Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2008 Record: 100-62
2008 Pythagorean Record: 88-74
Manager: Mike Scioscia
General Manager: Tony Reagins
Home Ballpark (multi-year Park Factors): Angel Stadium (103/102)
Who’s Replaced Whom:
- Kendry Morales replaces Casey Kotchman and Mark Teixeira
- Bobby Abreu replaces Garret Anderson
- Brian Fuentes replaces Francisco Rodriguez
- Shane Loux, Anthony Ortega, and Matt Palmer are filling in for John Lackey, Ervin Santana, and Dustin Mosely (all on DL)
- Rafael Rodriguez and Fernando Rodriguez are filling in for Darren Oliver and Kevin Jepsen (both on DL)
25-man Roster:
1B – Kendry Morales (S)
2B – Howie Kendrick (R)
SS – Erick Aybar (S)
3B – Chone Figgins (S)
C – Mike Napoli (R)
RF – Gary Matthews Jr. (S)
CF – Torii Hunter (R)
LF – Bobby Abreu (L)
DH – Juan Rivera (R)
Bench:
R – Jeff Mathis (C)
S – Maicer Izturis (IF)
R – Robb Quinlan (3B/1B)
R – Brandon Wood (IF)
Rotation:
L – Joe Saunders
R – Shane Loux
R – Anthony Ortega
R – Jered Weaver
R – Matt Palmer
Bullpen:
L – Brian Fuentes
R – Jose Arredondo
R – Scot Shields
R – Justin Speier
R – Jason Bulger
R – Rafael Rodriguez
R – Fernando Rodriguez
15-day DL:
RF – Vladimir Guerrero (torn pectoral)
RHP – John Lackey (forearm tightness)
RHP – Ervin Santana (elbow strain)
RHP – Dustin Moseley (elbow tightness)
LHP – Darren Oliver (shoulder stiffness)
RHP – Kevin Jepsen (back spasms)
60-day DL:
RHP – Kelvim Escobar (shoulder inflammation)
Typical Lineup:
S – Chone Figgins (3B)
S – Gary Matthews Jr. (RF)
L – Bobby Abreu (LF)
R – Torii Hunter (CF)
S – Kendry Morales (1B)
R – Mike Napoli (C)
R – Juan Rivera (DH)
R – Howie Kendrick (2B)
S – Erick Aybar (SS)
See that 88-74 Pythagorean record from 2008? That’s why the A’s traded for Matt Holliday. The Angels are vulnerable. They greatly overachieved last year. Their offense is more rumor than fact having ranked 11th in the American League last year and having since lost Mark Teixeira, who was worth three wins for them over the final two months. None of their younger hitters has a particularly high ceiling save for Howie Kendrick, who thus far hasn’t shown the ability to stay healthy or draw a walk. Vlad Guerrero and Torii Hunter are starting to show their age, particularly in the field, and while Bobby Abreu represents an upgrade on Garret Anderson, he doesn’t make the team any younger or any more likely to convert balls in play into outs.
Entering the season, the Angels’ hopes of a third-straight AL West title rested on their pitching and the weakness of the rest of their division. The latter seems to be unaltered by the A’s efforts, particularly given the recent injuries to Mark Ellis, Eric Chavez, and Nomar Garciaparra, but the Angels pitching isn’t holding up it’s end of the bargain. Certainly the Halos had to expect some regression from Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana following their breakout seasons last year, but a full season of John Lackey was supposed to help counteract that. Instead both Lackey and Santana started the season the DL and have yet to throw a regular season pitch. Both are throwing extended spring training innings now and looking toward returning in mid-May, but they’ll return to pitch in front of what has thus-far been the second-worst defense in the majors according to defensive efficiency.
Of course, the real tragedy (to use that word appropriately for a change), that struck the Angels pitching staff was the death of top prospect Nick Adenhart in a traffic accident following his first start of the year. That loss is immeasurable and unspeakable, but to deal with it coldly in baseball terms, Adenhart was supposed to replace Jon Garland as the team’s fifth starter, at least until Kelvim Escobar proved able to return from a year and a half on the DL. The team’s alternate plan was Dustin Moseley, but he’s also on the DL, as is lefty Darren Oliver, who was used for a spot start, his first in the majors since 2004, before (and possibly resulting in) hitting the DL with shoulder stiffness. With just two of their Opening Day starters still in the rotation, the Angels are tenth in the AL in pitching per runs allowed per game and arrive in the Bronx tonight with a 9-11 record.
I say that the impact of a of the death of a teammate is immeasurable, and it is, but given how rare an occurrence it is, I thought it might be informative to see how other teams have played in the weak of such a tragedy. With the help of my pal Steven Goldman I was able to come up with just seven teams that suffered a player depth mid-season (thus leaving out the 1978 Angels, who lost Lyman Bostock in late September). Those teams were the 2007 Cardinals (Josh Hancock), 2002 Cardinals (Darryl Kile), 1979 Yankees (Thurmon Munson), 1955 Red Sox (Harry Agganis), 1940 Reds (Willard Hershberger), 1920 Indians (Ray Chapman), and 1903 Senators (Ed Delahanty). Of those seven teams, all but two had higher winning percentages after the death of their teammate than before. The two exeptions, the 1940 Reds and 1920 Indians, went on to win the World Series. I’m not sure one can call that an encouraging fact, but perhaps it’s something around which the Angels can rally this season in their attempt to win their weak division.
Tonight, the Angels send 23-year-old Venezuelan Anthony Ortega to the mound. Ortega pitched well in Double- and Triple-A last year, but his weak strikout rate doesn’t portend big-league success. He faced the Mariners in his last and thus far only major league start and gave up five runs in five innings on five hits a walk and two homers. The Yankees counter with A.J. Burnett, who is looking to reverse the downward course he’s been on over his last two starts (combined: 11 1/3 IP, 11 H, 11 R, 4 HR, 10 BB, 5 K).
Did anyone catch the name of that book they were publicizing during the pre-game show? It was about Yankee Stadium's final year, and had a lot of cool photos.
(I was making dinner, and watching with only one eye.)
Hey if Burnett pitches decently, that will be the first time through the rotation without a meltdown!
Jinx!
[1] "The Final Season" The Official Retrospective
C'mon A.J.! Let's get three wins in a row and keep rolling along!
Home Sweet Home?
: )
[3] Thanks. Amazon lists two books:
Yankee Stadium: The Official Retrospective
Yankee Stadium: The Final Season
Same authors, but different covers. Not sure if they are different books or not. The latter cover was what they showed on YES.
[4] Yes, Randy. The second one you listed was the one they showed today. Obviously, they used that book to obfuscate the one about Alex...
ugh
Chone comes in hitting 240. He'll leave hitting about 780. Little bastard.
I miss Ken Singleton.
I miss the Tigers.
[5] They did ask him about the 'roids. He said he wasn't going to talk about it, and that was that.
At this point, who cares about more roid revelations. But the tipping pitches thing is unforgivable.
i miss those games aj burnett got off to a great start
[10] I'll be honest, A-Rod and Roberts really don't have any credibility between them, so I'm not sure whose story I would believe
Morales kind of runs like me, doesn't he.
Melky and Pena in the lineup again. I'm liking this.
The little pictures next to the names are terrifying.
[10] Considering the power wielded and abused by the MLBPA and their membership, especially since the '94 strike, I'm not surprised about the tipping thing (or the PED thing) in the least...
Yay!
What is this? Clutch hitting? I don't understand.
Matsui en fuego!
2 out rib-eye. Keep at it Matusui!!
the Matsui years really are underrated. He has missed a lot of time late to injury, but I think he's more than carried his weight over the course of the contract.
Wewt @ two out RBI!
[21] i think it's more that he's underrated right now than that all his years are, but i agree
[16] It's a pretty rotten thing to do to your pitcher, though. Especially since A-Rod's job and salary were safe, no matter how he hit. While the guy on the mound was likely not as secure.
Well, shit
[16] i don't really see the correlation between the union's power and undermining the game by helping the opposing team
It's going to be one of those games, isn't it?
i wonder what the team ratio of fastballs to offspeed pitches is. it should be a lot higher with all the power arms we have.
I am interested to find out who will actually corroborate these claims about A-Rod tipping pitches. Or will it be the dreaded "unnamed sources." That 2-2 pitch was a strike if Jorge just stayed put.
I heart Swisher
[25] He's not "helping the opposing team." He's helping his friends pad stats so they can make more money... in a similar fashion as umpires that spread the word on players who bitch and moan about close pitches when they don't get the calls, and that effects that player's future close calls.
[29] I can't imagine anyone admitting it, unless it's a Canseco type who has nothing to lose. They'd be incriminating themselves.
But it seems possible that something might have been caught on camera, if anyone's willing to look through all the tapes.
[31] Worse than that. He's not helping his friends. He was helping opponents with the expectation that they would return the favor. He was doing it to pad his OWN stats. That's why it's so sleazy.
[31] whatever you want to call it, i still don't see how the power of the union affects it at all. you seem to undermine that argument by likening it to umpires who are not part of the mlbpa (although i don't really see the comparison myself. i just don't see how the power of the union would make players do things like this. if they do it because they want to help their friends on other teams make money, couldn't you argue that it would be even worse if the union had less power?
Good for the Melk-Man!
[33] I'm certain he didn't invent doing that.
The MLBPA's levels of corruption are staggering...
[36] But the ones hurt are his teammates. Especially the pitchers. Who are also members of the union.
Honestly, I don't see what the union has to do with it.
Well at least he's not going in headfirst. Yikes.
[32] Good luck with all that. Again, if no one is going to cop to these claims, I will consider them B.S.
[39] I would believe videotape more than eyewitnesses, anonymous or not. I didn't believe Canseco until corroborating evidence came out.
[34] There isn't any more integrity in the game 51cq24. It's all about the dollars and how many millions players can squeeze out of their respective playing windows. You don't see players offering to take cuts in pay, do you? Rather, they lie, cheat, and steal to make more and more. Meanwhile owners and cities are building new parks, and lowering their ticket prices.
If players are doing what is suggested in that book, that's criminal in a Black Sox Scandal type fashion, improperly influencing results for profits.
Who's that old dude setting his feet at ss? : )
Yup, going to be one of those games.
[43] Not if AJ gets his groove on. Man, I hate the Angels.
[41] it seems to me that if anything society is at fault, not the union. i agree with the sentiment that there's too much self-interest in baseball (as in everything), but i don't see how you can blame it on players or their union when, as you say, owners are making more and more money too. if the union didn't have such good bargaining power, maybe the players would have to make more ad hoc little "unions" of their friends to try to get more money.
no one disagrees with you that this is terrible if it's happening, but nothing you say implicates the union. the black sox scandal was 34 years before the mlbpa was created.
Meanwhile owners and cities are building new parks, and lowering their ticket prices.
I'm assuming this is sarcasm?
Jorgie doesn't look so good tonight. I wonder if his hamstring is still bothering him.
Posada wants to get back to looking crappy behind the plate ASAP. UGH.
Just into Gameday..has the A.J. bandwagon crashed already? Why do the Angels always jump on us?
I know this is a bit out of the blue, but at what point does .209 out of your number three hitter become alarming?
[49] Chone the Yankee killer, who hasn't hit all season, led off with a triple before scoring Tough 2nd. Better 3rd and 4th for AJ.
Pena is not a slugger but I like the way this kid plays. He also does not look scared at the plate.
Was there any evidence or collaboration on the 'ARod tipping pitches' story?
Nice, Derek.
Ah, Bobby Abreu, thank you.
Welcome back, Bobby!
I don't miss El Comedulce.
I'll save this discussion for another time... but no Cult, that wasn't sarcasm... Despite a $1.3B NYS, you can still get a seat for $12 albeit a bleacher seat.
Yay @ leading!
:O
Where's Vlad? This Angel team is not near as strong as last year. Maybe Seattle wins the Div? Possible?
Any guesses on what Vlad gets as a FA?
Hey everybody. I'm at the Stadium tonight -- turns out it DOES still get loud here. That was pretty deafening, and I'm relieved.
Also: they tell us Jeter is now 10th on the Yankees' all-time RBI list. I think he's getting to a phase where basically every single thing he does moves him up some all-time list or other, he's been here SO long...
[59] Seattle playing good baseball. Beltre made a play on a bunt the other day that was just perfect! Love watching good D...
Yay @ Rays, too!
: O²
Running on Damon's rag arm.
[60] Heyas Emma! Hope you're having a blast! Did you get any tennis balls yet?
:P
A double on a routine single to left. Damn.
[62] yes! Beckett's ERA up past 6 now..I am unhealthly ecstatic about that..
Beckett's line for today and season ERA:
3.2IP, 8H, 6ER, 3BB, 7.16 era
As you know, TB up 6-0 after 4.
[47] Po is aging by the game these days, I'm afraid (see also Damon)...
: /
CHONE!!!!!!!!! If I was in a room with you and Youklis were in the same room my head would implode.
[69] Please don't go to an Angels/Red Sox game, Just Fair!
: )
[70] They got me so fired up I wrote a sentence that would make an English teacher's head explode. Ha.
Here is where I really feel bad for Girardi. He's got Po, who has been an anchor for the organization for years, and sooner or later, he's going to have to play Molina in the lion's share of games because the numbers (ERA, BAA, etc.) are so significantly different between the two when they catch. I mean how do you bench Po? AND how do you not play Molina, especially against the running Angels?
Oy!
[72] I forgot to add, Matsui hitting so well isn't helping Girardi with that dilema at all...
I think next year, Po catches 50 games and DH'es 100 games, with Molina behind the plate. I wonder if Molina knew he would play so much next year if he might get in better shape?
Damn, Cano. How bout that athleticism. Sweet.
[74] Not a fan of the cannonball-fire hydrant physique? Worked for Yogi! :)
Man, I hate games like these against the Angels.
I would hope so OYF.
It's sad that even Napoli is running on Po...
I wonder if Scioscia calls that with Molina? Or they just wanted Kendrick to start the next inning...
Posada has made an out 2x on the first pitch and struck out looking the other time on 3 or 4 pitches. Yuck.
Becketts's final line:
4.2, 10H, 7ER, 3BB, 8K, 113-68, 7.22 ERA
Bleh Melky...
P.S. Boston with 0 hits after 5.
Jeez... Got a glass of water and the Angels are up again? Did we get 3 outs that inning?
Kendrick. Seriously. Fall down and hurt yourself.
Dear lord, when Robbie tries he is so good.
Me likey Pena...
: )
guys guys guys -- Matt Garza has a rather special kind of game going right now... since we have the new rules I'm not allowed to mention that SPECIAL kind of game... but you might want to check it out...
[82] Ah I'm sorry, you DO know.
Multitasking = good... mhmm...
I wager Kay just jinxed that for us though.
LOL
[87] Watching on mlb.tv now. They just showed Garza in the dugout, it was pretty funny, he's trying to talk to people and they all just look away.
Jacoby, Dusty, Hefty in the top of the 7th. I smell a dusty hit.
[87] It's called a very, very, very, VERY good game.
(I mean REALLY good)
And Longoria goes long. 8-0.
RE: Red Sox
What's that saying about sunshine and dogs' asses again?
I'm just sayin'...
Maybe we can get Tampa to do our dirty work since obviously C'land cannot.
Wow, Longoria is good.
And hey, Carlos Pena subscribes to the Melky school of baserunning.
Damnit
boo indeed
*sigh*
Phil Coke AGAIN??
[100] EDPC?
[91] A suppose a bullshit infield single that grazes the pither's mound is indeed, dusty. Crap.
Oh HELL. Ellsbury hits a slow groundball single to SS. Cheap, cheap, cheap hit.
How can we get outs without Joba as a reliever?!
At this pernt, I'd pay Marte to "go away"...
[106] Melancon? Veras? who do you bring out of the pen?
[106] He had Alby warming...
MO
I'd go Edwar or Robertson myself. Maybe Melancon.
[108] Props to him if he does that, but um, Mo has given up 2 straight dingers.
I Heart Robbie
Nope, definitely not missing Abreu.
If ever there was a series set up for the Yankees to shake off the Angels albatross, it is this one. And yet, here we are in another close/late game that seems to always break the Angels way.
Bobby really is a poor fielder
Abreu hasn't improved his fielding, the big lug
[110] He's also the greatest reliever in history.
Buy you know that, I just wanted to point it out ;)
Bugger!!!!!! But Hip Hip
Woohoo!
MELK-MAN. WORD UP.
That's a spot where Melky would usually fail miserably...it's nice to see him be put a nice easy swing on the ball and come through.
Yay!
[119] You're right about that; Flarhety is right on it as well
ATTA BOY, PENA!!
Viva La Leche!!!
Melky + Pena >>>>>>> Gardner + Ransom/Berroa
The Yankees past troubles with the Angles is obviously lost on Pena...
: )
Attaboy AROD!!!!
OMG, Pena with the clutchy clutchclutch hit!
[126] Does this mean Pena will start dating Lindsey Lohan?
It seems like the general tenor was that Burnett didn't pitch well, but most of the Angels runs were set up by the stolen base or taking a base on Damon's arm. I thought he pitched pretty well today.
[92] Is it a game without spot, blemish or impurity?
[128] If he keeps this up, he'll get his choice (see also Jeter)...
;)
[130] Not any more, Weeping...
: /
Grinding it out, like the team is doing tonight, is extremely encouraging.
Pena is more the age to have to wait for Miley Cyrus
[132] Meanwhile, back at the ranch, there seems to be a good ballgame going on right here. Too bad I've not been able to follow closely, but from the comments, it looks like Robbie and Melky have done well.
Robbie's really an amazing player. If he can be consistent and healthy (two huge ifs, I know), he's a surefire HOFer.
This pitcher just isn't very good.
GIambi's wet grand slam?
[135] And Pena got his first RBI's with a clutchity durble!
: )
April can't end soon enough for Tex.
Jesus, Melky's hitting .327?
Damn.
[138] Nice!
[139] April is the cruelest month. But seriously, when are we allowed to worry?
[139] Quick! Change the day/date on his Rolex!
;)
Poor Tex. Thankfully for us he's taking his walks.
Tex has a lot of hits left in that bat.
[134] Had to look that one up..umm, really?? Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter is a huge star???
Tex..maybe good to start swinging the bat? This could result in "contact", which could lead to "getting a hit". That in turn could lead to "driving in runs"..you may want to explore this idea.
[141] We can worry next year. Just look at the back of his baseball card and chill. (like will)
[143] Of course, I'm not against walks or anything, but they're decidedly not as good as a hit, especially when they come from your number three man.
[145] A "huge star" would be an understatement dude (amongst the pre-teen set, which also has been re-named the "tween" set)
[146] Ok, I'll be patient (like will).
OH NO WHAT'S WRONG WITH MO week continues. It'll be fine.
Please no Kendrick as the tying run!
Looks like I'm back just in time to see Mo get another save.
that's it mo!
The YES gun is way off tonight.
What the hell was wrong with that pitch?
[148] I can barely keep up with the pop-culture here..probably best not to try!
Early season Mo Better Blues will go away, he'll end the year solid as always.
2 down
NIce win.
Sorry to have missed it.
nice - i love watching mo field
And another good game being played by the Celtics & Bulls... Gordon just fouled out, not good for the Bulls.
Nice win, that!
: )
This was not an unimportant win v. that team.
Watching GOB was hard.
Watching and waiting on Po and Jeter is brutal.
But I don't know if I could stand to watch Mo lose it.
I pray he can last through next year and still be above average.
Mariano Rivera is a thing of beauty and a joy forever
and there was much rejoicing.
Huge win, 3 in a row now. 12-10 April with NO A-Rod, half-a-Tex, Cody "Vortex" Ransom, Brett "Spunky" Gardner, semi-CC, not-quite Mo, so-so AJ, dysfunctional Wang... I have to say with all that to deal with this has been a VERY successfull month!
Coke gets the "W"! Pena gets a clutchity durble! Mo gets the save! Three in a row!
Life = Good
: )
[163] Jeter and Po are far from done and Mo was at his career best last year. Stoppy worrying and keep enjoying.
I would like to believe that the light has gone on for Melky.
Minor update. TB up 8-0 in the 8th. Sox have pounded out ONE hit.
[168] I hope you are right. The old guard will be gone soon. I hope it's a graceful exit.
[169] Yeah, nothing quite like having your job on the line in the majors to motivate a guy. According to Girardi today on Francesa, he's "going with the hot hand" at the moment with Melky and Gardy "didn't lose his job"...
Yikes!
And I have to take tomorrow off (too much accumulated vacation time + I didn't get laid off). Great way to start a 3 day weekend.
[171] OYF, you may appreciate this.."Alice's Restaurant" was on tv here the other night..imagine trying to explain the context behind that film/song to my lady here..
[174] Great album, so, so movie.
Unfortunately, I can't get anything I want anymore. Got an address for the restaurant? Meanwhile, TB still batting.. up 13-0. Any calls for Francona's head? Theo's? Are the Sox an embarrassment?
[169] I would like to as well, but I don't. Melky's always been streaky. Last year, he started out on fire. Didn't last.
[169] et. al. Since I've not been able to see the games, can anyone give me a scouting report on Melky? What's he doing right these days? How's he striking the baseball, etc.?
A most satisfying win. [176] Beckett to the bullpen. : )
[174] i LOVE that song! my pop took the fam to see Arlo Guthrie & Pete Seeger ages ago. i used to think it was at Carnegie Hall at christmas when i was 8 years old. but, i was just up in my parents' attic a few weeks back, looking thru tons of my old baseball cards, and actually found the program from that concert! i think it was more like Thanksgiving and i was 7; can't remember the venue. either way, it was cool and that song RULES!
on a side note, i knew a kid (my age), who played bass w/ Arlo (and i think his son, also), for a long time...
nice win tonight! : )
Rays up 13-0 !!!
[177] FWIW, his April 2008 OPS was .864. His April 2009 OPS is .971.
[178] He seems to be using the whole field, and he's been effective batting both RH and LH.
KC Catcher John Buck, was at it again today, going 3-3 w/ 5 RsBI
Andy goes for four straight against Weaver tomorrow!
Have a good night all...
: )
[181] Pretty small sample size, though, given the late start to the season this year, and his starting the season on the bench.
This was a game the Yankees of the last 10 years lose to the Angels.
[166] I think AJ's been better than so-so. He had one crap game and today's game which fits snugly with his typical ERA. The others were good to very good. I'd say he's operating at about the right level for him.
I don't want to see Gardner in CF anymore. I believe Melky can hit .260-.280 with like a .330 OBP or thereabouts, and hit some HRs. I don't think Gardner can match that.
I don't want to see Melky or Gardner in CF, actually. Melky's had his chance, and Gardner seems to have forgotten everything he learned last year.
Unfortunately, there aren't any other options at the moment.
The YES announcers seemed surprised when their poll about which AAA player can help the team the most had Austin Jackson the easy winner. I wasn't surprised. CF is the obvious hole now.