Monday, April 26, 2004
Two Brooms/More Wings
That's two brooms
The mighty Halos picked up another broom last night after polishing off the Elephant Men one last time to the tune of 4-3. Now, I don't want you Regular Readers (both of you) to be shocked, but I want to admit that I did add Ramon Ortiz in my 12-team league yesterday. I cringed as I pushed the Add Player button, but it was like this--I was up only 4 Ks and my opponent had Pedro and the D-Train on the hill. I added Jeff Suppan and our beloved "Meat Machine" Ortiz because they were facing the Brewers and the A's, the two teams that have whiffed the most this year. Fortunately, ERA was already a lost cause for the week, so it made the decision less taxing. I ended up on top by 9 Ks, so Ortiz's 6 whiffs gave me some breathing room. Don't worry, though--he's back in the FA pool.
As for the real game, RO didn't have a terrible outing. His most impressive stat? 7 groundouts, 2 flyouts. Hard to give up a lotta dingers with that ratio. Don't start expecting 16 wins like Bud and Scioscia though. They're gettin' paid to be optimistic. You--and I--aren't. He still threw 110 pitches in only 5 IP and his ERA is still a fat 9.77. Scoiscia told Ortiz he wasn't allowed to shake Molina off at all. Here's to hoping that rule continues. As for the A's, it was the first time they'd been swept in 48 series--and at home no less, where they are 84 games over .500 since the beginning of 2001. I'd say that's a pretty good statement, even for April. What we may be forgetting, though, is that the Angels didn't face Hudson or Mulder this weekend.
It's a bear of a bullpen
Let me give you a couple of numbers: 61 relief IP, 68 K. That's everyone. From the weakest to K-Rod. I keep waiting for his sickening breaking stuff to make some poor AL hitter vomit right there in the box. And it's not like he's throwing wild either. 2 BB in 10.2 IP for Frankie. If you can get him, he could really help out in some add-on Ks and maybe even a late W or three. Trade an overachiever for him--middle relievers aren't highly valued, but he'd be a nice pickup. Let me restate something else about the pen. The Angels have two guys in there who'd make a much better 5th SP than Ortiz. I've already covered Shields' credentials at Inside the Halo (http://angelsflb.blogspot.com) and now we've got Contestant #2.
Meet Kevin Gregg. Kevin has 14.1 IP in '04, with a miniscule ERA of 0.63, having fanned 15 batters so far while only allowing 13 base runners. Kevin went 15-7 between AA and AAA last year with 26 starts and 158 IP. He fanned 135 batters and posted a 3.82 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He's only 25 years old and he appears primed to step in given the opportunity. He enjoys long walks on the beach at night with his dog Sissy-fu and collects Yellowstone National Park postcards. Only one sentence in all that is false--I'll let you pick which one. KG is primed. By June, he could be in the rotation. Watch and wait.
Is GA OK?
All signs point to 'yes'. There was (and probably still is) some alarm when Anderson missed his 4th straight game for the first time ever, but Scioscia seems to think it'll be days not weeks. If you've got weekly trannies, I'd definitely consider benching him this week though. If you're here at ESPN (and you are now at least), then sit him tomorrow but monitor the situation. He'll most likely be back before the weekend. GA is durable, so don't worry.
Angel Wings
This time I'm bestowing a set of wings to the man who already is flying around the base paths. The last four days Chone Figgins has been in the starting lineup and has shown his worth. In only 14 AB, he's put up 5 hits (.357), 3 R, and that's right, 4 SB. If he could ever get regular playing time, he'd be an excellent speed source. Is regular playing time in his future? Not unless I can convince Scioscia to let him play first for Erstad. That won't happen (and shouldn't even though I like Figgins. Imagine trying to hit a 5'8", 160 lb target at first base). All the other starters are producing and will continue to. Here's hoping he spells at 2B, SS, and all OF positions. He's a sparkplug. With Figgins picking up his first set of wings, that's 1 for Figgins and 1 for Darin Erstad if you're scoring at home.
On Deck
The longest roadie of the year continues with three in Detroit and three in Minnesota. I'm optimistic for a 4-2 finish, making it 7-2 for the trip. I like Lackey to get his first win against Cornejo on Tuesday, while the game that worries me the most is Thursday. Washburn may be 3-1 but his ERA is 6.10 and he's walked 8 in his last two starts (10 IP). He's yet to see the 7th inning and Bonderman can wheel, even if his ERA is a slightly worse 6.65. Plus, the Tigers seem to think they can beat everyone right now. It wouldn't be out of the question to go for another broom though. And three brooms before the end of April would be nice. Real nice. Reporting for the Angels, Matt Allen--ESPN.
The mighty Halos picked up another broom last night after polishing off the Elephant Men one last time to the tune of 4-3. Now, I don't want you Regular Readers (both of you) to be shocked, but I want to admit that I did add Ramon Ortiz in my 12-team league yesterday. I cringed as I pushed the Add Player button, but it was like this--I was up only 4 Ks and my opponent had Pedro and the D-Train on the hill. I added Jeff Suppan and our beloved "Meat Machine" Ortiz because they were facing the Brewers and the A's, the two teams that have whiffed the most this year. Fortunately, ERA was already a lost cause for the week, so it made the decision less taxing. I ended up on top by 9 Ks, so Ortiz's 6 whiffs gave me some breathing room. Don't worry, though--he's back in the FA pool.
As for the real game, RO didn't have a terrible outing. His most impressive stat? 7 groundouts, 2 flyouts. Hard to give up a lotta dingers with that ratio. Don't start expecting 16 wins like Bud and Scioscia though. They're gettin' paid to be optimistic. You--and I--aren't. He still threw 110 pitches in only 5 IP and his ERA is still a fat 9.77. Scoiscia told Ortiz he wasn't allowed to shake Molina off at all. Here's to hoping that rule continues. As for the A's, it was the first time they'd been swept in 48 series--and at home no less, where they are 84 games over .500 since the beginning of 2001. I'd say that's a pretty good statement, even for April. What we may be forgetting, though, is that the Angels didn't face Hudson or Mulder this weekend.
It's a bear of a bullpen
Let me give you a couple of numbers: 61 relief IP, 68 K. That's everyone. From the weakest to K-Rod. I keep waiting for his sickening breaking stuff to make some poor AL hitter vomit right there in the box. And it's not like he's throwing wild either. 2 BB in 10.2 IP for Frankie. If you can get him, he could really help out in some add-on Ks and maybe even a late W or three. Trade an overachiever for him--middle relievers aren't highly valued, but he'd be a nice pickup. Let me restate something else about the pen. The Angels have two guys in there who'd make a much better 5th SP than Ortiz. I've already covered Shields' credentials at Inside the Halo (http://angelsflb.blogspot.com) and now we've got Contestant #2.
Meet Kevin Gregg. Kevin has 14.1 IP in '04, with a miniscule ERA of 0.63, having fanned 15 batters so far while only allowing 13 base runners. Kevin went 15-7 between AA and AAA last year with 26 starts and 158 IP. He fanned 135 batters and posted a 3.82 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He's only 25 years old and he appears primed to step in given the opportunity. He enjoys long walks on the beach at night with his dog Sissy-fu and collects Yellowstone National Park postcards. Only one sentence in all that is false--I'll let you pick which one. KG is primed. By June, he could be in the rotation. Watch and wait.
Is GA OK?
All signs point to 'yes'. There was (and probably still is) some alarm when Anderson missed his 4th straight game for the first time ever, but Scioscia seems to think it'll be days not weeks. If you've got weekly trannies, I'd definitely consider benching him this week though. If you're here at ESPN (and you are now at least), then sit him tomorrow but monitor the situation. He'll most likely be back before the weekend. GA is durable, so don't worry.
Angel Wings
This time I'm bestowing a set of wings to the man who already is flying around the base paths. The last four days Chone Figgins has been in the starting lineup and has shown his worth. In only 14 AB, he's put up 5 hits (.357), 3 R, and that's right, 4 SB. If he could ever get regular playing time, he'd be an excellent speed source. Is regular playing time in his future? Not unless I can convince Scioscia to let him play first for Erstad. That won't happen (and shouldn't even though I like Figgins. Imagine trying to hit a 5'8", 160 lb target at first base). All the other starters are producing and will continue to. Here's hoping he spells at 2B, SS, and all OF positions. He's a sparkplug. With Figgins picking up his first set of wings, that's 1 for Figgins and 1 for Darin Erstad if you're scoring at home.
On Deck
The longest roadie of the year continues with three in Detroit and three in Minnesota. I'm optimistic for a 4-2 finish, making it 7-2 for the trip. I like Lackey to get his first win against Cornejo on Tuesday, while the game that worries me the most is Thursday. Washburn may be 3-1 but his ERA is 6.10 and he's walked 8 in his last two starts (10 IP). He's yet to see the 7th inning and Bonderman can wheel, even if his ERA is a slightly worse 6.65. Plus, the Tigers seem to think they can beat everyone right now. It wouldn't be out of the question to go for another broom though. And three brooms before the end of April would be nice. Real nice. Reporting for the Angels, Matt Allen--ESPN.
