Split

by Rev Halofan on Aug 19, 2007 2:15 PM PDT in Angels News

Panther of the Game: Joe Saunders

3-4 roadtrip ends on a high note as our Lefty joins in a chorus of...
Love That Dirty Laundry...

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Those were some tough games....

and our guys really soldiered through it admirably. Those were some great games to watch.

by 44FAN on Aug 19, 2007 2:10 PM PDT reply actions

joe

really like what hes been doing out there. Im sure hell regress once the league sees him more and more, but youve gotta like the innings hes giving us in place of colon.

lackey, escobar, weaver, saunders, santana. Not a bad playoff rotation if u ask me. just dont let colon near it.

by ihearhowie2.0 on Aug 19, 2007 2:17 PM PDT reply actions

No need

for Santana. Should only be a 4 man rotation in the playoffs.

What? Figgins is playing better? Well, I still don't like him.

by gorams77 on Aug 19, 2007 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Panther Joe

I worried too about the league seeing him more and more, but the good thing is that Joe sees the league more and learns how to pitch everyone.

This was a huge game for him because he was facing a team that just saw him last week. Looks like Joe learned more about the Red Sox than they did about him. He's good.

Speier's K of Drew was huge, but from what I saw it was more Drew's failure than Speier domination. Speier was throwing sliders that didn't seem to go very fast or have a whole lot of movement on them. Drew struck out without taking the bat off his shoulder, looks like he went up there looking to pinch walk instead of pinch hit. Shields had nothing. K-Rod was K-God. I hope Scot and Justin turn things around because we sure are going to need them.

If I went to war and could only take one weapon, it would be an HK47.

by RallyMonkey5 on Aug 19, 2007 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Hokie Joe

Always looks like he's annoyed with the opposition when he's on the mound, like he can't wait to get back into the dugout and have a smoke or something.

Hoping Ervin Santana turns it around in Salt Lake. Go, Ervin!

by scareduck on Aug 19, 2007 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions

the nightmare is over... promote speier already!

I think we're all happy with this split. Saunders what a performance? I was hoping our offense could score more than just 2 on Tavarez. Ultimately Speier should be our set-up man w/ Shields getting demoted. Demoting Shields might get that fire back we need from him to be himself again. Speier is clutch... fin.

Bad Shields makes me unhappy...

by CaLiKrAzY on Aug 19, 2007 2:18 PM PDT reply actions

Shields

Shields normally has a dead arm in August and struggles. I would have to see the stats to be sure but that is my memory from the past few years. Go ahead and pitch Speier in the 8th until Shields gets it together.

BTW, does anybody know when Howie is expected back?

by tanana40 on Aug 19, 2007 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, I have been thinking this too

seems like he has not been used as much this season though...no facts, just my impression!

I am guessing they will DL Aybar and activate HK 47

Stop swinging at balls out of the zone!

by K3YEROUT on Aug 19, 2007 5:53 PM PDT up reply actions

You are correct, sir

Career 4.75 ERA in August.

Hoping Ervin Santana turns it around in Salt Lake. Go, Ervin!

by scareduck on Aug 19, 2007 6:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Nearly scored 5 on Tavarez

Kielty caught the Kotch blast and HGH was safe at first. Plus who knows...

by melvintoast on Aug 19, 2007 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions

saunders, colonel panther.

Willits for ROY

by 101halo on Aug 19, 2007 2:19 PM PDT reply actions

Good enough

series and road trip

Mighty Joe Young 8-0 after Angels losses

by rbrianc on Aug 19, 2007 2:23 PM PDT reply actions

Saunders was great

To bad Shields had to taint his statline

Free Brandon Wood

by edhoo on Aug 19, 2007 2:24 PM PDT reply actions

Aybar "left game with pulled hammy"

so says ap sports

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap;_ylt=AoZipgeLQqAv.Up.lpyNngoRvLYF?gid=270819102

by rjcicc on Aug 19, 2007 2:31 PM PDT reply actions

Best 3-4 road trip ever?

I think so.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 2:31 PM PDT reply actions

Saunders: Panther all the way

Incredible that he almost pitched 8 shutout innings in Fenway.

Ain't no stoppin' us now. We got the groove!

by Fan Since 1981 on Aug 19, 2007 2:33 PM PDT reply actions

BTW...

The Whiter of the two Sox are laying down on the job again today!

You Better watch out, cuz i'm a War Machine!

by im4kiss on Aug 19, 2007 2:37 PM PDT reply actions

Unbelievable

Are the W.Sox even trying? Are they going to lay down for the Angels too? Probably not.

Ain't no stoppin' us now. We got the groove!

by Fan Since 1981 on Aug 19, 2007 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions

AJ and Ozzie?

Forget about it.

Quit yer whinin' and START CHEERING!

by Downing Rules on Aug 19, 2007 5:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Saunders

has been the man all year - panther all the way.

What? Figgins is playing better? Well, I still don't like him.

by gorams77 on Aug 19, 2007 2:46 PM PDT reply actions

If Kenny Williams had any self-respect

and respect for the (dwindling) White Sux fans, he'd fire the hell out of Ozzie Guillen and send his sorry ass back to his buddy Hugo Chavez.

Fucking sorry-assed excuse for a team!

by PieceOfAase on Aug 19, 2007 4:04 PM PDT reply actions

White Sucks

Ozzie will get a couple of years out of that Series win a couple of years back.

by anaheimisnotla on Aug 19, 2007 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Bill Stoneman agrees.

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Eh?

Two years after his World Series win, Stoneman was on his way towards a division title and postseason berth. Kenny is struggling to stay better than the Royals in the Central.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 9:47 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm an Angels fan, my man.

I don't settle for "division championships"

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Good thing you're not a Yankee fan. They've

got a $200+ million dollar payroll, and haven't won the WS since the last millennium. How lame is that?

Like we go around saying how ridiculous it is that we didn't sell the farm to get Teixeira or Soriano or whatever. The Yankees have spent everything and more and they're not even the best team in their division.

Furthermore, look at the Red Sox. We're 1.5 games behind them. They just spent money like a bunch of drunken sailors and they're 2-3 vs the lowly Angels in the last 5.

Howie, Saunders, Kotch and Speier is a better look than Kennedy, Colon, Erstad and Donnelly. It's a better team. I'm looking for them to go deep!

by melvintoast on Aug 19, 2007 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Go deep?

I think we'd be more likely to steal bases.

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 10:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Deep in the playoffs.

by melvintoast on Aug 19, 2007 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions

You didn't think I knew?

You are one crazy japjew....:)

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 10:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Six years ago

Angels fans would have salivated at the idea of a Wild Card spot.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions

About six years ago we started spending money.

Are you happy with Bill Stoneman?

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 10:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Who would you rather have?

Epstein, Cashman, Beane, Beinfest... Scareduck.... Coletti. All those guys have made good moves and all those guys have made shitty moves. Except for scareduck who as far as I know has never managed a professional team. No one is dominating. There is no dynasty to point at. It's a level playing field and the Angels are in the hunt.

If being a GM is so easy, how come everyone I know hates their fantasy team and can't figure out how to win every year? How's your fantasy team doing?

by melvintoast on Aug 19, 2007 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't have a fantasy team.

But if I did, it would include Lindsay Soto.

And in all seriousness, if I were to pick a GM for my team, it would have to be Scareduck. The man tells it like it is, and for that, I respect.

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 11:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Fuck Coletti

I really don't think he's very good at all.

Beinfest has helped to build and dismantle a World Series champion. However, what he received in the dismantling process was a ridiculous haul. Hanley Ramirez as a Red Sox would sicken me for a generation.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 11:02 PM PDT up reply actions

Okay so you also choose scareduck?

PICK SOMEONE. WTF is your idea of a GOOD GM?

FUCK!

by melvintoast on Aug 19, 2007 11:08 PM PDT up reply actions

John Schuerholz.

And watch your language, young man.

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 11:09 PM PDT up reply actions

If the season ended today the Braves

don't even make the wild card.

by melvintoast on Aug 19, 2007 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions

Small sample size.

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 11:19 PM PDT up reply actions

The ones I didn't single out from your list

plus Minaya, Schuerholz, and Ryan.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 11:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Minaya. Yeah he's good.

Has one division in the shitty NL east and lost to the shitty Cards.

Ryan has something like 4 divisions in 14 years and never made it to the WS

Scoreboard.

by melvintoast on Aug 19, 2007 11:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Lost two-fifths of his starting rotation

including Pedro before that series started. Managed to take it 7 games, anyway.

How about this for naysayers. Started with Kris Benson and Xavier Nady.

Flipped Benson over to Baltimore in exchange for John Maine and Julio Lugo. Traded Xavier Nady over to the Pirates in exchange for Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez (Robo was the big piece in the trade, to replace Duaner Sanchez who was injured in a car accident the day before the deadline, giving Minaya no time to move...he demanded Ollie as a throw-in).

Then took Julio Lugo (who was the main piece of the Benson trade), flipped him to Arizona, and snatched up Orlando Hernandez.

So, basically, in exchange for a now-injured Kris Benson and for Xavier Nady, Minaya has assembled 3/5ths of his 2007 rotation (5th in the N.L. in ERA, 7th in the Majors), in Oliver Perez, John Maine, and El Duque. They are a combined 31-19 with a 3.42ERA.

He also traded away Yusemeiro Petit (at the peak of his hype/trade value) and Mike Jacobs (also while at peak value for Carlos Delgado. Petit still can't crack a rotation, is no longer even with the Marlins, and is fairly wild (albeit, with good stuff, and he's not even yet 23). Jacobs has a .751OPS in 280 at-bats with the Marlins this year.

Minaya has had the franchise for less than three seasons thus far. They had 71 wins in 2004, without him. In his first year with them, they went up to 83 wins. They've improved every year thus far.

And I haven't even said anything of how he got Luis Castillo for nothing from the Twins, or how he signed Beltran and Pedro in the same offseason, and brought in the so-far successful Willie Randolph.

All without giving up Milledge, Wright, or Reyes...three guys who will keep them competitive for a decade.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 11:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Sorry

I meant Jorge Julio, not Julio Lugo. Slipped up in my mind.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 11:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Bravo

thats knowledge.

by eyespy on Aug 20, 2007 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions

Very Nicely Done...

What? Figgins is playing better? Well, I still don't like him.

by gorams77 on Aug 20, 2007 11:14 PM PDT up reply actions

He's overseen

the greatest 6 year stretch in the history of the franchise. I think that qualifies as me being happy. And we weren't exactly free-spenders in '02.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 10:59 PM PDT up reply actions

We have good scouts.

We have a good coaching staff.

Our GM, however, is garbage.

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 11:02 PM PDT up reply actions

The greatest thing some GMs do

is the move they never make.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 11:11 PM PDT up reply actions

Huh? We used to be satisfied ...

just not being in the cellar.

Quit yer whinin' and START CHEERING!

by Downing Rules on Aug 20, 2007 9:50 AM PDT up reply actions

Ozzie Guillen

I know Ozzie is Venezuelan, but I hadn't heard that he is friendly with Hugo Chavez. Even if that is true, please don't use their names in the same sentence in the future....

by Jack Frost on Aug 19, 2007 6:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Why not?

Ozzie Guillen appeared in public with Hugo Chavez after the 2005 World Series Victory - an endorsement - contrast that with Frankie REFUSING to visit or be photographed with Hugo Chavez after the 2002 World Series.

by Rev Halofan on Aug 19, 2007 8:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Shame on Frankie then

...and I still don't like Ozzie Guillen.

by Jack Frost on Aug 19, 2007 9:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Shame on Frankie?

Why?

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 19, 2007 9:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Chavez is arguably the most important

social/political figure and humanitarian in the history of Venezuela and is leading a social movement that is changing all of South America. As a Venezuelan, for Frankie to refuse to speak to Chavez (if what Rev. says above is true) is a bit hard to understand.

In addition, Chavez is widely loved and respected in his country (except by a small percentage of wealthy elites, maybe Frankie is including himself in this group) so to diss him would not exactly be good for the image of a public figure in Venezuela.

by Jack Frost on Aug 19, 2007 9:50 PM PDT up reply actions

In October,2002, Chavez was running

for his political life. He had just come back to power in a counter-coup and was running around blaming the US for all his troubles. His grip on power was truly in doubt, and he had much more conflict in his near future (over 3 million people would soon sign the Sumate petition, hardly "a small percentage of wealthy elites.)

Considering what Frankie was doing for a living, and where, his reaction was not such a bad political move on his part, considering his age.

by Stirrups on Aug 19, 2007 10:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Widely loved

and respected?

Well, yeah, when you shut down all the newspapers & TV stations unless they praise and glorify you, it's easy to appear "widely loved and respected."

The truth is another matter entirely.

by jjackflash on Aug 19, 2007 11:29 PM PDT up reply actions

I can't believe that you believe that

Frankie specifically avoided Chavez (although he did accpet a congratulatory phone call form Hugo) becuase Chavez is a POLARIZING figure in Venezuela and you are fooling yourself if you think it is a 5% minority who dislike him. Or even a 40% minority.

Chavez is a lot of things, but "widely loved" is propaganda worthy of a leftist Karl Rove.

by Rev Halofan on Aug 20, 2007 12:03 AM PDT up reply actions

Has our Rev

been possessed by the spirit of an angry Joseph McCarthy?

BLACKLIST THE FOOL REV, BLACKLIST HIM!

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 20, 2007 12:24 AM PDT up reply actions

no blacklisting

Jack Frost is a friend of mine, you are no Jack Frost.

by Rev Halofan on Aug 20, 2007 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Ouch

I'm gonna go hide behind the iron curtain now.

http://kotchatthebat.livejournal.com/

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 20, 2007 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions

ouch, harsh

East coast bias

by Carl Johnson on Aug 20, 2007 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Just because Chavez plays for the A's

means that Frankie should avoid him? I'd expect that he's widely loved in Oakland.

by melvintoast on Aug 20, 2007 12:35 AM PDT up reply actions

Chavez is an ass

a thief, and a hypocrite. He has already got from the Venezuelan legislature the power to legislate by decree, and recently set himself up as reelectable for life. He's well on his way to being one of those pathetic, tinpot dictators who make themselves a real nuisance to their country. Like all these Bolivarian bozos, the end will be rather ugly, I think.

Hoping Ervin Santana turns it around in Salt Lake. Go, Ervin!

by scareduck on Aug 20, 2007 7:56 AM PDT up reply actions

Any word on when Kendrick will be back?

Free Brandon Wood

by edhoo on Aug 19, 2007 4:35 PM PDT reply actions

Howie

Has been playing at Salt Lake the last few days. Ready or not I think he'll be activated if Aybar is hurt.

If I went to war and could only take one weapon, it would be an HK47.

by RallyMonkey5 on Aug 19, 2007 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions

Howie's

not in the SLC Bees' lineup this evening (Sunday), so he'll probably be in Anaheim for tomorrow's game.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_19_slca aa_freaaa_1

by G Abbes on Aug 19, 2007 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions

3-4

Coming home with a two-game lead...

I'll take it.

Bring on the Yankees.

by bc56274 on Aug 19, 2007 5:02 PM PDT reply actions

This is going to be an amazing stretch.

Again, good luck!

Visiting Mariners fan.

by Coach Owens on Aug 19, 2007 5:05 PM PDT reply actions

Future foretold here...

http://www.halosheaven.com/story/2007/8/8/175821/0759

Quit yer whinin' and START CHEERING!

by Downing Rules on Aug 19, 2007 5:32 PM PDT up reply actions

by Anaheim of Anaheim on Aug 19, 2007 11:11 PM PDT reply actions

Panther Picture II

I'm pretty sure that's how you post an image but whatever. Here is a link to my excellent photoshop of colonel saunders and his secret winning recipe. Colonel Saunders Panther Picture

The last world series champion in California has "Anaheim" written next to their name.

by Anaheim of Anaheim on Aug 19, 2007 11:15 PM PDT reply actions