Brandon Wood talks Angels in interview

Lots of tidbits from him about his time with the Halos like this one in a recent interview:

"I don't think that [33] at-bats in 2007, 150 in 2008, [41] in 2009, and [226] last year define me as a big league baseball player,"

8 months ago TheGP Baseball 43 comments 0 recs |

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Oh but they do

RIP Nick Adenhart

by ihearhowie2.0 on Sep 15, 2011 3:30 PM PDT reply actions

I really hope it clicks for him one day

Always seemed like he was pressing.

I play music for your entertainment

by Seik1177 on Sep 15, 2011 3:33 PM PDT reply actions

I really want Brandon Wood to win...

Brandon’s problem with the Angels was that he was not a slap hitting, Latin, middle infielder.

"why do you we still have quitlin?" -VladdyG

by cupie on Sep 15, 2011 3:37 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

and Too Tall

by eyespy on Sep 15, 2011 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Much as I would have loved to see him thrive...

His career in the lowered expectations of Pittsburgh have been a continuation of the frustrating mediocrity he showed in Anaheim under huge expectations.

It isn’t an Angel problem. It is a Brandon Wood problem.

There is a subset of players who are dynamite in AAA but who, for whatever reason, can’t make the jump to the pro level. My conclusion after all these years is that Brandon Wood is one of those players.

"The contract is brought up a lot. What it's going to take to get past it is winning. This organization took on the contract. I'm here to make them look good."~Vernon Wells

by George Kaplan on Sep 15, 2011 4:57 PM PDT reply actions

Part of what you said contributes to the myth

He wasn’t even dynamite in AAA. He was okay in AAA, but the one part of his game there that was above average also happens to be the one part that was exaggerated by the parks in which he played. Really, he was amazing one season in A ball, and then the hype exploded from there.

He always had gigantic holes in his swing. It’s just that far fewer pitchers could find those holes in the minor leagues. And he never really had a solid batting eye.

Defending maligned chants since 2009

by Gorbachav5 on Sep 15, 2011 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions

On the good side, he's never been caught stealing in his big league career.

Defending maligned chants since 2009

by Gorbachav5 on Sep 15, 2011 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Gotta get on base to steal a base.

I woke up in a great mood; I don't know what the hell happened.

by Monkeyspanked on Sep 15, 2011 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions

He could have a long career as the designated pinch runner for Torii Hunter.

Arte Went Biblical sounded nice until it was clear it didn't involve sitting the twenty-three million dollar man.

by snowhor on Sep 16, 2011 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions

can he catch?

by Halos in DE on Sep 15, 2011 5:51 PM PDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs

beat me to it :)

Acuda Matata!!!!!!!!!

by atomburn on Sep 15, 2011 8:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Add them all together

And you get .183 / .223 / .285 in 738 PA.

I am disappoint.

by Suboptimal on Sep 15, 2011 6:32 PM PDT reply actions

And yet Jeff Mathis continues to get at bats.

Light up that halo! RIP, Nick.

by Clutch on Sep 15, 2011 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe Weaver never liked Wood

"The contract is brought up a lot. What it's going to take to get past it is winning. This organization took on the contract. I'm here to make them look good."~Vernon Wells

by George Kaplan on Sep 16, 2011 3:45 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

This would make more sense.

Light up that halo! RIP, Nick.

by Clutch on Sep 20, 2011 9:39 PM PDT up reply actions

I really hope that Wood can piece it together, but it's looking less and less likely.

by TheKingfish on Sep 15, 2011 7:10 PM PDT reply actions

What is with all these "lets badmouth the Soth" interviews lately?

by eyespy on Sep 15, 2011 7:18 PM PDT reply actions

Possibly has to do with his mismanagement of rookies/youth (one bad game and they risk being benched for a month....meanwhile Vernon Wells...............)

(AKA, guys who don’t know yet that you are supposed to be a robot in interviews and say everybody and everything involved in baseball is great)

by Dontbatvlad4th on Sep 15, 2011 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Which rookie has had a bad game and then been benched for a month?

See, this is what eyespy is talking about. Ridiculous.

Defending maligned chants since 2009

by Gorbachav5 on Sep 15, 2011 11:11 PM PDT up reply actions

What criticism of Scioscia?

I read the article and must have missed it.

by Brody on Sep 16, 2011 5:15 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions

There wasn't any criticism of Sosh

Brandon just said he developed bad habits over the last four years, but didn’t pin his struggles on adjustments that were forced upon him.

"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you." - Woody Hayes

by johnnyangel101 on Sep 16, 2011 9:31 AM PDT up reply actions

I'd say he pretty much deserves it these days.

I woke up in a great mood; I don't know what the hell happened.

by Monkeyspanked on Sep 15, 2011 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Jeff Mathis...

…

by YouthofToday on Sep 15, 2011 8:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, gosh, managing a team expected to win 80 games to 15 games over .500

Terrible manager, that Scioscia. Of course, he’s not perfect (yes, Mathis, I know), but I’d put him among the top 5 managers in the majors. There are a few I’d pick over him (Maddon comes to mind), but certainly not many.

Defending maligned chants since 2009

by Gorbachav5 on Sep 15, 2011 11:14 PM PDT up reply actions

They were expected to win that many games because of the boneheaded decisions he made in the offseason

by Suboptimal on Sep 15, 2011 11:50 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Except that's not all him

Probably not even mostly him. And even if it is, it’s on the own and the GM for going along with it. He’s a manager, not a GM. He should never have been given whatever actual GMing power he was given. And I still don’t think he orchestrated the Wells trade. I’m sure he gave it a stamp of approval, but that’s on Reagins for not getting him a better option in the first place.

Defending maligned chants since 2009

by Gorbachav5 on Sep 16, 2011 1:32 AM PDT up reply actions

owner, rather than own

Defending maligned chants since 2009

by Gorbachav5 on Sep 16, 2011 1:32 AM PDT up reply actions

I feel tr asked soth ‘do you want vw?’ And sign said ‘yes’ so it was done. But tr did the legwork and only asked as a final okay from after and soth. But the trade happened, we win with what we got bitches.

by Halos in DE on Sep 16, 2011 9:42 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions

I can't believe that any more

Everything ever written about Angels office politics—which isn’t a lot, I grant—suggests that Mike Scioscia really wears the big boy pants, and Tony’s job is to give the man what he wants. Just compare the front office moves to Scioscia’s roster management. The Wells trade accomplished two Scioscia-esque goals: boost gritty veteran-ness in the outfield and eliminate a CERA liability behind the plate.

The Angels are performing better than expected because Weaver, Haren, and Santana have all been remarkably healthy and successful, and because a few unknown quantities like Bourjos and Trumbo have turned out positive. These players have done something really incredible this season, and they should be rewarded. But some time in the next two weeks, we’re going to find out if one inadvisable transaction, with their manager’s fingerprints on it, will sabotage all their efforts or not.

by Suboptimal on Sep 16, 2011 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions 4 recs

Agree

The Wells trade accomplished two Scioscia-esque goals: boost gritty veteran-ness in the outfield and eliminate a CERA liability behind the plate.

Scioscia had no use for a particular cheap player who hit .238 and 26 HRs in a team that has always been lacking for that power bat, and in a season that was disappointing offensively. And Napoli couldn’t fill in at 1B either since Kendry was returning, and Trumbo will be the backup. So he exchange Napoli for someone who had very similar numbers, but was $20M more expensive, and won’t ever be a threat to Mathis behind the plate.

by smithy610 on Sep 16, 2011 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions

But why

give it a stamp of approval if it’s not even a good option??? I understand Scioscia approving it if it would desperately fill a need, like if Wells was a 3B, but he wasn’t. He’s just another aging, past-in-his-prime, expensive outfielder on a team that has a crowded outfield, already with 2 players exactly like him (aging, past-their-primes, expensive), and still paying another expensive outfielder to sit in his home. And that’s not even considering they have way cheaper and more talented options at the positions in the farm level. I mean, did Sosh and TR seriously thought that it was a great deal on the premise that Wells MAY opt out of his contract, and thus will not harm the team for the long-term anyway (blocking Mike Trout)?

I’m sure he gave it a stamp of approval, but that’s on Reagins for not getting him a better option in the first place.

by smithy610 on Sep 16, 2011 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions

He's a great manager. I'm just saying he's opened himself up to more criticism than usual.

I woke up in a great mood; I don't know what the hell happened.

by Monkeyspanked on Sep 16, 2011 7:24 AM PDT up reply actions

Reality can be a MF'er

by mustard_man on Sep 16, 2011 5:13 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Interesting Attitude.....

…..Angels probably should have recognized his monster Rancho Cucamonga season as a mirage sooner and tossed him into a deal before his prospect cred evaporated…..There seems to be about 400 guys in the minors that scouts drool over but note that “he’ll have to cut down on his 150+ strikeouts to advance”………and about 398 fail to do so and eventually are released.

by jkaflagg on Sep 15, 2011 8:50 PM PDT reply actions

no

Cabrera deal was Santana, Adenhart, Kendrick, and Mathis

Angels didnt want to give up both Santana and Adenhart

R.I.P. Nick Adenhart #34

by Vladd#27 on Sep 15, 2011 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions

You mean Mathis

They refused to part with Mathis.

RIP Nick Adenhart

by ihearhowie2.0 on Sep 15, 2011 10:37 PM PDT up reply actions

And as an aside

Think about where the Marlins would be if they had taken that offer. They went with the Tigers, of course, and the two centerpieces of the deal (Maybin and Miller) are both gone from Florida, as are most of the other pieces sent from the Tigers.

Presuming that Nick would still be alive at this point, the Marlins would have a rotation of Johnson, Santana, Adenhart, Nolasco and Sanchez, with Ramirez at SS, Kendrick at 2B and Uggla still figuring out 3B, plus Morrison and Stanton in the OF. This would have been a team which could have seriously contended in the NL East, not as good as the Phillies but capable of surpassing the Mets and Braves.

"The contract is brought up a lot. What it's going to take to get past it is winning. This organization took on the contract. I'm here to make them look good."~Vernon Wells

by George Kaplan on Sep 16, 2011 4:05 AM PDT up reply actions