Right in the middle of the most important Angels series to date this year (when you are in a close playoff race, there are a lot of those), I am back in Madison. That means constant internet, my own computer, and my own apartment once again. Of course, as it is now September, that also means classes are starting soon (the last two I ever have to take!), the Angels are in the stretch run, and football season is about to begin. As it is, it will take me a few days to catch back up to everything, although I am glad to see that Finley is more or less done for the season and Quinlan appears to be hitting like he did last year.

Well, that's rather lame for the first day of September.

6:39 PDT: Tonight's lineups:

ATHLETICS       ANGELS
Kendall, C      Figgins, CF
Ellis, 2B       Cabrera, SS
Chavez, 3B      Anderson, LF
Johnson, 1B     Guerrero, RF
Payton, CF      Erstad, 1B
Hatteberg, DH   B.Molina, C
Kielty, LF      Kotchman, DH
Swisher, RF     Izturis, 3B
Scutaro, SS     Kennedy, 2B
Blanton, P      Lackey, P

Note the absence of Robb Quinlan - practically the only Angel who's hitting at the moment.

6:42 PDT: And Erstad batting 5th? I hope Vlad has comfortable shoes...

7:02 PDT: Hud: "John Lackey is the perfect man to break the Angels' losing streak." Isn't that what he said about Bartolo last night?

7:21 PDT: Promising start - Halos have the bases loaded for The Punter.

7:24 PDT: Any other player in baseball. Anybody but Bengie Molina, and the Angels would be up 1-0 in the first. Though, you have to tip your cap to Mark Ellis - it was an excellent throw.

8:15 PDT: As if you needed another reason to hate the A's, Jay Payton cleats Maicer Izturis on an incredibly dirty play at second. Asshole.

8:21 PDT: Angels lead after 4 1/2, 2 - 0.

8:24 PDT: Blanton has already collected seven strikeouts in the fifth inning. You're not going to hack your way out of this slump, boys.

8:26 PDT: Make that eight...

8:27 PDT: Sietz:

Payton's gotta go down... And he's gotta down hard. Fastball right between the numbers.

Agreed. But he's due up fourth in the next inning, so it might not be feasible at the moment.

8:33 PDT: Wrong dude, John...

8:45 PDT: Lackey's bending, but not breaking. 4 walks, 90+ pitches, but no runs.

8:52 PDT: I'm going to give this post a bump, as it's still in progress.

8:54 PDT: The 7th will likely be Lackey's final inning. So we're going to call on the bullpen to protect a two-run lead for two innings. Not a comforting thought.

9:00 PDT: It's Shields on for the 8th. I sense adventure...

9:16 PDT: And the wheels come off. Shields is, predictably, wild. A bad 0-2 pitch to Hatteburg brings in the A's first run, and a hit batter loads the bases for Swisher.

9:18 PDT: Swisher drives it to the track, but GA gets under it for the final out. Damage minimized. It'll be a *gulp* one-run lead looking toward the Angels' half of the 8th and Frankie beyond.

9:42 PDT: Interesting as always, but Frankie manages to close it out, 2-1 for the Angels. One game back, 30 to play.

This is going to be short and assume that the Oakland series hasn't started since I was out of town.

Overall Record: 73-57 Pythagorean Record 75-55 Games Behind 1 Week Record: 2-4 Pace: 91-71
Record after 130 games:
2002: 77-53 2003: 63-67 2004: 75-55

Opponents: at Baltimore (2-1), at Tampa Bay (0-3)

Hot: No real idea, but I think Quinlan is supposed to be hot.

Not: Again, no real idea, but this section should probably be named "Steve Finley Comparables."

Coming up: The Angels basically did pretty terrible against the Devil Rays after a solid series vs. Baltimore. If they do not have a good week this week, they could be looking at a long uphill climb for the playoffs.

Opponents coming up: vs. Oakland (74-56) August 30-September 1, vs. Seattle (55-75) September 2-September 4

Probable Starters: Colon vs. Zito, Lackey vs. Blanton, Santana vs. Harden, Byrd vs. Moyer, Washburn vs. Franklin, Colon vs. Harris

The US/Mexico match (which was to be tape-delayed on both coasts) will air live in English on ESPN Classic. Saturday, 4:30 PM - you know where I'll be.

Second hand, supposedly heard on the radio pre-game:

Scisocia announced this with no details, said [Finley] won't play for the rest of the year (??).

Figgins to CF.

Quinlan to 3B.

Kotchman and Rivera rotate at DH.

I think that's probably the best way to go. Erstad in center would be great if it worked, but there are no guarantees that Erstad is the same gold-glove winner he was in 2002. There's no reason to gamble with such things in September, especially when you have other options.

UPDATE: Oh, and no more Finley. Hoo-ray!

Much like one would "acquire" a venereal disease, the Angels have jumped on recently released Giants LOOGY Jason Christiansen.

How lost is this front office that they think Jason Christiansen represents bullpen help? And in exchange for Dusty Bergman, a guy eight years his junior who has torn up AAA this season? Absolutely inexcusable.

UPDATE: Confirmation.

Bill Stoneman just got fleeced, which is somewhat surprising given his impressive (though sparse) resume in these types of deals. Look at these lines:

                 IP   H  ER  SO  BB   ERA
Bergman (AAA)  71.0  77  25  55  18  3.17
Christiansen   42.0  48  25  17  15  5.38

Is there a doubt in anyone's mind that Bergman could be at least as effective as Christiansen if given the opportunity? So why would you acquire a guy at three times the cost, who hasn't managed to put-up a league average ERA in any of the past four seasons, has a K-rate falling off a cliff, and will be a free-agent at the end of the season?

I'm really asking. Please, offer one reason why this deal makes any kind of sense for the Angels. I'm searching, and can't find a damn thing.

REACTION FROM THE BAY:

And Jason Christiansen was, uh.... I'll miss the things he brought to, er.... The thing about Christiansen was that his value couldn't be measured by any one statistic, but, uh....

Jason Christiansen is loved very, very much by his family, I'm sure. You can't take that away from him.

Glad somebody is having fun with this...

Democrats are planning an ambush of Governor Schwarzenegger at tonight's Angels game (via Flashreport):

Take Yourself (and Some Friends) Out to the Ball Game...

Time to "JOIN" Arnold Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Game time: 7:05 p.m. Anaheim Angels vs. Oakland A's in Beautiful Angels Stadium Tell Arnold: "It's 1, 2, 3 Strikes - He's Out!" Gov. Schwarzenegger will attend an Anaheim Angels game with Arte Moreno and Jackie Autry on Tuesday, August 30, 2005. Don't you think the governor would love to see some hand made signs and banners showing our true feelings for him in the crowd and on the "Jumbo-Tron" TV screens. Whether you sit in the cheap seats or behind home plate... Bring a sign and your message for Governor Arnold to see. Invite your friends and co-workers to sit in sections with you and make creative statements against the coming special interests' Special Election and the flawed propositions Arnold supports. Come sit with friends and enjoy this interstate baseball game, a little beer, some peanuts... and giving Arnold a piece of your mind! And be sure to look for Anti-Arnold tailgate parties before the game in the parking lot. It will be Fantaaastic! Get your tickets at the link below: [link deleted]

P.S. Might be a good idea to bring your signs in under your shirt, in a tote, etc.

Sigh...

I thought this was worthy of passing along:

Dear E-Team,

Today, August 30, the Senate Judiciary Committee is supposed to conduct a hearing on SCA 15 - to counter the Supreme Court's recent Kelo decision. The best news is that we only need to convince two Democrats on the committee for SCA 15 to pass. I am counting on you to light up the members' phones and emails and convey a simple message - we want our property rights restored and we're not interested in a weak substitute.

Our campaign to protect Californians' property rights from government abuse is continuing to gain momentum. Just today, the Orange County Register published an editorial endorsing SCA 15.

You can help our efforts by passing this email on to your friends and family and urging them to become part of our E-Team. As always, thank you for your support and dedication.

Best wishes,
Tom McClintock

You can get contact info for all those involved at Senator McClintock's site.

Can anybody tell me what's wrong with this sentence from ESPN Soccernet's "U.S. team opens workouts under veil of secrecy":

The U.S. national team had a light workout Monday in preparation for its World Cup qualifying match Saturday with Mexico - although team officials don't want anybody to know who's on the team or where it is practicing...

Even though the practice was open, a team official asked a photographer not to disclose that the practice was held at Ohio State's Jesse Owens Stadium. The match with Mexico will be played at Crew Stadium.

I suppose it doesn't really matter. It's not like we're going to surprise Mexico.

Hey, douchebags: Just ask the folks who were there if coverage of hurricane Katrina was "over-hyped."

The run-up to hurricane Katrina was the media's finest hour - working for the public good and saving the lives of untold hundreds in the process. Blame them for the desensitizing and hyperbolic coverage of previous natural disasters, yes. But not this one. They got this one right.

Sometimes, I even surprise myself. But then I remember how hard I rock and it all makes sense again.

OC Blog notes that the first attack ads have been aired in the 48th district special election. I'm surprised it took this long - believe it or not, the election is only 36 days away.

Remember when Dick Cheney was the one actually running the country?

This Saturday's top-of-the-table clash between the US and Mexico is being touted as one of the biggest games in the history of the CONCACAF region. Two of the world's soccer superpowers. One of the top rivalries in the sport. A World Cup birth and bragging rights for the winner.

But none of that means anything to ESPN - the "Worldwide Leader" will air the match tape-delayed, at the ungodly hour of 2:30 AM back East, 11:30 in the West. Why? To make way for eight hours of college football and NHRA drag racing.

If you want to see the match live, you're stuck with Telemundo.

You can now "skin" this blog using those colored blocks () up there on the menu. In addition to the red default layout, you can choose a stripped-down white version. I don't know why you would, but if you prefer it over the red, your system will save it as your default layout. And there will be more coming soon.

The first bit of free time I've had in a week, and I waste it doing this?

UPDATE: This new one is going to blow your mind.

BTW: There's a new quote up on the random quote generator relating to the new retro skin. First person to tell me where it comes from wins undying admiration.

No, I'm not dead. With my current priorities being school, work, and sleep (in that order), baseball and blogging has taken a back seat. I'll get back to it when my permanent schedule gets settled.

On the other hand, I suppose if there were a good time to be too busy for the Angels, this is it. A sweep at the hands of the D-Rays? I don't care what they've done since the break - championship caliber clubs don't get swept by cellar-dwellers.

If the playoffs were to start this moment, the Angels would be watching from home.

This coming Monday, SportsCenter will be broadcasting live from Salt Lake City as part of its "50 States in 50 Days" promotion. The program will include a feature on the Angels AAA affiliate, the Salt Lake Stingers.

Current Bill James Cy Young standings, AL:

B.Colon    150.75
M.Rivera   140.80
M.Buehrle  137.51
J.Garland  131.44
J.Nathan   124.94

At this point last season we were celebrating the fact that Bart had managed two decent starts in a row.

UPDATE: I should note for those of you who haven't read the associated article by Bill James ("E=M Cy Squared", found in the Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers) that the formula does not purport to find the player most deserving of winning the award. Rather, it's an attempt to predict who will win the award. Thus, like every good sports writer, the formula overvalues team performance.

I'm with Sean - I assure you, there is nothing wrong with Frankie Rodriguez. He made one mistake (and it wasn't a particularly bad mistake either - not many hitters will take a neck-high fastball over the wall to the opposite field) while in a difficult situation not of his making. It's really not that big of a deal.

With the Ducks bringing Teemu Selanne back into the fold at a home-town discount (at least I think $1m is a discount - this new CBA and the ensuing flood of free-agents has got me all flummoxed), it seems like a good time to point out that Cupie - a regular commenter over at Halo's Heaven - is doing great work blogging OC's other team. Finally, a worthy entrant into the woefully underrepresented Ducks blogosphere. Link added at left.

Overall Record: 71-53 Pythagorean Record 73-51 Games Ahead 2.5 Week Record: 3-4 Pace: 93-69
Record after 124 games:
2002: 74-50 2003: 60-64 2004: 70-54

Opponents: vs. Toronto (1-2), vs. Boston (2-2)

Hot: The guys hitting well right now are Bengie (8-22), Ckotchy (pronounced Scotchy) (7-23 with a HR), and Juan Rivera (2 HRs). AK and OC each stole 3 bases without being caught and Vlad gets a pass (6-23, 7 BBs, 5 IBBs) because he was pitched around so much. Saunders made his major league debut and gave up just 2 runs in 7.1 innings, but was unable to get a win because Frankie BB blew the save. Santana started two of the Angels wins and is showing a lot of guts: he had the Red Sox completely shut down through 7 innings before tiring a bit in the 8th. The other starters, Wash, Colon, Lackey, and Byrd, all held their own, putting the Angels in a position to win every game if their offense could have been a bit better. Yan and Gregg shut teams down over 6.1 innings and Shields gave up just 1 run over 4 innings (which, of course, earned him a loss).

Not: Finley went 3-20 with 1 BB and 5 Ks, and this includes last nights two hit game. It has been 3 weeks since I called for the nuclear option and I cannot help but feel that Scioscia feels that the double is the start of Finley getting hot...if he gets hot, that is good, but I have serious doubts. It is more likely that the two hit performance is really just masking stats that are becoming more and more miserable every week. Finley deserves a permanent spot here. Ztu is the only other regular that batted poorly, going 2-12. Frankie had one bad outing, but it caused a loss (in a way that Shields' did not really cause a loss. Byrd also turned a 0-0 pitcher's duel into an almost certain loss when he gave up a 3 run HR to Renteria in last night's game, but he did pitch great before then.

Coming up: The Angels are thankfully finished with Toronto, a team they just cannot seem to beat. They also were able to come away padding their lead slightly, despite their poor record, so these are good things. Also, GA should be back this week, which could mean Erstad to LF or CF and possibly Finley to the bench (well, we can hope). This should also be the Angels' easiest set of series until mid-September when they face Seattle, Detroit, Texas, and Tampa Bay in succession. Meanwhile, Oakland plays Detroit and Baltimore, leading into the second to last Angels-A's series of the season next week, making this the last week before the stretch run.

Opponents coming up: at Baltimore (60-63) August 23-25, at Tampa Bay (51-73) August 26-28

Probable Starters: Washburn vs. DuBose, Colon vs. Bedard, Lackey vs. Lopez, Santana vs. Fossum, Byrd vs. Waechter, Washburn vs. Hendrickson

Last night I had to set my alarm clock for the first time in... in... hell, I can't remember the last time I woke up before eleven.

The first day of a new semester. Let me tell you, there is no worse day on the calandar.

Randy Youngman reports that ESPN the Magazine has an interview with Jose "I fuck up wherever I go" Guillen in which he says that he did tip Frank Robinson off to Donnelly's pine tar.

This is high-larious! (hat tip: Jonah Goldberg at The Corner)

Interesting article on baseball pitches. My research professor thought I would be interested in this (he read it to see if it could give him any help on spin for tennis (of course, understanding and being able to apply spin effectively are very separate). I knew most of the basic ideas, but it interesting to see how many rotations a ball takes for each pitch (approximately 3000 rpm for a curveball and 1200 rpm for a fastball...or about 50 rotations per pitch on a curve ball and 10 rotations per pitch on a fastball). It then goes on to discuss how the eye perceives the different type of pitches and why certain ones are effective (such as rotation and how well the seams can be seen). It does a good job with the generalization of pitches, but it does not really try to describe specific differences very much (it discusses the spin and sight differences of the 2-seam and 4-seam fastball, but it does not really discuss why the 4-seamer is typically faster or the 2-seamer typically has more movement...or if that is just a visual perception on the part of the batter). Anyways, it makes for an interesting read and has some nice diagrams and pictures.

The Angels have been fairly inconsistent this year (rarely winning more than three games in a row, but also rarely losing more than 3 games in a row), so I decided to find out if there was some sort of a day of the week correlation:

      
Day         Record
Monday       11-3  
Tuesday       9-10 
Wednesday     9-10
Thursday      7-5
Friday       13-6
Saturday     12-9
Sunday       10-10

Since Mondays are always Game 1's, and Fridays are mostly Game 1's (although, occasionally Game 2's), it appears that they do best in the first game of a series. Of course, Tuesdays and Thursdays can also be Game 1's, I then decided to look and see how they have done by game in a series:

      
Game     Record
One       30-10  
Two       20-20 
Three     19-19
Four       2-4

Well, that looks pretty convincing that the Angels play best in the first game of a series. So, I decided to also parse season series records just to see what those are like, too:

      
Game     Record
One       13-5  
Two        7-11 
Three      7-11
Four      10-2
Five       7-5
Six        8-4
Seven      5-4
Eight      5-2
Nine       2-4
Ten        4-1
Eleven     2-1
Twelve     1-2
Thirteen   0-1

Well, this is the type of thing that makes it look like Game 1 of a series really seems to be a difference. The most common Game 1's would be Game 1, Game 4, Game 7, and Game 10, winning records all.

This could be some sort of evidence that teams quickly figure out how to beat the Angels lineup once they have seen them (I suppose one could parse their runs scored in these games to find out if that is the case...maybe I will do that when I am on an airplane or something). It could also have to do with pitching, however, because starting pitchers differ day-to-day much more than lineups, it would be difficult to make a correlation. Of course, this comes with the caveat that it could mean absolutely nothing. Small sample sizes, no controls were used, etc. If we pretend that it is a lineup thing, it could be due to the lag that scouting reports have in regards to real performance (such as, people probably felt Steve Finley was some sort of a threat even until August...now, however, everyone knows he is not...once you have seen him in a series, you may realize how weak he is in the field and at bat). That might leave you to expect that their record should get worse in each season series as it goes on, however, the lineup will fluctuate much more between series (guys going on the DL, etc.) than within one, so it can be much more difficult to compare those records.

Extraordinary Machine will finally be released on October 4th. (You can find my review of the leaked tracks here.)

Maybe the rumors of a artistic feud between Fiona and producer Jon Brion were true (though the pair are apparently now dating), as his somewhat cluttered sound has been wiped clean and replaced by rap producer extraordinaire Mike Elizondo. Judging by the clips available on the official site, I'd say it's a step backwards.

Gravity:

        WIN  PYTH
       PACE  PACE  DIFF
8/10    106    96   +10
8/20    100    92    +8

As you can see, they've still got quite a ways to go.

So much for Scott Schoeneweis and Mo Vaughn - there's a new public enemy #1 for Angels fans (via Rob):

"[The fans] pay their ticket and can do what they want to do, but I don't understand," Finley said. "If I was loafing out there, that would be one thing, but I'm busting my butt. When I walk to the plate and we're up 13-3 (Thursday night) and I hear boos from the fans, they don't know baseball. They can dish out whatever they want, but all I care about is winning."

Well fuck you too, buddy.

UPDATE: Matt Welch has a similar reaction. Though I must disagree with his assessment that "Angel fans certainly have their faults, but they ain't dumb." No, we're plenty dumb - it just so happens that we're right in this case.

Apparently Blogger has implemented a new tool in the fight against free expression. You can now "flag" a blog as "politically incorrect, potential [sic] hurtful, or just plain gross." Go check your blog*spot blog - it's been there for about three days now.

According to Blogger's explanation of the process, pages with enough flags will be reviewed by an actual living, breathing, Google employee before being recommended for either delisting, the placement of a disclaimer, or outright deletion. Human oversight might be a load off my mind (my first worry was that, if run using nothing more than a mathematical algorithm much like what Google uses to rate news sources, groups could get together and "freep" blogs they don't care for, or perhaps their friends' blogs as a practical joke), if not for Google's track record on identifying online "hate speech."

No, I don't like this one bit. But that's what you get when you blog on someone else's dime.

(Don't take this to mean that I'm worried for my own blog, or that there's going to be some kind of "Kristallnacht" against blogs of a certain political persuasion. What this comes down to is that any censorship of "objectionable material" is a perversion of what is (was?) a haven for the free expression of ideas and opinions. And I shouldn't need to point out that all material is "objectionable" to the people who disagree with it.)

Don't even think about it. In fact, the first person who says it gets a punch in the face.

According to tonight's broadcast, after having seen a specialist in Denver, Dallas McPherson has has been diagnosed with a bone spur and likely faces season-ending surgery. (Now corroborated by Rotoworld, h/t to an anonymous commenter.)

Well, drat.

Offered - with a grain of salt - for your consumption: has Roger Clemens tested positive for steroids?

I'm sort of hoping it's true, if for no other reason than I'm sick and tired of ESPN's 24/7 Terrell Owens watch.

So, on Tuesday, I am making my summer trip to Orange County. The reason it is so late in the summer this year (I would normally go in July or so) is because my girlfriend's college roommate is getting married. Of course, she picked an outdoor wedding in late August, so it will be boiling, but that's OK. So, how will this affect, you, the readers? Well, probably not terribly much. I will only have intermittant internet access, so I will probably not post the August 28th Week in Review (I will be back on the 31st, so I may post it then). I also will probably won't post during that week, but I will still check things and comment when things get juicy. Unfortunately, the only Angel game I would be able to attend is a game on August 30th against the A's (they are away for the rest of the time I am in town) and I have no idea if I will be able to go to that or even if it is sold out already. That means no Angel games this year.

From BBC Radio's latest "From Our Own Correspondent," examining why millions still flock to the United States rather than the warm, loving womb of the European "social model":

"Why do you want to live here and not in Europe?" I asked a young woman from Ethiopia, who tipped back her Seattle Mariners baseball cap and looked at me as if I were completely mad.

"Europe," she said disdainfully.

"What do they ever hope for in Europe? Here they have a law that you can dream to be happy."

I love it! I'm even willing to overlook this woman's poor choice in headwear.

Buster Olney has something interesting... No! Come on back! This is worth your time, honest! It's just about the smartest thing I've ever seen from the man who brought us the "productive out":

A scout who saw Francisco Rodriguez throw on Tuesday night was stunned by the diminished velocity on his fastball -- in the mid- to high-80s, the scout said. He missed 17 games in May, and his workload was not unusually heavy before the All-Star break. Since the All-Star break, however, he has repeatedly pitched on consecutive days -- on July 14-15, July 17-18, July 21-22-23, July 28-29-30, and Aug. 14-15-16. It is somewhat similar to the type of schedule Eric Gagne had as he wore down at the end of last season.

Scot Shields has been remarkable, but he is bearing a heavy burden: He is on pace to accumulate 80 appearances and 99 innings, after racking up 105.1 innings over 60 outings last year. Brendan Donnelly, on track for a career high in appearances, might already be showing signs of wear and tear. The opponents' batting average against him has gone from .180 to .212 to .333 from month-to-month since the end of May, and he's got a 4.73 ERA since the All-Star break. It's no wonder that Angels manager Mike Scioscia is considering moving Kelvim Escobar to the bullpen when he is activated off the disabled list in the weeks ahead.

When you look closer, you'll find that this grueling pace is nothing new:

            2003  2004  2005*
Donnelly    74.0  42.0  69.0
Rodriguez   86.0  84.0  62.0
Shields    148.1 105.1  98.0

Note that the only "rest" any of these guys have received over the past three seasons came in the form of DL stints (Donnelly last season and Frankie this season) - that's not a great sign. Peter Gammons was saying it last year, and it remains true today; the same few arms in the Angels' bullpen have been working non-stop since the 2002 championship campaign.

What's led to this horrible abuse is the front office's refusal to bring in real reinforcements. Racking up those kinds of innings year-after-year is just not sustainable, and everyone knows it. The cliff has been within clear view for years now - we've just now driven off it.

UPDATE: I forgot - there should be a hat tip to Joe on this.

Suck on this, France!

The DP notes that, with the filing deadline still five days away, 17 people have claimed the required paperwork to enter the October 4th Special Election. And they've got names:

Republicans: Marilyn C. Brewer of Newport Beach; John Campbell of Irvine; David R. Crouch of Corona del Mar; Delecia Holt of Aliso Viejo; John Kelly of Tustin; Guy E. Mailly of Irvine; Scott MacCabe of Irvine; Marshall Samuel Sanders of Santa Ana; Edward A. Suppe of Huntington Beach; Don Udall of Corona del Mar

Democrats: John Graham of Irvine; Steve Young of Newport Beach

Other parties: Libertarian Bruce Cohen of Aliso Viejo; decline-to-state candidates D. Bruce Smith of Seal Beach and Al Salehi of Corona del Mar; Green Party candidate Bea Tiritilli of Santa Ana; American Independent Party candidate Jim Gilchrist of Aliso Viejo.

The only names to know: Campbell, Brewer, and Gilchrist, in that order. Also, note the absence of "B-1" Bob Dornan - he will forego another embarrassing, self-destructive run, and has instead endorsed Jim Gilchrist.

K-Rod questions linger

Why did Frankie blow up last night? Depends on who you ask!

Frankie Rodriguez:

"The last 22 games, only three times on the mound? How do you expect the velocity to be there?" he said before Tuesday's game.

Mike Scioscia:

"It's more due to a mechanical thing than to him being too rested or tired," Scioscia said.

Bud Black:

Pitching coach Bud Black said the Angels had backed off Rodriguez after using him 10 times in the previous 17 days.

"We thought, let's get him as much rest as we possibly can," Black said. "That can affect command. That can affect stuff. That's probably what you saw."

Too little work, too much work, bad mechanics, dead-arm, those extra innings thrown in winter ball, and all manner of other doomsday scenarios have been offered as excuses. Could we be missing the obvious? The one thing that seems to be lost in all of this is the fact that Frankie was working for the third straight day. If the guy was indeed tired, wouldn't it likely be attributed to that?

UPDATE: Chronicles goes deeper into this and finds that Frankie has been frightenly bad in the past when pitching three days in a row. So it looks like we have a winner.

No one likes Scott Schoeneweis

This guy just doesn't get it (same article as above):

Schoeneweis pitched for the Angels from 1999 to 2003 and served as player representative during the 2002 season. On the eve of a threatened strike, Angel players dodged baseballs, pizza boxes, water bottles and other objects thrown onto the field. Schoeneweis said that night that he understood the fans' frustration but compared the minority of fans who went beyond boos to children who threw things when they did not get their way.

"That's making guys susceptible to injury. I had a problem with that. We all did," he said Tuesday. "I said the majority of the people in the stadium handled themselves with respect. The actions of a few shouldn't spoil it for everybody. I said I thought our fans would have more class than that. That's all they remember - the class thing."

I was in the crowd that night (it's one of my most vivid and cherished memories). I assure you, the ruckus-makers were no minority. Calling them "classless" was calling every Angel fan - no, make that every baseball fan - classless, because we were all in the same boat. And that's why you're the most hated man in Anaheim. Dickbag.

Here's Matt Welch's take on that night - one of my favorite posts ever.

Help on the way?

Don't look now, but Bret Prinz has 12 K's in just 8 innings of work over his current rehab assignment. That's pretty remarkable for a guy coming off an arm injury.

Anderson injury could be arthritis flair-up

So says the OC Register. Oh goody. So who do we acquire to play left next season?

How does the New London city council get around? You know, with balls this big? Seems like it would be uncomfortable:

"And there are more storms on the horizon. In June 2004, [New London Development Corp.] sent the seven affected residents a letter indicating that after the completion of the case, the city would expect to receive retroactive "use and occupancy" payments (also known as "rent") from the residents.

In the letter, lawyers argued that because the takeover took place in 2000, the residents had been living on city property for nearly five years, and would therefore owe rent for the duration of their stay at the close of the trial. Any money made from tenants - some residents' only form of income - would also have to be paid to the city.

With language seemingly lifted straight from The Goonies , NLDC's lawyers wrote, "We know your clients did not expect to live in city-owned property for free, or rent out that property and pocket the profits, if they ultimately lost the case." They warned that "this problem will only get worse with the passage of time," and that the city was prepared to sue for the money if need be."

Bastards.

Another bullpen implosion, another round of criticism for Mike Scioscia. I, for one, don't see it. This might come as a shock to many of you, but I generally have very little negative to say about Mike Scioscia these days, and that includes his handling of the bullpen situation.

I gather that tonight's point of contention was the decision not to pull Frankie after he loaded the bases - or even earlier than that. But I ask, in favor of whom? The schizophrenic Brendan Donnelly? The enigmatic Joel Peralta? Kevin Gregg, a tail of two halves? Esteban "doesn't require a modifier" Yan?

Look - we got our best guy in there with a lead, and he blew it. It happens occasionally. Time to tip your cap, and time to realize that if this bullpen blows, it's not necessarily because Mike Scioscia messed up - it's because Bill Stoneman hasn't supplied the tools for success.

Oh, and booing Frankie off the field was totally classless. Way to go, Angels fans.

UPDATE: Frankie should be sent to the minors? Are you shitting me?

JOSH: I think the main thing for Frankie is just to have the confidence to throw strikes. He has been through this glut where he walks a ton of people before. It seems to happen after he has struck out a bunch of guys swinging, then people lay off of his slider (because he throws it for a ball a lot) and he just keeps throwing it for a ball. The Blue Jays as a team this year appear to have decided to make Frankie pitch strikes...and he hasn't been doing it very well. I personally would rather him throw the strikes (with the potential for big hits) than walk a guy with the bases loaded. He needs to trust his defense and that people won't be able to hit his pitches well very much even when they are in the strike zone. By no means does he need to go to the minors. Usually once he pulls out of these walk-a-thons he is ridiculously hard to hit (meaning normal Frankie). Everyone slumps, Frankie will be fine, and the team will be helped more if Frankie can work through his problems in the majors than if he is sent down.

UPDATE: The real shame here is that this Frankie nonesense has us looking past the fact that Joe Saunders was absolute nails. I really like this guy. Starting with a major league changeup from day one is a real advantage. We're not going to have sit through the growing pains as he tries to pick one up as he goes.

Hell, the Angels would still be waiting on these guys.

Lot's of excitement (even more excitement here) over the news that Darin Erstad may make his way back to centerfield by season's end. I'm somewhat excited as well (any move that sees Steve Finley demoted to permanent dugout duty is a step in the right direction), but temperately so.

We can't just assume that Erstad will be as effective in center as he was during his gold-glove years. I mean, he was (presumably) moved to first for a reason. Though my lying eyes tell me that he doesn't show any ill effects of those hamstring injuries when playing at first. He moves well laterally, he covers as much ground as anyone, and he still has a tremendous jump on the ball.

But of course, success at first is no sure sign of success in center. And there are very real reasons for concern. Namely, that Erstad's steal rate has fallen in each of the last three seasons (note that this is only how often he attempts to steal, not how often he is successful. That rate hasn't dropped one bit - in fact, it's improved):

      OPP*  ATT  RATE
2002  164   26   15.85%
2003  75    10   13.33%
2004  150   17   11.33%
2005  136   10   7.35%

*oppertunites (h - (2b + 3b + hr) + bb + hbp) is an estimate, as I couldn't find Reached on Error data. Also, for the sake of ease, we'll just assume that all of Erstad's steals were of the first to second variety.

It concerns me that Erstad has either lost a step or believes he's lost a step. That would be a major problem for a center fielder, but one that wouldn't necessarily manifest itself in his play at first. So the Angels would be in for a nasty surprise if they go through with it.

But that's all just talk, predicated on the theory that his decline is a question of confidence. It's entirely possible that Erstad has simply become a more selective basestealer (as his rising success rates show). I don't know.

Lefty Joe Saunders will start tomorrow's game in place of the ailing Paul Byrd, so says the Grand Phyzard.

Like I said, exciting time to be an Angels fan.

Tango Tiger has his defensive scouting report open for voting. Go over and give your observations on the Angels. It only takes a minute, and you'll be doing a service to the online baseball community. And please, don't be a homer on this one - this isn't all-star balloting.

According to Kahuna over at OC Blog, Governor Schwarzenegger has set the 48th district Special Election for the 6th of December. The primary will be held on October 11th 4th - only 57 50 days away.

It'll be a sprint - what elections should be.

UPDATE: Fixed the date. Also, I should mention that this will be three elections for the voters of the 48th district in a three-month span (Congressional primary 10/11, State-wide special 11/8, and Congressional 12/6).

Don't miss Sean's one act play.

If you haven't heard, last week, a military intelligence operation known as Project Able Danger was revealed to have possibly flagged 4 future terrorists (future 9/11 pilots) for arrest in the year 2000. They were not able to get this across because of the law against sharing intelligence info with the FBI. Of course, it is difficult to say how much of this is true (right now it is just a couple of unnamed sources). A new article from Mike Kelly of the Bergen Report (hat tip: TKS) highlights how Able Danger did what they did: through data mining. This passage makes them sound like newfangled baseball statisticians using SABRmetrics:

The 11-person group called itself "Project Able Danger." Think of them as a super-secret Delta Force or SEAL team. But instead of guns, they relied on advanced math training as their key weapons. And instead of traditional spying methods or bust-down-the-door commando tactics, the Able Danger group booted up a set of high-speed, super-computers and collected vast amounts of data.

The technique is called "data mining." The Able Danger team swept together information from al-Qaida chat rooms, news accounts, Web sites and financial records. Then they connected the dots, comparing the information with visa applications by foreign tourists and other government records.

Maybe Able Danger will publish 90% TORT (Terror Over Replacement Terrorist) levels for all of the major terrorists every year.

Overall Record: 68-49 Pythagorean Record 69-48 Games Ahead 1 Week Record: 4-2 Pace: 94-68
Record after 117 games:
2002: 69-48 2003: 54-63 2004: 64-53

Opponents: at Oakland (1-2), at Seattle (3-0)

Hot: Vlad took over this week, going 11-22, with 5 home runs, 13 RBI, 3 steals, and 2 outfield assists. AK was 8-20, Bengie was 7-18 with 2 home runs, Juan Rivera was 6-14 with a home run, and Figgy was 10-26 with a homer and 3 steals (although he was caught once, as well). Byrd, Colon, and Santana all pitched great games and deserved wins, which only Colon picked up. They gave up 2 earned runs in 20 innings and went 1-2 in their starts. Lackey also pitched one great game, but pitched another game that was pretty mediocre tonight. Meanwhile, the dynamic relieving duo of Yan and Gregg combined to pitch 5 scoreless innings.

Not: Finley returned to "playing" this week and was 3-24. In addition, he successfully was the last out of an inning each time he came up to bat in tonight's game (including a double play). Get this man out of the lineup! Erstad has slumped a bit of late, and went 6-23 with 8 strikeouts and ended many an inning right in front of Vlad. The relief pitching largely stunk. They gave up all but 1 run against the A's (10 runs in 6.2 innings) and cost the series win against Oakland. They came back much stronger against Seattle, but Donnelly still allowed two inherited runners to score. Also, the team defense was largely bad this week, with just about everyone making some kind of fielding mistake at some point.

Coming up: The Angels face Toronto again this week. Toronto is one of only two teams to sweep the Angels this year (they got their revenge on the other, Seattle, this weekend). Also, the Angels face Boston, who they haven't faced since early June. Both teams have changed pretty significantly due to injuries (and recoveries) since then. The Angels biggest change is that Vlad is back, while the Red Sox have changed their pitching staff a lot... to be honest, I am just completely guessing on the probable starters list down there. Let me call again, for the team to free Steve Finley! Meanwhile, Jeff Mathis was called up for the Seattle, but has gotten minimal play time (a couple innings at the backstop and a single at bat). I was always under the impression that you only called prospects up if they were going to play everyday (and non-prospect minor leaguers if you just needed a bench spot). This goes for Kotchman, as well, as he has only seen action in about half of the games since he was called up.

Opponents coming up: vs. Toronto (61-56) August 15-17, vs. Boston (68-47) August 18-21

Probable Starters: Santana vs. Chacin, Byrd vs. Downs, Washburn vs. Tower, Colon vs. Clement, Lackey vs. Wakefield, Santana vs. Arroyo, Byrd vs. Gonzalez

Fact: The Angels are still without a local broadcast contract for the 2006 season, having failed to hammer-out a deal with KCOP or KTTV.

Fact: The Angels are engaged in a feud with Fox Sports Net West over the club's desire to create a competing cable network.

Fact: Both KCOP and KTTV are owned by Fox Television Stations Group.

Coincidence?

I'm speechless, and have been since the 4th inning of tonight's game. That Guerrero homerun... wow. I mean, the second one was impressive too. But that first one...

Wow.

The California Supreme Court ruled Friday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempt to change the way legislative districts are drawn should be placed back on November's special election ballot.

The 4-2 decision overturns a state appellate court ruling that removed the measure because of a wording dispute. It also settles the slate of initiatives voters will decide Nov. 8, unless the governor and the Democratically controlled Legislature agree to a compromise set of reforms in the days ahead.

In its ruling, the San Francisco-based court said it was unconvinced there were different meanings in two different versions of the redistricting measure. The version distributed to voters for the signatures required to place it on the ballot differed from the version submitted to the attorney general's office for review.

I don't know about you, but I didn't expect this at all.

Rob reports that Jeff Mathis has made the jump to the big club. No word on who's going down.

Sounds like the Angels are giving Mathis an audition with an eye to the starting job in 2006. If that is the case, it is a huge mistake on their part. As I said in his scouting report, Mathis needs another year of polish in the minors before he makes an impact in the show.

Still, I can't wait to see him in action. It's an exciting time to be an Angel fan.

UPDATE: It's Josh Paul heading to the DL with a "sprained right thumb". And, as expected, Bootcheck makes way for Washburn, who starts today in Seattle.

Help is on the way for the 30 million annual air-passengers of Orange County! Somehow I doubt Donald Nyre is pleased.

With a little editing, this shirt would be perfect attire for the next Freeway Series (h/t Gleeman).

Some group calling itself the Bay Area Center for Voting Research has ranked the 237 largest American cities according to their standing on the liberal/conservative political spectrum (via OC Blog). It's hardly surprising to find that Orange County dominates the top 50 on the conservative side, with Orange, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Rancho Cucamonga, Santa Clarita, Fullerton, Anaheim, and Costa Mesa all checking in.

Orange County may not be quite as conservative as it used to be, but it's still "red" through and through. Don't let anybody tell you different.

Unlike some folks, I love nothing more than saying "I told you so." I live for it.

UPDATE: How did this team manage to find itself in first place to begin with?

UPDATE: Welcome to the Dark Side, Matt.

Now it becomes apparent why I was so adamant about making a deal. Where would we be right now had the Angels acquired Jay Witasick instead of the A's?

BOX

There's a discussion over at AN about my comment that "[t]he next time we see [Huston] Street, Scioscia needs to say something about his feet coming completely off the rubber during his wind-up. Could be of some value down the stretch."

My feeling is that, when a guy is in violation of the rules, there can be no fault in calling him on it (and yes A's fans, I said much the same when it was Brendan Donnelly who was busted). Even if it offers no obvious or tangible advantage, I would think that in the heat of competition, you owe it to the team and your fans to use the rules to any (legal) advantage that you may find.

Now I don't know what advantage might be gained from bringing this to the attention of the umpires - is it a balk? Or just a talking-to? (Hell, I'm not even sure it's against the rules - you try to work your way through this without having your brain leak-out through your ear.) You can even call it "mind games" if you wish, but we all know mind games are part of baseball - I seem to remember an incident in the first inning of last night's game in which a certain pitcher threw under the chin a certain slugger. But the ball was probably just slick... right A's fans?

Whatever it is, the point is that it's not an "unfair advantage" by any means. The A's are more than welcome to reciprocate if they think the sweat puddles on Brendan Donnelly's neck give off too much glare. And this Angel fan won't even hold it against you.

UPDATE: Nico over at AN points to this analysis of Street's delivery and concludes that it's "debatable whether Street satisfies this rule." The rule in question (8.01 A):

The pitcher may have one foot, not the pivot foot, off the rubber and any distance he may desire back of a line which is an extension to the back edge of the pitcher's plate, but not at either side of the pitcher's plate. With his "free" foot the pitcher may take one step backward and one step forward, but under no circumstances, to either side, that is to either the first base or third base side of the pitcher's rubber.

Going back and looking at the video from last night, I'm seeing two distinct steps backward - one with the "free foot," followed by one with the "pivot foot" (Nico calls this second motion a "drag"). The important thing to note is that Street's "pivot foot" clearly comes completely off the rubber with the second motion (you can see under his foot), giving it the distinct articulated motion of a step. For that reason it appears to violate the rule.

UPDATE: I know this doesn't prove anything, but here's a visual of what I'm talking about:


This screen was taken after his initial movement backwards with his left ("free") foot. If you watch the video, you'll see that his right ("pivot") foot will also move off the first base side of the rubber before he makes his final leg kick. So it seems that there are a couple of flags here.

Perfect time for an outage, blogger.

RICHARD (7:10 PDT): Anderson is out of the lineup with "left knee problems". Too bad - he's owned Barry Zito in the past (.352, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR).

JOSH (7:15 PDT): What is up with all the stadium name changes? I used to be able to name every stadium. Now Oakland is in McAfee Stadium? Did it change this year? I actually meant to bring this up when the Angels played the Blue Jays. When did they start playing in the Rogers Center? Is that the SkyDome? Or did they move? Meanwhile, Erstad is walked with two outs, bringing up Vlad, who is almost beaned on the first pitch by Zito. I can't tell you how happy I am that Chris Berman is not announcing this game (he has the Texas-Boston game right now). Vlad just walked.

RICHARD (7:18 PDT): Well, that's what happens when you mine the Silicon Valley for your naming rights deal.

JOSH (7:20 PDT): I think this is the first time I have seen Santana pitch.

RICHARD (7:29) That's a bad Kotchman! No first-pitch swinging! Bad!

JOSH (7:30 PDT): That's one of the reasons I am even more confused by the Toronto one. I loved the name SkyDome, so if they renamed it, that sucks. If they changed stadiums, I never heard about it. ESPN or someone needs to put up a stadium translation table before each season begins (of course it would probably become an Insider article).

RICHARD (7:32): I think they renamed SkyDome when the club bought the stadium for a paltry sum (after taxpayers shelled-out $600 million to build the thing, I might add). And here’s another one that didn’t quite go through.

JOSH (7:42): Is it just me, or does Jay Payton look like an asshole?

RICHARD (7:45): Wow. Snap judgement?

Frankly, he's one of the few A's I don't feel some sort of ill will towards. But give it time. I'll get there...

JOSH (7:48): Well, I was looking just at his face, but I am sure the bleach white pants and dark green shirt don't help his case.

RICHARD (7:54): After nearly nailing Vlad in the first inning, Zito doesn't miss in the the 3rd. You know what that means - Chavez gets one between the numbers.

RICHARD (7:56): BENGIE!

JOSH (7:57): Zito got what he deserved with Clutch Flying Molina's double.

JOSH (7:58): Time to watch The Tick. Be back in 30 minutes.

RICHARD (7:59): That show is still on?

JOSH (8:00): It is reruns of the old cartoon series. Play them on Toon Disney 10 PM here (11 PM Pacific).

RICHARD (8:00): The guys over at Halos Heaven were questioning the inclusion of DaVanon in today's lineup. To which I say:

    Since July 1st:
          AVG  OBP  SLG
DaVanon   .250 .441 .409
Rivera    .208 .279 .390
Guerrero  .252 .307 .480

And his numbers against lefties are even more impressive: .556/.652/.778. Now watch him come through with the bases loaded...

RICHARD (8:02): Ok, maybe not so much...

RICHARD (8:05): Adam Melhuse shows why he's always the first trade I make in MVP Baseball 2005. 2-1 Angels in the bottom of the third.

RICHARD (8:22): The problem with the Angels' bullpen: Francisco Rodriguez has only appeared in 40 games to Brendan Donnelly's 44. That's exactly why I was opposed to labeling Frankie as "the Closer".

JOSH (8:30): I am back now. Erstad is showing great patience at the plate right now.

JOSH (8:40): The Angels have worked Zito up to 103 pitches in 5 innings (if he pitches the 6th, it will likely be his last). This has been on the strength of 6 walks.

RICHARD (8:49): GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLL! Landon Donovan puts the Galaxy up 1-0 over Chivas.

Too much on my sporting plate tonight. (If such a thing is possible.)

RICHARD (8:54): Santana has been incredible tonight. I love the fact that he's just pulling back and ripping that fastball by guys when he gets in trouble.

RICHARD (8:59): Galaxy sweep the season series with Chivas. Anybody notice that the only time the Galaxy can win on the road is when "the road" is at home? No, of course not. Because you're all soccer-hating bastards.

JOSH (9:00): He really has. He has had some minor troubles with balls, but he hasn't let it get to him. I am glad I get to watch him on a good day.

RICHARD (9:11): Tie game. Too bad. Magic deserved better than a no decision.

RICHARD (9:14): Goddamit Jeff. You make it real hard to be your lone defender when you do shit like that.

RICHARD (9:17): More of that $8m defense from Cabbie, right Matt?

RICHARD (9:17): Give that fourth run in equal measure to Shields, DaVanon, and Cabrera. I think I'm going to be sick. 4-2 'Tics after seven.

JOSH (9:20): That was annoying. I didn't agree with the decision to take Santana out before that inning (he had only thrown 92 pitches). Give one part of that to Finley, too, for misplaying that double...excuse me, triple. (Why wasn't that a double with error and the other one an infield single rather than an error?)

JOSH (9:35): Joe Morgan just claimed the A's do not want to see Finley bat this inning. Dude, FINLEY SUCKS!

RICHARD (9:37): Wow. That was a pair of horseshit calls. Not only was the pitch well outside, but Brian Gorman displayed an awfully short trigger in tossing out DaVanon. If throwing your bat were grounds for ejection, A-Rod would never make it past the sixth inning.

RICHARD (9:42): To the ninth. Do or die time against Huston Street.

RICHARD (9:44): Rex just said Finley is in a “little slump.”

JOSH (9:44): HOLY HELL!! Joe Morgan was right!

RICHARD (9:45): Yeah, well, he still sucks. 4-3 'Tics.

JOSH (9:48): Morgan or Finley?

RICHARD (9:49): Both. Morgan especially. But Finley more especially.

RICHARD (9:49): Down to our final out. It's Cabbie's time to redeem himself.

GAME OVER: All knotted up again.

RICHARD (9:56): The next time we see Street, Scioscia needs to say something about his feet coming completely off the rubber during his wind-up. Could be of some value down the stretch.

I know this because Tuesday Morning Quarterback is back! Huzzah!

Today the the Times goes in-depth on something I mentioned in passing a couple weeks ago: the Angels are still having trouble finding a new home on broadcast television. KCAL, the major independent station in Southern California and the Angels' current partner, has agreed to broadcast Dodger games for the next eight years, leaving the team out in the cold.

That would leave open precious few options - most likely KTLA 5 (the local WB affiliate) or KCOP 13 (UPN), both of which have played host to Dodger games over the past decade (KCOP does so currently). However, both of the fledgling national networks are pushing their affiliates to devote weeknights to the networks' primetime lineups, meaning more Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls and fewer local sports.

The Angels' fallbacks aren't pretty either. The only remaining options would be KDOC (an Irvine-based independent station, specializing in Matlock re-runs) and KPXN (affiliate of the i Network, formerly known as PAX) - neither of which are considered to be major media outlets, and couldn't offer the Angels more than a pittance for the rights. Incidentally, KDOC has broadcast a few Angel games over the past couple of seasons (deals struck at the eleventh hour to maximize the club's exposure), though the broadcasts were plagued by technical difficulties.

So what it comes down to is Angel fans are faced with the very real possibility of no broadcast coverage of the team's games (it's unlikely scenario however, as the team would probably suck it up and move to KDOC in the short-term if push came to shove). That's 50 games that wouldn't find their way to the people. And that's 50 games worth of revenue that won't find it's way into the club's coffers.

Oh, but it's not just 50 games.

You see, the Angels' cable partner, FSN West, will broadcast 100 games this season. That's actually above and beyond the contract they signed with Disney in 1998, which calls for the cable network to broadcast only 50 games a year. Over the past several seasons FSN has agreed to pick-up extra games at the last minute. But now they're refusing to pick up those extra games in future seasons, having been understandably spooked by Arte Moreno's talk of a competing cable network.

The problem here is that, unlike in broadcast markets, there is no competition in local cable sports networks. If FSN doesn't take them, nobody does.

A perfect storm: 100 games lost in a major media market. That's no way to "build a brand."

This is all very unlikely, as I'm almost certain Arte Moreno will blink on the cable network. Frankly, the timing is all wrong, making it a nearly impossible road to tread. Moreno knows this, though the threat could very well be the leverage he requires to squeeze an improved long-term deal out of FSN.

Still, the possibility that the Angels' television schedule will feature large gaps of fifty or even a hundred games is something fans should brace themselves for in the coming seasons.

JOSH: I think this and the name change show what Arte thinks his team deserves (higher revenues as a large market team), but he has to realize he won't always get it. His argument with the name change was that more people would identify with the team, more ads would be sold for more money during games, and the team would pick up more revenue from having more fans and better TV contracts. However, the Angels have been the second class team in the LA area since they were founded and despite the World Series win, they remain there. The Mets and White Sox are always going to remain as second class teams in their respective cites, too, it is just a fact. Over a long period of time, the Angels will be able to move up the ladder closer to have a fan base (and media perception) closer to that of the Dodgers. Arte complained that the Dodgers get 2-3 times as much in TV revenue than the Angels and why shouldn't the Angels? Their performance has been just as good or better lately, but people care as much about the histories. People have brand loyalty (I drink Pepsi, I play Nintendo, I wear Levi's).

So, Arte flaunted his current fan base by changing the name (re-branding it, as it were) and they did not complain much, because he at least made an argument that it will make the team better by increasing revenues. But the simple act of placing Los Angeles in the team name has not caused fans to come to more games (attendance has increased slightly, largely due to the continued success of the team) and it has not caused TV stations to offer them a contract comparable to what the Dodgers get. They will not get such a contract any time soon. And then, when he doesn't get his way, he starts making threats. First, he did it with Anaheim by saying he may look into moving the team when he has an option to leave the lease. Then, he did it with the TV stations he has a contract with by saying he might look into starting up his own cable station (which would, in fact, directly compete with Fox Sports West and Fox Sports West 2). Well, Anaheim may not have the power to stop Arte from moving, but the TV contract is one in which Fox holds the power (largely because the Angels have become this successful and increased payroll accordingly only after the contract began). I think Arte needs to learn to bite his tongue before he says things that will piss off other groups he has contracts with.

RICHARD (7:00 PDT): Erstad's back in the lineup at first, batting third (doh!), with Kotchman as the DH batting sixth.

The lineups:

    ANGELS                A's
C. Figgins, 3B      J. Kendall, C
O. Cabrera, SS      M. Ellis, 2B
D. Erstad, 1B       B. Crosby, SS
V. Guerrero, RF     E. Chavez, 3B
G. Anderson, LF     D. Johnson, 1B
C. Kotchman, DH     N. Swisher, RF
B. Molina, C        B. Kielty, LF
S. Finley, CF       J. Payton, CF
A. Kennedy, 2B      A. Melhuse, DH

RICHARD (7:10 PDT): Darin Erstad is one of the game's premier "situational hitters." What evidence is there to back that up? Well, none. You'll just have to take the Grand Phyzard's word for it.

Anyway, the great situational hitter uses those "skills" to force Mark Ellis into an uncharacteristic error, scoring Figgins from third. 1-0 Angels early.

RICHARD (7:12 PDT): Guerrero follows it up with a RBI single. C'mon big inning! 2-0 Angels

RICHARD (7:29 PDT): Angels have got something brewing in the second as well after Finley reached on a strikeout/wild pitch and Kennedy singled. 1st & 3rd, no out.

RICHARD (7:31 PDT): SQEEZE PLAY! Finley scores and Cabrera reaches first when Harden can't get the handle! Putting presure on the defense - it's what the Angels do best.

RICHARD (7:33 PDT): And another mistake by the A's. Harden ruins a double play ball by getting his hand in the way. If the A's are spooked, having the bases loaded with Vlad up won't help none.

RICHARD (7:33 PDT): GRAND SLAM! Who didn't see that coming? Angels 7, A's 0 Top 2nd.

JOSH (7:36 PDT): Since I don't actually get to watch this game, I have to say that it looks like the A's necks are tightening up. Vlad GRAND SLAM!!! He seems to be the one Angel that has a real killer instinct when batting. I really think he does get better at certain moments (many of his recent home runs have been absolutely HUGE).

RICHARD (7:50 PDT): You and your clutch hitting...

RICHARD (9:08 PDT): Lackey continues to cruise and the Angels have added another run against Keiichi Yabu. Angels 8, A's 0, Top 8th

RICHARD (9:12 PDT): Why is there no ESPN gamecast tonight? Don't tell me they're making that paid content too...

JOSH (9:15 PDT): Well, from the beginning of the infamous Seattle Sweep (July 7th) until July 24, Vlad's average dropped from .348 to .305. During that time, he was 7-58 (.121) and hit 3 home runs and a double. His double came in the second Seattle game with the Angels down 7-0 and Figgins on 1st in the 6th...not entirely helpful, but it did get the offense off the ground as they ended up pulling to 7-4 before losing 10-4. The first home run came in the last game of that Seattle series, with the Angels down 7-3 and no one on base in the 6th...making it a winnable game (it still ended 7-4). His next home run came with the Angels down 5-2 in the 7th inning in the first game against the Yankees, and it was a grand slam to take the lead and eventually the game. His final home run was a 3 run shot with the Angels down 3-1 in the third against the Yankees two days later and it that completely changed the face of that game. Two of Vlad's 3 singles were essentially meaningless (one was in a 2-1 victory over Minnesota, the other a 3-0 loss against Oakland, neither of which had a man on before him, nor did anyone get a hit behind him). The other single was in the last game of that Yankee set, when in the 8th inning, down 3-1 Vlad started a near rally with a leadoff single. GA then popped out, Fins walked, and Ztu hit into a DP. So, 5 of his 7 hits during his prolonged slump had or could have easily had some meaning to the outcome of the game (including his two home runs that basically won games for the team).

JOSH (9:17 PDT): I am watching on CBS Sportsline's GameCenter.

GAME OVER: It ends 9-2. So I was wrong when I said the Angels had seen first for the last time. Sue me.

Prop. 77 would appear to be dead.

It's disappointing, but the pro-77 activists have no one to blame but themselves. They knew the rules. By re-working the language - no matter how subtly - they gave Bill Lockyer an out. They had to expect him to take it.

Hey, look on the bright side - there's always 2006...

Patrick Hruby of ESPN's Page 2 reports on the Madden craze. Apparently, the Angels wanted the game so badly, they requested an advance copy:

Andy Roddick, Snoop Dogg, the guys from "Entourage" and the Anaheim Angels are among those who have contacted EA Sports, asking -- read: begging -- for an advance copy of Madden.

"The Angels PR director wanted one for their clubhouse," says Wendy Spander, a senior PR manager at EA Sports. "They're jonesing. And these guys are in a pennant race. We don't even answer our phones right now."

Maybe playing that game is what has given the Angels offense a kick in the pants since July ended (assuming they got one early as requested).

Offered as a companion to this comment over at Rob's place, I give you the available shortstops who would have been a better value than Orlando Cabrera:

Chone Figgins: 138.35% of the value at 4.88% of the cost.

Maicer Izturis: 70.42% of the value at 4% of the cost.

Rich Aurilia: 192.00% of the value at 6.25% of the cost.

Royce Clayton: 70.51% of the value at 16.25% of the cost.

David Eckstein: 159.52% of the value at 42.75% of the cost.

Neifi Perez: 53.47% of the value at 12.50% of the cost.

Placido Polanco: 138.35% of the value at 57.50% of the cost.

Edgar Renteria: 196.54% of the value at 125% of the cost.

Omar Vizquel: 157.97% of the value at 51% of the cost.

Yep - that's every major free-agent shortstop with the exception of Cristian Guzman and Nomar Garciaparra. Which one of these guys should be starting for the Angels? Take your pick.

If you picked Neifi Perez, pick again.

Overall Record: 64-47 Pythagorean Record 64-47 Games Ahead 0 Week Record: 4-2 Pace: 93-69
Record after 111 games:
2002: 66-45 2003: 53-58 2004: 61-50

Opponents: vs. Baltimore (2-1), vs. Tampa Bay (2-1)

Hot: The team's bats have heated back up a bit, with Vlad, who has broken out of his slump with 3 doubles and 2 home runs and 9 hits on the week. DaVanon went 3-6 and walked four times in limited action... he now has more walks than strikeouts on the season (36-34). Mighty Casey came out of the minors scorching, banging 3 home runs and 4 hits in 10 at bats and walking 3 more times. Finley deserves a mention here, if only because he sat out most of the last half of the week. The mighty bullpen trio of Shields, Gregg, and Peralta combined for 11 Ks, while giving up just 3 hits and 1 walk in 10.1 innings. Colon pitched 14 innings this week, picking up 13 Ks and giving up just 3 runs, 2 off of solo home runs. Santana pitched a pretty stellar game, giving up just two earned runs, but errors hurt him and he lost the game because of poor situational hitting. Lackey also pitched another solid game, although he gave up 3 walks for the first time since June 18th.

Not: Figgins did not hit well, picking up only 6 hits in 28 at bats and getting caught twice in 3 SB attempts. The other half of Finley is that he went 2-12 on the week. The only other particularly bad hitter on the week was AK, who went 4-16, but did have 3 walks and 1 steal. The only pitchers that didn't do that great were Bootcheck, who followed up a spectacular outing at Yankee Stadium by giving up 10 hits and 6 runs in 3.2 innings to the Devil Rays and Frankie, who actually only pitched 1 inning, but gave up a solo home run therein.

Coming up: Washburn is eligible to come off of the DL this week (I think before the Oakland series even begins, but will probably make his return against Seattle) and Dallas will probably come off of it as well. I expect Erstad to be DL'ed (if he is not sufficiently better) and Bootcheck to be sent down. I even have a feeling (no doubt completely erroneous) that Erstad will be DL'ed and by the time he comes back, Finley will either have proven to be of some value or gotten rid of. This series with Oakland is about as key as an early August series can be. If the Angels win it, it can pull the momentum away from the A's, while an Oakland victory would force the Angels to begin chasing for the first time all season. The last time these teams had games this meaningful the Angels won four in a row to pull out the division title. The Seattle games represent a chance for the Angels to pick up revenge on the team that started the unraveling of the big lead.

Opponents coming up: at Oakland (64-47) August 9-11, at Seattle (47-63) August 12-14

Probable Starters: Lackey vs. Harden, Santana vs. Zito, Byrd vs. Saarloos, Colon vs. Moyer, Washburn vs. Harris, Lackey vs. Meche

Gene Mauch, the Angels manager for much of the 1980s, has died after a long bout with cancer. He managed the third most games in Angels history behind only Bill Rigney (their first manager) and Mike Scioscia (who passed Mauch last season). He also has the highest winning percentage of all Angel managers, going 379-332 for a winning percentage of .533 (if the Angels win 94 or more games this year, Scioscia will pass Mauch). He also guided the Angels to two division championships and was within one game of the World Series twice. He was 79.

RICHARD: Mauch's accomplishments as Angels manager are often buried under the demons of the teams' collapses - the infamous Donnie Moore game occurred under his watch, as well as the 1982 playoff loss to the Brewers. Lost in the shuffle is the fact that he won 90+ games in three of his four full seasons as manager of a club that only has six 90-win seasons since its inception. I'm not sure most Angel fans are aware that Mauch was the club's most successful manager up until the tenure of Mike Scioscia.

The Times reports that Bret Prinz (remember him?) has started a rehab assignment with the Mesa Angels. Prinz has his sights set on a September return, despite the fact that an air of mystery still surrounds his elbow injury. The Angels are still calling it a "strained shoulder" - if so, it's the worst strain I've ever seen.

I doubt Prinz will have himself back in shape to make any kind of difference down the stretch, but it's nice to see that he's finally on the mend.

Longtime ABC News anchor Peter Jennings died today at 67. Jennings had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He was the newsman I watched during the first few hours after the 9/11 attacks occurred (I did not have cable, and he was by far the best of the network anchors that day). The best thing I can say about him is that he gave me great comfort that day and helped me get through it and understand what had happened. I remember that he was basically did not leave the newsdesk until the wee hours of the night and was up early the next day. He continued that pattern for about three days and was there more than he needed to be, but as much as I needed him to be. RIP, Peter Jennings.

Have I ever mentioned how glad I am that we abandoned this sinking ship and hopped on the Orlando Cabrera rocket right as it was shooting to the top?

UPDATE: It's been about a month since we last checked in on that game of musical shortstops:

           OBP  SLG  EQA  VORP
Cabrera    .306 .360 .247 9.6 
Eckstein   .352 .370 .250 17.8
Renteria   .343 .385 .259 17.1

Eckstein's numbers have cratered as of late, but he'd still be a substantial improvement over Cabbie.

Three homeruns in his last six at-bats, including a grand slam today. Who is this guy?

John Sickels gives the "Prospect Retro" treatment to John Lackey. It's easy to forget that Big John was one of those high risk/reward types the Angels are so fond of drafting to this very day. They do pay off - handsomely - on occasion.

With today's loss at the hands of Tampa Bay (and coupled with the A's 15-run reaming of the Royals) not only does Oakland draw even with us in the win-loss column, but they also surpass us in run differential. What does that mean? It means the A's are now in first place and the Angels in second, if only on a technicality. It also means that your Saturday morning newspaper has become a piece of Angels memorabilia - the last time the Halo's were seen atop the AL West in 2005.

On the bright side, Kevin Gregg looked mighty impressive. Might a spot start be in order at some point down the road?

Today marks the anniversary of the first nuclear weapon used in war, which was a bomb dropped on Hiroshima. I would rant about why it was necessary and actually the best possible choice for America at the time, but Adam G Partridge at SoapBox Politics has already done so way better than I would. The main point I think to always remember when people talk about nuclear weapons being horrible is that they have saved millions (possibly hundreds of millions) more lives than would have been lost without them. Because they allowed a Cold War to exist through Mutually Assured Destruction, nuclear weapons have been vitally important in keeping the world from entering into another major war.

I think most people would agree that the NCAA's blanket ban on Indian mascots is a classic example of political correctness run amok (what possible offense could anyone take to names like Utes and Illini? Are they offended each time they look at a map of the United States?), but Goldstein digs a little deeper and finds that, generally, even Native Americans couldn't care less about the issue. In fact, more Native Americans enjoy the Atlanta Braves' infamous "Tomahawk Chop" than find it offensive.

Though, as stupid as the ban is, I'd say it's about time the Southeastern Oklahoma State Savages find a new mascot.

I realize it's not your first major league hit, but I figured it was sort of like what people say about virginity. You know, it grows back after awhile.

UPDATE: Turns out that's his first major league homerun. So congratulations! For real this time!

UPDATE: Angels take the opener to remain one game up on the A's.

I didn't get to pay attention to this game because I went to this game. The Madison Mallards beat the Eau Claire Express 10-9. These teams are a part of the Northwoods League, which is a summer baseball league for college players to hone their craft (unpaid). The Mallards won the championship last year, were first half champs of the South Division, and are tied for first in the South Division. It was my first time I went to a minor league style game (I assume it is a very similar atmosphere, just that the players aren't paid and they aren't yet affiliated with a major league team). It was interesting, to say the least. There was a ton of between innings filler, the PA announcer announced the home team players like it was a monster truck rally (and he really loved guys with "R's" in there names, such as Ryan Rogowski), and the game ended up VERY long (especially with no backs on the bleachers). The pitchers on both sides were kind of inept, and threw a bunch of wild pitches, walked a couple guys in, etc. The Express took the early lead, scoring 4 in the 3rd. Then the Mallards scored 3 in the 4th, 3 in the 5th, and 4 in the 6th. Nearing the 4 hour mark in the top of the 9th, the score was 10-5 Mallards...and they proceeded to give up 4 runs and load the bases with 2 outs. The last guy went down on a called strike he thought was a ball, but at least the game was over.

As far as the Angel game goes, it looks like Santana did adequate, but the Angels offense collapsed. I really don't understand why Stever Finley is batting ahead of Bengie (Bengie should be the 5th or 6th hitter, Finley 7th or 8th or out of the game). Also, I don't understand why you would have Bengie just two batters ahead of Figgins. If Bengie gets on, and AK gets out, you are destroying Chone's speed (not to mention AK's). And of course this game continued the craziness of batting OC 2nd and Erstad 3rd. Lineup should be approximately Chone, AK, Vlad, GA, Bengie, Rivera or Jose, OC, Ztu, Ersty. If Ersty is out awhile, Kotch can bat 7-9 and when/if Dallas is back, he can bat 6-7.

*Actual ESPN Soccernet headline. (via Ace)

I got to watch ESPN's broadcast of tonight's game. Lackey pitched well, and had his typical Lackey inning in the 5th, but came out having only given up 2 runs. The Angels then broke out of offensive doldrums with a walk (Flying Molina, the Younger), a bunt foul out (Ztu...terrible bunt), three singles (Fig, OC, and Ersty; Erstad's was after a bunt foul...on the ground not in the air...brought the 3B in), then a walk (Vlad), single (GA), walk (Flying Molina, the Older), pop out (Fins), single (Flying Molina, the Younger), and strike out (Ztu). Vlad picked up his 900th RBI tonight, in the 6th, and received a standing ovation. Lackey received a standing ovation in the 7th, when he couldn't quite finish it (his release point seemed late that inning, causing the ball be thrown short more often and he just couldn't quite get that release point back). He was also upset after he came out, but I think that it was a healthy upset (he didn't punch any walls or water coolers or thrown anything at the manager). Then the announcers talked about Eric Byrnes the rest of the night (apparently, he won a karate championship when he was 12, he stopped a burglar in his house once, and he plays in the Dominican Winter Leagues still and is known as "Captain America" to them). Great game, good to see the offense working again (32 runs in last 4 games) and great to see Vlad's August is looking like his June and not his July.

UPDATE: I just found out that Wash has been placed on the DL. This is retroactive to July 25, so he should be back after missing 3 total starts.

Eleven holes-in-one, huh?

Poking around RetroSheet today, I stumbled upon this research project by Tom Ruane entitled "Do Some Batters Reach on Errors More Than Others?"

Long story short, the answer to my question is, yes, speed does have a significant, measurable effect on error rates. Load off my mind, let me tell you.

The Times reports that the Angels have "declined to exercise an option year on the contract of Rex Hudler." It also notes that all of the Angels' announcers (both TV and radio) are out of contract next season.

So it looks like changes will be made to coincide with the club moving to a new local television broadcaster (which, by the way, is an issue of some concern, considering that the Dodgers locked-up a new broadcasting deal over nine months ago, while the Angels have yet to find a new home).

Something I'd like to see (but have no inclination to do myself) is a study relating "speed stats" (stolen bases, infield hits) to defensive errors directly resulting in that player reaching base ("reached on error"). We hear it all the time from commentators of all sorts - "speed puts pressure on the defense, blah blah blah…" and it would seem to make sense in passing. I'm curious to see if the numbers bear that out, and if so, how large of an effect does it have?

Of course, now that I'm thinking about it, I see the major flaw: errors are completely subjective. Still, if you were to look at enough players, a pattern might make itself known.

I don't know. This is the rambling you get after a blowout victory that doesn't leave me much else to talk about.

For the record, my opinion is not that the sky fell during this past road-trip, but rather that it already 'done collapsed when the club failed to address its flaws over the offseason and instead wasted a massive influx of cash on Steve Finley and Orlando Cabrera. Recent pessimism is in regards to Bill Stoneman failing to pull us out of the rubble.

Oh, and Matt: your trackbacks aren't working.

IFilm has a couple of clips. One is a fully-cut "jailbreak" scene and the other is a short behind the scenes featurette. Still no sign of a trailer though, which is a little disconcerting.

I still don't know. AE is difficult source material to "get right." But if someone ever did manage to get it right, oh, it would be soooooo right...

Bio:

Name:     Joseph Francis Saunders III
Birthday: June 16,1981 (23 on Opening Day) 
Height:   6-3
Weight:   195
Bats:     Left
Throws:   Left
Position: P
Acquired: Draft
Drafted:  2002, 1st round (12), ANA
Roster:   40-man
Contract: n/a

Stats (complete):

YEAR(L)   G  GS IP    H   R  ER HR BB SO H/9  W/9 K/9  W L  ERA  WHIP
----------|--|--|-----|---|--|--|--|--|--|----|---|----|-|--|----|---
2002(R)   8  8  32.1  40  19 13 1  11 21 11.1 3.1 5.9  2 1  3.62 1.58
 || (a)   5  5  28.2  16  7  6  2  9  27 5.0  2.8 8.5  3 1  1.88 0.87
2003      ------------------------DID NOT PLAY-----------------------
2004(A)   19 19 105.2 106 49 40 13 23 76 9.0  2.0 6.5  9 7  3.41 1.22
 || (AA)  8  8  39.0  51  26 25 5  14 25 11.8 3.2 5.8  4 3  5.77 1.67
2005(AA)  18 18 105.2 107 52 41 9  32 80 9.1  2.7 6.8  7 4  3.49 1.31
 || (AAA) 3  3  21.2  17  8  6  1  8  13 7.1  3.3 5.4  2 1  2.49 1.15

Pitching:

Pitch selection: 1) fastball (low 90's), 2) curveball, 3) change. Had a plus change coming out of college - a rare skill.

Started pro career with solid showings in rookie and low-A ball. Saunders looked sure to live up to his first-round draft status - that is, until it was discovered that he had suffered a torn labrum prior to the 2003 campaign (just one in a string of pitching medicine disasters for the Angels around the turn of the century). He lost the entire 2003 season, opting for rehab over surgery. Came back in 2004 and quickly got back to speed, reclaiming his place as one of the Angels top arms. 2005 has only solidified that status, as he anchored the staff at AA Arkansas before being promoted to AAA where he has but up solid if not spectacular numbers.

Outlook:

It's hard to get a gauge on Saunders, because you basically have to throw out his 2004 season (as he was recovering from the shoulder injury), giving us very little to go on. But I will say this: one can't help but be impressed by the way Saunders fought his way back from a very serious (career threatening, even) injury. His recovery went about as well as anyone could have hoped, and he doesn't seem to have lost a thing, other than perhaps a couple of MPH off the fastball. However, his strikeout rates have never been great (certainly not what was expected coming out of Virginia Tech in the first round), which tempers my enthusiasm somewhat. He also finds too many bats to be considered an "elite" prospect.

2005 was supposedly Saunders' "make-or-break" season - well, he appears to have "made" it just fine. I feel confident Saunders will figure in a major league rotation at some point. Where in that rotation remains to be seen. He'll be one of the most intriguing players to watch in the next year, raising the question "can a person have two make-or-break seasons in a row?" ETA: 2007?