Tag: angels

No Wood on the ball

My favorite Halos fan went on a rant today over email:

  I don’t know whether you have noticed, but the Angels have given 224 at bats in 2010 to a player who has no positives. NONE.

  He is batting .147, slugging .210 and has an on-base % of .176. He has walked 6 times and struck out 70 times. He also is no threat to EVER win a Gold Glove. He has ONE stolen base (you can’t steal first base, and he’s not a base stealer anyway).

  Is this unprecedented in the history of baseball? Probably not, because baseball has a long history.

If you haven’t figured it out, he’s talking about Brandon Wood.  I checked his game log on B-R and wow… He’s getting his playing time for sure.  My buddy can rest assured that Wood is improving.  He’s got three hits in September (he only got one in August). <—- Sarcasm

Fox Sports, DirecTV practice with 3D in anticipation of All-Star Game

On Wednesday, Fox Sports and DirecTV in cooperation with Major League Baseball did a dress rehearsal of sorts of shooting a baseball game in 3D.  It took place in Angels Stadium and they used college players to help in their effort to create a baseball game atmosphere. 

The reason for the practice run?  Fox Sports plans to use this 3D technology at this year’s All-Star Game. 

Let’s get this out of the way.  Only DirecTV subscribers will be able to view the Game in 3D.  Should every work as planned though, it will be a coup for DirecTV since many might subscribe just to see the 3D experience.

With all the disclaimers, it still is quite a feat,

As part of July’s coverage, Fox will deploy two sets of announcers, one for the conventional 2D broadcast that most viewers will see and one for DirecTV’s 3D coverage. I asked Goren if the announcers doing 3D will require special training in the new technology. "It’s an interesting question," he says. During game action the announcers focus is on the field of play. But during replays, "do the announcers put on 3D glasses to look at the 3D monitors? Right now we don’t have an answer for that."

During the Consumer Electronics Show back in January, the big buzzword was “3D”.  Every provider, manufacturer, and supplier that could conceivably get away with it, would incorporate “3D” into their selling points.  It’s clear the 3D is the up and coming technology. 

Yet, I’m still trying to get a handle on it.  Not intellectually so much but is viewing a baseball in 3D something that really appeals to me.  Now these words will most likely come back to bite me in the future.  In a couple years, everything we view will be in three dimensions (“dude, you still watch that flat thing?”).  But right now, the baseball traditionalist wants to watch a game like I always have (especially without Tim McCarver). 

But as someone who is in the technology field, I admit I am curious.  Will it be gimmicky like Fox Sports’ Diamond Cam or provide a genuinely pleasurable viewing experience?  I guess we’ll see.  

Monty Hall: Let’s Make a Deal

michael-taylorThere is another three way deal on the horizon, this one involving the Phillies, the Blue Jays, & the Mariners.  Philadelphia would get righthanded ace Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays & pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont (plus another Seattle youngster, yet to be named) from the Mariners, Seattle gets Cliff Lee from the City of Brotherly Love, and Toronto picks up superstar phenom outfielder Michael Taylor, sky’s the limit starter Kyle Drabek (Son of Doug), and minor league catcher Travis d’Arnaud from the Phils.  In a deal involving two former Cy Young Award winners switching uniforms, the third party player might end up being the big winner, that’s how good Michael Taylor might end up, he’s that good!  Trader Billy Beane jumped into the frey to make it a four-way deal, sending 1B-3B Brett Wallace, a 2008 1st round pick out of ASU by the Cardinals who was traded to Oakland in the Matt Holliday trade, to Toronto for Michael Taylor.  While Wallace has some serious power 20 or more homers in each of the last two seasons, he also swung & missed 106 times in the minors this past year.  To me, the A’s look to be the big winner getting the highly skilled outfielder Taylor.

This three way deal was probably made possible when the Red Sox inked John Lackey away from the Angels.  Once the Bronx Bombers knew Boston was no longer in the hunt to pickup either Halladay or Lee, the Pinstripers could relax and let the trade proceed without outside interference from NY.

In another move, not made by the Yankees, World Series MVP Hideki (Godzilla, but you can call me Shemp) Matsui headed west to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  The Orange County team needed to bring somebody on board after losing leadoff man Chone Figgins (now with the Mariners) & ace starter Lackey (over in Bean Town) already this offseason.  Still I don’t know if it’s much of a consolation prize, seeing the Mariners added Figgins & Lee, while on this day the Halos, in effect, swapped Lackey for Matsui.

Angels make a class move, vote Adenhart a playoff share

nickadenhart A nice touch by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim players. 

The team, who made the playoffs this year, voted deceased pitcher Nick Adenhart a full share of the playoff winnings according to the LA Times Blog.  That comes out to roughly $138,000.  The cash goes to Adenhart’s family, of course. 

Nick Adenhart gave all he had for the Angels.  Unfortunately, it for just one game when he pitched six scoreless innings in his MLB debut in April.  That night, he was killed in an accident by a drunk driver. 

2009 MLB MGRs of the Year: Tracy & Scioscia

Padres Rockies Hurdle Fired BaseballJim Tracy took over for Clint Hurdle in Colorado, guiding a struggling Rockies team to a 74-42 finish, and a postseason berth.  It’s hard to argue with the selection of Tracy as the NL Manager of the Year.  Twice before teams he’s managed have finished with 90+ wins (2004 Dodgers finished 1st), while three times his teams finished with 90+ losses (2007 Pirates finished 6th).  So it just goes to show, being a successful manager has alot to do with being in the right place at the right time, and having the horses.

Mike Scioscia won the AL Manager of the Year Award.  It was the 2nd time he’s won the award, the first coming in 2002, when his Angels won the World Series.  Scioscia has averaged 90 wins per season in his ten years as the Angels skipper, and has finished in 1st place five of the last six years.  The Angels have built a winning baseball philosophy around their manager’s belief in fundamentals, speed, & defense.

Yankees get #40… off to the World Series for them

The Angels gave them a pretty good fight considering the outcome of the first two games.  But the Yankees won.  They won their 40th AL pennant.  In a league that is barely a century old, that is quite a feat. 

As was the ALCS, yesterday’s game between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was a whole lot closer than the 5-2 would lead you to believe. The Halos were within one at 3-2 with runners on base in the top of eighth inning.  The Yankees were helped by two errors in the bottom of the inning to seal the fate of the Angels and put New York into the World Series for the first time since 2003. 

For the series, yeah yeah, there was Alex Rodriguez.  9 for 21 with 3 homer and 6 rbis.  The Angels caught on quick to him because he also had eight walks.  Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon contributed also to the Yanks’ victory.  Both had 2 dingers and Damon had 5 rbis while Jeter scored 5 runs. 

No can deny C.C. Sabathia’s role in the ALCS.  In two starts and 16 innings,  he only allowed 2 earned runs giving up nine hits.  

Vladimir Guerrero overcame his putrid Game 1 to put up some good series numbers.  He was 10 for 27 (.370) with 5 rbis.  But Jeff Mathis had some interesting stats.  He was 7 for 12 (.583) but with only one rbi.  He made his one rbi count, though as it was the game winning hit in Game 3. 

The award for most least productive for the Yankees goes to Nick Swisher who not only went 3 for 20 (all singles) with 0 rbis, but didn’t come through in key situations. 

As for the Angels, the goat is Chone Figgins.  He started out with a 0-18 streak for the series.  Before the dust settled, he went 3 for 23 (again, all singles) with 1 rbi and 2 runs scored. 

A frustrating LCS for me.  This is going to force me to root for the Phillies. 

ALCS Beat: Yankees comeback not enough against resurging Angels

As Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over”.  And as my buddy Don, who is an Angel fan said late night, “If Brian Fuentes had walked Swisher, I think I would have jumped off my roof”. 

Fortunately for the Angels (and Don S), he didn’t.

I learned my lesson though.  I watched the game on TV at home till the beginning of the 7th.  John Lackey had been pitching brilliantly up until then and had a 4-0 lead.  Thinking that Big John had things well in hand, I decided to head to local coffee shop and watch the rest of the game on Gameday while I got some work done.

It’s a 6 block walk to the coffee shop and I was away from the game for 15 minutes, 20 tops.  Logging into Gameday, I was rudely greeted with a 7-6 Yankee lead.  Refreshing the browser didn’t seem to help. 

Looking back at it, I had a sneaking suspicion that Lackey was tiring.  Mid-inning, the camera crew show him in the dugout and boy, he really looked spent.  I remember commenting on that to my kid.

But thanks to a 3-run seventh fueled by back-to-back base hits by Guerrero and Morales, the Angels got back on top for the final score 7-6.

I’d like to say that was the end of the excitement but the Yankees made the Halos earn their pay Thursday night.  Angel reliever Brian Fuentes made things a little too interesting.  After a two-out, bases empty intentional pass to Alex Rodriguez, Fuentes followed that up with a Matsui walk and a Cano HBP to load the bases.  If that weren’t enough, Nick Swisher took him to a full count before popping out to short for third out to end the game. 

Fuentes line looked good.  One inning, no hits and a save.  But that sure didn’t tell the story of the game.  However, he got the job done.

The Angels got their miracle.  Three-Two sounds a whole lot better than Two-Zero or Three-One.

 

Other Postseason News:

 

2009 American League All Stars

derek-jeterThe Sporting News has announced the American League All Stars as selected by a panel of 31 major league general managers and GMs.  Joe Mauer received votes from all 17 AL executives who participated.

C Joe Mauer appeared in 138 games for the Twins, 109 behind the plate, leading the league with a .365 batting average (he also topped the league in average the year before with a .328 mark), while getting beat up at catcher.  Joe hit 28 homers, 30 doubles, and drove in 96, leading Minnesota to the postseason as Central Division champs.

1B Mark Teixeira powered the Yankees offense leading the league in homers (39) & RBIs 122, while batting .292, with 43 doubles, scoring 103 times, he also topped the Junior Circuit in total bases with 344.

2B Aaron Hill came back after suffering a concussion, which allowed him to only play 55 games the previous season, to have his best year ever.  Aaron batted .286 with 36 home runs & 37 doubles, driving in 108 & scoring 103 times.

3B Evan Longoria was the Rookie of the Year who was one of the leaders of the Rays who made it to the World Series last year, now he’s the best player at the hot corner.  He batted .281, with 33 longballs, 44 two base hits, drove in 113 & scored 100 times.

SS Derek Jeter is the captain & leader of the New York Yankees.  Jeter batted .334 with an OBP of .406, it was his job to get on for the big bats, steling 30 bases at the ripe old age of 35, he ripped 18 homers to go along with 27 doubles.

OF Ichiro Suzuki is known simply as Ichiro.  Since coming to the States all he’s done is hit, a lifetime batting average of .333, over 200 hits every season (9 years), and leading the league in hits the last four years.  This year Ichiro batted .352 with 225 hits, 31 doubles, 11 homers, and 26 steals.

OF Torii Hunter just missed batting .300, finishing the season with a .299 batting average, 22 homers, 90 RBIs, despite missing significant time due to injury.

OF Jason Bay has quickly found his Fenway Park stroke since coming over to the Red Sox, socking 36 homers, driving in 119, while scoring 103 runs.

DH Hideki Matsui joins three other Yankees on this year’s all star squad.  Due to injuries Matsui took over the team’s fulltime DH duties to keep him healthy and to keep his potent bat in the lineup.  It worked as Hideki hit 28 home runs & drove in 90 for the Bronx Bombers.

SP Zack Greinke seems to have it altogether for the Royals, being named Pitcher of the Year.  16-8 with a league best 2.16 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 229′ innings, doesn’t begin to tell the story of this youngster’s dominance, with any kind of run support at all he certainly would’ve been a twenty game winner.

RP Mariano Rivera There are closers, then there is Mariano Rivera.  He is that good, he is a step above every other closer in the game, and like a fine wine, he just keeps getting better with age.  He has this cutter, a gift from God, the hitters know it’s coming, but can’t do anything to hit it.  He has taught his famous cutter to a few pitchers throughout the league, to the chagrin of many hitters.  This year Mo, at the age of 39, had 44 saves to go along with a 1.76 ERA, ho-hum.

2009 Managers of the Year: Mike Scioscia & Jim Tracy

scosciaThe Sporting News has announced the winners of the Manager of the Year award as Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Colorado Rockies Jim Tracy.

This was the 10th year Mike Scioscia has been the Angels skipper, averaging exactly 90 wins per year.  He is a two time Manager of the Year award winner, winning the award in 2002, when his ballclub won the World Series.  Although LAA won three less games (97) than the previous year (100, his only 100 win season), Scioscia had one of his best seasons at the helm.  Early in the year an up & coming rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart was tragically killed in an automobile accident, Scioscia’s steadying influence kept the Angels focused.  But the biggest thing Mike brings to the table as manager is “Angels baseball”, it starts in the minors, and everybody in the organization knows what’s expected of them.  If somebody doesn’t do their job, they’re are pulled out of the ballgame, and reminded of what’s expected.  It’s a throwback brand of ball, where the little things are expected, little things produce big results.

Jim Tracy took over from Clint Hurdle as the Rockies manager on May 29th.  In only 116 games at the helm, he turned Colorado around, with a 74-42 record, winning a wild card playoff berth.  Under Tracy the team lost their first three games in Houston, and he came in that next day and said, “Guys, I want to just let you guys play the game.  But if you all force me to come out here, I’m going to come out here”.  Jim Tracy has experienced success before as a big league skipper, in 2004 he guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to a first place finish with 93 victories.

Both Scioscia & Tracy are the one and only winners of the Manager of the Year award in their ballclubs history.