We’ve got 20-25 guys that are out to prove it’s their turn and have been shown how to do it for the last several years.

And couldn’t reach a deal. They stated this many times.

I’m not bitter, but it’s not like they didn’t try to bring him back.

there is something “that feels a little raw” here, a little deflating. We ‘man-up’ , or buffalo-up perhaps, as you say, and we wave our Halo banners and bring on the Candide-esque best-of-all-worlds optimism to the table, and support our team come hell or high water, but…there is very much a current of deep tredidation flowing through the Halo pond and rippling the red waters. I do feel, however, that Matsui is more than “an ounce of inspiration”, and, if he stays healthy, will provide the kind of juice, elegance, legendary stature and clutchness to the team—if he can stay healthy—that sort of thing like Reggie brought to the team years ago). Wood can be a fan’s “darling.” And perhaps adding Washburn can resonate in several positive ways: to not only eat up innings and be our insurance pitcher, but sort of replace some of the 2002 guys we lost and remind us of that moment and team (and return a “major face” as you say), when it all came together in Zen perfection.

I agree with you on Rodney. Lot of ink to spill on the bullpens 3rd or 4th most important arm.

Equal risks? Reagins saw both medical evaluations and picked one set of sore knees over the other. Maybe Matsui hitting from the left side means a little more here.

We have to break in Wood at 4-A sometime.

Kazmir is younger than Santana, Saunders and Weaver. His best season ever coincided with a year of Mike Butcher as his pitching coach. You can turn that frown upside down Charlie Brown.

The inspiration is in the W’s… it ain’t 1990 in Anaheim.

Don’t recall that turning out to be the wisest $48 million ever spent. Erstad got overpaid long after you could describe him as a plus player.

I’m more upset along the loyalty lines you suggest by the Frankie-for-Fuentes swap, given that K-Rod is still young w/ potential upside, and the money was pretty much equal. But even there, if overpaying Rodney buys us enough cover to get out of paying Fuentes a third year, that starts looking strategically ok, too, especially if it’s true Frankie was a horse’s ass & losing his stuff.

This is officially the Angels M.O. — develop good young talent, let it help you win while you underpay for it, then let someone else overpay for its decline years. Selectively extend young favorites, and selectively buy your own overpriced 30somethings to fill in gaps. It is a bit raw, for both loyal fans and the players. But on balance, it has been a good strategy. Acknowledging that has little to do with Nick Nolte’s underrated buffalo work.

you have so eloquently, yet succinctly stated everything I have been feeling about what this franchise has done since about midway last season. “But the tears shall come, brothers and sisters.” I truly hope you are wrong about that one.

Faces have to change. And although Lackey, K-Rod, Vlad, and Figgins had great careers in Anaheim, at some point the leaves change color and fall. And at some point, new leaves will grow. And the face of the franchise has to change. You have to grow your new talent. Kendry Morales, Eric Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Juan Rivera, and Napoli/Matthews are all coming back. Weaver, Saunders, and Santana are coming back.

The entire franchise face hasn’t changed.

There has not been a single pitch thrown in Spring Training, let alone the 2010 season. All of this alarmist behavior is largely unwarranted and, quite frankly, it’s getting old.

Games are won on the field, not by stats, projections and the idle babble printed by eastern sports analysts who know nothing of the AL West other than that it exists. Nor are they won by how many millions of dollars were spent or not spent or by the taunting of ignorant blowhards who are excited because their team got a shiny new toy from a rival.

The fact is that all teams go through a turnover period. It was bound to happen to us because we had a lot of guys coming off of long-term contracts. And you know what, I’d rather have it happen now when we have plenty of guys hitting their prime and some veterans to hold us over.

Figgins and Vlad were great, but part of what made them great was the team they were a part of. The lineup and infield that made Figgins an All-Star still dwells in Anaheim, not Seattle. We have 3 starting pitchers that were All-Stars much more recently than Lackey. Texas, Oakland, and probably even Seattle would gladly take our starting rotation over theirs. So would many other teams. Hell, they’d all probably take our offense too. The teams of the AL West and most of MLB would LOVE to have the Angels’ “problems”.

You can call me a homer or a buffalo or whatever you want, I don’t really care. I tend not to base my opinins based on what other people think of them. I consider my stance a realistic one. The tears and disappointment may come or not. However, this will be revealed in September or October, not now in January.

It’s January 11th and we are the defending 3-Time AL West Champs who just slayed the hated Boston Red Sox in their own sanctuary. We will remain so until someone stands up and proves otherwise. Until then, I suggest that everyone quit cryin’ and act accordingly.

-Your Friendly HH Morale Officer

Suzuki
Figgins
Bradley
Lopez
Griffey
Guitierrez
Kotchman
whoever catches for Seattle
Wilson

That’s a lot of OBP up top, and both Gut & Kotch still have unexplored upide. IF they don’t have injuries (which is admittedly unlikely) then they might score some runs.

with the moves they’ve made this winter, it’s a reasonable expectation that their win total will go up – not down – in 2010.

If anyone knows what pitches to throw to Vlad its Mike Scioscia.

  so will it be the 16-7 Santana? and the lead the league in K’s Kazmir? Or the weak ass 3 and 4 types that they were last season?
   I am pretty sure they can get him to swing and miss too. But can they do it 3 or 4 times?
And do you really feel comfortable with our waiter of a closer pitching to him?

on “lamentations”?

Makes me feel like I’m in church.

You prefer Bill Stoneman and the killer deal he gave GMJjr? Or maybe you miss Bill Bavasi? Give me a break dude….

why blow your F-bomb on Reagins? Because he has eyes that can see that Vlad is only a shell of his former self? Oh yeah, I forgot, you’re one of the ones who think the Angels should outspend every other team and keep all of their players no matter how old, injured or washed up they are…and my guess is you’ll be the first to start whining when they double the beer prices to pay for it.