disarcina

bring back the LOS ANGELES jerseys !!

I think Cowgill will get some playing time to spell Hamilton in LF and this could affect Joyce's playing time. Rutledge is probably the starting 2B right now UNLESS Green really comes on in ST.......I think Green's D will limit his ability to be a starting MIF -- he may spend more time spelling Freese at 3B. Heaney will be given every chance to be the fifth starter over Santiago.......I also think J. Alvarez may be able to win a rotation spot with a strong ST. I would leave Calhoun in the lead off spot.......go back and check the 2014 game results -- the Halos did better when Calhoun led off.

I'd keep Calhoun in the lead off spot --- we did well with him there last year and did NOT do well when he was injured and someone else led off. who's missing here? For some reason I think Joyce is going to be a platoon guy, Hamilton will spend time at DH (as will Pujols) and someone else will be playing LF part of the time. I'd keep Calhoun at lead off -- Hamilton may have be moved down the line up if he continues to have ABs like the ones he had in the 2104 post-season.........

Aoki was really a key to the KC success last year -- he's very good on defense in the OF, has speed, hits for average and has some power (10-15 HR guy if he plays regularly). And, YES, I think he fits real well into the SF line up and club house and should do well at AT&T. I am surprised he only got a one year deal, a one plus one year option seemed more like. this is the type of signing -- no big splash, sort of under the radar -- that could lead to a real upside for SF. am sure they appreciated the way Aoki played against them last October.........not sure why KC didn't try harder to keep him.....

Nats are going to have a great rotation.........watch out for these guys!!!

yeah, gotta set some ground rules and letting stray cats in on game day makes the event fairly unmanageable...... we'll figure it out -- stray cats and all....... wind up that big band, Brian Setzer.........!

Pitch clock means more batters 'oh, I twisted something on that last pitch and need an injury time out here'

Notti - how are ticket sales going -- I have bought two tickets for the event and may need one more but, of course, that person can't confirm just quite yet....... I am hoping we can get an extra ticket at the door (if needed) but if we can't do that, I'll reserve a third ticket by the first week of February. getting some folks to lock in on this is like herding cats.........

Hey folks -- just FYI -- if you plan to stay at the Doubletree where the event is being held......you would be well advised to book now. I just reserved rooms for our group. The only rooms they have left are King Bed with pull out sofa. All the Twin Queen Bed rooms are sold out a this point -- or, at least, that's what the Doubletree person told me today (Friday 1/16).

great.

the pitch clock!! "hey we lost the game on turnovers.........." last year that game where the Halos clinched the division -- Texas was playing Oakland (in Oakland), I think it was Texas? anyway, that game went on and on and on, the Halos were playing at home and fans waited in the park watching the Texas/ A's game on the big screen after the Halos win. the Texas/ A's game featured about 7 pitchers on each side and numerous pitching changes......the game went on and on and on and was never-ending. I think the "Change of Pace' Committee had just been announced that week or something........my suggestion is that they should have been ordered to sit through that A's/ Texas game. the game turned out well for us -- the A's leading the entire game, gave up four or five runs in the ninth and I think the thing went extra innings with the Texas (I think it was Texas) winning the game and the A's were eliminated as the Halos clinched.

Clippard a good pick up -- can set up and even serve as a closer. if you want to mix up the closer/ set up role and change guys based on the situation (something I've always thought should be done rather than the automatic "this guy closes" - then Clippard's your guy, Makes the A's pen a lot stronger. and they give up Escobar.....really nothing -- a guy they got as a throw in from the deal last week.

I'd settle for Arte regaining the LA franchise that was initially awarded to Gene Autry and that Autry paid Walter O' Malley dearly for during those early seasons at Dodger Stadium. oh well. cue up "Back in the Saddle Again"

Ryan went in as a Houston Astro despite having his best years, most wins and stellar seasons with the Angels including 4 of his no-hitters. Rusty Staub, despite being a near icon in Montreal -- only played three seasons there but he played on the initial expansion team (like he did with the Astros) so he quickly became a fan favorite..........other than being a fan favorite, his stats are not anywhere near HOF worthy. Looking at stats and Expos HOF stuff -- how can Gary Carter be elected to the HOF and Mike Piazza be on the outside looking in? Piazza's carrer offense numbers as a catcher far out-pace Gary Carter's.

VLAD's HOF claim -- 449 HRs (not quite 500) and 2,590 hits. He played 8 years with the Expos and had his best seasons in Montreal -- total of 234 HRs there and 1,215 of his hits. He played 6 years with the Halos and had some very good years in Anaheim -- total of 173 HRs there and 1,034 hits. So its close. I think a case could be made to have Vlad go in as a Halo especially since the Expos don't exist anymore. But then, he could be the Expos one and only All Star. I assume the veteran's committee hasn't put Rusty Staub in yet and Gary Carter -- did he go in as an Expo?

HOF decides which hat the player goes in with -- this was to stop the late career contract signings where a club would sign a future HOF'er and state in the contract the guy would choose that team's hat -- even though the guy was past his prime and just playing out the final year or two of his career with the team. Have to check Vlad's stats again -- I think he's probably worthy of HOF consideration but by no means is a shoo-in. compared to other players during his era his stats probably rank right up here -- have to check his stats again to compare his Montreal stats against his Halos stats. HOF and MLB would have a tough call here -- why have a guy go in with the hat of a team that no longer exists and likely won't ever have an MLB team again? But then he really made his name with the Expos and if I check the career stats -- that's where most of his HRs were hit and where he had most of his base hits.....so it may be appropriate. Nolan Ryan should have been the first Halo in -- he had his best years in Anaheim but then he cut that deal to go in with whatever hat he went in with (Texas?).

I remember seeing that sign -- it was either on the property in Carson or the over in Irvine. The date on the sign is new home of the Los Angeles Angels, 2016.

I liked the call and didn't fault Sosh -- I didn't like Calhoun's failure to execute.

Kings in a funk. having a tough time on the current home stand. definite hole on defense.........yeah, Voynov......oh well.

yeah, there's a hole on defense that's for sure. tonight we fall behind 3-zip REAL EARLY and then fight back to take a 4 to 3 lead only to have the game go to OT and we lose in a shoot out. This home stand has been tough........ Kings seem to be just off-kilter -- and it's the defense. at times they play really well and the offense clicks. In the OT tonight vs. Winnipeg - it seemed like the Jets were in the attacking zone the entire OT period -- amazing they didn't score to win it then.

the real issue in Oakland is where is the franchise headed in the long term - they've been a half-season team/ roster at a time for close to two decades now. Bud Selig's reign as commissioner ended without him ever making the decision on the A's move to San Jose. An A's move to San Jose is the only way this team has a future of some sort.......they've been stuck in a low budget team rut in Oakland playing in the Raiders' ballpark for far too long now. the plans to move just down the freeway to Fremont got stymied by local opposition and other politics re the traffic interchange needed to make it happen. So that's apparently officially dead. A's are left to be treated as hold-over tenants by a Landlord that does nothing for them except block their ability to re-locate (well the SF Giants are doing a pretty good job of that as well). New Commissioner needs to step in and give the A's the approval to move to San Jose and put a three year time table on the city/ region to get the park there up to MLB standards or lose the right to have a team -- Commissioner needs to just over-rule the SF Giants opposition and tell them that's that.

I think Zobrist is pretty good and if it's Y. Escobar, the MIF -- he's better than average -- not great by any stretch of the imagination. As for Jaso -- not sure what his contract status was/ is -- but am sure the A's are saving some payroll here --plus they signed Butler to a two year (or was it was it a three year deal?) deal -- a move which made little sense to me other than the quick signing sort of took KC off the hot seat to re-sign a long time fan favorite whose best years are probably behind him. Not sure who you flip Butler to unless some AL team needs a DH power guy at deadline time and then you're going to have to carefully select a hitters' park for the guy to play in. Butler lost weight last year --- usually a good thing -- but his power numbers suffered significantly and he didn't contribute much to the Royals all season -- although his bat did come alive a bit in August/ September but not his power numbers -- I think he went two or three months between home runs from something like May to August. I don't see him faring well in Oakland's ballpark. But A's will find a way to contend - they always do.

Jaso became expendable when they signed Butler. Zobrist a good pick up - gives them an advantage over us at 2B for 2015 at least. Escobar -- who is this guy again? depending on how much they're paying everyone (and it's the A's so I'm sure it's not much and TB is paying part of Zobrist's contract?), probably another Beane steal. helps make more sense out of the Butler signing which to me was not a Billy Beane like acquisition. Butler struggled power wise/ BA wise this past season in KC -- which is not necessarily a pitcher's park but certainly isn't a hitter's park -- not sure how Butler will fare at Raider's ballpark. Lot of K's which may be better than the GIDP and the shots he hits may be a 'can of corn' in the old Red Barber vernacular of years ago -- any one here even know who Red Barber was?

hey, look at the bright side of those years -- good seats were pretty easy to come by -- even on a walk up basis.........

darned Ducks are looking pretty good these days -- dang it.