tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20622910189680342872024-03-12T20:18:47.202-07:00Heavenly Thoughts 2007Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger250125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-2318032242162830452008-06-09T12:52:00.000-07:002008-06-09T12:56:57.711-07:00Ex-Angels Report 6/9/08copied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=228">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=228</a><br /><br /><img src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/eckstein-anderson.jpg" border="1" /><br />Notes and Stats from former Angels players<br /><br />-Bengie Molina leads all major league catchers with a .332 batting average. He also leads all cathcers with 40 rbi.<br /><br />-Troy Glaus has finally found his power stroke hitting 5 home runs in the past 9 games.<br /><br />-Darin Erstad of the Astros is hitting .351 (20-for-57) when he's playing in the field, but just .185 (5-for-27) as a pinch hitter.<br /><br />- Troy Percival will miss Tampa Bay's series in Anaheim but should be ready when he comes off the DL on Friday.<br /><br />- Bartolo Colon finally lost a game. He allowed 6 runs (3 earned) against Seattle on Friday. He's now 3-1 in 4 starts for the Red Sox.<br /><br />-Orlando Cabrera has hit in 7 straight games<br /><br />-Jose Guillen of the Royals has 4 multi-hit games in the past week along with 4 home runs over that span.<br /><br />- Cardinals reliever, Russ Springer has extended his scoreless appearance streak to 14 games.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">EX-ANGEL TEAM AB R HR RBI BB SO AVG OPS</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Bengie Molina SF 205 24 6 40 8 13 .332 .857</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Troy Glaus STL 219 25 7 38 37 41 .265 .814</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Darin Erstad HOU 84 14 1 12 3 16 .298 .774</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Jose Guillen KC 241 26 10 47 7 48 .266 .765</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">David Eckstein TOR 152 18 1 17 12 15 .270 .698</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Alberto Callaspo KC 89 5 0 3 8 7 .292 .688</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Alfredo Amezaga FLA 135 16 1 7 13 19 .252 .678</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Orlando Cabrera CWS 257 36 3 22 20 30 .253 .634</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Jamie Burke SEA 41 4 1 3 4 3 .220 .606</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Jim Edmonds SD 139 9 2 13 14 31 .209 .593</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Adam Kennedy STL 149 15 0 15 13 22 .248 .589</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Damion Easley NYM 101 8 1 12 5 14 .238 .585</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Jose Molina NYY 118 11 0 6 3 19 .220 .560</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Nathan Haynes TB 44 3 0 3 3 12 .227 .504</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">EX-ANGEL TEAM G W-L SV IP BB K ERA BAA</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">J.C. Romero PHI 28 4-1 0 22.2 15 19 1.59 .244</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Bobby Jenks CWS 25 2-0 14 25.1 7 16 2.13 .227</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Kevin Gregg FLA 29 4-2 11 30.1 17 23 2.37 .176</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Scott Schoeneweis NYM 30 0-2 0 26.1 10 10 2.39 .205</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Russ Springer STL 21 1-0 0 16.1 9 13 2.76 .254</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Troy Percival TB 22 1-0 14 21.1 4 21 2.95 .133</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Kent Mercker CIN 15 1-0 0 13.2 8 6 3.29 .265</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Bartolo Colon BOS 4 3-1 0 23.0 6 15 3.91 .280</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Gary Glover TB 19 0-2 0 20.2 12 13 3.92 .272</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Paul Byrd CLE 12 3-5 0 70.2 8 26 4.46 .275</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Joel Peralta KC 18 0-2 0 22.1 4 17 5.64 .259</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Chris Resop ATL 16 0-1 0 18.1 10 13 5.89 .239</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Matt Wise NYM 8 0-1 0 7.0 3 6 6.43 .323</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Jarrod Washburn SEA 12 2-7 1 59.0 16 36 6.56 .322</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Derrick Turnbow MIL 8 0-1 1 6.1 13 5 15.63 .414</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;">Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-59565251620337357492008-06-09T12:51:00.000-07:002008-06-09T12:52:07.791-07:00Cheap Tickets Offered This Weekcopied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=227">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=227</a><br /><br /><img src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/money.gif" align="left" border="0" />The Angels have some really good deals this week which you can only get by going to the Angel Stadium box office.<br /><br />Monday 6/9 and Tuesday 6/10 - Buy One Get One Free<br /><br />Wednesday 6/11 - Up to 80% off. As low as $3 each.<br /><br />Sunday 6/15 - Father's Day - $3 tickets in the Upper View section<br /><br />For Monday and Tuesday's games (6/9 & 6/10), the Angels are offering buy one-get one free tickets at the box office. To get the deal, mention the word 'SUMMER'. This "buy one ticket, get one ticket free" offer is available for seats in the Field Box, Terrace Box, Terrace Box Wheelchair, Club Loge, Right Field Pavilion and in the entire 500 View and 400 Lower View levels. Offer is only available at the Angels' Ticket Window.<br /><br />For Wednesday's day game against Tampa Bay, tickets are as low as $3 each when you use the password 'HOME RUN'. $3 in the 500 View level and Terrace Box Wheelchair, $5 in the 400 Lower View level, $10 in Right Field Pavilion, Field Box, Terrace Box and $20 in Club Loge.<br /><br />For Father's Day, tickets are just $3 in the entire 500 View level when you say the password 'DAD' at the Angels' Ticket Window.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-50766854237523885212008-06-09T12:50:00.001-07:002008-06-09T12:50:51.380-07:00Happy Birthday Rally Monkeycopied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=226">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=226</a><br /><br />Can you believe he's 8 years old!<br /><br />The Angels trailed 4-1 entering the bottom of the 7th...<br /><br />Garret Anderson singled<br />Troy Glaus walked, Anderson to second<br />Bengie Molina singled, Anderson scored, Glaus to third (4-2)<br />Adam Kennedy struck out<br />Edgard Clemente pinch hit for Orlando Palmeiro and struck out<br />Darin Erstad singled, Glaus scored, Bengie to second (4-3)<br />Kevin Stocker fouled out<br /><br />There was more rallying in the bottom of the 8th...<br /><br />Mo Vaughn struck out<br />Tim Salmon homered (4-4)<br />Garret Anderson struck out<br />Troy Glaus popped out<br /><br />Scioscia then brought in Troy Percival in a non-save situation and, of course, he gave up a run. On to the bottom of the 9th with the Angels trailing 5-4<br /><br />Robb Nenn came in to save the game for the Giants<br />Bengie Molina struck out<br />Adam Kennedy singled<br />Scott Spiezio pinch hit for Edgard Clemente and walked, Kennedy to second<br />Darin Erstad singled, Kennedy scored, Spiezio to third (5-5)<br />Kevin Stocker bunted and the Giants got Spiezio at home on the failed squeeze play, Erstad to second<br />Mo Vaughn singled, Erstad scored and the Angels won 6-5<br /><br />About a coupe of the unknown players in that rally...<br /><br />Edgard Clemente is the nephew of Roberto Clemente. He played for three seasons with the Rockies and Angels and hit .249 for his career. 2000 was his final season.<br /><br />Kevin Stocker played 8 years in the majors. He had a career average of .254 and spent his final year with the Angels in 2000.<br /><br />For a complete recap of the game, go here: <a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/history.php?game=000606">http://www.rallymonkey.com/history.php?game=000606</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-21991273756552677882008-06-09T12:48:00.000-07:002008-06-09T12:49:51.900-07:00Down On The Farm - 6/5/2008copied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=225">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=225</a><br /><br />AAA-Salt Lake<br /><br />Thanks to their huge start, the Bees have a comfortable 9 game lead in the PCL North. In May, however, the Bees were sub-500 at 13-16. First Baseman Kendry Morales batted .352 in May with 6 home runs. Third Baseman Matt Brown followed up his great April (.425 45-for-106) with a lousy May (.250 18-for-72) although his home run totals were up - 6 in April and 7 in May. Pitcher Nick Adenhart has struggled since returning from the Angels. In 4 starts he has allowed 15 runs - a 5.96 era. Reliever Jason Bulger has been striking out players by the bushel. In 14.2 ip, he has struck out 23 batters. His era is 1.23.<br /><br />AA-Arkansas<br /><br />The Travelers are 28-29, three games behind first place NW Arkansas in the Texas League North Division. The Travs have the best era (3.93) in the league and the worst batting average (.253). Two pitchers are among the league leaders in era - Dan Denham, 25, is third with an era of 3.02 and Robert Mosebach, 23, is sixth with an era of 3.53. Offensively, only two regulars are hitting above .260 - outfielder Jordan Czarniecki, 27, is hitting .318 and first baseman Michael Collins, 23, is hitting .283.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-44280195989685004862008-06-09T12:47:00.000-07:002008-06-09T12:48:21.703-07:00Whos on first?copied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=224">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=224</a><br /><br />It's June 3rd. The baseball season is roughly 35% done.<br /><br />Consider these two groups of teams.<br /><br />Group 1<br /><br />Seattle Mariners (88-74, 2nd Place AL West last season)<br />Colorado Rockies (90-73, NL Champion)<br /><br />Group 2<br />Chicago Cubs (85-77, NL Central Champion)<br />Tampa Bay Rays (66-96, 30 games out of first in the AL East)<br /><br />Which group includes the two teams with the best records in MLB?<br />Which group includes the two teams with the worst records in MLB?<br /><br />Before the season started, the Mariners and Rockies were picked as favorites for their divisions. Now they both have records of 21-38 (.356), tied for the worst in the major leagues. How bad are they? Francisco Rodriguez has more saves, 23, than they have wins.<br /><br />The Cubs were supposed to contend for the NL Central title, but the Rays? Not with the Red Sox and the Yankees in their division. I doubt the Rays can keep it up all season, but I said the same thing a month ago when they were playing well.<br /><br />Just something to ponder.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-91311561116509840882008-06-02T13:44:00.000-07:002008-06-02T13:45:01.992-07:00Is this the Return Of The Rally Monkey????copied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=222">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=222</a><br /><br />In case you weren't paying attention (perhaps the forthcoming Lakers vs Celtics finals has you sidetracked)...<br /><br />The Angels just had a six game homestand.<br /><br />Four of the games ended with walk-off hits for the Angels.<br /><br />Monday, May 26 - Angels 1, Tigers 0 (12 innings)<br /><img src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/ga-walkoff.jpg" align="center" border="1"><br />Garret Anderson takes a 4-pitch walk with the bases loaded to force in the only run of the game.<br /><br />Tuesday, May 27 - Angels - Angels 3, Tigers 2<br /><img src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/matthews-walkoff.jpg" align="center" border="1"><br />After scoring two in the 8th inning to tie the game, Gary Matthews Jr hit a two-out single to score Sean Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth inning for the victory.<br /><br />Saturday, May 31 - Angels 3, Blue Jays 2 (10 innings)<br /><img src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/rivera-walkoff.jpg" align="center" border="1"><br />Juan Rivera hit a one-out pinch hit single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning for the win.<br /><br />Sunday, June 1 - Angels 4, Blue Jays 3<br /><img src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/izturis-walkoff.jpg" align="center" border="1"><br />With the Angels down one run in the bottom of the ninth and the bases loaded, Howie Kendrick was hit by a pitch (Anyone remember the classic Simpson's Episode???) to force in the tying run. Maicer Izturis later hit a two-out single to score Casey Kotchman and ignite the Halos' fourth walk-off celebration of the week.<br /><img src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/8F13-HomerAtBat.gif" align="center" border="1">Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-86092322824827928922008-06-02T13:41:00.000-07:002008-06-02T13:43:16.296-07:00Ex-Angels 6/2/2008copied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=223">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=223</a><br /><br /><img src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/colon-sox.jpg" align="left" border="1">Notes and stats from former Angels in the majors...<br /><br />From May 20 through May 28, Bengie Molina had 7 consecutive multi-hit games. The hot streak boosted his batting average from .276 to .339. Could this be the year Molina finally makes an All-Star team?<br /><br />Jose Molina isn't faring as well. In 34 games, he's hitting just .218.<br /><br />Troy Glaus has homered in back-to-back games and now has a whopping 4 home runs in 193 at-bats this season.<br /><br />Tampa Bay reliever, Troy Percival injured his hamstring last Wednesday and is on the 15-day disabled list.<br /><br />Fellow Rays' relief pitcher, Gary Glover, had a miserable May going 0-1 with a 10.50 era in 8 appearances. In April, Glover had a 1.69 era in 9 games.<br /><br />Cardinals reliever Russ Springer had a great May. In 12 games, he had an era of 0.90 and a batting average against of .171.<br /><br />After hitting .192 in April, Royals' of Jose Guillen hit .308 in May with 3 home runs and 21 rbi.<br /><br />Scott Schoeneweis continues to have a great season. In 25 appearances (23ip) he has an era of 1.17 and a whip of 0.83.<br /><br />Bobby Jenks recorded 8 saves in May while allowing only one earned run in 11 games.<br /><br />Bartolo Colon returned from a minor league stint and has started and won 3 games for the Red Sox. <br /><br />Met's rp Matt Wise is on the 15-day dl with a sore right shoulder.<br />The Atlanta Braves waived Chris Resop last week.<br /><br /><font size='1' face='courier'><br />EX-ANGEL TEAM AB R HR RBI BB SO AVG OPS<br />Bengie Molina SF 186 20 6 36 8 13 .323 .860<br />Darin Erstad HOU 73 13 1 12 2 13 .315 .799<br />Troy Glaus STL 193 20 4 34 33 37 .269 .795<br />Jose Guillen KC 215 22 7 38 7 44 .256 .724<br />David Eckstein TOR 135 17 1 13 11 12 .267 .697<br />Alfredo Amezaga FLA 131 15 1 7 13 19 .252 .675<br />Alberto Callaspo KC 79 4 0 3 8 7 .278 .661<br />Orlando Cabrera CWS 228 34 3 15 19 28 .241 .620<br />Jamie Burke SEA 35 4 1 3 4 1 .200 .596<br />Adam Kennedy STL 136 13 0 15 11 21 .243 .577<br />Jose Molina NYY 110 9 0 6 2 17 .218 .548<br />Damion Easley NYM 86 6 1 8 4 12 .209 .518<br />Nathan Haynes TB 44 3 0 3 3 12 .227 .504<br />Jim Edmonds CHC 121 8 2 11 12 27 .198 .494<br /><br />EX-ANGEL TEAM G W-L SV IP BB K ERA BAA<br />Scott Schoeneweis NYM 25 0-1 0 23.0 5 10 1.17 .187<br />J.C. Romero PHI 24 3-1 0 20.1 11 17 1.33 .244<br />Bobby Jenks CWS 23 2-0 14 22.1 6 14 1.61 .218<br />Kevin Gregg FLA 26 4-2 10 27.1 14 20 2.30 .194<br />Troy Percival TB 22 1-0 14 21.1 4 21 2.95 .133<br />Russ Springer STL 18 1-0 0 14.0 8 10 3.21 .259<br />Kent Mercker CIN 15 1-0 0 13.2 8 6 3.29 .265<br />Bartolo Colon BOS 3 3-0 0 18.0 5 13 3.50 .261<br />Paul Byrd CLE 11 2-5 0 63.2 8 24 4.66 .287<br />Gary Glover TB 17 0-2 0 16.2 12 10 4.86 .294<br />Joel Peralta KC 16 0-2 0 18.2 3 15 5.79 .250<br />Chris Resop ATL 16 0-1 0 18.1 10 13 5.89 .239<br />Matt Wise NYM 8 0-1 0 7.0 3 6 6.43 .323<br />Jarrod Washburn SEA 11 2-6 1 53.2 13 32 6.54 .318<br />Derrick Turnbow MIL 8 0-1 1 6.1 13 5 15.63 .414<br /></font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-8723426627540647752008-06-02T13:40:00.001-07:002008-06-02T13:40:34.103-07:00Why do our prospects hit like pitchers?copied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=221">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=221</a><br /><br />I wish I had an answer.<br /><br />Some stats to consider.<br /><br />Our prospects hit like pitchers...<br /><br />Brandon Wood is hitting .106 (5-for-47)<br />Sean Rodriguez is hitting .175 (11-for-63)<br />The average pitcher in the National League has a batting average around .165.<br /><br />Other teams' prospect can hit...<br /><br />The Cincinnati Reds just called up their "Super prospect" Jay Bruce and he had 3 hits in his debut last week. And to prove that wasn't a fluke, he had a 4-hit game yesterday. The 21-year old Bruce is hitting .571 (8-for-14) in his first week in the majors.<br /><br />Slow starts don't mean a thing...<br />In Troy Glaus' rookie season, he hit .218 in 165 at-bats with only one home run and he turned out pretty good...until the Mitchell Report. Glaus has 2 home runs this year in 187 at-bats for St. Louis.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-78913390682311855262008-06-02T13:37:00.000-07:002008-06-02T13:39:39.713-07:00Angels Record Deceivingcopied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=220">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=220</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/angelswin.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/angelswin.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Through 55 games, the Angels are 9 games over .500 at 32-23. They have also outscored their opponents by only 9 runs this season - an average of 4.25-4.09.<br /><br />While on the surface this looks good since the Angels are winning close games, it foreshadows a bigger problem. Eventually the numbers will catch up and the Angels win/loss record will become much closer to .500.<br /><br />Bill James, baseball stat geek extraordinarie, has a formula which works quite well to predict a teams record based on runs scored and runs allowed.<br /><br />The formula is rs*rs/(rs*rs + ra*ra).<br /><br />Using this formula the Angels should have a win/loss record of 29-26. The A's, who are currently two games behind the Angels, have an expected win/loss record of 33-20.<br /><br />I realize that 'expected runs' don't mean anything, but the point I'm trying to make is that the Angels have overachieved thus far and unless they start outscoring their opponents by more runs, I expect Oakland to overtake them for first place.<br /><br />How accurate is this stat?<br /><br />Here is a look at expected wins vs actual wins the past few years for the Angels. In the past seven years, the difference has never been more than four games.<br /><br />2007 - 94 actual wins, 90 expected wins<br />2006 - 89 actual wins, 85 expected wins<br />2005 - 95 actual wins, 95 expected wins<br />2004 - 92 actual wins, 91 expected wins<br />2003 - 77 actual wins, 80 expected wins<br />2002 - 99 actual wins, 103 expected wins<br />2001 - 75 actual wins, 77 expected winsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-43015847441527696132008-06-02T13:36:00.000-07:002008-06-02T13:37:16.113-07:00Angels to host 2010 All-Star Gamecopied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=219">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=219</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/asg.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/asg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />It's finally official. After months of speculation, Bud Selig was in town today to announce that Anaheim will host the 2010 Major League All-Star Game. The game will be played on July 13th.<br /><br />Anaheim has previously hosted games in 1989 and 1967.<br /><br />Five teams have waited longer for the All-Star Game to return to their city - Cincinnati (1988), Oakland (1987), Minnesota (1985), Dodgers (1980) and Kansas City (1973).<br /><br />There are three teams who have never hosted an All-Star Game - Tampa Bay, Arizona and Florida.<br /><br />Predicted sites for future games (just guesses)<br />2011 Arizona<br />2012 Kansas City<br />2013 New York Mets<br />2014 MinnesotaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-68026662501290968442008-06-02T13:35:00.000-07:002008-06-02T13:37:43.854-07:00Projecting Angels Stats at the 1/3 pointcopied from...<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=218">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=218</a><br /><br />The season is now 1/3 over. In 54 games, the Angels are 32-22 which projects to a 96-66 record, most likely good enough for a playoff spot.<br /><br />So here are some projected season-long Angels statistics calculated by multiplying their current stats by three.<br /><br />Projected RBI Leaders<br /><br />84 Casey Kotchman<br />84 Vladimir Guerrero<br />84 Gary Matthews Jr<br />81 Garret Anderson<br /><br />It's hard to imagine a 96-win club with no player knocking in 100 runs, but that's what the Angels are on pace to do. The last time the Angels didn't have a player with over 100 rbi was 1998 when Jim Edmonds led the club with 91. Last season Vlad led the team with 125.<br /><br />Projected HR Leaders<br /><br />30 Mike Napoli<br />21 Vladimir Guerrero<br />18 Casey Kotchman<br />18 Gary Matthews Jr<br />18 Torii Hunter<br /><br />Napoli's power has been a boost to the Angels offense. It would be surprising if he maintained hitting home runs every 10.3 at-bats like he currently is, but so far so good. Last year, only Vladdy was over the 20 home run plateau with 27.<br /><br />Projected Win/Loss Records<br /><br />24-3 Joe Saunders<br />21-6 Ervin Santana<br />15-9 Jon Garland<br /><br />There's no doubt that Saunders and Santana won't continue their torrid start, but without their stellar pitching the Angels would not be in first place. Remember, these two pitchers were supposed to be battling for the 5th starting spot in spring.<br /><br />Projected Saves<br /><br />63 - Francisco Rodriguez<br /><br />Quite a nice number for someone who will be a free agent in the off season. The Major League record is 57 saves set by Bobby Thigpen of the White Sox in 1990. Thigpen was 27 at the time and wound up saving only 53 more games in his career.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-59545218463476610662008-06-02T13:33:00.000-07:002008-06-02T13:35:12.046-07:00First Place Angels AWOL in ASG Voting...copied from<br /><a href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=217">http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=217</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/vlad07asg.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/uploads/vlad07asg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Major League Baseball posted it's first look at All-Star balloting today and to the surprise of nobody (and the delight of Selig and ESPN) the results are littered with Red Sox and Yankees and severly void of players on the first place teams.<br /><br />Baseball only lists the top five at each position, fifteen for outfielders, so the real extent of the oversights can't properly be judged.<br /><br />The Angels are first in the West and yet, if balloting ended todat, only Vladimir Guerrero would be an All-Star. In fact, the only other Halo to be listed is Torii Hunter who is 9th for outfielders.<br /><br />The East-leading Tampa Bay Rays fare even worse in the voting. Despite having the best record in all of baseball, no Ray is higher than first baseman Carlos Pena. Ray outfielders Carl Crawford and BJ Upton are 13th and 15th respectively.<br /><br />The Central Leading White Sox also only have three players amongst the top vote getters. DH Jim Thome is third highest, 3rd Baseman Joe Crede is 4th and former Angel Orlando Cabrera is 5th amongst shortstops.<br /><br />As for the leaders, they are all either Red Sox or Yankees except in the outfield where Ichiro is second and Vladdy third.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-4260203505932275072008-05-19T12:57:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:49:57.214-08:00Ex-Angels Report 5/19/08...copied from <a href='http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=216'>http://www.rallymonkey.com/pluggedout-blog2/index.php?entryid=216</a><br /><br><br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FiMlRWqnV-o/SDHcVU8tyRI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Qu8vKWGmTHY/s1600-h/edmondscubs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_FiMlRWqnV-o/SDHcVU8tyRI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Qu8vKWGmTHY/s400/edmondscubs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202181303548365074" border="0" /></a><br />Notes & Stats from former Angels in the majors...<br /><br />- 37-year old outfielder Jim Edmonds was released by the San Diego Padres after hitting just .178 this season. The Chicago Cubs picked him up and he has played in one game with them going 1-for-4.<br /><br />- Former All-Star reliever Derrick Turnbow was sent to Triple-A Nashville by the Brewers. In eight appearances with Milwaukee this year, Turnbow had an era of 15.63.<br /><br />- Tampa Bay outfielder Nathan Haynes was designated for assignment when Cliff Floyd was activated off the DL.<br /><br />- 40-year old, Kent Mercker, of the Cincinnati Reds, was placed on the 15-day DL with lower back pain.<br /><br />- Orlando Cabrera continues to struggle. The career .271 hitter, who hit .301 for the Angels last year, is hitting just .225 this season.<br /><br />- Darin Erstad hit his first home run of the season last week - a two-out, pinch-hit, three-run shot in the 8th inning to pull the Astros within one of the Giants in a game which the Astros eventually won 8-7.<br /><br />- Jose Guillen has raised his batting average from .165 to .245 over the last 10 games. He has hit safely in all ten games and his hitting .500 (19-for-38) over that span.<br /><br />- Mets\\\' lefty reliever Scott Schoeneweis has gone nine straight outings without allowing a run. In 17 appearances this season, he has only allowed two earned runs and has an era of 1.38.<br /><br />- Matt Wise is back for the Mets after spending 6 weeks on the DL with a forearm strain.<br /><br />- Jarrod Washburn recorded his first career save last Wednesday. He was Seattle\\\'s 8th pitcher of the game and pitched a scoreless 12th inning.<br /><br />- Rays\\\' reliever Gary Glover has been roughed up lately. In his last 4 outings (2.2 ip), he has given up runs in three of them.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:\'courier\';font-size:1;"><br />EX-ANGEL TEAM AB R HR RBI BB SO AVG OPS<br />Darin Erstad HOU 64 13 1 11 1 11 .313 .807<br />Troy Glaus STL 152 15 2 28 28 31 .263 .785<br />Bengie Molina SF 142 12 4 22 5 7 .275 .727<br />Alberto Callaspo KC 57 2 0 3 7 3 .298 .726<br />Jose Guillen KC 159 18 5 30 7 34 .245 .717<br />Adam Kennedy STL 111 11 0 13 9 18 .270 .638<br />David Eckstein TOR 118 16 1 12 6 12 .246 .637<br />Jamie Burke SEA 25 3 1 3 3 0 .200 .606<br />Alfredo Amezaga FLA 114 12 0 6 12 15 .228 .605<br />Orlando Cabrera CWS 173 27 3 11 14 21 .225 .585<br />Damion Easley NYM 63 5 1 7 4 9 .222 .566<br />Jose Molina NYY 82 7 0 3 2 13 .207 .541<br />Nathan Haynes TB 44 3 0 3 3 12 .227 .504<br />Jim Edmonds CHC 90 6 1 6 10 24 .178 .498<br /><br />EX-ANGEL TEAM G W-L SV IP BB K ERA BAA<br />Scott Schoeneweis NYM 17 0-1 0 13.0 2 7 1.38 .222<br />J.C. Romero PHI 21 3-1 0 18.0 11 15 1.50 .246<br />Bobby Jenks CWS 19 2-0 10 18.1 5 12 1.96 .231<br />Troy Percival TB 17 0-0 11 17.0 2 15 2.12 .119<br />Kevin Gregg FLA 20 3-2 7 20.2 10 12 2.61 .222<br />Paul Byrd CLE 8 2-3 0 47.1 5 22 3.61 .262<br />Kent Mercker CIN 13 0-0 0 11.2 7 6 3.86 .279<br />Gary Glover TB 13 0-2 0 13.1 9 8 4.05 .283<br />Russ Springer STL 12 1-0 0 9.1 7 7 4.82 .316<br />Matt Wise NYM 4 0-1 0 3.1 1 4 5.40 .333<br />Jarrod Washburn SEA 9 2-5 1 45.1 10 28 5.56 .295<br />Chris Resop ATL 13 0-1 0 13.2 7 11 5.93 .259<br />Joel Peralta KC 10 0-1 0 13.0 2 14 6.23 .255<br />Derrick Turnbow MIL 8 0-1 1 6.1 13 5 15.63 .414</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-44873954020535807942008-01-27T16:16:00.000-08:002008-12-10T23:49:57.787-08:00Top 10<span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">Top 10 Prospects and a little info on the top three.</span><br />1. Brandon Wood, ss<br />2. Nick Adenhart, rhp<br />3. Hank Conger, c<br />4. Sean O'Sullivan, rhp<br />5. Matt Sweeney, 3B<br />6. Jordan Walden, rhp<br />7. Nick Green, rhp<br />8. Chris Pettit, of<br />9. Peter Bourjos, of<br />10. Sean Rodriguez, ss<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R50fPtzEKkI/AAAAAAAAAF0/OTX_J7MQ_dY/s1600-h/a.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160315102888733250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R50fPtzEKkI/AAAAAAAAAF0/OTX_J7MQ_dY/s320/a.bmp" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#cc0000;">Wood</span>: It's possible that Wood may never live up to his 2005 season, in which he had more than 100 extra-base hits. That doesn't mean he won't be a very productive run producer in the big leagues. He's got a career .528 slugging percentage and managed to make his Major League debut at age 22. At the same time, he made a pretty smooth transition to third base.<br />Wood still strikes out a lot and headed to Mexico this winter to work on pitch recognition. The real question now is where he'll play. Will it be at third for the Angels, where Chone Figgins is likely to play in '08? Could he move back to shortstop now that Orlando Cabrera is gone, though Erick Aybar appears to be the front-runner there? Or perhaps he'll end up calling another organization home.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R50fmdzEKlI/AAAAAAAAAF8/xraVw4iregU/s1600-h/a.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160315493730757202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 101px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 123px" height="139" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R50fmdzEKlI/AAAAAAAAAF8/xraVw4iregU/s320/a.bmp" width="115" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#990000;">Adenhart:</span> One of the most intriguing picks in the 2004 draft, Adenhart has been rewarding the Angels for selecting him in the 14th round of that draft even though he required Tommy John surgery. Now they have one of the top right-handed pitching prospects in the game, one with a three-pitch mix who has played an entire season of Double-A ball and is just 21 years old.<br />Needless to say, Adenhart is way ahead of the curve despite the elbow surgery he had after being drafted. He'll move up to Triple-A and be knocking on the big-league door all season long. Should the Angels need help or decide to trade from their pitching depth, it shouldn't surprise anyone if Adenhart arrives in Los Angeles next season.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R50gINzEKmI/AAAAAAAAAGE/sMft07rCyXc/s1600-h/a.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160316073551342178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 110px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 159px" height="250" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R50gINzEKmI/AAAAAAAAAGE/sMft07rCyXc/s320/a.bmp" width="101" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#990000;">Conger</span>: Conger battled injuries that have slowed his development, suffering a broken hamate bone in his right hand in his pro debut, sapping his power in '07, followed by missing 6 weeks mid-season with a lower back problem, followed by a hamstring injury entering fall ball. Be that as it may, the Angels have themselves a legitimate switch-hitting power threat from the catching position, which is a rare find.Conger despite the injuries, finished 3rd in slugging pct. in the Midwest League, though he didn't have enough at bats to actually qualify due to the time he missed with injuries. An offensive minded catcher, Conger profiles to hit for power in the big leagues from both sides of the plate. Hank makes hard contact to all fields with an aggressive approach at the plate. "Hyun Conger, given his nickname by his Korean grandfather in honor of Hank Aaron, has carried a lofty reputation ever since he swatted 34 home runs and helped pitch his Huntington Beach Little League team to within one victory of the 2000 Little League World Series. Now, he's the top catching prospect.Kegmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00295219758508914262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-63567513343974981932008-01-25T11:11:00.001-08:002008-12-10T23:49:58.049-08:00Santana Bouncing back after bad 07<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R5o0-NzEKjI/AAAAAAAAAFs/a0c-GbHqOEs/s1600-h/a.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159494566566701618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R5o0-NzEKjI/AAAAAAAAAFs/a0c-GbHqOEs/s320/a.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Resolute to regain a slot in the Angels rotation, Ervin Santana has drawn enthusiastic reviews for his work with Licey in the Dominican Winter League. </div><div><br />On Monday, Santana outdueled ex- teammate Bartolo Colon in a 5-1 victory over Aguilas Cibaenas in the DWL championship series. Pitching five scoreless innings, giving up just four hits and a walk while striking out four, Santana restrained a lineup that included Huston Astro’s shortstop Miguel Tejada, LA Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal and Cincinnati Reds third baseman Edwin Encarnacion. </div><div><br />"We've gotten solid reports on him," New Angels General Manager Tony Reagins said of Santana, who is 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA. "His concentration and confidence have been outstanding, and the locations of his fastball, breaking ball and changeup have been great. His last two outings, he didn't give up a run. He's pitching with confidence, and that's exciting to see." </div><div><br />In his short rookie season in 2005 with the Angels pitching for injured starting pitcher Kelvim Escobar, Santana ended the Season with 12 wins. In the 2006 season, he finished with a 16-8 record. After a disappointing start to the 2007 season where he went 5-11 with a 6.22 ERA, lost his rotation spot and he was optioned to triple-A Salt Lake Bees on July 18, 2007. He was recalled by the Angels on August 17, 2007 and regained his spot in the starting rotation. He is expected to compete with Joe Saunders for the fifth slot this spring. Manager Mike Scioscia has expressed confidence that Santana, at 25, can rebound and regain his stature as a frontline pitcher. </div>Kegmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00295219758508914262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-32996894595099735602008-01-13T13:25:00.001-08:002008-01-13T13:30:06.668-08:00Offseason Week In Review - January 13Angels notes from the past week.<br /><br />- Chuck Finley received one vote on the Hall Of Fame ballot in which Goose Gossage was the only player elected. Former Angel Bert Blyleven was 4th with 61.9% of the vote and Lee Smith was 5th with 43.3%. To be elected, a player needs to receive 75% of the vote. Blyleven and Smith will be on the ballot again next year, but Finley will not be since he did not receive at least 5% of the vote.<br /><br />- Rumor 1: The Angels are rumored to be in trade discussions with the Chicago White Sox for Paul Konerko.<br /><br />- Rumor 2: The St Louis Cardinals are looking to add another former Angel, Troy Glaus. Rumor has it that the Cards would send Scott Rolen to Toronto for Glaus.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-77733393978074432392008-01-07T11:55:00.000-08:002008-01-07T12:41:13.379-08:00Offseason Week In Review - January 6All is quiet on the Angels front.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-83087314829638276432007-12-30T16:17:00.000-08:002007-12-30T16:27:02.861-08:00Offseason Week In Review - December 30Another predictably slow week for the Angels and in all of Major League Baseball. Former Angel Darin Erstad was signed to a one-year deal with the Houston Astros. MLB.com has a <a href="http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071218&content_id=2330274&vkey=news_ana&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana">nice article on the Angels year in review</a>.<br /><br />Happy New Year!<br /><br />Previous Off-Season Weeks In Review:<br /><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/offseason-week-in-review-december-23.html">December 23, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/offseason-week-in-review-december-16.html">December 16, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/offseason-week-in-review-december-9.html">December 9 , 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/offseason-week-in-review-december-2.html">December 2, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-25.html">November 25, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-18.html">November 18, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-11.html">November 11, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-4.html">November 4, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/10/offseason-week-in-review-october-28.html">October 28, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/10/offseason-week-in-review-october-21.html">October 21, 2007</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-74986161530015685192007-12-28T15:06:00.000-08:002008-12-10T23:49:58.686-08:00Chuck set to go on ballot<div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R3WB10bOQUI/AAAAAAAAAFU/HVtmr32YOh0/s1600-h/a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149164510573904194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R3WB10bOQUI/AAAAAAAAAFU/HVtmr32YOh0/s320/a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>For 14 seasons, with good, average and bad teams, Chuck Finley took the ball for the Angels and made good things happen. In terms of giving customers their money's worth, he was as dependable as they came. </div><div><br />Finley, a 6-foot-6 lefty with a mid-90s fastball and lethal split-fingered fastball, threw 2,675 innings in an Angels uniform, winning 165 games. Right behind him, with 2,181 1/3 innings and 138 wins, is Nolan Ryan. </div><div><br />Retiring in 2002, Finley is making his first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot dispensed to voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Finley's career lasted 17 seasons, and he ranks 23rd all-time in strikeouts with 2,610. </div><div><br />At his five-year peak -- from 1989 through 1993 -- he was among the elite pitchers in the game. In his 1992 edition of The Baseball Book, Bill James ranked Finley second among all American League starters, behind Roger Clemens. Finley was 16-9 with a 2.57 ERA in 1989, 18-9 with a 2.40 ERA in 1990. He went 18-9 again in 1991, meaning he was 36-18 over a two-year period with teams that finished two games below .500. </div><div><br />Finley made it to the postseason as a 23-year-old rookie with the Angels in 1986, appearing in three games of the American League Championship Series against Boston and holding the Red Sox scoreless with one hit in two innings. He didn't return to the postseason until 2001, after moving to Cleveland as a free agent in 2000. Dealt to St. Louis in July 2002, Finley finished his career in style, beating the Giants in Game 3 of the NLCS that year in San Francisco in his final Major League appearance. </div><div><br />The big man from the Bayou with that big smile and easy going manner finished his career with a 200-173 record. He notched his 2,610 strikeouts in 3,197 1/3 innings, fashioning a 3.85 ERA. Those overall numbers are comparable to those of Hall of Famer Jesse Hanes, who was 210-158 with a 3.64 career ERA. </div><div><br />Five times Finley finished in the top 10 in the AL in ERA, and three times he was in the top five. Reflecting a consistency that made him a leader on any staff he graced, Finley won at least 15 games seven times, reaching double figures 12 times across 14 seasons starting in 1989. The Angels struggled through the '90s, but in 1997 they put it together and appeared capable of challenging Seattle in the AL West. But Finley broke his left wrist backing up home plate on a routine play, his season-ending injury a critical blow for the Angels as they finished second. He struck out a career-high 215 batters in 238 innings in 1996, yet his record was 15-16. Two years later, he racked up 212 strikeouts with a 3.39 ERA -- and finished 11-9 in 34 starts.<br /><br />After the Angels released Finley, he was signed by the Indians to play for the 2000 season. He went 16-11 with a 4.17 ERA. He went 8-7 with a 5.54 era for the Indians in 2001, and then in 2002 went 4-11 with a 4.44 ERA in 18 games before being traded to the Cardinals for former Indians and now Red Sox player Covelli "Coco" Crisp. </div><div><br />He is the only pitcher to strike out four hitters in the same inning more than once, something he accomplished three times in the span of one year -- May 12, 1999 to April 16, 2000. </div><div><br />Finley was selected by the Angels in the 15th round of the 1984 Draft out of Northeast Louisiana University, but he did not sign. The Angels chose him again in the 1st round of the secondary phase of the 1985 Draft. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R3WCeUbOQWI/AAAAAAAAAFk/BrPLTt6rrsI/s1600-h/a.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149165206358606178" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R3WCeUbOQWI/AAAAAAAAAFk/BrPLTt6rrsI/s320/a.bmp" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />Filmography<br /><a name="self1990">Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit '99</a> (1999) (TV) .... Himself<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hATaKOAYDXg/R3WCSEbOQVI/AAAAAAAAAFc/qt7EdoViFDY/s1600-h/a.bmp"></a></div></div></div>Kegmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00295219758508914262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-62312175975087575982007-12-27T18:57:00.001-08:002007-12-27T19:07:27.146-08:00Darin Erstad signs with Houston<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rallymonkey.com/cards/all/thumbnails/17-1972t.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 135px;" src="http://www.rallymonkey.com/cards/all/thumbnails/17-1972t.jpg" alt="" border="1" /></a>Former Halo Hero Darin Erstad signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Houston Astros today.<br /><br />Erstad spent last season with the Chicago White Sox and hit .248 in 87 games. In 12 seasons (11 with the Angels), he had a .284 career batting average.<br /><br />He will be used as a left-handed pinch hitter for Houston. Erstad replaces former Angels teammate, Orlando Palmeiro who was not offered a contract by Houston.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-75421264699102903832007-12-23T19:47:00.000-08:002007-12-23T19:51:53.772-08:00Offseason Week In Review - December 23Every week this off-season, I've compiled the top stories of the week on Sunday. However, nothing, and I mean, nothing, happened this week. With the holidays, I doubt that anything will happen next week either.<br /><br />Happy Holidays.<br /><br />Previous Off-Season Weeks In Review:<br /><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/offseason-week-in-review-december-16.html">December 16, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/offseason-week-in-review-december-9.html">December 9 , 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/offseason-week-in-review-december-2.html">December 2, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-25.html">November 25, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-18.html">November 18, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-11.html">November 11, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-4.html">November 4, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/10/offseason-week-in-review-october-28.html">October 28, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/10/offseason-week-in-review-october-21.html">October 21, 2007</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-56452376347855415492007-12-16T13:46:00.000-08:002007-12-17T01:12:33.440-08:00Offseason Week In Review - December 16The Mitchell Investigation was the big baseball news of this past week. Despite naming many players, there seemed to be a lack of current stars included in the report.<br /><br />Headlines for the past week (December 10, 2007 - December 16, 2007)<br /><ul><li><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/mo-vaughn-miguel-tejada-etc-linked-to.html">Mitchell Investigation Released</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/miguel-tejada-traded-to-houston.html">Tejada's not coming to Anaheim</a><br /></li><li>Former Halo favorites change teams</li><li><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/angels-let-dallas-mcpherson-go-to-free.html">Angels do not resign McPherson</a><br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mitchell Investigation Released</span><br /><br />The long awaited Mitchell Investigation on steroid and HGH use in MLB was released. The list contained several players who spent some time with the Angels. They included: Mo Vaughn, Glenallen Hill, Adam Riggs, Randy Velarde, Troy Glaus, Gary Matthews Jr, Jose Guillen, Wally Joyner, Paul Byrd, Scott Schoeneweis, Ismael Valdez, Brendan Donnelly, Kent Mercker, Bart Miadich, Derrick Turnbow, Jason Christiansen and Jason Grimsley.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tejada's not coming to Anaheim</span><br /><br />Third Baseman Miguel Tejada was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Houston Astros for five players. Tejada was often rumored to come to Anaheim, but the Angels were not foolish enough to give up five players for him.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Former Halo favorites changing teams</span><br /><br />David Eckstein was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays to a one-year $4.5 million contract. Outfielder Jim Edmonds was traded by the St Louis Cardinals to the San Diego Padres for 3rd baseman prospect David Freese.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Angels do not re-sign McPherson</span><br /><br />The Angels did not offer a contract to oft-injured 3rd baseman Dallas McPherson. He will now become a free agent with the San Francisco Giants currently listed as a team that is interested in him.<br /><br />Previous Off-Season Weeks In Review:<br /><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/offseason-week-in-review-december-9.html">December 9 , 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/12/offseason-week-in-review-december-2.html">December 2, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-25.html">November 25, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-18.html">November 18, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-11.html">November 11, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/11/offseason-week-in-review-november-4.html">November 4, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/10/offseason-week-in-review-october-28.html">October 28, 2007</a><br /><a href="http://heavenlythoughts2007.blogspot.com/2007/10/offseason-week-in-review-october-21.html">October 21, 2007</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-77520345132925245352007-12-13T12:18:00.000-08:002007-12-13T22:57:39.762-08:00Mo Vaughn, Miguel Tejada, etc Linked To Steroids and HGHThe Mitchell Report came out today with a list of 78 names of major league baseball players who were accused of using steroids and/or HGH.<br /><br />The highest profile players have all been rumored to be on the list. They include Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada, Jason Giambi and Eric Gagne.<br /><br />My favorite name so far is Mo Vaughn.<br /><br />Other players with Halo connections are Glenallen Hill, Adam Riggs, Randy Velarde, Troy Glaus, Gary Matthews Jr, Jose Guillen, Wally Joyner, Paul Byrd, Scott Schoeneweis, Ismael Valdez, Brendan Donnelly, Kent Mercker, Bart Miadich, Derrick Turnbow, Jason Christiansen and Jason Grimsley.<br /><br />That's all the names that pop up while searching the Mitchell Report for "Angels."<br /><br />What I find most interesting is that of the 17 current and former Angels mentioned in the report, 9 of them are pitchers. I'm sure there will be a comprehensive list coming out shortly, but it is interesting that there are so many pitchers considering that public opinion has always been that the hitters benefit the most.<br /><br />How is Brad Fullmer not on this list?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-3962068543957053492007-12-13T00:09:00.000-08:002007-12-13T00:22:00.147-08:00Angels let Dallas McPherson go to free agencyThe Angels have announced that they will not offer a contract to 3rd baseman Dallas McPherson.<br /><br />By not offering the 27 year old McPherson a contract, he becomes a free agent and can be signed by any team without compensation to the Angels.<br /><br />McPherson was a top prospect for the Angels following the 2004 season in which he hit 40 home runs for AA-Arkansas and AAA-Salt Lake. He was then basically handed the 3rd Baseman job as the Angels let Troy Glaus go via free agency. Then began his string of injuries started as he never played in more than 61 games in a season. <br /><br />In 2007, he was out the whole year with back surgery.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062291018968034287.post-4646759096620155202007-12-12T13:48:00.000-08:002007-12-12T14:11:33.993-08:00Miguel Tejada Traded To HoustonWhew. It seemed like the Angels were going to overpay for this guy. Instead, the Houston Astros did, sending five players to Baltimore for Tejada.<br /><br />The Orioles receive pitchers Matt Albers, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate, outfielder Luke Scott and third baseman Michael Costanzo. Patton is rated the 3rd best Houston prospect and Costanzo the 5th.<br /><br />The Angels have always been interested in Tejada, but the price was always too steep. Fortunately, the Angels missed again. Personal reasons for not wanting Tejada are his diminishing power numbers and career .228 batting average in Angel Stadium.<br /><center><br /><IFRAME NAME="Mike Costanzo (Houston Astros) - Photo Courtesy of www.ElPhotoLoco.org" SRC="http://www.elphotoloco.org/link.php?gallery=13&photo=188" WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="400" FRAMEBORDER="1" SCROLLING="NO" MARGINWIDTH="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0"></IFRAME><br>Mike Costanzo<br /></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0