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Tuesday, August 16, 2005 |
Dammit, Brendan: Angels 5, Blue Jays 4
I'm going to tread on very, very thin ice here, because I know and am friends with a number of A's fans who are entirely decent folk. I open with this windy caveat because it precedes a patently useless generalization, but one that I've noticed nonetheless in certain climes:
To the game. My focus here is Donnelly for his repeatedly bad performances of late; while he's had three games this month with no earned runs allowed, he's also done poorly against any team with even a ghost of an offense. That is to say, his zero frames came against Tampa Bay and Seattle's sputtering offenses, while his blowups occurred against Oakland and Toronto, teams that can actually hit. Worse, those blowups forced extra innings, recalling the horrors from the 18-inning, 2-1 extravaganza in Toronto. The Angels seriously need to fix their bullpen, and I don't get a good feeling that Stoneman is up to the task, and/or that there will be anyone available to actually fix it. In this, Stoneman becomes a bit like Jim Hendry, who has allowed useful spare parts like Andy Sisco to disappear. In Stoneman's case, both Bobby Jenks (0-0, 3.86 ERA) and Derrick Turnbow (4-1, 2.01 ERA) were allowed to scamper off for what were essentially spurious reasons.
... let's discuss the only two questions about MLB of any importance this year: 1) Who will the A's face in the World Series, and 2) How many games will it take for the A's to shut them down.Which neatly summarizes the kind of entitled worldview that a certain segment of A's fans have adopted since winning the AL West three of four years, going to the postseason four straight times, and worse, having a gloating, incomplete hagiography of their principle icon, Billy Beane, published and become a bestseller. Not that this is surprising; Yankees fans are that way, too, only much, much worse. What's bizarre about it is that, for this subspecies of A's fan, the entitlement is alloyed with a certain Quebecois mentality. That is, they feel -- and truly believe, despite all this on-field success -- they're an embattled minority, all the while with a vague and not necessarily justifiable smugness.
Needless to say, it's grating even in small doses. As a tonic, I recall the story told by Stephen Smith of how the A's happened to acquire reliever Mike Magnante -- while the Angels swiped Oakland's first round pick that year. My regard for Bill Stoneman has a tendency to waver depending on the circumstances; his errors tend to be overlong contracts to players with whom the franchise has emotional ties, like Erstad, Anderson, and Cabrera (recall Stoneman knew OC from his days as Montreal's GM), negating the financial advantages the Angels have over some of their division rivals. But it's little stories like this one that tend to get forgotten amidst the hosannahs and church revival amens that have issued forth since the publication of Moneyball.
And with that, and in passing, I note that the A's are two games out of first. Not, of course, that I view that as anything like a permanent situation.
To the game. My focus here is Donnelly for his repeatedly bad performances of late; while he's had three games this month with no earned runs allowed, he's also done poorly against any team with even a ghost of an offense. That is to say, his zero frames came against Tampa Bay and Seattle's sputtering offenses, while his blowups occurred against Oakland and Toronto, teams that can actually hit. Worse, those blowups forced extra innings, recalling the horrors from the 18-inning, 2-1 extravaganza in Toronto. The Angels seriously need to fix their bullpen, and I don't get a good feeling that Stoneman is up to the task, and/or that there will be anyone available to actually fix it. In this, Stoneman becomes a bit like Jim Hendry, who has allowed useful spare parts like Andy Sisco to disappear. In Stoneman's case, both Bobby Jenks (0-0, 3.86 ERA) and Derrick Turnbow (4-1, 2.01 ERA) were allowed to scamper off for what were essentially spurious reasons.
I mention all this so prominently because the Angels got a masterful performance out of Ervin Santana, and for so long this season, the Angels bullpen has been, not a source of reliable outs for the team, but a middling mediocrity that's often stood in the way of the starters getting justifiable wins. What was odd about the game was Santana's sudden lack of strikeouts, only one, when his 6.81 K/9 says he should have had five or six.
Vlad's offensive resurgence continues, though the rest of the squad still seems somewhat weak. Cabrera's 1-6 in the 2-hole marks a trend that's seen its end; dropping him back to seventh or eighth would seem prudent. He went a collective 2-13 in the Oakland series, so you'd think Mike would get the hint. Guess not.
Comments:
Am I the only one to notice that ever since the scab can no longer use pine tar (i.e. split fingered fast ball or pitch with movement) that he has been a disaster in the bullpen?
That said, presuming Angels make post-season (a very strong likelihood) your four starters should be Colon, Washburn, Lackey, Byrd). Thus Angels should now put Escobar in the pen, as frankly only Shields and Rodriguez I have good faith in. I have more faith in Gregg (!!!) than the scab currently, and I see no signs in this changing.
That said, presuming Angels make post-season (a very strong likelihood) your four starters should be Colon, Washburn, Lackey, Byrd). Thus Angels should now put Escobar in the pen, as frankly only Shields and Rodriguez I have good faith in. I have more faith in Gregg (!!!) than the scab currently, and I see no signs in this changing.
# posted by 
: 8/16/2005 08:39:00 AM
: 8/16/2005 08:39:00 AM
I think Richard Bennet was just having a little fun with that A's comment. I didn't take it seriously. I think you can tell he's joking from the part where he talks about the A's in the World Series. That part was pretty funny.
I think Donnelly's problems are between his ears at the moment. He'll settle down. I'm much more worried about Frankie's winter ball catching up to him.
I don't think you can blame Stoneman for letting those guys go. At least not Jenks, as most folks figured he could make it through waivers and was the clear choice for getting the boot in that situation (who else?).
With Turnbow, I know I certainly had no clue he was going to become a serviceable major leaguer. And apparently the club didn't see it either. Being out of options, what were they to do?
I'd say both were cases of hard luck, not mismanagement.
With Turnbow, I know I certainly had no clue he was going to become a serviceable major leaguer. And apparently the club didn't see it either. Being out of options, what were they to do?
I'd say both were cases of hard luck, not mismanagement.
I realize you are referring to a certain segment of A's fans, but the concept of having an "entitled worldview" about the A's is so completely alien to me that I can't help but laugh. I think it's remarkable that Beane has put together 90+ win teams for five (probably soon to be six) consecutive seasons with far more limited financial resources than most contenders, and tend to prefer the on-field strategies he advocates to those of teams like the Angels. But any A's fan who has the temerity to gloat about a team that's blown its last four playoff appearances in such humiliating and depressing fashion needs to remove his head from his rectal cavity.
# posted by : 8/16/2005 10:31:00 AM
: 8/16/2005 10:31:00 AM
"despite all this on-field success -- they're an embattled minority, all the while with a vague and not necessarily justifiable smugness"
Does this not describe Yankee fans, Red Sox fans, and even Dodger fans back when the team was 12-2 but being ignored by ESPN?
Rodney Dangerfield is alive and well. (Well, he's not, but you get the idea.)
Does this not describe Yankee fans, Red Sox fans, and even Dodger fans back when the team was 12-2 but being ignored by ESPN?
Rodney Dangerfield is alive and well. (Well, he's not, but you get the idea.)
"And with that, and in passing, I note that the A's are two games out of first. Not, of course, that I view that as anything like a permanent situation."
--
Agreed. The Angels need someone like Mike Sweeney. And they need
bullpen help, whether it's Escobar or a new lefty reliever. Finley has become a rather expensive
mistake. And Anderson's health is failing. Without protection for Guerrero the Angels offense is going to run into bad trouble.
And the bullpen is too thin.
Let's not forget that in recent seasons the Angels could count on then-reliables like Weber and Percival, but now they're down to only three solid bullpen pitchers, all who have struggled lately due
likely to burnout. I think if Frankie wants that big juicy contract he will have to give up playing winter ball from now on.
I agree with you on Stoneman too. $15 million a year for Finley and Cabrera is outrageous, considering they could get a Mike Sweeney-esque player for less than that.
I also concur that if the Angels with their high payroll fail to make the playoffs, Stoneman could be headed for the unemployment line. Acquiring players during a season is, after all, part of a manager's job description, no?
I think the Angels have a good shot at making the playoffs. But the way they are built now I don't think they will be able to go toe-to-toe with a team like the Red Sox.
- Chris
--
Agreed. The Angels need someone like Mike Sweeney. And they need
bullpen help, whether it's Escobar or a new lefty reliever. Finley has become a rather expensive
mistake. And Anderson's health is failing. Without protection for Guerrero the Angels offense is going to run into bad trouble.
And the bullpen is too thin.
Let's not forget that in recent seasons the Angels could count on then-reliables like Weber and Percival, but now they're down to only three solid bullpen pitchers, all who have struggled lately due
likely to burnout. I think if Frankie wants that big juicy contract he will have to give up playing winter ball from now on.
I agree with you on Stoneman too. $15 million a year for Finley and Cabrera is outrageous, considering they could get a Mike Sweeney-esque player for less than that.
I also concur that if the Angels with their high payroll fail to make the playoffs, Stoneman could be headed for the unemployment line. Acquiring players during a season is, after all, part of a manager's job description, no?
I think the Angels have a good shot at making the playoffs. But the way they are built now I don't think they will be able to go toe-to-toe with a team like the Red Sox.
- Chris
# posted by : 8/16/2005 01:00:00 PM
: 8/16/2005 01:00:00 PM
Frankie's days in the Venezuelan winter leagues are already over. I've already been over the Finley contract (which I agreed with at the time) and the Cabrera contract (no way was that ever even remotely justifiable). A competent GM would have nabbed Sweeney, in light of his extensive DL time, and given him up for Kotchman and no salary relief (i.e., Angels, or whoever, pay 100% of his remaining contract). Sweeney is not a solution at any position.
Does this mean I would axe Stoneman were I Arte? No, not without a better idea of who should be in his chair. Schuerholz seems to be otherwise occupied. Also, Theo Epstein. Likewise, Billy Beane. And so forth.
Does this mean I would axe Stoneman were I Arte? No, not without a better idea of who should be in his chair. Schuerholz seems to be otherwise occupied. Also, Theo Epstein. Likewise, Billy Beane. And so forth.
Point taken. Yet his ERA since 6/14 against potential playoff teams (NY and OAK) is 7.94. Before (v. Chi, Bos, NYY, ATL, OAK) ERA was 2.95. Not real comforting.
Yet, more worrying in august he has inherited 6 men on base, and 4 have scored. ERA in August 9.36.
This pales in comparison to his figures of past years when his season ERA never topped 3.00.
In sum, I do not trust the scab as the set up guy for Shields vs. quality teams. Come playoff time I would rather see Santana, Escobar, or Gregg (at this rate at least). I wish he will turn it around, yet there is no evidence so far of this.
Yet, more worrying in august he has inherited 6 men on base, and 4 have scored. ERA in August 9.36.
This pales in comparison to his figures of past years when his season ERA never topped 3.00.
In sum, I do not trust the scab as the set up guy for Shields vs. quality teams. Come playoff time I would rather see Santana, Escobar, or Gregg (at this rate at least). I wish he will turn it around, yet there is no evidence so far of this.
# posted by : 8/16/2005 02:00:00 PM
: 8/16/2005 02:00:00 PM
Actually -- one more thing, this in response to Jon's upthread comment:
"despite all this on-field success -- they're an embattled minority, all the while with a vague and not necessarily justifiable smugness"
Does this not describe Yankee fans, Red Sox fans, and even Dodger fans back when the team was 12-2 but being ignored by ESPN?
Dodger fans? Possibly. Anybody on the west coast gets something of a pass because ESPN goes to bed before their games are over.
Red Sox fans? A little less so. Eighty-something years of futility will do that to you.
But Yankees fans? Come on. When the Yanks are rolling, which is often, their hordes infest foreign ballparks to the point that I refuse to go to Yankees games. They are loud, drunk, and obnoxious about their teams' successes. They have no humility, and little comprehension what it is like to lose.
This is why I'm cheering for the Red Sox in the AL East, or the Orioles, or anyone else but the Yankees.
"despite all this on-field success -- they're an embattled minority, all the while with a vague and not necessarily justifiable smugness"
Does this not describe Yankee fans, Red Sox fans, and even Dodger fans back when the team was 12-2 but being ignored by ESPN?
Dodger fans? Possibly. Anybody on the west coast gets something of a pass because ESPN goes to bed before their games are over.
Red Sox fans? A little less so. Eighty-something years of futility will do that to you.
But Yankees fans? Come on. When the Yanks are rolling, which is often, their hordes infest foreign ballparks to the point that I refuse to go to Yankees games. They are loud, drunk, and obnoxious about their teams' successes. They have no humility, and little comprehension what it is like to lose.
This is why I'm cheering for the Red Sox in the AL East, or the Orioles, or anyone else but the Yankees.
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