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HH player ratings: Game 1: Halos 1, Yankees 4

Well, let's start off these player rankings with this non-sequitur: 46 degrees fahrenheit is not cold. That's 8 degrees celcius, which is warm in Inverness, Scotland, where I lived for two years. So all you wimpy millionaire players wearing your balaclavas ... Man up! It was only 3 hours, 18 minutes of baseball in a teeny-weeny bit of cold ... Now go hit the jacuzzis and the ho's.

Overall game rating 5: Not very good. Had it rained, it would have washed out CC's brilliant start. But no HRs fell in the launching pad that is Yankee Stadium (v 2.0). Spahn and Sain and pray for rain? I pray for no rain and Hokie Joe v. Burnett on Saturday.

That said, here are highland's completely unbiased biased player reviews for the series in which the Angels will eliminate the Yankees:

Star-divide

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM:

Chone Figgins, 3B: Partially at fault for the defensive miscue with Aybar that led to a 2-0 deficit. Offensively, our sparkplug needs to get his gap adjusted. Player rating: 1.

Bobby Abreu, RF: Chupacabreau is meant to be a bad-ass nickname, but chupa in Spanish means "suck" and that's what Bobby did in the Bronx in Game 1. Made one nice play on D stopping Tex but absolutely was dominated by CC (Chupacheeseburger Sabathia). Player rating: 1.

Torii Hunter, CF: Went out there like he wanted to play. Made Sabathia feel human in the 1st but was also his last victim. Robbed on the bad call on his bunt-single attempt in the 6th by ump. The Gold Glover, however, was not called upon to climb walls in this one. Player rating: 5.

Vladimir Guerrero, DH: Could have done better. Great double against an otherwise unhittable Sabathia  but blown away by Mariano Rivera in the 9th when we could have had him on the ropes. Hustled well for a gammy-legged old man. Player rating: 5.

Juan Rivera, LF: Three things stick out: a really bad throw in the 1st, a weak tap-out in the 4th, and losing the battle of the Riveras in the final frame. Played hard, but too slow to be a factor unless he hits the ball with authority, which he didn't. Player rating: 3.

Kendry Morales, 1B: Played damn fine defense at first (better than some guy named Tex), and delivered a clutch two-out RBI, not to mention drawing CC's walk in the 7th. Acuda needs to get out his blow-up doll, Christopher Walken needs to say "I need more Kowbell" and we'll be fine.. Player rating: 6.

Howie Kendrick, 2B: Didn't have much to do but had good at-bats and hit the ball hard. If HK swings the lumber like that in the rest of this series, we'll be fine. Player rating: 5.

Jeff Mathis, C: The most pathetic of all offensive players stood up to one of the best home-plate crashes of recent post-season history by holding his ground and the ball in a bone-jarring collision at the plate with the 230-pound Alex Rodriguez barrelling into him and knocking his helmet into the stratosphere. Called a good game for Lackey. Player rating: 5.

Erick Aybar, SS: Ummmm. Not only did he wear a lame-ass hood thing (I come from a hot climate too, but come up, be macho mang!). Should have come up with Matsui's line drive. Strong relay throw (although short-hopped) allowed Mathis to come up with a highlight film collision clip. Some decent ABs and would have scored a 3 except for that stupid hood. Player rating: 1.

Subs:

Mike Napoli, (C for Mathis). Should have started probably and if he was blocking the plate might have put A-Rod out for the rest of the post-season. 4.

Pitching:

John Lackey, RHP: The cold conditions did not suit the Texan but he deserved better for a typical balls-out effort. Made Jeter look silly on a curve-curve-fastball whiff in the 4th. Threw too many pitches though and the walk to No. 9 hitter Cabrera with 2 out in the 6th is really not acceptable.Nor was the throwing error. Was (and IS) hard on himself though he wasn't in Sabathia's class tonight. I like his chances when there is a rematch. Player rating: 7

Jason Bulger: Cleaned up Lackey's shit and was nerveless in his first playoff outing against the heart of the Yanks' order. Made A-Rod look like an A-hole but this is nothing anyone of is not aware of. Right? Player rating: 7

Matt Palmer: Not dominating and put in a tough spot, but got Jeter and shut down the traitor Tex. Player rating: 6.

Management:

Mike Scioscia: Some curious choices by the Soth. Why start Mathis when you can set the tone with a better offensive player in Napoli? Why order/let Hunter bunt? Why let John Lackey throw too many pitches? On the plus side, gave 1B ump Laz Diaz a serious blast of shit on his bad call on Hunter's bunt. And he has gotten us this far. Knowing the Soth, he'll also say "turn the page, tomorrow's another game" and motivate his team to win Game 2. Manager rating: 5.

------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK YANKEES OF THE BRONX

Derek Jeter, SS: Love him or hate him, the Yankees captain and future HOF-er hardly but a foot wrong even though he stuck his butt out annoyingly on every at-bat. Tough AB to give Lackey trouble from the start. Clutch single to RF on a two-strike count. Played Angels-style baseball going hard first-to-third . Player rating: 7.

Johnny Damon, LF: Typical Damon game from the old-school days, when he was a pain-in-the-ass for the Royals.. Broken-bat doinker to left gets the Yankees going. Great AB against Lackey in the 5th when it seemed like John was in a groove. Gets a serious extra point for referring to the Angels as "Anaheim are going to give us a tough time" in his post-game interview. If he would have called us the California Angels, he'd have a 10.. Player rating: 7.

Mark Teixeira, 1B: The U-Haul took a U-Haul in this post-season matchup against his old "mates". Looked like he was pressing, popped out in the 1st with runners on second and third in the 1st inning. Looked stupid on a Lackey hook in the 5th and definitely pulled his foot off the bag in on Hunter's disputed bunt single call. Rookie reliever Bulger took him down. Whiffed against an under-par Palmer in the 8th with a chance to put the game away. Couldn't happen to a nicer Yanke$$$$$ player. Player rating: 2.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B: Hit a pro sac fly in the 1st but wouldn’t have hit it as hard without the needle up his ass. Terrible baserunning and rightfully got nailed. The mouth-breather actually was seen yawning on national TV during his 3rd inning at bat. Why show up? zzzzzzzzz? No ... $$$$$$  Player rating: 2.

Hideki Matsui, DH: Tough patient veteran made himself a rugged patient out. Not entirely instrumental but always seemed in control and dangerous. This guy scares me, but so does Godzilla. Player rating: 6.

Jorge Posada, C: You get what you're gonna get from this rugged veterano, and this was a typical performance. No real factor with the bat but called a great game and kept Sabathia focused. Player rating: 5.

Robinson Cano, 2B: Played damn fine D, especially on the diving stop on Kendrick's rocket shot as one second baseman robbed the other. Still, I like the Angels' 2B (2Bs?) better. Wore a wussy face-mask and body armour and thus for loses two points. Player rating: 3.

Nick Swisher, RF: Hard to not like this guy ... but the the scruffy Moneyball hero whiffed with the bases loaded against a labouring Jason Bulger. Should stick to pitching or stand-up comedian rather than baseball. Player rating: 4.

Melky Cabrera, CF: Name sounds like something they are going to serve up at Starbucks, but played a good game. Good patient walk against Lackey in the 4th inning. Had a nice base hit, but my (deceased) grandmother could have hit that meatball Palmer gave him for his single. Player rating: 4.

Subs:

Brett Gardner, (CF). Caught the last out. No rating.

Pitching:

CC Sabathia, LHP: For a 290-pound fat bastard he pitched a great subtle game. He must have had some special "secret sauce" on his pre-game double-bacon cheeseburgers. Great job navigating through a couple dodgy innings but overall delivered a mature performance that showed great command and most of the night was on cruise-control. And defensively he was a gem, covering his ground beautifully for such a big man. Player rating: 9.5.

Mariano Rivera: Walked his first batter and struggled with his control early but then won the key battles of Rivera vs. Guerrero, and Rivera vs. Rivera. We've gotten to him before, but not tonight. Better to not let him have the ball. Player rating: 7.

Management:

Joe Girardi: Didn't have much to do except chew sunflower seeds and lean on the dugout rail and try to look tough, while Sabathia and Rivera and the Yanks lineup, which sets itself, got it done. No strategy to compare with Scioscia, but that is bound to happen down the line in this series. Still, Joe loses a point for the FOX announcers sucking him off and him sucking up to them in a "dugout interview" when he should have been watching the damn game. (BTW, is it a new rule that all Yankees' managers have to be named Joe?  Manager rating: 5.

---------------------

UMPIRING CREW

Typically terrible in any post-season series which involves the Angels. Laz Diaz's botched call on Hunter's bunt base hit may have changed the game -- OK, the throw beat Hunter but Tex pulled his foot. .... And as for Tim McClelland's strike zone, that moved around like crank-dealer's trailer in the San Bernardino Valley. Crew rating: 3.

Player of the game: CC Sabathia.

Final thoughts: That one's over and as the Soth says "turn the page." GO HALOS! Can't wait for Game 2.

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

0 recs  |  Comment 17 comments

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“balaclavas”. Haha, bitches!

Nut the frack up!

That is all!

by Funke5ive on Oct 17, 2009 12:05 AM PDT via mobile reply actions   0 recs

Give the Yanks credit

but we kinda beat ourselves

by Angels_48 on Oct 17, 2009 1:21 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

review by highland Halo

highlandhalo,

you know baseball! Your dead on with the Angel player reviews. We look so bad at the plate, I did not even think we hit the ball well in the Sox series.

The only player, make that two, who does not look afraid or intimidated is Hunter and Lackey,
Rivera and Vlad look awful at the plate, very inpatient. Figgins looks awful too at the plate.

Now that I am on the subject, what the heck is Mathis swinging on the first pitch? He should have the take sign every time. Where is the manager in this process, Dont we want to have CC with a high pitch count?

Mathis, looks so bad does he understand he is hitting below 2o0, your not Tori Hunter, why in the heck are u swinging at the first pitch?

Id like to see Howie play every game, he has shown great plate patience and will draw a walk. I know this will not happen. Next time we see CC, Abreu should not be hitting in thr 2 spot, not when u are bailing out on a curve ball for a strike three count then u bitch to the ump. Hit first two at bats, where strike outs.
Id like to see Howie in the 2 spot, and Kendry in the 5, Rivera has no business hitting in the 5th spot, he is not consistent. Play Howie every game with Napoli, I am sick f this platoon crap, as a hitter you cant get a rhythm,

FInally, once again, Highland HAlo, you do a great job, and hope to see your reviews all series.

by ca1forniaangels on Oct 17, 2009 3:30 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

ump ratings

I will add, CC was getting the out side corner call, and Lackey was not, typical.

by ca1forniaangels on Oct 17, 2009 3:42 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

the Phillies and Rockies didn't look like mummies..

and their games at Coors Field were MUCH colder than the game last night

Just another Halo victory

by HalosFanInNorCal on Oct 17, 2009 6:37 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Lackey pitched good enough to win

However he was out pitched by CC; it is what it is.

The game was lost by sloppy defense and inept at bats by key players in the lineup. The Angels margin for error is very small, everyone has to play their best every game, every at bat, and every pitch to win.

As for the ratings above – respectfully disagree with Mathis, Figgins and Rivera. You rated them all too high.

by mustard_man on Oct 17, 2009 7:17 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Pretty hateful, Halos

P.S.—That interview that you said Joe should have been watching the game during was held between innings while the game was at commercial break, it was just aired during the inning. Buck even said they spoke to Joe earlier. Good luck in game 2, Halos, you’re gonna need it.

by Branta on Oct 17, 2009 8:13 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Good analysis, but some disagreements

First, Figgins deserve a little blame for that popup in the first, but 95% of that is on Aybar. Not only was that Aybar’s ball, but he’s the shortstop. It’s his job to take charge. I’d have given Aybar a -7 if you allowed negative numbers.

I thought Howie might have deserved a 6, he was hitting the ball well, it just happened to go right at people.

John did not have his best stuff tonight. He battled, but 11 baserunners or whatever in 6 innings just won’t cut it. I’d give him a 5. He certainly didn’t get help from his defense.

Scioscia was fine except for leaving Bulger in for too long. It wound up working out fine, but just because Swisher bailed him out. I can’t blame him for the Mathis start – Lackey pitches well to him and Napoli has done nothing the past month and a half. I’d give Scioscia a 7, I don’t think anyone other than Howie and Morales deserved something over 5.

I feel the need, the need...for speed!

by Gorbachav5 on Oct 17, 2009 8:50 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Say What?

Not sure how u or anyone could ever give Mathis a 5. Then again what is the highest score (scale) if its a 5 out of a 100 then maybe a 5 is/would be justifiable! Maybe you were just giving us his uniform number……I mean you put him in a tie for second with Tori and Vlad and Howie and that does not match up……

I found it funny that the announcer commented on how Mendoza Mathis swung at the pitch “9 inch outside” For those wondering why he is swinging at the first pitch………..he just wants to get the thing over with quickly!

Willie Mays Aikens is FREeeeeeeee

by Angel Aviator on Oct 17, 2009 9:02 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Just trying to keep it real:

ARod goes 1-2 with an RBI and 2 BB and gets a rating of a 2? He would have been the best offensive player for the Angels last night with that same production.

Sure, he was dumb enough to run through a stop sign and get called out but A) replays showed he actually was safe (but again, I have no blame for the umps because in real time he looked out) and B) the Yanks were already up 3-1 at the time so it wasn’t really a game-changer.

by GMan83201 on Oct 17, 2009 9:14 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

course A-Rod was rated a two

He’s A-Rod. Thats what happens. Not a whole lot of anti-Yankees fans are reasonable about him. Did you see that fanpost on here about how he “cheated” on that collision at the plate? Ridiculous.

And please, highlandhalo, look at the replays. The umps, with the exception of A-Rods out call at the plate, were fine today. I wasn’t in love with the strike zone but it was consistent. They did not blow that call at first base. Teixeira’s foot was clearly on the bag (see the picture). Why is your 3 hitter bunting anyways?

This series is far from over. I have a ton of respect for the Angels, and I know that they are a great team. But please, Angels fans, be reasonable.

by nyyrocks29 on Oct 17, 2009 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Let's stop insulting Mario Mendoza ("the Mendoza Line") with the Mathis references

The Mendoza Line is an informal term used in baseball for the threshold of incompetent hitting. Even though Mario Mendoza’s lifetime batting average is .215, the Mendoza Line is said to occur at .200, and when a position player’s batting average falls below that level, the player is said to be below the Mendoza Line. It is often thought of as the offensive threshold below which a player’s presence in the Major Leagues cannot be justified despite his defensive abilities.

Linking Mathis to the “Mendoza Line” just is not fair to Mario Mendoza. Mathis’ abysmal hitting deserves it’s own identification, it’s own moniker.

by mustard_man on Oct 17, 2009 10:51 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

So where's the "Mathis Line?"

This team is our extended family, That's why we love them no matter what the record, no matter what the score.

by halofan4life on Oct 17, 2009 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Game 2 player rating predictions.

Figgins: 4
Abreu: 6
Torii: 8
Vlad: 5
Rivers: 5
Morales: 8
Kendrick/Izzy: 7
Napoli/Mathis: 4
Aybar: 7
Saunders: 8

"Figgins' OBP is still over 40!" -Steve Physioc

by Figgi4life on Oct 17, 2009 11:34 AM PDT via mobile reply actions   0 recs

You're a harsh grader...I like it.

It means you expect more out of our players and even the Skanks players.

Oh and btw…total rec for this comment:

And as for Tim McClelland’s strike zone, that moved around like crank-dealer’s trailer in the San Bernardino Valley.

a m a z i n g.

Do it for Nick '09

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Oct 17, 2009 2:31 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

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