LA Angels Thursday News Crash: Second Worst

Apparently Jo Adell’s defense is four outs below average to this point, which is tied for second worst among outfielders. Let’s hope he figures this out at Salt Lake City. How are the pitchers doing that the Angels drafted last year? Bleacher Report went way out on a limb and predicted Mike Trout would make the All Star Team. Seriously though, they predicted Taylor Ward for the starting All Star Team but snubbed Shohei Ohtani altogether. They also suggested Taylor Ward was a contender for the AL MVP award.

Dexter Fowler is a free agent again.

Trevor May has a stress reaction in his humerus and will be shut down for four weeks. Miguel Sano will have knee surgery although the Twins expect him back later this season. Jose Altuve fouled a pitch straight into his own package and had to leave the game. Speaking of leaving the game, Madison Bumgarner was ejected during the course of a routine sticky stuff inspection, although it looks like he took exception to something the umpire said or did and went ballistic over it.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

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LanaBanana
Super Member
2 years ago

No Trout in the lineup today.

FungoAle
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  LanaBanana

That is too bad. I was thinking maybe just let Shohei pitch and let Trout DH. That is, if we really “need” to give Mike a day off and miss our best bat.

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  FungoAle

He’s available to pinch hit according to Soggy.

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago

If the trajectory continues with last years all-pitcher draft, it could turn out to be one of the best in Angel history. I could see at least 3 pitchers from that draft make the big team by 2023. And potentially substantially more than that by 2024.

If the development and success continues, it gives the team some interesting trade pieces as well.

Biggiswrth
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

In looking at the stats, how good is our High A team???!

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  Charles Sutton

I think he was asking about the tricity dust devils. The IE 66ers are our Low A team.

Biggiswrth
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Charles Sutton

Thanks. Yah it seems like most of those videos showcased our High A team. Great stats and good pitching. Appreciate the update!!

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago

Question for the group:

What was the Angels record in extra innings away games in 2021?

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

That would be a surprising 3-1 mark. Interestingly, they were not good at home in extras but were on the road.

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

What were they at home?

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

0-4.

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

Thank you. That is surprising!

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

It wasn’t that surprising after sitting through that 13 inning soul crushing loss to the Giants on June 23rd. I’m still trying to get those 5 hours of my life back

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago

Okay folks. I just need to clear some things up.

Here is a list of Angels that I have either been positive about or extremely positive about in my comments over the last 5 days:

1) Jared Walsh
2) Aaron Loup
3) Mike Trout
4) Joe Maddon
5) Taylor Ward
6) Michael Lorenzen
7) Raisel Iglesias

And that is just individual players and the manager. That is not including the effusive praise I gave to the bullpen as a whole and also our competitive chances in this division.

So, for those who have either implied or directly pointed to me as a “Debbie Downer,” once and for all, I am not a Debbie Downer.

You need to pay attention in class.

Last edited 2 years ago by JackFrost
SScott
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

Come on Jack! Why are you so darn negative?!

Twebur
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  SScott

He’s cold as ice to this team…it’s in his very name.

You know that you are
(Cold as ice) As cold as ice to them
(Cold as ice)

-Foreigner

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Twebur

I absolutely hate Foreigner.

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

Did I mention that they totally suck as well.

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

I’m not sure where this started but I have never accused you of going down on Debbie.

I will predict you will be adding Anthony Rendon to that list in the near future.

Biggiswrth
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

Fletcher is due!!!

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

If Rendon keeps getting better with the bat I will have to stop calling him “Rendone.”

AnAngelsFan
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

Rendon is the 3rd best position player on the team by WAR as well as 4th in OBP, 4th in SLG and 3rd in wOBA. So basically, he has been overall better than every non-pitcher not named Trout or Ward. I think it is already time to at least pause the use of Rendone.

red floyd
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  AnAngelsFan

Done.
comment image

Last edited 2 years ago by red floyd
JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  AnAngelsFan

He has more WAR than Ohtani ?

Because of Shohei’s dual role that would surprise me…

AnAngelsFan
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

Best position player by WAR was intended to indicate I only looked at positional WAR.

aces666high
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

I see nothing wrong w/being negative to an extent about this team. It balances out the rainbow farters who sent to have the memory of a goldfish when it comes to how very bad recent teams have been.

Keep it balanced. I will continue to laugh at this team when they are terrible and get excited when they are good. Fan how you want.

SScott
Super Member
2 years ago

Missed the second half of the game last night because of work, watched the 9&10th innings this morning. Wow! Last season there was concern about this team’s heart, I don’t know how the rest of this season is going to lay out, but this team has never give up heart.

ScoopleDoople
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  SScott

Yes it was very cool to see the response in the dugout by the rest of the team when Ward hit that home, especially Walsh, he was like a little kid.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 years ago

the umpire in Bumgarner game should be suspended for a month.

he went out of the way to provoke him – an unprofessional ass

SScott
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

Yep. It was a completely unprofessional and jackwagon move.

matthiasstephan
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

I feel like I need to wait to hear what was said – where is Jomboy when you need him?

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 years ago

With our win today in Fenway Park, we will have taken the series 2 games to 1. Not to Shabby at all. See you guys a little later in the morning for the game.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 years ago

No possible way to have predicted the final score of that game last night and I am glad I didn’t attempt to last night.

I am done trying to figure out that mad Genuis of a manager, that was some kind of managing last night. Pressing and pushing all the right buttons.

Ward for MVP, even if it’s just team MVP, he is our MVP so far.

matthiasstephan
Super Member
2 years ago

He is having a good stretch, but Trout is the MVP – always (even when Ohtani was winning it).

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago

Well, clearly Trout was not MVP last year because he couldn’t stay on the field. Even if he had Shohei’s historic season for the ages would have taken it. But that said, I understand what you are getting at. Even though Shohei was MVP last year Trout was the backbone of the team.

As Jeff Tweedy said in the film “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”, “Every circle has it’s center.”

Well, Mike is the center of the circle for the Angels.

Last edited 2 years ago by JackFrost
WallyChuckChili
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

We usually call that guy Team Captain

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago

In most cases that guy is the Captain. I would agree.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 years ago

Game of the year so far, yup. 6 runs in the 10th inning is seismic event first class against the Hated Red Sox. The Angels would not take no for an answer and kept coming back. Boy oh boy did we ever need a game like that to get are spirits back up. Most exciting game this season, and we’ve had some good ones too.

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago

I think this was our first 9th inning comeback win of the year. These kinds of wins can be galvanizing for a team. Hopefully the offense can keep ticking for awhile now. It would be nice to go a full month and avoid a stretch like being shut-out in three of four games. Now is the time to build some consistency. We will need to because Houston seems to have turned things around and will be gunning for the top slot in the division standings that we currently hold.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 years ago

Mike and Taylor All Stars why yes, yes they are.

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago

Indeed. Right now it is a fair bet to say that Taylor Ward will be an All-Star. Even if he is not a starter he will be selected on the team. Of course Mikey is a shoe-in as always. I also think Ohtani will make it on reputation, and well just because he is Shohei. Having three All-Stars would not be too shabby.

Last edited 2 years ago by JackFrost
matthiasstephan
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

He has been a bit unlucky with the ERA, although the underlying pitching has been good. I think he makes it as a pitcher – and that bat turns around too (but fast enough to make the All-Star team?).

JackFrost
Super Member
2 years ago

Like I said, just because he is “Shohei.” Nobody is doing what he is doing, despite his poor batting average and slow start with the bat. Basically as a pitcher he had one bad inning which killed his ERA. He had perhaps the best game pitched by any pitcher this season with what he did in Houston.

In the past players have made it on their name and not current performance. Jeter and others come to mind. Fans vote for names most of the time and numbers seem to be secondary in importance.

matthiasstephan
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

Yes, fans might vote him in anyway. I just think the numbers will also be there – at least the pitching (based on what we have seen).