Dammit! 

Posted 3:37 PM by Sean
The A's have placed Octavio "Quote, Closer, Unquote" on the DL with a strained right elbow, depriving me of some much-needed entertainment in the late innings of close A's games. Rookie Huston Street is expected to take over the duties of demonstrating that teams actually do need guys who can pitch effectively in the ninth inning.

Apparently, someone still thinks about DaVanon 

Posted 12:54 PM by Sean
Mara is posting again at Watching Jeff DaVanon, although I suspect she may soon need to change the name of her blog to Watching Jeff DaVanon Sit on the Bench and Pick his Nose.

"June 12 - Jeff flicked a greenie at Juan Rivera while the rest of the Angels were on the field today. Missed by a mile."

Let the next countdown commence 

Posted 2:42 PM by Sean
After all the yapping I did about Garret Anderson's approach to the Angels' career total bases record, I let the actual even pass in silence a couple of weeks ago. But the next milestone is nearly upon us now - Anderson has 979 career RBI, just 10 shy of Tim Salmon's mark.

Anderson currently holds the career records for at-bats, hits, total bases, doubles, and singles.

He is likely to break the following records before the end of his walk year, 2008:

RBI
1. Salmon - 989
2. Anderson - 979
Projected record date - May, 2005

Games Played
1. Brian Downing - 1661
2. Salmon - 1596
3. Anderson - 1516
Projected record date - June/July, 2006

Extra-base Hits
1. Salmon - 643
2. Anderson - 616
Projected record date - August, 2005

Runs
1. Salmon - 956
2. Downing - 889
3. Anderson - 778
Projected record date - July, 2007

Home Runs
1. Salmon - 290
2. Downing - 222
3. Anderson - 211
Projected record date - September, 2008

He's also top 5 on the following lists, though unlikely to break the records:

Triples
1. Jim Fregosi - 70
2. Mickey Rivers - 32
3. Anderson - 28

Batting Average
1. Rod Carew - .314
2. Anderson - .300

Slugging Percentage
1. Salmon - .500
2. Jim Edmonds - .498
3. Troy Glaus - .497
4. Anderson - .477

Revenge of the Monkey 

Posted 2:28 PM by Sean
The Angels actually rallied to win a game today, after 8.1 innings of worthlessness at the plate. It looked for all the world like Bartolo Colon - who threw eight innings of four-hit, one run ball - was going to throw his second complete game as an Angel, and his second complete game loss as an Angel, to boot. And then?

Down 0-2, Adam Kennedy fouled one off, took three balls, fouled off another, and singled to left.

Chone Figgins lined the first pitch to right, moving Kennedy to second.

Darin Erstad grouned the first pitch through the right side of the infield, scoring Kennedy from second and allowing Figgins to move to third on the throw.

Bengie Molina flew out to right, deep enough to allow Figgins to score with the go-ahead run.

And you know what I was doing? Eating lunch, watching on the computer, and reading a novel narrated by a sock monkey.

Thus do the Angels return home having somewhat avenged their lackluster performances against Detroit and Cleveland last week by taking both road series 2-1.

Rodriguez diagnosis confirmed 

Posted 4:05 PM by Sean
According to the media notes for today's game, the MRI performed on Frankie Rodriguez confirmed the initial diagnosis of a mildly strained right forearm muscle. Rodriguez will continue to be listed as day-to-day, and be re-examined on Thursday by Angels team doctor Lewis Yocum. I would imagine this means he will be unavailable today and tomorrow for precautionary reasons.

I know what you did last winter 

Posted 11:34 AM by Sean
Frankie Rodriguez is sidelined for a few games, the victim of some forearm stiffness that is "not serious." While Scot Shields is more than capable of closing, the Angels need Rodriguez to come back soon given the so-so performances they've gotten out of Esteban Yan. I also hope - though I'm not holding my breath - that this may put a little scare into Frankie, and get him to sit out a winter instead of playing Venezuelan League ball, like he's done for the past two off-seasons.

Here goes nothing 

Posted 11:21 AM by Sean
Ervin Santana makes his Angels debut tonight against the Indians, a result of Kelvim Escobar's worrisome visit to the DL. Santana has been considered the Angels' top pitching prospect for for years now, and so will rightly be watched closely over the next week (he's expected to get two starts). I think the small, fluttering hope of some fans is that Santana will pull a Frankie, demonstrating such talent and poise that the team will be forced to keep him in the rotation.

Ain't gonna happen.

Santana, by all accounts, is a fantastic pitcher. But even if he tosses a pair of gems, which of these guys gets the axe?

Colon: 52.2 IP, 2.91 ERA
Escobar: 25.1 IP, 3.91 ERA
Washburn: 49.0 IP, 4.04 ERA
Byrd: 52.0 IP, 4.15 ERA
Lackey: 47.0 IP, 4.40 ERA

Particularly considering the May numbers for Byrd and Lackey:

Byrd: 19.2 IP, 2.29 ERA
Lackey: 21.1 IP, 2.95 ERA

If Santana pitches well, it's possible the Angels would consider prepping him further by putting him in the bullpen, a la Johan Santana, but I doubt it. He's probably better served by pitching regularly at Arkansas rather than getting innings on the unpredictable schedule of a long reliever.