5 Halo Observations

by Lee Stevens' Potential on Oct 26, 2009 5:33 AM EDT

from an Angel fan since 1978.

1) The Yankees deserved to win.

They were able to capitalize on our mistakes and made fewer bonehead plays. The dropped ball in game one foreshadowed Kazmir's rag arm toss in the final game. Both teams played poorly - but our team couldn't afford to do so. Basic fundamentals are a key ingredient in our gameplan - We can't beat Seattle playing like we did, let alone the Yanks.

2) Tex

We only had him for a few months but like dating a hot chick out of your league, you never forget it. Consider the play when Tex ran down to SECOND base to get our napping runner. Would Giambi have known to do that? What about that line shot in the eighth in game 6? Even Tino have been hard pressed to complete that play. That Rachel Maddow look-alike is a 21st century Graig Nettles wih his glove. Worse, Tex hasn't even started hitting. Once he gets going, combined with A-rod, it'll be like Manny and Ortiz in 04 and 06.

3) Fire Girardi? Sit Swisher?

Several posters mentioned how HH was going crazy when we were behind. You may want to check your own boards at the venom towards JG and NS. And for what? Sure Joe over managed, but Torre did so at times. As for Swish, he was one of the few A's who was respectable, and I was happy for him after tonight's game. Yes, I'm aware of the Scioscia, Vlad, Figgy hate, but that's to be expected. Our boards have more dumbasses who learned about baseball in 02.

4) Fuentes

Bryan Harvey, Lee Smith, Troy Percival, and K Rod used to ensure the 9th inning was a foregone conclusion. We used Brian Fuentes this year. That's like going from dating models and coeds to hooking up with a chubby, homely, unstable coworker who pulls a fatal attraction on you. Even if we had taken the lead in game 6, Fuentes was going to give up the booty.

5) The umpiring was the worst I've ever seen.

I don't buy into HH conspiracy theories. That said, we clearly got hosed at times. (Just saw A Rod mouth "it was a strike" for the 9000th time ) Did it make a difference? Probably not, but the concept of "human element" is woefully antiquated. Replay has to be expanded-ball and strike calls no, but everything else should be fair game. Limit it to the playoffs, but make the change to maintain the integrity of the game.

As for the series, I figured whomever wins the ALCS wins the WS. I expect Tex to have a monster series, and Swish will actually get an extra base hit. Arod will cool off a little, and Matsui will be ice cold again. I expect Joe to overmanage in your losses and be brilliant in the wins. Jeter will add to the legend and ultimately, you'll finish this season with Mo on the mound, while Frank is singing in the background.

See you next October and go Angels......

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Nice post

Here are a couple Angel observations from a Yankee fan:

1. You guys will be back again next year. Too much talent and good management not to contend every year.

2. Re-sign Lackey. He’s a bulldog.

3. I’m sure you love Figgins but it is time to let him go. Someone else will overpay for him. As he gets older, his chief asset, his legs, will begin to deteriorate.

4. It probably doesn’t make sense to re-sign Vlad but, man throughout this series he was the one Angel hitter that I did not want to see up.

5. Thanks for a great series.

by stusviews on Oct 26, 2009 8:17 AM EDT reply actions

I think next year

They may have some more holes. Either Figgins, Lackey, or Vlad will be gone if not all of them. Who they hall in to replace any of them will be interesting. They better sign Lackey, not sure who else they would pick up as their “Ace”. Sciocsia (how ever the hell you spell it) can take a B- team and get them into the playoffs. But I have a funny feeling Seattle is not gonna be a push over next season, nor will Texas.

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on Oct 26, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Mutual Respect

is a good thing.

As a fan who suffered through 82, 86, and the dreaded 95 collapse, 02 was special because we knocked off the Yanks along the way. To quote the great Ric Flair, “To be the best, you gotta beat the best”

Having Torre regularly compliment our organization was like an upcoming band getting props from the Beatles.

I expect future series between us to be equally amazing.

by Lee Stevens' Potential on Oct 26, 2009 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions

This will be the series they point to in the winter when they institute instant replay.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Oct 26, 2009 8:22 AM EDT reply actions

not just this series

this entire postseason. Yankees-Twins, Angels-Red Sox, Phillies-Rockies (missed call on Chase Utley that may have cost Rockies their season), Angels-Yankees.

Umps have been awful all year. I agree that Instant replay is needed. I don’t think that they should replay on every play. I still like the human element in the game. I’d like them to use a system sort of like Football, where each manager gets challenges. That adds to the strategy, will get more calls right, and keep the human element in the game.

by nyyrocks29 on Oct 26, 2009 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

no replaying every play...

just the ones that they need it.

Maybe give the coaches limited replays, like 2 or 3. Take away a mound visit if it fails, nothing if it goes in his favor (retain the challenge)

..."I predict...the Giants are #1"...

...."That's not a prediction meatman, that's a FACT OF LIFE"!.

---Carl

by FreeBradshaw on Oct 26, 2009 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions

As far as I am concerned

the only reason that there is no replay in baseball is the same reason that games have to take place at 8 PM on the east coast in November.

Bud Selig has repeatedly shown that he cares much more about ratings than about the quality, fairness, and integrity of the game. There is NO reason why a reasonable system couldn’t be implemented to ensure that calls are correct.

However, baseball is already regarded as a “slow” game, and the fear is that replay would bring baseball to a grinding halt, driving away casual fans.

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Oct 26, 2009 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions

casual fair weather fans

don’t give a crap about getting the call right…they just want to read the whining in the paper the next morning.

..."I predict...the Giants are #1"...

...."That's not a prediction meatman, that's a FACT OF LIFE"!.

---Carl

by FreeBradshaw on Oct 27, 2009 7:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Angels committed 8 errors in the series

which cost them five unearned runs.

they only had two games in which they went error-less: Game 3 and Game 5. they won both. it sounds simple, but i really think that ended up being the difference.

by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Oct 26, 2009 10:34 AM EDT reply actions

Thanks for a well-thought, classy post

I agree with most of what you wrote, especially the bit about the implosion of our own threads when the Yankees lost game 5. That was, frankly, embarrassing.

There was some ugly ball, but some of that I lay at the feet of Bud Selig and Fox, and their money-grubbing ways. It’s because of their decision that we are playing baseball this late, and cold rainy weather is not conducive to sharp baseball.

There are some decent closers becoming available soon (Billy Wagner, anyone?) and I would not be surprised to see Arte Moreno shell out for a major upgrade there. As you saw with the Yankees in this series, having a lockdown closer can help even if the setup guys start to struggle. And I believe the Angels will be getting Shields back, so this time next year could be a whole different story…

Cheers to the good Angels fans, from a would-be good Yankees fan…

by waw on Oct 26, 2009 12:32 PM EDT reply actions

Get rid of Fuentes...

his league leading Saves were the biggest misnomer of the year….

Sign Lackey, that’s an easy decision.

Let Figgens walk. Talk with Vladdy too, he deserves to end his career as an Angel. Not too much tho.

The Angels really beat themselves a lot this series, many defensive and base running errors. Very surprised at that too.

…also, the umpring was equally bad on both ends. The Yankees had more opportunities, so of course it came into play more for them because they were there, simply.

Angels have to blame themselves. As much as some fools like to 100% blame Girardi…there needs to be much blame on Scioscia here too (tho..like Girardi, you’d be a fool to give him 100% of the blame).

Ya don’t take Lackey out. Ya don’t pinch hit for Jeff Mathis either (aka where Joe Mauer’s talent went for the postseason…)

Angles do need to retool a bit. Maybe they do get rid of Vladdy. Juan Rivera sucked too. Bringing back Bobby is an easy choice as long as the price is right tho.

..."I predict...the Giants are #1"...

...."That's not a prediction meatman, that's a FACT OF LIFE"!.

---Carl

by FreeBradshaw on Oct 26, 2009 1:03 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for a classy post

I’ll belabor a couple of points already made. Angels shot themselves in the foot in this series with the errors. That is most unlike them from what we’ve seen in the past. Yes, the umpiring sucked, imho, it sucked equally for both sides. I did like point 4 with the thinly veiled reference to the Steve Phillips debacle.

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Oct 26, 2009 3:20 PM EDT reply actions