Mark Trumbo the new Mike Napoli, People making predictions. Halolinks.
Angels 5, Dodgers 4 - FOX Sports
MORE LINKS AFTER THE BREAK...
Top prospect Mike Trout hit a tying RBI single in the ninth and Hank Conger delivered the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly, helping the Angels beat the Dodgers 5-4 Monday night in the opener of the preseason Freeway Series and saddling Don Mattingly with a loss in his first game at Dodger Stadium as a big league manager. Hisanori Takahashi got the win with an inning of two-hit relief and Ryan Brasier got the final two outs for the save. The left-hander has allowed just one earned run this spring in 13 innings. ''I like the fact that he has the confidence to throw any pitch in any count,'' Conger said. ''That's what makes him so effective.'' Box ScoreI didn't get a chance to see this game, but when looking over the recap I got a good feeling that the Angels' young talent will be (or already is) fun to watch. Also, did anyone notice how low the attendance was for this game? 19,415 is all. Probably because of the regular season interleague games, but I remember the freeway series being a bigger deal.
2011 Organizational Rankings: #12 – LA Angels - FanGraphs Baseball
Coming off a year that saw the Angels fall to fourth in their five-team division, it may be a little difficult to appreciate the run of success they’ve had.
I like FanGraphs, I really do, but when this is the first sentence in a continuing organization ranking article it makes me think someone's not paying attention to their content. And if they aren't, why should I?
Angels FYI: Mark Trumbo swinging a big bat but may have only a midsized role - latimes.com
Trumbo leads the Angels with six homers and 20 RBIs this spring, but Manager Mike Scioscia won't commit to him as the everyday first baseman in injured Kendrys Morales' absence. Scioscia likes the infield defense when Howie Kendrick is at first.
Mark Trumbo may share time at first base for the Angels. Because of defense. - HardballTalk
Look, the example of Brandon Wood is proof that, no, you can’t trust everyone who rakes at Salt Lake City to be good in the majors. But really: is Mike Scioscia truly going to make his decision of who plays at first base based on defense?
SERIOUSLY? Are we going to go through this shit again? Does Scioscia have something against home runs? I get it, defense is important, but isn't defense at first base the least important position? Why reduce your team's run scoring ability, especially when it isn't that strong to begin with, for defense at first base? I may be making more of this than it truly is. Trumbo hasn't done anything in the major leagues yet, so sitting him in favor of Kendrick may be moot.
Scioscia won’t say first-base job belongs to Trumbo - The Orange County Register
Downs will start the season on the DL. But Monday's progress makes the Angels optimistic that they will be able to add the left-hander to their bullpen soon. A DL move to start the season can be backdated to March 22, making Downs eligible to return as early as April 6 if he is ready.
Within another Trumbo not starting article, I found this tidbit about Downs. Looks like he'll be back a lot sooner than what I expected.
Time for PREDICTIONS:
2011 staff predictions - The Hardball Times
Since spring training is starting to wind down, we at The Hardball Times' office decided to gather around at the break room and boldly make some predictions for the 2011 season.
AL West Preview - baseballmusings.com
It’s unusual to see the pitching staff with a higher WAR than the position players, but the Angels accomplished that. Part of the problem is the injury status of Kendrys Morales puts Mark Trumbo at first base. If he should be there an extended length of time, it’s likely the offense will suffer. On top of that, there’s a huge downside to Vernon Wells. He did play well in 2010, but his record since signing his big contract is less than stellar. Penciling him in as a 4.0 WAR player is quite optimistic.
2011 Division Previews: AL West - Baseball Daily Digest
The strength of this team is the starting pitching, led by a pair of aces in Jered Weaver and Dan Haren. The supporting cast is represented by the occasionally-great Ervin Santana and the innings-munching Joel Pineiro, plus the hope that Scott Kazmir can recapture a hint of his former self. As a franchise, the Angels have consistently put together shutdown bullpens, but this year’s relief corps is a glaring weakness, from shaky closer Fernando Rodney on down to the pseudo-Francisco Rodriguez. The Angels will need some peak performances to contend in the West, but their roster has the upside to regain their crown.
More Predictions That Will Be Wrong - FanGraphs Baseball
3. The Rangers will win the American League West by 10+ games.
It's not that Dave Cameron didn't pick the Angels, it's that he completely wrote-off Oakland that makes this prediction seem so bad to me.
2011 predictions thread - Angels blog - The Orange County Register
7. Lowest ERA on the staff goes to Michael Kohn.
Halowood is making some predictions in the OCR comment section. One man's lust for another can be a beautiful thing.
Five questions: California Angels - The Hardball Times
Prediction: 79 wins, third place AL West, no Mike Trout debut until 2012, a June draft featuring more college players taken in early rounds than qualify for this year’s Rhodes Scholarship, a panic late-summer trade for an overpaid "difference-maker" who blends in, performs well but doesn’t make a difference and then Reagins gets fired. Hey, a fan can dream can’t he?
You may have heard of this guy before. 79 wins, huh?
Ervin Santana adds to his arsenal - ESPN Los Angeles
Santana finished his spring with a 2.42 ERA and will make his season debut Saturday in Kansas City. He credits Haren with helping him master the split-finger grip. Haren has one of the best split-finger pitches in baseball.
We've talked about this before, ESPN just now getting the story.
Belinsky's legacy short on pitching victories but long on cool - ReviewJournal.com
In between, he won 28 games in the major leagues and lost 51. On May 5, 1962, Bo pitched the first no-hitter at Dodger Stadium, the first no-hitter in the brief history of the Los Angeles Angels, when he hypnotized Baltimore Orioles bats, 2-0. That made him sort of famous.
Interesting story about the former Halo hurler.
Ten things I didn’t know about the original AL expansion teams - The Hardball Times
Given the Angels' better overall record, it shouldn't come as much surprise that they have the edge in their overall series: 393-368. As it happens, the Angels are the club the Rangers have played the most times. However, the Angels have played the A's more times than anyone else. That's a bit odd, but it's because the Rangers played in the AL East for a little while when they were the Senators while California and Oakland have always been in the same division.
The Hardball Times is becoming one of my favorite sites simply because they consistently feature interesting stories that are well written.
Yankee Stadium parking prices hiked more than 50% - HardballTalk
Mark Feinsand of the Daily News tweeted yesterday that the price to park at Yankee Stadium was just raised from $23 to $35. I have two reactions to this, with the second reaction more or less trumping the first one:
1. Wow, that’s a big hike. It’s hard to justify that kind of an increase as anything other than a cash grab; and
2. What on God’s green Earth are you doing driving to Yankee Stadium? I mean, really.
$35? You can buy a couple of pretty good tickets to an Angels game for $35.
Tech-savvy Major League Baseball can do more to promote players - FOX Sports
Bob Bowman, the CEO of MLB Advanced Media (BAM) predicts that fans eventually will connect to the game in three ways — at the ballpark, through their home televisions and on wireless devices such as phones, laptops and tablets. The sport, by offering a massive amount of content — 4,860 games each regular season — is perfectly positioned to reach a huge Internet audience.
Sure, once they get rid of their stupid blackout policy!
Stew Book Review: ‘Solid Fool’s Gold’ by Bill James - - Yahoo! Sports
This book is inessential fun. It's mostly about baseball, but there are a few pieces about other topics, like red light cameras, the TSA, and tipping — which James believes will soon be illegal, for reasons he explains.
Just thought I'd pass this along.
March 29 - BR Bullpen
Events, births and deaths that occurred on March 29.
1867 - Denton True "Cy" Young is born in Gilmore, a tiny village near Newcomerstown, Ohio. Young will earn his nickname for his cyclone-like pitching motion and he will win (and lose) more games than any pitcher in major league history with a 511-316 record and a 2.63 ERA over 22 seasons. Young will win 20 or more games 15 times, and top the 30-win mark five times. He will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in 1937, with 153 votes on 201 ballots. Forty-eight writers didn't vote for Cy Young. This boggles my mind.
1933 - Chicago Cubs outfielder Kiki Cuyler breaks his leg and will miss nearly three months of the season. Cuyler also missed half of last season when he broke his other leg. Hey Kendrys, don't even think about it.
Happy b-day:
1962 - Billy Beane, outfielder; General Manager
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Comments
I don't think you're making more out of the Trumbo situation
I think you’re correct. IT is bugging the crap out of me too. I want to see some F’ing pop in the lineup not 9 punching judies.
Bring on the OREO Line!
Wow, Rev....
79 wins, really? You’re projecting this year’s team to be worse than last year’s team?
Why not say it again?
Mike Scioscia may be the best mama bear clubhouse leader in baseball, and he may have a special knack for bullpen management that eludes many of us, but he knows shit about how to construct an offense.
His offensive plan is simple.
If a player hits better than he or Hatcher did, then he doesn’t want them.
God #@%^ Mother F@#$in' Reagins! You make Omar Minaya look good.
by Monkeyspanked on Mar 29, 2011 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Why not say it again?
Mike Scioscia may be the best mama bear clubhouse leader in baseball, and he may have a special knack for bullpen management that eludes many of us, but he knows shit about how to construct an offense.
Totally agree.
It seems he obsesses over a player’s defensive skills and completely ignors that player’s power/production potential. Soth the embodiment of a cut-your-nose-to-spite-your-face manager.
A wise man does not need advice and a fool won't take it.
That would make him a Premium manager.
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
In terms of fantasy baseball, Scioscia is clueless.
But in terms of reality baseball, Scioscia wins the division, more often than not.
Dumb, lucky bastard…
by Zaius on Mar 29, 2011 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
especially the '02 and '09 squads
offensive black holes, they were.
R.I.P. Nick Adenhart - Always an Angel
That does cherrypick Scioscia's record a bit.
Look at team runs scored.
In the eleven seasons Scioscia has managed the Angels, he’s had a top five MLB offense only twice, both in the years you mention. #4 in 2002 and #2 in 2009.
If you want to be even more generous and expand it to the top 10 MLB teams for each season, only four of eleven seasons were the Angels in the top 10 — and you’re competing against 16 teams there where the pitcher hits.
7 of 11 seasons, Scioscia has managed a middling or below average offense (4 were well below league average). Only 2 of 11 seasons were elite offenses.
That’s what an offense run on batting avg and RISP2 will get you: rare fluky spikes, and a lot of inconsistency.
by Turks Teeth on Mar 30, 2011 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm going to be pissed if HK starts at first instead of Trumbo.
I’ll take a 3-run Trumbomb over a nice back-handed grab by Howard at first any day. Not that defense is not important, I just feel our offense has been a huge question mark and anyone who can add power to our merry band of slap hit singlers is a good thing.
Official prediction: The Angels will win the AL west this season.
You mean to tell me...
you don’t want 4 infielders that will combine for 20 home runs all year starting?!!? Screw the guy who can hit 30 on his own…who needs Trumbombs.
Bring on the OREO Line!
by angelskid2210 on Mar 29, 2011 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions
You're assuming he doesn't Trumble.
"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
"Let's get ready to trumble!"
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Mar 29, 2011 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions
I'd rather have Willits DH
Official prediction: The Angels will win the AL west this season.
by RexTookMyStash on Mar 29, 2011 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
Now that's what I like to hear.
Bring on the OREO Line!
by angelskid2210 on Mar 29, 2011 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions
When HK47 started at 1B against COL on the 20th, he booted about 5 or 6 balls, and was lucky to only get 1 error out of it.
He’s uncomfortable at 1B. Leave him at 2B.
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
I love the Trumbomb is catching on
Yes, I meant for that to rhyme.
To be fair to Scotty...
PECOTA has Kohn with the third-lowest ERA on staff.
It also has Daniel Tillman 10th, ahead of Rodney, Jepsen and Walden. FREE DANIEL TILLMAN.
Game's the same, just got more fierce.
Lol another FREE such and such campaign?
Those have worked well for us recently haven’t they. But yes FREE TILLMAN! I’ll jump n board.
Bring on the OREO Line!
by angelskid2210 on Mar 29, 2011 9:59 AM PDT up reply actions
PECOTA
Is very hard to take seriously.
"Jeff Mathis is like Robb Quinlan without the sex appeal" - Sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher
For individual players with little information to go on, it definitely can be — that’s what I was getting at with the Daniel Tillman projection, which looks bonkers. But there is some real thought and logic behind it, and if it likes Kohn a lot, it makes me think there’s quite possibly a lot to like about Kohn.
Game's the same, just got more fierce.
by Sam Miller OCR on Mar 29, 2011 5:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Is that why the Evil Empire's fans are such Goombas?
Now it all make sense. Thanks, Rev!
"To Halowood - Avoid the Clap." - Jimmy Dugan
by Angelsfan015 on Mar 29, 2011 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Go to Yankee Stadium on a weekend
Most the season ticket holders who use their tickets for work unload them for weekend day games. The crowd is very “interesting.”
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Side show interesting or should be committed Interesting?
"To Halowood - Avoid the Clap." - Jimmy Dugan
by Angelsfan015 on Mar 29, 2011 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Side show.
Fat dudes in tank tops sitting in the lower level. It is funny. They have fould mouths and drink lots of beer though so if that offends you beware.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
The Kids
Watching the game, Conger, Trumbo, and Wood all had some pretty bad ABs. I know that the stat line looks good but that was my observation.
It is better to put less pressure on Trumbo. Ease him in. Bat him lower in the lineup. Say he isn’t “replacing” KMo. If he takes the league by storm, great. More than likely, there will be some growing pains.
The Angels need to win now.
Incidentally, AK had some really good ABs. One in particular where he came back from an 0-2 count to get the walk. I’m seeing more maturity from Mr. Howard.
Are you sure it was that Howard? Maybe it was the OTHER Howard.
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
I like the Hardballtimes Article Rev
Too bad the logic you follow in the question about Kendrys does not appear to be the logic Scioscia will be following.
I have a nagging suspicion that HK is going to be playing a lot of first base.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
It is interesting to see what the rest of the sporting world thinks of he Angels.
I find that they are on point about half the time. The other half of the time, well… Let’s just say they live in Yankee/Red Sox/ESPN Land.
"To Halowood - Avoid the Clap." - Jimmy Dugan
79 wins, but we might win the division
But only if we get lucky.
And if we’re really lucky, we suck and Tony Reagins gets fired.
Sigh…I wish we had a Real Baseball Genius running the team like they’ve got in Texas and Oakland.
Who's the best GM
In angels history?
by HalosBiggestFan on Mar 29, 2011 11:18 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
By my advanced metrics
Buzzie or Port.
They just never got as lucky as Stoneman and Reagins.
Why so mad?
What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.
by clover_black on Mar 29, 2011 11:57 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm angry the Angels usually win
Despite never having a sabrintelligent lineup.
Brad Pitt will never play one of our loser GMs in a movie.
5th largest payroll in the MLB.
4 team race.
Bankrupt rangers. Desolate A’s. ROFL mariners.
Maybe there is cause for concern, when you’re still losing with a bloated payroll.
What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.
by clover_black on Mar 29, 2011 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions
I'd say a bigger concern
Would be when you’re still losing, despite having a plethora of ‘rebuilding’ seasons like up in Oakland.
Hopefully our measuring stick isn't oakland.
What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.
by clover_black on Mar 29, 2011 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions
You're right.
It’s just that Beane/Oakland are my goto guys in terms of Designated Strawmen.
;)
as is proven every year in the playoffs
"We are not on an austerity program," Arte Moreno
by thebigtizzle on Mar 29, 2011 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh, crapshoot!
Now you’ve made me burn my one profanity for the month.
lol...don't waste it.
i think subconsciously it was a bait post that i’m not in the mood to defend.
but there is more than just sabre, lol…
"We are not on an austerity program," Arte Moreno
by thebigtizzle on Mar 29, 2011 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Instead of Brad Pitt...
we might get WESLEY SNIPES!
“It is HARD WORK making you look SO BAD!” – Wesley Snipes in White Men Can’t Jump and certainly a line that Tony Reagins may think he can use in the company of other GM’s.
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Mar 29, 2011 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm thinking more along the lines
Of that actor from Forrest Gump.
If there were 19,000 fans in attendance last night
I’ll eat my hat (but not my Angel one)
That was a pitiful performance by Dodger fans—pre-season or not.
Hopefully we blow them aware with our fan support tonight.
Yeah that place looked empty
I was there for that game 2 years ago and it was damn near packed to the top…
perhaps they don't want to give their money to McCourt
after all the crap that has come out. I don’t blame them, if that is indeed the case.
"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 Mar 29, 2011 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Yea I have to think Dodger fan is a bit frazzled right now
with all the shit going on.
I do like their new manager though—I think they made a good call on that one.
Mattingly is a good guy, a smart coach, and was a terrific team player.
That is essentially what my roommate said
Scioscialist Party of America - Redistributing your defense since 2000.
by Commander_Nate on Mar 29, 2011 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions
"blow them *away"
interesting malaprop though
We so ounumber them in attendance that they suddenly become “aware” of how much more involved we are and try to take action of some sort to rectify that desparity in their own stadium next time; thus, “we blow them aware”.
Or it was just another stupid typo…
What is with HBT?
The Halos haven’t been the “California Angels” since Disney bought them. They haven’t been the Anaheim Angels since 2004. Get a clue dudes.
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
Seriously
HBT is ridiculous. Who hires some punk named Mat Gleason anyway? That guy’s a tool.
"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
/sarco
"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
Sarkozy?
Scioscialist Party of America - Redistributing your defense since 2000.
by Commander_Nate on Mar 29, 2011 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Careful
He will airstrike you. Then who would lead us?
Scioscialist Party of America - Redistributing your defense since 2000.
by Commander_Nate on Mar 30, 2011 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions
California Angels, A-OK!
California Angels, All the Way!!
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
That was pretty funny of Rev to stir that shit-pot! I thought it was comical genius to title the article that way.
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Mar 29, 2011 4:23 PM PDT up reply actions
HK at first with Pineiro on the mound
Abreu in the OF and Trumbo at DH is the only alignment that makes any type of sense to me. Sacrifice the OF defense for IF defense with a sinkerball pitcher on the mound. I don’t like it, but I can see the logic.
Soon we will own the night.
Prediction time, front office bashing time, Wells bashing time, Premium bashing time, Scoscia bashing time, A’s look great time, mighty Rangers time, Angels have no offense time, bottom of the lineup sucks time, Reagins will get fired time….will all be over. I’m so happy I can hardly sit still. get all the shots in from blog to newspaper to experts to whatever. it won’t be luck and it won’t be over-performing. Get it all in…you got a few days left and the punching bags are still open…
We will be in first place the entire season.
"We are not on an austerity program," Arte Moreno
by thebigtizzle on Mar 29, 2011 1:20 PM PDT reply actions 5 recs
Wrecked
Official prediction: The Angels will win the AL west this season.
by RexTookMyStash on Mar 29, 2011 3:03 PM PDT up reply actions
I think TBT took your stash
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Mar 29, 2011 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Have they said anything more about Kendrys' and his orthotics situation during the broadcasts?
I’ve caught significant parts of the last two games but didn’t hear much of the commentary because I was taking care of some other business. I saw his happy mug in the dugout during the Padres game, which made me kinda happy.
Scioscialist Party of America - Redistributing your defense since 2000.
Last I heard
He was taking BP yesterday and was due for fielding practice and other drills today.
So much for 2010... let's go 2011!
Cool, thanks.
Scioscialist Party of America - Redistributing your defense since 2000.
by Commander_Nate on Mar 29, 2011 1:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Surprised
to not see napoli as an option on the poll. He still gets my vote. Can Conger play first?
by Zookeeper on Mar 29, 2011 2:26 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Wilson can for what that is worth!
"To Halowood - Avoid the Clap." - Jimmy Dugan
by Angelsfan015 on Mar 29, 2011 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
It still sounds to me like Trumbo is going to play quite a bit, just not everyday right out of the gate.
I don’t have a huge problem with that, as long as Scioscia gives him a legitimate shot to earn more playing time if he’s producing.
you mean you don't appreciate an infield full of 2B/SS?
Does Scioscia not play fantasy ball at all? Defense gets you no points.
Well, come see a fat old man some time!
Paul Francis Sullivan at HBT is the man
Has the Angels going to the WS, though losing to the Phillies….so I guess he’s more like 3/4 of the man.
Anyone predicting a Halo playoff appearance needs to be drug tested.
I love this team.
by Downing Rules on Mar 29, 2011 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions
I guess I am not as pessimistic as you are
I do not see Texas’ young pitching surviving the colossal innings jumps they just had. I also do not think their rotation is that good. Moving Feliz to the closer spot really helped us.
I am not sold on Fremont either. It is a parking lot with a Mayor.
I think it is going to be a dog fight. The Angels are VERY thin and any injury is basically end of days for them though.
Reggie Willits: The non-tender candidate of my dreams.
Wait, you are a Napoli fan?
I thought you were a fan of very large drinks
Can someone please tell me...
When Morales is scheduled to be back? At this point, is it never?
I'm boycotting the HBT until their LAA analyst gets his head out of his ass
Seriously, how can you take a guy serious when he misspells his own name? One “T”? C’mon.
Well, come see a fat old man some time!
tons of tidbits
1. where was Halowood’s predictions on Orange County Register? I needed a good laugh / head scratching (but the Fangraphs one will suffice)
2. the game last night and tonight is on mlb.tv for free
3. Remember Soth is a catcher. If all catchers love defense, and Soth was a catcher, you can surmise Soth loves defense. Please use “defense” lightly, as Suboptimal greatly put Premium’s offense and defense stats last year.
I like the article Rev, but I think you're a bit optimistic on the win totals
go long with extenze...i do
by angelsownredsux on Mar 29, 2011 7:02 PM PDT reply actions
Sorry to those who love him, but....
Scioscia is full of shit. I’m so tired of listening to his bullshit about ‘match-ups’ and different ‘looks on defense’…PLAY THE MOST TALENTED PLAYERS YOU MORON! Not the guys you have a man-crush on, not the guys you think might match-up better against a particular team or starter…but for once, play the guy who can actually hit a baseball with enough power to get it out of the infield. This could be a good team…if Scioscia doesn’t F-it up with his usual bullshit.
Trumbo deserves a shot
Besides… Smiley McGroundout is abysmal at first. Need to cut him,Wood and Willets once and for all.

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