THURSDAY HALOLINKS: Torii Hunter Is Angry

by WiHaloFan on Sep 17, 2009 8:31 AM PDT in Angels News

Up next for Angels: Thursday at Boston -- latimes.com
Ervin Santana vs. Josh Beckett

Too much home advantage? - OCRegister.com
"A lot of players on this team are getting it wrong. It's not more important to play this team (the Red Sox) than the Tampa Bay Rays or Seattle Mariners. You play the same game. You do what you do. You have fun. You don't change your game because it's the Red Sox or the Yankees. If you play nervous, you're going to make mistakes. Show some (guts)."

Angels let it get away in the ninth inning -- latimes.com
"I'm [ticked] off. You can see it on my face. You don't even have to talk to me," center fielder Torii Hunter said. "I know this is not a playoff game, but if you do this during the regular season, it could happen during the playoffs."

Angels point plenty of fingers - The Boston Globe
The Los Angeles Angels walked off the field an angry team last night, mad primarily at the umpires and also, in some corners of the clubhouse, at each other.

Angels-Red Sox Preview - FOX Sports on MSN
The clubs are all but certain to face off for a third straight time in the first round of the playoffs, and Los Angeles will have one more chance to reverse the momentum Thursday night as the Red Sox try to cap a perfect homestand and a three-game sweep behind ace Josh Beckett.

Video highlights of last night's game:

Red Sox rally to shock Halos in the ninth - angelsbaseball.com
Daily Recap: Down to their last strike, the Red Sox rallied in the ninth off Brian Fuentes, walking off winners on Alex Gonzalez's RBI hit

Hunter leads off the sixth with a home run - angelsbaseball.com
09.16.09: Torii Hunter leads off the sixth inning with a homer to left field, giving the Angels a three-run lead

Rivera smacks a two-run double to center - angelsbaseball.com
09.16.09: Juan Rivera smacks a two-run double to center field to put the Angels back on top

Angels rally for four in the seventh innings - angelsbaseball.com
Duration: 01:09 09.16.09: A passed ball by Jason Varitek leads to the Angels rallying for four runs and regaining the lead in the seventh inning

Figgins makes a nice play to end the inning - MLB.com
09.16.09: Chone Figgins makes a nice play at third base to get the Angels out of the inning

Aybar collects four hits against the Red Sox - angelsbaseball.com
09.16.09: Erick Aybar goes 4-for-6 with an RBI against the Red Sox

Team Reports - CBSSports.com
DH Vladimir Guerrero was hit in the ribs by a pitch from Red Sox RHP Takashi Saito in the seventh inning Wednesday. Guerrero stayed in the game and scored a run that inning but he left the game after that. The preliminary diagnosis is a bruised left ribcage. Guerrero is not expected to play Thursday and will be re-evaluated after that.

Team Reports II - CBSSports.com
Thursday's series finale in Boston will be the first time the Angels face Sox RHP Josh Beckett since a benches-clearing incident on April 12 in Anaheim. Beckett threw a brushback pitch at Bobby Abreu after he had called time and stepped out of the box. Beckett was suspended five games for the incident. "Forget about that," Abreu said of the reunion with Beckett. "It happened early in the season. It was something that wasn't supposed to happen... That's in the past."

Loss to Red Sox has even Mike Scioscia shaking his head -- latimes.com
"What was the count at the end?" Scioscia said. "Three-and-four to Green?"

Don't blame the umps - Angels Unplugged - Los Angeles Times
My policy is usually not to spend much time on one game in a long, exhausting baseball season, but that latest heartbreaker in Boston is too juicy to pass up. These are just some of my thoughts on the 9-8 adventure at Fenway on Wednesday night:

Late-season struggles won't shake Angels' confidence - CBSSports.com Baseball
Asking why this team that we've heard so much about came East this week for three games so far against the Yankees and Red Sox, played three very tight games with all kinds of tough situations ... "And we choked every time," Hunter said. In a clubhouse where most seemed concerned about the questionable umpiring ("What was the count on [Nick] Green, 3-4?" manager Mike Scioscia asked), Hunter stood up and questioned his own team. Good for him. This is the time to do it.

For The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Two Closers Means No Closer - Bleacher Report
Here is a very likely scenario: Game Four, ALDS, Fenway Park and the Angels are beating the Red Sox 4-3 heading into the ninth inning. The Red Sox have Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Victor Martinez coming up to bat. The Angels options are Fuentes and Jepsen. Is there an Angels fan alive who thinks that ninth inning ends without that game tied or the Red Sox winning on a walk-off?

710 ESPN - Los Angeles - "In Their Own Words" - Kendry Morales
Q: You decided to defect from Cuba, how many times were you captured?
A: They got me 3 times only, I tried to leave 12 times, intimate decision because I had to leave everything behind.

Napoli trying to recapture Fenway magic - angelsbaseball.com
It was Game 3 of the American League Division Series, the Red Sox one happy ending away from sending the Angels off for the winter. Napoli took matters into his own powerful hands that night, crushing a pair of homers against Josh Beckett and scoring the winning run in the 12th inning on Erick Aybar's single after driving his third hit of the night.

September 17 - BR Bullpen
Events, births and deaths that occurred on September 17.
1984 - On the seventeenth anniversary of his first major league round-tripper, Reggie Jackson connects off Kansas City pitcher Bud Black in the bottom of the seventh inning for his 500th career home run. The milestone hit proves to be only run the Angels would score in the Royals' 10-1 victory. The Royals beat California to move into first place in the American League West. Jackson is the 13th player in ML history to hit 500 home runs.
1993 - Texas Ranger superstar Nolan Ryan strikes out Angel catcher Greg Myers for his 5,714th and final career strikeout.

Poll

Vladimir Guerrero will miss the next couple games with bruised ribs.

Damn, the team is going to miss him!

120 votes

Yay, the team will do better without him!

181 votes

301 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Hate to say it Vlad, but they play better without you...

Maybe it’s a mental thing. All those years the team put the offense on your shoulders. But without you they have to step up in their own minds.

W6G!

by Monkeyspanked on Sep 17, 2009 8:39 AM PDT reply actions

we need a brawl

Soth needs to greenlight a beaning on papi, pedroia, drew, bay, et al….enough is enough.

by SCHalo on Sep 17, 2009 9:10 AM PDT reply actions

Will that help brian fuentes to not suck at baseball?

What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.

by clover_black on Sep 17, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions

Well maybe he will get punched

in the face, break his nose and that will prevent him from sucking.

First we had a Salmon and now we have a Trout, let's see the same results.

by angelskid2210 on Sep 17, 2009 9:43 AM PDT up reply actions

how about a thrown bat right between Becketts eyes.

They want power, We want respect...

by SenorChuckles on Sep 17, 2009 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions

No, we don't need a brawl...

Unfortunately, I think Beckett draws first blood and there will be a rumble tonight because of him. Sixth inning.

I love this team.

by Downing Rules on Sep 17, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Torii needs to lead real this team in and take control

We need him as a leader now more than ever before. This emotion can hurt just as much as it can help down the stretch

2009 Angels Season: Let's Do This For Nick

by trojanangelfan on Sep 17, 2009 9:19 AM PDT via mobile reply actions

i was thinking the same thing

Torii, now more than ever, needs to lead this squad

by SCHalo on Sep 17, 2009 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions

With a large smile on my face

So many positive things are here NOW for this team to harness and ride. Ride baby Ride, and ride with enjoyment, peaceful confidence and thankfulness !

This is going to be a defining moment for this team.

When I'm not at the stadium, I'd rather be watching my Halos back in Costa Rica!

by Dono Romantico on Sep 17, 2009 9:34 AM PDT reply actions

Oh.....and take no shit along the way.

When I'm not at the stadium, I'd rather be watching my Halos back in Costa Rica!

by Dono Romantico on Sep 17, 2009 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions

NEver Back Dwon Baby!

Shove it up their asses! Oh and Vlad well we are better off without him. Also, Skeeosha on the Dan Patrick Show this morning sounding calm but I think some shit went down last night after the game and I imagine a certain starter not playing tonight!

First we had a Salmon and now we have a Trout, let's see the same results.

by angelskid2210 on Sep 17, 2009 9:45 AM PDT reply actions

Last night vs. Today.

I never condone violence and I always snark about stories of sports fans that resort to violence when a game/call doesn’t go their way. When it comes down to it, it’s just a baseball game after all. But I have to be honest, after Tito served up the game winning hit last night, I was a hair’s width away from going outside, picking up a brick and throwing it through my new TV. Luckily, common sense caught me just in time

Now that the anger has passed, I want to reiterate Torii’s comment…

“What happened at the end of the game … we lost that game long ago. We made too many mistakes,” Hunter said. “We made some bad mistakes early on – mistakes that we hadn’t been making all season, man. We get here and we make mistakes that we haven’t been making all season. We get to New York and we make mistakes we haven’t been making.”

Spot on. This is why the Angels are lucky to have this kind of leadership. A true champion is someone who knows how to compose himself, even in the face of adversity.

Look at it this way, last night’s loss really sucked, but we’re still sitting a solid 6 games above the Rangers and our Team got a subtle reminder of what will be asked of them come October.

It’s a freebie. Take it and learn from it.

God needed a starter. RIP #34

by 3rd Echelon on Sep 17, 2009 9:58 AM PDT reply actions

Way for Torii to step up....

I think that is something this team really hasnt had. Last year, Torii was still too new to really take on the leadership role full-fledged.

I suspect some sort of intense pep-talk before tonight’s game taken on by Torii….

Do it for Nick '09

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Sep 17, 2009 10:35 AM PDT reply actions

Those two calls were terrible

maybe the worst I’ve ever seen, but I’m more pissed off at Juan Rivera.

That wasn’t practice Juan. That was a game saving situation and he treated it like it was the top of the first with 0 outs. Unforgivable! You have GOT to dive for that ball!

RIP Nick. We will miss you!

by KingF15h on Sep 17, 2009 10:45 AM PDT reply actions

I hope they listen to Torii....

If we make the playoffs and then we walk into Fenway and stink it up like we have the last couple years or like we did last night then I’m sorry to say it this season was a failure.

Playing like a championship caliber team during the regular season and like the Royals in the playoffs is not acceptable.

by Nashdiesel on Sep 17, 2009 10:51 AM PDT reply actions