Thursday Halolinks: Angels Get Historically Bad, Pujols Has Gone Crazy

It's raining in Wisconsin, my girl friend is busy all day, and the Angels suck. Sometimes life just isn't fair. At least there's Halolinks:

• 1976? All I remember about the '76 season is seeing the Freedom Train at the stadium. Waiting for 5 hours. In the parking lot. Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros - May 8, 2013 - MLB.com. "And the Angels' 11-22 record is matched only by the 1969 and '76 teams for the worst start through 33 games in franchise history. Neither of those teams won more than 76 games." You gotta make your own sunshine: Astros take series with Angels with 3-1 win - Yahoo! Sports. "'When we're not doing enough offensively, it comes down to getting breaks, and they haven't been falling our way,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ''You have to create your own breaks, your own momentum and your own margin of error, and that all comes on doing things on a more consistent basis.''
• Oh boy. Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros - May 9, 2013 - MLB.com. "We're fine," Pujols said. "We're just losing series, games we need to win. It's part of baseball." Albert, go find some shade, you might be suffering from heatstroke. "We're fine," the Captain Said. "We've just rubbed up against that iceberg. That water we're taking on is just part of sailing."
  
• Once making the playoffs has become somewhat of a dream, you've got to find other things to hold your interest if you're going to continue to follow the team: Angels-Astros Preview - FOX Sports. "The Angels will look to get back on track with help from Vargas, who has bounced back from a rough start to post a 1.88 ERA over his last three outings." I like Jason Vargas, so I guess his outings will be something to focus on.
  
• Is there anything this guy can't do?? Vernon Wells handles grounder in debut at third base, homers to help Yankees get victory - Yahoo! Sports. ''That was one of the cooler moments of my career,'' Wells said." I wish the Angels had a player that was this awesome.
  
• Angels, Dodgers prove money not everything - Yahoo! Sports. "It might be that Scioscia's time has run its course with the Angels. Maybe someone else can light a fire under Pujols and Hamilton, who are hitting .240 and .205, respectively, with eight home runs between them." And: Angels' Mike Scioscia not the problem, but he might pay the price - latimes.com. "Dipoto told The Times' Mike DiGiovanna on Wednesday that he wouldn't say whether Scioscia's job was in jeopardy because "it's an unfair question." Uh-oh. The only reason it's an unfair question is because you don't trash talk your people in public.
  
• Botched home run review helps Indians steal victory from A’s (Video) - Yahoo! Sports. "Even with the aid of instant replay, Angel Hernandez and his crew of umpires managed to botch the most important call in the A's-Indians game at Progressive Field on Wednesday night, which ultimately resulted in the Indians holding on to their precarious 4-3 lead for a stunning and controversial victory." 'Failure Of The Process' - ESPN Video. "ESPN MLB umpiring analyst Jim McKean breaks down the controversial call late in the Athletics-Indians game." This is weak.
  
• BullFrog, the new PED: It's always sunny: Sources say sunscreen trick is pitchers' latest method to gain an edge - Yahoo! Sports. "BullFrog is as prevalent across baseball as chewing tobacco and sunflower seeds. Major League Baseball can't exactly ban sunscreen. And players accept it as part of the game because they don't believe it leads to crazy movement on pitches like spitters of yore."
• Speaking of yore: Seven things you can't say on (baseball) television - Baseball Nation. "It wasn't so long ago that broadcasters would routinely refer to a weekday-afternoon game as a "businessman's special"; our conventional suit-and-tie-wearing breadwinner might take the afternoon off, catch a baseball game, and be home in time for supper. But businessman has gone the way of fireman and policeman and snowman." I remember when a businessman's special was a handy under the desk. "Miss Jones, take a memo."
  
• Is anyone else completely turned on by this woman? Most Miami Lady Ever Flips Joakim Noah The Bird. "This lady, hooooo fuckin' boy, this lady. So angry!" Wait, when I think about it, I remember my ex-wife making this face...and the hand gesture...
  I'm no longer aroused.