disarcina

I'd want a guy who would break up the game ending DP -- oh well, no dice now --- strike three to Hamilton.

I would have put a runner in for Pujols here........anything to win -- we must have someone on the bench who could come on to run.

not sure what game I was watching earlier -- switched over from the Spurs win and we were winning and then I looked up it was 6 to 3 - I thought US -- not so. ah, another melt down inning dooms us.........terrible. Ibanez needs to be DFA'd and the Halos seriously have to re-think using Freese as their every day 3B......... I'd probably DH Hamilton about half the time as well.........

we need to hold on here -- three run lead -- hopefully that melt-down inning -- which actually could have been worse -- is the end of the melt down stuff for today's game.....we can only hope.

we really need some pitching -- rotation and pen. we need (HAVE TO) make a deadline deal........ might have to move someone good, too -- like Kendrick -- to get what we NEED to make a serious run. would prefer not to be trading for a rental but we may not have much choice. good players possibly who might be moved (not because we want to MOVE them but because we NEED pitching) --- Cowgill, Cron, Green (Kendrick), I'd like to move Freese but don't think anyone who's been scouting him would take him and his contract, am sure there are others for this list.

wild pitch.......... Hamilton is not that good out there........looked awful there.

that's horrible......at first glance looks more like a passed ball than a wild pitch -- need to see the re-play. what was it scored as??

Trout and Aybar. and that's good -- I don't want to see any of our pitchers on the team......... it would be great for Richards to make it but not for the Angels........we need all the pitching we can get and don't need any pitches wasted by our guys in the ASG.

that Wild Card game is a real tough deal --- and , as designed, puts the Wild Card team (the one that emerges from the one game playoff) at an immediate disadvantage. if you are the Halos -- who do you pitch for the Wild Card one game playoff -- gotta be your ace, Weaver......... so you start the ALDS series - should you get there, without being able to use Weaver until game 4 possibly game 3 on short rest.

Angels on track to make the Wild Card game -- then it's a one game playoff and anything can happen there -- if they win that game. a big IF, the Angels -- as presently constituted and with the line up being trotted onto the field and with the pen use as it currently is, likely won't go past the ALDS if they can even get there.

Frieri needs a break from closer duties -- back to Joe Smith? Bedrosian not ready for prime time closer duties yet.......

geez. Fox was spot on...........he knows his hockey. Have to say, I really enjoy the telecasts with Bob Miller and Jim Fox........win, lose or draw -- of course, the telecasts seem a lot better when you win the Cup that season.

I think I've only seen one of the games he's pitched on TV and it was sort of a background noise type of thing so I really didn't get to sit down and watch his pitches..... I've seen his box score/ line from start to start and that's been very impressive.....has really only gotten knocked around once or twice and at least one of those, he won the game. at the end of the day, he was pretty much only going to sign with the Yankees so no need for teams like the Angels to essentially act like shills at an auction -- the bottom line is this -- what did the Yankees end up paying him on a long term deal?? If the Yankees make the playoffs this year (and that's IFFY -- although they've been playing better this week), it will be BECAUSE of Tanaka -- his starts have been ace like stopper wins which keep the Yankees from going into a prolonged losing streak........he's been very good. I disagree with those folks who say his effectiveness is all of a sudden diminish the second half of the season -- actually quite the opposite, some of the starters who come over from the Japanese league seem to have greater endurance than some of the pampered US pitchers -- I don't think they concern themselves as much with pitch counts over there.........as for the second time around the league stuff -- there will be some of that and some will sort of figure him out but he's sort of made that second trip around and there has not been a fall off yet. again, the bottom line -- assume the Yankees make the playoffs and it's attributable to Tanaka's performance (a strong argument could be made without him they'd be a ,500 or sub-.500 team) -- does the revenue that generates off-set what they've paid for his contract??? I think when one does the hard numbers, the answer is probably NO. So if it does not pencil out for the Yankees how does it work for anyone else........just the economics of it. sort of like these mid to smaller market teams (Exhibit A -- the Florida Marllns a few years back) -- if they spend tons to bring in a playoff/ championship team, the fans make like it for one year but the franchise goes broke, can't sustain it, has to have a fire sale followed by a long period of sub-par teams -- but what these teams discover in the 'down' years is that smaller payroll combined with half to less than half filled stadiums is better for the bottom line than paying what it takes for a championship caliber roster.........they lose less money (and maybe even make some, IMAGINE THAT!). of course, the big network/ media deals have pretty much changed the landscape...........Dodgers are an example.......soon lots of dollars but no fans watching the game which over time translates to no one buying tickets either.

has to be a let down for Green -- he comes up to the Halos -- gets some playing time -- does EVERYTHING asked of him and his reward is getting sent back out to AAA, Grant Green is at the stage of his career that he's no longer a prospect. He needs to be making the 25 man roster of some MLB team now. so the let down about being back at AAA is understandable. he needs to bear down, play well, and convince the Halos to call him back up soon.......of course, the way things usually work, it will be Freese's performance (or lack of same) or some injury that probably is more important than anything Green can do at AAA.........although, if he's tearing the cover off the ball and those other things happen at the MLB level (non production by Freese, injuries to other MIF, players) then it helps.

Cleveland Indians in to play the BoSox.......I like Cleveland's line up and roster -- but their record this year isn't showing much.

this thread subject title fits perfectly with a graphic just highlighted on the MLB channel........ "Bobby Abreu is 6 for 10 in his last four games with the New York Mets" not saying we should have done anything different because as many may recall -- Bobby Abreu's bat towards the end of his time with the Halos was pretty similar to what we're seeing from Raul Ibanez right now.......

well, I posted this on the 6/13 game thread but here goes: I like Ibanez and the issue is not what he's making salary wise these days but is he helping the team? on the field performance, his presence on the roster has added little, if anything. it's one thing for a guy to be in a slump, to be hitting line drives at fielders or balls that just are not dropping in, it's another thing to see a guy who can't seem to catch up to an MLB fastball any more. the AW.com folks here all seem to be in agreement that Ibanez's AB's for the past month plus have been painful to watch. meanwhile, Grant Green, who's bat has more pop (than Freese), who is a better defensively at 38 (than Freese) and who runs the bases much better (than Freese, but that does not take much, not sure who would win a foot race between Freese and Jose Molina) remains at AAA, so let's DFA Ibanez, let's perhaps platoon Freese with Green at 3B (and when that does not work, because platoons usually don't work -- trade Freese at deadline time for pen depth or a serviceable fifth starter -- even as a rental), give Cron more playing time, move Pujols down in the line up from 3rd to about 6th or 7th.

To me what he is making (for this issue) means less than what he's contributing to the team right now and that's not much if anything. His most recent ABs as it seems everyone at AW.com agrees -- have been very painful to watch. a guy in a slump or just not getting the breaks and the hits not falling in, is one thing........ a guy not being able to catch up with a MLB fastball is another......... time to say goodbye to Ibanez. And I've always liked the guy but what have you done for us lately? Meanwhile Grant Green, who to me is a better fielder and has more pop in his bat and also runs the bases better than Freese (that's not real tough to do - not sure who wins a foot race between Jose Molina and Freese) sits at AAA..........all this makes no sense to me. Cron needs more playing time. Freese should never be left in any game beyond the 7th inning and at this point should be, at a minimum, platooning with Green at 3B. McDonald should be inserted in the line up as a pinch runner or pinch hitter in a bunt situation in every game about the 7th inning or so and remain in the game for defensive purposes. Freese, if the platoon doesn't work out -- and platoons usually don't work -- can be dealt at deadline time for pen depth or a 5th starter even as a rental.

October? Camp opens in August..........!!

parade is Monday at 11 AM.

Lundqvist really played well, especially the last two games.........amazing. tonight's game could have gone either way (several times) -- it seemed that the Kings had the advantage all night with more shots and more time in the attacking zone but the Rangers' D and Lundqvist kept the Kings out of the net (as did the cross bar and post -- at both ends of the ice). Rangers really played well the last two games and, yes, a bounce here and there -- and two critical calls -- the non-call on the goalie interference in Game 3 and then the penalty call that lead to the Kings tying power play goal tonight -- were favorable calls for the Kings that very easily could have gone the other way --- with different calls there -- this is a completely different series. that being said, I still think the second best team in the NHL this year is the Chicago Blackhawks.........that Western Conference Final series was one of the best ever. Tonight's Game 5 was one of the best games ever.......I thought we were headed for a third OT..........and YES, it did not seem like a 4-1, 5 game series........with all the OTs in this one, it was a Six or Seven game series and had the puck bounced differently tonight or the cross bar hadn't stopped that one Rangers shot 5 minutes into the first OT, this series would have gone 7. STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS -- LOS ANGELES KINGS !!!!! GO KINGS GO!!!!

LADIES & GENTLEMEN -- THE STANLEY CUP !!!!!

YES !!!!

Best game of them all !!! THE CUP IS IN LOS ANGELES !!!

YES!!!! YES !!!!