Sam Blum is worth the subscription. Awesome article on why Neto was brought up while Fletcher was demoted. I loved Fletcher but it was time and it gives me a little hope that the FO has prioritized winning.

Trusted Member

Mikeal1st

1 month ago

Is it too early to be frustrated?

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Mikeal1st

It is NEVER too early to be frustrated. Go look at the post game from game 1 in Oakland and have a good laugh at all the “this is exactly the same…. here we go again…. heeee hawwww….” on there. If you’ve waited till April 17th (which you haven’t) you’re the William Prescott of CtPG.

Super Member

MarineLayer

1 month ago

I think Rendon is still injured, and we see it with his throwing and limp powerless hitting. It would be great to get Walsh back, with Gio over to 3B. Give Tony another year off to get closer to whatever normal he still has left in his aging body.

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Cowboy26

1 month ago

Reply to MarineLayer

Rendon was crushing the ball in spring training and that wasn’t just the thin air. He definitely injured his shoulder in Oakland and its affecting his ability to drive the baseball.

Resting Tin Foil Tony now, next week, next month or next year wont make a difference unless the shoulder heels and he stops hurting himself on the baseball field.

Super Member

MarineLayer

1 month ago

Reply to Cowboy26

He was hitting batting practice pitches in Spring Training. He is so brittle at this point, both mentally and physically, that will never happen.

Last edited 1 month ago by MarineLayer

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Cowboy26

1 month ago

Reply to MarineLayer

its the same baseball in BP, exhibition and regular major league games ML.

It’s not that he cant catch up with the pitch or discern pitches in the zone but that he cant DRIVE the ball. This was absolutely not a problem in the spring.

I know the hate flowing deep inside you has clouded your objectivity regarding this issue but he is injury prone, he has not lost his elite skills. That is obvious to me.

Trusted Member

BruinsAngelsKings

1 month ago

Reply to MarineLayer

Rendon could hit a 12 run HR to win the world series, cure cancer, aids and ebola, wipe out the national debt and bring the CCP to its knees and you would STILL hate on him.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to BruinsAngelsKings

Something fetid and musky and heaving drives his feelings for Rendon from deep down inside. Like Rendon killed his family back during the war or something….. or it’s just a massive case of SDE focused primarily at one very successful, good looking, well liked guy with the flare of an artist and the cold steely nerve of a Maltese admiral.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to MarineLayer

And yet, even if he goes on the IL, he’ll still remind you of the man who hurt you so so deeply. You can’t let him go either way, so why not let him play?

Trusted Member

BannedInLA

1 month ago

For those carping about Trout and Rendon sitting today, bear in mind that this a long season and both have been injury prone the previous 2-3 years so scheduled off days are now basic protocol.

Moreover, Trout is cold and hasn’t hit well in Boston historically anyway.

I’d rather have him fresh for 3 games in NYC.

Besides, we’ll be treated to the Man, the Myth, the Legend that is Brett Phillips. Behold and tremble at his Greatness.

Super Member

JackFrost

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

I am certainly not carping about it, in fact I agree that the rest is needed. I was in favor of resting Ward yesterday and am in favor of resting Trout today. The only thing I’d add is that they might have rested him earlier (like last Sunday vs Toronto) coming off a win instead of in the middle of a losing streak.

Last edited 1 month ago by JackFrost

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Cowboy26

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

Why not rest the players so they’re not all out of the line up at the same time? Ward or Trout could have rested on Saturday.

Super Member

JackFrost

1 month ago

Reply to Cowboy26

Well, Trout did play yesterday when Ward was out …

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Cowboy26

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

Or Rendon. Meaning dont have 2 regulars sit at the same time. But You get the picture.

Last edited 1 month ago by Cowboy26

Super Member

RexFregosi

1 month ago

Reply to Cowboy26

Surprise to see sitting 2 of top 4 hitters.
We have a big drop after that.

Super Member

AnAngelsFan

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

Friday – evening game
Saturday/Sunday – afternoon games
Monday – morning game
Tuesday – evening game

Resting Trout/Rendon on Monday, following an afternoon game and before an evening game is close to giving them 2 days of rest instead of just one. It also keeps your two most injury prone players from playing in a morning game when their bodies might not be loosened up as much.

Also, they couldn’t rest him on the last day in Toronto in anticipation they would drop 3 straight in Boston because I’m sure they didn’t plan those losses.

Trusted Member

TrojanBoiler

1 month ago

The offense has been in a slump so our genius manager benched Trout and Rendon today. Bold strategy.

Super Member

JackFrost

1 month ago

Are things bad?

Don’t worry Halo fans cause they are about to get worse. Today, the lineup headed up by Zach “still looking for my first Big League hit” Neto and missing a resting Trout will again be shut down.

Devers will hit a 2 run HR and the Red Sox yet again will win a close game, securing the sweep and sending Angels faithful into hiding.

Trusted Member

2pints

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

classic JF, wrong about everything

Super Member

AnAngelsFan

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

Losing 3 winnable games this weekend was very disappointing, but that was a nice win today and will hopefully lead to a bounce back in the Bronx.

Trusted Member

GhostGuest

1 month ago

The Hyundai key to this morning’s game for the Angels is David Bowie’s 1977 track “Always Crashing in the Same Car” because I’m feeling like a sad donkey today.

https://youtu.be/R-ZdCS0dpus

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Cowboy26

1 month ago

Reply to GhostGuest

Thanks Gubi

Trusted Member

GhostGuest

1 month ago

Reply to Cowboy26

Gubie wouldn’t dare.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to GhostGuest

It has been a very sad donkey series.

Trusted Member

GhostGuest

1 month ago

In the second golden age of Angels baseball (2002-09), it seemed like the team’s financial strategy was to not offer their stars a contract once they hit free agency if there was a hot shot on the farm that could replace them for cheap.

This seemed to be the case after the 2005 season with Bengie Molina when he signed a one year deal with Toronto and was replaced on the Angels by Jeff Mathis.

In the Bengie Molina autobiography I’m reading, though, he says that the Angels offered him a two year deal that he would have accepted, but his agent never told him about the offer. Bengie wanted to remain an Angel, but his agent wanted to pursue a contract with more years and more money from other teams.

The agent had such a deal in place with the Mets, but right before finalizing, the NYM signed Paul Lo Duca instead. By then spring training was about to start, and the agent was.lucky to get the TOR deal.

Bengie fired his agent after he signed the BJ contract.

Super Member

ihearhowie3.0

1 month ago

Reply to GhostGuest

Good stuff.

I miss that era. While it was happening we probably took it for granted being good every year and a defensively sound team that scrapped.

The team’s crappy fundamentals the past 3 years makes me appreciate the Soth more.

Super Member

JackFrost

1 month ago

Reply to ihearhowie3.0

Fundamentals were not always great under Soth either …

See playoff loss to these Red Sox where Aybar could not get the bunt down on a suicide squeeze and they ended up losing the game and series …

Last edited 1 month ago by JackFrost

Super Member

steelgolf

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

Pretty much if the player hasn’t locked in fundamentals to where they don’t even have to think about it, at the MLB level, then they will always have that flaw. Fundamentals are addressed in little league, high school, then minors/college.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

Fundamentals are never always great with any team, which is awesome because I can count on being sanctimonious about it pretty regularly. Makes me feel less feeble.

Then I reward myself with THREE toppings at the frozen yogurt place.

Trusted Member

Simba

1 month ago

Reply to GhostGuest

Damn. Bengie was a favorite of mine.

Super Member

JackFrost

1 month ago

Reply to Simba

Me too. He very well may have been the most important player on that 2002 team.

Super Member

AnAngelsFan

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

Molina’s overall numbers aren’t impressive, but he felt like one of those guys that gets his hits when you need them the most, not to mention the added value of his throw to first keeping runners honest and getting the occasional key out.

I, too, was a Bengie fan.

Last edited 1 month ago by AnAngelsFan

Super Member

AnAngelsFan

1 month ago

Reply to AnAngelsFan

I had to look it up.

Molina’s career OPS was .718, but it was .842 in games his team won and .780 in high leverage situations compared to .693 in low leverage, so he was definitely a guy that contributed more when it counts.