Official Angels Playoff Thread

Angels going back to the playoffs as 2004 AL West Champs!!! They will either play the Red Sox or the Yankees!!!

Go Angels!!!

i hope they go far, i need something to fill the time that i would have been spending watching hockey. watching vlad and frankie rodriguez is reason enough to watch the angels.

yeah congrats to both the Angels and the Dodgers!!

Yesterday was pretty cool seeing the Angels and Dodgers clinch their respective Division Titles 29 minutes apart.. So Cal beating up on Nor Cal.. has to be the best schedule planning ever!!

The Angels team chemistry seems to be better than ever and bench players are doing a good job chipping in.. but injuries to Adam Kennendy and Tim Salmon have left the Angels somewhat short handed.. So do you guys think that they should let Jose Guillen play?

Will Guillen be more helpful or hurtful in the Angels chase for a second World Series title??

He has been slumping this last month of the season but he does bring 27 hr. and 104? RBI's and he is a decent outfielder with an above average arm.. and he should be well rested and ready to play and prove that he is worth bringing back next year..

I personally think he deserves another chance.. what do you guys think?

Go Angels!! :yo:

Yesterday was pretty cool seeing the Angels and Dodgers clinch their respective Division Titles 29 minutes apart.. So Cal beating up on Nor Cal.. has to be the best schedule planning ever!!

The Angels team chemistry seems to be better than ever and bench players are doing a good job chipping in.. but injuries to Adam Kennendy and Tim Salmon have left the Angels somewhat short handed.. So do you guys think that they should let Jose Guillen play?

Will Guillen be more helpful or hurtful in the Angels chase for a second World Series title??

He has been slumping this last month of the season but he does bring 27 hr. and 104? RBI's and he is a decent outfielder with an above average arm.. and he should be well rested and ready to play and prove that he is worth bringing back next year..

I personally think he deserves another chance.. what do you guys think?

Go Angels!! :yo:

I think any Angel fan would like to have Jose Guillen in the lineup, however they seem to have a lot of team chemistry right now. He WAS a cancer. I think he will be traded in the offseason. And what are the Angels since Jose has been gone 7-1?

Go Angels :banana:

I think any Angel fan would like to have Jose Guillen in the lineup, however they seem to have a lot of team chemistry right now. He WAS a cancer. I think he will be traded in the offseason. And what are the Angels since Jose has been gone 7-1?

Go Angels :banana:
6-1 actually, but I agree with you. Team chemistry, from what I've heard, has been changed for the better since Guillen has been suspended. We don't know everything that has gone on with Guillen during the year. But my guess is that he has been pretty disruptive for the team to suspend a guy for the season plus playoffs with 25+ HR's and 100+ RBI's.

I'm a Dodger fan, so GO DODGERS!!!
;)
but i'm pretty sure we will get spanked since we are playng st. louis.. arrggghh

I almost wish I liked baseball...

I say put him on the roster, but whether you play him or not is another thing. They're gonna have Davanon or Riggs in left for him, and if one of them, or someone else goes down, it'll hurt them quite a bit. Also, if his attitude changes/is changed, he'd definetely help out against Boston. They're going to have to get to Schilling early to win game 1.

I say put him on the roster, but whether you play him or not is another thing. They're gonna have Davanon or Riggs in left for him, and if one of them, or someone else goes down, it'll hurt them quite a bit. Also, if his attitude changes/is changed, he'd definetely help out against Boston. They're going to have to get to Schilling early to win game 1.
Nah, I wouldn't. He's too disruptive. But they will have to get to Schilling early. Because if he gets on a roll, watch out. They'll face Pedro in Game 2, but it's not the Pedro of 3-5 years ago. He's actually hittable...just ask Vladdy. :D

dam
well the dodgers are getting spanked.. practically all home runs.. 6-0

well looks like the Angels are going to lose 8-3 as well...8th inning...this is hard to watch...

It's no big deal, remember the Angels lost every game 1 they played during the 2002 playoffs.

It's no big deal, remember the Angels lost every game 1 they played during the 2002 playoffs.
Exactly what I was going to say. They just have to win game 2. I think they have the advantage in pitching for that game because

end of the year Colon>this year's Pedro.

Exactly what I was going to say. They just have to win game 2. I think they have the advantage in pitching for that game because

end of the year Colon>this year's Pedro.
So much for that. Okay this game is a must win.

So much for that. Okay this game is a must win.


ya think? ;)


I think the Angels have an advantage in pitching today. Arroyo has a grand total of 3 2/3 IP in his playoff carrer.

optimism is gone...now I'm just hoping one of the two so.cal teams avoids being swept...

optimism is gone...now I'm just hoping one of the two so.cal teams avoids being swept...


Well each of the last 4 years a team came back down 2-0.


All 4 of those teams beat the A's... :snide:

Well each of the last 4 years a team came back down 2-0.


All 4 of those teams beat the A's... :snide:
Well, Vladdy hits the GS to tie it up in the 7th, and I'm thinking Dave Henderson's karma just came due.

But then, the Angels leave the bases loaded in the 9th, and strand runners on 1st and 3rd in the 10th, and what do ya know...David Ortiz hits a homerun in the bottom of the 10th to win it.

Damn.

you knew it was over when washburn came in; good righty > bad lefty any day, i hate the matchup crap in baseball matching lefty vs. lefty, etc.

worst day of Washburn's life.

He's done as an angel, he hasn't been that good since the world series year anyway. He needs a change of scenery.

Go Dodgers!! At least one of the local teams needs to avoid being swept.

worst day of Washburn's life.

He's done as an angel, he hasn't been that good since the world series year anyway. He needs a change of scenery.



Bad move by Scioscia. If you're gonna take K-rod out, it HAS to be for Percival.

Angels played their hearts out today. I respect that they just didnt die when the Sox when up 6-1. Impressed me a lot with that comeback. Offseason should be interesting with the whole Guillen situation and what they'll get for him if they trade him.

Angels played their hearts out today. I respect that they just didnt die when the Sox when up 6-1. Impressed me a lot with that comeback. Offseason should be interesting with the whole Guillen situation and what they'll get for him if they trade him.
What I'm hoping for is Erstad moves back to the OF, Glaus is re-signed and moves to 1B, and MacPherson plays 3B. Then they trade Guillen for some desperately needed starting pitching. Of course Guillen's trade value has dropped, but he's still a very good professional hitter.

Yeah, Scoscia will prolly be second guessed all winter for putting Washburn in instead of Percival. I guess the logic is you're saving Percy for the bottom of the inning after the Angels score the go-ahead. But we never got there. I just assumed Sosh would put him in and was surprised to hear he went with Washburn.

I know sentimentality doesn't mean much in the post-season, but it would have been nice to see Percy pitch one last time in an Angels uni, since he'll prolly leave in the offseason.

What I'm hoping for is Erstad moves back to the OF, Glaus is re-signed and moves to 1B, and MacPherson plays 3B. Then they trade Guillen for some desperately needed starting pitching. Of course Guillen's trade value has dropped, but he's still a very good professional hitter.



Agreed Erstad back in center field. Trade both Guillen and Anderson.

Anderson and Figgins were terrible this series.

Agreed Erstad back in center field. Trade both Guillen and Anderson.

Anderson and Figgins were terrible this series.
Even though I'm not crazy about Anderson, I wouldn't trade him. He's still a very good player. Trade Guillen though, I'm sure. Anderson could move back to LF, as that's his more natural position.

Nice to see at least the Dodgers won a game...

Lima was great today.

This thread had about as much success as our famous Game Day Threads at the beginning of last hockey season. Which means to say they jinxed the team.

Even though I'm not crazy about Anderson, I wouldn't trade him. He's still a very good player. Trade Guillen though, I'm sure. Anderson could move back to LF, as that's his more natural position.

Hopefullly Moreno would be willing to spend quite a bit to improve the team. If he loosened the purse strings, then these are some of the move I'd consider if I were Stoneman:

-Sign Pedro Martinez. He's good friends with Colon, he'd be the Ace here, which is something he'd likely want, and he'd make the Angels' rotation one of the best. This would also help Washburn out, who would be the third starter, so he'd have less pressure on himself.

-Trade Jose Guillen. He has to go, plain and simple. Maybe trade Anderson, too. If Boston was looking to get rid of Manny and his contract, and Moreno would take it on, I'd try and ship Guillen and Anderson for Manny and maybe Damon to replace Anderson. If they couldn't re-sign Cabrera, then maybe throw Eckstein in there as well, as Damon would replace him as lead-off, and he can be replaced at SS. While it's unlikely Boston is going to trade their MVP, to be able to get guys like Anderson and Guillen, while losing salary, would do them some good, but once again, that's very, very unlikely. They proibably would also want one of the Halos' top prospects.

-If he made that trade, and was still willing to spend, maybe make a run at Nommah. Eckstein would probably need to be replaced, and Nomar is a pretty powerful bat. Again unlikely, but it would make the team quite a bit better.

-Re-sign Glaus. This is more important than any other possible move Stoneman could make. He could have 9 Vladdy's in the line-up, but without Glaus, the Angels won't have much success. He is their leader, their heart and soul, and without him, I can't see the Angels going far in the second season. It's no coincidence the Angels picked up their game once he came back.

-Re-sign others such as Percival, but if Sele won't take a pay-cut, let him loose. Salmon isn't necessarily needed, but if he'll take a pay cut, he could be useful.



So, if Moreno decided to spend like crazy, Theo Epstein wanted to get rid of Manny's contract at almost any cost, and all these guys were interested in playing ball in Anaheim, this is what their line-up could look like:

1.CF-Johnny Damon: One of the better lead-off men in baseball today. Losing the Ecks-factor would be pretty bad, but if it meant getting this guy, I'd say it's worth it.

2.SS-Nomar Garciapara: Overshadowed by names like Tejada, Jeter, and Rodriguez in the past, he is a top SS in baseball, and while he probably isn't as good as Eckstein defensively, his bat is too much to resist.

3.RF-Vladimir Guerrero: It looked like Manny would quite easily win MVP before, but hitting .600 in the last week to get your team into the second season is huge, and it looks like Vladdy might take the MVP.

4.LF-Manny Ramirez: Huge contract or not, how awesome would it be to have two MVP candidates in the line-up? It's worth it IMO, especially if you're as rich as Art Moreno. He is a good guy in the clubhouse, has friends(Colon, for one) already on the team, and would be part of one of the best outfields in the AL, if not the whole MLB.

5.3B-Troy Glaus: He's the team leader, he's a very good third baseman, and oh yeah, he can hit too. He'd be in a nice position at 5th batter behind Man-Ram and Vlady, and would hopefully lead the team to another AL West crown. He could also play SS if necessary, as he did in college, and McPherson could go 3B(Glaus played SS in college).

6.C-Bengie Molina: A gold glove candidate, he's not the fastest catcher in the league, or on the team for that matter, but he can hit pretty well. Would also be in decent position behind Glaus at 6th.

7.1B/DH-Darin Erstad: He's getting older, but can still play with the rest of them. With Kotchman up and coming, he'd be perfect as a DH, but as he has a very good shot at a gold glove this year, you can't force him off first base just yet.

8.DH/1B-Casey Kotchman: IMO the Angels' best up-and-coming star both ways, he looks to be a very good first baseman in the not-so-distant future. But with Erstad still going strong, he'll have to split time on the first base.

9.2B-Adam Kennedy: He's a very, very good second baseman defensively, but isn't the greatest hitter. He'd be very good at #9, though.


If Salmon came back at a lower cost, he'd go in front of Molina IMO as a DH, and Kotchman would be bumped out, for now.

In that line-up, the Halos would have McPherson as a very good 3B, pretty much good enough to split time with Glaus, Figgins, a very good pinch runner who could go in the outfield or on second whenever needed, Kotchman if Salmon came back, Jose Molina, a pretty good back-up catcher, and possibly Amezaga, a good back-up short-stop/second baseman, all on the bench. Jeff Davanon and/or Adam Riggs might also contend for a bench spot. But hey, I'm not Mike Scoscia, so it might be very, very different if that's what he had to work with.


As for the pitching:

Ace-Pedro Martinez: This year was an off-year for Pedro, simple as that. He is a very good pitcher, but with Curt Shilling in Boston, he may never again regain his Ace status there.
2-Bartolo Colon: He struggled early this year, but got very good as the year went along. He's not quite at the Ace level, but there aren't too many #2 pitchers out there better than he.
3-Jarrod Washburn: While some say he needs a change of scenery, I disagree. I think he just needs a little less pressure and he'll do fine. I'm hoping for a big rebound next year from him, and hopefully we'll see the player from 2002 in 2005.
4-Kelvim Escobar: Would be one of the better #4s out there. He led the team in strike-outs last year, and looks to prove he's worth his pay-check.
5/LRP-John Lackey: Still young, he'd be a very good #5 out there, but may go long relief if he struggles early, and/or if Ortiz, or maybe even Weaver shows him up in training camp.
LRP/5-Ramon Ortiz: He struggled last year, but looks set to rebound and try and earn a spot in the rotation.
LRP-Aaron Sele: If he'll take a pay-cut, he could easily be another candidate to un-seat Lackey as #5.
LRP-Jared Weaver: AAA or AA would probably be better for him, but they say he could've played in MLB last year, so I'm not one to doubt it. He was heralded as the best pitcher in last year's draft, but wanted alot of money, which is something Anaheim has. If he's as good as they say he is, he could be a nice #5 for the Halos, or long reliever at worst. Hopefully he turns out better than brother Jeff, though.
MRP-Scot Shields: Did pretty decent last year, and looks to be the Angels' best option at mid-reliever, unless Donnelley is one as well.
MRP-Ben Weber: Also did well last year, could be another good mid-reliever if kept up in Anaheim.
MRP/SU-Brendan Donnelley: A very good and underrated reliever, he may play either mid-reliever or set-up next year, most likely pending on whether Percival re-signs.
SU-Francisco Rodriguez: The best young reliever IMO. He's also probably one of the better set-up guys. He looks to be a dominant closer in the future, but it might be best to keep TP around for a while do he develops a little more. His nickname is K-Rod, and it's for a reason.
CP-Troy Percival: The best closer in the AL not named Rivera IMO. He's very clutch, and to myself and probably many other Angels fans, there's nothing like watching Percival get that strike when it's 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth.


Obviously, alot of this might just be fantasy, could ruin team chemistry, Moreno would have to think the team totally sucks and needs some new bats, but you gotta admit, that looks like a very, very good ball club. It also is very similar to my MVP baseball line-up. :D

I almost wish I liked baseball...

LoL me too. Im pulling for the Red Sox tho now

Obviously, alot of this might just be fantasy, could ruin team chemistry, Moreno would have to think the team totally sucks and needs some new bats, but you gotta admit, that looks like a very, very good ball club. It also is very similar to my MVP baseball line-up. :D

Damon, Pedro, Manny and Nomar would cost minimum of $55 million.

i wonder if the Dodger GM is kicking himself now for doing the trade to get rid of LoDuca,Encarnicion, and Mota for Choi, Penny, and some catcher..
that was the stupidest trade i have ever seen done..
now my Dodgers are playing golf... :cry: :mad:

(Too long of a quote to put it all here)
This is referring to your last post. (I didn't want to quote the whole thing, since it's long).

1. DH'ing Erstad on a regular basis would be a misuse of his defensive talents. He was a multi-gold glove OF, and became a probable gold glove 1B in his first year at the position. Gotta find a spot for him on the field, with those skills.

2. Tim Salmon, last I heard, underwent surgery and may be out all of next year. Or, his career could be over.

3. Bengie Molina is a UFA and the Angels need to decide if they're going to re-sign him. (Sorry it's either he's a UFA or he has an option which Stoneman must decide if he will pick up). In either event it's going to cost the Angels a pretty penny. He's slow as molasses, but is a top level defensive catcher (2 Gold Gloves) and a high 200's hitter. Those are hard to come by.

4. I'd be hesitant to make that blockbuster deal, trading Garrett, Eckstein and Guillen for Damon, Manny and Cabrera. Shaking up the chemistry that much makes me cringe. I could be wrong though.

5. I agree with you about Glaus. Gotta re-sign him. Even if it means moving him to 1B (pray he agrees to this) moving Erstad to CF, and Anderson to RF. That seems the most logical decision. That way MacPherson can play 3B. My only concern is MacPherson looked shaky defensively at third this year.