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Tuesday, November 22, 2005 |
Pickoff Moves
Extrablogular Activities
Those reading this site principally for Dodgers content (it seems there's rarely any other kind lately) might be amused to discover that the Rev has been publishing a series on the top 100 Angels players of all time, and I've been one of the principle contributors. A few samples:- Reliever Greg Minton
- Early slugger Lee Thomas
- Littlest outfielder Albie Pearson
- Reliever George Brunet, whose entry includes a wacky Hardball Times interview (written by Steve Treder) with his left arm.
Who Says The Angels Are Afraid Of Computers?
Arte's spending $22M to add a big "A" by the 10 next to the Angels' winter practice facility in Tempe, but maybe the biggest change is coming, not on the field, in the locker room, or in the clubhouse, but in the press room, where they're adding extra power outlets in the coach's office. Why? "Everything now is computers," Arte said, and while that doesn't necessarily mean the Angels are anybody's idea of a sabermetric team, it sure goes a long way to dispel the myth that the club's run by a bunch of tobacco-spitters.You Say "Los Angeles", I Say "Anaheim", Let's Call The Whole Stadium Off
If Arte could get a tow truck big enough, I gather he'd move the team and the stadium elsewhere, if this Times story is to be believed. Tired of the lawsuit (hey, Arte, remember that name change?) and its concomitant headaches, Arte's posturing to move the club to different facilities (the Rev thinks it could be the old La Mirada Drive-In). Arte: you started it.Colletti To Help Take Out Marlins' Trash
Having lost out on Josh Beckett and with no word on the status of free agent A.J. Burnett, Ned Colletti is making calls to the Marlins, who want to move some old, expensive, run-down players, guys like Carlos "Ineffective Against Lefties" Delgado and Juan "Decline? What Decline" Pierre, whose OPS just dropped 100 points over the last year. As pointed out yesterday in the comments, the big difference between this year's fire sale and the one in 1998 is that the Marlins had just won a title with their players, whereas the 2005 squad was a barely above .500 team. How many home runs did that heart and soul buy the team, Mr. Beinfest? If Colletti does something stupid -- like take back Paul LoDuca, or worse, take back LoDuca in exchange for a top prospect or three -- I won't be a bit surprised. Of course, that isn't to say the other "Los Angeles" team is any smarter, not while rumors that Stoneman's pursuing Carlos Delgado are afoot.
Comments:
I've never understood why the underused Long Beach waterfront has not been a serious contender for the stadium. I know the Angels flirted with long beach decades ago, but the acquarium is a money loser, the area is beautiful, and you would still be relatively close to Orange County fans, near the blue line, and could really dent the dodger fan base.
# posted by 
: 11/22/2005 08:39:00 AM
: 11/22/2005 08:39:00 AM
Delgado is a fine player, but not at $16 million per year for 3 years. And you know the fish aren't going to eat his salary.
I guess a Choi/Sanez platoon just won't cut it in the Neddy era, but spending an extra $14 mil / year for a bump of .050 in OPS seems pretty wasteful to me. Much rather have a starting pitcher and/or Giles.
I guess a Choi/Sanez platoon just won't cut it in the Neddy era, but spending an extra $14 mil / year for a bump of .050 in OPS seems pretty wasteful to me. Much rather have a starting pitcher and/or Giles.
There's only one problem: the Angels didn't sign an agreement to use Long Beach in the name. I don't think the Los Angeles place name survives this offseason.
I wonder whether Arte now and then gets a woodie over having certain name players. It's the same impulse that got the Angels Orlando Cabrera.
Actually, Jackie Autry started it by embracing the notion of middle-market Angels in order to reationalize cutting payroll. The city of Anaheim merely exploited an opportunity created by this perception. Arte is just interested in labeling his big market team with an accurate monicker.
# posted by : 11/22/2005 02:21:00 PM
: 11/22/2005 02:21:00 PM
Pierre's 28, not old at all, and has come back from a 100+ OPS drop in the past. Expensive I don't know about, but old is wrong and ineffective is debateable.
Pierre's skill-set -- speed -- is a young player skill. He may not be worn out yet, but players like him tend to peak early, and he strikes me as a guy whose best years are about to be behind him.
Uh, is this Delgado-to-the-Angels suggestion anything more than a bored baseball writer making things up to fill column-inches? I can't see Stoneman actually giving up coveted prospects to fill the 1B/DH "hole," not with Kotchman and Morales around. It would be one thing to simply spend money via free agency; quite another to get him to give up his coveted prospects, especially to fill a 1B position that is already manned by two others (with at least one more on the way possibly before the end of the season). And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Delgado bat LH? I disagree with the wisdom of some of Stoneman's moves, but I just can't see him doing anything so downright stupid.
One point in the Arte article that seems to have escaped scrutiny concerns the settlement discussions in the lawsuit, which actually reveal the utter frivolity of the lawsuit.
Specifically, it is revealed that the City will not accept any settlement that allows the team to keep "Los Angeles." That means that the team's offers have obviously included some financial component, which should satisfy the City's complaint that it spent $20 million (to get over $100 million in renovations) in exchange for the name. So if the city doesn't want its money back (and continues to spend more taxpayer money on the issues), what the heck does it want?
Bottom line, the lawsuit involves a commercial lease and nothing else. They're not going to be able to force the team to be the Anaheim Angels, and certainly not forever.
If the team loses the suit & then exercises its out in 2016, there might not BE any Angels in Anaheim, let alone named for the City.
If the City of Anaheim wants to keep the team in place, it will accept a monetary settlement and let Arte name it whatever he wants. Otherwise, whatever they're called, they're as good as gone. I don't know if the city leaders truly understand this.
One point in the Arte article that seems to have escaped scrutiny concerns the settlement discussions in the lawsuit, which actually reveal the utter frivolity of the lawsuit.
Specifically, it is revealed that the City will not accept any settlement that allows the team to keep "Los Angeles." That means that the team's offers have obviously included some financial component, which should satisfy the City's complaint that it spent $20 million (to get over $100 million in renovations) in exchange for the name. So if the city doesn't want its money back (and continues to spend more taxpayer money on the issues), what the heck does it want?
Bottom line, the lawsuit involves a commercial lease and nothing else. They're not going to be able to force the team to be the Anaheim Angels, and certainly not forever.
If the team loses the suit & then exercises its out in 2016, there might not BE any Angels in Anaheim, let alone named for the City.
If the City of Anaheim wants to keep the team in place, it will accept a monetary settlement and let Arte name it whatever he wants. Otherwise, whatever they're called, they're as good as gone. I don't know if the city leaders truly understand this.
# posted by : 11/22/2005 08:07:00 PM
: 11/22/2005 08:07:00 PMNewer› ‹Older
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