Halos Heaven: FanPosts

Halos Heaven March Madness 2010

2010-03-16T05:39:56Z

Yes, it's that time of year again! It's MARCH MADNESS TIME!!!!!

Once again, I have set up a group at Yahoo! It's called "HalosHeaven", Group #137203, password halos2002

See if you can beat last years winner, gilbert! Or even the runner up from last year (yours truly).

It's free, it's easy! The prize is bragging rights (but Yahoo! allows you to enter a $1MM contest -- pick all 63 games and win).

A (brief) Historical Look at Spring Training Baseball

2010-03-16T01:44:23Z

The question, "Does Spring Training even matter?" is what lots of baseball fans around this time of year often ask when evaluating the early, pre-season performances of their favorite team. For us Angel fans, we all certainly hope not, judging from our 2-9-2 start in 2010.

In hopes of keeping up with Halowood, I thought I would do a little research into the last 8 years of pre-season baseball to see if a teams W - L record in the Cactus or Grapefruit League, often translates into the regular season.

The answer? Not, really. But here are some, mildly interesting facts...

* The last time the Angels had had a losing season was also the last time they had a losing PRE-season. (2003)

* Since 2002, four teams have made it to the World Series with losing pre-season records (2009 & 2008 Phillies, 2005 Chicago White Sox, 2004 Marlins) 3 out of 4 times these teams won it.

* When looking at teams since 2002 that have made it to the NLCS/ALCS, never have ALL of those final, four teams also been in the top four of their respective Spring Training league. The most since 2002 has been 2 teams. In 2004, both Boston and St. Louis finished in the top 4 of the Grapefruit. In 2005 the Angels toped the Cactus while St. Louis was 3rd in the Grapefruit. In 2009, Angels and the Skankees topped their respective spring-training leagues.

* Since 2002, twice has it occured that none of the top four teams in the Cactus and Grapefruit made it to the ALCS/NLCS that same season (2003 & 2006).

Here's a run down of the last 8 years of Spring Training baseball. Top four finishers of each league are listed.

2009
Cactus
LAA: 26-8
MIL: 22-10
TEX: 21-14
KC: 18-14

Grapefruit
NYY: 24-10
ATL: 21-12
STL: 19-12
MINN: 19-13

ALCS: NYY – LAA
NLCS: PHI – COL
WS: NYY – PHI

2008
Cactus
OAK: 18 –8
LAA: 19-10
MIL: 18-11
TEX: 17-11

Grapefruit
TB: 18-8
NYM: 20-11
FLA: 17-10
STL: 17-10

ALCS: TB - BOS
NLCS PHI – LAD
WS: TB – PHI

2007
Cactus
ARI: 20-12
TEX: 16-11
LAA: 16-11
OAK: 16-12

Grapefruit
DET: 21-10
HOU: 18-11
STL: 16-10
ATL: 18-12

ALCS: BOS-CLEV
NLCS: ARI - COL
WS: BOS – COL

2006
Cactus
LAA: 20-11
SD: 18-10
KC: 17-10
COL: 17-12

Grapefruit
CINN: 22-11
FLA: 19-9
PHI: 19-11
CLEV: 20-12

ALCS: DET - OAK
NLCS: NYM - STL
WS: DET – STL

2005
Cactus
LAA: 21-11
SF-20-12
SD: 19-15
COL: 17-15

Grapefruit
TOR: 16-10
NYM: 17-11
STL: 17-11
BAL: 15-11

ALCS: CWS - LAA
NLCS: STL-HOU
WS: CWS-HOU

2004:
Cactus
SEA: 18-11
LAA: 19-13
MIL: 18-12
OAK: 19-14

Grapefruit
MINN: 20-12
MON: 18-11
BOS: 17-11
STL: 17-12

ALCS: NYY - BOS
NLCS: STL - HOU
WS: BOS – STL

2003
Cactus
KC: 19-8
CHC:17-11
AZ: 17-11
CWS: 17-13
(LAA: 9-20)

Grapefruit
CLEV: 19-11
MON: 17-10
MINN: 19-13
ATL: 17-12

ALCS: NYY - BOS
NLCS: FLA- CHC
WS: NYY – FLA

2002:
Cactus
AZ: 23-12
COL: 17-13
TEX: 18-13
SD: 18-15

Grapefruit
BAL: 20-9
HOU: 19-9
STL: 17-10
ATL: 17-15

ALCS: LAA - MINN
NLCS: SF-STL
WS: LAA-SF

Poll

Does a team's Spring Training record matter?

Case for the "unsexy" Angels minor leaguers

2010-03-14T22:59:00Z

If we were to include some fringe players on the 25 man roster to begin the year, who would you include? Just a quick rundown...

Terry Evans - He can handle all three OF positions capably and has paid his dues in the minors. He doesn't get the prospect hype becuase of his age (27) but one quick look at his minor league stats and it's clear, he can play. He's fast, can swipe 30 bags a year, has some serious pop in his bat, capable of over 30 DB's and 20 HR's and his BA isn't terrible. Pretty toolsy 4th OF with a high upside.

Reggie Willits - He's proven he can get the job done at the major league level for an extended period of time. Is he a powerless slapper? Yes. But Willits is patient, works the count, never gets himself out, gives 100%, plays three OF spots ok and can swipe 30 or 40 bags a year as well as give you an solid OBP. Not sexy, but Willits gives you everything you need from a 4th OF.

Michael Ryan - He has a remote shot, but has put up some great numbers this Spring. Ryan has done everything he possibly can to get himself onto a major league roster. He plays every spot in the OF other than SS and plays all the OF spots too. He's also been in AAA for the past 10 years, which is amazing in itself and he's had great success in AAA. He hits for power and decent average and will play wherever you want. Having guys like Ryan makes it possible for a manager to carry an extra pitcher or catcher if needed.

Cory Aldridge - Much too old to be a prospect, but he's done some very good things in the minors. He's shown similar power to other OF's and plays solid defense as well. Last season he hit .316 in AAA. Could have worse options.

Bobby Wilson - He's the best defensive catcher in our system. He calls a good game, has a good accurate arm down to 2nd base and isn't terrible with the bat. Probably about as capable offensively as Jeff Mathis. Tools wise, he's got the 2nd best arm behind Conger, but he has the quickest release of all our catchers and blocks the ball better than all of them. He'll probably never be a starting catcher, but he could fill a role for sure.

Freddy Sandoval - He's going to be a major leaguer, it's more of a question when. Sandoval's not young enough to be a budding prospect anymore, but he's definitely got the minor league track record and skill set to get people excited. He's hit for average at every level, when healthy can hit over .330 with over 40 DB's 15 HR's and swipe a few bags in AAA. He plays 1B, 2B and 3B capably defensively and doesn't make a fool of himself during promotions.

I'd like to see the Angels keep Evans and Sandoval on the roster this season. We can afford to lose Willits because Bourjos shares his skill set. Sandoval has options still but I think he'd make a capable backup for Morales at 1B and Wood at 3B. I'd rather see Maicer Izturis backup at SS and 2B given how good he is up the middle. I think losing Wilson is inevitable because of our catching depth. An injury in the infield or outfield and Michael Ryan seems like a logical choice for promotion.

Poll

With the game on the line, who do you trust the most to come up with a HIT?

If you could redo the offseason.....

2010-03-13T22:26:14Z

What would you do?

On record, we signed Matsui, one year 6.5 million. Signed Abreu 2 years 17 million with an option for a 3rd. Signed Joel Pineiro for 2 years 16 million and Fernando Rodney 2 years 11 million.

In hindsight, what would I have done?

1. Sign Rafael Soriano 2 years 14 million. This would have slid Fuentes into a lefty specialist role, but it would have also assured we didn't have to pay Fuentes next year. As it stands now, if Fuentes closes out a certain amount of games this year, the Angels owe him a lot of money.

2. Sign Abreu 2 years 17 million. It was a needed move.

3. Sign Rich Harden. 1 year 8 million, option for 2nd year at 11 million. We signed Pineiro for a longer contract worth more money, but is he the better pitcher?

We would have spent 3 million less and I believe our team would have been better off. Soriano's better and younger than Rodney. Harden's potentially/probably better than Pineiro and I believe Mike Napoli could have handled the DH position just fine. On days he was catching, we could have rested Hunter or Abreu in the DH spot of even used Izturis/Kendrick there. On top of which, by using Napoli as the DH and catching 2 days a week, it would have opened up a spot for Bobby Wilson on the team. As it stands now, we're probably going to lose him.

What would you have done?

Poll

What was our best signing this offseason?

Does Spring Training determine a player's standing?

2010-03-13T01:57:09Z

- What if Brandon Wood continues to struggle and Maicer bats .450 this Spring? Does it mean Wood will be relegated to bench duty and Maicer will become an everyday player?

- Michael Ryan is an unknown name that's ripping apart pitchers right now and is playing good defense. A quick look at his minor league and major league numbers and it's easy to see, this man can play. If he keeps this up, does he become our 4th OF over Evans or Willits?

- Alexi Amarista is doing GREAT. He's clearly better than most kids fresh out of low A ball and he looks like he should just skip Rancho altogether. His numbers support this idea as well.

- Trevor Reckling looks very sharp. Is there any possibility the Angels use him in the pen as lefty relief?

I'm guessing the answer to all these questions is a loud and resounding NO! Brandon Wood needs his reps and deserves playing time, he deserves a shot. Any other team would have had him starting at SS for two years now. Michael Ryan hasn't put in his dues with Scioscia yet while Wilits and Evans have toiled in AAA. Maicer izturis still has another 3 years with the Angels, why promote his replacement Amarista (even though he deserves it) just to have the kid ride the Angels bench in one year instead of letting him toil in the minors for another couple of years before replacing Maicer. The Angels bullpen is already really deep, might as well let Reckling hang out in SLC for 2-3 years until we're forced to use him as a starter.

I've come to the conclusion the Spring Training means zip.

Poll

WHo's been the biggest surprise to you thus far?

SIMPLE MLB Realignment

2010-03-13T01:29:47Z

There are tons of ideas being thrown around currently. But why isn't anyone suggesting "non-radical" ideas that would fix the problem at it's root. what are the root problems?

1. The AL East. Everyone hates the evil empires dominating and the O's, Rays an Jays being screwed.

2. The NL Central. 6 teams! Woah. That's a lot of inner-division play.

3. The AL West. East coasters are whining because the Angels dominate 3 teams instead of just plain beating 4.

So if someone comes up with a "non-radical" plan that fixes these three areas, we should be golden right? No expansion, no contraction, no confusing floating or fluctuation crap. Here's what I got.

A. Even the leagues out to 15 in each league. Some say this would require one inter-league game at all times. Well no, it wouldn't, not if you get rid of inter-league play altogether and shorten the season from 162 games to 154. The fact is, the regular season lasts WAY too long and we're playing playoff games close to Thanksgiving. That is not the baseball we all came to know and love. I say we shorten the season and reinstate double-headers once a month and finish the regular season by September 15th and finish the post season by October 15th.

B. The aforementioned "A" can be accomplished by sliding the Astros into the NL West, meaning both West divisions will have a Texas team. Take the D-Backs and slide them into the AL West, making it so the West divisions each have two teams that operate in the So-Cal/Arizona region (Angels/D-Backs and Dodgers/Padres) a Nor-Cal team (A's and Giants), a Texas team (Astros and Rangers) and a cold netherworld team (Mariners and Rockies). This fixes the AL West and NL Central situations.

C. In order to fix the Red Sox/Yankees situation, it's simple, just make one switch leagues. The Red Sox go into the NL East and the Braves go into the AL East. This keeps/ develops a couple of old and interesting rivalries between the Braves and Yankees (reference 90's) and the Red Sox and Mets (1986).

Here's how it would all look:

AL East: Yankees, Braves, Rays, Jays, O's.

AL Central: The same as it is.

AL West: Angels, Rangers, Mariners, D-Backs, A's.

NL East: Phillies, Red Sox, Marlins, Mets, Nationals.

NL Central: Cards, Cubs, Brewers, Reds, Pirates.

NL West: Dodgers, Giants, Rockies, Astros, Padres.

Eliminate the all-star game deciding Home-Field Advantage, shorten the season, make the games matter more, strengthen league rivalries by getting rid of inter-league play and make it fair for everyone. How is this difficult?

Poll

Would you be open to including the D-Backs into the AL West?

Texting for the score

2010-03-13T01:17:29Z

My brother showed this to me last year and I thought I'd share this with everyone here on Halos Heaven.

If you're like me and not always able to catch the game, you can follow it on your phone via text message for free. By texting Cha Cha (242 242) and writing "Score Angels," you will receive an update that includes the inning, current score and scores of the last two games played. This works for any team and, assuming you want the score of the Kings (who play in both L.A. and Sacramento) you would simply type "Score NHL Kings" or "Score NBA Kings."

If you're familiar with those stupid KGB ads and what they do, it's basically the same thing but free of charge. They can get away without charging you because you'll receive 2 text messages with one being an ad. It doesn't beat watching the game but it's a cheap and easy way to follow along in class or at work or something.

I thought I'd just throw this out into our little community and do my part to help out. Enjoy.

*Disclaimer: I do not work for Cha Cha in any way and this isn't a shameless plug for some product with which I'm associated. I've just showed it to some friends and they seem to enjoy it so I thought I'd spread the word.

KLAA AM830 The Drive/Throwbacks Sports Bar Fundraising Event

2010-03-05T07:47:03Z

Join Jeff Biggs and Jason Brennan along with listeners and friends from the Drive on KLAA AM830 as we shave our heads on SATURDAY March 13th to raise money for childhood cancer research at Throwbacks Sports Bar in Anaheim. The event is basically a jog-a-thon type sponsorship where your pledges on line or the day of the event go to the St. Baldricks Foundation (link below).

I would love to see a Halos Heaven team be put together if there is anyone hear who wants to participate. There will be raffle prizes and giveaways supplied by the Angels and Ducks including game tickets that will be eligible to donors and shavees.

LINK TO MORE INFORMATION

Thanks again for all the support for the show and the great content provided here at Halos Heaven.

Jason

Rev Halofan Here: I am personally pledging $10 for everyone who shows up to this event, tells Jason they are from Halos Heaven and gets their head shaved. This is Win-Win: The Foundation gets money and your chances of getting laid multiply by a thousand when you explain to hot chicks why you shaved your head.

Remember that our site motto is: Our Community Exists for More Than Itself. Halos Heaven distinguishes itself from other chest-thumping online baseball communities by mobilizing our base for a good cause.

Jim Abbott Hitting in Spring Training 1991

2010-03-11T21:55:41Z

I have a blog called Misc. Baseball, and there are a couple items about Jim Abbott on it, including one on his debut in 1989. And I remember going to a USA Baseball workout for the '88 Olympics, sometime probably in the spring of '88, and Abbott signing a slip of paper for me. He was more than just a good one-handed pitcher: I thought I'd pass on this story from the USA Today of March 19, 1991, about his triple off Rick Reuschel of the Giants:

Ever since he began his career with the California Angels two years ago, Jim Abbott has been telling people he can hit. In Monday’s exhibition game with San Francisco, Abbott – a left-handed pitcher born without a right hand – proved his point.

In the second inning with one out, Abbott came up to bat against Giants starter Rick Reuschel, with Dave Gallagher on second base. The San Francisco outfield moved within softball-league distance as Reuschel delivered the ball. Abbott drove the ball to deep right-center field for a standup, RBI triple.

Although the Giants won the game 6-3, Abbott was the talk of the 5,848 in attendance, half of which gave him a standing ovation as he went back to the dugout. "I’d like to say I took a look at the outfield," Abbott said, "but I forgot I was even on deck. I just went and got the bat and swung."

Abbott said he got a fastball from Reuschel. "He was being kind. You don’t know if you’re ever going to get another one again. It was fun. I was a little winded; I’m not used to going out there the next inning after running out a triple."

Abbott said he might ask the Angels for a videotape copy of The Drive. "This is for the kids," he said of a video record. "Otherwise they might not believe it."

Floating Re-Alignment: Revolutionary Idea or Simply Revolting?

2010-03-11T06:44:30Z

The latest topic being floated from the Commissioners select panel, to which the Angels esteemed Manager, Mike Scioscia, is a member, is the idea of allowing teams to change divisions or even leagues depending on such things as payroll and “whether or not they intend to rebuild or compete.” The idea would allow teams that are low income or rebuilding to decided if they would rather play against lesser teams, or to play against the big boys and get badly beaten in exchange for the ability to fill their stadiums with fans wanting to see the more popular franchises. The one restriction would be to limit the movement to two time zones, for instance the Angels could not join the eastern divisions and the Red Sox would be similarly bared from the West.

Here is one example by Tom Verducci of what this temporary realignment might bring about.

N.L. East: Atlanta, Baltimore, Florida, Tampa Bay, Washington.
N.L. Central: Cubs, White Sox, Houston, Kansas City, St. Louis, Texas.
N.L. West: Anaheim, Arizona, Colorado, Los Angeles, San Diego.

A.L. East: Boston, Philadelphia, Mets, Yankees, Toronto.
A.L. Central: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh.
A.L. West: Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, Minnesota

So how would you feel about it? Would it be a fun and interesting way to mix things up, or would it just muddy the waters even more than interleague play?

Poll

Would you like to see the angels play the Dodgers 18 times a year?

Um, why are the Mariners expected to win the 2010 season?

2010-03-10T04:56:18Z

Almost every non Angel fan for some reason says that the Mariners will win the 2010 season. Im asking why. Seems to me the Mariners may have upgraded on pitching and defense, but completely unraveled the offense. The 2 offensive Branyan and Beltre have left letting 2 golden glove defenders, but with little pop to fill in. The pitching staff may have been upgraded, but what about the catching staff? Johjima, who was the better offensive catcher is now gone. Johnson, although is an good defensive catcher is like Mathis. No pop, plus the Ms cant keep using Johnson and will have to rely on a unproven minor leaguer ( and they bash Wood for not being proven). The Angels have kept the status quo, but have more pop but less speed. Wood will easily outhit Figgy, and Matsui with his patience can drive in runs in crucial situations. The bullpen although not led by veteran Oliver, but another veteran returns (Shields) and Jepsen, Bulger, have gained experience both in the regular and postseason. In my opinion, the Rangers are the more well-balanced team. Here's what i expect from the AL West.

1. Angels

2. Rangers

3. Mariners

4. Oakland

Napoli, Mathis, and the Incredible Missing GIDPs

2010-03-10T03:11:03Z

So the other day I was pondering the Angels' strong advantage with the double play -- last year the team led all of baseball in turning 174 double plays, while grounding into just 128, or the 4th-fewest in the American League (despite producing a crapload of baserunners). This took me to a rather remarkable little factoid: Do you know how many double plays Jeff Mathis has grounded into, during his 5-year career?

Six.

Which is also weird because I already knew that Mike Napoli, like many of the players he most closely resembles (Tom Haller, Ed Bailey, Duke Sims), doesn't ground into any double plays -- just 16 in 1096 ABs (for reference, 43 major leaguers grounded into more than that just last year). In fact, if you add up the careers of Mathis and Napoli, you get fewer GIDPs (22), than sacrifice flies (25), over 1845 ABs. How rare is that?

This rare -- only three players in Major League history with 20 of each have had more sacrifice flies than double plays. They are: Darren Daulton, Gary Redus, and Don Buford. Two very fast sonsabitches, and one Napoli-type catcher.

What does it all mean? Besides "not much, honestly" it means that the Angels were last in all of baseball in GIDPs from the catcher position in 2009 and 2008 (with a miniscule 5 both years), 3rd-to-last in 2007 (12), and again last in 2006 (8). Bengie Molina has grounded into more than twice as many double plays the past four years than 648 games' worth of Angel catchers combined. During that time, we've averaged from the position 26 doubles, 22 homers, 73 runs, 75 RBIs, and 59 walks per year. With Napoli 28 years old and Mathis 27, they should be in or entering their offensive prime.

Tell me again why I should be upset about our two-catchers situation?

Poll

The Nipples/Mathis combo

Is it acceptable to Angels fans if I like the Dodgers too?

2010-03-10T02:45:08Z

Recently, I have been wondering if being both an Angels and Dodgers fan would be acceptable to Angels fans. I've lived in Southern California almost my whole life, and I am a big sports fan. As a kid, my dad took me to Angels and Dodgers games all the time, so I got attached to both teams. However, there's this freeways series thing going on now, and I'm not sure if I should be liking both teams, since there is a small rivalry. Obviously, it's not like a Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, but what do you think on this?

Twins closer Nathan out for the year

2010-03-09T17:08:31Z

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports: Twins closer Joe Nathan has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. If he decides to undergo surgery, the 35-year-old reliever likely would miss the entire 2010 season, a major blow for the defending AL Central champions.

This might be a good opportunity to acquire someone from the Twins, in exchange for Brian Fuentes. The Twins need a closer or they have no chance of repeating in the Central Division. The Angels have lots of arms, and my view is that Fuentes won't be the closer by July, if not sooner. No chance for Mauer, but they have some other talent, like Nick Punto, Scott Baker, Delmon Young, or Jason Kubel.

Arizona Trip for 1st Timers

2010-03-09T10:55:55Z

Im going to Arizona to catch some spring training baseball for the 1st time (March 22-25th). I want this post to contain great info for those of us who are going to Arizona for the first time and possibly help those who go out every year find some awesome new things to do or great new deals. Feel free to post the most economical ways to go about this as well as the best experience possible.

I myself am looking for a good but inexpensive trip, but someone might have a deep wallet and looking for a luxurious trip so feel free to share anything from hotels, to restaurants, to fun things to do after the game and great hangout spots for the night life.

I think weve done this a couple times so if anyone can find helpful links please feel free to post as well.

'Angels' Japanese Quizshow Sighting!

2010-03-09T08:23:51Z

Heh. I knew it would come eventually. Our favorite team made it onto a Japanese Quiz Show thanks to Matsui-san.

No, not one of the fabled "Japanese Game Shows" but... a quiz show, "Nep League".

This particular game is fairly simple. It's called "5 league". There's a question that has a '5 letter' answer. 5 people have to answer each letter in order, correctly. If you can get 5 questions in a row right, they pocket a nice 500k yen!

Here's the first question of the series:

Starting this season, the major league team that Hideki Matsui plays for is...
Los Angeles [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Result: [red is good by the way]

Oh... so close...
エンゼルズＸ
エンゼルスＯ

Consider it the equivalent of saying "Angelz" instead of "Angels". Look at the blurry faces of shock on the first 4 guys' faces... hah.
Though, it's kind of ridiculous that he missed it, seeing that 4 / 5 letters are in the "Los Angeles" part of the question... oh well.

Keep this in mind for the future eh. Fun fun randomness.

Best Angels in 2010

2010-03-08T22:42:33Z

Let's play! Basically, all you have to do, is guess who will get more of a certain stat. And if you want vote on the poll. This sentence is so I have the minimum 75 words long in order to post this fanpost.

Who will hit more HR's, Mike Napoli or Brandon Wood?

Lower ERA, Saunders or Pineiro?

More HR's, Matsui or Hunter?

More K's, Kazmir or Santana?

More SB, Aybar or Izturis+Kendrick?

I'm going with Wood, Saunders, Matsui, Kazmir and Aybar

Poll

Who will hit the most HR's this year for the Angels?

H. Matsui as a High-School Player

2010-03-08T09:36:45Z

I was trying to search some video footages in the youtube the other day for some historical videos about Hideki Matsui. I came across a trivia about him as a high school player. During Japanese High School Baseball Series in 1992, Matsui got consecutive 5 intentional walks, which is a record of the series. Matsui's team (Seiryo High) lost by 2-3.

The first video shows all 5 IBBs include some angry fans throwing stuff into the field.

The second video shows Matsui stole second at 9th and some after-game footage.

What Would You Pick as a New "Fight Song" for the Angels?

2010-03-08T02:05:53Z

We're all familiar with Train's "Calling All Angels" and the accompanying video montage that is played before every Angels' home game. I like the song, and I like the video even more, but I've often thought about other songs that could possibly be used to pump the crowd and the team up before games.

To be specific, I think the Angels would do well to have a "fight song". By that I mean one that is heavier and perhaps more...intimidating than their current song and could get fans riled up before big games. Just think about how much more amped you would be if it was Game 1 of the ALCS against Boston or New York, or the World Series against the Dodgers and there were distorted guitars and a solid drumbeat playing to an Angel highlight video. This song could also be used for big games and rivalry games during the regular season.

In keeping with the theme of "Angels", I submit the following songs below, with handy videos! Tell us which one you'd pick if you were in charge of the sound at Angel Stadium or submit your own choice.

Rise Against - "Like The Angel"

Social Distortion - "When The Angels Sing"

Thrice - "Send Me An Angel" (Cover) - I've actually heard this on the Stadium PA before.

Bad Religion - "Los Angeles Is Burning" - I broke with the Angel theme on this one, but it does have to do with LA and fire, which kind of go with Angel Red. It would fit perfectly when the Dodgers are in town.

As an added bonus, all of those bands except Rise Against are from the LA/OC area.

Poll

Which song should be the Angels' "fight song"?

Guide for Halos Heaven "Newbies"

2010-03-08T01:27:31Z

Now that the spring season has begun and we are all rellishing the Angel’s awesome 0-2-1 start, I thought I would offer some of the lesser known tips for "newbies" to assist them in acclimating themselves to this stellar blogland.

I know what you're thinking (beside another lame post from Rdad): how can a "new guy" have the affrontery to tell other new dudes (and dudettes) about Halos Heaven? Well, as a new guy (2009 or later) on HH, I have recent experience in how to screw up things, in not understanding anything, and in generally not knowing what the hell I’m doing, that most of you "old-timers" have forgotten (like how easy it is to not to reply correctly...)

So here are the Top 10 Tips followed by a fairly pertinent poll:

Tip 1: The original March 2008 Contingent (that's when the profiles show most of these guys started with Halo Heaven) that launched this Halos Heaven deal think they know everything and control everything.
This is true actually. They do. Remember: they don’t give a flying f..k what we newbies have to say, but keep us around for their own amusement, to snigger at our lameness, to use us as their little bitches: like Dracula and Renfield, like the mad King and Hop Frog, like Shaun and his zombie friend, like the evil Queen and Kronk. (Ok, there's nor real "contingent," and I'm just kidding--most of these dudes have been very cool with me and I don't want to make it seem like they're assholes)

Tip 2: The legendary Rev Halofan may not make any comments during a game thread, so be prepared.
I noticed this phenomena after the first ST game thread, when we were sort of feeling let down and not just because of the tie. Suddenly Son of Raaddad piped up and said: "Hey, no comments by Rev!" It was true; other than "And that’s the ballgame," when the last pitch was thrown, Rev offered nothing. Frankly, this is an outrage. After all the money I paid (the check is in the mail, btw), I expected the usual salty Rev-ish quips spangling the game thread, offsetting the obligatory weak ones by myself and others. It did not occur, and there you go…As Mick would say: You can’t always get what you want.

Tip 3: You fuck it up, you’re fucked. (There goes my f-word alotment for the year).
For instance, Don’t ever go on and on about what a great writer you are and tell us that the Halos will finish last, and the mariners will win 100 games, and how we blew it not signing Benedict Lackey, and all that kind of bullshit. You will be Banned, and thus relegated to the Damned, the dungheap, the shitstream; in other words, back to Chowdah-land for you….

Tip 4: Lame Posts.
Sorry, but Nate and I already used up the quota for God-awful "Newbie" posts this season. For me, it was the "Lindsay Vonn for Halo Hottie" one, and for Nate it was the recent bomb: "Robin Wiiliams Demonstrates how Jack Z Put Together the Mariners [using Spore fugures] ". As Nate’s example shows: no one is perfect.

Tip 5: Don’t use the word "racist." It tends to get a little crazy around here I noticed when that happens, and guys like Phi Slamma go a little bonkers.

Tip #6: Yes, Wihalofan’s "Comics" are brilliant. Just sit back and enjoy and maybe pray that there are more coming to lighten up your wretched little life.

Tip #7: The other editors besides Rghan may not actually exist, and if they do, where are they hiding? Rhgan is like the Yoda of the blogosphere…but these other folks are very illusive. Very occasionally one will pipe in with a clever dissing of someone; another will suddenly reappear in Japan momentarily, and then: "the rest is silence". Like Howard Hughes, Thomas Pynchon, my wife on "sex night," they rarely make an appearance…(though this will change when we get back to the regular season, I'm told)

Tip #8: Face it: we’ll never understand most of the inside jokes.
As a matter of fact, most of the legendary March 2008 Contingent that create these jokes don’t understand them either…

Tip #9: These guys really dig stats.
If you want to really make a significant contribution and "make your mark," (as PhiSlamma so aptly put it one time in the midst of insulting yet another poor post of mine), dig dig dig dig on the internet until you find some interesting statistics that may enlighten some important element of the game, such as just how long does it take Q to get from first-to-third on a single and has there been anyone slower in the history of baseball. Coming up with new acronyms for statistical categories that no normal person understands is also a good idea and can be very impressive.

Tip 10: For an idea of how to achieve greatness, how you too can be brilliant and clever (even if it means ripping off someone else), you may want to read this: Linkie

Poll

After AlanFalcon's sterling play-by-play "commentary" the other day, folks were divided about such "commentary." Many were happy because they couldn't hear or see the game. What do you think?