Good morning Angels fans, how are you today? Yeesh… have some links.
Angels News
Angels got buttercupped very bad last night. A loss of epic proportions.
The Angels have a horrible bullpen. Which makes no sense since the new arms added were good last year! What gives? Do pitchers get worse when they come to the Angels? Apparently, the feeling was right after all, arms DO get worse when they come here.
Aaron Loup in particular is having the worst season of his career this year.
This team has also not been hitting well recently. Before yesterday, they have had the worst offense the last 26 games. Scoring double digits helps a ton, obviously, but it needs to happen more often with this bullpen.
Going to the game today? Arrive early, the 2002 ceremony starts at 6:19.
It could always get worse. The Angels were this close to having Crypto advertising patches on their uniforms. Arte Moreno you greedy…
Around Baseball
All Star voting update is here! It is full of Blue Jays. But hey, Trout, Ward, and Ohtani are doing well!
Speaking of, Buck, (who almost got the manager job here instead of Joe Maddon) wants a utility man All Star voting spot.
Code? With baseball? It is more likely than you think.
Another day, another new issue with the baseballs. Even MLB is saying to fix them.
Outfield positioning matters, but most are in a standard position most of the times. Except the Blue Jays.
Remember “A League of Their Own“? Well, the inspiration for that came out.
Former first overall pick Mark Appel is still in baseball and doing well in AAA for the Phillies. He was drafted first overall in 2013 by the Astros and retired from baseball in 2018.
Anything I missed? Post below for upvotes!
Looking at the standings I see the Angels are 4-11 in 1 run games. Ouch!
Detmers to AAA, Herget to the IL, Ortega and Peguero up
I posted earlier than is absolutely no reason to demote Detmers. Let him work it out at the major league level. What is the point of giving his spot to placeholders. Teams get better letting the kids play. I was upset they pinch hit for Marsh yesterday. Give him a chance to perform at the major league level. Don’t bring in Lagares to stink it up.
I saw your post earlier and tended to agree with you.
Perry’s an ass. Seems to get a rise shuttling players up and down. While he has had some subpar outings players are hitting a robust .203 against his offerings, .204 BABIP and WHIP is 1.10. What the hell is SLC going to do for him?
I think he’s close to being able to compete. It’s too bad.
Disagree completely. If you look at Detmers’ numbers, he has fallen off a cliff the last 6 starts. His FIP went from about 4 at the no-hitter, to 5.3 six starts later (now). He needs to get more comfortable throwing strikes and challenging hitters because he has been walking wayyy too many people lately. Better practicing that in AAA rather than MLB where a mistake isn’t going to punish you most of the time.
Using that logic, most of our bullpen should be sent down too.
Unfortunately most do not have options so that ain’t happening.
Agree JC not only is he walking batters at an alarming rate in the last 6 starts he’s given up 8 dingers in 27 innings. That just cant happen and he needs to work it out before they bring him back up.
Detmers to the minors? That kid needs coaching, and he won’t receive it in SLC. Elvis sucks. This shows that PTP is in panic mode. Perry Misasian did a very good job within Moreno’s parameters, and it blew up. Not that he had a lot of options. He couldn’t see Fletch and Rendon go down, or that the fill in players not hitting. But now he is in panic mode. Elvis is nothing but a hound dog. Trout not playing, imagine my surprise….
Garbage in, garbage out.
No Trout, no way.
Rengifo batting 3rd tonight. I feel queasy
Practically a crime against baseball. At least he’s not batting second.
Nevin is brilliant.
Oh boy, yeeesh.
Speechless
Minasian needs to take a blowtorch to the blowpen.
and could we please put in a black batter’s eye?
Warning!!!!!!!!…{possibly interpreted as racist}
Warning!!!!!!!!…{possibly interpreted as racist}
Warning!!!!!!!!…{possibly interpreted as racist}
https://youtu.be/TAwpQPLrcJA
Too funny, LMAO. Almost made me forget about Rengifo batting 3rd.
If we did improve our batters eye…..all it would mean is the visiting team will just feel that much more comfortable hitting. More first inning HR, more .200 hitters going 3-4 with an HR and 2 doubles, more problems for our pitching overall…unfortunately because of trAdition, those things work against us, moving the the line on the right field wall has I’m sure probably hurt us. Hell, we seem to have more problems the F’ing SUN in our own stadium than the visiting team, not to mention those pesky late afternoon shadows. And never forget the Marine Layer, that hurts us too….even F’ing Mother Nature hates the Angels.
Didn’t work for our .200 hitters in Seattle
With regards to the Angels bringing out the best in pitchers, just check out Thor and Detmers. Having the top-notch coaching takes a 2-way commitment. The reality is after seeing the team jettison good coaches in the last ten years, who wants to work here? Just as player’s develop in the minors and move up, it’s the same with good coaching. But without a system wide philosophy to teaching the kids, not much will change. We really and honestly need a new owner who will know what he’s doing.
Doomers will love this, but I’m burning out on the Angels and this site, and really am over Arte as an owner. Nevin probably sucks as a manager, but the super underperforming bench gives fodder to the guys that just cannot do anything but think negative that post here. Thinking positive is hard with this team though especially with the negative thinkers who really believe they are doing a service for this site.
You guys must know that Ohtani is going to be gone very soon. Just hope PTP makes the right deal and by passes Arte’s OK, especially if it’s with the Dodgers.
Hope we can pull out a win tonight, GO Angels.
Hey gramps. Don’t burn out. Just ignore the noise.
I’m wearing Angels skivvies today and shaking pom poms in a desperate attempt to keep you engaged here … Rah rah – go team.
Stick around man. Don’t let the bastards get you down.
Thanks DD, I’ll hang in here Brother, it is difficult for me to be involved when I am around that crap, and it starts getting a lot of the good guys thinking negative and ……but you are right I need to be just not reading their post maybe. To many good folks here that I was forgetting them. Again, thank you, btw, I have always loved your humor. What I like the best here is the baseball knowledge that is here.
I like your comments, Grandpa. Please don’t stop posting. I’m trying to be as even keel as I can about this team, but as you say, it’s getting realy hard.
If you’re not thinking negative after all these years of mediocrity, there’s something wrong with you.
I’m not a purebred doomer, I laugh at this team more than I get angry. I’ll still drop a bunch of doomy posts but this team has been so bad for so much of their existence, you gotta laugh at them. We’ll always have 2002 but that’s all we’re gonna have for a very long time.
But hey we can finally say we’ve wasted the entire career of a homegrown, first ballot (if he can stay healthy a few more years) hall of famer!!! Yay team!!!!
Dr. Ishkabibble came in the room where they ask me to wait, and he said “Somethings wrong with you”
I reply, “If you’re asking, Ok, if you’re making a comment, what do I have?”
“Well then, yes something is wrong with you” says the Doc
“What do I got Doc, you can tell me, I can take it”
At this point the doctor retrieves his stethoscope and while checking mt chest out he asks “Do you have Angels paraphernalia?”
“Yes, I have some”
“Well, GPB your heart rate is going up”
“Is that bad Doc?”
“Yes it is, it leads to frustration, it leads to depression, and finally trying to think like a positive person and slipping down a rabbit hole of no return.”
“What should I do Doc?
“I would try liking Blue.” Oh No Way………. I’ll keep the somethings wrong stuff. I can’t help it, I’m an Angels fan through and though and I love Red.
Shit. We have the same doctor. He revels in my pain and misery. Wish the insurance companies could put “team allegiance” alongside the “speaks Tamil Farsi and Swahili” entries in the Doc finder book.
Honestly Gramps, full on Doomers could care less if you come or go. They’re just gonna do what they’re gonna do.
There’s a great article in The Athletic on the 2002 Angels bullpen, with lots of player quotes. Here are two key quotes that I pulled, but there’s plenty of others:
The current team got’s none of this, which is a big reason we suck.
INF Scott Spiezio: We had some good starters, but our bullpen, we knew that if we could get into the fifth inning, they weren’t going to be scoring any runs. … We knew that even if our starters gave it up, that our bullpen could keep it down and give us a chance to come back. And that’s why we had so many comeback wins.
Wise: That bullpen was led by Troy Percival obviously. And he kind of set the tone. Him and Darin Erstad did for the entire team, from my perspective. Percy took it upon himself to raise the relievers the right way. Obviously the coaches did a good job too. But he was the peer that everyone went to.
Percy also drank copious amounts of coffee.
Let’s get some coffee down to the bullpen.
Good leaders, no doubt. On the field, dugout and in the clubhouse.
I remember during the playoffs hoping and praying Appiers arm wouldn’t fall off til he got thru 5 innings. More often than not he did and then the pen hammered it down.
Now we have “starters” gassing out or being inexplicably pulled in the 4th.
I always love “angry appier face” in the dugout during game 5. Dude was spent.
Ohtani and Walsh 6 for 10 with 10 RBI, no strikeouts.
The rest of the team 4 for 31 with 1 RBI, 8 K’s.
Throw in the terrible managing and pitching? Simply put this is a very bad team with zero direction.
https://halohangout.com/posts/why-la-angels-double-a-affiliate-making-postseason-is-big-deal/partners/36534?fbclid=IwAR2l0eeq-qJxLXh3iuO6Qqb2eR0JClcn3UFdFQxOZCrVpnhrNP2Sw7s_btg
More Trash Pandas. Fewer current non-Walsh infielders, Lagares, and most of the current bullpen.
Related to the chart regarding pitching getting worse or better joining the Angels – it confirms what we know. Pitchers consistently get worsier here.
And yet – just up the road in LA is a franchise with a record for greatest improvement of pitching.
So why the difference when the stadiums, weather and other factors are so similar?
It has to be coaching and maybe strength and conditioning. Dodgers highly invest in both of these – Angels skimp to save money. No other explanation makes any rational sense to me.
Tyler Anderson is a great example of a meh career pitcher who has turned into a killer for Los Doyers.
It’s really interesting how the Angels seem to get the worst out of pitchers and the Dodgers the best. I would really enjoy reading a deep investigative piece studying that issue of the two franchises.
It seems pitching and team quality is contagious. A guy like Anderson pitches better if he hooks up with Buehler, Gonsolin and Kershaw than he would with other clubs. Andrew Heaney with the Dodgers is looking better too.
All true, plus coaching. The Dodgers tinker with the pitch mix to great effect.
Sadly, I think rage Doyers could fix Thor, too.
Gonsolin too. Both guys were last in the rotation, with one expected to be sent down. Key guys got hurt, so both Anderson and Gonsolin started off 8-0 or some maddening thing like that.
It’s an easy answer, the Dodgers are winners and the angels are not. You can bring whoever you want to the Angels and they will underperform. It’s a losing culture that starts from the top. A winning culture gets the most out of the players. That’s the difference.
I think you are right – but the nuance may be the marketing focus of the Angels versus the baseball operations centric Dodgers organization.
When you have baseball people making baseball decisions and sufficient resources- good things seem to happen (Dodgers). When you have marketing people making baseball decisions- and insufficient resources dedicated to scouting, player development and strength and conditioning- well that’s not a recipe for success.
I like the Angel starters, not a top 5 staff but good enough to keep us in most ballgames. Still a fan of Detmers, it is early in his career and lets see where he is in September.
Offense is the top issue. Need some player acqusitions to help shed Rengifo and Lagares. Decent options are out there, trade season is cooking up and need to be early and not wait for the deadline. Get after it Po’ Boy Perry.
I agree. Since the season appears lost, I’m in favor of having Reid work himself out at the major league level. No reason to use his spot starting pitchers with zero upside and no future.
Agree as well. This is what I was thinking about after last night’s loss. At some point we are going to need to either develop or see who can develop into major league pitchers over here. I hate to be so blasé about it, but if this means stretching some off these guys over the course of a season to see if they can develop some skills and self discipline with the risk of some injuries, so be it.
I don’t expect Trout to deliver in every clutch situation, but last night’s strikeout was just a terrible AB and very inopportune. There is a lot of pressure on the Big 4 and Marsh to deliver every time because the rest of the lineup is such a black hole, and I wonder if this pressure affects them.
Arturo and Minasian have no excuse not to address it in some way at this point.
On a positive note, nice walk by the Mini Me. I can’t get enough of him.
The Angels pitching is certainly not great, but – as it happens – KC picked the wrong time to get ‘hot’. In a different week, the Angels could have swept them. That is the reality of baseball within the inconsistent teams. Sometimes KC will look like they are built to be a world beater – other times they will look awful. Sane with the Angels.
So the only conclusion to make is that there are no conclusions to make. KC cane in hot and has remained that way – while the Angels bullpen reverted to mediocrity.
Until the team achieves long term consistency – the Angels will win some and lose some. So try to just enjoy the baseball and realize nothing about these games will reduce inflation or lower gas prices.
Amen.
KC has always, always played the Angels tough. In the 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, doesn’t matter. I have no idea why, but there it is.
Remember in the seventies they were maybe 4 or 5 years in from being put together and then Brett and white, Mayberry, and some vets thrown in to boot like Rojas and they beat up on us like stepchildren. Then they would play the Yankees for all the marbles, but they got thru in 1980 I think it was. But the worst was in 2014, wham – bam – thank you ma’am.
The ’70’s was a little before my baseball-watching-time began. But you are correct about that 2014 Royals team. I couldn’t believe how great the Royals fielding was and how they caught everything hit. And also how they hit everything pitched– especially when there were runners on second base! Hmm…
By “hot” you mean playing .500 ball over their last 10? I guess that is hot compared to this turd pile residing in Anaheim.
This season (so far) has been even more of a buttercup than usual, because of the epic start. So the buttercupping is harder.
If it’s not the hitting it’s the pitching.
Although less be honest, it’s still the hitting too. The hitting last night was basically 2 guys (Ohtani + Walsh) with a sprinkling of help. If the Angels (10 hits) out-hit the Royals (14 hits) last night they would have won that game.
If the bullpen could have gone an inning or two without giving up a run, they would have won that game.
That’s why I said hitting *too*.The whole team, with the exception of Ohtani and Walsh, contributed toward that loss.
Trout owned the Mariners, so I’m going to hold his terrible game against him. There’s plenty of offense among the Top 4, all All Star Level or close. Marsh improving, Stassi fine for a catcher. The rest, plus the bench are fungible at best like Duffy, or just downright dreadful.. You just can’t consistently win without decent bats throughout the lineup. I going to reiterate that going forward, the only thing we can count on from Rendon is drawing a huge contract. That’s a big problem, too.
In 2014 the Royals owned him. At least for one short series.
In the 2014 ALDS the Royals owned the entire Angels team. The Halos collectively batted .170/.248/.311 which ain’t good.
It looks like that’s extended into 2022.
Every hit Trout got against them in the playoffs was a Homerun though!
I was playing with the baseball trade values site.
Dodgers get Ohtani
Angels get Bruns, Busch, Diaz, Gonsolin, Miller, and Pages.
Ohtani value: 97.5
Dodgers value: 98.9
I think I might do that, although I don’t know who Bruins is.
Maddux Bruns, an A pitcher
Thanks. My autocorrect misspelled it.
I’ve always assumed Ohtani would stay here because of his personality and comfort level but man Buster Olney pointing out that Billy Eppler’s connection to Shohei and Steve Cohen’s money makes a lot of sense that the Mets could do it.
Wouldn’t blame him at this point. There’s no reason to trust Arte will ever hire the right GMs, executives etc. after he fires these guys for inevitably not being good enough. Tale as old as time.
What kind of prospects do Mets have? My recollection is that their farm is fairly thin…
I think as a life long die hard Angels fan the solution is:
Follow the Trash Pandas
Well, I had a feeling that the offense would break out in this game, not because of our bats but because KC’s pitching is horrible. I didn’t expect our pitching to completely crap the bad. A game like that can drive wedges in a team.
Mmmm… Hopefully they’re seasoned potato wedges