still yet to do something positive for the organization. A very likeable guy, he does know the game very well. However, the signings of Pujols and Hamilton have not worked out. Although he is the general manager, it has been said that those moves had been made by the owner Arte Moreno. Despite those moves, Dipoto did go out and get Joe Blanton who had one of the worst seasons one could remember, Tommy Hanson for Jordan Walden which completely backfired, and also signed two great bullpen guys when injured and they never gave us a sniff at a possible comeback. It makes a fan pinch their eyes and rub their foreheads of how a team can fall off so quickly when being preseason World Series hopefuls two years in a row. Losing Greinke to the Dodgers after not paying him didn't help in this "we need pitchers" offseason.

Things are now only to get worse as the Angels have announced that Trumbo and Bourjos will be on the trading block for hopes of starting pitching, but in the contrary, the front office did not extend qualifying offer to left handed starter Jason Vargas. Mark Trumbo is a home grown talent who tore up AAA Salt Lake just a few years ago, and is now one of the top home run hitters in the American League. His defense has improved, but his discipline has not. When watching games and at-bats, you can tell he is guessing at pitches and will flail at almost anything. Even with that being said, he can still grow and learn and can give you 30/100 offensive numbers. Bourjos was out a majority of this past year with injuries, but again has the potential to be an offensive threat by putting the ball in play and motoring around the base paths. He flies around in the outfield, running down anything that doesn't get to the wall taking hits away in all parts on the grass. Again, another guy who came from within. If the Angels lose both these guys, it will be a huge dent, missing a major power bat, and rabbit on the diamond.

If the Angels are going after pitching, do what you need to do to get rid of Hanson and Blanton. This also means keeping Jason Vargas. A left handed pitcher who still has plenty of years left missed two months due to a blood clot in his armpit. A rare "injury" but had nothing to do with his actual pitching arm. Vargas has been able to go 200+ innings twice in his last three years. This past season with the arm pit injury, Vargas had 24 starts, going 7 innings or more in 10 of them and averaging 6.5K/9.

This will be an interesting offseason for the Halos. As we sit back and cringe awaiting the fate of the Angels trades, let us remember that Weaver and Trout will still be wearing red in Orange County this season.

Ford C. Frick - Journalist, Commissioner, Fan

With Allen Huber “Bud” Selig announcing his plans to retire in January 2015, we can reminisce on the Seilg era, along with the other eight commissioners dating back to Judge Landis in 1921.  They have played an important role in America’s pastime, holding down the fort during mischief and mayhem. They dealt with gambling, civil rights, free agency, and drugs. One which stands out the most is the 1919 Black Sox scandal which gave baseball its first commissioner. The owners gave the key to baseball to Judge Landis who banned eight Chicago players from the game for life. A.B. “Happy” Chandler had the entrance of Jackie Robinson. Ford Frick split Maris and Ruth’s homerun record.  Kuhn was in office for free agency hearings in the US Supreme Court. Giamatti was around for the banning of Pete Rose. Finally, Selig had to handle the steroid era.  These gentlemen were men of law, military, and business. Asked to come in and run it as such. All except for one, Mr. Ford Christopher Frick.

Born just one month and 19 days before the Babe, Frick joined the New York sports writing team in 1922. He became a lifetime baseball employee when he started covering the Bambino in 1923. Just like the rest of America, Frick fell in love with the larger than life ballplayer. This was a time when Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones owned the golf world, Jack Dempsey was the great boxing champion, tennis had Tilden, Lenglen, and Wills, and Notre Dame Football had the four horsemen in the backfield.  Frick covered them all, but there was only one Ruth and he dominated the media. Baseball strategy prior to Ruth was “hit ‘em where they ain’t”, base stealing, and slashing led by Ty Cobb. The game changed because of Ruth and Frick covered it all from his Ruthian blasts to his boyish enthusiasm with fans and kids that never dimmed.

“Attempting to measure Babe Ruth’s greatness by standard rule, or mathematical formula, is like trying to thread a needle while wearing boxing gloves.” – Ford Frick

From the end of WWI until the great depression was considered the golden age of sports by most writers in that time. It was an era of laughter and excitement when America supposedly won the “war to end all wars.” For Frick it was an opportunity to cover sports as they grew internationally, but also to cover some of the greatest baseball players of all time. Of the first 108 players elected into the Hall of Fame, 52 of them played during the postwar decade. Names like: Dickey, Sisler, Gehrig, Foxx, Hornsby, Cronin, Cobb, Ruth, Speaker, and Combs; along with pitchers such as: Walter Johnson, Left Grove, Dazzy Vance, and Grover Alexander.

Judge Landis authorized the broadcasting of the World Series in 1921, which would change radio forever. The first broadcast was done by New York’s WEAF, however it would blow up in Chicago when Mr. Wrigley let all local stations broadcast Cubs games. Public interest in nearby states for the Cubs took off. WOR began broadcasting the same year Frick came to New York in 1922. The first two years of WOR, operation came out of Bamberger’s department store which sold radio sets to consumers. It wasn’t until 1924 that they had their own station. In 1930 Frick went from being a writer to becoming a broadcaster. The first local New York broadcast took place in 1931 when four local stations were invited to broadcast a game at Ebbets Field. Frick along with Ted Husing, Sid Loberfeld, and Graham McNamee sat in a box behind the plate and talked into microphones hooked up by telephone lines with one technician on hand that had the job of keeping the lines open. The fan mail poured in and the radio business would boom. Frick called the final regular season series between the Cardinals and Dodgers which decided the pennant. The Cardinals went onto win and that was as close as Dazzy Vance ever came to a world series, but it did attract a record listening audience. By the mid 1930’s, all sixteen teams were broadcasting their games. It opened up a source of income that television would soon quadruple.

1934 would be a big jump for Frick as he was elected Director of the National League Service Bureau at the beginning of the year, then National League President before Thanksgiving. What he is most known for during his time at the head of the National League is the working with hotel owner Stephen C. Clark in creating the National Baseball Museum in Cooperstown New York. Clark bought a ball for $5 in 1935 that was used by youngsters in games played at Phinney pasture during the mid 1800’s. The ball was found in a trunk, blackened, torn, patched with ancient letters on it. Clark mounted the ball and displayed it through the Otsego County Historical Society which then attracted local interest.  Clark then added his own prized baseballs, paintings, and prints. He would send his staff across the country to collect other baseball artifacts to add to the collection. Within a year, his small library became a place to travel. Although the Hall of Fame opened in 1939, the first induction class came in 1936. Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, and Honus Wagner were elected. 1939 means something even more because it celebrates the 100^th anniversary of the “Myth” of Abner Doubleday creating the game of baseball in Cooperstown in 1839.

From celebratory to controversy, Frick would later have to face the dispute of the first black player coming into his league. Happy Chandler was commissioner of baseball; however Jackie was going to play for the Dodgers of the National League. It was not unexpected as Robinson was assigned to Montreal the year before. Branch Rickey was a man who did not act on impulse. The idea of integrating blacks in the majors goes all the way back to the mid 1930’s, but no one could ever pull the trigger. In 1947, Frick dealt with all problems big and small with Jackie Robinson. It started with spring training in the south, hotels and restaurants, and also opposing teams. The Cardinals, now one of the classiest organizations, was one of the toughest to deal with as they set out to protest their games against the Dodgers. Frick accepted the entrance of Robinson and other black players to follow. He would then go on to warn organizations of possible suspensions for those who chose to dispute.

“I  cannot but feel that the one man, above all others, who deserves the eternal thanks of his own race, and all thinking people, for bringing about baseball’s greatest reform, is Jackie Robinson himself…Certainly baseball people should be eternally grateful for the contribution he made to his own people, and to the game.” – Ford Frick

Brooklyn would bring up Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe the next year, both competitors and gentleman. Robinson was no longer a one man crusade, although he paved the way for other greats to come.

Happy Chandler would retire from being Major League Baseball’s commissioner in 1951, giving the reigns to Ford Frick who has been in the game since the early 1920’s as a journalist following the Sultan of Swat. The 50’s was all about the expansion west. There were meetings with the Pacific Coast League about turning the PCL into a third circuit and compete against the American and National Leagues which only went as far west as Chicago. This was immediately discouraged, however San Francisco and Los Angeles pledged ready to take on a major league team. The plan was to advance individual cities to major league status, expanding the geographic of the baseball, but keeping eight teams to each league. The Braves were the first to go in 1953, taking off for Milwaukee. Although Boston fans were bitter, they still had their Red Sox.  The following year the American League had two changes. The Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City while the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore. The major leagues expanded from 10 to 13 cities. Things then got dicey in 1957 with two New York teams traveling across the country. The Dodgers went to Los Angeles and the Giants took to San Francisco. Fans were appalled and in uproar over this massive change. New York had become a one-club city.

Immediately after, the major leagues would expand to 10 teams each. New York, Houston, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis were selected. A territory rule would be stepped on with two teams playing in New York and two in Los Angeles. A long meeting with league leaders in St. Louis and with Frick as commissioner went back and forth until Mr. Ben Fiery of the American League proposed that no city could be shared between clubs if the city population is less than 4 million. After agreement, Yankees and Mets would share the Polo Grounds until Shea Stadium was built, and the Angels would temporarily use Wrigley Field in Los Angeles.

“Baseball has always been slow to accept change. Only through dire pressure can any radical change be accomplished. The move of the Giants and Dodgers from New York to California brought that pressure in abundance.” – Ford Frick

The last major historic event that took place while Frick was involved with baseball was the homerun race to catch Ruth’s 60 by Roger Maris during the same year of the expansion of two more teams in each league in 1961. Along with the expansion of the leagues was the extension of the season from 154 games to 162. On the 154^th game of the season for the Yankees, Maris had 59 home runs. It wasn’t until September 26^th when Maris his number 60 to tie Babe Ruth’s record. On October 1^st, the last day of the season, Maris hit home run number 61 to break the record, but in 162 games. Frick would separate the two records, not giving full credit to Maris for having the new record. Some say it was because Frick was such a fan and good friend of Ruth’s he would have none of it. Players such as Roger Hornsby backed Frick comparing Ruth’s .356 average in 1927 and Maris’ .269 average in 1961. Either way, Frick did what he thought was right for the game.

“The commissioner is in a tough spot…He cannot flaunt national law. His decisions must be tempered to fit the times. He cannot roll in the mud of a labor argument one moment, and next moment don a clean shirt and assume authority as final judge and arbiter. As commanding general his job is to develop strategy to win the war, not to man the skirmish lines or lead a scouting patrol…The fact is the commissioner is a hardworking executive trying as best he can to weld scores of individual enterprises into a national institution for the purpose of providing honest competitive entertainment for a sports-minded public.” – Ford Frick

Ford Frick is the only commissioner to be built from within. He is a prominent figure in baseball history as he’s been at the forefront from radio beginnings to Astroturf.  The integrity of the game was held strong during his time in office as he paid tribute and respect to the past, but also was a pioneer in the movement and expansion of the game. No one else was as heavily involved in the revolution of baseball as Ford Frick. He was also a fan of the game, its players, and its followers.

Frick’s Players List

Happiest Player: Ernie Banks – His “nice day for a game” is a personal trademark

Most Aggressive Player: Ty Cobb – His every move was a challenge

Player with Greatest Fan Appeal: Babe Ruth – Undoubtedly

Greatest Pitching Performance: Don Larsen’s Perfect Game – vs Dodgers on October 8, 1956

Best World Series Performance: Brooks Robinson – Greatest individual exhibition I ever witnessed

Greatest World Series Thrill: Bill Mazeroski – 9^th inning home run in 1960 game 7 World Series

Favorite “Bad Boy”: Frankie Frisch – I fined him and suspended him the most

*Credit for quotes: Frick, F. (1973). Games, astrisks, and people; memoirs of a lucky fan. New York, NY: Crown Publishers Inc.

The Last Home Game...

A Wednesday afternoon that had weather in the mid 70's with partial clouds and a light breeze is a great excuse to be outside at a ballgame. With Weaver on the mound, and a spring training like attendance, it felt like a scrimmage that still meant something. Our cheap seats in section 426 became field level after telling the attendant that I just wanted to see my old seats where we had season tickets for 15 years. You can see my seats in this picture as they were on the opposite side of the stadium in section 113. It was a great white lie to sit up front one last time in 2013. As I looked out to the field, I saw no Trout, no Pujols, no Bourjos, no Kendrick, and Callaspo in a green uniform. Instead I saw Shuck, Cowgill, Calhoun, Green, and Romine. The only two constant Angels I saw were Weaver and Aybar. This reminded me of the teams Scioscia was successful with. Guys who were scraps in the system who played for eachother. Stealing bases, hitting behind guys, bunting, and beating out grounders.

After a solid first by Weav, Shuck led off the bottom of the 1st. I glanced at the scoreboard to see that his average was .291. A guy in his first full season in the bigs no taller than me was getting a chance because of an injured Borjous and in injured Pujols. Trumbo who is not a natural outfielder made the move back to first, moving Trout to center and giving Shuck the chance of a lifetime. He stepped up and produced all season, additionally making the catch of the year going over the wall next to the foul pole in left.

Aybar came up next and I started to think of how long Aybar has been with the Angels and I still think is one of the most underrated short stops, if not hidden gems in baseball. Bunts for hits, plays stellar defense, doesn't strike out, great arm, great feet, hits behind runners, etc. Hitting from the left side, his first two at-bats he took fastballs down the middle with the smooth approach of staying on the ball and hitting line drives to left center for knocks. As they say, "like poetry in motion" how easy he made it look. These two hits put Aybar in 2nd place in baseball this year with 47 multi-hit games. I hope they sign him to a 5-year deal when his contract is up.

Weaver continued to dominate. A natural fly ball pitcher who can hit his spots, deceive hitters, and change speeds would get mad at himself at every walk or hit he gave up. A true sign of a competitor even with the season basically over and the stands empty. As a big Weaver fan being a Long Beach State alum, I start thinking about the type of person he is. Simple, quiet, and friendly, Weaver draws the initials of the late Nick Adenhart in the back of the mound before he takes the rubber every inning. He has also named his newborn son Aden after him as a tribute. Additionally, Weaver being one of the top 5 pitchers in the AL took a pay cut to stay an Angel and so management could spend money elsewhere to help the team. His agent Scott Boras didn't even show up to his giant press conference in front of the home plate entrance. What a guy.

The three runs the Angels got came from moving runners over, stealing bases and putting pressure on the defense. Both innings the Angels scored in (4th & 5th) the A's had to play with the infield in. After Aybar stole 2nd, Calhoun worked a 3-2 count with 0 outs and pulled a grounder to second to put Aybar at third. Romine and Cowgill both had sacs. We all know Scioscia loves the "contact play" and it worked one out of the two times. Aybar's third hit of the game was a grounder up the middle for an RBI and the game clincher. Strategic offense and shut down pitching was baseball at its best and it was a great last game to watch live. 

My last thoughts were about the A's and how they consistantly make the playoffs with no All-Star names on their roster. But their guys just play baseball the right way. Hitters are patient, pitchers throw strikes, and each player brings a certain skill set to the team. Their lineup featured no one hitting over 300, but yet mostly guys in the .240s -.260s. Again, each guy played a roll. Reddick is a power bat who plays all out defense; a combo that is hard to find. With a runner on first and two outs Shuck hit one past the first baseman and tried to stretch it into a double. Reddick fired one in on the money to bang Shuck out and end a potential threat. Callaspo who was picked up from the Angels made a diving stop down the 3rd baseline with Hamilton on 2nd and threw out a runner to end another threat. This may not have the stars to bring in 40,000 people to see, but they play the game hard and buy into the team strategy.

As we conclude the 2013 season and wonder if Scioscia or Dipoto will be sent off, we also learn about the window of opportunity for Arte Moreno to take the team elsewhere, and the future of Mike Trout when he becomes a free agent in 2017. A lot of questions linger in the future. Will Pujols ever be healthy? Will Hamilton and Trumbo learn to layoff pitches outside the zone? The questions have never been bigger for the Angels because of the star power and expectations. It should make for a very interesting offseason.

Toss in the towel for 2013

At 12 games under .500 and 15 games back of the AL West, it's fair to say that the Angels will not be playing into October. The Halos didn't get off on the right foot in April and have trailed ever since, battling Seattle for third place in the division. For the last few years now it has been a fight between Oakland and Texas and it just goes to show you, you can't buy wins. You will hear people use the "injury" excuse, which is reasonable. Weaver, Vargas, and Hanson have all been on the DL for periods of time. Pujols and Bourjos were not healthy the entire year. Let's not forget Sean Burnett and Ryan Madson who could've potentially formed into the eight, nine spots never made it out of the gate. Injuries are a part of baseball when you play 162 games. Even with these injuries, the Angels should be more competitive. Hamilton, Trumbo, Iannetta, and Conger all hit below .240. Hamilton and Trumbo are supposed to be the four and five hitters with Pujols in the lineup. It became difficult to watch them guess and whiff pitch after pitch, game after game.

2013 POSITIVES:
TROUT: How could we not look at Mike Trout and not be proud with our chests out. Bryce Harper's Nationals are in a similar spot with the Angels, but Harper has no where near the production in the sophomore race. Harper, Machado, and Trout will all be stars for the next 15 years, but Trout will be going down as one of the greatest if he keeps putting up these numbers. A .330 average with 21 home runs, over 75 RBI's and 26 stolen bases makes him one of the most potent offensive players in the league. Let's just hope the Angels kept enough money when his arbitration years are over.

TURNING TWO: The Angels still can say they have one of the best combinations up the middle from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. Erik Aybar and Howie Kendrick are a dynamic duo defensively. Aybar can be considered as a top five defensive shortstop while Howie Kendrick continues to hit .300.

OUTFIELD ASSISTANCE: With Bourjos going down for the year and Hamilton struggling, it was a pleasure to watch JB Shuck, and most recently Kole Calhoun take advantage of the opportunity. Both players are hitting right at .290 and Shuck also has the Angels play of the year when he leaped into the left field stands to rob a home run. Collin Cowgill has also been solid in the outfield mix.


The negative is self explanatory. Besides the 3, 4, 5 hitters being unproductive in Pujols, Hamilton and Trumbo, it really comes down to pitching and defense.  There was no comfort for a fan outside of Weaver and Wilson starting a game. Joe Blanton was a complete bust. The only relief pitcher with an ERA under 3.50 was Scott Downs (1.84) and the Angels traded him away. Frieri lost his touch with an ERA close to 5. Last but not least, you have to play catch as a team. Out of 30 teams in major league baseball, the Angels finished 28th in team ERA and 28th in defensive fielding percentage. This is not a recipe for any type of winning besides earlier tee times at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach.

We should not blame this on Mike Scioscia and he should not be fired. He did not forget how to coach over the last two seasons, but does have to make an adjustment if given another chance by Arty Moreno. Strong teams these days are built from the ground up. Yes the Dodgers went out and spent a lot of money too, but they have arguably the best pitching staff in baseball. The Pirates, Cardinals, Braves, Rays, Royals, and A's all have outstanding farm systems led by pitching then have great role players in the field. Arte does have a lot of money, but you can't buy wins and happiness. The Angels have to go back to restoring their bus leagues to rebuild this team. Most of this year's positives have come from guys who have grown through the system. If only Trumbo could find a comfort with the strike zone and figuring out pitchers, this team could be built on purely themselves. Get some young arms and build it from within. The future under the halo is as unknown as ever before.

All-Star break-down

Finishing the last two weeks 5-6 including getting swept by Seattle before the All-Star break sums up the first half season by the Angels. With all the hype of Josh Hamilton and the signings to revamp the pitching staff, it has been nothing short of disappointing being 11 games back of the first place Oakland A's. It was a battle of spending in the off season between the two LA baseball teams. On paper before the season, a freeway World Series looked very possible. Both teams struggled out of the gate. The difference between the two is the Dodgers called up Yasiel Puig and turned their season around. It does help that only the Diamondback in the NL West have a record over .500, but the boys in blue have fought their way back to .500 while the Angels are still 5 games under.

Offensively Trout, Kendrick, Shuck, and Aybar have done their jobs hitting .290+ and getting on base for the big bats. Shuck is the nice surprise thus far, but I would be happily shocked if he was able to keep this up in the second half. The problem is the 3, 4, 5 hitters in Hamilton, Trumbo, and Pujols are all hitting under .250. On the contrary the Angels do score plenty of runs. They are 7th in MLB in runs scored, 6th in hits, and 4th in average. The problem is both Pujols and Hamilton are .300 career hitters. Both of them are having career lows. Chris Iannetta has been having season woes of his own hitting just .211. Look for Hank Conger to get more playing time if the Angels improve and Iannetta does not.

With a top 10 offense, the pitching has to be the problem. Joe Blanton has been front and center of the blame game, and its a fair blame when a starter is 2-12 with a 5.53 ERA. It doesn't look like Weaver will fully recover this year from his early season injury. He has still been pitching well, but not the dominant Weaver we are used to seeing. CJ Wilson has stepped up and has been pitching better and better, going 8 1/3 in his last start, only giving up two hits against the Oakland A's. Sean Burnett and Ryan Madson were supposed to be the pick ups to seal down the 7th and 8th inning. Both have been hurt the entire season. Scott Downs and Ernesto Frieri are holding it down, both with sub three ERA's.

The Angels will have to hit on all cylinders to get back in the playoff race. 10 games back in the AL West might be too steep, whereas 7.5 of the wild card has higher chances. A lot of things have to align for this season to prolong after the first week of October.

Congratulations to Mike Scioscia on his 1,200 career win as a manager. He becomes the 39th manager to do so. 23 managers who have reached this mark are in the hall of fame. Connie Mack has the most wins all time at 3,731. Mack also has the most losses and most games managed.

Hamilton finally showing signs at half way point

     It's been a long time coming. However this might be the turning point for the highly paid superstar.  The sweep of the Houston Astros comes right after  he sweep of the Detroit Tigers. A 6-0 week on the road is a tremendous step for this Angels club. The next 80 games will ride heavily on the bats of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton. Albert has been banged up through the season with injuries to his knee and heal. Chances are he will remain the DH for most of the second half. He will never be the Albert Pujols of old who earned that $250 million dollar contract. He is still a very dangerous hitter when it comes to putting balls out of the yard. Josh Hamilton on the other hand has made Angel fans very impatient.

     Hitting just above the Mendoza Line for the season, a plethora of swings and misses has given him the worst strikeout per at-bat ratio in his career. What caused this? Hamilton has never faired well in his career against southpaws and he swings at a lot of pitches out of the zone. He has also tried to pull the ball unnaturally and uncharacteristically. This will account for even more wiffs and dinky roll overs. So what was so different in this series that made him "turn the corner?" Hitting .420 during the 6 win road trip, Josh had multiple hits to left field, going the opposite way, including two doubles in Houston. A hitter is at their best when they can see a pitch a long time and put a nice smooth swing on a ball to wherever it is pitched. Best example would be Miguel Cabrera of course. Simple, balanced, hit it where its pitched approach. To go along with his improved approach and seeing more pitches, Josh robbed a home run Saturday and circled the bases Sunday going all 360 feet on his double to left center and scoring on a throwing error. Hamilton crossed home plate after almost stumbling around 3rd with a big smile on his face.
     Hitting for Hamilton could really bring the whole offense together because right now, he's what's missing. How could it be that impacting you ask? It will provide more protection to the middle of the lineup. Pujols and Trumbo are both hitting right around .250. Watch those averages slowly improve if this Hamilton prediction is right.

    Peter Bourjos will be out yet again after getting hit on the wrist Saturday afternoon. A fractured right wrist will but Bourjos back on the DL again this season. Bourjos is having his best season statistically with a .326 average and a .385 OBP. JB Shuck will continue to be in the lineup, hitting just under .300.

  Eric Aybar continues to hit as he led the AL in multi hit games in June with 13. Trout is just behind him with 11.

Angels streak equals hope

An offensive outburst against the Seattle Mariners was exactly what the doctor ordered. A cycle by Trout seemed evitable with his speed, hitting ability, and power. It’s a rare feat that most people think he will achieve multiple times throughout his career.  He became one of the youngest players in history to do it. The last person his age to hit for the cycle was Alex Rodriguez when A-Rod was with Seattle. Trout is back to hitting right around .300. It wasn’t all Trout though, as the Angels scored 19 runs in two games versus Seattle.  The bats continued on the short road trip to Kansas City.

The bats continued to stay hot with 22 runs in the four game sweep.  Josh Hamilton had a pair of home runs and JB Shuck has continued to be a pleasant surprise, getting two RBI’s on Sunday and hitting over .350 during the winning streak. What needs to be mentioned more than the offense is the pitching. The hitters get paid the big bucks, and it was a matter of time before they started whacking the ball all around the yard.  The pitching has been the question, especially without Jered Weaver. Of the 14 pitchers who have pitched during the streak, only one has an ERA above 3.00 (Frieri).  The Halo hurlers have all stepped up from Wilson to Vargas to even Blanton who got his first win. However the most crucial has been spot starter Jerome Williams. In 14 innings, Williams has 10 strikeouts and has only given up two runs in two starts.

During the Angels winning streak, the Oakland athletics have won 9/10 but Texas has been middle of the road. Still way back in the standings, the Angels have shown fans life of winning ways. The Dodgers on the other side of town are still scratching their heads. This four game week series will be interesting as fans clash for bragging rights. Will the Dodgers be able to break the Angels streak, and then can they take more than one out of four? Dodger fans are thirsty for the streak that the Angels are on. Can they find the same watering hole? Or will the Dodgers winning column stay dry?

Angels have now become a dangerous team with Trout leading the way. The rest of the team needs to keep pulling their weight. It looks like they have figured it out for now.

Shuck & Harris filling in just fine

In order for a struggling team of all-stars to stay afloat, role players need to make strong contributions to the ball club. Both JB Shuck and Brendan Harris were two guys who came into the season with minimal responsibility. Only four active players on the Angels roster are hitting over .280, and they both have their name in that pot. Shuck is filling in for the injured Peter Borjous in left field while Harris replaces Aybar at short. They also hit back to back in the lineup in the nine and one spots, and both contributing to the win over the White Sox Friday night with each getting RBI's.

So who are these guys and where did they come from? As of right now, they look like small gifts from heaven for the Angels, as they continue to put in their two cents each night. JB Shuck came up for the first time with Houston for 37 games in 2011 and didn't get a chance in 2012. He is a career 300 hitter in the minors who held his own with a .272 average in those games with Houston. Born and raised in Ohio, Shuck did see the field a few innings in the Angels opener at Cincinnati. Shuck does a good job of putting the ball in play and has a strikeout to walk ratio of 1:1. Shuck has also been solid in the outfield with 2 assists and no errors

Brendan Harris made his major league debut in 2005 with Washington and was also a two-year starter for the Minnesota Twins where he hit .262 in 848 at-bats. After struggling in 2010, Harris was sent back down to the minors, finding his grove again in 2012 where he hit 317 in 106 games in AAA. Harris beat out Andrew Romine for the back-up middle infielder position during the spring. Romine has been up and down with the Angels since 2010 and has continued to struggle at the plate this season. Although Harris might not have the strikeout to walk ratio that Shuck has, Harris is hitting .288 in 66 at-bats with 3 home runs, which is right there with other Angels who have close to 100 at-bats.

These two guys have come in nicely for teammates who had to hit the shelf. Angel fans will be happy to see Aybar and Borjous return healthy. When they do, you can feel comfortable that if a player goes down again, there's someone to fill in right behind them and give the team 110%.

Banged up in more ways than one

The list of injuries so far for the Angels in the first month of the season is atroscious. Starters Weaver, Aybar, Pujols, Callaspo, and now Borjous have all missed time for one thing or another. Pujols continues to show up in the lineup but we all know that heel has yet to heal. Even with all these players missing time, Trout, Hamilton, and Trumbo are all still healthy and in the lineup. You would have to think it's still one of the most powerful lineups in the bigs. Additionally, Pujols is still hitting 3rd.

If the big hitters in the lineup were down and on the DL, it would be up to the scrappy end of the lineup to step up and provide the offense to support the pitching staff. But what do you say if it is the scrappy guys in the lineup who are out? Yes, they provide something the backups can't, but all four of your 30+ home run hitters are still going back to back to back to back in the lineup every day. In the three losses to Seattle, the Angels combined for a total of three runs. I can go into the percentages of RISP, strikeouts-to-walks, etc, but the one stat that made me shake my head was on Sunday, when every single man in the Angels lineup had strucken out. Not one player who came to the plate that did can not say they did not strike out. The Angels have always had an aggressive approach, but it's starting to get rediculous. Only three players have more than 10 walks in roughly 100 at-bats while five of them have more than 20 strikeouts. If you like math, go to the stat page and do the numbers for each starter. What are they on pace for if they get 550 at-bats? Here's a fun one: Hamilton strikes out six times for every time he reaches base for free. Pujols the only positive starter with more walks than strikeouts. Ianetta is okay at 11BB and 9K's. With all the career numbers, this is why Pujols is such a great hitter, even with the heel.

Wilson, Blanton, Vargas, and the bullpen pitched fabulous against the Mariners. For a team who is doing what they can to get an offense, the pitching staff for the Angels continue to show positive signs. The staff will pitch great for four days, then have two bad days and repeat. However with that supposedly being the weakness of this team, I personally will take four out of six. That's winning two three game series. No starter is completely dominating, but that is Weaver's job. They are pitching well enough to give their offense a chance to win games, which is what they are paid to do.

I am throwing Monday's game out the window because Hamilton and Trout combined for 1-16. Additionally Roth needs to go. Everyone who makes it to the bigs has talent and deserves to be commended for their efforts to get this far. However not everyone deserves to stay. 19 innings is an ugly game from both sides. The way this early season has gone, of course the Angels weren't going to come out on top. The last day of April was just as hard as the Angels had another tough loss to Oakland.

Trout continues to sink down in offense. I love Trout just as much as the next baseball fan and have nothing but respect for the next Mickey Mantle, but something is wrong at the plate. I can't quite put my finger on it because every at-bat has a different feel to it, but it's never a comfortable feel like it was in the middle of last season. Last year he was neck and neck with a triple crown winner. This weekend, Miguel Cabrera came up in the pouring rain with two runners on and had a 3-0 count when the Tigers were up 5-3. There was a feeling of "he's gunna swing, he's got this." A feeling of comfort. The next pitch he hit a home run 10 rows deep into right field. Cabrera just made it look so easy, so relaxed and confident at the plate. Easy approach, easy swing. That's an at-bat anyone can learn from. That's why he is the triple-crown and MVP champ.

Saturday Angels traded away Chris Snyder to Baltimore for LHP Rob Delaney. I completely disagree with this trade although I understand for bullpen needs. Snyder was beaten out by Conger this spring in good competitive competition. Conger more than deserving, had Snyder sent to AAA Salt Lake. Currently Snyder is hitting .342.  Rob Delaney has hardly any major league experience and has struggled so far this year. I don't like the trade because I feel like Snyder is more valuable than what they received out of the deal. I hope Delaney proves me wrong when he gets his chances.

Sunshine breaks through during weekend

It was great to see Torii Hunter back at the Big A and receive a well-derserved warm welcome by Angel fans and players. Torii had a huge smile like always. Hunter came into the series hitting over .400 and just got his 2,000th career hit in Detroit this past week. This series wasn't about Torii though, it was about the Angels playing solid baseball versus a World Series favorite.

16 hits Friday night handed Anibal Sanchez his first loss of the year.  Sanchez did not allow more than five hits in his previous three starts. The Angels aggressive approach at the plate paid off agianst a guy who is always around the plate. Zero walks were issued by Sanchez through 6 2/3 innings. The Angels were able to get a couple runs for Tommy Hanson, who pitched well through six, but even better when he got into jams. Four relievers were used for the Angels to finish off the game with the help of a five-spot put  up in the bottom half of the 8th.

Saturday night's first inning is what I've been waiting for this season. An absolute offensive outburst early in a game against a starting pitcher. NINE RUNS in the Angel's first at-bats was capped off by a Mike Trout grand slam to center field off a hanging curveball by Porcello. Although the rest of the game was fairly flat, that inning showed the potential of what this offense can do 1-9. Saturday also marked the first time the top three hitters in the Angels lineup were all over .300 for the season. Skip Hamilton and you can also include Mark Trumbo in that category.

We also witnessed the best start that Garrett Richards has had at the major league level. Whether the nine runs depleated the Tigers or not, there is still a plethora of talent in that lineup. Richards seven innings and two hits was even more impressive because he did not walk a single batter. Between Hanson and Richards this weekend, we witnessed back to back shut down starts for the first time in 2013.  With Weav on the DL, it was refreshing to see two guys step up and stop the bleeding.

With the Angels going for their first sweep of the season Sunday, the Laker game seemed irrelevant to Angel fans who enjoy the NBA. CJ Wilson had another average start with four walks, but the fifth inning was the 3rd time through the lineup and Prince hit a towering shot after Cabrera struck out. CJ did bounce back in the 6th which was good to see. The Angels had more chances to score in the 3rd inning, but you can't complain when they score three. They put the ball in play and made the defense make plays. Staying out of the air and not striking out were two big positives that came out of that inning.

Frieri scares me, but don't most closers? In a tie game in the 9th, Frieri loads the bases. With two outs and two strikes on the lefty Victor Martinez, Frieri gets Martinez to fly out on a pop-up to left field and gets out of the jam. It took more than 30 pitches in the inning, but the game remained tied. However, Angels could not figure out Tigers relief pitcher Al Alburquerque, who struck out five out of six batters with 20 pitches in the 8th and 9th. Trout leadoff with a single in the bottom of the 10th off Joaquin Benoit, then stole 2nd with Pujols up. Pujols popped up, then Hamilton struck out swinging, bringing up Mark Trumbo with two outs and Trout still on 2nd. Trumbo was intentionally walked to bring up Howie Kendrick. (That shows you the respect Hamilton has not earned yet this year.) Howie couldn't put the ball in play and the game continued into multiple extra innings. Then in the bottom of the 13th, Trumbo launched a ball deep over the left field wall to give the Angels the win and the sweep of the Tigers.

Obviously this is the best series the Angels have played this year. Starting pitching was strong, bullpen looked good, and the offense put up 21 runs and hit well with RISP. The Texas  Rangers come to the Big A next, and the Angels should be hungary for a little revenge, especially Josh Hamilton. All eyes will be on Hamilton, and I hope this is the series that Josh gets hot. He's really the only man in the lineup who hasn't gotten up to speed. He has had plenty of chances to cash in and give the Angels big innings.  What a pick-me-up it would be for the whole team to have him join the party.

My player of the Detroit series is Peter Bourjos who had seven hits in the three games and has established himself as the new leadoff hitter with Aybar out, moving Trout to the two-hole, right in front of Pujols. Bourjos went 3-4 both Friday and Saturday night in the Angels routes of the Tigers. Bourjos can bunt as good as anybody, and will do it multiple times if the situation presents itself. Trout looks as though weight has been lifted off his shoulders hitting second. With his ability to hit the ball to right field, Borjous should be at 3rd more times than not when Pujols comes up. Although Trout's bat is coming around, I would still like him to take advantage of bunting situations. In the 7th inning Sunday with the game tied 3-3, Luis Jimenez got hit to leadoff the inning. Bourjos laid down a sacrafice bunt, but was able to beat it out for a hit. With runners on first and second, no outs, and Price Fielder playing back behind Bourjos at first, Trout had a great opportunity to show his small ball skills and speed. Worst case senario would've been a sacrafice, Pujols' intentional walk would've loaded the bases, and Hamilton's lineout to center would've scored a run. Its not taking the bat out of Trouts hands, but instead using his baseball IQ and abilities. Trout grounded into a double play and the Angels did not score.

Not pretty, but we will take the wins

After getting shutout Friday night in a disappointing loss to the Astros, the Angels showed signs of light both Saturday and Sunday night. In this post we are staying all positive. It might take longer than we want for this team to start clicking on all cylinders at once, but the two wins included Trout's first homerun, Hamilton's first two homeruns, and a good start by CJ Wilson.

The Astros will finish in last place in their new division. It will be a battle between them and the Marlins for most losses this year. The Angels did what they had to do to win the series after losing the opener. Garrett Richards took the ball Saturday night and did exactly what you would expect from a spot starter; 6+ innings, four runs. Hamilton got his first dinger and the Angels had 13 hits to the Astros four, but still need Pujols to come up in the clutch to win the game. Pujols needs to be that guy like he was with the Cardinals since he came into the league in 2001. Sunday wasn't pretty but Wilson only gave up one run through six innings and both Trout and Hamilton went deep. Wilson had to throw 115 pitches to get through those six innings while walking four. Against the Astros it worked.

In the last post, I expressed my feelings that the Angels needed to blow out the American League minor league team. Offensively, it seems as though it might be a few weeks before the hits start coming in bunches, especially hits with runners in scoring position. The bullpen did not give up a run in all three games. Two of the four series thus far, the guys beyond the left field wall have been lights out. With the offense not overpowering teams, the defense 27th in fielding, and with Weaver out no other starter showing consistency, the bullpen has been the nice surprise. Winning two out of three is a positive series.  The Angels next opponent are the Twins in Minnesota. Following the quick trip to the twin city is a couple of tough weeks. To see a couple of high scoring affairs before the Tigers come to town would be nice. You know that Detroit will bring the lumber. They just scored 20 runs in three games in Oakland.

I know I said only positive in this post but I lied. Here's a fun stat so far this season: Out of the 12 games so far, the only times the Angels have two hits in a game with runners in scoring position, they were 2-14 and 2-16. One-fers have been popular, and that's not a good thing. If you don't like cringing, dont crunch the batting average with RISP.

I would like to take this time also to congratulate Roy "Doc" Halladay on win #200 today against the Miami Marlins. Even though he hasn't gotten off on the right foot this year, he has been one of the faces of MLB pitching for the last decade. Also, I would like to wish everyone a happy Jackie Robinson day. If you have not seen the movie, 42, go check it out. Not only did Jackie break the color barrier and take on the world's racism, but he also was named Rookie of the Year. Here's to one of America's greatest idols and pioneers.

What's worse than getting swept by Oakland...

     GETTING SHUT OUT BY THE ASTROS.

A's make it time to worry

Well I was wrong about a few things. Weaver's left elbow was more than a few days and coming back home didn't work. Opening day at Angels Stadium on Tuesday in front of a "sold-out" crowd left fans with more doubt than they had while the team was on the road. Opening day was also my dad's birthday so we did what any fans would do, celebrated at the stadium. Sitting in section 522 high above home plate, was a feeling of ease and comfort. It was good to be back at the big A.

CJ Wilson got off to a slow start once again giving up a big first inning via the walk. Angels had plenty of chances to respond, but once again could not cash in with runners in scoring position. Additionally, Hamilton had another chance with the bases loaded and less than two outs, and hit a dribbler back to the pitcher. Howie Kendrick had a big two-RBI double, but then Jepsen gave up a couple home runs in a five-run inning to blow the game open. Wednesday and Thursday's games aren't even worth discussing. The scores tell the story.

While the A's lead the entire league in runs batted in, the Angels are below the medium at #19. The Angels are supposed to be the team with the boom sticks. Angels are #19 again while the A's lead the bigs. Oakland leads in most offensive categories: runs, hits, doubles, walks, home runs, runs batted in, slugging, on base plus slugging, total bases, and extra base hits. The team who won the west seems hungrier out of the gate than the team who needs to prove they are worth the money.

The Halos getting swept by the A's was even worse because two of the three games were decided by more than a grand slams worth of runs. The only guys who have shown up to start the season are Aybar, Bourjous, Trumbo, and Kendrick. Aybar tweaked his leg on Tuesday and will miss sometime. The bottom of the lineup has seem to do its job, getting on base and even knocking in runs. Trumbo leads the team in RBI's and seems to be more comfortable with the strike zone. Trout however has already K'd 10 times this year, only second to Hamilton. His short compact swing is still there, but looks to be just missing his pitch each at-bat. Look for him to be more aggressive against Houston this weekend.

Yes the Angels do get Houston this weekend. Houston, a team with a new manager, new uniforms, and a new mascot, currently has one more win than the Angels. I thought opening night would be the only time that would happen since the Astros and Rangers were the only two teams that played. Hanson, Richards, and CJ are the projected pitchers up against Norris, Harrell, and Humber. All six of these pitchers combined are 2-5. I am interested to see how Garrett Richards handles his first start of the year. I believe Jerome Williams is a better starter than Richards, but the Angels believe in his "potential" because of his stuff. Richards will miss spots and give up big hits, whereas Williams is usually solid the first two times through the lineup, until that 3rd time where the opposing lineup figures him out. Pitch Williams five innings, even if he has a good start, pull him and take your chances with the bullpen like a D1 NCAA Sunday starter.

The Angels need to get the bats going against Houston and at Minnesota to get their confidence up before facing the high powered Detroit Tigers. Beating the Astros 2-1 will not do the trick. They need to do to Houston what the A's did to them. 150+ games left, but April counts just as much as August.

Frustration near Forth Worth. Time to return home.

1 for 10 with runners in scoring position isn't going to win you many games. That's what the Angels did with a plethora of chances to score on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball game. A 2-0 lead before Weaver threw a pitch seems like a great start, but it would've been a much bigger margin. Weaver, who didn't even make it to 80 pitches was stamped with his first loss of the year. Angel fans had to feel good with Weaver and a 2-0 lead. Two home runs in the bottom in the first ruined that quickly. In the top half, Angels had the first three runners reach base without having to put a ball in play. Hamilton, who had three hits in the game, missed a big opportunity in which he probably would give up those three hits for a hit in the first. A bases loaded double play is the ultimate rally killer. Thank Trumbo for stepping up and roping a two-out knock to give the Angels their second run.

When Weaver came out to take the ball, it was a comfortable feeling, until he walked the leadoff hitter. After giving up two home runs to right center, it was a 3-2 Texas lead, and Weav couldn't get comfortable the rest of the game, missing all over the plate. He did get a line drive off the left elbow later, but it shouldn't be anything too serious. Weaver hasn't had much success in Texas, and not many pitchers have. Weaver has faced some of the Ranger's hitters over 50 times now. They have seen all of his pitches in his arsenal. Weaver has had his average speed of his fastball decline nearly four miles per hour over the last four years. Because he is a pitcher and not just a thrower, it shouldn't have too much effect throughout the year, but if you miss against the Rangers in Texas, they will make him pay, and they did.

The Angels had plenty of opportunities to score more runs and failed to do so...again. 1-10 with RISP, most notable (other than the first inning) came after a Josh Hamilton double that put runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Trumbo and Kendrick struck out, and Callaspo flew out. Even when the Angels beat the Rangers Saturday, they were 1-9 with RISP. Additionally, this was another game of 10 strikeouts or more. This team is going to hit. Like all the coaches and analysts say "they will get their numbers." I will tell you it's not about their numbers, it's about timely hitting and good situational at-bats. Lets remember, the Athletics won the AL West last year. Not the Rangers and obviously not the Angels. In seven games, the Athletics have struck out 39 times as a team, the Angels have struck out 56 times in six games.

So at 2-6, what can we say for positives thus far? Well the Angels finally return home to open up at Angel Stadium against the Athletics and the first of many Trout giveaways will take place. The fans will come out and pack the park. It's been a long time since a ball game has been played at the big A and the fans are anxious to see if this team can redeem themselves from not overcoming a slow April in 2012. With all the money being spent, you want to see this team play well. It's a win now atmosphere with the farm system ranked in the bottom five in the league. We wear our red proudly and will cheer our guys on until the end, but we want a show in return. The last thing Angel fans need is to see an overpaid team not produce when the 2002 Angels who won the World Series were led by guys like Jared Washburn, David Eckstein, Adam Kennedy and Darin Erstad who would've cared less how much they were paid, as long as they were able to run through walls to help the team win. No longer are the Angels considered fun, scrappy, and fearless. With this new lineup, batters need to be patient and swing at their pitch. The fun, big innings will come when the right-center gap becomes a game of pepper. The lineup is ideal to any manager, but you can't win by guessing, chasing, and trying to pull. We want to believe in this team so bad, but we as fans need to be patient too. It is however, a marathon.

Missing the "Big Inning"... Bullpen makes a stand.

One series in the books folks. So what exactly can you learn in three of 162 games? Well for one, that there's a lot of baseball left. However, it seems as though the Angels have left off right where they fell short last season. With a line-up so powerful, even pre-Hamilton, the Angels struggled in scoring a hand-full  of runs together. Too many times last year, and again in the series of Cincinnati, we would see a runner on second, or runners on first and second with no one out, and it would be a treat to score one run. One out would occur, then a sac-fly would take place, then another fly out and the inning was over. Give the Red's pitching staff some credit. They had to make pitches, and they return a solid staff from last year.
Another thing that was a recurrence this year already was CJ Wilson missing the strike zone in his start. We'll see how he bounces back as he is the potential starter for the Angels home opener on April 9th.

You look at the roster and the "big inning" should seem inevitable almost once a series where the Angels string together five hits out of six batters. Against Cincinnati in 40 degree weather, the Angels left 27 men on base as a team. Opening day, the first five batters went 2-25 with zero RBI's. Game two they were 4-20, but combined for seven strikeouts. The rubber match was a slight improvement, but were playing from behind the entire game. Three Angels hit three home runs during the series, solo shots of course, but came from the 6-7-8 hitters. Iannetta, Callaspo, and Kendrick. We can look at this as a positive note, that the bottom in the lineup is very capable of picking up the slack. When everyone starts clicking, it will tough to beat this one through nine order. When the Angels went the other way with pitches, the hit the ball hard. You can tell they were antsy at the plate, all the way up until the 2nd half of game three, trying to pull outside pitches.

The better side of things is the bullpen pitched extremely well in the first series, holding the Reds to one run in 12+ innings. The only run given up by Scott Downs to Joey Votto for a game winner in the second dog fight. Remember, Downs didn't give up a run until after the All-Star break last season. With the bullpen being the main concern of this team for most fans, they made a strong stand against a very good Reds lineup. Give the guys in the pen a lot of credit. Frieri, Lowe, Richards, Jepsen, and Burnett all showed up for their 2013 debuts. 15 strikeouts to five walks and only giving up one hit. Ryan Madson still yet to come. The bullpen is like an offensive line in football; 90% of the time, when you hear about them is when they make mistakes. They earned their 10% in Cincinnati.

Fans love to compare Trout and Harper, Harper and Trout. When asked what do you expect to do this year, Harper basically said he could not say what numbers he expects from himself because people would think he's crazy. Well, he's off to a hell of a start, especially after hitting two homers on opening day and 4-8 through three games. People cringed when Trout gained 15 lbs in the off season. He already looks like a military Sargent. Even though he K'd five times against the Reds, he did turn a single into a lead off double showing that he still has the speed. It will be interesting how these two pan out for the sophomore of the year award.

Why this is Weaver's year for the Cy Young

2010-2012 Cy Young winners: Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, and David Price. Jered Weaver's Cy Young finishes the last three years: 5th, 2nd, 3rd. How to win the Cy Young: Throw 200+ innings with the lowest ERA in the league.

That's what the past three gents have done to clinch the award for best pitcher in the bigs. Weaver had a career best 20 wins last season, but so did 2012 Cy winner David Price. When Felix won it in 2010, he had a 13-12 record. However, he had a 2.27 ERA. Hernandez plays for a Seattle team who finally made some moves to provide some offense this season while also moving the fences in. Seattle finished in the bottom five of offensive runs produced in 2010. That year Felix threw 249 innings with six complete games.

 

The next year was Verlander's year. 2011 for Justin looked like the Pedro Martinez of 1999. Absolutely unhittable. Only the 10th player to win the Cy Young and MVP, the first since 1992. Don Newcombe was the first to do it in 1956; the first year of the Cy Young. It is fair to say that Verlander has established himself as the most dominant figure on the mound in the game today. That 2011 season when Verlander didn't seem human, Weaver finished right behind him.

 

David Price was the 2012 winner and it's okay to call it controversial. A fabulous year no-doubt, but the only pitching category he led in was ERA. It was only .08 points lower than Verlander, and Verlander led in innings pitched and strike outs. Weaver missed 3-4 starts last season due to a few nagging injuries and still had a career best in wins.

 

A solid start on opening night didn't get him the win, but he did his job. Six strong, giving up one run, but was pinch-hit for because the Angels had a chance to score in the top of the 7th. Weaver will only be pitching in National League parks maybe once or twice more (at Dodgers, Cubs, & Brewers). American League park, he stays in the game. With a high powered offense, the  hope is to get runs on the board early and often. On paper they look great, but they still have to produce. If this offense can produce as they should, Weaver will be pitching with leads and an ample of opportunities to win multiple games without trying to win them himself. If you ask any pitcher, pitching with a one or two run lead is a lot easier than pitching with a tie game or down a run. It's hard to get to Weaver when he's in cruise control.

 

"Well what about Felix with that sorry Mariners offense in 2010?" Without Felix they would've lost 125 instead of 101. He was all they had and that's why he had to go the distance every time out. Plus he pitched at Safeco, which up until this year was one of the bigger parks in the bigs. Finishing in the top five of the Cy Young finalists the last three years in admirable. After the top five great pitchers in the American League, there is a drop off to the pretty good pitchers. The last two years Weav has had a sub two ERA. With the Astros now in the west and Texas losing some big players, it's Weavers time to take the crown.

Troy Buckley "Blessed"

A catcher once upon a time at Santa Clara, Troy Buckley is now in his 3rd year as the head coach of the Dirtbags at Long Beach State. Buckley has a plethora of experience coaching as an assistant in both the minors and at the college level.

Dirtbag faithful will always remember Buckley for being the pitching coach in the early 2000's when he molded future major league pitchers like Jered Weaver, Cesar Ramos, Vance Worley, and Jason Vargas. This was also the same time that Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria, and later Danny Espinosa were playing on the diamond at Blair Field.

When interviewed on Kbeach Radio's "3Up 3Down" on March 27th, Buckley told the hosts he "was very fortunate" to have had a chance to work with these future All-Stars and says his relationship with his past players have turned into "legitamate friends."

"We just talk, sometimes that's what they need" says Buck, "everyone's trying to tweak them and these are top major league pitchers."

Weaver and Vargas who were teammates at Long Beach State in 2004, have been reunited with the Angels here in 2013. Buckley discussed the personalities of each of his past players calling Vargas the "ultimate teammate" and Tulowitzki "one of the best baseball people I have ever been around" breaking down little small details of the game. "When Tulo talks, you're going to listen."

This years Dirtbags have had some key injuries, but his team has fought through adversity. Buckley preaches being aggressive and being competitive. Obviously there have been some high standards set by guys who have come through Blair Field, but a Dirtbag is also the guy still fighting for a spot at the AA level and laying out for a ground ball in high A. Ino Patron is a left-handed utility player who hits in the middle of the line-up and is by no means the fastest guy on the team. Down 10-3 in the 8th on a Friday night against Northridge to open up conference play, Patron led off the inning with a ground ball base hit up the middle. Watching the centerfield take a knee to pick up the ball, Patron shifted into high gear and turned his single into a hustle double. The next night, Patron was 2-2 with 3 RBI's and 2 BB leading his team to a 14-2 victory. That's what a Dirtbag does.

Long Beach State will continue it's tough conference play against schools like Cal State Fullerton and UCI. If your looking for bunt, steals, hit & runs, and solid fundamentals and a lot of passion, go watch a good college baseball game this spring. Great seats and entertainment for under $10.

If you would like to listen to the full interview with Troy Buckley, visit www.3up3downkbeach.com. Buckley talks about the Fullerton rivalry, college recruiting, the next level, and more baseball talk.

Sorry Wells, But It's About Time

You can argue that a lot of players in professional sports are disgustingly over paid. While Tony Reagins was the GM for the Angels, there were a few moves that made you scratch your head. Texeria for four months for Casey Kotchman who was hitting over .300, Scott Kazmir was a bust, and Bobby Abreau was old.

Vernon Wells signed for $126 million over seven years in 2011. A .218 batting average in year one and .230 in year two could place Wells as the biggest blunder contract of all time. A three time All-Star who has a career batting average of .273 has won multiple Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger. The problem was those awards came prior to 2007. He hit over .275 only once after 2006.

Having Wells struggle in 2011 brought Reagins GM short run to an end. Vernon's struggles and injuries in 2012 really got fans calling for his release. Jerry Dipoto has gone out and spent a lot of Arte Moreno's money, but it was on Albert Pujols, CJ Wilson, and Josh Hamilton. Wilson didn't have the year fans wanted and we're yet to see what Hamilton will do in his first year under the Halo.
But with all the dollars flying around, it was easy to ask "why not swallow the Wells contract for the better of the team?" It's now that time.

Paying Wells a boatload of money to play elsewhere will allow Hamilton, Trout, and Bourjos to be the everyday outfield. For Bourjos it's extremely important because he was always rumored to be in trade talks. One of the fastest guys in the league who will attempt to bunt for a hit at least once a series is a "Mike Scioscia type player." Having power is nice, but Scioscia's teams were at their best when they had scrappy guys that can situational hit and move around the bases. Bourjos will not hit .300 or have 30 home runs, but he will do all the little things like bunting, stealing bases, and running down fly balls that will make him a fan favorite. He is an ideal nine hitter that will contribute more than stats will show.

Projected Angels Line-Up:

Trout  - speed, power, average
Aybar - switch hitter, situational hitter
Pujols - power, average
Hamilton - power, average
Trumbo - power
Kendrick - contact
Callaspo - switch hitter
Ianetta - good eye
Bourjos - speed, situational hitter

Aybar Contributes to the WBC Champion Dominican Rebulic

Pujols, Trout, nor Weaver participated in the 4th World Baseball Classic, but one Angel did. Erick Aybar represented his home country, the Dominican Republic along with many other big name major league players.

All-Stars Robinson Cano and Jose Reyes are the starters up the middle leaving Aybar to produce when called upon as a pinch-hitter, runner, or defensive replacement. As good of a player Aybar is, he was stuck behind arguably the two best players at their respective positions in the world.

Whether "clutch" is real or not, Aybar stepped up in multiple situations that helped lead the Dominican to the WBC championship with an undefeated record. Against the Americans and Braves fresh star closer Craig Kimbrel with a 1-1 count in the 9th inning of a tied game and a runner on third, Aybar watched a breaking ball miss the strike zone by a foot, but had it called a strike by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez. As furious as he was, Aybar dug in and drove the next pitch to right field for the go-ahead and winning RBI.  Even though it may be only March, Kimbrel gave up only one hit with runners in scoring position all of last season and never gave up two hits in an inning.

Aybar got the nod to bat 2nd and DH in the WBC championship game against Puerto Rico. Before the final game Aybar had been 3-9 with a sacrafice bunt and an RBI.  In the final game, a sac-bunt in the first to move Reyes to third, and a hit in the 3rd showed Aybar will not shy in big games. Angel fans should be proud to have him as their shortstop. A fabulous defender who hit .290 last year can sit second row behind Trout, Pujols, and Hamilton and just do his thing. Aybar will be a very productive piece of the puzzle for the 2013 Angels.

What to do with Hank Conger

A powerful backyard prospect out of Huntington Beach California, Conger has had his bat carry him to part time jobs in the show.  A great showing in the Futures Game during the 2010 All-Star weekend got Angel fans excited. The publicity was high for Hank because the festivities were at Angels Stadium.

Conger has hit over .300 his last three seasons in Salt Lake City. All three of those years he was called up at one point or another. Only one of those years he hit over the Mendoza Line while up with the big club. That was in 2011 when he had 177 at-bats in 59 games. His average for that season was .209 with 6 HR's, 19 RBI's, 17 BB, and 37 K's. Conger didn't reach 15 games with the Angels in 2010 or 2012. In his combined 20 games in those two years he hit .170, however, his 18 at-bats in 2012 came with zero strikeouts.

73 total games in the bigs is not even half a regular season, but it seems as though we've had a fair look at Mr. Conger. John Hester is the new backup competition for Hank, both behind Chris Iannetta who is the first every-day catcher the Angels have had since Benji Molina. Also with three years of part time work at the major league level, Hester has a very similar resume to Conger. Hester got his first taste of the show in 2009 but didn't get a trip up in 2011. Hester has been above the Mendoza Line all three times, hitting .250 in his first stint. Hester also has better defensive numbers than Conger. During their times in the bigs, Conger has made 10 errors in 73 games while Hester has made zero in 79 games. Their percentage of throwing out runners is roughly the same and nothing to speak highly about.

Chris Iannetta was hurt for 33 games last season. Hester got 27 of those starts, Conger the other six. Hank has been hitting very well this spring. His switch hitting abilities give him a nice variable for playing time against certain pitchers when Iannetta just needs a day off. At 25 years old, he can still get much better and more consistant both offensively, and more important defensively. We know Scoscia is going to push his catchers hard. With all the offensive power in the lineup this season, it will need to be his defensive efforts that will get him more playing time. Remember, Mathis would get more starts than Napoli. Offense is secondary for these catchers. Scoscia wants a good game called. If the pitchers have a low ERA with you behind the dish, you will get the start. Conger has the highest ERA for pitchers out of the three.