So lately there has been a lot of banter in the daily lineup threads about 1) who is in the starting lineup each game, and 2) the batting order itself.

This got me to thinking: where does each player tend to perform better in regard to where they are in the batting order? In other words, where do they seem to feel the most comfortable and where have they had the most success througout their career?

Most people have been a little confused with Sosh's decision to put VW in the 2-hole the past two games. Now, one could argue that Vernon shouldn't be in the lineup at all, but that is not what this analysis is about. Instead, I looked at where guys should be in the batting order if they are in the starting lineup on any given day.

Regarding younger players, keep in mind that the sample sizes are small and that they haven't had a chance to fully develop at the Major League level. I will simply tell you what the small sample size indicates to this point in their respective careers - choose to do with the information what you wish.

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So I am living here in Lima, Peru and decided to go out on the town and enjoy a few cocktails last night, as all of yesterday's rumblings had put me in a rather good mood. I was with a girl from the firm that I work at and we were just sitting at a table in this somewhat crowded bar, enjoying our drinks, when a very large, bald man started to approach us. My initial thought was that he was going to punch me in the face and steal the girl that I was with, but that didn't end up being the case.

Rather, my wearing of an Angels baseball cap caught his attention and he just wanted to inquire as to whether I was actually an Angels fan. I told him that I was and that things were a little tough for Halo fans these days. He didn't seem too interested in talking about the team, but he did inform me that his cousin plays for the them. Naturally I asked who his cousin was and he said Jered Weaver. We exchanged pleasantries for another minute or two, (I think he is from Thousand Oaks - didn't catch his name) and that was that.

So, last night I bumped into Jered Weaver's cousin at a bar in Lima, Peru (allegedly). Anyway, go Halos.

Just going to take a shot in the dark here, but are there any HH goers residing in or near Lima, Perú? I just got here a couple of weeks ago and will be in town for at least the next 6 months. I purchased mlb.tv, but I have this strange feeling that I am not going to be able to access it outside of the U.S. Anyway, I know they have espn here, and I'm hoping we snag a few more national broadcasts than usual this year, due to our offseason acquisitions, but it would be cool to meet up and catch a game from time to time if anyone is in the area.

So I'm in LA for the summer and am curious if anyone lives downtown and wants to catch a game at a bar/restaurant in the neighborhood sometime.  I go from North Dakota to Los Angeles and watch LESS games because my mlb.tv is blacked out and the place I'm staying doesn't have cable.  Talk about frustrating...  If you're interested hit up the thread and let me know your thoughts.  The kid from North Dakota needs some hometown Angel fans to give him an education while he is here.

Just curious what is running through the great baseball minds of the HalosHeaven community in regards to the John Lackey situation.  Personally, I'd like to re-sign him, as I feel his is the best free agent starter out there.  We all know how he feels about playing for a team with a "better offense," among other financial issues.

So my question to you is what happens if we do not re-sign Big Thunder?

The free agent market for starting pitching doesn't look great.  Every option is essentially either a senior citizen or injury prone.  Dumping the farm in a trade doesn't sound like a stellar idea either.  And our in-house options are lackluster.  So . . . what does the Ninja do if he finds himself in this situation? 

FYI:  I'm not interested in seeing a list of the players who, in your opinion, should make up the starting lineup, starting staff, and bullpen next season (and I think I speak for a lot of us around here).  That's what 3/4 of every other off-season fanpost are for.

Everyone has their gripes about blog etiquette.  Some people hate when others write in all lower-case.  Some people hate others who go by Fan IDs such as Ca1IFORNIA ANGELS or johnsamo. 

 What annoys me more than just about anything on this site is when people create fanposts full of links.  Now the links alone aren't what bother me, its what they link and what they choose to attach to those links.  Links should either lead to informative information or something humorous, such as a picture or video.

If you are going to talk about a certain team, you don't need to attach a link that sends me to their home page.  I know the Yankees are good and the Athletics are bad.  If I want to read news or check standings, I will go to their websites on my own.

If you are going to talk about a current league leader or legendary player, you don't need to attach a link to their biography.  I know Babe Ruth hit a lot of homeruns, I know Ken Griffey Jr. has had a decent career, and I know that Albert Pujols is an outstanding player.  I don't need to see their career/season stats to find these things out.

Having said that, let me demonstrate some examples of both good and bad links:

Bad link example:  So in the game against the Yankees last night . . . .

Good link example:  So in the game against the Yankees last night . . . .

Bad link example:  The first time I saw Mark McGwire play . . . .

Good link example:  The first time I saw Mark McGwire play . . . .

Bad link example:  Robb Quinlan's swing reminds me of a walrus mating . . . .

Good link example:  Robb Quinlan's swing reminds me of a walrus mating . . . .

Bad link example:  Torii Hunter has been such a positive force in the clubhouse and community . . . .

Good link example:  Torii Hunter has been such a positive force in the clubhouse and community . . . .

Starting to get the picture?  Just about everyone on this site has a great baseball mind, with a couple of exceptions, of course.  If you're talking about a current player, we likely know who it is and what kind of player they are.  No links to stats or bios are necessary.  While I didn't necessarily show examples of informative information (I know, a little redundant...) in this post (as I was in the mood to go the more humorous route), obscure information that may help explain some stat-head sabermetric is also acceptible.  Just remember who you are dealing with:  Great Angel fans, great baseball fans, and great sports fans.  Spare us the time of clicking on a link that will only lead us to something we already know.  Unless you're bringing entertainment value or concrete and informative (to the well-informed) information (even more redundant...), save yourself the effort of adding a link to the most basic of baseball knowledge.

Now feel free to reply about how annying it is to read a post with so many parentheticals in the text (my apologies).

Just throwin' this out there...

My roomate and I will be at the Halos/Twins series in the Twin Cities this weekend (Friday and Saturday).  We're heading into town tomorrow after we get done with class and will just be grabbing some cheap seats, but on Saturday we have tickets in the 10th row right behind home plate on the aisle.  So if you're watching the game and want to know what NoDakHalo looks like, I'll be the Angel fan behind home plate on Saturday night.  Hopefully I'll have a sign that says, "Naps is a Masher."  I plan on wearing my Bobby Grich home throwback, so keep an eye out.

What does it take to start a blog on this site?  For example, how would one go about starting a University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux blog with SBN?  Is there some sort of application process?  Does there have to be an already existing blog to prove one's superior blogging skills?  Does it have to be a popular team or school that will bring about a lot of traffic?  Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Word has it that the Yankees are pretty happy with their current roster and may revoke their one-year $10 million offer to Pettite.  We need to replace Garland somehow and Randy Johnson's name keeps coming up in coversation, but with a guy like Pettite on the market, Tony may want to start weighing his options. 

Personally I'm not a huge Pettite fan, but he would be a reasonably priced, reliable and consistent replacement for Garland.  I think that this would be an option worth giving serious consideration, as Moseley just hasn't convinced me he is worthy of spot in the starting rotation. 

What does everyone think about possibly making him an offer?

Or does anything need to change at all?

Do we need to be more patient at the plate?  Do we need to be more aggresive at the plate?

Does Scioscia need to make lineup adjustments?  Should Rivera replace GMJ?  Should Naps start in spite of Erv and Mathis' chemistry?  Or should Naps DH?

Does anyone want to throw Aybar under the bus after last night?  Give Bean Town a taste of Dick Wood? 

Here's the lineup I'm hoping for:

Figgy 3B

GA LF

Tex 1B

Vlad DH

Torii CF

Rivera RF

Howie 2B

Napoli C

Aybar SS

I know Mathis will be starting, but I can still hope. 

Some of us have learned over the past week that there seems to be a pretty large population of people somehow related to the legal field on Halos Heaven.  So let's take a roll call and find out how many of us there really are.

Are you a law student?

Are you a lawyer?

Do you work at a law office?

Are you a paralegal?

Are you going to school to become a paralegal?

And anything else I haven't mentioned that you feel qualifies....

Hey, Rev!  If Jeff ever tries to sue you, it looks like you should have adequate representation...I bet some of us would even do it pro bono (or at least at a reduced rate)!

Everyone knows we are looking for a veteran shortstop.  Everyone knows that the Jays are at the top of the list, being that they have three shortstops on their roster, including former Angel David Eckstein.  My question is, what would it take to get one of these guys?  If it only took us Kotch and a scrub AA pitcher to land Teixeira, I can't imagine it would take a whole lot to land a guy like Eck.  Are we looking at a no-name A-baller or something more like Reggie? 

Personally, if it would only cost us a middle of the road minor leaguer or two, i'm all for it.  If it would take any major league talent, I'm completely against it.  It would make more sense to develop guys like SRod and BWood, especially with this huge lead and the hope that both Aybar and Howie will be healthy for the playoffs. 

I know that BWood and SRod have been struggling big time at the plate, but their defense have been stellar.  I can't imagine that both of them are going to continue to look this overmatched if they get some consistent AB's for a couple weeks here. 

Please, someone enlighten me as to what can/should/will happen and why. 

I like UCIHalo's idea to throw together a little HalosHeaven calendar with pics of your favorite HH stars.  I think mayhem reserved himself a spot with his most recent fanpost, but I think with the help of some more of us crazy Angel fans, we might be able to throw together a pretty amusing little work of photographic art (not to mention, we can keep track of our team's schedule!). 

I'm thinking if anyone is up for it, post your pics in the fanshots section, and let the HH community comment/critique/constructively criticize until we find 12 worthy models deserving of making the HalosHeaven calendar.

So, all you photogenic Angel fans out there, grab your digital cameras and get to work, because you just might be HalosHeaven's next top model!!

Oh yeah, I suppose we might need someone to actually put a calendar together.  Any takers...?

One of our friends over at Athletics Nation has a hate so strong for us that he felt the need to post all of those little things that get under his skin.  I appreciated his passion and was inspired to write a little something of my own.  At first I was racking my brain for all the things I hate about the A's, but then realized that my love for the Angels is far greater than my hate of the A's.  This list is by no means exhaustive, but rather a few things that come to mind.

Things I love about the Angels:

1. Arte - the best owner in baseball.

2. That I know how it feels to have seen my team win a World Series.

3. Vlad's disregard for batting gloves.

4. Garret's disregard for emotion.

5. The Strike Force.

via mlb.mlb.com

6. Scioscia...and the fact that as long as Arte's in charge, Mike is the guy.

7. That we had the best first half in team history - even with an often times inept offense.

8. Naps' beard.

9. Halos Heaven.

10. K-Rod's emotion and the fact that it pisses everyone else off.

11. That we never make trades at the deadline.

12. That K-Rod has more saves than the Mariner's have wins.

13. #26 on that A's fan's list.

14. That John Lackey struggles to close his mouth, but still is one of the best in baseball today.

15. That the first Angel game I ever saw was a 10-5 win over the Yankees.

16. Nolan Ryan.

17. The Rally Monkey and Thunder Sticks...and the anger they cause all other Major League Baseball fans.

18. That we played the Giants in the World Series, forcing some A's fan to cheer for us.

19. Black Magic Santana's tatoo.

20. That we somehow squeezed a Cy Young out of Bartolo Colon.

21. Since Scioscia took the helm we've seen a World Series, MVP, Cy Young, All-Star game MVP, four division championships, and two HR Derby champions.  And I probably am forgetting something.

22. That ESPN gives us no love.  The last thing I want to see is Eric Young, Eduardo Perez, Eduardo Perez's Tounge, Steve Phillips, or Fernando Vina attempting to speak well of the Angels.

23. Looking at this.

24. That last year we were the best team at home in the league and that this year we are the best team on the road in the league.

25. Bob Grich, his mustache, and the fact that he was great friends with my uncle when they were kids and continues to be.

Here's to a great first half and hopefully an even better second half.

Matt Holliday.

We need a big bat.  We need an outfielder that isn't 35 and that doesn't suck.  I hate to break up the soul patrol, but it is what it is.

Out pitching staff is fine, even without Escobar and Adenhart. 

Keep Frankie.  Find a way to get rid of GA (as much as he's done for this organization, we need to draw the line somewhere), GMJ, and their salaries.   Hell, use Escobar as trade bait (I personally don't see him pitching anywhere near where he used to be ever again).

We still have Lackey, Garland, Weaver, Santana, and Saunders.  We still have Shields, Arredondo, and hopefully Frankie. 

Think of having Holliday's ops+ of 141 in the lineup rather than GMJ's 84 and GA's 76. 

I know he'd be expensive, but at this point I'd be willing to spend.

What do you think we'd have to give up to get Holliday?  Do you even think its realistic?  Would you be as willing to give up as much as I would? 

video of dodger fans being dodger fans.  stealing, fighting, swearing, flicking off the camera when on the jumbotron.  classy stuff.  i wonder if dodger fans bleed dodger blue after they've been stabbed while sitting in the stands trying to watch their favorite team play.  i know this video was taken at the colisseum, but it gets the point accross.

link to video

another short one...

link

need i say more?

oops.  apparently i need to say four more words...

So here's the link to a sweet old school torii hunter commercial...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pcmmgLF0WOI

I've only been an mlb extra innings guy for a season, but i enjoy watching other teams promos, and no one has quite matched the twins quite yet.  To be honest, I think the Angels need to do a little bit better than the Scioscia Howard's commercials...I mean, they get people's attention, but I'm not quite sure its because they're good commercials...

It's Torii Hunter of the Minnesota Twins!!!!!!!!!!!

does anyone know if this series is on mlb.tv?  its not on extra innings and its killing me.  anyone know why its not on extra innings?  does it have something to do with canada?

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We talk a lot about hitting and pitching, but fielding has rarely been discussed so far this year...

Right now the Halos are tied for the MLB lead in fielding percentage at .989 and are only behind the Roy Roys with a mere 14 errors committed.  We also are a team (with guys like Hunter and Kotch) who can "make plays."  Meaning, we don't just make ruitine plays with few errors, but we sport some stellar defense on a regular basis.  Sure there are holes, but this is something I think we should be excited about so far this season.

Remember how important of a role our defense played in '02...

This is the only time I'm going to be in LA this season and NEED to see my one live home Angel game of the year!!!!! 

We're gonna make a call to Bob Grich to see if he can hook it up, but its not a sure thing.

Someone be a hero.