20 Observations After 20 Games
by Rev Halofan
on Apr 20, 2008 7:54 PM PDT
We have played 12.5% of the season and...
- If neither the Mariners nor A’s sign Barry Bonds by June 1,
this division belongs to the Angels by an easy 12 games. Frank Thomas will not be enough.
- The Angels’ record in missed John Lackey starts: 2-2.
- A week without Howie Kendrick saw us go 5-2, and yet he
remains the most-missed Halo at the moment.
- Don’t worry about Shields and Frankie, the bullpen is going
to be fine – Justin Speier might need the most help of them all and he has nailed it
down of late.
- If Juan Rivera remains the only apparent alternative to the
slumping-yet-healthy Gary Matthews and Garret Anderson, assume Mike Scioscia
will let them hit their way out of it – into productivity or oblivion.
- After 4 starts each, Ervin Santana looks better than Jered
Weaver.
- Joe Saunders is having some great early success, but watch
past the 80-pitch mark as he hits the exhaustion wall.
- Jon Garland is going to get the Jekyll and Hyde award by the
end of the season.
- Mathis and Napoli are the best catching tandem in baseball
and equitable playing time between the two should mean rested superiority late
in the season.
- Torii Hunter is the real deal.
- Vlad is pressing and really should be DH more.
- Casey Kotchman may wind up on the all-star team and should
already have a gold glove.
- In 4 of our 8 losses, we had the go-ahead run at the plate or
on base when the final out was made.
- With his bat and glove, Erick Aybar has made me forget
Orlando Cabrera, but Matthews in the #2 slot and Garland on the mound have
brought OC back into view.
- I gave up on Chone Figgins before last season and he just
surprises me every game. His glove is fine at the hot corner and he is an elite
leadoff man – the transformation from overrated supersub to key cog in the
machine is complete.
- Like Bewitched!, we have two Darrens. Unlike Bewitched!, our
new Darren (O’Day) is better than our old Darren (Oliver).
- Frankie is determined to pitch 50 Saves in his contract year
and we might as well let him.
- Scot Shields should be an above-average to very-good closer next
season.
- Other than Matthews in the 2 spot, how can you complain
about Mike Scioscia?
- Going into play today, we had yet to play a .500 team.
51 comments | 0 recs
Building a Better Bullpen
by Rev Halofan
on Mar 26, 2008 1:54 AM PDT
Without Scot Shields and Chris Bootcheck at least for the first week of April, the Angels' bullpen is going to welcome some new cast members to the other side of the Left Field fence. Who will they be and what will their roles be?
Obviously, Francisco Rodriguez will be the Closer. Justin Speier will be the 8th inning Set-Up arm in those games where we have a lead in the 8th. He might even come in with an out or two in the 7th if the tight squeeze is making whoever is on the mound sweat.
Returning from last season will be lefty Darren Oliver. Manager Mike Scioscia has no problem using his lone bullpen southpaw against batters of either leaning and this could lead to Oliver being the 7th inning arm, at least at the season's outset. With two men down in the pen, Dustin Moseley becomes a longer shot to make the rotation and is the logical long man
The two spots remaining are that ambiguous territory of games of various odd description: Ones where the long man came in early and has pitched 5 and we are still down by 3; Ones where we tie it up in the 6th but the starter has thrown 100 pitches; Ones where we are up by 7 runs in the 8th and the starter is gassed (let's hope for lots of those!). There are days when the pen is tired and the regular reliables are not going to come in at all.
For those spots it comes down to two of three pitchers: Darren O'Day, Rich Thompson or Jason Bulger. O'Day is a near lock with 14 strikeouts in 15.2 spring innings pitched. Thompson and Bulger are a deep step down from that height, and it is neck and neck with Bulger's 9 Ks in 9 IP perhaps giving him the edge. Look for these two to see action over the next few days to determine the final member of the pen until Shields or Bootcheck get healthy.
The team may decide to carry 7 relievers for the Minnesota trip - just in case - and then bring "up" Nick Adenhart to start Game 5 (the home opener); should this happen, look for Kelvim Escobar to go onto the 60-Day disabled list to ensure that no player will have to get cut from the 40-man roster for all of these technicalities on the roster to be accomplished.
18 comments | 0 recs
