2018 MLB Year in Review Part 1: Two-Way Phenom Shohei Ohtani Lived Up to the Hype

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hj_west from USA

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CC BY-SA 2.0 License.

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Wikimedia

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Ship1231

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Over the last few years the sport of Major League Baseball (MLB) has done something that it has either not done at all or has been been very slow to do in past years. That is to introduce some new strategies and innovations to the game that have previously been viewed as disrupting the overall tradition of the game itself. The biggest examples of change from past seasons were when replay review was introduced to help overturn calls that the umpires got wrong, the home plate collision rule and the take out slide rule at second base.

As the 2018 season got underway, another new rule that was implemented was the limit on the number of times that a player or coach could go out to the mound for a visit with the pitcher to either talk about strategy and what to do in a certain situation or to give a pitcher some time to catch their breath and take a break if they are in a tough situation. Starting in the 2018 season the number of mound visits for each team was limited to a total number of six per game for each team. If a game was still tied after nine innings of play and subsequently went into extra innings, each team would receive an additional mound visit in this situation. While the new mound visit rule of 2018 most certainly had a positive effect on the game in terms of the overall pace of the game, it wasn't the only new sighting or strategic innovation that made its presence felt to baseball fans around the world in the 2018 season.

The next big story that burst on the scene to start the 2018 season was a certain new baseball player from Japan who was going to attempt to do something that a major league player had never done before since a guy by the name of Babe Ruth. That was to be the first major league player since Mr. Ruth to both pitch and hit on a fairly regular basis. The player who would be attempting this very unique athletic feat would be the one and only Shohei Ohtani from Japan!

During the 2017-2018 offseason period of time, the question of which team would be the lucky recipient of the latest player from Japan to come over and play in the major leagues was one of, if not the biggest, story line of the offseason. That question was answered before the Christmas holiday in 2017 when Ohtani agreed to a deal to play with the Los Angeles Angels on December 8th. For full disclosure purposes I should mention that the Los Angeles Angels are my favorite sports team ever so I was pretty excited to find out that he chose to sign with and play for them!

After it was announced that he would sign with the Angels, the next part of the Shohei Ohtani story during the rest of the offseason focused on how good he could possibly as a player in Major League Baseball (MLB). During this time there were numerous discussions and debates in the sports media world about how successful he could be as a pitcher and a hitter and whether or not he should focus all of his energy and effort on being only pitcher or hitter or both.

At the time it seemed like most of the so-called "experts" weren't sure how long Mr. Ohtani would be able to do both jobs and do them well. The majority of these "experts" at the time predicted that both he and the team would end up utilizing his unique set of talents solely as a pitcher after a while. If Shohei Ohtani had not gotten injured during the 2018 season those predictions would have most likely turned out to be wrong. As the season unfolded however, the inevitable happened and Ohtani ended up injuring his elbow and needed to undergo Tommy John surgery as a result. Even though he could no longer be used as a pitcher for the rest of the year, the good news for the Angels and their fans was that he could still be used as a hitter. What was even better was in the game that was played against the Texas Rangers after it was announced that he would most likely need to have surgery on his elbow, Ohtani proceeded to hit a home run and have one of the best games of his Major League career up to that point.

For the rest of the season Ohtani appeared as a designated hitter and ended the season with 22 home runs and 4 wins en route to being named the winner of the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year award. Considering how he got off to a slow start in Spring Training before the start of the season both as a pitcher and a hitter, it was pretty exciting to find out that Shohei Ohtani ended up winning the award.

Even though he will most likely miss all of the 2019 season as a pitcher, it will be interesting to see if Ohtani can maintain his overall performance or be even better as a hitter next season. After that, hopefully he will be able to continue his excellence as a two-way player in 2020.

Tim Musick-Copyright 2019
All Rights Reserved.

A House Divided: SoCal Crosstown Rivalry Fandom-Which Side Of The Fence Are You On?

For every sports fan out there one of the most common questions that they have very likely been asked at some point is what team or teams do they like to root for. Finding out the answer to that question is likely more interesting if a particular city, state or country has more than one team that plays in the same league.

For example, in the greater Los Angeles area where my family and I live, both of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels (who play in Anaheim, California), play their games as members of the Major League Baseball (MLB) professional sports league. The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers play in the City of Angels for the National Football League (NFL). Both of the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers are yearly participants of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks call the National Hockey League (NHL) their home.

For those sports cities like Los Angeles who have more than one professional sports team in each league, fans will usually have only one team that is their favorite to root for most of the time. Up to this point in my life I don't think I have ever met or come across someone who has said that they root for both teams equally in a particular sport. They will usually have only one team or teams that they root for or are a fan of in a given sport. These various rooting interests for only one team in a particular sport served as the inspiration for this new series of blog posts at Tim's Sports World about crosstown rivalry fandom.

Without further ado I now present the first installment of this brand new series about crosstown rivalry fandom which will focus on the sports teams that play in the Southern California region or area!:

Clayton Kershaw Photo (Top) Courtesy Of:

Wikimedia and Arturo Pardavila III on Flickr

Under CC BY 2.0 License.

Mike Trout Photo (Bottom) Courtesy Of:

 Wikimedia and Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA  Under CC BY-SA 2.0 License.                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                 

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (LAD) Vs. Los Angeles Angels (LAA) (MLB)

Both of the Angels and Dodgers baseball teams of Major League Baseball (MLB) have called the Southern California area their home now for the last 50 to 60 years or so.

The Dodgers moved to the Los Angeles area from Brooklyn in New York in 1958 and played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 1958 to 1961 before moving in to Dodger Stadium in 1962, while the Angels franchise played their first ever season in team history in 1961 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. After the 1961 season the Angels played their home games at Chavez Ravine (A.K.A. Dodger Stadium) from 1962 to 1965. Since the 1966 season the Angels have called Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, California their home ballpark.

Both teams also play their games in two separate leagues with the Dodgers playing in the National League while the Angels take on competitors from the American League. Even though these two teams have played in separate leagues throughout their history, there are times throughout the season each year when both teams have played each other. When that happens, those series of games are referred to as the "Freeway Series" due to the fact that many of the fans can go to the games by driving on the freeways in the Los Angeles area. As a matter of fact, the one freeway that has access to both cities and stadiums is the 5 Freeway.

When it comes to figuring out the rooting interest of both teams, this is probably the one that is the most easy call for me to make as a fan. Since my family and I have been fans of the Angels for as long as I can remember, it's a no-brainer that they would come out on top in this contest.

There was even a period of time for a few years during which my dislike for the Dodgers was so intense that I would be really mad or upset if they were either beating the Angels in the head-to-head match ups or were having a much better season than the Angels were.

If I remember things correctly, this was also around the same time that Frank McCourt owned the Dodgers which also added to the intensity of my animosity of the Boys in Blue. Now that Frank McCourt no longer owns the team however, my negative views of the Dodgers have changed considerably over the last few years but not enough to the point where I would choose to root for them over the Angels when they play against each other.

Jared Goff Photo (Top) Courtesy Of:

Wikimedia and Jeffrey Beall Under

CC BY 4.0 License.

Philip Rivers Photo (Bottom) Courtesy Of:

Wikimedia and Jeffrey Beall Under

CC BY 4.0 License. 

2. Los Angeles Rams (LAR) Vs. Los Angeles Chargers (LAC) (NFL)

This same city National Football League (NFL) sports rivalry is the newest one to have arrived recently in the Southern California area. For the Rams this is now the second time in their franchise history that they have played a large part of their games in the state of California after a long detour in St. Louis, Missouri while the Chargers are currently playing in only their second season ever in the city of Los Angeles. Before that of course, they spent their previous seasons playing in the city of San Diego, California.

In terms of now having not one, but two football teams in Los Angeles after an absence of over 20 years, I'm still not quite used to knowing that the NFL has now had two teams come back and or move to the area once again and playing here over the last couple of years. As a sports fan when I was growing up, I actually got very used to not having a football team or teams in the city of Los Angeles for quite some time. As a result, I started to like the freedom of being able to choose which football team to root for if I wanted to do so. It was during that time that I became a fan of the Dallas Cowboys for a little while.

As of right now though, I have not really been a fan of any one football team in particular. That being said, if I had to choose which L.A. team football team that I currently prefer over the other, I guess I would have to go with the Rams due to their recent overall success. That endorsement however is not a ringing one when compared to some of the other rivalries that are included in this article.

Kobe Bryant Photo (Top) Courtesy Of:

Wikimedia and Keith Allison from Kinston, USA

Under CC BY-SA 3.0 License.

Chris Paul Photo (Bottom) Courtesy Of:

Wikimedia and Verse Photography

Under CC BY-SA 2.0 License.

3. Los Angeles Lakers (LAL) Vs. Los Angeles Clippers (also abbreviated as LAC) (NBA)

The next Southern California crosstown rivalry comes from the third of the four biggest professional sports leagues in North America. That is the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This is a Southern California sports rivalry that has, for the most part, been very one-sided throughout its overall history.

For the majority of time that this rivalry has been around, it has been dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers. Over the last few years though, the Clippers have done a good job at fielding some very competitive teams while the Lakers were not very competitive. That being said though, the overall dominance of the Lakers as one of the marquee franchises in the NBA cannot be ignored. From watching some of the greatest basketball players that have played for the purple and gold during my lifetime in Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to enjoying the excellent deep playoff runs of the three-peat championship Lakers teams from 2000-2002, there is one clear winner in this rivalry and that is the Lakers!

Now that they have added LeBron James to the fold as a free agent to start the 2018-2019 season, it will be interesting to see if the team can be good enough once again to get back to the playoffs after a drought of a few years and compete for a championship.


Dustin Brown Photo (Below) Courtesy Of:
Wikimedia and JulieAndSteve
Under CC BY 2.0 License.

4. Los Angeles Kings (LAK) Vs. Anaheim Ducks (ANA) (NHL)

The last Southern California crosstown rivalry comes from the sport that I have watched the least of. That is the rivalry between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Even though I don't really watch that many hockey games to begin with, I have watched enough of them to have a favorite team to root for and follow in this rivalry. That team would be the Los Angeles Kings.

Since my dad has been a fan of the team throughout the years, that is one factor which made it easier for me to be a fan of the team as well. Another factor that also influenced me along the way were the few years that they put together a solid stretch of being in the Stanley Cup playoffs from 2009 to 2014. During this time the team would end up winning the Stanley Cup at the end of the 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 seasons.

As for the Anaheim Ducks, even though they have also won a Stanley Cup championship in 2007 and did so before the Kings won a pair of their own a few years later, I have never really been a fan of that team at all since the time they were established in 1993 as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. At this point in my life when it comes to the Ducks team and how I view them, I probably feel a stronger connection to the Ducks' teams that were featured in the Disney movie franchise of the 1990's which served as the inspiration for the real team.

Since those teams weren't real ones though, I think I'll just stick with my original team allegiance pick of the Los Angeles Kings. That being said though, since my level of interest in the sport hasn't been at the same level of the other sports such as baseball, if either the Kings or Ducks are in the playoffs in a given year as has been the case previously, it wouldn't bother me too much to root for both of them. If that scenario were to happen in the future however, I would give a slight edge to the Kings.

Closing Thoughts:

As the famous saying at the end of the Looney Tunes cartoon series goes, "That's all folks!" With the exception of the local college teams that are in the area as well as those other teams who play for the Major League Soccer (MLS) professional sports league, I have discussed all the professional sports teams that play their respective games in the Southern California area and my subsequent rooting interests for each of them. The main reason why I chose to not include any of the other college or pro sports teams in the Southern California area such as the UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans and the Los Angeles Galaxy is because I don't follow those sports as closely as I do when compared to the four main sports leagues that I chose to be a part of the discussion.

Now that you guys know where I stand as a fan with regards to those teams, it would be interesting to find out if we're on the same page or if there will have to be some lines drawn in the sand. In any case, feel free to continue rooting for whoever you want and I hope we can still be friends, even if we happen to be on opposite sides of the sports rivalry fence.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2018-All Rights Reserved

  

State Of The Angels: What Will 2016 Bring?

The Angels success in 2016 will depend on how far this man is willing to push payroll for the coming season.

For the Angels, 2015 was a year filled with inconsistency that had its fair share of ups and downs. The early part of Spring Training saw the Josh Hamilton saga come to a conclusion with a return to the Texas Rangers after a reported relapse with drugs.  Then came the inconsistent start that Mike Scioscia's club have become famous for en route to an 85-77 record.



When July rolled around, there were reports of another rift between Scioscia and past General Manager Jerry Dipoto, which led to Dipoto's resignation to find greener pastures in the Pacific Northwest as the new General Manager of the Seattle Mariners.



Fast forward to now and the Halos still have the game's longest tenured manager in the sport working under yet another General Manager in Billy Eppler to go along with owner Arte Moreno who has shown a willingness in the past to loosen the purse strings on the team payroll past the Luxury Tax threshold.  Will Moreno do so once again this off season in pursuit of a coveted World Series championship in 2016 with a Jason Heyward or Yoenis Cespedes signing?  Considering all options, that may be his only chance for true success in 2016.



This fan is still waiting patiently to see what the team looks like when 2016 Spring Training rolls around once all the off season dust is settled.



Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.  

  

Who Says You Need An Agent?

 

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia and Keith Allison under CC  BY-SA 2.0 License

 

As Spring Training is about to commence ahead of the 2015 regular season, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will most likely be involved in negotiations on a possible contract extension with reliever Huston Street in addition to getting the team revved up for action by Opening Day on April 6th in Seattle.

What makes these negotiations with Street so fascinating is that Street is acting as his own agent in the negotiations.  For the team that's a good thing because the middleman is essentially eliminated in negotiations and the team can deal directly with the player.  For the player in this situation they must be very careful to not get taken advantage of at any point during the entire process in their pursuit of a contract that is a fair value in relation to said player's standing in their marketplace

In Huston Street's case he is one of the better relievers in the game today.  To that end, Street is seeking a contract similar to those obtained by David Robertson and Andrew Miller.  Robertson agreed to a 4-year $46 million dollar deal with the Chicago White Sox while Andrew Miller agreed to a 4-year $36 million dollar deal.

Why am I writing this you ask?  To show you just how complicated contract negotiations can be. You don't just throw out a number and hope for the best.  It is not that easy.

Message to Huston Street: I wish you the best of luck in navigating these tricky waters without the possible safety net of someone else acting on your behalf with your best interests in mind.  You are much stronger than me.

The good thing is General Manager Jerry Dipoto has a history of smooth negotiations with players and their representatives since he took the position in 2011 when you consider that the team has successfully avoided any and all hearings for their arbitration eligible players under Dipoto's watch.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved  

It's Time To Cut The Head Off The Angels Snake

That is one big snake!

Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia

Keith Allison under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

Over the past five years of mediocrity, I have tried to be as patient as I can hoping for an Angels turnaround. Well that's all changed.  It's frustrating to know that the Angels have an owner in Arte Moreno who seems to run his franchise like Jerry Jones runs the Dallas Cowboys in football.  Now I know there's no point in thinking Moreno will fire himself or sell the team in the near future because that's not going to happen.

I'm here to tell you that my patience has run out.  April 2, 2014 may just turn out to be an important day in my Angels' fandom.  That wasn't the day I realized Arte Moreno wasn't the world's greatest owner after all.  I found that out a long time ago.  No, April 2 of this year was the day I officially joined the "Fire Mike Scioscia!" bandwagon.  The reality is he probably should have been canned at the end of last season.  Well Sosh, I've had it with your apathetic attitude and inept strategy as a field general!  You know it's bad when players are openly griping, whether it's right or wrong, about the shortcomings of a coaching staff a mere three games into the season.   As the fictional Howard Beale says in the film Network, "I'M MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"     

There are those who are going to say that it's still early in the season, so there should be no reason to push the panic button when the Halos have only played 3 games coming into tonight without notching a win.  Well I say it's time to push the panic button and push it hard!

What's so baffling about the whole situation is the Angels actually had a good Spring Training for a change that brought some much needed optimism to a increasingly impatient fanbase.

Long gone are the days when the Angels faithful were willing to subject themselves to last place finishes year in and year out.  The difference between then and now is the expectations and aspirations weren't as intense as they are in today's win now philosophy in sports.

I will still keep tabs on the Angels and hold on to a slight glimmer of hope that they will turn in around, but the longer they keep their stubborn manager around, they will remain a hapless bunch with no shot at postseason glory.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2014
All Rights Reserved

       

MLB 2014 Where To Watch And How To Listen: Los Angeles Angels

This is a series of new posts with the goal of providing the most in-depth and up to date information possible on where can watch and listen to your favorite MLB team's local broadcasts. (For those who live outside the local broadcast area, Major League Baseball offers subscriptions to mlb.tv).

Los Angeles Angels
Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia 
Keith Allison under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

Radio Broadcasts

KLAA 830 AM

Commentators: Terry Smith (play-by-play), Jose Mota (son of Manny Mota) (Spring Training color analyst), Mark Langston (regular season color analyst), Darren Chan (producer/engineer).

KLAA 830 AM is the flagship station of the Los Angeles Angels.  It is a sports format radio station licensed in Orange, California.  It is owned by the Angels.  It is the only Orange County station with adequate coverage of the Los Angeles County area.  As an Angels fan, I only listen to the station when the games are on.   The station also has rights to broadcast the games for the Anaheim Ducks (NHL), Oakland Raiders (NFL) and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (College Football).

The other various sports talk shows that are on during the day are not worth listening to, such as Roger Lodge's show.

Television Broadcasts

Fox Sports (FS) West, Prime Ticket (select games).

Channel Availability:

DirecTV-Fox Sports West: 692 (HD/SD), Prime Ticket: 693 (HD/SD)
Dish Network-Fox Sports West: 417 (HD/SD), Prime Ticket: 411 (HD/SD)
(Check local listings for cable providers).

Commentators: Victor Rojas (play-by-play), Mark Gubicza (color analyst), Kent French, Mark Rogondino (pre/postgame hosts), Jose Mota (son of Manny Mota) (pre/postgame analyst).

A little personal story about Jose Mota.  My mom and I were fortunate to meet him one time at a Trader Joe's store in San Dimas California.  We were going about our day getting groceries and he was standing in line at one of the checkout counters paying for his groceries.  After a few seconds of trying to figure out if it was indeed Mr. Mota, we went up to him and he was kind enough to have his picture taken with us inside the store!

Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket are American regional sports networks that are affiliates of Fox Sports Networks which serve Southern and Central California, southern Nevada and Hawaii.  The channels are owned by Fox Cable Networks, a unit of the Fox Entertainment Group division of 21st Century Fox.  Prime Ticket had the rights to Los Angeles Dodgers telecasts before the team started its own regional sports network with Time Warner Cable called Sportsnet LA in 2014.

Fox Sports West holds the exclusive rights to approximately 150 Angels games throughout the season. When other local team's games such as the Kings (NHL), Clippers (NBA), or Ducks (NHL) overlap with the Angels, the games can then be found on either Prime Ticket or on local channel KCOP 13 (very rare occurrences).  Select national broadcasts of Angel games can be found on Fox Saturday Baseball, ESPN, TBS and MLB Network.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2014
All Rights Reserved

Angels Forecast-March 18

As we wrap up the 2010 Angels Forecast, today we reach the moment of truth in:

TEAM PREDICTIONS

Dad: Angels come in second behind the Mariners in the AL West and clinch the wild card to get into the playoffs. They wil beat the Minnesota Twins in the Division Series but lose to the New York Yankees in the League Championship Series.

Tim: Like my dad said, the Angels will come in second in the AL West, but not to the Mariners.  Don't get me wrong, the M's have made some pretty big upgrades in the offseason, but I don't think their offense has enough firepower.  Nope, they will finish behind the Texas Rangers who will win 92 games to the Angels 89.  Not only will they fall short of winning the division for the fourth year in a row, but they will also miss out on the wild card spot.  That's right, my team won't make it to the postseason this year.  It will be close all season with Mike Scioscia at the helm once again, but the Halos will fall short.

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Googie man under CC-SA 3.0 License

Angels Forecast-March 17

Here's to a Happy St. Patrick's Day as we continue on with the 2010 Angels Forecast.  Sorry there's no photo.  I looked for one but couldn't find any.

KEY BENCH PLAYERS


Rob Quinlan and Reggie Willits will continue to be used sparingly.

Dad: Willits is a speedy guy who will be used in the late innings and to spell the outfielders while Q will be put in situationally and play first base late in the innings. I don’t expect either to have much to do with the outcome of the season.

My take: Willits will have much more to say about the team's outcome than Q.  He has a good shot to be the Halos fourth outfielder with his speed being a good asset in the late innings.  He's also very patient at the plate often working the count to 3 and 2.

In addition to Willits, another gem to keep an eye on is Peter Bourjos.  He could be another late inning guy used for his speed as a pinch runner.  In Spring action, he's been tearing it up on the basepaths.

Next: Season Predictions.

Angels Forecast-March 15

Today's Angels Forecast consist of:

OUTFIELD

RF – Bobby Abreu – The grizzled veteran showing the undisciplined how to play the game. The Angels got Bobby for a steal last year when he was cast off of the Yankees. Instead of brooding at the low paycheck, Abreu chose to show he still had a lot of gas left in him. A zen master of plate patience, Bobby brought a calming presence to the free-swinging Angels. The biggest free swinger, Vlad Guerrero, was no competition and saw his role diminished to that of designated hitter. Vladdy, one of the best players ever to put on an Angels uniform, is now trying to regain some of his form in Arlington, Texas. Like a great blind date, the ex-Yankee veteran and the Angels hit it off immediately. Bobby was very happy here, played well (.293 BA, 15 HR, 103 RBI, 30 stolen bases), became a fan favorite (probably 2nd only to Torii Hunter), and signed a new, two-year contract the first day it was offered.


Dad: For 2010, I’m looking for a .300 average, 16 HR, 110 RBI, and another 30 stolen bases.


My take: Ditto.


CF – Torii Hunter – The spark plug and heart of the team. Coming over from Twins in 2008, Torii had an instant impact, hitting 21 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 37 doubles to go along with his 19 stolen bases. In 2009 it was 22 HR, 90 RBIs, 26 doubles, and 18 SBs with a .299 batting average. This all went along with some of the most acrobatic defensive play in the league, robbing many a batter’s home run. Torii also took on the role of team spokesman, a happy, smiling face that reporter’s love to quote. He was also a rock for his team, and team mates, last year when rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver. I like to think of Hunter as a fine replacement for my all-time Angel favorite, Darin Erstad who had all the qualities but was a much more reserved personality publicly and wasn’t as good of an offensive player as Hunter.


Dad: For 2010 I think a healthy Torii Hunter with provide 28 HR's, 105 RBIs, 35 doubles, and 25 stolen bases with a .304 batting average.

My take: Those will be pretty good numbers if Hunter is healthy and he will have his share of amazing acrobatic catches.


LF – Juan Rivera – Always underrated and a dangerous batter lurking under there somewhere. Juan had a great career going with the Yankees before being picked up by Montreal. The Angels got him for the biggest malcontent ever to sit on the bench, Jose Guillen, along with Maicer Izturis from the Expos/Nationals (what a deal that turned out to be). He hit 23 home runs in 2006 and looked to be on his way to being a start before he broke his leg in an off-season game in his home in Venezuela. It took some time to regain his position, having to wait behind Garrett Anderson and Gary Matthews, Jr. (who showed how to be unhappy with his position with class…watch and learn Mr. Guillen). In 2009, back in left field full time, Juan hit 25 home runs, 24 doubles, 88 RBIs, with a .287 average.


Dad: At 32, look for a couple of more good years from Rivera. For 2010, 27 HR, 92 RBIs, and a .293 average.

My take: Ditto.
 
DH – Hideki Matsui – Batten down the hatches, Anaheim…Godzilla’s on his way. One of the games premiere power hitters, the big guy from Kanazawa, Japan, will be the Halos full time designated hitter. The Angels have struggled a bit at this position, using it as a rehab assignment for injured outfielders or a position to give those in the field a semi-day off. Now, in Matsui, they have someone who doesn’t mind playing this position (other than Napoli) and someone with massive power. Other than his injury plagued seasons of 2006 (broken wrist) and 2008 (knee surgery) and his debut season of 2003, Matsui has never hit less than 23 home runs in a season with a high of 31 in 2004. In last year’s World Series MVP performance, Matsui earned himself a ring with 3 home runs, 8 RBIs, and a monstrous .615 batting average in 14 plate appearances.
 
Dad: He will probably stay out of the field except to spell injured or tired players, look for Hideki to make the DH role his own with 28 HR, 100 RBIs, and a .290 average.
 
My take: Ditto.
 
In the last post, I forgot to offer my thoughts on Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis. 
 
Napoli will see less playing time since Matsui will occupy his favorite spot at DH.  Look for a .275 average with 18 homers and 60 RBI's.
 
For Mathis, I see a .260 average with 5 HR's and 43 RBI's.
 
Next: Bench.
 
Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and ShawnKball under CC-SA 2.0 License

Angels Forecast-March 11

I'm sorry this is a day late but let's continue with the Angels forecast.

INFIELD


1B – Kendry Morales – I’ve been watching this guy since his debut in single A after his defection from Cuba. I’ve not seen too many players, especially Angels, with the raw power to the bat that Kendry has . Taking over the first base duties after the departure of rent-a-player Mark Texiera, Morales had a breakout year in his first tenure as the full time first baseman. At around 1/20th of Texiera’s salary, Morales hit 34 home runs, 108 RBIs, and 43 doubles with a batting average of .306 (Tex had 39 HR, 122 RBIs, 43 doubles, and a .292 average).

Dad: Look for a slight let off with 31 HR's but still a dominant player on the team.

My take: I like the idea of 31 HR's but there's to be a dip in production.

2B – Howie Kendrick – Howie had a major crisis of confidence last year which led to Scioscia’s dream boy being sent to minor league Salt Lake City to sort it out. Once he came back, look out. Howie caught fire, ending the season with a .291 average, 10 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 21 doubles.

Dad: He’s a career .300 batter so look for him to do much better in 2010 with a .305 average and 15 home runs.

My take: Barring injury, Kendrick will have an average.300 or better with 16 home runs.

SS - Erick Aybar – Meet our new leadoff hitter. At least that’s what I’m predicting. After the departure of the speedy Chone Figgins, Mike Scioscia needed some speed to replace him. Once a free swinger, Aybar started to learn patience at the plate last year which will put the speedy shortstop at the top of the order.

Dad: In 2010, look for 40 walks, 30 stolen bases, and for him to stay north of a .300 average.

My take: 40 walks for Aybar is pretty bold.  Other than that, I agree.

3B – Brandon Wood – This year’s wild card, who knows how Wood will adjust to playing full time in the majors? Long the Angels leading prospect, Brandon kills the ball in the minors but has struggled every time he gets up to the show. Now out of options, it’s put up or shut up time for Brandon.

Dad: This is the hardest prediction to make but with Morales showing what can be done by a rookie and Abreu standing by for casual coaching, let’s look for Wood to get at least a .250 average with 15 home runs.

My take: Ditto.

Maicer Izturis – If Wood chokes on his new role, Izturis stands ready to step in. Maicer will probably take on the old Figgins super utility role providing relief at 2B, SS, and third. Batting .300 last year with 68 RBIs, Izturis is that consistent role player you can count on to move the game along in a positive way. I don’t see any reason he won’t continue.

Dad: For 2010, a .296 average with 8 home runs, 15 stolen bases, 20 doubles and 68 RBIs.

My take: Ditto, except he'll have an average over .300.

C – Jeff Mathis – Rotating catching duties with his roommate, Mike Napoli, Mathis has always been just almost there but never quite. It’s a hard role to follow the great Puerto Rican family catching of Benjie and Jose Molina, but Mathis and Napoli are slowly growing into their roles. Mathis seems to be evolving into the better defensive catcher nailing 26% of the runners trying to steal against him and being a superior pitch caller. His offensive stats are a bit anemic with a .211 batting average, 5 home runs, and 28 RBIs but Jeff showed flashes of brilliance during the playoffs last year hitting .583 with 5 doubles in 12 plate appearances. Don’t expect Mathis to hit like that during the season. More like .225 BA, 5 HR, and 25 RBIs. Do expect him to start more games than Napoli as Scioscia values a good defensive catcher over a good offensive one.

Mike Napoli – If it were up to Mike, he wouldn’t even be playing catcher…he’d much rather be the designated hitter and never take the field. For awhile, it looked like he would be the Angels primary catcher but his enthusiasm behind the plate waned a bit but his batting is blistering when he’s on. He’s hit 20 home runs in both the last two years, with a .272 average and 56 RBIs for 2009. Behind the plate, he puts out 22% of the runners trying to steal and committed 8 errors…not bad but Mathis has to be given the edge. In contrast, in 2003…the last year you could say he caught for the Angels full time…Benjie Molina put out 44% of the thieves, gave up only 4 errors while hitting .276 with 10 home runs, 24 doubles (being the league’s slowest runner, a Benjie Molina double was a triple for someone else…the man had power in his bat), and 71 RBIs. Benjie was also a great situational hitter. For Napoli in 2010, expect his numbers other than batting average to be down due to lack of playing time. Look for a .275 average with 14 home runs, 20 doubles, and 50 RBIs.

Next: Outfield.

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Wikimedia Commons and tracie7779 under CC-SA 2.0 License

Angels Forecast-March 9

Continuing our in depth look at the 2010 Angels, today we look at:

BULLPEN
Brian Fuentes – This guy is scary and not nearly as good as his league leading 48 saves would suggest. Fuentes does not throw any heat and tries to finesse his way around batters. It worked for awhile, mainly because the American League batters hadn’t seen this former NL closer. Once they had been up against him a few times, they figured him out and the blown saves started to multiply…Fuentes had 7 blown saves, most coming in the second half. Halo fans are not real fond of that style…the Angels have been home to some of baseball’s best closers…Percival, Frankie, and more…who throw with unbelievable heat.

Dad: Now that he’s been in the league for a year, look for his saves to drop rather dramatically to around 30. Manager Mike Scioscia is loyal to his players, so Fuentes will get plenty of rope, but look for Rodney to be promoted to closer sometime after the All Star break and Fuentes to be back on the free agent market next fall.

My take: I don't have anything to add.

Fernando Rodney – The man’s fastball averages over 95 mph. Compare that to Fuentes upper 80s fastball…which he doesn’t even throw that often. That first pitch in the 9th inning is the key to throwing that batter off balance. Remember, he’s been looking at another pitcher for 8 innings. That’s why I think you’re looking at the Angels next closer. In the meantime, he’ll be used as a setup man for Fuentes. Not as many saves as Fuentes you say? He did save 37 games for a team that won 86 games, 23 times on consecutive days, with only 1 blown save.

Dad: Given the way that Scioscia meagerly uses his relievers (Rodney pitched over 75 innings compared to Fuentes 55), Rodney will do well when he steps into the role. In the meantime, look for a less than 3.00 ERA with 10 saves by October.

My take: I like that Rodney saved 37 games in 38 opportunities.  That should bode well for the Halos.

Scott Shields – A real big question mark. The iron man setup guy, Shields proved human last year when an injury he tried to hide limited him to 6.62 ERA (it had never been above 3.86 before) and 1 win.

Dad: He says he’s healthy now, we’ll see. It’s hard to predict, but I’ll say he’ll end up with 5 wins and a 4.02 ERA.

My take: He'll end up on the DL at some point and one of the other relievers will have to step up.  Can Kevin Jepsen report to the mound?
Jason Bulger – One of the two super minor league players who stepped up their game when it counted the most. Bulger had a career high 6 wins last year while cutting his ERA in half to 3.56.

Dad: Look for him to continue his role as a middle reliever and sometime setup man with a 3.75 ERA and 4 wins.

My take: Ditto.
Kevin Jepsen – The talented rookie who along with Bulger, helped pull the Angels up to the division championship. 6 wins, 1 save, and a 4.94 ERA.

Dad: Firmly a middle reliever this year and maybe mop up. Look for an improved ERA of 3.59, 4 wins, and maybe a save.

My take: Ditto, although I think he'll end up with more than one save.
Matt Palmer – I predict Palmer will end up in Anaheim rather the minors due to the fact that he would be the team’s only southpaw in the pen other than Fuentes. Palmer’s a good utility man for the Halos. More of a starter, really, he would seem to be the guy to go to for soaking up innings after a starter’s particularly bad day and also to be put in for an injured starter.

Dad: Look for Palmer to come in for long relief and a left-handed situation in late innings to preserve a lead. 6 wins (mainly to replace an injured starter) and many no decisions.

My take: Palmer, who is not a left hander, could end up getting a lot of work depending on how deep the starting staff goes into games.  He is another good pitcher who the Angels have as part of their exceptional organization depth.  Last year, he ended up with 11 mop up wins last year for a pen that was really shaky. 

Tomorrow's Focus: Infield

Angels Forcast-March 8

With the 2010 baseball season fast approaching, it's time to take an in depth look at the Angels to see what 2010 has in store for the Halos.  This is also the debut of my dad as a guest blogger on Tim's Sports World.  So without further adieu, let's begin!

STARTING ROTATION

Jered Weaver – Toiling just under the shadow of John Lackey and greatness, I think this is Weaver’s year to break out. When he’s on, he’s pretty much unhittable. Now he’s going to be the Big Man on Campus (BMOC) and should be setting the pace…as the ace…of this pitching staff.

Dad: Many lament about losing Big John in such a traitorous way to the Red Sox, but I think Jered will be a 20 game winner and we’ll be asking “John who?” come October. 

My take: Jered will emerge as the staff ace, but I think 20 wins is a little bit of a stretch, but anything's possible.  He'll be very close to 20 wins with the final total of 18. 

Joel Pineiro – A career 4.39 ERA with one of his better years last year on the Cards with a 3.49 ERA. Joel’s stats are up and down with his time in MLB shared between Seattle, Boston, and St. Louis. What’s different now? Last year he learned a new pitch…a 2 seamer …and became one of the better ground ball inducers in the league.

Dad: No reason to think he’ll regress to his Mariner days when he averaged around a 5 ERA. 16 game winner for 2010. 

My take: Pineiro will definitely get his share of ground balls and 16 wins seems to be about right.

Scott Kazmir – The 36 year old showed his age last year with a 4.89 ERA compare to an average around 3.50 the 5 years prior.

Dad: Kazmir did do better in the second half, as did the team in general after the tragedies and injuries that plagued the beginning of the season. A good pitcher, but not great. 12 wins in 2010.

My take: After Kazmir was acquired last year, he pitched pretty well down the stretch, but did not get enough run support.  In the postseason, he wasn't as good.  Kazwir will win 13 to 14 games in 2010.
 
Ervin Santana – When he’s hot, he’s hot. When he’s not, he’s really not. After a whiny and depressing 2007, Santana was light’s out in 2008 when he won 16 games as opposed to 7 the year before. Last year, injuries plagued the flighty Dominican, and he again lost his form dropping to 8 wins with a 5.03 ERA.

Dad: Ervin seems to be in the same place he was at the beginning of 2008, hungry and determined. 12 wins but an injury in the summer will slow his pace and Matt Palmer will take his place in the rotation (how’s that for a specific prediction?).

My take: Santana has had great success in even-numbered years.  Last time I checked, this is 2010.  If that is any indication, Ervin is due for a successful campaign. He'll end up with 15 wins. 

Joe Saunders – Hokie Joe is a workingman's pitcher. Tough and determined, he muscled his way onto the All Start team in 2008.

Dad: His form dropped a little last year but he only lost one more game than the year before; 16 compared to 17. Look for Joe to win 18 this year.

My take: Saunders will look to rebound from an off year in 2009 where he was pitching with an injury.  He'll end up with 17 to 18 wins.

Tomorrow's Focus-Bullpen.

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Wikimedia Commons and Tzadikv under CC-SA 3.0 License

Gary Matthews Jr. Traded to Mets

According to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, The Mets have acquired outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. from the Angels.  It is believed that the Angels will pay a good chunk of the 2 years and $23 million of Matthews Jr. remaining contract.  It is unclear who or what the Angels would get in return. 

With the Mets, Matthews Jr. would combine with Angel Pagan in centerfield while Carlos Beltran recovers from offseason knee surgery.

It's about freaking time this move was made as many true Angel fans know.  It is a day to rejoice.  Good luck GMJ.  It looks like you finally got what you wanted.  An opportunity to play everyday.

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Wikimedia Commons and Eric Colin under CC-BY 2.0 License

Angels Close to Deal with Joel Pineiro

The Angels have reportedly reached an agreement the top starting pitcher left in this year's free agent market: Joel Piniero.  The deal, which is not official yet because of a physical, is said to be for 2 years at $16 million.

Last year, Piniero went 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA in 32 starts with the St. Louis Cardinals.  For Piniero, the move is a return to the American League West.  His previous stint was with the Mariners.

I think this is a good move considering the thin free agent crop that's left.  It will definitely help solidify the Angels rotation that already has Scott Kazmir, Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders.  It remains to be seen if this move helps them compete with the much improved division rivals Mariners and Rangers.

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Wikimedia Commons and Wknight94 under CC-SA 3.0 License 

Angels Broadcaster Rory Markas Dies

Angels broadcaster Rory Markas has died according to AM 830 KLAA and KTTV Channel 11.  Markas was found dead in his Palmdale home on Monday morning.  He apparently died in his sleep.  He was 54 years old.

Markas was set to become the play-by-play voice for Angels television broadcasts on a full time basis alongside Mark Gubicza in 2010.  He will definitely be missed by the fans, including myself.  I'm still in shock and can't believe it.  I will especially miss hearing "Just another Halo victory!" after an Angels win.  RIP Rory.   

Angels Sign Fernando Rodney

Having not made much noise yet this offseason, the Angels have agreed to a 2-year deal with free agent reliever Fernando Rodney.  The deal is worth reportedly $11 million.  This deal addresses a real need for the Halos in the bullpen, which was...as true Angel fans know...a weak spot all last year with Brian Fuentes as the closer.  Fuentes has one year left on his contract with a vesting option for 2011 if he finishes 55 games in 2010.  Hopefully that doesn't happen.  The hard throwing Rodney would be a definite upgrade to Fuentes who barely tops out at 90 miles per hour on his fastball.

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Wikimedia Commons and Keith Allison under CC-SA License

Tim's Two Cents-December 18

In light of the Chris Henry passing, today's edition will focus on athletes whose lives come to a tragic end way too soon.

Events like these show us the true mortality of life.  The truth is only one person out there knows when our time will come.  Sometimes our time is short.  For others, they are fortunate to live a long and hopefully happy life.  When tragedies like this occur, I'm reminded of the Eagles song, "New York Minute," which is about appreciating the things you have and living in the moment because in our lives, "everything can change in a New York minute."

In Henry's case, it seemed he had been working on turning his life around after some rough patches in his life.  Not only does Henry leave behind a fiancee, but three children as well.

Henry was not the only young sports figure to die this year.

In something that hit a little closer to home for me, the Angels experienced their own tragedy earlier this year with the death of Nick Adenhart.  Adenhart, 22, was killed in a car accident three days into the 2009 baseball season as a result of a drunk driver.  Adenhart was supposed to be one of those can't miss prospects who was just coming into his own.  Instead, we are left wondering what could have been rather than what really happened.

I remember when Adenhart died I was in shock as a Angel fan myself, but it didn't really hit me until later that day.  I was on my way to meet a friend at the movies and I was listening to the official radio station of the Angels, AM 830 KLAA.  They were talking about the latest information on Adenhart's death.  Before going to a commercial break at some point, they started playing "Calling All Angels" by Train.  If you've been to an Angel game, I'm sure you're familiar with the song.  Anyway, when they played the song at that time, it definitely had a deeper meaning than usual.  It wasn't until then that I really choked up.  

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Hideki Matsui Deal Official

Matsui will officially become an Angel today with a press conference scheduled for 2 p.m.  Once again, the deal is worth $6.5 million for one year.

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons and Keith Allison under CC-SA license

Lackey Gets Fenway Welcome

Yes sadly, it's true.  John Lackey is now officially a member of the Boston Red Sox.  Lackey was introduced at a press conference earlier today at Fenway Park.  The former Angel and the Red Sox earlier this week agreed to a 5-year deal worth a reported $82.5 million.  One of the big reasons Lackey chose the Red Sox was their ability to win each year.  Lackey also had a great admiration for the Red Sox and saw first hand what they're capable of from the other side after facing his new team in the playoffs for the past three years in which the Angels lost 2 out of 3 times. 

With that being said, you can bet Angel fans are still feeling the sting of what has happened over the last few days.  After giving it some thought, I personally don't have any hard feelings toward Lackey.  Deals like this are just part of the business.  When next season starts, I will root for him as a player, except when he's opposing the Angels of course.

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John Lackey Reaches Tentative Deal with Red Sox Pending Physical

Free agent starting pitcher John Lackey has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Red Sox according to SI.com's Jon Heyman.  The deal would be for 5 years at $85 million.  It is a deal similar to A.J. Burnett's 5 year, $82.5 million deal with the Yankees.

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