Angels at the Half-Way Point

I just got here and missed the postgame/game threads, but Rev, you’re exactly right.

This game more than any other lately convinced me that this team is in trouble without any significant changes.

They’re still in first place. They still have an amazing pitching staff. But that might not be enough.

instead of letting the A’s and Rangers hang around.

AMEN dude you are 100% right. This shit needs to change and that means HGH and GA hit the bench ASAP. Rivera cant possibly do worse than those to pices of garbage (No disrispect to GA’s career as an Angel, but seriously retire already.)

I would say call up Kendry but hes on the DL so give Rivera the DH/LF role until Morales gets better and then have him DH and Rivera in LF.

My brother, sister, dad, and brother in law were all over me after last nights lose. I told them we gave it to them for free since they cant get to .500 by themselves to catch a 1 game over .500 1st place D-Backs.

im sure that some team will take him for a bucket of balls or a few bats. if nobody will, then we need to release him and eat his contract. I know he has a NTC, but benching him for a few days and the threat of release should get him to wave it. Put Juan in LF, bench GA for a little (at the very least just to make sure he is completely healthy and to send a message). Reggie can also get some playin time. For gods sake, put kotch in the 3rd spot in the lineup. hell tear up the league with vlad hitting behind him. kendrick does not leave the 7 (or 8) spot in the lineup. Maicer bats 2nd. Napoli starts. The lineup must be…
Figgins, Maicer, Kotch, Vlad, Torii, Juan, HK, Naps, Reggie. When Morales gets healthy, insert into lineup when possible. I dont give a damn about defense at the moment because the team hasnt been able to score a run and mathis cant hit for shit or field right now.

but Hatcher has to go. Rivera should play everyday until he proves he cannot, GA when he plays should bat 7th (he has been a favorite of mine for more than a decade but he is not producing and hitting him 3rd is bizarre). I’m also going to jump on the Morales bandwagon. My batting order would be:
1-Figgy, 3b
2-Izzy, SS
3-Hunter, CF
4-Vlad,RF
5-Kotch, 1b
6-Kendrick, 2b
7-Morales, DH
8-Rivera/GA, LF
9-Naps

Funny thing about baseball seasons…they are long. I have faith that someone or someones will step up with the bat…

ps…sure am glad that I missed last night’s game…it seems to have really bummed some folks out and rightfully so!

Time to play Morales and Rivera

This isn’t a slump. Our hitting has been a problem all year and we are going nowhere in the playoffs if we don’t turn it around. Who do I blame? Soth. His lineups are complete garbage! GA 3rd?? GMJ playing over Rivera?? It hasn’t worked all year, what makes him think it’s going to work all of a sudden?

How the hell can dodger fans celebrate the fact that they just got no-hit?

This is embarassing for us, but only slightly less embarassing for them, no?

GA isn’t going anywhere. However, batting him 3rd or 4th (or even 5th) is criminal when our offense can’t score a single frickin’ run two nights in a row against the Dodgers! Bat him 7th, and rotate him between LF/DH. Then, if he suddenly turns it on like second half last year (not impossible), move him up to 5th or even 4th.

The real Steve Finley this year is GMJ. At what point does Sosh realize he has reverted to his true abilities, and give Rivera a real chance. Even if Willits could reproduce his first half next year, we have enough slap-happy single hitters (Figgy, Aybar/Izturis) in the lineup already and we need another power hitter. For some reason I cannot understand, Sosh has decided that JR can’t reproduce what he did in ‘06, so he is rotting on the bench while we flail away at offense. Maybe JR made a pass at Sosh’s wife?

My other beef is the Mathis/Napoli thing. How many times does Johnny have to (literally) throw a game away before Sosh gets over his man-crush on him? I really hope last night was the last straw.

I truly believe that the following line-up could score 4-6 runs per night and even beat the Red Sux in a playoff:

Figgy, 3B
Admiral, SS
Vladdy, RF
Kotch, 1B
Hula-dula, CF
JR, DH/LF
GA, LF/DH
Howie, 2B
Side Salad, C

Some shuffling is permissible, but those are the nine we should go with for the next 4-6 weeks, and see if I am right.

This team scores runs when Kendrick & Figgins are in the lineup (4.68 a game), and doesn’t when Brandon Wood, Sean Rodriguez and/or Matt Brown are in the lineup (3.77 a game).

• When Izturis and Aybar are both healthy, limit Aybar to playing behind the groundball pitchers (Garland & Saunders), and otherwise let Izzy hit. Aybar is not a good hitter; Izzy is.
• When starting Aybar, don’t start Mathis—one hole in the lineup is enough. Napoli is, and will continue to be, a much better hitter than Mathis, with the exception of his annual nosedive slump, which seems for the moment to be over. As such, Napoli’s exile from the lineup needs to end.
• Never start G.A. against left-handers again. He’s .258/.281/.290 this year, was about the same in ‘06, plus he’s 36 years old, arthritic, and Juan Rivera is rotting on the bench.
• Never start GMJ at designated hitter. Juan Rivera is a MUCH better hitter, Reggie Willits is more appropriate in some conditions (against a pitcher with dodgy control, for example), and GMJ is probably a better defender than either Garret or Vlad at this point. Given that his only advantage is defense, not offense, it’s unconscionable that Scioscia would start him 13 times at DH.
• Stop benching Casey against lefties. No matter who the pitcher is, Casey is one of our best hitters in the lineup. There is no reason to get Robb Quinlan regular ABs, and if there was, you could do that at DH or LF.
• Get Garret the hell away from the middle of the lineup. Save 3-4-5 for people who can do something there—Casey, Vlad, Hunter, Kendrick.
• Stop confusing Aybar for a front-of-the-lineup guy. He’s not, because he can’t get on base. Izturis is, when necessary, because he can.
• Get Vlad off his feet more. Pursuant to the DH comment above, I don’t care if Vladdy feels more validated in the field; keeping him healthy and rested for playoff time is the number one priority of a season in which we’ll win the division by at least five games.

Keep in mind, we’re 5-3 on this roadtrip, and until the recent blankings had scored 47 runs in the past 9 games. Because it’s the Dodgers, and because both games have been vomit-worthy, it’s easy to overreact. This team is capable of winning the World Series as is, but it is true that Scioscia needs to start managing that way.

1) Figgins
2) Ayba
3) Vla
4) Kotchman
5) Rivera
6) GMJ
7)Napoli
8) Lackey

I believe we will make the play-offs with our current line-up. I also believe we will probably get beaten again, unless the pitching remains as stellar as is. If our starters are magically as good as they currently are, we’ll win it all, but we all know the end of the season is usually full of pitchers on the DL. 1 new bat may make a difference. That’s why the Giants went and got Lofton in ‘02. They needed a lead-off guy. We need a DH.

I didn’t HEAR it, but saw him talking. I was at a restaurant and saw him on a t.v. in the bar. Someone told me he basically said we’re going to stand pat. No trades. Can someone fill me in? Or if there’s stuff on this in another thread, point me in the right direction.