The townsfolk huzzahed!
They hailed their brave Halo heroes!
That’s what loyal, peace-loving townsfolk do.
Nobody died, but all the Good Guys caught some bullets.
The long-time Sheriff had to turn in his badge.
Squint hard back to April. Cue up some Western music: Ennio Morricone will do. But sound is necessary.
Listen here to Angel podcaster Lucas Sardo and yours truly sift through the dust of the 2018: ...
The Good
Mike Scioscia had to leave Anaheim on a rail. It had to happen because Angeltown needed a new sheriff.
The things that the old lawman had done were rusty.
"Deserving's got nuthing to do with it." ~ Clint Eastwood, The Unforgiven
A new hero had arrived in the form of Shohei Ohtani, The Kid. The fastest draw in town. Would never show what he had in his hand.
Other good things? Well:
Andrew Heaney showed what he can do with a trusty left arm for once. Albert Pujols notched a 3000th hit victim to his belt.
Mike Trout continued to be a legend.
The Kid, Ohtani, did things that newer legends do.
Even camp cooks Kaleb Cowart and Fernando Arcia made some marks, somehow.
The Ugly
There is a lot of this.
So ... circle the waggons!
For one, Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred took a cowardly pot-shot at hero Mike Trout.
That's like hitting a tank with an air rifle.
Bad idea, Manfred got told.
"Zip it up, New York slickster! Or I'll fill ya full o' lead ... Mr. Commissioner" from the Club. It's onlookers and even folks from Back East recoiled.
Don't wipe your boots on our doorstep.
Sir. Thank you kindly.
Now, hurry up and fix the pace of play and Angel Hernandez.
Wipe yer face, too.
Well call it even. Skeeeedaadle!
Wild West wounds were everywhere. It looked bright in April, not so much in September when the Angels counted their casualties.
... Watching tumbleweeds roll down Main Street.
Hey! Where do we start?
Welp, Andrelton Simmons done fell down some stairs like he'd been shot. Zack Cozart tried to save him but got pinged in the shoulder for his pains.
Steady Kole Calhoun forgot how to shoot straight. Albert Pujols could barely walk.
Meet Odrisamel Despaigne, Oliver Drake and Deck McGuire.
I don't even know these new boys ~ Zane Grey.
Even The Kid himself wasn't safe.
Ohtani wanted to come back, but the sheriff and the bosses above him wouldn't let him try.
The Proud
Tip your hat to the folk of Angeltown.
The old sheriff has gone and rode off into the sunset.
Dawn breaks soon.
It'll get better. The Kid, Ohtani, will be back in 2019 with a big club. Trout will bring more.
It's up to Mr. Billy Eppler to do right.
Now, good day ... tip of the cap.
~ Your correspondent