An introspection on the Angels, or what was originally intended to be a postgame for Wednesday night

Indians 4, Angels 3

Everyone always skips the picture. Unless a player is making a funny face, or it’s a really cool action shot, I skip the picture too. To be honest, I don’t put much effort into selecting the picture either, just a quick look at what’s available, seeing who was a star in the game, clicking, centering, and bam! Sometimes a caption, sometimes not.

Today’s picture encapsulates the Angels. Yasiel Puig leading off second (because of course Angels pitching has allowed a runner to reach second), and the darkness. Puig, much like the Angels franchise, is in darkness. There’s a spot of light in the form of Trout, Ohtani, Fletcher, Simmons, et al, but a large shadow looms over the light. It dominates. It prevents the light from shining through and carrying us to glory.

Anyway, that’s enough of the analysis. I never much liked the deep dives into literary texts that we did in English anyway.

Over the last few weeks, a pattern has emerged. The Angels lose, generally with stagnant offenses or explosive pitching (or both, most of the time), people get mad and start to rage, making the optimists mad and defensive, and then everyone is at each others’ throats. I can’t cure that. That’s the way things are.

The Angels did much of the same again tonight. Dillon Peters coughed up a few runs early, and the Angels were never able to recover. Shohei Ohtani lasered a home run. Mike Trout is still out.

I didn’t watch this game. (Strange, I know.) Instead, I went to the gym, ate dinner, and watched some Netflix. Now I will have to do homework.

It’s a little sad, thinking that the Angels are so removed from my life that I don’t feel obligated to put the game on if I’m free and the Angels are playing. Mike Trout will (hopefully) be back Friday to resume his pursuit of the home run crown. Shohei Ohtani will still be doing cool things. David Fletcher is still making contact at extraordinary rates. Keynan Middleton pitched another scoreless inning.

I genuinely think 2020 will be better. If not for the reason that things “have” to get better, then just use this reason. If the Angels don’t make the playoffs in 2020, I am confident it will cost Billy Eppler his job. He had his option picked up and wasn’t extended for a reason. Whatever the case, Eppler feels pressure to make a splash this offseason. Whether it’s the expected method (sign Gerrit Cole) or the unexpected (sign/trade for Mookie Betts), I’ve already cast 2019 aside and am ready to spend another offseason of speculation.

Yes, it’s painful. But let’s finish the 2019 season already. =)