The Optimists Brigade

but every year they win. they always win, and it seems like the front office makes it so that they always will. but every year we come close, and never make it all the way. 2002 looks like a fluke more and more, and i am tired of the rest of baseball calling us out for it. they need to win it al again, otherwise we are the braves of the west. i will always believe we can take out the AL west and be better than everyone thinks we will be, and its all because of sosh. but with the pieces we have today, we cant win it all.

This has been an astonishing “surprised” reaction to an expected outcome. We knew that Figgins wanted more money and would get it elsewhere, we knew that Halladay preferred to stay on the East Coast, we knew that Lackey was chasing dollars.

It was because alot of bad stuff happened on the very same day. It is one thing to lose out on Halladay, Lackey and bring the official end to the Guerrero era, but for all of it to happen at once? The Angels are still a great team. Arte and company have built one hell of a franchise, and the offseason is not over.

….we’ll score a shitload of runs next year (to go on top of the shitload from last year) while having a perfectly serviceable rotation.

What we lose from the rotation we will make up for via an improved bullpen (and the return to prominance of a certain Ervin Santana).

To be the king, you’ve got to beat the king and this team will be difficult to knock of its throne. And those competitors should know that we’ll be opening the unravaged crown coffers in 2011 when there’s someone worth spending the money on.

I couldn’t read Halos Heaven last night due to all the freak outs.

Lackey’s contract IS NOT a good contract for a 31-year-old with potential arm issues (last two springs) and non-ace stuff! Yes, he’s a bulldog. Yes, I loved him as an Angel, but this is fiscal responsibility to not match the offer.

Halladay obviously preferred the Phillies. I listened to a Jon Heyman interview on Petros and Money driving home last night, and Heyman pretty much said Halladay’s preference were the Phillies or Yankees and a contract extension will NOT be an issue, if it’s not already done.

I’m bummed about losing Vlad and worried about Matsui’s knees falling apart, or not being productive in a ball park without a little league right field, but it’s not a bad signing, it’s certainly reasonable and it’ll help balance out or lineup L/R a bit more.

However, we do need to add some talent (another SP, secure the pen) and, if we can, let’s get a bat…to break over Lackey’s skull.

I am jumping on the optimism brigade…someone design a logo.

Of course it is a shock to lose long-time impact players, but the fact is that they wanted too much money. What the Angels pay a free agent to stay reflects how much a ticket costs in bad economic times and how much they can invest in the team down the road.

The only way to field a winner every year and maintain affordability is to replace a Figgins with Brandon Wood (3b) and Aybar (leadoff); Lackey with an Adenhart (which of course won’t happen due to unforseen circumstances); Weaver with a Reckling. Weaver is a Boras client you know, so plan on losing him.

This organization did an amazing job molding a team of character and played a key role in leading them through the Adenhart tragedy and an incredible string of injuries. Angel management didn’t get bad overnight.

Actually, I think John Lackey will look back when his playing days are over and realize that he blew the chance to be one of the all-time Angel greats as both the team’s all-time wins leader and the winner of Game 7 of the team’s first World Championship. That’s priceless. For everything else, there’s Master Card.
  

But sure enough, I look out the window and the sun is shining. 3 of our 4 pitchers have been on All-Star teams and we all know Weaver should have been too. Torii Hunter will still be our Golden Glove/Silver Slugging team leading face of the franchise. Bobby Abreu is still going to hit for 100 RBI.

This team played better than it should have last year. And I’m excited to see what they do this year. That core nucleus is only going to get better.

gansta!

I believe we can do it still. I’m glad we didn’t pull the trigger on the Halladay trade (or maybe Totonto didn’t accept out offer.). Losing Lackey may hurt a bit but I think ,like we always do, we can pull it out… Last year a lot of people were thinking that 2009 was a year of rebuilding losing out on Teix and CC. But we did just great. Sure we lost to the Yankees, but honestly that series could have gone either way.

Anyway, I do Believe,
Stuck in Romania Colorado

I’m definitely a believer. In fact, AS IS, we are rooting for a 90-95 win team. If Tony and Arte spend the next two months in Cancun, we’re still the favorites to win the West.

Just as in life, Halo fans are only looking at themselves. Other teams have holes, too. There are no perfect teams, not even in the Bronx. Within our division, all our foes have warts that still need to be addressed. Our lineup is still the best in the division, our top four starters are better than anybody else’s (but Oakland is catching up), and our bullpen will still be strong.

Yes, I like our chances.

totally agree. This organization has been second to none since Moreno took over. The patience that they are showing right now will pay off. There is no reason to panic and do another GMJ deal.
I don’t see why we can’t make it back to the postseason next year and have a chance to play underdog again. Seattle’s offense is still lacking and I don’t see Texas making a serious run yet with Harden leading their staff. This is our division.

I thought about this a lot yesterday as I saw all the pieces I wanted to sign with the Angels go else where. But then I started to think about it…

Seattle over payed for Figgins pure and simple. His defense is stellar and he was becoming a very patient hitter, but his speed is down. His stolen bases are down. And his numbers with a bat were never all that impressive. Wood will certainly produce greater with a bat than Figgins. And I also think Wood’s defense will surprise a lot of people. And the lead off spot will be replaced by Aybar.

Boston over payed for John Lackey. Lackey has started the last two years on the DL. Lackey will pitch well for Boston for a year or two, but the Red Sox are going to regret this deal. The Angels traded for Kazmir in the likelihood that Lackey didn’t re-sign. The rotation as it stands now is Weaver, Kazmir, Santana, and Saunders with the 5th pitcher tbd, which I would guess would be Sean O’Sullivan.

Abreu re-signed and hit for over 100 RBI last year. And Matsui will be an upgrade on the offense. The only moves I would make now would be to pursue Matt Cain from SF. If that doesn’t happen, this team should stand pat.

When all is said and done, we’ll have saved some money for not paying excessive contracts, re-stocking our farm systems by getting a lot of the 1st Round Draft Picks. And perhaps opening up new revenue streams by signing Matsui.

I never expected Lackey or Figgy to re-sign, they were looking for their big payday and I’m glad they got it because they deserved it. What they did for our orginization proves that, at least for me they did. Of those two figgy hurts worse, but the all but definite departure of Vlad is what hurts most of all. He will go down as my all time favorite Angel. In his prime years he was the most exciting baseball player to watch (IMHO). I was speachless with excitement when we signed him and to see that his tenure with the angels looks to be most certainly over, I am deeply saddened. I understand baseball being a business and it was the right move for the club, but just the thought of not seeing that smile in an angels uni pains me. I hope halos heaven has a serious tribute for one of the greatest ball players to ever live. I’ll miss you the most Vlad! Thanks for coming to anaheim and bringing us some of the best moments since winning it all! Game 3 of 09 alds being my personal favorite!

Okay now that that’s off my chest, let’s go win!

So far, not so surprised as a lot of people. Sure, I would rather Figgy and Lackey landed in KC, but we don’t get to choose that part. Not suprised about Halladay. Sounds a lot like Curt Schilling 2.0, not wanting to come out West. Sorry about Vlad, but I don’t see him pulling a Favre any time soon.

But there is still lots of time to learn what the final roster is going to be. Lots of time to learn whether our fandom will be vested in a possible WS title run in 2010, or vested in baseball alone while we await 2014. Either way, I am buying tickets, beer and dogs. And I am having a good time.

We can manage just being very good next year. 85 wins shouldnt be anything to sneeze at for a rebuilding year. As we are now, I can’t see Morales repeating last year’s brilliance and Wood is obviously going to be a major downgrade at the hot corner so here’s our rebuilding year all the prospect lovers have been waiting for so much. You guys dont want to part with prospects in trades and this is what will happen. We’ll get a good look at how enjoyable it is.

Even then, we’re a Howie Kendrick breakout year away from even stealing this division in 2010.

Not all is lost!

kept my juices going during the down parts of the playoffs

but in all seriousness, yeah I have hope. I totally agree it was rough because it was all on one day. all the noobes are gone, so lets keep the positive juices flowing. do i think the angels will win 90 games? maybe. but will they win the west or wild card, yeah baby

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, that happens before the start of next season will be worth less than one mid-season road game against Kansas City to me. I care about how the Angels players perform. Yes, I get excited about new signings and sad about players leaving, but that doesn’t mean anything to me the day the season starts. What matters is not how much money the Yankees offered Teixeira’s wife, it’s how well Kendry Morales does at first base. It’s not about how much better the Red Sox are on paper, or how untouchable Jonathan Papelbon is, it’s how much heartbreak we can create in beantown.

So yeah, for the offseason there is nothing to do but get obsessed with wheeling and dealing… but in the grand scheme of baseball, I’d rather we make sure not to blow that easy game against the Royals.

The rest of the division are always better on paper than on the field.

These things the FO didn’t do seem like common sense that they should have done as any fool would have. But that’s just it—any fool like us would have, but this FO wouldn’t. This is why they’re paid the big bucks for this and we’re not. They know what they’re doing. They must. For if they don’t then it’s gone.

But I believe in Reagins, and Scioscia, and Moreno, and the rest of the Front Office. I believe in this team. And I believe, most of all, that though it will be difficult, and though we may not be in first place all season, in the end, as they always do, the Angels will come out on top!

Thanks Mattwelch.

A lot of things happened yesterday in a very short period of time. I am bitterly disappointed that Lackey is going to pitch for Boston, but I don’t blame him for taking the money, nor do I think the Angels should have topped that offer. Same goes for Figgins. And while it’s disappointing not to get Halladay and to see a division rival get a good pitcher in Lee, I still believe in this team. Right now, as constructed, I’d still pick the Angels to win the division.

This is a good team, one we can all be proud of. Management has demonstrated time and again its commitment to building a winning franchise, one that expects to compete for the World Series every year, while maintaining affordability and accessibility for the fans.

but I also know that the FO has to be scrambling to get something done, because unlike others I firmly believe that Mr. Moreno wants to win more than anything else. The FO made it known to all of us and the baseball world that they had three priorities this offseason in a specific order.

1. Re-sign Lackey
2. Trade for Halladay
3. Re-sign Figgins

It has been an epic failure by all accounts no matter how you spin it, but thankfully its not over and you can never count out an owner that wants to win as much as the fans do. Keep your eyes on the intranets.

I don’t think there was an “at any cost” rider on any of those three.

1. Remember we picked up Abreau nearly at the last hour last year.
2. The economy ain’t getting better folks. Players providing solid value will be available later on.
3. We are going to have clear financial flexibility to add players with bad contracts when needs appear next summer — the M’s don’t.
4. We will have more financial flexibility next winter to potentially go after Carl Crawford, Cliff Lee, Brandon Webb… actually, next year’s class is rather weak.
5. Arte is the man. What else does the man have to do for you to believe that he really knows what he is doing.

Go Angels!!

but we’ll be there in first place on Oct 1 have a decent shot at winning a series or two in the playoffs.

That 2 of the 3 Angles left from the 2002 WS team are gone. As someone that has been an Angel fan for 35 yrs and has watched many players come and go these 2 will be missed by me for more then the wins and losses they were involved in, but because for one special fall they let me know that all my heartaches through out the years had paid off.

With that said….

Being I was never a huge fan of Lackey I am not upset at him leaving as I never thought for a second he would be an Angel in 2010. Don’t get me wrong he was a very good pitcher that gave you a chance to win each time he took the mound, but his antics on the mound made me want to slap him.

Losing Figgins is something that will hurt the club. His enthusiasm for the game and leadership is not something that will be easily replaced. Not only did the team lose a valuable player in Figgy they lost the leader of the INF and the table setter at the top of the lineup.

The big issue the club needs to solve is the bullpen. There is some issues there that need to be addressed, and if they aren’t then it won’t matter who the starters are as we all know in this era of pitch counts and innings (stupid) it has become more crucial to have a solid reliable bullpen.

I question your core group though Matt. Didn’t that core group have names like Vlad / OC / Figgins / GA . I reserve the right to abstain from the voting process until ST as this surely can’t be the team that will take the field come April.

If the Halos go into the 2010 season without bolstering the pen, getting a power bat, or adding a proven starter – at least two of those three things – I don’t seen them winning more than 85 games, which probably wouldn’t be enough to get it done in the AL West, and makes it even less likely that they’ll advance to the World Series. But hey, at least I’ll be able to listen to Jose Mota do color on AM 830 when I’m driving in areas of the Southland where the station actually comes in…

and ill be a happy dude

But, the division?

If Seattle stays healthy, they’ll battle down to the wire. And if this thing ends like it did in ‘95, then I like Seattle’s 1-2 punch much better than ours. Seriously think about that for a moment. Seattle has a DOMINANT 1-2 that is better than our very good 1-2-3. That combination is built for the postseason—if they can get that far, they have to like their chances.

I’m on board for another great season. I’m certain we’ll win a lot of ball games. What I’m most disappointed in is that the club just doesn’t feel like one to root for. Who are the personable characters? Sure, there’s Torii and Bobby and Howie and an emerging face in KMO, but outside that, it feels more corporate. Despite a majority of homegrown talent, our biggest faces are bought (Torii, Bobby, and Matsui).

Last week, my four year old wanted to play ball in the street. He wanted to be Chone Figgins and wanted me to be Bobby Abreu. I had to tell him that Chone won’t be playing for the Angels next year and all he could think to ask is “Well, when he comes back, I’ll be Chone Figgins.” He didn’t understand that he wasn’t coming back…

These are the points which matter to a fan regardless of wins. We’ll still love our ballclub if they win 75 games instead of 95. But we’re going to miss some very popular and friendly faces.

I’m with you AND I think you’re a fool.

Stop believing in the Angels? I sooner part with a limb

Oh…bad analogy

but the angels will continue to fly flags

I remain generally optimistic for 2010 and beyond. Put me in the camp of “I can’t control it anyway, so I’m going to sit back, enjoy, and hope for the best”. The season is always full of unexpected surprises (good and bad).

One year ago, who accurately predicted the 2009 Angel season?

Had as much or more to do with our run last year than guys named Figgins, Lackey, or even Guerrero.

The Angels have holes to fill, and they’ll be weaker than last year if they don’t fill them by opening day. At the same time, I think this FO has shown far more vision than most of us have (who else besides Acuda predicted the rise of Morales last year?).

The sky is not falling, but the Ninja needs to dust off his mask!

No doubt though the Matsui signing is bizarre. However, if it is a move to make more money for the franchise through Japanese market then by all means, go for it. Especially since next year is going to be a huge year for free agents and so why not save money now to increase it next year?

In addition, even with the addition of Harden to Texas and Lee/Figgins to Seattle, this Angels team is still better. Hell, I am not even entirely convinced that this Angels team couldnt beat Boston or a New York. Remember 2002? How many aces did we have on that staff? Who was our leadoff hitter Right…a bunch of nobodies at that point. Were still a good team….no time to freak out.

last year.

His digitized mole was too much to handle in 1080p.

We will win because that is what we do.

Top 4 of the rotation of Weaver, Saunders, Santana and Kazmir is pretty good. I think Kazmir will be helped by Butcher, and be a more economical pitcher (throw less pitches, and go deeper into games).

I like Wood at 3rd, and Matsui as the DH. I’m sorry to see Figgy, Lackey and Vladdy go, but that is the business of baseball in 2009

At some point all players grow up and move away or retire. This team has done well in the past when replaced FAs and will continue to do well in the future.

and that my credibility is not well established here, but I did want to throw in my two cents (and I appreciate the venue for venting) …

I believe the Angels still have a good team and I look forward to next season. But at the same time, the team has not quite been good enough to win the World Series as is — something has been missing since 2002 anyway.

That said, it’s hard to feel good about an off season that has seen our lead off hitter go to a division rival, that same division rival pick up a Cy Young winning level pitcher and to see the staff ace sign with the one team I least want to see him pitching for.

Yes, when the dust settles there are still reasons to feel good about the 25 man roster and the organization is still filled with prospects and future draft picks. But emotionally it is very hard to feel optimistic today. I’m going to need a few weeks to feel better — though a move by the Angels could swing my mood in an instant.

Thanks again for giving me a place to let off some steam.

Re-tools on the fly, and that is exactly what the Angels are doing. There won’t be a decade long rebuilding project (Pittsburgh, KC, Washington, I’m looking at you!), and while they may not be at the level of 2009, they are still good for 88-92 wins in what should be a very competitive AL West.

Should the race be as tight as expected in July/August, the Angels have the prospects to make a deal. But, there is still 2 months until pitchers and catcher report for spring training, and a lot can happen in between now and then.

If he is 2008 Santana and not 2009 Santana It helps.

Need some relief help.

Do not sign Bay as a knee jerk reaction.

The Mariners are no sure thing. Their offense is an abomination.

I’d rather have the Angels roaring into the playoffs (hopefully) than just strolling in

Present!

Pernission to come aboard The Optimist, Sir? It would be a pleasure to serve.

Hell, we’ve already lost The Wonder Dog, Figgy, Big Thunder, and Vlad (more or less).

That stings for a while, then it wears off.

Count me as one of the ones who believe we’ll still be in fighting shape by May (the month of April will be spent on the DL).

I think the Angels will still be good. Their offense is streaky and it is scary we saw in 09 that they shut down at times in the Yankees series. We will the AL west but do not have that ace that is needed to win a world series If you look at recent world series winners, CC Yankees 2009, Cole Hamels Phillies 2008, Josh Beckett 2007, Chris Carpenter 2006 Cardinals, etc… And as a fan it is tiring to see the same thing unless that is a world series. The realization is the Angels are not a world series club their closer is shaky Shields return will help. But as a fan I want a world series not another division title. I just don’t see it with the pitching they are deep but we don’t have a number 1 that can dominantate in October.

I think it’s been a real bad week for the franchise. For those who think the Mariners and Sox over-paid, you will be right in year four of the Figgins deal and in year five of the Lackey deal. We will miss those guys in 2010 and 2011, and anyone who seriously believes the Angels are better in those years without them is most likely delusional.

With Halladay off the radar, there’s limited options to improve the rotation in 2010. Harden would have been a low-risk, high-upside option. He’s in Texas. If Ninja takes on the albatross contract of Lowe at $15m per year, he’s lost his mind (unless he sheds HGHs contract in the process); this leaves Sheets or Pinero? Seriously, pitch Palmer instead of spending money on either of those guys.

I do think the AL West is stronger, and the Angels have not YET improved for 2010. Winning the division will be more difficult next season. I still have hope, but it’s waning….

regardless of the moves, in the past 7 years they have earned our trust in them. I really think Kaz’s performance is going to be a big factor in the season. He was the centerpiece in a world series starting rotation only 2 years ago and I think he can lead this young group of guys forward. I have no problem signing Bay then trading johnny rivers for a good starting pitcher not named Lowe. I just don’t trust Lowe for whatever reason.

Halos in 2010!

Personally, I would welcome the chance at a playoff run that doesn’t include BOTH the Red Sox and Yankees.

As it stands right now, I think the Rangers or possibly Mariners have a chance of taking the WC from the Sox.

The Cliff Lee pickup gives the Mariners a nice one year “pick me up”. He is around a 5 (WAR) win pitcher, who probably replaces a 1 win pitcher in the rotation for a 4 win gain. Figgins is also a nice pickup, but that leads me to my question as to what has officially happened to Adrian Beltre? Was he offered arbitration, or is he a free agent? I think Figgins becomes a wash (in 2010) if they lose Beltre.
vr, Xei

We still have one hell of a pitching staff and a pretty potent lineup. The Mariners don’t scare me.

or do we lose some to the Yankees for signing Matsui?

W6G!!
We Will Win with what we Got!!! Lets just laugh when lackey doesnt start the season because of an arm injury and by the time he is recovered, boston is already done. Lets boo him when the play against us and when we destroy him.. We will win no doubt.

The following players will have Good to great years
-Kendrick, kazmir, Weaver, Juan Rivera, KMO

The following will have above average to totally acceptable years
-Wood, Aybar, Abreu, Mathis-Napoli Hybrid, Hunter Santana

The following will have bad years
-Fuentes, mathews, Itzturis (injuries)

The others like Shields, Saunders and whomever we get to pitch on the 5th day will be unknowns.
I am optimistic for 93 wins however with NY and Boston and TB in the east, Chi, Minn in the Central Wild card might just be out of range so division is our only hope.
That leaves us with a totally revamped, and not done yet, Seattle, A partially improved Texas and an up and coming Oak.
I think we can win the division but in the first round having to face a team with us having no true ace is worrysome
However I don’t think we are done yet, a small addition might be coming and it might be enough for now

Lets go Angels!!!

90% of people here said Lackey was the number one concern for the off-season, when he goes elsewhere, all the optimists say “no big deal, we don’t want a 30+ pitcher to a long-term deal anyway”.

You can’t have it both ways.

Our biggest loss this off-season was Rex Hudler. Having to listen to Gubicza is going to be nauseating.

Go team.

They’re probably used to playing in those types of temps for 2 months max in a season.. while the angel players get to taste it by visiting east coast and midwest parks by years end and beginning of the season.

Temp. advantage is the biggest crock of shit in all of sports.

I don’t have any numbers to back it or research from previous years and the like. I think Sosh will continue to show why he’s the best manager in baseball. It WILL be a tighter race than the past couple years, but we’ll pull it out. I hope I’m wrong, but despite the marketing dollars and so forth of Matsui, I’m just not biting quite yet. As others have stated its no big surprise that we missed out on the guys that have left/signed. I hope Big John likes shoveling snow in April….um..er…his butler rather.

I will be optimistic about the eight draft picks we will get so that maybe in the future we will have some pieces other teams will be willing to trade for an ace or a super bat. As far as I am concerned the dust has settled and we will play with who we have. I think Soth will gather this team together, provide an entertaining season of baseball, and they will be as competitive as possible.

Let’s really take a close look at what we lost, what we have, and what is still available on the market.

1. What we lost….
John Lackey – an above average starter who pitches well in big games, but is mediocre as an ace. Lackey has been breaking down over the last few years and was not worth the money the RedSux paid him. Everyone keeps telling me we can’t beat the Redsux now, but that’s ridiculous. We swept them last year and we can beat them again… trust me.
Chone Figgins – enjoyed his best year as an Angel, but it’s time to give Brandon Wood a shot. If he doesn’t pan out we have Izzy to fill the void, I will miss Figgy, but it’s not the end of the world.

2. What we have…
We still have a strong rotation of Weaver, Kazmir, Saunders and Santana. We also have some very strong, young arms. I would be confident going into the season with these four plus Palmer.

We still have a sound offense, especially with the addition of Matsui who can still really hit. GUYS… we have Abreu, Hunter, Morales, Matsui, Naps, Kendrick, Rivera… CHEER THE F UP! We will be middle of the pack in runs scored and top 5 in pitching. CHILL

3. What’s still out there…
We are NOT out of the running for Jason Bay. If we sign Bay that will spell the end for Rivera who wll be packaged in a deal for Lowe to the Braves. I also heard we are considering Atkins as a replacement for Quinlan.

Chone Figgins and Cliff Lee absolutely strengthens the Mariners, but they need more than that to top our Halos.

I am excited about 2010. We will get in the playoffs! We still have a shot at a World Series title. Go Angels….

save for the fact that the Angels’ starting pitching just got a lot worse.

The Red Sox have some serious holes in their offense. Big Papi ain’t so big, they’re almost certain to lose Jason Bay. The Yankees’ up-the-middle defensively and offensively can’t last foreve. I know, waiting for Posada to collapse has been going on for years, but does anybody think Jeter is going to be this good defensively indefinitely, or that they can get another CF with good offense and defense at the same time, Granderson included?

The M’s got appreciably better pitching-wise, but they still need an offense. The A’s had a nice second half, but can they build on it?

I’m still re-upping my season tickets.

“Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor???”

I am quite optimistic about the future of this franchise. it’s a bit disappointing to realize that the franchise is not yet quite profitable enough to compete on an equal level with the Eastern powerhouses for players, but Moreno & Co. seem to be following a long-term plan to get that done. I would much rather see the Angels be perennial contenders then to see them follow the boom and bust cycle of most teams, for it is only by being perennial contenders that the Angels can build a true dynasty.

Having said this, the front office still has a lot to learn about public relations. For a man who made his fortune in advertising, Arte seems pretty tin-eared in some respects. For one thing, irrespective of the wisdom of the steps they have taken this offseason, they set themselves up for the appearance of failure by declaring goals to which they were not fully committed. It makes them look inept, insincere, or perhaps both.

For another thing, KLAA is as a whole an embarrassment to the organization. Jeff Biggs is the only good thing the station has going for it, and even at that his show has far too many call[in segments. The Sports Lodge desperately needs major reworking, starting with a decent producer. Roger Lodge has talent, but the show has been completely rudderless since Dave Smith was let go, and they have made no attempt to develop new segments. I mean, come on—how many “special editions” of One on One can they have before we get something new? Without two hosts, the segment is basically pointless. Lodge’s manic energy needs to be reined in severely, a function that the dour Smith performed quite nicely. Frankly, the dismissal of Smith seems to have signaled an abandonment of the KLAA project, and if that is the case, the franchise would be better served by dumping the station and signing on with KLAC.

Finally, while I was delighted to have Rex removed from game-calling duties, it was a bonehead move to dismiss him from the broadcast team entirely. The franchise had no more effective nor charismatic ambassador. As annoying as I found him during the games, when the team was not doing well he would sit in on Angel Talk and minister to the fans’ pain in a remarkably effective way. They should have kept him for the pre- and post-game, and had him roaming the stands during the game.

Now, the most important thing is the team on the field, and I am confident that it will continue to excel. Nevertheless, for the franchise to build the kind of image it seeks with the general public, a necessary precondition to maximize profitability, it needs to present a more uniformly professional and polished image.

as mentioned I’m drinking the juice again but want to hear some hope. It is sad to hear that every one wants to play in the East. Are there any FA’s that would like to play on the west?

Book Mark It (hate me) I will not drink yer damn cool aid…even if it was Grape/miracle whip.

My prediction in 2010 is we will not win. So don’t hate me when I say we took the year off…I’m not mad ! AND I’m not mad @ Lackey !

LS/MFT! SPQR!

IYKWIMAITYD.

aside from the $ of course. will he unload on Scioscia in the media now? i hope for his rep he doesn’t but he had many more “this is mine sosh” moments….should be an interesting presser in boston.