Reggie Willits Reality Check
by mattwelch on Jan 16, 2011 9:24 PM PST
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PrintSo by now, out of desperation, some of us are talking our way into imagining a low-cost, high-speed, home-grown LF platoon of Reggie Willits and Chris Pettit. Or maybe let Juan Rivera out there for 80 games if for some reason we don't get rid of him, but give Reggie maybe half the starts, enjoy the improved outfield D, bat him leadoff. He has a higher lifetime OBP, after all, than Johnny Damon (it's true!), Juan Pierre, Scott Podsednik, and any number of lousy "solutions" to the LF/leadoff position, assuming we're serious about not having the lifetime .400 OBP guy do the job (which begins to make sense when he's the 4th most powerful guy in our punchless lineup).
Anyway, before you drink that particular flavor of Kool-aid, take a stiff shot of this: Reggie Willits in 2007, vs. Reggie Willits the rest of his Major League career.
G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB/C BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS+ oWAR dWAR WAR
136 518 430 74 126 20 1 0 34 27/8 69 83 .293 .391 .344 96 1.8 -0.2 1.6
256 468 392 72 91 14 0 0 23 13/9 55 79 .232 .325 .268 62 -0.5 -0.2 -0.7
That's just...ouch. Wanna know the last player with more than 450 PA to finish the season with a slugging percentage as low as .268? OK, it was Cesar Izturis just last year, at exactly .268. But before that, it was our own Dick Schofield back in 1991. Basically, everyone on this list is either a middle infielder, catcher, or center fielder, for the very understandable reason that you can't start guys with less power than Dan Haren and Darren Oliver at a corner outfield spot.
It's not like Reggie was driving the ball in his good season, either -- his career Isolated Power (slugging-minus-battting average) of .044 is the second-lowest of any current Major Leaguer with more than 625 plate appearances. It's also lower than 11 pitchers. Hell, his career slugging percentage, 2007 season included, is lower than Haren, Carlos Zambrano, and Adam Wainwright. Reggie's one and only offensive skill, besides bunting, is getting himself to first base. And he hasn't been particularly good at that in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010.
There is a silver lining here: Reggie so far has played a pretty good left field -- RallyMonkey5's WAR has him at +6 runs above average for his career over 1006 innings (a bit less than a full season's worth), compared to a combined -9 at CF and RF. How that would precisely translate into defensive WAR, with its positional adjustments, is a bit foggy to me, but Juan Rivera's +2 performance over about the same LF time in 2009 gave him a 0.0. Basically, if Reggie were to play 80 games in LF at the same rate he's dealt with the position so far, he'd be slightly positive on the defensive ledger of things.
If Willits could only maintain that defense while inching his slash line to a happy medium between his 2007 and the rest of his career -- say, at .262/.358/.306, OPS+ of 79, offensive WAR at 0.7 -- then he ... would still be a not-great baseball player. But he wouldn't hurt you too much, while giving you some backup coverage in CF. There's something to be said for a guy whose strengths correlate with two things the Angels desperately need (leadoff-style plate discipline, and LF defense), though his glaring weakness is one of our main problems, too. And if Reggie really is a .232/.325/.268 hitter, he has very little business being penciled into a Major League lineup.
This Fan-Post is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.
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Matt Welch: Myth Buster!
Well done again.
I think that Juan Rivera is a better bet to rebound and add some much-needed sock to a sockless lineup.
This is the space where you write a clever quote or something like that.
by sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher on Jan 16, 2011 1:26 PM PST reply actions
Rivera certainly doesn't
But perhaps he remembers the Alamo. That’s got to be worth something.
by Hoppity Hooper on Jan 17, 2011 9:18 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Reggie isn't a great defender either
"Jeff Mathis is like Robb Quinlan without the sex appeal" - Sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher
2007 was the only year Reggie was allowed to play on a regular basis.
As I recall, he even hit clean-up in a couple games when he was red hot. I say, give him a chance (especially if the alternative is Rivera).
A wise man does not need advice and a fool won't take it.
That was my first reaction.
He had 518 PA in 2007, and 468 since then. That means he’s had only 468 PA sprinkled over the last 3 seasons. No one is going to have success playing like that.
Take a look at these numbers, and give your best guess who it is:
G AB R H HR BB SO OBP SLG AVG
2006 Los Angeles Angels 57 197 21 46 10 1 5 22 73 17 28 1 1 .293 .371 .234
2007 Los Angeles Angels 43 119 12 35 10 0 4 15 57 6 21 0 1 .333 .479 .294
2008 Los Angeles Angels 27 61 7 13 2 0 3 8 24 4 7 0 1 .273 .393 .213
2006-8: 377 AB, 27 BB, 56 SO, .249/ .320/ .379
Not exactly encouraging numbers.
However, those were the numbers for Kendry Morales before he broke out in 2009.
Don’t get me wrong, Willits is by no means a Kendry Morales. Not in the slightest. My point is simply that you can’t judge a player based on insufficent playing time. He’s shown he can handle an everyday job, and he did it well. He may not duplicate his 2007 numbers, but his cumulative stats since then are not a reflection of what he would do if we handed him the job in 2011.
by moralesforpresident on Jan 16, 2011 4:39 PM PST up reply actions
The G AB R H stuff didn't line up right,
just so you don’t assume he actually hit 10 HR twice or anything.
by moralesforpresident on Jan 16, 2011 5:15 PM PST up reply actions
Who would assume that?
It is common knowledge he has hit 0 homeruns in his career.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Except for that one in BP
WTY's ERA+ = 135 I WIN!!!!!
by Figgi4life on Jan 17, 2011 12:16 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Every time we have one of these Willits redux posts...
…there are a lot of people that make the claim he did well in ’07 because he was getting regular playing time. WRONG.
He started off that year smoking hot. He was a surprise addition to the roster, and teams didn’t have a “book” on him. He surprised a lot of teams and pitchers with his plate discipline (a true novelty on a team of free swingers). By the ASB, he was already tailing off. IIRC, he had a minor resurgence in August, then went flat the balance of the year.
What happened? Teams caught on to his game of patience. Once they realized he couldn’t hit certain pitches, he started to see more of those pitches in the zone. And his bating average declined with a rise in his strike-outs.
He hasn’t shown anything since that makes me believe he’s even a decent ballplayer. The WAR numbers don’t lie. As Matt pointed out in the post, he has ZERO power. He’s fast, but isn’t great at stealing bases (only 2 for 6 last season). I’m surprised his defense is rated so highly…I have seen him take awful paths on fly balls.
Baring miraculous intervention, we saw the best the young man has to offer in 2007. He’s a nice guy, but…NO.
No baseball player can play at their highest level without regular playing time.
A speed player like Willits is greatly affected by a lack of playing time. I don’t know how many of you have ever played baseball in the past, but if you’re trying to steal bases when you only play twice a week you’re not gonna have a good success rate, no matter who you are. He stole 27 bases in 2007, due in large part to his increase in playing time. When you’re a speed guy and you only play part time, you lose a step when you’re trying to steal bases because you don’t have that comfort level that you do when you’re playing regularly. It also affects his batter’s box offense as well. It’s hard to see the ball well when you play once or twice a week.
Whether 2007 will have been his best season or not we don’t know yet. But if we handed him the job next season, I could reasonably expect him to hit .285 and steal 20 bases, with a good OBP and above average defense.
by moralesforpresident on Jan 16, 2011 9:53 PM PST up reply actions
You're Missing
the entire point. Even with regular playing time, Willits wasn’t any good for more than about 2 months in 2007.
2007
Take a look at what he did with regular playing time in 2007
July: .231/.337/.269, for an OPS+ of 64
August: .250/.367/.276, OPS+ 72
September/October: .279/.355/.338, OPS+ 81
He played just as regularly in July, August, September and October as he did in March, April, May and June.
There is no reason to think that four years later, he will suddenly be better than he was even when he was playing almost every day.
But if we handed him the job next season, I could reasonably expect him to hit .285 and steal 20 bases, with a good OBP and above average defense.
So you want to hand the left field job to a player that;
- Just might hit .285!…with ZERO power.
- Might steal 20 bases…and get caught stealing only 20 times if he improves to a 50% success rate.
- Has above-average defense despite reports to the contrary from my lyin’ eyes.
- Will be joined in the line-up with (most likely) Jeff Mathis, Izz-llaspo, Err-bar, and Bourjos.
We will challenge all right. We will challenge Seattle for worst offense in the AL.
...and we will succeed in that challenge.
This is the space where you write a clever quote or something like that.
by sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher on Jan 17, 2011 12:51 PM PST up reply actions
The fact he hit clean up is not a testament to his skill
He hit clean up in a playoff game also. Is that a good thing?
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
And he crushed a pop up to the catcher in that game
That was the final straw for me. Can’t stand Willits…
by Big Easy Halofan on Jan 17, 2011 8:47 AM PST up reply actions
If I apply Angelslogic's logic.....
I recall Juan Rivera having a damn good arm and solid defense plenty of times since 2006. i also recall him being able to hit. Thus he’s perfectly capable of +2 WAR defense, 25 HR, 80 RBI, .280 average…. though most of that will get done after July 15th.
Sometimes I wish Rex would be quiet
by gitchogritchoffmypetis on Jan 17, 2011 12:16 PM PST up reply actions
Number Juan
Unless Pettit tears it up in ST.
Scioscialist Party of America - Redistributing your defense since 2000.
The fact that Willits is on the 25 man roster
Only indicates the depth of the desperation in LF.
by mustard_man on Jan 16, 2011 2:01 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Does this account for the spotty sample sizes?
I’m not saying put him out there, but it would seem that, as angelslogic points out above, Reggie Willits 2007 was lots of consistent playing time, whereas Reggie Willits the rest of his career is a few PAs here and there spread out wildly over the course of a season. Plus his having a concussion and an assortment of other injuries at various times.
Still, his extremely weak power even when playing regularly is very concerningly alarming.
Light up that halo! RIP, Nick.
My thought
Reggie Willits is a marginally better defender than Juan Rivera and a marginally better leadoff guy than Erick Aybar: 2009- .312/.353/.423 2010- .253/.306/.330
Assuming a small rebound for Rivera, we can expect .270/.322/.440 The difference between Rivera’s production and Willits’ is more than enough to make up for the difference in fielding ability.
Aybar will probably perform somewhere between 2010 and 2009, but likely closer to his 2010 output. A reasonable projection would be .270/.330/.365
Those aren’t great numbers for a leadoff hitter, but they’re better than other options we have (save Abreu who I think could do a good job too) Besides, Aybar is gonna be in the lineup anyway so we might as well put him where he fits.
Playing Rivera in LF also balances the types of hitters in our lineup. We don’t need more hitters who don’t hit for power, we have plenty of them- Aybar, Mathis, Bourjos, Kendrick, Abreu, Callaspo.
Also 2007 was a long time ago. I’m not counting on Reggie Willits for anything other than a spot start and defensive substitutions.
by lightupthehalo29 on Jan 16, 2011 2:59 PM PST reply actions
2007 was a long time ago
But he is still 29 and still able to get on base. I believe with enough playing time he’ll be able to put up .270/.360/320, solve our leadoff problems, and play a respectable left field. However if he does end up sucking bad we just replace him with Juancho. No doubt that Rivera deserves some playing time, but power is not what we need the most right now, even though it is nice to have. We had four 20 home run guys on last year’s team, and with Morales back there will be a boost in power. What we lacked was a speedy leadoff man who could get on base. I’m not saying we should play Willits every day, but we should give him maybe 400 PA’s, less (obviously) if he completely underpreforms.
by nicolasville on Jan 16, 2011 3:34 PM PST up reply actions
Reggie Willits Reality Check Reality Check
It’s Reggie Freakin’ Willits!
by lightupthehalo29 on Jan 16, 2011 4:21 PM PST reply actions
Interesting that you bring up Willits.
Early this morning I was ruminating over having Willits play LF so that we would have a decent OBP leadoff guy/left fielder. It wasn’t pretty, but it solved both of those needs. With Willits and Izturis in the starting lineups, there’s no power, but history says they’ll get on base. That would allow Bourjos to grow. All of my thoughts were aimed at getting us to mid-season, still in contention. Then, a lot of other scenarios could begin to appear.
Additionally, in my own imaginary lineups, I penciled in Pettit, thinking that he just might also fill the bill; if I were the manager, I’d give him a really good look in spring training….His minor league career certainly looks like he might possibly work out. I voted for Pettit in your poll. Oh, well!
I’ve noticed over the years that it seems that Scioscia makes “adjustments” about every three weeks…..20 games. It makes sense to me that Angels management will try to tread water until just before the All Star break; then they’ll know what they need to do, or if they are in a position meriting some bold move. It’s a lot easier to blow off half a year’s unproductive salary than that of a full year; they’re gonna be three months away from maximum payroll flexibility.
I really don’t like the idea of either Podsednik or Damon, but I’ll take whatever they decide.
My thoughts rambled to Trumbo, Conger, and yes, leadoff hitter Trout. We know Conger and Trout are coming (to stay, probably in a year); we’re not really sure about Trumbo. However, everything I’ve read about him says that when he swings and doesn’t miss, the ball goes a long way in a hurry. We can cross our fingers and hope that these OBP numbers mean something…for Trumbo, Wood, Callaspo, Rivera,…. and Jeremy Moore.
I will bet anything Damon out performs Willits in OBP next year. It won't be close
Willits playing a corner OF spot is a colossal failure. Offensively he is an ABORTION. I’ve never considered him an answer and pending the outcome of his arbitration hearing I’m leaning towards thinking he not worth a roster spot at all.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
A lineup with Willits, Mathis and Bourjos is competing for nothing
Might as well rebuild
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
by hauldog on Jan 16, 2011 5:33 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Testify!
This is the space where you write a clever quote or something like that.
by sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher on Jan 16, 2011 7:23 PM PST up reply actions
You forgot Wood.
"Ballplayers play baseball." -Jose Mota
by Fred Fredrix on Jan 16, 2011 10:23 PM PST up reply actions
How do you know?
"Ballplayers play baseball." -Jose Mota
by Fred Fredrix on Jan 17, 2011 8:05 AM PST up reply actions
Let's wait and see what Bourjos can do...
…unlike the other two, he’s not a hopeless case (yet)
I see red people
by The Limey on Jan 16, 2011 11:56 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't have numbers to back this up...
But I thought Bourjous was looking good enough at the end of the season. I mean his defense was All-Star caliber and towards the end of the season he was getting a few good at bats.
RIP Nick Adenhart 4/9/09
I blog about the Angels at First2Third.net
He was also the victim of an unsustainably low BABIP of .228 in 2010
His lowest BABIP during his journey through the minors was .326 at A and AA. At Salt lake last year his BABIP was .359, which doesn’t seem totally outlandish for a player with his speed.
Bill James projects him to bat .260 next year. If he manages that, with a handful of dingers (10ish) and steals a few bags (20ish), while playing CF the way we know he can, he’ll be a fine Angel and worth investing in. He is going to have to do a better job of driving the ball next year (9.9 LD% in 2010).
I see red people
I still would give Willits a shot
It’s true that 2007 was his only productive season, but that’s also the only time he’s gotten regular playing time in his MLB career. He was a great hitter as a starter in the minors, but like most players, without regular AB’s, he isn’t going to be as sharp.
Second, they badly need a guy to work the count and get on base at the top of the lineup. Willits led the league in pitches per plate appearance in 2007 and if you look at the list of players in the top 40, almost all those guys are power hitters. Working the pitcher at the top of the lineup is a valuable skill in and of itself that isn’t fully manifested in numerical statistics.
My opinion
The league adjusted. They play him shallow and they throw strikes.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
I never learned the skill of brevity in writing.
I admire it in others.
I wish Willits could play a full season like he played the first 2-3 months of 2007. It just isn’t going to happen.
If I wrote a post about Willits as long a yours
it would turned into a screaming rant. I gave up on him long ago. Check that. I never believed in him.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
They just throw him fastballs
and dare him to hit it.
Avg major league pitcher throws fastballs around 58% of the time. Reggie sees a whopping 72% fastballs. (from Fangraphs)
To Reggie’s credit, he doesn’t swing very often at pitches outside the strike zone. Unfortunately, Reggie STILL strikes out a lot. He’s a Three True Outcomes hitter. Except for, you know, he’s never experienced one of the outcomes.
All that being said, I think he’s a serviceable bench player. He’s a switch hitter, can play all three OF spots competently, and he’s a good base runner. He’d be perfect in the NL.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you." - Woody Hayes
by johnnyangel101 on Jan 17, 2011 2:20 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Depending on his salary this year I would argue he has served his purpose and it is time to move on
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Yeah I think it's Juan's job to lose in ST...
Let them compete for it but he’s the starter. If we get 2010 Juan then look for other options. If we get 2009 Juan hooray for the Angels.
If Juan is on the team, put him in left field and pray for a rebound
Willits can be his late innings caddy as a pinch runner.
Or is Kendry perhaps the one who needs to sit?
Contract year for Rivera
He’ll bounce back offensively. Defensively? There should be a Ludlum novel called The Bourjos Compensation.
So it's come to this.
a matt welch post with “statistics” and “analysis” to prove that reggie willits sucks at baseball.
What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.
I didn't suck in 2007 either.
Well, except for that one time at the frat party…..nevermind.
This is the space where you write a clever quote or something like that.
by sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher on Jan 16, 2011 9:51 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
she was a lovely frat boy and my apologies to her
by Rev Halofan on Jan 16, 2011 11:58 PM PST up reply actions
+1
for a funny innuendo
go long with extenze...i do
by angelsownredsux on Jan 17, 2011 12:00 AM PST up reply actions
Bobby Abreu
I believe that we will make one addition. If it is Manny, as speculated earlier today, then Bobby obviously starts in LF. Accepting the question asked and assuming no new additions, I still want Bobby in LF, in this case with Napoli at DH. I think we are better with Abreu and Napoli in the lineup than Abreu and Rivera. Sure, theoretically, it is possible that Napoli already will be in the lineup as the catcher, in which case Rivera could play LF and Bobby could DH. I expect, however, that Scioscia will start Mathis or Conger over Napoli, and that he thus will be available as a DH option.
by Brody on Jan 16, 2011 10:17 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Brodywood
W6G -- Unless there's a good trade on the table.
by RexTookMyStash on Jan 17, 2011 8:34 AM PST up reply actions
The Angels need Willits' bat in their line up!!
And what they need even more than that is somebody else swinging it for him.
by Hoppity Hooper on Jan 17, 2011 9:20 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
No one else wants to use his pink bats.
Sometimes I wish Rex would be quiet
by gitchogritchoffmypetis on Jan 17, 2011 12:25 PM PST up reply actions
that is dirty
Supplier of Angels Fans Since 2009
by DAD OF VLAD on Jan 17, 2011 12:44 PM PST up reply actions
Ummmmm
Monday morning sleaze.
Sometimes I wish Rex would be quiet
by gitchogritchoffmypetis on Jan 17, 2011 12:58 PM PST up reply actions
Something else to consider:
If Bobby gets 462 or more plate appearances this season his 2012 option automatically vests.
"That's the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball." ~Bill Veeck
by LAASurfin on Jan 17, 2011 9:48 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Well its been about 14 years
since he’s had that few, so unless he suddenly gets hurt, Bobby is a virtual lock to be here in 2012.
Yep.
Can’t afford not to play him in the offense that’s being fielded this season.
But it does influence how you would look at the DH position this year and next.
"That's the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball." ~Bill Veeck
I'm OK with Abreu as the DH the next two years
Besides his low BA last season, nothing in his game has slipped too considerably into his 30’s. Yes, he’s at the age now where every passing season could be the one where he falls off a cliff, but I can’t help but think his approach at the plate and his decent power makes him a relatively safe bet to hold his value with the bat for a couple more years. If not, he becomes an expensive part-time veteran. With all the money that will be coming off the books after this year, I think it’s a luxury we can afford for 2012.
Good reason to add a player
If we add a DH type (Vlad or Manny), then we can conceivably platoon Abreu and Rivera. That ought to keep Abreu’s PA down a little.
Reggie sounds like an interesting idea...
But we have enough scrappy guys in the line-up. I would rather have him come in the 8th or 9th inning, when the score permits, to be a defensive upgrade over Rivera/Abreu. We need Abreu in LF so that we can have Napoli in the DH spot to give us the 30 HRs Crawford and Beltre would have never given us.
Check out these links to learn more about Bobby Abreu’s steller defense:
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=11550975
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=12152463
He'd be Pete Rose
With HGH and greenies.
Or is Kendry perhaps the one who needs to sit?
Avoid every sunday game
Unless you want to see a lineup featuring willits, bourjos, mathis, izturis, aybar, callaspo, rivera, napoli, abreu
Reading the bullshit scioscia has been spewing about getting back to the roots of defense and aggressive baserunning makes me sick. There was a heavy dose of roid rage power, a lights out bullpen top to bottom, and players in their prime that won it all in 2002.
Somewhere, right now, Mickey Hatcher is ruining a swing.
by Quinlan's Goofy Swing on Jan 17, 2011 12:04 PM PST reply actions
Oh man.
hose Sunday games hurt so bad…. Mice Tits hitting clean up…. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…zzzzzzzzzz.
Sometimes I wish Rex would be quiet
by gitchogritchoffmypetis on Jan 17, 2011 12:23 PM PST up reply actions
I would say run a platoon situation in left.
Said platoon would consist of Abreu, Rivera and Willits. I know that Rivera is not the player he was and Willits will never be the player that either one of the other two ever was however, he IS on the roster and the team should either use him and utilize what is available or remove him from the roster to make room for someone else. Those are the options in my mind. Will Willits catch every ball hit to him in the field? No, but then again neither will Rivera and occasionally Bobby misses them sometimes as well. Reggie is a Gamer in every sense of the word. He will give you all he’s got.
I will give you an example that for me justifies my previous statement. I don’t remember where the game was being played other than it was an away game and I know it was a Fox game because he was mic’d. There was a long fly ball to the fence and in the process of catching the ball, Reggie went full into the fence to the point he sat on the warning track for at least a minute before getting up. One funny recollection about the play in question is that after he was sitting on the track there was a slight delay before he said anything and all he said was “Ouch.” I am assuming he remembered he was mic’d and stopped himself from saying something more like “shit, that hurt.”
The above being said, Is The platoon I constructed a perfect solution, probably not. Is Pettit or Trout going to be the next great Left fielder? I don’t know and nobody else does. Until they get into the field, that question cannot be answered. I say use a platoon of existing players until the all-star break and THEN bring up Trout or Pettit and try them out based on where we stand against Oakland and Texas. The Brandon Wood Experiment has given me pause when it comes to plugging a guy in and as much as I love Peter the (presumed) Great in Center, HE has yet to show his full potential in my opinion.
To sum up: I would just say we use what we have or go get something better that we KNOW will be leagues ahead of what we have already. Am I crazy? Maybe, but having some faith can be the difference between despair and coping in the face of adversity. Please let me know if I have lost it completely or if you have issue with anything typed above as I welcome all opinions.
I've been called a ot of names....
but Scotty is a new one!
by Angelsfan015 on Jan 17, 2011 10:18 PM PST up reply actions
I know. At least you recognize the thought behind my comment.
He’s still a knowledgeable avid fan…and reader of HH.
has he written anything new for LAAInsider?
I never go to that site
"You realize that Ive been posting on AN since 07 on this name and I am one of the most rec'ed posters there right?" - Some douche named DFA from AN
by 2pintsofbooze on Jan 18, 2011 12:50 PM PST up reply actions
Did my comment really remind you of his writing?
I only ask because he (halowood) was banned before I joined, i think, so I have no frame of reference.
by Angelsfan015 on Jan 18, 2011 1:41 PM PST up reply actions
halowood
aside (your secret is secret with me)
Supplier of Angels Fans Since 2009
by DAD OF VLAD on Jan 18, 2011 10:06 PM PST up reply actions
There's no secret to keep.
No Halowood here – Just Angelsfan015.
by Angelsfan015 on Jan 19, 2011 4:07 PM PST up reply actions
isn't that precisely what Halowood would say???
"You realize that Ive been posting on AN since 07 on this name and I am one of the most rec'ed posters there right?" - Some douche named DFA from AN
by 2pintsofbooze on Jan 19, 2011 4:19 PM PST up reply actions
and that's also what Halowood would say.
Warning: The message above may or may not contain sarcasm. Read and interpret at your own risk.
I would say this is getting ridiculous....
But we passed that point a long time ago.
by Angelsfan015 on Jan 19, 2011 4:49 PM PST up reply actions
so true
"You realize that Ive been posting on AN since 07 on this name and I am one of the most rec'ed posters there right?" - Some douche named DFA from AN
by 2pintsofbooze on Jan 19, 2011 4:59 PM PST up reply actions
Glad I can amuse you all.
I also go by the following names as well:
Keyser Söze
The Man (yes, that Man)
and
The “they” in “That’s what they say”
by Angelsfan015 on Jan 19, 2011 5:02 PM PST up reply actions
ummm
Kevin Spacey is Keyser Soze.
now we know you’re lying…which is exactly what Halowood would’ve done. jig is up!
"You realize that Ive been posting on AN since 07 on this name and I am one of the most rec'ed posters there right?" - Some douche named DFA from AN
by 2pintsofbooze on Jan 19, 2011 5:07 PM PST up reply actions
WRONG
No Halowood here. I won’t say it again.
by Angelsfan015 on Jan 19, 2011 7:40 PM PST up reply actions
actually, Halowood would say
I just said I’m being burned at the stake, how is that a victim’s complex?
I still can’t beleive he had the audacity to write that
"You realize that Ive been posting on AN since 07 on this name and I am one of the most rec'ed posters there right?" - Some douche named DFA from AN
by 2pintsofbooze on Jan 19, 2011 4:58 PM PST up reply actions
OK
First. Wake up and smell the limitations of inexperienced talent you boobs who have voted for Trout in 11. Think back to your brain at age 19-20. Were you ready for LF on a team where Halos Heaven posters are gonna start moaning about another bust as soon as you hit a cold streak? Ready to face CC Sabathia?
Didn’t think so.
Rivera will bounce back some. Play him. If Pettit looks MLB ready in spring, play him too, especially when Abreu takes a break, Naps or Rivera can DH, and Conger… or more realisticasadly Mathis… is catching. Pettit is basically Willits, with all the dials turned up a little. If we’re real lucky, he could be Brett Gardner…. he’s definitely gonna be better than Willits. And I’m sure his life was going great in 2007 too.
Sometimes I wish Rex would be quiet
by gitchogritchoffmypetis on Jan 17, 2011 12:34 PM PST reply actions
Agree on Trout
On Trout, remember folks that the Angels only get to keep him under team control for 6 years. Do we really want to sacrifice a year of that only to watch him develop in the majors. Remember he only made it to High -A ball this year.
Andruw Jones fared pretty well as an 18 year old in the World Series.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Of course we'll be lucky if Trout is as good as Jones
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Just make sure he stays out of those nightclubs.
This is the space where you write a clever quote or something like that.
by sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher on Jan 17, 2011 1:04 PM PST up reply actions
Bat Abreu first
Then Hunter third and Kendry fourth (or the other way around). Those are the only lineup spots worth worrying about, and they should go to the three best hitters. Let God sort out the rest.
Agreed, based on our current cast
If we sign Manny, he would be in the 3-4-5 mix with Torii and Kendry, and if we sign Podsednik or Damon, they would lead off and Bobby presumably would bat second.
I dunno man
Willits hit cleanup in 2007. Maicer was pretty nasty in the 3 hole.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Brian Downing once hit leadoff...
this whole leadoff hitter debate seems a bit overblown…unless the team does sign an obvious candidate like Damon…but if the lineup looks like it does now then I nominate the highly overrated bat of Howie Kendrick to hit leadoff…after all, isn’t he a .330 hitter just waiting to happen???
Platoon
Either Abreu or Rivera should start in LF with the other being DH. But, if the Angels have a lead in the seventh or later, Willits and his glove should trot out there.
Not Reggie
I am a long time season seat holder and I watch Reggie every time he is in and I say this, Reggie for one, is no David Eckstein. I know many fans think of him as the same kind of spark plug that David was, but Reggie is far behind. For those who know baseball, the name of the game is adjustments and after Reggie’s first year, the league adjusted to him. All teams know he has no power, so therefore they play up and take away bloop hits that were falling in during his first year. They know he will always take the first two strikes so they throw him two strikes and he becomes a defensive hitter having more strike outs each year. The name of the game is RBI with no power at third, center is lacking in over all hitting right now, short stop and second have limited power, having Reggie in left will drag us way down in run production. Reggie is part of the mosquito players we have plenty of, we need run producing players. I for one think Reggie Willits is way over rated and all you need to do is put him on wavers and he will clear. We need a overhaul on the bench. Willits is not the answer.
AngelBum
Been mentioned before
We talked about this one before Matt and the bottom line is the league has made adjustments and exposed him for what he is…below avg player with 1 plus tool that can play defense late in games and as a pinch runner since his ability to reach base on his own is limited. Club doesn’t need anymore of these type players.
by Angel Aviator on Jan 18, 2011 1:13 PM PST up reply actions
Been Mentioned Before
Amen to your post, I have said this since day one, and even as a pitch runner, Reggie is hesitant to steal bases. I say get rid of him and make room for some one that the league has respect for.
AngelBum
just the thought of Willits on our 25 man roster is depressing
at least reading the posts has brought me out of the denial stage. what’s next? Pain? That won’t start till April. Guilt? maybe i should buy a couple All-Star items from the team store at discount or get a lawn seat for Tempe – i shoulda helped Arte more so he could afford a LF.
I’m starting to see 2011 more clearly and seeking help to understand.
Reggie just got paid $775K to be around another year.
You have my sympathies.
by Angelsfan015 on Jan 19, 2011 4:09 PM PST up reply actions
More on Willits
Just the thought that the Angels are going to pay a guy $775,000 who has no purpose or place in the majors is appalling. Reggie is the most overrated player I have seen in many a moon. This is why the Angels, under Moreno, are not ever going to win the big show. They keep mosquito players like Willits who have no business in the big leagues and over pay the other the majority of non producing players. Just getting into the playoffs is no good enough. The braves made it 14 straight years and only won one championship, by contrast last decade the ratio on championships of the Yankees and Red Sox was far better. That’s why we hate them because they play to win including the front office, we just want everyone to have a good time, don’t pay too high a price to go to the game drink lot’s of beer and be satisfied that we may compete to get into the playoffs. How pathetic.
AngelBum
The "ratio" of championships during the last 10 years
From 2001 to 2010, the Yankees made the playoffs 9 times and won 1 championship; the Angels made the playoffs 6 times and won 1 championship. Rhetorical question: which team had the better ratio? Also, only the Red Sox won more than 1 championship during those 10 years, so if we failed in comparison to them on this basis, so did every other team in baseball.
Regarding Willits, there is no need for hyperbole — it is not “appalling” to pay $775,000 for a late-inning pinch runner and defensive replacement. Most teams do that, and some pay those reserves substantially more. It is appalling, however, to pay GMJ $11 million not to be on your roster and Kazmir $12 million to have a shot to be your fifth starter.
Most teams get much more value out of their 4th OFer.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Abreu/Rivera is the 3rd/4th OF
Reggie is the 5th.
"I have something 95 percent of all those All-Stars only wish they had: a World Series ring. If I had to choose between that and being an All-Star, it would be no contest. I’d grab the gold ring and never look back." -Tim Salmon
if so, I will point out that is a lot of jack for a crappy 5th OFer
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Reggie is the 5th OF
Behind Torii, Abreu, Bourjos, and Rivera. Over the past three seasons, he primarily has served as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. Could we have replaced him with someone like Chris Pettit? Yes, but to do so we would have to reduce Pettit to a bench warmer who gets virtually no at-bats.
Also, since Reggie is only getting $300K more than the least we would have to pay his replacement, I can’t agree that we are paying him “a lot of jack.” For comparison, we paid Robb Quinlan $800K in 2007, $1.05M in 2008, and $1.1M in 2009. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/q/quinlro01.shtml?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker&utm_campaign=Linker
Robb Quinlan salary comps are not the best
That contract was foolish to begin with.
I will need to do some research but my gut tells me that is not money well spent.
Besides he lacks most the skills you named. He can’t steal or play center.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Willits
The guy is a nobody even if he makes that stupid looking face. Like it is suppose to instill fear into the pitcher, give me a break.
The management stinks and Reagins should be traded off to some minor league team somewhere far away.
I am just fed up with the inability to make sound decisions example, Weaver, Napoli pay them what they want!!!
Finally
I’ve been saying this for two seasons.
I’m sure he’s a great guy, and he’s a useful pinch runner, but the guy just shouldn’t have a place on our roster.
There are probably 40 guys who would provide better numbers for league minimum.
# Halo Heaven Fantasy Champ 2008 #
Amen!
Please don’t let him start for us. Our top 4 starting pitchers look good this year. The rest of our team…ugh. We are looking pretty punchless and who knows how the bullpen will pan out.
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