This one had all the hallmarks of a classic Angels loss:

• Shitty starting pitching? Check (Escobar- 6 IP, 6 ER)
• Shitty baserunning? Check (Vlad... again)
• Injury to regular? Check, check, and check (Vlad, Molina, and Eckstein)
• Multiple late-game opportunities wasted? Check
• Percival blown save? Check

How do we ever win this game? We may have won two out of the first three in this series, but it sure fells like we're being swept. Don't let these wins give you any false hope that we're turning a corner- no, this is just about the worst we've played all season. Thank Jebus it's happening against the Mariners.

Off-topic: If I hear "heart and soul"- in reference to Paul LoDuca and the Dodgers- one more time, you're going to see me on the evening news. I'll be the one on the murderous rampage.

Heard on a sports talk radio show:

Local Yokel: "Why is DePodesta giving up on a first place team?"

(So-called) Expert: "I don't know, but he has some explaining to do."

We're surrounded by idiots in this town. Seriously- my IQ is dropping from sharing air with these people.

Blogger didn't like my two audio posts from tonight (I'm seriously pissed- this was good stuff...), so here's the gist:

• Dodger fans are pissed. Dodger fans are idiots. I'm sorry folks, but Paul LoDuca was nothing special (.301/.351/.444). Charles Johnson is at least as good offensively (.258/.363/.475), and a hell of a lot better with the glove. And the "team chemistry" argument is bull shit- plain and simple. A good clubhouse is a side effect of winning- not the other way around. I'm sure LoDuca was a swell guy, but being nice doesn't win ball games. It's a classic case of (s)crappy white guy syndrome.
  
  Sure, the bullpen takes a huge hit with Mota's departure, but with Penny and Hee Seop Choi coming to LA, I don't see how anyone can be unhappy. I'm even hearing Dodger fans calling for DePodesta's head. Fucking idiots. This is a great trade, even if it doesn't get spun into a Johnson/Finley deal.
  
  I'm sure Rob will have a ton on this soon.
  
  
• Thank God for Bengie Molina, right? At least someone's game isn't falling apart in our hour of need.
  
  Bill Stoneman now has 13:30 to help this team. Buddy Groom would be a nice addition.

I have two options on how to spend my Friday night:

Option one- Watch the Angels and Mariners in my normal crappy seats at Angels Stadium. Positives: Angels (duh), Fireworks after the game. Negatives: Worst parking lot in the history of man kind, Seattle Mariners, bad seats.

Option two- Watch the Dodgers and Padres in very good seats (3rd row, visitors dugout- comp) at Petco Park. Positives: Brand new stadium, two good teams, good seats. Negatives: Weekly Friday traffic nightmare caused by mass exodus to Mexico for the weekend, don't gives a rat's ass about either team.

The driving distance isn't a big deal either way. I'm in south county so it's about the same distance to either ballpark. I'm currently leaning towards option #1, because I've already paid for the tickets. Oh yeah, and it's also an Angels game...

What the DNC needed last night was more balloons. Everybody loves the balloons.

CNN's mics caught a bit of hell from one of John Kerry's campaign managers last night, after the candidate finished his acceptance speech. A technical snafu delayed the massive release of thousands of patriotic-colored balloons, causing the convention's director to blow a gasket on live TV:

"I want all balloons to go, god damn! No confetti. No confetti. No confetti. I want more balloons. What's happening to the balloons? We need more balloons. We need all of them coming down! Balloons! Balloons! Balloons! What's happening! They're not coming down. All balloons. Where the hell! Nothing is falling. What the f*ck are you guys doing up there?"

You can also grab a short audio clip from Drudge.

I wasn't watching CNN's coverage (FoxNews, natch), but I did notice that the balloons were a bit slow to get started. It looked like they were releasing them one at a time (one section at a time, not one balloon at a time). I know it seems like a small thing, but to have the grand finale of your own convention fall flat on it's face due to a technical error would be disastrous. Just ask Jimmy Carter...

You're seeing the death throws of Aaron Sele's career...

UPDATE: Scot Shields and Bengie Molina have cleaned up Sele's mess, and it's all knotted at five heading into extras. We can't lose this one...

UPDATE: To the bottom of the 12th we go... Due up: GA (0-4), Vlad (1-5), Guillen (0-5). I'm thinking due, due, and due. Let's make it happen!

UPDATE: Well, I was sorta right. GA leads off with a single, followed by another single by Vlad (who was quickly erased on the worst baserunning mistake I've seen at the professional level). Guillen was then intentionally walked. So all three got on base, thus fulfilling my prophesy that they were "due".

Erstad then proceeded to make the second out on a pop-up to second, and pinch-hitter Josh Paul struckout, ending the rally and reaffirming the theory that one should "never trust a man with two first names."

UPDATE: Kevin Gregg's struggles continue, as he allows Suzuki to score on a Boone single. 6-5 Mariners heading to the bottom of the 13th.

UPDATE: The Angels go down with out much of a fight in the 13th, thus ending the game, 6-5 to the Mariners.

We can't afford to lose any games, much less games we were just one flyball away from winning. And to get shutdown by Madritsch for four innings? Unacceptable.

I wouldn't say it was a bad speech. It looks like the fears that Kerry would be overshadowed by Edwards and Obama were realized to an extent (you can add Sharpton's fiery rant to the list as well). It seemed to get the delegates on the floor worked-up, but at times the Fleet Center was a little too quiet for such an important address. It still seems that the party is united behind Bush-hating, and not the candidate, but that doesn't really matter.

It was far too thematic for my taste (the whole "help is on the way" thing came off like he was talking to a bunch of third-graders) and had very little substance on the issues. The ideas were there, but he didn't go into any detail on any of them (though you never expect that at a convention anyway). He also did very little to differentiate his positions from Bush's.

It's becoming clear that Kerry has no interest in running against Bush in a traditional sense. He's making this election about him (or more accurately, about his Viet Nam experience) and not about the incumbent. The Democrats feel that the public has already come to their conclusion on Bush, so all they need to do is make Kerry an acceptable alternative. This is a miscalculation in my opinion. Bush's approval rating is not a lost cause, and many of the most important indicators are trending upwards at the moment (Bush's ratings on the economy, Iraq, and the over-all war on terror were all up in a recent Zogby poll). I still feel that there is time for Bush to get back above 50%, and that events will be the deciding factor. In other words, this election isn't about Kerry or the issues- it's about Iraq and terror attacks.

His most striking proposal was his pledge to end the nation's dependence on Middle-Eastern oil ("...an America that controls its own destiny because it's finally and forever independent of Mideast oil...". It's a noble goal, but one that I doubt can be accomplished in the next four years (not unless you open up ANWR, that is...). I did not appreciate the implication that Bush's Mid-East policy is an oil grab ("...no young American in uniform will ever be held hostage to our dependence on oil from the Middle East."). That's some nasty innuendo, and patently untrue.

He only made one real mistake, a quote that Republicans will have a field-day with: "I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response." While I'm sure it's not what he intended, this came off as "I will wait for Americans to die before I take action." That's batting practice for Bush supporters.

Over-all, I really don't think he accomplished much. There was absolutely nothing to latch-on to- no lasting images and no stirring quotes were made here. If the goal of this convention was to "not fuck up," as many pundits suggested, then he accomplished that goal. But if the goal was to state his case- introduce himself to the American public- he failed. He failed in this regard: this will be forgotten in a week. It will get caught up in the Olympics' media cycle, and even if the timing was better, Kerry did very little to make it memorable.

UPDATE: Something I neglected to mention- whoever did Kerry's makeup should be fired. He was very shiny, especially in the chin area. I was a deer caught in headlights, fixated on the glare emanating from his chin. It's either that, or he was having a Nixon moment.

UPDATE: Crank, as expected, has a ton on this. Start here and scroll down.

UPDATE: (7/31, 10:11 pm) This is a response to one of Jeff's comments, but due to HaloScan's character limits I am forced to post it here.

---

...Define "mainstream left" and "no one."

This brings up a good point. We all need to stop equating bomb-throwers who run blogs or talk-radio gabfests with the politician or movement they support. I’m sure (in fact, I know) there are quite a few people on the right who have come right out and accused Kerry of being un-American. These people are extremists, and I don’t want to be lumped in with them, as I assume the vast majority of liberals don’t want to be lumped in with the idiots who come up with stuff like “Bushitler.”

"Is the right saying that the Democrats are incapable of protecting the US or that they are UNWILLING to protect the US?"

I am personally of the opinion that the Democratic Party still does not understand the nature of this war. I get the feeling that while they use terms like “War on terror” at their convention and on the stump, they still consider this a “police action against terror.” There is no malicious intent on their part- they’re just wrong.

Now as for John Kerry, I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. He’s proven again and again that he is downright anti-defense (his post-Viet Nam actions, his votes against the Abrams, the Patriot missile, and almost every other major weapons system in use today, his vote for the unilateral “nuclear freeze,” his vote against the first Gulf-War, and his vote against funding the current Iraq war), or that he is willing to play political games with life-or-death situations. His talk of intelligence reforms ring hollow as well, after he spent several years on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and is one of the several men we can point to as being directly responsible for today’s intelligence failings (that committee’s insistence on less human intel and more electronic intel was cited as one of the major flaws in the intelligence community by the 9/11 commission).

Also, his rhetoric about "restoring old alliances" shows how out of touch Kerry is with the modern conflict we face today. There's a good reason why France and Germany are "old allies"- they simply don't matter anymore. They mattered when they were in the middle of great conflicts of the past, but now they are marginalized (as is all of Europe). Kuwait is the new France. Iraq and Afghanistan are the new Germany. And- as much as I hate to insult the stalwart Brits- Saudi Arabia is the new Britain. Our alliances in the Middle East are what's important now, not those in old-Europe. With Kerry’s tough talk against the Saudis as of late, and his apparent distaste for nation building, I don’t feel he can foster these relationships.

I truly believe that if Kerry is elected Americans will die on American soil. Once again, I don’t think there is any malicious intent in his actions, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is dead wrong on everything relating to the war on terror. He is truly a patriot, in that he’s fighting for what he believes is right. Unfortunately, what he believes is right is wrong.

From the Angels' official site, courtesy of Joe:

Bartolo Colon used to pitch with a red glove when he was with the Cleveland Indians, and he broke it out in his first start as an Angel in Spring Training.

But after he needed 40 pitches to get two outs, he hit the showers and threw the glove in a trash can. The Angels went on to lose the Cactus League game to the Oakland A's by a score of 26-3.

In early July, Colon's uncle and friend in the Dominican Republic urged him to try the red glove again because it matched his uniform, and because the right-hander was in a prolonged slump that left him with a 5-8 record and an ERA well over 6.00.

Since then, Colon is 4-0 and pitched seven one-hit, shutout innings against the Rangers on Tuesday night.

"Why not go back to it?" Colon said through his interpreter.

It seems as plausible an explanation as anything else. I personally noticed the switch during his last start. It's a very sharp look- I especially like the little Dominican flag. And where do these players order these gloves with their names on them?

UPDATE:

Peter Gammons just reported on ESPNews that a three-way deal is being discussed in which Randy Johnson would end up with "an unnamed west-coast team" (read: Dodgers or Angels). In the middle of the deal are the Florida Marlins, who are looking for a major league bat and reliever.

Take with a grain of salt.

The Clippers, having lost out on the Kobe Bryant sweepstakes, have decided not to match an offer-sheet for rising star Quentin Richardson, allowing the guard to sign with the Phoenix Suns. But fret not Clippers fans (I know I can't be the only one...), the team has acquired Kerry Kittles from the Nets to replace Q.

Yes, Kerry fucking Kittles. Let's examine the deal (last year's stats):

Player	Age	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	FG%
Q. Richardson	24	36.0	17.2	6.3	2.1	.398
K. Kittles	30	34.7	13.1	4.0	2.5	.453

Really not much of a comparison when you consider that Q is a full six years younger than is Kittles. So what's the rational behind the deal? According to the ESPN article:

The Clippers have been maintaining for a week that they would likely match the offer for Richardson. However, a number of trade scenarios have popped up over the past few days that convinced the Clippers not to match in an effort to preserve their cap space for a deal down the road.

Yeah, right. I'm not holding my breath for these "trade scenarios" to come to fruition. Let's call a spade a spade here ESPN- this is just the latest salary-dump from our wonderful owner, Mr. Donald T. Sterling.

We were real close. I could almost feel the playoffs. Silly me, I should have known better than to get my hopes up. This team will never win a damn thing as long as Sterling is in the picture.

I couldn't help myself:



Why yes. Yes it is.

I watched the official nomination of Kerry tonight, and "over the top" is an apt description. In fact, it's an apt description of the entire convention these days (note: I'm not being partisan here- both conventions are growing more tedious and pointless with each election cycle). Nothing of any importance is decided. Nothing of any importance is said. But it sure does have the look of great importance, doesn't it?

Obviously I never agreed with most of what the liberals had to say, but the Democratic convention was still fun to watch (I'm one of those people who enjoys yelling at the television). However this year the rhetoric has been watered down to the extent that I can't even get worked-up anymore. You can see it in the speakers' eyes- they have something interesting to say- but you can also see the strings being worked from above, holding them back. Apparently the Kerry campaign has decided that a political convention isn't the place for political statements.

So why do I still watch? I have no clue. Must be the balloons.

Great pitching, limp bats. Sounds familiar, right?

• Lackey's performance tonight was the best of his career- bar none. His curveball was a deadly out-pitch tonight, and mixed in his change-up to great effect. I felt a little sorry for John, as he deserved to finish this one up, but you can understand why Mike Sciosica was so anxious to get to Percy.
  
  It's gone virtually unnoticed, but Lackey has been our best starter over the past two months (when he wasn't on the DL, that is). He's only had one bad start over that span, and his ERA is 3.05 with a 30/8 K/BB ratio.
  
  
• Where art thou Vlad? It's pretty amazing that we're still in this thing, what with Vlad only slugging .436 in July.
  
  
• Yes, we are right in the thick of things once again. This win puts us just three out of the division, and with the recent resurgence of Colon and Ortiz, and the solid work being put in by Lackey and Escobar, one can't help but feel a sense of momentum building. Sure, the offense has been limp-wristed as of late, but I have no real worries on that front.
  
  
• In case you missed it, go check out Chronicles' transcript of the Bill Stoneman interview. BREAKING NEWS: He may or may not try to improve the club in some way! Ok beat writers- run with it!
  
  
• I forgot to mention Troy Percival's 300th career save. I gotta say, for awhile there it looked like he was never going to reach this milestone, but he managed to limp his way here. I was fully expecting this post to be tempered by calls to relegate Percy to a smaller role, but he rolled to 300 with two straight fairly dominate performances. He's shown good velocity (94-95 mph) and what can no longer be described as a "developing" curveball in these last two games, and can be effective with those two pitches. My faith in Percy has been restored, for now.

Congratulations Troy!

Bush and Kerry had sex? If Tom Brokaw reports it, it must be true... (via Andrew Suillivan)

I know I've said this before, but welcome back Bart! Tonight was, without a doubt, his best performance of the season. He had good velocity (95-97 mph) for the third straight start, and his breaking stuff is looking very sharp. He's finally got it all back. For real this time.

So with tonight's win we're 4 games out in the division and 2.5 out of the wild card. With another win tomorrow we'll be right back in striking distance of the Rangers. I'm not sure how much that really matters, as I'm reasonably sure that the house of cards that is the Rangers' pitching will collapse any day now. Oakland is who we really need to watch.

Is a solid team like the A's catchable the way we're playing right now? Hell no. But we do still have time to pull it together. I just can't share in Rob's pessimistic view that the season is over.

Jarrod Washburn has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with what's being described as "an inflamed ligament in his left ribcage." The move is retroactive to July 21, which means he's eligible to be activated on August 5th.

Called up in his place is recent minor-league signing Curtis Pride. Pride is perhaps best known for being almost completely deaf, though he has had a decent career as a fifth outfielder. I don't have a clue why we need a 35 year-old fifth outfielder, even with our injury problems (I'd much rather see Quinlan in the outfield and Amezega at third if push comes to shove). Pride is a nice story, but not much of a ballplayer at this point.

As for Washburn, I would expect him to make his scheduled August 5th start in Minnesota. It sounds to me like this move is more precautionary then anything else. Ramon Ortiz will get at least one start in his absence.

I like Angels Stadium. It's the most under-rated ballpark in baseball, in my humble opinion. It's aesthetically pleasing, clean, comfortable, and there's really not a bad seat in the house. The food leaves something to be desired, but other then that it's a fine place for the game of baseball.

The Angels do not share my opinion. The Angels are 8-16 in their last 24 games at Angels Stadium. The friendly confines are quickly turning into a house of horrors. In our current situation home wins need to be a given. We can't afford to lose in Anaheim. I say bulldoze the place, before it's too late...

Today we saw the folly in building an offense around batting average alone. One measly run on 13 hits? That's hard to do. But it's not all that surprising when you take a glance at the boxscore and see only two extra-base hits (a double by Eckstein and a double by Salmon in garbage time) and a big, fat zero in the walk column. You can't always count on stringing them together. "Frenzy hitting" is not a skill, despite Rex Huddler's claims to the contrary.

Credit where credit is due: one of Eddie Bane's gambles has paid off. The Angels' 14th-round pick, high-school righthander Nick Adenhart, has signed for a $710,000 signing-bonus (hat tip: Rob). Yesterday I would have put the odds of Adenhart signing at slim-and-dick, but I guess the money was too much to pass-up.

If you'll recall, Adenhart was the consensus top prep-prospect entering the season, but his stock fell dramatically when he suffered ligament damage in his pitching elbow a month before the draft. Bane rolled the dice and selected Adenhart despite the fact he had accepted a scholarship to play at North Carolina, where he would have certainly regained his first-round status.

Congrats Eddie! You're not a complete fuck-up!

John Kerry loves his hometown team, the Boston Whi- err... Red Sox. As you no doubt saw on the news (and the front page of your newspaper, the front page of ESPN.com, CNN.com, FoxNews.com, and on SportCenter), John Kerry threw out the first pitch of yesterday's Yankees-Red Sox game.

I am happy to report that there was a fair scattering of boos (about 50-50 I'd say) and that Mr. Kerry throws like a bitch (and from several feet in front of the mound, no less).

According to FoxNews' Fred Barnes (sorry, no link), after the game Mr. Kerry was asked by a reporter who his all-time favorite Red Sox player was. His response? Eddie Yost. Good choice, in that Eddie Yost was a damn fine player. Bad choice, in that Eddie Yost never played for the Sox. I wouldn't put too much stock in that statement however, as I'm sure he'll have a new favorite player tomorrow.

Salmon batting third, Josh Paul at DH. No Vlad, no GA, no DaVanon.

Eight runs scored.

Jesus Christ the Mariners suck.

/end in-depth analysis

UPDATE: Two things I would be remiss not to mention:

1. Quinlan is making a real case to be the everyday third baseman (3 for 4, HR, 2B tonight).
   
   
2. Brendan Donnelly is not to be trusted in close games. He's quickly going the way of Ben Weber.

The man, the superstar, the god- Jeff DaVanon has been placed on the 15-day DL with back spasms. Alfredo Amezega has been called up in his stead. Yeck.

Just a week after MLS lost one of it's brightest young stars to Europe, another has followed suit. DC United and US National Team midfielder Bobby Convey has finalized a transfer deal to English First Division outfit Reading.

Convey has struggled at United since a transfer deal with Tottenham Hotspur fell apart late last year. He did not meet the requirements to receive a British work permit at the time, crushing his dream of playing in the English Premiership. While Reading may not be a Premiership quality club at the moment, it is certainly a step closer to his goal.

Convey joins fellow American Marcus Hahnemann, a goalkeeper, at the club. He is expected to start at left wing.

I have no idea what the brew-ha-ha between Vlad and Boone was all about, but hell, when Vlad got hit on the hand I was looking for an ass to kick (after the season was done flashing before my eyes of course). The good news (the great news) is that Vlad's hand appears to be fine. He may miss a couple of games, but we'll deal with it.

I would usually say that hitting Vlad would require retaliation of some sort against a comparable player, but looking at the M's lineup I can't figure out who that might be. Maybe Sele can drill Raul Ibanez twice or something...(no, Leone does not count.)

Something was clearly amiss with Lackey tonight. Nine hits in five-plus innings? Still, he managed to get out of trouble every time it would arise. It looked as though he had no clue where he was putting the ball. Rex mentioned something about him shaking his arm after pitches, suggesting an injury, but it could have just been that he was releasing early, as he has been prone to do in the past.

A note about the KCAL 9 coverage: I wasn't too thrilled with the whole Jose Mota "man on the field" thing, but it's really starting to grow on me. He always has a great insight that you would never catch on a normal telecast. Tonight he pointed out that Moyer had changed his slide-step in anticipation of the Angel's running game. Great stuff.

Boxscore

...I haven't laughed this hard in weeks...

In his latest Rumblings and Grumblings column on ESPN.com, Jayson Stark suggests that the DiamondBacks would want to include Frankie Rodriguez in any possible Randy Johnson deal:

Indications are that the Diamondbacks haven't just targeted Anaheim's farm system. They've also looked hard at the Angels' big-league club.

If you've seen that Arizona bullpen lately, you know that means the Diamondbacks would want to start any package with a young, potentially dominating bullpen arm -- say, Scot Shields, or even (gulp) Francisco Rodriguez.

Or, assuming the Angels would turn that deal down, it's impossible to envision Arizona settling for anything less than third-base phenom Dallas MacPherson as the centerpiece of any deal.

I especially like the "assuming the Angels would turn that deal down..." part. There's no reason for assumption here- if K-Rod's name came up in any trade conversation, Bill Stoneman would immediately hang-up the phone. Of course that would require Stoneman to actually pick up a phone at some point.

I think we should all agree to stop talking about Randy Johnson- he's not going anywhere. No one is going to be willing (or able) to pay the ridiculously high price the D-Backs have slapped on the Unit.

One trade rumor we can still talk about- according to the LA Times, the Angels have been scouting Kris Benson as of late. It is apparent that Stoneman is not willing to deal any of "the big three" for Benson, so unless Dave Littlefield blinks with the deadline looming (don't bet on it), a deal is highly unlikely.

According to the LA Times, many in the Angels' organization are now adamant that Jose Guillen did attend a players-only meeting on Wednesday. Yesterday the Times reported that Guillen told reporters he didn't attend because "the meeting isn't going to mean anything."

Some will claim that this is some sort of cover up being perpetrated by Mike Scioscia and some of the Angels' players, but I have the feeling that there is a much more innocent answer. This may just be an honest misunderstanding caused by the combination of Jose not having the best grasp of the English language and Times beat writers being proven idiots.

As Chronicles points out, Guillen never explicitly said he missed the meeting. He simply expressed that he felt the meeting was unimportant. It appears that the Times reporters made an assumption an ran with it. This is simply the latest of example of lackluster reporting from the Times- not some vast conspiracy from inside the Angels. If several players claim that they saw Guillen at the meeting, I would tend to believe he was.

A bunch of news today:

• Jose Guillen is at it again. Remember when Scioscia sat him against the Red Sox, saying it was "just a day off." Well, today we come to find out that it was actually punishment for missing an on the field photo day. Guillen said he missed the event because he "just didn't feel like coming outside."
  
  He followed up that little temper tantrum by missing a players-only meeting before yesterday's game. As you well know, Guillen hasn't played in several games because of "back stiffness"- a condition he has apparently diagnosed himself. It's got to make you wonder- is he really injured, or is he just being a bitch?
  
  This is nothing new from Guillen, who has been run-out of just about every town he's ever played in. I don't know if any drastic action is needed here, but Guillen has always passed me as the kind of guy who is long overdue for a severe ass-kicking. I suppose that's out of the question, so a nice talking to from Mike Scioscia should be in order. Don't count on that happening either, as according to Scioscia "everything's fine." Ummm... no Mike, everything is not "fine." It's your job to deal with this shit.
  
  UPDATE: Sean is all over this.
  
  
• Matt Hensley has been called-up to replace Shane Halter. An extra arm in the bullpen is a good idea, because we've got a unit that is just barely holding things together. Peter Gammons said it best on Baseball Tonight last night (paraphrasing) "the Angels' bullpen has been working non-stop for three years and they're starting to look tired."
  
  
• Bobby Jenks, who was shutdown once again earlier this month due to a "stress reaction", had successful surgery to place a screw in his right elbow. The doctors he may be ready to pitch by next spring. Here's hoping he can be a major-league contributor.
  
  
• It looks like Bill Stoneman is still afraid of the phone. He continue to stress that he's not actively looking for deals, but rather waiting for the right deal to fall in his lap:

  "If the opportunity to help your club comes along, you do it," he said. "You don't do something because of a semi-artificial deadline."

  Ok, well, if the "semi-artificial deadline" isn't a great motivator, how about you make something happen because all the decent pieces are going to be gone in a few weeks? How about you make something happen because the team is falling apart now? Pick up the damn phone Bill!

The Angels gave (f)utility infielder Shane Halter his walking papers today, designating him for assignment. This is effectively a release for Halter, thus ending Bill Stoneman's latest failed experiment in bench building. Good riddance I say.

ESPNews is reporting that the Yankees are attempting to put together a three-way deal for Randy Johnson, and Ramon Ortiz could be included. They're also reporting that the D-Backs have asked for Jorge Posada in return for the Unit, so I don't see anyway this deal happens.

UPDATE Off-topic, but does anyone else find it odd that Blogger's spell-check function doesn't recognize the words "blog" or "blogger"?

Darren Rovell, ESPN's resident business expert, has a new column up on the Angels expansion into the Los Angeles market. I usually really enjoy Rovell's insights on the inner-workings of the sports world, but this most recent column is rather vapid and disappointing. You're not going to find anything you haven't seen a hundred times if you read the Times or Register, but it's an off-day, so check it out anyway.

UPDATE: Rovell will discuss the Angels' marketing plan on ESPNnews at 1:50 Pacific.

UPDATE: Rovell had nothing of interest on the Angels, but he did have a prototype of the newest way teams are going to bombard you with in-stadium advertising. Watch your concession trays in the coming months- they may soon feature advertisements.

I don't know how I missed this (via Mr. Furious):

Appier was scheduled to pitch today for Tripe-A Omaha as part of his latest rehabilitation assignment, but Appier has decided against it. His plan is to rest up, then try to pitch again next year. "I don't want to make these guys pay me to play in the minor leagues," Appier said. "That's why I would retire — so they wouldn't have to pay me."

Ummm, Kevin, don't you think you should throw about $15 million our way?

Anyone who reads this blog on a semi-regular basis knows that I make no secret of my feelings for Jeff DaVanon. I'm not as out there as some people, but I do like the way the guy plays ball. Clearly by the comments that get left whenever I mention his name, not everyone shares my high opinion. But one thing is clear: no one can dispute that he's been a productive player this season.

His .383 OBP leads the team (how sad is that?), as do his 30 walks. The Hardball Times has him listed at 7 Runs Created per 27 outs (good for third on the club) and a .288 GPA (also third on the club). He plays decent defense at all three outfield positions, and he steals bags. I think anyone who takes a glance at the numbers can see that he is clearly a valuable commodity for the Angels. In fact, I didn't think anyone could suggest anything to the contrary.

Apparently I was wrong. Here's a quote from a recent post on "HaloFan's" LiveJournal:

Oh, and Jeff DaVanon stinks. Pee fucking Yoo. Get it? No. Okay, i will say it agian. If your grandmother had been in the lineup tonight instead of DaVanon, we would have won. Get him out of there, get the old bag in uniform.

Of course this piqued my interest. I had to know why he so disliked Jeff. So I left a comment. I simply asked "Why do you hate Jeff DaVanon?" Here is Halofan's response:

We have 48 wins. In how many of those wins was he a productive hitter when the game was within a two run margin?

OBP does not measure how a thirty-year old journeyman reacts to being pitched to in a pressure situation by Major League Leaders instead of being lobbed fastballs by the mop-up men in blowout games.

Another stat: What is DaVanon's OBP against the top third of the pitchers (measured in WHIP) he has faced.

So best I can tell, he dislikes DaVanon for being "anti-clutch." Supposedly Jeff is the polar opposite of Scott Speizio. I decided to accept Halofan's challenge and examine DaVanon's OPS (I know, he asked for OBP- I figured OPS would keep from using the "but what about his slugging percentage?" argument later in the conversation) against the top-third of AL pitchers (as listed by WHIP). I figured he wanted to include relievers (judging form his "mop-up men" remark), so I just used the non-qualified list of AL pitchers, as listed by WHIP.

Now, I don't have all day to talk about baseball and pour over statistics (damn life- always getting in the way!), so I just wanted to find a ballpark figure. I took about 20 of the thirty or-so pitchers DaVanon had faced who were in the top third of the AL in WHIP. This should at least show if his numbers against the league's premier hurlers were markedly worse than his overall numbers. Here's a shocker- I found that his OPS against those pitchers was .809- or four points higher then his total OPS.

So Halofan's argument sorta blew up in his face. I took my findings to his comments section. His response:

I'm not a brainwashed believer in the Church of Statistics Reveal All. DaVanon is a gutless has-been (or maybe a never was).

Isn't it funny how the same guy who just the day before was sure that a single statistic would prove his argument to be correct, is now of the opinion that stats don't mean anything? I've heard people make the argument that "stats tell all" and I've heard people make the argument that "stats are worthless"- I have never heard anyone attempt to make both at once. This must be what it's like to discuss baseball with John Kerry.

I'm not saying you have to be a "stathead." I'm just saying that you shouldn't be an ignorant asshole. How about backing up an argument with evidence. There's a novel concept, right? It doesn't have to be anything fancy- I'll take batting average, or even specific examples of his in game ineptitude. It's easy to say "player-X sucks." It's a whole lot harder (not to mention a whole lot more interesting) to say "player-X sucks, and here's why."

Oh, and the occasional link to your fellow bloggers wouldn't be a bad thing either...

UPDATE: Chronicles has an interesting look at Jeff's performance in tight games. Must see.

The California legislature once again failed to agree on a budget proposal last week. The state budget is now over two weeks late and both parties are starting to point fingers. This week's sticking point is the Democrats desire to divert tax dollars from local governments into the state coffers.

This prompted the Governator to call Democratic senate leaders "girly-men":

"If they don't have the guts to come up here in front of you and say, 'I don't want to represent you, I want to represent those special interests, the unions, the trial lawyers ... if they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men," Schwarzenegger said to the cheering crowd at a mall food court in Ontario.

For me, the term "girly-men" has always meant just one thing- a man who is a coward, a wuss, or gut-less. That's the only way I've ever heard the term used, and that was certainly the meaning implied by Mr. Schwarzenegger. That was not how certain Democrats took it:

...State Sen. Sheila Kuehl said the governor had resorted to "blatant homophobia."

"It uses an image that is associated with gay men in an insulting way, and it was supposed to be an insult. That's very troubling that he would use such a homophobic way of trying to put down legislative leadership," said Kuehl, one of five members of the Legislature's five-member Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus.

[snip]

Assemblyman Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat who is chairman of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus, said he was glad Schwarzenegger didn't repeat the "girlie men" remark Sunday, saying it was "as misogynist as it is anti-gay."

Once again, I have never heard the term "girly-men" used to describe homosexuals. It was not used to describe homosexuals in this case, nor in it's original context (Saturday Night Live). Anyone who claims to be offended by what they view as a homophobic slur from the Governor is either a) completely ignorant of popular culture, or b) lying through their teeth for political gain. Guess which one the Democrats are guilty of.

This is nothing more than a shameful ploy- the Democrats are using this to smear the Republican Governor as a gay-basher. Falsely labeling someone as a homophobic gay-basher is just as morally reprehensible as labeling a homosexual a "queer" or "fag." It's got to be one of worst things you could possibly say about a politician.

Now, I won't debate that the term "girly-men" is misogynist- it definitely is. Women have a genuine beef here. But even then, let's take Schwarzenegger's quote at face value. He was kidding. No one quotes an SNL sketch in a serious manner- especially the Governor of nation's largest state.

I suppose it was not in the best taste and shouldn't have a place in civil political discourse, but we all know that this is what political campaigning in this country has sunk to. Everyone does it- John Kerry has implied on several occasions that George W. Bush is too stupid to be president, and that Dick Cheney is really in control. I'm sure each one of these so-called "offended" legislators has ridiculed an opponent at some point in their political careers. No one was offended when Arnold dissed Arianna Huffington during the recall election. In other words, they really need to drop the fake indignation.

I'm having a real hard time believing that any of these people are genuinely offended. If they are, it brings up an interesting question: should someone have the right to be offended by something that they clearly don't understand? Think about it- anyone could misconstrue any quote as an insult. "Hey, nice car." "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Really, if anyone should be offended it's Mr. Schwarzenegger. He's the one who's getting unfairly bashed here.

UPDATE: I've gotten a couple of e-mails on this, so allow me to clarify. When I say that the Democratic legislators have no reason to be offended, I am referring to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus, not the female legislators.

A homosexual claiming that the term "girly-man" (a term that is in no way a reference to homosexuality) is offensive is like if I were to declare that the word "teal" is offensive to people named Richard. From now on, when you use the word teal, you are "Richard-bashing," a practice that is very offensive to me.

Doesn't make any sense, right? Well, that's exactly the point.

I'm sure by know you've heard that former chess champion Bobby Fischer was arrested at a Tokyo airport on Friday, after over ten years of exile. He was wanted by the US government for traveling to Yugoslavia in 1992 for a chess match against Boris Spassky.

I knew that Mr. Fischer was renowned for his... let's say... extreme viewpoints on a number of subjects. But I did not know how far off the deep-end he had gone. Read this article and see what I mean. It sounds as if this man isn't just ignorant, he's in desperate need of some mental help.

It looked like today's high-90's heat got to John Lackey (it certainly got to me- I had to leave after the 7th inning. The first time I've left a baseball game early.). He cruised through five innings, then ran straight into a brick wall in the sixth. It was really that sudden- Lackey had been nothing short of dominant to start the game, and then *BAM* he couldn't buy an out.

As for the offense, there is no shame in getting shutdown by the Shill. Let's just hope that this doesn't send the offense into another tail-spin, as these games often have in the past. We've got Kazuhito Tadano (the porn star) tomorrow- let's jump back on that horse!

Unfortunately I left before the Shilling incident, but Terry Smith was of the opinion that he hit Molina intentionally, and Terry Smith has never steered me wrong before. No matter if it was intentional or not, Shilling should have been tossed, seeing as how both teams had been given prior warning. I think it's safe to say that this was the worst umpired series I have ever witnessed. Not a single game passed without controversy and the stikezones were a little off throughout.

Second straight acceptable start from Bartoilet. I say "acceptable" because while he allowed only one run on three hits in six innings of work, it was an ugly six innings. Five walks, just one strikeout, and yet another homerun tonight. It looked like Bart actually took a step back tonight, but all's well that ends well. On the bright side, one more start like this and his ERA will dip below 6.00. That's good, right?

One of America's premier players, 22-year-old DaMarcus Beasley, has finally completed a long-awaited move to Europe. The Chicago Fire midfielder has apparently agreed to transfer to PSV Eindhoven of the Dutch Eredivisie.

Though it's always sad to see one of MLS's few stars go abroad, it is ultimately in the best interests of both the player and the American game. Now DaMarcus can hone his skills in a more challenging league and European competition. This season could see a flood of young American stars folowing Beasley to Europe, as Bayer Leverkusen of Germany has all but promised to recall Landon Donovan (they own his rights, but loan him to MLS) and Bobby Convey's collapsed deal with Tottenham Hotspur (England) is rumored to be back on.

Congratulations and good luck to DaMarcus in his new venture. I'll be rooting for you.

I was looking over my recent searchengine queries and one jumped out at me. Someone ran a Google search for the keywords "i want to fuck jeff davanon".

I may talk about Jeff DaVanon a lot, but I have never professed a desire to have sexual intercourse with the guy (at least not out-loud). Yet shockingly, my blog is second on the web results list. Ok, maybe it's not much of a shock.

I'm just praying to god that it was a woman...

Vlad Guerrero, Garret Anderson, and Jose Guillen- man those guys can hit. Now if only they could catch the occasional fly ball, we might have a shot. Three mighty oaks- rooted to the ground.

That was really the difference tonight- too many cheap hits for the Sox. Guillen owes Kelvim Escobar a nice, big steak dinner for that "defense" in the fourth inning. He lost a ball in the sun and wasn't given an error, which led to two "earned" runs being scored off Escobar. It looked almost as though he didn't have the ball off the bat- he appeared to run forward as if to back-up Eckstein, who was tracking the ball for some unknown reason. The ball landed about 20 yards behind the both of them. Beautiful. It was just one of several cheap hits given up by the outfield.

Other than that, the Halos did well. Adequate pitching from Escobar, and the offense did get to Pedro to the tune of five hits and four walks. Unfortunatly they couldn't seem to get the big hit and step on his neck. Why can't we work counts like that every night?

In other, happier news, it looks like the Angels really are in the Randy Johnson sweepstakes after all. This rumor has Jeff Mathis and Casey Kotchman headed to Arizona, and could possibly include Ervin Santana or Scot Shields.

Rob doesn't seem to want to part with any of the system's stars, but I'm a-ok with a Mathis/Kotchman deal. However I'm afraid Santana is deal breaker for me.

Yeah, I know that I've been saying Kotchman is un-touchable, but tonight's pitiful display of defense got me thinking. Garret Anderson needs to be at first base. He's our first baseman of the near-future, and Kotchman is just going to get in the way of that move. Besides, Kotchman's abysmal performance at the major league level early this season, and the complete lack of power at the minor league level, has got to make you wonder.

Frinklin reports that the planned movie adaptation of the Green Lantern (one I've been eagerly awaiting) is set to be a comedy. A comedy starring Jack Black:

Not only is the planned "Green Lantern" movie featuring the Kyle Raynor Green Lantern character, but the executive in charge of making the Green Lantern movie wants to make it a comedy. The choice for the ring bearer?

Jack Black.

And, naturally, people at DC may wish the comic to resemble the film when it's released...

The Green Lantern was my superhero growing up. My brother and I were allowed to buy one comic book a month- he always picked up X-Men, I always went for the Green Lantern. I even went back and purchased all of the old Action comics which featured the Green Lantern (quite an accomplishment for a 15-year old) in order to complete my collection. When I heard the rumors about a movie I literally jumped for joy. But now, after hearing that the movie is going to be a comedy featuring Jack-fucking-Black, it makes me feel as though someone is raping my childhood.

This must be stopped.

UPDATE: I've gotten a bunch of hits in the last few hours from people searching for "Jack Black" and "Green Lantern", so I'm bumping this post up for those people.

Rob says he has a hard time watching the Angels beat-up on the BoSox. Well, I feel exactly the opposite. The Sox are by far my least favorite team. In fact, I would say that they're the only team I hate.

I don't hate the Yankees for being rich. They have a sound business model- they make the money, so they can spend the money. I even respect the Yankees, because on those rare occasions when they do lose, they hop right back on the horse and spend their way back to the top. No whining, no feeling sorry for themselves- they just throw more money into the furnace. And what's more, they almost always spend it well. Here's where the Republican in me shines through: The Yankees aren't what's wrong with baseball. The Yankees are what's right about America!

Now the Red Sox on the other hand represent all that is truly wrong with America (and baseball). They spend like drunken sailors on shore leave, and then bitch and moan when it all goes wrong. Then they point fingers, claiming that it is the Yankee's spending habits that doom them. Think about it- here's the second highest-spending club in the sport complaining that the highest-spending club is ruining the game. Remember Red Sox, when you point your finger, you always have three more pointing back at you...

So, as you can imagine, I had a good time tonight.

Rob has his Angels midterm report up, so go check it out.

The Shaq-to-Miami deal appears to have gone final, so of course it's all they're talking about on ESPNews. This is off-topic, but it so funny I had to post it:

Michael Kim: "When we come back we'll talk to the best center in Los Angeles..."

Me: "Cool, I love Chris Kaman!"

Michael Kim: "...Lisa Leslie will be here."

Me: Ouch!

The Clippers are the Rodney Dangerfield of professional sports.

Arte Moreno has made it clear that he's not interested in dealing the organization's top prospects for Randy Johnson:

"One of my commitments was to build a championship team in the long term, and I don't think the way to do that is to give up a part of your minor-league system," Moreno said Tuesday.

...

"I won't do that," Moreno said. "That's not the way to do things. Bill, Mike (Scioscia) and all the baseball people have spent a lot of time evaluating these young guys, and we need to give them an opportunity."

I was of the opinion that a deal for Johnson could be made without uber-prospects Dallas McPherson, Casey Kotchman, and Ervin Santana, but it became clear in recent days that the DiamondBacks would only accept a package that included McPherson and Kotchman. I agree that those two guys should be un-touchable, so I'm happy with Moreno holding back on this one. This leads me to believe that the Unit will be staying in Arizona, because no one will be willing (or have the resources, for that matter) to pay that high a price.

What really strikes me is how inept the D-Backs front office is. This off-season they traded away anything and everything in their organization which resembled a prospect for Richie Sexson (how's that one workin' out for ya?), now they're going to slap a high price tag on their only valuable trade-bait. Make no mistake, getting Randy Johnson's contract off the books would be the best move the D-Backs could make. Now it looks like they're going to reject that chance, along with the chance to get several very real prospects. Not a smart move.

Jered Weaver, the Angels' first-round pick in this year's draft, was honored with the prestigious "Golden Spikes Award," which goes to the year's top amateur baseball player. Weaver was 15-1 with a 1.62 ERA and 213 strikeouts for Long Beach State in 2004. It is just the latest in a string of honors for Weaver- he was also named Collegiate Baseball Magazine's "Player of the Year," winner of the "Dick Howser Trophy" (awarded to the year's best collegiate player), and is a finalist for the "Roger Clemens Award" (awarded to the year's top collegiate pitcher, to be named tomorrow), in addition to being a first-team all-American.

He has yet to sign with the Angels.

Congratulations Philippines! You saved one, but how many more are going to die because you told the terrorists "Yes, we can be intimidated. Yes, we are scared of you. Yes, your evil tactics do work."?

I'm glad the guy is coming home safe, but the government of the Philippines just made Iraq a much more dangerous place for everybody else.

The best part about doing a blog is the ability to disseminate my predictions to a large (well, larger anyway) audience. This way I can shove it in your faces when I'm right. Also, my triumphs are saved for all eternity, so future generations can study my genius. I figured the All-Star break was a fine place to check-up on my pre-season predictions. Gaze in awe at my amazing prognosticating skills (my predictions are listed in black, followed by the actual standings in italics):

American League:

East:

1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays

1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles

Not bad. I was right on my claim that the O's hadn't improved enough to catch Toronto, and you can hardly blame me for the Devil Rays prediction. Find me one person who picked the D-Rays to be in third at the break, and I'll show you a liar.

Central:

1. Minnesota Twins
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Kansas City Royals
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Detroit Tigers

1. Chicago White Sox
2. Minnesota Twins
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Cleveland Indians
5. Kansas City Royals

Ok, I now see the folly in picking the Sox to finish third. I guess I was blinded by my irrational hate of Scott Schoeneweis' hair. Other than that, my predictions that the Indians "should finish near .500" and that the Royals "will fall back to earth this year" both ring true.

West:

1. Anaheim Angels
2. Oakland A's
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Texas Rangers

1. Texas Rangers
2. Oakland A's
3. Anaheim Angels
4. Seattle Mariners

Moving right along...

MVP: Manny Ramirez

As much as I love Vlad, Manny is still my choice for MVP. Vlad has been everything that I had hoped for and more, but his line is hardly comparable to Manny's .344/.437/.682 with 26 HR and 214 total bases (Vlad's at .345/.392/.591, 20, 204). This one's looking good...

Cy Young: Kevin Brown

I should have known better. Brown has been battling injury (and parasites- ewww) all season. Isn't that a shocker? In the starts he has made he hasn't looked so hot.

National League:

East:

1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. New York Mets
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Florida Marlins
5. Montreal Expos

1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Florida Marlins
4. New York Mets
5. Montreal Expos

At first glance it may look like a really messed-up on this one. However, I made this prediction with the caveat that "the Mets, Braves, and Marlins are basically interchangeable." That appears to be the case, as there is just a game separating second-place Atlanta and fourth-place New York. Mad props to me.

Central:

1. Chicago Cubs
2. Houston Astros
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Milwaukee Brewers

1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Houston Astros
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

Wow. Could I have been more wrong about this one? We'll just pretend that this one never happened...

West:

1. San Francisco Giants
2. Arizona Diamond Backs
3. San Diego Padres
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Colorado Rockies

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. San Diego Padres
4. Colorado Rockies
5. Arizona Diamond Backs

Well, I can hardly be blamed for this one. This division was almost impossible to predict because, as I pointed out in the pre-season, "every team in this division has holes you can drive a truck through." Nothing has changed- I wouldn't be surprised if this division was completely upside-down (with the exception of the D-Backs) by the time the playoffs roll around.

MVP: Scott Rolen

Two for two on the MVPs. Some might say that Barry Bonds was the NL's first half MVP, but I think Rolen's .339/.415/.599 line, and his gold-glove defense at third, put him just ahead of Barry.

Cy Young: Mark Prior

This was a gamble right from the beginning. I thought Prior would be back sooner rather than later, and I was wrong. He has been quite good as of late, and no one is running away with the NL Cy Young, so I'd say he's still got a good shot.

All and all, not too shabby. I think it's worthy of some mild-props, yo.

A 5-1 road trip. Congratulations boys, you have officially revived your season. Now it's up to Bill Stoneman to make the moves that have got to be made. We're buyers now, so go buy. The Register's Randy Youngman has caught onto the Ramon Ortiz for Ty Wiggington rumor- it's a good place to start.

We've also pulled to within 1/2 game of Oakland and just 2 1/2 of front-running Texas, so things are looking quite a bit sunnier today. Perhaps more important than all of that is the fact that we got through one whole cycle through the rotation without anyone getting bombed on. Hopefully that will give Stoneman the courage to finally deal Ortiz.

A quality start for Bartoilet! He went 7 innings, allowing 3 ER on 5 H, with 4 SO and 0 BB. How did this happen? Here's what I saw:

• He threw the four-seamier almost exclusively. Very few breaking pitches.
  
• His velocity was, supposedly, up. I say supposedly because the PAX coverage did not include pitch speeds, (Overall the telecasts on PAX are almost un-watchable. The picture is dark and washed-out, and the audio quality is atrocious. It sounds like Rex and Steve are doing the play-by-play into a coffee can.) but Steve said he was throwing around 95-96.
  
• He was working fast. He had been around 20-25 seconds between pitches for the last several starts. Tonight it was catch and throw.
  
• Everything was inside. And I mean everything. He refused to put anything over the plate.

He still wasn't good, but he was better. This looks to be an extension of the two starts prior to the Dodgers debacles (in which he was blown-up to the tune of 15 ER in 7 IP). His approach in this start looked very similar to those, and had similar results. That's three good starts in his last five. I am fairly confident this is the beginning of the turn-around.

UPDATE: Rex Huddler just questioned the wisdom of Scioscia's policy of running on contact. This comes after he suggested in the pre-game show that Bartoilet "doesn't care" when he's on the mound. I just gained a little respect for the Wonderdog...

UPDATE: Angels win! Percival seals the 5-4 victory with his first save in a month. Colon manages to pick up a rare win. Hoo-ray!

Make no mistake- we stole this one. Colon v. Halladay? No way we should have won this one. One more and we can call this trip a success.

UPDATE: From a post-game interview with Angels' bench coach Joe Maddon:

Rex Huddler: "Why do you insist on running on contact?"

Joe Maddon: "Because it's who we are..."

That's not a good enough answer, Joe. I'm a procrastinating pot smoker, but that doesn't mean I can't improve myself. He also claimed that it works more often than not. No Joe, just no...

BTW: For asking that question, Rex Huddler will not be made fun of for a week. It's still open season on Steve Physioc.

The OC Register reports that Francisco Rodriguez's grandmother (who raised him as a boy in Venezuela) is having trouble receiving a temporary visa, which would allow her to see Rodriguez pitch in the All-Star game:

She cannot obtain a short-term visa from the U.S.consulate in Caracas. Friction between the United States and president Hugo Chavez has led to tighter entrance requirements.

"You have to make an appointment, but sometimes it takes a month or a month- and-a-half. You have to have a lot of things, like your bank statements and things like that she doesn't have," Rodriguez said. "They think Venezuelans are going to come here and not go back."

Francisco is obviously very close with his family, so this must be weighing on him rather heavily. Could this explain his recent struggles?

How many murders constitute genocide? Does anybody know? God forbid we should jump the gun and label the mass murder of an entire ethnic group genocide before the proper amount of blood has been spilled.

On today's Special Report w/ Brit Hume, Congressman Frank Wolf, who recently returned from a tour of the region, described how the Sudanese government is providing material aid to the Janjaweed militias in their brutal campaign to "ethnically cleanse" Darfur's African population. It seems that the regular military and the supposedly independent Janjaweed have quite a "pick-and-roll" working. Sudanese aircraft (of the Soviet-era) will start by carpet bombing an African village, followed by the arrival of Sudanese gunships, which mow down anyone who attempts to flee. That's when the Arab militias storm in on camel and horseback, slaughtering the men and raping the women (with the intention of making "light-skinned babies"). After they've had their fill of carnage they reduce the village to ashes- but not before they pillage anything of value, reportedly loading their booty onto the government helicopters. There can be no doubt about what's happening here- the Sudanese government is attempting to wipeout the African people of Darfur, via proxy.

The French are still insisting on calling this a "civil war" and are threatening to block any US-led attempts to sanction the Sudanese government. I'm sure it comes as no surprise to learn that France holds the majority of oil concessions in Sudan (via Instapundit). Obviously this would cause Mr. Chirac to think twice before taking any action against his friends in the Sudanese government. And we're supposedly the oil-hungry ones.

How much blood will be on Jacque Chirac's hands by the time this thing is over?

And it goes without saying that whatever changes the UN made to combat genocide after Rwanda/Serbia have failed miserably...

Why?

According to numerous sources, the Angels have been inquiring about Montreal Expos shortstop Orlando Cabrera, but it's a mystery as to where they would put him if they acquired him, and what kind of trickle-down effect it would have on the rest of the lineup.

Once again, I ask, why?

UPDATE: I guess the talk is that acquiring Cabrera would allow Stoneman to deal Kennedy. While I'm all for getting Kennedy's contract off the books, replacing him with a rent-a-player of Cabrera's quality (.237/.295/.322) instead of Chone Figgins is simply ludicrous. It's either that, or Cabrera is Stoneman's idea of an answer at third. He is no such thing. If he's intent on picking up one of his old pals from his Expos days, it better be Armas.

If we give up anything resembling a real prospect for a worthless rent-a-player (who we'll end up paying $3m, I might add) I will lead an armed revolt against Angels management. We will take the front office by force! Who's with me!?

A New York paper publishing feasible trade rumors? I thought I'd never live to see the day! Well not quite. While the NY Post does admit that the Yankees are unlikely to acquire Randy Johnson, they do suggest that the Evil Empire could bring back either Andy Pettitte or Roger Clemens. Yeah right, good luck with that...

As for the part pertaining to Randy Johnson and the Halos:

Johnson, if he decides to move, is more likely to go to prospect-deep Anaheim; then the best the Yanks might get is lefty Jarrod Washburn in a salary-washing ricochet.

Sounds good to me. D-Mac, Kotchman, and Santana are off-limits, but other then that, everything has a price. If Stoneman could put together a trade that doesn't include those three guys (and he could- the prospects are there) he should jump on it. Even if Washburn has to be a salary-dump casualty, it would be well worth it.

Make it happen Bill. Make it happen.

I know I said we didn't "really need a win" today, but goddamn- what a horrible way to lose a ball game. The bullpen continues it's rapid decent into mediocrity (led by the suddenly impotent Francisco Rodriguez) and Aaron Sele has officially lost "it" (it being the ability to get outs). Arm fatigue my ass- he just can't find the strike zone. What do you suppose the over/under is on Sele's starts before Scioscia realizes Ortiz needs to be back in the rotation?

So now it's on to Toronto with this crushing, demoralizing, emasculating defeat fresh on our minds. Once again, the most important series of the season. Two of three. Blah, blah, blah. The pitching match-ups don't bode well for us (Bartoilet vs. Halladay, Escobar vs. the SkyDome's turf, and Lackey vs. Bautista), so Scioscia is going to have to pull at least one out of his hat. There is good news however; there's no way that things can go as badly as the last time we went to Canada. Right?

Here's a few things I've come across around blogosphere:

• Go check out Chronicles' midseason report, which lists all of the Angels according to base runs per plate appearance. It's not for the faint of heart- I really didn't need to see the ineptitude of our starting pitching quantified.
  
  
• Who needs boxscores? If you want to know how Mark Prior did last night just go check out Brian's "Prior-o-meter" over at Petco Padres. It must really suck to be stuck in a perpetual throwing motion with nothing to throw. It's like something out of Greek mythology.
  
  
• What do you suppose are the chances of this getting any coverage in the mainstream American media?
  
  
• Senators and Sabermetrics explains how it's possible to root for the Red Sox and the Yankees at the same time.
  
  
• Check out Iain's take on the save rule and the importance of Eric Gagne's streak over at the Baseball Desert. I wonder if he can explain the rules of cricket to this confused American.
  
  
• Is it just me, or does John Kerry look more like the Joker with each passing day?

I never did like Schoeneweis much. Of the supposed "holy triumvirate" of Schoeneweis/Washburn/Ortiz, he was my least favorite, yet was the one lauded by all the experts. He just rubbed me the wrong way. It always seemed as though he was too stubborn to learn a changeup- a fault that's still killing him to this day. And of course it didn't help that he was the player's representative during the 2002 season, when a strike (which would have cost the Angels the championship) was barely averted. I also didn't like his hair. I don't know why.

Needless to say, this was a good night. The Angels took Schoeneweis and the Sox out behind the woodshed and whipped them thoroughly. It locked-up only the Angels' second series win in their last nine. And this wasn't just any series- this was the most important series of the season to date. This, and the series to follow, are the fulcrum on which the Angels' season pivots. We will look back on this road trip and say one of two things; either "this is where the Angels turned things around." or "this is where the Angels completely fell apart."

Well, tonight Jarod Washburn cast his vote for the former. He pitched a gem- a complete game shutout, and the best game of his career. I can't say enough about what Washburn did tonight, so I won't even attempt to.

Jose Guillen also stepped-up tonight. He showed the power (and the intensity) that has been lacking over the past month. Hopefully this is a sign that Jose is starting to come back around. We don't need him to carry this offense like he did in March, we just need him to be consistent power threat.

Looking ahead to tomorrow, I don't think we really need a win. Sure, the sweep would be a great pick-me-up for this ballclub, but as I've said, it's the series wins that are important. A sweep in the Windy City doesn't change the fact that we need two of three up in Canada.

Congratulations to Bruce Arena and members of the US Men's national team on receiving their highest ever position in the latest FIFA World Rankings. According to soccer's world governing body, the US MNT is the seventh best team in the world, moving up two spots from last month's list. Here's the top ten:

1. Brazil
2. France
3. Spain
4. Czech Republic
5. Netherlands
6. Mexico
7. USA
8. England
9. Italy
10. Turkey

Way to go guys! Just six nations between us and complete domination of the sports world! I do have a little trouble believing that we're better then England and Italy, but then again we've done nothing but dominate Mexico over the past few years and I have no clue what the Czechs are doing way up there. No one ever said this was an exact science.

The Angels activated (f)utility infielder Shane Halter from the DL and optioned (f)utility infielder Alfredo Amezaga to AAA Salt Lake. Amezaga going back down is a good thing because he's simply the worst player I've seen since... Shane Halter. Well shit.

Jeff DaVanon plays, the Angels win. Simple as that.

Ok, so it's not as simple as that, but I think we can all agree that DaVanon needs to be in this lineup. He's clearly the fourth best hitter on the team and we can't afford not to use our best players. I understand that it's hard to find him a place- I want Salmon to get his ABs to- but with the season spiraling out of control it's time to make the tough decisions.

On the subject of today's game, it was a solid win in every sense of the word. Solid start from Lackey. Solid bullpen work. Solid hitting against a solid pitcher. Solid defense. Solid base running. A good way to start the most important road trip of the season. We've got to have both these series.

Oh, and another thing- What's up with Vlad declining an invite for the Homerun Derby? He said something about giving the opportunity "a more deserving player." Wha-wha-what!? Does Vlad not know that he's one of the premier power hitters in the game today and arguably the single most exciting players in baseball? Of course Vlad deserves an invite! And what's more, I deserve to see Vlad accept that invite. I've followed this team with my heart and soul this season, and I should get the chance to see Vlad flailng away at a few BP fastballs.

The Angels are a season-high 4 1/2 games out of first. They have won only one of their last seven games. The have won only three of their last ten, and only seven of their last twenty.

The trade deadline in 25 days.

Are the Angels buyers, or sellers?

I think we've passed the point were the events of the last month and a half can be called a "skid"- this is an all-out free-fall. Injuries are no longer an excuse- this is as healthy as team is going to get. The guys who were injured have had their grace period- they're "spring-training," if you will. The Angels should now be clicking on all cylinders, yet they're sputtering.

4 1/2 games might not seem like a lot, but remember that you can count on the Athletics going on a second-half tear. Oakland has not yet hit stride, or else the Halos would be a good 7-8 games out of this thing. It's reasonable to assume that it will take, at the very least, 95 wins to win the AL West (the A's are currently on pace to win 93, but who doubt's they'll pick up a couple games in the second half?). In order to reach that mark, the Angels would have to go 53-28 in the second half of the season. That's a .654 winning percentage. Can they accomplish that feat with this roster? Not a chance.

I would say that the Angels' only hope is the wild card, and even then I don't like their chances against the likes of Boston, Texas, Minnesota and Chicago. I'm putting this on the record- this Angels team will not make the playoffs. Changes have got to be made. A front-line starter (Johnson? Benson?), a real third baseman (Wigginton? Valintin?), and another set-up arm (Groom? Urbina?) are required. If they cannot acquire those pieces, they should be sellers.

This next road trip should decide how Bill Stoneman approaches the trade deadline (notice that I said "should"- it should, but it won't). Six games entering the All-Star break against the White Sox and the Blue Jays. The Angels must win four of those six games. If they fall short of that goal the season is as good as done, and Stoneman should begin taking calls. If they do somehow manage to win four games they still have hope, and Stoneman should begin to make calls.

I've already stated who they should get in the event that they are buyers, but who should they deal in the event that they are sellers? Well, first off, Darin Erstad needs to go. As always, if anyone was willing to pickup $2-3 million of his contract it should be jumped upon. Getting Erstad's bat out of the lineup should be the Angels' top goal- even in buyer's mode. Adam Kennedy is next. Second Base should belong to Chone Figgins, and Kennedy is in the way. Then we have the starting pitchers. Sele/Ortiz/Lackey/Washburn should all be available. The Angels need to come to grips with the fact that these guys are nothing special- middle of the rotation guys at best, and easily replaceable via free agency. In return I expect nothing other then pitching, pitching, and more pitching. AA and AAA pitcher only please- toolsy infielders need not apply.

Will ether scenario occur? Of course not. Bill Stoneman will twiddle his thumbs as the July 30th deadline approaches, possibly trading Ramon Ortiz for something of very little value, while keeping the rotten core of this team intact. It's his biggest fault- he is afraid to make deals happen. He has been in first three seasons as GM, and I expect nothing different this year.

Game? What game? I came for the fireworks!

No big surprise here- both Vladimir Guerrero and Francisco Rodriguez were selected to represent the Angels at the All-Star game. Guerrero was voted in by fans (with 3,024,870 votes- the highest tally in the American League) and will start in right. Rodriguez was selected by AL manager Joe Torre. A well deserved honor for both.

Bob Just has some interesting thoughts on the dangers of political parties embracing extremists and putting party allegiances over principle. Though the piece is a bit dramatic (I don't think anyone in our modern political landscape is deserving of a Hitler comparison), we should all take it to heart. He may be writing about the fall of the Democratic Party, but the same could be said about Republicans as well.

The New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that the Angels are among four teams that may be bidding for the disgruntled Nomar Garciaparra (Seattle, Los Angeles, and the White Sox being the others). Adam Kennedy and Ramon Ortiz are mentioned as possible trade-bait.

I'm all for getting rid of Kennedy's contract, and I'm also all for screaming "NOMAAAAH!" at every home game, but there's no way this is going to happen. Why would the BoSox want scraps like Ortiz and Kennedy? I guess there may be prospects involved, but I wouldn't deal anything of value for Garciaparra, who, in addition to being a rent-a-player, has serious health and attitude questions. In other words, take with a grain of salt.

Also, according to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles are refocusing on Ramon Ortiz. There's no mention of what the deal might entail, but it looks like the Angels have killed the idea of a Buddy Groom straight-up deal.

Happy 228th America!

I have a secret to tell you. You may want to sit down for this... are you ready? This is probably the most shocking thing you're ever going to hear. Are you sure you're ready?

Ramon Ortiz Bartolo Colon is fucking useless!

If we're going to keep giving Ortiz Colon starts we might as well be giving them to batting tees. We've seen three seventeen starts too many from Ramon Bartolo and it's time for Sele Ortiz to get a fair shot. Besides, how are you ever going to deal Sele Ortiz if you don't put him out there for the world to see?

Thank you Eddie Bane. The Angels second pick in this year's draft, Alabama high school center fielder Patrick White, will not sign with the team. Instead he will accept a football scholarship to the University of West Virginia and pursue a NFL career.

Just imagine how many quality prospects Bane passed on to select a guy who, prior to the draft, made it clear that he had no intention of signing for fourth-round money. But what else do you expect from a man who was formerly a special assistant to Devil Rays GM Chuck LaMar? It's like the blind leading the retarded...

BBC has the details of the new "American Pro Cricket" league. The leagues promoters are promising "fast and furious action" and some of the games biggest stars, like Ramnaresh Sarwan. That's right- Ramnaresh Sarwan! Get used to hearing the kids saying things like "Yo, I can't wait to see the LA Unity take on the Texas Arrow Heads!" and "Sauraj Bahutle is off the hook, Dawg!"

Somehow I don't think Bud Selig is worried. Take a look at the official website and tell me this isn't some kind of joke.

The DiamondBacks fired manager Bob Brenly today (which appears to be a very popular move within the D-Back blogosphere) after three and half seasons at the helm, including the 2001 championship season. It looks like the club's management has officially waved the white flag on this season.

Could this just be the first sign of an impending house cleaning? Let's hope this signals that they're ready and willing to deal the Unit.

The commercials keep telling me that "Fahrenheit 9/11" is "must see, no matter if you agree with it or not." Well, in that same spirit, I would like to invite all of those Moore fans out there to visit a new blog called Fahrenheit Fact, which seeks to create "well-armed populous that is ready to evaluate the film from an informed perspective."

The two authors have thus far exposed 22 lies and distortions that can be found in the film, and somehow I think they're just getting started. They also only use complete quotes and reveal every source, which is something you can't say about Mr. Moore. On of my personal favorites:

In "Fahrenheit 9/11" one of the many accusations made concerns the war in Afghanistan. Moore essentially implies that the reasoning for the military action was to benefit Unocal Corporation through the construction of an oil pipeline. But the company, which had planned to build the pipe in the mid-90's, gave up the project in 1998, three years before.

Now it appears that Moore is ready to bring defamation suits against anyone who "maligns the film or damages his reputation." He's also threatening to sue file-swappers who have illegally downloaded the film. That's quite a turnaround for the man who took on corporate greed in "Roger & Me". I guess he's the only man in America who's allowed to turn a profit.

This should make it clear- Bill Stoneman must acquire a power bat and a front-line starter, or this team is done. The season is slipping away, and moves must be made, even if just for the sake of shaking things up.

I think it's time for me to take a few days off from following this team. I'm too disgusted to watch.

I signed up for the G-Mail Beta, even though I didn't really get the whole concept. Who cares if you get 1000 mb of storage? What kind of person keeps 1000 mb worth of e-mail sitting in their account? Then they read your e-mail and send you targeted spam based on your private conversations? It makes no sense to me, and yet it seems to be all the rage.

I decided to mess around with it today for the first time, and now I'm even more confused. I can't even read the messages. I click on them and nothing happens. I can move them to another folder, label them, mark them with a star, delete them, and archive them, but the one thing I really want to do with my e-mails is read them. Is anyone else having this problem or know how to fix it? Am I missing something that is blatantly obvious, like a "read" button or something? Please help!