6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

I came in late to the game because my wife was monopolizing the TV watching the Cubs beat the Astros, but it didn't matter -- I missed none of the Dodgers scoring as it turned out, though here at 6-4-2 World Headquarters we were throwing things at Jim Tracy's voodoo doll in consideration of his continued batting Green in the four hole. Listen, Jim, it's over. Green needs to hit seventh, regardless.

Meantime, the Giants have a 10-game winning streak and are a game and a half behind the Dodgers.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 7:28 PM link  //  0 comments

Dear Batgirl,

Sometimes trades backfire. What Dodger fan doesn't remember the Pedro Martinez/Delino Deshields trade? Well, now Angels fans have something to remember the Chisox for, though maybe not quite as traumatic as trading the most dominant pitcher of our era for a total bust: the Scott Schoeneweis/Tim Bittner trade. Bittner's doing well in the minors, but he's also unable to help a rotation that looks like a bunch of kittens on the mound against the Chisox, or as you call 'em, the Bitch Sox. It's a bitch, ain't it?

Lackey, the then-rookie hero of the 2002 World Series Game 7, hasn't ever looked that good since, and a bunch of us Angels fans are wondering what's happened. Is big John getting cocky? Or has he lost his confidence? Did losing on opening day in 2003 to the -- gulp -- last place Texas Rangers unhinge him? Whatever, he's never been the same since.

I didn't watch the game -- I was attending the going away party of a friend moving to New Hampshire (of all the crazy, wrong places to move to) -- but when I got out and turned on the radio, it was already 7-1, and things just went south from there. Ben Weber got another chance to pitch batting practice, and that he did. Shane "Can't Hit, Can't Field" Halter got another chance to "play" third. And Raul "Sarcoma" Mondesi "DH'd" (0-2, 1 walk). Really, we wanted to help out your Twins, we truly did. It's just that Scioscia wouldn't make out a lineup card to get that done. Who knows, maybe Ortiz will work his way back into the rotation.

Love,

Rob

// posted by Rob @ 8:11 AM link  //  7 comments

Pirates record with Mondesi starting: 12-14
Pirates record without Mondesi: 11-8

Not that I'm saying anything.

// posted by Rob @ 10:14 AM link  //  0 comments

Flew in from Milwaukee on a chartered plane
Man we played some dreadful ball
Wilson banged his hip up in an awful way
Nomo couldn't start at all
We're back in the N-L-L-L West
Now our pitching's the best, boy
Back in the NL
Back in the NL
Back in the N-L-L-L West

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 6:49 AM link  //  1 comments

There isn't much HD content out there yet, despite the fact that Time Warner Cable has about a dozen or so channels dedicated to the format. Tonight, during a fit of wine-induced insomnia (weird, I know), I turned on an ASU/Arizona State game.

Things are a little different at this level. For one thing, coaches allow their starters to get into deep pitch counts, and by deep, I mean, halfway to China. Arizona starter Koley Kohlberg threw 145 pitches over 7.0 innings. This is not unusual. If you're a Moneyball purist, you've gotta wonder just how much will be left in those young arms after their college managers get done with them.

For another thing, bad umpiring seems to be about par for the course. The players accept this without complaint. At one time, an Arizona batter took a pitch directly on the arm -- it hit him square and obviously to the camera -- yet the umps didn't give the base, the manager didn't come out and argue the call or even ask for assistance, and the player barely spoke a word. In the majors, that would have been grounds for a bench-clearing brawl.

Then there's the dugouts. No protection. None. During the game, a foul ball got hit into one of the dugouts, but not surprisingly, the team was all standing so they scattered pretty quickly. Sitting invites a foul ball in the face.

Did I mention errors? They're a big part of the game here. Arizona made three, ASU one. It happens.

But man -- the camera work. Beautiful, as good as any major league game, and likewise the announcing. Better, in fact, than the Braves' or Chisox -- the two worst I've heard in the bigs. It makes you wonder who's getting paid off, or who's sleeping with whom.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 6:00 AM link  //  3 comments

And neither did Gregg.

It's just one of those days. Home field advantage. Weak hitting. And a lineup on the DL.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 9:52 PM link  //  1 comments

Is it too early to declare the Kotchman experiment over?

// posted by Rob @ 8:40 AM link  //  3 comments

If you're a Brewers fan, you've long since forgotten the explosion in the house that Bud built, one that caused then-GM Ulice Payne to ultimately resign in the face of even further payroll cuts mandated by Bud Selig and his sock-puppet daughter.

No, you're probably glowing about .351/.408/.595 1B Lyle Overbay, newfound ace Ben Sheets (2.71 ERA, 73 IP, 1.36 BB/9, 9.49 K/9)... and sweeping the NL West leading Dodgers at home.

And for giggles, you're maybe gloating, just a little, because your team just dodged a big bullet now that Richie Sexson's on the DL for a labrum injury and will probably miss the rest of the season.

If you're a Dodgers fan, though, things are starting to look bleak. Already DePodesta feels required to spout platitudes that sound like they could have come from the GM's version of Bull Durham:

"I was prepared for this, even expecting it, because you're never quite as good as you are when you're winning or as bad as you are when you're not," he said. "I knew going into the year that there were going to be times when we struggled, because that's just what happens over the course of 162 games.

"What's happening now is probably just the normal ebb and flow of the season. Even teams that win 110 games have stretches when they don't play well. The worst thing you could do is overreact when something like this happens."

The hitting has regressed to last year's awfulness -- including new acquisitions Encarnacion and Bradley -- with Green leading the way into the cellar, and Tracy apparently afraid to move him to the seven hole where he belongs. Only Cora and Izturis are -- barely -- holding their own.

And then there's Beltre and his busted ankle. Beltre's surgery-requiring ankle.

Even the usually excellent fielding, improbably, is also declining, with Beltre giving away yesterday's game in the final out, and again today with Izzy costing the team with his glove.

But this isn't about one game, or even a few.

It's about the season.

Beltre must get surgery. It's affecting his swing, and it's not getting better. He's pressing, and going after balls in the dirt again.

But if you take Belly out of the lineup, the team's chances for the season get a lot slimmer. He's been the mid-lineup offensive threat the Dodgers hoped for all these seasons in April and early May. Not anymore.

The Dodgers must win for McCourt to retain ownership of the team. Too many things have to go right to keep the loan sharks away. I'm not saying he's behind keeping Belly in the lineup, but he does have a strong reason to want it. But if Belly's still whiffing because of his ankle, it's time the Dodgers admitted the obvious: the season's lost. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon.

There just aren't enough corks for all the holes that need plugging. There's too many leaks in the payroll, holes with names like Green, Hundley, and Dreifort, and no cavalry in AAA to rescue the team. And we all know McCourt hasn't got the cash to make things fly, either.

We're no longer in first. And we're 24-21, the same as the Brewers. For those keeping score at home, that's a three-game series sweep away from .500.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 10:25 PM link  //  1 comments

Izturis, whose older brother Cesar plays shortstop for the Dodgers, is hitting .324-0-10 in 136 at-bats this season. Billed as a classic No. 2 hitter, he has made the jump to the leadoff spot. That move has been a little tougher to deal with, though he's handled it well statistically. He had 25 walks and just 10 strikeouts, posting a .429 on-base percentage.

...

A slash-type hitter who makes good consistent contact at the plate, Izturis could find himself in Montreal soon if the club decides to deal Cabrera this season.

Double-A Arkansas third baseman Dallas McPherson might be the next player in the Angels' system to head to Anaheim. McPherson is hitting .305-8-35 in 177 at-bats for the Travelers. While his plate discipline has improved, he still has fanned 50 times this season. Defensively, he cut down on his errors last year and has 10 in 45 games thus far. There was talk about moving him to right field, but that has since died down with the arrival of Vladimir Guerrero. His chances of moving up were enhanced by the shoulder injury that ended Troy Glaus' season.

// posted by Rob @ 9:41 PM link  //  0 comments

You tip your hat. Maybe, like Clemens and the Red Sox, he needed that change of pace to get him to play to his potential.

// posted by Rob @ 8:26 PM link  //  0 comments

No. Good. Couch. Slug.

Update: I guess you can read into this -- if it's true, and Raul hasn't steered me wrong yet -- that the Halos have no idea whether GA or Salmon can return this year at all.

Update 2: Now on the Angels website.

// posted by Rob @ 2:46 PM link  //  1 comments

1. The players drafted are, at present, relatively anonymous save for the readers of Baseball America and similar publications. Increasing their exposure by televising the draft would, in the owners' view, add upward pressure to signing bonuses, especially in the high rounds.
2. Unlike college basketball or football players, players heading to the minors won't be able to contribute immediately to the club they drafted with, thus diluting fan interest. In fact, many of them won't even make it to the big team.
3. Baseball at the college and prep level doesn't have a national following, therefore the players are unknown to most viewers. This also dilutes audience interest.

// posted by Rob @ 7:50 AM link  //  0 comments

Up And Down

Colon is now 4-2 with a 5.17 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 54 innings. He's not giving up a ton of hits, but his big problem is that too many of the hits he is allowing are going over the fence. Colon has already allowed 11 home runs, which would put him on pace to allow 44 if he makes 36 starts. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he's going to be a big disappointment to everybody who drafted him unless he drastically cuts back on the home runs.

Eckstein finally showed some life, going 11-for-24 (.458) with a triple, five runs and an RBI in the last week. However, he's still hitting just .254/.322/.290 with no homers, four steals, 16 runs and seven RBIs. The paucity of steals is the biggest concern, as he's only going to be any help to your team if he's hitting close to .300 and/or stealing 25-30 bases.

Sons of Sam Horn Draft Study

• "About 15 good players will come from a draft."
• "Most of them will come from the first few rounds though all individual picks have very, very low probabilities of success."
• "Aside from truly great players draft classes will start to produce value in year 4 and hit their peaks in year 6."

Update, 10/17/04: The study has moved.

The End of Collusion

Jack Morris, the star free-agent pitcher, offered George Steinbrenner the opportunity to have an arbitrator decide his salary. Andre Dawson, another star free agent, gave Dallas Green, the Cubs' general manager, a signed contract with the salary line left blank, to be filled in by Green.

Ah, the good old days of collusion. They are gone now, at least those days of collusion. Some people on the players' side - agents, for example - suspect they are operating in new days of collusion. But the old days are finally over.

With the distribution of checks to more than 650 players containing interest payments on damage awards the players previously received, the case is closed 18½ years after it began and 13½ years after the owners agreed to pay the players $280 million as settlement for their transgressions - which they have never admitted, incidentally.

Update: Thanks for the lack of attribution, guys. This appeared in the New York Times.

Park Parked on the DL

// posted by Rob @ 10:33 PM link  //  1 comments

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 9:30 PM link  //  0 comments

The Angels only trailed in the second. Colón served up a mess of K's, seven in 6 2/3 innings. It woulda been his best performance in a mess of starts, but then he started serving up runs.

And now it's obvious who the holes in the bullpen are. Frankie should be closing, but the team needs a middle reliever to replace him.

Update: I should throw in a nice word for Kotchman's double. One for three with a walk is a fine night. Ditto for Eck's 2-4 plus a walk. So far, I'm not having to eat my words about Eck's resurgence. But just as he starts heating up, Figgy goes in an 0-5 slump, now hitting under .300.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 9:12 PM link  //  0 comments

The Angels are sitting on a rotational mess, hidden nicely by the offseason's additions to the team's bat collection. Colón has come very close to being a bust, Lackey's failing to turn it around, Ortiz earned himself a demotion to the bullpen, nobody's confident that Sele's 3.05 ERA isn't a fluke, and Washburn's run support luck is running out. Certainly, you can't bring another starter in without losing face on the Colón signing, as Bart is now the less-than-proud owner of the worst ERA in the rotation. But there's a couple mitigating factors here:

• Meche came back from surgery recently
• The M's pushed him hard to increase his innings count in 2003

The problem is that the M's would probably demand too much in return. A guy who can start but hasn't been effective in that role is probably better off on one of your competitors' teams, and preferably somebody in your own division.

Dodgers: This is a better fit from both teams' points of view. Not in the same division, the Dodgers might figure Meche is better than Nomo, whose mystery ailment (come on guys, the shoulder isn't right anymore) isn't improving, and whose sixth starter, José Lima, presently owns a 7.62 ERA in that role.

Again, the problem is the guy you give back.

Jackson, last year's wunderkind, now struggles at Vegas with a 5.21 ERA in 46.2 IP. Do you give him up? Tanyon Sturtze, with a 2.90 ERA at Vegas, was given permission to sign with the Yankees (where he is now the proud owner of a 18.00 ERA). There's another guy to check off the list. And on it goes; the list of Dodger pitching in the minors that's healthy and doing well is surprisingly short at the moment, and none of it is even in AAA. And as for hitters, what the M's would want back, the Bradley deal cleared the deck of anything like offensive help in the Dodgers' high minors.

I just can't see this deal happening, either.

// posted by Rob @ 9:06 AM link  //  0 comments

What's frightening about that list is only Lopez and Weber are relievers. In other words, Weber's getting as many chances as starting pitchers for teams dying for starting pitching, like the Rockies, Indians, and Detroit. Heck, I would rather have seen Ramon Ortiz last night.

(Yes, I know I'm rounding up in Weber's case.)

// posted by Rob @ 7:46 AM link  //  2 comments

But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Weber, for a few games, at least, looked like he might have turned things around, but tonight wasn't one of those times. Tonight's game was full of needless errors. For instance, Chone Figgins' bobble that cost us an out and at least one run. Scioscia yelling at the umpires after the warning. (That was just dumb, Mike.) Weber's "Plate? Wazzat?" fielding. Frankie and Gregg again showing signs of craptitude -- and possibly overwork -- on the mound. Figgins running himself out of the sixth. Or heck, installing Weber on the mound in the first place in an Astroturf park. Groundball pitchers in a Turf park are a sure way to generate runs for the other team.

The homers were nice and all, but we just weren't getting anybody on base ahead of those guys; Kotch GIDP'd out of an inning. Let's face facts, kids, we lost this one more than they won it.

As a footnote: at one point one of Terry or Rory declared that it's not possible for a player's OBP to be lower than their batting average. As Tyler pointed out, this is indeed possible because sacrifice flies appear in the denominator of OBP but not in average. The more often you sacrifice, the worse your OBP.

Recap

Update: yes, of course HBP appears in the numerator and denominator. Duh.

// posted by Rob @ 7:18 PM link  //  1 comments

If the Dodgers wish to get to the postseason, they'd better win the division. For the first time in a long time, second place will be the first loser.

// posted by Rob @ 10:18 PM link  //  2 comments

Update: corrected for score and Carvajal's non-participation.

// posted by Rob @ 9:51 PM link  //  0 comments

[Figgins has] played short, third, center. He's a good leadoff hitter. "He's on base when he hits the ball on the ground, but he hits pitches you don't think he'll hit because he's got surprising bat speed." Going into Sunday's game, Figgins, Robb Quinlan, Jeff DaVanon, Jose Molina and Casey Kotchman were hitting between .286 and .375.

...

Figgins has been a surprise, as has been the entire Angels bench. So has Kevin Gregg, who they think has starter stuff but right now is replacing Brendan Donnelly setting up for Francisco Rodriguez and Troy Percival. Rodriguez and Gregg allowed 33 hits, six earned runs and struck out 61 in their first 48 2/3 innings. Everyone thought the Angels would be good, but to have the best record in the league with Garret Anderson, Troy Glaus, Tim Salmon, Darin Erstad and Donnelly all hurt?

// posted by Rob @ 7:46 PM link  //  0 comments

I'll say it now: Eckstein's coming back. I know, I know, maybe I'll jinx it, but 2-4 with a walk -- a walk! -- is a revelation for him lately. And that hurl-your-bat-and-save-the-runner maneuver -- I've never seen anything like that. And his sudden conversion to a 5'9" shortstop on that line drive? Fantastic.

Really, the story was all about Vlad and Guillen, and of the two, I'm far more impressed with Guillen just because he's never put it together consistently before this year. Was he being mismanaged? I don't know, but I do get the impression that Scioscia's a manager who knows how best to squeeze good performances out of this guy.

Kotchman: okay, we all know about the no-strikeout record. It's all good, but the J. T. Snow impression's getting tired. Hitting a little less with some walks, or better, some power would be nice. Okay, he's a rookie: back off, I know. But somehow... first base should be a power slot, and .289/.333/.316 isn't that impressive. Erstad's .333 SLG is starting to look that much better, crazy as I think that might be.

Gregg: the only pitcher tonight who looked like his old self. I can't tell you how grateful I was that the Halos weren't ahead by three runs or less. From a winning-the-game point of view, it's probably crucial that Percy not get the ball in late innings.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 5:31 PM link  //  1 comments

Just sit right back
And you'll hear a tale
A tale of a team in first
Their hitting started very hot
But now it's gotten worse

The starters coughed up runs like phlegm
The bullpen blew up too
If not for the weakness of the NL West
The Padres they'd pursue

The team hit into double plays
And only got one run
They stranded eight and left the Braves
Feeling like they were done

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 12:30 PM link  //  0 comments

The doctor who performed surgery on Glaus' right shoulder found "significant damage," according to Manager Mike Scioscia, and the odds of Glaus returning to play this year appear slim. He'll wear a sling for the next 10-14 days before being re-examined and planning out a physical therapy plan.

"There's a lot of work ahead of Troy before he considers even thinking about playing this year," Scioscia said.

(Props to Stephen Smith for that idea.) But if this is an ad, it means somewhere there's gotta be a reality TV show where the team has to find a replacement player either at center or third base. Thus, we cut to the unwarranted return of the third base version of ... Elimidate! And here's the contestants:

• Contestant Number 1: Raul Mondesi! AP recently suggested we're pursuing him, despite a career that seems startlingly close to ending. Mondi's always been one of those guys who's never quite put it together for any team he's played for, a five-tool-player hit hard by inflation. Besides, quitting a major league contract -- for whatever reason -- doesn't strike me as the heart-of-a-champion kinda guy we need to win the division. More like, heart-of-a-couch slug. But, at least we don't have to unload the farm to pick up this guy. Update: Mariners Wheelhouse has a fantastic and all-too-believable analysis of Mondi's abandonment of his contract: essentially, he's doing it to improve his situation.
• Contestant Number 2: Aaron Boone! Boone, last seen doing a bad Michael Jordan impression in the offseason, is nursing a busted knee. A solid third baseman at the hot corner for the Reds, Boone proved a bust with the Yanks (except for his get-outta-my-park homer in the ALCS). Boone's got a lotta teams pursuing him -- including his former club, the Yankees, and the Red Sox and Dodgers -- but none of them want him back at third. There's two problems I have with Boone, namely
  • He's never hit well in the AL.
  • He's never hit well outside the NL Central.
  Given that Cincy's played in hitters' parks when they were in Cinergy Field (née Riverfront Stadium), and it's too early to tell which way GABP is headed, Boone's credentials as a hitter are suspect at best. Another guy requiring no trades, he's high on the list of replacements, except for the fact that the team's got a crush on...
• Contestant Number 3: Dallas McPherson. With power to spare and good strike zone knowledge, D-Mac was a question mark at the hot corner what with Glaus manning the position. But with D-Mac still needing further seasoning in the minors, he's a good year or more away from the big club -- hey, who let the jailbait in here? Still, if his ID card says he's the right age, then he's okay with us.
• Then there's Shea Hillenbrand, Contestant Number 4. No longer affordable on an Arizona team flailing at the bottom of the division, Shea's on-again-off-again bat might be available at the July trade deadline, but you can be sure the rebuilding Snakes will demand names that might include Contestant Number 3, Dallas McPherson.
• Likewise for the Chisox, who're reported to be shopping their third baseman José Valentin. José's an older model, but he's still got some pop with a .776 OPS last year. Available at the trade deadline only for other players, Kenny Williams has already proved himself a complete idiot by demanding too much for probably-won't-re-sign-anyway Magglio Ordoñez. Maybe if the team gets desperate, but no way for D-Mac.

// posted by Rob @ 6:01 PM link  //  2 comments

About the only bad news on the day was the announcer saying that Encarnacion had shoulder problems last year that -- stop me if you've heard this one before -- he elected not to have surgery on. I'm figuring on career-ending shoulder surgery round about August. They're dropping like flies here...

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 2:22 PM link  //  0 comments

Doctor's orders, ya know.

I'm not saying it will happen. But.

// posted by Rob @ 12:16 PM link  //  1 comments

Anaheim Stingers 6, Orioles 3

Robb Quinlan 3-3 with a walk on the night, Guillen 2-4, and the rest of the crew putting together no better than a 1-3 game? Rickety, rickety is the offense.

Recap

Eight Is Enough! Braves 2, Dodgers 0

Recap

At The Padres' Beck and Call

Dayn Perry: Erstad's Injury A Boon

// posted by Rob @ 7:30 AM link  //  0 comments

When I grew up, we had season tickets to [Angel Stadium] -- incredible seats...we gave them up during the Rams debacle, but that's another story...

So one year, I can't remember which, I might have been 10-11, the Angels actually could possibly make it to the play offs...I went to 2 games in a row, and 3rd baseman, Carney Lansford made something like 7-8 errors in two games. I was appalled.

I called then manager Jim Fregosi - not really expecting to get in - not knowing if they were going to randomly ask a caller's age. I get his secretary, she wants my name, number and will have Mr. Fregosi return my call...

<ahem>
<O...M...G...>

OK - and I give it to her (at this point, I'm figuring the SWAT team was going to descend on my house with paratroopers for doing this. Hey - I was a Kid!)

So Jim calls me back. I ask about Lansford, and Jim (we're now on a first name basis) says that Carney has been having a lot of personal problems. I explain to him that I completely understand that (after all, I was almost 11 ;) but I went on to explain that we really had a shot at the playoffs this year and Carney should keep his personal problems off the field or not be on it.

Jim said he didn't have any other 3rd baseman.

He was sooooo wrong...

I told him he could take Bobby Grich off of short stop - throw him on third, bring Dan Ford in from left field to cover short, and on and on I went - completely rearranging his out and in field.

Jim tells me that he'd "think about it" and thanks me for my call.

The next night, the game is televised, the Angels are in New York, there's been a line up change - Carney Lansford is out of the game, Bobby Grich is playing 3rd base, Dan Ford is covering short stop.....and on it went. Fregosi used my entire line up.

They beat the Yankees that night.

Jim Fregosi wasn't signed to manage the team the next year. I'm sure the fact that he was taking advice from some random 10 year old kid probably had nothing to do with that. ;)

Postscript: Baseball Almanac shows Fregosi's last year was a half season before being fired in 1981, when he managed the team to a just under .500 record of 22-26. Maybe she was thinking of '79?

// posted by Rob @ 10:01 PM link  //  0 comments

... number six. Demote him, and do it now. Is it embarrassing for Bart to watch Ramon Ortiz pitch three innings of scoreless, 2-hit relief, with six strikeouts? Good. If he keeps that up, I have no problem putting Ramon back in the rotation. Bart needs to give some serious thought to pitching, because the thirty extra pounds he carried into spring training is starting to look like a log around his neck. Angel bats went silent, as we knew they eventually would, but Bartolo threw batting practice for the Yankees. Embarrassing, embarrassing, embarrassing. Washburn is closer to being an ace, and that comes from somebody who doesn't think he earned -- even in 2002 -- the title.

The 3-5 hitters went a collective 2-12 with no walks. It's nice that Eckstein's hitting again, but can we please get some middle lineup production going?

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 7:51 AM link  //  0 comments

The suspicion both inside and outside the Angels' organization is that Glaus feared that his numbers might suffer, hurting his free-agent value at the end of the season.

...

Glaus' agent, Michael Nicotera, says the player's red-hot performance was deceptive, because he was unable to turn on inside pitches. At one point he told Nicotera, "I'm just waiting for it to blow out." He asked Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Angels' team orthopedist, if his recovery from surgery would be more difficult if the injury worsened. According to Nicotera, Yocum said, "That is a calculated risk."

"He had another MRI done. The labrum was worse. The tear in his rotator cuff is now completely through. You can literally hold Troy's wrist, pull down and create two fingers of space in his shoulder."

Today's the day Troy goes under the knife. Turn your thoughts and prayers his way.

// posted by Rob @ 7:43 AM link  //  0 comments

If pitchers with torn labrums were horses, they’d be destroyed. Of the 36 major-league hurlers diagnosed with labrum tears in the last five years, only midlevel reliever Rocky Biddle has returned to his previous level.

Let's hope that the other Angels have better prognoses than Troy.

// posted by Rob @ 10:31 PM link  //  0 comments

At Mariners Wheelhouse, Jeff speculates the M's will pick up Paulie next year based on his status as an aging vet with a quality if low-powered bat, and an unrepeatable career year behind him in 2001. The vitriol being hurled right now at Bavasi in the Mariners' blogosphere is intense and constant; the fear now has become that the team will bite at even more of the same toolsy-but-poor-hitting rookies at the trade deadline and even after the season's end. After the Looper/Ketchner for Cabrera deal, Bavasi's skills as a barterer of human flesh have legitimate reason to be called into question.

What I wonder about is DePodesta's.

Have we, as Dodger fans, been too willing to give him the benefit of a doubt because of the team's early success? I've said his moves looked good before. But how good do they look now that the PTNBL is Andrew Brown? DePo rooked Bavasi, it seems, on the Ketchner trade, but you never know until the kid makes it all the way up. Still, early returns are encouraging, with a 1.69 ERA, 7.98 K/9 and a 3.05 BB/9. So that's a big drop from his single-A numbers, but not unexpected. And what of Grabowski? His two-homer game aside, he's been mostly ineffective at the plate, spending more time at or below the Mendoza line than above it. Olmedo Saenz and José Hernandez have been good in limited action, but neither is the answer to any question aside from "Who should be in reserve?"

The jury's still out. But the fact is, the team needs help, and, apparently, sooner rather than later. We're waiting, DePo.

// posted by Rob @ 8:57 AM link  //  2 comments

There's a reason this web site exists. Unfortunately, a lot of people had begun to forget that reason. There's no forgetting anymore, however. The Dodgers lost their sixth in a row Wednesday, and it's increasingly clear that the team is finally living up to expectations—low expectations. The Dodgers have lost sole possession of first place, and along with that, have lost the confidence (or cockiness) they had just a couple weeks ago. It's only mid-May, but this streak has the potential to really screw them up... as well as scare off the bandwagon fans who were suddenly believers in the team (which, actually, would be a welcome occurence).

I have made mention of the problems the team might have in the past. Bradley isn't really a true heart-of-the-order masher. Neither is Encarnacion. The pitching has regressed a lot from last year, especially with Nomo. Alvarez is a lot of things, but another way to spell Brown he is not.

And now the Padres are tied with us for first place. This team will have losing streaks for sure, but we haven't faced a genuinely contending team with their pitchers in full working order until the Phillies. Kerry Wood, you will recall, had back stiffness when we beat the Cubs. I'm predicting a sweep in Philly, with one win but a series loss in Atlanta.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 6:53 AM link  //  0 comments

I hate the Yankees. I hate Gary Sheffield -- I hated him even when he was a Dodger. His psycho player act wore thin then and it's even thinner now. And what the F is with that bat-waggling? Hit the ball or don't, buster. I hate Jeter and his flashy-ass spin-and-throw move that loses the ball about one time in eight. I hate Giambi and his beady little eyes. Every minute he spends on the DL or riding the pine is like a vacation for everyone else. And, God help me, I hate A-Rod and his simpering, passive-aggressive doe eyes one minute, and Mafia-inspired backstabbing the next.

And I hate their fans. Their fans have been an absolute plague on the Angels' boards this week. It's not enough that they win the game -- noooo. They have to gloat about it. At the Big A, they're loud, obnoxious, frequently drunk, and ugly. Yeah, I said it, ugly. We got this one enormous fat guy with a belly hanging well over his shorts waving a Yankee banner between sections trying to get the multitudinous Yankee fans to whoop it up some more. And, sorry Alex, the ump did not hand us the game yesterday. Every third game they don't win is because of bad umpiring, not because they didn't play well. No, nothing like that.

Anyway -- Lackey -- another less-than-optimal night for John, though you have to give him some credit for having faced a really killer lineup (albeit in somewhat of a slump). But he needs to find his control and fast. This game really gives you a feel now for just how much this lineup misses Glaus.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 11:34 PM link  //  0 comments

That thought permeated my mind like a mustard gas attack the second I saw Alfredo Amezega warming up in the Angels dugout. Why was this oh-so-horribly wrong?

1. Because he takes out the one of only two credible power threats at the top of the lineup.
2. Did I say "power threats"? I meant, "threats to get a hit".
3. Because he can't run the basepaths to save his life.

Dammit, I want some blowouts of the Yankees. These guys are the Evil Empire. I just can't help myself: when I saw Sheffield take a hit on that corner wall shagging a flyball in right, I cheered. Base of me, I know, but I can't stand the Yankees. Gotta give props to Posada for what he did for Kotch last week, but in general, Yankees suck, as the boys from Boston always say.

I'm beginning to agree with Richard that the team is winning in spite of Mike.

And everyone else in the division did us a favor by losing. We're atop the division by 3.5 games. The worst that can happen after this Yankees series is for us to be up by only a half a game.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 10:24 PM link  //  1 comments

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 6:48 PM link  //  0 comments

• July 22, 2003: Glaus injures his shoulder at Tropicana Field diving for a bunt by Julio Lugo that took a bad hop.
• July 24, 2003: The injury is labeled "a contusion" with no other damage to the joint, though it's unclear who made this diagnosis.
• August 12, 2003: A contrast MRI shows a partially torn rotator cuff and frayed labrum, not just a contusion as originally diagnosed. He had played two rehab games at Rancho prior to the discovery, which apparently aggravated the injury.
• August 20, 2003: Glaus is shut down for the rest of 2003. "Both doctors have prescribed six weeks of physical therapy and re-evaluation following that time period".
• October 31, 2003: Glaus reportedly "progressing well" in rehab, and on target for a return to Spring Training.
• January 11, 2004: Mike Nicotera, Glaus' agent, says "He's in the best shape of his life right now."
• March 6, 2004: Glaus returns to the field in Spring Training.
• March 11, 2004: Glaus sprains his ankle rounding second during Spring Training. The injury is considered minor.
• April 30, 2004: Diving for a hot shot by Torii Hunter, Troy "landed awkwardly on his left shoulder", but shrugs it off.
• May 1, 2004: Glaus plays at DH the next game. He would not see further action at the hot corner.
• May 12, 2004: Glaus is a late scratch from the New York series.
• May 13, 2004: Glaus has has a contrast MRI performed "that revealed symptoms 'similar to last year,' according to the Angels."
• May 17, 2004: Glaus to undergo surgery. The Angels admit he may be out for the year the next day.

// posted by Rob @ 4:48 AM link  //  0 comments

Well, at least we have Dallas McPherson to look forward to. Troy, you were a great MVP in 2002 and it was a fantastic career while it lasted. I guess it's a good thing that they didn't re-sign Glaus in the offseason, huh?

Update: ESPN reports he may be out for the rest of the year. No duh, and add it's "stick a fork in him" time, but I include this for the sake of completeness; IMO his career is over, but at least he's got D-Mac behind him. Who knows, he might make a nice backup infielder. Well, he's not so good at short, and hasn't played the position since the minors. Heh, never mind.

// posted by Rob @ 6:54 PM link  //  5 comments

Update: And please, if you need something to cheer you up after Sunday's losses, know that metropolitan LA's teams aren't the only ones to lose. Read Batgirl, especially this Legovision reenactment of Troy Glaus, pre-shoulder-trauma, tagging out Henry Blanco.

// posted by Rob @ 10:57 AM link  //  1 comments

Which brought me to the team stats page. If you scroll your eyes down, you'll see a fellow named Joe Kennedy, carrying an unexpectedly good 2.85 ERA. Looking at his peripheral stats, he's got respectable-but-not-great numbers:

What's more, his strikeout rate, never especially good with Tampa Bay, has actually improved over his 2003 spent there. Those kind of numbers -- especially H/9 -- have got to get worse in Colorado, but who'd've believed you could get that from a journeyman pitcher at Coors Field, when the starting rotation's ERA presently stands at 7.67? Baseball Prospectus gives him a 15.0 VORP (subscription required), putting him in the neighborhood of such luminaries as Roy Halliday, Wilson Alvarez, and Ben Sheets. Given the Rocks' proclivities, I have to believe his acquisition was an accident, but however it occurred, at least the Rockies' fans have one guy they can look forward to, not unlike Barry Bonds and the Giants.

// posted by Rob @ 8:39 AM link  //  0 comments

Barry Zito, Moneyball stud: 5.63
Ben Sheets, Moneyball laughingstock: 2.90

This commercial message is brought to you by Mr. Small Sample Size, the king of big ERAs.

// posted by Rob @ 10:56 PM link  //  3 comments

At the very least, in today's game, Green and Beltre should have flip-flopped. And perhaps Cora could have been used in leadoff, I don't know. And now, the trip to Philly after a losing homestand. This could get ugly. Minus the hitting, the pitching isn't good enough to keep the team in close games.

The thing that bugs me is Gagné's lain fallow for so long I can't even remember the last time I saw him pitch.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 9:32 PM link  //  0 comments

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 9:18 PM link  //  1 comments

Underperformance by one person is poor performance. Underperformance by a whole team is poor management.

Back to the Halos. I'm starting to think I might like Wash, just a little. For one thing, I hate flyball pitchers, and for another, I hate extreme flyball pitchers. With sufficient run support, any hack on the mound can be made to look good, although to take it to the extremes the boys in St. Louis do is just crazy. Yet, eight innings and two earned runs? And now he's sporting a sub-5.00 ERA? Wowzers. If he gets below 4.00 I'll do handstands. And no, Richard, I'm not taking back anything I said about Halter. I'll agree that his rotten glovework has cost the team dearly from time to time, but he does -- sometimes -- do things that redeem him. Hey, at least he's not Eric Owens, or worse yet, Scott Spiezio -- who is now 1-42 in the clutch for the M's. So much for "clutch hitting" as an ability.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 9:15 AM link  //  0 comments

Yes, folks, Elvis has left the building.

Update: The Arizona Republic adds this coda. As usual, one misheard comment becomes a trade rumor. Sheesh.

Diamondbacks ace Randy Johnson stressed Friday that the frustration he expressed one day after losing a 1-0 decision to the New York Mets' Tom Glavine shouldn't be interpreted as anything else.

"Don't read into any more about that than what it really is," Johnson said before Friday's game against Montreal.

Johnson wasn't available for comment after losing Wednesday on a home run allowed to the Mets' Kazuo Matsui for the only run of the game. He remained baffled about a question pertaining to any disappointment that only 27,750 fans - the third-smallest home crowd of the season at the time - paid to see him face Glavine.

// posted by Rob @ 11:08 AM link  //  0 comments

Colon gave up Javy Lopez's solo home run in the fourth, four more runs in the fifth, then left because of lower-back stiffness...

// posted by Rob @ 10:10 AM link  //  0 comments

Salmon, Damned

"It felt fine during warm-ups and pregame, but when I actually got out there and played at game speed it hurt," Salmon said. "You can do all the practice you want, but you can't simulate a game situation. That's why they have these rehab games. I needed to see how it would react at being a little out of control on a swing and running the bases hard."

. . .

"I have very mixed emotions right now. From a player's perspective its great to get back on the field, but the injury just isn't where it is supposed to be," Salmon said. "We've got a lot of good things going on with the big club. It's a long season and I don't want to force this and drag this thing out. I'm still trying to figure things out. We'll have to see how it feels tomorrow. Right now it is tender and sore."

Salmon was supposed to play this weekend with the Quakes and possibly rejoin the Angels Tuesday, but that time table is now up in the air.

Glaus At 1B?

Reds 2, Dodgers 1

You'll have games like this in the course of a season, but the question is, was it avoidable? Is Ishii reverting to form? I don't know, but the number of walks points that way. But the bats, the bats... my first thought, after reading the box score, was Grabby batting leadoff? Another Tracy's-lost-his-mind moment, I thought, but 1-3 with a walk isn't too bad. The problem is the gaping hole that has become Shawn Green's bat -- .236? Enough, already -- to the bottom of the lineup with you. But -- unlike Eckstein, Mendozadom is highly unlikely for Green. Even if he continues at his current .192 pace (over the last week), it would still take him 138 four at bat games to get there. His descent has been imperceptable after his early good start; as of April 15th, he was hitting .333. On the other hand, the Reds' pitching staff is 13th in the league by ERA, so if there were ever a team he could recover his swing against, it should be Cincinnati. I'll hold off on advice to move him down the order, but if he doesn't start producing this weekend, it's time.

Recap

No Epic Battles For Us, Thanks -- We're Waving

To anyone who might be reading this from the outside, who has bought into the stereotype of the Dodger fan, who has mocked us, please try to understand. Just try.

Dodger fans are real.

// posted by Rob @ 7:21 AM link  //  5 comments

Here we go again. Five earned runs, five innings, four walks, five strikeouts. 4.59 ERA. Gregg didn't look so hot, either, but, hey, you gotta tip your caps. But this is pathetic.

In the ninth: Rory Markus:

• Boy, they've hit the ball well this inning.
• An almost unbelievable rally in the ninth inning...

What's wrong with this pitching staff is the GM's inability to recognize and acquire quality pitching. We should have had Javier Vazquez. Instead, we have an overpaid number two. Step on their necks, already. This should have never gone to extra innings. Christ, do I miss Donnelly.

And what was up with Figgins not getting credit for hitting for the cycle? Maybe I'm ignorant of the rules on how scoring works, but he got two bases in the tenth when the throw to the plate was wide. Isn't that a double?

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 6:55 PM link  //  4 comments

Angels general manager Bill Stoneman had no roster move to announce and said the club did not think the 15-day disabled list was immediately necessary.

The Curse is back.

Update: This could be really bad. Even though it's his throwing shoulder, Shawn Green is the poster child for what happens after a shoulder reconstruction, and if Troy has to undergo that, chances are his labrum's done for good -- as is his ability as a power hitter.

// posted by Rob @ 8:56 AM link  //  1 comments

Yankees 7, Angels 3

José Guillen wasn't enough. In its presently depleted state, the Angels' lineup isn't enough. That was obvious yesterday, when the Yankees smacked around Angels "pitching". Lackey has never really returned to his 2002 form, and I suspect his early success may well be due to the league having not seen him. About the only good thing to come of this was his five strikeouts, but his demotion from 2002 World Series Game 7 hero (and ALDS Game 4 winner) to back-of-the-rotation scaremonger has been absolutely brutal. Lack needs to settle down and learn to pitch. And there's no place in the bullpen for him.

Note to whoever's writing the headlines over at mlb.com: Lackey was many things, but unlucky wasn't one of them.

Recap

Cubs 7, Dodgers 3

Helen complained that JoBo has looked awful this year; for whatever reason, he can't find his rhythm and has drifted into anticloserdom, giving up a mess of hits and walks. I thought at first maybe she's getting spoiled watching Gagné, but in fact Borowski seems to be undergoing an Ortizian transformation, with his H/9 nearly doubling and BB/9 tripling over last year. JoBo, you'd better stop handing out free passes. Closers can't afford to do that.

Recap

Cold Comfort

Mariners 3-way Deal?

Bavasi said no deals are near, but rumors are circulating the Red Sox and Royals are trying to entice the Mariners into a three-way trade. Boston would trade pitcher Byung Hyun Kim and, possibly, outfielder Johnny Damon to the Mariners in exchange for pitcher Freddy Garcia and minor league starter Cha Seung Baek.

If the Red Sox could get the Mariners to bite, Garcia would then be shipped to Kansas City, with outfielder Carlos Beltran going to Boston.

So, Billy, What Does Work In The Playoffs?

Timmy At Rancho For Rehab

// posted by Rob @ 7:35 AM link  //  0 comments

McCourt was accused of only being interested in the real estate value of Dodger Stadium in L.A. and Dodger Town in Florida. He got ripped for hiring a young general manager in Paul De Podesta, who had experience in finding undervalued and unwanted talent that other teams were willing to dump. Sports talk radio hosts would base their shows around making fun of McCourt and the future of the 2004 Dodgers.

And surprise, surprise, the Dodgers began Thursday with the best record in baseball (22-10) and won six games in a row.

Once washed-up pitcher Wilson Alvarez looks like he has found his old form. [Gee, he was that way last year, too, remember?] Adrian Beltre is batting .377 and will make the all-star team along with Paul Lo Duca, who is batting .386 while compiling 42 hits. Kazuhisa Ishii has already won five games and Eric Gagne has 10 saves and looks more dominant than last season.

I applaud Frank McCourt for buying the Dodgers while other local real estate developers and movie stars held on to their money and criticized him behind closed doors. The sports media in L.A. doesn't have enough money combined to buy season tickets to the Dodgers let alone pick up the tab while the apologizing to Mr. and Mrs. McCourt in public.

We'll have to wait and see.

But none of that makes Frank a good owner.

// posted by Rob @ 7:03 AM link  //  0 comments

• Guillen continues to mash, as does (did) Troy.
• Kennedy is perking up.
• Halter isn't as bad as advertised.
• Kotchman is the best surprise imaginable. We didn't take the series but we did make them work, in no small part thanks to his efforts. Good show, rook.
• Eckstein: yadda, yadda, but at least Mike put him near the bottom of the lineup today.
• DaVanon, the Human Walk Machine, keeps on walking, and for good measure, hits a few as well.
• And even though Figgy collected zero walks, I'll forgive him that. Let's see how he does against the Orioles before we hand him the starting leadoff job; it might be better off in Jeffy's hands.

// posted by Rob @ 6:35 PM link  //  4 comments

Once upon a time when I wasn't so bitter about my future employment prospects should my present situation collapse, I was contemplating pursuing a straight computer science degree, simply because of the math requirements in the engineering programs. (You shouldn't read too much into this: the degree program really consists of four years of programming tricks, while navigating the tedious seas of Turing machines.) But something happened along the way that changed my mind. That something, or someone, was Kevin Shannon, then -- as now, apparently -- of Orange Coast College. I had him for precalculus, a subject I never got to in high school, victim of a series of horrible instructors there. He's the first and only math prof I have ever had who could make that light come on in my head. And now, he's received a $15,000 award for being so good.

Shannon is going to use his $15,000 to help his son go to college.

"He's 10, and he wants to be a pediatrician, so I think that will pay for about a year," said Shannon, a math teacher at Orange Coast College.

Shannon thought he was being interviewed as a finalist for teacher of the year. But when he showed up at the County Department of Education offices, he found out he had been tricked.

He was the winner.

Shannon said it must have been his students who got him over the top. "My students appreciate what I do, and they wrote letters of recommendation," he said.

Shannon's own essay helped as well.

"The value of a diamond is determined by the four Cs - cut, clarity, color and carat," he wrote. "A college education is more valuable than diamonds. In my educational philosophy, the four Cs of college teaching are connection, content, clarity and conduct. When any of these elements is missing, education loses its value."

OCC President Gene Farrell showed up to support Shannon.

"He's fun to watch teach," Farrell said. "He's so passionate about teaching. And he looks way too young to be at our school for 27 years."

// posted by Rob @ 7:29 AM link  //  0 comments