Friday, April 30, 2010 |
The Historically Bad 2010 Dodgers' Start
- May 9, 1967: The punchless 1967 team, the first Koufaxless squad fielded in Los Angeles; they finished 73-89.
- April 29, 1993: a continuation of the nadir of the Tommy Lasorda teams, the godawful 63-99 1992 Dodgers that featured injuries and downtime for virtually every starter, the fact that this squad managed to finish breakeven at 81-81 was nothing short of miraculous, all things considered. The grossly incompetent Jose Offerman was still the team's shortstop, and his 37 errors came close to duplicating the earth-shattering 42 he posted the year before. The team started the season in a profound funk, collectively batting .227 on the month. Eric Davis couldn't stay on the field, and when he did play, he was atrocious offensively (.234/.308/.391). The same was doubly true of Darryl Strawberry, who only appeared in 32 games and hit .140 on the season.
Thursday, April 29, 2010 |
Blanked. By The Pirates: Pirates 2, Dodgers 0
The last time they were blanked by the Pirates at home was an 8-0 embarrassment on September 5, 2000, putting the Dodgers at 73-66, nine games back of the Giants; the team never led the division after April 23, getting as far back as 13 games by September 14 following a 5-4 loss to the Rockies.
This team doesn't look as bad as the 2000 squad, but saying that is conditional on a lot of other things going right, i.e. the injured starters return to the lineup, the pitchers discover competence, and the offense stops being offensive.
Labels: blecch, dodgers, pirates, recaps
Bunt, Cake: Angels 4, Indians 3
Probably would have been more noteworthy except for the win: Mike Scioscia's ejection on a disputed check swing call in Hideki Matsui's second inning at-bat.
Matsui nearly fell down trying to get out of the way of the pitch, and replays appeared to show his bat crossing the plate. Home plate umpire Joe West asked for help from third-base counterpart Rob Drake, who ruled that Matsui had swung at the pitch."He's jumping out of the way of it trying to get his balance and that was somehow construed as a swing," Scioscia said. " … That call was mind-boggling."
Scioscia had a brief exchange with Drake, who mimicked a swing with his arm and ejected the manager while he was on the top step of the dugout.
Update: I had to include this here but didn't get to it yesterday, since I captured this on my work desktop:
No wonder the Angels won — they got an extra out in the ninth! j/k
Labels: angels, indians, recaps
The Indictment Of Ned Colletti: Mets 7, Dodgers 3
Don't get me wrong; I don't think for a minute that Stults was going to save the team, not by himself anyway. Still, Ned Colletti's veteran fetish put Russ Ortiz and Ramon Ortiz on the 25-man roster in preference to a guy who would have been making very close to major league minimum; and April isn't over yet but the team DFA'd that Ortiz, and we're waiting to see how much longer Ramon can avoid the fork.
The lone bit of good news: Rafael Furcal should be able to avoid a trip to the DL.
Labels: dodgers, injuries, mets, recaps
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 |
So Perfect, I'm Checking The Calendar
Universal DH Highlights All-Star Rules Changes
Under a change that runs contrary to normal baseball rules, each manager may designate a position player who will be eligible for re-entry to the game if the final position player -- at any position -- is injured.Previously, there was a special All-Star rule allowing re-entry only to replace an injured catcher.
Labels: all-star game, dh rule, rules
Ned Colletti Publicly Tears Into Matt Kemp
"Some guys, I guess, think that they're better than they are," the Dodgers' general manager told host Peter Tilden on 790-KABC. "And they think that the opposition is just going to roll over and get beat by them. That obviously doesn't happen. We've lost two out of three to Cincinnati, two out of three to Washington, two out of three to Pittsburgh. All three of those teams - no offense to those three teams - we're better than they are. We should be winning those games. And when we don't do it, you know what, it's utterly frustrating."I'm with Roberto Baly — just what the hell does Colletti hope to accomplish here? It reminds me of the idiotic Mike Port and the shabby treatment he handed certain players (whose names escape me now, and my Angels history is upstairs at the moment). But this is not the Dodger Way, nor is it the way of winning organizations.
Update: And today, during the radio broadcast, Mister Rick Monday shows why boot licking is never fashionable, mounting an untenable defense of Colletti's wholly asinine comments, saying "We could not agree with the words of Ned Colletti any more." Really? So Kemp, hitting .294/.354/.588 on the month, is the player you choose to call out, instead of, say
- Chad Billingsley, who still hasn't put it together and looks for the world like he's continuing the crappy second half from last year wherein he ended with a 5.20 ERA?
- Charlie Haeger, whose knuckleball appears to be a setup for batting practice, and leads the team in losses?
- Vicente Padilla, whose recent trip to the DL appears to have arrived four games too late, only technically arriving at two quality starts so far this year, one of them due to an unearned run.
Update 2: And then there's MSTI's comments following yesterday's game: the terrifying possibility that Ramon Troncoso is on pace for 115 game appearances this year, and the lack of range that is the funhouse mirror of a shortstop named Jamie Carroll. Oh, lots of blame to go around. But Matt Kemp?
Update 3: Kemp responds in the Times:
"People don't know what goes on," Kemp said. "People don't know what time I show up to the stadium. I'm here, I'm here working, I'm here trying to get ready for the game.Update 4: Ned defends his comments:"We work hard. This team works hard. There's nobody on this team who doesn't get to the field early to get their work in, watch videos. Everybody's doing what it takes to win. We're just not putting it all together right now."
"I don't see the same player I saw last year," Colletti said. "Maybe it's early, maybe that's what it is. It's not just Matt. I haven't seen it across the board, with rare exception. I don't want to make this [only about] Matt Kemp.He could be right; after all, was Kemp leading the league in home runs (7, 4-way tie), runs scored (20), and RBIs (20, also a 4-way tie) last year? So maybe he meant that Kemp was even better than he was last year.
But that would be unlikely.
Update 5: Memories of Kevin Malone has an excellent flow chart regarding this. Thanks to MSTI for the link.
Also, Dodger Divorce's Joshua Fisher at Hardball Times.
Update 6: Fake Ned Colletti on Twitter. Whoever you really are, sir, you are a True Genius. Samples:
I know that ball was hit over Ethier's head, but Matt Kemp has to catch that ball. He has to catch EVERY ball. #Dodgers #Mets #MLBMany of the hot dog wrappers blowing across CitiField originating near #Dodgers bullpen. Doubt they belong to Monasterios. #Mets
I do not find the #BlameKemp tag amusing. After the game, I will have a word with Matt Kemp about this behavior. #Dodgers #Mets
Labels: dodgers, stupid ideas
Massacre: Indians 9, Angels 2
The bad news last night began early; though Saunders got through two scoreless frames, the difference between his throwing and ex-Ray Mitch Talbot couldn't have been starker. It took Hokie Joe 21 pitches to get out of the first; it took Talbot six. The Angels' offense wasn't able to so much as get a man on base until the third, while Joe leaked base runners the whole night, including leadoff doubles in the second and third.
The Tribe scored first, picking up a couple runs in the third on Asdrubal Cabrera's leadoff double, Shin-Soo Choo's RBI single, and Austin Kerns' double. For a time, it looked as though Bobby Abreu's miscued throw to the plate on a return of Choo's single — so high that it almost looked like an error — looked like it might have been a critical failing in the game. Wouldn't the better idea have been to throw in to second? Indeed, Choo eventually did come around to score, but it's not clear whether the speedy Choo wouldn't have touched home anyway on the ensuing Kerns double.
The balance of the night was that way, Cleveland spanking Angels pitchers about every other inning to steadily put the game out of sight, culminating with a four-run eighth that demonstrated the exhausted state of the Angels' bullpen. Matt Palmer gave up five runs, and of course Scot Shields wasn't able to do much to stem the tide, either, allowing all his inherited baserunners to score. Shields owns the second-lowest swing-and-miss figures of his career (only 7% of his pitches are swung on and missed), but the really scary number is that 100% of his inherited baserunners have scored this year. That sounds high because my recollection is that he's had more inherited baserunners than one; but I suppose Austin Kerns was it last night.
The Angels had some offensive opportunities, and stating the obvious, the game might have been closer had Torii Hunter done something other than popping out to Mark Grudzielanek (he's still in the majors?) to end the third inning's two-out rally. Indicative of the night, Juan Rivera hit a laser to left with the bases loaded in the sixth; Kerns returned it so fast to second that Hideki Matsui nearly got doubled up.
Mostly, this was a get-well present to Cleveland offense; hell, reserve catcher Lou Marston got on base three times, two hits and a walk. Brandon Wood's solo homer in the ninth was the only other offense the team had, and for once (well, actually, for thrice in as many games) you couldn't attach too much blame to his normally blameful bat. Even Mike Napoli is starting to stink, and you begin to wonder — in combination with his even-more-atrocious-than-normal throws to second — whether he's hiding a shoulder injury. There's an awful lot that looks suspect about this team, and it seems to emerge just about every game, win or lose.
Labels: angels, indians, recaps
Monday, April 26, 2010 |
Angels Jump Out Early: Indians 2, Angels 5
Weaver gave up a double and an RBI single to Jhonny Peralta, but that was it. 3-1 Angels.
Bottom 3rd: After Huff's rough first inning, he settled in and started making consistent outs. This time he only surrendered a two-out double to Juan Rivera, but Howie Kendrick's hard smash ended up in Russell Branyan's glove to end the inning on an unassisted 3 groundout. Still 3-1 Angels.
Bottom 4th: Bobby Abreu gets rung up on a called strike three that the pitch tracker on screen shows as off the plate. Abreu shakes his head as he heads back to the dugout, and home plate umpire Paul Schreiber jaws at him some on the way back, but no ejection. It didn't matter, as the men on first and second didn't go anywhere thanks to Torii Hunter grounding out into a 6-4 fielder's choice to end the frame. K-Mo walked, bringing Juan Rivera to the dish.
Top 5th: Jered Weaver allowed a two-out single to Shin-Soo Choo, right over the head of Howie Kendrick, but he got Pronk to fly out to center on a pretty close play that had Torii galloping in from mid-center to take over for the infielders, with some wide eyes on Kendrick providing a underscore to the end of the inning.
Bottom 5th: Matsui knocked one down the right field line for his 1,000th major league hit, with 2,390 professional hits between the North American majors and the Japanese leagues. It comes to nothing, but yay, Gojira!
Bottom 6th: Brandon Wood worked something of a miracle: his second hit in the game, a leadoff single.
And then Abreu went yard on an elevated pitch high over the plate to make it 5-1 Angels, yanking it deep into the right field bleachers.
Torii Hunter nailed one off reliever Rafael Perez down the left field line. Hunter skidded into second; Austin Kerns throw actually beat Torii to the bag by about a week, but second baseman Luis Valbuena dropped the ball. He recovered and tagged Hunter, but second base umpire Joe West wasn't in a forgiving mood and declared Hunter safe despite the facts. That put a man on second with only one out; Matsui flied out to right, pushing Hunter to third, but now with two down and Morales at the plate. Morales walked to the crowd's delight, but Juan Rivera whiffed to end the thread.
Top 7th: Weaver's out of it, and Jason Bulger's in. He started badly, throwing four straight out of the zone to walk catcher Mike Redmond, and every Angels fan got a queasy feeling in their stomach. Bulger went 3-1 on Asdrubal Cabrera, and that got Butcher on the horn to the bullpen — and then Bulger walked Cabrera to load the bases.
That was it; hullo, Kevin Jepsen. Jepsen's first pitch to Pronk was a strike practically at his eyes, and Schreiber calls it as Pronk snarls contempt; the third pitch, a tight slider, blows past him for the swinging strikeout. Russell Branyan, now back in a Tribe uniform, gets to a 1-1 count on a breaking pitch in the dirt he spat on as it bounced to Mike Napoli. He tapped out to Erick Aybar on the first base side of second to end the frame, and it's still 5-1 Angels.
Bottom 7th: Brandon Wood shocked all of us by whacking one up the left side for his third hit of the game, putting men on first and second with one out. That's a knockout blow for Rafael Perez, and the Tribe calls in Tony Sipp — who promptly got Aybar to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Top 8th: Brian Stokes came in and promptly surrendered a leadoff homer to Austin Kerns, Kerns' first of the year, making it 5-2 Angels. Bobby Abreu made a beautiful running catch to nail down the final out of the inning with two men on, giving everyone — including reliever Fernando Rodney — a big sigh of relief.
Top 9th: Fuentes survives a shaky 9th (B. Wood throwing error and a walkd) by punching out punching out Peralta to finish things with a 5-2 win. Woo!
Labels: angels, indians, live blogging, recaps
Dodgers @ Mets Postponed
Kendry Morales AL Player Of The Week
Two Games I Didn't Think I'd Write About
Dodgers At A Loss Against Another Rookie: Nationals 1, Dodgers 0
The good news was Chad Billingsley going six innings and picking up a quality start; the bad news was he lost anyway, recalling the old Don Drysdale story. The Dodgers couldn't get a hit to save their lives with a man in scoring position, including in the top of the ninth when James Loney hit an opposite-field leadoff double -- and couldn't even advance.Now to the Mets, who beat the Braves 1-0 in a rain-shortened game yesterday. One imagines there will be no Elvis hair in postgame interviews as there was with Scott Olsen, but we'll see.
Kendry Does It Again, But Brandon Wood's RBI May Be Bigger: Angels 8, Yankees 4
Technically, Kendry Morales' three-run blast in the seventh wasn't necessary, but man did it feel good. But the reasons it turned out to be unnecessary were also good news for the Angels on two fronts: first, Brandon Wood picked up his first RBIs of the season, and in fact the first bases-loaded hit of his career. Second, the bullpen made it all stand up, going from Jason Bulger to Kevin Jepsen to Fernando Rodney to (gulp, given the way he's pitched this year) Scott Shields, the latter closing out the game in the absence of the need for a designated closer.More good things: Bobby Abreu's solo homer in the third, and Scott Kazmir surviving 5.1 innings against the Yankees. I'm still unsold on his overall future value (and really suspect the Angels bought high on him), but if the Mike Butcher can nurse him through games like this one, he can prove to be a useful part.
Coda: One of the ushers said some pretty stupid stuff and gave a Yankees fan the finger. Not that he might not have deserved it, but paid employees need to represent their organization in a professional way, and avian hand gestures assuredly don't qualify.
Labels: angels, dodgers, nationals, recaps, yankees
Sunday, April 25, 2010 |
Meta: Slow
This isn't the end of the blog, but it is me taking more time to just watch the game and enjoy it without commenting so much, or getting caught up in the day-to-day grind of it. Too many others are doing a better job of keeping a watchful eye on both teams, and that's fine with me. I'll still be around, and if I find something interesting to say about particular games or players, I'll say it.
Labels: meta
Saturday, April 24, 2010 |
Vicente Padilla Hits The 15-Day DL
Labels: dodgers, injuries, transactions
Kendry To The Rescue: Angels 6, Yankees 4
Yet, this time it was the Yankees' bullpen that coughed up the loss, with Kendry Morales following up on Hideki Matsui's leadoff single in the eighth with a two-run jack, the go-ahead runs coming off Joba Chamberlain.
The only bad thing to come of it: Bobby Wilson ended up hitting the DL after a hard hit at the plate during a collision with ex-Angel Mark Teixeira, with a concussion. It was Wilson's first major league start, too; I'm sure Mike Scioscia was suitably pleased that his young charge blocked the plate, but not so pleased that Teixeira scored regardless. The Angels called up Ryan Budde to replace him.
Labels: angels, injuries, recaps, transactions, yankees
Friday, April 23, 2010 |
Dunn In: Nationals 5, Dodgers 1
The Dodgers' sole run came on an A.J. Ellis' scoring groundout. It's fair to chalk that up to facing an unknown quad-A pitcher for the first time, Luis Atilano, who was suitably humble after the game, reciting the standard Bull Durham homilies for the press following his first major league game, coincidentally his first major league victory:
"It's crazy. It's been my dreams," said Atilano, a career minor leaguer who had Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in August 2006. "After seven years, I made it, finally. I can't ask for nothing better than that."Not to worry, NL Eastrons: he only picked up a lone strikeout, which bodes well for the future success of opposing hitters in that division.
Incidental note: Pudge left the game after the sixth, with back tightness. I hadn't noticed, and of course this is an early-season chimera, but he was hitting an ungodly .449 going into this game, and exited with a .423 average. He's day-to-day, so they say.
Um, did I mention the Pads just battered the Reds 10-4 to win their seventh straight? I'm not sure I believe it, either. Must be some kinda Internet screwup.
Labels: dodgers, injuries, nationals, recaps
Manny Hits The 15-Day DL
Labels: dodgers, injuries, transactions
Thursday, April 22, 2010 |
Manny Ramirez Exits Today's Game Early, Weaver Out, Kuo In
In related news, the Dodgers placed Jeff Weaver on the 15-day DL with back spasms, calling up Hong-Chih Kuo to replace him on the 25-man roster.
Labels: dodgers, injuries, transactions
The Mother Of All Beatdowns: Brewers 20, Pirates 0
The Brewers tied a franchise record with the win for most runs scored and highest margin of victory (save some of those runs for tomorrow, boys!), while the Pirates set a franchise record for worst margin of defeat. Un. Believable.
Oh, and this was on the heels of an 8-0 smashing yesterday. Two shutouts in a row, kids.
Labels: brewers, ex-angels, ex-dodgers, ouch, pirates, recaps
Don't Look Now: Padres In First Place
And Speaking Of Lousy Bullpens...: Dodgers 14, Reds 6
Ronald Belisario got into his first game since returning from the restricted list, and pitched as though nothing had happened between last year and this — something the Dodgers desperately need right now. (Jon Link was sent back down to make room.)
Labels: dodgers, recaps, reds, transactions
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 |
Fuentes Is Spanish For L: Tigers 4, Angels 3
Weaver himself came close to blowing the thing entirely in both the fifth and sixth. In the sixth, he managed to load the bases with two out, but got Johnny Damon to strike out looking (which resulted in his ejection). In the sixth, the Tigers scored their first run on Miguel Cabrera's double (hit so high against the wall I had to watch the replay to actually believe that Bobby Abreu had no chance of fetching it) and an RBI single by Carlos Guillen. That led to a one-out, man on first situation that felt much tenser than it should have been; but Weaver lucked out with Don Kelly's line drive double play to Kendry Morales to end the frame.
Weaver survived through seven, pitching more than well enough to win the game; but the offense didn't scrape anything off the Tigers save for the typical first-inning roughness from Jeremy Bonderman. Fuentes entered the game in the ninth, his first game since returning from the DL (and sending Francisco Rodriguez back down to AAA Salt Lake) — and made a complete hash of things almost immediately, giving up a leadoff homer to Miguel Cabrera and then walking the next batter he faced, Carlos Guillen. Guillen got picked off trying to steal third, but that only set up a rundown allowing catcher Gerald Laird to take second; and he scored on a Ramon Santiago single, driving in the game's winning run for the Tigers.
Sure, it's just one outing, but I have almost no confidence in Brian Fuentes.
Labels: angels, injuries, recaps, tigers, transactions
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 |
Jeff Mathis Injured In Yesterday's Game
Update: It looks like he'll be out 6-8 weeks, as the injury is a wrist fracture.
Rockies President Keli McGregor Dies
Via David Pinto.
Monday, April 19, 2010 |
Pinpoint Pineiro: Angels 2, Tigers 0
Both Angels runs came in the third, on a Jeff Mathis (!) RBI double* and Bobby Abreu's RBI groundout, making it a bit of a nail-biter in that regard; does it hold up? Kevin Jepsen (0.2 IP) and Fernando Rodney (the former Tiger handling the ninth) seemed to shake off the problems they had earlier and got 'er done. The win takes the Angels to .500 for the first time since the second game of the season, and a season-high fourth straight win.
*See comments.
Labels: angels, recaps, tigers
Pickoff Moves
Angels Sweep In Toronto! Angels 3, Blue Jays 1
A brilliant pitching performance by Ervin Santana accompanied by timely hitting from Hideki Matsui (though the game was really won in the ninth, when the Angels knocked out a couple needed insurance runs against Scott Downs), this was exactly the kind of game the Halos needed. It kept the bullpen out of it, and nailed down a road sweep of the lately vincible Blue Jays. Bonus points for also getting the Halos to within one game of .500. And maybe of longer-term importance, Brandon Wood picked up an infield single to push his batting average past .100.Manny Saves Kershaw From A Loss: Dodgers 2, Giants 1
The old, good 2009 Dodgers team that seemed lost a while back roared back in this game, featuring a long seven-inning outing for starter Clayton Kershaw, and a vintage two-run jack from Manny Ramirez that won the game in the bottom of the eighth. And just my luck, I was running in to Lowe's just as Bruce Bochy yanked Barry Zito, who was on his way to a possible complete game.Dodgers DFA Russ Ortiz
For those of us who wondered why on earth they picked him up in the first place, well, the Dodgers designated Russ Ortiz for assignment, calling up Jon Link. It's unclear whether he will accept a minor league assignment.The Dodgers expect to call up Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Belisario this week as well.
Eric Gagne Retires
According to a Francophone publication Rue Frontenac passed along by Rotoworld.Labels: angels, blue jays, dodgers, ex-dodgers, giants, recaps, retirements
Saturday, April 17, 2010 |
Ubaldo Jimenez Wins First No-Hitter In Rockies History: Rockies 4, Braves 0
Labels: braves, recaps, rockies
Haeger The Horrible, Dodgers Can't Lincecumback: Giants 9, Dodgers 0
Top 2nd: Charlie Haeger continued to get himself in trouble, putting men on the corners with pitcher Tim Lincecum at the plate. Lincecum popped a perfect bunt up the right side, past Haeger and between the infielders to make it 1-0 Giants. Haeger's burned through a lot of pitches, and he's just struggling.
Haeger managed to escape further damage. Despite loading the bases once again, he struck out both Edgar Rentaria and Pablo "Kung-Fu Panda" Sandoval to end the frame. It's gonna be a long game for everyone, because the Dodgers need innings and it looks like Haeger can't provide them if he keeps this up.
Top 3rd: Lincecum again burned Haeger by hammering an RBI single into the right field gap with the bases loaded, the third time the Giants had juiced the bags this game; it's 4-0 Giants; and shortly thereafter, Haeger uncorks another wild pitch that makes it 5-0. It's looking like a very short day for Haeger.
Top 4th: Haeger got the hook (phew!) after surrendering two baserunners on a double and a walk; that brought Joe Torre's hook, with Carlos Monasterios entering the game. Andre Ethier missed Bengie Molina's towering pop fly in shallow right field along the first base line, the ball bouncing off his forearm to make it 6-0 Giants. And then Juan Uribe lines out to Matt Kemp, but the man on third — Aubrey Huff — scores, 7-0 Giants. Starting to look like time to mow the lawn.
Top 5th: After Lincecum reaches on his third hit of the game, Velez reaches on another single, putting men on first and second. Rentaria then blows one down the left field line that goes in and out of Garrett Anderson's glove. Anderson recovers from his slide, he throws a dart to third base, and then Ronnie Belliard relays to first, and thence Blake DeWitt to first; but the umps only give credit for the out at third despite the replays.
Top 7th: I fell asleep somewhere in here, and another Ramon Ortiz relief outing led to a forfeit score of 9-0 when he stuttered a hit and a walk. What a mess.
Labels: dodgers, giants, live blogging, recaps
Now How Much Wood You Pay? Angels 6, Blue Jays 3
When I started listening to today's early east coast starter, I somehow managed to arrive just in time to hear Brandon Wood muff three straight plays in the third; and he's hitting less than a supermodel's weight. Fortunately, Joe Saunders didn't take it personally and managed to get out of the inning anyway; I was shocked to see Wood still in the game the next frame. About as horrible as anything I've seen, though I should mention that we haven't even seen a month of him as a starter. (Sean Rodriguez hasn't crossed the Mendoza line, either, but he would have made pretty good Brandon Wood insurance in case the latter flames out ... oh, well.)
Top 8th: Juan Rivera ripped a hard-hit single down the right-field line to make it 5-2 Angels. It was the first scoring either team has done in five innings. Not coincidentally, Saunders hadn't left the game, and he stays in entering the bottom of the frame.
Bottom 8th: With Toronto shortstop Alex Gonzalez on second with two outs, Adam Lind singled to center. Reggie Willits, getting the start in right, returned the ball slightly off-line to Mike Napoli. Gonzalez screwed up, too, failing to touch the plate — and Napoli tagged him for the last out. (Gonzalez actually caught Napoli's shin guard instead of the plate, though it was fairly close.)
Top 9th: The Angels got another insurance run off a Reggie Willits leadoff hustle double, and an RBI single from Howie Kendrick, making it 6-2 Angels. It looks like Mike Scioscia's bringing in Kevin Jepsen to finish the game.
Bottom 9th: That didn't last long. Jepsen surrendered consecutive doubles to Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay to make it 6-3 Angels; but Fernando Rodney, summoned to finish things for reals this time, held the Jays scoreless, retiring all three men he faced. The Halos pick up their first series win despite Wood's miscues (and another 0-fer day), and do it on the road, too.
Labels: angels, blue jays, live blogging, recaps
Thursday, April 15, 2010 |
Stuff Left Over From Yesterday
Joel Pinero Doesn't Suck, For One Day: Angels 5, Yankee 3
David Pinto suggested yesterday that Joel Pineiro learned how to control his walk rate last year with the Cards, and that it was this which helped him in yesterday's win. (He had a 1.1 BB/9 last year, versus a 2.1 rate over his career.) I'll take that as a reasonable explanation, though I do notice that in short work he's already back up to 2.1 BB/9 (3 BB in 14 IP) for the season.Brandon Wood went 1-for-4 and scored a run, which hopefully means we won't get to read more stories like this Bull Durham-platitude-laced Lyle Spencer piece in MLB.com.
"If you look around, there are plenty of guys who have had slow starts. With a guy like [Yankees first baseman and former Angel] Mark Teixeira, you know he's going to end up with his numbers even though he gets off to slow starts. The difference with a new guy like me is that I'm just getting started, so naturally there are questions.That makes one of us."I know I'm not an 0-something hitter. I've had slow starts in Triple-A. I haven't been in the big leagues long enough to know what kind of hitter I'm going to be at the beginning of a year. But I'm confident I can hit at this level."
Four Hours And Russ Ortiz, Too? Shoot Me Him Now: Diamondbacks 9, Dodgers 7 (11 Innings)
Chad Billingsley has yet to complete a sixth inning this year, albeit he's only had two starts; still, neither of them were particularly graceful. The first three frames were excellent, with only a one-out double in the first getting between Bills and nine straight laid down. His second trip through the order went far less successfully, with a Stephen Drew leadoff homer that was mere prelude to the battering Billingsley was to take; by the time Joe Torre belatedly yanked his harried starter in the sixth, the Snakes had acquired the lead on Conor Jackson's screaming smash down the third base line.
The Dodgers fought back to tie the game 7-7 in the ninth on Casey Blake's RBI double, but that was as close as the Dodgers would get to winning this one, whose most brutal feature was its confounding length; Vinny said something like, "It's 11:00, and you've got to have a lot of spirit to still be in the stands at this point", a sentiment I rather quickly agreed to by leaving to walk the dogs. A four-hour game by the end of the ninth, by the time we returned, Russ Ortiz had loaded the bases and given up the go-ahead runs. I don't know why anyone thought he had anything left; good springs are chimerical.
Opening Day Fun At Dodger Stadium
My friend and boss Tom MacNeil went to the madness known as Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. According to him, he arrived at the park at an REM-crushing eight o'clock AM, and still was nearly unable to get off-site parking in nearby Elysian Park. The crowds continue to get bigger and earlier each year, so now he talks of getting there at 5:00 AM; that, my friends, is dedication I can only admire from afar. People, apparently, are not only not even getting into the park, but half of them are just hanging out near the stadium — the point of which would be, what, exactly?The news, though, seems to be mainly about a sizeable scuffle between Dodger Stadium security, complete with stadium security telling the camera operator to stop recording. Nice.
Apparently 132 people were arrested for drinking in public, though I was assured that the cops were willing to look the other way so long as you had no open beer cans in evidence.
Labels: angels, diamondbacks, dodgers, recaps, yankees
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 |
Brian Fuentes Hits DL With Back Strain, Other Angels Roster Moves
- Fuentes' trip to the DL is retroactive to April 6; he said he "tweaked" it the day after he converted a save in the Angels opener.
- In that same story: Reggie Willits was recalled from single-A Rancho, while Bobby Cassevah got sent back down to AAA Salt Lake to make room.
- Francisco Rodriguez got the callup from AAA Salt Lake.
- MLB.com's reporting supposedly showed it at one time, but I can't find the link, so this unsourced Rotoworld link will have to do: it looks like the Angels are hauling up Scott Kazmir from his rehab stint in single-A Rancho, and sending down Terry Evans to do it. Update: Here's the MLB.com link, which finally rematerialized.
- The Angels also transferred Chris Pettit to the 60-day DL, unsurprisingly, after his right shoulder labrum surgery that's expected to cost him all of 2010.
Labels: angels, injuries, minors, transactions
Brad Ausmus To Miss First Half With Back Surgery
Dodgers Front Office E-Mail Oops
Vin Scully Day: Dodgers 9, Diamondbacks 5
So to yesterday; the Dodgers bashed Kennedy early and often, and while he wasn't what you'd call terrible through four, the hit batter in the second (Casey Blake) turned out to be a predictor for the rest of the game. The Dodgers hammered him for a pair of home runs in the fourth, and even then Kennedy got a break as Blake DeWitt, who reached on a walk, erased himself on the base paths for no good reason.
The fifth featured a Matt Kemp one-out solo blast, and Kennedy walking in a run; it was that sort of day. The best part of it — albeit for only three innings, more's the pity — was finally getting to hear Vinny's voice on the radio again. It's almost like they haven't been playing baseball all this time until today. So I declare that here on out — for however many years it lasts — the first regular season game called by Vinny should be designated Vin Scully Day. Next year, the Dodgers should open at home, and the season should be that much better because of it.
Labels: diamondbacks, dodgers, recaps
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 |
Committing Suicide In The Bronx: Yankees 7, Angels 5
- Mediocre-at-best starting pitching, with Ervin Santana coughing up five runs ...
- ... with some help from a leaky bullpen: Jason Bulger loaded the bases on a walk, and allowed both his inherited baserunners to score.
- A Brandon Wood flub at third in the fourth inning that turned an infield hit into another run to make it 3-0 Yankees.
Labels: angels, recaps, yankees
Pickoff Moves
Overdue: A.J. Ellis Up, Brad Ausmus Down With Back Woes
Brad Ausmus hit the 15-day DL with a back injury as the Dodgers called up A.J. Ellis from Albuquerque. Was this not predictable?Padres Place Chris Young On The 15-Day DL
... with shoulder tightness.Why I (Usually) Don't Read Bleacher Report: Monday Morning Quarterbacking The Angels' 2009/2010 Offseason
It's not a bad theory, failing to let John Lackey pitch his way out of trouble in last year's ALCS Game 5, but c'mon, the guy loaded the bases on a double and two walks. While I appreciate the gamesmanship needed to note that leaving Lackey in could only have good consequences for the Angels' in a business sense (if he succeeds, the Angels live to fight another day, and if he fails, he's that much cheaper in the offseason), but not in the bullfighter-in-the-ring sense (pull him now, he's about to get gored). But it also ignores the pissing contest that was his choice when he decided to negotiate his next deal in the papers, and also, to my recollection, started the last two seasons on the DL.Labels: angels, dodgers, hot stove, injuries, padres, transactions
Sunday, April 11, 2010 |
Well, Thank Heavens I Was Getting My Picture Took: A's 9, Angels 4
Observing that both (how it pains me to write that) Angels wins have occurred in Jered Weaver starts, I don't suppose there's any hope the Angels can clone the Weav.
Labels: angels, athletics, recaps, suck
Saturday, April 10, 2010 |
Win #2: Angels 4, A's 3
I guess I shouldn't be looking this gift win in the mouth too much, but the team still smells funny. It's probably best I won't be able to attend tomorrow's game either way, because if they win I have a feeling it will look bad, and if they lose it'll be too dispiriting.
One positive: Brandon Wood out of the lineup. I expect he'll spend a lot of time in some sort of platoon with Maicer Izturis this year.
Unrelated note on AT&T coverage: much better this year than last. I have yet to get stiffed on data coverage at the park, and it feels pretty snappy when I do use data access.
Labels: angels, athletics, recaps
Feckless: A's 10, Angels 4
That, really, was the only good thing about the 1992 Angels. They had no real shot at contention, and in fact were eight years away from their most recent division win. And despite that horrible won-loss record, it actually represented an improvement in the standings that year thanks to an equally bad year from the Royals, and a 64-98 crater left behind by an even worse Mariners team.
But that team wasn't expected to win anything.
A number of observers have declared that the division is, if not the Angels' to lose, then at least reasonably within their compass. Of course, the perennially gloomy Baseball Prospectus projected a 78-84 finish for this year's squad, which, I'm sure, yielded the usual laughing from Halos Heaven and other quarters used to their preseason pessimism, one I have been inclined to share but lately have learned to ignore. (Recall they picked the Angels for an 81-81 finish in 2009, and they've been similarly off for years on the team in their recent run.)
Well, this certainly was a wake-up call. The Angels are getting blasted on a nightly basis, and while my desktop box is still missing its Lahman database, I have to believe this is something like a historic ass-whooping. The Angels have surrendered ten runs in two straight games; it's hard to see how that's not a direct indictment of the pitching, which has given up five or more runs in three of their four losses. Matt Palmer accordingly was horrible, accounting for five runs over five runs, plus leaving the bags loaded on his unceremonious exit in the sixth. Jason Bulger was equally crapulous, allowing all his bequeathed base runners to score (though in his defense, Palmer left him in a tough spot, bases loaded with none out). Palmer even got a break inasmuch as one of the unearned runs — Kurt Suzuki's in the first, scored on Eric Chavez' bounce out to second — got the benefit of the doubt when Juan Rivera's throw skipped off the infield. Jeff Mathis lost track of the play, let the ball get out of his glove, and permitted the lumbering Suzuki bearing down on him to score.
Brandon Wood, whom BPro declares needs to be for real this year as a precondition to the Angels' success in 2010, is showing just how little value he really has in the majors so far. He barely put the bat on the ball, and helped out opposition pitchers in every at-bat by swinging and missing at nearly every offering. He saw a grand total of ten pitches, by my reckoning, and swung and nearly every one. A more pathetic display I don't think I've seen in a while, even by hacktastic Angels standards.
The lone positive on the night — aside from it being Friday, and thus blessed with fireworks — was Bobby Cassevah's major league debut. Cassevah, you may recall, was spirited away by the A's in the Rule 5 draft but later returned. Called up from AAA Salt Lake in exchange for Robb Quinlan (whose minor league deal apparently allows such things), he posted two and a third innings of scoreless ball, but otherwise relatively unimpressive (i.e. only one strikeout).
Obviously, the season isn't over after five games, but it would be rather helpful if the Angels could show they can pitch minus John Lackey, and plus their new-look bullpen.
Labels: angels, athletics, recaps
Friday, April 09, 2010 |
Dodgers Introduce New Menus For 2010
Labels: dodger stadium, dodgers
Thursday, April 08, 2010 |
Um... Guys? Guys? Spring Training's Over: Twins 10, Angels 1
And it's no more fun.
Top 9th: Delmon Young goes yard, and it's 10-1 Twins. Anybody want to take over/unders on how long Rodney lasts on the team?
Not overly impressed with Victor Rojas so far, but I can't complain too much, either. "Better than Steve Physioc" is a low bar.
Bottom 9th: There's something utterly appropriate about Robb Quinlan striking out to end the game and lose the series. Bleh.
Labels: angels, live blogging, recaps, twins
Semi-Random Gripes (Mostly) About The 2010 MLB.com Websites
- I want a way to stay logged in, full damn stop.
- I don't want to see the idiotic autoplay video. And it should remember this across different machines if that's what I want.
- Bigger is not better. The new MLB.com At Bat is huge. There's still (AFAIK) no good small solution for keeping game status on your desktop.
- Good going on the box scores. (Example.) Concise, side-by-side, not very vertically tall, and shows the game summary without killing the information presented.
Belliard Blasts Bucs Big Time: Dodgers 10, Pirates 2
Labels: dodgers, pirates, recaps
Wednesday, April 07, 2010 |
MSTI On Paul Oberjuerge's Unfortunate Indiscretion
[...] I’m not defending the McCourts here, because we all know how horribly they hurt the team this offseason. But Oberjuerge seems to be mistaking “high payroll” for “success”. Sure, the Giants have a higher payroll. But they’re also foolishly paying Barry Zito $18.5m this year, along with $12m to Aaron Rowand and $10m to Edgar Renteria. Those are the players you want? The Mets have the fifth highest payroll in baseball, yet how well are they doing? Tampa is in the bottom half, yet how many of us would prefer to have the players they do?What saddens me is that the Paul Oberjuerge column sparking this anti-tirade got written in the first place. It almost seems inspired to inflame the sorts of people who find the national ESPN radio shouters enjoyable. (And while I'm here, let me say that it gladdens me to see MSTI injecting a breath of sanity into this rather unbalanced discussion.)
Labels: dodgers, mccourts, stupid ideas
Chris Jaffe On Mike Scioscia's Managerial Tendencies
Tuesday, April 06, 2010 |
Saunders Stank, Angels Tank: Twins 5, Angels 3
MLB Extra Innings, Now With All Fox Saturday Games
Labels: tv
Pickoff Moves
Dodgers Extend KABC Through 2011
It doesn't seem like very long, does it? Anyway, it won't really be Opening Day (for the Dodgers, at least) until I can hear Vinny call a regulation game in the regular season.Burying The Lede: Baseball Prospectus Fails To Notice Yankees Getting Really, Really Old
But probably not fast enough to hope for a home sweep next weekend. This Village Voice piece is something I saw while in Arizona during spring training but kept forgetting to mention:Based on the study of hundreds of players in their declining years, Silver projects these slides for the Yanks' elders in 2010:Yet, reading the book itself, the intro is a paean to the brains of Brian Cashman, with nary a peep about this very visible issue facing the core quartet of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera. I don't get it.Jeter from a 2009 batting average of .334 to .286 this year, a drop in home runs from 18 to 11, and in stolen bases from 30 to 10. Posada from a .285 BA to .263, home runs from 22 to 12. Pettitte from 14-8 and an ERA of 4.06 to 10-11 and 4.70. Scariest of all, Rivera from 44 saves to 22, and and ERA the moves from 1.76 to 3.53.
If Silver is right, the 2010 Yankees are sunk. Worse yet, Steinbrenner and Cashman seem to have no plans for how to replace the Core Four. Last year we suggested that the Yankees were going to be in trouble if Jeter played at the level of a typical 35-year old shortstop. He made us look foolish by playing way above it. But what happens if age catches up to him this season? Where will the Yankees move him to, and who is ready to step in at shortstop? The problem hasn't gone away, it's just gotten a year older.
Also Slightly Old: Mets Shopping Matthews, Jr.
Already. "Maybe the Mets are anticipating [him complaining about a lack of a starting role]" says New York Post writer Joel Sherman.OT: A More Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy
Seriously? A Star Wars animated sitcom?Labels: dodgers, mets, offtopic, predictions, radio, rumors, sabermetrics, the horror the horror, yankees
Starting Well: Angels 6, Twins 3
Between him, Justin Morneau, and Michael Cuddyer, the Twins have something that resembles a solid offense, last year posting an above-league-average 103 OPS+. While they won't blow anybody over (there are too many other iffy positions, in particular, shortstop and third aren't too hot), they also aren't pushovers.
Weaver held all that offensive prowess off pretty effectively, with arguably Justin Morneau's infield single being misjudged by the official scorer; Brandon Wood overran the ball, and it bounced under his glove and behind him. I scribbled it in as an E5 on my scorecard, anyway, only to have the scoreboard overrule me. Anyway, Weaver got his trademark strikeouts, including five against left-handed batters (two on leadoff man Denard Span alone), previously his nemesis. A righty, Delmon Young, gave him the most trouble, yanking a ball out of the yard to temporarily tie the game 2-2 in the second.
Wood complicated his bad defensive game with a terrible night at the plate, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his 2010 opener. I can't say I was all that surprised.
After Young's two-run second-inning outburst, the Angels immediately untied the game in the third with an uncharacteristic Jeff Mathis solo blast in the left field power alley. Twins starter Scott Baker, who has has had a lot of trouble with the Angels over the years, left the game after only 4.2 innings, the knockout blow being Hideki Matsui's RBI single.
Matsui himself had a fine night, blowing away pretty much everyone's expectations with a pair of RBIs (he led off the eighth with a solo homer against reliever Jose Mijares) and the aforesaid single, the former being the winning run. The Japanese sporting press was out in force, and I encountered some of them in the concourse near the home plate Angels store. I did spy one guy wearing a hiragana (I believe) Matsui uniform who wasn't Japanese; but the evidence for a large-scale outpouring of instant Matsui love as measured by visible merch was largely missing.
Fernando Rodney managed a scoreless eighth, and somehow immediately validated my feeling of his signing being a mistake. Even though he only surendered a leadoff walk, it was four straight, and while he faced the minimum, it somehow felt like a lot more at the time. He reminded me instantly of Esteban Yan, both physically and in the sloppy way he pitched.
Finally, another word on the food: I checked out CHIX in section 103: even their salad has chicken "twists" which are breaded and fried. Thanks, no, I'll be trying elsewhere. I ended up getting a chicken sausage dog at one of the adjoining stands, discarding the bun as is my recent wont.
Monday, April 05, 2010 |
And We Shall Not Speak Of This Again: Pirates 11, Dodgers 5
Zach Duke wasn't terrific but lasted long enough for the win. 28-year-old sophomore Garrett Jones, who only once before had a SLG over .500, that in a partial season at AA New Britain, started off this year with a bang, hammering a pair of longballs off Padilla; shockingly, the second, a solo blast in the third, was not a knockout blow.
So the Dodgers, and the day. Claims that the Dodgers weren't aligning the rotation for starts by Billingsley and Kershaw at home ring somewhat hollow now, at least, it seems so to me.
Incidental notes:
- About MLB.com Gameday Audio: This has been renamed "At Bat with Gameday Audio". On Linux, I had terrible problems with it hanging up; on my iPhone, not so much. I eventually gave up and hauled an AM radio to my office. I know, it sounds like I'm whining, but dammit, I'm a paying customer. Stop using Flash if it's so breaky, or quit reworking everything every single year.
The new Gameday is huge. I expect next year it'll be a mandatory fullscreen, at which point I'll stop paying for it if they keep this up.
- There's also no more "Multimedia" on the mast of all the MLB.com websites; there's only a single link called "Video". But I don't want video, I want audio.
- The new dropdown is now a mega-layer, with images and tons of crap that cause it to be very slow to load on Firefox. Why?
- Every damn year — and in fact, more often than that, since IIRC it demands a cookie with an expiry date of about 60-90 days or so — MLB.com demands I renew my request that their idiotic home page autoplaying video be disabled whenever I go to angels.mlb.com or dodgers.com, etc. Why? Why be such irritating jerks about it?
Labels: blecch, dodgers, pirates, recaps
Angels, Dodgers Set Final Rosters
- The Angels announced the following players will start the season on the DL:
Player Retroactive
DateInjury Sustained Scott Kazmir March 30 Strained right hamstring Anthony Ortega March 30 Right triceps tendinitis Chris Pettit March 30 Right shoulder surgery Reggie Willits March 30 Strained right hamstring (Note the MLB.com story link doesn't indicate whether Pettit was placed on the 15-day or 60-day, but he seems a lock, ultimately, for the 60-day DL.)
The Angels announced their 25-man roster, featuring three catchers, i.e. Bobby Wilson did, in fact, make the team. I take this as an indicator that the team is concerned about the health and poor production of Jeff Mathis (Mathis got plunked on the hand the last week of spring training), the defensive miscues coming from Mike Napoli, and the fact that Wilson would be out of options otherwise.
Robb Quinlan also made the team, something of a surprise considering he was only signed to a minor league deal and hit .176 in spring training. Also a surprise was the inclusion of Terry Evans, but as with Wilson, he had run out of options.
Matt Palmer made the 25-man, and will get at least one start in place of the ailing Kazmir.
- The Dodgers' surprise move was adding Russ Ortiz to the 25-man in place of the ailing Cory Wade, who was sent to the 15-day DL for right shoulder surgery; he will eventually move to the 60-day DL as he is not expected to return before the second half.
Ramon Ortiz also made the team, something of a surprise for me, but I understand he learned a new pitch in the offseason — a curveball — so there's hope. (But not much, as today's brutal results show.
Labels: angels, dodgers, injuries, transactions
Saturday, April 03, 2010 |
Hu Are You? Angels 4, Dodgers 3
Kershaw then gave up a single, a double, and a sac fly to tie the game; his offense got him an early but short-lived two-run lead when the Dodgers scored a ingle run on Rafael Furcal's leadoff double, cashed in on Russell Martin's single and a wild pitch in Garret Anderson's at-bat. Anderson, who took the batter's box to warm applause, eventually struck out, but he finished the game 1-for-2. Whether he advanced his cause to be the Dodgers' lefty off the bench remains to be seen, however, as they have a better option in Xavier Paul.
Reed Johnson provided the Dodgers with their second run of the night, with a two-out solo shot. Santana then walked Blake DeWitt, but struck out Furcal to remind him of what that feels like. The Angels actually racked up the K's in this game, fanning thirteen on the night.
Maybe the game's saddest moment was its conclusion; even though the Angels won this particular intercity (?) skirmish, the real victim was late-inning sub Chin-Lung Hu. Hauled in as a sixth-inning replacement for Furcal, he played adequately up until the ninth. With Justin Miller pitching, Cory Aldridge hit a leadoff triple, Peter Bourjos doubled him in to tie it, and Ryan Sandoval managed an infield single to put men on the corners with nobody out. Miller then fanned Robb Quinlan (who doesn't look too good to make the 25-man following a weak spring), and got Terry Evans on a hard lineout to right. Hainley Statia then came within millimeters of being the goat who blew the Angels' third chance at a win when he bounced weakly up the middle; but Hu gave up the game on a bobbled bouncer up the middle, a bad hop sending the ball just under his glove. He managed to slow it down, so it only got about three feet behind him, but by that time the winning run had already scored and the game was over. You have to feel some pity for the guy; he's been at this a long time, and it really looks now like he's just never gonna be a major league player.
Other stuff:
- The scoreboard operator and the MLB.com scoring stringers didn't agree after the avalanche of position player changes hit starting in the fifth. In particular, the box score shows Michael Ryan batting first as an 8th inning pinch-hitter; the scoreboard operator (correctly) showed that player as Andrew Romine. Likewise, Ryan Sandoval appeared to replace Matsui in the seventh, or maybe it was Ryan; trying to figure out who was right was, at times, quite a chore. I gave the scoreboard operator the benefit of a doubt, especially when I could make out the player's uniform. It's spring training for everyone, I suppose, and the stadium people have less time than anyone to get ready.
- Food: I tried the turkey drumstick at the Clyde Wright Barbecue. I won't be having it again: a real disappointment. Too much meat, too expensive, undercooked in places, and served with a too-sugary barbecue sauce. I've had good Memphis barbecue before; the local exemplar used to be Interstate Barbecue on Knott Ave. in Garden Grove before they changed hands, though I understand the new owners have taken over the old recipes. (Update: it's called Mike's Barbecue, and they're still there on Knott.) There are apparently some kinks to work out still.
I made some rounds; the CHIX store in section 103 appears to have a chicken salad that I might be able to eat. I'll try that next time I'm in the park.
- I was unable to watch the TV broadcast tonight, but the Rev says Victor Rojas was a huge step up from Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler.
Labels: angels, dodgers, recaps, spring training
Friday, April 02, 2010 |
Charlie Haeger Named Dodgers' Fifth Starter, DeWitt To Start At Second
Labels: dodgers, spring training
Four Umpires Retire
Labels: retirements, umpires
Andrew Gallo Seeks Venue Change In Adenhart Trial
Labels: angels, nick adenhart
More On The Angels Changed Food Service
Angel Stadium Unveils Menu Upgrades for 2010 SeasonThere's more on Aramark's general press release about their changes being instituted across parks all over the country.Introduces 11 New Dining Concepts and Adds 50 New Menu Items
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and ARAMARK, the exclusive food and beverage partner at Angel Stadium, announce significant enhancements to the ballpark’s menu that will transform the fans dining experience at Angels games. Among the upgrades is the addition of 11 brand new dining destinations.
These enhancements are part of the Angels and ARAMARK’s continuous efforts to create the ultimate ballpark dining experience for fans that reflects the tastes and flavors of the surrounding area. Fan feedback and insights played an integral role in developing these fresh, new concepts.
- CHIX (section 103) - Everything Chicken, Prepared Fresh (mixture of healthy and tasty chicken offerings)
- Sweet Spot (sections 103 & 412) - Ice Cream, Cookies, Candy & More (offering specialty candies and confections)
- Diablo’s (sections 127, 244 & 416) - Classic, Saucy Sandwiches & Sides
- Major League Deli (section 223) - Specialty Sandwiches from around the League (includes the California Club, Philly Chessesteak and more)
- Major League Dogs (section 259 & 424) - Famously “topped” Hot Dogs from around the League (unique concept where extreme dogs are built in front of fans, with customization available)
- Toro Sushi (section 124) - Sensational Sushi, Sake & Japanese Beers (prepared fresh in front of guests)
- The Grand Stand (located throughout the stadium) - Reinvented Classic Ball Park Fare
- Panini Café (section 112) - Gourmet Grilled Sandwiches, Fresh Salads, & Wine
- Clyde Wright’s BBQ (Gate 1) - Traditional Tennessee BBQ (Clyde Wright, former player, will be signing autographs)
- Home Plate Grill (Gate 3) - Specialty Sausage Grill
- Angelino’s Grill (Gate 2) - Fresh Mexican Grill
Labels: angel stadium, angels
Angels' Radio Footprint Increases With New KSPN 710 Deal
Thursday, April 01, 2010 |
No Insights To 2010, But Lots Of Stadium Changes: Padres 5, Angels 3
- Joe Saunders was workmanlike but not especially accomplished against a Padres lineup that looked very much like a regular-season roster. Giving up two runs over five innings, he's probably on track for his first start in the regular season. He doesn't especially worry me, considering he got a bunch of groundball outs, which is what you expect when he's going well.
- Padres left fielder Kyle Blanks was the offensive star of the game, going 2-for-2 with a three-run homer, this latter off Michael Kohn, who isn't on the 40-man roster.
- The Angels offense wasn't terrible, but certainly seemed out-of-sorts against Chris Young, ex-Dirtbagger Cesar Ramos, and a host of other mostly high-numbered Padres hurlers. Indicator of the day: the Halos stranded a frustrating 12 men on the night.
- To the link above, we discover that Jeff Mathis was scratched with a hand injury sustained by a hit-by-pitch on Tuesday's game against the Brewers. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this doesn't mean we'll have an opening day 25-man roster including Bobby Wilson.
- The announced attendance of 24,875 felt like at least half that number never showed up. By the end of the game, two-thirds of those who did arrive were long gone, though there were so few people it was hardly worthwhile bothering to leave early. As it was, we may as well have been exiting a minor league preseason game against a college squad for the number of people who came.
- Various notes about the park: All the structural pillars on the field level, last year plastered with larger-than-life photo murals of John Lackey, Mike Napoli, etc. were replaced with Angels greats from years past, and not the recent past, either: Bobby Grich, Nolan Ryan, and Rod Carew were but three we saw and noticed. There's a sense of a transitional year, or possibly series of years, in the offing.
- The food choices, as always, continue to evolve, and I'm still trying to decide if they're for the better. The Home Plate Club on the Club level appears to be a victim of the current purge; it's now used for private parties only. That's too bad, because it was a nice alternative for a sit-down meal prior to the game if you didn't have pricey tickets to the Diamond Club.
The old Beach Pit Barbecue stand on the third base side (can't speak to the first base side, as I didn't make it over there) is now Clyde Wright's Barbecue. Holy smokes, the man was there in the flesh signing autographs, and good for him. My favorite thing on the menu when it was Beach Pit (and before that, the Home Run Grill) was the half chicken, which appears gone; the closest thing to it is the turkey drumstick. That's a disappointment.
The upper deck has had a real revamp, with virtually everything getting new signage. One of the old Grandstand (I think) locations has been turned into a Diablo Barbecue, something dreadfully lacking earlier. (My estimation was always that the best food was to be had at the field level, no surprise.) Unfortunately, the choices appear to be all sandwiches, something I basically have to eat around.
Helen informs me the Katella Grill is back from last year, with a slightly changed menu. There's a new sushi place, Toro Sushi, on the field level first base side near Guest Relations. Helen ordered from it and enjoyed what she got, especially the edamame.
Wine prices have gone up, and not by a little; a single glass is now $9.50 for the cheap stuff (Fetzer, or whatever they happen to have today) and $10.50 if you call it, about $2 more than last year. Similarly, the adjacent Italian sausage grill seems to have raised prices by about the same amount. I got my footlong pepper jack sausage (nummy if incredibly sloppy) as a nod to the season, and intend to stay away from ballpark food for the balance of the year, especially given the attenuation of the menu.
Helen, who spent much more time reconnoitering food than I did, also reports that there are nacho bars held over from last year, and some of the kiosks sell alcohol, with a much more limited menu.
Addendum: I should also mention that the just-offsite eatery The Catch, closed for a couple years in its old location just down the road on Katella Ave., appears to be finally open. So there's that for post-game imbibing.
Update 4/2: More about this here.
Labels: angel stadium, angels, padres, recaps, spring training
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