A history lesson

by LA Seitz on Jun 28, 2007 2:04 AM PDT Comment 39 comments

Moved Over From The Diaries...

Just a quick lesson for the chicken littles in the game threads.

2005:
May 7-9: Three game losing streak against the crappy Tigers (2) and decent Indians (1).
July 7-10: Four game sweep at the hands of the crappy Mariners.
July 24-28: Four game losing streak, including a sweep by the below average Blue Jays.
August 25-30: Five game losing streak, including a sweep by Tampa Bay. Tampa. Freaking. Bay.
September 12-15: Four game losing streak, including a sweep by Seattle, and a loss to the Tigers.

2004:
April 18-20: Three game losing streak
May 24-28: Four game losing streak, including a sweep by the Blue Jays who were even crappier than they were in 2005.
June 4-9: Five game losing streak against mediocre Cleveland and crappy Milwaukee.
June 16-18: Three game losing streak against Pittsburgh and Houston.
June 29-July 1: Four game losing streak, Dodgers and Oakland.
July 18-21: Four game losing streak, Boston (1), Cleveland (2), and Texas (1).
September 21-24: Three game losing streak, Seattle and Oakland.

2002 - Not even counting the awful start:
June 15-19: Four game losing streak, St. Louis and Dodgers.
June 24-25: Three game losing streak, all Texas, two in one day.
July 13-15: Three game losing streak, two against Kansas City.
August 7-9: Three game losing streak, Chicago and Toronto.
September 21-25: Four game losing streak, Seattle and Texas.

Sometimes a team goes through a rough stretch. Even very good teams. It's not the end of the world.

This Fan-Post is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.

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Thank you

and I love you.

by Sweetmeats on Jun 27, 2007 3:46 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

::backs away from the edge::

Just kidding. I aint skerred. Shit happens. It's a long season. A marathon, not a race. Blah, blah, sports cliché, blah.

Some people around here are so quick to turn...

Thanks for the numbers.

Wait...he did what?

by ReggieBullits on Jun 27, 2007 3:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I was kind of hoping it WAS the end of the world

so I wouldn't have to pay my July rent.

by Rev Halofan on Jun 27, 2007 3:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Speaking of history lessons,

the most important history lesson for Angels fans...

Ain't no stoppin' us now. We got the groove!

by Fan Since 1981 on Jun 27, 2007 3:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's not 2012

It hasn't happened lately, but I'm sure you longtime fans must remember that it seemed almost every year in the 80's and early 90's, at one point in each season we looked like the best team in the league. I hope that is not the case this year of course.

P.S. Just keep beating our division rivals and we will be fine and I will be happy.

by elricsi on Jun 27, 2007 4:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Sure

It happens, but it's damned annoying. The big problem I see is that the pitching, which has been lately inconsistent, was being carried by the offense (c.f. the Astros and Pirates series), but even that's ground to a halt. According to the Times recap, the Angels were hitless with runners in scoring position. That's bush league, and nobody exemplified that slump better than Vlad, who drove in zero runs this whole series. That will change, but it's still mighty frustrating to watch.

Ervin Santana To AAA! (But only for road games.)

by scareduck on Jun 27, 2007 4:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree with Scareduck

I appreciate the history lesson. I feel so much better know about getting swept by the Royals. It's good to see that you take a loss so well. Many of us chicken littles (as you call us) are just calling the game as we see it. We all know that this is a long season and you can never get to high or too low. Just because some of us express some criticism every once in a while doesn't mean we don't have faith in this team.

by AMB07 on Jun 27, 2007 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Once in a while?

If you think scareduck only expresses criticism "once in a while", you haven't been attention.

It's good to see that you take a loss so well.

It's called perspective. You both could use a bit.

by LA Seitz on Jun 27, 2007 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dammit

you haven't been attention.

Make that "paying" attention.

by LA Seitz on Jun 27, 2007 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right

Because how dare any of us suggest the team is due for a slump in one or more areas of play. And I'm the one who needs perspective?

Ervin Santana To AAA! (But only for road games.)

by scareduck on Jun 27, 2007 5:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pretty much, yeah

I mean just look at your most recent post:
"The offense sucks". That's a hell of a lot different than "the offense is decent, but slumping at the moment."

I mean, fourth in runs scored, only ten runs behind the second place Indians? Yeah, the offense sure sucks alright. The other day you were complaining about a starting pitching staff that's tied for the second best starting ERA in the league. And if the Angels had lost 3-2 today instead of 1-0, I would lay pretty good odds that you would have found a way to complain about Jered Weaver.

I'm not exactly asking anyone to do cartwheels and throw a party. I hate seeing them lose as much as the next guy. I'm simply reminding people that every good team has a stretch or two at some point of the season that seems out of whack. Hell, the 2005 White Sox played under .500 for an entire month (from August 12 to September 11), and still won 99 games. And that included a sweep by the same Angels team that they bitchslapped in the ALCS.

by LA Seitz on Jun 27, 2007 8:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah... those White Sox surprised everyone.

The GM should have DFA'd the team when they were slumping.

by melvintoast on Jun 27, 2007 8:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Truce

Hey, I believe in being positive. I know this team will turn the page on this series rather quiickly and we will go on to win more series then we lose. Today was a tough loss (amplified by a Mariners win)and sometimes I get ahead of myself.

by AMB07 on Jun 27, 2007 9:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow, what arrogance

You're the one reading too much into my comments. You choose to do that. You have always chosen to do that. Every damn time I have said anything negative about this team, you've been around to make it sound like I'm totally down on them and generally expand it past anything I've actually written. Knock it off.

Ervin Santana To AAA! (But only for road games.)

by scareduck on Jun 27, 2007 9:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

And, just to refresh your warped memory

here's what I actually wrote:

The one good thing to come of this was an excellent start by Jered Weaver, but it doesn't mask the facts that (a) the offense stinks, and (b) the offense has masked some pretty abysmal pitching over the last couple weeks (see also, the Astros and Pirates series).

So, the offense stinks now, but clearly there was a time where it didn't. You just chose to stop reading after part (a).

Ervin Santana To AAA! (But only for road games.)

by scareduck on Jun 27, 2007 9:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rob,

I will try to be polite and respectful about this.

You have a reputation of being too negative. You have a reputation of harping on things from a "Sky is Falling" perspective.

When you make a negative post that also includes positive information, you cannot reasonably expect people to not call you negative. You cannot have it both ways based on one half of one post after your many years of neevr letting the Angels rest in their pursuit of excellence.

by Rev Halofan on Jun 27, 2007 10:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well said

Rob has a unique gift for almost always finding the dark cloud in every silver lining.

by LA Seitz on Jun 28, 2007 5:40 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Other people's prejudices

about what I write does not give anybody the right to quote me out of context (or not at all) and claim I wrote something I did not.

Ervin Santana To AAA! (But only for road games.)

by scareduck on Jun 28, 2007 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

both of you

What the hell is this? High school?

Rob, Seitz, you both maintain sites that I read on a daily basis, and both of you have perfectly valid opinions. You guys need to cut each other some slack...you're both obviously talented, and besides, you're rooting for the same damn team, so why the arguing?

East coast bias

by Carl Johnson on Jun 28, 2007 5:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's funny...

Who wasn't attention now?

er, I mean "paying attention."

hehehe

Peanuts...Get your Overpriced Peanuts!

by Angel Hawker on Jun 28, 2007 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Apparently

a team that clutch-hits together, slumps together.

by Higz on Jun 27, 2007 4:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Come on people now... Try and love one another

right now...

by melvintoast on Jun 28, 2007 9:02 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

the bummer about this streak

was that I was on such a high going into the 3 games against KC. It's like when you're doing blow all night then just suddenly stop and you have no booze/weed to ease the come down. (So I've heard, of course)

Yankees, please take Hillenbrand away.

by Hutch (someone took my name) on Jun 28, 2007 10:36 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

So I've heard too...

by Rev Halofan on Jun 28, 2007 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Curiously omitted; Chicken Little squaks

ALCS 1982, ALCS 1986, 1995: For these teams, it was the end of the world.

The fat lady's sung on Darren Oliver's career -- Get the Fuggghhh out!

by PieceOfAase on Jun 28, 2007 1:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

What's curious about it?

by LA Seitz on Jun 28, 2007 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What's curious is that these unmentioned

good teams had rough stretches at inopportune times that proved to be fatal, or, in your parlance, the "end of the world."

The fat lady's sung on Darren Oliver's career -- Get the Fuggghhh out!

by PieceOfAase on Jun 28, 2007 1:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Do I really need to explain

the difference between the playoffs and the regular season? Really?

But that's beside the point, which is that not all losing streaks are season killers. If that didn't come through, I suggest you re-read the post, because you clearly didn't get it the first time.

by LA Seitz on Jun 28, 2007 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Your "post" makes NO distinction

between regular and post-season losing streaks. Instead, you give a ham-handed list of instances in given seasons where losing streaks were not fatal to the team's ultimate success. Well, I just gave you exceptions! For the seasons that I had listed, those losing streaks proved FATAL. You state that not all losing streaks are season killers -- BFD, how novel a postulation!

The fat lady's sung on Darren Oliver's career -- Get the Fuggghhh out!

by PieceOfAase on Jun 28, 2007 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

1995

was a one-game losing streak.

by Rev Halofan on Jun 28, 2007 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But the 9-game losing streak of 8/25/95

followed by the other 9-game losing streak of 9/13/95 essentially Hindenburg'd our Halos.

The fat lady's sung on Darren Oliver's career -- Get the Fuggghhh out!

by PieceOfAase on Jun 28, 2007 6:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

When this turns into a nine game losing streak, you can panic.

by LA Seitz on Jun 28, 2007 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

And when this turns into a nine game losing

streak, you'll probably have enough anti-Angel fodder for your rant-filled and invective-laden "blog" to last you a year.

Hey Shea, here's hoping that you're Big in Japan!

by PieceOfAase on Jun 29, 2007 1:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You are predicting sweeps by BAL and TEX

You're on record, PIECE !

by Rev Halofan on Jun 29, 2007 1:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No more so than the originator of this diary

Hey Shea, here's hoping that you're Big in Japan!

by PieceOfAase on Jun 29, 2007 7:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't forget 1985 and 1998

7 1/2 game lead on the Royals in mid-July
3 1/2 game lead on the Rangers in mid-Sept

I will now cancel my above negativity with the following:

Angels win their 2nd straight AL Western Division Championship in 2005, as they celebrate on the A's home field.

Ain't no stoppin' us now. We got the groove!

by Fan Since 1981 on Jun 28, 2007 1:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Aw man, the link didn't work

Oh, well. It was great. Celebrating AGAIN on the A's home field after the 2004 championship.

Ain't no stoppin' us now. We got the groove!

by Fan Since 1981 on Jun 28, 2007 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Anyone care to guess what year this snippet is

from?
139 Thu, Sep 8 box CHW KCR L 2-4 87-52 1 up 8.5 2:50 J Howell F Garcia 17,701 -
140 Fri, Sep 9 box CHW LAA L 5-6 (12) 87-53 1 up 7.5 3:45 B Donnelly D Hermanson 28,059 --
141 Sat, Sep 10 box CHW LAA L 5-10 87-54 1 up 6.5 3:03 B Colon J Garland 26,538 ---
142 Sun, Sep 11 box CHW LAA L 1-6 87-55 1 up 5.5 2:36 J Lackey O Hernandez 29,321 ----
143 Tue, Sep 13 box CHW @KCR W 6-4 88-55 1 up 6.0 3:01 J Contreras M Wood 9,535 +
144 Wed, Sep 14 box CHW @KCR L 9-10 88-56 1 up 5.0 3:03 C Demaria D Hermanson 9,922 -
145 Thu, Sep 15 box CHW @KCR L 5-7 88-57 1 up 4.5 2:58 A Burgos M Buehrle 9,258 --

by melvintoast on Jun 28, 2007 6:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs