SBNation.com User Blog: Brody

Red Sox Fire Pitching Coach Bob McClure

Brody — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:56:35 -0000

Red Sox Fire Pitching Coach Bob McClure

JeDi/Arte: What are you waiting for?

Greinke Scratched From His Next Scheduled Start

Brody — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 17:52:19 -0000

Greinke Scratched From His Next Scheduled Start

No known injury or other reason for scratching him. Brewers to comment on this some time tonight. Let the speculation begin.

Brutal column about the Angels, aka "the Winter World Series" champions, by Mark Whicker of the OCR

Brody — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:43:14 -0000

Brutal column about the Angels, aka "the Winter World Series" champions, by Mark Whicker of the OCR

The lead lays out the damning facts quickly: 13th of 14 AL teams in runs scored per game "and most other significant categories," including only 11 runs scored in the past 7 games, as well as 6 blown saves by the bullpen in 8 chances.

Cleveland Plain Dealer letter to the editor proposes Indians trade for Vernon Wells

Brody — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:51:07 -0000

Cleveland Plain Dealer letter to the editor proposes Indians trade for Vernon Wells

In a letter to the editor published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer last week, an Indians fan wrote: "What if the Indians asked for Vernon Wells and Kendrys Morales plus money from the Angels for bullpen help and prospects? Wells is owed over $62 million over the next three years. Would the Indians make the move if the Angels offered to eat $20 million of Wells' contract. The Angels lose a bad contract and open up a spot for Mike Trout, plus get bullpen help. The Indians get a quality right-handed bat in Wells and a quality switch-hitting first baseman in Morales, if he's healthy."

Of course, the paper's staff writer goes on to reject the proposal as "way too much of a gamble for me." But is there hope that a deal could be made?

Spring training suggestions and info?

Brody — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:31:53 -0000

I am looking for suggestions regarding spring training.

I have never been to spring training before, and recently was discussing the possibility of coordinating a trip with my brother (he is in Anaheim, I am in DC) for a long weekend in late February or early to mid-March. I know that I have read comments on this site before referring to spring training excursions. To those who have made the trip before, did you enjoy the experience? What specifically would you recommend in terms of places to stay, places to eat, things to do, when to go, or anything else that might enhance the experience? How often do you usually stay? Is there access to the practice facilities when the players report, only when the games begin, not at all?

Any observations from the community would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

DiPoto and Moreno issue statements

Brody — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:07:46 -0000

DiPoto and Moreno issue statements

"At the outset of this process, we felt it was important to find an individual who can evaluate talent, manage our entire baseball operations system, incorporate analytical thinking and possesses solid communication skills," owner Arte Moreno said in a statement. "I believe with the hiring of Jerry, we have done just that."

Angels Pitching Probables for the Final 19 Games

Brody — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:09:36 -0000

Looking over our remaining schedule (and ignoring management's mantra of taking it one game at a time), I predict that Weaver, Haren, and Santana will make 13 of the Angels' final 19 starts -- 5 by Weaver, and 4 each by Haren and Santana. Pineiro and Williams each will make three of the other six starts. A breakdown of those starts follows the jump.

Friday 9/9 - Sunday 9/11 vs. the Yankees -- Weaver, Haren, Santana (as already announced)

Monday 9/12 - Wednesday 9/14 @ Oakland -- Pineiro (7 days rest), Williams (5 days rest), Weaver (normal rest)

Thursday 9/15 -- the last scheduled day of rest

Friday 9/16 - Sunday 9/18 @ Baltimore -- Haren (5 days rest), Santana (5 days rest), Pineiro (5 days rest)

Monday 9/19 - Thursday 9/22 @ Toronto -- Weaver (normal rest), Williams (6 days rest), Haren (normal rest), Santana (normal rest)

Friday 9/23 - Sunday 9/25 vs. the A's -- Pineiro (normal rest), Weaver (normal rest), Williams (normal rest)

Monday 9/26 - Wednesday 9/28 vs. the Rangers -- Haren (normal rest), Santana (normal rest), Weaver (3 days rest)

* * * * *

If this holds true, Pineiro will start at Oakland, at Baltimore, and at home against the A's, while Williams will start at Oakland, at Toronto, and at home against the A's. All six starts will be against teams that are below .500, although four of the six starts will be on the road. How many of these games can we reasonably expect to win? How many do we need to win? My guess is that anything worse than 3-3 is probably insufficient, and that our realistic goal should be 4-2.

Prior to the final series against Texas, Santana, Haren, and Weaver will pitch 10 games as follows: three at home against the Yankees, one at Oakland, two at Baltimore, three at Toronto, and one at home against the A's. Three of these games are against the team with the best record in the American League. At the same time, those games are at home, where we have dominated the Yankees since 2007. The other seven games are against teams that are below .500, although six of the seven games are on the road. Again, how many of these games can we reasonably expect to win? And how many do we need to win? My guess is that, one way or another, we need to go at least 6-4 in these 10 games, and that our realistic goal should be 7-3.

Where would that leave us heading into the final series at home against Texas? It all depends, of course, on how Texas does in its next 15 games. If we are to have a chance, we need to go at least 9-7. In that case, we have to hope that Texas finishes no better than 8-7 so that we are only two games back heading into that series. Then we would need to sweep the final three games to win the division (note, if Texas were to go 9-6, we would need to sweep the final series and win a one-game playoff). As I indicated above, however, it is not an unrealistic goal for the team to go 10-6 or 11-5 in the next 16 games. If we can somehow do that, then the pressure will be on Texas to keep pace.

What are your predictions? Do you agree with my projected schedule? Where do you think the Angels and Rangers will be heading into that final three-game showdown?

Is today Brandon Wood's last day as an Angel?

Brody — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:39:28 -0000

Is today Brandon Wood's last day as an Angel?

Erick Aybar is eligible to come off the DL tomorrow. It is unlikely that the team will send down a catcher or pitcher. Has the end finally arrived for a former top prospect?

When did Angels fans become so spoiled?

Brody — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:06:14 -0000

I am incensed at all of the comments about how we deserve this or that, and still other comments to the effect that supposed fans will not support the team next season. If anyone thinks that one, two, or even several consecutive losing or non-playoff seasons is a reason to abandon the team or not go to games, then that person is not a real fan in the first place. In fact, by that logic, only the Yankees and Red Sox would have any fans at all.

In the past 10 years, we averaged nearly 90 wins per season, never lost 90 games, never had consecutive losing seasons, and never went more than one season without winning over 90 games. We made the playoffs 6 times, won the division 5 times (including 5 of the past 7), played in the ALCS 3 times, and won a World Series.

How did our division rivals fare during that time? The Mariners made the playoffs once -- as division champions in 2001. They lost in the ALCS, and then averaged fewer than 77 wins per season, including 5 losing seasons, 4 seasons of more than 90 losses, and 2 seasons of more than 100 losses.

The Rangers made the playoffs once -- as division champions last year. They lost in the World Series. During the 9 prior years, they averaged 78 wins, and had 7 losing seasons and 2 seasons of more than 90 losses.

The A's, meanwhile, made the playoffs 4 times and won the division 3 times. They advanced to the ALCS only once and got swept by Detroit. In the last 4 years, they had three consecutive losing seasons and the 81-81 finish last year.

It thus seems to me that life was pretty damn good compared to our division rivals over the past decade. If we deserve better and have no reason to support our team, then MLB should just disband the whole freaking AL West because none of these teams deserves any fans.

So what, you say, who cares about the rest of the division -- we deserve better! Well, how did the rest of MLB fare during this time?

Five teams -- the Pirates, Nationals, Blue Jays, Orioles, and Royals -- never made the playoffs in the past decade. Enough said about them.

Five teams -- the Mets, Reds, Tigers, Brewers, and Marlins -- only went to the playoffs once in the past decade. Three of those teams -- the Tigers, Brewers, and Marlins -- did so as the wild card and thus never won a division title. Of this group, only the Marlins won a World Series, and they were the definition of mediocre during this timeframe -- 5 losing seasons, 5 winning seasons, and an average of 81 wins per year. I'm fairly certain no one wants to trade places with these teams either.

Five teams -- the Padres, Indians, Rockies, Rays, and White Sox -- only went to the playoffs twice in the past decade, and the Rockies never won a division title. The White Sox won a World Series and were respectable during most of the decade, but averaged 5 fewer wins per season than the Angels.

Five more teams -- the Dodgers, Cubs, Astros, Diamondbacks, and Giants -- only went to the playoffs three times in the past decade. The Dodgers and Cubs both lost in the first round twice and in the NLCS the other year. Of the two World Series winners in this group, the Diamondbacks had 5 losing seasons, 3 seasons of more than 90 losses, and one season of 111 losses, while the Giants averaged 5 fewer wins per season than the Angels and at one point had 4 consecutive losing seasons.

This leaves 6 teams that are even worth comparing to the Angels -- the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Cardinals, Twins, and Braves.

Of these teams, the Angels out-performed the Twins and Braves by almost every metric. Like the Angels, the Twins and Braves each went to the playoffs 6 times. Unlike the Angels, however, the Twins and Braves did not make it to a World Series, much less win one. They both advanced to the LCS once and lost in the first round 5 times, whereas the Angels went to the LCS 3 times. The Twins and Braves both also averaged 1 fewer win per season than the Angels.

So that leaves the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, and Cardinals, meaning that at worst the Angels were one of the 5 most successful franchises in MLB this past decade. In fact, the Angels averaged 1.6 more wins per year than the Phillies and went to the playoffs two more times than they did. Our nearest comparable is the Cardinals, and only the Yankees and Red Sox were demonstrably more successful.

To make a long story short, I have no problem with those who want to vent about how you would have improved the team or what shortcomings you perceive heading into next season. But to everyone who is lamenting our sorry state and is vowing to give up on the team entirely, please take a step back, get some perspective, and shut the fuck up (there is my one for January).

White Sox to sign Adam Dunn

Brody — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:50:50 -0000

White Sox to sign Adam Dunn

The LA Times is reporting that the White Sox will sign Adam Dunn to a 4-year contract for $56 million ($14 million per season). The Times is speculating that the White Sox will not bring back Paul Konerko.

Reagins says we may be sellers

Brody — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:46:36 -0000

As reported by the L.A. Times this morning, Tony Reagins, Mike Scioscia, and the team's coaching staff met for 45 minutes after the 7-3 loss to Boston yesterday. Reagins acknowledged to reporters that he would be open to trading veterans for prospects before the trade deadline on Saturday, and he and Scioscia both suggested that they were looking into options that will improve the team "this year or in future years."

The Times speculated that the team could trade veterans such as Bobby Abreu, Brian Fuentes, Hideki Matsui, and Maicer Izturis, but that the team is "not likely to trade players they consider part of their core for the next two or three years."

"We would consider any move that would strengthen us, whether it's for this year or in future years," Reagins said. "You have to look at the deal and make a determination."

"There are some things we need to take hard looks at," Scioscia said. "We want to look at things that make us better now and in the future."

Although the Times does not identify the "core" of players not likely to be traded, we can reasonably assume that the 2011 Angels will include Dan Haren, Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, Joel Pineiro, Kendry Morales, Torii Hunter, Erick Aybar, Alberto Callaspo, and Mike Napoli. Despite all of the problems this year, that is a great foundation for us, and we have many reasons to be confident about next season, particularly because even this year our starting pitching has been among the league's best (and it should be even better next season with the full-time addition of Haren). In my opinion, that is why the trade for Haren was so great -- it brought in a front-line talent for multiple years without giving up any of the team's core players or taking away our flexibility to sell our spare parts.

With all of that said, having considered the standings, the team's recent play (7-16 since the Texas series a month ago), and the injury to Pineiro, I would be in favor of trading away veterans to re-stock the farm system. I am pleased that the front office appears willing to do so.

The season is not over -- we are not "at best" a .500 team

Brody — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:12:42 -0000

This responds to Halopauly's comment in another thread, but it easily could apply to numerous others.

There is no denying that we are off to a terrible start. Suboptimal's statistical comparisons indicate that this stretch in fact is one of the worst by any Angels team under Scioscia. It also is true that we are almost 1/4 of the way through this season. These are not reasons, however, to concede that the season is lost or that, at 15-21, we have no possibility of finishing above .500 at the end of the 162-game season. Here are five reasons to be encouraged, and to believe that we can still succeed:

This responds to Halopauly's comment in another thread, but it easily could apply to numerous others.

1) The Angels of 2007, 2008, and 2009 were 291-195, a winning percentage of 59.9%. That might not seem very meaningful now, but the fact still remains that the large majority of the current team is comprised of the players from those teams, including the core of the pitching staff. If this team were to win 60% of its remaining games, it would finish 90-72, which very possibly could win this division.

2) The problems with the starting pitching have been overstated. Weaver has been more dominant than any pitcher we have had in many years, and Pineiro and Santana have pitched very capably, at times exceedingly well, as the #2 and #3 starters; Pineiro and Santana both have pitched at least 6 innings in every start but one. The problem has been Saunders and Kazmir; the Angels are 4-10 in games started by Saunders, Kazmir, and Palmer. That means that, ignoring all of the other issues, we are a .500 team in games pitched by Weaver, Santana, and Pineiro. It is difficult for me to believe that Saunders and Kazmir will continue to post ERAs over 6 while pitching only 5 innings per game; their recent history suggests otherwise. Scioscia and Butcher also have set up drills for Kazmir to fix his release point.

3) The bullpen's struggles, while significant to date, are not insurmountable. Rodney has dominated. So has Jepsen, except for his meltdown against Boston. Bulger also has pitched great for several weeks. Thus, half of our bullpen is an asset, not a liability. I believe that we will further improve in two ways. First, we will resolve our closer issue, either because Fuentes will pitch like he did last season or because Scioscia will "shuffle the deck" and replace him with Rodney. Second, we will find a solution for Shields and Stokes, who have been by far the worst culprits. Stokes is on the DL with shoulder fatigue. If his injury is legitimate, he should improve; if he does not, however, he will be cut. The issue is more delicate with Shields. Scioscia will give him a lot of time to return to form, because if he does, he adds a dynamic arm for us to use in the 7th inning. And while Shields has had some terrible mistakes to Damon and Longoria this month, he also has lowered his ERA from 16.2 on April 20 to 7.84 today.

4) The offense is not *this* bad. Aybar (.250/.329/.331), Abreu (.254/.329/.420), Matsui (.226/.307/.371), Rivera (.237/.282/.395), and Napoli (.205/.295/.359) all have performed *way below* their averages or, in Aybar's case, below his performance last season. We also have received almost no production from Wood at 3B. I can think of many possible explanations for this, but I find it implausible that all of these hitters will continue to perform at their current levels; as with Saunders and Kazmir above, their recent history suggests otherwise. So while it may be that we have to replace Wood, and while it may be that Aybar is not yet suited to leading off, we have internal solutions to many of our problems. For example, once healthy, Izturis could lead off at 3B, returning Aybar to the #9 slot that he excelled in last season. Similarly, Mathis's return in a couple weeks will give us more flexibility at catcher and at the DH positions, which have both fared very poorly since his injury. I trust Scioscia to make the necessary adjustments, as he has done in past summers, and in any event I refuse to concede that our current production is the best that we can hope for.

5) As has been pointed out in other posts, our schedule has been grueling so far. We have played only 6 games against division rivals and 24 games against the Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, Tigers, and Blue Jays. Those teams have combined records of 126-82, i.e., a combined winning percentage of 60.6%. It will get easier.

Bottom line: we should not be giving up after only 36 games -- we can still have a good season.

Will Angels keep Guerrero for purposes of the Hall?

Brody — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:00:12 -0000

We have discussed this topic numerous times this year, and, apparently, the media finally asked a few questions about it: Vladimir Guerrero could be first Angel in the Hall -- latimes.com. Check out what was said -- and not said -- by the key players in this drama:

Vladimir Guerrero:

Guerrero wants to stay. He has made that absolutely clear. He has no desire to test the market.

Mike Scioscia:

"There are certain things that define achievement as an organization, championships in particular," Scioscia said. "When you win a World Series, that's what you strive for. That's what really defines you as an organization.

"Having someone go into the Hall of Fame is a great tribute to a player. It reflects on the organization, certainly. But, in my opinion, world championships are the crowning glory for an organization."

Arte Moreno:

He declined our interview request.

The article also implies that Guerrero's price tag might be low this offseason because he have may have limited options given that (i) he cannot play the outfield on a regular basis (thus eliminating any NL team), (ii) the Yankees may have to reserve the DH spot for Posada, and (iii) the Red Sox have Ortiz.

Vladimir Guerrero:

Guerrero wants to stay. He has made that absolutely clear. He has no desire to test the market.

Mike Scioscia:

"There are certain things that define achievement as an organization, championships in particular," Scioscia said. "When you win a World Series, that's what you strive for. That's what really defines you as an organization.

"Having someone go into the Hall of Fame is a great tribute to a player. It reflects on the organization, certainly. But, in my opinion, world championships are the crowning glory for an organization."

Arte Moreno:

He declined our interview request.

Brandon Wood is out of AAA options next year

Brody — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:54:01 -0000

This relates to a number of comments in the fanpost regarding whether we should re-sign Figgins to a large contract: Brandon Wood is out of options and thus will not spend next season in AAA. If the Angels try to send him back to AAA next season, which they will not, he will have to clear waivers (which would never happen).

Angels' Brandon Wood ready to leave triple A behind for good

Wood was interviewed about this and he said:

"It's a comforting feeling knowing it won't be as easy as last spring to get optioned," Wood told the LA Times. "But at the same time, I have to work hard this winter and be ready to win a job in spring training."

The article goes on to speculate about whether (and where) Wood could earn a starting spot, depending on whether the team re-signs Vladdy, Abreu, and/or Figgy. Without rehashing that debate, the point is that Wood will be on our roster, at least displacing Q as last man on the bench.

If Figgy is on his way out as a result, I will miss him. He was one of my favorites as a pinch-runner and utility player, and he has become one of the best leadoff men in the game and a gold glover at 3B. That said, the organization has been very successful letting veterans go when they have a capable in-house replacement, and Figgy's speed has already declined significantly as evident from his ratio of SB/CS (3.65 in 2005, 3.25 in 2006, 3.42 in 2007, 2.62 in 2008, and 2.44 in 2009).

In any case, whatever happens, all of the Brandon Wood fans should be excited about next season...

Angels' Brandon Wood ready to leave triple A behind for good

Wood was interviewed about this and he said:

"It's a comforting feeling knowing it won't be as easy as last spring to get optioned," Wood told the LA Times. "But at the same time, I have to work hard this winter and be ready to win a job in spring training."

In any case, whatever happens, all of the Brandon Wood fans should be excited about next season...

Justin Speier released to make room for Trevor Bell

Brody — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:54:59 -0000

The Angels released Justin Speier before today's game to make room on the roster for Trevor Bell. The Angels owe Speier the remainder of his salary for this season and $5.25 million for next season.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/angels_blog/2009/08/angels-release-reliever-justin-speier.html

Speier was a disappointment last season and this season, but he was a good clubhouse guy. I am sad that it did not work out for him as an Angel. Time to move forward though.

The Angels released Justin Speier before today's game to make room on the roster for Trevor Bell. The Angels owe Speier the remainder of his salary for this season and $5.25 million for next season.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/angels_blog/2009/08/angels-release-reliever-justin-speier.html

Speier was a disappointment last season and this season, but he was a good clubhouse guy. I am sad that it did not work out for him as an Angel. Time to move forward though.

Torii Hunter and Vlad Guerrero Both Out 3-4 weeks

Brody — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:47:43 -0000

Terrible news for the team. Scioscia tells the LA Times that the injuries are "significant," and "not little 10-day things."

LINK to STORY

Talk about putting a damper on the middle of the order. This will be a real test for the team (again) to see if we can make it through July without falling back in the standings. It will also be interesting to see what Scioscia does with the lineup.

The article notes that Figgins could move to the OF to clear a spot for Wood at 3B, and Scioscia says: "We are going to have to get a little creative at first, see what lineup forms. We'll see what can give us a spark on a given night."

Terrible news for the team. Scioscia tells the LA Times that the injuries are "significant," and "not little 10-day things."

LINK to STORY

Shields Done for the Season

Brody — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:56:59 -0000

During the Rangers and Dodgers broadcast (MLB did not televise the Angels game), the Rangers broadcasters announced that Shields was done for the season. The LA Times also is reporting that Shields has opted to have surgery on his left knee, thus ending his season.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-angels-fyi15-2009jun15,0,3551550.story

According to the Times, Shields decided to have the surgery after consulting with Dr. Yocum, who advised Shields that his patella tendinitis could compromise his mechanics and put him at risk of suffering a more significant injury.

This is obviously not good news in the sense that we are now without our three core relievers from last season -- Frankie, Shields, and Dondo. It does, however, help to explain his early-season struggles and to provide some closure to this issue. Hopefully, Dondo will turn things around with the Bees, and then he, Fuentes, et al can stabilize the bullpen.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-angels-fyi15-2009jun15,0,3551550.story

When it's not the Angels, what gets you to your "happy place"?

Brody — Sat, 02 May 2009 06:28:12 -0000

For most if not all of us, the Angels have been a source of pride and joy for many years, even those years when they lost way more games than they won. As fans, we love the team and the individuals that comprise it whether they win or lose -- that's what it is to be a fan -- but it isn't always easy. Sometimes, on nights like tonight, there is disappointment, frustration, pain, and perhaps anger too.

So at trying times like these, when the Angels aren't picking you up or, worse yet, are contributing to your anxieties, what other outlet can you count on to make you smile --as Chubbs would say to Happy Gilmore, to find that "happy place"?

For Happy, it was envisioning his girlfriend in sexy white lingerie with sprinklers spraying all around her. For me, it is Bruce Springsteen's music -- always makes me smile ... although the hot girl, white lingerie, and sprinklers make me smile too!

What does it for you?

Reason to Believe -- breaking down our starters' splits

Brody — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:09:15 -0000

Forgive me for posting a new thread as a new member -- I used to post here occasionally before the website changed formats -- but I believe that our starters' splits suggest that we have every reason to expect a big upswing once Lackey, Santana, and either Moseley or Escobar return to the rotation.

In eight games, Weaver and Saunders -- are 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA, lasting an average of 6.1+ innings per start. The Angels are 5-3 in those games.

In Moseley's two healthy starts, he is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA, lasting an average of 5.2+ innings. The Angels are 1-1 in those games.

In all of the other games (not counting the one started by Adenhart), Angels starters are 1-3 with a 6.03 ERA, lasting an average of only 4.2+ innings. The Angels are 1-6 in those games.

Perhaps it is obvious to expect significant improvement once our starting rotation returns to health, but I think it bears emphasizing given how trying the past few weeks have been. After all, we are 2 games above .500 in games pitched by Weaver, Saunders, and a healthy Moseley, and our bullpen has been way less taxed in those games as well. I think this bodes well for the rest of the season ... especially if the offense continues to score over 7 runs per game, as it did the past two series!

In eight games, Weaver and Saunders -- are 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA, lasting an average of 6.1+ innings per start. The Angels are 5-3 in those games.

In Moseley's two healthy starts, he is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA, lasting an average of 5.2+ innings. The Angels are 1-1 in those games.

In all of the other games (not counting the one started by Adenhart), Angels starters are 1-3 with a 6.03 ERA, lasting an average of only 4.2+ innings. The Angels are 1-6 in those games.