Ah, Game 7’s. You gotta love ‘em. Game 7’s separate the men from the boys, the champions from the chumps, the contenders from the pretenders. But enough with the tired out clichés and unnecessary hype, how do game 7’s manifest in the first place?
Well, in the case of Kobe and the Lakers, they come from an inability to close out the Yao-less and McGrady-less Houston Rockets squad who in games 5 and 6 started nobody over 6’9". That towering 6-foot, 9-inch power forward? LUIS FREAKIN’ SCOLA!!! Never mind the fact two of the main six players in Houston’s rotation sport a fauxhawk, the Rockets are becoming the George Mason of the NBA playoffs.
Two of their best three players, out. A coach who Phil Jackson completely owns in the playoffs (Rick Adelman, see: Lakers-Kings) manning the Rockets sidelines. A center in Chuck Hayes, who … it’s CHUCK HAYES!!! You couldn’t ask for a better situation for the Lakers to inherit. Yet, with each eye-opening, double-digit win, comes an equally eye-opening, double-digit loss. Certainly not what the doctor ordered. Trust me, I’m a doctor.
I wrote a piece about the LeBron James era a few days ago and received a mixed response. An argument on whose decade it actually is enthusiastically ensued. Predictably, Kobe Bryant activists leaned on his three rings – from a prior generation and with Shaq, I might add – to defend the Kobe era. (I’ve seem to have misplaced Kobe’s 3 air ball game up in Utah, can anyone remind me where I put it?)
It goes without saying, Kobe is a great player, probably one of the 10 best to ever strap on a pair of sneakers, but his uncanny ability to hoist bad shots in the blink of an eye is problematic. His uncanny ability to alienate his teammates is unrivaled. Simply put, Kobe is probably the least liked superstar in the league, amongst his teammates.
(If you think about it, you hear stuff like this all the time, “older player X is past their prime and is willing to take less money to play with LeBron.” Need I mind you, LeBron James plays basketball in Cleveland? Cleveland, people! Who wants to go to a town with the Browns and the Indians as their beloved sports franchises and Drew Carey as their public representative? Yet, I continuously hear aging veterans want to go there to play alongside this Jordan like phenom known as LeBron James. I have yet to hear a story about someone taking a pay cut to play alongside Kobe Bryant in LA, besides Derek Fisher, who already had a tie to the organization from the 3-peat days in purple-and-gold. And it’s FREAKIN Los Angeles!!!)
Just by watching telecasts of Cavaliers games LeBron is either an excellent teammate, or an Academy Award worthy actor. There’s no denying the players on this Cavaliers team thoroughly enjoy playing alongside the King (even if it means less touches for them). The goofy picture-taking before games, the dancing around on the bench during games, the genuine affection LeBron shows these guys is awe-inspiring. And what’s even better is it doesn’t seem to be forced.
Think of all the starting/rotation guys on this current Cleveland squad. Ben Wallace, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak (had to Google the spelling of that one), Joe Smith, Daniel Gibson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (another Googling), Anderson Varejao. Not exactly the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Yet, LeBron has made these guys relevant and has transformed a team full of outcasts into contenders. I mean, who’s stopping Varejao from becoming just another Vlade Divic? Who’s stopping Wally from becoming another Eric Piatkowski (I actually spelled that right on the first try, believe it!)? Who’s stopping Ben Wallace from decomposing into an older Kwame Brown?
LeBron James, that’s who.
If you look at the box scores from the games these two superduperstars had in Madison Square Garden earlier this year you’ll see my point:
Kobe Bryant: 61 points, 3 assists, 0 rebounds
LeBron James: 52 points, 11 Assists, 9 rebounds
Sure, both teams came out victorious (they were playing the Knicks, need I remind you) but which box score (note, I said “box score” stands out more)? Sure, 61 points is one hell of an accomplishment, but basketball is a TEAM sport, it’s not tennis or golf. I’ll take the accumulative total of assists and rebounds over an excess amount of points any day. You think Kobe was looking to find Luke Walton in the corner for a wide-open 3? You think he was willing to kick it back out to Sasha Vujacic for a 13-footer from the baseline? You think Kobe applauded when Trevor Ariza pulled up from the free throw line and drained a 15-footer? Call me crazy but I think Kobe was more aware of Spike Lee in the front row than Lamar Odom or Derek Fisher on the court.
Live from Madison Square Garden, iiiiiiit’s Kobe Doin’ Work!
In the end, #24 has the better surrounding cast. He has a big, mobile and somewhat tough post player in Pau Gasol who he can dump it down to at any given time and two versatile, lengthy, athletic, somewhat agile swingmen in Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. He has the highly-decorated Zen Master sitting on the bench calling – well, presumably – plays from the bench. And the X-Factor in all this? Jack Nicholson sitting courtside!
LeBron is trotting out there night in and night out with Wally, Wallace, Williams, Ilgauskas, Varejao and Joe Smith. If this is what the MVP is doing with this less-than-superb Cavaliers cast, just imagine what he’d be doing with the 2008-09 Lakers squad. Yet, despite the lack of talent on the court, he’s making them all better, not because he’s filming the new ESPN documentary “LeBron Doin’ Work” but because he genuinely wants them to have a ring just as much, if not more, than he does. He wants Cleveland to have a ring. He wants to put an end to the misery in C-Town. He’s made basketball relevant in Cleveland and you can tell he desperately wants to keep it that way. With each passing day the 2010 LeBron Sweepstakes looks more and more sealed and delivered.
On the other hand, you think Kobe wants to win a ring for Los Angeles? For the Lakers? Let me provide this stat: Kobe with Shaq in LA: 3 rings. Shaq without Kobe in Miami: 1. Kobe without Shaq in LA: 0. You don’t think that very stat wares on Kobe’s mind night in and night out? I can guarantee you Kobe’s not concerned about getting DJ Mbenga or Shannon Brown to call their own. Kobe Bryant wants a ring for Kobe Bryant and nobody else.
Which brings me to this upcoming do-or-die game 7. If the Lakers somehow lose tomorrow it’s going to be the biggest choke since, well, last summer when the Celtics erased a seemingly insurmountable lead (in LA) to take the series lead 3-1. My thing is, if you replaced 2009 Kobe with 2009 LeBron you think the Lakers would be heading back to LA for a game 7? You think LeBron lets his team lose to a Houston team with Chuck Hayes as their center and Luis Scola as their power forward regardless of where the game is played? For some reason I don’t think the King would let that happen.
You saw what he did to a worn-down and old Pistons squad as well as an under matched and injured Hawks team. He dismembered them. He didn’t give them a swinger’s chance to snatch a game from his team. He didn’t allow his team to lose on a fluke call or a lucky shot. He knew the other team was weak and he capitalized on it. Watching the first two rounds of the Cavs’ 2009 campaign was like watching Liam Neeson terrorize his way through Paris in “Taken.” It simply wasn’t fair.
Isn’t that what superstars are supposed to do against inferior talent? Aren’t they supposed to wipe them off the court and make them sorry for even stepping into the arena? That’s exactly what LeBron and Co. did. Eight games, eight wins. All by double-digits.
On the other hand, the Houston Rockets come into Staples with a swinger’s chance. They have the nobody-believes-in-us card on their side as well as the accomplishment of winning in that building not more than two weeks ago in their pocket – with Yao Ming, mind you.
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are hungry. Actually, hungry doesn’t accurately describe their thirst for a title. They’re starving for a title. Yet, with a looming game 7 in Los Angeles, while #24 preps for this possibly legacy-changing game, LeBron James is sitting comfortably at home waiting for it all to unfold.
Who knows, maybe he’s even watching “Kobe Doin' Work.”
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
"Witness"ing History
I know this is going to sound like basketball blasphemy but ... ummm ... uhhh ... I don't really remember the Jordan Era. Well, besides his Academy Award worthy performance alongside Larry Bird, Larry Johnson, Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley and Bugs Bunny in "Space Jam."
(Allowing time for the 'Boos' to die down and the tomatoes to whizz by my head. OK, I get it. No, really I get it.)
I guess that previous statement isn't completely true. I remember the infamous Salt Lake City Dagger over Bryon Russell, but that's about it. At age 20 going on 21, I feel like I was robbed of one of the purest, more exciting eras in sports history.
But hey, there's no use crying over spilled milk right? Especially when I'm currently knee-deep in the LeBron James Era.
Looking back, I don't think there was ever a cemented era in my lifetime. I don't think there was a Kobe Bryant Era, a Shaquille O'Neal Era, a Tim Duncan Era or even an Allen Iverson Era to bridge the gap between the Jordan Era and the current LeBron Era. I was old enough to remember the Lakers' reign on top back in the early 2000s and remember that Kobe and O'Neal were unworldly together. Like peanut butter and jelly. You couldn't have one without the other. And that's the reason why I don't think either claimed the era as their own. They were a two-headed monster destroying everything in sight (mainly, the Kings' window of opportunity), yet Shaq and Kobe will always be remembered for what they accomplished together. But is that necessarily a bad thing? Hardly.
We'll always remember that Lakers squad for the three-peat and the incredible dynamic between its two superstars. They carried the sport coming off one of the most exciting decades in NBA history. Their domination speaks in volumes to their unworldly skill and competitive fire. To this day, I still believe the Kobe-Shaq Alley-Oop vs. the Blazers is the single greatest sports highlight ever.
(Quick Tangent: Some of the other best sports highlights of my time: Tiger's improbable chip-in at The Masters in 2005 and ensuing fist pump. Tiger's slithery birdie putt on 18 to tie Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines in the 2008 U.S. Open and ensuing DOUBLE-FISTED fist pump. Rocco Mediate's reaction to Tiger's birdie putt. Mark McGwire's record-breaking 62nd home run in 1998. Rafael Palmeiro pointing at congress vehemently denying ever using steroids in 2005. Baron Davis posterizing Andrea Kirilenko in the 2007 NBA playoffs. Kevin Garnett's "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLLLLLLLE" exclamation after winning the 2008 NBA Finals. Vince Carter's dunk over 7-footer, Frenchman Frederic Weis in the 2000 summer Olympics in Sydney ."The Helmet Catch." Brady Quinn sitting alone in the green room at the 2007 NFL Draft. Michael Crabtree's reaction when Darius Heyward-Bey was taken by the Oakland Raiders at number 7 in the 2008 Draft.)
Still, during the early 00's you couldn't separate the two, no matter how hard you tried. When you talked about the Lakers - or basketball in general - you talked about Shaq AND Kobe. It was never one or the other. In a sense, they were like Mary Kate and Ashley Olson. They were dynamo together yet their mystique vanished a little bit when they were mentioned apart. In La-La Land it got to a certain point where both names effortlessly meshed together to form one long alias, like Bennifer or Brangelina, as it became almost ludicrous to say one without the other.
(Quick Tangent 2: Other inseparable pairings during their respective primes: Spencer and Heidi. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Carson Daly and TRL. Eminem and Dr. Dre. Will Smith and Carlton Banks. Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti. Will Ferrel and John C. Reilly. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino.)
Tim Duncan on the other hand is a different case. Tim Duncan is a sure shot Hall-of-Famer with the hardware (four rings) and accolades (Rookie of the Year 1998, 2-time NBA MVP, 3-time NBA Finals MVP, 11-time all-star) to prove it. He too came up during the post-Jordan Era and succeeded.
Paired with David Robinson in 1998 the Spurs had all the makings of an up-and-coming dynasty (which in hindsight proved to be true: four titles in eight years) and Duncan had all the makings of an era-defining superstar. However, as time passed Duncan adopted the Tiger Woods mentality towards the media, Just Answer The Question. Trying to get some personality out of Timmy was like pulling teeth. Timmy had the polished skills to go head-to-head with any superstar of his generation, yet he lacked a certain "it" factor that would've elevated him to a whole 'nother level. Superduperstardom. He didn't have Shaq's flamboyant personality or Kobe's youthful charisma or Iverson's outspoken opinions ("PRACTICE?!?!?").
(This is why this clip is such a trip and so fun to watch.)
There's no doubt, Tim Duncan will go down as one of the top 25 players ever to play in the game of basketball, but his era - much like his personality - will be remembered quietly.
Enter King James.
I still remember being on a family trip in Reno and watching one of his televised high school games (back when high school basketball games weren't normally televised). At the time I wasn't thinking much of it; a freakish athlete playing against high school scrubs, big cahoot. Looking back in hindsight LeBron James was much more than an up-and-coming superstar.
He, was the era defining superstar the NBA desperately needed. During and after the Shaq trade, the media religiously dubbed Kobe Bryant as the next Michael Jordan. The parallels between the two were rounding into shape but the comparison never seemed to stick. It goes without saying, Kobe Bryant was hell bent on being the first Kobe Bryant rather than the second Michael Jordan. Instead of assuming the role of Jordan 2.0 Kobe separated himself from the notion and the comparisons were kaput.
(Quick Tangent 3: With the hip-hop industry turning to a younger nucleus of fresh faces here are a few of "The Nexts": Charles Hamilton - The Next Kanye West. B.o.B. - The Next Andre 3000. Asher Roth - The Next Eminem. Drake - The Next Lil Wayne. Lupe Fiasco - The Next Jay-Z. Ne-Yo - The Next Brian McKnight. Keyshia Cole - The Next Mary J. Blige. Keri Hilson - The Next Toni Braxton.)
When LeBron entered the league in 2003 the expectations seemed insurmountable. Not even Michael Jordan faced this much limelight in his rookie campaign. The era was desperate for fresh face. In the 2003-2004 season Kobe had Shaq were playing for an unprecedented 4-peat, Kevin Garnett was finally getting his shot at a title, and we got our first glimpse of "The Next Jordan."
Over the last six years, we've already seen LeBron hit full Jordan mode (2007 Eastern Conference Playoffs vs. the Pistons) and something tells me, his best is yet to come. His physical presence can only be compared to that of an in-shape Shaq and his athleticism is off the charts. I remember watching his 48-point coming out party against the Pistons at a friend's house. We sat there in complete disbelief, instinctively realizing we was watching something special. I finally had my first real basketball memory. Something to tell my grandkids about.
Two seasons full of thousands of highlight dunks and dozes of awe-inspiring shots later, the NBA finally has an era to hang its hat on. The LeBron Era.
Seeing LeBron in these playoffs has only added to his ceiling. I remember predicting two things about King James about three years into his still-budding career: 1. he was going to average a triple-double over the course of one season and 2. he was going to be the best NBA player in history. Yep, history. Was that second predication premature? Of course. Was it considered basketball nonsense at the time? No doubt. But was I that far off? I don't think so.
Michael Jordan won his first title in his seventh year in the league, LeBron looks like he's going to win his first in his sixth. Jordan won his first MVP in his fourth year, LeBron just won his first in his sixth (becoming the youngest player to win the award in the process, by the way). All I'm saying is he's getting there. Quickly.
More important than all the accolades and praise, is the inner fire needed to compete at the highest level each and every game. LeBron is channeling his inner MJ with every playoff game. He senses it. He can taste it. His fire may not burn as fiercely as Jordan's did but it's pretty damn close. He makes the game look so easy. For instance, in game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, with the clock running down in the first half LeBron dribbled the ball across half-court, did a little step back and heaved the ball from 40-feet. Swoosh. Heaved is actually the wrong word. He didn't "heave" the ball, he shot it. Beautifully. Just like he was shooting it from 10 feet. In form. Elbow above the knee. 40-footer, nothing but net. I mean, Wow.
Though I may not have been around to see Jordan's 63 point explosion in the Boston Garden, or "The Shot," or his famous dunk on Patrick Ewing, who knows what highlights the King has in store for us Generation Y'ers. Stay tuned.
Who knows, we may even get a "Space Jam 2" out of it.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Fallen Angels
What's wrong with the Angels?
Currently sitting in a tie for 3rd place in the down American League West (10-13), trailing Seattle by 4.5 games, the blaring question in Anahe -- oops -- Los Angeles is, "What's wrong with the Halos?"
Ever since the Angels won their first World Series in 2002, rising expectations have rode this franchise like they were the Chicago Cubs or something.
The majestic, where-in-the-hell-did-this-come-from 2002 season featured an Angels squad full of no-name, home-grown, possibly-good-but-possibly-just-as-bad, up-and-coming players, tenured Angels who had gone through years of cellar-dwelling, and wily veterans who knew this was their only shot to win a World Series. (There we're obviously too many hyphens in that last sentence, let me take a moment to rest.)
Come to think of it, the 2002 Angels resembled Charlie Sheen's Cleveland Indians in "Major League." There wasn't one superstar in the bunch, yet the Halos were able to out duel the loaded - pun intended - San Francisco Barry Bonds' in seven games.
Though the Angels won the championship that year, Barry Bonds was the star of that World Series hitting tape-measure shot after tape-measure shot.
(In fact, a couple weeks ago my family and I tried to list all the players from that 2002 World Series roster. We we're only able to name about 15 out of a 40 man roster.)
Over the years, we've began to change our identity. With the additions of Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and most recently Bobby Abreu, the Angels have shredded the no-name, built-from-the-ground-up cast. Unfortunately, it hasn't exactly led to playoff success on the diamond.
Sure we've won an average of 91 games over the last six years, but our playoff history goes as follows:
2003: missed playoffs.
2004: ALDS (lost to the Red Sox, 3-0)
2005: ALCS (beat the Yankees, 3-2; lost to the White Sox, 4-1)
2006: missed playoffs.
2007: ALDS (lost to the Red Sox, 3-0)
2008: ALDS (lost to the Red Sox, 3-1)
Granted making the playoffs for some teams is an accomplishment in itself, but for an Angels team that annually ranks in the top 10 in Major League Baseball in total team salary, a one-and-done season is an unfulfilled season.
And due to our recent inability to make it out of the ALDS these last two years (damn Red Sox) the Angels have tried to beef up their lineup and bullpen by making a splash in the free-agent market. Though the Angels have had some successful acquisitions over the years (See: Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, Orlando Cabrera, Mark Teixiera) the Halos have seen their fair share of free-agent busts (See: Bartolo Colon, Gary Matthews Jr., Juan Rivera)
The signings, sprinkled in with home-grown talent (See: Chone Figgins, Mike Napoli, John Lackey, Howie Kendrick) have continuously put the Angels in the running for the World Series each year. I can't count the number of times Sports Illustrated has picked us to win the World Series (SI jinx, anyone?).
What's intriguing about the Angels is their well-documented ability to play "small-ball." What's lost in all this admiration of "small-ball" is the popular saying "chicks dig the long ball." Throughout his seasons in Anaheim, Vladimir Guerrero has been the only serious Angels threat to hit the ball into the ozone layer with every swing of the bat.
There's something about a Guerrero at-bat that fills Angel Stadium with pure electricity. The anticipation of a 450-foot bomb is not only felt in the stands, it's felt on the field. This intimidation have worked in Vladdy's favor over the years as he's compiled 159 dingers over his six-year tenure in Anaheim and 393 longballs in his 14-year career.
So with all this said, what is wrong with the 2002 World Series Champs?
1. The Nick Adenhart Tragedy. If the Angels bounce back and end up winning the American League West it'll be a miracle to say the least. The emotional strength it takes to play through such a devastating, devastating tradegy is God-like. Had the Angels decided to mail it in for the year, I don't think anyone would've blamed them. This tragedy will resonate with the Angels' family forever.
2. The relief pitching is horrendous. Actually, horrendous doesn't accurately describe it. Godawful, appalling, nauseating, these words more accurately describe the current bullpen situation. What's even more dumbfounding is the fact the Angels have consistently had one of the best bullpens in the majors. This season is a completely different story. Our two most reliabe relievers have baffled me to no end:
Scot Shields - one of the three remaining 2002 World Series Champion players - has looked out of funk all season. Maybe the deal he made with the devil to develop a rubber arm expired this year (he once threw 262 pitches in defeat during a college game - the reason for his number 62) and now we're seeing the real Scot Shields. Known for having one of the deadliest curveballs in the big, the ol' 12-6 isn't looking too good so far. I mean, unless we're playing slow pitch softball now and I just didn't get the memo.
Jose Arrendondo - who I prematurely anointed as the next prolific Angels closer - isn't looking up-to-snub either with a 6.55 ERA in 11 innings pitched this year. I saw all the closer potential in the world in this kid last year. Head-turning stuff, an undeniable swagger and a puzzling mystique combined to remind me of the artist formerly known as Francisco Rodriquez.
During this time period I even went as far to say we didn't need to sign a closer this off-season because Arrendondo would slide right in to K-Rod's vacated spot. Silly me.
3. Effective money management. Are we sure Gary Matthews Jr. isn't a distant relative of Bernie Madoff? Can we get a DNA test to prove that he's not?
We signed "Sarge Jr." in 2007 and have been wishing Dr. Emmett Brown would show up in the Delorean ever since. We signed Matthews after he had a breakout (better known as a "contract") year - with the Texas Rangers in 2006. Like many ballclubs do, the Angels ignored Matthews' complete body of work (average season pre-2006: .260/8/33) and decided to sign him based off his inflated "contract" year numbers (2006: .313/19/79). If you become the owner of a major league baseball team: DON'T DO THAT!!!
In '07 Matthews followed up his breakout/"contract" year by hitting an abysmal .252 and just when you thought it couldn't get worse, he followed up that less-than-impressive year with an even worse .242 average. Since '07 the Angels have poured over $30 million into this guy and his contract still has TWO MORE YEARS AND MILLIONS MORE DOLLARS ON IT!!! Arrrrrrrgh!
I mean, you know your signing was a mistake when two years into your five-year, multi-million dollar contract the Angels acquire someone else who plays your exact position and they're willing to pay him and play him more.
The same goes for Juan Rivera too.
So you're telling me this summer we decided to invest our money into a mediocre outfielder who's never hit more than 23 homers in a year and has had a history of injuries instead of chasing one of the greatest right-handed batters of all time? Did we at least get some free balls in the deal?
You can't tell me signing Manny Ramirez wouldn't have re-energized the Angels faithful. And all this talk about Manny possibly not being happy in Anaheim ... we're right next to Disneyland for God's sake! The Happiest Place on Earth! How could Manram not enjoy living next to Disneyland for two to three years?
Instead, he's hitting dingers for our hated crosstown rival and we're left with Juan Rivera (a fourth outfield, at best) hitting .200 for three years. Grrrrrreat.
You wanna talk about wasted money, you got to mention Kelvim Escobar. His 101-90 career record and 4.15 career ERA is less than steller yet we're paying him like he's post-glasses Ricky Vaughn. Better yet, we payed him $9.5 million last year to ride the pine with a bum shoulder. His reward? Another $10 million this season to pitch against Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A kids all season. Gotta love this damn country!
Justin Speier. For all of you who don't know who Speier is, there's good reason. This guy is making $4.75 million this year to place the ball delicately on a tee for every batter he faces. Putting this guy in the game for relief is equivalent to waving the white flag in the battlefield. We've admitted defeat, just please try and keep the damage to a minimum.
So what's wrong with the Angels?
It could be the tragic events of April 9, 2009 or the continuous struggle of the usually-trustworthy bullpen or the vital miscalculations of money management. Whatever it is, it better get fixed - fast.
Or else, we're going to turn into Cubs fans. And we've only been waiting seven years.
Currently sitting in a tie for 3rd place in the down American League West (10-13), trailing Seattle by 4.5 games, the blaring question in Anahe -- oops -- Los Angeles is, "What's wrong with the Halos?"
Ever since the Angels won their first World Series in 2002, rising expectations have rode this franchise like they were the Chicago Cubs or something.
The majestic, where-in-the-hell-did-this-come-from 2002 season featured an Angels squad full of no-name, home-grown, possibly-good-but-possibly-just-as-bad, up-and-coming players, tenured Angels who had gone through years of cellar-dwelling, and wily veterans who knew this was their only shot to win a World Series. (There we're obviously too many hyphens in that last sentence, let me take a moment to rest.)
Come to think of it, the 2002 Angels resembled Charlie Sheen's Cleveland Indians in "Major League." There wasn't one superstar in the bunch, yet the Halos were able to out duel the loaded - pun intended - San Francisco Barry Bonds' in seven games.
Though the Angels won the championship that year, Barry Bonds was the star of that World Series hitting tape-measure shot after tape-measure shot.
(In fact, a couple weeks ago my family and I tried to list all the players from that 2002 World Series roster. We we're only able to name about 15 out of a 40 man roster.)
Over the years, we've began to change our identity. With the additions of Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and most recently Bobby Abreu, the Angels have shredded the no-name, built-from-the-ground-up cast. Unfortunately, it hasn't exactly led to playoff success on the diamond.
Sure we've won an average of 91 games over the last six years, but our playoff history goes as follows:
2003: missed playoffs.
2004: ALDS (lost to the Red Sox, 3-0)
2005: ALCS (beat the Yankees, 3-2; lost to the White Sox, 4-1)
2006: missed playoffs.
2007: ALDS (lost to the Red Sox, 3-0)
2008: ALDS (lost to the Red Sox, 3-1)
Granted making the playoffs for some teams is an accomplishment in itself, but for an Angels team that annually ranks in the top 10 in Major League Baseball in total team salary, a one-and-done season is an unfulfilled season.
And due to our recent inability to make it out of the ALDS these last two years (damn Red Sox) the Angels have tried to beef up their lineup and bullpen by making a splash in the free-agent market. Though the Angels have had some successful acquisitions over the years (See: Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, Orlando Cabrera, Mark Teixiera) the Halos have seen their fair share of free-agent busts (See: Bartolo Colon, Gary Matthews Jr., Juan Rivera)
The signings, sprinkled in with home-grown talent (See: Chone Figgins, Mike Napoli, John Lackey, Howie Kendrick) have continuously put the Angels in the running for the World Series each year. I can't count the number of times Sports Illustrated has picked us to win the World Series (SI jinx, anyone?).
What's intriguing about the Angels is their well-documented ability to play "small-ball." What's lost in all this admiration of "small-ball" is the popular saying "chicks dig the long ball." Throughout his seasons in Anaheim, Vladimir Guerrero has been the only serious Angels threat to hit the ball into the ozone layer with every swing of the bat.
There's something about a Guerrero at-bat that fills Angel Stadium with pure electricity. The anticipation of a 450-foot bomb is not only felt in the stands, it's felt on the field. This intimidation have worked in Vladdy's favor over the years as he's compiled 159 dingers over his six-year tenure in Anaheim and 393 longballs in his 14-year career.
So with all this said, what is wrong with the 2002 World Series Champs?
1. The Nick Adenhart Tragedy. If the Angels bounce back and end up winning the American League West it'll be a miracle to say the least. The emotional strength it takes to play through such a devastating, devastating tradegy is God-like. Had the Angels decided to mail it in for the year, I don't think anyone would've blamed them. This tragedy will resonate with the Angels' family forever.
2. The relief pitching is horrendous. Actually, horrendous doesn't accurately describe it. Godawful, appalling, nauseating, these words more accurately describe the current bullpen situation. What's even more dumbfounding is the fact the Angels have consistently had one of the best bullpens in the majors. This season is a completely different story. Our two most reliabe relievers have baffled me to no end:
Scot Shields - one of the three remaining 2002 World Series Champion players - has looked out of funk all season. Maybe the deal he made with the devil to develop a rubber arm expired this year (he once threw 262 pitches in defeat during a college game - the reason for his number 62) and now we're seeing the real Scot Shields. Known for having one of the deadliest curveballs in the big, the ol' 12-6 isn't looking too good so far. I mean, unless we're playing slow pitch softball now and I just didn't get the memo.
Jose Arrendondo - who I prematurely anointed as the next prolific Angels closer - isn't looking up-to-snub either with a 6.55 ERA in 11 innings pitched this year. I saw all the closer potential in the world in this kid last year. Head-turning stuff, an undeniable swagger and a puzzling mystique combined to remind me of the artist formerly known as Francisco Rodriquez.
During this time period I even went as far to say we didn't need to sign a closer this off-season because Arrendondo would slide right in to K-Rod's vacated spot. Silly me.
3. Effective money management. Are we sure Gary Matthews Jr. isn't a distant relative of Bernie Madoff? Can we get a DNA test to prove that he's not?
We signed "Sarge Jr." in 2007 and have been wishing Dr. Emmett Brown would show up in the Delorean ever since. We signed Matthews after he had a breakout (better known as a "contract") year - with the Texas Rangers in 2006. Like many ballclubs do, the Angels ignored Matthews' complete body of work (average season pre-2006: .260/8/33) and decided to sign him based off his inflated "contract" year numbers (2006: .313/19/79). If you become the owner of a major league baseball team: DON'T DO THAT!!!
In '07 Matthews followed up his breakout/"contract" year by hitting an abysmal .252 and just when you thought it couldn't get worse, he followed up that less-than-impressive year with an even worse .242 average. Since '07 the Angels have poured over $30 million into this guy and his contract still has TWO MORE YEARS AND MILLIONS MORE DOLLARS ON IT!!! Arrrrrrrgh!
I mean, you know your signing was a mistake when two years into your five-year, multi-million dollar contract the Angels acquire someone else who plays your exact position and they're willing to pay him and play him more.
The same goes for Juan Rivera too.
So you're telling me this summer we decided to invest our money into a mediocre outfielder who's never hit more than 23 homers in a year and has had a history of injuries instead of chasing one of the greatest right-handed batters of all time? Did we at least get some free balls in the deal?
You can't tell me signing Manny Ramirez wouldn't have re-energized the Angels faithful. And all this talk about Manny possibly not being happy in Anaheim ... we're right next to Disneyland for God's sake! The Happiest Place on Earth! How could Manram not enjoy living next to Disneyland for two to three years?
Instead, he's hitting dingers for our hated crosstown rival and we're left with Juan Rivera (a fourth outfield, at best) hitting .200 for three years. Grrrrrreat.
You wanna talk about wasted money, you got to mention Kelvim Escobar. His 101-90 career record and 4.15 career ERA is less than steller yet we're paying him like he's post-glasses Ricky Vaughn. Better yet, we payed him $9.5 million last year to ride the pine with a bum shoulder. His reward? Another $10 million this season to pitch against Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A kids all season. Gotta love this damn country!
Justin Speier. For all of you who don't know who Speier is, there's good reason. This guy is making $4.75 million this year to place the ball delicately on a tee for every batter he faces. Putting this guy in the game for relief is equivalent to waving the white flag in the battlefield. We've admitted defeat, just please try and keep the damage to a minimum.
So what's wrong with the Angels?
It could be the tragic events of April 9, 2009 or the continuous struggle of the usually-trustworthy bullpen or the vital miscalculations of money management. Whatever it is, it better get fixed - fast.
Or else, we're going to turn into Cubs fans. And we've only been waiting seven years.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Problem with the "New" Yankee Stadium
The "new" Yankee Stadium is a monstrosity.
The $1.3 billion project - built during the most crushing recession in recent memory, mind you - is a gigantic slap in the face to not only Yankees fans and New York taxpayers, but to baseball fans in general.
The most historic baseball sanctuary has been replaced by a generic, stiff, lifeless new baseball stadium.
It's hard to predict how the "new" Yankee Stadium will compare to the old one, but I'm not exactly going out on a limb by predicting it will come nowhere close to The House That Ruth Built.
If you think about it, Major League Baseball needs the Yankees to do well. Not only that, the MLB needs {gulp} Yankees fans. It's just like how the NBA needs the Celtics and Lakers to do well and how the NFL needs the Patriots and the Cowboys to do well. Their respective fans take the whole game to whole 'nother level. Their devotion, their pride, their encyclopedic knowledge of the game and quite frankly, their lunacy elevates any game involving their team to an unmatched level.
Rivaled only by Red Sox fans, Yankees fans are the most ignorant, big-headed, bias fans in all of sports, but you gotta give it to them - they know their history. They may not be the most humble fans in the world but their unrelenting Yankees pride speaks for itself. I never went to the old Yankee Stadium, but I can only imagine it was the mecca of crazed fandom.
So what made it that way?
Well, the design of the old Yankee Stadium allowed the fans to make a noticeable difference in any home game. Yankees fans had the uncanny ability to push their team to a We're Not Losing This Game mentality. It was vastly different from McAfee Coliseum (Oakland A's) and Dolphin Stadium (Florida Marlins) which both double as football stadiums. The problem with these fields is that the make of the stadium separates the fans from the field which in turn drowns out their would-be raucous and motivating cheers. (I say "would-be" because the A's and the Marlins haven't mattered in years.)
Now, the "new" Yankee Stadium falls victim to the same disease.
Though the design of the "new" stadium may not mirror the designs of McAfee Coliseum or Dolphin Stadium, I'm watching the Angels/Yankees game right now and there's no excitement in the park whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the 10 or so rows surrounding the field look like a graveyard site.
What's head-scratching is they look like the plushest, comfiest, most luxurious seats in the whole damn stadium, yet they're not remotely full. Why?
Simple. {clearing my throat} BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING FOR $500-2,500 A POP!!! Compare that to the $125 and $128 price-tag that comes with the same seats at Fenway Park and Angels Stadium, respectively, and you're talking about an exponential difference. I mean, those Red Sox and Angels tickets are some pricey tickets in and of themselves, but they seem like pocket change tickets compared to the seats at the "new" Yankee Stadium.
This week in fact, Hank Steinbrenner needed to lower the prices of those same seats so the stadium would appear more full in television broadcasts. That would've NEVER happened in the old Yankee Stadium, even if we are in the worst economic depression in years. It just wouldn't have happened.
On the field, the old Yankee Stadium wasn't exactly AT&T Park or Petco Park, but it wasn't necessarily Coors Field either. Now, it's a mix of Coors Field and Little League Volunteer Stadium (where the Little League World Series is played). Put it this way, if the new Yankee Stadium had hosted the 2008 Home Run Derby, we'd still be watching Josh Hamilton hit jacks into the New York City skyline. If we're going to put an asterisk next to all the questionable stats accumulated during the Steroid Era, we're going to need to put an asterisk next to all stats accumulated in the "new" Yankee Stadium.
I mean, the measurements to Right Field and Left Field are 314' and 318' respectively!!! The aforementioned Little League Volunteer Stadium's measurements are 225' to both fields - 12 and 13 year olds play on that field!!!
So what can we do to fix this monstrosity known as the "new" Yankee Stadium? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The diehard Yankees fans have been priced out by corporate sponsors and CEOs which has simultaneously sucked all the life out of the venue. Will we ever see another 96', 98', 99' or 2000 World Series-like atmosphere in the "new" Yankee Stadium, I doubt it.
Sure, the park will feature millions of high-scoring, mildly entertaining, home-run derby like games, (shoot, in two weeks the park has already seen a 22-4 shellacking by the Indians and a 11-0 victory over the Tigers) but will we be talking about the mystique of the "new" Yankee Stadium years from now like we do for The House That Ruth Built?
I say no, and that's the real monstrosity.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sayonara Lenten Season
The celebration of Easter signifies the end of the 40 day/40 night Lenten season. Indulge. The stuff you gave up for Lent, by all means start doing again. I gave up candy, and you bet your bottom dollar I'm going out later today and nabbing the first Skittles/Starburst/Snickers I see.
I'm weak, I know.
But hey, like I wrote at the beginning of the Lenten season (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/note.php?note_id=65107058351), this year - unlike any other - I decided to write more frequently. And I did just that. With that goal in mind I started to write about once a week. With my new found dedication I was putting out little opinion pieces left and right. Around the third week of Lent I had my first article published in the Daily Titan.
I had been published.
I've always felt a sense of pride knowing other people are reading my work. And I've always felt my articles are better than anything else out there. Call it cockiness, arrogance, bigheadedness (I just made that word up), any word you can imagine that describe the self-centered nature that comes with my opinion regarding my published works. However, make sure you remember that in a cut-throat business where every possible reader is short on time and constantly moving, your writing has to garner more attention than the next guy's or else you're doomed to an afterthought.
So call it confidence.
Now, I've been published five straight weeks (six articles). We got about five weeks left of school, so by the end of the semester I should have a total of about 10-11 articles over the span of half a semester. And I could write more.
I love what I do. And thank you Lenten season for pushing me to improve my craft. I owe you one.
A few snippets from Easter Sunday:
-- At my family party I was talking to a guy about golf. I didn't know the guy from Adam but he seemed pretty chill. (Side note: We started talking about golf after he saw me take a few air swings by the Badminton net. Embarrassing, yeah). He told me that he has troubles hitting his irons consistently which was pretty intriguing considering my irons are as far from consistent as can be. He said he'll hit his 6-iron about 150 yards one shot, 100 yards the next, then like 50 yards the hit after that. It was kind of relieving in a way. It assured me that living life with a 30 handicap may not be so bad after all. The bummer: he's only been playing for a couple months. I've been playing for a couple years. Sooo scratch that first thought.
-- Angel Cabrera became the first Argentine to win the coveted Green Jacket. I didn't follow The Masters this year a whole lot. Watched a little bit on Thursday, some highlights on Saturday, and a little bit today. And by 'a little bit today' I mean when Tiger was making his charge. It's really true what they say about golf. It's the only sport where everyone knows who the MVP is gonna be. If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan have won 5 MVP's respectively, Tiger Woods has won 13 (counting all the years he's been on the PGA Tour) and counting.
Golf is irrelevant unless Tiger's playing. And by 'playing' I mean winning. One of the top ten sounds in all of sports is the instinctive, sometimes drunken "GET IN THE HOLE!" exclamation after a Tiger Woods tee shot. There's nothing like it. You just can't script it. It's right up there with the 7th Inning Stretch and the sound of a good knife-edge chop.
-- Angles win 5-4, taking two out of three from the Red Sox. Coincidently the only game they lost this series we went to. We're 0-2 on the season. Not a good sign. Good thing Arte Moreno signed Bobby Abreu with the change in his pocket or else who knows how many wins we'll have. Angels 3-3. Next up, Seattle.
I'm weak, I know.
But hey, like I wrote at the beginning of the Lenten season (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/note.php?note_id=65107058351), this year - unlike any other - I decided to write more frequently. And I did just that. With that goal in mind I started to write about once a week. With my new found dedication I was putting out little opinion pieces left and right. Around the third week of Lent I had my first article published in the Daily Titan.
I had been published.
I've always felt a sense of pride knowing other people are reading my work. And I've always felt my articles are better than anything else out there. Call it cockiness, arrogance, bigheadedness (I just made that word up), any word you can imagine that describe the self-centered nature that comes with my opinion regarding my published works. However, make sure you remember that in a cut-throat business where every possible reader is short on time and constantly moving, your writing has to garner more attention than the next guy's or else you're doomed to an afterthought.
So call it confidence.
Now, I've been published five straight weeks (six articles). We got about five weeks left of school, so by the end of the semester I should have a total of about 10-11 articles over the span of half a semester. And I could write more.
I love what I do. And thank you Lenten season for pushing me to improve my craft. I owe you one.
A few snippets from Easter Sunday:
-- At my family party I was talking to a guy about golf. I didn't know the guy from Adam but he seemed pretty chill. (Side note: We started talking about golf after he saw me take a few air swings by the Badminton net. Embarrassing, yeah). He told me that he has troubles hitting his irons consistently which was pretty intriguing considering my irons are as far from consistent as can be. He said he'll hit his 6-iron about 150 yards one shot, 100 yards the next, then like 50 yards the hit after that. It was kind of relieving in a way. It assured me that living life with a 30 handicap may not be so bad after all. The bummer: he's only been playing for a couple months. I've been playing for a couple years. Sooo scratch that first thought.
-- Angel Cabrera became the first Argentine to win the coveted Green Jacket. I didn't follow The Masters this year a whole lot. Watched a little bit on Thursday, some highlights on Saturday, and a little bit today. And by 'a little bit today' I mean when Tiger was making his charge. It's really true what they say about golf. It's the only sport where everyone knows who the MVP is gonna be. If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan have won 5 MVP's respectively, Tiger Woods has won 13 (counting all the years he's been on the PGA Tour) and counting.
Golf is irrelevant unless Tiger's playing. And by 'playing' I mean winning. One of the top ten sounds in all of sports is the instinctive, sometimes drunken "GET IN THE HOLE!" exclamation after a Tiger Woods tee shot. There's nothing like it. You just can't script it. It's right up there with the 7th Inning Stretch and the sound of a good knife-edge chop.
-- Angles win 5-4, taking two out of three from the Red Sox. Coincidently the only game they lost this series we went to. We're 0-2 on the season. Not a good sign. Good thing Arte Moreno signed Bobby Abreu with the change in his pocket or else who knows how many wins we'll have. Angels 3-3. Next up, Seattle.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Comeback
I've been on a long hiatus but never worry, I'm like Tiger coming back after his knee surgery and this is my Bay Hill ...
A day removed from quite possibly the most touching, inspirational, emotional game in Angels baseball history, my family and I visited the ballpark to see the Angels take on Red Sox nation in game 2 of a three-game set.
And boy did the Nation come out in support.
There are three teams we Angels fans know are going to bring a wave of opposing fans and enemy colors: the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees. It's these games that test true Angels pride. Sure, Angels fans can cheer on the Halos when the Royals or Twins are in town, but when the Bronx Bombers come to Anaheim, the true Angels fans come out.
It didn't used to be like that though. Years ago, Boston fans would outnumber Halo fans nearly 2 or even 3 to 1 during games played in Anaheim, but ever since the Halos won the World Series in 2002, the numbers have reversed substantially.
The one thing you can't knock about the Red Sox fans is that they travel well. I'd say it was about 70-30 in regards to Angels/Red Sox fans, and why not? This rivalry goes back to 2004 when Boston ousted the 92 win AL West champs in the ALDS in three games en route to their first World Series in 85 years. They again eliminated the Angels in the 2007 ALDS (three games) and again in the 2008 ALDS (four games).
The ironic thing about this postseason trend is the fact the Angels have owned the Red Sox recently in the regular season, winning nine straight until today's 5-4 loss.
With the season in full swing and 157 more games on the schedule, the Angels look a little down from last year's 100-win squad. Minus Mark Teixiera (signed with the Yankees) and aces John Lackey and Ervin Santana (Disabled List), the Halos are turning to young prospects and seasoned veterans to carry the load. And someone called Shane Loux.
Stay tuned.
A few little things about the game today:
-- I wrote a piece on proper fan etiquette for Thursday's Daily Titan (Cal State Fullerton's daily publication: link here http://www.dailytitan.com/opinion/proper-fan-etiquette-this-season-1.1650736 ) and after going to today's game I realized I forgot one few thing.
5. When a beach ball is hit to you, grab it, hold it up, and proceed to hit it over your left or right shoulder. DO NOT HIT IT IN FRONT OF YOU! Hit the person behind right in the kisser for all I care, just don't make the mistake of hitting it forward. I saw this happen three times in the span of a minute at today's game. Three beach balls, gone in the blink of an eye. The commonality between the three? All of them were hit forward, consequently knocking them over the railing of the upper section of the stadium. There's no easier way to get fans to turn on you than by smacking a beach ball over the edge. You'll hear more boo's than Amateur Night at the Apollo. Believe me, I've seen it.
(A fascinating continuation of number 4: Three Red Sox fans were sitting behind us. Now, normally this isn't a problem. We've had Yankees fans behind us, Dodgers fans, you name it. We've heard our fair share of stories, but these fans took the cake. By the second inning I practically knew one of the guys' life story. He went to South Carolina for Grad School. Came back to the University of San Diego to get his MBA. He met his girlfriend the day he quit his job. He once had season tickets for the Padres - according to him, "something he'll never do again." And finally, his dad was from the Boston area. An interesting little twist: HE WASN'T EVEN TALKING TO HIS GIRLFRIEND ABOUT THIS! And mind you, THIS IS ALL BEFORE THE SECOND INNING! SOMEBODY STOP ME I CAN'T STOP USING ALL CAPS! Like I say, there's no problem with talking during a ballgame, but please, please, leave the personal stories for the personal and private settings - and Match.com.)
-- If I were a Major League closer, I'd come out of the bullpen exactly like Triple H, down to the last mouthful of water (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q3EER96TDs&feature=related). The funny thing is I'd do it whether I was at home or on the road.
-- Is there an easier way to tell Mike Scoscia is throwing in the towel than his "trailing" bullpen? I mean, when the Angels are tied or leading it's Jose Arrendondo or Scot Shields, period. When they're trailing (by one - surprisngly - or more), it's a littany of other rookies, has beens, and never was' (or is it 'never weres'?). Anyways, today we're down by one, top of the 9th, trying to beat the Red Sox for the 10th time in a row (in the regular season anyway) and out trots Justin Speier from the bullpen! JUSTIN SPEIER! Let's say in The Sandlot, when the kids are playing the team with the really nice uniforms, the game got kinda close (considering it didn't because the Sandlot kids were hitting jacks left and right). Let's say instead of bringing Benny in to close it out, they decided to throw Smalls out there for an inning or so. Smalls conitues to get rocked and inevitably they lose the game because of his inability to move the ball off the tee. Justin Speier would be the Smalls of the Angels. Needless to say, the first batter he faced, Jason Bay, hit a home run that hasn't landed yet. Or course, we lost by one. Imagine that.
Man, that felt good. Felt like I just hit a 20-foot putt to win Arnie's Tournament.
A day removed from quite possibly the most touching, inspirational, emotional game in Angels baseball history, my family and I visited the ballpark to see the Angels take on Red Sox nation in game 2 of a three-game set.
And boy did the Nation come out in support.
There are three teams we Angels fans know are going to bring a wave of opposing fans and enemy colors: the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees. It's these games that test true Angels pride. Sure, Angels fans can cheer on the Halos when the Royals or Twins are in town, but when the Bronx Bombers come to Anaheim, the true Angels fans come out.
It didn't used to be like that though. Years ago, Boston fans would outnumber Halo fans nearly 2 or even 3 to 1 during games played in Anaheim, but ever since the Halos won the World Series in 2002, the numbers have reversed substantially.
The one thing you can't knock about the Red Sox fans is that they travel well. I'd say it was about 70-30 in regards to Angels/Red Sox fans, and why not? This rivalry goes back to 2004 when Boston ousted the 92 win AL West champs in the ALDS in three games en route to their first World Series in 85 years. They again eliminated the Angels in the 2007 ALDS (three games) and again in the 2008 ALDS (four games).
The ironic thing about this postseason trend is the fact the Angels have owned the Red Sox recently in the regular season, winning nine straight until today's 5-4 loss.
With the season in full swing and 157 more games on the schedule, the Angels look a little down from last year's 100-win squad. Minus Mark Teixiera (signed with the Yankees) and aces John Lackey and Ervin Santana (Disabled List), the Halos are turning to young prospects and seasoned veterans to carry the load. And someone called Shane Loux.
Stay tuned.
A few little things about the game today:
-- I wrote a piece on proper fan etiquette for Thursday's Daily Titan (Cal State Fullerton's daily publication: link here http://www.dailytitan.com/opinion/proper-fan-etiquette-this-season-1.1650736 ) and after going to today's game I realized I forgot one few thing.
5. When a beach ball is hit to you, grab it, hold it up, and proceed to hit it over your left or right shoulder. DO NOT HIT IT IN FRONT OF YOU! Hit the person behind right in the kisser for all I care, just don't make the mistake of hitting it forward. I saw this happen three times in the span of a minute at today's game. Three beach balls, gone in the blink of an eye. The commonality between the three? All of them were hit forward, consequently knocking them over the railing of the upper section of the stadium. There's no easier way to get fans to turn on you than by smacking a beach ball over the edge. You'll hear more boo's than Amateur Night at the Apollo. Believe me, I've seen it.
(A fascinating continuation of number 4: Three Red Sox fans were sitting behind us. Now, normally this isn't a problem. We've had Yankees fans behind us, Dodgers fans, you name it. We've heard our fair share of stories, but these fans took the cake. By the second inning I practically knew one of the guys' life story. He went to South Carolina for Grad School. Came back to the University of San Diego to get his MBA. He met his girlfriend the day he quit his job. He once had season tickets for the Padres - according to him, "something he'll never do again." And finally, his dad was from the Boston area. An interesting little twist: HE WASN'T EVEN TALKING TO HIS GIRLFRIEND ABOUT THIS! And mind you, THIS IS ALL BEFORE THE SECOND INNING! SOMEBODY STOP ME I CAN'T STOP USING ALL CAPS! Like I say, there's no problem with talking during a ballgame, but please, please, leave the personal stories for the personal and private settings - and Match.com.)
-- If I were a Major League closer, I'd come out of the bullpen exactly like Triple H, down to the last mouthful of water (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q3EER96TDs&feature=related). The funny thing is I'd do it whether I was at home or on the road.
-- Is there an easier way to tell Mike Scoscia is throwing in the towel than his "trailing" bullpen? I mean, when the Angels are tied or leading it's Jose Arrendondo or Scot Shields, period. When they're trailing (by one - surprisngly - or more), it's a littany of other rookies, has beens, and never was' (or is it 'never weres'?). Anyways, today we're down by one, top of the 9th, trying to beat the Red Sox for the 10th time in a row (in the regular season anyway) and out trots Justin Speier from the bullpen! JUSTIN SPEIER! Let's say in The Sandlot, when the kids are playing the team with the really nice uniforms, the game got kinda close (considering it didn't because the Sandlot kids were hitting jacks left and right). Let's say instead of bringing Benny in to close it out, they decided to throw Smalls out there for an inning or so. Smalls conitues to get rocked and inevitably they lose the game because of his inability to move the ball off the tee. Justin Speier would be the Smalls of the Angels. Needless to say, the first batter he faced, Jason Bay, hit a home run that hasn't landed yet. Or course, we lost by one. Imagine that.
Man, that felt good. Felt like I just hit a 20-foot putt to win Arnie's Tournament.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Red Sox, 2. Angels, 0.
Come October, the Angels can't beat the Red Sox; not in Fenway, in Anaheim, in Williamsport, in Omaha, anywhere.
If last night's 7-5 was lost any indication of the Angels future - the Angels better switch leagues.
The 2008 American League West Champions took the field last night down 0-1, needing to win Game 2 in order to stay alive (35 teams have gone down 0-2 in a best-of-five series and only five have come back to win the series). With Ervin Santana (16-7) taking the mound, every Angel fan longed for the Ervin Santana of October 4, 2005. Almost three years to the day in Game 5 of the ALDS, Santana (a rookie at the time) replaced the eventual American League Cy Young award winner, Bartolo Colon after Colon injured his right shoulder in the first inning. In five and a third innings Santana limited the dangerous Yankees lineup to just three runs on five hits and collected the win in the Angels' 5-3 victory, which sent them back to the ALCS for the first time since their championship run of 2002.
In the top of the first, when excitement was still at an all-time high, Ervin recorded two quick outs. Then, he gave up a knock to Big Papi, then Kevin Youkilis singled, then J.D. Drew doubled, scoring David Ortiz. Then game 1 hero Jason Bay stepped to the plate. Bay, who put the Red Sox ahead for good in game 1 with a two-run bomb, added another dinger to his postseason resume, sending this one to the deepest part of the ballpark. An interesting fact: the Angels don't have a home run in 60 some odd playoff innings, Jason Bay had two in a span of three.
Finding themselves down in a hole, the Angels clawed their way back into the game, answering the four spot the Sox put on the board in the first, with a run of their own.
After allowing another run in the top of the fourth, the lead was stretched to 5-1. In the home half of the 4th, a Chone Figgins single scored Juan Rivera which made the score 5-2 Sox. The Angels seemed to be back in the game as they had been able to get runners on, but struggled immensely to get them in. A run in the 5th made the score 5-3 and sparked an Angels rally.
Santana settled down after allowing five consecutive 2-out hits in the first, only allowing one more run in the next four and a third innings. After a botched catch by Torii Hunter and a single by Red Sox captain Jason Varitek, Santana was relived by rookie phenom and potential 2009 Angel closer Jose Arredondo. Arrendondo, who went 10-2 as a reliever for the Angels this year, walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. After striking out Jacoby Ellsbury, he was able to get MVP candidate Dustin Pedroia to pop out to third, holding the score at 5-3 going into the bottom of the 6th.
The Angels scored individual runs in the 7th, and 8th to tie the game at 5. However, the top half of the 9th inning shut the door on not only any Angels rally, but any hopes of making it to the World Series.
After allowing a walk after tallying two outs in the 8th, Scot Shield was lifted for 62 save, 10-million-dollar closer Francisco Rodriguez. After getting out of the 8th unharmed, K-Rod came back for the 9th. After giving up a double to Big Papi, Rodriguez was able to settle down and get dangerous clean-up hitter Kevin Youkilis to ground to third for the first out of the inning. Up walked J.D. Drew.
When the ball left J.D. Drew's bat, everyone in the stadium knew it was gone. Everyone saw Torii Hunter run to wall, but everyone knew he wasn't going to be able to scale it and retrieve the ball, bringing it back along with the Angels' season. Half an hour later we were down 0-2 staring another inevitable sweep at the hands of the Red Sox in the face.
A devastated 45,354 fans filed out of the Big A for the last time this season.
So this is what it feels like to win 100 games yet not see mid-October. So this is how the 2001 Seattle Mariners (116 wins) and the 2002 Oakland A's (103 wins) felt after holding the best record in baseball, securing the American League West title, yet failing to reach the World Series.
The Red Sox' eleventh straight - yeah, eleventh straight - playoff victory over the Angels sealed the fate of the 'best team in baseball.' All that's left is the inevitable game 3 shutout via the arm of Boston ace Josh Beckett. Beckett, who boasts a career postseason record of 6-2 with a 1.73 ERA, takes the mound Sunday night at Fenway to put the final nail in the Angels 100-win coffin. Last year, Beckett threw a complete game, 4-hit shutout in Game 1 of the ALDS, against who? You guessed it, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
On a positive note, at least we're not going through the same torture as Cubs fans - yet.
If last night's 7-5 was lost any indication of the Angels future - the Angels better switch leagues.
The 2008 American League West Champions took the field last night down 0-1, needing to win Game 2 in order to stay alive (35 teams have gone down 0-2 in a best-of-five series and only five have come back to win the series). With Ervin Santana (16-7) taking the mound, every Angel fan longed for the Ervin Santana of October 4, 2005. Almost three years to the day in Game 5 of the ALDS, Santana (a rookie at the time) replaced the eventual American League Cy Young award winner, Bartolo Colon after Colon injured his right shoulder in the first inning. In five and a third innings Santana limited the dangerous Yankees lineup to just three runs on five hits and collected the win in the Angels' 5-3 victory, which sent them back to the ALCS for the first time since their championship run of 2002.
In the top of the first, when excitement was still at an all-time high, Ervin recorded two quick outs. Then, he gave up a knock to Big Papi, then Kevin Youkilis singled, then J.D. Drew doubled, scoring David Ortiz. Then game 1 hero Jason Bay stepped to the plate. Bay, who put the Red Sox ahead for good in game 1 with a two-run bomb, added another dinger to his postseason resume, sending this one to the deepest part of the ballpark. An interesting fact: the Angels don't have a home run in 60 some odd playoff innings, Jason Bay had two in a span of three.
Finding themselves down in a hole, the Angels clawed their way back into the game, answering the four spot the Sox put on the board in the first, with a run of their own.
After allowing another run in the top of the fourth, the lead was stretched to 5-1. In the home half of the 4th, a Chone Figgins single scored Juan Rivera which made the score 5-2 Sox. The Angels seemed to be back in the game as they had been able to get runners on, but struggled immensely to get them in. A run in the 5th made the score 5-3 and sparked an Angels rally.
Santana settled down after allowing five consecutive 2-out hits in the first, only allowing one more run in the next four and a third innings. After a botched catch by Torii Hunter and a single by Red Sox captain Jason Varitek, Santana was relived by rookie phenom and potential 2009 Angel closer Jose Arredondo. Arrendondo, who went 10-2 as a reliever for the Angels this year, walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. After striking out Jacoby Ellsbury, he was able to get MVP candidate Dustin Pedroia to pop out to third, holding the score at 5-3 going into the bottom of the 6th.
The Angels scored individual runs in the 7th, and 8th to tie the game at 5. However, the top half of the 9th inning shut the door on not only any Angels rally, but any hopes of making it to the World Series.
After allowing a walk after tallying two outs in the 8th, Scot Shield was lifted for 62 save, 10-million-dollar closer Francisco Rodriguez. After getting out of the 8th unharmed, K-Rod came back for the 9th. After giving up a double to Big Papi, Rodriguez was able to settle down and get dangerous clean-up hitter Kevin Youkilis to ground to third for the first out of the inning. Up walked J.D. Drew.
When the ball left J.D. Drew's bat, everyone in the stadium knew it was gone. Everyone saw Torii Hunter run to wall, but everyone knew he wasn't going to be able to scale it and retrieve the ball, bringing it back along with the Angels' season. Half an hour later we were down 0-2 staring another inevitable sweep at the hands of the Red Sox in the face.
A devastated 45,354 fans filed out of the Big A for the last time this season.
So this is what it feels like to win 100 games yet not see mid-October. So this is how the 2001 Seattle Mariners (116 wins) and the 2002 Oakland A's (103 wins) felt after holding the best record in baseball, securing the American League West title, yet failing to reach the World Series.
The Red Sox' eleventh straight - yeah, eleventh straight - playoff victory over the Angels sealed the fate of the 'best team in baseball.' All that's left is the inevitable game 3 shutout via the arm of Boston ace Josh Beckett. Beckett, who boasts a career postseason record of 6-2 with a 1.73 ERA, takes the mound Sunday night at Fenway to put the final nail in the Angels 100-win coffin. Last year, Beckett threw a complete game, 4-hit shutout in Game 1 of the ALDS, against who? You guessed it, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
On a positive note, at least we're not going through the same torture as Cubs fans - yet.
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