LA Angels Wednesday News Crash: Punishment Day

Good morning Angels fans. Hope you like links for breakfast!

Angels News

Angels are 7-11 now as they have won 2 vs Oakland after being swept by Texas. The team continues to make no sense. Bundy pitched 7 innings with no runs and the bullpen didn’t blow it. Last game of the series is at 1pm today.

In injury news, Simba is close to returning. His defense is greatly missed. While Fletcher has done a fine job, Tommy Lastella is not as good with the glove and shoring up the defense will go a long way towards the pitchers pitching better, maybe.

Mike Trout’s multi home run game on Monday was his 20th, that is tied for most in Angels history with Tim Salmon and Vlad. Wow Vlad was efficient.

Jo Adell’s very bad play is still a 4 base error, no appeal. MLB upheld it despite still keeping the Canseco play a home run.

Around Baseball

Astros hitting coach Alex Clintron got a 20 game suspension for his part in egging on the A’s in their last series. That is the longest any Astro has been suspended and it started Tuesday. Seeing how he was very much involved with the cheating, this is karma finally catching up to him.

A’s Ramon Laureano has a 6 game suspension for charging the dugout. He will appeal.

Joe Kelly’s own appeal was Monday, long after the suspension went down. In the meantime he got hurt with shoulder inflammation and so he is still waiting to see what will happen to him.

Gincarlo Stanton has a grade 1 hamstring strain, will miss 3-4 weeks. That’s big with how short the season is.

Ronald Acuña Jr is day to day with a wrist injury. Allegedly. Although since it isn’t the Angels they are less likely to lie about it.

Trade time! Dimondbacks send infielder Ildemaro Vargas to the Twins for cash considerations. Cash is the most traded thing ever in MLB history.

Cash traded again! To the Braves, for Yonder Alonso. Padres get a friend for Machado.

Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac are both on the restricted list for breaking Covid-19 protocol. Cleveland is taking this seriously. Wonder if they need pitching…

Mets sale final bids due on August 31st. Will Wilpons actually sell or will they mess it up per usual?

Anything I missed? Post below for upvotes.

42 Comments
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Eric_in_Portland
Legend
3 years ago

the lineup is out. Adell, Goody, no Upton.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

Is that goody no Upton?

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
3 years ago

Lately I have to log in every day. Am I not a trusted user? What’s with that?

Ok…so the world will be a better place when the Astros have a definitive nickname. The Chicago White Sox of 1919 doesn’t get the point across as well as The Black Sox. When we’ve got a clever nickname that nails the Astros, a nickname that forever shames them, covid will disappear, birds will sing.

red floyd
Legend
3 years ago

Trashtros

losangel
Trusted Member
3 years ago

Cintron 20 game suspension is like an NBA make up call.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago

l do not like the Asstros at all, but in the game of baseball there is ratchet jawing in ever game. If a player or coach yells something derogatory and it causes a bench clearing in a normal season, should the offender be penalized 54 games? Cintron is a big mouth that can’t back his mouth, but being hit with a game no pay suspension seems over kill. The whole Astros team either cheated or at least was aware of such, but received nothing, not docked one day, no fines, no nothing. A big flapping mouth gets a 20 games vacation unpaid. MLB has really lost it’s way Cheat with steroids and go to Hall of Fame. For close to 30 years this sport has survived some piss poor leadership with one idiot elected to the HOF. Go Figure. BTW Cintron should have gotten a 5 game unpaid vacation imho.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

Yes it is too severe, and sets a pesidence for the future that ManBearFred will not uphold. He’s making the suspension times up as he goes along.

SScott
Super Member
3 years ago

First time reader/commenter. Been an Angels fan since I was a kid growing up in Hesperia. I left California for the Army when I graduated high school in 1987 and haven’t lived there since, currently living in Texas, but I’ve never faltered in my love for the Angels, which as you all know, has not often been easy.

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  SScott

Welcome to the site, Scott. Thanks for joining and go Angels!

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  SScott

Welcome aboard and thanks for your service.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  SScott

E Komo Mai

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
3 years ago

Botched Stripling/Peterson trade gonna hit even harder when the Angels have a deeper logjam in the infield (Simmons returning), meaning two of Simmons/Fletcher/La Stella/Rengifo won’t play every day. Hard to describe that as anything but sheer incompetence. Hoping La Stella takes to first base, but who knows.

Fansince1971
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

You speak the truth! Although I am personally okay with Rengifo and La Stella coming off the bench. I think it’s important to keep Fletch in the lineup every day.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Fletch and Andrelton everyday, LaStella and lil’G can take turns.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

Trade botched by Arte really hurts now. but that is just par for course. Pederson and Stripling would maybe have improved our record. Rengifo not hitting hurts but the defence put up by Noodles and Renny is horrid at best. A trade that never happened is for the Tigers Boyd w/ a 0-1 record and 9+ ERA. More good news is Noodles has a good bat once again.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
3 years ago

Think of every at bat taken by Thaiss and Ward as being taken by Joc instead and it definitely helps our record. Sub out some long relief innings with Stripling actually going 5 innings in a start and it helps.

That trade was perfect for this team.

Charles Sutton
Editor
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

It was a stroke of genius, until it wasn’t.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Yes, and we might have been able to flip Joc, keep Champ, for a pitcher or two.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

Champ kicks butt! Dig that dude! 😀

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

Arte not just being the owner and fan numero uno, really hurts the team

losangel
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

I think La Stella at first is the only thing that makes sense. Pujols, Simba and Upton are really going to take serious hits to playing time. Will be interesting to see how much Joe prioritizes defense vs offense.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  losangel

You really want that glove at first?

losangel
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

Not really, but better than at 2nd and I think his bat and base running is enough of an upgrade over Pujols to warrant the change.

BruinsAngelsKings
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

Personally, I’d like to see Simba extended and Fletch remain the everyday 2B. Keep LaStella for days off and a backup (cringeworthty) at 1B. Rengifo, try and trade for whatever you can get.

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
3 years ago

I disagree. No need to expend 10-15 million on Simmons when Fletcher can give you more production at less cost there, and in order to boost trade value, you would need position players to play every day (a la Rengifo or La Stella) unless they’re strictly platoon bats.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

Thing is keeping Simba ensures a solid defense up the middle because Fletcher is so good at second. The minute Fletcher moves to SS, the entire defense suffers.

However that free agent class after 2021 is SS heaven……

I think it all comes down to cost with Simba. At the right price/length I’m ok with keeping him, but that cost is probably 3/30 at the max.

losangel
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I’d like to see 2nd go to Rengifo next year provided he can prove he can prove he belongs, Fletch at SS. We’ll need someone to share 1st with Pujols. The savings needs to be rolled into pitching if we want to compete, although I love the D, Simba seems like a luxury.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  losangel

I’d love to see that happen. Really, as nice as Jam Jones has been to me in doing interviews over the years I was really hoping he’d be taking over second about now. There’s still a little part of me holding out hope.

H.T. Ennis
Admin
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

actually — Pederson and Stripling would not have addressed the biggest problems for the Angels this year, regardless of how “good” in value that trade was

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

Yes I agree, and both of these things are true. The Angels had a chance to opportunistically improve their roster and didn’t.

H.T. Ennis
Admin
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

Well, in any case, if the starting pitching keeps it up, it’s not going to “hit harder” this season 😉

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

Lol. Hit harder meaning that the Angels’ production is worsened at 1b/SP because of it, and soon (if not already) they won’t be able to get reps for Rengifo. Lose-lose for the Angels. trAdition!

H.T. Ennis
Admin
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

lol goodwin wouldn’t have played 4 games this year if we had Joc

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

Joc would be at first base, because meritocracy. At least, I would hope. 🙂

H.T. Ennis
Admin
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

haha you’re funny

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

With Adell, the ball came off the leather and into the stands = four base error

With Jose, the ball bounced off of his cranium and into the stands = HOMERUN

Just ask Jeter and the rest of the Stripes, no leather no error, and Canseco was playing for Texas at the time. Fuck the StRangers. I would like to add one thing. After the ball ricocheted off of Jose’s dome, he never once rubbed it.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

l always new he was a numbskull.

red floyd
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

Came here to say this.
10/10 would rec again.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  red floyd

Mahalos Brah

Charles Sutton
Editor
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

The moron shot his finger off and didn’t know until he saw the blood squirting out. https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2015/07/02/jose-canseco-finger-story-gun

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

upvoted for use of cranium.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  DowningDude
Last edited 3 years ago by eyespy