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......