Not Alone ..........Float the Hope

by Angel Aviator on Sep 6, 2008 9:16 PM PDT

As for the part about the injured.........

With Aybar and Kendrick the double play combo since Izzy went down the team has gone 4-9. Thats with Aybar and Kendrick playing. Since that day that Izzy was knocked out the club has gone 10-12 (3-6 against playoff teams). To assume that Kendrick will be healthy and ready is a lot to assume. To think Kendrick will just hit the ground running is also a lot to assume. This is the same guy that came of the DL last time and hit .174/.220/.239 in his first 50 PA. I sure hope he is healthy and is able to perform at 100% !

As for using pitchers as a comparison to position players is not a good comparison. Pitchers have a better chance of success then a hitter. Laws of avg are in the pitchers favor. Lackey threw over a 100 inn in 2002 and was successful never giving anyone any concern in his ability to pitch and have success. We all know the success F-Rod had as well. So sure no fear about Dondo at all. The rest of the pen has been a concern of late.

Tex can’t do it all by himself, but he might have to
Vald is a HOF no doubt! But his playoff numbers aren't. He has struggled this year and will be needed more then ever this year in the playoffs. That catching tandem is hitting .202 and striking out 1 out of every 3.1 AB's. The pitching will not get easier in the playoffs. As for Kendrick refer to above statements regarding his chance for contributing offensively.

How can a pitcher cut his hands on the bench?

Guessing he didn't and it has more to do with him throwing 100+ pitches in his last 5 starts going 7inn once. He has 27 starts this year 28 last year (most) and he needed to be rested because he is leaking oil just like Saunders. Lets be serious Sosh has been resting everyone and now its time for the pitchers as well.

And why put somebody from AAA in to pitch against the Sox?
See above

No, I’m not a manager, nor will I ever be, but I’m afraid we’re all used up.
True but you manage what is given and right now there isn't a lot that can be done, but hope that what has been seen for the last 3+ weeks is not what is seen in Oct. or it will be a long winter.

*Being in first place by double digits in the AL East or AL Central or NL East or NL Central is impressive. 1st by double digits in the AL West seems to have made some complacent when its just the first step towards what should be the objective each year.......World Series Champions.................

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Comments

so...

…are you suggesting that scioscia be out there grinding the guys for no reason?

I d not see a clear conclusion to your essay – you present a lot of facts – what is going on right now that should be going differently and why?

by Rev Halofan on Sep 6, 2008 11:25 PM PDT reply actions

Not grinding

I suggested that Scioscia gave Weaver a day off and skipped his turn in the rotation because of tired arm. That would not be grinding them.

My thought is that the club is struggling period. Tired arms in the rotation (Weaver,Saunders) an the bullpen is not as cock solid as one is led to believe. The offense that was starting to show signs of life (9-3 with .avg runs per game 7.3) but has sputtered since the day that the Izzy/Aybar platoon went away. There is not a lot there to think that HK / Aybar will suddenly jump on the field going first to third on a hit with bad hammies, and both were struggling with the stick before their injuries as well. Both hitting about 70 points lower then there avg in the last month (Aybar .217 since the Izzy injury).

My point was that things you see in your rear view mirror are closer than they look and I am not talking about Texas but October and the playoffs. The regular season isn’t the issue.

Willie Mays Aikens is FREeeeeeeee

by Angel Aviator on Sep 7, 2008 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions

i recommend bullet points

each sentence here has a good and bad and i still cannot tell which you think we are headed toward…

but you are able to pack in a lot of information into a little bit of space – denser than cheesecake heavier than poundcake…

by Rev Halofan on Sep 7, 2008 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions

How can a pitcher cut his hands on the bench?

“It was a staple or the lining of the upholstery of the bench,” Weaver said following the Angels’ 9-6 loss to the Tigers on Wednesday night. “I went to sit down and gripped where the upholstery and staples come together, and it caught me — sliced me pretty good. It felt like a paper cut when I did it, but it was a lot deeper than that.”

Angels fan since '67

by red floyd on Sep 6, 2008 11:26 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah, the team is missing Izzy more than I anticipated

dude’s just a better player than he generally gets credit for.

Chuck Finley is my homeboy

by HaloDutch on Sep 7, 2008 6:51 AM PDT reply actions

Where they miss Izzy

Is in those close game situations, with RISP.

Izzy was money in those situations. Nobody else seems to know how to get a slap single there.

Angels fan since '67

by red floyd on Sep 7, 2008 8:41 AM PDT up reply actions

I also miss izzy setting the table in the two spot.

his obp>>aybars. And kendrick hasnt proven he can competently hit 2nd. A lineup of Figgy-Iztu-Tex-Vlad-Torii-GA-Juan-Naps-kendrick is sooo deadly

Exceeding expectations is less a matter of luck than possession of certain assets.

by anaheim angels on Sep 7, 2008 2:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Here's what I had to say about Maicer:

Do the Angels Miss Maicer?

I was uncool before uncool was cool.

by WiHaloFan on Sep 7, 2008 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions

If Weaver needed

the rest that badly, they’d just rest him. There’s no point whatsoever in making up some story about staples on the bench if all he needed was rest. No conspiracy theory here; Jered Weaver suffered a minor cut on his throwing fingers and missed last night’s start.

Maybe Howie and Aybar are faking hamstring injuries too, so that Wood and Rodriguez can get a chance. Exactly, Weaver cut his fingers.

by GarretSaysSuckIt on Sep 7, 2008 8:03 AM PDT reply actions

Besides

WTY owns the White Sox. There’s no way they’d push back his start against them just to throw him out there a few days later against the Yankees. That makes no sense whatsoever. None.

by jjackflash on Sep 7, 2008 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions

Another conspiracy theory

Maybe they don’t want the White Sux to get a look at Weaver so close to the post-season…thus making them less familiar with him.

by Downing Rules on Sep 7, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions

Who said anything about Conspiracy?

So the 10 days rest isn’t a factor that would maybe help Weaver who has had huge pitch counts in his last 5 outings? He throws a bullpen today (Sunday), but his ouchie is to bad to pitch on Friday? Why let others know there is something going on when you can just fudge a little.

Willie Mays Aikens is FREeeeeeeee

by Angel Aviator on Sep 7, 2008 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions

i like the Cold War era vibe to this

IS HE HURT? za shpy says it is a paper cut. NO NO NO eet is burnout deadarm, the Soth resting him. NEIN NEIN A PAPER CUT!

by Rev Halofan on Sep 7, 2008 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions

because

suggesting that this is all made up is just so far-out ridiculous and absurd. If they were going to make something up, they’d make up something that couldn’t be easily refuted by a beat writer simply by looking at his hand. “Back spasms” or “flu-like symptoms” are one thing, cuts on his fingers are quite different.

by jjackflash on Sep 7, 2008 11:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Not so Absurd when it switches the rotation and sets things up for Santana and Lackey pitching back to back

in the playoffs

Willie Mays Aikens is FREeeeeeeee

by Angel Aviator on Sep 8, 2008 1:29 AM PDT up reply actions

Hard to Imagine?

I will paint a picture (paint by numbers) for you and hope that Rev at least gets it.

Before the Weaver boo boo the rotation was Santana, Weaver, Lackey, Saunders, and Garland. Thats who was following who.

Now the rotation is Saunders, Garland, Weaver, Santana, Lackey. Notice the change and who is now following who.

When you look at the remaining schedule and how many starts each pitcher in the 5 man rotation was going to get BBB (Before Boo Boo) Saunders was scheduled to get 5 starts counting today in ChiTown, and everyone else 4 starts.

If you look at the remaining schedule and how the rotation shakes out. You have one day off from here until the 28th (last reg season game). That day off now falls on the day Santana would be scheduled to start (more innings pitched then any Angel starter). Should they skip Santana’s scheduled start on the following day Sept 17th and continue on with Saunders making his scheduled start everyone still gets 4 starts. The thing that changes is Garland is now the guy getting the 5 starts.

The last scheduled start for Santana would be Sept. 25 (Santana has pitched on 6 days rest many times this season) setting him up to pitch game 1 of the playoffs. With Lackey game 2 and Saunders in game 3.

Hmmmm….managing a rotation and setting it up for playoff……what a concept huh?

Willie Mays Aikens is FREeeeeeeee

by Angel Aviator on Sep 8, 2008 1:21 AM PDT reply actions

Having any one of these starters become sick or injured, even for a day or two, between now and the end of the season would throw a wrench in this theory.e season

by 44FAN on Sep 8, 2008 1:31 AM PDT up reply actions

So would cutting their hand open while buttering a dinner roll

Have to try to set things up never the less.

Willie Mays Aikens is FREeeeeeeee

by Angel Aviator on Sep 8, 2008 1:50 AM PDT up reply actions

baloney

When they want to mix up the rotation, they just do it. They don’t make up fake injuries. They just move folks around. This is pure craziness. There are still 20 games left. Moreover, if they were going to move anyone, it would be Lackey, to be sure that he’d be pitching on regular rest for the first game of the playoffs.

by jjackflash on Sep 8, 2008 10:55 AM PDT up reply actions