Saunders Ponders: Angels Lose to Red Sox 5-4

BOTG is definitely Speier

You come into a losing game as a reliever, your job is to stop the bleeding, not give up the eventual winning run.

DFA Speier.

The Hunt for a Red October ...and please keep telling Clutch to chill!

by cardinalwraith on Apr 11, 2009 4:08 PM PDT reply actions

DFA Speier.

RIP NICK ADENHART

by Funke5ive on Apr 11, 2009 4:08 PM PDT reply actions

Speier gets my vote

If only this were a rare occurrence, and not a common one.

by gilbert on Apr 11, 2009 4:09 PM PDT reply actions

Of those on the list?

Speier. I’d put Rivera up for it too though.

~Till the Halo burns out...

by Zu Long on Apr 11, 2009 4:09 PM PDT reply actions

I have just about lost my patience with Rivera

RIP Nick Adenhart

by stolenbases on Apr 11, 2009 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions

REMEMBER

Rivera is a slow-starter (look at his all-star break splits for 2006). Give him time.

Speier, on the other hand, gives up game-winning home runs no matter the time or season.

The Hunt for a Red October ...and please keep telling Clutch to chill!

by cardinalwraith on Apr 11, 2009 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Perhaps. But I'm more concerned with the fact that Naps could be DHing when he's not catching. That guy

has become an offensive force to be reckoned with.

~Till the Halo burns out...

by Zu Long on Apr 11, 2009 4:16 PM PDT up reply actions

That's a legitimate concern.

And I agree, Nap’s bat needs to be there as much as possible.

The Hunt for a Red October ...and please keep telling Clutch to chill!

by cardinalwraith on Apr 11, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions

well he better be able to play the OF

cause he’s not gonna be taking Vlad’s lineup spot, and he’s been the DH so far this entire season..

World Series '09 - In Memory of #34 Nick Adenhart!

by b0rd3rline on Apr 11, 2009 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions

"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."

RIP NIck Adenhart

by TheAngelsAngels on Apr 11, 2009 5:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Totally agree

Even when he doesn’t get a hit or walk he works the pitcher and puts up a quality at bat

RIP Nick Adenhart

by stolenbases on Apr 11, 2009 4:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Naps is streak-y though.

I love the guy but I feel like he is our Adam Dunn…could hit 40 HR in a season but would bat 240. and strike out a ton.

Still, there is upside to a Dunn-type of dude.

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Apr 11, 2009 11:12 PM PDT up reply actions

True. But it's a zero sum game.

Napoli is the best hitter on this team, and Rivera/Matthews are stealing at bats from him.

Napoli should be in the lineup everyday.

by Turks Teeth on Apr 11, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions

best hitter on the team?

huh?

And so far Matthews has all but 3 abs this season. Oh and did you forget that Naps was injured.

Love the dude but there is some exaggeration and impatience here dude.

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Apr 11, 2009 11:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Has to be Speier

by Epic Dean on Apr 11, 2009 4:11 PM PDT reply actions

That was an awesome loss!

Think about it — we can blame the ump, we fought back like bastards, and made Papelbon doubt himself for the rest of the year, at least against us. Also, it gets us closer to DFA’ing Speier, who is a waste of roster space.

by mattwelch on Apr 11, 2009 4:14 PM PDT reply actions

Silvah Linings... GET CHO SILVAH LININGS HERE

You sir… you could use some SILVAH LININGS in your postgame despair…

by Rev Halofan on Apr 11, 2009 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions

I'll collect a few.

Naps with three extra base hits, and two homeruns.
Figgins with his seventh walk, and sixth run in five games.
Hunter with two shots to the wall, one a gift catch and one outta the park.

by Turks Teeth on Apr 11, 2009 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions

the last time figgy collected walks like this

he had a decent year some would say. walks lead to steals then runs all increasing and hopefully (and in my opinion most importantly) first innings runs.

"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."

RIP NIck Adenhart

by TheAngelsAngels on Apr 11, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions

except Chone hit ball 4 with a man on base in the 8th inning.

practically pulled it out of the dirt for a slow ground ball. sigh

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Apr 11, 2009 11:15 PM PDT up reply actions

haha

"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."

RIP NIck Adenhart

by TheAngelsAngels on Apr 11, 2009 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Speier

maybe Rivera.

Great AB by Howie even if he doesnt get the hit. Tough that both teams each get 3 HRs but ours are all solos.

by caangelsaokay on Apr 11, 2009 4:14 PM PDT reply actions

Speier needs to go

The guy just flat out has sucked since the beginning of last year. He doesn’t throw hard anymore.

Also Rivera and Aybar are dragging the offense down hard.

And one final thing, If Naps is not in the lineup tomorrow I do not know what I’ll do but it ain’t going to be pretty

by MH252525 on Apr 11, 2009 4:15 PM PDT reply actions

Hey, those three players sound like a mightly fine start...

…to a Peavy trade. Throw in an Ortega or an O’Sullivan, and maybe we have a deal.

by Turks Teeth on Apr 11, 2009 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions

try again. read up. Pads want Wood....

and possible Weaver.

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Apr 11, 2009 11:15 PM PDT up reply actions

BOTG

CKOD for not shutting up about the umpires

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Apr 11, 2009 4:18 PM PDT reply actions

lawl

The Hunt for a Red October ...and please keep telling Clutch to chill!

by cardinalwraith on Apr 11, 2009 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions

just

relentless

"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."

RIP NIck Adenhart

by TheAngelsAngels on Apr 11, 2009 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions

That CKOD guy

such an asshat. Doesn’t give it up. Definitely BOTG

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Apr 11, 2009 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Apr 11, 2009 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions

you wish! ;)

RIP Nick Adenhart - Angel fans will never forget you!

by Downing Rules on Apr 11, 2009 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions

BOTG : The second base UMPIRE

Did anyone else see the ripples on the wall where the ball hit it?
With that run we are at least tied

by Big Bad, 'Vlad'! on Apr 11, 2009 4:20 PM PDT reply actions

And there is one fewer out in the inning, and maybe Juan sees a different pitch

lots of different stuff, yes.

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Apr 11, 2009 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions

true

but I only saw it on the 2nd slow mo replay.

by caangelsaokay on Apr 11, 2009 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions

First off.

HK did a damn good job at the plate with his last at bat. If this were last season, he goes down swinging horribly at an offspeed pitch. It is still very early, I’m not going to push the panic button with Aybar, Rivera, K-Mo or anyone. But, damn, Speier has to go. Nothing else to say about that waste of roster space. DFA his ass!!!

YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF THE DARKSIDE.....

by halofolife on Apr 11, 2009 4:25 PM PDT reply actions

the thing is

is kendrick never saw an offspeed. the two he saw (well breaking, but not fastball) were the two best pitches, that he took. papelbon pretty much threw all fastballs. i actually wonder what would have happened if papelbon tumbled one into the dirt, then again, there was someone on third base.

and im not panicking on k mo at all at the plate, but i feel like there may be some growing in the field. still VERY early tho.

f speier

"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."

RIP NIck Adenhart

by TheAngelsAngels on Apr 11, 2009 5:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Watch the media in all the stories

will completely ignore the blown call that played a direct role in the outcome of the game.

This, as much as anything, is why nothing gets done. When a bad call is made, the media blows it off as ‘the way things are.’ It won’t get reported, it won’t get the coverage it deserves, and nothing will come of it that needs to. And God knows if the Yanks or Sox were wronged by a call (which they won’t be, as that’s sacrilege) to that extreme, it would be the headline for the game.

The media needs to use its power to help the sport for once…not focus on trivial bullshit like Pedroia’s jock size.

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Apr 11, 2009 4:28 PM PDT reply actions

I want to se our moral outrage

when one goes in our favor.

by Rev Halofan on Apr 11, 2009 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions

When one finally does

I’ll shit my pants in shock that it actually happened and go into cardiac arrest.

This play, the pick-off at second base in the ALDS last year (which was hilariously brushed off as meaningless and never discussed of course), Finley’s catcher interference, the Eddings play…and that’s just me going for the easy and immediate ones.

It’s not so much that we get bad calls against us…it’s that they are directly costly on the outcome of the game and, for the most part, GROSS errors…not just slight bang-bang oversights, but extremely obvious calls that umpires just stubbornly refuse to acknowledge and overturn because they’re spineless. They’re not just missing close plays at first, they’re missing the very things that should be the easiest.

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Apr 11, 2009 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't know. Sounds like pickin cherries.

It’s spring and all, but to my eyes that play at the wall might have gone either way. And the catch was good enough in the end.

Save the ump crucifixion for when the call is obviously blown, not these edge cases that take three cameras triangulating, color filters and a forensic scientist to prove.

There were far more obvious goats today than the onfield crew.

by Turks Teeth on Apr 11, 2009 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't know what set of eyes you're watching with

but I saw it hit the wall live

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Apr 11, 2009 5:15 PM PDT up reply actions

THE BALL CAUSED THE OUTFIELD FENCE TO RIPPLE

Therefore it must have hit it. We have at least one more run, and could very well have won the game.

by Big Bad, 'Vlad'! on Apr 11, 2009 7:43 PM PDT up reply actions

I second (well, third) CKOD and Vlad

In HD at least the ripples were obvious.

Nick Adenhart, RIP

by rspencer on Apr 11, 2009 11:29 PM PDT up reply actions

How many more weak ground outs to the left side of the infield do I have to witness from Juan Rivera??

This guy is at best league average, What was the FO thinking??

by Big Bad, 'Vlad'! on Apr 11, 2009 4:29 PM PDT reply actions

The FO was thinking

In 06’ he managed to belt out 23 homers and 85 RBI’s, all while NOT playing full time. But yeah BB’Vlad’! it is frustrating. But lets all remember, it is still very early. Come June, I’ll be right there with you calling for Rivera’s head if there is no improvement.

YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF THE DARKSIDE.....

by halofolife on Apr 11, 2009 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Juan Rivera's Career Splits

April .238 .286 .325 .610
May .237 .283 .388 .671
June .259 .314 .436 .750
July .292 .333 .579 .913
August .300 .353 .467 .820
September .318 .357 .491 .848
October .316 .381 .789 1.170

April through June, he’s a fourth-grade nothing. But how about July through October? You like that? I do.

Now, if we could only get him to play at Salt Lake pre-ASG, and assume the MLB position in July..

by Turks Teeth on Apr 11, 2009 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I like that idea!

call him up at the break, and give a rookie a chance till then.

by Big Bad, 'Vlad'! on Apr 11, 2009 7:44 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah...sign the guy for 5 million and then send to AAA

Smart financial move ALL the way.

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Apr 11, 2009 11:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Wow, Rivera is to 2009 as GMJ was to 2008 after what 5 games?

chill folks, neither one of them is Adam Dunn.

RIP Nick Adenhart - Angel fans will never forget you!

by Downing Rules on Apr 11, 2009 8:36 PM PDT up reply actions

saunders? instead of juan?

saunders with the heavy heart? against the bo sox? i thought he did pretty well today actually. well he did have a ridiculous amount of lead off hitters on base, thought he did an overall satisfactory job.

speier is joke. his whole life is about jokes. you cant be the babyface when you suck, so its time to get serious, hit the weight room and run or whatever you have to do to start working hard again, and get it right. go to salt lake if you have to. go on the DL. It’s just time to take things seriously because like i said, his life is becoming a joke.

vlad had a tough 0-for-4. two of those were hit well and one of those outs was straight up robbed. that being said i was also frustrated with him so i agree with him being up there.

i also thought aybar had an absolutely terrible game.

lastly, as much as it pains me, for thousands of reasons, mike scioscia needs to be up there. speier had no business being in the game at that point and if he as taking it seriously like Mike should be (and usually does) then he would have put in jose or shields or oliver or keep jepsen even. speier does not belong there. he has shown nothing to us to show he deserves that role lately. but like it is with our great country, i critize cuz i love.

that being said, tip of the hat to napoli. great to see he is picking up from where he left off. looks like napoli and mathis need to be in the lineup which would probably make both of them beyond happy given the awkwardness of the situation (them being BFFs and all).

"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."

RIP NIck Adenhart

by TheAngelsAngels on Apr 11, 2009 5:04 PM PDT reply actions

It is early in the year Scioscia is feeling out the pitchers in different situations. He has been doing it all year.

Play Wood already. Willits sucks.

by hauldog on Apr 11, 2009 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions

thats called

spring training

"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."

RIP NIck Adenhart

by TheAngelsAngels on Apr 11, 2009 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Um no not really

That is not even close to the intensity, pressure or talent level.

If you actually looked at who he has pitched when you will see he actually is doing exactly what I described above.

Play Wood already. Willits sucks.

by hauldog on Apr 11, 2009 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions

ummmm so i guess he learned not to put speier there

and all it cost was the game. you think scioscia is willing to take a loss to explore the pitching situation? then you are badly mistaken. you dont hink scioscia already knows the ansers to the questions you claim he “poses”. you think we needed this game to know speier wouldnt cut it.

if you practiced any common sense at all you will see actually what i described above.

"This is real life. This isn't about baseball. This is his whole life, he had his whole life ahead of him. He's only 22, he's still a kid. He was a great kid, he was funny, he was very popular in the clubhouse and off the field. People loved him."

RIP NIck Adenhart

by TheAngelsAngels on Apr 11, 2009 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions

ouch: if you practiced any common sense at all you will see actually what i described above.

RIP Nick Adenhart - Angel fans will never forget you!

by Downing Rules on Apr 11, 2009 8:38 PM PDT up reply actions

In bases loaded situations

There is not a worse team in the league than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Play Wood already. Willits sucks.

by hauldog on Apr 11, 2009 5:21 PM PDT reply actions

LAoA for first in number of men LOB

You heard it here first

Driven into right-center field, Erstad says he has it...the Angels, world champions!

by teopeht on Apr 11, 2009 5:36 PM PDT up reply actions

Results are up!

2 people were able to get 3 points today! Amazing!

RIP Nick Adenhart :(

by scottnak on Apr 11, 2009 5:38 PM PDT reply actions

I probably would've only gotten 1 if Howie gets a hit against Papelbon

but I’ll take my points

by neochoa on Apr 11, 2009 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions

by 44FAN on Apr 11, 2009 5:39 PM PDT reply actions

Less at bats per HR than any catcher in the history of baseball

Why doesn’t he play everyday?

Play Wood already. Willits sucks.

by hauldog on Apr 11, 2009 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Scioscia's probably trying to ease him back into the lineup

so that he doesn’t get injured right off the bat. Also, Mathis is hitting decently.

by neochoa on Apr 11, 2009 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Because the more at-bats he gets

The more likely it is that that stat will decrease and he wants Napoli to hold onto it!

by turs12 on Apr 11, 2009 5:54 PM PDT up reply actions

cuz hes injury prone.

oh and cant throw out a runner either.

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Apr 11, 2009 11:19 PM PDT up reply actions

and mathis can?

World Series '09 - In Memory of #34 Nick Adenhart!

by b0rd3rline on Apr 12, 2009 12:21 AM PDT up reply actions

Well, Mathis can throw out a runner more than Naps.

Not by much, but its better.

Check yo stats.

Do it for Nick '09

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Apr 12, 2009 6:57 PM PDT up reply actions

He throws them out or he throws it into center

Play Wood already. Willits sucks.

by hauldog on Apr 13, 2009 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions

He = Mathis AND Napoli

RIP Nick Adenhart - Angel fans will never forget you!

by Downing Rules on Apr 13, 2009 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions

wait, Torii Hunter doesnt play second base?

damn.

Do it for Nick '09

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Apr 13, 2009 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions

missed the game........family get together and stuff......kids birthdays..w00

oh well get em tomorrow…..I’ll forgo the BoTG because I wasnt here…..i trust you guys…

Godspeed Nick - RIP - 1986-2009

by norcaliangelsfan on Apr 11, 2009 9:57 PM PDT reply actions

Ugh...

It’s early, guys – don’t come unraveled after 5 games.

If we DFA Speier, who takes his spot? The players that are ready in the minors are not pitchers.

If we did trade for Peavy, we don’t have the depth to give up Weaver. Would the Padres want Loux or Moseley along with a young bat or two? I doubt it.

If we can play .500 ball until Lackey, Escobar or Santana come back, it will be a great accomplishment by the team. If either Escobar or Santana don’t come back, it’s going to be a much longer season that it already has been.

by mustard_man on Apr 12, 2009 5:02 AM PDT reply actions