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Friday, May 30, 2003
Posted
5:19 PM
by Sean
Sports Illustrated has an article on "sports' most boring superstars," including Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, Tiger Woods, Mia Hamm, and, from the world of baseball, Bernie Williams. How in the world did anyone think this was going to be an interesting article? Sometimes the editorial decisions at the major sports media outlets just mystify me.
Sports Illustrated has an article on "sports' most boring superstars," including Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, Tiger Woods, Mia Hamm, and, from the world of baseball, Bernie Williams. How in the world did anyone think this was going to be an interesting article? Sometimes the editorial decisions at the major sports media outlets just mystify me.
Posted
3:01 PM
by Sean
The L.A. Times is reporting that Barry Bonds might want to DH for the Angels at some point in the unspecified future. The Giants have Bonds through 2005, with an option for 2006 (which presumably they'll exercise). This means he'll be 43 years old when he's available as a free agent, looking for God knows how much money. No thanks, man.
Under that item we have the news that Erstad flies to Tucson today to begin his rehab assignment. Realistically, it looks like he'll be back with the big club in about a week.
The L.A. Times is reporting that Barry Bonds might want to DH for the Angels at some point in the unspecified future. The Giants have Bonds through 2005, with an option for 2006 (which presumably they'll exercise). This means he'll be 43 years old when he's available as a free agent, looking for God knows how much money. No thanks, man.
Under that item we have the news that Erstad flies to Tucson today to begin his rehab assignment. Realistically, it looks like he'll be back with the big club in about a week.
Posted
2:55 PM
by Sean
The Angels beat the Devil Rays last night, 2-1. Well...maybe that's putting things a little too strongly. Jarrod Washburn certainly deserves credit for his performance, 6.2 innings of shutout baseball, and the bullpen brought him home nicely - particularly Brendan Donnelly, who pitched the final 1.2 innings for the save. But against Tampa Bay pitching, the bats scratched out only two runs, and those were mostly due to a wild pitch and an error. Okay, Brad Fullmer was out on a controversial call at the plate. But they also blew scoring opportunities, such as when Eric Owens broke for the plate on a double-steal waaay too early and was easily tagged out by the catcher. And clearly there's some guys in slumps: after terrific starts, Anderson, Fullmer, and Salmon have all seen their averages drop down to .300, meaning they've been batting significantly under that for the last couple of weeks. Ironically, after carping about a need for Erstad to return, about the only guy producing consistently is his replacement, Jeff DaVanon, who went 3 for 4 last night. In the last 11 games in which he's had an at-bat, DaVanon is 17 for 37.
The Angels beat the Devil Rays last night, 2-1. Well...maybe that's putting things a little too strongly. Jarrod Washburn certainly deserves credit for his performance, 6.2 innings of shutout baseball, and the bullpen brought him home nicely - particularly Brendan Donnelly, who pitched the final 1.2 innings for the save. But against Tampa Bay pitching, the bats scratched out only two runs, and those were mostly due to a wild pitch and an error. Okay, Brad Fullmer was out on a controversial call at the plate. But they also blew scoring opportunities, such as when Eric Owens broke for the plate on a double-steal waaay too early and was easily tagged out by the catcher. And clearly there's some guys in slumps: after terrific starts, Anderson, Fullmer, and Salmon have all seen their averages drop down to .300, meaning they've been batting significantly under that for the last couple of weeks. Ironically, after carping about a need for Erstad to return, about the only guy producing consistently is his replacement, Jeff DaVanon, who went 3 for 4 last night. In the last 11 games in which he's had an at-bat, DaVanon is 17 for 37.
Posted
2:37 PM
by Sean
ESPN has posted a story about former Texas Rangers phenom David Clyde, who's attempting to make a comeback of sorts as a pitching coach. A similar story appeared a few weeks ago in the local alternative weekly paper, the Dallas Observer. What seems odd is that the ESPN feature mentions neither the Observer article nor the fact that Clyde, despite being out of baseball for 30 years now, needs just 27 more days of service to qualify for a lifetime pension.
ESPN has posted a story about former Texas Rangers phenom David Clyde, who's attempting to make a comeback of sorts as a pitching coach. A similar story appeared a few weeks ago in the local alternative weekly paper, the Dallas Observer. What seems odd is that the ESPN feature mentions neither the Observer article nor the fact that Clyde, despite being out of baseball for 30 years now, needs just 27 more days of service to qualify for a lifetime pension.
Posted
2:28 PM
by Sean
This is odd: a day or two ago, there was a page up at mlb.com promising that once Roger Clemens won his 300th game, they were going to make it available for download. I meant to put a link up to it, since I think that's a great idea, and one that I hope gets extended to the games in their "Baseball's Best" library (current access to which is limited to 48-hour "rental" of a streaming broadcast). But now I can't find word one about it on the MLB site, which makes me suspicious that they got cold feet over the prospect of people putting the game up for grabs on file-sharing services. I hope I'm wrong - maybe it'll be more in evidence as we get closer to Clemens's next start on Sunday. If anyone knows one way or the other, drop me a line at purgatoryonline@yahoo.com.
This is odd: a day or two ago, there was a page up at mlb.com promising that once Roger Clemens won his 300th game, they were going to make it available for download. I meant to put a link up to it, since I think that's a great idea, and one that I hope gets extended to the games in their "Baseball's Best" library (current access to which is limited to 48-hour "rental" of a streaming broadcast). But now I can't find word one about it on the MLB site, which makes me suspicious that they got cold feet over the prospect of people putting the game up for grabs on file-sharing services. I hope I'm wrong - maybe it'll be more in evidence as we get closer to Clemens's next start on Sunday. If anyone knows one way or the other, drop me a line at purgatoryonline@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Posted
10:09 AM
by Sean
Steve Bisheff at the Orange County Register has a look at some of the Angels' promising prospects at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, notably pitcher Ervin Santana and catcher Jeff Mathis.
Steve Bisheff at the Orange County Register has a look at some of the Angels' promising prospects at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, notably pitcher Ervin Santana and catcher Jeff Mathis.
Posted
10:05 AM
by Sean
Aaron Sele got pounded last night for six earned runs in 3.2 innings (and was followed by Mickey Calloway getting pounded for six earned runs in 3.0 innings). Sele was serving them up gopherball-style, resulting in three Oriole home runs.
Meanwhile, the offense showed few signs of life until the game was out of reach. They didn't have a hit until the fifth, when they were down 6-0, and even after making it 6-2 in the sixth Calloway failed to keep them in it, getting tagged for two in the bottom of the sixth and four in the bottom of the seventh.
Aaron Sele got pounded last night for six earned runs in 3.2 innings (and was followed by Mickey Calloway getting pounded for six earned runs in 3.0 innings). Sele was serving them up gopherball-style, resulting in three Oriole home runs.
Meanwhile, the offense showed few signs of life until the game was out of reach. They didn't have a hit until the fifth, when they were down 6-0, and even after making it 6-2 in the sixth Calloway failed to keep them in it, getting tagged for two in the bottom of the sixth and four in the bottom of the seventh.
Posted
10:00 AM
by Sean
Troy Glaus is the current leader in AL All-Star balloting at third base, with a slim edge over the A's Eric Chavez. Several other Angels are in the top 5 at their position, including Kennedy, Eckstein, Molina, and Fullmer. If voted in as a starter, Glaus would be the first Angel to make the starting lineup since Wally Joyner in 1986.
Troy Glaus is the current leader in AL All-Star balloting at third base, with a slim edge over the A's Eric Chavez. Several other Angels are in the top 5 at their position, including Kennedy, Eckstein, Molina, and Fullmer. If voted in as a starter, Glaus would be the first Angel to make the starting lineup since Wally Joyner in 1986.
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Posted
5:52 PM
by Sean
The Angels got their obligatory White House visit today, a perogative of World Champions for lo these many years.
The Angels got their obligatory White House visit today, a perogative of World Champions for lo these many years.
Posted
5:42 PM
by Sean
Lots going on over the Memorial Day weekend:
The Angels finished up their homestand with a win over the Devil Rays, giving them a disappointing (all things considered) 3-3 record against Baltimore and Tampa Bay, and putting them at .500 for what must be the hundredth time this season. They just can't seem to pull themselves more than a game or two above even before slipping back down.
Memorial Day, in my mind, is the first milestone of the season - the first point at which you can look at how a team has been playing and get a sense of what they're capable of being. And, while we're still a long, long way from throwing in the towel, there's no question that this team is capable of playing much, much better than their record reflects. One needs only to look at how they dealt with the Yankees and Red Sox last week, or with Tampa Bay over the last couple of games, to see that they shouldn't be struggling against the likes of Baltimore. Given the somewhat tepid start to the season, the Angels have cause to be grateful that they're only 6.5 games in back of Seattle - a manageable deficit, but one that could balloon quickly if the Mariners reel off a big winning streak in the near future.
The Angels lost Troy Percival to a hip strain injury at the end of last week, and so their star closer will spend at least the next two weeks on the DL. This is a pretty big blow, but not as big as all that; they have a number of guys who've been pitching lights-out, and a closer-by-committee approach will probably work in the short term for the Angels much more effectively than it's worked for the Red Sox over the course of the season. I've seen a couple of articles that have mentioned Brendan Donnelly as a temporary replacement at closer, though, so it may be that he's merely pushed back to the 9th, with Weber, Schoeneweis, Shields, and Rodriguez handling set-up duties. Erstad continues to be the more important figure on the DL, and, though the L.A. Times reported over the weekend that he's finally showing some progress in returning from his hamstring tendinitis, but given that he's been quoted as saying that he'll blow it out before undergoing season-ending surgery, a thin sliver of doubt exists as to whether he's maybe just saying what he needs to say to get back into the lineup. I mean, I seriously doubt you could hide something like that, but the guy's pretty intense.
Tonight, the Angels start the second quarter: Memorial Day to the All-Star break. They'll need all the pieces to start fitting to chip away at that six and a half game lead (to say nothing of Oakland's four game lead).
Lots going on over the Memorial Day weekend:
The Angels finished up their homestand with a win over the Devil Rays, giving them a disappointing (all things considered) 3-3 record against Baltimore and Tampa Bay, and putting them at .500 for what must be the hundredth time this season. They just can't seem to pull themselves more than a game or two above even before slipping back down.
Memorial Day, in my mind, is the first milestone of the season - the first point at which you can look at how a team has been playing and get a sense of what they're capable of being. And, while we're still a long, long way from throwing in the towel, there's no question that this team is capable of playing much, much better than their record reflects. One needs only to look at how they dealt with the Yankees and Red Sox last week, or with Tampa Bay over the last couple of games, to see that they shouldn't be struggling against the likes of Baltimore. Given the somewhat tepid start to the season, the Angels have cause to be grateful that they're only 6.5 games in back of Seattle - a manageable deficit, but one that could balloon quickly if the Mariners reel off a big winning streak in the near future.
The Angels lost Troy Percival to a hip strain injury at the end of last week, and so their star closer will spend at least the next two weeks on the DL. This is a pretty big blow, but not as big as all that; they have a number of guys who've been pitching lights-out, and a closer-by-committee approach will probably work in the short term for the Angels much more effectively than it's worked for the Red Sox over the course of the season. I've seen a couple of articles that have mentioned Brendan Donnelly as a temporary replacement at closer, though, so it may be that he's merely pushed back to the 9th, with Weber, Schoeneweis, Shields, and Rodriguez handling set-up duties. Erstad continues to be the more important figure on the DL, and, though the L.A. Times reported over the weekend that he's finally showing some progress in returning from his hamstring tendinitis, but given that he's been quoted as saying that he'll blow it out before undergoing season-ending surgery, a thin sliver of doubt exists as to whether he's maybe just saying what he needs to say to get back into the lineup. I mean, I seriously doubt you could hide something like that, but the guy's pretty intense.
Tonight, the Angels start the second quarter: Memorial Day to the All-Star break. They'll need all the pieces to start fitting to chip away at that six and a half game lead (to say nothing of Oakland's four game lead).
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Posted
12:25 PM
by Sean
The Angels played down to their opponent for the second straight night last night, losing the game thanks to a couple of boneheaded errors, a so-so start from Sele, and a bad outing by Frankie Rodriguez. Glaus continued his tear, going 2 for 3 with a home run.
Jeff DaVanon had a good game, too - 3-for-4, bringing his average up to .300. He certainly appears to be winning the center field position from Eric Owens in Erstad's absence; over his last four starts he's 8-for-16.
Tonight, Ramon Ortiz will look to break a string of three straight bad outings. The worrisome thing is that Ortiz isn't giving up a lot of walks, he's giving up a lot of hits - which means that he's either stopped pitching towards the corners or he's been missing over the plate. And every major league team has guys who can hit the ball if it comes in over the plate.
The Angels played down to their opponent for the second straight night last night, losing the game thanks to a couple of boneheaded errors, a so-so start from Sele, and a bad outing by Frankie Rodriguez. Glaus continued his tear, going 2 for 3 with a home run.
Jeff DaVanon had a good game, too - 3-for-4, bringing his average up to .300. He certainly appears to be winning the center field position from Eric Owens in Erstad's absence; over his last four starts he's 8-for-16.
Tonight, Ramon Ortiz will look to break a string of three straight bad outings. The worrisome thing is that Ortiz isn't giving up a lot of walks, he's giving up a lot of hits - which means that he's either stopped pitching towards the corners or he's been missing over the plate. And every major league team has guys who can hit the ball if it comes in over the plate.
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Posted
12:10 PM
by Sean
Angels 7, Orioles 6. You know, just when I think the starting pitching might be settling down, along come John Lackey and Kevin Appier to angry up the blood again. Appier gave up 5 earned runs and 9 hits in 3.1 innings last night, although to some extent that's misleading due to some sloppy play behind him. Still, this is not good news.
The game was saved by the bullpen and the offense. Shields, Weber, and Schoeneweis combined for 5.2 innings of one-run ball, while the bats provided a relatively robust three home runs (two from Glaus, one from Anderson). Oddly, the Orioles tallied 15 hits to the Angels' 8 - it's pretty rare to get seven fewer hits than the other guys and still win.
Glaus is on a tear lately - he's got a .320 batting average and a 1.210 OPS with three home runs in his last six games, putting his season stats in those categories at .290, .960, and eight. Glausie normally has good power numbers, but hasn't hit above .250 since 2000, when he hit an anomalous .284.
Angels 7, Orioles 6. You know, just when I think the starting pitching might be settling down, along come John Lackey and Kevin Appier to angry up the blood again. Appier gave up 5 earned runs and 9 hits in 3.1 innings last night, although to some extent that's misleading due to some sloppy play behind him. Still, this is not good news.
The game was saved by the bullpen and the offense. Shields, Weber, and Schoeneweis combined for 5.2 innings of one-run ball, while the bats provided a relatively robust three home runs (two from Glaus, one from Anderson). Oddly, the Orioles tallied 15 hits to the Angels' 8 - it's pretty rare to get seven fewer hits than the other guys and still win.
Glaus is on a tear lately - he's got a .320 batting average and a 1.210 OPS with three home runs in his last six games, putting his season stats in those categories at .290, .960, and eight. Glausie normally has good power numbers, but hasn't hit above .250 since 2000, when he hit an anomalous .284.
Posted
12:08 PM
by Sean
In other news, both the L.A. Times and MLB.com carry stories today about Erstad's lack of progress with the tendinitis that's kept him out of the lineup for several weeks now. Scioscia is described in both articles as doubtful that the club will look outside the organization for a replacement - i.e., there will be no trade for anyone who could fill the role more ably than Owens or DaVanon. Either one of these guys steps up, the way Orlando Palmeiro did last year when Salmon was out, or we struggle along without a productive center fielder.
In other news, both the L.A. Times and MLB.com carry stories today about Erstad's lack of progress with the tendinitis that's kept him out of the lineup for several weeks now. Scioscia is described in both articles as doubtful that the club will look outside the organization for a replacement - i.e., there will be no trade for anyone who could fill the role more ably than Owens or DaVanon. Either one of these guys steps up, the way Orlando Palmeiro did last year when Salmon was out, or we struggle along without a productive center fielder.
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Posted
2:43 PM
by Sean
Hey, check it out! I scooped the L.A. Times by 11 days! Check out my comments of May 9 regarding Frankie Rodriguez's role in the bullpen, and compare and contrast the L.A. Times story.
Hey, check it out! I scooped the L.A. Times by 11 days! Check out my comments of May 9 regarding Frankie Rodriguez's role in the bullpen, and compare and contrast the L.A. Times story.
Posted
2:37 PM
by Sean
Tonight, the Angels start a stretch of 12 games in which they'll be playing the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After facing relatively stiff competition to this point in the season (with a couple of exceptions), the Angels really need to step it up and take care of business against these guys if they want to get into the pennant race.
Last year, it was clear that the league was made up of haves and have-nots: the Angels, A's, Mariners, Yankees, Red Sox, and Twins were clearly playoff-caliber teams, while almost everyone else was clearly not. Only the Blue Jays seemed to be in the middle, playing well on some days and poorly on others. This year, the Angels are in danger of dropping into that middle zone, and it's this stretch of games that might well determine whether they light out for the sweet side of .500 or remain mediocre.
Rick Helling and Kevin Appier will be the starters tonight. Everybody remember when Helling won 20 games for Texas in 1998 thanks to ungodly run support? I'd say these two starters are roughly equivalent in effectiveness, so look for offense and bullpens to decide this one, in which case the Angels have a clear advantage. Let's hope they can get the homestand off to a good start.
Tonight, the Angels start a stretch of 12 games in which they'll be playing the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After facing relatively stiff competition to this point in the season (with a couple of exceptions), the Angels really need to step it up and take care of business against these guys if they want to get into the pennant race.
Last year, it was clear that the league was made up of haves and have-nots: the Angels, A's, Mariners, Yankees, Red Sox, and Twins were clearly playoff-caliber teams, while almost everyone else was clearly not. Only the Blue Jays seemed to be in the middle, playing well on some days and poorly on others. This year, the Angels are in danger of dropping into that middle zone, and it's this stretch of games that might well determine whether they light out for the sweet side of .500 or remain mediocre.
Rick Helling and Kevin Appier will be the starters tonight. Everybody remember when Helling won 20 games for Texas in 1998 thanks to ungodly run support? I'd say these two starters are roughly equivalent in effectiveness, so look for offense and bullpens to decide this one, in which case the Angels have a clear advantage. Let's hope they can get the homestand off to a good start.
Monday, May 19, 2003
Posted
1:03 PM
by Sean
I'm not sure what Bill Shaikin's problem is. I mean, yeah, the Angels are at .500, and yeah, they were ahead of that pace at this time last year. But they did just win road series against both the Yankees and the Red Sox, and are 8-4 in their last 12. So let's cut 'em a little slack, huh, Bill?
I'm not sure what Bill Shaikin's problem is. I mean, yeah, the Angels are at .500, and yeah, they were ahead of that pace at this time last year. But they did just win road series against both the Yankees and the Red Sox, and are 8-4 in their last 12. So let's cut 'em a little slack, huh, Bill?
Saturday, May 17, 2003
Posted
1:23 PM
by Sean
The Angels won a close one against the Red Sox last night, courtesy of an impressive, reach-over-the-wall defensive play by Jeff DaVanon in center field to rob Trot Nixon of a game-tying home run (and preserve Brandon Donnelly's 0.00 ERA, which should really be getting more press at this point in the season). And, though I didn't hear anyone mention it, Troy Percival redeemed himself for his last appearance against the Red Sox, in which he blew a save in Boston, and a 9-5 Anaheim lead in the 9th inning turned into a 10-9, 10-inning Red Sox victory. That loss was the difference between a 3-1 series victory and a 2-2 split, and dropped the Angels a half-game behind Seattle in the wild-card race, keeping the Red Sox two and a half behind Anaheim. It probably didn't even enter Percival's mind, but that's sure what I was thinking about while listening to him slam the door last night.
Right now, the Angels are down 2-0 in the bottom of the 4th. Washburn's picthing well, but the Sox have been efficient, scoring their two runs on the strength of just three hits. The Halos also have three hits, but have also hit into a couple of double plays. Lowe's thrown just 42 pitches so far, so he'll probably be in the game for a while yet unless the Angels can break through. Wacky defensive alignment of the day: Spiezio is in right, his 13th appearance at that position in his major league career. I can't say it enough: this team needs Darin Erstad back.
The Angels won a close one against the Red Sox last night, courtesy of an impressive, reach-over-the-wall defensive play by Jeff DaVanon in center field to rob Trot Nixon of a game-tying home run (and preserve Brandon Donnelly's 0.00 ERA, which should really be getting more press at this point in the season). And, though I didn't hear anyone mention it, Troy Percival redeemed himself for his last appearance against the Red Sox, in which he blew a save in Boston, and a 9-5 Anaheim lead in the 9th inning turned into a 10-9, 10-inning Red Sox victory. That loss was the difference between a 3-1 series victory and a 2-2 split, and dropped the Angels a half-game behind Seattle in the wild-card race, keeping the Red Sox two and a half behind Anaheim. It probably didn't even enter Percival's mind, but that's sure what I was thinking about while listening to him slam the door last night.
Right now, the Angels are down 2-0 in the bottom of the 4th. Washburn's picthing well, but the Sox have been efficient, scoring their two runs on the strength of just three hits. The Halos also have three hits, but have also hit into a couple of double plays. Lowe's thrown just 42 pitches so far, so he'll probably be in the game for a while yet unless the Angels can break through. Wacky defensive alignment of the day: Spiezio is in right, his 13th appearance at that position in his major league career. I can't say it enough: this team needs Darin Erstad back.
Friday, May 16, 2003
Posted
12:56 PM
by Sean
Sometimes I need a little reminder: as much as I complain about watching Appier fall behind hitters, at least he's not Mo Vaughn. Man, whatever happened to Mo?I mean, you wouldn't think that a guy who weighs around 300 lbs. would be injured so much, would you?
Vaughn's latest condition, a lack of knee cartilage, sounds serious enough to keep him out past the Mets' series in Anaheim June 13-15, which will disappoint a lot of people eager to show the Angels' former first baseman just where the flags are hanging at "friggin' Edison Field."
Sometimes I need a little reminder: as much as I complain about watching Appier fall behind hitters, at least he's not Mo Vaughn. Man, whatever happened to Mo?
Vaughn's latest condition, a lack of knee cartilage, sounds serious enough to keep him out past the Mets' series in Anaheim June 13-15, which will disappoint a lot of people eager to show the Angels' former first baseman just where the flags are hanging at "friggin' Edison Field."
Posted
10:24 AM
by Sean
No sweep for you! The Angels got hammered last night, 10-4, amid a major meltdown by Sele and a minor one by Shields. I tend to think this was just one of those games, though - I mean, when you give up a hit and run single on a pitchout it's just not your night, know what I mean? And despite the fact that the Angels lost ground on both the Mariners and the A's last night, they have to feel pretty good about winning two out of three in New York. If they can repeat that in Boston over the weekend, they'll be in good shape to come home and start feasting on some of the AL chum they've been denied thus far.
Meanwhile, Arturo Moreno has been approved as the new owner of the Angels, making him MLB's first-ever Latino owner. Ross Newhan, who's been covering the Angels since their inception, seems cautiously optimistic that Moreno will - at least in the near term - look to maintain stability in the team and in the front office, rather than clearing out personnel to replace them with his own people. He's quoted as indicating that Bill Stoneman can be General Manager "for as long as he wants," which is kind of a silly thing to say, obviously, but nevertheless is somewhat reassuring.
No sweep for you! The Angels got hammered last night, 10-4, amid a major meltdown by Sele and a minor one by Shields. I tend to think this was just one of those games, though - I mean, when you give up a hit and run single on a pitchout it's just not your night, know what I mean? And despite the fact that the Angels lost ground on both the Mariners and the A's last night, they have to feel pretty good about winning two out of three in New York. If they can repeat that in Boston over the weekend, they'll be in good shape to come home and start feasting on some of the AL chum they've been denied thus far.
Meanwhile, Arturo Moreno has been approved as the new owner of the Angels, making him MLB's first-ever Latino owner. Ross Newhan, who's been covering the Angels since their inception, seems cautiously optimistic that Moreno will - at least in the near term - look to maintain stability in the team and in the front office, rather than clearing out personnel to replace them with his own people. He's quoted as indicating that Bill Stoneman can be General Manager "for as long as he wants," which is kind of a silly thing to say, obviously, but nevertheless is somewhat reassuring.
Thursday, May 15, 2003
Posted
5:06 PM
by Sean
Hey hey! Two terrific starting pitching performances in a row! Appier looked pretty damn good last night in the Angels' 5-3 win over the Yankees, plus Spiezio continued where he left off Tuesday night by going 4-for-4, climbing back over the Mendoza line to .218. Even Benji Gil got a hit last night. Over the past couple of games, they've definitely started to work themselves back into the kind of groove they rode last year.
Sele will try to keep it going tonight; his first start back from injury (actually, his first this year) was encouraging, but it'll take a while longer to make sure he's back to form.
Hey hey! Two terrific starting pitching performances in a row! Appier looked pretty damn good last night in the Angels' 5-3 win over the Yankees, plus Spiezio continued where he left off Tuesday night by going 4-for-4, climbing back over the Mendoza line to .218. Even Benji Gil got a hit last night. Over the past couple of games, they've definitely started to work themselves back into the kind of groove they rode last year.
Sele will try to keep it going tonight; his first start back from injury (actually, his first this year) was encouraging, but it'll take a while longer to make sure he's back to form.
Posted
4:55 PM
by Sean
I just finished listening to the Cubs-Brewers game, which the Cubs won in 17 innings, and now have the Royals-Twins game on, which is currently in the 14th. I love extra-inning games, the longer the better. I have no idea why. In all honestly, I'd probably rather be present for a game that broke the most innings record than for a no-hitter.
I just finished listening to the Cubs-Brewers game, which the Cubs won in 17 innings, and now have the Royals-Twins game on, which is currently in the 14th. I love extra-inning games, the longer the better. I have no idea why. In all honestly, I'd probably rather be present for a game that broke the most innings record than for a no-hitter.
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Posted
5:34 PM
by Sean
Here's a funny-cause-it's-true essay by ESPN's Jim Caple on vantage points at different stadia he's like to see games from, a la the seats atop the Green Monster in Fenway. A sample:
I want to be strapped horizontally into the retracted football seats beyond centerfield in the Metrodome, hanging there and facing the ground like a vampire bat, just waiting for that moment when Torii Hunter leaps into my view, reaches over the fence and steals a home run. After throwing the ball back to the infield, he will smile and shout, "How's your seat?'' And I will reply, "OK, except my beer keeps spilling out of the cup holder.''
Here's a funny-cause-it's-true essay by ESPN's Jim Caple on vantage points at different stadia he's like to see games from, a la the seats atop the Green Monster in Fenway. A sample:
I want to be strapped horizontally into the retracted football seats beyond centerfield in the Metrodome, hanging there and facing the ground like a vampire bat, just waiting for that moment when Torii Hunter leaps into my view, reaches over the fence and steals a home run. After throwing the ball back to the infield, he will smile and shout, "How's your seat?'' And I will reply, "OK, except my beer keeps spilling out of the cup holder.''
Posted
5:29 PM
by Sean
The L.A. Times reports (last item on the page) that Erstad will probably not return until after the Angels' next home stand, meaning he'll be gone for at least another eleven games. Given that Owens and DaVanon don't seem to be getting it done at the plate (or in the field, but that's fodder for another day), it's critical that Spiezio get back into form. The Angels can carry one banjo-hitter for a while, but not two.
The L.A. Times reports (last item on the page) that Erstad will probably not return until after the Angels' next home stand, meaning he'll be gone for at least another eleven games. Given that Owens and DaVanon don't seem to be getting it done at the plate (or in the field, but that's fodder for another day), it's critical that Spiezio get back into form. The Angels can carry one banjo-hitter for a while, but not two.
Posted
5:24 PM
by Sean
Not much to complain about this afternoon - the Angels whipped the Yankees last night, 10-3, and a lot of fairly encouraging things happened: Lackey pitched six strong innings (2 ER, 4 hits, 1 BB, 92 pitches), Spiezio hit two home runs (including a grand slam), and Eckstein went 4-for-5 (he's now all the way up to .279).
Tonight should be a challenge, though. Appier will make his second start since coming off the DL, and New York will be starting David Wells, who's 5-0 and has a nice little 2.89 ERA. It'll be broadcast on ESPN2 starting in less than an hour.
Not much to complain about this afternoon - the Angels whipped the Yankees last night, 10-3, and a lot of fairly encouraging things happened: Lackey pitched six strong innings (2 ER, 4 hits, 1 BB, 92 pitches), Spiezio hit two home runs (including a grand slam), and Eckstein went 4-for-5 (he's now all the way up to .279).
Tonight should be a challenge, though. Appier will make his second start since coming off the DL, and New York will be starting David Wells, who's 5-0 and has a nice little 2.89 ERA. It'll be broadcast on ESPN2 starting in less than an hour.
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Posted
3:45 PM
by Sean
Oh, gee, great. No more Blue Jays, but a series with the Yankees, at Yankee Stadium, starting tonight.
A quick list of AL teams the Angels haven't played yet: Twins, Royals, White Sox, Tigers, Orioles, Devil Rays. Combined winning percentage: .456.
Oh, gee, great. No more Blue Jays, but a series with the Yankees, at Yankee Stadium, starting tonight.
A quick list of AL teams the Angels haven't played yet: Twins, Royals, White Sox, Tigers, Orioles, Devil Rays. Combined winning percentage: .456.
Monday, May 12, 2003
Posted
3:04 PM
by Sean
Could we please just not play the Blue Jays anymore? Thank you.
The Angels are off tonight and I've got some kind of stomach bug, so no updates until tomorrow or Wednesday.
Could we please just not play the Blue Jays anymore? Thank you.
The Angels are off tonight and I've got some kind of stomach bug, so no updates until tomorrow or Wednesday.
Friday, May 09, 2003
Posted
12:10 AM
by Sean
Just finished listening to the Angels finish sweeping the Indians tonight, 7-1. A few thoughts:
1. Appier walked six and hit a batter in five innings. He pitched out of trouble a couple of times, and only gave up two hits, but then again this is Cleveland. I'd be delighted to to see Appier turn into a five-and-fly guy - the Angels have a good enough bullpen to cover - provided he's an effective five-and-fly guy. Seven free passes in five innings against Oakland or New York will get him crucified without nails.
2. Damn, nice game from Garret Anderson. 3-for-4, grand slam, double, 7 RBI. Kind of funny to look at that column in the box score: 0, 0, 0, 7, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0.
3. It's becoming apparent that Scioscia is not going to limit his use of Frankie Rodriguez to eighth-inning setup situations. K-Rod threw two terrific innings tonight - the 6th and 7th (2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 15 pitches). This is the eleventh game he's been in this year, and the fifth in which he's pitched two innings. Only twice has he come in to pitch just the eighth to set up for Percival.
With Seattle getting hammered by the Yankees tonight, the Angels will be 4.5 back of both the Mariners and the A's tomorrow. The Blue Jays will be in Anaheim for three, starting with a game that will mark the return of Aaron Sele. Although it would be a mistake to read too much into Sele's first start since last autumn, a lot will be riding on him over the next few months. Hopefully we can get a little payback for being swept in Toronto, while at the same time Oakland and Seattle have to contend with New York and Chicago.
Just finished listening to the Angels finish sweeping the Indians tonight, 7-1. A few thoughts:
1. Appier walked six and hit a batter in five innings. He pitched out of trouble a couple of times, and only gave up two hits, but then again this is Cleveland. I'd be delighted to to see Appier turn into a five-and-fly guy - the Angels have a good enough bullpen to cover - provided he's an effective five-and-fly guy. Seven free passes in five innings against Oakland or New York will get him crucified without nails.
2. Damn, nice game from Garret Anderson. 3-for-4, grand slam, double, 7 RBI. Kind of funny to look at that column in the box score: 0, 0, 0, 7, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0.
3. It's becoming apparent that Scioscia is not going to limit his use of Frankie Rodriguez to eighth-inning setup situations. K-Rod threw two terrific innings tonight - the 6th and 7th (2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 15 pitches). This is the eleventh game he's been in this year, and the fifth in which he's pitched two innings. Only twice has he come in to pitch just the eighth to set up for Percival.
With Seattle getting hammered by the Yankees tonight, the Angels will be 4.5 back of both the Mariners and the A's tomorrow. The Blue Jays will be in Anaheim for three, starting with a game that will mark the return of Aaron Sele. Although it would be a mistake to read too much into Sele's first start since last autumn, a lot will be riding on him over the next few months. Hopefully we can get a little payback for being swept in Toronto, while at the same time Oakland and Seattle have to contend with New York and Chicago.
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Posted
11:53 PM
by Sean
Bizarre: the Minnesota Wild beat the Vancouver Canucks tonight, setting up a Western Conference final against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, the second utterly improbable Anaheim-Minnesota playoff series in seven months. Having lived in the Twin Cities for four years, I feel morally bound to root for the Wild in this one.
Bizarre: the Minnesota Wild beat the Vancouver Canucks tonight, setting up a Western Conference final against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, the second utterly improbable Anaheim-Minnesota playoff series in seven months. Having lived in the Twin Cities for four years, I feel morally bound to root for the Wild in this one.
Posted
9:55 AM
by Sean
An update on the Angels employee who was fired for putting his World Championship ring up for sale on eBay: he's suing. Of course.
An update on the Angels employee who was fired for putting his World Championship ring up for sale on eBay: he's suing. Of course.
Posted
9:54 AM
by Sean
The Angels won an ugly one last night, 6-5. I didn't stay up for it, but that's probably a good thing, since Lackey's performance would've just aggravated me: 5.1 IP, 5 ER, 12 H, 90 pitches.
This was Lackey's eighth start of the season - enough to get a sense of how well he's been pitching, certainly - and he's been pretty consistent. His current 7.38 ERA is right in the middle of the range he's posted all year - a low of 5.40 and a high of 8.38. Scioscia says that he thought Lackey pitched better than his line score would indicate last night, and that may well be true, but there ARE those other seven starts to consider. And if you can't get the Indians out, when the Indians are second only to the utterly hapless Tigers in terms of offensive futility, something has to change.
Kevin Appier and Aaron Sele return from the disabled list to pitch tonight and tomorrow. Jarrod Washburn and Ramon Ortiz are established in the rotation. Between Lackey, Callaway, and Scot Shields, who absolutely deserves another start or two, the Angels ought to be able to find someone who can turn in six fair-to-middlin' innings every fifth day.
In other news: here's something I missed, somehow. Apparently, on Tuesday, MLB CEO Bob DuPuy said that when teams without "tradition," like the Angels, win the World Series, it's "bad for baseball." DuPuy is quoted in the L.A. Times as saying "Anaheim was a wonderful story, the whole deal. But outside Southern California, to a fan in Montana, the Anaheim Angels just doesn't connect."
Right. Perhaps Mr. DuPuy would be so kind as to give us a list of teams that do "connect," and the rest of us will do our best to roll over and lose gracefully to them. Fat chance, numb-nuts! Gee, you think that maybe pissing and moaning about teams that don't wear "NY" on their uniforms might be just slightly inconsistent with MLB's policy of expanding the shit out of the league? "What? Well, sure you can have a team! Just don't, you know, win. Now where's our $350 million?"
I'd also like to know why Montanans suddenly became so important to Major League Baseball. Has Bob DuPuy ever actually met someone from Montana? Bozeman's a long way from Manhattan, Bob, in more ways than you can count. I don't think they're raising a lot of Yankee fans out there these days.
The Angels won an ugly one last night, 6-5. I didn't stay up for it, but that's probably a good thing, since Lackey's performance would've just aggravated me: 5.1 IP, 5 ER, 12 H, 90 pitches.
This was Lackey's eighth start of the season - enough to get a sense of how well he's been pitching, certainly - and he's been pretty consistent. His current 7.38 ERA is right in the middle of the range he's posted all year - a low of 5.40 and a high of 8.38. Scioscia says that he thought Lackey pitched better than his line score would indicate last night, and that may well be true, but there ARE those other seven starts to consider. And if you can't get the Indians out, when the Indians are second only to the utterly hapless Tigers in terms of offensive futility, something has to change.
Kevin Appier and Aaron Sele return from the disabled list to pitch tonight and tomorrow. Jarrod Washburn and Ramon Ortiz are established in the rotation. Between Lackey, Callaway, and Scot Shields, who absolutely deserves another start or two, the Angels ought to be able to find someone who can turn in six fair-to-middlin' innings every fifth day.
In other news: here's something I missed, somehow. Apparently, on Tuesday, MLB CEO Bob DuPuy said that when teams without "tradition," like the Angels, win the World Series, it's "bad for baseball." DuPuy is quoted in the L.A. Times as saying "Anaheim was a wonderful story, the whole deal. But outside Southern California, to a fan in Montana, the Anaheim Angels just doesn't connect."
Right. Perhaps Mr. DuPuy would be so kind as to give us a list of teams that do "connect," and the rest of us will do our best to roll over and lose gracefully to them. Fat chance, numb-nuts! Gee, you think that maybe pissing and moaning about teams that don't wear "NY" on their uniforms might be just slightly inconsistent with MLB's policy of expanding the shit out of the league? "What? Well, sure you can have a team! Just don't, you know, win. Now where's our $350 million?"
I'd also like to know why Montanans suddenly became so important to Major League Baseball. Has Bob DuPuy ever actually met someone from Montana? Bozeman's a long way from Manhattan, Bob, in more ways than you can count. I don't think they're raising a lot of Yankee fans out there these days.
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
Posted
5:21 PM
by Sean
A clarification: Washburn's win last night was his first complete-game victory, not his first shutout (which he has yet to accomplish). He's also thrown two previous complete games, but both were losses.
My bad.
A clarification: Washburn's win last night was his first complete-game victory, not his first shutout (which he has yet to accomplish). He's also thrown two previous complete games, but both were losses.
My bad.
Posted
2:51 PM
by Sean
Man, thank God for the Cleveland Indians. Washburn's shutout last night was his first in the majors, so congratulations go to him: 9 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 104 pitches. The low pitch count is particularly impressive.
John Lackey will go tonight for the Angels, looking to continue the string of good innings he had in Toronto. Brian Anderson will start for the Indians - yes, the same Brian Anderson who used to pitch for the Angels - which should give Anaheim hitters a pretty decent shot at getting the bats going again.
Man, thank God for the Cleveland Indians. Washburn's shutout last night was his first in the majors, so congratulations go to him: 9 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 104 pitches. The low pitch count is particularly impressive.
John Lackey will go tonight for the Angels, looking to continue the string of good innings he had in Toronto. Brian Anderson will start for the Indians - yes, the same Brian Anderson who used to pitch for the Angels - which should give Anaheim hitters a pretty decent shot at getting the bats going again.
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
Posted
11:54 AM
by Sean
Something I didn't realize: the Angels lead the Majors in attendance. Right up there with "the Angels won the World Series" in terms of sentences I never thought I'd hear. Anyway, it's nice and all that the Angels might outdraw the Dodgers this year for the first time ever, but that's hardly going to matter in the long term if they can't get it in gear and put together a team that plays as well as they did in 2002. I'm not saying they need to win another World Series to make the kinds of fans-for-life the Dodgers have, but they at least need to be competitive and exciting, or we'll see one year of good ticket sales followed by diminishing crowds until the previous levels of disinterest are reached.
And I think that, despite the start they're off to, they'll get it done. They need Erstad back, but he's only one guy. What they really need is for Jeff DaVanon or Eric Owens to step up enough to allow Scioscia to play him every day and bring some stability to the lineup, and for the starting pitching to settle down. It'll happen. There's too much talent on this team for them to stay in last for long.
Something I didn't realize: the Angels lead the Majors in attendance. Right up there with "the Angels won the World Series" in terms of sentences I never thought I'd hear. Anyway, it's nice and all that the Angels might outdraw the Dodgers this year for the first time ever, but that's hardly going to matter in the long term if they can't get it in gear and put together a team that plays as well as they did in 2002. I'm not saying they need to win another World Series to make the kinds of fans-for-life the Dodgers have, but they at least need to be competitive and exciting, or we'll see one year of good ticket sales followed by diminishing crowds until the previous levels of disinterest are reached.
And I think that, despite the start they're off to, they'll get it done. They need Erstad back, but he's only one guy. What they really need is for Jeff DaVanon or Eric Owens to step up enough to allow Scioscia to play him every day and bring some stability to the lineup, and for the starting pitching to settle down. It'll happen. There's too much talent on this team for them to stay in last for long.
Monday, May 05, 2003
Posted
12:09 PM
by Sean
Wait, did we just get swept by Toronto? Holy Christ, I think we did! That's not right. And did Seattle sweep the White Sox this weekend? Yeah, that happened too.
That puts the Angels in last place, six and a half behind Seattle.
Add this in to the carnival of joy: Darin Erstad may be out for five more weeks. Fortunately, I can always drag out the videotapes and DVDs and live in the sweet, sweet past...mmmmm, escapism...
Wait, did we just get swept by Toronto? Holy Christ, I think we did! That's not right. And did Seattle sweep the White Sox this weekend? Yeah, that happened too.
That puts the Angels in last place, six and a half behind Seattle.
Add this in to the carnival of joy: Darin Erstad may be out for five more weeks. Fortunately, I can always drag out the videotapes and DVDs and live in the sweet, sweet past...mmmmm, escapism...
Friday, May 02, 2003
Posted
7:49 PM
by Sean
Aaaah, crap. Fullmer just lined into an unassisted double play with the bases loaded, ending the inning. Lidle at least looks human now, but the Angels have just two more innings to get it done against him.
Lackey's out of the game; Frankie Rodriguez has stared the bottom of the 7th by striking out Tom Wilson. The final line on Lackey: 6 IP, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 106 pitches. In the box score, it looks like a decent start but nothing special, but subtract that heinous first inning and he pitched very well. Snap judgment: a start that probably helped Lackey's cause more than hurt it. The last five innings showed that he's still capable of pitching at a pretty high level, now it's a matter of getting him to do it consistently.
Aaaah, crap. Fullmer just lined into an unassisted double play with the bases loaded, ending the inning. Lidle at least looks human now, but the Angels have just two more innings to get it done against him.
Lackey's out of the game; Frankie Rodriguez has stared the bottom of the 7th by striking out Tom Wilson. The final line on Lackey: 6 IP, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 106 pitches. In the box score, it looks like a decent start but nothing special, but subtract that heinous first inning and he pitched very well. Snap judgment: a start that probably helped Lackey's cause more than hurt it. The last five innings showed that he's still capable of pitching at a pretty high level, now it's a matter of getting him to do it consistently.
Posted
7:32 PM
by Sean
The bats seems to be asleep tonight. Lidle has a one-hitter through six, and has thrown only 62 pitches. Neither team's been very patient tonight at the plate; it's pretty rare to be in the bottom of the sixth after an hour and twenty minutes. Unfortunately, that means that Lidle's been effective and is still relatively fresh; if the Angels want to win, they'll have to get to him rather than waiting him out.
The bats seems to be asleep tonight. Lidle has a one-hitter through six, and has thrown only 62 pitches. Neither team's been very patient tonight at the plate; it's pretty rare to be in the bottom of the sixth after an hour and twenty minutes. Unfortunately, that means that Lidle's been effective and is still relatively fresh; if the Angels want to win, they'll have to get to him rather than waiting him out.
Posted
7:08 PM
by Sean
...and now Lackey seems to have settled down, retiring 11 in a row. 34 pitches in the first inning, 38 pitches in the next three innings combined. Ooooooo-kay...
...and now Lackey seems to have settled down, retiring 11 in a row. 34 pitches in the first inning, 38 pitches in the next three innings combined. Ooooooo-kay...
Posted
6:33 PM
by Sean
Well, as I write this, John Lackey's given up three runs on four hits in the first inning, needing 34 pitches to get three outs.
Realistically, it's getting close to the time when the Angels have to think about either sending Lackey to triple-A to work out whatever's ailing him or sending him to the bullpen. Scot Shields is scheduled to make a start tomorrow, and if he has a second good outing in a row Scioscia may slot him into the rotation. Right now, a Washburn-Ortiz-Appier-Sele-Shields combination may make the most sense.
Well, as I write this, John Lackey's given up three runs on four hits in the first inning, needing 34 pitches to get three outs.
Realistically, it's getting close to the time when the Angels have to think about either sending Lackey to triple-A to work out whatever's ailing him or sending him to the bullpen. Scot Shields is scheduled to make a start tomorrow, and if he has a second good outing in a row Scioscia may slot him into the rotation. Right now, a Washburn-Ortiz-Appier-Sele-Shields combination may make the most sense.
Posted
1:52 PM
by Sean
As long as yesterday was a rainout, I'll take this opportunity to vent a little about one of my least favorite "improvements" in sports broadcasting of the past fifteen years: ever-present status indicators. You know what I mean - those little diamond replicas that everyone sticks in the corner of the screen to constantly display the balls, strikes, out, and men on base.
Now, don't get me wrong: I do think that these are occasionally useful. I'm not going to pretend that I don't sometimes get distracted and need to see what the count is. But having a giant corner of the screen snipped out of your view from first pitch to last is a huge waste of resources. I don't think it would be much of a hardship on people to have the icon flashed for a few seconds before every pitch, rather than keeping it there permanently.
For that matter, in this age of digital and HD TV, why couldn't information like that exist on a supplemental video channel? We already use supplemental audio channels for things like parallel broadcasts in Spanish, so what about a video layer that's accessible with a touch of the remote? Ideally, it would even be customizable - I rarely lose track of how many outs there are, for example, but I'd love to be able to keep track of a pitcher's pitch count.
If there are any engineers out there, get crackin' on that.
As long as yesterday was a rainout, I'll take this opportunity to vent a little about one of my least favorite "improvements" in sports broadcasting of the past fifteen years: ever-present status indicators. You know what I mean - those little diamond replicas that everyone sticks in the corner of the screen to constantly display the balls, strikes, out, and men on base.
Now, don't get me wrong: I do think that these are occasionally useful. I'm not going to pretend that I don't sometimes get distracted and need to see what the count is. But having a giant corner of the screen snipped out of your view from first pitch to last is a huge waste of resources. I don't think it would be much of a hardship on people to have the icon flashed for a few seconds before every pitch, rather than keeping it there permanently.
For that matter, in this age of digital and HD TV, why couldn't information like that exist on a supplemental video channel? We already use supplemental audio channels for things like parallel broadcasts in Spanish, so what about a video layer that's accessible with a touch of the remote? Ideally, it would even be customizable - I rarely lose track of how many outs there are, for example, but I'd love to be able to keep track of a pitcher's pitch count.
If there are any engineers out there, get crackin' on that.
Posted
1:44 PM
by Sean
The players' union has agreed to let the All-Star Game determine home-field advantage in the World Series. It'll be interesting to see how this changes things; I've got to imagine that, if it continues past the two-year trial period, the All-Star Game will get a little more competitive. Not a lot, mind you, but some.
The players' union has agreed to let the All-Star Game determine home-field advantage in the World Series. It'll be interesting to see how this changes things; I've got to imagine that, if it continues past the two-year trial period, the All-Star Game will get a little more competitive. Not a lot, mind you, but some.
Posted
1:40 PM
by Sean
The L.A. Times reports that the Angels may send a bench player down to triple-A to make room when Appier and Sele come off the bench. Callaway is out of options, so can't be sent down without clearing waivers, and with the pitching as thin as it's been Scioscia would rather have the extra arms around. The article doesn't say who the ax would fall on, but presumably we're talking about Gary Johnson or Jeff DaVanon.
The L.A. Times reports that the Angels may send a bench player down to triple-A to make room when Appier and Sele come off the bench. Callaway is out of options, so can't be sent down without clearing waivers, and with the pitching as thin as it's been Scioscia would rather have the extra arms around. The article doesn't say who the ax would fall on, but presumably we're talking about Gary Johnson or Jeff DaVanon.
Posted
1:33 PM
by Sean
The final game of the Angels-Indians series was rained out last night. Of course it was. The MLB TV free trial includes no games from this weekend's series in Toronto, presumably for reasons having to do with them being in another country and all. So no free Angels games for me.
The final game of the Angels-Indians series was rained out last night. Of course it was. The MLB TV free trial includes no games from this weekend's series in Toronto, presumably for reasons having to do with them being in another country and all. So no free Angels games for me.
Thursday, May 01, 2003
Posted
10:30 AM
by Sean
Uh-oh. I guess maybe I shouldn't have wondered what's up with Erstad - he won't be ready to come back on Tuesday, which is the day he's eligible to return from the disabled list. Eric Owens is going to have to start picking it up as Ersty's replacement in center; .182 isn't going to cut it.
Aside from Erstad's absence, however, things are going swimmingly on the offensive side. Fullmer, Salmon, and Anderson are off to monster starts. Glaus and Molina are playing as well or better than they did last year. Eckstein, after a wretched start, has pulled his OPS up to .701 and his batting average up to .257. Kennedy's back off the DL and playing reasonably well. The only one of the regulars not in 2002 form is Spiezio, and statistically speaking he was the only one who looked like he had a career year then anyway. The Angels have been hurt by lack of contributions from Owens and Gil, but by and large offense has not been the problem.
Neither has relief - the bullpen has a 2.49 ERA, including stellar performances from their two reclamation projects, Ben Weber (0.55 ERA) and Brandon Donnelly (0.00 ERA), whom critics judged to likely be one-year-wonders. The relief has been second-best in the AL, behind only Minnesota.
What does that leave? Not fielding - they're prety much middle of the pack in the AL in terms of fielding percentage, range factor, and zone rating. Let's see...it'll come to me...
Part of the problem with the pitching has been injury, of course - Aaron Sele and Kevin Appier are both hurt, though Sele should return this weekend. But a lot of it is just plain disappointing performances from John Lackey, and inconsistency from Washburn and Ortiz. To me, the former is a lot more troubling than the latter; Washburn and Ortiz have pitched enough games to show that it's likely they'll return to form eventually, and indeed they both looked stellar in wins against Cleveland yesterday and Tuesday. But Lackey still needs to prove himself as a dependable rotation guy, despite his fine performance at the end of 2002, and he hasn't looked especially sharp during any game this year. Lack's next scheduled start will be Saturday in Toronto, his first since the team escaped the steel-cage death match that was their first twenty games, and it should be interesting to see how he fares against gentler competition.
Tonight, Scot Shields will get the spot start against the Indians, just his second start of the season. He's pitched extremely well this year, with a 0.77 ERA in 23.1 innings, and went 5.1 innings in the Angels win against Boston on April 26. The Indians start rookie Jason Davis, who was impressive in spring training but had a couple of rocky starts thereafter and comes into the game with a 6.67 ERA (somewhat misleading, his last couple of starts have been decent). Davis has a good fastball, but the Angels hit fastballs pretty well. Watch for contributions from Anderson, Fullmer, and Kennedy tonight.
One final note of interest: MLB is offering their MLBTV service on free trial basis from today through Sunday (signup required, but I don't know if you have to give them a credit card number). They've also started offering a daily subscription for $2.95/day, which strikes me as pretty reasonable. The details are here.
Uh-oh. I guess maybe I shouldn't have wondered what's up with Erstad - he won't be ready to come back on Tuesday, which is the day he's eligible to return from the disabled list. Eric Owens is going to have to start picking it up as Ersty's replacement in center; .182 isn't going to cut it.
Aside from Erstad's absence, however, things are going swimmingly on the offensive side. Fullmer, Salmon, and Anderson are off to monster starts. Glaus and Molina are playing as well or better than they did last year. Eckstein, after a wretched start, has pulled his OPS up to .701 and his batting average up to .257. Kennedy's back off the DL and playing reasonably well. The only one of the regulars not in 2002 form is Spiezio, and statistically speaking he was the only one who looked like he had a career year then anyway. The Angels have been hurt by lack of contributions from Owens and Gil, but by and large offense has not been the problem.
Neither has relief - the bullpen has a 2.49 ERA, including stellar performances from their two reclamation projects, Ben Weber (0.55 ERA) and Brandon Donnelly (0.00 ERA), whom critics judged to likely be one-year-wonders. The relief has been second-best in the AL, behind only Minnesota.
What does that leave? Not fielding - they're prety much middle of the pack in the AL in terms of fielding percentage, range factor, and zone rating. Let's see...it'll come to me...
Part of the problem with the pitching has been injury, of course - Aaron Sele and Kevin Appier are both hurt, though Sele should return this weekend. But a lot of it is just plain disappointing performances from John Lackey, and inconsistency from Washburn and Ortiz. To me, the former is a lot more troubling than the latter; Washburn and Ortiz have pitched enough games to show that it's likely they'll return to form eventually, and indeed they both looked stellar in wins against Cleveland yesterday and Tuesday. But Lackey still needs to prove himself as a dependable rotation guy, despite his fine performance at the end of 2002, and he hasn't looked especially sharp during any game this year. Lack's next scheduled start will be Saturday in Toronto, his first since the team escaped the steel-cage death match that was their first twenty games, and it should be interesting to see how he fares against gentler competition.
Tonight, Scot Shields will get the spot start against the Indians, just his second start of the season. He's pitched extremely well this year, with a 0.77 ERA in 23.1 innings, and went 5.1 innings in the Angels win against Boston on April 26. The Indians start rookie Jason Davis, who was impressive in spring training but had a couple of rocky starts thereafter and comes into the game with a 6.67 ERA (somewhat misleading, his last couple of starts have been decent). Davis has a good fastball, but the Angels hit fastballs pretty well. Watch for contributions from Anderson, Fullmer, and Kennedy tonight.
One final note of interest: MLB is offering their MLBTV service on free trial basis from today through Sunday (signup required, but I don't know if you have to give them a credit card number). They've also started offering a daily subscription for $2.95/day, which strikes me as pretty reasonable. The details are here.