We got a good team.
Some of you spoiled whiners remain incensed we did not go 162-0 and sweep the postseason, but for those of us with realistic expectations, Angels baseball has been at its most exciting ever these past few years and the franchise seems to be headed toward making this recent excellence consistent.
But what could go wrong? What could derail a season or the next few? What is the Angels' worse case scenario?
1. Arte Sells
Suppose the city of Anaheim finds a loophole and court-orders Arte into a team-naming corner. There may be three local yokels out there pumping their fists, but it would be the biggest scaling back in OC since the Curt Pringle Campaign Fish Fry.
2. Vlad Hurt
So central to this team's offense is Vladimir Guerrero, that he is arguably the biggest Divisional Difference Maker in MLB. His absence for a prolonged period of time would level the AL West playing field far quicker than any Oakland/Seattle/Texas re-building campaign.
3. Lackey Time Travels to 2003
It was not so long ago that our ace was as frustratingly inconsistent as Ervin Santana, and if he were to fall back into old habits (or just plain fall apart), it would put a big-ass dent in this bandwagon's bumper.
4. Fruit Too-Ripe
We are gonna wander thru the also-ran fruit farm if we never trade a prospect... for every Kotchman and Kendrick there is a McPherson and an Aybar, instead of someone we traded them for when they were promising. The fruit falling off the tree into the mud instead of another team's basket has got to stop.
5. Prodigal Scioscia
What if Mike decides he wants to return to the Ravine. That would plain suck. We have the best manager on Earth, no matter from where he came. Hopefully he has not the drive for Shakespearean inevitability...
Can you think of any scenarios worse than these that would adversely impact the team, the franchise and our championship-caliber birthright?