Good morning Angels fans, hope you had a happy 2’s day yesterday. Here, have some links.
News
Still no deal with the owners and the players. At least they will meet every day now? That should have happened since the start!
Oh and the owners want a mediator, again. Manfred was hired by the owners due to his labor talk prowess right? Yeesh.
The sides did talk a lot yesterday, which was nice. Nothing on the collective bargaining tax, which looks to be the biggest issue.
MLBPA lowered their demands for super 2 arbitration player count to 75% and lottery number to 7. I still don’t see how a lottery helps tanking to begin with. MLB drafting is way more of a guesswork than the other sports.
If there is a deal made, the pay scale could be based on WAR, which means that sabermetrics will be under an even bigger scrutiny than before.
Freddie Freeman is not happy with the Braves’ offer and wants a 6th year. Arte Moreno don’t you dare.
Josh Hamilton had pleaded guilty. Rev was right and everyone just didn’t want to admit it.
Stroman really does not like Billy Eppler. Yet he signed with the Cubs… huh…
Anything I missed? Post below for upvotes!
Our #2 SP since the 75 yr old rich guy/GM wants Freeman. Meanwhile Taylor Ward can move to SS and save millions for YOU KNOW WHO….. Maybe 2M more Houston, Boston, and Yankee fans moved into OC. See there’s always a way for some to profiteer off someone else’s misfortune!
😠 😢 💪 💪 👈 ……..Bye!!!
no surprise. The owners are talking of a shorter season “unless!”
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-lockout-owners-mlbpa-set-to-continue-vital-week-of-negotiations-mlb-makes-feb-28-deadline-for-new-cba/
Since some shortening of the season is probably inevitable, this may work to our advantage. Since Our first 5 games of 2022 are on the road at the Oakland Mausoleum and beautiful Safeco.
https://twitter.com/jareddiamond/status/1496640551550132228
Marcus Stroman is such a tool. Glad Arte was cheap and did not dole out an affordable contract to this schmuck.
You gotta love the general “If I see a problem, and I can see you, and there is still a problem, then you are an idiot and also a little bit evil.” vibe going around these days.
I still don’t understand the “Manfred should huh dun somthin, he is labor negotiator guy!” thing. As is the case with most simple bitching, there is almost never any actual ideas given. Just another area where most people seem to give 100 shits with 0 plans so all they can do is make themselves miserable.
Yes, Manfred has labor negotiation experience I guess. He’s also 100% employed by one side in a labor dispute. The other side of the labor dispute has been 100% sure it wants a fight for the last couple of years. So…. the guy who is the main representative of the MLB was supposed to suss all of this out early because “attributes”? He’s asked for a mediator specifically because he’s exactly the guy the MLBPA isn’t going to comfortably cut a deal with. Why is this hard to grasp? He’s squarely on one side of a fierce two sided argument, so yeah, the other side wasn’t gonna build a bridge made of olive branches supplied by him. In an even broader sense, is there some track record of MLB commissioners sorting out the CBA when both sides are unhappy that I have missed?
At the same time. He’s an employee. How many of you middle managers have stepped into your owner’s office and said “Hey, I know you are dead set on these ideas and are ready to fight for them. Would you consider bending on all of them because I’ve asked you too? Would it help if I went behind your back and talked to your adversary? Maybe I could make some public declarations that run contrary to or weaken your position, would that work for you?”
The best idea I’ve seen so far is a rule requiring the MLB and MLBPA to start meeting with an outside mediator (which the commissioner is not) a year before the CBA expires. But even that idea, unless both sides want it, who can really enforce it? If both sides see a little labor strife as the fastest rout to getting things they want, what can anyone do? Is Manfred a good commissioner? I don’t know. Have we ever had a commissioner we didn’t all hate? Does the lockout have anything to do with his over all suck? Probably not. Does Manfred’s inability to force owners and players to not be greedy, not beat women, not snort drugs and generally stop “the evil” in the game make him evil? Only if you are a simpleton. By these standards we’re all pretty bad people. Most people can’t even stop their own kids from being total pieces of shit, much less Bob Nutting.
And f*** you Marcus Stroman. The Mets didn’t pay you what you wanted and signed a better pitcher because you aren’t THAT good. Eppler may or may not be a very good GM. Does it matter? Who is the front office name everyone has a chubby for? Oh yeah, Andrew Freidman. Sooooo…… Freidman would have done what? In fact, legally, Freidman or Eppler could have done what? What did Freidman do to stop Trevor Bauer from getting off on beating women? How’d those talks go? Oh wait, they never happened.
One thing I know neither did was overpay Marcus Stroman. Another thing I am 100% sure of is that Marcus Stroman has at least turned a blind eye to some bullshit over the course of his life because just about everyone has. Even Amish kids. Or members of the 2014-15 “mystery man in center field” Blue Jays. Then, just to add a stemless brown cherry on top of this self absorbed sour cream moralism sundae he drops a quick dip at God to show us all how good he is. This Twatter clown show is exactly why I wasn’t sure I wanted Stroman. Enjoy getting your ass pounded by the Cardinals and Brewers for a couple years there Marcus.
As a father I just can’t fathom Hamilton’s actions or the last line to his kid “so I never have to see you again.”
A real man wants to protect, love, and provide for his kids. Josh obviously isn’t one.
Josh’s true character was on full display in Anaheim, and then afterwards with his ex-wife and family. He only cares about Josh Hamilton.
That dude’s obviously just a sad mess. I suppose the only way to understand guys like him is to be a walking dumpster fire yourself…. which would suck.
Well baseball was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed 2002. Now Manfred is out to destroy the sport. If anyone in baseball still has any sense they will fire this clown immediately.
A $500 fine for Hamilton is a joke. The guy is worth north of $100 million.
Judges have sentencing guidelines they have to follow. I have always felt the monetary fine should be determined by the assets of the defendant. For someone with no assets, $500 is a punishment and deterrent. For Hamilton it’s “lunch”. He probably has 5x that amount at any time in cash in his pocket.
Judges should not be constrained by sentencing guidelines – net worth should factor in. Otherwise it’s meaningless.
I am not sure that meeting every day is anything more than a PR ploy.
The two sides are entrenched in their positions re core economic issues. So meeting every day may result in agreement on tangential matters such as agreeing to a 6 team lottery – but without a willingness to budge on the economic issues – this thing is going nowhere no matter how often they meet.
I think they want fans to feel like they are ‘trying’ for the PR value of that – but if lines are drawn in the sand – is that really trying?
Well its better than not.
Is it though? It keeps us all on the line with false hope. Part of me would rather they just said they are hopelessly divided and remove the uncertainty by saying the season is being postponed rather than keeping us in suspense and killing us by a bunch of little cuts. Life has been too uncertain over the last 2 years. I’m uncertainied-out.
Hmmm. it sounds like someone has been buttercupped one too many times.
TrAdition!
It just doesn’t have to be that hard amigo. Ask yourself a yes/no question.
Does it look, to you, like they are going to start the season on time? Yes or no?
Answer that for yourself. Then move on, acting accordingly. Suspense and raised hopes are for people who love to torture themselves by letting douchbags like Bob Nutting and Max Scherzer pull on their emotional strings. If things change at all, look at the new lay of the land. Ask yourself the same yes/no question. Move on accordingly. No one’s watching us unless we run our mouths. You can change your mind as things change and it’s all good. Right or wrong at least you’ll know what you’re gonna do, say, think etc.
But never let a bunch of people who let Manfred and Boras do their talking for them raise and lower your hopes. Instead, get into horse racing and boxing so that you can be 100% entertained while being 100% sure the game is rigged. Also whiskey. It always does its job. I’ve also found that it helps to watch Top Gun once a year.
I don’t think the US Navy even flies Tomcats anymore, mostly Hornets. But Yes or No, American jet fighters are bad ass?
Yes. Yes they are.
I’m ready to greet what comes.
Great post and great attitude. It’s actually very sound advice which I will attempt to take.
Just remember, the important part is the whiskey and Top Gun part.
Question: Can we switch out Tombstone for Top Gun? (Asking for a friend)
Yes. Also, anything with American Guy doing ridiculous man stuff… American Ninja, Mission Impossible, Commando…. You just want the balance of Americaman Kills the Enemy (Maverick in a dog fight) and Americaman is So Cool When He Hangs Out Not Killing Enemies (Maverick in a bar).
Only Iran flies Tomcats these days.
Oh yeah, I saw a photo of Tomcats with their markings once and was like huh? Iran. I sure don’t want to live there, but they have a really cool flag.
Asking for a federal mediator again? Manfraud doing what he does.
That or, as 1971 indicates, the owners realize the lines in the sand are drawn and nobody is budging. If meeting for hours every day is getting you nowhere, try something new.
Bringing in the owner elected commissioner to try to strike a deal isn’t going to go over at all with the players.
Beautiful day as everything starts out white with 7 inches of new snow. Sun is coming up to brighten everything except MLB prospects of playing ball anytime soon.
Freddie Freeman is a very good player, but 6 years @ 30 mil seems a little bit much for a guy who is 32 years old imho.
Free Agent pitching after the 2022 season has a couple of decent possibilities.
Hope you have a wonderful day today as I know you will.
GO HALOS !!!
Better than a
3532 year old for 10 years $254MM in 2011 dollars. Then again, what team would do something so silly?If the Angels were bidding they’d add two years to the end and $5 million yearly.
But, But he grew up an Angels fan. Why wouldn’t Arte want to bring this champion home? Can’t Walshie play second base?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Freeman#Early_life
Freeman is the ultimate Arte move. Good guy, OC native, MVP, winner.
He’s too young for Arte. We’ll need to sign him on his next contract at age 39
Albert’s age at the start of his 10 year contract.
Who else did we ever sign with those credentials originally from the OC?
I can’t think of one which means Arte must really do this.
ohhhhh….. what’s up Mr Trickybrain!
Gary Matthews Jr. (Granada Hills).
Granada Hills is within the city of Los Angeles, specifically the San Fernando Valley.
I know. I figured it was close enough to call him a ‘hometown’ signing. Not OC, but LA.
But GH ain’t the OC and GM Jr. never had anywhere close to Freddie’s credentials.
Come to think of it, the Angels have really never signed any local born free agents of notoriety throughout their tenure. ( Jim Barr The closest comp I can think of is Long Beach Wilson’s Bobby Grich. I thought about Garden Grove’s Bert Blyleven but he was initially acquired in a trade before he signed with us.
Am I missing anyone?
I guess If we are including L.A. I should add the Chili Dog out of Dorsey High, Black Jack McDowell out of Sherman Oaks, Nogales High’s Cecil Fielder and a 41 year old sure Hall of Famer Eddie Murray out of Locke High School.
But As far as the O.C., the only “big time” free agent signing I can find would be CSUF’s Tim Wallach who got a190 AB’s with us in his last season in 1996.
GA was also out of the Valley.
He was drafted out of Kennedy High School in Granada Hills. I was focusing only on our past stellar Free agent signings. Not draft picks or trades.
Ah. Gotcha.