Good morning Angels fans, it is the last Links of 2022. Let us celebrate this season by looking back and hoping for the future.
Angels News
2022 was a fun year full of highs and lows. The highest high was of course Shohei Ohtani putting together the best all around year anyone has ever done in MLB history.
Also, remember how well the Angels started out? That was fun.
Detmers threw a No Hitter. It was also the game Rendon hit lefty.
This team had talent in 2022 and will have it in 2023. Mike Trout will still be here and it will be fun to watch.
Sadly, the Angels fell apart and finished under .500 yet again. Maddon was fired, and Phil was even worse.
Perry the GM did make changes. This offseason has new faces in Tyler Anderson, Gio Urshela, Hunter Renfroe, Carlos Estevez, and Brandon Drury. The lineup especially has a ton more MLB depth now.
Maybe this year will be the year. Hope springs eternal, and 2023 will be the make it or break it year. Spring Training Games start Feb 25th.
Around Baseball
7 of the worst umps are retiring. GIB ME ROBO UMPS!
Carlos Correa is still unsigned technically. The fact we still have no idea on details is annoying.
Jean Segura is off the list, joining Miami. And now the Brewers are the only team without a FA signing.
Speaking of Miami, they want bats and will trade pitching to get it.No prospects, they want MLB talent.
MLB HOF tracker is tracking for a Rolen and Helton HOF for 2023. Only 20% of the ballot is known as of now though, so things can change. K-Rod isn’t doing so well though.
2023 Prospects to look out for. Wait, they think Neto will debut next year?
Lux Tax teams are more numerous than ever. Will the Angels approach this line? They are about one signing away.
Thank you everyone for staying with Crashing the Pearly Gates for another year. We appreciate you and are glad to continue writing about Angels Baseball with you in 2023.
Anything I missed? Post below for upvotes!
Okay, my venture into “What if I was Perry Minasian”
WIIFPM-I wouldn’t have that crappy struggle buggy out in front of my house that I despairingly call transportation.
Oh yeah, they’re starting to believe!
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/01/the-angels-potentially-elite-rotation.html
fo’ shizzle!!
As they say, it all comes down to health and whether the back end of the rotation takes a step forward in their development. A lot of “ifs” but a possibility. I will wait-and-see.
You’ve been beating that drum for weeks now. We’ll see. It is encouraging, at least!
Meh. Its just a slow news year
USC ^, UCLA 💔 , Chargers (Could-Go-All-The-Way!) ⚡ , Rams 🐑 , fun day.
Sad Bruin noises
Happy New Year everyone!
We’re about six weeks out from pitchers and catchers reporting, eight weeks until games start, and we get the WBC.
Happy New Year Jeff. Thanks for all your work. 6 weeks, crazy!
The WBC is going to be so much fun. Can’t wait.
Next month!!!
Perry with the 1st signing action of the year! We’re gonna go to the WS…
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/01/angels-sign-jose-godoy-gerardo-reyes-cam-vieaux-to-minor-league-deals.html
Gotz to fill er up in SLC.
It seems Ohio State cannot sadly win the Bowl Games. But what a finish to the 2 big games yesterday. SoCal sports outlook for 2023 is really kind of sad except for NCAA Basketball. Rams suck, Chargers will make playoffs, then disappoint. Lakers suck, Clippers will make playoffs then disappoint. Ducks and Kings suck. Angels and Dodgers going in same direction. (You interpret). USC has a Bowl Game today, while in Basketball they look good. UCLA Basketball could surprise this year as they look really good.
Today is the start of the New Year and it’s looking good as the snow is now at 2-3 inches, but the trees are a beautiful white, mid-week skiing is going to be fun.
What, I got up early and no parade! I’m outraged! Just kidding, I know that tomorrow is the Parade, but still….
I know it’s only vaguely sports related, but R.I.P. Barbara Walters, one of my all-time Heros.
Yes, great NCAAF games yesterday……No, Kings do not suck.
Stanley Cup bound?
Why not!!
The Kings are firmly in the playoff race. They don’t suck. I also think the Chargers are peaking at the right time
Well, the New Years wishes did not come true: Arte still owns the Angels, and 2002 is still posting.
The Moreno Anjelz of Oranj Kountie still don’t have a SS az uv nouw and a lot of iron gloves in the field, oh and shitty farm system that’s worse than the LAUSD.
😢 😡 💩 👎 …..BYE!!!!!
ASL?
f/18/cali
Lol
m/93/Iceland….;0)
55/M/San Quentin……And I’m innocent.
Happy New Year my friends 🎉 😃 🔆 🌟 ⚾ !*#
Happy New Year, but still the same owner.
However, I’m still here to dole out MY expert commentary that needs my presence kind of like Radio Free Europe during the Cold War amidst 80%er Nation who still believes we’re a
playoff teamhave a excellent 800 man starting rotation.think our SS conundrum won’t matter.think Taylor Ward and Jered Walsh are all stars.don’t think like I do, that Paddy Sandoval should be converted to the closer.think our farm system ain’t as bad as it seems…….IT’S WORSE THAN IT LOOKS!and last, but not least, think that a team with 80% utility versatile role players (get it, 80% LOL!!! 😆 😂 ) makes us a playoff team with only two bonafide stars. YOU ALL MAKE ME BELLY LAUGH!!!
Still waiting for your if you were PTP and what you would do.
News on the bidders for the team:
https://twitter.com/BeyondTheHalo/status/1609405177186103296?s=20&t=YG8FULx4WId1KuWXnaZiWw
Interesting news!
Maybe something good will finally happen to this team… Long overdue.
Definitely be nice to see this entire organization turned over. Theo needs a new challenge.
Although this time it will include what condiments to serve in concessions and if 5 guys will be getting a store in the parking lot development
Who needs a Five Guys when there is IN “N” OUT 🍔 😄
No rich fans fighting for our team from the entertainment world? Please not folks looking to steal more from this team, there’s not much left really. No to the owner of the LATIMES, he is not what we really need at this time. Minority Dodger owners are not enough to really be exciting either. Would Braad Pitt make us Money Ball? Just kidding, but change is gonna come, so here is to the New Year bring us good fortune with new ownership.
Hey I’m down with whoever the new owner is just as long as Carpinos finally out of a job
But who will give gifts to MFY players?
Nationals still unsold
Happy New year Halo faithful!!
I am not saying the word ‘may’ in my New Years wishes due to what happened to the Angels in May 2022.
Instead I’ll just say best to everyone in 2023 and hopefully the Angels can win some games in ‘23 and lose fewer than they win.
As a wise sage once said, We will win some games
he always had a Tame response
Happy New Year everyone!
May 2023 have shorter losing streaks than 2022.
Happy New Year, CtPG!
May 2023 be our first normal year and baseball season since 2019.
Cheers!
Started off the new year with COVID – but I guess that is the new normal.
I consumed enough alcohol last night that I don’t think COVID could survive in my body right now 😂😂
Hope your recovery is quick!
Cishek Calls It A Baseball Career
https://www.capenews.net/bourne/sports/cishek-calls-it-a-baseball-career/article_a8672a13-4b79-5afd-89a3-e9d7daed59cd.html
If Sale is on sale, does the pending sale result in no Sale?
So you’re saying not for Sale?
Is there a track record to show he is back from TJ surgery? He pitched, what, 8 games post-surgery in 2021, and only a few (after rib, wrist and finger injuries) in 2022.
Can one count on him more than Thor?
So, I am right there with you.
I would rather have Wacha or Cueto.
Yeah, a little too much risk with Sale and $$$. Should only be acquired if the cost is marked down a lot.
https://youtu.be/Qi8COKSTJ1Q
Remind me why we are down on Elvis Andrus? I would think he could play SS on this team with no problem. I think this has been discussed but I can’t recall. I know he’s getting a little long in the tooth but he seems a pretty natural fit on a short term deal.
Is he better than our current options?
He has a career OPS+ of 87, so even with a good 40 games at the end of the season with the White Sox, he isn’t an upgrade over Fletcher (off a down year) or Rengifo (off a good year).
Also, his defense has really fallen off since his age 28 year (2017). So, he is hardly a boost there either.
Plus we still have the wild card in Soto
How does a guy generate 33.5 WAR in 12 seasons while having a career OPS+ of 87 (ie below league average). Hard for me to grasp that. Any thoughts?
Positional Adjusted Offensive value
https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/war_explained_position.shtml
Thank you! Very interesting.
By the way – does this mean that if Trout were moved to LF or RF his WAR would fall significantly due to the multiplier effect.
Not a simple answer. While his offensive WAR would be affected, his defensive WAR will probably improve and may become an asset playing the corners.
Possibly.
A guy who plays a slightly below average left field would have a lower WAR than a guy who plays the same level of center field.
In Trout’s case he’d likely be an above average corner defender, mitigating most if not all of the position adjustment.
Okay. But presuming Trout played identical D in LF or RF as in CF, his WAR would be lower as a left or right fielder because of the negative multiplier for those positions, correct?
dWAR is a complete mess. First of all, the name is wrong from what it calculates. Keith Hernandez had 12 consecutive Gold Gloves. His lifetime dWAR is +1.3. Not per season, but lifetime.
Joey Votto, has historically ranked as a negative defender, and only has a -6 lifetime dWAR. So a perennial GG fielder is only worth 7 wins vs a terribly ranked fielder over 15-year careers? That’s comical. Think of how many in-between picks Walsh made last year and how that helps the other fielders’ stats, which doesn’t go into the equation. A bad throw can look like a routine out on the statline. So if you’ve got a great 1st baseman, your dWAR can get inflated across the infield compared to players on other teams with a minus defense first baseman.
This is really interesting. We all accept WAR as a valid statistic , but as I dive deeper into it, I have a lot of questions. That’s not to say it isn’t a useful statistic- just that it may have some flaws. You do a good job of pointing that out.
WAR always has big flaws when I want to make a point but WAR doesn’t support it. Them numbers become a huge fuzzy barely visible #D3D3D3 gray when they indicate I could be wrong about something. That’s a huge flaw.
While the limitations of dWAR have been known for as long as there has been DWAR, what do GG awards have to do with this statistic?
It’s simply to point out that a guy some consider the best defensive first baseman ever is considered average in these stats. The stat just has so many flaws. Easy picks that are missed can go as an error on the thrower. Bad throws that created a tough in-between hop, simply go as an out for the thrower if a guy makes a great play. A guy beating out an infield single just goes as a hit even if the fielder had slow actions. A guy beating a plus runner, just goes down as a routine out in the scoring. I will say this, if you’re a plus rated fielder and suddenly get Eric Hosmer to play first, your stats are going down. Period.
(Without looking, I’m guessing the stats would reflect Hosmer too. He’s so bad, the stats must reflect something. He does not pass the eye test for sure. LOL)
Granted it’s Heyman but…
The Dodgers are expected to release Trevor Bauer after his ban was reduced by 130 games and he became eligible for the 2023 season. Word is folks in their clubhouse would prefer he’d be elsewhere. More interesting is whether a small-market team that otherwise wouldn’t have a chance at this sort of talent might take a chance.
So what’s the vote here? Bauer for the league min, but a pain in the ass teammate and the tough marketing job it will take to make the fan base be ok with it?
Hell of a pitcher though….
Pass. I agree the dude can likely pitch but I just dont want to have to cheer for him. And yes its Heyman so take everything with a grain of salt.
Arte would NEVER green light a deal for Bauer.
I don’t know . Maybe he could provide “ a pat on the back” to all his teammates
Heartwarming redemption arc.
sign him.
I’ve watched a few of his videos on youtube. I dislike all the guys in them with their jock talk. I guess that shouldn’t disqualify him, though, since I suspect if I saw videos of Trout et al goofing with their friends I’d see something similar.
If he could meld with the locker room. play ball
Pass. Cheering your favorite team is supposed to be fun.
Ask Trout, Ohtani and Redon for their input on Bauer. If they approve, do it.
Good idea.
At this point any woman who gets involved with him knows what he is.
My fear, though, is that violent behavior tends to escalate. If it takes any more violence to get him off, someone will end up hospitalized or dead.
And if that happens while he’s here, it will be another black eye for the franchise.
Agree – even with clubhouse buy-in, anyone signing Bauer is taking a huge risk. There will be a public relations backlash from city to city the team travels to.
I have an idea for this next couple months. Since the last few years of being overly optimistic in the off-season has not worked at all for any of us, how about we don’t start buying into the hype? How about we all just progress into this season with a wait-and-see attitude? That way we can be over the moon if things work out, and we won’t be too disappointed if they don’t.
I try every year. And then spring rolls around and….
I’m just wondering if we are jinxing them. The baseball gods are fickle and will punish anyone who gets too excited. Maybe they will reward those who don’t expect too much.
The baseball gods are fickle…. but they primarily punish us for being a bunch of twats who feel sorry for ourselves and can’t stand the stress of possibly looking foolish if we drink the Kool-Aid. Who’s looking? Don’t know.
Plus, if the team did well then dad, I mean Arte, would feel like things are working. And we hate dad, I mean Arte.
The last ten years have been exactly what most of us ask for pretty much all the time.
But aren’t we obligated under the law of trAdition to go through all of the various obsessive and destructive phases of Angel fandom before opening day ?
I say we break that cycle. Make the baseball gods believe we really dont care and are just passively interested. Lets see if that makes a difference.
If you say “I can see how this will work IF too many things don’t go wrong” you are both sucking up to Arte and OK with mediocrity, but you are also full of doom and gloom, but most importantly you are not a true Angels fan.
Welcome fellow loser.
Ha! That about covers it.
Just so we’re all on the same page, when should we start getting excited about the games?
Good question! I vote for late July if they are at least 10 games over .500 at that point
I want to join up with those party people who won’t be fooled into believing we can win again until we are in the playoffs. I’m a real go getter like that.
I won’t be fooled again-until we get by the second round in the playoffs. I fell hard for our take off in ’22, never again. Neverminded the embarrassment, it’s the disappointment of reality raising it head followed by 14 “L”‘s in a row. It’s injuries rising up and griping the leg or arm or back of one of our guys.
Yes….:better to be surprised than disappointed. Although having enjoyed your contributions, there is NO WAY you stay chill to the second round of the playoffs. If the team is decently above .500 in July, you will be predicting wins every night! 😂