Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Wally Joyner Named New Hitting Coach For The Padres

The San Diego Padres named Wally Joyner the team's hitting coach on Tuesday. He replaces Merv Rettenmund (also a former Angel 1978-80) who was the hitting coach for all of 13 months.

Joyner played for the Padres from 1996-99 and after retiring in 2001, he has worked for the Padres. He was currently serving as a special instructor at spring training for the Padres. He has also been the Padres minor league hitting instructor and special assistant to the general manager.

Joyner will always be remembered for his rookie season with the Angels in 1986. He was the first rookie in baseball history to be voted into the starting lineup of the All Star Game and it was the only All Star team he ever made. He batted .290 with 22 home runs and 100 rbi that season and finished 2nd in Rookie Of The Year voting to Jose Canseco.

Joyner had an ever better sophomore season batting .285 with 34 home runs and 117 rbi. It turned out to be Joyner's best year even though he was only 25-years old. In fact, he never reached 100 rbi in a season again and only surpassed 20 home runs one more time. Joyner spent four more seasons with the Angels before leaving for free agency and signing with the Kansas City Royals.

In 2001, the Angels signed Joyner as a free agent and he split time at first base with Scott Spiezio. He was released in June of that season and retired from baseball

1986 AL Rookie Of The Year Voting

# Pts Player
1 110 Jose Canseco (Angels 2001)
2  98 Wally Joyner (Angels 1986-91, 2001)
3  23 Mark Eichorn (Angels 1990-92)
4  16 Cory Snyder
5   4 Danny Tartabull
6   1 Ruben Sierra

Monday, July 30, 2007

Kendrick a little closer to a return

Doctors removed the splint on Monday from Howie Kendrick's left index finger.

Kendrick has been on the DL since July 9 with his second fractured finger of the season. He also suffered a non-displaced fracture of the middle finger of his left hand on April 17 when he was hit by a pitch by Oakland's Chad Gaudin.

He's joined the club feeling better about his chances of getting back on the field, perhaps within the next two weeks if all goes well.

Mark Teixeira - A Brave Man

The Rangers have agreed to trade first baseman Mark Teixeira and pitcher Ron Mahay to the Atlanta Braves for catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Minor League pitcher Neftali Feliz and infielder Elvis Andrus and a player to be named later. The deal is pending medical reviews.

According to sources, the Angels would have needed to package Casey Kotchman, one pitcher and one extra player to get Teixeira. The one pitcher being either Joe Saunders or Ervin Santana. And the extra player being either Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick, Nick Adenhart, Saunders or Santana.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Angels Call Up Ryan Budde

The Angels called up minor league catcher Ryan Budde (5'11", 205, Age 27) today to replace the injured Mike Napoli. Budde was batting .295 with 4 home runs in 47 games for the Salt Lake Bees. This is Budde's first time on a big league roster.

Budde was originally drafted by the Angels in the 12th round of the 2001 amatuer draft out of Oklahoma State. He progressed through the Angels system reaching AAA Salt Lake in 2004, but never made it to the show.

In December of 2006, Budde was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft. According to Rule 5 rules, Budde had to be on the Phillies major league squad or be returned to the Angels. Near the end of spring training, the Phillies placed Budde on the DL to postpone any actions regarding him. When Budde came off the DL, the Phillies decided to return him to the Angels rather than have him take up a roster spot.

Budde spent this season (as well as parts of the past three seasons) as the back up to Jeff Mathis. He has also played first base for the Bees and been their designated hitter.

Budde is not a great hitter. Prior to this season, Budde's best batting average was .251 with Rancho Cucamonga in 2004. His season high in home runs is only 13.

* The next catcher in line is 24-year old Bobby Wilson. Wilson is currently hitting .263 for the Bees in 11 games after hitting .271 for the Travelers in 50 games to start 2007. Wilson attended Seminole high school - the same high school as Casey Kotchman and Greg Jones.

* Budde is the 7th player from the Angels' 2001 draft to play for the club.
  • Round 1 Pick 13 Casey Kotchman
  • Round 1 Pick 33 Jeff Mathis
  • Round 2 Pick 57 Dallas McPherson
  • Round 3 Pick 89 Jake Woods
  • Round 10 Pick 299 Matt Brown
  • Round 12 Pick 359 Ryan Budde
  • Round 19 Pick 569 Nick Gorneault

Friday, July 27, 2007

Stretch

With the Seattle Mariners not playing as hot as they were (it seems like just last week they came within one game of the Angels) it is time to put back some distance on our rivals from the north.

Now just 4 games back and heading into a series with Oakland, wining is becoming more important and more difficult. Let's all assume there will not be a big trade this year as there haven't been any in the past. Just kidding.

We are playing one of the toughest stretches of any team that is in the playoff hunt. This weekend we will be squaring off against the Central Leading Detroit Tigers. And then we follow against the Mariners. These two series could show the front office if we truly need a trade or if we can really contend for the postseason.

The rest of the year we will face off against the teams from the East which includes the red hot hated Yankees and Boston. Unless the Blue Jays dump some of their players, they have the talent to be tearing out a few fans' hearts come the stretch.

One thing that is good this year is that the normally tuff A’s and Rangers will be the last two opponents for the year and could help with winning the division. It’s a tough road ahead so let’s wear our red and give our team all the support we can give.

Trade Targets - Infielders

Here are profiles of three infielders the Angels should be inquiring about as the trade deadline nears. Yesterday, I profiled three outfielders the Angels should look to get.

Mark Teixeira
Rangers - 1B - 27 years old

Contract Situation: Teixeira is making $9.4 million this season. He does not have a contract for next year, but is also not eligible for free agency until after the 2008 season.

Statistics:
Year   Games   HR  RBI   AVG    OPS
2006     162   33  110  .282   .886
2007      75   13   49  .299   .939
Career   690  153  499  .284   .902

Analysis: Teixeira would be a great addition even though he would come at a steep price - Casey Kotchman plus a starting pitcher (Ervin Santana or Joe Saunders) and an outfielder (Reggie Willits or Terry Evans). The big question is would Texas trade Teixeira to a division rival?

Fitting In: Vladimir Guerrero and Mark Teixeira would look great in the batting order.


Paul Konerko
White Sox - 1B - 31 years old

Contract Situation: Konerko is in the middle of a 5-year $60 million contract which lasts through 2010.

Statistics:
Year   Games   HR  RBI   AVG    OPS
2006     152   35  113  .313   .932
2007      99   22   61  .263   .868
Career  1374  267  866  .282   .851

Analysis:The Angels could have had Konerko as a free agent two years ago. Now they would have to ship prospects to get him so I'm not sure they would want to do that. They might do Konerko for Kotchman straight up but that also increases the payroll and limits their flexibility in the off season.

Fitting In:To get Konerko, I would assume that Kotchman would be part of the deal, so Konerko would play first and hit behind Vlad.


Troy Glaus
Blue Jays - 3B - 31 years old

Contract Situation: Glaus is signed through 2008 at $11.25 million per season with a player option for $11.25 million in 2009.

Statistics:
Year   Games   HR  RBI   AVG    OPS
2006     153   38  104  .252   .868
2007      77   15   48  .281   .891
Career  1206  272  764  .255   .862

Analysis:This is a move that many Angels fans would like to see get done. The Angels had their reasons for not re-signing Glaus three years ago and I don't think anything has changed in the minds of Stoneman and Moreno.

Fitting In: Glaus would play 3rd base and hit behind Guerrero. Figgins would be moved to 2nd base temporarily while Kendrick is injured. Figgins would then become the super rover player he was a couple years ago.


I would have loved to include Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera on this list, but I don't think the Marlins are looking to move him yet. He is not eligible for free agency until 2009, however I would give up the farm for him - Brandon Wood, Nick Adenhart and another prospect.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Trade Targets - Outfielders

Here are profiles of three outfielders the Angels should be inquiring about as the trade deadline nears.  Tomorrow, I will profile three infielders the Angels should look to get.

Adam Dunn
Reds - LF/DH - 27 years old


Contract Situation:  Dunn is making $9.25 million this year with an option for $13 million in 2008.  If he is traded the option is voided and he automatically becomes a free agent.

Statistics:
Year   Games   HR  RBI   AVG    OPS
2006     160   40   92  .234   .855
2007     100   27   67  .269   .932
Career   921  225  533  .248   .897

Analysis: It is well known that the Angels are not interested in "renting" a player.  Therefore, for the Angels to acquire Dunn, they would need to have a contract extension in place to make the deal.  Although he strikes out a lot, Dunn also walks a lot. His career obp is .378.

Fitting In: Dunn is a poor outfielder and would be used as a designated hitter.  This would make Reggie Willits the odd man out, but I think he would still see plenty of action as a replacement outfielder, pinch hitter and pinch runner.


Jermaine Dye
White Sox - RF - 33 years old

Contract Situation: Dye is making $6 millioin this year and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Statistics:
Year   Games   HR  RBI   AVG    OPS
2006     146   44  120  .315  1.006
2007      85   17   50  .229   .736
Career  1415  253  867  .274   .820

Analysis: Dye is following up his MVP-worthy campaign of 2006 with a terrible season.  He is not as bad as he is this year and not as good as he was last year - he's somewhere in the middle. He's still probably good for 25-30 home runs a year. Dye might be relatively cheap to get, but I don't see him fitting in with the Angels.

Fitting In: As long as the Angels are healthy, Dye doesn't fit in.  The Angels are happy rotating 4 players in the 3 outfield spots and dh - Vladimir Guerrero, Gary Matthews, Garret Anderson & Reggie Willits. And don't forget that Juan Rivera looms in the distant.



Andruw Jones
Braves - CF - 30 years old

Contract Situation: Jones is making $14 million this year and will be a free agent at the end of this season.

Statistics:
Year   Games   HR  RBI   AVG    OPS
2006     156   41  129  .262   .894
2007     100   19   66  .214   .740  
Career  1707  361 1089  .263   .843

Analysis: There hasn't been much talk of moving Jones since the Braves are currently one game behind the wild card leading Padres.  Jones is in the final year of his contract and will most likely test the free agency waters this off season. If the Braves want anything in return, something must be done this week or the Braves risk losing him with nothing to show in return.  Jones has averaged 33 home runs per season with a high of 51 in 2005. Jones is also very reliable - he has never missed more than 9 games in any of his 10 major league seasons.

Fitting In: Jones would probably play left field with Anderson becoming the full time DH.  

Do Deadline Deals = World Series Titles?

I personally believe that the Angels should do everything in their power to make a trade this season. They really are one good hitter away from being a serious contender. As it stands, their pitching staff could almost contend on it's own.

That being said, I wanted to take a look back at the past five World Series winners and what they did at the deadline to ensure winning the title.

2006 Cardinals vs Tigers 4-1
The Cardinals acquired Ronnie Belliard from Cleveland for Hector Luna and also acquired Jorge Sosa from Atlanta for minor leaguer Rich Scalamandre . Belliard hit .237 for the Cardinals and Sosa had an era of 5.28 in 19 relief appearances. Sosa didn't even pitch in the series and Belliard went 0-for-12.
Verdict - Deals were worthless.

2005 White Sox vs Astros 4-0
The Whtie Sox acquired Geoff Blum from the Padres for minor leaguer Ryan Meaux. Blum hit .200 for Chicago. Blum had one at-bat in the World Series and made it count. He hit a solo shot in the top of the 14th inning in the Sox 7-5 Game 3 win at Houston.
Verdict - Though Blum had a big hit, the White Sox would have easily taken care of the Astros without him. Deal was worthless.

2004 Red Sox vs Cardinals 4-0
As part of a four-team deal, the Red Sox received Doug Mientkiewicz from the Minnesota Twins and Orlando Cabrera from the Montreal Expos and sent Nomar Garciaparra and minor leaguer Matt Murton to the Chicago Cubs. They also received Dave Roberts from the Dodgers for minor leaguer Henri Stanley. Garciaparra had become a clubhouse distraction and the Boston defense was much improved with Cabrera and Mientkiewicz. Cabrera thrived, hitting .294 while Mientkiewicz hit just .215. Cabrera was 4-for-17 in the World Series and Mientkiewicz was 0-for-1.
Verdict - Deals were good.

2003 Marlins vs Yankees 4-2
The Marlins made no deadline deals, but did acquire Ugueth Urbina on July 11th from Texas for Adrian Gonzales, Ryan Snare and Will Smith. In 31 appearances, Urbina was 3-0 with 6 saves and a sparkling 1.41 era. In the World Series, Urbina saved two games.
Verdict - No deadline deals.

I don't feel a need to look at 2002, as everything went perfectly - Sal Fasano and Alex Ochoa were the best signings ever.

Looking at the last few years, it turns out that World Series winners are not helped by deals made at the deadline. That's not to say that deadline deals are not important. But in recent history they are no guarantee of post season success.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Angels Call Up Marc Gwyn

The Angels called up right handed relief pitcher Marc Gwyn yesterday from AAA Salt Lake to replace Bartolo Colon on the roster.

The 29-year old Gwyn appeared in 37 games for the Bees this season with a record of 1-0 with 13 saves. He struck out 46 batters in 45.1 innings and had an era of 2.78.

The Angels acquired Gwyn prior to the 2006 season from the Oakland A's for cash.

Gwyn was originally drafted by Oakland in the 7th round of the 2000 amateur draft. Prior to that, he pitched three years at Rice University.

Gwyn also appeared in 8 games for the Angels during Spring Training this year compiling a 0-1 record and an era of 4.38.

Gwyn is not expected to stay with the Angels very long, but will provide relief innings if necessary.

Escobar & Molina & Catcher's ERA

Is Kelvim Escobar a better pitcher with Jose Molina behind the plate?
Towards the end of last season, Jose Molina became Kelvim Escobar's personal catcher. Mike Scioscia was unhappy that Escobar was significantly more comfortable with one catcher behind the plate. So in spring training this year, Mike Scioscia made sure that every pitcher worked with every catcher so that there would be no preferences.

The interesting thing I noticed when I researched this was that in 2006, Escobar's era was a full run lower when Mike Napoli was behind the plate.

Before I show the numbers, I'm afraid that all I can say is that these numbers prove nothing. I was hoping to find a correlation between pitcher and catcher, but unfortunately these numbers tend to support Scioscia's thinking that the catcher doesn't make a difference. Escobar was better with Napoli last year and better with Molina this year.

Escobar's 2006 Earned Run Average

Total:  189.1 ip 3.61 era

Napoli:  60.0 ip 2.85 era
Molina: 118.1 ip 3.88 era
Mathis:  11.0 ip 4.91 era

Escobar's 2007 Earned Run Average

Total: 130.0 ip 2.91 era

Mathis:  7.2 ip 0.00 era
Molina: 61.1 ip 1.32 era
Napoli: 61.0 ip 4.87 era

This now begs the question, is Jose really that much better at calling games than Napoli?

To further this questioning I'm going to use the much maligned statistic of Catcher's ERA. You can find it at ESPN. Catcher's ERA is the ERA of the staff while that catcher is behind the plate. ex. Molina's 2007 Catcher's ERA when Escobar is pitching is 1.32.

2007 Catcher's ERA
Mathis  39.0 innings 2.08 era
Napoli 505.1 innings 4.04 era
Molina 323.0 innings 4.60 era

So these numbers again don't prove anything. Molina is great with Escobar (In 2007, but not 2006) and bad with every other pitcher? Well, I think this is why Catcher's ERA has never really caught on as a mainstream statistic.

Just for kicks here are the Angels' Catchers ERA for the past few years.

2006 Catcher's ERA
Napoli 716.1 innings 3.76 era
Molina 603.1 innings 3.98 era
Mathis 133.0 innings 5.82 era

2005 Catcher's ERA
Mathis      5.0 innings 0.00 era
B. Molina 873.1 innings 3.55 era
J. Molina 480.1 innings 3.65 era
Josh Paul 106.2 innings 5.03 era

2004 Catcher's ERA
Josh Paul 168.0 innings 4.07 era
J. Molina 524.1 innings 4.31 era
B. Molina 762.0 innings 4.31 era

2003 Catcher's ERA
Shawn Wooten  90.2 innings 3.81 era
J. Molina    332.0 innings 4.04 era
B. Molina    950.2 innings 4.32 era
Tom Gregorio  60.0 innings 5.55 era

2002 Catcher's ERA
J. Molina       210.0 innings 3.00 era
B. Molina      1014.1 innings 3.58 era
Shawn Wooten      7.0 innings 3.86 era
Jorge Fabregas  214.0 innings 4.75 era
Sal Fasano        7.0 innings 6.43 era

2001 Catcher's ERA
Jamie Burke     10.1 innings 3.48 era
Shawn Wooten   170.1 innings 3.70 era
J. Molina      103.0 innings 4.11 era
B. Molina      782.2 innings 4.19 era
Jorge Fabregas 372.1 innings 4.50 era

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Ex-Angels Report 7/24/07

Stats & News from former Angels in the Big Leagues
  • Jim Edmonds has returned from a one month stint on the DL for the St. Louis Cardinals.
  • Troy Percival finally had a bad outing. In Saturday's 14-6 loss to Atlanta, Percival gave up 3 runs in 2 innings. He entered with the bases loaded and no outs in the 4th inning. He allowed a triple, single and home run before retiring the next three batters. He stayed in for the 5th inning and struck out the side.
  • Aaron Sele pitched three innings in relief to earn a win over the Dodgers last Thursday. Sele replaced starter Tom Glavine in the 3rd inning and allowed one unearned run to improve his record to 3-0 this year.
  • After getting shelled last week, Jeff Weaver allowed only one run in 8 innings in a 1-0 loss to Toronto.
  • Matt Wise picked up his first save of the year, pitching the final three innings of the Brewers 10-1 win over Arizona on Thursday.


EX-ANGEL         TEAM  AB   R HR RBI  BB  SO   AVG   OPS
Troy Glaus        TOR 254  42 15  47  37  57  .280  .896
Jose Guillen      SEA 334  51 12  58  28  66  .284  .805
Damion Easley     NYM 152  17  8  20  14  27  .257  .785
Scott Spiezio     STL 171  25  3  27  20  32  .281  .773
David Eckstein    STL 222  28  2  14   9  11  .306  .722
Alfredo Amezaga   FLA 302  36  2  23  24  37  .278  .706
Bengie Molina     SF  318  19  9  50   8  33  .267  .689
Jim Edmonds       STL 204  20  7  24  20  42  .235  .685
Darin Erstad      CWS 182  21  2  21  13  23  .264  .652
Orlando Palmeiro  HOU  72   9  0   4  10   6  .250  .641
Adam Kennedy      STL 238  22  2  17  21  22  .223  .584
Josh Paul         TB   49   4  0   5   4  14  .245  .547
Sal Fasano        TOR  45   5  1   4   2  19  .178  .540
Alberto Callaspo  ARI 126   9  0   5   8  11  .206  .511
Steve Finley      COL  94   9  1   2   8   4  .181  .490
Jeff DaVanon      ARI  15   1  0   0   2   3  .133  .435

EX-ANGEL         TEAM  G  W-L  SV   IP   BB   K   ERA   BAA
J.C. Romero       PHI 11  0-0   0   6.1   7   8  1.42  .174
Matt Wise         MIL 40  3-1   1  43.1  10  30  2.70  .218
Russ Springer     STL 45  4-1   0  35.1  13  42  2.80  .203
Brendan Donnelly  BOS 27  2-1   0  20.2   5  15  3.05  .235
Kevin Gregg       FLA 48  0-3  20  55.2  26  54  3.07  .201
Derrick Turnbow   MIL 48  2-3   1  43.2  21  56  3.30  .178
Joel Peralta      KC  39  1-2   0  60.0  13  51  3.75  .259
Bobby Jenks       CWS 42  2-4  26  40.1  12  37  3.79  .241
Jarrod Washburn   SEA 19  8-7   0 118.2  36  66  4.02  .271
Aaron Sele        NYM 21  3-0   0  35.2  18  22  4.04  .309
Paul Byrd         CLE 18  8-4   0 113.2  11  59  4.43  .298
Gary Glover       TB  39  3-3   2  49.2  17  30  4.89  .281
Scott Schoeneweis NYM 44  0-2   0  38.0  24  24  5.21  .278
Ramon Ortiz       MIN 21  3-4   0  80.1  13  35  5.27  .298
Jake Woods        SEA  4  0-0   0  10.2   7   4  5.91  .220
Jeff Weaver       SEA 14  2-8   0  72.2  18  40  6.19  .320
Bret Prinz        CWS  4  0-0   0   3.1   2   1  8.10  .286

Monday, July 23, 2007

Santana Succesful In First Start

Ervin Santana made his AAA debut yesterday with the Salt Lake Bees.

He allowed one earned run in 7 innings on just two hits. He also struck out 6 while walking 3.

The effort was wasted by the Bees as they managed only 4 hits and were shutout by the Sacramento River Cats, 1-0.

Santana's next schedule start will be Friday against Omaha.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Drought No More

Garret Anderson just homered to deep right field on a 3-2 pitch from Minnesota's Matt Garza. The Angels homerless streak ends at 14.

Now the question is, when will the Angels homer again?

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Jose Molina Traded To Yankees

The Angels traded catcher Jose Molina to the New York Yankees today for minor league pitcher Jeff Kennard.

Kennard is a 25-year old, (not 23 as some news sources are reporting source) righthanded relief pitcher who was currently at AA Trenton. He had a record of 1-4 with a 2.73 era. Kennard has 6 saves this season although he is usually used as a setup man or middle reliever.

Last season with class A Tampa, Kennard went 7-3 with a 3.40 era.

Kennard was originally drafted by the Yankees in the 40th round of the 2000 draft out of Rend Lake College in Ina, Illinois.

The departure of Molina leaves the Angels with just five players left from their 2002 Championship team - Garret Anderson, Chone Figgins, John Lackey, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez.

Molina's departure also solidifies Jeff Mathis' spot in the big leagues. Mathis will serve as the primary back up to Mike Napoli. Mathis was called up July 3rd when Napoli was placed on the 15-day DL and has hit .154 (2-for-13) since then.

I don't understand this trade unless the Angels are planning on trading for another catcher (Mike Piazza?) in the coming week.


Will somebody, anybody, just hit a damn home run?

The last Angels home run was hit by Mike Napoli. Since then Napoli has been injured, gone on the DL and come back from the DL and yet no Angel has hit a home run since.

A trip on the DL is at least 15 days so the Angels are in a world of hurt - 20 days to be exact.

The streak covers 13 games (the All-Star Break was in the middle) and spans 123 innings. In 110 innings pitched by Ervin Santana this year, he allowed 23 home runs. If only the Halos were facing Ervin Santana.

On July 1st the Angels had a 4.5 game lead over Seattle. That lead is now one game thanks to a 5-8 mark since then.

Angels, just one home run, that's all I'm asking for. And then after that one, I'll ask for two.

Here's a list of every major league team and how long it has been since they have hit a home run.

Hit A Home Run On Friday (17 Teams)
Arizona
Boston
Cleveland
Cubs
Detroit
Doyers
Florida
Houston
Mets
Minnesota
Oakland
Philadelphia
Seattle
St Louis
Tampa Bay
White Sox
Yankees

1 Game Drought (8)
Atlanta
Baltimore
Cincinnati
Colorado
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
San Francisco
Texas

2 Game Drought (2)
San Diego
Washington

3 Game Drought (0)

4 Game Drought (2)
Kansas City
Toronto

5 Game Drought (0)

6 Game Drought (0)

7 Game Drought (0)

8 Game Drought (0)

9 Game Drought (0)

10 Game Drought (0)

11 Game Drought (0)

12 Game Drought (0)

13 Game Drought (1)
ANGELS

Come on Halos do it today!

Friday, July 20, 2007

Angels Jersey at Harry Potter


Some of you may be heading out to go and get the final Harry Potter book tonight. You will be waiting in line and looking at all the kids running around in all of their costumes and lighting bolts on their heads. You may be getting the book for yourself or maybe for your children. But let me make this suggestion, wear your Angels Team Shirt, Hat, Jersey or what ever you may have. Last week when a friend of mine and I went out to see the movie I wore my Jersey and I thought it was cool seeing I was the only one there that did not look like a character out of the book and the only one whom looked a bit intimidating. The fact that I am 6’2” and 250 lbs of some good muscle did not hurt either. But when you go out tonight, if you go out let’s make it in the Angels gear you love to wear instead of just the normal cape or wizards’ hat that your kid is going to wear.

Down On The Farm 7-20-07

AAA - Salt Lake
The Bees are 53-46 and 1/2 game behind the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. They just took 3 out of 4 games from Tacoma after being swept in a 4-game set to Las Vegas. Mike Eylward has been hot lately. He had 6 rbi against Tacoma on Wednesday and is hitting .364 since the All-Star break with 10 rbi. Nick Gorneault ahs also been hot, hitting .464 (13-for-28) since the break

AA - Arkansas
The Travelers are 13-14, 4 games behind the Sprinfield Cardinals. They have won 3 straight. Nick Adenhart recorded his first win in a month on Wednesday in a 6-3 win over Wichita. Adenhart has allowed 3 runs or less in his last 9 starts.

A - Rancho Cucamonga
The Quakes (13-15) are in 4th place, 5 games behind the Lake Elsinore Storm. They just swept Inland Empire and have a three-game winning streak. Tim Schoeninger struck out 8 and walked just one in an 8-1 victory on Tuesday.

Player        Pos Age Lg   H/AB   AVG  OPS MISC
Terry Evans    OF 25 AAA 102/325 .314 .877 56-rbi
Tommy Murphy   OF 27 AAA  40/147 .272 .746 5-3b
Matthew Brown  IF 24 AAA  85/308 .276 .860 13-hr
Brandon Wood   3B 22 AAA  82/313 .262 .822 16-hr
Jeff Mathis    C  24 AAA  61/250 .244 .671 5-hr
Nick Gorneault OF 28 AAA  80/328 .244 .739 12-hr
Bobby Wilson   C  24 AAA   5/28  .179 .564 2-2b
Sean Rodriguez SS 22 AA   90/359 .251 .751 11-hr
Bradley Coon   OF 24 AA   49/181 .269 .676 10-sb
Chris Pettit   OF 22 A+   41/111 .369 1.106 8-hr
Hank Conger    C  19 A    60/213 .282 .806 8-hr

Player          Pos Age Lg   IP   W-L  ERA MISC
Joe Saunders     SP 25 AAA  86.1  4-7 5.11 84-k
Greg Jones       RP 30 AAA  48.0  4-1 3.94 36-k
Jason Bulger     RP 28 AAA  38.1  4-1 3.99 62-k
Kasey Olenberger SP 29 AAA 130.2  8-4 4.55 88-k
Marcus Gwyn      RP 30 AAA  45.1  1-0 2.78 13-sv
Steven Shell     RP 24 AAA  41.0  4-2 5.71 29-k
Chris Resop      RP 24 AAA  45.1  1-3 4.57 39-k
Nick Adenhart    SP 20 AA  107.0  7-3 3.36 78-k
Jose Arredondo   RP 23 AA   25.0  0-1 2.52 10-sv
Darren O'Day     RP 24 AA   12.0  1-2 3.00 2-sv
Brok Butcher     SP 23 AA    6.0  0-0 0.00 1-gs
Stephen Marek    SP 23 A+   84.0  5-6 4.50 65-k
Tim Schoeninger  SP 22 A+   20.2  3-1 6.97 19-k
Douglas Brandt   SP 22 A+   18.2  1-0 3.38 19-k
Sean O'Sullivan  SP 19 A    98.1  6-5 2.38 78-k

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Santana Sent To Minors

The Angels have waited long enough for Ervin Santana to turn things around.

After allowing 7 earned runs on 14 hits in 6 innings yesterday, Santana was sent to AAA Salt Lake City. Mike Napoli was activated from the DL to replace Santana.

I would anticipate the Angels replacing Santana with Joe Saunders in the starting rotation. Saunders is currently at Salt Lake City. To make room for Saunders, back up catcher Jeff Mathis would be the most likely candidate to be sent down.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Is Santana Done?

Let's beat the dead horse:

Ervin Santana's split statistics:

Home: 8 gs 4-2 52.2 ip 6 hr 3.42era .256baa
Away: 11gs 1-9 57.1 ip 17hr 8.79era .341baa

His next start is scheduled for Sunday at Minnesota and I think it's time for Joe Saunders to step in. If his next start were in Anaheim, I'd give him one more chance, but it's not, so it's time for Saunders.

Saunders is not pitching well in AAA (3-5, 6.03era) but he's pitched well in the bigs this year (3-0, 2.97 era). He last pitched Sunday, so he would get an extra two days rest before starting in Minnesota.

I think that Santana's problems are mental. So the best thing for him would be to work through it in AAA. I know that would be a further blow to his makeup, but the bullpen is not the place for him to work on things.

Maybe he can get some confidence back and help the Halos out again. He is only 24, and could be a key part of the pitching staff for years to come.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Ex-Angels Report 7/16/07

Stats & News from former Angels in the Big Leagues
  • Jeff DaVanon was activated from the DL Monday after missing all season with an ankle injury. He batted lead off and went 1-for-5 in his return.
  • Since the All-Star Break, Troy Glaus has hit 10-for-20 with 3 home runs for Toronto.
  • Troy Percival continues to impress. He has pitched two shutout innings since the All-Star Break and has lowered his era to 1.17 in 7 games for St. Louis.
  • David Eckstein returned from a month on the DL with a 2-for-4 game on Saturday.
  • Could Adam Kennedy be regaining his form? He is 6-for-11 with 2 home runs since the All-Star break. They were his first two home runs all season and his average has moved up to .227 from .210.
  • Jeff Weaver might be back to his old self. After going 4 straight starts allowing one or fewer runs, Weaver allowed 7 earned runs against the Tigers on Sunday.
  • Jose Guillen has been hot in July. In 13 games, he has hit .431 with 7 extra base hits and 12 rbi.
  • JC Romero who was waived by Boston despite his 3.15era was signed by Philadelphia. In 8 appearances in Philly, he has an era of 2.08.

EX-ANGEL         TEAM  AB   R HR RBI  BB  SO   AVG   OPS
Troy Glaus        TOR 226  41 14  42  36  46  .296  .952
Jose Guillen      SEA 316  49 12  55  25  60  .288  .818
Damion Easley     NYM 152  17  8  20  14  27  .257  .785
Scott Spiezio     STL 171  25  3  27  20  32  .281  .773
David Eckstein    STL 206  26  2  13   8   9  .306  .725
Alfredo Amezaga   FLA 277  30  2  23  24  32  .274  .704
Jim Edmonds       STL 193  20  7  24  20  40  .238  .702
Bengie Molina     SF  296  18  8  47   8  30  .274  .700
Orlando Palmeiro  HOU  70   9  0   4  10   5  .257  .658
Darin Erstad      CWS 182  21  2  21  13  23  .264  .652
Adam Kennedy      STL 225  22  2  17  21  21  .227  .599
Josh Paul         TB   49   4  0   5   4  14  .245  .547
Sal Fasano        TOR  45   5  1   4   2  19  .178  .540
Alberto Callaspo  ARI 126   9  0   5   8  11  .206  .511
Steve Finley      COL  94   9  1   2   8   4  .181  .490

EX-ANGEL         TEAM  G  W-L  SV   IP   BB   K   ERA   BAA
J.C. Romero       PHI  8  0-0   0   4.1   4   5  2.08  .188
Matt Wise         MIL 38  3-1   0  38.2   8  26  2.79  .221
Russ Springer     STL 42  4-1   0  32.0  12  39  2.81  .189
Kevin Gregg       FLA 46  0-3  20  53.2  26  50  3.02  .200
Brendan Donnelly  BOS 27  2-1   0  20.2   5  15  3.05  .235
Derrick Turnbow   MIL 45  2-3   1  41.2  20  52  3.46  .169
Bobby Jenks       CWS 40  2-4  25  38.1  12  36  3.52  .241
Joel Peralta      KC  37  1-2   0  56.0  13  50  3.54  .246
Jarrod Washburn   SEA 18  8-7   0 112.1  36  61  3.85  .268
Paul Byrd         CLE 16  7-4   0 102.0   6  53  4.41  .307
Aaron Sele        NYM 20  2-0   0  32.2  16  21  4.41  .315
Scott Schoeneweis NYM 42  0-2   0  35.2  23  21  5.05  .279
Ramon Ortiz       MIN 19  3-4   0  77.1  13  32  5.35  .302
Jake Woods        SEA  4  0-0   0  10.2   7   4  5.91  .220
Jeff Weaver       SEA 13  2-7   0  64.2  18  36  6.82  .338
Bret Prinz        CWS  4  0-0   0   3.1   2   1  8.10  .286

Saturday, July 14, 2007

First pick signs

The Angels agreed to terms Friday with top draft pick Jon Bachanov, a high school pitcher who received a $550,000 bonus and will report to the organization's rookie league affiliate in Tempe, Arizona, today.

The Angels forfeited their top two drafts picks for signing free agents Gary Matthews Jr. and Justin Speier last winter, but Angels scouting Director Bane said he got his usual rush of adrenaline when one name remained on his board at No. 58.

A 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-hander, Bachanov was 9-2 with an 0.37 earned-run average in 11 games, striking out 103 and walking 19 in 65 innings, for University High in Orlando, Fla., this season. The Angels had seen him throw in a couple of all-star games and think if everything goes perfectly, Bachanov has the potential to be the kind of pitcher John Lackey has become.

Bachanov is a tall (6-foot-4) right-hander with good velocity and late movement. The LA Times quotes him as saying, "I talked to the scouting director, and I feel like they're going to take care of me," said Bachanov, who attended Friday night's game with several family members.

"Some teams buy players; these guys develop pitchers, and they know how to win around here. It's great."Bachanov, who didn't emerge as a top prospect until this season, combines a lively 92-93-mph fastball with a power slider and changeup, and he could get bigger and stronger. His two older brothers are a staggering 6-9 and 6-7.

DL for Kendrick

A second X-ray of Howie Kendrick 's left index finger Friday revealed a small fracture, an injury that sent the Angels second baseman to the disabled list for the second time this season.

The finger was placed in a splint, and Kendrick was ordered to rest for at least 10 days, at which point another X-ray will be taken.

No timetable was set for his return. Kendrick wrenched the index finger on his left hand 10 days ago during the Angels'series in Texas. He tried to play through it, but made only one appearance last weekend in New York when a small fracture was detected by X-rays.

Kendrick missed five weeks earlier this season with a broken bone in his left hand suffered when he was hit by a pitch.

Look for the Angels to call up Brandon Wood.

Friday, July 13, 2007

2008 Starting lineup

1. Reggie Willits (lf)
2. Orlando Cabrera (ss)
3. ALEX RODRIGUEZ (3B)
4. Vladimir Guerrero (rf)
5. Casey Kotchman (1b)
6. Gary Matthews Jr. (cf)
7. Garrett Anderson (dh)
8. Mike Napoli (c)
9. Howie Kendrick (2b)

Could this be our line up next year? The New York Daily News reported Friday that the Yankees have "made it clear" to Rodriguez and his agent, Scott Boras, that if the player opts out, his days as a Yankee will be over.

The newspaper said the Yankees have no intention of being part of a bidding war if Rodriguez hits the open market. He's predestined to go down as one of the most gifted hitters who ever lived, one of the wealthiest men in the game's history and the youngest player to reach baseball's hallowed 500-homer plateau.

The future, like much of Rodriguez's past, is unpredictable. The monstrous contract negotiated by Boras in the winter of 2000-01 also contains a perfidious escape clauses that ensure Rodriguez's free agency freedom, if he wants it. Rodriguez has until 10 days after the World Series - Nov.10 at the latest - to opt out of the contract.

Our Angels - considered by many to be the front runner if A-Rod opts out – think it might be hard to give him the money he wants. Close to 200 million over eight years are some of the numbers floating around.

One source said that neither Angels manager Mike Scioscia nor GM Bill Stoneman is pushing to add Rodriguez but they said that Guerrero was too high of a price before we ended up signing him. This scenario will not be played out until just before Christmas. So start writing your letters to Santa and maybe this Christmas we will all get a present.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

The Jinx Is On

In this week's Sports Illustrated, they pick the Angels to win the World Series. Fortunately, no Angels were on the cover, so the "Cover Jinx" is not in effect.

There is also a full article by Tom Verducci on the team. Here are some excerpts:

"Imaginative, aggressive management and a steady stream of promising young talent make the Angels not only SI's pick to win it all, but also a potential superpower for years to come"

"With their deep pockets, robust farm system, blossoming major league talent and organization-wide culture of unselfishness, they have what it takes to contend for years, perhaps even to dominate in a way that no club has since the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees in the 1990s."

The magazine also published a survey of 22 baseball executives. They listed the top two teams picked to win the American League - 50% picked the Red Sox to win the AL, and 27% picked the Tigers. No mention of the Angels.

The entire article is online here.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Did John Lackey Get Screwed?

John Lackey should be pissed off. He finally made the American League All-Star team, yet if you look at the box score, his name is nowhere to be found.

Of the 18 first time All-Stars, Lackey was one of four players to not see any action. The other three were Jose Valverde (Diamondbacks), Gil Meche (Royals) and Hideki Okajimi (Red Sox).

Okajimi was chosen as the last man in by the fans and as #32 of 32 really shouldn't see any action.

Meche has a losing record (5-6).

Valverde is 2nd in the National League with 26 saves, so maybe Tony LaRussa was saving him in case the NL came back.

But Lackey not pitching, I can't figure that out. He is one of three AL pitchers in the top ten in ERA, wins and strikeouts. Dan Haren is one and he started the game. Johan Santana was the other and he pitched one inning.

I checked Lackey's blog (link), but there was no post. Maybe he has learned from Kobe Bryant to cool off before spouting off.

What if Lackey never makes the All-Star team again? At 28 years old, we should hope (and expect) to see him there again, but it's not guaranteed.

Not to stray off subject but Tony LaRussa's "strategy" to save Albert Pujols for later in the game without telling him was ten times more egregious than Lackey not playing.

In any case, to substantiate my complaint, I checked the 2006 All-Star Game. In it there were 24 first-timers and six of them saw no action, so I guess my argument is losing steam.

Of the six who didn't play last year, two of them were on the team this year and played - Bobby Jenks (White Sox) and Jonathan Papelbon (Red Sox).

Francisco Liriano (Twins) is only 23 years old but is out for the season with elbow surgery. Despite his huge potential, he may never come back at full strength.

Chris Capuano (Brewers) is 28 years old and is 5-6 with a 4.78era in 2007.

Dan Uggla (Marlins) is only 27 years old and has hit 17 home runs and 52 rbi this season at second base. He should be back as an All-Star in the future if he can raise his batting average - .247 this year.

The most interesting player who was a first time All-Star last year and didn't get in the game is
Mark Redman. He made the AL team as a Royal and was signed by the Braves in the offseason. After going 0-4 with an 11.63 era, the Braves released the 33-year old on May 22nd. A week later he was signed to a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers and is now 2-4 with a 5.26 era for the Oklahoma (AAA) RedHawks.

I suppose it's not unprecedented to have first time players sit out, but as an Angel fan, I sure would've liked to see Lackey get a chance to pitch. I could only imagine the chorus of boos he would receive in San Francisco.

Screwed - no.

Disappointed - yes.

But, unlike Mark Redman, Big John has the talent to get back.

So as John Lackey keeps his emotions to himself, I know that somewhere manager Mike Scioscia is smiling.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

HR Derby In McCovey Cove


Wow! I spent over 6 hours in McCovey Cove yesterday for All-Star batting practice and the Home Run Derby and all I can say is "Wow."

I have been hoping to watch a game in McCovey Cove ever since the park opened. In my opinion it is the best stadium feature in baseball. The Green Monster, the ivy at Wrigley, the monuments at Yankee Stadium, the where house at Camden - I've seen them all, but this is the cream of the crop.

And the Home Run Derby at McCovey Cove has got to be the best time to be there in it's short history. I realize that Barry Bonds has hit some important home runs out there, but the sheer magnitude and anticipation among the floaters could not be topped.

We weren't out there to catch a $1,000,000 ball, we were just out there to have a good time and celebrate baseball.

The lack of splash hits didn't dampen anyone's spirits. Everybody I talked to agreed that it was a great experience and a good time. Even as we paddled in at 7:00pm when all the left handed hitters were out of the Home Run Derby, it was nothing but smiles.

Jim Caple of ESPN wrote a great article (link) about being out here for the Home Run Derby and it's easier for me to just refer to him rather than spew forth in an unorganized manner.

I would like to commend the event planners in McCovey Cove. Everything was extremely well organized. We had a specific spot to launch our kayak and our own parking lot. The volunteers I encountered were all helpful and friendly. Props to all involved.

I recommend spending a game in the cove to anyone who is a baseball fan. City Kayak in San Francisco is the nearest place to rent a kayak in the bay. My friend used a Coleman inflatable kayak and it performed like a champion. You can order them online through Walmart for $88 (They're $100 at Amazon).

I spent the day in a raft wearing an old Astros jersey. See if you can spot "Where's Waldo" by clicking on the above photo to get a larger size image.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Vlad hit it where others only Dreamed

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim right fielder Vladimir Guerrero won the Home Run Derby on Monday night, hitting 17 homers and beating Toronto's Alex Rios who faded in the final round 3-2 at the All-Star competition. Guerrero, who hit just two homers in his only other derby appearance back in 2000, also fashioned the contest's most awesome blast: a 503-footer to left that fell just short of the gigantic baseball mitt in the left field bleachers — a object that still hasn't been hit during a game in the park's short 8-year history.
Vlad a citizen of the Dominican Republic said through an interpreter, "The first time I came in 2000, I swung at every pitch, so this time I came back with a different philosophy, I was going to take a pitch to rest in between. ... There was nothing in the ballpark that I was aiming for." Some advice passed down from GA that was given to him by Troy Glaus.
The Gold Ball came into play after the ninth out was recorded in any at-bat taken by each hitter. For every home run hit before the 10th and final out, MLB and State Farm combined to donate $17,000. That figure represents the 17,000 State Farm agents working across the U.S. and Canada. Proceeds from the Gold Ball contributions continue to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, MLB's official charity. A total of $254,000 was earned for charity on the evening, $85,000 alone by Rios, who spanked out five Gold Balls before recording his last out of the second round.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Shufflemaster

Scioscia will be using the All-Star break as a chance to retool, reshuffle, and give a break to a few on the halo’s rotation -- unfortunately the Angels will go with the same five starters, when the season starts back up on Friday (Colon will still be there).

When The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (just wanted to say that ridiculous name) start the second half, they'll begin with Kelvim Escobar on Friday in Texas, followed by Jered Weaver and John Lackey finishing out the series against the Rangers. No doubt the top three pitchers we have at the moment. Following an off day on Monday, the Angels will start road warrior Ervin Santana and Bartolo Colon on Tuesday and Wednesday, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, at Tampa.

Lackey will get a little extra rest, because the Big Texan -- 11-5 with a 2.91 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 120 2/3 innings -- is headed to San Francisco for Tuesday's All-Star Game.

On a side note look for your favorite Rally Monkey founder to be swimming for Home Runs in McCovey Cove both during the All-Star game as well as the Home Run Derby.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Down On The Farm 7/7/7

AAA - Salt Lake
The Bees are in first place with a record of 49-40.  They are currently 1/2 game up on Colorado Springs who they are also in the middle of a 5-game series with.  So far they have taken 2 of 3 from the Sky Sox. Brandon Wood had a big June hitting .303 with 8 home runs and 26 rbi.  Jason Bulger continues to blow batters away.  In 33.2 innings pitched, he has struck out 57 batters.

AA - Arkansas
The Travelers are in last place of the Texas League with a record of 5-10.  They snapped a 6-game losing streak with a win against Frisco last night.  Outfielder Bradley Coon was promoted from Rancho Cucamonga last week and has hit .357 and stolen 8 bases in his first 7 games with the Travs.  Relief pitcher Darren O'Day was also promoted from the Quakes and has been relatively roughed up.  After giving up only 2 earned runs in 24.0 innings at Cucamonga, he has already matched that earned run total in just 5.2 innings pitched.  His season era has jumped from 0.75 to 1.21.

A - Rancho Cucamonga
The Quakes have the worst record in the California League with a mark of 5-11. Outfielder Chris Petit went for 5-for-5 against High Desert on Thursday.  He hit two home runs, two doubles and a single.



Player        Pos Age Lg  H/AB   AVG  OPS MISC
Terry Evans    OF 25 AAA 90/278 .324 .910 50-rbi
Tommy Murphy   OF 27 AAA 28/101 .277 .784 5-3b
Matthew Brown  IF 24 AAA 72/264 .273 .832 41-rbi
Brandon Wood   3B 22 AAA 76/296 .257 .814 15-hr
Jeff Mathis    C  24 AAA 61/250 .244 .671 5-hr
Nick Gorneault OF 28 AAA 65/293 .222 .676 10-hr
Bobby Wilson   C  24 AAA 49/181 .271 .768 6-hr
Sean Rodriguez SS 22 AA  76/311 .244 .754 11-hr
Bradley Coon   OF 24 AA  87/327 .266 .674 39-sb
Chris Pettit   OF 22 A+  98/289 .339 .987 13-hr
Hank Conger    C  19 A   60/213 .282 .806 8-hr

Player          Pos Age Lg   IP   W-L  ERA MISC
Joe Saunders     SP 25 AAA  73.1  4-5 4.79 69-k
Greg Jones       RP 30 AAA  40.2  3-0 4.43 3-sv
Jason Bulger     RP 28 AAA  33.2  4-1 4.54 57-k
Kasey Olenberger SP 29 AAA 122.0  8-2 3.69 83-k
Marcus Gwyn      RP 30 AAA  40.0  1-0 2.03 12-sv
Steven Shell     RP 24 AAA  35.0  4-2 5.91 9-hr
Nick Adenhart    SP 20 AA   88.2  6-2 3.55 62-k
Jose Arredondo   RP 23 AA   32.2  0-2 4.96 36-k
Darren O'Day     RP 24 AA   29.2  4-2 1.21 11-sv
Brok Butcher     SP 23 A+  110.1  5-7 2.69 3-cg
Stephen Marek    SP 23 A+   82.0  5-5 4.06 65-k
Tim Schoeninger  SP 22 A+   90.1 10-3 3.39 2-cg
Douglas Brandt   SP 22 A+   68.1  3-2 2.50 73-k
Sean O'Sullivan  SP 19 A    90.1  5-5 2.59 70-k

Thursday, July 5, 2007

What exactly is "Getting their rhythm back?"

Players get hurt. They come back. They do a minor league assignment. Then they get put on the major league team. And then the announcers say that they aren't hitting because they need to "get their rhythm back."

So, I'm wondering,
  1. How long does this cop out last, and
  2. Why the heck are they called up from their minor league assignment if they still need to "get their rhythm back?"
If we have to wait 20 at-bats for Garret Anderson or Maicer Izturis or Reggie Willits or Casey Kotchman to get their rhythm back, why don't we have Nathan Haynes, Robb Quinlan or Kendry Morales go 5-for-20?

To see if there is any validity to my point, I'm going to look at Angels players this year coming back from an injury.

Chone Figgins. He broke a finger in spring training and came back late in April. He didn't get on track until June. By the end of May he was hitting .133 (12-for-90).
Verdict: Spent 4 days with Salt Lake. Wound up taking 90 at-bats to get his rhtyhm back.

Casey Kotchman. Kotchman missed 9 days due to a concussion. He went 0-for-19 and then hit a home run. But he still isn't back. Including today's 0-for-3, he is 2-for-31 since coming back.
Verdict: No rehab in the minors. He's still not ready.

Garret Anderson. GA has been out twice this season already with leg problems. He hit .265 in April and then missed all of May. He came back to hit .265 in the first two weeks of June so it seems he was ready. He got re-injured and missed another two weeks and is 3-for-10 in his return.
Verdict: GA appeared in 6 minor league games. Love him or hate him, GA is smooth.

Maicer Izturis. Izturis returned this week after a 6-week layoff. He has hit 2-for-6 so far and seems ready.
Verdict: Spent 12 games in the Minors. Has his rhythm.

Howie Kendrick. Howie was hitting .327 when he was hit by a pitch on his hand. He missed 5 weeks and came back with a 5-for-40 slump. His average bottomed out at .236, but is now up to .295.
Verdict: Spent 7 games at Salt Lake. Needed more rehab.

Reggie Willits. Reggie just missed a week with a bruised knee. In his two games back he is 0-for-7.
Verdict: Didn't rehab in the minors. Too early to tell, but I'd sure prefer a 2-for-7.

Of the six hitters who have been out for a week or longer this year, 2 didn't rehab in the minors - Kotchman & Willits. Unfortunately it seems that both of them should have spent some time rehabbing.

Of the remaining four players, two players needed a longer rehab. Figgins spent 4 days in the minors and needed more. Howie spent a week with Salt Lake but that wasn't enough.

GA showed that he is a true veteran. He spent six days with Rancho Cucamonga and was ready. Maicer isn't a veteran, but the Angels took their time bringing him back and he looks ready.

I guess I'd like to see players spend more time in the minors rehabbing. I would think that their "rhythm" could come back in single A as easily as the Major leagues.

Then again, there are always alternative methods. Maybe they need to watch "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." Or, if you ask Mark Grace or Jim Rome, maybe they need a Slumpbuster.

If you ask me, an extra week of buying minor leaguers dinner is the way to go.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Ex-Angels Report 7/3/07

Notes and Stats from former Angels players
  • Troy Percival has made two appearances and is 2-0. This past Sunday, Percival entered in the 4th inning with 0 outs and 2 runners and stranded both of them. He then had his first at-bat since 1996 and struck out. After walking the lead off batter in the following inning, he was replaced.
  • Scott Spiezio has missed a week due to an infection in his left index finger.
  • Jeff Weaver is pitching like it's the post-season. In his first 6 starts, his era was 14.32. Since coming off the DL, he has started 5 games and has an era of 1.65. Last week he had one start against Toronto and went 8 innings allowing just one run on a solo home run.
  • Scott Schoeneweis has given up only one earned run in his past 10 outings.
  • DerrickTurnbow has held the opponent scoreless in 11 of his last 12 appearances.
  • Kevin Gregg received a blown save for the first time this season after saving 15 straight.
  • Paul Byrd has started 14 games this season and walked only 5 batters in 86.2 innings.
  • J.C. Romero was added to the roster of the Philadelphia Phillies (He was earlier cut by the Red Sox) and has pitched in three games with them.
  • Former Angel catcher Jerry Narron (1983-86) was fired as manger of the Cincinnati Reds after going 31-51 (.378) this season and 157-179 (.467) overall in 2+ seasons.

EX-ANGEL         TEAM  AB   R HR RBI  BB  SO   AVG   OPS
Troy Glaus        TOR 201  35 11  36  33  44  .279  .894
Damion Easley     NYM 145  17  8  20  14  27  .255  .791
Scott Spiezio     STL 165  24  3  26  18  30  .279  .770
Jose Guillen      SEA 274  38 10  47  21  57  .263  .755
Bengie Molina     SF  263  18  8  44   8  28  .289  .749
David Eckstein    STL 192  25  2  12   8   7  .313  .743
Jim Edmonds       STL 193  20  7  24  20  40  .238  .702
Orlando Palmeiro  HOU  64   9  0   4  10   4  .266  .686
Darin Erstad      CWS 182  21  2  21  13  23  .264  .652
Alfredo Amezaga   FLA 239  25  1  19  20  26  .255  .648
Josh Paul         TB   49   4  0   5   4  14  .245  .547
Sal Fasano        TOR  45   5  1   4   2  19  .178  .540
Adam Kennedy      STL 203  18  0  13  19  19  .212  .539
Alberto Callaspo  ARI 126   9  0   5   8  11  .206  .511
Steve Finley      COL  94   9  1   2   8   4  .181  .490

EX-ANGEL         TEAM  G  W-L  SV   IP   BB   K   ERA   BAA
J.C. Romero       PHI  3  0-0   0   1.2   2   3  0.00  .167
Russ Springer     STL 40  4-1   0  30.1  11  38  2.97  .196
Brendan Donnelly  BOS 27  2-1   0  20.2   5  15  3.05  .235
Matt Wise         MIL 35  2-1   0  35.0   7  25  3.09  .220
Kevin Gregg       FLA 40  0-3  15  47.2  22  42  3.21  .211
Bobby Jenks       CWS 35  2-4  22  33.2  11  30  3.21  .235
Joel Peralta      KC  35  1-2   0  53.1  12  46  3.54  .249
Derrick Turnbow   MIL 40  1-3   1  36.2  17  48  3.68  .179
Jarrod Washburn   SEA 16  7-6   0  98.1  32  49  4.03  .274
Paul Byrd         CLE 14  7-3   0  86.2   5  48  4.67  .323
Jake Woods        SEA  3  0-0   0   8.2   5   1  5.19  .235
Aaron Sele        NYM 16  1-0   0  25.2  12  17  5.26  .346
Ramon Ortiz       MIN 17  3-4   0  73.1  12  31  5.40  .298
Scott Schoeneweis NYM 36  0-2   0  29.2  20  15  5.46  .286
Jeff Weaver       SEA 11  2-6   0  54.2  13  28  6.75  .339
Bret Prinz        CWS  4  0-0   0   3.1   2   1  8.10  .286

Willits Family Lives In A Batting Cage

The New York Times ran this story on Sunday, the OC Register picked it up Monday and it's definitely worth reading. Reggie, his wife and son all live in a batting cage, seriously. In Oklahoma, seriously.

Willits Family Article


Here's the picture they didn't show - the outside of the batting cage/house...



Sorry, bad joke.

Hector Carrasco is out; Chris Resop is in

The Angels designated Hector Carrasco for assignment and called up right-handed relief pitcher Chris Resop from Salt Lake.

The 37-year old Carrasco was struggling this season with a 6.57 era in 29 appearances. Carrasco came to the Angels as a free agent before the 2006 season and had a nice year going 7-3 with a 3.41 era. He was counted on to be a big part of the Angels bullpen this year but, despite numerous outings, never found his stuff. The Angels now have 10 days to find a trade partner or release him outright.

The 24-year old Resop came to the Angels in the trade that sent Kevin Gregg to the Florida Marlins. In 27 games with the Bees, Resop was 1-3 with a 4.57 era. Resop pitched in the majors with Florida in both 2005 and 2006. In 37 appearances he was 3-2 with a 5.63 era.

Resop is not expected to stay long with the Angels as Justin Speier is completing a rehab assignment with Rancho Cucamonga.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Napoli and infielder Aybar on the 15-day DL

Our beloved Angels placed catcher Mike Napoli and 2B/Util infielder Erick Aybar on the 15-day disabled list. At the same time, the Halo’s optioned outfielder Nick Gorneault back to The Salt Lake Bees. We all knew his move up was going to be short, but I wish he could have spent more time on the roster. His call up was done to boost his confidence, which had decreased after losing out on the utility outfielder spot to Reggie Willits.

To replace Napoli, Aybar and Gorneault on the roster, the Halos recalled former top prospect Jeff Mathis from the Bees and activated from the 15-day DL Garret Anderson and infielder Maicer Izturis whom were working out with Rancho Cucamonga.

Napoli suffered what was reported to be a high left ankle sprain when he slid his leg out in an attempt to block the plate from Melvin Mora. Guerrero in right field made one of the greatest throws of the year, but when Napoli applied the tag on Mora, his spikes drove into Napoli’s left shin guard. It was on the final play of the Angels-Orioles game yesterday in Baltimore and when Napoli went to congratulate his teammates, he fell after only a few steps. Although X-rays taken on Sunday were reported to be normal, Napoli has returned to Anaheim. He will be examined tomorrow by Dr. Kenneth Jung, a foot and ankle specialist in Los Angeles. This marks the first time he has been on the disabled list in his career.

Mathis appeared with the Angels in the 05-06 seasons, registering a .155 average with two home runs and six RBIs in 28 games.

Mike Napoli was hitting.243 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 56 games.

First Half Surprises

The Angels have played 81 of their 162 games - exactly 50%. And they're on pace to finish with a record of 100-62.

The great first half has been a result of multiple players playing over their heads. I'm not sure who has been the biggest surprise (Cabrera, Willits, Haynes, Figgins, Kotchman, Matthews or Moseley) for the Angels this year, but here's my list of candidates.

Orlando Cabrera is on pace for 220 hits and a .342 batting average. He is also on pace to hit 48 doubles, 96 rbi and 106 runs scored. As we found out today, those are not All-Star worthy. Did I mention that he is on pace to commit just 8 errors at short stop this season?

Reggie Willits is still hitting above .330 and his on-base-percentage is at .430. He has stolen 18 bases and only been caught twice. If he finishes the season over .300 he might be the biggest surprise.

Nathan Haynes has been a big surprise. Not as a hitter, but as a hitting coach. Haynes gave Chone Figgins a tip and Figgy hasn't stopped hitting since. Haynes was called up on May 27th when Figgy was hitting .138. Figgins had 53 hits in June and is now hitting .324. If he had played the whole season, Figgins would be on the list of All-Star snubs.

Casey Kotchman is having a break out year. His glove has been outstanding and he is hitting over .300 with 9 home runs and 38 runs batted in. His .903 ops is 12th in the AL. If he can stay healthy, this is the Casey we can expect to see for years to come.

Gary Matthews Jr is doing what he was paid to do. The Matthews acquisition was labeled the worst off season move in baseball last winter by multiple people and now Bill Stoneman is getting the last laugh. Matthews isn't putting up All-Star numbers, but he is an excellent center fielder who is hitting .285 with 10 home runs and 12 stolen bases.

As for the pitching staff, Dustin Moseley has easily been the biggest surprise. He was acquired in the trade that sent Ramon Ortiz to the Reds a few years back. Moseley is 4-1 with a 2.36 era in 26 appearances.

So there are my choices, now here are my rankings.

5. Orlando Cabrera - Offensive outburst has been amazing. It's as if he's in his contract year.

4. Nathan Haynes - 10 years of minor league baseball, 8 surgeries and now he's hitting .300 (in limited at-bats) and handing out hitting tips. Amazing.

3. Dustin Moseley - He has provided all kinds of stability in the bullpen when Justin Speier went down.

2. Gary Matthews Jr. - I hate to say it, but I really thought he had the career year last year in a free agent year and that was it. I was wrong.

1. Reggie Willits - I keep waiting for a sustained slump and it never comes. He dipped to .317 on June 3rd but came out of to peak at .352 on June 23rd.