He's our team leader. He's without question the greatest Sun to ever offer up a quick-witted quip to a room full of media types hungry for quotables. He's a two-time NBA MVP. He's simply awesome. He's none other than..... Steve Nash.

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Well, here we are, at the brink of perhaps eliminating the one team most responsible for the greatest accumulated heartache in the history of Suns basketball. Although it looks good at this point (no team in NBA history has ever recovered from the psychologically imposing hole the Spurs now find themselves in) it is said that the "close out" game is often the most difficult game in a series to win. A matchup with the hated Lakers and their hedonistic Hollywood hardwood worshippers is looming, but , before that happens there are a couple of issues to consider.

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Well, that sucked. I posted many comments in the game thread and elsewhere about why I thought the Suns lost the game last night, so, I won't get into that here. Instead, I will briefly talk about what the team must do to in the big picture in order to win this series. Seth said we as Suns fans shouldn't panic prematurely. Well folks, I think we can allow ourselves a little panic. That being said, panic does not equate with "giving up" or believing we can't win. Panic simply means that anxiety has set in. And if you don't have at least a little anxiety right now you're not really a Suns fan.

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Recently there has been alot of discussion here on BSOTS comparing and contrasting the respective games of "star" players in the NBA. In addition to beloved Suns players such as Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, I'd like to  discuss other NBA greats, more specifically, I'd like to talk about what the term "Superstar" really means, and also who exactly those special NBA players are. They are part of an elite group, and by my definition, there are not alot of them. I do differentiate between a "star" and a "superstar.' The later term denotes a player who is a cut above (sometimes far above) the group of simply "great" players we know as stars. To be a "Superstar" a player must consistently dominate long stretches of games. This player possesses such ability that he often enters the pantheon of legends who make it into the Hall of Fame. I would say most Superstars do eventually become Hall of Famers -- that is how I view this special designation. I use it sparingly and a player must do alot to earn it. Currently in the NBA I see only eight players who fit the bill. There are a group of borderline players and past Superstars who have fallen out of the group. I will examine these players as well.

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With the events of the last couple hours I don't know where to start. I'm angry -- in fact really pissed off. Angry at Lackey for going to of all places BOSTON -- angry at Reagins for essentially FAILING at his job (perhaps from Arte's perspective he has indeed succeeded), and angry especially at Arte Moreno, because, at the end of the day Arturo Moreno holds the purse strings to the organization and thus has the final say.

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The Suns have just completed the first month of the NBA season, and, by most accounts have played better than expected. They are 14-5 and currently in second place in the Pacific Division. Of their 5 losses 3 have come on the second night of back to back games, the most recent of which was in Cleveland on Wednesday night. The Suns have the look of a highly competitive team that is capable of beating the NBA elite if they play their best. The current and ongoing schedule in December is particulary brutal however, and the Suns chief competition in the Pacific Division, the Lakers are currently enjoying a cushy schedule with a heavy dose of home games. This schedule will likely help an already imposing Laker team to continue to win and possibly build a comfortable lead in the Pacific before they hit their heavy stretch of road games. Let's take a look a some of the scheduling peculiarities that seem to favor the group from Los Angeles.

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I know, I know. The SUNS do play a feisty and dangerous Hornets team on Wednesday night. This is definitely a team and a game we do not want to overlook. The Hornets have had our number recently, so we do have something to prove on Wednesday. That being said, the matchup on Thursday with the LAKERS will be the biggest test thus far this season. One could argue the Boston game was, but this game will be for the lead of the Pacific Division and all NBA eyes will be on this contest.

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I just got back from Game 5 of the ALCS. Because I was sitting in Section 406 I couldn't clearly see the location of John Lackey's 7th Inning 3-2 pitch to Posada, but it looked suspiciously like another in the series of biased ball/strike calls that we have been seeing. When I got home and saw the replay on MLB.com I nearly fell out of my chair. That damn call was scandalous! This is simply a continuation of  Nick Green in Boston, Kazmir getting squeezed, missed pickoff calls, and the now infamous McClelland double out non-call.

Despite the coverage this horrible umpiring has been getting not only on Halos Heaven but in the MSM as well, the ridiculously bad calls continue to arise like herpes attacks on a middle-aged nymphomaniac. What can we as fans do about it? Some might say nothing. That we are helpless victims, left to stew in the juices of our justified anger.

Here on Halos Heaven our regular posters have spoken out about the travesty that is the umpiring of this ALCS.  About Game 4  Downing Rules said "that game was a DEBACLE." I couldn't agree more. Big Bad, Vlad wrote "If this shit keeps up, we will have another 1919 on our hands." Again, right on the mark. I think these comments are useful in that they allow us to express and deal with our anger -- they can be cathartic. Far from being the "whining" that many Yankee fans (and some Angel fans as well) have called these kinds of responses, I  think they are a sign of frustration and a feeling of being continually screwed by  unethical men who wield a significant amount of power in their particular field of influence (mlb umpires).

In addition to being a form of catharsis these comments can hopefully serve to elevate the level of dialogue about professional sports officiating from drunken stadium cries of "get the shit out of your eyes Ump" to a serious discussion about video replay, fan participation and even ethics in business.

On this evening Angels Talk Terry Smith said , "I though that was a bad call by Fieldin Culbreth." For someone who generally avoids participating in discussion about the negative effects of bad umpiring this is saying alot. Fieldin Culbreth apparently thought the Lackey pitch was low and inside. Interestingly, it seems those two words could be used to respectively describe his moral standards and the situation leading to his on field behavior.

After a series of highly questionable moves (Cabrera for Garland) and a couple of frustrating off-seasons of inconsequential moves or non-moves the Angels braintrust has finally done something right.

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Well, time to let a little steam off, so here it goes.

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The Halos are approaching the end of a successful month of August, having just come off a road sweep of the rival Mariners, and at this time appear to be in good position to win the AL West.

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Well, the Angels have returned to New York and will take on the Pinstripped Crew for the first time in 2007. The Yankees struggles so far in 07 not withstanding, the Halos usually have little to fear in New York.

As most Angel fans know we are the only team with a winning record against the Yanks over the last 5 or 6 years (I don't have the exact record handy but I know it's good).

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I hope this is not true, but Peter Gammons just reported on ESPN that the Toronto Blue Jays may be looking to move some of their star players, in particular Troy Glaus. He says the DODGERS of all teams are interested in acquiring him.
 

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Will Grady Sizemore hit 30 HR this year? Will Mariano Rivera save over 40 games? Will Joe Mauer hit over .322?

How about Figgy? Will he steal more than 51 bases this year? He will have to make up for lost time since he's going to miss the first 5-6 weeks of the season.

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Not only did Garret have a very nice game(driving in 2 of Angels 4 runs) with a double and a HR, but he helped me win a bet! I think he deserves some Pantherage tonight -- co-Panther at the very least.

Back in March I made a wager right here on Halosheaven with JIMMUSCOMP on the numbers GA would put up this season. The bet was this; GA must have higher totals in two out of the three following categories for me to win:  

A) HR  15
B) RBI 70
C) SLG .473

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I'm sure most of you noticed that Vlad is the DH today and not roaming the outfield as he usually does. Perhaps Scioscia wanted to give him a day off his feet and out of the sun, but there is another possibility. Perhaps Mike is sending a subtle message to Vlad: Clean Up your Act in the Outfield. Perhaps both things are going on.

Vlad made a VERY ugly error last night, dropping a soft flyball to RF. Fortunately, Frankie came in to shut the door, but Vlad's bonehead play opened the door for the M's in the 9th and could have been a disaster.

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Ha ha ha. Figgy was instrumental in the just completed series victory over our hated rivals from the north. As I have been saying for the last few weeks, Figgy CAN hit. He simply slumped early. Plain and simple.

He has proven himself as a major league hitter and is invaluable on this team. He is our lead-off hitter of the present and future. So shame on all of you who so quickly turned on a guy who has been a true sparkplug at the top of the order and has provided crucial defensive flexibility for Scioscia.

I know it is frustrating for us fans when players slump, but the baseball season is a long one. Figgy has shown the last week that he has not suddenly lost his ability to hit or steal bases or score runs. Further, I'm predicting an auspicious second half for Figgy in which he hits .295 or better. Look out A's and Rangers!

I heard on espn radio before the game that the Angels have released Edgardo Alfinley.

All I can say is good riddance.

That makes at least four players over the last year or so I was very pleased that the Angles gave the boot to. The others were of course Frosty, Amezaga, and DaVanon.

Now we have to package Yan and the Old Weaver to someone -- I don't care who we get. How about a long reliever with good upside. Anyone would have to be better than Yan. And getting Cream Weaver out of the rotation would be a positive as well.      

Dear Mike Scioscia;

Why isn't Tim Salmon getting more playing time?

You have only played him in one of the last five games. In that game (Sat. May 6 at Toronto) he went 2-3 with a HR and showed once again that he STILL can hit (see Rev.'s post from a few days ago.)

Although he is batting .273; (17 hits in 62 AB's) he is 2nd on the team in slugging percentage (behind Vlad ;) for those players with at least 30 AB's and he is consistently driving the ball. He has 4 HR in limited playing time. Wouldn't you think he'd have more like eight or nine with any consistent PT?

You yourself have praised his great bat speed while bemoaning the team's lack of offensive production. Juan Rivera has returned and you recently said "he's a big part of what our offense needs, but it is going to take more than Juan."

Yes, Murphy has hit well, but he doesn't provide power and King Fish does. Are you and Stoneman afraid that his production will excite fans and compel you to offer him a one-year contract again next year (which you obviously don't want to do?)?

Whatever you and Bill are thinking, I don't understand it. This team needs offense and Salmon is one of the few guys on the team who has been driving the ball.

Yes, I know he's in the line-up tonight, but that won't make a difference if you sit him for the next three games.          

Maybe Jeff Weaver should be the one pitching in AAA and his kid brother should be starting in the Bigs.

It's hard to imagine Little Weaver doing any worse than the "Hippie Lettuce Man." I know it's only May, but my worst fears about Old Weaver have materialized. I have NO confidence that the Angels will win when he takes the mound. I just KNEW last Friday's game would be a loss before the first pitch was thrown. That's not a good feeling.

Old Weaver just doesn't inspire confidence. It starts with his body language; he looks like a teenager who has just been grounded for a month when he takes the mound. He doesn't look like he even CARES what happens out there (although I'm sure that he must).

This is one case in which I DO think the younger player is the better option.

Wouldn't that be humiliating for Older Weaver if Jered displaces him in the rotation. His kid brother starts and he's the longman in the bullpen...

I don't know how much it would take to yank Old Weave, but I wouldn't wait much longer.  

Is anybody else here wondering why Jose Molina's playing time has been slowing decreasing over the last week and a half?

At the start of the season I vaguely remember hearing that Jose would start about two out of every three games. Maybe I'm not remembering this correctly, but it seems like a good number to me, seeing that Jose is a solid veteran with multiple seasons of experience (albeit as a backup) at the most difficult position in the game.

The Angels have played eighteen games this season. Jose Molina started at catcher in four of the first six -- all of which were wins. Since then he has started six other games, of which the Angels have won three, including today's win over Oakland.

Jeff Mathis has started eight games at catcher and the Angels are 2-6 in those games.

Jose's FPCT is slightly better than Jeff's. He has one less error in two more starts. Both Jose and Jeff have started slow with the bat. All other things being close to equal, one wonders why Jose isn't playing a little bit more.

Of course the Angels want Mathis to get game experience (for which there is no substitute). But it is also important to win games. Remember, a win in April counts as much as a win in August.

It just seems to me that 10 starts for Jose to 8 starts for Jeff is not the ratio we should have. I think it should be something more like 12 to 6. Perhaps it will play out this way over the season. It is also clear to me that our pitchers are still getting to know Jeff and he them. Look at Frankie's performance today (with Jose)vs. his performance last Tuesday.

Don't get me wrong; I think Jeff will become a very good catcher and a great major leaguer. I just question the strategy of playing him this much this early.

Wow! What a great win. My apologies in advance Rev., but I couldn't wait for you to do your game write-up; too excited. As I mentioned in my post in Game Thread Come From Behind victories do wonders for team chemistry and help build cohesion. This win should have that kind of effect as the Halos get ready for a long road trip.

This game made me think about that come from behind win in April 2002 (also vs. the Rangers, and I think also on a Tuesday night, or maybe Wed.). In that game Erstad had the game winning hit in extra innings. It was down the right-field line, just as Kennedy's hit was tonight. I know it is only one game in the W column, but let's hope the similarities to the 2002 game lead to other similarities to the 2002 season.  

Being that today is an off day and the Halos home opener is coming up tomorrow, I feel the time is right to bring up a subject that irks me to no end; a frequent spectacle at many major sporting events across America, such as playoff games and openers; the military "fly over."

Though I'm not quite sure where or when this practice was first initiated I have personally witnessed it many times. I must admit that just prior to Super Bowl XXX in Arizona I felt a rush of adrenaline when(I think they were F-16's) three fighter jets punctuated an array of fireworks and the National Anthem by racing over the heads of the awestruck crowd below. But despite what always seems to be a unanimously positive crowd response to these gaudy displays of America military hardware -- I remain not only unimpressed but disgusted.

When I overcame my purely visceral response to the sound and speed of the jets at SB XXX I was left with a sick, used feeling -- sort of like being subjected to advertising in unexpected places. Like going to McDonald's for a cup of coffee and being bombarded with colorful adds for Disney's latest animated epic or "The Pirates of the Caribbean."

Basically, I feel that sporting events shouldn't be used to promote the military industrial complex or America's imperialist agenda. I go to Angel Stadium to watch baseball, not propaganda. I'm paying to see the Angels, not a bombastic, live-action promo for American military might.

Wait, you might say. Are you not a patriotic American? To answer that question I will simply quote Samuel Johnson, who said "patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel."

I realize I will be outnumbered "behind the Orange Curtain" in Orage County, but I hope there is not another "fly over" tomorrow night prior to the Angels/Yankees game. If there is, you definitely will not see me whooping it up, or hooting, hollaring and cheering my approval as that Stealth Bomber flies over my head.          

The reported collapse of the broadcast deal with Fox Sports Net is actually an opportunity for the Angels and Arte Moreno.

According to today's L.A. Times Tim Mead has said Arte is still "committed to televising 150 games this season." All I can say is that the powers that be better make something happen -- and fast! If not, leaving some of the best fans in baseball (Angels top three in attendance last year) with practically no coverage of road games is just plain unacceptable.

If Arte wants to prove that he REALLY DOES care about the fans (as he and his adoring media servants so often tells us) then this will get taken care of. If not, all the talk of being a "big market" team will amount to so much self-promotion and hot air.        

It's March 21st and the start of the regular season is two weeks away. The excitement is building, but there is still time for us to  make predictions regarding the upcoming campaign and how various Halos will perform.

This being the case, I'd like to suggest that we will see a couple of firsts this year. No, I'm not talking about statistical achievements, I'm predicting that at least two Angels will make their first ever appearance in the Mid-Summmer Classic (to be held at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on July 11th).

To be more specific, I think that two of the following three players; Kennedy, Lackey, and Figgins, will make the All Star roster.

Like most of us I'm predicting Lackey to have a break-out year and will call my shot by saying that he'll have between 18-21 wins and over 200 K's this season. If he starts well this year (unlike last season) we could see him in Pittsburgh.

Adam Kennedy had the best fielding percentage (tied with Orlando Hudson at .991) of all Major  League 2nd basemen with at least 300 attempts last season. Some would say that makes him one of the best two fielding 2B's in baseball. Who am I to argue? And I'm not just basing it on the numbers, I SAW the guy play all year and he was spectacular! Although his power numbers are negligible he did hit .300 and has a very high baseball I.Q. , is an very good bunter and is excellent at executing the hit and run. With Soriano and Hudson now in the NL his chief competition for the roster would be Belliard, B.Roberts and Cano. I think he's got a fighting chance to be on the team, even if not starting.

As for Figgins, he's without a doubt one of the top rising stars in the game. Winning the stolen base title woke up a lot of folks on the Least Coast who previously hadn't been aware of Figgy's talent. Defensively, he obviously was incredible for us last year, and invaluable in his versatility. If Ichiro starts to slip at all over the next 3-5 years we could be looking at the most valuable lead-off hitter in baseball.

It will be fun to watch this year. All three of these guys are deserving, so let's hope at least two of them make it to Pittsburgh.

Veteran baseball beatwriter and longtime Angels chronicler Mike DiGiovanna has an interesting piece in today's Times ("He Left a Bechmark With Angels") which explores the impact of Joe Maddon's departure from the Angels to become the manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

In the article DiGiovanna explores the deep bond Maddon has with many Angels, including Tim Salmon. In light of Salmon's recent comments that he definitely wants to play SOMEWHERE this year (even if not with the Halos), one wonders where he might go. Assuming his knee holds up and he is productive in Spring Training, it seems likely that some team would at least take a chance on Salmon. His bat speed is reportedly still very good. He has always been a disciplined hitter and has a very good knowledge of the strike zone. If you add his experience and baseball savy to the equation, he would be a good option for part-time DH/pinch-hitter for an offensively challenged American League team. As much as many Angel fans would probably love for him to make the squad, the wealth of options the club has at DH (including Morales, McPherson, and using the spot as a temporary respite for veteran's like Vlad and G.A ) it seems unlikely that he'll stay in Anaheim. Could Salmon end up reuniting with his old friend Maddon in Tampa Bay? They are a young club and could benefit from his experience.

According to this morning's L.A. Times article by Lisa Dillman allegations have arisen that Gretzky's close friend and Coyotes assistant Rick Tocchet "helped lead and finance a nationwide gambling ring," and that "Gretzky's wife Janet Jones has allegedly placed bets with the group."

Another article about this same subject by Chris Foster of the Times states that Jones issued a statement late Thursday denying that she placed bets for her husband. She did not deny making bets herself. She added, "Other than the occasional horse race, my husband does not bet on any sports."  

I ask; Is it possible that Janet was acting as a "cover" for good ole' Wayne?

For his part Wayne was quoted in the Dillman article as saying;... "I am still going to coach the Phoenix Coyotes. I have done nothing wrong, nothing that, uh, has to do with anything along the lines of betting. Never happened. I am going to Italy on Sunday. I am going to be with Team Canada and, um, be a part of the Olymipic Games. And thirdly, lastly, uh, I will say it one more time as I said the other night. I didn't bet. Didn't happen. It's not going to happen. Hasn't happened."

Sounds alot like "I Did Not Have Sex with that Woman."

What would Shakespeare say?

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
 

If it is possible to root for two teams within the same League then I am now a Blue Jays fan.

The acquisiton of Molina was a great move by Ricciardi and will very likely pay big dividends for Toronto. Bengie will be working with a great staff headed up by Halladay and Burnett. Look for Lilly to have a better year as well. I like them as my sleeper team in the AL East this year. Well, maybe they wouldn't be considered a "sleeper" anymore.

I'll be there on May 16 for Troy and Bengie's return to Anaheim and surely will have mixed feelings while watching the game.