Rangers Come to Anaheim, More Trades To Be Made. Halolinks

MLB trade tracker: players who could be moved - The Orange County Register
The Minnesota Twins has acquired All-Star pitcher Matt Capps from the Washington Nationals for a top catching prospect.

The OC Register staff are keeping track of the baseball deals as they happen. The latest deal has Capps going to the Twins. Why couldn't the Angels have done this deal? Capps isn't great, but he appears to be better than anyone the Halos have in their bullpen. Plus, and I could be wrong, but it doesn't look like the Twins had to give much to acquire him. I hope one day someone with true "inside" information writes a book about how major league front offices are run. Things such as; what it takes to pull off a deal, what it takes to sign free agents, and how talent is evaluated. Until that day, I'll be forever clueless as to why some deals don't happen while others do, how some teams make trades while others don't, and why players sign with one team over another.

Rangers-Angels Preview - FOX Sports on MSN
Texas can only hope Cantu contributes to the playoff push as Tommy Hunter (8-0, 2.31 ERA) has done. The right-hander won his third straight start since the All-Star break Sunday against the Angels (52-52), limiting them to three runs and three hits over 6 1-3 innings in a 6-4 victory.Hunter's lone performance in Anaheim didn't go nearly as well, however. He surrendered seven runs in 2 1-3 innings of an 11-0 loss Sept. 28.The Angels held a 3 1/2-game lead on Texas at this point last season but now sit nine behind the Rangers.Ervin Santana (9-7, 3.55) might be able to help. The right-hander has a 1.57 ERA in his last three starts after holding Texas to two runs over eight innings in a 6-2 win Saturday.

A sweep this weekend will bring the Angels back to 6 games behind the division leading Rangers. Obviously, six is better than the nine games behind the Angels currently sit, but 6 games is a huge margin to make up this far into the season. Making matters worse is how well Texas is playing and their ability to swing deals to strengthen their roster. Interestingly, they've been able to add two players while not adding payroll...kind of a best-of-both-world situation.

These Angels have lost their swagger - latimes.com
The swagger has turned into a bunch of once-feared hitters making the walk to the plate and, a minute or so later, making a quiet walk back. Each at-bat used to be a battle. That was their persona: Make the opposing pitcher throw and throw until you have taken all his bad ones, fouled off several of his good ones, and then completed the torture by slapping a base hit off his kneecap. No longer. These have become the passive Angels. Get behind in the count, 0-2, and then have the base umpire signal that you are out on a check swing.

I'm not too sure the Angels really had any "swagger", what they had was a team who played good baseball.

Selective Haren - The Hardball Times
He put up a 3.56 ERA in 591 innings with Arizona, striking out 578 and walking 107, but two and a half seasons later, Haren is on the move to a new team in a deal again motivated by salary concerns. As of Sunday, he found himself back in the American League, pitching for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He's put up strong numbers in both Oakland and Arizona. How has he done it? Let's look at what kind of pitches Haren throws.

Lots of numbers and charts explaining how Dan Haren is a pretty good pitcher.

Why LA Gangs Traded In Raiders For The Dodgers - SPORTSbyBROOKS
In short, the Dodgers have become the cheap entertainment option of choice for many gang members in Los Angeles these days...With that in mind, I can honestly say that gang members make up the majority of people I see wearing Dodger hats and gear here in town.

A-Rod worried about payments to ex-Rangers players - Seattle Times Newspaper
Alex Rodriguez filed an objection to aspects of next week's auction of the Texas Rangers, saying he and other former players may not get the millions owed them. Rodriguez is due $24.9 million in deferred compensation six years after he was traded to the New York Yankees, and he tops the list of the unsecured creditors in the Rangers' bankruptcy case.

More Ranger bankruptcy stuff.

July 30 - BR Bullpen
1972 - The Angels beat Kansas City, 4 - 3, when Bob Oliver hits a leadoff home run in the 11th inning against his former team. The win goes to Lloyd Allen, relegated to the bullpen after five straight losses as a starter. Allen's batterymate, Jack Hiatt, is 1-for-1 after taking over in the late innings. Hiatt, purchased yesterday from the Astros, appears without a number on his uniform since there was not enough time to sew one on.
1991 - The Angels trade 3B Jack Howell to the Padres for OF Shawn Abner.
1992 - The Blue Jays trade C Greg Myers and OF Rob Ducey to the Angels in exchange for P Mark Eichhorn.
1995 - Chili Davis of the Angels is charged with disorderly conduct following California's 8 -3 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee. Davis allegedly slapped a fan who was taunting him. Chili also had a hit in the game.
Happy b-day:
1890 - Casey Stengel, outfielder, manager; Hall of Famer (d. 1975)
1934 - Bud Selig, owner

Fifty-Eight Angel games remaining: