Blame Aybar
My latest on SBNLA: Amidst your Mathis-Bashing and your Kendry-Lamenting and your Crawford Dreams... Blame a nice chucnk of 2010's misery on a regressing, sleepy Erick Aybar.
over 1 year ago
Rev Halofan
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The difference between Mathis and Aybar
is that Erick proved he could hit throughout an entire season, Mathis has only shown it for two weeks at a time, twice.
I think Erick has been equally if not less disappointing then: Kaz, Matsui, Howie, first-half bullpen. Equal opportunity blame for all!
by lightupthehalo29 on Sep 3, 2010 12:21 PM PDT reply actions
Unwise. This team is CLEARLY in need of some serious healthcare
"You gotta have nuts." / "Coming Around 3rd, especially if I'm ticked off, that's going to happen." - Torii Hunter
by Commander_Nate on Sep 3, 2010 1:27 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, especially Izzy.
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
by RexTookMyStash on Sep 3, 2010 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions
KMO gets blame in my book for being a dumbass.
What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.
by clover_black on Sep 3, 2010 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Freak accident is a tree falling on you.
What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.
by clover_black on Sep 3, 2010 12:57 PM PDT up reply actions
That's assuming the tree didn't do it on purpose...
Any time you think you have the game conquered the game will turn around and punch you right in the nose.
Mike Schmidt
by Monkeyspanked on Sep 3, 2010 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Can't quite blame Torii.
Aside from a few stupid base running mistakes, and a little slower step in CF, he’s been carrying this team most of the year. Well, maybe more like DRAGGING this team, but trying to carry it.
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 3, 2010 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions
He carried the team for a short period.
Check out his recent RISP stats.
A wise man does not need advice and a fool won't take it.
Yeah, he has been stuck on 70 RBI for a long time.
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 3, 2010 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions
nearly 3 weeks...
Someone please explain to me how a number 4 hitter can not get an rbi in 20 games
by K3YEROUT on Sep 3, 2010 6:12 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Hitters 1 through 3 are pathetic.
Warning: The message above may or may not contain sarcasm. Read and interpret at your own risk.
by snowhor on Sep 3, 2010 9:21 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
The Angels are a long way from competing for a division
When I'm not at the stadium, I'd rather be watching my Halos back in Costa Rica!
Yeah, we should get a power-hitting first baseman!
And some bullpen arms!
"You gotta have nuts." / "Coming Around 3rd, especially if I'm ticked off, that's going to happen." - Torii Hunter
by Commander_Nate on Sep 3, 2010 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions
I think Aybar is challenged.. mentally.
Not a whole lot seems to be going on up there.
What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.
+1
I’ve said that before too! All the evidence is there. He’s fast, but he can’t steal a base. Why? Because he can’t learn how to read pitchers’ moves. He tries to bunt in the stupidest situations, like down by 2 runs in the ninth with 2 out or something. Again, that’s just dumb. He doesn’t know how to guess pitch selection very well and work the count, at least not compared to many lead-off hitters. He also makes errors in the field by simply not communicating.
I’ve said it before, this is why he will most likely never become the dominant lead-off hitter we had come to expect out of a guy like Figgins: because Aybar is just plain too dumb. He may not be a detriment to the team in the bottom of the lineup, but he sure has been at #1.
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 3, 2010 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions
buuuurrrrn!!!
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 3, 2010 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Aybar's inconsistent performance this year
has been very understated. Thanks for the reminder.
A wise man does not need advice and a fool won't take it.
Maybe is has something to do with the cud in his mouth this year.
A wise man does not need advice and a fool won't take it.
Is this the 1st in a series?
Who’s next? Blame Rivera. Blame Kendrick. Blame Abreu. Blame Kazmir…
"jut keep winning babt" - Moondoggy
by Rally Manatee on Sep 3, 2010 12:52 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
All through the off season we should have "Blame of the Week"
Then everyone can rant and rave, piss and moan, and generally get their frustrations out.
Oh. Wait. They already are.
Any time you think you have the game conquered the game will turn around and punch you right in the nose.
Mike Schmidt
by Monkeyspanked on Sep 3, 2010 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Where's DAD OF VLAD in this list?
Just giving you a hard time, DOV…. :-)
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
This is just a smoke screen to cover the real problem
CANADA
"You dont need long hair to rip off your sleeves and be a badass" - J. Allen
by DAD OF VLAD on Sep 3, 2010 1:03 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Do we have any Canadian players?
Or are we blaming Morneau?
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
I blame Aybar's demise on Marlo
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whats funny
is that its a chick
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by 2pintsofbooze on Sep 3, 2010 1:43 PM PDT up reply actions
maybe she can be friends with
the love child from Lil Mikey and Brandy
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by 2pintsofbooze on Sep 3, 2010 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Not only a chick...
But a hardcore one at that. I certainly wouldn’t mess with her after watching “The Wire”.
YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF THE DARKSIDE.....
I agree
I didn’t even know it was a girl until after a couple episodes. definitely hardcore
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by 2pintsofbooze on Sep 3, 2010 10:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Even after a few episodes of "The Wire"....
I’m still not sure she’s a woman. She’s hardcore, could probably whoop my ass, but she still might be a guy! ;)
YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF THE DARKSIDE.....
its a girl
apparently she was from the streets, which is why I guess they used her, she brought authenticity I guess.
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by 2pintsofbooze on Sep 4, 2010 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions
snoop!
the wire owned with a p :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTvSUCCqPo
by ANewFoundThrice on Sep 3, 2010 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Trust me...
With all the mathis bashing I do around home, there is still plenty of time for aybar.
Collective FAIL
There is much blame to go around for this disappointing season, but you’re right: a lot of it starts at the top of the lineup with Aybar. Although he has seemingly maintained what he learned last year about plate discipline (not much, but better than he was before), the fact of the matter is that he needs to hit .300 or better (as he did last year) to be an effective leadoff hitter. Not getting on base = fewer runs scored = fewer runs than the other team = loss. The question is, is Aybar a .300+ hitter or a .275-.280 hitter? Most likely the latter. While it’s obviously possible that he will hit .312 again (he did it once; therefore, it’s possible), it doesn’t seem reasonable to expect that from him year-in, year-out.
Mathis is obviously incapable of hitting at the major league level. In the offseason, Tony Reagins must deny Scioscia the opportunity to use him.
But to blame only Aybar or Mathis & Aybar is to ignore the fact that Abreu’s OBP is down 40 points this year as well (largely due to hitting only .254, down from .293); Kendrick’s BA (and therefore OBP) is down; the same for Rivera; and the big, gaping hole left by Morales. With the exception of Mike Napoli and Torii Hunter, the entire lineup has failed this team. Are they going to return to 2009 form? Based on track record, apart from Abreu, only Rivera seems like a decent bet to do so. Abreu’s chances of doing so are limited by the very real possibility that his decline is due to the vicissitudes of age.
What?
Aybar learned about plate discipline LAST YEAR?
Uh oh.
As soon as SubOptimal finds out that Aybar is violating Myth #3, there’s gonna be hell to pay!
"Wastin away again in Minor-Leaguer-Ville..."
Poorly Phrased
Don’t get me wrong; I tend to believe that, by and large, you can’t learn plate discipline at the big league level. Chone Figgins is the very rare exception that proves the rule. Nevertheless, Aybar did show more patience last year (and, at least early on this year, was showing more discipline, insofar as the number of pitches he’d see per AB). Much of that was attributed to the influence of Bobby Abreu, for whatever that’s worth. And the improvements, though modest, were measurable (it wasn’t as if he went from drawing 20 walks to 120, but he is drawing walks about twice as often as he did in 2008).
This is one BIG thing in the off season that pissed me off by not resigning Figgy.
The leadoff spot hinged on Aybar not only repeating his career best year to date, but IMPROVING on it. A HUGE what if. And as we can see, a bad decision that has helped in one more critical facet, to make this season one giant FAIL.
by Wally's World on Sep 3, 2010 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions
Figgins FAIL
Of course, we’ll never know how he would have done if he’d stayed here, but Figgins’ performance this year in Seattle wouldn’t be an improvement over what Aybar has done. And even if he had done well, I find it hard to believe that he would have performed well enough over the entire length of his contract to make it worthwhile committing to him for that long. Letting Figgins leave was not a mistake, in the long term. Having not signed Figgins may enable the team to get a better leadoff hitter than Figgins will be for the remainder of his contract.
But we already know your bias when it comes to free agents: Angels should always re-sign all of their free agents to maximum contracts.
Figgins failure in 2010...
has no bearing on what he might have done in Anaheim in 2010. He was asked to change from 3rd to 2nd base. He bats 2nd now instead of leadoff. I think those two changes had a big effect on his mind, imho. However, I don’t think he was worth $45M … so we cannot even think about what “might have been” if he had still be our leadoff hitter in 2010.
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Sep 3, 2010 6:34 PM PDT up reply actions
While it wouldn't have been smart to re-sign Figgy, the problem here is not filling the void he left.
And it was stupid, or at best a high risk, to expect Failbar to fill that void.
Warning: The message above may or may not contain sarcasm. Read and interpret at your own risk.
by snowhor on Sep 3, 2010 9:31 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Fair Enough
I’m willing to forgive that failing, if it truly is, if there was someone reasonably available, last offseason, who could fill that void. Johnny Damon? That’s about it, really. If we’re talking free agents, I have hard time blaming the FO for rolling the dice with what they had, hoping (for example) that Aybar would take another step forward, or at least maintain, while awaiting a truly better opportunity to upgrade.
I blame the absence of "acuda27"
he’s mysteriously vanished from this site and the team has sucked since then.
I love this team.
We traded SeanRod and Kendry got hurt
So we had no way to follow his prescription and “Let’s go win”
He proved prophetic. If we had listened to him we’d have:
SeanRod playing third after beating out Brandon Wood for the job. No Kazmir, which means Alex Torres still in the system and $12 million more to spend instead of having a crappy starter.
SeanRod also means no need to deal for Callaspo, and our minor league pitching depth still includes O’Sullivan and Smith.
I miss Acuda too. Put Kendry Morales at first and Sean Rodriguez at third. Now let’s go win!
"That boy is our last hope" - Obi Wan Scioscia, as Francisco Rodriguez left for the Mets. "No, there is another" - Yoda Reagins.
So we had no way to follow his prescription and "Let’s go win"
You forgot the forty gazillion exclamation points after the “Let’s go win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Sep 3, 2010 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions
So we'd still have Alex Torres at AA level?
A lot of good that does us. And O’Sullivan is basically pitching BP for the Royals (giving up 9 HR over 35IP, a WHIP of 1.5, an ERA over 6).
And the “$12M” that you think we’d have saved would have been invested in re-signing Lackey. In fact, he would have cost more (Red Sox deal, with no real counteroffers to drive up the price, was $18M in 2010, $15.25M for the following 4 seasons).
The problem with revisionist history is that you don’t get to white out the parts which are inconvenient.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 3, 2010 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions
And the problem with apologistst history, is that the front office will never learn from its mistakes if apologist fans keep blowing Reagins and company.
Warning: The message above may or may not contain sarcasm. Read and interpret at your own risk.
by snowhor on Sep 3, 2010 9:37 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
So I'm an apologist?
Read more carefully next time.
The point was that undoing past transactions wasn’t as tidy as advertised:
° Torres is still at AA for the Rays and would have been unlikely to be an asset for our pitching staff in Anaheim
° O’Sullivan is doing horribly in Kansas City against MLB hitters
° We have no way of knowing if Will Smith would become anything more than the Terry Evans of the mound; he’s pitching effectively in the Royals’ minors but only at high-A level
° The lack of Kazmir would have mandated re-signing Lackey for a contract as large or larger than he took from the Red Sox.
That’s not “blowing” the front office (yeah, stay classy), that is simply stating facts. The only upside to this would have been Sean Rodriguez being available to assume 3B (that is, if Scioscia decided this was the path to take), but that substitution is hardly worth taking on 5 years of an expensive and declining John Lackey.
And all of this is a sideshow, anyway: The problem of the 2010 Angels was not the failure of Brandon Wood. There was no reason to assume that the offense would hinge upon his efforts. He should have been allowed the freedom to hit in the low .200s and make some errors, while the veterans carried the team. If the rest of the team is doing its job on the offense, there is no reason for Wood to feel as if he has to produce in every at-bat, turning the handle into sawdust every time up.
Frankly, having Sean Rodriguez playing 3B from June onward would, at best, mean the Angels would be in 2nd place in the AL West now instead of 3rd place, but far back just the same. The failure of Abreu, Rivera, Kendrick and others to put together a consistent year at the plate, the injury to Pineiro and the inconsistency of Santana, combined with the irreplaceable loss of Morales in the heart of the lineup and the complete inability of our bullpen to hold a game from the 7th inning (a feat Angels fans took for granted for years), are the reasons why this team finds itself 5 games under .500 and 10.5 games behind the most timid and faltering AL West champion in years. No matter if it’s Wood or Rodriguez, this team has multiple problems.
Mental do-overs, besides being exercises in wistful wanking, are designed to lead to the desired, predetermined outcome, and ignore the results which were possible, probable and undesirable. Actions have consequences but so does inaction (yes, I’m talking to you, Bill Stoneman), and I can’t fault Reagins for rolling the dice on trades for Kazmir and Haren to shore up the rotation and lock in players who are signed for the next several years, keeping the Angels for needing to enter the free agent market for overpriced pitching help (like Lackey) and spending even more money on older arms. Colon and GMJ taught the front office that contract longer than 3 years for anyone other than the exceptional player (Hunter, Teixeira) is an unwise move which doesn’t pay off in the final years of the deal. That fairly excludes the Angels from competing for free agent pitchers (who are routinely getting 4-6 year deals) and makes the acquisition of Kazmir and Haren all the more important.
Even if Kazmir hasn’t paid off the way it was hoped—he seems now to be an expensive, 5-inning, #5 pitcher—it was still a roll of the dice worth taking. It kept the team for sinking money into retaining Lackey, and surely the amount of ill will he’s engendered in Boston in less than one season has to indicate it’s better that he’s there than here.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 4, 2010 7:57 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well played, sir.
A couple of thoughts of interest to me:
1) Until the front offices of EVERY organization learns the lesson of 5 – 6 year contracts for pitchers, we are going to be at a disadvantage in the marketplace.
2) Lackey now probably misses our overly tolerant acceptance of his behavior and those 5th inning outcomes, and we spoiled him. That was our sin. Red Sox fans are not going to apologize for him. Time to grow up, Big John.
"Wastin away again in Minor-Leaguer-Ville..."
The Yankees will probably never "learn"
That won’t change unless and until MLB includes side revenue from team-owned networks as part of the revenue to be shared, and the MLBPA will make sure that never happens.
As for Lackey, I look forward to the day he glares at Youklis for a miscue in the game, and Youklis simply takes Lackey’s head off without a moment’s warning.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 4, 2010 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Why would the MLBPA not want to suck YES network revenue
into the payrolls of all other teams?
"Wastin away again in Minor-Leaguer-Ville..."
Bigger "haves" maximize salaries
I think a lesson from the leaked financials indicates that not all small teams are taking their shared revenue and putting it into salaries.
Furthermore, a truly level playing field would be one step away from the salary cap as seen in the NBA which has a depressing effect on salaries, compared to the donnybrook that is MLB.
Besides, the skyrocketing salaries of guys like Teixeira, Sabathia and others cause salaries in arbitration to rise as well, since they inflate the price point of a “premium” player for comparison’s sake. Mark Teixeira might sign a fat deal in 2009, but a dozen or more players in arbitration might benefit from that signing in the two years which follow. That high salary then sets the ground floor for that player’s expectations as a free agent; Carl Crawford will surely be expecting something more than $10M per year as a free agent since the final year of his contract gives him that much now.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 4, 2010 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I don't disagree. But I don't understand.
The fact that some teams are cheating with their cap funds should come as a surprise only to the Easter Bunny. MLBPA should be storming the courts as though it was Bastille Day.
Salary Cap is a bad idea. It is an artifical impediment against one’s right to seek fair wages for one’s work, and represents a unidirectional burden (assigned the players only) in order to resolve a competitive imbalance on the field. There has GOT to be a better way.
And then, that whole “setting the market” thing is utter bullshit. That the Yankees needed a power hitting 1B for 2010 and were willing to outspend several other teams in similar need at the same time to pay that particular price out of their particular financial position that particular year, should have no bearing on what the Royals might assign to that similar role at some other time, with some other quantity of similar players on the market, and some other number of similar teams competing for said player.
"Wastin away again in Minor-Leaguer-Ville..."
But the arbitrator has to take the comps into consideration
Let’s use the example of Adrian Gonzalez, even though he signed away his arbitration years a couple of seasons ago.
Let’s say he is taking the Padres to arbitration last winter, after his huge season. Since it clearly wasn’t a fluke, as it built upon his earlier good seasons, nobody can say Gonzalez was just having a career year. In addition, his defense at 1B is much better than most folks think (if they think of his defensive game at all).
The arbitrator has to look at the salary earned by all MLB 1B players, including Teixeira ($20M), to determine the market value for Gonzalez. And this offseason, if he was to take the Padres back to arbitration, he could build his 2011 salary faster by having Teixeira’s $20M included in the comps.
The point is moot, of course, since he took the route to financial security and signed away his arbitration years in 2007. But if he was going year-to-year, he could be making millions more per year in arbitration than he is making on his contract. Teixeira’s rising tide lifts the boats of all other 1B in arbitration who are having very good years. More to the point, the Padres might not have been able to retain his services if the team knew they’d be up against him in arbitration, and therefore might have had to trade him last winter (following his monster 2009) to avoid paying him what he’d earn in 2010 and 2011.
And that was BEFORE Ryan Howard’s 2010 extension deal inflated the price of an elite 1B even further. Remember, he was awarded $10M his first year of arbitration (2008), and signed a deal for three years in 2009 when the Phillies were offering $14M and Howard was asking $18M through arbitration. These are not salaries the Padres can afford when the team is seeking to keep its payroll around $40M to $50M.
And we won’t even bother with the $16M+ per season earned by Todd Helton.
So, yeah, MLBPA will fight to keep the top-tier teams as rich as possible, since those very teams will inflate the salaries of all players as the years go by.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 5, 2010 6:54 AM PDT up reply actions
But, fundamentally, that's my point.
If arbitrators are legally bound to use comps, then that is plain effin’ stupid and I would vociferiously work to overthrow that in the next CBA if I was an owner.
If arbitrators are NOT legally bound to use comps, but do so by practice, then I would prep my legal team going into the arb discussions like attack dogs and chew up that stupid practice.
It is just absolutely ridiculous that, because you are a contractor and you needed a new pickup truck in 2008, and you needed it in an emergency because yours broke down in the middle of an important project, I should have to pay what you paid back then when I go to buy a replacement pickup truck for my weekend trips to Home Depot now.
"Wastin away again in Minor-Leaguer-Ville..."
hit it on the head
haha very prophetic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTvSUCCqPo
by ANewFoundThrice on Sep 3, 2010 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm here at least.
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
by RexTookMyStash on Sep 3, 2010 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Man I miss that little fellow.
Things just aren’t the same without him.
Now stuck in Colorado Springs
by stuck in Romania on Sep 3, 2010 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions
That could be the problem...
We need more Acuda27, and Zu Long, we’ve sucked since they left.
YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF THE DARKSIDE.....
Dude, you blame your dog? That's sick
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
I heard Aybar dogs it on defense.
Get it? Because he’s a dog. Man I crack myself up.
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
by RexTookMyStash on Sep 3, 2010 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Good thing he isn't a cat!
at least he can’t cough up the lead.
by Wally's World on Sep 3, 2010 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe Rev's dog provided the inspiration for the article
Perhaps Aybar The Dog shit on Rev’s living room floor in the same way that the other Aybar shit on the top of the Angels’ lineup card this season. An epiphany!
Good article by the Rev
He’s not as useless as Mathis and Wood, but Aybar sure has had a crappy season. So has Kendrick.
"That boy is our last hope" - Obi Wan Scioscia, as Francisco Rodriguez left for the Mets. "No, there is another" - Yoda Reagins.
This team is in serious need of a ping pong table in the locker room.
Ping pong tables bring everyone together. That’s probably what the mid-east peace talks are in need of. A mean match of pong between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
Kegs of beer also have that kind of magical way of bringing people together.
;)
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Sep 3, 2010 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Seriously. We probably could have ended the Cold War 10 years early by throwin' a mean kegger at the Kremlin.
Can you imagine Nikita Khrushchev dancing around with a lamp shade on his head.
Nothing melts golobal nuclear ambitions like a half barrel of MGD.
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
by RexTookMyStash on Sep 3, 2010 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions
You bring me a keg of MGD and you're more likely to start a war
"You gotta have nuts." / "Coming Around 3rd, especially if I'm ticked off, that's going to happen." - Torii Hunter
by Commander_Nate on Sep 3, 2010 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions
You're not invited then nate.
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
by RexTookMyStash on Sep 3, 2010 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions
keg of beer + ping pong table =
BEER PONG
I’d bet $10 that Napoli is “premium” when it comes to beer pong
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by 2pintsofbooze on Sep 3, 2010 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions
He probably only makes cups when the game is out reach for his team.
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
by RexTookMyStash on Sep 3, 2010 4:21 PM PDT up reply actions
Yet another depressing aspect of our season thus far.
The regression of Erick Aybar. This season is the perfect example of Murphy’s law. Whatever could go wrong has, outside of WTY, Kowbell and Pinata, there has been little to nothing to be happy about. Other than our snuggies and One West Bank that is.
YOU DON'T KNOW THE POWER OF THE DARKSIDE.....
Sorry Rev, but Aybar deserves no more of the blame than anyone else.
- Blame Bobby Abreu. His defense is awful, his OBP has diminished as has his BA and SB. He fooled us and now earns 9 million for nothing.
- Blame Howie Kendrick. Finally healthy and playing full time, he’s managed to hit……280. 280?!?! That’s right, the future batting champion can’t even scratch .300.
- Blame Juan Rivera. We expected modest numbers. .280 25 HR and that’s it. He’s given us 260 and 12 HR and his defense went from bad to unbearable. I don’t care what crap UZR says, Rivera is not a good defender.
- Blame Mike Napoli. He was supposed to be our patient power hitter. He’s turned into a hacker and now we all want him to be our DH despite negative trends over the past 3 years.
- Blame Hideki Matsui. He can’t hit lefties and as it turns out, Yankee Stadium and their lineup did inflate his numbers.
- Blame Kevin Jepsen. He as supposed to be our rock in the 7th inning. He’s probably our most inconsistent reliever.
- Blame Scott Kazmir. Just blame him, seriously.
- Blame Jeff Mathis, his defense is actually getting worse, and now he’s literally worthless. We thought he turned a corner last playoffs.
- Blame Brandon Wood. How can anyone possibly be THAT bad?
- Blame Maicer Izturis. Inks a 3 year deal and rightfully returns to his place on the shelf, worthless.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
by Halowood on Sep 3, 2010 2:53 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I want some blame too.
Since I say “we” all the time when referring to the Angels, you can’t exclude me.
You forgot
Blame Kendry Morales for jumping and blowing out his knee.
NA, #34 SP, LAA
Light up the Halo for Nick!
More Howie please...
And by the way....Adrian Beltre isn't the answer...
Clearly playing for a new contract, he’s put himself into high gear and is having a career year, just like he did for the Dodgers 6 years ago. He’s not going to bat .330, he’s not going to bash 40+ DB’s, he’s not going to hit 30+ HR, his OBP won’t be respectable and his career BA with RISP is .271, which doesn’t help us at all.
If we sign Beltre, we’re gonna get what Seattle got. .270 30 DB 20 HR .320 OBP. Thanks but no thanks, I’ll take Callaspo’s .290 40 DB 10 HR .350 OBP at fraction of the price. Or if it’s between Howie and Beltre, I’ll take Howie’s .280 40 DB 10 HR 15 SB .320 OBP because it still only costs a couple million, not upwards of 15.
The infield is not great, but it’s not the central cause. Getting Kendry back will help but it won’t save us. We need and Ellsbury or Crawford type of leadoff hitter and we need a DH or 2B or 3B that’s going to hit with RISP and smack 30 HR’s a year.
If I’m Reagins, I start with Napoli for Ellsbury, deal Juan Rivera for a wad of cash, promote Conger, cut Mathis and throw 15 million for 4 years for Adam Dunn. Then all of a sudden we have the same payroll as we do now except now we can steal bases, have the best OF defense in baseball and have a 3-4-5 of Morales Hunter and Dunn. We move our under-hitting infielders to the bottom of the lineup where they belong. We’d have one of the best offenses, one of the best defenses, one of the best pitching staffs and a young bullpen, all for the price of this year’s group of overpaid under-achievers.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
And Bobby Abreu? See if we can't deal him while only paying 4 or 5 million of next year's salary.
Lot of good he did us. Otherwise I say he retires, we fire Hatcher and bring in Bobby as a hitting coach.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
He said he'd be open to it.
Plus he can’t fill in at 1B and corner OF occasionally.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
You're right, I didn't realize it was just for one season....
Still, I bet he gives in and agrees to DH if we agree to let him play a certain amount of games at 1B and LF/RF. Maybe he and Morales rotate between 1B and DH and Dunn plays about 20 games in LF/RF.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
Beltre benefits from hitting in Fenway...
(without looking at his home-road splits).
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Sep 3, 2010 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
People used to look at Matsui's splits and say he hit lefties and didn't benefit from Yankee Stadium....
The numbers lied and a year later, it’s proven he really can’t hit lefties and Yankee Stadium/Yankee lineup padded about 10 extra HR’s onto his total.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
Are you sure?
I mean, the facts are the facts: in his career, half of which was played outside Yankee stadium (and almost all of it played outside the newest version in the Bronx), there is no difference in his numbers between home & road (.842 home OPS; .849 road OPS), and he didn’t have much of a platoon split, either (.862 OPS v. RHP .810 OPS v. LHP). Those are facts.
A much more likely culprit for his decline: he turned 36 this season. Once again, his home/road splits are about even. What has really declined is his performance against LHP. But historically (and we’re talking over 900 MLB games before this year), that just wasn’t the case.
I blame the calendar far more than I blame the lack of Yankee Stadium.
or it could be
that he doesn’t have his usual lineup protection of guys like Cano. No need to pitch to him when we have guys like Wood and Mathis hitting right below them.
+1...
Hey Hideki:
How does it feel to have Brandon Wood for protection when you had A-Rod, Teix, and Cano batting around you in the Bronx?
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Sep 3, 2010 6:37 PM PDT up reply actions
He hasn't been hitting in front of Wood and Mathis most of the season.
He’s been hitting in the middle of the order most of the season, though he’s been moved down in the order some recently.
I rephrase your comment to:
I"d STICK with Napoli, deal Rivera…cut Mathis…
A wise man does not need advice and a fool won't take it.
Nope, he's right
If you’re going to make moves to shake up a listless offense, then go all-in.
Napoli may not have higher trade value than he will this offseason, with two more years of team control left. If the Angels believe Conger is ready to apprentice, then they could go with Wilson and Conger, trade Napoli and get whatever they can for Mathis (who does have value to a franchise as a #2 catcher).
If they wait until after 2011 season, Napoli still has one more year of arbitration, but if he regresses or plateaus in 2011 and will be in arbitration with a current salary of $5M to $6M, other teams might not want to take on one year of a one-dimensional power hitter who could still get a bump for 2012 and be even more costly.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
by George Kaplan on Sep 4, 2010 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't have a problem with those Beltre numbers.
He adds even more value with his glove.
2009 was a shit year for Beltre in a tough park, but he still delivered 2.4 WAR — worth $10.9M even given his power outage. He was a 3-5 WAR player 2006-2008, and is a 6.2 WAR player this year.
Basically, in the past five years, Beltre has delivered 25+ HRs and 3+ WAR every year but one.
He’s a better get for this team than Crawford, and will come at fewer years and fewer dollars. We have a slew of prospects who are LF options in the next 1-3 years (Trout, Trumbo, Moore, Auer), but no true depth at third.
Yahbut remember his Seattle years? . . .
He is a one hit wonder who now has two hits.
by Wally's World on Sep 3, 2010 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Beltre In Seattle
I can’t remember where I read it, but someone analyzed Beltre’s Seattle #s and determined that he was, in fact, worth exactly what they paid him over the course of the deal. He just never duplicated 2004, but what he did was perfectly acceptable.
I'm not sure if it's the same one...
but here is one by fangraphs…
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/adrian-beltres-bat-away-from-safeco/
and if you look at his splits away from safeco, and he hit pretty damn well. As a matter of fact, he is hitting better on the road this year as well.
by TheHeathen on Sep 3, 2010 10:26 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Only problem with this premise
Boston has no acceptable alternative, either. With Ugly getting injured and being another year older, I’m sure they’ll just lock him in at 1st and offer Beltre whatever it takes to keep him around.
Any catcher that has the potential to hit 30+ homeruns
with sufficient time behind the plate does not deserve to be traded. Period.
A wise man does not need advice and a fool won't take it.
Leadoff is still a problem.
This team still lacks a reasonable leadoff candidate going into next season. Crawford may be a slick outfielder and decent bat, but he’s no solution at leadoff. He has a career OBP of .336, and tends towards 100 Ks when given a full season of ABs.
Just a wild idea here…
Rafael Furcal is in his final season with the Dodgers next year, and I think Theriot is gone after this year too. Maybe the cash-strapped Dodgers would take a trade of Aybar and Kendrick for Furcal and a prospect. Then Callaspo plays second, Furcal plays short they still have Maicer and Amarista as bench options.
Furcal would provide leadoff skills in a transition period, but would be on short contract ultimately, so wouldn’t block anyone in 2012 and beyond.
Who plays 3rd in that scenario?
I like the idea, depending on who the prospect is though.
I don't think the club option is prohibitive.
Especially given the financial situation the Dodgers are in. That wouldn’t stop a trade.
I didn’t know Theriot was under club control for that long though. I just saw that he was on a one year contract with the Cubs and was traded mid-season.
Third is a different problem that the Angels have to address.
I still like Beltre. The historically poor OBP doesn’t bother me, because he’d be hitting in the five or six spot, and 20-25 HRs and 80-90 RBIs is a typical Beltre season — more than we’ve seen from third base in half a decade. And his glove continues to be golden.
I really don’t want Carl Crawford at the price he’s going to cost. I’d rather have Jayson Werth. But let’s say we only got Furcal and Belte. This is still a far better lineup than we had this year:
Furcal SS
Callaspo 2B
Hunter RF
Morales 1B
Beltre 3B
Abreu/Napoli DH
Conger/Napoli C
Willits/Abreu LF
Bourjos CF
Even if we went with Willits in LF, at least no balls fall in, and there’s a power core in the middle.
I wasn't a big fan of signing Beltre at first, but the idea has grown on me.
I could see some foolish GM offering him a ridiculous contract though.
Furcal has struggled with injuries the past couple of years
Trading Aybar for Furcal straight up would be dumb, adding in Kendrick would be insanity. On top of which, the lineup you posted really isn’t much better than the one we’d have anyway. Furcal is a minimal upgrade offensively over Aybar, but Aybar is younger and has proven capable.
You basically just replaced Kendrick with Beltre, which is completely insane considering that Beltre will have a low BA, the same OBP, the same DB’s and would add 5-10 HR’s, that’s it. Except you’d be paying Beltre well over 10 million dollars and Howie costs less than half that.
I really get that you love that WAR stat but honestly, if WAR is gonna tell me Beltre is worth 10 million dollars and Napoli’s worth 10 million dollars, then that’s all the more reason to completely ignore that obscure, made up number. Here’s one that should garner just as much respect and makes just as much sense. I think Napli’s only worth 4-5 million and Beltre is only worth 8-9.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
A little cloudy there, Halowood
The injury risk is the only reason I would say no to Furcal over Aybar, but I’d definitely be intrigued by the idea. Raffy has great plate discipline, is a far better base runner and plays equal or better defense to Erick.
Beltre provides more value with his glove alone then Howie provides overall. His offensive production is also considerably better. This is no contest.
You’re a bright dude but you gotta be more objective about our players. Aybar and Kendrick simply aren’t THAT good.
When did Sabathia start wearing dresses?
All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine.
by Quad Fin Rider on Sep 3, 2010 6:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Actually, I blame anybody that thought Aybar would be nearly as good as last year.
Especially if they thought he should be lead-off.
If you looked at the posts from earlier this year
Alot of people, I mean ALOT of people thought that the best is yet to come with Aybar. They saw his last year numbers, saw that Scioscia was going to put him into the lead-off position and just believed that he would continue to improve and become the lead-off hitter we wanted him to be.
My opinion: The real Erick Aybar has shown up. This is who he is. A slap hitting infielder, who goes into brain freezes at the worst times and who can’t take a walk. Get used to it. He’s going to be in our starting lineup for the next two years.
by righteous halo on Sep 4, 2010 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions
i think you are right
I was one of the biggest Aybar boosters ever … now I wish I had named my dog Hank
Please don't name the next one "Kong". Please. I'll pay you.
"Wastin away again in Minor-Leaguer-Ville..."
Hey Rev i read that story
I always pictured ypu as a college kid blogger. You kind of remind me of the uncle i never had hahahaha
" With Haren bolstering the rotation, the Angels are set up beautifully for 2011"- Another East coast biased reporter
by Halos2011champs on Sep 4, 2010 10:45 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
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