FRIDAY ANGELS ROUNDUP: Still Waiting? Scioscia Needs A Wake-up Call

by WiHaloFan on Jun 12, 2009 6:45 AM PDT in News Comment 15 comments

Up next for Angels: Friday vs. San Diego - Los Angeles Times
Matt Palmer takes the mound against Chad Gaudin.

Angels staggering after 11-1 loss to Rays - Sports - OCRegister.com
"Where there are options that come up that are better (than the status quo), we will make moves," he said. "I think there are some things obviously we've talked about and we will continue to consider."

We will continue to consider? For how long? Good Lord.

Angels' loss tries Mike Scioscia's patience - Los Angeles Times
After another in a long line of games in which his sloppy team made mistakes in the field, on the basepaths and on the mound, the Angels' manager said he was done waiting and threatened to take action if things don't turn around soon. "That's a bad game," a grim-faced Scioscia said after watching his team get blitzed, 11-1, by the Tampa Bay Rays. "We need to get better. We need to play with consistency. And if it's the guys in that [clubhouse] that aren't going to do it, then we're going to have to look at some changes."

Again, "then we're going to have to look at some changes." WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??

The Associated Press: Orlando Hernandez agrees with Rangers
"Orlando Hernandez, who has been part of four World Series championship teams, agreed to a minor league contract Thursday with the Rangers. The right-hander is expected to join Triple-A Oklahoma City for workouts Sunday, and could start pitching for the RedHawks soon after that."

This is what an organization who is trying to win their division does...they go out and try new things, get players who may help in achieving that goal. This is at least the third player Texas has picked up in the last couple weeks in an attempt to improve their club. I'm not saying Hernandez is a good player, who will lead the Rangers to a championship, but at least the Rangers' front office is doing SOMETHING.

The Angels in summary? - Angels blog - OCRegister.com

"Fair? Not fair? Probably not 100 percent accurate, but certainly fair, as far as I’m concerned.", Sam Miller referencing MH252525's comment during last night's game thread.

Ervin Santana’s velocity - Angels blog - OCRegister.com
"Last year, his fastball averaged 94.4 mph; the year before, when he struggled, it was 92.2 mph. This year, so far, he’s at 90.7."

Sam also writes about Santana's fastball (with another reference to HH)

American League West Division Draft Impressions - Minor League Ball
The Angels, blessed with extra picks, needed to find a good balance between affordability and talent, and I think they did a good job.

Interesting article from John Sickels.

Angels draft boxing legend Ali's son - angelsbaseball.com
Asaad Ali, the youngest son of boxing great Muhammad Ali, was selected.

Maybe he can add some punch to the line-up. Get it? Boxer...punch? Ah, nevermind.

FARK.com: (4431980) Photoshop this paragon of manliness
Interesting, bizarre and amusing news stories, along with regular photo manipulation contests.

This is some of the funniest shit I've seen in along time. We should try it here on HH, I'm sure we have few creative folks to make some truly side-splitting photos.

Have you been getting penis enlargement ads?
There's a malware program going around that creates links to advertising and causes multiple pop-up ads (even if you have pop-ups turned off in your browser). It also disables a computer anti-virus, anti-malware program and prevents a computer from accessing updates and removal tools. I've been fighting this thing for a few days and haven't been able to get rid of it. Be careful what you download.

I've got a fever:

Poll

Angels manager Mike Scioscia states the Angels are "considering" making some changes. Those changes should be/have been made...

Last month

113 votes

Now

110 votes

Once the Angels fall further behind the Rangers

17 votes

September

2 votes

Next season

7 votes

249 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I didn't vote in the pole 'cause I don't know what changes are being considered;

1) Is Brandon Wood going to be given a chance?
2) Will GMJ get released? If so, in favor of?
3) Howie returning to the Bees to regain his stroke? Collect some honey?
4) Izzy re-considering frosty tips?
5) Lackey and Santana…I don’t know what you do with them. Give them 2-3 more starts?
6) The bullpen…where do you start? DFA the whole damn arson squad? And replace with???
7) Bring up S-Rod? More many more middle infielders can we hoard/recall?
8) Trades? Lots of speculation, but how likely?

Where we seem to need help the most;
1) Starting pitching has become more erratic with the return of Lackey, Santana and Escobar. Now that Escobar is going to the ’pen and Palmer returns will this help?

2) Slugging percentage is miserable.

3) Clutch hitting isn’t so great either.

4) Mental errors…far too many. Our base-running blunders alone are a comic film just waiting to be documented…like Figgy trying to steal 2B yesterday…on a 3-0 count…with a pitcher going through a streak of wildness.

5) And then there’s the bullpen…again.

Perhaps a trade for ONE reliable arm in the ’pen will help turn things around, but there are currently more qustions than answers.

A call-up of Wood/Rodriguez may help the slugging percentage. I’m not convinced though. Seeing will be believing. Either one or both may not produce as we hope (although we will never know until they are given opportunities). I say give either one/both a chance throught the ASB. If they don’t produce, then go the trade rout.

by sothball on Jun 12, 2009 9:12 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Here's Andy Seiler's first impression of the Halo's draft . . .

Los Angeles Angels – Lots of picks. The Grichuk-Trout combo is boom or bust. Getting Skaggs and Richards in the supplemental was nice, but Kehrer was overdrafted. Josh Spence is well-known. Carlos Ramirez (8th) is a very solid pick for an organization lacking catching depth behind pseudo-catcher Hank Conger. Signing Jake Locker (10th) would be huge. I like Dillon Baird (11th) and Mike Nesseth (15th) a good bit. All in all, just a lot of bodies for a thin farm system.

http://mlbbonusbaby.com/2009/06/12/

by G Abbes on Jun 12, 2009 9:12 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Here's a link . . .

to an on-line chat w/ Eddie Bane following the draft . . .

http://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/eddie-bane-connection-live-draft-recap.html

by G Abbes on Jun 12, 2009 9:15 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the roundups.

Wow my comment was the topic of a blog for the Register. The last time I made the Register was when I was 8 years old and my mom took me out of school for Opening Day. The Principal found out I was at a baseball game because of it.

by MH252525 on Jun 12, 2009 9:25 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice LOL

I’m diggin’ these roundups too. HH is blowing up.

RIP Nick Adenhart, #34

by Higz on Jun 12, 2009 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I knew that's what sam miller was doing in the game thread last night, digging for ideas for a story.

The old case of bloggers becoming the story by blogging about the original, or intended story.

I feel like the African natives when the white man came and took pictures of them and they believed their souls had been captured and taken by the camera.

I am the Iron Man

by 44FAN on Jun 12, 2009 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sam is the best mainstream writer that follows the Angels

from what I’ve read. It also feels like he has a rooting interest for the Angels. Too many of the writers, it feels like they are following the Angels but really could care less.

by MH252525 on Jun 12, 2009 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sure he does have the best interest of the Angels at heart.

I was just stating a fact he came to HH looking for a story. I just found it interesting that what I suspected came true, not that I care one way or the other.

I am the Iron Man

by 44FAN on Jun 12, 2009 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I blame bush.

R.I.P Nick

by RexTookMyStash on Jun 12, 2009 2:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Haha, don’t think of it that way! My background is being a baseball fan who was covering news and got plucked over to write about the Angels a few months ago. Because of that, I tend to prefer the conversations that take place among smart fans to the conversations that take place between team officials and credentialed reporters. I pop in here because I enjoy it (I spend nearly every Giants game chatting at McCovey Chronicles), and I steal your guys’ stuff because I want our readers to get a good cross-section of views. In other words, I think the OCRegister readers deserve to see well-developed counterpoints to Scioscia’s post-game press conference.

It’s all done with love, my friends :)

Saving countless runs with my defense.

by Sam Miller OCR on Jun 12, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

…and here I was guarding the secret of your Giants love with my life…

by Rev Halofan on Jun 12, 2009 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Trying to hide one’s Giants love is like trying to hide one’s sex offender status. Eventually, the neighbors figure it out and put up signs on telephone polls and whatnot.

Saving countless runs with my defense.

by Sam Miller OCR on Jun 12, 2009 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

So there is some national database for people like you?

We don't have a Bullpen. We have a Cowpen. Before we get to call it a Bullpen these guys gotta grow a pair.

by Stirrups on Jun 12, 2009 5:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They should have been made the first week into the season.

Really.

As great of a ST as this franchise had, a bulk of that success came from the guys immediately sent back to SLC. What they trotted out onto the field as a big league team to launch the 2009 campaign had all the look and feel of a bunch of guys still working off the rust in ST. And it has not changed.

This observation, BTW, was BEFORE the loss of Adenhart. I said it then. I say it still.

We don't have a Bullpen. We have a Cowpen. Before we get to call it a Bullpen these guys gotta grow a pair.

by Stirrups on Jun 12, 2009 3:50 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs