Halos Heaven - All Posts

Thursday Angels Lineup

2013-05-23T23:05:03Z

I might take a train - I might take a plane - but if I have to walk I'm probably batting against Joe Blanton.

Erick Aybar SS
Mike Trout CF
Albert Pujols DH
Mark Trumbo 1B
Josh Hamilton RF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Alberto Callaspo 3B
Chris Iannetta C
J.B. Shuck LF

And Joe Blanton looking for his first win of the year is on the mound.

Weaver Rejoining Club Next Week?

2013-05-23T15:16:50Z

Rejoice everyone! Jered Weaver threw an excellent extended spring training game and could come back as soon as next week! On Wednesday, Weaver threw 5.2 innings and struck out nine batters. How many walks? None. Also, he allowed just one run. Not too bad (although it wasn't in the majors).

The Angels are hoping their ace returns as soon as possible to what looks like a team that is finding its mojo. Weaver, who broke his left elbow against the Texas Rangers on April 7, was given a timetable of 4-6 weeks.

He made just two starts before suffering the injury. In his first, against the Cincinnati Reds, he pitched to a no decision and was hit hard by the Texas Rangers in the second. Coming back now and being effective would help the Halos as they are riding on a four-game win streak and have been playing quite well.

Source: NBC Sports Hardball Talk

Thursday Halolinks: Angels Continue To Win, Scioscia Blames Chemistry

2013-05-23T14:35:50Z

Beware. I got a little GIF (pronounced "jiff", but I don't care...I still say "giff") happy today. Animated Halolinks:

Angels firing on all cylinders after 4th straight win. "They didn’t get much of it in April, but now, in the season’s eighth week, the Angels are beginning to see what they can do when all their parts are flowing. They’re scoring runs and throwing well, and any sense of concern they once had has virtually faded." Um, I wouldn't say our concerns have "virtually faded". More like "somewhat faded". No wait, "surreal-ly fading". "Kinda going". "Literally sightless". "Figuratively dispelled"? Screw it, we have still have concerns, and they're real.
Damn you Scioscia! Are you some sort of evil genius? Wilson shines as Angels pound Mariners 7-1 - Yahoo! Sports. "I thought I was going to pass out in the first inning, I didn't feel good today," Wilson said. "I ate too much pasta last night or something."
Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels - May 22, 2013 - MLB.com. "In the third, Aybar's single -- his third hit in his past five at-bats after a 4-for-24 slump (all from the lead-off spot) -- brought home Callaspo for the Angels' seventh run of the afternoon.
Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals - May 23, 2013 - MLB.com
Santana is 3-3 with a 2.77 ERA in eight starts for Kansas City and will face the Angels for the first time. Joe Blanton, who replaced Santana in the Angels' rotation, will be searching for his first win when he takes the mound on Thursday. Blanton is 0-7 with a 6.62 ERA in nine starts. He allowed 15 baserunners in just 4 1/3 innings in his last start against the White Sox.
Angels-Royals Preview - Yahoo! Sports. "I think we're seeing much better at-bats from our team as a group," manager Mike Scioscia told the team's official website. "We're seeing much better team chemistry right now." Oh, now the Angels have better chemistry? What changed...oh, yeah, they're playing better.
Looks like Jered Weaver is ready to rejoin the Angels' rotation - CBSSports.com. "It has been six weeks and one day since the Angels placed ace Jered Weaver on the 15-day DL with a fractured left (non-pitching) elbow. His return was expected to take four-to-six weeks."

Weaver's line from extended spring game: 5 2/3 innings, 1 run, no walks, 9 Ks 75 pitches, 62 strikes vs. D-Backs. # Angels
— Kevin Baxter (@kbaxter11) May 22, 2013

Angels' Weaver faces minor-leaguers - Yahoo! Sports

Scioscia says team will make a decision on Weaver this weekend but it's possible his next start could come next week against Dodgers#Angels
— Kevin Baxter (@kbaxter11) May 22, 2013

Madson had a setback?? On comeback trail, Madson dealing with setback - angels.com. "Madson pitched an inning for Class A Inland Empire as part of a rehab assignment on May 13 and felt inflammation in his right elbow over the following days." I'm shocked! SHOCKED!!
Offensive decline leads list of 10 early-season trends to watch - SI.com. "Keep this in mind when you think about how urgent the season has become for the Angels, Dodgers and Blue Jays: In the 17 full seasons of wild card play (1996-2012), there have been 153 teams that were five games or more below .500 on May 31. Only seven of them made the playoffs -- a 95.4 percent failure rate."
Angels 7, Mariners 1 - FOX Sports. "''You have to have an owner that's committed - not only to bringing in new guys, but also retaining guys,'' Wilson said. ''I think people look for the big splashes like Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton and myself as free agents. But we saw Jered Weaver, Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar get the long-term deals, and we also have guys like Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout who are going to be keystones of this organization going forth. Those things are essential as well. So Arte's going to do what has to be done.''
It seems like this Bugs & Cranks guy knows about the Angels. There's even a Buttercup reference: Bugs & Cranks " Angels Promotional Giveways Need a Boost. "Joe Blanton’s The Least Interesting Player in Baseball Poster "I don’t always pitch well, but when I do, I still manage to lose the game."
Umpires are still making shit up: Angel Hernandez and crew review call that doesn’t seem to fit replay criteria (Video) - Yahoo! Sports. "In a head-scratching moment during the Colorado Rockies 4-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday afternoon, the umpiring crew that includes Angel Hernandez took time to huddle up and then review a fair-foul ruling that would NOT have resulted in a home run regardless of their determination, was not interfered with, and never came close to leaving the field of play."
Neat:Casual and calm Giants fan snatches foul ball while holding baby (Video) - Yahoo! Sports. "What I liked most about this play, though, or more specifically the man and the child who we might assume is his son, is that the two were wearing what appear to be similar or matching caps. Sometimes it's those little things that stand out the most."
Gross: Ball park food on bathroom floor. "Cell phone video shows a ball park snow cone vendor sitting on a toilet in a stall with an entire box full of the products he’s about to sell. They sit on the bathroom floor right next to him."
Nifty graph: Visualization: Handedness through history

Game047 - To the KC For 4

2013-05-23T07:00:03Z

A real win streak is on our hand... lets keep it going. It's a long series!!Loading...

Angels Make It 4-in-a row With 7-1 Win

2013-05-23T01:55:22Z

FINAL IN ANAHEIM: Angels 7, Mariners 1

The Angels look like they may have finally figured out how this season is supposed to go. It's only taken 46 games, but Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Seattle Mariners extended their winning streak to a season-high four games, and improved their record to 19-27.

Wednesday's game featured another strong pitching performance by an Angels' starter when C.J. Wilson went 8 strong innings, giving up just one run on 6 hits, while walking just 2 and striking out ten. Wilson improved to 4-3 on the season, lowering his ERA to 3.39.

During their current winning streak, the Halos have scored 37 runs, while limiting their opponents to just 12. Tonight's hit parade was led by the heart of the Halo order, as Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Mark Trumbo went a combined 7 for 12. Trout legged out his league leading 5th triple of the season, and second in two days, as Trumbo added his 14th double among his three hits. Alberto Callaspo pitched in two hits, two runs, and two RBI during the mid-afternoon get-away game.

Poll

Panther of the Game:

Wednesday Angels Lineup, 4:05 Start

2013-05-22T19:39:50Z

I almost forgot it was a mid-afternoon getaway game. Angels Vs. Mariners, 4:05 PM start.

Erick Aybar at SS
Mike Trout in CF
Albert Pujols DHing
Mark Trumbo at 1B cleaning up
Josh Hamilton in RF
Howie Kendrick at 2B
Alberto Callaspo at 3B
Hank Conger Catching
J.B. Shuck in LF

and C.J. Wilson pitching.

Hard to whine about Trout not leading off on the heels of yesterday's masterpiece but the greatness does seem somewhat dependent on a hot Aybar, which of course we all want but at 29, he is not exactly having a stellar 2013. Trout stole a base last night and with Puols batting one is a little sensitive about that happening - why waste the possible out with Albert's potential always up?

You can play mid games like this all day and all night. Heavy sabremetrics teaches us that the difference between the best possible lineup and the worst possible lineup (pitchers hitting cleanup) is five wins. So we can minimize the pointless lineup shuffle debates although "sabremetrics teaches us" has a ring to it somewhat like "scripture says..." you know where this is going then...

Wednesday Halolinks: Streaking Angels Get A Lift From Trout's Cycle

2013-05-22T14:11:24Z

In yesterday's Halolinks, I wondered if what we're witnessing is an Angels' season turnaround. Last year the club had an awful April and then had the best 5 months in baseball. As we've seen this season, April (9-17) was even worse than last year, and May has only been slightly better (9-10), but since the 9th of May, the Halos have gone 7-5. Sure, 7-5 isn't going to win any pennants, but at least, AT LEAST there is finally hope. And at least there are Halolinks:

I think this might be something like the fifth time I've written this, but last night's game was the sort of game I expected every night. The hitters put up double-digit runs, while the pitching staff produces lights-out innings: Trout hits for cycle, drives in 5, Angels rout M's - Yahoo! Sports. "Trout hit for the cycle and drove in five runs, Josh Hamilton celebrated his 32nd birthday with a homer and a triple his first two times up, and Howie Kendrick also went deep in the Los Angeles Angels' 12-0 rout of the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night."
After spending the first month of the season in the minors, Trout hit .324 in May of 2012. And then he hit .372 in June. And then .392 in July. Mike Trout adds cycle to lengthy list of achievements - angels.com. "The feat extends Trout's torrid pace in May, as he has now collected 18 RBIs and is hitting .343 for the month." Sit back and enjoy the next few months.
As I wrote above...isn't this what we expected? Mariners-Angels Preview - Yahoo! Sports. "Since falling a season-worst 12 games below .500 with a loss to the Chicago White Sox on Friday, Los Angeles (18-27) has reeled off three straight wins to match its longest streak of the season. The Angels are batting .340 with 10.0 runs per game during their current run after pounding out 15 hits in Tuesday's 12-0 victory."
Your browser does not support iframes.
Within this post are some really cool tweets and video: Mike Trout hit for the cycle and drove in five runs in a 12-0 victory by the Los Angeles Angels - FOX Sports. "When news of Trout’s accomplishment hit Twitter, his No. 1 fan immediately chimed in."

One proud Mama!!! Standing ovation at the Big A !!! TROUTSTANDING !!!
— Debbie Trout (@DebbieTrout27) May 22, 2013
"Troutstanding" has just been added to the HH lexicon.
&amp;amp;amp;lt;A href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=e85d6515-85d5-4933-962a-27de294cdcc4&amp;amp;amp;amp;src=v5:embed:syndication:&amp;amp;amp;amp;from=shareembed-syndication" mce_href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=e85d6515-85d5-4933-962a-27de294cdcc4&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;src=v5:embed:syndication:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;from=shareembed-syndication" target="_new" title="Trout hits for cycle in 12-0 win"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Video: Trout hits for cycle in 12-0 win&amp;amp;amp;lt;/A&amp;amp;amp;gt;
Just as important as Trout's night was the performance by Jerome Williams. This should have been his second straight win (remember that 74-pitch start last week?) Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels - May 21, 2013 - CBSSports.com. "Jerome Williams (3-1) scattered six hits over eight innings, struck out six and walked two while helping send the Mariners to their season-high fifth straight loss. The right-hander got one more run of support as he did in his three-previous starts this season combined."
If I remember correctly, Rev Halofan used to have season tickets in this same area: Breaking Down Every Angels Cycle - Bugs & Cranks. "And then the left-handed Lucas Luetge threw what was likely ball three, a low fastball that Trout drilled 408 feet to right-center for his ninth homer of the season, just a few feet away from the season ticket seat I’ve owned since 1998. I didn’t make it to this game, though my friend that had the seat left early. Sucker."
We'll learn tomorrow morning if Weaver will be back sooner, rather than later: Jered Weaver could return from the disabled list next week - HardballTalk. "The Angels’ hideous 4.77 team ERA ranks 28th in the major leagues, in front of only the Blue Jays and Astros. Which probably played a big role in Anaheim’s decision to rush Weaver back without a rehab start." Weaver's return dependent on extended spring game - angels.com. "I think if he comes out of this strong and finishes and gets to that level, the next step of six [innings] and 90 [pitches] is something we can consider up here with us," Scioscia said. "But, it's all going to be contingent on how he does in his workout and how he feels coming out of it."
Cool story, Bro: Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels - May 22, 2013 - MLB.com. "Maurer will start for Seattle on Wednesday in the finale of a two-game series at Angel Stadium, about 12 miles from where he grew up in Costa Mesa, Calif.... The right-hander pitched at Angel Stadium once when he was in high school, during a tryout for the Angels Elite team." Hey, what about the Angels' pitcher this guy will be facing? Remember C.J. Wilson? Fountain Valley high school?
LA Angels shortstop Erick Aybar exits with right knee soreness - angels.com. ""His knee got a little tight up almost where his quad is," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He should be available tomorrow, but we didn't want to take any chances tonight."
Today's doppelganger:

Aaron Harang and Carl from "Family Guy"
I don't think Rob Neyer is too enamored with Mitch Williams: Baseball on pape - Baseball Nation. "Mitch Williams currently works for MLB Network as an analyst. I wonder if he might put on his analyst cap, and suggest some pitchers, currently active, who might be good candidates to save 192 games while walking 7.1 guys per nine innings." Can you guess which Angels' pitcher has a 6.8 BB/9 this season? Angels' closer Enesto Frieri. Sure, that's about twice his career walk rate, but he's doing "okay". Besides, what do you expect from a guy whose nickname is "Wild Thing"? No one has ever mentioned the name "Mensa Mitch".

Mike Trout Cycle in Angels Lore

2013-05-22T09:15:37Z

A hitter hitting for the cycle is about as rare as a pitcher tossing a no-hitter. Some franchises have been around a long time and only have a few cycles. The Braves have fewer cycles in their history than the Angels, but they have one in the nineteenth century, four in the twentieth century and one in the twenty-first century. The Nationals were once he Expos and combined the franchise has had eight cycles while the Padres, founded the same year, 1969, have none.

The Angels have had six players hit for the cycle, one man doing it twice. That was Jim Fregosi, in 1964 and 1968. If you were not around for those you had to wait until "Disco" Dan Ford did it in 1979. Dave Winfield did it next in 1991. I recall that one, his final hit was the triple and he walloped the ball over the CF's head somewhere out in Kansas City.

The legendary Jeff DaVanon did it at home in 2004 and Chone Figgins hit for the cycle in a loss to the Rangers in 2006.

On Tuesday night, Trout struck out looking in his first AB. What started out as his first three-hit game of the season became a four-hit game with that solo homerun in the bottom of the eighth. His single was an infield hit, a bang-bang play at 1B with Aaron Harang's foot sidling up to the base as Trout flew by. Trout then stole 2B and became only the fifth Angel ever with 5 RBI and a SB in a game!

Outside of the franchise marks, Mike became the fifth youngest player to hit for the cycle and the youngest ever in the American League. We all know he is a special player and deserved that MVP and now maybe the glimmer has returned and will propel the team a little higher toward our expectations!