LA Angels Monday News Crash: The Neighbors Are Coming

The Big A will be packed tonight and for the next two nights as the Freeway Series kicks off. Yes, half the crowd will be wearing blue, but half of them were wearing red the last time we were good. The fair weather in the Southland is not reserved for the forecast.

Kenley Jansen is ready to show his old club he’s still in top form. Hopefully he gets 3 chances to do so.

Jansen is on a roll, lately. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in 20 straight appearances.

One person who definitely won’t participate in the Freeway Series is Jack Kochanowicz. He had a miserable outing yesterday that earned him a trip back to the minor leagues.

Justin Verlander has been around four years longer than Kenley Jansen. He notched a little MLB history yesterday.

Father Time seems to have overtaken Verlander, but he says he wants to continue pitching in 2026. A washed up, World Series champion, former 3 time Cy Young award winner sounds like a winner to Arte. Let’s hope he doesn’t read that link. Oh, and he’ll be cheap after 2 bad years in a row.

In the meantime, the Angels need to win 1 out of 3 to win the Freeway Series for the 2025 season. In what will be the shining moment of this campaign, the Angels swept the logo stealers in their stadium earlier this season.

If you’re wondering where Charles is, here you go: Mr. Sutton is an attorney with a big case. He’s in court today and will be for a week or two. So wish him well, but know he’s fine and expect to see the rest of us pitching in to cover the large amount of work he does here.

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RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago

Yankees fans— full meltdown

bobblanton
Trusted Member
2 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

Love it

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  RexFregosi

Now we just need the Doyers to prolapse on the Padres.

bobblanton
Trusted Member
2 months ago

At the game tonight behind the bullpens in left field. Go halos beat those damn doyers

YOUknowulovetheIE
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  bobblanton

I’m here tonight as well. Doyer fan buddy bought us tickets

bobblanton
Trusted Member
2 months ago

Nice I’m in section 260

YOUknowulovetheIE
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  bobblanton

2 sections above you lol

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 months ago

Brewers and Tigers might be a fun WS, as I would be loving it if the Sanks and Doyers stay home and invite the Mets over for the games with beer and chips, a crying shame party don’t you know 💯 

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 months ago

Dodgers manager had a couple of brutal comments about Shohei and his swing choices and his base running choices, if not careful he could follow former Dodger skipper Donny Baseball and be managing Miami before watching games on TV.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 months ago

Complaint last season was little power from Schanny. Some here (breaking my arm) thought that he would improve on his hitting and add more power-done. Next year more of same for Schanuel no doubt. Rada has very limited power at a young age, seems Career and Suzuki are Hall of Fame members who fell into that range too. Rada at a young age knows the K-Zone, and can hit. Can’t wait for his arrival when he is ready.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

I doubt anyone will ever mistake my boy Nolan for a power hitter. I mean, he’s not even slugging 400 now. But I do think he can up his game a little more in all areas next year. A career year for him likely looks like a .300 AV with 20 HR and 35 2B. That’s fine, and if he spends most of his career with an OPS above .770 I’m cool with that. That’s a useful boy. Maybe he can pull it off next year.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago

Yes but that boy of yours 23.5 yrs with less than 2 MLB seasons will grow up and will be a man someday.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  RexFregosi

Yup. That’s why I’m hoping he has a little higher performance norm to come.

Born_in_59
Trusted Member
2 months ago

To be fair, Nolan has increased his ISO and matched his total extra base hits from last year, though there isn’t enough to say whether it’s a true increase or year-to-year variance. If Nolan can maintain an OBP north of .360 with say 30 2B and 15 HR, that’s valuable enough to keep in the lineup. We already have enough players that can put up Dave Kingman numbers, 30+ HR while hitting <.230.

Last edited 2 months ago by Born_in_59
Phil
Trusted Member
2 months ago

As noted in the above article, Verlander wants to pitch in 2026.
An aging HOF pitcher, with declining stats (negative WAR in last 2 years) —- he is a perfect signing for the Angels for 2026.

For today:
Yamamoto has never faced the Angels
For 2025: he’s 10-7, with ERA 2.51

Soriano: this is his first career start vs Dodgers
For 2025: he’s 7-9, with ERA 4.01

If we get the good Soriano, we might have a chance to win.
If we get the bad Soriano, game is over by 3rd inning, perhaps earlier.

Trout has played in 45 games vs. Dodgers, with 0.232 BA, 10 HR, 26 RBIs, 23 runs scored

Ohtani has played in 7 games against the Angels, with 0.321 BA, 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, 6 runs scored
Will Smith: 22 games, 0.297 BA, 4 HRs, 13 RBIs
Freeman: 39 games, 0.323 BA, 7 HRs, 24 RBIs
Mookie: 47 games (mostly with Red Sox): 0.275 BA, 7 HRs, 28 RBIs
Teoscar: 53 games (mostly Blue Jays): 0.251 BA, 10 HRs, 34 RBIs

For the lineups, Moncada at 3B, Teodosio CF, d’Arnaud catching, Rengifo 2B

Last edited 2 months ago by Phil
Twebur
Legend
2 months ago

Roster filler, cheap deck/lawn chair replacement

Shaun Anderson getting brought back up is an interesting move. I wonder if that opens the door for Jared Southard or George Klassen in the coming days

https://x.com/jared_tims/status/1955017586456006954?s=42

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
2 months ago

I suspect that most folks here aren’t Baseball America subscribers, so can’t access features behind the paywall, but BA gave some love to two much-talked-about Angels prospects today – Nelson Rada and Denzer Guzman.

Nelson is covered in this weeks “Statcast Standouts” feature. While the full editorial circle may not have bought in to Rada as a Top 100 guy yet, at least one writer has.

Eli Ben-Porat writes:

Rada has been one of the youngest batters at every level he’s played at. In Single-A, he was at least 1.3 years younger than any pitcher he faced and was, on average, 4.4 years younger than the pitchers he faced. Now in Triple-A, he’s at least 3.1 years younger than the pitchers he’s competing against and 5.7 years younger on average.

If you’re going to succeed with minimal bat speed, you have to be a contact machine. Rada’s zone contact certainly suggests he’s got that covered. The truly special aspect to Rada’s profile? The elite swing decisions. It’s exceedingly rare to see a player with +10% in zone aggression and -10% out-of-zone chase. This is a recipe for a plus-plus on-base profile, and it fully supports the .388 OBP he’s put up across two levels this season, as well as the .395 mark he logged in A-ball. He struggled in his first taste of Double-A last year, but that’s looking like an adjustment period given he skipped High-A entirely and was really young for the level.

Here’s our scouting report on Rada’s glove: “In center field, he makes advanced reads with a smooth glove, giving him plus defensive projection at a premium position”.

If you combine what’s looking very much like a potentially average-or-better MLB hitter based on the contact and on-base skills with a plus glove in center field, you’re looking at potential 3-4 win player. Rada’s profile doesn’t always get the prospect buzz the power guys get, but, if I were to create a top prospect list right now, I’d be strongly inclined to consider him as a top 50 prospect in baseball. That may sound like a bold take, but the combination of his pitch selection, contact skills, glove and age may actually be underselling just how good this kid is. In fact, I think it’s looking more likely than not that Rada will be at least an average MLB player when you factor in his defensive profile. That’s an extremely high floor.

I wasn’t expecting to be this excited by Rada before digging into his profile, but I’m fully bought in now.

(bolded emphasis mine)

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Meanwhile, Guzman makes this week’s Prospect Hotsheet report, covering the top 20 prospect performances from the previous week.

15. Denzer Guzman, SS, Angels
Team: Triple-A Salt Lake (Pacific Coast)
Age: 21
Why He’s Here: .400/.444/.760 (10-for-25), 8 R, 3 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBIs, 2 BB, 11 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: Guzman’s performance during his time with Angels has fluctuated, but this year he has found his stride, especially since arriving in Triple-A. He is a defense-first shortstop with smooth actions, reliable hands and a plus arm that profiles well on the left side of the infield. At the plate, he features a simple righthanded swing with line-drive tendencies and developing pullside power. The Angels are hopeful that added reps will sharpen Guzman’s approach and unlock more of his average raw power. As shown by his 11 strikeouts this week, being disciplined at the plate will also require some adjustments. (JC)

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Yup. Rada, even if some of this stuff above is hopium, is gonna be a useful piece. It’s just not a massive game changer because he has no power. What’s more, I’m not sure I want him getting bigger for power. Say he is peak Juan Pierre with actual defensive ability. That’s good in and of itself. Say he really plays out and is Steven Kwan with only 5 HR a year but 30 SB? I’ll take that in a heartbeat. All of that goes away if he sells out for power.

Hell. Dream huge. Say Bryce Teodosio manages a 100 OPS+. Hell yeah I’d take an OF of Adell, Teo and Rada down the line.

BUT. You need almost everyone hitting for power otherwise. Nolan needs to get to at least that 15 HR level and make a lot of contact to push our fast guys around the bases. We need Logan to be a 25-30 HR catcher. We need Neto and Trout to hit for power. You need Moore to hit 25 HR a year. You will REALLY wish you had 5 power hitting 3B prospects right now. You need a guy on your bench that can play corner OF and has pop.

It’s an exciting idea and with Rada/Teo/Neto/Moore/Adell and even a healthy Trout at DH we’d have a pretty damn fast line up in general. Even Logan’s not slow for a catcher. But we need some things to break right. Guzman being real at 3B. Or finding our Max Muncy who can play 3B. Moore working out. Paris working out with power would be a utility Godsend.

But that’s a lot of wine spritzers and dreams as it stands now.

YOUknowulovetheIE
Super Member
2 months ago

I’m not even worried about his power, if the contact is there who cares. Toss him in the lead off and let his defense help save runs.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago

A guy that drive in 120+ runs could be helpful too. Anyone like that around?

grichmanpoorman
Trusted Member
2 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

iseewhatyoudidthere

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
2 months ago

I’m just going to keep incepting this idea: Cody Bellinger.

  1. There’s a glut of OFs on the market, so hypothetically he could be affordable on a five-year deal.
  2. It works whether the Angels retain Ward for his final year or trade him. If they retain him, Bellinger could play CF for a year, and if they trade him, Bellinger could move to LF with Rada in CF.
  3. Bellinger’s stats have been relatively stable for three years, he’s a lefty, he has speed, his defense is typically above average.

I’d personally like to avoid Suarez or Bregman – though both will be tempt Arte. I don’t like the age curve and park adjusted projections at what they’ll cost. Let Guzman sink or swim at 3B next season.

Bellinger at ~25M/yr would be the big splash, and the rest of the FA capital would go to the rotation and maybe a defensive catcher.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Yes. But I hate Cody Bellinger. That’s a problem.

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
2 months ago

But his teammates don’t seem to hate him. By all accounts, a great clubhouse glue guy, positive, a leader.

Kind of the anti-Hamilton. Give him Josh’s 2013 contract, and hope he grows on you, but not like an icky dicky snow habit.

Born_in_59
Trusted Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

If Rada can be Albie Pearson as a batter (you old-timers know who that is) but a + defender in CF, he would be a potential all-star.

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Born_in_59

I think both Gary Pettis and Albie Pearson are old-timer Angel comps that make sense for Rada. It’s of course a completely different ballgame now, with much more velocity and spin, so I don’t know if either Pettis or Pearson would be able to survive in the modern game.

For a nearer Angels term reference, I’m hoping for Chone Figgins – with what Figgins did on defense at 3B in CF. (Figgins wasn’t a great centerfielder.)

Figgins and Reggie Willits are both also plausible comps. Others mention Span and Pierre, and all of these make sense in the spectrum of outcomes.



RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

2026 CFs – Rada? Teo
this picture jumped out at me this morning
https://flic.kr/p/2qLVi2x

it is the Spring Training Winter Solstice – six months ago it started and in six months it begins again- cheers to all who celebrate.
Besides CF, third base? I Don’t Know. Denzel?

we need to get a good skip and Arte should give Perry some spending money. I hope like every year it’s a gazillion. it will be nice to see the draftees too.

With this solstice you may be haunted tonight with ghosts of prospects past – and maybe we lose tonight too. But the seeds of Hopium are also planted and the end of this stooped season is near.

grichmanpoorman
Trusted Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Yay!

TrojanBoiler
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Don’t go and get me excited now

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  TrojanBoiler

Ok, then, some eeyore juice for you:

He makes all the greatest swing decisions in the world, but his lack of power makes him vulnerable to fastballs in and high, and he reliably grounds out to the infield or harmlessly pops it up (basically like last night’s game where he went 0-for-4 while putting the ball in play each time, grounding out to the right side of infield in every AB).

And/or: he makes moderate strength gains, but those slow his footspeed a bit, make him chunkier and less range-y, and yields fieldable flyouts because his launch angle and exit velocities are still meh.

Also potential outcomes. Happier now? 🙂

I buy into Rada, but progress isn’t always linear, and there are so many Kevin Maitan cases out there to prove that burning bright at a young age isn’t always sustainable when the body takes over and does unexpected things.

2002heaven
Super Member
2 months ago

In answer to twebur yesterday probably either Jered Weaver John lackey or Ervin Santana…
.long time ago by choice!!!

Last edited 2 months ago by 2002heaven
RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  2002heaven

The one better than anyone this century is Frankie.

He was the Golden One.

Pineapple12
Legend
2 months ago

13 straight wins for the DSL Angels!

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

And most importantly, they did it against the first place Giants and now have a share of the division lead. And they atypically did it with pitching today, as only two Angels got hits!

On Aug 19, 16 of the 52 teams advance to the playoffs – the eight division leaders, and the eight remaining teams with the best records. At the moment, the DSL Angels would qualify under both heuristics.

2002heaven
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

BTW how’s Travis Bazzana doing..
just wondering?

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Reasonably well for his first year in the minors. Has a fairly balanced hitting profile in AA, taking his walks, hitting a lot of doubles, wRC+ of 137.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Giants were the final rival in the ACL too. We will see these guys around for a few years maybe

Pineapple12
Legend
2 months ago

Some serious slugging went down yesterday for our A+ squad.

Adrian Placencia — a name TT has highlighted a few times this year:
2/5, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Season slash line: .227 / .356 / .414 — respectable.

Rio Foster stays 🔥🔥🔥
2/5, HR
4 HR in his last 5 games.
1.000+ OPS since 6/19.

Juan Flores, our standout young defensive catching prospect, is heating up with the bat:
1/4, HR
Last 27 games (105 PA):
.302 / .343 / .474

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Pineapple12

Please yes. Sure, celebrating a guy going 1/4 or having a .227 BA seems lame at first…. until you realize how GahAwful just about EVERY hitter we have above A Ball is. Gotta start somewhere, and these guys actually clicking, even for just the last two months, is a relief.

Let’s go Randy De Jesus and some Trash Pandas!

Pineapple12
Legend
2 months ago

I’m immune to a low BA at this point. Placencia’s OBP will play. Flores showing signs with the bat deserves our attention. I fear your boy, De Jesus, has been passed by my boy, Foster.

FungoAle
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

re: Placentia. Just odd he was ever sent to Rocket City. Pitchers ate him up, then back and forth between A ball over a couple of seasons. Never really crushed it in San Berdoo. Just let the kid cook at A+ for a couple of seasons. Reeeelaaax Perry. He’s gotta improve contact rates.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Pineapple12

I dig Rio too. De Jesus just has serious angry power. If only they’d let him use a cricket bat….

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
2 months ago

To put things in perspective, the Northwest League batting average is .240/.338/.388, so Placencia’s OBP and SLG are north of both, and he’s playing at a league average age of 22. His wRC+ is 119, so he’s 19% better than the league average player there, while being age appropriate.

Foster is quite similar – in fact they have identical OPSes (.770) at the moment, and they were born two weeks apart – but he does it with a touch less power, but a higher batting average. His wRC+ is 124.

So while both guys are not setting the world on fire, they’re each performing at an above average level, with excellent walk rates, but concerning K rates (27-30%). The swing decisions are improving – so combine plus on-base skills with average power and there’s at least a reserve profile here for both kids.

AA will be a challenge, but it might be time to try, as the Trash Pandas are going nowhere at the moment, and there are no critical prospects they’d be stealing playing time from.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Yeah. If you squint you can see both being alright if either learn to strike out less and don’t chase bad balls when the pitching and fielding get stronger. It would be great if they hit AA with a solid plan and improve there.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 months ago

The two hottest teams in MLB have got something in common, they make trades to improve themselves. Jedi will trade his mother if he thinks it will help. Brewers are a very small market team and stay in contention most seasons, but this season have the best record in the bigs. Arturo pay attention you clown or just do us all a favor and sell. You don’t need more money, and you can’t spend what you will receive by leaving. Hey, that’s my .02 cents addition to the cause.

steelgolf
Legend
2 months ago

C’mon Grandpa, Arte has unfinished business and this team will be competitive and play meaningful-less baseball in September.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  steelgolf

He was ready to sell. Now he’s two more seasons into unfinished business that is costing him money. Maybe he’s sick of business?

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

I don’t even need Arte to sell. I’d be fine if he pulled a Wolfe/Sternburg method and just set a payroll that earns him money and then left the FO alone. Doesn’t care that the fans were excited about a Japanese player thus we need one, or that they think we have a shot for the first time in years cause we’re just under .500 and it’s been a decade. Shrug shoulders. Players are traded and draft happens and money is spent on MiLB. Shrug shoulders. Team trades star player. Shrug shoulders.

With the Angels, an owners could do that with a pretty high payroll, keep an established fan favorite or two, and just let a GM (or what ever you want to call it now) cook.

I think one of the keys to the Rays being good is that their shitty owner doesn’t care. He only cares if things fall apart to the point that he loses money. So he doesn’t fk up the FOs plans with his ideas. He doesn’t fire POBOEIEIOs after a couple meh seasons. Their FO is full of guys who have been there forever and move up in the org. So they have learned what works over time. They have established methods for Rays baseball. They have ironed out a lot of kinks. Even when the Doyers poach their guy it just keeps humming. They make plans and execute them quickly because they are basically alone in their cubicles in a hovel with an absentee owner.

If we had THAT, but with Arte owning the team and the Angels resources at hand, we’d be fine. As it stands now, we could have Friedman for a GM. It wouldn’t matter all that much.

PedroCerrano
Super Member
2 months ago

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the only Angels WS was when they had Disney as absentee owners who knew enough to leave the on the field decisions and personnel to baseball people. That team had a Tampa like $58MM payroll.

Their Marketing Department was a whole different beast. It was embarrassing to take out of town friends to a game and have Mickey and Minnie dancing on top of the dugout in those hideous periwinkle unis. Now you’re just embarrassed because they suck.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  PedroCerrano

Hot dog!
Winner definitely was 1999
https://images.app.goo.gl/g3x3KRynhcqwBvEV9

Mickey and Minnie were a big step up

PedroCerrano
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

I had memory wiped that. I just remember being embarrassed for the guys on the team. Reminded me of A ball stunts in the 80s, it would have been nice of them to include the beer inning.

toad2065
Trusted Member
2 months ago
Reply to  PedroCerrano

Just think, we coulda been The Bananas!

FungoAle
Legend
2 months ago

Brewers pretty much stood pat at the deadline, held onto their good farm products and still, caught fire

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 months ago

I am aware that many here don’t care for Matty V., but I really enjoy his PXP and his back and forth with Gubi. Randazzo is just Ok and between him and Gubi it seems like we are quite often locked out of what the heck they got going as sometimes it has nothing to do with baseball or the team.

TrojanBoiler
Super Member
2 months ago

I think Matty V is significantly better than any of our other PxP options. I agree, Randazzo is just ok. Patty O is terrible.

FungoAle
Legend
2 months ago

I can put up with Matty V. but his play-by-play and conversations drifts all over too. I think this is him just being a MLB network host and not close to the team.

I wish we could get the radio crew to rotate in during the game, the middle innings. Dodgers used to do this during the 70’s, early 80’s.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Matty V. has come a long way in his 4 seasons of part time PxP in his historical knowledge and current team knowledge. Through the years the Angels have had many “National” guys do PxP and “Color”
Victor started out Ok, then he and Gubi had a run of excellence and for the last couple of seasons for Victor his tenor changed and his was not as interested it seemed, somewhat bored and negative.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 months ago

The Southern California area (Santa Barbara south to San Diego) is the greatest sports area in the United States. I pull for every team from Hot playing High Schools to the pros in almost every sport except Cornhole 😆 . The only team I dislike really is the Lakers so I just chose to ignore them and the NBA. I don’t really pay attention to the Doyers but I will pull for them if they make the World Series. I don’t think I have to worry about the Halos having a Freeway World Series anytime soon though, so I am pulling for the sweep for us in the next three. GO ANGELS!!!!

Last edited 2 months ago by GrandpaBaseball
RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago

my memories of attending a Laker game at the sports arena with Wilt on the other side go back further than my first Angel game. Jerry West meant more to me than any Angel till Nolie showed up. Now days? I wore by LA Kings sweatshirt to church yesterday. GKG. BOLT UP ⚡️

red floyd
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

I’m with you Rex, though I never attended a Lakers game. Jerry West was my hero as a kid. Nowadays, I can’t stand the NBA. It’s all “ME ME ME ME!” and nothing about the team. NFL, I can take it or leave it… I’ll probably always be a low-key Rams fan, but…

Give me my Angels baseball and my LA Kings hockey! GO KINGS GO!!!

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  red floyd

I was a Lakers fan as a kid, till some other kids (and a grown ass man) told me I couldn’t be a Lakers fan because I’m white. They pointed me at Larry Bird. I barely care about the NBA, usually I just root for teams from dinky markets to win it all, but when I have to pick a team I still lean Celtics. For some reason I loved Robert Parish as a boy along with Bird.

Born_in_59
Trusted Member
2 months ago

Obviously they hadn’t heard of Kurt Rambis who was just like Larry Bird, but wore glasses.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Born_in_59

I love how all the docudrama’s I watch on Magic/Bird try and paint Bird as some sort of hoops Klansman villain and Magic as some sort of overcoming hero of the people.

Magic may have had poor parents, but he had everything handed to him since high school like LeBlond James after him. Then he went to a team full of HOFers, was a drama queen, won some rings, whored around, probably gave some folks AIDS, didn’t die himself. Hero.

Bird’s upbringing…. Holy shit. How he’s not just a white trash kid with a prison record is a mystery to me. Or as a friend from Boston put it, it’s funny, they talk like Magic Johnson was a garbage man along with his dad, but I have never heard what jobs he had in high school and college. I know where Bird worked since being a young kid. I know the shitty farm he grew up on. I know Bird’s dad wasn’t disappointed by all his bastard kids and getting AIDS because Bird didn’t do any of that and his dad killed himself.

There were really good reasons Bird was a soul crushing murder machine who didn’t dance for the cameras. I thought that was way cooler.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago

Besides Lakers and Angels late 60s, early 70s I started rooting idolizing an underdog NFL team too, the Dallas Cowboys.

i jumped off in 1997 because the owner.
Yes, you can walk away from your favorite boyhood team just because the owner is an ass.

Twebur
Legend
2 months ago

80’s NBA Lakers vs Celtics, East coast vs West coast, contrasting styles of play, Lakers Show time. The unmatched hate in that rivalry will never, ever happen again in the NBA. NFL, MLB and the NHL has continued pure hatred and rivalry, don’t see it in the NBA.
The Lakers and Celtics could play next season in my front yard, I wouldn’t open the blinds.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

My first spring break was in Alta Utah 1979 and each day the lift tickets were printed with the names of the four universities playing in the Final Four that week in SLC.

Twebur
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  red floyd

Great memories at the Forum. Kings, Lakers, many great concerts. Chick Hearn, Bob Miller, and the 38 minute wait to take a piss, after talking the stairs down into a pit 200 feet below the earth. Good Times!

Pineapple12
Legend
2 months ago

SWEEP THE DODGERS

FungoAle
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

Over under Ohtani whiffing Trout stands at 2.5. Shohei can punch him out anytime if he really wants to but might not want to punish him again (see WBC final out).

toad2065
Trusted Member
2 months ago
Reply to  FungoAle

The new MNT doesn’t need Shohei’s help striking out. He’s regularly proving he can do it all by himself!

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  FungoAle

a lot of times Shohei does stuff no other baseball player can do.
this is not one of those times.

tanana40
Super Member
2 months ago

Jack K still has possibility for being a decent back end starter. Yesterday, he needed a veteran catcher that was not tipping pitch locations to baserunners (Langston when on and on about this during the game) and better infield positioning based on how he was pitching hitters and better infield defense overall. He has a good sinker and throws harder than I expected (he has hit 100 mph this year and is regularly around 95-97). He has trouble hitting spots. I would not write him off just yet.

Kevin
Trusted Member
2 months ago
Reply to  tanana40

Jack has room to improve next year and the year after. He has some good stuff. We will see.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  tanana40

“Hitting spots” seems to be every Angels pitcher bug a boo. Seems as though spin rate and MPH are much more important to this team and where has it got us.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  tanana40

He is another starter who, if he went to the Brewers or Indians, would explode into greatness right away.

FungoAle
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  tanana40

Thats’ a good call, I’ve seen him pitch tough teams pretty well. Hope things work out for him.

HalosFanForLife
Super Member
2 months ago

One thing that amazes me about this sport (other than anomaly years like the Rockies are having) is that the winningest teams win about 6 out of 10 and the losingest teams win 4 to 4.5 out of 10. Baseball is the best.

red floyd
Legend
2 months ago

There’s a saying, “Every team will win about 60 and lose about 60. It’s what happens in the other 40 games that makes the different.”

tanana40
Super Member
2 months ago

Great hitters get a hit 3 out of 10 at-bats, bad hitters get a hit 2 out of 10 at-bats

Born_in_59
Trusted Member
2 months ago
Reply to  tanana40

Then there are Angels’ hitters that struggle to be merely bad.

CAoldskoll
Trusted Member
2 months ago

Hoping to take at least one of the 3 vs blue. Expecting traitor 17 to be in top form, he hates getting beat by his former ‘losing team’. Unlike the last series Dodgers are healthy now, especially starting pitching. Angels need those clutch hits and timely outs.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago

Dodgers? Two things for sure

our parking lot is so much better than theirs.
so eat it blue

baseball team?
scoreboard.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

a sweep can knock them out of first place.🤭

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  RexFregosi

THIS would be fantastic.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

Our parking lot is a hell of a lot safer too.

clover_black
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  DowningDude

People seem more mellow now. When did they cut off alcohol sales after the 7th inning? Methinks that has something to do with it…along with 14 bucks for a beer.

Marcotor
Trusted Member
2 months ago
Reply to  DowningDude

Shhh.. Gated Community folks who think the Orange Curtain is a magic line don’t like when you point out the homicide of a NorCal fan with a sucker punch was by an Angel fan in Anaheim. Dont forget the obsession with ass, too… TexAss, A’ss, et.al like 7 year olds on a school blacktop.

FungoAle
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  DowningDude

I’ve had my fun in the Angels parking lot, postgame discussions about Yankee fans moms, security was lax so you had some time without impediment.

The only place I considered to be unsafe was the Coliseum when the Raiders played there. I was a Raider fan so I avoided shit being hurled outside the stadium but witness some ugly stuff. Raiiiiiddddersssss

HalosFanForLife
Super Member
2 months ago

I’m not delusional to think the playoffs are in sight so I’m hoping for more ping-pong balls next draft lottery. But… let’s get this series.

Last edited 2 months ago by HalosFanForLife
steelgolf
Legend
2 months ago

The team is not eligible for ping pong balls this year. 10th is the highest they can pick but most likely will be somewhere between 14th an 20th. That is why this year’s draft was so critical, as they may not see that #2 pick or better position for another 20 years.

HalosFanForLife
Super Member
2 months ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Oh that sucks. My silver lining got shattered. LOL

milehigh
Trusted Member
2 months ago

Balls busted

DowningDude
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Well – BALLS!

Twebur
Legend
2 months ago
Reply to  steelgolf

I miss the Tank. I heard Shuffle Bot now owns it, drives around town, with dead tags…has one of those big nut sacks hanging off the back bumper.