With the events of the last couple hours I don't know where to start. I'm angry -- in fact really pissed off. Angry at Lackey for going to of all places BOSTON -- angry at Reagins for essentially FAILING at his job (perhaps from Arte's perspective he has indeed succeeded), and angry especially at Arte Moreno, because, at the end of the day Arturo Moreno holds the purse strings to the organization and thus has the final say.

This is the baseball equivalent of Armaggedon for the Angles. How insulting to us as fans to think that signing an aging DH who didn 't play a single game in the field (Matsui played 0 coutn them 0 games in the field last year) will satisfy us after you simply let your top lead-off man and team sparkplug  Figgins walk  out the door for a few million and then obstinately refuse to meet Lackey's contract demands. In honesty, I do not know what the hold up was in the Halladay situation, and at this point I don't really care! The Angels have failed us as fans this off-season. Unless there is some totally unforeseen and drastic move coming then this off-season has been a complete and abject failure ! 

Who do I blame? I suppose I could blame Reagins for bungling the Halladay deal for which we were supposedly in the lead. I could blame Scioscia for alienating Lackey and making it more difficult to retain him. BUT ultimately, it comes down to one man -- ARTE MORENO.

Logic tells us that as the boss these decisions were his. When it comes down to dollars and sense he has the final say. And, on this day he appears to have more of the prior and less of the later (in baseball terms). In short, Arte is not the "Winning comes first" owner we have been led to believe. It is hard to get around the conclusion that the current predicament were in (being the laughing stock of baseball pundits and educated fans on this dour day) is due to the fact that Arte cared more about getting a "bargain" than about bringing in players (or even a single "key" player) who would help get us back to the World Series -- somewhere he always TELLS us he wants to be. Sorry, Arte, but actions speak louder than words. And please, don't anyone try to convince me that aging Hideki Matsui compensates for the losses or Figgins, Lackey and Halladay !

It's okay Arte, don't worry. I won't be spending one Angel Red Cent for tickets, parking or merchandise next season. I might watch on TV, but just like you, I will be thinking about my pocketbook first !