MondoLinks: Angels finally fall. Billy Eppler to the rescue?

One game away. The outcome that many of us truly need, if there was to be any such outcome that ended with the Halos getting kicked to the curb. This is the outcome with which to beat Facebook fans over the head.

For the very same reason that every win counts, so does every loss. When, in the future, a FB fan gives you one of those "Relax, it's a long season" quips of pseudo-expertise, you can always point to 2015 and reply with "Yes it is. And all along the way every game matters."

The bottom line is that while it is honorable to fight to the finish, it is also worthy to fight to the middle. And even the beginning.

I suppose that I am honor-bound to keep abreast of the playoffs now. First up (for me, at least) is to see whether or not Texas is punished for burning their ace for 9 innings on Sunday as they go into a 5-game series on the road just 3 days from now. It's possible that now they only get to use Cole Hamels once in the playoffs against the Blue Jays.

Thus, welcome. Here we go with our first in a string of 6 months worth of sitting-on-our-asses Links:

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Angels Baseball

Generalissimo: Today we should see the formal announcement of Billy Eppler as the new Front Office manager being added to Mike Scioscia's staff.  Basically, the wait for Carpino and Moreno to further integrate with the Yankee DNA took as long as it did because of the risk of facing the Yankees in the WC play-in game. Wouldn't want to upset the mothership. And it's probably a pretty good career move on Eppler's part if you think about deeper than the obvious surface layers that might scare away most candidates. You get the jump into the top title of "GM" AND, because these kinds of things come to an end so quickly in Anaheim, you get to jump to the head of the line as the next "ex-GM". And you do so with some degree of certainty that the 29 other teams will hold nothing against you for coming back onto the job market so soon. Well played, Mr. Eppler, well played.............

Strategic Hindsight: Just askin', here. But even before we know, as we do now, that the LAA bullpen had run out of steam in Texas, there was a choice to be had. Down by a single run, mid-way through the game that meant your last chance to extend your season, in a no-tomorrow situation, and you have about a dozen arms from which to choose to send to the mound. Which arm do you choose, the one that has 5.40 ERA or the one that has a 3.83 ERA? The one with a 78 ERA+ or the one with a 99 ERA+? The one with a -0.1 fWAR or the one with a +1.1 fWAR? The one with a 1.710 WHIP or the one with a 1.327 WHIP?..........

Continuum: Mike Scioscia is not opting out. Gives us many things to debate, i suppose. Good for site traffic. (This Internet opinion was just too cute.)..........

I Don't Know: Freese is already responding to inquiries about his future with the Angels. "A lot of things have to happen on both sides." I don't know why. Not unless Freese is looking for some sort of Great Bonus Upgrade as a result of his late season surge. From where I sit, the Halos should be damned happy to have a bird in the hand while they try and figure out some kind of future at 3B. I mean, without Freese, Who's On third, Kubitza and his powerless .194 BA over 40 plate appearances? And Freese should be thrilled with any decent offer since it'll be all to easy to remember how underwhelming he was the first half of this season..........

Stat of the Year: When all of Dallas was wallowing in the disbelief of having found a way to lose a 4 run lead on Saturday, once researcher dug up this amazing stat. Prior to Saturday's Angels win, teams had lost 1,761 consecutive games when trailing by four runs in the ninth inning on the road. And, yeah, the probabilities were amazing..........

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Elsewhere in Baseball

Joe Girardi: Ok, now this is just too much whining. Girardi doesn't like it that his Yankees might have had to play real baseball in less than pristine conditions..........

Dickweed Baseball: If throwing at players in retaliation is bad, what is your plan for disciplinary action on plays that tend to be kept in check via risk of retribution? Rougned Odor's slide into Johnny Giavotella over the weekend was a real shit show. And everybody knows it. Odor can apologize and come up with excuses all he wants, but this shithead plays this way. Just ask Joe Panik and Madison Bumgarner. if your moral compass goes apeshit over drilling a batter in the ribs, what's the reaction for attacking a unwary defender with knives on your feet?..........

Crapshoot: Yeah, I agree. If ever there was a Crapshoot Post-season, this is the one..........

Ichiro: Ichiro gets to pitch in a real Big League Game. Well, I take that back. He plays for the Marlins............

Humorless: This is disappointing. Steve Bartman is not signing up with a GoFundMe campaign to get him into the stands for the Chicago Cubs WC game. Come on, Steve, life's too short. A guy's gotta be able to laugh at one's self..............

Phillies Phans: Hardcore, to the end............

Rangers Twit: The Rangers fired their Social Media dude or dudette for taking a potshot, football being what it is in the state of Texas..........

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