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Saturday, October 15, 2005 |
The End Is Near: White Sox 8, Angels 2
Somebody has to win, somebody has to lose. The Angels were doing their damndest to lose, with the top of the order going a collective 1-16. Only Anderson got a hit; the hardest hit ball was Kotchman's double, making me wonder what took Scioscia so long to put him in. Maybe it's the fact that Erstad's hitting .300 in the postseason?
Sure, the Angels got jobbed on a call or two. That still doesn't change the fact that this team isn't hitting at the top of the order.
The Angels have done better than 26 other teams this year by getting this far. It's been a good year. The season has at least one more game in it. And there's always spring training.
Update: Oh, and I saw bumper stickers for firedougeddings.com all over the third base ramps on the way out. Heh.
Comments:
I think the score was 8 to 2 Rob, but other than that you are dead on with your analysis.
With the "good" offensive players hitting about .100 for the series this team was just doomed. Figgy isn't getting on base, Vlad isn't striking the ball with any authority, GA is pulling off the ball and B-Mo hasn't hit a ball hard since the beaning in NY.
Hopefully this will convince Stoneman that there is some work to do to make this a good offensive team. This will probably make it hard for him to let Molina walk (unfortunately) and probably make it easier for him to do something stupid like sign Konerko for $12 million per year.
On the flip side, maybe this will get Rivera, Kotchman and McPherson consistent playing time next year. The should each get 400+ AB's next year and I expect them to out produce everyone but Vlad. If there is dicking around with those three players next year Stoneman and Scioscia will have some questions to answer.
Additionally, if any of these things look likely in February, the front office will have some questions to answer...
If Darin Erstad is the starting first baseman.
If Steve Finley is on the roster, let alone the starting center fielder.
If Chone Figgings is the lead off hitter.
If anyone but Dallas McPherson is the starting third baseman.
If Juan Rivera is the starting DH while GA is playing the OF again.
If B-Mo is signed to a long term contract.
If Mickey Hatcher is anywhere near this team in an official capacity.
If the bullpen consists of little more than Donnelly, Shields and F-Rod.
These are some of my concerns, and I hope that the front office wasn't lulled into the thinking that this team is a great team because they made it to the LCS. Taking nothing away from the White Sox pitching, but this offensive team didn't produce in this series. There is no way that the plate discipline of a 95 win team can be SO BAD that they allow three complete games to be thrown against them in a short series. There is the old adage that speed doesn't go into a slump, well the same can be said for hitters that draw walks. Even if the hits aren't falling if a few guys get on via the BB that will generate offense that would otherwise not exist.
Anyway, let's go get them tomorrow and prolong this a little bit, get it back to Chicago and see what happens.
With the "good" offensive players hitting about .100 for the series this team was just doomed. Figgy isn't getting on base, Vlad isn't striking the ball with any authority, GA is pulling off the ball and B-Mo hasn't hit a ball hard since the beaning in NY.
Hopefully this will convince Stoneman that there is some work to do to make this a good offensive team. This will probably make it hard for him to let Molina walk (unfortunately) and probably make it easier for him to do something stupid like sign Konerko for $12 million per year.
On the flip side, maybe this will get Rivera, Kotchman and McPherson consistent playing time next year. The should each get 400+ AB's next year and I expect them to out produce everyone but Vlad. If there is dicking around with those three players next year Stoneman and Scioscia will have some questions to answer.
Additionally, if any of these things look likely in February, the front office will have some questions to answer...
If Darin Erstad is the starting first baseman.
If Steve Finley is on the roster, let alone the starting center fielder.
If Chone Figgings is the lead off hitter.
If anyone but Dallas McPherson is the starting third baseman.
If Juan Rivera is the starting DH while GA is playing the OF again.
If B-Mo is signed to a long term contract.
If Mickey Hatcher is anywhere near this team in an official capacity.
If the bullpen consists of little more than Donnelly, Shields and F-Rod.
These are some of my concerns, and I hope that the front office wasn't lulled into the thinking that this team is a great team because they made it to the LCS. Taking nothing away from the White Sox pitching, but this offensive team didn't produce in this series. There is no way that the plate discipline of a 95 win team can be SO BAD that they allow three complete games to be thrown against them in a short series. There is the old adage that speed doesn't go into a slump, well the same can be said for hitters that draw walks. Even if the hits aren't falling if a few guys get on via the BB that will generate offense that would otherwise not exist.
Anyway, let's go get them tomorrow and prolong this a little bit, get it back to Chicago and see what happens.
Screwed up on that one -- I started off by reading yesterday's box score on ESPN and forgot to correct it with the right one. How could I forget -- I was at the park!
Anyway: Figgins is doing about what I figured he'd do in a critical moment: fall apart. If there's one thing this series really did, it was to expose the Angels' dangerous reliance on Figgins' weak plate discipline, something I warned about when the team signed Cabrera in December. The cost of Cabrera is so much more than dollars and years; it was the ejection of the only guy on the roster who is (a) a regular and (b) knows how to take a walk.
I agree there is a danger of re-signing Bengie. I'm not as convinced as you are about the offensive merits of Juan Rivera, but McPherson absolutely deserves playing time and must be the starting third baseman next year. Agreed, obviously, on Erstad as well.
I expect Steve Finley will get a cameo in ST and management will decide whether to keep or cut afterwards.
Figgins will probably return to the leadoff role simply because they have no better prospects. (What, you want to acquire the aging Kenny Lofton?)
Guaranteed Hatcher is going nowhere.
Hopefully this postseason has also given the front office a taste of why Esteban Yan was such a bad idea in the first place. OTOH, trading for a reliever doesn't seem to be the best idea, either; Octavio Dotel. Guillermo Mota. Juan Cruz. I could go on.
Anyway: Figgins is doing about what I figured he'd do in a critical moment: fall apart. If there's one thing this series really did, it was to expose the Angels' dangerous reliance on Figgins' weak plate discipline, something I warned about when the team signed Cabrera in December. The cost of Cabrera is so much more than dollars and years; it was the ejection of the only guy on the roster who is (a) a regular and (b) knows how to take a walk.
I agree there is a danger of re-signing Bengie. I'm not as convinced as you are about the offensive merits of Juan Rivera, but McPherson absolutely deserves playing time and must be the starting third baseman next year. Agreed, obviously, on Erstad as well.
I expect Steve Finley will get a cameo in ST and management will decide whether to keep or cut afterwards.
Figgins will probably return to the leadoff role simply because they have no better prospects. (What, you want to acquire the aging Kenny Lofton?)
Guaranteed Hatcher is going nowhere.
Hopefully this postseason has also given the front office a taste of why Esteban Yan was such a bad idea in the first place. OTOH, trading for a reliever doesn't seem to be the best idea, either; Octavio Dotel. Guillermo Mota. Juan Cruz. I could go on.
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