Today's Angels game taught us one thing and one thing only... the sun is a total jerk.
Don't believe me? Just watch this video. (By the way, thanks for disabling video embedding MLBAM, you are also jerks, but we knew this already)
I mean, just ridiculous, especially since the Halos were the home team and should've been more accustomed to fielding flyballs in the midday California sun. The jerky, jerky sun.
OK, maybe the Angels lineup reverting back into Hatcher-era productivity didn't help. Nor did C.J. Wilson failing to follow his own Twitter hashtag of #throwstrikes. But really, it was all the sun's fault because the stupid, dumb, stupid sun made the Angels drop so many easy outs. Outs that they can't afford to give away.
BUt you know what? Albert Pujols hit another home run, so this game was a wash.
no comments
@
Chicago White Sox (17-21) @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (17-21)
Pitching Probables: CWS – Chris Sale (3-2, 3.08 ERA) LAA – C.J. Wilson (4-3, 3.42 ERA)
Game Info: 12:35 PM PT; TV - Fox Sports West; Radio - KLAA 830
Yesterday, Mike Scioscia used the same exact lineup in consecutive games for the first time all season. Even though it nearly knocked the Earth off its axis, it did produce one of the Halos' best offensive outputs of the season.
Does Scioscia dare to go back to the well for the third time?
Could he possibly be so bold?
Does he even realize that he used the same lineup twice in the first place?
I'm going to go with: No, no and yes.
Yeah, sorry folks, as much as I would like to see Scioscia maintain some continuity, it just isn't going to happen. And, yes, I do realize that I just tacitly endorsed putting Vernon Wells in the lineup. Actually, Wells will likely play today no matter what because a lefty is on the mound, whcih given Scioscia's tendencies this season means Kendrys Morales will almost certainly sit, probably in favor of Peter Bourjos, so it isn't all bad.
Plus, with it being a day game after a night game, Bobby Wilson will likely get the day off too. Oh, well. It was nice while it lasted. Two gloooooooorious games.
 |
Like MWaH on Facebook |  |
Follow MWaH on Twitter |
The May 17th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Dipoto and Scioscia talk about Hatcher's firing, details emerge on the arrest of Torii Hunter's son, sign a petition to stop the Angels from playing "Buttercup" and much more...
The Story: Jerry Dipoto hopes the firing of Mickey Hatcher can "spark" the Angel offense.
The Monkey Says: There is nothing that swapping out hitting coaches is going to do other than shake up clubhouse chemistry that is going to provide a "spark." More than anything, letting Hatcher go shows fans that the team is trying to fix things and will no longer tolerate the questionable approaches Angel players have been taking to the plate and the poor results that have followed under the last few years of Hatcher's tenure. Hatcher's replacement, Jim Eppard, isn't going to change any of that overnight, but he isn't going to make things worse either.
The Story: Mike Scioscia defended the job Mickey Hatcher did during his years as Angels hitting coach.
The Monkey Says: Well of course he did, he has been on his staff since he was hired, so Scioscia obviously thinks Mickey was doing something right. One thing Scioscia made perfectly clear in his statements is that he was not the one who made this decision but that he was accepting of it, though not particularly happy about it.
no commentsThe Halo's season has been smothered with issues from the bullpen to the line up to "Where are we supposed to put all of these outfielders...", and something clicked tonight. Whatever that something was, it led the Angels to a victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Angels 7, White Sox 2
This win was the definition of a team win. The entirety of the line up made significant contributions to tonight's win.
Mike Trout continues to wow the crowd each time he steps on the field. As I have mentioned time and time again, this kid (I say that talking about someone my own age...) is Angels' baseball. He's quick, aggressive, and he hustles. He can play small ball and hit for power. Not once has he hesitated to stretch what appears to be a questionable double into two bases with time to spare. Trout might just be the Angels' newest "secret weapon".
Alberto Callaspo has flown under the radar since the beginning of the season as one of the many third basemans that the Angels were trying out. His bat has come alive these past few games and continues to grab several extra base hits for the Halos. He is earning his place as the two spot in the Angels' line up.
ALBERT PUJOLS. HE DID IT. AGAIN. Now, the fact that he hit his second home run of the season the day after Mickey Hatcher was relieved from his duties as the Angels' hitting coach, is probably just as coincidental as his home run after his infamous day of rest. Either way, Pujols' is gaining confidence at the plate. I could do without the routine fly-out to right field every game, but I'm willing to continue the baby steps pace for one of the game's greatest hitters.
Kendrys Morales, Vernon Wells and Howie Kendrick have been piecing together RBIs and extra base hits in a timely manner. They've been a solid part of the Angels' recent successes on offense. Wells is fighting for his position. He's aware and is making it a point to let everyone else know that he doesn't want to go anywhere. With another home run tonight, Wells might be finding his stroke again and that's precisely what this team needs out of a veteran player.
Mark Trumbo continues to show off his power and timely hitting. His extra base hits have been nothing short of helpful for the Halos in their victories as of late. Although he has been moved around quite a bit on defense, Trumbo has found his comfortable spot in the line up and has made the most of it. With the way things have been going for him on offense, his momentum is a force to be reckoned with.
A struggling Erik Aybar hit a double to get the Angels on the board this evening, and his double represented his first RBI in a couple of weeks. Aybar is a base runner and a small ball player that is necessary for the Angels' success. An occasional shot off the outfield wall isn't frowned upon either.
Jerome Williams threw with the best of 'em today. He pitched a solid eight innings before Jason Isringhausen took over in the ninth inning to close out the game. Williams is making a name for himself as a part of this Angels' rotation. The more solid starts we can accumulate, the less we have to go to the bullpen for that extra (nail-biting) help.
Whereas I still choose to maintain a realistic mentality about the Angels and this progress they are making, I won't let it take away from how exciting these wins have been. Seeing a glimpse of the team fans have known and loved is satisfying. For now, of course.
These next few games may be exactly what the Angels need to regain their confidence and do away with the pesky problems we've seen.
We're all aware that the Angels have approximately 99 problems (give or take a few), but tonight, a pitch ain't one.
@ 
Chicago White Sox (17-20) @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (16-21)
Pitching Probables: CHI – Gavin Floyd (3-3, 2.53 ERA) LAA – Jerome Williams (3-1, 4.19 ERA)
Game Info: 7:05 PM PT; TV - Fox Sports West; Radio - KLAA 830
Yesterday was an interesting day for the Angels, to say the least. After the Angels put a solid, all-around, team effort into beating the Oakland A's, the Angels' hitting coach of 13 years was released and replaced. Triple-A Salt Lake hitting coach, Jim Eppard, has now joined the coaching staff in Anaheim as the Halo's brand new hitting coach. Since the Angels are about moving forward, I will too.
The baseball world has turned their eyes to the struggling Angels once again. This time, however, all eyes are on Eppard and how he will affect the Angels' offense. It wouldn't be realistic to think that one man can simply come in and make the line up the most destructive line up in baseball, over night. But what I am hoping to see is a pair of fresh eyes analyzing and adjusting the hitter's issues. Welcome aboard, Eppard.
The Angels have another odd, two-game series ahead of them and they are two games they could use. As the Angels inch closer and closer to a .500 record, every single game counts.
We saw hot bats from Mike Trout and Albert Pujols last night. Alberto Callaspo is even making contributions to the Angels' offense.
The bullpen is looking decent right now and pitchers are getting the job done. Run support helps from time to time.
The White Sox are coming off of a tough loss to the Detroit Tigers after giving up a 6-0 lead in the late innings. The Halos are facing a team with a very similar record, but are also facing a touch pitcher in Gavin Floyd. Floyd's last outing consisted of 7 2/3 scoreless innings and has put on incredible performances in his last few starts.
The struggling Angels offense faces a tough match up with Floyd on the hill tonight, but as long as the defense prevents the Sox from scoring runs, it is (once again) up to the offense to win the Angels this ballgame.
Can't win without runs, after all.
|
Like MWaH on Facebook | |
Follow MWaH on Twitter |
When Jerry Dipoto was hired as Angels GM a few months ago, he was considered an excellent candidate because he was a former player, but also a progressive thinker who was up to speed with modern statistical analysis. In his brief tenure, his resume of transactions and decisions suggests that he may not be relying on knowledge from his playing days or highly detailed statistical studies, but rather crowdsourcing.
Just look at these moves he has made since taking over:
- Signing Albert Pujols to a ginormous contract
- Signing C.J. Wilson away from the Rangers
- Releasing Bobby Abreu
- Calling up Mike Trout
- Firing Mickey Hatcher
These are either well thought out orchestrations of a very smart baseball executive, or so it would seem.
no commentsThe May 16th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including reactions to Hatcher's firing, Pujols will stay in the three-hole, the evolution of Mark Trumbo and much more...
The Story: Mickey Hatcher's firing is a sign that Mike Scioscia's grip on the franchise has loosened.
The Monkey Says: Dipoto's comments make it pretty clear that he, possibly prompted by Arte Moreno, was behind this decision. This could be a good thing because Scioscia does seems to have become too stuck in his ways and this potentially forces some new ways of thinking on him. What remains to be seen is if Scioscia will be receptive to the new ideas.
The Story: Mike Scioscia has no intention of removing Albert Pujols from the three-hole.
The Monkey Says: Like I said, stuck in his ways. Not dropping Albert even one or two spots in the order just reeks of "old school" managing. Contrary to what Scioscia said, the team is NOT better off with Pujols batting third while he tries to figure things out. The Halos actually have been getting production from the top two spots in the order lately, but that is being largely wasted because Pujols has been so bad. In the long run, the Angels need him to be the linchpin of their batting order, but until he starts hitting that way again, the offense would likely improve with him batting lower in the lineup.
no commentsAfter getting shutout for the eighth time last night, the Angels responded the only way they knew how, pitching a shutout of their own. That would be the fifth time that they have been on the good end of a shutout, meaning in 13 of their 34 games this season, one team has not scored. Feel the excitement!
But seriously, this was actually a very encouraging effort from the Angels in that they didn't simply rollover after getting blanked by the A's on Monday. Granted, it wasn't like they lit the world on fire, but a win is a win and this squad at least showed they still have some life in them. Now they just need a spark to really get them going. Maybe the post-game firing of Mickey Hatcher will do just that.
no comments
After years of calling for his head, Angels fans finally get their wish as the team has announced that embattled hitting coach Mickey Hatcher has been relieved of his duties.
For some, this is cause for celebration, but not for me, though I do think it was time for him to go. This team's offense has gotten too bad and too many batters are struggling for any hitting coach of any repute to keep his job, even if his duties don't have much to do with said struggles. This move is all about someone having to pay for the Angels' painfully slow start.
What it most definitely isn't is some sort of power play by Albert Pujols as certain national reporters are speculating (hint, the writer's name rhymes with Shmon Shmeyman).
Yes, Albert and Mickey had a little bit of a run-in over Hatcher being a bit too candid with the media. That incident was just frustration boiling over and I suspect that is what this firing is about as well, only this time the frustration comes from the top. By that, I mean Jerry Dipoto and probably Arte Moreno too. We are almost a quarter of the way into the season and the inept hitting has shown no signs of turning around, so one cannot blame management for wanting to shake things up.
Hatcher was just the easiest target. In his 13 years in the position, fans have probably been demanding his firing for roughly 11 of those years. If this firing does anything, it should appease the angry mob for a short time. What it won't do is instantly turn around the team's offensive fortunes.
no comments
@
Oakland Athletics (19-17) @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (15-21)
Pitching Probables: OAK – Bartolo Colon (3-3, 3.96 ERA) LAA – Ervin Santana (1-6, 5.09 ERA)
Game Info: 4:05 PM PT; TV - Fox Sports West; Radio - KLAA 830
Before yesterday's game I wrote that the Halos are facing nothing but cupcake opponents for the next two weeks.
After yesterday's game I came to the realization that there is a very good chance that the Angels are the cupcakes. This whole season has been bitterly depressing, but I've still done my darndest to maintain the mantra of "they'll be fine, this team has too much talent to be this bad." And I still stick with that, the Angels aren't this bad, but they aren't much better than this either.
So, enough of the charade. This Angel team isn't going to just up and start steamrolling mediocre teams. At best they will scrap hard against them and maybe come out of this stretch a game or two closer to .500. That big run where they win 12 of 15 games or something like that, it just isn't in them.
Enjoy the game! Or don't. You probably won't because a Bartolo Colon gem is beyond inevitable.
|
Like MWaH on Facebook | |
Follow MWaH on Twitter |
