Thursday, July 21, 2005
The Question That Has to Be Asked
Is Vlad really hurt? There really isn't any obvious indication that he is, other than the sore wrist he's been battling, but we've seen him play with bumps and bruises before in Montreal. Could the wrist be something worse? He told the Press-Enterprise that his wrist problems were from taking too many swings. OK, maybe, but here are the (not-so-obvious) facts: Since 2001, Vlad has batted no lower that .270 in any month when he wasn't hurt to the point of having to go to the DL (.143 in June '03 and .224 in May '05). So far in July, his AVG is .172. Secondly, Vlad has one of the best arms in the game, yet he's been DH twice in the last 6 games, which some argue takes a hitter even further off his game. I'm not saying a trip to the DL could be imminent, but I'd watch Vlad very closely.
Lack of Response
I've used line after line here trying to get owners to heed to the nickel's worth of free advice I'm giving on John Lackey. Currently, he's owned in just 2/3 of ESPN mixed leagues. This is a pitcher with 41 K and 5 BB in his last 5 starts (32.1 IP). Yes, I realize his ERA in those starts is a mediocre 4.45, but he's a tick away from being A-class. The last time Lack fanned less than 5 in a start was April 22. That's 15 starts with 5+ Ks. And for the record, in only 4 of those did he walk at least 3. That adds up to an excellent K/9 of 9.0 and K/BB of 2.81, which could start paying big dividends in the W column on a first-place team. The WHIP is a little high, but his Sunday's performance @ MIN shows what he can do (7 IP, 10 K, 0 ER). Continue to ignore Lackey at your own peril.
Seeing the Forest and the Trees
Those of us who picked Chone Figgins up off the scrapheap in late May when other less-talented, less-patient owners waived him can presently smile and nod and do a little Miss America wave (all the while remaining decidedly manly during said wave). Chone hit 30 SB for the year on Tuesday night and hit the road toward 40 with another on Wednesday night. And, oh yeah, he's hitting .318 in July to boot. His July OBP is .384 and 7 BB and only 4 K, that good hitting can be expected to continue. Do know this though--you might want to sit him against LHP because he's only hitting .175 from the right side this year (and, logically, 28 of his 31 SB have come against RHP considering the higher OBP). Figgins remains an excellent target for his excellent speed, good bat, and position eligibility.
The Pen is Mightier
If you needed a reason to like this Angels bullpen, which has the highest K/9 in the AL and is 2nd in K/BB only to Cleveland, just watch them pitch. Solid. K-Rod is top-shelf (but of course very hard to trade for), Scot Shields has achieved former-"Octavio Dotel" status in middle relief, becoming a universally owned set-up man, even in shallow leagues. If you've been here recently at all, you know I'm still high on Brendan Donnelly, and the numbers back me up, although he hasn't pitched much lately with the starters doing as well as they are. And, also don't forget about Joel Peralta, who's had a bit of a rough stretch of late, but he's still shown he has what it takes to be a solid reliever. The only weak spots are Kevin Gregg and Esteban Yan, who've been good before.
Mending Wings: A Toss is Not a Throw
Kelvim Escobar "tossed" this week, according to the OC Register, his first step in getting back after elbow surgery. I would only be a little optimistic about this, as Scoiscia made it clear that he was tossing more than actually throwing. Best guess estimate still has him back in August, which may or may not be soon enough to help your team. For now, he's off the radar. Dallas McPherson is coming along and could be back as early as next week, but a rehab assignment is probably in his future and that hasn't been scheduled yet. He should start swinging any day now and the trainers and D-Mac will go from there.
Knick-Knack-Paddy-Whack to the Playoffs?
The Angels rank 11th or worse in HR, AVG, OBP, and OPS in the AL. They've managed to manufacture enough runs to fall in the middle of the pack, thanks to 82 SB (good for 3rd in the AL) and other knick-knacky, but very important, things that unsuccessful clubs don't do, like leading MLB with .306 average with RISP. If the power outage continues--and with this team, only Vlad strikes me as someone with raw power to burn--can the Angels knick-knack all the way to the World Series? Might be tough. Will the starters have to continue to pitch as well as they have to get the Angels over the hump? Pundits always say good pitching beats good hitting, and this year, the Angels will be the perfect example if they advance.
The Thundering Herd
The Elephant Men are now the closest competitor in the Halos' rearview mirror in the AL West. They passed Chuck Norris and Co. and will now be a threat to make a charge (as they demonstrated with a series win in Anaheim). It's interesting when you look at the A's, because in a lot of ways, they look like this Angels club--only 42 million dollars cheaper. The thick of a pennant race isn't exactly the time to talk payrolls, but it is interesting that with Guerrero, Anderson, Finley, Cabrera and the rest of the Halos currently have a .729 OPS while the A's and their anemic offense have managed a .731. Oh well, as Biggie used to say, "Mo Money, Mo Problems" (the Yankees would agree). Bottom line--Halos have more Ws. That’s all that matters. For the Angels, Matt Allen--ESPN.
Lack of Response
I've used line after line here trying to get owners to heed to the nickel's worth of free advice I'm giving on John Lackey. Currently, he's owned in just 2/3 of ESPN mixed leagues. This is a pitcher with 41 K and 5 BB in his last 5 starts (32.1 IP). Yes, I realize his ERA in those starts is a mediocre 4.45, but he's a tick away from being A-class. The last time Lack fanned less than 5 in a start was April 22. That's 15 starts with 5+ Ks. And for the record, in only 4 of those did he walk at least 3. That adds up to an excellent K/9 of 9.0 and K/BB of 2.81, which could start paying big dividends in the W column on a first-place team. The WHIP is a little high, but his Sunday's performance @ MIN shows what he can do (7 IP, 10 K, 0 ER). Continue to ignore Lackey at your own peril.
Seeing the Forest and the Trees
Those of us who picked Chone Figgins up off the scrapheap in late May when other less-talented, less-patient owners waived him can presently smile and nod and do a little Miss America wave (all the while remaining decidedly manly during said wave). Chone hit 30 SB for the year on Tuesday night and hit the road toward 40 with another on Wednesday night. And, oh yeah, he's hitting .318 in July to boot. His July OBP is .384 and 7 BB and only 4 K, that good hitting can be expected to continue. Do know this though--you might want to sit him against LHP because he's only hitting .175 from the right side this year (and, logically, 28 of his 31 SB have come against RHP considering the higher OBP). Figgins remains an excellent target for his excellent speed, good bat, and position eligibility.
The Pen is Mightier
If you needed a reason to like this Angels bullpen, which has the highest K/9 in the AL and is 2nd in K/BB only to Cleveland, just watch them pitch. Solid. K-Rod is top-shelf (but of course very hard to trade for), Scot Shields has achieved former-"Octavio Dotel" status in middle relief, becoming a universally owned set-up man, even in shallow leagues. If you've been here recently at all, you know I'm still high on Brendan Donnelly, and the numbers back me up, although he hasn't pitched much lately with the starters doing as well as they are. And, also don't forget about Joel Peralta, who's had a bit of a rough stretch of late, but he's still shown he has what it takes to be a solid reliever. The only weak spots are Kevin Gregg and Esteban Yan, who've been good before.
Mending Wings: A Toss is Not a Throw
Kelvim Escobar "tossed" this week, according to the OC Register, his first step in getting back after elbow surgery. I would only be a little optimistic about this, as Scoiscia made it clear that he was tossing more than actually throwing. Best guess estimate still has him back in August, which may or may not be soon enough to help your team. For now, he's off the radar. Dallas McPherson is coming along and could be back as early as next week, but a rehab assignment is probably in his future and that hasn't been scheduled yet. He should start swinging any day now and the trainers and D-Mac will go from there.
Knick-Knack-Paddy-Whack to the Playoffs?
The Angels rank 11th or worse in HR, AVG, OBP, and OPS in the AL. They've managed to manufacture enough runs to fall in the middle of the pack, thanks to 82 SB (good for 3rd in the AL) and other knick-knacky, but very important, things that unsuccessful clubs don't do, like leading MLB with .306 average with RISP. If the power outage continues--and with this team, only Vlad strikes me as someone with raw power to burn--can the Angels knick-knack all the way to the World Series? Might be tough. Will the starters have to continue to pitch as well as they have to get the Angels over the hump? Pundits always say good pitching beats good hitting, and this year, the Angels will be the perfect example if they advance.
The Thundering Herd
The Elephant Men are now the closest competitor in the Halos' rearview mirror in the AL West. They passed Chuck Norris and Co. and will now be a threat to make a charge (as they demonstrated with a series win in Anaheim). It's interesting when you look at the A's, because in a lot of ways, they look like this Angels club--only 42 million dollars cheaper. The thick of a pennant race isn't exactly the time to talk payrolls, but it is interesting that with Guerrero, Anderson, Finley, Cabrera and the rest of the Halos currently have a .729 OPS while the A's and their anemic offense have managed a .731. Oh well, as Biggie used to say, "Mo Money, Mo Problems" (the Yankees would agree). Bottom line--Halos have more Ws. That’s all that matters. For the Angels, Matt Allen--ESPN.
