Kendry Morales
Two Events That Shape LA Baseball
01/27/11 20:51 Filed in: Baseball
In the past few years, two watershed events occurred in Los Angeles baseball, forever changing the course of two successful franchises, previously competing yearly for division titles, and league championships.
Headlines for a year and a half now have detailed the facts, fictions, and fantasies of the event forever changing in ways not yet fully known, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hamstringing expenditures, the McCourt divorce has been the high-profile roadblock to Dodger spending, and Dodger success. Less noteworthy, but more relevant to the objective of on-the-field success, was the earlier event that forever changed the fortunes of the Los Angeles Angels, the retirement of General Manager Bill Stoneman.
For a year, the McCourt divorce handcuffed GM Ned Colletti, and the results were oh-so evident on the field during the 2010 season. But, low and behold, this winter the purse strings have miraculously opened, and the Dodgers have dramatically improved their roster. The addition of Jon Garland and the re-signing of Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla have transformed a questionable rotation into a solid, deep group of starters, and the signing of Matt Guerrier has added depth and solid set-up help to a bullpen that can dominate in the late innings. The signing of Juan Uribe to play second base gives the team the first solid, 3, 4, 5, 6 infield it has had in years. Re-acquiring Dioner Navarro solidifies a now deep and veteran catching corp, that should exceed the diminished play of the 2009-2010 Russell Martin (who I expect to have a big comeback in NY). The left field platoon of Jay Gibbons and Marcus Thames will provide a major improvement over last year.
The one deficit the Dodgers must try to overcome in their quest to return to NL West prominence, is, of course, the presence of Don Mattingly in the manager's seat. The hope here is that the start to the season will be so horrendous that Donny will swiftly be shown the exit, and that the guy who should have gotten the job, new 3B coach Tim Wallach, will then replace him. Should that occur, then the effect of the McCourt divorce will, at least for 2011, be minimal, and the Dodgers can enjoy a successful comeback from the disastrous 2010 season.
Now the Angels are another story.
The single most important even in Angel history was the hiring of Bill Stoneman as GM in 1999. His greatest move, of course, was the hiring of Mike Scioscia as manager, but for eight years, he made move after move, some under the radar, that built and maintained a solid contender, the 2002 World Champion, and a team that thereafter won the Western Division title on almost a yearly basis. Then following the 2007 season, he abruptly retired. The team and the system was so good, that his successor, Tony Reagins, could do little to harm Scioscia's Angels for the next couple of years, though any honest appraisal would reveal that the team was just not as deep and as solid and as special as the 2002-2007 teams.
In stark contrast to the low-key mastermind Stoneman, Reagins felt the need to make a splash, and his trademark became top-of-the-news trades and signings. Some early moves admittedly were not bad, most notably, the signing of Torri Hunter. Others, not so much, such as mortgaging the future with the rental of Mark Teixeira, knowing the impossibility of signing him for the following season. Following the 2009 season, the team was devastated by the free-agent losses of John Lackey, Vladimir Guerrero and Chone Figgins. As time went on, his moves became more and more desperate, such as trading for Scott Kazmir, and then trading for Dan Haren at the price of four young pitchers, including solid, proven starter Joe Saunders, over whom Haren is only a modest improvement, if an improvement at all. Major league rosters are laden with ex-Angel pitching prospects, never allowed to mature in Anaheim, but showing ability, talent, and bright futures elsewhere. That list includes Sean O'Sullivan, Darren O'Day, and Dustin Moseley, not to mention ex-Angel veterans Darren Oliver and Francisco Rodriguez.
And then came the 2010-2011 off-season. Full of promises to sign Adrian Beltre, Rafael Soriano, Carl Crawford, and maybe even Cliff Lee, Reagins was totally shut out. As time marched on towards spring training, he felt compelled to make a move, and a move he did make. Making probably the worst trade by a southern California team since the Dodgers gave away Mike Piazza, he traded Juan Rivera and Angel stalwart Mike Napoli for the over-priced, over-rated, and over-the-hill Vernon Wells. Wells' numbers last season were not too bad - 31 HRs and 88 RBIs, with a .273 average. However, that is one home run every 19 at-bats and an RBI every 6.7. Compare that to Napoli's home run every 17 at bats and RBI every 6.5 at bats. Compare all this further with the fact that before last season's "comeback", Wells had had three consecutive bad years, averaging only 17 home runs and 75 RBIs a year. Add in the fact that there are no assurances the Kendy Morales will be totally healthy at the start of the season and able to play first base every day. If he cannot, without Napoli, the Angels have NO back-up first baseman. Without Rivera, they do not even have a back-up designated hitter. And the Angels owe Wells $86 Million.
Despite one of the great managers in baseball, a starting staff with true quality at the top, and a tremendous defense, the Angels are headed for a bad season, with no light at the end of the tunnel.
Headlines for a year and a half now have detailed the facts, fictions, and fantasies of the event forever changing in ways not yet fully known, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hamstringing expenditures, the McCourt divorce has been the high-profile roadblock to Dodger spending, and Dodger success. Less noteworthy, but more relevant to the objective of on-the-field success, was the earlier event that forever changed the fortunes of the Los Angeles Angels, the retirement of General Manager Bill Stoneman.
For a year, the McCourt divorce handcuffed GM Ned Colletti, and the results were oh-so evident on the field during the 2010 season. But, low and behold, this winter the purse strings have miraculously opened, and the Dodgers have dramatically improved their roster. The addition of Jon Garland and the re-signing of Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla have transformed a questionable rotation into a solid, deep group of starters, and the signing of Matt Guerrier has added depth and solid set-up help to a bullpen that can dominate in the late innings. The signing of Juan Uribe to play second base gives the team the first solid, 3, 4, 5, 6 infield it has had in years. Re-acquiring Dioner Navarro solidifies a now deep and veteran catching corp, that should exceed the diminished play of the 2009-2010 Russell Martin (who I expect to have a big comeback in NY). The left field platoon of Jay Gibbons and Marcus Thames will provide a major improvement over last year.
The one deficit the Dodgers must try to overcome in their quest to return to NL West prominence, is, of course, the presence of Don Mattingly in the manager's seat. The hope here is that the start to the season will be so horrendous that Donny will swiftly be shown the exit, and that the guy who should have gotten the job, new 3B coach Tim Wallach, will then replace him. Should that occur, then the effect of the McCourt divorce will, at least for 2011, be minimal, and the Dodgers can enjoy a successful comeback from the disastrous 2010 season.
Now the Angels are another story.
The single most important even in Angel history was the hiring of Bill Stoneman as GM in 1999. His greatest move, of course, was the hiring of Mike Scioscia as manager, but for eight years, he made move after move, some under the radar, that built and maintained a solid contender, the 2002 World Champion, and a team that thereafter won the Western Division title on almost a yearly basis. Then following the 2007 season, he abruptly retired. The team and the system was so good, that his successor, Tony Reagins, could do little to harm Scioscia's Angels for the next couple of years, though any honest appraisal would reveal that the team was just not as deep and as solid and as special as the 2002-2007 teams.
In stark contrast to the low-key mastermind Stoneman, Reagins felt the need to make a splash, and his trademark became top-of-the-news trades and signings. Some early moves admittedly were not bad, most notably, the signing of Torri Hunter. Others, not so much, such as mortgaging the future with the rental of Mark Teixeira, knowing the impossibility of signing him for the following season. Following the 2009 season, the team was devastated by the free-agent losses of John Lackey, Vladimir Guerrero and Chone Figgins. As time went on, his moves became more and more desperate, such as trading for Scott Kazmir, and then trading for Dan Haren at the price of four young pitchers, including solid, proven starter Joe Saunders, over whom Haren is only a modest improvement, if an improvement at all. Major league rosters are laden with ex-Angel pitching prospects, never allowed to mature in Anaheim, but showing ability, talent, and bright futures elsewhere. That list includes Sean O'Sullivan, Darren O'Day, and Dustin Moseley, not to mention ex-Angel veterans Darren Oliver and Francisco Rodriguez.
And then came the 2010-2011 off-season. Full of promises to sign Adrian Beltre, Rafael Soriano, Carl Crawford, and maybe even Cliff Lee, Reagins was totally shut out. As time marched on towards spring training, he felt compelled to make a move, and a move he did make. Making probably the worst trade by a southern California team since the Dodgers gave away Mike Piazza, he traded Juan Rivera and Angel stalwart Mike Napoli for the over-priced, over-rated, and over-the-hill Vernon Wells. Wells' numbers last season were not too bad - 31 HRs and 88 RBIs, with a .273 average. However, that is one home run every 19 at-bats and an RBI every 6.7. Compare that to Napoli's home run every 17 at bats and RBI every 6.5 at bats. Compare all this further with the fact that before last season's "comeback", Wells had had three consecutive bad years, averaging only 17 home runs and 75 RBIs a year. Add in the fact that there are no assurances the Kendy Morales will be totally healthy at the start of the season and able to play first base every day. If he cannot, without Napoli, the Angels have NO back-up first baseman. Without Rivera, they do not even have a back-up designated hitter. And the Angels owe Wells $86 Million.
Despite one of the great managers in baseball, a starting staff with true quality at the top, and a tremendous defense, the Angels are headed for a bad season, with no light at the end of the tunnel.
theHoundDawg |  |
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Trades Solidify Division Leaders, Give Little Hope to Also-Rans
07/31/10 12:45 Filed in: Baseball
Chaos is the word to describe the flurry of trades coming seemingly every few minutes as the trade deadline approaches.
As of now, division leaders in the AL West and East and in all three NL divisions seem to have solidified their positions, with at least one cellar organization making a significant improvement in its outlook for the future.
At first look, it seems like the floundering Dodgers have significantly improved with the acquisitions of Scot Podsednik, Ryan Theriot, and Ted Lilly. With the likelihood of Podsednik being a solid replacement for the missing Manny, not to mention getting on base and stealing bases from the leadoff position, of the veteran Theriot solidifying the infield as the new second baseman, and of lefty Lilly providing a solid, inning-eating presence in the starting rotation, one would think the Dodgers are poised to make a real run at the Padres. BUT, look at what the pitching-rich but light-hitting Padres have now done: They’ve added power and run production in both the infield and outfield with the additions of Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tijeda, while, unlike other National League contenders, giving up no players from their major league squad.
In the East, The Phillies have likely improved with the acquisition of Roy Oswalt, but that is not etched in stone. J.A. Happ was a key part of their run to the World Series last year, and his disappearance this season has been a real mystery. As soon as the trade was announced, Happ high-tailed it to the Astros, and pitched 6 shoutout innings, lowering his 2010 major league ERA to 1.27. Given his non-use in Philadelphia, the trade is a plus for the Phillies, but at this stage in their careers, and given their respective ages, I’d rather have Happ than Oswalt. And meanwhile, the first-place Braves have solidified their position with the acquisitions of SS Alex Gonzalez, OF Rick Ankiel, and relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.
In the Central, the Cardinals seemingly have been in the hunt for every available pitcher, and finally landed a good one in Jake Westbrook. If he stays healthy, he could be the difference in their fending off the Reds, who received their own rotation-boost by the return to action of Edinson Volquez after 1-1/2 years of inaction.
In the American League East, the yankee scumstripes landed not one, but two power-hitting outfielder/first basemen/dh-types, in Lance Berkman and Austin Kearns, to solidify their position in first., and Kerry Wood to add yet another are to their bullpen. But, Tampa is inching closer, and the Red Sox may soon have their load of injured players back. Nothing certain in that division, despite what the “experts” say.
In the Central, the White Sox took a giant step backward in trading for the over-rated, ineffective, and overpaid Edwin Jackson. Detroit was able to replace the injured Brandon Inge with Jhonny Peralta, but those other injuries to Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen have not been addressed. The Twins, on the other hand, made the biggest deal among teams in the division, by acquiring a needed closer in Matt Capps. I’m sticking with them to win the AL Central.
And then there is the AL West. I picked the Angels to win the division again, but then when Kendry Morales was lost for the season, I said the Angels were through, that they could not win the division without his bat. Showing real panic, Angels GM Tony Reagins has made some deals that make on shudder, giving up far too much for far too little, and “solidifying” positions that did not need solidifying, all the while ignoring the hole at first base. Trading young starter Sean O’Sullivan for infielder Alberto Callispo may have been an improvement overall, but giving up the talented O’Sullivan when your pitching prospects are few and far between, without a first baseman in the deal, was mistake number one.
The major mistake, however, was the deal with Arizona, for Dan Haren. Haren is a terrific starter, with many excellent years ahead of him. But what did they give up? JOE SAUNDERS AND group of young prospects. You cannot tell me that Joe Saunders, over last three seasons, has not been just as effective a starting pitcher as Haren, and he is one year younger. At best, the trade is a wash, and given the Angels’ other needs, was a huge mistake. Couple all of this with the losses of starters Scott Kazmir and Joel Pineiro, Reagins and the Angels have mortgaged the future to try to win a division title that is out of their reach.
The Rangers, acquiring Benji Molina, Cliff Lee, Jorge Cantu, and now Christian Guzman to replace the injured Ian Kinsler, have a hugh, insurmountable lead, and the Angel organization should have realized that before trading away Joe Saunders.
The other team that did real well in the flurry of trades was the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks. They helped themselves immensely by ridding themselves of Edwin Jackson, and his $4.6 Million contract (How in the world???), and they acquired two young pitchers in the process, and they obtained a front-line lefty starter and a parcel of young talent in the Dan Haren-for-Joe Saunders deal. An added bonus is the fact that Saunders earns about 1/3 of what Arizona was paying Haren. Note their 2008-2010 W-L records: Haren 37-27, Saunders 39-24.
On a final note, with David DeJesus out for the year, and with the trades of Scot Podsednik and Rick Ankiel, who is going to play the outfield in KC for the rest of the season?
As of now, division leaders in the AL West and East and in all three NL divisions seem to have solidified their positions, with at least one cellar organization making a significant improvement in its outlook for the future.
At first look, it seems like the floundering Dodgers have significantly improved with the acquisitions of Scot Podsednik, Ryan Theriot, and Ted Lilly. With the likelihood of Podsednik being a solid replacement for the missing Manny, not to mention getting on base and stealing bases from the leadoff position, of the veteran Theriot solidifying the infield as the new second baseman, and of lefty Lilly providing a solid, inning-eating presence in the starting rotation, one would think the Dodgers are poised to make a real run at the Padres. BUT, look at what the pitching-rich but light-hitting Padres have now done: They’ve added power and run production in both the infield and outfield with the additions of Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tijeda, while, unlike other National League contenders, giving up no players from their major league squad.
In the East, The Phillies have likely improved with the acquisition of Roy Oswalt, but that is not etched in stone. J.A. Happ was a key part of their run to the World Series last year, and his disappearance this season has been a real mystery. As soon as the trade was announced, Happ high-tailed it to the Astros, and pitched 6 shoutout innings, lowering his 2010 major league ERA to 1.27. Given his non-use in Philadelphia, the trade is a plus for the Phillies, but at this stage in their careers, and given their respective ages, I’d rather have Happ than Oswalt. And meanwhile, the first-place Braves have solidified their position with the acquisitions of SS Alex Gonzalez, OF Rick Ankiel, and relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.
In the Central, the Cardinals seemingly have been in the hunt for every available pitcher, and finally landed a good one in Jake Westbrook. If he stays healthy, he could be the difference in their fending off the Reds, who received their own rotation-boost by the return to action of Edinson Volquez after 1-1/2 years of inaction.
In the American League East, the yankee scumstripes landed not one, but two power-hitting outfielder/first basemen/dh-types, in Lance Berkman and Austin Kearns, to solidify their position in first., and Kerry Wood to add yet another are to their bullpen. But, Tampa is inching closer, and the Red Sox may soon have their load of injured players back. Nothing certain in that division, despite what the “experts” say.
In the Central, the White Sox took a giant step backward in trading for the over-rated, ineffective, and overpaid Edwin Jackson. Detroit was able to replace the injured Brandon Inge with Jhonny Peralta, but those other injuries to Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen have not been addressed. The Twins, on the other hand, made the biggest deal among teams in the division, by acquiring a needed closer in Matt Capps. I’m sticking with them to win the AL Central.
And then there is the AL West. I picked the Angels to win the division again, but then when Kendry Morales was lost for the season, I said the Angels were through, that they could not win the division without his bat. Showing real panic, Angels GM Tony Reagins has made some deals that make on shudder, giving up far too much for far too little, and “solidifying” positions that did not need solidifying, all the while ignoring the hole at first base. Trading young starter Sean O’Sullivan for infielder Alberto Callispo may have been an improvement overall, but giving up the talented O’Sullivan when your pitching prospects are few and far between, without a first baseman in the deal, was mistake number one.
The major mistake, however, was the deal with Arizona, for Dan Haren. Haren is a terrific starter, with many excellent years ahead of him. But what did they give up? JOE SAUNDERS AND group of young prospects. You cannot tell me that Joe Saunders, over last three seasons, has not been just as effective a starting pitcher as Haren, and he is one year younger. At best, the trade is a wash, and given the Angels’ other needs, was a huge mistake. Couple all of this with the losses of starters Scott Kazmir and Joel Pineiro, Reagins and the Angels have mortgaged the future to try to win a division title that is out of their reach.
The Rangers, acquiring Benji Molina, Cliff Lee, Jorge Cantu, and now Christian Guzman to replace the injured Ian Kinsler, have a hugh, insurmountable lead, and the Angel organization should have realized that before trading away Joe Saunders.
The other team that did real well in the flurry of trades was the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks. They helped themselves immensely by ridding themselves of Edwin Jackson, and his $4.6 Million contract (How in the world???), and they acquired two young pitchers in the process, and they obtained a front-line lefty starter and a parcel of young talent in the Dan Haren-for-Joe Saunders deal. An added bonus is the fact that Saunders earns about 1/3 of what Arizona was paying Haren. Note their 2008-2010 W-L records: Haren 37-27, Saunders 39-24.
On a final note, with David DeJesus out for the year, and with the trades of Scot Podsednik and Rick Ankiel, who is going to play the outfield in KC for the rest of the season?
| theHoundDawg |  |
Best Pitcher in the AL May Not Be Enough for Angels, and More Stuff
07/01/10 22:30 Filed in: Baseball
With Zack Greinke having returned to earth, Josh Beckett injured, and Ray Halliday in the National League, the AL's best pitcher could well be the Angels’ Jared Weaver. The 27 year old Weaver leads baseball in strikeouts, has an ERA of 2.82, and is the stopper every team needs to both avoid a long losing streak and prevent three-game sweeps at the hands of the team you’re chasing in the standings. After badly losing two in a row to the first-place Rangers, Weaver was dominant tonight, even to the point of blanking the red-hot Angel-killing Vlad the Destroyer.
The team chose not to re-sign the recently injury-plagued and aging Vlad, and he is paying off big-time for Texas, especially in their showdown with the Angels. But tonight he could not touch Weaver, and the Angels are back to within 3-1/2 of Texas.
Texas made a big move today, though, substantially upgrading their previously weak catching, by acquiring former Angel Benjie Molina from the Giants, for a journeyman middle reliever and a prospect. Vlad’s sensational comeback year coupled with the Angels’ loss of Kendry Morales may be more than even Weaver can overcome. By trading Molina, the Giants open up that spot for their phenom of the decade, Buster Posey, who had been playing out of position at 1B.
In another matter, on May 8, 2009, approximately 14 months ago, I wrote the following:
One bit of nice news out of the newest disaster in AZ., the D’Backs’ interim manager is to be Dodger icon Kirk Gibson.
The team chose not to re-sign the recently injury-plagued and aging Vlad, and he is paying off big-time for Texas, especially in their showdown with the Angels. But tonight he could not touch Weaver, and the Angels are back to within 3-1/2 of Texas.
Texas made a big move today, though, substantially upgrading their previously weak catching, by acquiring former Angel Benjie Molina from the Giants, for a journeyman middle reliever and a prospect. Vlad’s sensational comeback year coupled with the Angels’ loss of Kendry Morales may be more than even Weaver can overcome. By trading Molina, the Giants open up that spot for their phenom of the decade, Buster Posey, who had been playing out of position at 1B.
In another matter, on May 8, 2009, approximately 14 months ago, I wrote the following:
Well, today, Arizona team ownership fired not only Manager A.J. Hinch but also former golden boy GM Josh Brynes. The D’Backs will pay handsomely for last season’s impetuousness. Not only is the team in the dumpster, but they owe Hinch for 2-1/2 years, and Byrnes for 5-1/2 years, respectively, on their contracts.“Bob Melvin - 2007 Manager of the Year is Now Arizona Scapegoat
“In 2007, the season before last, the Arizona Diamondbacks had the NL's best record, and manager Bob Melvin was Manager of the Year. Now, with the team off to a 12-17 start, behind the stellar hitting of Chad Tracy (.221), Stephen Drew (.205), Chris Snyder (.204), Conor Jackson (.191), Chris Young .177), and Eric Byrnes (.139), and a team batting average of .222, plus the loss of ace starter Brandon Webb, on the DL with an era of 13.50, he no longer knows how to manage.“He brought the team back from oblivion in his first season as the Diamondbacks' manager, leading a 51-111 2004 team to 77 wins in 2005. His 2007 team won with mirrors, and Melvin's rare managerial talent, compiling a 90-72 record, despite being outscored for the season, by 20 runs. “GM Josh Byrnes and owners Ken Kendrick, Paul Schloss, and Jason Ellis should be ashamed of themselves. Melvin's replacement, former catcher A.J. Hinch, has zero managerial experience anywhere. Learning on the job, a team batting average of .222, and a disabled list loaded with key players, makes for a long season for Hinch and, unfortunately, for the D'Back fans.“All I can say is that what certainly seemed to be no worse than the second most talented team in the NL west is now no longer a threat to overtake the Manny-less Dodgers.”
One bit of nice news out of the newest disaster in AZ., the D’Backs’ interim manager is to be Dodger icon Kirk Gibson.
| theHoundDawg |  |
Joe Torre, the Dodgers, and Angels, and More
06/27/10 23:28 Filed in: Baseball
Throughout his tenure with the scumstripes, Joe Torre was perhaps criticized more for his handling of his pitching staff, and in particular his bullpen, than for any other aspect of his game. As the Dodgers looked like they were assured of taking two-out-of-three from those same scumstripes this weekend, it was Torre’s handling of the pen that again did him, and the Dodgers, in.
Totally wasting a fine effort from Clayton Kershaw, not to mention 5-0 and 6-2 leads, Torre chose to leave usually stellar closer Jonathan Broxton in throughout a disastrous ninth inning, throwing 48 pitches, and allowing four runs. Even a casual observer knew Broxton did not have it tonight, when he entered the game throwing 92 and 93 MPH fastballs, rather than his usual 96-98 “warm-up” throws. I don’t think he ever exceeded the occasional 97, let alone his usual upper-level range of 99-100. I guess Joe just didn’t see it, or was hoping Broxton would suddenly “click”, but the only “clicking” that was heard was the sound of scumstripe cleats hitting the plate, as they scored the four tying runs in the ninth.
Besides blowing a key game the Dodgers seemingly had locked up, Broxton now should not be anywhere near the mound for perhaps the first two games of the important series against the second-place Giants. The good news is that Chad Billingsley is back from the DL and rehab to start tomorrow.
The Angels start a series with Texas, that getting close to the midway point and the All-Star break, is key to their team morale, not to mention the numbers game, as they continue to trail the Rangers by 4-1/2. Eric Aybar returning much sooner than anticipated was a big boost, as was the return of Jeff Mathis from his group of injuries. The Angels should now settle down with a more steady lineup of Mathis behind the plate and Mike Napoli at 1B. And, that grand slam hit by Brandon Wood should give him some confidence, and just maybe it will be the start of some consistent offense form the perennial can’t miss untouchable prospect.
In a season that has seen my pick to win it all, the Red Sox, go into the season with health issues involving key players, that saw them lose new CF Mike Cameron for an extended period, that saw them lose LF Jacoby Ellsbury for basically the entire first half, if not more, and that saw an ineffective Josh Becket go on the DL with no real timetable for his return, it got much worse the past couple of days. Frist, Dustin Pedroia, who also had missed a few games with minor injuries, broke a bone in his left foot. Then Clay Buchholz hyper-extened a knee on the basepaths, where he should not have been and would not have been were it not for interleague play, and then to top it all off, today Vic Martinez broke his thumb.
The Angels have a steep mountain to climb without Kendry Morales, but the Red Sox have Mt. Everest to climb with their hospital list.
Totally wasting a fine effort from Clayton Kershaw, not to mention 5-0 and 6-2 leads, Torre chose to leave usually stellar closer Jonathan Broxton in throughout a disastrous ninth inning, throwing 48 pitches, and allowing four runs. Even a casual observer knew Broxton did not have it tonight, when he entered the game throwing 92 and 93 MPH fastballs, rather than his usual 96-98 “warm-up” throws. I don’t think he ever exceeded the occasional 97, let alone his usual upper-level range of 99-100. I guess Joe just didn’t see it, or was hoping Broxton would suddenly “click”, but the only “clicking” that was heard was the sound of scumstripe cleats hitting the plate, as they scored the four tying runs in the ninth.
Besides blowing a key game the Dodgers seemingly had locked up, Broxton now should not be anywhere near the mound for perhaps the first two games of the important series against the second-place Giants. The good news is that Chad Billingsley is back from the DL and rehab to start tomorrow.
The Angels start a series with Texas, that getting close to the midway point and the All-Star break, is key to their team morale, not to mention the numbers game, as they continue to trail the Rangers by 4-1/2. Eric Aybar returning much sooner than anticipated was a big boost, as was the return of Jeff Mathis from his group of injuries. The Angels should now settle down with a more steady lineup of Mathis behind the plate and Mike Napoli at 1B. And, that grand slam hit by Brandon Wood should give him some confidence, and just maybe it will be the start of some consistent offense form the perennial can’t miss untouchable prospect.
In a season that has seen my pick to win it all, the Red Sox, go into the season with health issues involving key players, that saw them lose new CF Mike Cameron for an extended period, that saw them lose LF Jacoby Ellsbury for basically the entire first half, if not more, and that saw an ineffective Josh Becket go on the DL with no real timetable for his return, it got much worse the past couple of days. Frist, Dustin Pedroia, who also had missed a few games with minor injuries, broke a bone in his left foot. Then Clay Buchholz hyper-extened a knee on the basepaths, where he should not have been and would not have been were it not for interleague play, and then to top it all off, today Vic Martinez broke his thumb.
The Angels have a steep mountain to climb without Kendry Morales, but the Red Sox have Mt. Everest to climb with their hospital list.
| theHoundDawg |  |
No Way to Celebrate, and Some Other Stuff
05/29/10 18:57 Filed in: Baseball
Through decades of watching sports, and literally thousands (I guess) of great finishes and brilliant comebacks, I’ve always felt while seeing out-of-control celebrations, that someone was going to get hurt. Bad.
Well, it happened to today, and the Angels season might be over because of it.
The Angels slow start was never a worry here, due to their outstanding roster and great manager. Brandon Wood not hitting? Doesn’t really matter. Joe Saunders under .500? Relax, it’s still early. Brian Fuentes blowing saves? Par for the course.
But today, when Kendry Morales followed his walk-off grand slam home run with an awkward jump next to home plate, the Angels season blew up just like a BP gulf oil rig.
Morales suffered a broken left leg, and chances are he’s played his last game for this year at least.
When Juan Rivers broke a leg in winter ball a few years back, it took him almost two full seasons to heal and return to form.
After waiting a near-eternity for Morales to mature as a major leaguer, he rewarded the Angels with a brilliant 2009 (34, 108, .306) and was off to a sizzling start in 2010 (11, 39, .290 in the first 51 games). There is no one on the current roster that can replace Morales, and even if the injury is “not that bad” and he can return late in the season, they will miss his bat terribly until then. Neither Texas nor Oakland has the personnel or experience to compete for a full season with a healthy Angel team, but these upstarts just got a new life, and for the first time in almost 10 years, I can see the Angels finishing second or third behind one or both of them, and out of the playoffs.
In a couple of other notes from an immense day in baseball, another player suffered a major injury when Indians’ pitcher David Huff was lucky to have not been killed when the scumstripes’ Alex Rodriguez hit a line drive off Huff’s forehead, hard enough to ricochet into right field. It will be a surprise if Huff returns any time soon, if at all this season, and there will be a big question as to what success he will be able to achieve in the future.
And in the piece of good news today, Roy Halliday pitched the 20th perfect game in baseball history, a scant 20 days after Oakland’s Dallas Braden pitched the 19th. This would be the first season ever to see multiple perfect games. No disrespect to Braden, but it’s great to see one of true veteran stars of the game achieve this feat after years of competing at the highest level, rather than a young guy like Braden who was a virtual unknown until May 9.
Well, it happened to today, and the Angels season might be over because of it.
The Angels slow start was never a worry here, due to their outstanding roster and great manager. Brandon Wood not hitting? Doesn’t really matter. Joe Saunders under .500? Relax, it’s still early. Brian Fuentes blowing saves? Par for the course.
But today, when Kendry Morales followed his walk-off grand slam home run with an awkward jump next to home plate, the Angels season blew up just like a BP gulf oil rig.
Morales suffered a broken left leg, and chances are he’s played his last game for this year at least.
When Juan Rivers broke a leg in winter ball a few years back, it took him almost two full seasons to heal and return to form.
After waiting a near-eternity for Morales to mature as a major leaguer, he rewarded the Angels with a brilliant 2009 (34, 108, .306) and was off to a sizzling start in 2010 (11, 39, .290 in the first 51 games). There is no one on the current roster that can replace Morales, and even if the injury is “not that bad” and he can return late in the season, they will miss his bat terribly until then. Neither Texas nor Oakland has the personnel or experience to compete for a full season with a healthy Angel team, but these upstarts just got a new life, and for the first time in almost 10 years, I can see the Angels finishing second or third behind one or both of them, and out of the playoffs.
In a couple of other notes from an immense day in baseball, another player suffered a major injury when Indians’ pitcher David Huff was lucky to have not been killed when the scumstripes’ Alex Rodriguez hit a line drive off Huff’s forehead, hard enough to ricochet into right field. It will be a surprise if Huff returns any time soon, if at all this season, and there will be a big question as to what success he will be able to achieve in the future.
And in the piece of good news today, Roy Halliday pitched the 20th perfect game in baseball history, a scant 20 days after Oakland’s Dallas Braden pitched the 19th. This would be the first season ever to see multiple perfect games. No disrespect to Braden, but it’s great to see one of true veteran stars of the game achieve this feat after years of competing at the highest level, rather than a young guy like Braden who was a virtual unknown until May 9.
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