Friday, May 13, 2005
Meet Hal
Hal is a .240 hitter. He walks in about 7% of his ABs, strikes out more than he should, which means his BB/K is about 0.43. That's not hot--at all. Being one of those sub-.700 OPS guys, you wouldn't expect Hal to hang around long at the major league level--or at least, if he does, it would be on a team with minimal success and the ability to go nowhere near the postseason. You might ask why Hal (and his offensive ineptitude) would be a topic of discussion in this particular space. Well, it's because Hal is from southern California--in particularly Anaheim. And on any given night so far in 2005, Hal hits 1-9 in your Los Angeles Angels lineup. Hal has high expectations, but he's also has a really big problem--he has no O. Neither do the Halos. Kitschy illustration? Yes. But true.
I hear you saying 'yeah, yeah, they'll come around. The hits'll start falling.' Well--they are. The Angels, as a team, have a 29% hit rate, which is pretty close to normal. Fine, you say, they just need to hit in the clutch. Well, they're kinda doing that too. They're in the middle of the pack with runners in scoring position. With RISP & 2 out, they're 3rd in the AL. Clutch hitting is all they can do--with the bases empty, the Hal_s are .232. This past 6-game homestand, they scored 14 runs and hit .189. That's trouble, even if Detroit is pitching well and Cleveland has a lot of good arms. Scioscia likes aggressive hitters. The team site quotes hitting coach Mickey Hatcher saying the Angels are being too passive at the plate. With a league-low .294 OBP, a few BBs couldn't hurt.
The Shield of Protection
Maybe one of the reasons the Angels can hit the way they have and still be atop the AL West is pitching performances like Scot Shields'. This guy for real. K-Rod gets the pub--he's the closer, they usually do. But Shields has thrown 270 IP mostly out of the pen in the last 2+ seasons. His K/9 is going up (11.44), he holds opponents to a .174 AVG, he's already picked up 3 wins, 7 holds, and oh, yeah, 25 K in 19.2 IP. This guy is like State Farm, All-State, and Geico all rolled into one--he's so good, Scot Shields may even save you money on your insurance. This is a guy you should own. He's a difference-making middle reliever, but it could be hard to get him. Make a push though. His BB/9 is a little high now, but history says it will drop. Shields is one of MLB's best relievers.
Completely Off-Topic Part 1
I'd like to play Alanis Morissette here for a moment and point out something that I really do think is a little ironic. The NFL is considering, among other places, Anaheim as a home for a relocated or expansion team. However, the Anaheim city council says that land is worth much more to the city as a high-density housing development (and they're right). According to the LA Times, though, the only way Anaheim can build that kind of project across from Angel Stadium is to clear it with--that's right, Angel owner Arte Moreno. Now, it's much, much more complicated than that, but it's interesting to note that they each have something the other wants. Two council members, though, were quoted as saying that a trade would not be an option for the city. And isn't is ironic…
Mending Wings: Potentially Bad, Bad News
Bengie Molina was activated from the DL. He's been out and he'll probably be handled cautiously, but remember how well he hit before he got hurt. Steve Finley left Wednesday's game with a tight left groin. According to the team website, he'll be fine and was just being extra cautious. The bad news (potentially the worst of '05) is that Kelvim Escobar's early exit after a 5 IP, 4 ER, 9 K performance could be his last for a while. His right elbow has pain--pain in a 'I had surgery for bone chips in '97 and it feels the same' kinda way. That's terrible news if it's true. That would put him out 6-8 weeks and put the AL West back into play. The OC Register says it's different from his the injury that kept him from starting the year on time, but more bone chips could be even worse.
Completely Off-Topic Part 2
I'm not a communist and I just want to say that anywhere there is a market for what you're selling, then bully for you if you make a boatload of scratch. However, in a world where marketing and advertising is king, are we at least (the very least) approaching the line at which it's just too far? Have we blown by it completely? I was listening to the Yankee radio broadcast recently (for Yankee fans, this is probably old news), and Yankee broadcaster John Sterling was forced to read the following [paraphrased]: "That run Tony Womack just scored was brought to you by So-And-So and Such-And-Such." We're sponsoring runs now? The Reds have "Great American Insurance runs" but those are for charity. This was a commercial. Does UPS start sponsoring every Unit fastball?
Finding the Schwa in the O
So, the Angels, at least for now, can't hit. What's the perfect cure? A 9-game road trip to 3 pitching parks. If that doesn't work, the next logical option is to let them swing with broomsticks. Or a conductor's baton. The final remedy, if all else fails, would be to add blindfolds. Steve Finley is 6-18 the past week. His .198 total average might still swing a favorable trade. I know Orlando Cabrera is hitting just .053 better than your grandmother right now, but he's only fanned once in that span and the hits will start to find the holes. That's it for now, but I would like to mention that the letter O in the word 'mention' earlier in this sentence is sponsored by Schwa, who reminds you, "When you need a soft vowel--think Schwa". For the Angels, Matt Allen--ESPN.
I hear you saying 'yeah, yeah, they'll come around. The hits'll start falling.' Well--they are. The Angels, as a team, have a 29% hit rate, which is pretty close to normal. Fine, you say, they just need to hit in the clutch. Well, they're kinda doing that too. They're in the middle of the pack with runners in scoring position. With RISP & 2 out, they're 3rd in the AL. Clutch hitting is all they can do--with the bases empty, the Hal_s are .232. This past 6-game homestand, they scored 14 runs and hit .189. That's trouble, even if Detroit is pitching well and Cleveland has a lot of good arms. Scioscia likes aggressive hitters. The team site quotes hitting coach Mickey Hatcher saying the Angels are being too passive at the plate. With a league-low .294 OBP, a few BBs couldn't hurt.
The Shield of Protection
Maybe one of the reasons the Angels can hit the way they have and still be atop the AL West is pitching performances like Scot Shields'. This guy for real. K-Rod gets the pub--he's the closer, they usually do. But Shields has thrown 270 IP mostly out of the pen in the last 2+ seasons. His K/9 is going up (11.44), he holds opponents to a .174 AVG, he's already picked up 3 wins, 7 holds, and oh, yeah, 25 K in 19.2 IP. This guy is like State Farm, All-State, and Geico all rolled into one--he's so good, Scot Shields may even save you money on your insurance. This is a guy you should own. He's a difference-making middle reliever, but it could be hard to get him. Make a push though. His BB/9 is a little high now, but history says it will drop. Shields is one of MLB's best relievers.
Completely Off-Topic Part 1
I'd like to play Alanis Morissette here for a moment and point out something that I really do think is a little ironic. The NFL is considering, among other places, Anaheim as a home for a relocated or expansion team. However, the Anaheim city council says that land is worth much more to the city as a high-density housing development (and they're right). According to the LA Times, though, the only way Anaheim can build that kind of project across from Angel Stadium is to clear it with--that's right, Angel owner Arte Moreno. Now, it's much, much more complicated than that, but it's interesting to note that they each have something the other wants. Two council members, though, were quoted as saying that a trade would not be an option for the city. And isn't is ironic…
Mending Wings: Potentially Bad, Bad News
Bengie Molina was activated from the DL. He's been out and he'll probably be handled cautiously, but remember how well he hit before he got hurt. Steve Finley left Wednesday's game with a tight left groin. According to the team website, he'll be fine and was just being extra cautious. The bad news (potentially the worst of '05) is that Kelvim Escobar's early exit after a 5 IP, 4 ER, 9 K performance could be his last for a while. His right elbow has pain--pain in a 'I had surgery for bone chips in '97 and it feels the same' kinda way. That's terrible news if it's true. That would put him out 6-8 weeks and put the AL West back into play. The OC Register says it's different from his the injury that kept him from starting the year on time, but more bone chips could be even worse.
Completely Off-Topic Part 2
I'm not a communist and I just want to say that anywhere there is a market for what you're selling, then bully for you if you make a boatload of scratch. However, in a world where marketing and advertising is king, are we at least (the very least) approaching the line at which it's just too far? Have we blown by it completely? I was listening to the Yankee radio broadcast recently (for Yankee fans, this is probably old news), and Yankee broadcaster John Sterling was forced to read the following [paraphrased]: "That run Tony Womack just scored was brought to you by So-And-So and Such-And-Such." We're sponsoring runs now? The Reds have "Great American Insurance runs" but those are for charity. This was a commercial. Does UPS start sponsoring every Unit fastball?
Finding the Schwa in the O
So, the Angels, at least for now, can't hit. What's the perfect cure? A 9-game road trip to 3 pitching parks. If that doesn't work, the next logical option is to let them swing with broomsticks. Or a conductor's baton. The final remedy, if all else fails, would be to add blindfolds. Steve Finley is 6-18 the past week. His .198 total average might still swing a favorable trade. I know Orlando Cabrera is hitting just .053 better than your grandmother right now, but he's only fanned once in that span and the hits will start to find the holes. That's it for now, but I would like to mention that the letter O in the word 'mention' earlier in this sentence is sponsored by Schwa, who reminds you, "When you need a soft vowel--think Schwa". For the Angels, Matt Allen--ESPN.
