disarcina

well, suddenly with Trout approaching 30/30/ 100 and 175 hit type numbers and Toronto and Houston looking like they may not make the playoffs (impacting Donaldson and Altuve's chances plus the fact Trout has gotten stronger in September while competitors for the MVP have struggled) -- looks like its a Mookie Betts vs. Mike Trout race. East Coast bias usually wins those......

he's getting closer -- tonight's 'stolen base' vs. Houston (right before the Intentional Walk to Pujols) -- I was surprised (and pleasantly so) that Trout was credited with a stolen base -- looked a lot like 'defensive indifference' to me -- although that's really weird in a 6-6 tie 9th inning situation. Did the ball get stuck in the catcher's glove or did Trout get such a jump on the pitcher that the catcher just said 'forgettabout it' and they were planning to walk Pujols anyway? hard to say. anyway, Trout will take the SB on the way to 30/30/ 100 and how may hits? 175?

thanks for posting the interview. Interesting. I don't blame DiPoto -- if you know good people in the game that you can work with well -- get 'em on your side. makes sense sometimes these front office 'free agent' moves/ departures help or hurt a team as much or more than certain player movements.

no retaliation with a high hard inside pitch because ump will toss you; you can't break up a double play with a hard slide anymore can't be like a real catcher and block the plate anymore (we call it the Buster Pussy Rule) what's happened to this great game??? that being said, If I were Halos I wouldn't stir up stuff when you're 65=85, officially eliminated from almost everything but last place and there's two weeks left in the season. don't need foolish injuries, suspensions, fines. if this were the Dodgers-Giants 1-0 game tonight - I would feel differently. but then last night, Mad Bum must have told Bochy he was going to plunk the first Dodger hitter in the 8th inning and Bochy yanked him out of the game. Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale, Nolan Ryan (well, he was wild anyway so no one really knew if he was plunking you or just wild - perfect - of course, Ryan's pitches were dangerous). etc.

to me there are only TWO KEEPERS by CHOICE on the current Halos team: Trout and Simmons. Everyone else is expendable. Practical KEEPERS (as in, no one will take their salary and/or we have them locked up for a few years) Pujols, Nolasco or pitchers with arm health issues sufficient to make them not move-able -- Richards, Shoemaker, Street (what's his contract status?) everyone else can be dealt...........

strike that -- they are not watching pop warner, YFL and high school football games - they're watching those teams' football PRACTICE

well, Texas has put together a wire to wire AL West Division leading season without much fanfare or competition. the Rangers are playoff bound and the games I've been watching I can see empty seats. I guess folks are too busy watching Pop Warner and YFL games or attending a high school football game at a $20 million plus HIGH SCHOOL football stadium. It is TEXAS.

well, Puig (IMO a real punk) wins that one -- and it's absolutely terrible. I don't blame Mad Bum, I blame Bochy. He takes Bumgarner out when Mad Bum is in post-season form mowing down the Dodgers hitters, pitching a one hitter. Bumgarner out pitched Kershaw and Kershaw pitched great, as always. So a fired up Mad Bum responds to punk Puig's mad dogging and Mad Bum gets pulled? With the recent state of the SF pen (I was at AT&T Friday and Saturday and saw the pen meltdown in the ninth vs, the Cards) BOCHY pulls a fired up Mad Bum? REALLY? I think Bochy must have been concerned that Bumgarner was about to go head hunting vs. the Dodgers and get a six game suspension or worse. Only explanation I can think of..........huge loss. Now they're locked up no score again tonight -- bottom third.

well, Puig (IMO a real punk) wins that one -- and it's absolutely terrible. I don't blame Mad Bum, I blame Bochy. He takes Bumgarner out when Mad Bum is in post-season form mowing down the Dodgers hitters, pitching a one hitter. Bumgarner out pitched Kershaw and Kershaw pitched great, as always. So a fired up Mad Bum responds to punk Puig's mad dogging and Mad Bum gets pulled? With the recent state of the SF pen (I was at AT&T Friday and Saturday and saw the pen meltdown in the ninth vs, the Cards) BOCHY pulls a fired up Mad Bum? REALLY? I think Bochy must have been concerned that Bumgarner was about to go head hunting vs. the Dodgers and get a six game suspension or worse. Only explanation I can think of..........huge loss. Now they're locked up no score again tonight -- bottom third.

we're 65-85 -- why are we even thinking about mixing stuff up on the field as we enter late September??

some funny stuff on this thread....g'dammit Downing Rules: 'ain't that the truth -- and yes, Angel Oracle - lot of similar stuff with this team's two stars (Trout/ Pujols) and the bad Angel teams with the best pitcher around (Nolan Ryan) and young fireballer --who later became quite the pitcher after surgery/ arm troubles reduced his velocity-- Frank Tanana. Gurn67 --you post pretty much sums it up -- real tough to even turn on the games starting in July. As for the draft pick stuff -- I think MLB should modify the draft pick 'standings' draft pick selection process. On Sept. 1 when rosters expand for the stretch run, MLB should take the bottom TEN or maybe TWLEVE teams in MLB: those teams are then placed in their own 'Division" for the September stretch run -- (like the Wild Card standings stuff). At that point, the 10 or 12 teams compete for the 'Best record in September' Draft picks are then assigned 1-10 or 1-12 depending on the 'September Stretch Run Draft Pick Division" race...........this would force teams to not lay down in September and try to win games......the winner of this September losers' Division would wind up with the number one draft pick.....that a prize worth playing for...........

JINX -- isn't that ALWAYS the case.? I tried hard not to say NO NO. oh well. Now MLB has cut to Dodgers-Giants game where Puig is acting like a punk again and challenging Madison Bumgarner on a pretty basic dribbler to the left of the mound. No reason for Puig to act out but he does.........meanwhile, perhaps a good thing for the Dogs because Bumgarner is pitching a gem , one hit shut out over Kershaw.......just a great old fashioned pitcher's duel..........two great pitchers and one real punk. Giants took Bumgarner out of the game after incident -- don't think he got tossed........Bochy just decided to take him out after another altercation with Puig. Blanton up in pen for Dogs --GEEZ.

We are 65-85 with what? 12 games to go. need to go 5-7 to reach a 70 win, 92 loss season. that would be a 'win' the way we've been going. Halos have not had a sub .500 season since going 80-82 in 2010. Last 70 win season was in 1996 and those dog years. Halos over the years (and throw out the two strike seasons : 1981 (51-59) and 1994 (47-68) Listed by in order of fewest wins: 1981 - 65-95 1968 - 67-95 1974 - 68-94 1983/ 1999 - 70-92 1961/1963/1996 - 70-91 1969/1993 - 71-91 1992 - 72-90 So we're battling to match our 1992 record......great.

only through 6, Jay's pitcher Estrada pitching a gem. MLB channel showing it live now.

might want to catch the M's game on right now -- MLB may cut to it soon.

we are 65-85 right now. 12 games left. we need to go 5-7 to get to 70-92. at 6-6 we end up 71-91. if we tank, as we have been -- and go more like 4-8 we wind up at 69-93. when we picked number of wins at the start of the season, who thought we'd be rooting for ONLY a 92 loss season to get to 70 wins??? I think I guessed something like 76 wins.

Texas has gone wire to wire with the best record in the AL -- it's no fluke......... Another Halos Loss........... we are headed for the worst Halos 'losing' (I refuse to call it a 'winning' percentage this year) percentage in quite some time. Where do we wind up? 70 wins?

Cron up -- think we can get some decent rotation help in exchange for him during the off-season. not an ace obviously or even a number 3 guy but pehaps, a 4/5 type guy.

out of the inning -- WOW!! didn't think we would escape that inning without Texas taking the lead into the ninth.

Beltre has 2,929 career hits -- will reach 3,000 next season -- HOF numbers. Another Halos pen performance here...... no one is talking about Texas in all of the playoff discussion...........they very quietly have gone wire to wire in the AL West and have the best record in the AL. Oh well.

Beltre has how many career hits ? has to be about 2700 by now.

game back on...........

and a final dagger -- and I don't mean to knock Arte because I think he's been good for the Angels franchise overall -- but I think Arte -- a sole proprietor competing against mega corporations and partnerships - has come to the realization that the Anaheim park is a pretty nice place to spend an evening -- fans will flock there -- well, maybe not a sell out all 81 home games, but 30,000 to 35,000 each night -- and he's got the best player in baseball on the team for fans to come out and watch -- So Arte settles. Nice time at the ball park -- good entertainment product -- makes money win, lose or draw -- better if they win, but acceptable even when they don't.......the primary entity really getting hurt when the Angels don't make certain revenue numbers is probably the City of Anaheim..........I'm sure Arte's folks are shedding tears over that. Ballpark needs upgrade, Angels/ City of Anaheim lease extension talks at stand-still, no one wants to pay for capital needs, a perfect scenario for the status quo scenario for the foreseeable future.......

we have lost the battle of Los Angeles -- a battle we really had a window of opportunity to pounce on and win....... the McCourt debacle gave the Angels an opening and the Angels couldn't make it happen. Dogs are back, Kershaw - even with his DL stint this year -- is one of the best ever and they have a pretty good line up.

I liked the Simmons deal when we made it and I like it now -- although the only issue I have with it -- if that was going to be OUR major deal - I probably would have gone for rotation help. I still like having Simmons at SS and letting Aybar go. Carlos Perez for Trumbo? Seriously? Don't think that was happening. Daniel Murphy is probably the best bang for the buck F/A off-season signing - the Nats got a deal -- but not sure if Murphy would have signed with a West Coast team. No qualms at all about letting Freese go -- yeah, he's done OK in Pittsburgh and now has a new two or three year deal there -- good for him. I thought he was weak on D, had some timely clutch hits at times but not enough, and was a really poor baserunner as well as being pretty SLOW -- a real GIDP threat every time up with less than two outs and a guy on first. Hindsight? Spend more money on rotation help and maybe that bat, LF guy - a position that has hurt us all season long. Trade Santiago sooner? nah, don't think so -- quite frankly that's one move and timing that the front office timed perfectly -- both the acquisition/ signing and the trade right at deadline time this year -- and now we have Nolasco who I think can be a serviceable 4/5 rotation guy for next year -- let's sign Weaver to a one year incentive laden deal as another 4/5 guy. Then let's see how Shoemaker, Skaggs etc. do. Look folks -- Texas was (somewhat quietly) wire to wire this year and enters the final two plus weeks of the season with the best record in the AL -- Does anyone think we're doing much in 2017? We need to start building for 2018 and beyond.