Proceeds from the ads below will be donated to the
Bob Wuesthoff scholarship fund.
Sunday, December 03, 2006 |
Pickoff Moves
Today's Birthdays
Mark Bradley LAN b. 1956, played 1981-1982
Paul Byrd LAA b. 1970, played 2005, All-Star: 1999. Oh, for the days when guys like Paul Byrd got 1-year/$5M deals. He's a free agent again, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a two-year/$18M deal this offseason.
Cozy Dolan BRO b. 1872, played 1901-1902, d. 1907-03-29
Gary Glover ANA b. 1976, played 2003. Along with the unlamented Scott Dunn and Tim Bittner, what happened to Scott Schoeneweis.
Bill Harris BRO,LAN b. 1931, played 1957, 1959
Gene Nelson CAL b. 1960, played 1993
Jose Pena LAN b. 1942, played 1970-1972
Greg Washburn CAL b. 1946, played 1969. A first-round flop; no relation to Jarrod.
Matt Welch Explains Why The Angels Need To Trade Chone Figgins
Mainly because Mike Scioscia won't let him turn into a useful part at one fargin' position:You could argue, and not be completely high, that the Frank Robinson trade was a turning point in the creation of L.A.'s glorious run in the '70s and early '80s. And what makes it even more delicious to think about just right now is that the 1972 Dodgers share an uncanny resemblance to ... the 2006 Angels!You can read the article at Matt's, who also makes the important point that the Robinson trade also got rid of the "temptation" of Bobby Valentine:
- Both teams were successful disappointments; one finished with a .548 winning percentage, the other with a .549.
- Both teams had ballyhooed 23-year-old athletic, defense-first catching prospects (Steve Yeager and Jeff Mathis), backed by slightly older, less-ballyhooed thick-faced mashers (Joe Ferguson and Mike Napoli) who were actually more ready for prime time. Meanwhile, their places were kept warm by thirty-something defensive guys (Chris Cannizaro and Jose Molina) who hit .240.
- The best starters on both teams were 27-year-old right-handed strikeout pitchers with big curveballs who went to the World Series their rookie years.
It's hard to do justice to the fact merely by looking at the old stats, Bobby was a true golden boy, a tremendously popular kid with a slick glove, infectious attitude and all the makings of a perennial All-Star. Except for the fact that he couldn't really hit -- .249/.287/.310 his rookie year, .274/.319/.335 in '72. They say he would have bloomed into a superstar if he hadn't broke his leg in May 1973, but I'm not so sure. If you look at the guys he compared to through his pre-legbreak season, you get one near-Hall of Famer (Tommy Leach), and a lot of guys like Glenn Hoffman. He showed zero signs of power or being able to draw a walk before or after the accident; if he was going to be an All-Star, he would have had to hit .320 every year.
Stoneman Not About To Move Young Pitching
Which is probably a good thing:"Most clubs are aggressively pursuing starting and relief pitching, and we're not," Angels General Manager Bill Stoneman said. "The next question is, why don't you use a starting pitcher to get a bat? While I wouldn't rule it out, the chances are remote, because pitching is how you win."Well, not necessarily — just ask the 2003 Dodgers — but the important point is that the Angels' pitching depth is very illusory; another collapse by Bart, and we're back to horrors like Dustin Moseley.
And Other Stuff
- James Loney, in left field? How would Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier take that?
- The Angels are out of the Manny Ramirez derby, as though they were ever in it.
- The Angels will try to long-term Scot Shields and K-Rod.
Comments:
Hey Rob, with a SP rotation of Lackey, Escobar, Weaver, Santana and Saunders even if Colon were unable to come back the team would not be relying on Moseley.
# posted by 
: 12/03/2006 06:15:00 PM
: 12/03/2006 06:15:00 PM
Newer› ‹Older
 |
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.