His Angel Wings Were Bruised and Restrained

by Rev Halofan on Dec 3, 2011 4:37 PM PST in Team Lore

I'll burn my eyes out (or just swing weakly at balls out of the zone) before I get out.

Today is the greatest...

1,416 PA (67th most as an Angel) Gary Matthews Jr. 86 OPS+

1,360 PA (68th most as an Angel) Jeff Mathis 50 OPS+

1,300 PA (69th most as an Angel) Mo Vaughn 117 OPS+

...day I've ever known!

Poll

Is Lyle Spencer correct, are the 27 outs that Jeff Mathis creates on defense more important than the three that he gives up on offense?

Lyle's seen 4,000 games, of course!

106 votes

Jered Weaver has 85 million reasons to disagree.

138 votes

Mike Scioscia was a Dodger so Lyle knows best.

24 votes

No, but allowing Keith Law appearing less douchetastic is the real crime here.

132 votes

400 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 64 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

fuck them all!

Gary Matthews and his roids should’ve voided his Anaheim contract.

Jeff Mathis and his CERA can go rot on somebody else’s team.

And Mo Vaughn’s fat clumsy ass should’ve watched where the hell he was going before hid Humpty Dumpty ass went tumbling into the dugout.

by C.A._Rep_Los_ANGELS on Dec 3, 2011 4:45 PM PST via mobile reply actions 1 recs

his*

by C.A._Rep_Los_ANGELS on Dec 3, 2011 4:45 PM PST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs

I think everyone is misunderstanding the value of this trade

Mills is probably a better hitter too!

by lightupthehalo29 on Dec 3, 2011 4:47 PM PST reply actions 2 recs

Watch AA spin him off for something else

The Blue Jays have J.P. Arencibia and Jose Molina on roster.

Don’t get me wrong, Mathis is gone so I’m rejoicing. However, AA has already fooled us once on Wells / Napoli – it’ll be interesting to see what he has up his sleeve for Mathis.

From Jeff Mathis' TOPPS card: "Jeff is a defensive catcher, but he can rake it when it counts." Jeff has a lifetime .199 MLB batting average

by mustard_man on Dec 3, 2011 4:58 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

I was just wondering the same thing...

…although the character of the trades are completely different. Reagins appeared to add Napoli to the Wells deal as a “sweetener”, while the trade of Mathis is a more favorable trade for the Angels.

I can’t imagine AA flipping Mathis to another team for any player of relative or greater return value (not that Francisco for Napoli was a fair trade either).

by sothball on Dec 3, 2011 5:10 PM PST up reply actions

They don't have Molina anymore.

But I wager Mathis gets barely more than 150 PA this season, as it probably should have been while he was with the Angels.

Light up that halo! RIP, Nick.

by Clutch on Dec 3, 2011 5:11 PM PST up reply actions

Clutch is correct

we let Molina go for a type-B compensation pick to the Rays.

by TtD on Dec 3, 2011 5:47 PM PST up reply actions

Ah No Jose Molina is a Ray

Thank You Jose and Mr. Friedman for making this trade happen

by Bozo's1000son on Dec 3, 2011 5:48 PM PST up reply actions

Let's call it reparations Tampa

For sending us Karmis

~ these atoms are liars
http://deemm1.wordpress.com

by Nocturne on Dec 4, 2011 4:41 AM PST up reply actions

How do intangibles convert into metric?

Weaver and Haren will win 20 games each in 2012.

by Halowitz on Dec 3, 2011 4:59 PM PST via mobile reply actions

Spencer sure was spiteful today.

My favorite was this gem from his “farewell” piece to Mathis—this is the last line of the piece:

“In the Fielding Bible section of the 2012 Bill James Handbook, Mathis is rated the fourth best defensive catcher in the Majors by a panel of experts, behind Matt Wieters, Yadier Molina and Carlos Ruiz.”

It’s OK Lyle.

What’s the over/under on how many times Spencer manages to bring up Jeff Mathis’s great defense this season despite him no longer being on the team? And who wants to bet on it?

Light up that halo! RIP, Nick.

by Clutch on Dec 3, 2011 5:19 PM PST reply actions

Also,

Does that “panel of experts” consist of Lyle Spencer, Mike Scioscia, and Tony Reagins?

Light up that halo! RIP, Nick.

by Clutch on Dec 3, 2011 5:19 PM PST up reply actions

interesting thing about that panel

it was heavyweights: Bill James, Rob Neyer and others up on baseball mountain. These are people whose basic premises about catcher evaluation Lyle rejects AND this “ranking” was most interesting for this set of guys because it was not numbers based at all, it was simply their observational score of the player, something their methodology time and time again debunks. One outlier article and Lyle hangs his lifeline on it.

by Rev Halofan on Dec 3, 2011 5:26 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Nice.

So much strangeness in this.

Light up that halo! RIP, Nick.

by Clutch on Dec 3, 2011 6:23 PM PST up reply actions

Exactly

Notice Comrade Lyle didn’t cite this study by BP on catcher’s ability to frame pitches, http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15093

or any other measurable metric.

by YouthofToday on Dec 3, 2011 9:55 PM PST up reply actions

Darn.

I should have made this bet with you yesterday. : )

by 5thStarter on Dec 5, 2011 1:48 PM PST up reply actions

I bet I'll see Mathis in town next season...

Since he’ll most likely see some Triple A time with the 51’s (Vegas).

Representing the Angels in Sin City.

by maze88 on Dec 3, 2011 5:50 PM PST via mobile reply actions

I work for the fifty ones during the summer.

As a clubhouse guy and it would definitely be awkward seeing him. Lol

The 2011 Angels, the biggest cocktease ever.

by Angelsrthebest101 on Dec 3, 2011 6:38 PM PST up reply actions

Jerry Dipoto the JeDi

Saw that on mlbtr, thought it was pretty cool

I have a secret place, inside my mind, where I keep hidden inspiration you wont find.

by Tapatio Man on Dec 3, 2011 8:20 PM PST via mobile reply actions

Jedi > Ninja

by Halowitz on Dec 3, 2011 8:42 PM PST via mobile up reply actions

jedi got us DESTRUCTOBEAM

nicknames abound

"id take 5th Dimention Wormhole Rivera over Wells any day of the week"
-clover_black

by the king of CERA on Dec 3, 2011 11:15 PM PST up reply actions

JEDI!

i have a trumboner.

by truhalo on Dec 4, 2011 2:03 AM PST up reply actions

JeDi?

Do you remember which comment it was that you saw that name? Was it by a guy named Goose, perchance?

by 5thStarter on Dec 5, 2011 1:39 PM PST up reply actions

I come out of off season hibernation to say

FUCK YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Somewhere, right now, Mickey Hatcher is ruining a swing.

by Quinlan's Goofy Swing on Dec 3, 2011 8:23 PM PST reply actions 2 recs

How awesome would it be if Seth MacFarlane

used a Mathis reference on Family Guy?

Representing the Angels in Sin City.

by maze88 on Dec 3, 2011 8:49 PM PST via mobile reply actions

This is already the best offseason since the Vlad, Guillen, Colon, Escobar year.

We just improved 4 wins in less than a week. It is going to take a lot for DiPoto to lose my trust now. Like he’d have to extend Wells and trade Trout to lose me from his bandwagon.

"I have one word for you...Be careful."
-Jose Guillen

by IE Angel on Dec 3, 2011 9:26 PM PST reply actions

What about Aramis Ramirez to a 5/100 deal?

Light up that halo! RIP, Nick.

by Clutch on Dec 3, 2011 9:48 PM PST up reply actions

It's funny how bad the rumors have been

Huge contracts for Aramis or Madson or Papelbon. Yet, if you look at what he actually has done, and ignore the rumors, he has done a great job so far. That gives me hope that most of the rumors are false.

by Brody on Dec 4, 2011 6:29 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

Yeah the latest now

Is the Angels have inquired about Ian Stewart. I call obvious bullshit and that it’s just based on having traded with the Rockies within the past week.

Light up that halo! RIP, Nick.

by Clutch on Dec 4, 2011 6:14 PM PST up reply actions

Wouldn't it be interesting...

if all of a sudden incriminating photos of Scioscia started to surface?

by Beat The Red Sux on Dec 3, 2011 10:06 PM PST reply actions

well i thinks god loves..or at least jerry dipoto

he traded jeff mathis on my birthday

by LA allday on Dec 3, 2011 10:15 PM PST reply actions

Iannetta vs. Mathis: this time it's WAR

Iannetta’s WAR
2008: 3.4
2009: 1.8
2010: 0.4
2011: 3.3
Average: 2.2

Mathis’ WAR
2008: – 0.3
2009: 0.0
2010: – 0.5
2011: – 1.0
Average: – 0.45

Note that Fangraphs WAR is park-adjusted, thus the fact that Coors is hitter-friendly is taken into account.

by Fan Since 1981 on Dec 3, 2011 10:22 PM PST reply actions

But those readings are inaccurate.

CERA is not taken into account.

The 2011 Angels, the biggest cocktease ever.

by Angelsrthebest101 on Dec 3, 2011 10:33 PM PST up reply actions

2009

A career year

by eyespy on Dec 3, 2011 10:41 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

his career year

matched by any AAAA scrub

"id take 5th Dimention Wormhole Rivera over Wells any day of the week"
-clover_black

by the king of CERA on Dec 3, 2011 11:17 PM PST up reply actions

Yes, but do Iannetta's teammates love him as much as Mathis'?

And what was Colorado’s winning percentage with Iannetta? That’s all that matters.

by Big Easy Halofan on Dec 4, 2011 10:05 AM PST up reply actions

BS

Have you seen 4,000 games fan since 1981? I doubt it. Unless you have seen 4,000 games your opinion is completely worthless.

by YouthofToday on Dec 4, 2011 11:24 AM PST up reply actions

Keith Law is awesome

He can certainly be an arrogant ass at times, but I can’t imagine that’s an unforgivable sin on this blog.

The guy knows his stuff.

Defending maligned chants since 2009

by Gorbachav5 on Dec 3, 2011 10:36 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

FINALLY! The #5 jersey is free of this mediocrity

Mathis had no right to sully my main man, Brian Downing’s legacy by playing so poorly in the great Halo number five jersey.

I love this team.

by Downing Rules on Dec 4, 2011 6:15 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

+ infinity

Now I can wear my old blue #5 jersey again without feeling at all awkward.

by Brody on Dec 4, 2011 6:31 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

Well Dadgum ... who'da thunk he'd be out in the weeds when this news broke?

Mathis … was deer hunting in northern Alabama when he heard about the trade.

Source: MLB.com’s Blue Jays beat writer, Gregor Chisholm.

I love this team.

by Downing Rules on Dec 4, 2011 6:43 AM PST reply actions

Quick, somebody better take the firearm away from him.

and make sure he doesn’t try to impale himself on a deer antler. Jeffy it is time to get used to Motel 6 on the AA tour.

CONGER, CONGER, CONGER !!!

by steelgolf on Dec 4, 2011 7:35 AM PST up reply actions

I imagine the deer are completely safe as Jeffy never hits anything

All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine.

by Quad Fin Rider on Dec 4, 2011 9:08 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

Mathisn't had to be traded to free up the #5 jersey for...

…Albert Pujols!

"Ballplayers play baseball. Hrrmmmff." -Jose Mota

by Fred Fredrix on Dec 4, 2011 7:07 AM PST reply actions

i hope this is true

by hoffy loves the angels on Dec 4, 2011 9:53 PM PST up reply actions

The girl that's wearing the flower dress in the "Today" video is so hot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t9z9goCWgc

"Lose your pants and only good things can happen."-MayhemInTheHood

by Mayheminthehood on Dec 4, 2011 8:01 AM PST reply actions

With Mathis gone,

Game threads should be considerably shorter this season

by LanaBanana on Dec 4, 2011 10:21 AM PST reply actions

I, for one, plan to take up as much space as possible thinking up new nicknames for CDI

CONSTRUCTOCON DEVASTATOR IANETTA

by Halowitz on Dec 4, 2011 11:26 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

We are going to turn into that gushingly positive web site that someone once accused us of being...

when instead, we were all just a bunch of whiny biotches (myself included).

I love this team.

by Downing Rules on Dec 4, 2011 1:12 PM PST up reply actions

I'm sure we'll find someone to yell and scream about.

We aren’t going to just be loving everything that happens.

by angelsfan7 on Dec 4, 2011 1:30 PM PST up reply actions

You won't have Jeff Mathis to kick around anymore

If the Halos don't care about the way they play, then why should I?

by red floyd on Dec 4, 2011 2:19 PM PST up reply actions

He'll be missed

by hateball on Dec 4, 2011 10:34 AM PST reply actions

one strike away ……. TWICE.

I love this team.

by Downing Rules on Dec 4, 2011 1:13 PM PST up reply actions

wtf? hateball?

Are you some kind of white supremacist? Is that why you like good ol boy Mathis so much?

by Halowitz on Dec 4, 2011 2:06 PM PST via mobile up reply actions

Mathis

I for one will miss Jeff. His defense could be eye popping. he is #1 in MLB in jumping bunts and blocking home. weaver will miss him. I just moved to Boston and the Globe (Cafardo) warned today that the Angels could repeat the Napoli error by dumping Mathis for a AAA starter at best.

Jeff played very solid postseason games for us going back to 2007. I get kind of reading the trashing of Mathis on this site as I value him and feel he should be respected. He is our first truly outstanding defensive catcher since Boone, and I feel sick that he failed as a hitter and that so many fans ridiculed him.

by shelley p on Dec 4, 2011 5:02 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Lyle, why did you change your name to Shelley?

by ~MMP~ on Dec 4, 2011 9:27 PM PST up reply actions

i guess you missed the molina brothers when they ruled baseball

as defensive catchers, they were the best we ever had including boone. who was great in his own right, mathis was not that good. yes he did block the plate well but he could not throw out anybody, and sometimes threw to the wrong base.he deserves the criticism for making it to the professional level and being the worst offenive player in the history of baseball. the mendoza line should now be called the mathis line.

by hoffy loves the angels on Dec 4, 2011 9:59 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Mathis

Hoffy, we will find out how Mathis fares now that he is gone. Mathis clearly lost his job due to terrible hitting over a long period.

The Molinas were good, but neither could approach Boone with the glove. And I prefer Mathis v. both with the glove by a large margin. Just one mans opinion based on 46 years of Halo watching.

by shelley p on Dec 5, 2011 5:46 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

is that 4,000 games worth?

I love this team.

by Downing Rules on Dec 5, 2011 6:03 AM PST up reply actions

That's actually 7,452 games!

by ~MMP~ on Dec 5, 2011 7:03 AM PST up reply actions

Meh

Defensively, Mathis only really had quickness around the plate in common with Boone. They’re otherwise nowhere near the same category. Boonie couldn’t hit much, but he wasn’t such a liability. Bengie called as good a game and could throw out runners (less than Boone but better than Mathis). Plus he could hit. I’ll never trash Mathis, but he shouldn’t be on a major league roster. Scioscia must’ve figured NL teams compete with only 8 hitters, so why not the Angels? Only gets you so far in the AL.

by Theren86n02 on Dec 5, 2011 11:07 PM PST up reply actions