This was my response to an email I got from a good friend who is an Angel die-hard, it is basically how I feel about things, pessimistically confident...
I simply give up when Finley is announced in the lineup. To think that we are two games up on Oakland while fielding a team of 8 basbeall players instead of 9 gives me some hope.
There is NO dominant American League team - save Boston, and we will see how their thin pitching holds up this weekend. Oakland is smoke and mirors and tired rookies, Chicago has no offense, the Yankees and Boston have no arms for a 5 (let alone a 7) game series. I would be more worried about Cleveland, as they have nothing to lose.
We have the best starting pitching. Escobar in the bullpen strengthens one weakness. An Erstad or a Rivera getting hot would be the godsend we need, short of Garret not turning into an arthritic cripple - it is hard to believe the LA TIMES, but they are making quite the scare up that G.A. is on the verge of being out for the season - and why the hell the guy is not on the DL and at least Curtis Pride is up is beyond me.
McPherson is toast and if they messed up on not signing Glaus or Eckstein, I would go with Glaus, as the glaring lack of power has killed us - at least Cabrera's ability to speedily turn a double play has helped Byrd and Washburn be more dominant - OC contributes on defense in shortening innings that Eckstein could not have. The extra run or two Eck produced every week is mitigated by not having our pitchers give up more runs.
I doubt my arguments will work with you on that one. There are times I miss Eckstein. Times the team misses him. But I was always against Finley and it has been the cruelest CORRECT I have ever called. HE is the lodestone sinking us and as the games get more critical, he must be kept away from the field.