SB Nation User Blog: WiHaloFan

Should've Seen It Coming

WiHaloFan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:06:52 -0000

Angels Sign Hidecki Matsui for $6.5M

WiHaloFan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:40:48 -0000

Angels Sign Hidecki Matsui for $6.5M

ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting the Angels have signed OF/DH Hideki Matsui (via Twitter).

UPDATE: Hold on...apparently the Angels are "on the verge" of signing Matsui. Not a done-deal yet.

OT: Christmas Bonus? Where's the Beef!

WiHaloFan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:33:00 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

"Madonna called. She wants the rubber sheets and handcuffs back that she gave you last Christmas"

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I work at a grocery distribution center for a multi-billion dollar retailer. In what started as a "couple month gig until something better showed up", has turned into a 2-year adventure in daily cheers, head-scratching memos, and irrational expectations. Although I feel lucky to be employed, I still long for the days of a more fulfilling career path.

Anyway, last week we had our employee, I mean "associate" Christmas lunch. During this lunch, the company gave away door prizes to a select few associates...and guess what, I won! My prize was a bag of groceries. Through the processing of product, some cases get damaged and are sent reclaims, but this month someone went through them and assembled bags that consisted of what amounted to an entire meal. In my bag I had a can of corn, a package of sloppy joe mix, a can of tomato paste, and various other canned goods. Everything for a nutritious meal...sans the hamburger.

No complaints from me, that is until I got my paycheck. The company had deducted the taxable amount for the bag. So basically, I had to pay $8.24 for a bag of groceries the company was either going to throw away or donate to a food bank. Hooray for me! I realize bonuses are just that, a bonus. And I've received awesome bonuses in the past that I have been extremely grateful for, and I'm not trying to sound ungrateful now. I just thought this situation was humorous.

So, the point of this post is to find out from all of you some of your worst and best Christmas bonuses/presents. Tell us about six-figure bonus from your boss, or the 42nd tie from your wife.

See You Later Mr. Selig, Your Replacement Is Here

WiHaloFan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:54:19 -0000

Bud Selig making a point.

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It was recently reported that baseball commissioner Bud Selig will resign after his contract expires at the end of 2012. I formally announce my application for his job. Selig made around $18,000,000 in salary as commissioner, I will do the job for the cut-rate salary of just $1,000,000 (see, I'm already saving baseball some cash!).

The primary focus of my commissionership would be to increase the popularity of baseball in general. Over the last few years, football and basketball have either moved ahead or significantly challenged baseball as the favorite sport of American sports fans. Besides hiring "bat-shit crazy" Stirrups to be the Vice President of Marketing, I'd propose the following:

During the next collective bargaining negotiations , I will insist on a clause to be included into each player contract stating for each $10 earned in salary, the player is required to participate in 1 second of community service (this equals approximately a half hour per million dollars earned). What I mean by community service isn't picking up trash along the freeway, but rather conducting baseball clinics for kids, visits to children hospitals, autograph sessions for charity, etc. The minimum community service time will be one hour. The players are the product and I feel baseball has done a poor job of marketing their most important asset. Meeting a player in person would create a bond for young fans that would carry over into the rest of their lives. Everyone remembers getting an autograph or meeting a player from their favorite team and the impact it had on them. If every player made a least a few of these bonds, baseball in general will benefit greatly.
Not only would the players be responsible for doing community service, but also the front office and management. How about a minute for every win? Wouldn't it be cool to get a stadium tour from Arte Moreno? How about Tony Reagins visiting your kid's fifth-grade class? Mike Scioscia conducting a clinic for the Anaheim Boys and Girls Club?
Every team will be required to host one family per game. Provide a family with free tickets, hot dogs, sodas and souvenir.

Some other changes I'd make:

The use of instant replay. Both managers would be allowed to challenge one play per game, except balls and strike calls. Much like the NFL coaches challenges, managers can have the umpiring crew review a call for accuracy. One problem with this scenario would be where to place the players/runners if the call is overturned. For example, men on second and third and the batter hits a line drive down the line. Umpire calls the ball foul, but upon review, the call is overturned. What happens then?
Revenue Sharing. Once again, much like the NFL, a fund should be set up from television revenue. Unlike the NFL, each MLB team negotiates their own television contracts, but why should one team receive the entire contract amount when there are two teams playing on any given day? Instead of taxing payroll, have each team be required to submit a portion of their television revenue into a "fund". Then that fund would be split among each of the teams (by league). I realize that many teams receive huge amounts of money from their television deals and a lot of a team's value is derived from their television revenue, but the plan could be eased into over many years. Plus, with the increased popularity of baseball from the above changes, owners could expect increased revenue.

Okay, I admit some of these proposals may be questionable, but as commissioner I'd be willing to listen to the fans and their suggestions. What suggestions would you make if the commissioner would actually listen?

Angels Pass In Rule 5 Draft, Lose Two Players

WiHaloFan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:28:25 -0000

Angels Pass In Rule 5 Draft, Lose Two Players

Angels lost AA pitchers Bobby Cassevah to Oakland and David Herndon to Philadelphia.

Follow the link above for list of players selected.

Wednesday Winter Meeting Thread

WiHaloFan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:31:07 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

"Grandpa, tell us another story about the good old days"

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I'll be sitting here in front of my computer all day updating this thread with any relevant news from the winter meetings. We had over a foot of snow over-night here in western Wisconsin, so I ain't goin' anywhere. Please feel free to continue to create Fanshots of any specific deals or rumors, but this thread will be a "clearinghouse" for Twitter feeds, MLB Trade Rumor posts, ESPN Rumor Central notes, and various other winter meeting stuff.

(All times are pacific)

8:45pm
ESPN's Jason Stark has this posted as part of a Roy Halladay trade article:

The Toronto Sun reported Wednesday that the Angels offered Saunders, Aybar and outfield prospect Peter Bourjos for Halladay during these meetings. All three were believed to be on the Blue Jays' wish list last July, by the way. So the makings for a deal are there. But the Angels also have said that if Halladay won't sign an extension, they're probably not making this trade. So even if all the other pieces fit together, the extension piece might not.

8:38pm
AOL's Ed Price tweeted, "#BlueJays prefer minor-league prospects for Roy Halladay, rather than big-league players". Not really sure where he gets that information, but if that's the case, the Angels might not be able to pull off a deal for Halladay.

7:52pm
"Ton of teams on Kelvim Escobar. Shoulder in good shape, may pitch game or two in winter ball", says Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter)

7:16pm
MLB.com's Jordon Bastian tweets, "Since Halladay is eligible for FA next winter, a Major League source said he might waive his no-trade to OK a deal to the Angels for 2010." Sounds like Halladay is looking forward to free agency (or it's a ploy to negotiate for a larger extension from the Angels).

6:54pm
"Rangers, as has been reported, are indeed looking at Lowell as right-handed DH, backup 1B.....But Boston would have to eat a ton of dough.", tweets Gordon Edes.

5:08pm
According to the Toronto Sun, the Angels have made an offer for Roy Halladay:

The Angels took the lead amongst interested teams in the hunt for Halladay by offering:

- Lefty Joe Saunders, 28, who was 16-7 with a 4.60 earned run average in 31 starts. Saunders, available for trade since the Angels acquired lefty Scott Kazmir, walked 64 and struck out 101 in 186 innings. Saunders earned $475,000 this season and is eligible for salary arbitration.

- Shortstop Erick Aybar, 26 next month. He hit .312 with five homers and 58 RBIs in 137 games with the Angels. He stole 14 bases with a .353 on-base percentage. Aybar earned $473,000 and is eligible for salary arbitration.

- Speedy centre fielder Peter Bourjos, 23 in March, had six homers and 51 RBIs in 110 games at Double-A Arkansas. Bourjos, the son of former Jays scout Chris Bourjos, who helped sign Halladay, hit 16 doubles, 14 triples and was 32-for-44 stealing bases.

Both Saunders and Aybar would be under the Jays’ control for three years before they hit free agency.

4:16pm
In a new article from Lyle Spencer of MLB.com about the Angels and Jason Bay, "I have not reached out personally to him, but he has been in internal discussions that we've had as an organization," Scioscia said. "I think there are some more pressing needs that we have right now than the talent that Jason can bring. He's an extraordinary talent, but we definitely have to look for some balance in some areas. That might not make Jason a great fit for our club."

Bay -- who delivered 36 homers and 119 RBIs for the Red Sox this season and is a .341 career postseason hitter with a .634 slugging percentage in 11 games -- would command a major financial commitment that the Angels seem more inclined to make in the pitching department.

"He is an option," Angels general manager Tony Reagins said of Bay, who reportedly turned down a four-year, $60 million Boston offer. "I think Mike was right on"

4:10pm
Ken Davidoff of Newsday says via twitter, "Yankees met with John Lackey's agent, but doesn't appear they'll be a bona fide suitor."

3:52pm
Astros aquire Matt Lindstrom, "The Astros have reached a deal to acquire Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins. He is flying to Houston for a physical, sources told ESPN's Peter Gammons. The deal, pending physicals, will send Lindstrom to the Houston in exchange for two minor leaguers and the Astros' first pick in Thursday's Rule 5 draft, sources told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. (LINK)

3:26pm
Mike Scioscia to be on MLB Network's Hot Stove show in a few minutes.

2:10pm
ESPN's Buster Olney is saying: Sources say that Rich Harden is on the verge of an agreement. It was not immediately known which team signed him, but he has been heavily involved in negotiations with the Mariners.

UPDATE: Rich Harden to Texas. One year, $7.5 million with an $11.5 million option. (Craig Calcaterra via Twitter)

UPDATE II: Matthew from Lookout Landing has an interesting article comparing Rich Harden and John Lackey (LINK)

And my internet is kinda working...for now.

12:06pm
Looks like Texas has found a trading partner in Baltimore, "The Orioles have a tentative agreement in place on a trade that would send reliever Chris Ray to the Texas Rangers for veteran starter Kevin Millwood and some cash, according to multiple team sources." (Baltimore Sun)

Also, LaTroy Hawkins signs 2-year deal with Brewers for $7.5 mil pending physical (his agent's twitter)

I have a crappy internet connection, probably because of all the snow. Frustrating!

11:16am
Ken Rosenthal: "Angels, O's no longer pursuing R. Soriano. Astros and others still in."

11:04am
"Rich Harden willing to sign a one-year deal with a lot of incentives", tweets FoxSports' Jon Morosi. UPDATE: The Angels are not involved, the source indicated.

10:57am
Twitter went dead for a while and then this from Big League Stew, "If you're wondering why there's been no news lately, it might be because all the writers just had their annual lunch with all the managers." Oh, and it finally stopped snowing in Wisconsin (15"+).

10:04am
Here's a scenario...Brandon Wood gets traded to Toronto in a deal for Halladay, ESPN's Jason Stark tweets "Red Sox have 2 or 3 teams they could trade Mike Lowell to right now if they take 'similar' contract back." Would Boston take a CF whose name rhymes with "smamatthews"? Thoughts?

09:42am
Say what?? Is this legitimate? "The markets for free agents Marlon Byrd and Mike Cameron continue running parallel to one another. One major league source pointed out Wednesday morning that many of the same teams are interested in both players: The Braves, Angels, Cubs, Yankees, Mariners, Mets and Giants have checked on each of them." (FoxSports)

09:34am
Gary Sheffield says "Hey!" (Boston.com)

09:26am
Yahoo!'s Tim Brown (via Twitter): Early interest for Pineiro: Yanks, Mets, Nats, Cubs, O's, Angels (depending on which way Lackey goes)...

06:38am
Ken Rosenthal via Twitter, "Add Angels to list of teams on R. Soriano. Astros, Orioles also involved. Soriano's permission required - could effectively pick team."

06:21am
The New York Mets think they can land John Lackey (New York Daily News).

06:04am
Baseballprojection.com has a good list of free agents, updated with each signing. Here's the link.

05:23am
Red Sox interested in Darren Oliver (ESPN).

04:53am
Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos is "engaging in three- and four-team discussions, apparently trying to collect as many assets as he can for Halladay." (FoxSports.com). The LA Times speculate shortstop Erick Aybar may be included in a deal for Halladay. (LA TIMES)

04:47am
Cubs are working on a deal to send Milton Bradley to an A.L. "mystery team" (MLBTR). Could the Angels be that mystery team? Is Matthews Jr moving to Chicago?

04:35am
Here's a short video of what the winter meeting look like: MLB.com

Is Texas willing to deal their two top prospects for pitching? ESPN RC has this story:

ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett reported Tuesday night that the Texas Rangers have offered top prospects Justin Smoak and Neftali Feliz to Florida for right-hander Josh Johnson.

Poll

The offer for Roy Halladay is Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Peter Bourjos.

Who Replaces John Lackey: Halolinks

WiHaloFan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:46:04 -0000

More photos » by M. Spencer Green - AP

"Curtis Granderson is available?" asks Los Angeles Angels general manager Tony Reagins.

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Halos have options if Lackey leaves - angelsbaseball.com
They'll no doubt explore various options, in free agency and the trade market, but they're not exactly desperate with candidates such as Matt Palmer, Dustin Moseley, Sean O'Sullivan and Trevor Bell in house to fill the need.

Palmer, Moseley, SOS, and Bell? Not too excited about those replacement names.

Angels' owner not quite ready to see Lackey go - FOX Sports on MSN
Club officials had all but decided to part with Lackey during the team's organizational meetings at the end of the regular season, according to multiple major-league sources. But Moreno, after watching Lackey pitch well in his three postseason starts against the Red Sox and Yankees, decided that the Angels should renew their efforts to sign him, the sources said.

Hey! Who's running this team? Oh yeah, nevermind.

Winter meetings: AL West primer - Yahoo! Sports
Despite their desire to keep payroll at about $113 million, the Angels likely will acquire one marquee player because they know standing pat would result only in another playoff loss to the Red Sox or Yankees.

One marquee player? But who? Jamie Carroll?

A's acquire Fox, Miles from Cubs for three players - CBSSports.com Baseball
The Oakland Athletics took a big step toward boosting their lackluster offense. The A's acquired third baseman Jake Fox, second baseman Aaron Miles and cash considerations from the Chicago Cubs on Thursday for three players. The Cubs got right-handed pitcher Jeff Gray, minor league outfielder Matt Spencer and minor league righty Ronny Morla.

Well, I guess that marquee player's not going to be Jake Fox.

Source: Red Sox agree to deal with INF Scutaro - FOX Sports on MSN
The Boston Red Sox have reached a deal with infielder Marco Scutaro, pending a physical, according to a major-league source. Scutaro, 34, spent the past two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. He hit .282 with 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases last season.

Or Marco Scutaro.

Braves make another pitching move, add ex-All-Star reliever Saito - CBSSports.com Baseball
Saito, who turns 40 in February, has 83 saves in four major league seasons after a long career in Japan. He made the National League All-Star team in 2007, when he had 39 saves for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last season, the right-hander went 3-3 with two saves and a 2.43 ERA in a setup role for the Boston Red Sox. Saito is expected to remain in that spot with the Braves, who signed closer Billy Wagner to a $7 million, one-year deal on Wednesday, though there might be an occasional chance to save games.

Or Takashi Saito.

Dick Enberg hopes to show he's still got his fastball - SI.com
Enberg began his full-time broadcasting career in 1965 in Los Angeles as the radio and television voice of the California Angels, UCLA basketball and the Los Angeles Rams.

Or Dick Enberg! Dammit, somebody call and wake up the Angels front office!

Texas Rangers ownership race takes bizarre twist, keeping Ryan in mix - Star-Telegram
But based on confirmation from those close to the situation, Nolan would have resigned his position if Hicks’ new ownership partnership with Dennis Gilbert, a Californian, eventually had been approved by Major League Baseball.

Those damn Californians screwing things up in Texas again!

Poll

If the Angels stay within the organization to replace John Lackey (if he is not re-signed), who should it be?

A Bit Of Baseball Minutiae

WiHaloFan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:24:59 -0000

I've been reading "As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires", a book written by Bruce Weber about umpires and what it takes to become a major league ump (it's very good so far...at least after about 100 pages). But I read something I thought was interesting and had never heard explained before:

In the early days of baseball, home plate, like the other bases, was a square, and it was orientated so one point faced the pitcher, one faced the catcher, and the two others defined the horizontal limits of the strike zone. What has survived from this configuration is a bit of jargon that today is literally nonsense; that the plate has an inside and an outside corner.

I have heard announcers say during a game "that pitch caught the inside corner" or "a fastball on the corner for a strike" for as long as I've been a fan, and until I read that, I never realized the plate had no corners. Consider my mind blown.

Just thought I'd share that with you all.

Meet A Blogger: "True Grich"

WiHaloFan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:14:37 -0000

There are many reasons for a person to start blogging. Some seek fame and fortune. Others are looking for attention for themselves or a cause. Some people blog to engage conversation about their favorite subject, while others look for a diversion from their everyday lives.

James Rygg started "True Grich" for probably the best reason of all; love. In this case, his love of the Los Angeles Angels and baseball.

If the Angel organization were to look for the "model" fan, James would probably be the guy they're looking for. Since attending his first Angels game in the late 1960's, James has never looked back, "My wife and I attend more than 70 games a year. This year we saw 84 games (including Spring Training). We're definitely fanatics. We manage to hit a road game or two each year and are slowly making our way around to all the stadiums around the country. So far we've been to Angels Stadium, Dodger Stadium, Petco, AT&T, Oakland Alameda, Chase Field, Safeco, Coors Field, Wrigley, US Cellular, Metrodome, old New York Stadium, Fenway Park, and Shea. I'm really blessed to have a wife who loves baseball", James also mentioned that he and his wife visit spring training each year, "I also went to Palm Springs back in the day. Sometimes we go twice during the spring. It's something we look forward to every year."

James and his wife Cheryl are also members of the "514 Fanatics", a group of fans from section 514 who have become friends through their connection with Angels' baseball. "Our group started when one of the season ticket holders in our section invited a few people over for a barbeque - and it has since grown to about 46 people (including kids). Some of us have met up at Spring Training and we've gotten together as a group for dinner a few times. We even had some t-shirts made up this past year."

"True Grich", which was started in September of this year, has become an outlet for James to voice his opinion. "I like writing and blogging suits my style. I used to work in advertising (a long time ago) and really enjoyed copywriting because it was a way I could be creative, but in a format that was short and sweet. Blogging is kind of like that for me. I like having the freedom to voice my opinion whenever I feel like it. I don't have deadlines and assignments. I just blog as I go, so to speak. I enjoy the creative aspects of blogging and the challenges of keeping it fresh". The title of his blog comes from his all-time favorite player, Bobby Grich. From his blog:

"True Grich is about baseball and the Los Angeles Angels and not so much about John Wayne or his movie "True Grit." There are parallels between the two though. Like Grich, John Wayne was a man's man. A movie like True Grit could have easily been about a gritty ball player instead of a cowboy. I also think that if someone would have played Bobby Grich in a movie, John Wayne would have been the perfect choice.

I never felt like I was going to get cheated watching Grich play the game. He was old school. He was very intense and showed no fear. He was even cool (still is). He had that big thick moustache and looked more like a football player. He was big and strong and didn't fit the mold of a typical second baseman at the time. Grich was often exuberant in victory and wore his emotions on his sleeve. He always looked like he wanted to win in the worst way. In my opinion, he was the embodiment of what a baseball player should be."

James also stated, "Prior to Grich's arrival, the Angels were a team you went to see without a lot of expectations. You wanted them to win, but the playoffs seemed like something other teams did and not the Angels. That all changed in 1979 when the Angels won their first division title and went to the play-offs. After that, the Angels weren't just another team. They were contenders and had to be taken seriously. Grich was a big part of that. I loved the way he played the game. He was a tough guy in that he didn't back down from any challenges and played the game with such unbridled enthusiasm. You couldn't help but like watching him play."

The amount of time spent on "True Grich" varies for James, "I write whenever a thought about the Angels or baseball in general hits me. I take the train to and from work and this allows me to work on my drafts. I post a lot - usually 4-5 times a week, but it doesn't take up too much time." As far as the challenges of keeping up his blog, James claims it's harder to post during home games because he's typically at the games, and like a true fan, never leaves the game early.

Another challenge all bloggers face is keeping their content "fresh". "Fresh" can mean two things to bloggers, either their content must remain timely with events surrounding the blog subject, or the blog must provide content not found in other sources. "I'm trying to keep it fresh. I have a good understanding of baseball, but wouldn't consider myself any kind of expert or anything. I try not to be too technical or provide too much statistical analysis. My posts are really about having a fan's point of view. I try to mix in personal stories that include interactions my wife and I have had with players, the 514 Fanatics, etc. I want to be unique (if that's possible these days) and stay true to that idea. There are plenty of other places that do analysis, sabermetrics, etc. and I don't want to compete with them. There are also several good fan sites and I don't want to compete with any of those. I'd like to think I offer something for everyone - be it a casual fan or someone who really takes the game seriously. Humor is also a big part of what I do - although not in every post."

What "model" fan wouldn't be in attendance during the biggest moment in their team's history? James was at Angels Stadium during Game 7 of the 2002 World Series, but also mentions his favorite game from last season was Joe Saunders' start against Zack Greinke when Saunders out-dueled the eventual 2009 A.L. Cy Young winner. "I love unsung players and Joe is probably one of the most under-rated pitchers in the game." James tells about being at Saunders' first major league start, "When Joe made his major league debut, my wife Cheryl and I arrived early at the stadium and followed him around (from the stands, of course), taking pictures of him warming up on the field and in the bull pen. We took pictures of him during the game, capturing his strike out totals, stats on the scoreboard, etc. The following spring training, we presented him with a little album from his first game. Joe was genuinely touched - he seemed sincerely surprised anyone would do this and he was very appreciative. Through that we've created a little bond. A good ol' fashioned player/fan bond. He knows us enough to recognize us whenever he sees us and we think that's fun. We've even met his wife Shanel when the Angels held their Pet Adoption Day. When we introduced ourselves, she knew we were the couple that made an album for Joe. We thought that was fun as well." Another of James' favorite players is Torii Hunter because of his dynamic personality and for the way he interacts with fans, "He was my favorite non-Angel before he came to Anaheim and when he signed, I couldn't have been happier. Hunter obviously loves playing the game and he's just a lot of fun to watch."

For the 2010 Angels, James thinks the primary goal is to re-sign free agents John Lackey and Chone Figgins, plus upgrade their bullpen. When asked about possible free agent signings he stated, "I would like to see Jason Bay come to Anaheim - but not above signing Lackey and Figgins." He also thinks it'd make more sense to try and acquire Josh Johnson over Roy Halladay, "Of course, reports are now saying Johnson is not available, but I like Johnson because 1) He's an ace, and 2) He's only 25. It always depends on what the Angels have to give up though. I hate it when I hear Joe Saunders name in trade rumors. Again, you have to remember that I look at these things with a fan's point of view. Is a guy like Johnson or Halladay better than Saunders? Sure, but Saunders is a favorite and I'd rather see the Angels not trade guys like Joe. I really love seeing a team full of home grown talent."

When asked about Brandon Wood, James thinks Wood will be a solid professional baseball player, "I'd love to see him get a shot. I remember seeing him at Rancho Cucamonga early on and it seems like we've been waiting forever for him to arrive. I can see him having a sold 2010 campaign hitting near the bottom of the order. He's been very patient and has done everything asked of him. It's time to let him play."

James, who works in fundraising for a non-profit organization, also enjoys bass fishing and fantasy baseball, "I am a roto geek and have been playing in a NL only league since the early 90's (no conflicts with the Angels!)." He also said he spends the winter resting up for the next baseball season.

Thank you James for taking the time to answer my questions! Be sure to check out James' blog: "True Grich"

A Few Good Men: Director's Cut

WiHaloFan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:08:17 -0000

With this being re-run season at Halos Heaven, here is the "A Few Good Men" comic re-done using another program.

I was trying something out for next season and I needed a test file...here's the output: