A few short months ago a la October, the Angels were basically running away from Fenway’s bombers with their proverbial tails between their legs. After losing two series ending in sweeps to the Red Sox on two separate post-season occasions since the turn of the millennium, the Angels seemed to have their work cut out for them again in 08 if they wanted any chance at another World Series run.
The Angels have been, in their career, weak against the formidable Boston lineup. It is because of this that so many sports writers have criticized the Angels’ management for not acquiring a more fear-inducing bat for the middle of the lineup to back Big Daddy Vladdy. In fact, despite a successful first half, power rankings on ESPN still give little credence to the team and still stress this same overly-repetitive theme: “The Angels are the clear favorites in the AL West despite an offense that ranks 23rd in the majors in OPS and runs scored. Will they make a run at Mark Teixeira or Matt Holliday, or cling to the hope that starting pitching, a great closer and a flair for one-run victories can propel them deep into October?” (Crasnik’s “Starting 9” on ESPN.com). Though that last little statement, ending in a rhetorical question, seems to be rather connotative of a negative sentiment, I beg to differ, and offer up a definite YES. Great pitching> great hitting. Almost always.
- First of all, Teixeira is great, and anyone would be lucky to have him. However, it won’t be the Angels, because they already have a stellar first baseman, and cannot afford the price tag that would accompany Teixeira who will basically be a rental for a few months as it is anyway. Second, it won’t be Matt Holliday either. And with the best rotation in baseball, the best closer in baseball, and a more than winning record on the road and at home, I don’t see whether it matters if wins are acquired through a seven run blow-out, or a one-run differential. I’m pretty sure ANY team would take the win, regardless. And if they don’t, I hope they are struck down for their ridiculous arrogance –
But it seems a few things have erased themselves between 2007 and 2008. The obvious one is the skid of Ervin Santana’s road record. More negatively, also, is the skid of Angel’s offensive production, via the lower averages of big namers like Guerrero (who is finally getting back his swing) and Matthews Jr. But more recently, and probably the most positive thing all season, is the Angels’ seasonal success against Boston. Early in the first half, the Angels flew themselves into Massachusetts for a three game series. Due to history, I was pretty nervous about the series, and wasn’t expecting much from it all. However, I was most pleasantly surprised by a series win and two games out of three at Fenway.
But it could be a fluke, right? So back to Angels Stadium, for three games. And again, pleasant surprises abound! I have to say, this was by far my favorite play of the night:
Way to take one for the team Manny! Oops, wrong team… oh well! I can’t believe that even happened. If you want to see the video, go to mlb.com, click on the wrap for today’s game, and go to the previous day’s games on Gameday. At the bottom of the wrap-up for yesterday’s game, is a series of videos, and the fourth one in is it. Just in case you really wanted to see it. And if you didn’t see it during the game, you really should see it. Please. It’s worth every second. What a liability. I won’t be surprised if after all the crap he’s been pulling lately with his team and his contract and such, that he finds himself expendable. Try and get that 20 mil. from any other team on the open market. I have a feeling that there are a few teams that wouldn’t put up with that kind of behavior. Or hair. Or over-sized uniform. Whatever happened to an upheld standard for self-presentation? Sheesh.
Manny being Manny…. Right?
As far as the end of the first half/beginning of the second goes, the Angels continue to hold onto a steady lead over the American League West, by an eight-game lead over the Oakland A’s, who seem to have all but given up on this season by trading away nearly every good pitcher in their starting rotation, ie. Blanton and Harden, as well as some of their bullpen staples, such as Chad Gaudin. Texas continues to bleed offense from every pour in their bodies, but continue to struggle with a nine game deficit. And the days are basically numbered for the Mariners, who must be nearly mathematically eliminated by now.
But it’s not just the West the Angels have won, but they now hold the lead over the majors at 59-38, the only team over .600, and will have a chance to not only sweep their newly acquired rivals the Red Sox on Sunday at 3:00 PT (because I live in pacific time, and so far as the Angels’ owning of the Red Sox is concerned, it deserves to go by Pacific time), but will also have a chance to be the first team in baseball to reach 60 wins on the season.
If these first few games are any indication of what’s to come, it looks pretty promising. The Angels will meet Boston again later this month in Fenway during a three-park tour through the East Coast, stopping in Baltimore, Boston, and finally in New York for the first time this season. Though they are classically the bane of all things Bronx, being the only team in baseball to have a winning record at Yankee stadium, the Angels may have another shot at tearing down the Green Monster. The only way they can give up the season series at this point is to lose the next game tomorrow, and the next three at Fenway, which will lead to a series tie for the season. Even that would be an improvement from a historic perspective. But let’s hope, and by “let’s” I mean us Angels fans, we can continue to dominate against a much “overrated” (oh yes, even YOU Papelbon) eastern coast media bias.
“The Red Sox might be the team getting all of the national attention, but it's the Angels that began the three-game series between the two teams with the American League's best record. But the lack of media attention is something that Angels manager Mike Scioscia is fine with because it allows his team to focus on a much more important thing -- playing baseball.” (good article on angelsbaseball.com; please read the rest here: Angels Shine without National Spotlight)
I think I’m okay with quietly winning. At least it’s winning. Better to be underrated than overrated. Gotta love the underdog!
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