disarcina

Can we get a report from someone who attended the Dodger Stadium game? How were the sight lines? I imagine the atmosphere was great but am wondering if you ended up watching most of the game on the big screen because you couldn't see the action from your seats........? What was the smaller rink around the infield? Looks like a pool --- was it a practice skate rink or something? Kings scoring woes continue -- get shut out at Dodger Stadium........Hiller strikes 'em out, walks none........

Texas, Oakland, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle, Houston. I know Seattle has spent some money and made some improvements but when has any Seattle free agent signing (other than Ichiro from Japan) ever worked for them? Texas just seems to do enough to be more competitive than the rest of the West and Billy Beane seems to be able to continue to work with mirrors up in Oakland. His win percentage per payroll dollar spent has to be among the best in baseball over the past decade The Angels? What have they really done to improve at this point? The big trade (Bourjos to St. Louis for Freese and Santiago) is OK for us but not anything that makes us 10 games better than 2013. I think our pen might be a bit better in 2014 but we really have not addressed the rotation issue much -- oh yeah, Mulder is coming back from 2006 to rescue us. Houston? if they played everyone else like they did the Halos in 2013, they'd be in playoff contention. PREDICTION: Halos wind up with 84 wins, out of the playoffs and with Gary DiSarcina as the new skipper for 2015 with a certain 'Special Assistant to the Owner' named at Mike Scioscia trying to figure out what 'other duties as assigned' means..........

this news could have been announced last month............ Tanaka to Yankees? I'm shocked.......shocked to hear the Yankees have spent a pant load to get a top Japan pitcher prospect and that the guy decided to play in New York.

did we trade away Romine? Didn't he spend some time on our roster last year and isn't he pretty slick fielding, even if he's also no-hit.

Red Wings today and then about what? 13 games until the Olympic break..... Nice to see Quick back and the LA Kings sort of rebounding from that recent losing skid. nice to turn things around before the Olympic break -- well, always nice to win and play well, however -- some may recall the last Olympic break four years ago, the LA Kings were playing pretty well going into the Olympic break and had some real momentum going...........when they came back from the break, they seemed sluggish, lost the momentum and took some time to regain it. so, not sure if going into the break with the sort of recent skid the Kings had is better or going in sizzling hot. hard to say........let's just break even on the next 14 or so before the break...........

well, I don't think of Morris as a HOF guy -- never a real dominate pitcher.......did win games, did help Twins win some big games........ but to me, it's sort of like Blyleven........and I know some disagree here (imagine that!) but some of these longevity guys that have put up pretty good career stats.......well, they still did not dominate during the era (s) -- because some of these guys spanned era's -- in which they played........ Morris NO. BIGGIO -- YES.

Well, we could recreate a portion of the 2004 Oakland A's rotation by signing Barry Zito. let's see, Blanton was on that A's team but not a starter, if we would have beat the Giants to Tim Hudson, we could have had him. Didn't Arthur Rhoades pitch for us for a short spell? he was in the pen for that A's team......... heck we could sign Zito and then for one of the Angels/ Giants Spring Traning games have a 'turn back the clock 2004 jerseys' game.......

happybat4 -- yep, you are absolutely correct and I am completed wrong on that. see, I told you the guys with Maddux got over-looked.........yeah, I was referencing Smoltz accomplishments not Glavine. Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz all deserve to be in....... thanks for pointing out my stupid mistake there.

Saw Jeff Fletcher's comments re Biggio........ Obviously, I disagree........name another player who made the ALL STAR team at THREE different positions (and had 3,000 hits and Biggio had something like 300 stolen bases plus fell just short of 250 HRs). He's a first ballot guy in my book -- then there was his team leadership skills as well.......... Hope he makes it next year.

just a crime that Craig Biggio wasn't voted in last year and then missed by two votes this year. to me, Biggio is a first time ballot HOF guy more so than Frank Thomas..........(although Frank Thomas absolutely should be IN and now he is). Maddux, a no brainer.....perhaps one of the smartest, if not the smartest pitchers ever in MLB (Orel Hershiser was pretty sharp, too), A good video would be one with some Tony Gwynn Jr. AB's vs. Maddux and some hitting coach/ pitching coach commentary on the pitch selection and the hitter's swing....... Was very pleased to see Tom Glavine get in.........over-shadowed by Maddux and others over the years but a very solid pitcher and guy who did something that only a few other pitchers have accomplished (Dennis Eckersley)......to be a top line, ace level starting rotation guy and then turn around and be an ALL STAR quality closer.......

yeah, I think the Dodgers may still be paying Bonilla..........

Well, having read LIGHT THE HALO's comment - he brings up an important point and an important consideration about Wells playing in 2014.........Wells himself has ZERO (or minimal) incentive to play if, as is likely the fact, his current contract is his final MLB contract....... He can travel with a team all season and ride the bench and collect his salary being paid by four teams OR He can sit at home eating bon-bons, do nothing and collect his salary. He has essentially TWO incentives to possibly play -- 1.) the very low percentage chance that he would play half way decent and some team would offer him an incentive laden contract after his current contract expires (possible but highly unlikely this will happen) and 2.) His MLB pension benefit would increase by the actual roster time he would have during the 2014 season.......with the huge contracts (like Wells has) not sure if that's a major consideration or not but for some of the 25th man on the roster/ utility guys that have barely secured the four years (I think it's four) to gain MLB pension eligibility, it is a significant consideration..........for some big contract guys (perhaps Wells) who do not manage their finances well, it may be well worth it to maximize the monthly pension benefit that lasts a lifetime....... chances of Wells playing in 2014 based on all this??? 25 % yes 75% no. Although, he will get offers, the question becomes, will be accept them?

Reading the initial news on this and now this thread -- my first thought was 'are we still paying for this guy?" Apparently, we are still on the hook for part of his contract but now have two other teams in the 'misery loves company' situation. the fact that now THREE teams are paying for his 2014 contract -- and as a prior post points out -- he is NOT playing for any of these teams (this could be an MLB record!!) -- as ridiculous as the situation sounds, it almost GUARANTEES that he will be playing for some MLB team in 2014 because they will only have to pick the major league minimum of his salary (not sure what that is these days, have increased with the recent MLBPA contract) to have him as a 5th/ 6th outfielder....... so some small market team will sign Wells and place him on their roster -- I am assuming (and hoping) that 2014 is the end of his contract (and any Angels financial obligation) but would not be surprised to learn it extends through 2015......... TRIVIA TIME: Which MLB player is being paid by FOUR MLB teams to sit the bench during the 2014 season??? TRVIA TIME: What is the most expensive seat in the ballpark?? (ANSWER -- the one Wells is occupying in the dug out).

Does this surprise anyone? Well, maybe the 'only a year' part........ And, YES, I do think this clears some salary room for Yankees to pursue Tanaka. Yankees might also get insurance money on this, hard to tell........ All time list of various stat catagories becomes interesting -- perhaps they should have an 'all asterisk' Hall of Fame for guys like Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens and now A-Rod. (there are others are well, Sosa, etc.)

Two modest goals for 2014: 1.) Be 5 games over .500 the first week of May. 2.) At least break even in the season series with Houston. Those two things might have gotten us into the playoffs last year.

all has been said but a truly great American........flew combat missions in WWII and Korea.......was, I think, the only active MLB to see ACTIVE COMBAT FLYING MISSIONS in both WWI and Korea.......when this is remarked upon, folks say NO -- and mention Ted Williams as well -- but the distinction is ACTIVE COMBAT in both WWII and Korea....... Jerry Coleman, before he was the SD Padres play by play guy who went on to become an icon there, the identity of the team as much as Tony Gwynn Jr. was/is. but Coleman before all that was the host of the Los Angeles Angels pre-game show back in the day......... in fact, what helped him get the Padres job initially was that Buzzie Bavasi was the Padres initial GM and all the players Buzzie signed were from the Dodgers and Angels and Coleman knew them all. OH DOCTOR, HANG A STAR ON THAT ONE!!!!!!!!!!

I guess so -- it's been brought up as a subject here........important stuff !! base coaches stuff -- reminds me of years ago when I was a kid and went with my dad to see a Dodgers-Reds game at Dodger Stadium. Ted Kluslewski (spelled completely wrong) the big former 1B slugger for the Reds (he also played for the 1961 expansion Los Angeles Angels team), was the first base coach for the Red. He was huge.....his forearms popped out of his uniform......he towered over all the players -- now remember this is the Big Red Machine version of the Cincy Reds.......but I never forgot that vision of the first base coach, big Ted, towering over everyone and looking large........don't know if he did much as a 1B coach but he did look intimidating by just standing there........not sure what number he wore..........probably the same number he wore when he played for the Reds.

I get this bad news coming feeling that our April/ May first five weeks of the 2014 season may resemble 2012 and 2013. That's when the Halos dug themselves into such a hole that they spent the entire rest of the season trying to (unsuccessfully) dig out from it. I just don't see anything the Halos have done so far this off-season that makes the 2014 performance any different that the prior two years.......and if our big 'splash' in the pitching department includes signing Mark Mulder to a minor league re-hab type contract, well, let's just say that does not exactly instill confidence. Don't want to sound like a Failio (although I am doing a fairly decent job of doing so) but I just wonder, if the Halos do get off to another April/ May of playing .400 baseball......do you think Scioscia might get kicked upstairs and the new third base coach for 2014 (GARY DiSARCINA) will be named the new skipper? I hope the Halos play well and get off to, if not a great start, then at least one there they're above .500 and that we have a very competitive team all season long.........but realistically, I think FSN probably has it pegged right -- they've been playing re-runs of the 2013 game telecasts.............

geez.......great season suddenly turns ugly the past three weeks.........

DiSar previously wore number 9 when he was with the Halos......I think he also wore number 33 for a while.

great. I said last week of January -- Jan. 25th and then I saw the posting for the deadline pursuant to the rule. so I adjust my guess to the very last minute he can do it........Jan. 24.

Geez, this report will certainly up his trade value.........'if we can't get rid of the guy, we'll release him and pay the guy to pitch for some other team..........in fact, Halos will pay double if he goes to the A's or Texas and pitches against the Halos in at least half of the 18 games against each other"

For long time Halos fans, Tim Salmon is the second generation of Halos' fans' Jim Fregosi When we talk of players like this -- we are not necessarily talking about the greatest player, the player with the best all time team record stats (although being up there on the list helps) but the player who is the heart and soul and face of the organization. For many years the Angel player that came to mind when you mentioned the Halos was Jim Fregosi (even after the NOLAN RYAN trade!!!) No one really replaced him as an Angel icon until Tim Salmon came along and then Salmon sealed the deal when he hoisted that World Championship trophy and directed it to the fans in the stands at Angel Stadium -- a true iconic moment for the franchise. There's a lot of great Halo players -- Nolan Ryan perhaps the best ever, GA is on that list, Don Baylor's years here (not that long of a period of time, though) were clearly memorable, Jimmy Edmonds made some highlight reel catches for the ages and Chuck Finley was worthy Halo all time guy successor to Dean Chance (Nolan Ryan IMO is in a league of his own -- no one will ever match his numbers - IP and K's in a season, no hitters etc. even if one Halos GM thought Nolan was as good as "two 8-7 pitchers"), Rod Carew finished his career here but like Torri was always more associated with Minnesota than here; Garret Anderson is probably a guy on the list who at some point will get his Halos number retired. His consistency in numbers/ hits/ etc. in the 90's early 2000 period were the best in baseball during that span right up there with Jeter's hit totals and later Ichirio's. But true iconic Angels -- I'd argue there are only three right now worthy of that title: Jim Fregosi, Tim Salmon and ,of course, NUMBER 26 -- the Cowboy, Gene Autry. As for managers -- Mike Scioscia is the all time Halos manager passing up a truly great baseball guy -- the late Bill Rigney.......

Ten Years?? No Way? Hard to believe.......... seems like just yesterday we were all complaining about the trolls on the old ESPN site. Have been to that ESPN site (Angels team page) perhaps three times over the past ten years (and that might be an over-estimate) and ZERO times in the past five years.....I remember the last time I checked, it was like a ghost town. Congrats to Chuck and the Angelswin.com team here -- I still remember the switch over from the ESPN site (even if I am having difficulty realizing it was TEN YEARS AGO) and how within a relatively short period of time - perhaps three weeks to a month -- all the regulars on the ESPN site were at Angelswin.com and most of us didn't even want to check the rear view mirror.......

Salmon's number should be retired. He's an all time great Halo. having said that and I think Salmon himself would agree with this -- Salmon's not in Trout's league. Trout, if he does not get hurt, stands to become one of the game's/ era's best players........ Having said that -- I think Trout winds up in pinstripes.........he won't he a Halo for life.