I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but I'm getting pretty tired of tuning into an Angels game on TV or AM830 and hearing just as much cheering, if not more, for the Red Sox, than for the Angels.

This has to negatively affect the Angel players to some degree.

I would hazard to say that this would not be tolerated in Boston or New York.  The faithful there would run the others out.  Why not here?

Anyone who has been a baseball fan for more than a few minutes knows this.  The best team, statistically, very seldom wins the world series.  It's a game of streaks and slumps, with very little understanding of either.  The Yankees are a great example.  Every year in recent memory, going back to childhood, they have spent more money than any other team to acquire top talent.  They should win the world series every year, yet it took the expert direction of a great manager to make it happen again.  Add another superstar and the magic was broken.

Some call it chemistry, some may call it mojo or even voodoo, but you can't deny that it's there.  It's the attitude you take with you on the field or up to the plate.  Whether or not you're going to let the other guy beat you.  The Angels inconsistency this year has been maddening.

The angels have plenty of talent, with many of our younger players having matured drastically this year, yet from game to game we never know what team is going to show up.

Run support is one interesting example.  To some pitchers we give awesome run support, take Palmer for instance.  To other pitchers, we give none.  Look at Weaver's luck over the past few years.  He has lost an unusually high number of games in which he pitched very well.  He lost a no-hitter, if you remember.  I have to wonder if that doesn't go back to the whole Scott-Boras-instigated holdout when Weav was signed?  We're not giving Lackey that much support now either and sometimes we seem to just not be helping him get that third out.  Is that maybe a result of his clubhouse comments this year?  These are intangibles that just can't be diagnosed.  The clubhouse factor is huge.

Offense is another example.  In one game, the entire team is frenzy hitting, 20 hits, double-digit runs, huge innings.  In another game, we let a rookie pitcher 3-hit us;  We lose 2 of 3 to a last place team.  It seems either the entire team is up or it's down.  You rarely see one player go 4-5 in a game with the rest of the order 0-5.  It's all or nothing with these guys.  In a way that's good.  It means they're connected on some deep level as a team.  The bad news is that Soth has to be a psychologist, fortune teller, or perhaps a Shaman, to make it all work.

For us to make it work this year, it seems that more so than pure statistics, Mike has to find the lineup, rotation and combinations that motivate these guys to be explosive.  A good place to start is to examine what was taking place when Vlad and Torii were on the DL and the team was booming.  Everybody was stepping up.  Maybe now they're waiting for the veterans to step it up first.  I'm not suggesting benching those guys, just finding the key to fit all the pieces together.

Thoughts?

I'm glad that Fuentes was awarded the save tonight but it certainly wasn't a solid one.  If not for good placement and glove work by both Erick Aybar and Kendry Morales, Texas would have likely been leading the game going into the bottom of the ninth.

His current struggle seems to have begun back on July 27th when he blew the save against Cleveland.  Since then he has been shaky and has had no confidence.

All of you remember the game.  The angels are up 6-4 going into the ninth with Carroll, Choo and Martinez coming up.  Napoli's behind the plate.  Carroll and Choo both single.  Martinez comes up and loops one into the Cleveland bullpen.  (you might also remember Willits' feeble attempt at a play and surprise at hitting the wall) (Rivera would have climbed the wall).  Cleveland up 7-6.  Next batter Peralta hits the first pitch on a no-doubter to left-center.  What some of you may have seen or may not have, was Jamey Carroll relaying signs to Victor Martinez on pitch location before his three run shot.  If anyone still has it on DVR, watch Carroll.  After the sign, he makes an exagerated head motion left or right that correlates with the sign for pitch location.  It looks like he is looking for the SS or 2B for his lead off, but his first head motion on all three pitches was in the same direction as the location.  Fuentes' major motion is in and out, not so much up and down, so it was a huge advantage for Martinez to have that tip.  Since that time, Fuentes' confidence seems to have been at a season low.

I know it's not a secret that teams do this, and maybe we do it too.  I just think that Napoli and Mathis need to mix up the signs in crucial spots with a guy on second, or late in the game.  Fuentes never recovered from that game.

I'm not saying that Fuentes might not have blown that save anyway, because he gave up back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, but the pitch that ripped his heart out was the one Martinez hit into the bullpen and he knew it was coming.  I e-mailed the only contact links I could find - one for "Angels announcers" and the other for Roger Lodge, but who knows if that went anywhere.  I'm certainly not the greatest baseball mind, so someone in the Angels organization must have also seen it and discussed it already, but in the off-chance that they haven't I wonder if Revhalofan might mention it, since he seems to be an insider.