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Wednesday, October 05, 2005 |
Pickoff Moves
White Sox 5, Red Sox 4
Man, here's the impossible: the Chisox up 2-0 over the Red Sox in the ALDS. Can they even get a single win at Fenway? That's the pretty impressive question. The other question -- one that's far too early to figure out -- is this. Let's say the Angels advance and the Chisox do the same. With the game on the line, does Bobby Jenks strike out Vlad with the game tied in the ninth and men on the corners? 'Cause he had a nice two inning save tonight. It would be extremely annoying if a significant piece let go from the Angels relief corps factory came back to bite us.Manager-Go-Round
- I had a feeling all the talk about Ken Macha's renewal was just that, so it's walking time again. Pittsburgh and Florida are said to be interested in Macha, but I wonder who the A's get?
- Speaking of the Buccos, Tracy actually had his interview today.
- Apparently the Fish are thinking about Yankees bench coach Joe Girardi to replace Trader Jack McKeon.
- The Dodgers aren't wasting any time lining up interviews; apparently former Angels manager Terry Collins, Jerry Reuster, Alan Trammel, and Torey Lovullo are all possibilities. Collins is currently the head of player development with the Dodgers. Royster ran the Brewers in 2002, and currently manages the 51's. Lovullo is a minor league manager who took Akron to an Eastern League title, and has won a championship in each season as a minor league manager. Though not on the list, Jim Fregosi, currently a special advisor to the Braves who hasn't managed since 2000, would like to be considered.
I don't have much in the way of opinions on any of these guys, but having read about his exit from the Angels, Terry Collins might be one guy to avoid, given his lack of big-league playing experience; certainly, upon leaving the Angels he cited an inability to motivate the players.
Update 10/6: Jon has more thoughts on this.
Roster Notes
- Rich Harden had surgery on his non-pitching shoulder. He should be back in time for spring training.
- Jake Peavy thinks he can pitch with a broken rib, but he's already shown what that's likely to yield. Tell you what, Jake -- I'll take the ball.
The Rich Are Very Different From You And Me
For one thing, they can buy a team and tell the press things to make you feel all giggly inside:"We took a championship team over, so the fans' expectations already were very high. We've tried to maintain that level, and it's hard. Not everything is a straight line," [Angels owner Arte Moreno] said before the Angels lost to the New York Yankees 4-2 Tuesday night....
Could the Angels be turning into a West Coast version of the Yankees, a perennial October participant?
"I think that's a question you can ask me in five or seven years and then I might be able to say, 'Well, yes, we built a team to be consistent contenders,"' he said.
He quickly corrected himself.
"I don't just want to be a contender," he said, "I want to win a championship or multiple championships, period."
Comments:
I thought Terry Collins did a good job turning around the Angels in the mid-90s. He's known as a very intense manager, and confrontational in the locker room (which eventually caused Angels players to tune him out.) I think Scoscia's popularity in the clubhouse has a lot to do with many of the vets having played under Collins, and then appreciating Mike's more personable, laid-back style.
I guess I would welcome Collins as a manager, because I know the Dodgers would be a much more intense team early on.
As for Moreno . . . I like what he said, but the Angels were also a high payroll team during the Eisner ownership. The Angels dodged a media bullet this year when they made the playoffs.
All the same, I guess I'm surprised how well Moreno's rebranding has worked so far. Even before this season, I saw a lot of LA people around here wearing red. The Angels have done a much, much better job marketing themselves to the Hispanic community too.
I guess I would welcome Collins as a manager, because I know the Dodgers would be a much more intense team early on.
As for Moreno . . . I like what he said, but the Angels were also a high payroll team during the Eisner ownership. The Angels dodged a media bullet this year when they made the playoffs.
All the same, I guess I'm surprised how well Moreno's rebranding has worked so far. Even before this season, I saw a lot of LA people around here wearing red. The Angels have done a much, much better job marketing themselves to the Hispanic community too.
# posted by 
: 10/06/2005 10:48:00 AM
: 10/06/2005 10:48:00 AM
1) Eisner didn't own the team, Disney did.
2) The 2002 club had a $64M payroll, extremely modest and nowhere near the 2005 squad's.
2) The 2002 club had a $64M payroll, extremely modest and nowhere near the 2005 squad's.
Also, I don't think the Angels have dodged any bullets whatsoever... Arte has very skillfully handled the local press, which is dying for (a) a winner, and (b) an alternative to the Dodgers, who haven't won a playoff series in nearly two decades.
<< Also, I don't think the Angels have dodged any bullets whatsoever... >>
Not sure if I follow. Are you saying that there were no bullets for the Angels to dodge? Just checking.
Not sure if I follow. Are you saying that there were no bullets for the Angels to dodge? Just checking.
# posted by : 10/06/2005 12:49:00 PM
: 10/06/2005 12:49:00 PM
Well, the implication was that there was a problem WRT press relations that the club had to worry about potentially. I don't see it.
I see. Yeah, you're right about that. LA Times has gone out of their way selling this team.
# posted by : 10/06/2005 01:06:00 PM
: 10/06/2005 01:06:00 PMNewer› ‹Older
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