disarcina

We are snake bit........that's all there is to it........this Skaggs news hits hard.........we were treading water before that with outside chances of a deep playoff run....... now it's looking like a one and done deal if we get one of the two Wild Card spots. sort of good news this week, hopefully we can get well vs. Phillies (two at home) and then Texas (three there) before facing Boston (I don't care what their record is, or what their rotation looks like post-trades, Fenway just beats us all to heck, usually) and then Oakland. Meanwhile Oakland and KC beat each other up starting today (four game series at KC). We need to go 4-1 (at least) over next five games and I think we're rooting for KC to win the series (3 of 4) vs. Oakland. With the Skaggs news, Halos need to really bust their tails to win the AL West -- a tall order to be sure -- but a one game W/C game (and subsequent series) with our rotation right now spells one and done.

sort of surprised Boston didn't sign Williams -- they seemed to have traded off their entire rotation by August 1.

another re-start for Jerome Williams -- Houston, Texas and now Philadelphia. good for him. Jerome Williams is a guy I can't help but root for........wasn't a big fan of him being in our rotation here but he's a guy who doesn't have the lights out talent but just works his tail off, does what his team asks of him and has stuck around for a pretty decent MLB career because he gets the most out of what physical and pitching talent that he has. while some would scoff at him being cut by Houston and Texas this year (both teams with records among the worst in MLB this year) and then gets picked up by Philly, another team having a very disappointing season -- I think it shows that the guy has a good attitude because team after team is willing to sign him and give him a chance -- MLB economics of the situation and time of the season also plays a part, obviously -- but if the guy were total jerk (like some are) he probably wouldn't be getting these call backs. Hope we beat him this week but overall I wish him well......he's an ex-Halo who pitched well for us at times, gave us some decent starts and some solid long relief performances and was actually pitching better towards the end of his tenure with us........I thought we did the right thing by not signing him but nonetheless wish this ex-Halo well.

I am sure the folks who post here have seen the footage of the accident over and over again by now. I am not a NASCAR / race car sport fan and don't really follow it so you folks are lot more up on this stuff than I am --- but just looking at the footage of the incident on the various You Tube versions of it, what was the driver doing getting out and walking on a live race track, pointing at cars and then walking (or so it appears so in the video) to the middle of the race track while the race is in progress........Stewart's car may have fish-tailed -- but it looked as if the other guy walked right into the vehicle.........perhaps Stewart fish-tailed because he caught site of the guy in the track at the last second.....tragic story all around..........terrible.

we need to get well this week -- and the schedule should be of some help -- at least through the weekend. two games at home vs. Philly three games at Texas. and then FOUR games at Boston (I don't care what the BoSox record is, we always seem to have trouble with them at home and then Fenway Park has never really been kind to us (expect in that playoff series we won a few years back --- really the only time in recent history, that I can remember, that we took it to the Red Sox). and then three games at one of the worst parks for baseball in all of the MLB -- Oakland.

'a completely different team since the AS break" Not quite......ASB was July 15 week -- team played pretty (at times) right after that and actually picked up some games on the A's -something that's proven difficult. I think the wheels started to come off on that recent road trip and then a pit crew change was needed after losing 3 of 4 to the Dogs......again, if Sosh doesn't let Freese play 3B past the 6th inning in any game, we win that Kershaw game against the Dogs and split that 4 game home and home series. Last night's 7th inning was certainly a season low point, IMO.

I agree Naps proving to be kind of a jerk - so he's fair game as a BoSox guy with an attitude........ But that's today type stuff -- and attitude of the player based reason to dis-like the guy. I've not one of those Halos fans who dis-like Napoli just because he's no longer with the Halos........we traded him (in that terrible deal that most here criticized it when it was made and then went to uber critical mode when Napoli wound up in Texas instead of Toronto as part of a three team deal that everyone saw coming but our GM at the time).

saw KC game on TV -- Holland was shaky out of the pen as closer in the ninth. he loaded the bases and had to get Posey and Sandoval out to end the game. KC won 7 to 4 but some roller coaster moments in the ninth. KC plays Oakland this week at KC -- who should we root for??? (DUH, KC).

I really like Cespedes as a ballplayer -- A's are going to regret that Lester deal..........well, it might help them in October but Cespedes will be in the Boston OF next year. As for Napoli arguing balls and strikes --- GEEZ, wasn't he a catcher? (well, Sosh didn't think so). He should know better. Dumb to argue balls and strikes.

For those of us still up at that hour, we saw the Pujols/ Napoli exchange there as BoSox manager Farrell was challenging the Pujols game winning HR. I think Pujols probably said something like, 'well, it's finally over" and Napoli, if he responded at all, sort of grunted "no it's not" or something to that effect and sort of turned away indicating he wanted no part of casual conversation with Pujols (who despite what anyone thinks about his Halos contract, or his performance last year/ this year, seems like a pretty good guy who's affable and friendly). Now, as I have posted before, I don't understand all the Halos fans dis-like of Napoli. He didn't want to leave here. He and Sosh didn't get along for whatever reason (among others, Sosh didn't think he was an every day catcher and Sosh was probably right about that)......so the Halos traded him. So I don't dis-like Napoli at all.......I actually understand that doing well against the Angels is extra satisfying to him and that he has added incentive to beat Scoscia's team.........there's obviously mutual dis-like there. But I did think Naps could have chatted up Pujols a bit in that situation instead of being all dead serious and brushing him off.......it sort of tells what klnd of person Napoli is -- beyond all the baseball stuff and numbers...... No skin off Pujols' nose, he tried to be friendly and was rebuffed......no big deal........Napoli the loser in the end.......why be sort of a jerk when the situation doesn't call for it at all? Oh well.

for all of you Angelwin.com folks/ regs who endured the 19 inning marathon Saturday night and were part of the game thread all night into the morning long -- thanks. It was fun. it's what AW,com is all about. Thanks to all who hung in there..........

waiver wire deal by DiPoto a possibility -- usually these desperate moves result in bad deals with short term rental which weakens farm and team long term. perhaps doing nothing might be better (than making a really bad waiver wire move)? we've got Randy Wolf at SLC as rotation insurance........you know, he's seen better days but not that long ago he had some pretty good starts for the Dodgers. he might be a serviceable starter for five innings and then go with the pen depth.........that's better than making a deal that has long term negative impact. Remember the Haren deadline deal a few years back? A lot of us liked it at the time (I know I did) and then two things happened right away -- the Angels lost a few critical games before Haren even reported to the team and by the time he joined the team, the Angels season was effectively OVER -- they were out of contention (but Haren was signed for another year at the time so not all lost) and then, if you may remember, Haren actually got hurt in his very first Halos appearance/ start..... so the Angels made a deadline deal , give away some good players (prospects) weaken farm and the short term benefit didn't even last a week, if that. that could happen here. (Haren was a deadline deal, not a waiver wire deal, I realize that).

Folks here don't like Pedoria. He's a BoSox player, he's antimated, loud, proud Boston obnoxious. I get it. He's easy to dis-like. But, despite that, gotta like the way he plays all out on every play -- even the throw home on the 6-4-2 attempt to cut down the tying run last night was pretty amazing to me (I know, a lot of folks here didn't like it and thought It was a real baseball mental error by Pedroia -- I thought it was a high risk, high reward attempt to catch Iannetta napping and cut down the tying the run (as a visiting team) with Trout running down the line to first........it didn't work but a lot of players would have just done the routine thing and made NO effort to essentially cut the Halos off at the pass right there. AND, it almost worked -- Iannetta did not beat the throw by much). Maybe that's why Pujols likes the guy -- he plays all out......baseball needs more of these guys -- particularly today -- I mean, last night's game -- to me Hamilton looked like he was sleep walking during several of his ABs -- his effort level was not much above ZERO or so it appeared.

Bad news for Skaggs and Halos -- but in times like this (for Skaggs) gotta realize all is not lost -- many a pitcher has come back from TJ surgery to have a successful MLB career post-surgery.

we need these arms after last night's (well, early this morning) marathon and now the Skaggs news --- so this all makes sense. Bedrosian was probably going to be sent out under any circumstances - even though he pitched well this time up - because of the need for arms after the 19 inning game and just the roster numbers situation --- he'll be back up. Cron? I still like his swing but he really needs to work on some things.........including his defense -- if it's even possible to make him a serviceable 1B in order to assume a DH / back up 1B role with some AL team........Cron, when he's on a streak - really hits line drives but perhaps by his second and third times up with some of the AL pitchers they've figured out a way to pitch to him. The Skaggs news hits hard.

Just saw this on MLB channel -- this is really bad news. Our wobbly rotation situation just got a lot worse.........Not sure what the answer is. Maybe there are no good answers. Rasmus pitched well in a multiple relief appearance last night/ this morning so it looks like he's now a rotation guy for this week any way.

it's been, well, long, and sort of fun. tough to watch, that 7th inning some time yesterday was the worst. If they have a closed door meeting tonight it's because they're sleeping in the clubhouse.

bases loaded -- one out double.......and can't get the run home.............

well, he hit a flyball...........Cespedes........A's are going to regret that trade..........

maybe a walk here.......walk off walk.

CJ Cron -- all we need is a fly ball. Just a flyball..........a flyball.

ball gets away --- I'm liking this. ok HK -- just a flyball here and they're probably gonna walk him.

c'mon HK -- no GIDP -- basehit and Hamilton, please don't get thrown out at home...........

I'm back -- if Hamilton can double in the 17th -- I can stay awake and watch.

Good night Irene..........it's too late for me........this inning is it for me. well, at least I stayed awake longer than Hamilton did -- he seemed to be sleep walking through his final two AB's. Now, he did make that good catch in CF and then doubled off Napoli who never thought he'd get to the ball. Angels Live show tonight -- really? you'd think they'd cancel it because no one will be watching.