Purgatory Online

Friday, June 11, 2004

Not that I've been posting anything lately anyway, but I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for two weeks, and won't be posting again until June 28 or 29. While it's true the Angels have been in something of a tailspin lately, let's not forget that nearly all of the five games they lost before winning last night were eminently winnable. The A's may be hot right now, but the Angels seem to have taken several shots to the head and lived to tell about it. Half a game back, folks, and now we've got Anderson back in the lineup to slot in between Guerrero and Guillen, and Salmon back in time for what are traditionally his best months of the year. It's on now, mofos. It's so on.

See you in two weeks.

Monday, June 07, 2004

So the Angels took Jered Weaver, a right-handed starting pitcher from Long Beach State, in the First-Year Player Draft today. Weaver has been pretty universally acknowledged as the best player available in the draft, but was still available when the Angels made the number 12 pick because of comments from Weaver's agent, Scott Boras (who else?), to the effect that he may demand a signing bonus in the neighborhood of ten million dollars.

I suppose this could be seen as emblematic of the new Arte Moreno era; big-dollar gambles are getting made. But let's face it - ten million? Please. That's what, one-fifth of what Bartolo Colon's contract is worth, and Weaver's made the exact same number of quality starts over the last few weeks. He's a steal!

Friday, June 04, 2004

Ramon Ortiz is making noises about demanding a trade if he's not returned to the starting rotation, and quick. Presumably this would be at the expense of John Lackey, whose last few starts have lacked that, shall we say, major league quality one likes to see in one's starting pitchers.

Yo, Ramon? Somehow I don't think the other GM's have been beating down Bill Stoneman's door trying to deal for you, ya smell me?

But I had to giggle like a little girl at this, from Ortiz's agent, Pat Roache:
"It just seems to me that some of the pitchers have been given preferential treatment to work through their struggles while remaining in the starting rotation, while Ramon, a 44-game winner over the past three years, has not been given the same opportunity," Roache said.

Ramon Ortiz is complaining about preferential treatment? Really? Gosh, you know, he's RIGHT! Now that I think about it, there was that time two starting pitchers were competing for one spot in spring training, and the one starter just totally kicked the other's ass in ever conceivable category, but Scioscia put the bad one in the rotation anyway! Man, what was that potzer's name again?

In other words, put a sock in it, Ramon.

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Oakland 3B Eric Chavez broke his right hand in last night's game against the White Sox. Although the Angels seem to be committed to giving Chone Figgins a chance to play every day at third in Glaus's absence, it will be interesting to see what the A's do in this situation. Unlike Glaus, Chavez is expected to be out for "only" six weeks or so, so they're unlikely to provide any competition for Aaron Boone if the Angels decide they want him (Chavez should be back before Boone will be ready to play).

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