disarcina

geez -- lucky walk there -- and now Joyce is being PR for. WTF? Thrown out at second??

full count -- look like he had him struck out on that 0-2 pitch.

a truly Lost Weekend. We've made Hudson and Lincecum Cy Young candidates for 2015.

after this lost weekend in SF, we need a good home stand -- nothing less than 6-3 and 7-2 would be great.

my friends ask me about the Halos ?? How are they doing........ my response these days -- "the Angels have ONE really good player, perhaps the best in baseball...........and that's about it"

IMO Yadier is the best catcher in baseball.........

CALZONE - yeah. I remember and that prompted debate/ discussion on the board whether it was real Pop/ Power or the Coors Field affect. I thought he was pretty good his first year here and actually thought he was better (then) on D than advertised. not sure what's going on with him now but he looks completely lost out there --- can catcher's get that "Steve Blass (former Pirates pitcher who went from W/S hero to being unable to find the plate the next season) or Steve Sax (Dodger 2B would couldn't throw to 1B)" thing? Because that's what Iannetta sort of looked like last night behind the plate.......the PBs, I think cost us a run and, therefore, the game. And he's been lost at the plate for most of the season.

Iannetta has flat out 'lost it' -- he's simply not the same player he was even from last year. I don't know if it's the offensive slump affecting his defense or what but it's tough to watch him out there.......last night's game at AT&T (SF) was terrible. Iannetta was actually fairly OK on D when he first came over a few years back (not great, but better than what we had had immediately before) but how is one in a 'slump' with the bat & glove? (and arm?). I think his skills have deteriorated at an alarming rate.......

make that April 30th......oh well........

yeah, you're right -- seems like we were two or three games out the other day and NOW, if we lose tonight, we could be FIVE games back on May 30 with a chance to be six out on May 1. commented too soon.........OUCH.

the good news is that no one in the AL West is really doing that well -- which means out lackluster start won't have us 5 or 6 games out on May 1.

Tampa Bay 2, Detroit 0 FINAL.......

no joy in Hockeytown tonight...........

around the league -- Tampa Bay leads the Detroit Red Wings in game seven. 1-0. half way through the third period.

ah.........PA announcer why? they should have opened the park after the third inning and let the fans in.........but then I think they let all the ushers have the day off and there was no security detail inside the park. again, I think if they just changed this to a day game (was it scheduled as a night game?) starting at 1 pm, there wouldn't have been a problem and the park would have still been about half empty.

yeah -- one of my co-workers caught a bit of the game over the lunch hour and said that the announcers sounded as if they were doing pbp for the PGA or a tennis match. I still don't get this empty stadium deal....I think they could have simply moved the game to a 1 pm start, let the fan attend and everything would have been fine. I think some of the concern was that law enforcement personnel were not available for security since they were otherwise engaged.......

I would agree that you could be critical of the Halos' action from a business/ financial stand-point........it makes little sense but then virtually every one on this site said the same thing when they signed Hamilton to that contract.........anyone familiar with those with addiction issues knows the last thing you should do is provide a long term contract like that - you have to keep a real short leash to control conduct....... obviously, this is a great deal for Texas, a division rival. Minimal to zero risk, high reward all while the Angels pay for most of the contract. Hamilton could continue his 0-13 run from last year's playoffs and the deal is still a good one for Texas. as for the Halos, it can be criticized --and is being criticized -- but I'm with Arte. No ambivalence on his part. Cut ties, Move on. It would have been a lot easier (and smarter from a business stand point) for Arte to hold off and let Hamilton try to work himself back into shape etc...... Not Arte. Disappoint him personally like that (and I am sure Arte had a sit down personal talk with Hamilton when he signed him).......and suddenly you don't exist in his eyes. Gotta respect a guy like that. No nonsense. Puts his money where his mouth is. Admits and eats his mistakes. time to move on.

Bill Plaschke of the LA Times authored another column blasting Arte and the Angels for 'giving up on Josh Hamilton" This is at least his second column blasting the Halos and specifically, Arte, for not treating Hamilton 'better' While one may agree or disagree with Plaschke's comments about Hamilton's 'disease' and can take issue with the Halos quickly cutting ties, I can hardly think that Arte Moreno, the guy who really gave Hamilton a real chance - can be blasted for being disappointed in Hamilton's conduct. Arte (some would argue foolishly, given the history) put a ton of money in Hamilton's pocket and received from Hamilton a promise to conduct himself properly and to remain in playing shape. Hamilton failed and yet was not sanctioned by MLB because of a carefully worded clause in the MLBPA collective bargaining agreement. oh well. I'm with Arte. No one's kicking himself harder than Arte for signing Hamilton to that contract. But to fault Arte and the Angels for Hamilton's failure -- I don't think so. anyone else in almost any other profession would be out of job with their contract voided under the same set of circumstances.

this is terrible news.........hate to see this happen to anyone. hope he gets the best treatment and that it forestalls the effects of this disease on him. it's tough for anyone but especially an aggressive, physical guy like Gibby........man, this is just horrible news. thoughts/ prayers to Gibson and his family.

sad commentary -- they should have moved the games either to the other team's city or to Washington, DC to play in the Nationals park. I think I would have just postponed the game rather than have them play to an empty ballpark.

ESPN Baseball Tonight discussing the Hamilton deal. same old stuff -- 'Angels should have never signed him............" and then there's some coddling of Hamilton -- why? oh well, turn the page. Hamilton and MLBPA win this one (a pretty big battle) but they may lose the war when players with any kind of 'alcohol/ drug' abuse issues fail to get MLB contracts.......perhaps MLB will go to the NBA model with these kind of guys -- 10 day contracts..........

this might be the only thread where Charlie Stiener gets an 'outstanding' rating. I'd put our Victor Rojas up against most of the MLB announcers out there today and he matches up pretty well. I'd place him in the top tier. Gubi? He's OK. an acquired taste and he's our guy now. If I had to rank the top guys it would be the SF Giants announcing team.....Jon Miller, Dave Flemming (been announcing there almost 10 years now --since he was 25 or something -- he's excellent), Duane Kuiper, Krukow etc. St. Louis Cardinals always atop the heap.......Dodgers' Scully is great but last year and this year, which may be the last two seasons of his amazing career, he's probably been heard by fewer viewers than ever before as the Dodgers exclusive TV rights deal has 70 percent of the LA market unable to get the games on TV..........and Vin only simecasts the first three innings on radio before turning it over to Stiener and company........Stiener isn't terrible but a lot of other folks sure think so.

what an expensive lesson -- bottom line -- don't sign guys with drug and alcohol related issues. Period. If you insist on signing such a player, sign that player to a very short term, incentive laden contract. Arte knew better and signed Hamilton --- for whatever reason -- which I will NEVER understand -- but these teams (especially those that share markets) feel they have to one - up other teams (particularly the other team in the same market) during off-season F/A signings..........look at some of the bad signings the Angels (and other teams) have made and the F/A atmosphere in which they were made --- ANGELS -- GMJ, Vernon Wells, Josh Hamilton --- in each one the other team in the market had made some major moves and then there's this almost knee jerk reaction of 'we've gotta do something' when, actually, at that point, with many of the key F/A gone and the best bargain F/A signed, the best thing to do is NOTHING. Arte knows this about Hamilton and he's likely very upset not just at Hamilton for his conduct but at himself because knew better and did it anyway. I think this experience will likely affect the Halos F/A signings this off-season and into the future......not only from a financial standpoint - -Halos still on the hook for much of Hamilton's contract -- but Halos are going to be skittish at big dollar free agents..........I don't blame them.......let's go Billy Beane on MLB. seems to work up there. And we've already have Trout locked up fairly long term........

I do like Doc Rivers -- if he can beat San Antonio in round one, that would be something -- a real accomplishment. Doc Rivers is a great coach.

Hollywood -- well some folks here were complaining about the NHL (Ducks) talk.......I don't mind the NBA stuff but honestly.......I probably won't watch too many NBA playoff games. Now, the Stanley Cup playoffs -- that's a whole different deal -- perhaps the best playoffs in all pro sports IMO.