2010 the start of a new era
We’re a day away from the first Cactus League game for the halos in 2010, and I couldn’t be more excited. This is the start of a new era in Angels baseball, as this winter saw the Angels part ways with team leaders and fan favorites Vlad Guerrero, Chone Figgins, and Big John Lackey. Scot Shields is now the lone holdover from the 2002 World Series team. Even if Rob Quinlan can make the squad again after signing a minor league deal with the halos, he and Shields would be the only two players left from the start of the 2004 season.
So we embark upon a new chapter in Angels lore in 2010 after an active winter that has put a halo cap on the heads of Hideki “Godzilla” Matsui, Joel Piniero, Fernando Rodney, and Brian Stokes. Scot Shields will also return after missing most of last season with a knee injury and Brandon Wood finally seems assured of regular playing time to show us if he is for real. No team in the AL West is as deep 1-5 in the rotation, or 1-9 in the lineup. Our defense should be excellent, and the leadership of our veteran outfielders in unquestionable.
My concerns, though mild, are as follows. First, can Erick Aybar replace Chone Figgins as an effective lead off hitter and catalyst for the offense? (Blazingly fast, he seems to need some good Rickey Henderson style instruction on the art of base stealing still.) Second, can Brandon Wood flourish wil regular playing time and bring his promised power numbers? (With Izturis at the ready and a slew of power in the middle of the order, this is not crucial, and it can be argued that we need Izzy’s speed more than Woody’s power!) Third, has the bullpen that cost us so many games in 2009 been effectively shored up with the return of Shields, maturation of Jepsen/Bulger/Thompson/Palmer, and the addition of Stokes/Rodney? My guess is yes. Finally, will anyone step up and take the place of John Lackey not only as the staff ace, but just as importantly, as a clubhouse leader? All five starters are proven 15+ game winners, but in October, can one of them outduel C.C. Sabathia, Doc Halladay, or even John Lackey? We’ll have to watch and find out, because as Chris Berman likes to say, “That’s why they play the games”.
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Napoli goes way, way deep
At the conclusion of Tuesday’s workout at Tempe Diablo Stadium, Angels manager Mike Scioscia held an impromptu hitting contest among his catchers.
With Scioscia serving up soft tosses, the receivers took their cuts. The prize for longest drive went, not surprisingly, to Mike Napoli when he unloaded a towering drive to left that bounced off a truck passing by on an access road beyond the trees at the back of an embankment.
“Nap killed it,” Scioscia said.
“He must not have gotten the memo,” Napoli said of the truck driver.
“Imagine what that guy was thinking,” Bobby Wilson said, ”just driving by and then he hears something crash.”
Napoli, who said he hasn’t felt this good in the spring since his rookie year of 2006, is crushing balls in batting practice. Best buddy Jeff Mathis, meanwhile, is lashing line drives to all fields, hoping to maintain the stroke he carried through the postseason with five doubles among his seven hits in 12 at-bats.
Wilson also went deep against his manager, while Ryan Budde — arguably the team’s strongest individual — unloaded several bombs.
Scioscia routinely begins the day with a pre-game address that features a wide range of hilarious exchanges, usually involving young players asked to make unusual presentations. Roars can be heard outside the clubhouse on a daily basis, but the audience is sworn to secrecy.
What happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse.
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Back in the Saddle
Ahhh that old Gene Autry standby brings up thoughts of green fields and blue skies…and Spring Training!!!!
Back in the 70s, one day me and my dad made the trek to Palm Springs for a day of Angels spring training, and to a 10 year old kid, watching the players move among the crowds surrounding the tiny stadium was a revelation. Not blocked off by concrete barriers, or orange painted fences, I could walk among my Gods.
Of course the Gods I saw were made up of C-Listers like Gil Flores and Dave Frost….
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Still waiting on Morales
The Kendry Morales watch continued on Monday as the Angels went through a workout under sunny skies following a dark, drizzly Sunday.
“Kendry was expected over the weekend,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “We expect him any hour, any day. Hopefully, we’re going to see him in camp in the next couple days.”
Morales is awaiting the stamp of approval from U.S. lmmigration on his green card, Scioscia has been told. In the meantime, the first baseman is said to be working out in Arizona.
Otherwise, things seem to be going swimmingly for the three-time reigning AL West champs. Hideki Matsui has fit in seamlessly, seated right next to lightning-rod Torii Hunter in the clubhouse, and Scioscia likes what he’s seen from his pitchers in bullpen sessions and batting-practice efforts.
“Our arms look good,” he said.
The Angels will have a 5 1/2-inning intrasquad game on Wednesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium to tune up for their Cactus League debut on Thursday at home against the White Sox at 3:05 p.m. MT. (2:05 p.m.). All other home games will be held at 1:05 p.m. MT, 12:05 p.m. PT.
Scioscia hasn’t decided on a starting pitcher for the spring opener.
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Five still free agents that could make 2010 better
Five still free agents that could make 2010 better
Hey gang!
There are not a lot of free agents still out there, but there are a few that could make a difference if, and that two letter word is huge, Neal Huntington could get them to sign with the Pirates.
I’ll start by saying we can eliminate obvious people. We can scratch off Pedro and Smoltz. Those guys are only coming to Pittsburgh with big money or if we are in the pennant race in late July. While the latter is possible, it’s not likely in 2010.
So I put a short list together of five guys that I could see coming here, if the opportunity was right.
1. Garret Anderson-Yes, this isn’t the guy that hit 30 homers several times for the Angels of Anaheim. He is a shell of that player as we found out in Atlanta last year. But his numbers were still pretty decent. Garret still had 13 homers, 61 RBI and he hit .264 in 124 games. This is a guy that could become your fourth outfielder. He’s still being mentioned for that role in Dodgertown. He would also be a big hitter off the bench. He is not the defensive guy he used to be, but that is normal with age and will be true of all four offensive players I’ll throw up here.
2. Hank Blalock-Hank hit 25 bombs last year and is still looking for work. The two knocks on Blalock are simple. First, he is a porcelain doll injury wise. However, he played 123 games last year, which is his best total since 2006. But he K’s a lot and hit a terrible .234 in 462 at bats. He could be a good platoon still at either corner position. Again, resting and coming off the bench might be good for Hank in the beginning. Up until the Indians re-signed Russell Branyan, he looked like their man. Before that, the Pirates, Braves and Orioles have all tinkered with the idea of bringing Blalock aboard.
3. Carlos Delgado-I would’ve put Carlos in the same category with Pedro and Smoltz, but Delgado may not be worried about a half season paycheck. He’ll be looking for a team to give him a chance to make the payola for his next contract. Keep in mind, before his hip injury last year, he hit 38 homers and drove in 115 and played every game but three in 2008. His agent said last week that he will need four months to recover after the surgery. That means again if the Pirates are close this is worth a gamble. Pay him the money and take your chances that this bat might take you over the top.
4. Braden Looper-Money is this guy’s best friend because his agent is Scott Boras. Those two words leave a bad taste in your mouth from the get-go. However, this is a guy that would fit in your rotation and probably would not be as horrible as the Matt Morris move was a few years back. He won 14 games despite a 5.22 ERA in 194 2/3 innings. He will eat innings. He may not strike everyone out, but he started 34 games last year for the Brewers and that consistency of knowing he’ll take the ball every five days might be worth a few extra bucks.
5. Dmitri Young-Don’t laugh at me for this one. Yes, he has been hurt almost all of 2009 and we’ve heard nada on the radar for this guy in 2010 and he played in Washington. However, Young might not be looking at a starting gig. Having his bat off the bench plus the in-house influence he could be make him worth looking at, if healthy. Granted, there are some who argue about his past. But remember, Young was a model citizen once the Nationals gave him a chance.
So are there any other guys you’d like to see the Pirates give a shot to that are available?
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All on you, fish catchers…
So with spring training in full swing and the first exhibition games almost upon us, one would be forgiven if they were excited over how even the Nationals have everlasting hope for the new year…
And with the offseason in the rearview mirror, its now time to look at what each team did and judge if theyre gonna be a force to be reconed with this season. Opinions vary as always, but one thing 99% of the baseball population agree on is that the Mariners are gonna show up to the pennant race this time.
…The AL west might actually *gasp* be up for grabs this year.
Seriously, the ALw has a history of being decided by opening day. The other 5 races are always interesting: The Yankees and Red Sox fight over the top…the Twins, Tigers, Indians and White Sox seem to take turns every year…The Phillies usually duke it out with either the Mets or Marlins for a while…The NLcentral tends to be a fight between the Cards, Cubs and until recently the Brewers…while the NLwest is so bad it usually spits out whoever can break .500, which means all 5 teams always have a shot…but the ALwest, until last year its been almost exclusive to the Angels. Last year the Rangers suprised everyone but ultimatly faded. This time however, it seems there is a legit contender to the ALwest crown not from the state of California.
Its not suprising. Every spring the baseball gods look for one team to go from the basement to the brink of the playoffs. Last year the Rangers were that team and this year it seems to be the Mariners. Theyre in a great position to do it as well: the Angels lost a lot of their key players, the A’s suck (again) and the Rangers didnt drastically improve like Seattle did…actually, Seattle this year will probably look like the Angels had changed uniforms and added Suzuki.
As for the rest of baseball, its still up in the air, though dont act suprised if the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies run away with the divisions and Wild Card. as we get closer to opening day, I might give actual predictions. The only one I’ll say now is what I said back in November: the White Sox will show up this year.
Now then…leave me be, I have a fantesy team to create…
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Season preview los angeles angels of anaheim
Season Preview: Los Angeles Angels of
AnaheimYou say goodbye…
Jose Arredando (P), Matthew Brown (1B), Kelvim
Escobar (P), Chone Figgins (3B), Vlad Guerrero
(OF), John Lackey (P), Shane Loux (P), Gary
Matthews Jr. (OF), Justin Moseley (P), Darren
Oliver (P), Justin Speier (P)
I say hello…
Hideki
Matsui (OF), Joel Pineiro (P), Fernando Rodney
(P), Brian Stokes (P)
Projected Rotation
1) Jered
Weaver
2) Joe Saunders
3) Ervin
Santana
4) Joel Pineiro
5) Scott
Kazmir
Projected Starting
Line-up
C) Mike Napoli
1B)
Kendry Morales
2B) Howie Kendrick
3B)
Brandon Wood
SS) Erick Aybar
LF) Juan
Rivera
CF) Torii Hunter
RF) Bobby
Abreu
DH) Hideki Matsui
The Angels will be solid, and will contend for
the division title again, a big question mark is
Brandon Wood. Will he finally reach his potential?
The rotation is a little weaker than it has been,
but that’s because most of them had a bump
in the road last year, if they rebound, the Angels
could dominate.
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Jepsen, Shields make progress
Scot Shields and Kevin Jepsen, two valuable members of the Angels’ bullpen, stretched it out on Thursday in the warm sun of Tempe Diablo Stadium and came out of the session feeling ready for the next step toward the mound.
“Shiedsy and l got back for 10 minutes of long toss, and it felt great — for both of us,” Jepsen said. “I’m happy. The best part is I felt good after I’d stopped throwing for a while and went back out. No issues at all. This was a very good day.”
Shields, rebounding from left knee surgery, and Jepsen, who experienced some shoulder pain early in camp, have been delayed in throwing off the mound.
“I feel like I could throw right now,” Shields said, “but I understand them being cautious with me. You’ve got to look at the big picture.”
It was the first day of live batting practice, and starters Ervin Santana, Joel Pineiro and Joe Saunders all threw effectively.
“I was focused on fastball command,” Saunders said, “and it really felt good to be out there. The second pitch I threw was a line drive right back at me, but I got out of the way.”
First baseman Kendry Morales remained absent as he goes through the final stages of acquiring his work permit. The Cuba native established residency in the Dominican Republic after defecting in 2004. He is expected in camp any day.
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Great news. As Sparky Anderson said, the secret to a good life is good friends and a solid bullpen; not necessarily in that order. I’m trying not to get too excited about the upcoming season, but the little hairs on my forearms are standing up right now.
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Morales still waiting on work permit
Bobby Abreu strolled into camp on Wednesday in that elegant style of his, but the Angels are still waiting on Kendry Morales, their first baseman, to get green-card clearance to start work.
“I know he’s here in Arizona, so I know he’s getting his work in somewhere,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Morales, a sensation in 2009 in his first full Major League season. “He won’t be too far behind.”
Starter Scott Kazmir, who experienced right hamstring tightness about five weeks before Spring Training while working out at home in Houston, moved from five minutes of bullpen work to eight minutes on Wednesday, continuing his progress.
“It went well, extremely well,” Kazmir said. “I threw fastballs and some changeups, but the main idea was to getting extended with my landing leg. That felt good, so I like where I am right now.”
Kazmir’s landing leg is the one he tweaked in Houston, but he said he felt no pain in his session.
The Angels are proceeding with caution with relievers Fernando Rodney (shin), Kevin Jepsen (shoulder stiffness) and Scot Shields (recovering from knee surgery).
“He’s out of [fielding practice],” Scioscia said of Rodney. “He’s long tossing, and we’ll progress to a mound here probably close to what we’re talking about with Shieldsy. We said a couple days ago we’d be really shocked if Shieldsy was not [throwing] off the mound in 7-10 days.
“With Rodney, there’s probably no need to get him on the mound right now. We don’t need him irritating some things. In talking with Ned {Bergert, head certified athletic trainer) and Dr. [Lewis] Yocum, it’s preventative. He should be ready to get on the mound here shortly.”
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I think the whole team is Hungry for a rematch against yanks. It will be a dramatic one, Angels have unfinished buisness still with re s u x and yanks. Revenge will be had.
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Flip Flop Fly BallCraig Robinson’s Flip Flop Fly Ball site is my new favorite thing. As self-described:
A love of baseball plus a love of infographics equals Flip Flop Fly Ball.
The thing is loaded with fun statistics in graphics form, and while I haven’t perused them all yet with equal scrutiny, here’s my current favorite (so far):
CLICK FOR FULL SIZE
It’s crazy that the “best team” has only won the series three times since 1995, isn’t it? (Since the Wild Card system has been in effect.) I suppose that’s what playoffs are for, but so much for the reliability of stats, eh folks? Also specifically interesting to the theme of this blog, the last time the Giants made it to the series was the only time that that two Wild Card teams went head to head. (Giants lost of course - boo!)
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Wow, nice chart….but my poor A’s have gone down since that great 2006 season. Hopefully we can regroup this season.
And thanks for adding the link to my blog on
your site…much appreciative.
Thanks
- Opinion4Athletics
http://opinion4athletics.mlblogs.com/
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