As  a title I was going to use, "Why I hate the Angels." But the more I considered it, the more I realized that I hate neither the Angels nor their fans.  From my time in that area, I have many good friends who are follow the team with fervor, in good seasons and bad.  I'd rather reserve my hatred for objects, ideas and people more deserving. 

All that to say, I really don't like the Angels and can't imagine ever cheering for them.  They are the American League version of the Giants, the team I always want to lose, every day, no matter what.  But why?

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I didn't see a post on this so I thought I'd do a brief write-up.  Mitchell Page (coined The Swinging Rage by Monty Moore) has died at the age of 59 of undisclosed causes.  Few details are currently available of his death. 

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With all respect to Mr. Shakespeare for borrowing his words and twisting the context just a bit.

I had a dream last night.  Like all dreams it makes far more sense in my head than it will in my weak words, but here goes anyway. 

I was  in a mall or something, watching the A's on TV (should have been my first clue it was a dream).  A guy in a blue hoodie came up and said, "You know what's the biggest problem with the A's?  Bobby Crosby."  (That part seemed very real).  I asked if he was an A's fan and he revealed an A' cap from under his blue hood. He introduced himself as Carlos and we had a nice chat while the game was on.  Finally, he had to leave.  I noticed the score was 37-14, with Toronto leading.  Was the wind blowing out?  Was this really a Raiders game? I knew we were bad so far this year, but that score was ridiculous.

Frustrated, I began searching for a comupter to check how in the world they gave up 37 runs in a single game.  I wandered the Cal-State Fullerton campus (I left the mall, I guess) looking for Carlos and answers.  I found a computer at a kiosk and checked gameday.  Big clue:  Travis Buck came in to pitch relief in the fourth inning after G. Gonzalez gave up 18 runs in the first third of an inning.  I also remember a highlight where the green & gold botched a bases loaded run-down and all four runners scored (Cabrera threw it away). There was some good news.  Cust & Giambi were having big games.  In the ninth, the A's scored 9 runs to cut the lead to 37-23 and I began to feel a glimmer of hope.  I awoke before the game ended, but I assume the A's put the tying runs on base before losing.

So here's the question:  are there others who dream in vivid, frustrating details about the A's?  I don't mean wishes or fantasy, but annoying dreams that seem to go on and on, frustrating your REM and filling your conscious state the next day.  I'd really like to know I'm not alone.  I'm not looking for interpretations as most of it appears all too simple. You don't need a multi-colored coat to break this one down.

And a note to Carlos, wherever you are.  Thanks for being there for me, but don't be afraid to pull the hood back to let your colors fly.

Note:  though I wrote this Sunday, I couldn’t post till today b/c if had to wait for the 24 hour requirement before achieving membership status.

I’ve been lurking around the edges of AN for a few years now.  I read several other sports blogs and AN by far & away tops them all.  Absent here is the hollow blowhards, the blasphemous & bigoted who populate so many other sites. Kudos to Blez et al, whose labor of love we all enjoy.  Forgive my verbosity here; I lack the cleverness of Nico, the goodness of BaseballGirl, the caustic insight of PT, the minor musings of Taj, the fun that is Grover.  Categorize me as a junior executive at Marquez67 Inc., the man who weaves stories using baseball, family, and artifacts.  I like to tell stories (though not as well as Marquez), and on this day, more than any other, I have a story to tell and this seems like the place to tell it.  So here I am.

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