disarcina

of that list, Jason Vargas is the only one I really have any regrets about with respect to the Halos....... but even with Justin Vargas - he's doing well this year and many of us thought he would be good this year and next year -- but didn't KC give Vargas a FOUR year deal? I don't think the Halos wanted to extend him out that far...........and so he went with KC and is looking pretty sharp for them. K-Rod? I didn't mind letting him go (and he sure saw the market for his services drop almost over night -- when he signed that new deal with who? the NY Mets? He got pretty much what the Halos offered to extend him............oh well.......he's bounced around since then and seems to be pitching better this year). I wish we would have made a run at K-Rod this year as as a set up who could also close some games (I prefer a closer by committee approach, which IMO, leaves the other team guessing which I think is good ---- Mr. Formula Mike tends to use the same player in the same situation night after night until the point where the guy finally fails so spectacularly, there's no alternative but to ship him out......... the rest of that list? the Halos gave them a good shot.

ah DH in AL and good ol' fashioned baseball in the NL is fine with me........ sort give AL advantage in AL parks and NL advantage in NL parks. I like when the pitchers hit -- actually, if I were an AL manager, I'd probably employ a different strategy - in tonight's game when Garret RIchards came up with bases loaded in the third, I probably would have PH for him......if I were an AL manager in a NL park like this -- I'd pull a La Russa and be ready to have a game pitched by committee........if the pitcher's spot came up with a chance to score runs, I'd probably pinch hit and then go to the pen....... that may work -- but then again, it's OUR pen........so maybe not.

no. inter-league play is fine. NFL does it, NHL does it, NBA does it.....

I stay down there every time I go to a game and walk to the park. The Embassy Suites (new- used to be a Hliton) on State College Blvd. is a great way to go -- it's right next to the OC Grill -- there's no shuttle there from the ballpark -- don't know why they have not done this - probably because the City of Anaheim shuttle to service to Anaheim (which runs like clock work) requires a payment of some sort and the Halos don't want to encourage a shuttle that will only take away from parking revenue -- hard to fathom/ say........ if the Embassy Suites is a bit out of the price range.........the next best option is the Towne Suites that PattiMelt's post recommends. It is closer to the park, across from The (new) Catch and a fairly easy walk to the ball park........if your wife has a real issue with walking -- you might check to see if you can rent (locally) a wheel chair for the short trip/ walk to and from the park....... I think PattiMelt's recommendation is probably the best bet. The Towne Suites Inn I think it's called. I 've stayed there -- nice accomodations. Ballpark close. Another option is one of the places down Katella (The Angel INN used to be one)........lower cost and the quality reflects it (more like a Motel 6) -- stayed there with my then young family (three young boys) years ago when we were all young and broke.........my middle son's first Angel games (vs. Sparky Anderson managed Tigers) -- my youngest son was too young/ little to attend. Have fun down at the ballyard.

If I were Houston's GM, Porter would be gone today -- the only reason he may not be is because no one really wants the Houston job, Porter has a contract and the Astros can afford to pay the salary of TWO managers for a 100 loss team that averages (it seems by watching the games played in Houston on TV) about 15,000 per game (and that estimate might be high) in attendance. Heck, in Texas, Friday night high school football has bigger crowds than that and the first day of U of Texas Longhorns Spring Practice probably draws five times that. even for a guy's first MLB manager's job, he's going to wind up with a 100 loss season on his record.........so if Houston do want to replace Proter..tough to find any takers. what unwritten rule? It wasn't the top of the eighth or even ninth inning, it was the FIRST inning and Houston deployed one of those extreme, play the hitter to pull the ball shifts........so Lowrie lays down a bunt and because it was not that good of a bunt the Houston pitcher is able to field it and throw the less than fleet foot Lowrie out at first base.......... what's the big deal? If Porter is going to act like that then he needs to go back to coaching Little League teams where over-hyped coaches and parents have this kind of reaction.........

Alvarez back down?? didn't see this .........for Josh Wall? Mistake.

not the kind of Wally Ball we need and definitely not a return to Wally World........... am sure folks here remember when Wally Joyner first came up to the Halos.........his stint here did not last long but memorable. I remember my father, who has long since passed away, just couldn't get over what a natural swing Joyner had.........called him a pure hitter. Against our guy Josh Wall, I guess everyone looks like a pure hitter..........so maybe it is a return, in a way, to Wally World.......I predict it's next appearance with be at SLC real soon.

Harang has been Haranging on in the bigs for a while -- all with the same sort of MO -- he gets signed late as a back of the rotation guy and then goes out and has some early success until the hitters apparently catch on to him or his arm gets tired or something. he's done this with San Diego and the Dodgers amongst others. He once was a top of the rotation (not ace, but number 2/3 guy) guy with Cincy and pretty good at one point. but then Atlanta (like St. Louis) has a history of getting these reclamation projects and making the most out of them. right now, the best reclamation project going in MLB is someone we know well, Kazmir up in Oakland........and geez, please no 'why did we let him go' threads about Kazmir. Halos gave him every opportunity and then some (re-signed him)........by the time he was let go here, he was pretty much finished..........somewhere he got some motivation to learn how to 'ptich' because I am assuming Kazmir's velocity is not what it once was when he was coming up with the NY Mets and later at Tampa Bay.......with us, by the time he left, his outings and appearance on the mound looked like he had lost any interest in pitching........Halos tried to work with him.........nothing worked........except maybe the realization suddenly that if he couldn't pitch he'd have to get a real job.

That win over the A's was HUGE........it meant we DID NOT GET SWEPT BY Seattle AND Oakland at HOME in April. It kept us within one game of .500 it was a big morale booster. it was the kind of game that could provide some real momentum moving forward OR at a minimum. prevented the team from getting into a 'here we go again, slow start April' rut. leaving early on a weeknight game? That's understood -- just get to the game on time so we're not like Dodger fans who get there in about the third inning, join the cocktail party in the stands, glance to see if there's really some sort of game going on, and then leave about the sixth -- of course, they may not make it out of the parking lot until the 9th........

yeah, Stewart was a pretty good prospect with Colorado......his credentials there sort of got marked down there a bit -- the 'Coors Field' affect -- but he's solid. Freese was a flyer for us -- he came over IMO clearly not the player he once was coming off prior injuries -- he really wasn't that great to begin with but playing in hometown St. Louis had some very timely success (being a World Series hero in your hometown which happens to be the best baseball city in America helps with the PR image)......nothing against Freese, we got him to beef up the offense at the corner position knowing that his D there was suspect........ Ian Stewart (gotta love that Scottish name, start playing the pipes!!) is a solid utility guy who can start in a pinch and you don't lose much......he is hitting well and is a better fielder than Freese. Meanwhile, if Howie is at 2nd and Aybar is at SS for the full nine -- I don't mind putting McDonald out there at 3B in the late innings -- that guy can play good D anywhere in the infield -- he could even play a good 1B if need be........the Romine trade to Detroit looking better and better (I like Alvarez the pitcher we got in that deal) and Old McDonald (bet he hates that name) has proven to be a real solid MIF late inning D guy and now McDonald's hitting half way decently as well.......heck, anything above .230 is a bonus from him.

Wall has been up with either the Halos or some other MLB team before -- I clicked the game on and it was 11 to 1 with Weaver pitching -- felt pretty confident.......do some stuff around the house, came back and it's 11 to 3 with Wall pitching.......I recognized Wall's name, probably from seeing him pitch at Tempe in Spring Training -- suddenly it was 11 to 5 and not getting better -- the inning seemed so prolonged......... yeah, Wall probably just got in from SLC today and I'm sure it was a round trip ticket or perhaps they put him on the Greyhound back to SLC tonight. Bright spot -- Old McDonald can really play some MIF D.

If I were at a game and caught a Pujols ball, it would be a foul ball........I'd probably give it to some kid sitting near me. and, YES, I am interested in following Albert's march to 500 HRs -- it's still an important milestone and I think we are going to see fewer 500 HR guys in the future.

there are other Joe Charboneau's out there -- and, remember the hype with the guy? He was like one and done. great link -- thanks for posting this.

Nice win tonight -- dominating first period into the second -- but then the third --- what happened??? I, like most S. Cal folks I think, am rooting for a DUCKS-KINGS second round series.

looking good -- but I agree -- first time through the league - let's see how this goes. and, yes, the Yankees had him locked up pretty much from day one. we should have signed someone like K-Rod again -- even if he's not the closer, we could have used him in the pen as a set up guy.

is this game on Channel 13 (KCOP) down there? I can't get in where I am.......am listening to Terry Smith on MLB audio.......I like Terry Smith's call of the game. Wish we were winning, though. Baseball on the radio is great.......grew up with it.......very few TV games back in the day............folks don't realize how spoiled they are -- well, I guess it's a TURN BACK THE CLOCK season for Dodger fans LOL!!! Have Ducks game on the tube listening to Halos. 4 to 2 Ducks, 12:42 left in the third.

ah, sweeps by M's and A's -- major division rivals -- not a good way to start the season. I thought we were headed for at least a .500 ball April - which would be an improvement over the past two years -- but now the possibility of being swept by two division rivals (at Anaheim !) does not bode well........more of this and Scioscia may not make it out of April this time..........and I like Mike Scioscia but, really, can the Halos afford another poor start? Can Scioscia?

hey, we are still ahead of last year's pace........

at what point does Stephen Drew tell Boras to shove it and asks for a reasonable contract to play this season....... Drew could play 2Bor SS for the Blue Jays.........at least he'd be playing........ Morales turned down qualifying offers and Drew spurned reasonable offers..........they may lose an entire season which I am fairly confident won't help their bargaining position much........

come on now......Santana did pitch like that for us -- just not consistently........ wasn't it Santana who pitched pretty well at Angels Stadium and then looked like a completely different pitcher on the road? He pitched some real gems for us but never seemed to be able to pitch two of them in a row.

I hope that I am proven wrong about Santiago -- but if you check his career stats -- minor and major leagues -- we're asking a lot of him to be a rotation guy.

Santiago and others in the rotation (Skaggs and maybe Richards -- although Richards is really coming on and improving with each start it seems) are on a short leash....... that's why we really need a middle inning pen guy who can provide consistent quality outings -- providing that bridge in the sixth and seventh inning to the set up guy (Smith) and the closer (Freiri - spelled wrong - I will never be able to get his name right).........

I hope a media outlet provides an account of what exactly happens in this situation -- do the Halos get any salary relief (probably not). Not sure about accepting ( or refusing) a minor league assignment, I would think as a 10-5 player (ten years in big leagues, five with same club something like that) that Blanton would be able to refuse a minor league assignment and maintain his guaranteed contract amount.........also Halos DFA'd him so I think that frees him up as well. anyway, hope there's a report on what the financial aspect of this is......... in one way, the speculation on this thread provides some rationale as to why Blanton even accepted a minor league deal with the A's in the first place -- I couldn't figure out why he would do that if he had a guaranteed contract.............

I liked the Alvarez deal (sending Romine to Detroit) and Herrera looked pretty good in his debut today -- a good debut opportunity -- no pressure situation. so, I like this move. The guys called up can't do any worse than the other guys have done in the pen so far. as for Shoemaker, he'll be back up at some point.

I was wondering the same thing -- if Blanton signed a minor league contract, I'm thinking that if he is not called up to the majors, the Angels are still on the hook for the entire $8.5 million for 2014 and don't even get a reduction of the MLB minimum (what's that these days? $450,000 or $500,000 ?) to be paid by the A's. Knowing of the way Billy Beane operates and the budget he has to operate within, I'm thinking the Halos get ZERO relief/ off-set under the Blanton retires without making A's big club scenario. I was surprised Blanton agreed to go to AAA in the first place........doubtful any club would sign him for next year so he can sit home and plan his investment strategy to make that $8.5 million last a life-time.