.jpg&w=244&h=193&zc=1 "Mike Trout and the sophomore slump that wasn't")
Halo Headlines - 9/18/09
- The Story: A fellow Angel blogger thinks the Angels should consider moving Ervin Santana into the closer role the rest of the season. The Monkey Says: An intriguing idea since Ervin has the right stuff and likely won't be needed in the playoff rotation, but asking him to not only pitch in relief but do so as the closer would be a huge gamble.
- The Story: Umpire Rick Reed speaks out about his "ball four" call and the Angels reaction. The Monkey Says: This guy is unbelievable. First he admits that it "could have been a strike" but blames Mike Napoli for trying to frame the pitch too much which made him change his mind to call a ball. Then he takes the Angel players and coaches to task for "unprofessional" behavior after the game ended. If you have a problem with the reactions, Rick, try getting the calls right and there won't be a problem.
- The Story: Major League Baseball intends to investigate and possibly discipline the Angels for their comments about the umpiring after Wednesday night's game as well as their conduct towards the umpires during the game. The Monkey Says: Expect a few fines to be doled out as a result, but MLB would be foolish to suspend anyone, especially since they know the umpires blew the calls.
- The Story: The Angels don't blame Juan Rivera for not diving on the game-winning blooper Wednesday. The Monkey Says: Really? Because I don't. Rivera said it looked much different on TV, but I am not buying it. This is just a case of the Halos protecting their own after a bad moment.
- The Story: Steve Bisheff thinks Juan Rivera's lack of dive is an example of the total lack of passion on the Angel roster. The Monkey Says: While this isn't the most fiery bunch, they still have passion, in my opinion. How else do you think they pulled through for last night's comeback win?
- AL West Update: The Rangers did not play last night, so the Angel lead is now 6.5 games. The Monkey Says: The two squads are set to square off this weekend in what could be a division deciding series. The Angels' magic number is now 11.
