Bleacher Report - Articles by Steve Waverly

It's Time for the LA Angels To Say Goodbye To Chone Figgins

Steve Waverly — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:20:25 -0500

You know the old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me” Well, that’s how I felt about the LA Angels' lineup the last few years.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that they are such perennial contenders, and the victory over the Boston Red Sox in the 2009 playoffs was fantastic. But the way they played against the New York Yankees brought back bitter memories of disappointment, and quite frankly, I’m tired of seeing the Angels look undermanned in the playoffs year after year.

They need to make changes, and I would start at third base.

I know, I know, Chone Figgins had a great regular season. No one was more impressed than me with his patience at the plate and his on base percentage. But Figgins has a history of disappearing in the playoffs, and there’s no reason to think it won’t continue. He has fumbled away opportunities both in the field and at the plate when put in maximum pressure situations, and it’s time to go.

The Angels need more variety in the lineup, instead of players that seem like clones of each other.

Chone Figgins, Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis. All nice ball players, but all the same.

They have speed, and can get on base. But to score with them, the Angels need at least two hits, maybe more. It’s fine in the regular season when they face average pitchers on a regular basis, but in the playoffs, against the best, it requires too many things to go right and only one thing to go wrong.

Even when they beat Boston this year, they didn’t do much at the plate. In their first two victories, they scored all of their runs in one or two innings.

All of which brings us to the person who should replace Figgins. No surprise, it’s Brandon Wood. If he tanks, he tanks. But after all these years of expectations, after all the years of him tearing up the minor leagues, I would hate to see him sent to another team without ever knowing what he can really do.

It’s time to put him to the test.

With their present make-up, there’s no reason to think the Angels will get back to the World Series. They are turning into the Atlanta Braves of the American League. You’re always on the date, but you never get the girl.

Given a full season without the pressure of being benched or sent down, Brandon Wood could turn out to be like Kendry Morales. And how great would that be to have authentic power hitters at both corner positions?

Figgins was supposed to be a stop-gap measure at third anyway, just until Wood was ready. Then Chone played hard, worked hard, and made himself into an everyday player. Good for him. He’ll get his big contract somewhere, and Wood had time to develop.

But now it’s time to set things straight. And quite frankly, if Wood doesn’t pan out, you can always put Izturis at third, let Howie play second base every day like he should, and you wouldn’t miss a beat.

As much as I love the personality of this present Angels team—great guys all of them—I don’t want to have a National League style team trying to out-run the power teams of the American League anymore.

Snap and crackle is fine, but only if you have a little pop.

The LA Angels Are Playing Without A Clean-Up HItter

Steve Waverly — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:01:08 -0400

It’s too bad this isn’t golf, where a weaker player gets a handicap, because the Angels are playing every game with one less player.

The clean-up hitter.

It’s a vacuum, a non-existent, game-sucking, anchor-dropping, win-defying, gut- wrenching, can’t-stand-to-watch-anymore shadow of a once great player.

Vladimir Guerrero has left the building.

And unfortunately, he’s taking the entire Angels team with him.

Vladimir will be remembered as a great guy and a great player, one who had some great years for the Angels.

Just none in the playoffs.

You could feel the anticipation (fear!) every time the line-up turned over in game two of the ALCS. You would count the hitters until Vladdy came up. Please, Bobby, please, Tori, do something first, don’t let the inning become dependent on Vladdy.

But they did, time and time again.

Vladdy left more runners on base in Game Two than most TEAMS do.

And the worst part was that it was like watching a train wreck you knew was going to happen.

No matter where the pitch was, Vladdy would swing. No matter what the count was, Vladdy would swing. No matter how many runners were on base, Vladdy would swing.

And miss.

Vladimir Guererro has no plan at the plate. And he knows it. He refuses to make any adjustments to the fact that he is not hitting balls he used to hit. He doesn’t take into account that this is the playoffs and maybe, just maybe, with your team in dire need of a run and the bases loaded, you might want to put a little pressure on the pitcher to throw a strike.

The crowd yells, the intensity goes up, the stakes raise, Vladdy swings.

And misses.

The only good thing he did was to force a wild pitch. You could see that one coming, too. Jose Molina went out to talk to A.J. and you knew he was saying, “whatever you do, don’t throw the ball anyway near the plate.” So A.J. threw it ten feet outside.

The amazing thing was that Vladdy didn’t swing at that, too.

It’s hard as an Angels fan to endure Vladdy’s at bats. You hope against hope he’ll stay off those crazy pitches. But he won’t. He refuses to. He’d rather stay in his stubborn mindset and swing at anything, and shrug it off as, “that’s what I do.”

Well stop doing it. You can’t do it anymore.

And to those of you who say, hey, he got the game winner in Boston! Well, yes he did, and I’m sure Papelbon is still kicking himself for throwing a baseball anywhere near the vicinity of Guerrero’s bat.

But it’s not just the wild swings. Vladdy is missing fastballs right down the middle of the plate as well. Not because he can’t hit a fastball anymore, but because Vladdy once again has not changed his mentality at all and considered the fact that this team doesn’t need him to hit homers every at bat.

So he’s swinging from his heels and staring at the fans on the third base side after his follow-through.

The one time he didn’t, the one time he had a controlled swing to make contact, he won the game. But rather than make that the rule, he’s made it the exception.

Of course, as bad as Vladdy was, he wasn't the only reason the Angels lost Game Two.

There was also Tori Hunter—who missed countless opportunities to knock in the go-ahead run.

There was Bobby Abreu—who missed countless opportunities to knock in the go-ahead run.

There was Kendry Morales—who missed countless opportunities to knock in the go-ahead run.

There was Mike Scioscia—did anyone else wonder why he left in Gary Matthews Jr., a .250 hitter, in a key at bat in the game rather than bring in Howie Kendrick, a hot .300 hitter? How is it that Howie doesn’t get ONE AT BAT in a 13 inning game? Are you kidding me? A game in which the Angels left an entire team on base? Scioscia blew this one.

There was Maicer Izturis—it was painful to watch that last play, when it looked like the tough part was catching the ball, which he managed to do before throwing it away. Izzy also made a little noticed, and not talked about, mistake on the Yankee’s first run when he did a Chone Figgins and dropped the relay from right field, killing any chance of getting the runner at the plate.

There was Chone Figgins—hey, way to panic and drop the ball when you still had time to cut down that final runner.

And of course, there was Brian Fuentes—Mr. Fuentes, you have filled the goat shoes that all of us were so afraid you would fill. Worse, even. The idiot shoes.

A fastball over the plate on an 0-2 count? When you’d thrown two fastballs right in front of it? To Alex Rodriguez, with two nobodies coming up behind him? Unbelievable.

But still, in the end, Vladdy wears the crown. That’s because not only does he chew up the clean-up spot, he has clearly added pressure to Abreu and Hunter.

You can see Hunter pressing, and part of it is probably because he thinks he has to get the job done or it won’t get done. You can see him mouthing encouragement to Vladdy after his own failed at bat—encouragement that comes not from confidence, but from the lack of it.

So now the LA Angels find themselves in a deep hole. They once again resemble the team of years past that has excelled in the regular season, and disappeared in the playoffs.

One thing we do know is that this is the last hurrah for Guerrero and Fuentes in an Angels uniform.

The only question is, how many games before they peel it off.

The Top 10 Reasons Why the Angels Will Bomb the Yankees

Steve Waverly — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:09:28 -0400

10. The Yankees know the Angels can beat them.

Yes, this is the same issue that just got blown to bits by the Angels in regards to Boston. Until the Yankees do to the Angels what the Angels did to the Red Sox, the Angels have the mental edge.

9. Speed.

The Angels have too much of it. If the Angels run wild on Jorge Posada, the Yankees will be forced to play Jose Molina more than they want to. We all like Molina, an ex-Angel and all, good guy, but he was shipped out because he can’t hit (are you listening, Jeff Mathis?).

8. The three-game sweep.

The Angels demolished the Yankees in a three-game series in Anaheim prior to the All-Star game. You can bet they remember.

7. The only good thing about the Yankees is now in L.A.

That’s right—I’m talking about Joe Torre.

6. Respect.

Okay, I hate bringing this into the equation, but the Yankees are such huge favorites it’s ridiculous. The Angels won 97 games, won their division, are loaded with talent, and have a formidable starting pitching staff, not to mention they had the best road record in the A.L. Nobody should be such huge favorites over them, not even the Yankees.

5. East Coast blinders.

New Yorkers can’t see beyond their own city, so they don’t know what’s waiting for them outside of it. Well, they’re about to find out.

4. The regular season.

Listen, the Yankees had a great year. They won 103 games. But it could be argued that the Angels would have matched them, or at least won 100 games, if not for the funk the Nick Adenhart tragedy put them in. Their 97 wins was an incredible feat.

3. Minnesota almost beat the Yankees.

What, you say? Minnesota got swept. Yep, they did. But they were in every game, and two of those could have gone their way if not for their base running blunders. The point is, Minnesota went toe-to-toe with the Bronx Bombers, and the Angels are not Minnesota. They’re much better.

2. Thunder Sticks and Rally Monkeys.

The thunder sticks give you headaches, and the rally monkey is annoying, but maybe that’s why they work: They annoy the other team and give them headaches. In any event, they have become part of the landscape of Angel playoff baseball.

1. The Angels are the better team.

Yes, the Yankees probably have the better talent. They certainly have the most expensive talent. But the Angels play as well as a unit as any team in baseball. Credit Mike Scioscia. Credit the coaches. Credit ownership. Credit the memory of their fallen teammate that helped bring them together. The bottom line is, individuals win awards, but teams win championships—and the Angels are the better team.

Prediction: Angels in six.

Reggie Willits: "The Happiest Man on Earth"

Steve Waverly — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:30:39 -0400

Wow, that was close.

I don’t know what keeps you up at night, but I know what would have kept up Reggie Willits.

What is it that goats eat again?

It was a wonderful, strange, incredible game. Plenty of articles are being written on the amazing comeback.

And it was amazing. The best game in Angels history since game 6 of the 2002 World Series.

But it didn’t feel like it was going to be that way. The Angels seemed out of sorts, timid, unfocused.

Four times they took a called third strike right down the middle of the plate. What were they waiting for?

Now we know. The eighth and ninth inning.

But Reggie Willits? Oh, Reggie.

Mike Scioscia chose to keep you on the playoff roster, even though you can’t hit, because you can bunt and pinch run.

Well, at least we know you can bunt.

You get the call to go in, the potential tying run in a key moment of a key game, and what do you do? You stretch your lead, a little bit more, a little bit more…

And almost get picked off. No worries, though, because you know as well as anyone—better—the No. 1 rule of any pinch runner: don’t get picked off!

Okay, so you had your close call. You had measured your lead. You had it in control.

And then you do get picked off.

Unbelievable. A single responsibility, and you blow it. It felt like the game was over right there—especially when Boston scored their insurance run.

But your teammates had another thing in mind. Like a miracle.

I bring this up in the midst of Angels euphoria only because I’m happy for Reggie Willits.

I’m happy that his huge goof of a play can be forgotten, erased by a comeback that still feels unreal, even after it actually happened.

And I’m happy because, since Reggie plays next to Disneyland, “The Happiest Place On Earth,” he gets to be happy, too.

This Just In: Angels beat Boston, Twins beat Yanks.

Steve Waverly — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:48:06 -0400

That’s right. A prediction. The Angels and Twins will meet in the ALCS.

It all came clear to me watching the Twins run into each other’s arms after the Detroit win.

Why will the Angels beat Boston? Well, I have certainly expressed in earlier articles why they wouldn’t, and why they haven’t. But now I am saying they WILL. for one simple reason.

Because I feel it.

Isn’t that what predictions are based on, anyway? Stats mean nothing in the playoffs. It’s all momentum, gut feeling, confidence and curses - or the end of them.

And this curse is over.

The Angels are better than last year. Call it the three P’s. More power, more punch, more patience. Boston is not better. They know they’re not better. But they believe they will beat the Angels.

Well, this year, I think the Angels believe they can beat Boston as well.

And why Minnesota? How can they beat the mighty New York Yankees?

Momentum.

It's huge in sports. The Yankees clinched a playoff berth weeks ago. The Twins are still running downhill from their amazing victory over Detroit. They won’t come off that high until they’ve finished off the Bronx bombers. I saw this with the Halos in 2002. And I think it will happen again.

The Twins are well coached, have a huge homefield advantage in the Metrodome, the emotion of it being the last season in their park, and right now feel like they can beat anybody.

So they will.

Angels versus Twins. Get ready. It’s coming.

Are The LA Angels Tough Enough To Beat Beantown?

Steve Waverly — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:50:29 -0400

They haven’t been for the last four playoff series. They weren’t in the last series of the regular season. What will make this year different?

Maybe nothing. It’s not a question of talent. The Angels have as much physical talent as Boston, maybe more. It’s a question of the one thing that separates the great athletes from the average ones, the losers from the winners.

Pressure.

Who can handle it and who can’t.

And that’s what’s going to decide whether west coast cool can beat east coast heavy in 2009.

The Angels young players have to be able to handle the pressure of the playoffs. And the biggest question marks are: Kendry Morales, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Jason Bulger, and Kevin Jepsen.

They are the keys to winning the series.

For Morales, Aybar, and Kendrick, they have to resist the urge to press, to swing at Vladdy-type pitches, to let the buzz get them so juiced (not the steroid kind) they get out of their game. If they can stay calm, continue to be selective, find a way to block out the noise and the high stakes of the game, the Angels can and will beat Boston.

That's because the Angels are going to have to score runs.

None of this 3-1, 2-0, type games. Those tough grizzly Boston players like Kevin Youkilis, Jason Varitek, Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia, and David Ortiz are going to find a way to get runs across. The Angels have to be able to slug with them. At least a little.

They have the potential. They did, after all, break the club record this year for runs scored in a season.

Then there’s the back end of the bullpen. Bulger and Jepsen. Talk about life lessons. They’re going to get plenty of them from the Fenway faithful. They’re going to be squeezing the ball so tightly, you might just hear a “moo” from the cowhide. But they’re going to have to man up to the madness of Fenway. Of course, Fuentes has to do what K-Rod never could – shut Boston down and Red Sox nation up – or it won’t matter.

Let’s take a look at the Angels line-up and analyze.

Chone Figgins. He seems like he’s finally got it. He’s been through enough of these now, and tanked enough of them, that he will probably be able to handle the heat and continue to get on base. Not worried about Figgy.

Maicer Izturis. His quiet demeanor is just what the Angels need. He has been in a bit of a slump of late, but he inspires confidence. Should be okay.

Howie Kendrick. My guess is he’ll get priority over Izzy if he’s hitting. And whether he hits or not will be a KEY to the series. We all know how he stranded half of Orange County in last year’s series. But after his demotion this year, I think Kendrick is ready for the pressure. As with so many of the young players on the Angels, we’ll know right away by his pitch selection whether he can handle it or not. If he starts doing his Vladdy imitation, you can start making vacation plans for the second round.

Bobby Abreu. Ah, the calm in the storm. Even if he doesn’t hit, he’ll get on base. He relaxes you just by looking at him. A huge difference maker from years past, in that he can keep the kids from getting too jumpy. As long as he stays healthy, he helps.

Tori Hunter. A big game player all the way. He showed it last year, by getting some of the few clutch hits on the team. He’ll show up again against Boston. He’s got the mental toughness the rest of the team needs to feed off of. It’s a perfect combo, the calm of Abreu, the toughness of Hunter. The leaders of the team.

Vladdy. Your head starts to shake as soon as you say his name. Oh, Vladdy, Vladdy. We love him, but he’s an ulcer waiting to happen, especially in the playoffs. I’ve given up hoping he’ll shorten up his swing, become more selective. It’s never going to happen. Hopefully, and I’ve mentioned this before, his wild swings don’t rub off on the young players as they try to deal with the pressure of the games. With Vladdy, it’s impossible to know whether he’ll strikeout with the game on the line or hit the game winning homer. Love him, though. Just don’t want to see him up there with the series on the line. Not anymore.

Juan Rivera. The forgotten one. The quiet killer. He could be the one to win the series. He’s not spectacular, just solid day in and day out. That’s all that’s needed from him in the series.

Mike Napoli/Jeff Mathis. Suddenly, instead of two good choices, it’s the lesser of two evils. One can’t hit, one can’t field. And the one that fields is still making errors. And the one that hits isn’t hitting. The key here is, if the rest of the line-up is performing, the Angels can afford for one spot in the lime-up to be a dead zone. This would be it.

Erick Aybar. I was on the fence about Aybar when he came up, mainly because of his inconsistent play in the field, but he has won me over. He is one of the keys to the series. He’s still young, but the experience of last year should help. If he can keep his cool at the plate and in the field – especially in the field – the Angels will win.

In terms of pitching, we know what we’re going to get. The starters will do their job. Ervin Santana is where he belongs. Fuentes is a coin toss, but one that still lands in the Angels’ favor. It comes down to Bulger and Jepsen. Especially Jepsen. This is Jepsen’s series to win or lose. He’s going to be key, just as Scott Shields was when he still knew how to win games.

So there it is. Here come the playoffs, ready or not.

Is this the year the new mini curse is broken? Can the Angels finally get past Boston and put the memory of Donnie Moore to rest? Can they avoid seeing David Ortiz jog around the bases with Red Sox Nation going nuts?

In just a few days, we get to find out. I can’t wait.

The Five Biggest Problems for the LA Angels Right Now

Steve Waverly — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:44:40 -0400

For Angel fans, right now, at this moment, the World Series is looking far away.

They’re not winning.

Their bullpen is unreliable.

Their hitters are swinging like Vladdy.

The Red Sox are waiting.

The opening round is best of five.

Let’s take a look at them one at a time:

1. They’re not winning. This would be a bigger problem if the Texas Rangers hadn’t tanked the last few weeks. Yes, the lead is down to five, and Texas is coming to town. But barring a major collapse, the Angels will get in. And the Angels already had their major collapse in 1995. Lightning won’t strike twice. Even for the Halos.

2. The bullpen. This is a problem, and one we could see coming. The game tonight against Oakland was indicative of what’s ahead in the playoffs. Pressure. And the inability to handle it.

Jason Bulger caved, Kevin Jepsen deteriorated, Matt Palmer… heck, what was Palmer doing pitching the eighth?

Wasn’t that the moment to bring in Brian Fuentes for a rare two-inning stint? Scioscia did it with K-Rod when he really wanted a win.

Of course, he had total confidence in K-Rod. I guess we saw tonight how much confidence he has in Fuentes - he brought in Palmer.

Blame Tony Reagins as well for this one. He shouldn’t have sat on his hands during trading time. Scott Kazmir? Great. He better pitch a complete game every time.

3. The Vladdy factor. Oh, man, I saw this one coming, too. Suddenly the Angel hitters are striking out like fly swatters. Kendry Morales has lost his patience at the plate. So has Erick Aybar. Even Chone Figgins is swinging at more pitches in the dirt.

They are, as Scioscia put it, swinging at pitches that only Vladimir Guerrero can hit. Trouble is, even Vladdy isn’t hitting them now.

And since when did Torii Hunter become such a swing-and-miss guy? Is he feeling the pressure to do it all? Squeezing the bat too tightly? Maybe. And we won’t even mention Mike Napoli. In fact, has anyone even seen Mike Napoli?

4. The Boston Red Sox. We’ve beaten this one to death. We know they’re coming in round one. And of course, that leads us to the biggest problem.

5. Best of Five. Could someone please explain to me why round one of the playoffs has not been expanded to best of seven?

It pushes the season too late into the year? Nah. It adds a couple of days. They added an entire round of playoffs. already They weren’t worried about the push then.

The first round used to be best of three. Then major league baseball came to their senses and realized, hey, after six months, after 162 games, maybe getting swept out in two games is too fast. It’s not fair. Well, getting knocked out in three isn’t much better.

Make it best of seven like the other rounds. Basketball does it. Hockey does it.

And the Angels need it. Because it might take two games to get over the shock of playing Boston. Especially with this young team.

The Angels for years now have been a great regular season team that struggles in the playoffs. It’s smelling that way again. They peaked early, and now they look like a team playing uphill. They need to get their focus back, their patience at the plate back, and soon.

Mistakes are going to happen. Nerves are going to be rattled. But after a few games, they’ll settle in.

But the fact that they don’t have seven games to do it in is ridiculous. It’s shameful.

And it needs to change.

The Angels Are Mickey Mouse

Steve Waverly — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:33:33 -0400

Let’s face it, the Angels are just not taken seriously. They’re Disneyland, beach balls, happy fans.

They’re not charging the mound. Screaming at umps. Kicking dirt on a base.

They’re West coast cool. Snappy red uniforms. Big smiles. The best place to play.

And they’re getting scr***d.

Over and over again.

Anyone remember the 2005 playoff series against the Chicago White Sox? So many calls went against the Angels it felt fixed.

Happened again tonight against Boston. There were at least four calls that went against the Angels that would not have happened if the shoe was on the other foot, i.e. the Boston Red Sox.

Boston is mean. Tough as leather. Big green monster. Mouthy fans.

And umps gets intimidated, swayed by the atmosphere, weak willed.

Especially the mediocre ones.

That's not to say that's the only reason the Angels lost.

The Angels lost as well because they have a serious, possibly incurable problem with Boston.

Boston is full of savvy veterans who know how to close. The Angels are filled with talented young guys who do not.

Young guys like Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar and Kendry Morales in the infield, Kevin Jepsen and Jason Bulger on the mound. Can they handle the pressure?

Not yet.

This is a collision course we didn’t want to be on. But here we on. It’s gonna be Boston in the first round. We know that. It was almost predetermined before the season started. So what are the Angels going to do about it?

They’re going to have to do what the 2002 team did and beat the stuffing out of teams. They can’t leave 14 men on base. They can’t throw away pickoff throws. They can’t blow double play grounders one after another.

And they can’t rely on the umps.

Because if it’s a close call, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

And the Angels are about as squeaky as a mouse.

Angel Fans Beware: The Red Sox Are Coming! The Red Sox Are Coming!

Steve Waverly — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:04:43 -0400

Angels fans, lock your doors, close your drapes, and cover your eyes. Those damned Red Sox are coming—again!

Before the season started, I wrote an article stating the Angels would be in the playoffs—so would somebody, anybody, please keep the Red Sox out of it.

I pleaded with Tampa, New York, Baltimore, Toronto. Forget it.

Tampa’s having post-World Series blues, Toronto flamed out after a few weeks, Baltimore’s barely competitive, and the Yanks went and had themselves a season, so they get to face someone else.

Which leaves one team. One hope. One escape route to keep the Angels from a first-round matchup with their nemesis Boston.

The Texas Rangers.

That’s right, Angel fans, root for Texas to keep winning so that they can win the wild card. That would keep Boston out, and give the Angels a matchup with the winner from the Central.

For those of you who are saying, "What? No! We don’t want Texas to win!"

I say, yes you do.

The Angels are going to win the division. Texas is having a great year, but they’re not going to finish 30 games over .500.

But the Angels will. This team is built for the regular season. The question is, are they different enough from past teams to get back to the World Series?

Not if Boston is in the way.

Yeah, sure, maybe this is the year the Angels finally thump the BoSox, but why tempt fate?

Let’s remember what separates winners from losers at the top of the pro ranks: not physical strength, but mental. That elusive thing called "confidence."

Why do the Angels keep beating the Yankees? Because they know they can. This is the same reason Boston keeps beating the Angels. That, and the damned Green Monster. The Angels are a speed team, they need room to run. The Monster shortens the field.

Okay, what about competitive spirit, the "it’s our turn" chant? Hey, we WANT Boston, right? We’ll show them who’s boss?

Uh, maybe.

Or maybe we should just beat the stuffing out of someone else.

There have been great one-sided rivalries over the years, where one team—or player—dominated the other. Of course, it’s only great if you’re the one winning.

The Dodgers versus the Yankees.

The Cleveland Cavaliers versus Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Pre-Magic LA Lakers versus Boston Celtics.

Chris Evert versus Martina Navratilova.

Chicago Cubs versus the 20th century.

These are just a few. You can probably name ten more (sorry, hockey fans, not my sport.)

But do we really want the Angels to go down in history as the loser in a long-term rivalry?

No thanks.

Why go through a wall when you can go around it?

So I say go Texas, and let’s tackle a tiger in the first round.

Of course, if it is Boston—and let’s face it, is there really any way it won’t be?—well, let’s squeeze the life out of them.

Scott Kazmir Is Wrong for the Los Angeles Angels from the Word "Go"

Steve Waverly — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:43:01 -0400

Let me just say this from the start—I don’t care what Scott Kazmir does.

If he pitches well or pitches badly, it’s not going to make a difference this year.

It won’t make a difference, because as shaky as the Angels have been with starting pitching, the real problem is the bullpen.

We saw another example of it tonight against the A’s. Jose Arredondo and Rafael Rodriguez are just the latest pitchers to contribute to a string of blown saves and poor relief appearances.

The Angels don’t need four starters in the playoffs, let alone five. And let me say it out loud one more time: The Angels will make the playoffs.

What they won’t do with the pen they have is advance—especially not against the Boston Red Sox, who will likely be their first-round opponent.

So Reagins blew it.

The Angels need a veteran reliever who can handle the seventh or eighth inning. Neither Bulger nor Jepsen is ready for playoff pressure—they’ve shown only flashes in the regular season.

Kazmir? Sure, he has a good arm and excellent potential and is a possible cover for a Lackey departure.

But that’s next year.

The Angels want to win now.

And what the Angels need now is an experienced arm to get from Darren Oliver to Brian Fuentes.

They still don’t have one. And until they do, the only way they’re getting out of the first round is to slug the living "h" out of the other team.

Possible? Yeah.

Likely?

Not three series in a row.

FOR THE LA ANGELS, TONY REAGINS HAS TURNED TO STONE (MAN).

Steve Waverly — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:10:33 -0400

Some names are more appropriate than others. Pete ‘Rose’? He doesn’t really smell like one. John ‘Lackey’? Far from it.

But Bill Stoneman? Perfect. He was slow, and methodical, and immovable.

He built a nice team, a team that had many solid seasons and one miracle one. But miracles don’t happen often. And Stoneman couldn’t pull the trigger on the moves necessary to get the team back to the World Series.

Tony Reagins seemed different. Not in tone or personality. He was, after all, groomed by Stoneman himself.

But in his first crack, he did what Stoneman could not do and got the big bat in Teixeira. He couldn’t hold him, but that wasn’t Reagins’ fault.

It boded well, though, for this year.

I was sure the Angels would get a pitcher to shore them up for the playoffs. It was so obvious they needed one.

But it turned out that the Teixeira move was a mirage. An aberration. Not a man diving in to the water, but rather a man sticking his toe in the water and accidentally slipping the rest of the way in.

Not giving up the farm for Halladay or Lee is one thing, but not giving up a player to be named later for Carl Pavano is another. The shutout Pavano threw in his first start would have ALREADY made him worth it.

The worst thing that happens is he’s a stiff and you’re out a minor minor leaguer. Big deal. The Angels need pitching. Get creative.

This team is NOT the same as teams past. This team has the hitting. This team has the patience at the plate. What this team doesn’t have is the pitching. So do something, Tony.

One thing about this team and those in the past that is strikingly similar - the possibility of playing the hated Boston Red Sox in the first round (for those of you who say, it’s still August, the Angels might not make the playoffs, I say read my past articles and you know what I think of that.)

Reagins was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying, “The way I look at it, they (Boston) have to play against the Angels as well.” That’s right, Tony. They do. And they’re salivating at the thought.

So scan the waiver wires. Make a trade. Do something. But DO NOT go into the playoffs with Oliver and Fuentes and a bunch of rookies. Bulger and Jepsen might have talent, but they’re not K-Rod. And K-Rod had Shields and Percival to protect him.

I always knew that Reagins had been groomed in Stoneman’s image. I just never realized how much.

LA Angels Roll A Perfect Game

Steve Waverly — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:49:21 -0400

300 is a magic number. A perfect game in bowling. A landmark for major league hitters.

A trend for the LA Angels.

Every starter in their line-up is hitting .300 or better, at least today.

This is the same team that used to flail away at pitches in the mold of Vladdy. Yet a strange, and beautiful, transformation has overtaken them. Is it because of Bobby Abreu? Tori Hunter? Watching Teixeira last year? Or just the evolution of a message that has finally sunk in.

Work the count, wait for your pitch - and hit the hell out of it.

Ironically, the Angels’ averages have risen at the same time as their power numbers. Who would have thunk it?

So just for today, let’s forget about their problems with starting pitching. Their holes in the bullpen. The Boston Red Sox (keep ‘em out of the playoffs!)

Today the Angels are special. Better than any other team one through nine (argue it all you want.) And one great starter or lights out reliever away from being the favorite to go to the Series (anyone seen Tony Reagins?)

According to recent computer analysis, the Angels have a 78.4% chance of making the playoffs.

The number I like even better is .300.

It’s as perfect as you get.

Indisputable: The LA Angels Are The Best Team In Baseball.

Steve Waverly — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:48:18 -0400

Do the Angels have the best starting pitching in baseball?

No.

Do they have the best pen?

No.

Do they have the most power?

No.

The best fielders?

No.

Then what exactly do they have?

The best team.

Right now, at this point in the season, it’s no contest. The Angels are the best team in baseball. Better than the Yankees and Dodgers and Bosox and Tigers and any other team you want to mention.

It’s not only because, other than the deadlocked Dodgers, they have the best record in the game (and the best road record, period.) It’s the way they’re winning.

They’re destroying good teams, beating up on bad ones, winning the way they did in 2002 – with frenzied hitting that leads to big innings and knocks the stuffing out of teams.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Look, I’ve been following the Angels for a long time. There was a time when winning at all was a miracle.

But now wining isn’t enough. It’s about winning a championship.

And this is the first time since 2002 that they have the team to do it.

There are some questions, of course.

Will Saunders and Weaver hold up in the postseason (don’t even talk to me about Santana)? Will Vladdy contribute or get in the way? Will the pen implode under playoff pressure, or will stars be born a la Frankie Rodriguez.?

But this team can overcome the questions.

They’ve got a unique blend of speed, power, and contact hitting.

There are no easy outs in the line-up (as long as Mathis isn’t in there.)

And they’ve got the confidence to win every night. You can see it in their eyes.

Who can argue?

Yankee fans? After their pitching was exposed by the Chisox? The Angels can beat the Yanks on a bad day.

The Dodgers? Yes, the Dodgers are playing well, and are managed by one of the best. But they’re still young and I think capable of imploding. And who really wants to root for Manny anymore? The deadlocks suddenly feel annoying.

Boston. The biggest threat to the Angels come postseason, of course. But right now, a clear notch below.

Philly. Yes, solid team, and better after their trades, but not paying as well as the Angels.

Tigers? Forget it. Their hitting is spotty.

Chisox or Cubs? One has no pen, the other has Kevin Gregg, who Angels fans remember for having thrown 4 wild pitches in one inning.

Minnesota, St. Louis, Tampa, S.F.? Nah.

I know Angels fans are disappointed that the team didn’t improve with trades. Me, too. They should have gotten a pitcher. I was all for giving up a package for Lee or Halladay, but not with Weaver included. He’s gonna be one of them very soon. He’s got the talent, and the toughness.

But this year’s team isn’t built on pitching. It’s built on hitting. Just like in 2002.

The 2002 team had good pitching, not great. The pen was light’s out, but the starters were just solid guys who kept the team in games until that offense exploded. Which it invariably did.

This team is the same. They can win giving up a few runs. Even more than a few. The pitching just has to be good enough to keep the team in games. Then the hitting will take over.

Forget last year’s 100 win squad. This year’s team is a million times better.

This year’s team is one we can take pride in, get excited about, make plans for.

This year’s team is the best in baseball.

Ervin Santana: The Anti-Rally Monkey

Steve Waverly — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:58:28 -0400

Forget the ERA, forget the win/loss record, forget the hits and walks and strikeouts. Forget the speed gun.

Ervin Santana is never going to get better than he is now, for one simple reason.

He doesn’t think he needs to.

Listen to John Lackey after a loss. He growls like a bear without food. You get the feeling he’d scratch the other team’s eyes out to get a win. You want quotes? Lackey’s are usually concise: “I stunk.”

That’s why he’s so good. Lackey never accepts being average. He beats himself up more than any batter could, because he strives for perfection.

All elite pitchers do. The first person they point the finger at is themselves.

Now let’s listen to what Ervin Santana says after getting pounded: “The ball was coming out of my hand well.” This is his favorite, and has been used over and over. Then his last one after getting sent to the showers in the fourth inning and burying his team in a 6-0 hole: “I made good pitchers and they just hit bloopers or ground balls for base hits.”

In other words, it wasn’t his fault. He pitched a great game. He just didn’t get any breaks.

He didn’t get any breaks all right. No break on his curve, no break on his slider, no break from his string of lousy games.

I knew the Angels recent winning streak was over the minute I saw his turn come up in the rotation. He doesn’t feel like a winner, because he doesn’t sound like one.

Look, I’m not saying the guy can’t pitch. Every single pitcher in the big leagues can pitch. But they’re getting paid a lot of money to pitch well. No, better than well. To pitch great—consistently.

Professional athletes are by and large amazing talents. And physically, the difference between them—with the exception of a few special players—is minuscule. What really separates them at this level is the mind. Mental toughness. Competitive spirit. A will to win.

Does John Lackey have that much better stuff than other pitchers? No. He doesn’t throw 100 mph. What Lackey does have is a bulldog, never say never, leave me in or die mentality.

Orel Hershiser comes to mind.

Ervin Santana is simply not that guy. No knock on him as a human being. Seems like a great person. But he’s not the guy I want pitching game one of the World Series.

If the rally monkey is the symbol of Angel victories, Ervin Santana is the antithesis.

He’s the rally killer.

LA Angels' Mike Napoli Versus Jeff Mathis: Platoon Not Catching On

Steve Waverly — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:05:51 -0400

Let’s see, Jeff Mathis is a self proclaimed “automatic out”, hitting below the Mendoza line with minimal power. Mike Napoli has 13 homers, “as much raw power as anyone in the league” according to his manager, and is hitting a solid .285—not to mention his walk off double last night against the Twins.

Why are they platooning again?

Oh...right, Mathis is a slightly better signal caller, emphasis on the slightly. He’s no Johnny Bench back there. He’s an above average catcher who calls a good game.

But he can’t hit. The guy was a career .276 hitter in the MINOR leagues. It wasn’t likely to get better in the bigs.

And while Napoli might not be Mathis’ equal behind the plate, he’s no stiff. You don’t lose much with the glove with Nap, but oh man do you lose with the bat with Mathis.

Yes, Scioscia has used Nap as a DH to keep his bat in the line-up, but when Vladdy returns, DH is his.

Which means Mathis needs to go to the bench as a back-up catcher. Give him one game a week. Use him as a late inning replacement if Nap is replaced for a pinch runner, or in blowout games to give Nap a rest.

But stop this ridiculous platoon system.

49 starts for Napoli to 45 for Mathis? Using this guideline, why not have Willits platoon with Vladdy? Willits is by far a better outfielder.

Silly, you say. Of course it is. But so is Mathis splitting even time with Napoli.

I know Scioscia loves a good glove-man, and well he should. And no one can question Scioscia about catchers without sounding like an idiot (uh oh…)

But if there’s one area where Scioscia has a blind spot, it’s his loyalty to particular players. He sticks with them well after they have proven themselves mediocre.

To Scioscia’s credit, he eventually sits them down or sends them down, but it takes a while. And with this team showing signs of major playoff potential, a while is too long.

The Angels need to hit and continue to hit, because they’re not going to win this year on pitching.

Napoli in. Mathis out. That’s the way the ball bounces.

The Los Angeles Angels Need To Replace Bats with Balls

Steve Waverly — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:08:30 -0400

Last night’s win against the Yanks notwithstanding, the next month is going to seriously test the mettle of the Angels. Hunter and Vladdy out means more pressure on...the pitchers.

The Angels are not going to outslug teams on a regular basis. They’re hitting better for sure—with the exception of Matthews, who is a stiff waiting to happen...oh, wait, it did happen! But Hunter is a huge loss and even Vladdy was coming around.

So Saunders, Weaver, and Lackey have to start throwing like the aces they’re supposed to be.

Weaver has had an excellent season, but still shows the inconsistency of his youth. Saunders is going through a rough patch that the Angels can’t afford right now. What’s up, Joe? Didn’t think you had this long-ball-itis in you.

But please, STOP. Work harder, focus better, take a deep breath—and keep the ball low and off the plate. Or up and off the plate. But not OVER the plate. That’s not your game.

And what’s up with big John? If this is his last act as an Angel – and it probably is – he’s not going out with a bang. Every time it seems he’s back, he gets rocked.

Who’s No. 1?

Right now, nobody.

You might be wondering why no mention of Ervin “the ball’s coming out of my hand well” Santana. That’s because I want him gone. Invisible. Out of the picture.

Sure, he’s got talent. So do a lot of guys. But at the professional level, the difference between players is often between the shoulders. And that’s where Santana is soft.

Enough of him already. We saw this two years ago. He gets spanked like a little leaguer, then blames everyone else. At least with Lackey or Weaver you see their disgust when they’re throwing poorly, feel their anger at bad results. And while Joe doesn’t show emotions, he also doesn’t go around saying he’s doing fine when everyone knows he isn’t.

Get rid of Santana.

And in terms of Hunter and Vladdy, obviously no point in mourning their loss. Maybe, just maybe, this is the break Brandon Woods needed.

How to get him into the line-up is the question. Do you, as has been mentioned, move Figgy to the outfield and put Woods at third?

Tough call with the way Figgy’s been fielding. But if you do it, Figgy goes to left, Rivera to center, Matthews to the bench. Do anything—ANYTHING—to keep Matthews out of the line-up. The only bounce in his game is that silly bunny hop he takes heading back to the dugout after a groundout.

LA Angels Run Ragged on the Bases...Literally

Steve Waverly — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:02:54 -0400

Mike Scioscia said he had a sleepless night after the game in which the Angels had five baserunning blunders. Well, Mike, start looking for the sleeping pills.

Is it that hard to go 90 feet without screwing up? Seriously. Vladdy we know is a self destructive missile on the basepaths. He runs the bases the same way he swings: damn the torpedoes!

But Bobby Abreu? Didn’t expect a little league move out of him. Big game against Texas, first inning, Abreu on second, one out. Hunter hits what is clearly a ball in the hole. Even if the shortstop fields it, which he did, there’s no way he’ll throw Hunter out.

He didn’t have to.

That’s because Abreu went into brain lock, broke the golden rule about not trying to advance from second on a ground ball to the left side, and stood there like he forgot he was in the middle of a baseball game.

Another inning ruined by a baserunning blunder. The Angels must lead the league.

Listen, I play in an adult baseball league and WE make fewer baserunning mistakes than the Angels—okay, except for the time we had a guy picked off first to end a game when we were down by two runs.

But there is absolutely no excuse for a major league baseball team to overrun a bag, break from second on a grounder to short, make the last out at third. And certainly not do it with the regularity of the Angels.

I’d say fire Hatcher, ‘cause that’s what I usually do when the Angels screw up. But poor Hatch can’t be blamed for this one. Maybe Alfredo Griffin? Dino Ebel? Mike Scioscia?

Hey, I have a wild idea. How about the players themselves?

LA Angels: The Stars Have Aligned

Steve Waverly — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:54:46 -0400

Well, tied for first, bats coming alive. A season that could have gone south…didn’t. And now a couple of all-stars.

A quick glance at the two who got in:

Tori Hunter. So often free agents bomb out in new cities. Too much pressure, too much change. Sometimes, quite frankly, they aren’t as good as they seemed to be. Maybe it was their home park, their comfort zone, their mind set.

But on arriving to a new town, they turn into tank city. I’ve seen it a million times. Not Tori. He was solid last year, spectacular this one. And he seems like a great guy. A great teammate. Happy for Hunter.

Then there’s Brian Fuentes. I have to say, this one is a surprise. Not that he was chosen, but that he was so deserving. I was as quick as anyone to rue the departure of K-Rod when Fuentes was getting lit up early on. But now, the man is starting to grow on me. The tough, serious expression. The weird left-handed release (who would have thought Scioscia, who didn’t even have a lefthander on staff for years, would have one as his closer?). Even the mediocre fastball.

But Fuentes wins. And in the big leagues, that’s what matters.

The two who didn’t get in:

Jered Weaver. Close, but no cigar. Rightfully so. Two starts ago he was a shoo-in. Then he got spanked by his older brother, which carried over to his next start. ERA went up, record went down, all-star selection went adios. But it’s okay, he’ll make it eventually. He’s a winner.

Juan Rivera. Nah. Hey, big fan, but slow start kept his stats from all-star level. He’s gonna have a great season, though. Can’t wait to see his final numbers, assuming he stays healthy.

The one who still might:

Chone Figgins. Why not? He’s having a great year. I was never a Figgins fan—as anyone who knows me can tell you. He used to make at least one major mistake a game, either in the field, on the bases, or at bat. Every game, I’d wait to see how he’d screw up. And he always did.

For a little man with speed, he couldn’t bunt (still can’t), he hit the ball in the air too often, and he never walked. It was impossible. How could he not walk? A guy like him has to walk. Yet he’d swing at every pitch like he was Vladdy.

But he’s worked hard on his game. He’s taking pitches this year. He’s fielding like an actual third baseman. And he’s getting on base.

So I vote for Figgy to make the all-star team. And if they’d get rid of that stupid rule that says every team has to be represented, he probably already would have.

LA Angels Lose: Santana & Scioscia Strike Out.

Steve Waverly — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:28:33 -0400

Okay, let’s just pin last night’s loss to Baltimore on where it belongs and move on.

First, Santana. Obviously. Sure, he struck out a few guys. The ball was coming out of his hand well (I guess versus throwing it over a batter’s head), and he had some movement.

But it seems that ever since Santana has been in the bigs, people have been making excuses for him. Yes, he had 16 wins early on. But his ERA was well over 4, so let’s not get too excited.

Then the next year he stunk it up so badly they sent him down. He got focused and got back to the bigs and had a nice year last year. Then this year he got hurt, rehabbed, came back, got bombed, rehabbed, came back, got bombed.

But the ball’s coming out of his hand well? Doesn’t matter, because the problem with Santana isn’t his hand, or arm – it’s his head.

You ever listen to his responses to reporters after a bad outing? It’s always, “I threw well, I’m happy with my outing.” Yeah, well, you just got your butt kicked, so don’t be too happy. I know, no one tells the truth to reporters… but I wonder if he tells the truth to himself.

They say Santana can win if his velocity is 91 versus his normal 95. I don’t think so. I think if a pitcher’s velocity drops, he has to make adjustments. He has to focus extremely hard to throw to spots, versus just throwing.

In his years with the Angels, Santana has yet to prove he’s capable of this. This is not the runaway season of 2008. The Angels need every win they can get. And I don’t think they can afford to let Santana find his bearings while costing the Angels games.

But he wasn’t the only person responsible for the loss. Scioscia gets to share in the blame, too. Why? One reason. Jeff ‘Automatic Out’ Mathis.

Izzy gets a lead off hit in the 9th. There’s a bit of momentum. Tying run at the plate. Who does Scioscia let hit? A career .200 hitter. I was actually hoping for a strike out, because it was better than a double play.

Hey, who knows you say? He could have hit a homer. Well, Mathis hit .270 in the minor leagues. In the majors, well, Mathis stated in spring training his goal for this season was to not be the ‘automatic out’ he’s been in the past.

Now that’s thinking big. Unfortunately it was thinking too big.

He looks like a guy working on his swing at the plate. Hey, beautiful form on that swing and miss.

Of course, Scioscia likes to give guys confidence – which is likely why he let Mathis hit in that situation.

Just please don’t do it again.

The Los Angeles Angels Have That Winning Feeling.

Steve Waverly — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:01:16 -0400

Baseball’s a funny game. A beautiful game.

And the really great thing about it is its length - 162 games. The cream rises to the top. The playoffs, sure, anything can happen. Especially in the first round, which is too short. Should be seven games. Come on, after six months of grinding it out, you can be eliminated in the equivalent of a weekend series? Three lousy games? Ridiculous.

But not in the regular season. In the regular season you have to earn it. A hot streak, a hot pitcher, a missed suicide squeeze - that won’t do it for you. You have to gut it out, and be better than the other teams. Period.

Which is why the Angels are back in first place. Finally. It feels like it’s been an entire season already.

And hey, there was a moment there when they were sinking and the Texas Rangers were rolling and things could have turned into 2010. This season could have been lost. Still could be, of course. More than half the season to go.

But it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like finally, the Angels are starting to play like the team that hit the century mark last year. Actually, I hope they’re not that team. I hope they’re better. Don’t want to see another first round exit (would somebody PLEASE beat the Boston Red Sox in the east!)

They’re still iffy on power, despite the recent surge. Still iffy in middle relief. Still a cold spell away from the annual ‘fire Hatcher’ chant.

But they’re playing better.

Lackey looks like himself again. Vladdy seems ready to get hot. Aybar’s playing smart. Rivera is ready. Napoli’s swinging at pitches down the middle of the plate instead of taking them for strike three. And Fuentes looks pissed off enough on the mound to be a shut down closer. Hell, it’s almost time to get giddy (don’t though, that always leads to a losing streak…)

One concern, though. They tore it up against the National League, and as I’ve stated before, the Angels are the best National League team in the American League.

Hopefully the wins will carry over to league play.

Something tells me that this time, they will.