So I was watching the Twins/Royals game on MLB.TV with the new PS3 app and it was a great game.  Back and forth in extra innings it went.  The Twins scored 2 in the 11th to take a 9-7 lead.  Rauch went back out to close out the game and get a W to go along with his BS and got the first 2 outs.  Then next guy gets on, and then the Royals hit a grounder to Hardy which he bobbles and throws to 2nd which was WAY too late to get the runner but Gibson who had been in the rain for who knows how long decided that the game must end and called him out and promptly started to walk off the field.  The call was so bad, the Twins were laughing into their gloves realizing they had gotten away with W.

I bring this up because it feels like I got cheated out of the hour and a half or so and I can only imagine how all those Royals fans feel.  With a game that has calls that are such black and white, as opposed to say basketball, I have no idea why baseball feels they shouldn't have at least limited replays in something besides homeruns.  Safe and out calls effect games to a much greater extent than homerun calls.  Anyway, it just feels like there is a big problem, an easy solution, and a bunch of old geezers getting in the way like Bud Selig.  Who's with me in wishing there was a system like the NFL where each manager could challenge a safe out call like twice a game.  It would take less than a minute in today's technology driven world where the replay is on our tv virtually instantaneously.  If baseball is so concerned with the pace of the game, then why don't they start calling balls everytime Posada goes and has a talk with his pitcher every other pitch......

If Mike Napoli can increase his average a few points, he's at .294 right now, and Torii can get back soon, then the Angels could possibly throw out a lineup with every single player batting .300.

Right now it's

Figgy  300

Abreu 313

Vlad 303

Hunter 305

Morales 301

Rivera 307

Napoli 294

Aybar 307

Izzy 301

Is there any way to see if that feat have every been accomplished this late in the season or with every player having a certain number of ABS?  Vlad is the lowest at 208.

Anyway I would love to see an all .300 lineup even for one day.  I realize the chances of it aren't all that great since like everyone even right now is one bad week from going to like 280, but still it's impressive that they even have a chance IMO.

Hey HH! 

This is the only Angels site I'm a part of.  Many of us here are in a state of disbelief that the Angels have been struggling to score runs and they have a guy tearing it up in AAA and he's still there.

So I took some initiative and made a little Facebook group so that we can all show our support of B Wood. 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=97791188265

If the link doesn't work then just search Brandon Wood and look for his picture.

I made sure there wasn't a similar group before creating ours.  If you want to join I will made you an admin in the group if you reply to this thread.

With any luck Brandon Wood might see LA again before he's eligible to rent a car on his own.....

Rob Neyer is such a moron.  I'm reading this live chat he's doing on ESPN and he says he's listening to one of the games on the radio while watching another one.  So I respond.

Me: So a writer at ESPN hasn't graduated to the 21st Century?  MLB.TV Mosaic rocks! I'm watching all 4 games at once right now. 

He responds: Rob Neyer: I'm happy for you Mark, but I have just the one computer and I'm currently using it to talk to YOU.

I respond with the following although I know he won't respond.

 "I'm talking to you and watching all 4.  It's called Windows, what are you using DOS?  Or you could just get another monitor, almost all computers have 2 outputs."

The guy is an internet journalist and I don't even think he has a better understanding of technology than my 5th grade niece.

As of now the Angels and Rays have a decent lead on the 2nd tier teams for homefield advantage through out the playoffs.  However it's not out of the realm of possibility that either the Twins or White Sox catch the Angels and the Angels wind up having the worst record of the Divisional winners. 

That scenario should scare Angels fans pretty bad.  The reason being is that the Red Sox will likely be the Wild Card.  That means that the Rays and Angels would matchup in a 5 game series with Tampa Bay having home field advantage and the Angels having to beat them in Tampa.  The Rays have an absolutely sick record when they play at home but it is like 10x better when they play in front of a decent crowd which they will have during the playoffs.

Why am I mentioning this?  Well because today's loss just felt like winning was like the 4th priority.  I'm all for giving Vlad and Hunter the occasional day off, but does it have to be on the same day?  Especially when HK and Aybar are BOTH out and being replaced by hitters hitting under 200.  Especially when you chose to go with Mathis instead of Napoli when their OPS vs Right Handers is OVER 250 point difference.  Espeically when said replacements for Torii and Vlad are hitting right around 200 with no power. 

Then if they are being given the days off would it kill them to just take one ab with the game on the line in the 9th?  Soth easily could have put Figgins at 2nd and Q at 3rd after having Vlad or Torii bat for S-Rod.  Anyway with massive injuries to our MI, a HUGE Divisional Lead, and Minnesota and Chicago playing for their playoff lives, I just wanted to point out how horrible it would be if the Angels record fell below either of theirs and how it's actually a very very real possibility.

Thoughts?

Do you guys think that maybe the Angels will spend more on international signings?  I can't really remember when they've broken the bank for an international signing since they signed Johan Ervin Santana and he certainly worked out pretty well.

Apparently an 18 year old Cuban just came to the US.  Think maybe the Angels will pursue him seriously?  Maybe with the Angels already having Morales that would help convince him?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3432314

Just wondering guys what you think Percival's HOF chances are now that he has revived his career in St. Louis and now TB.  And if he did go into the Hall I think it was be a foregone conclusion he'd go in wearing an Angel's hat.

He currently has 338 saves which is in the Top 10 of All Time.  I think if he saves games this year and next for TB he could get as high as 6th all time.  Here is the list if you interested in comparing him with the All-Time best closers.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/pitching/pisave1.shtml

K-Rod by the way is already 55th all time and with him being only 26 I think he has an outside chance of being the All-Time leader.  But a very realistic chance at getting to 2nd - 5th of All-Time.

I know this past week or so hasn't been the best based entirely on results but here are some major positives that have all happened within that time period too.

Lackey came back and looked like his Cy Young contending self.  Crisp curve with good velocity and command.

Arredondo looked down right filthy to OC lastnight.  96 fastball, plus breaking pitches, and 2 seam fastball.

Garland has been keeping the team in the games unlike a couple starts he had a while ago.

GA has raised his batting average 50 some points and hit for power recently.

Vlad is certainly driving the ball a bit more than he did a few weeks ago.

Scioscia isn't being as stubborn as he used to be (like he was w/ Finley).  He is playing Naps more now that Mathis is struggling so bad, and he brought Arredondo into a tied game in the 8th with Speier and Shields certainly capable of pitching but coming off bad outings.