2K9 Major League Baseball Preview (The East)

By Brent Hubbard – Senior Columnist

Ah, spring … my favorite time of the year.

All 30 teams start with a clean slate; last season’s memories, good and bad, are washed away. Who picked the Phillies last season? Not me. If recent Fall Classics have taught us anything, it’s that every team has a shot.

Zero wins and zero losses — 162 to play. In October, at least 17 more games for two lucky teams. And in the end, there can only be one.

The Colorado Rockies, 2007 National League Champions, and the Tampa Bay Rays, 2008 American League Champions, both formerly perennially losing teams, wound up winning their respective pennants out of nowhere. Yes, they both lost the Series, but will this year’s surprise team win it all? Who will it be?

This season’s preview, as we did last year at AngelsWin.com, will feature a division-by-division preview, starting with the AL and NL East. Thursday’s piece will feature a look at the AL and NL Central, and Friday’s will look at what is in store for the AL and NL West.

We’ll project our major award winners for the AL on Saturday and the NL on Sunday, and the preview will feature a few questions I posed to each of our senior writers, to see what they think about some hot topics for the 2009 campaign. We’ll wrap the preview on Opening Day Monday with our Playoff and World Series projections.

With no further ado, Angelswin.com’s AL and NL East Projections.

The AL East (predicted record)

1) Tampa Bay Rays (95-67) Last Year’s AL Pennant winner was not a fluke. This team is young, talented and adds David Price to the rotation (Yes, I know he is starting at AAA) and Pat Burrell and Matt Joyce to the OF mix. They just got deeper, folks, and have a ton of talent besides Price in the minors. Second consecutive AL East Title is going to Tampa Bay. They may start slow, but it won’t last.

Biggest question mark: Can they do it again?

2) New York Yankees (94-68) To be fair, I see adding two of the game’s best players as probably a bigger jump in the standings. But A-Rod is out for a few months and they are depending on a healthy Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett in the rotation. I think they have the depth to absorb those innings, particularly with their reluctance to trade two of the young guys, but Joba Chamberlain’s velocity is down, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada are a year older and I’ve never been a fan of Melky Cabrera or Johnny Damon. They have question marks, but also have a lot of talent. Enough to take the Wild Card.

Biggest question mark: Is A-Rod, coming back from injury, able to put up MVP caliber numbers for the rest of the season?

(Adam Dodge picks the Yanks to take the division. I guess you can buy your way back, in his opinion.)

3) Boston Red Sox (87-75) The most loathed team in baseball, I am sure, has been over-hyped for a few seasons now. Their success brought on a bit of invincibility — or they perceive it so. But they are far from invincible. Rotation questions abound after the top three of Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Prospects Justin Masterson and Clay Bucholtz could be the answer, or they could fall flat like last year. They traded Coco Crisp, who really produced in the playoffs last season. Dustin Pedroia was the MVP? Really? David Eckstein 2.0 is not MVP-good, people. If he put up those numbers anywhere else, he wouldn’t have won the MVP. And Kevin Youkilis … I can’t stand his batting stance. Basically, I see this team winning 97 or 87 games and I don’t know which. So, I went with the latter.

Biggest question mark: How will they do pitching wise? They have a solid 1-2-3, but the 4-5 spots are really question marks.

(Adam picks the Red Sox to win the Wild Card, he believes in them way more than I do.)

4) Toronto Blue Jays (86-76) Same as last year, really — a solid team that could be good, could be bad, most likely will be close enough to see the top, but can’t pass the big boys to get there. Lots of young talent and a mix of talented veterans would put this team in the division race, if not the playoffs, in any other division, but it’s not going to happen in this one.

Biggest question mark: Can they step up or will they live in mediocrity another season? Will Vernon Wells return to MVP form?

5) Baltimore Orioles (66-96) Matt Weiters may wind up AL Rookie of the Year, but he might not be up to the Majors until late June. And although I see potential in Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and other young Orioles, I also see only two legitimate starters for a five-man rotation.

Biggest question mark: How much will the youth carry the team? Can they take a big step forward?

The NL East (predicted record)

1) Philadelphia Phillies (91-71) The 2008 World Series Champions, minus Burrell, plus Raul Ibanez. Pretty good team that got hot at the right time. We’ll see if they repeat as NL East champions for the third straight year; it seems likely. As World Series Champions, however, they probably will not. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard lead the way. They aren’t a very exciting team, but will that matter?

Biggest question mark: Can they repeat? Can they win the division title convincingly, before the last week of the season this year?

(Adam Dodge also takes the Phillies in the NL East. They didn’t miss Rowand last season, but will they be able to maintain?)

2) Florida Marlins (84-78) Cameron Maybin is a great player, definite NL Rookie of the Year candidate, and the Marlins have a lot of other young players besides Hanley Ramirez and Maybin. If they spent even the full amount of luxury tax money they are receiving on player payroll, they would be World Series contenders. They have depth everywhere and youth, but instead ownership decided to do its “Major League” impression. Sucks.

Biggest question mark: 1997, World Series Champs out of nowhere. Six years later, 2003, World Series Champs, again out of nowhere. Six years later, 2009….

(Adam Dodge takes the Fish as his NL Wild Card. I agree they could move up, but they could just as easily fall apart. However, you do have the every six years thing … hmmmm)

3) New York Mets (81-81) The Mets finishing fourth? A losing record? K-Rod is going to give the New York Post something to write about, that is for sure. New stadium and a talented team, but I don’t see much pitching depth behind Johan Santana, though their offense will be solid. Rookie Daniel Murphy hitting 2nd could make them even better.

Biggest question mark: Pitching outside of Santana. Maine is coming off a bad season and is an injury concern, Pelfrey is solid, but his lack of a big league changeup will have hitters figuring him out soon enough. Oliver Perez and Livan Hernandez can give you innings, but also get knocked around. Second biggest question: How quickly will Mets fans be calling for J.J. Putz to replace Francisco Rodriguez as the closer?

4) Atlanta Braves (80-82) Gone are John Smoltz and Greg Maddux. Glavine is back for his second year in his second run with the team, but other than he and Chipper Jones, nearly every link to the Braves’ spectacular run of consecutive NL East titles has moved on. Here’s hoping Garrett Anderson, Casey Kotchman and Jeff Francoeur all have great seasons and this team surprises to move up from the .500 record I am projecting here.

Biggest question mark: Believe it or not, it’s starting pitching. Is Tim Hudson healthy by mid-season? Can Javier Vazquez be the dominate pitcher he was back in '07?

5) Washington Nationals (59-103) To what exactly do Nationals fans have to look forward? Nothing exciting except Adam Dunn’s moon shots until ace-in-waiting Steven Strasburg makes his debut at the end of June. They’ll have their ace and they have a slugger, but what else do they have? Not much.

Biggest question mark: Strasburg or no Strasburg … that is, according to some sources, the $80 million question.

Tomorrow we’ll look at the AL Central and NL Central Division races.

Around the Halo 3/31/2009

Yesterday in Tempe the Angels battered former Angel Bartolo Colon and the Chicago White Sox 13-3.

I must confess I was a bit worried about the Angels offense but they are looking spectacular this spring. They've scored 101 runs in their last 9 games. That's ridiculous. My biggest worry was infield offense and so Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick and Kendry Morales are bringing it.
However all three have been flexing their muscles, especially Aybar. If Aybar brings the doubles, triples and occasional homer like he has in Tempe, the Halos will have the lighting bolt at short many fans wanted Brandon Wood to be. Aybar is currently hitting .477 with 3 home-runs and nine extra base hits.

On Sunday Gary Matthews Jr. was told he would be used as an extra outfielder. Matthews was not happy and stormed out of the managers office and was given the day off according to MLB.com. Monday, Matthews was back and spoke to the media.

"Based on how I recovered from surgery and how I've performed this spring, my opinion is that I'm an everyday player," Matthews said. "I discussed this [with Scioscia and Reagins]. We agree to disagree at this point.

At this point the Angels who are big on clubhouse chemistry have to hope that Matthews will no become a distraction. Even if Matthews waives his no-trade clause, the Angels will be hard pressed to move him. He is not under reasonable contract where the Angels could get something useful in return like the Jose Guillen situation.

Matthews will not be a starter at least for now, but he will play quite a bit. He's a better defender than Guerrero, Abreu and Rivera at this point so he could be used as a defensive replacement, and pinch hitter. Also with the way Mike Scioscia likes to shuffle his lineup it's quite possible Matthews could platoon with Juan Rivera.

There is a story out that the Cincinatti Reds have interest. The Angels would be looking for starting pitching now that they've learned that John Lackey will be out until May. Plus there is the continued speculation as to the availability of Jake Peavy.

Joe Saunders appears to be on schedule to be the opening day starter on April 6th in Anaheim. Mike Napoli is also on schedule to open the season at catcher.

This afternoon in Tempe Nick Adenhart will take on the Chicago Cubs. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net at 1 pm.

Plate Tectonics

The Angels look to be circling the bases a lot this season

By David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Columnist

Quick: Pick your favorite baseball offensive stat. Did you pick batting average (BA)? On-base percentage (OB)? How about slugging percentage (SLG)? Or, are you fond of the on-base plus slugging stat (OPS)?

Now, take a guess: which team leads all the major leagues in that category. Is it the Yankees with all their high-priced sluggers? Boston? The Cubs? Texas?

Would you be surprised to learn that not one of those teams leads the majors in any of those categories? Would you be even more surprised to learn that one team leads in all of those categories? And, would you be shocked to learn that it is the Angels who lead all the majors in BA, OB, SLG, and OPS?

Talk about a shakeup: As of March 28th, the Angels have posted a 318 BA, a 395 OB, a 534 SLG and a 929 OPS in 28 games. More impressively, they are leading the major leagues in walks (BBs) with 122, and 8th lowest in strikeouts with 164! That’s a monumental improvement over years past in which the Angels have ranked in the bottom half of most (if not all) of these offensive stats and were known for their hack-o-matic approach to the plate. That’s the type of offense that makes the opposition tremble when facing us.

While it’s easy to dismiss these stats as merely fool’s gold from Spring Training, a closer examination reveals that a seismic shift is truly underway for the Angels’s offense. First off, these numbers haven’t been posted over a few days—they’ve been posted consistently throughout the 28 games and 995 ABs played so far. Secondly, these numbers aren’t the result of the Angels veteran players padding their numbers against minor-league pitchers playing in Spring Training. This Spring, Vladimir Guerrero has only appeared in 6 games, Bobby Abreu in 9 games, Torii Hunter in 13 games, and Mike Napoli in 16 games.

So, what has changed with the Angels to cause such a seismic shift to their approach at the plate? A while back, Mike Scioscia and Mickey Hatcher let it out that they had become alarmed by some disturbing trends in the plate discipline exhibited by the players in our organization. As fans and pundits had pointed out, the Angels were seeing too few pitches, swinging at too many pitches out of the zone, and not working their way into hitting counts. As a result, they weren’t pressuring the opposition as much, and were cutting short their scoring opportunities. And, the Angels saw what effects a patient hitter, such as Teixeira, could have on their lineup.

To remedy that, Scioscia changed the focus on the offensive development for our minor leaguers and instituted mandatory directives for all of our minor leaguers to have a more disciplined approach at the plate. Some of the confusion about the Angels offensive approach has been clarified. Players are to work themselves into hitting counts and to capitalize on situations, especially when in those hitting counts.

A good example of how this focus has improved a player is Brandon Wood. In his major league career, Brandon has 55 Ks and only 4 BBs in 183 ABs. However, for the Spring, Brandon has only 8 Ks and 4 BBs in 51 ABs. By refining his zone this Spring, Brandon has posted a 333/382/706 line including 10 extra base hits! He is tied for the club lead with 4 HRs and is once again showing why he was such a highly touted prospect.

Clearly, the Angels players have taken these edicts to heart. Not only are they generating more walks, they are seeing better pitches to drive, hence the improved BA and SLG. While Scioscia and Hatcher still want our players to be aggressive at the plate, they want them to work themselves into a position where they can explode on a hitter’s pitch. And, once on the bases, Scioscia still wants to be aggressive on the bases to get into scoring position. As a result, the Angels have scored 215 runs—once again tops in the majors.

What this means for the Angels and for the fans is that the Angels won’t have to rely primarily on the pitching to win games. Instead, the Angels will be able to score runs in multiple innings throughout the game and have frenzied innings in which they score several runs. They can and will mount more comebacks in games. They won’t scratch for runs, they’ll swarm. And, they should endure fewer periodic slumps that affect most teams, and should improve their performance in short series, such as the post-season. Not only should we see more BBs throughout the season, but also an improved BA, SLG and runs scored.

Plus, with a more disciplined approach, Scioscia can change the epicenter of our lineup. Instead of dividing our lineup into thirds, Scioscia can divide the lineup into halves, with each half bunched for run-scoring potential. For example, Scioscia can bat Howie Kendrick 2nd in our lineup (behind Chone Figgins) instead of 7th to take advantage of Kendrick’s high BA, power and speed. This would allow Abreu to bat 3rd, and would generate more opportunities for Vlad and Hunter to drive in runs and would guarantee Kendrick better pitches to hit.

With the lineup divided into halves, it is not entirely unrealistic to project that the top 5 spots in our lineup could combine for over 500 runs scored over the course of the season. That would be a big jump from the 461 runs the top half of our lineup generated last year! At the same time, bottom half of our lineup and should be improved and should generate around 340 runs over the course of a season. That again would be a big jump from the 304 runs generated by the bottom half of our lineup last year. Combined, it’s not unrealistic to think that the Angels can score nearly 850 runs next year with the newly instilled plate discipline. That should translate to well over 90 wins again this year.

While no one can ever predict what will happen over the course of 162 games, the Angels appear to be on the verge of repeating their 100-win season from last year. Already, their new offense has led them to a 22-5-1 record in Spring Training—the best record in the majors by a long-shot. If the Angels can score close to 850 runs and have the pitching to match, they should repeat as the A.L. West champs. If they can master their new plate discipline over the course of the regular season, then they should be able to repeat it in the post-season. And if the Angels can translate their plate discipline into frenzied innings in the post-season, then the Angels could make 2009 a very special year.

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Should the Angels give Lackey five years?

I was going to write a blog entry about this today, but while doing the research, I came across this article, which pretty much makes anything I was going to write moot:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/john_donovan/11/05/ccsabathia.longtermdeals/

I think this article makes it pretty clear the Angels should avoid a five-year contract like the plague.

Some highlights:

• Twenty-two free-agent starting pitchers have signed a long-term deal (four or more years) since 2000. Only half of them have had winning records so far.

• Of the 79 seasons by those pitchers in that time, in only 31 has the pitcher had an ERA+ of 100 -- that's considered average -- or better. That means that about 61 percent of the time those pitchers have been below-average.

• Twenty-two times in those 79 seasons -- about 28 percent of the time -- the pitcher has made 15 or fewer starts. Eight entire seasons have been lost. A pitcher has made 10 or fewer starts 18 times.

• Of those 22 pitchers, only eight have averaged 30 starts over the seasons they've completed in their contracts. (Nine pitchers have yet to complete their contracts, and a 10th -- A.J. Burnett --just opted out of his.)

• Eight of the 22 pitchers have appeared in a postseason game during their contracts. Four of them (Kevin Appier, Mussina, Jason Schmidt and Matsuzaka) have appeared in a World Series. And the only two to win a World Series ring are Matsuzaka, as a rookie with the Red Sox in 2007, and Appier -- after the team that signed him before the '01 season, the Mets, traded him to the Angels, who won the Series in '02.

You don't have to bring up Denny Neagle or Darren Dreifort to prove that, most of the time, signing pitchers to a long-term deal is extremely risky business. Neagle (who signed a five-year, $51 million deal with the Rockies before the '01 season) and Dreifort (five years, $55 million with the Dodgers that same year) remain two of the worst deals. But there's Jarrod Washburn, too, and Mike Hampton and Chan Ho Park and Bartolo Colon and Martinez. Barry Zito's deal (seven years, $126 million) isn't looking good. Neither is Kei Igawa's (five years, $20 million, plus a $26 million posting fee). The people in Seattle already are regretting the signing of Carlos Silva (4-15, 6.46 ERA in 28 starts in '08) to a four-year, $48 million deal last winter.

• Follow this discussion and chime in on our message board here

Around The Halo 3/26/2009

Yesterday the Angels out-slugged the Rockies 18-11. Bobby Abreu and Juan Rivera each drove in 4 runs. Erick Aybar had 3 RBI with two triples. Both second basemen, Howie Kendrick and Sean Rodriguez also chipped in the 2 RBI a piece.

OC Register's Bill Plunkett asks a great question. Is Kelvin Escobar the Angels healthiest pitcher? Following in the footsteps of Ervin Santana, John Lackey now has forearm tightness. Neither Mike Scioscia or Lackey think it's serious. The pain is definitely not as bad as last springs elbow injury.

Speaking of Santana, he vows to miss only a month of the season.

Add another to the list of the Halos walking wounded. Torii Hunter nearly broke his nose after a ball caromed off the wall and into his face.

However, on a positive front. Catcher Mike Napoli will be behind the plate for the first time this spring on Friday. Napoli has been getting at bats as the DH during Cactus League play.

Retro-Angel takes a look back at the disaster that was the 1999 season. Hindsight being 20-20, what happened in 1999 was the best thing to ever happen to the franchise because it led to the hiring of Bill Stoneman and Mike Scioscia.

United Way has teamed up with the Angels for WALK UNITED in an effortt to raise money for child's charities, education programs and food, shelter and medical services.

Mike DiGiovanna breaks down the Angels surge in scoring.

The Angels, who have a major league-best 20-4 record and have won 10 of their last 12 games, have 56 runs and 64 hits -- including 15 home runs -- in their last four games.

Today the Angels will face the Indians.

Questions, Answers and Opinions

By Bruce Nye - Angelswin.com Columnist

Angels Prospects

What do the following Angel players have in common?

• John Lackey
  
• Joe Saunders
  
• Jered Weaver
• Dustin Moseley
  
• Nick Adenhart
  
• Scot Shields
• Ervin Santana
  
• Jose Arredondo
  
• Kevin Jepsen
• Shane Loux
  
• Kendry Morales
• Erick Aybar
• Howie Kendrick
• Robb Quinlan
• Mike Napoli
• Jeff Mathis
• Brandon Wood
• Sean Rodriguez
• Mike Brown
• Reggie Willits
• Chris Pettit
• Jordan Walden
• Hank Conger
• Ryan Budde
• Bobby Wilson
• Freddy Sandoval
• Mark Trumbo
• Peter Bourjos
  

The answer is, these are the players who have come up through the Angels minor league system and either are current major league players or some time will be. They are on the Angels 40-man roster. So when you are reading the various baseball publications ranking the Angels minor league prospects and wonder what happened, the answer is: they are here! When Mike Scioscia says it is time to see if the kids can do it, this is about whom he is talking.

To be sure, Pettit, Walden, Conger, Budde, Wilson, Sandoval, Trumbo and Bourjos will need additional seasoning in the minor league system, but they each have a major league future.

Difference Makers

The question we all have is who among the new kids are difference makers and how will they be used. It appears that Chone Figgins will be starting at 3rd base and Howie Kendrick at 2nd. So where do Brandon Wood, Aybar, Brown, S. Rodriguez, Maicer Izturis and the Mighty Q fit in?

Conservatively, we believe that Wood, Brown and Rodriguez will be sent to AAA in Salt Lake City to continue to play at that kevel until an injury or opening occurs at the major league level.

We have seen Brandon Wood play shortstop and know that defensively, he is adequate if not very adept at fielding that position. He won’t make the flashy Aybar plays, but neither does Derek Jeter. Brandon Wood offers the power that this team has been missing for several years. There doesn’t seem to be a valid argument for sending him back to AAA.

The Mighty Q – Robb Quinlan – can play both corner infield positions, but we already know what we can expect to see from him and offensively it isn’t much. Isn’t this an opportunity for Mike Brown to show what he can do? If something happens to Morales, Brown can back him up and so can Juan Rivera. Brown has shown plenty of pop at the AAA level, it’s time for him to play in the bigs.

On The Bump

It would appear that the starting pitching to open the season will not include Santana and Escobar. Their replacements will be Adenhart and Moseley. It is expected that Santana and Escobar will be available in the May to mid-May timeframe. This makes the Angels starting rotation the arguably the best in major league baseball. So what happens to Adenhart and Moseley?

After the terrific spring training both have enjoyed, the answer is Salt Lake City joining the others waiting for an injury or opportunity.

The relief core is also rock solid with Shields, Arredondo and Fuentes at the back end and Oliver, Jepsen and Loux in set-up or longer relief positions. It remains to be seen if Speier can return to the form he demonstrated in 2006 and 2007.

Too Much Depth?

It is a rare occurrence when a professional team goes through a complete season without injuries. The Angels are prepared to deal with injuries at all positions, but the talent that exists in the infield presents an opportunity for the Angels to trade for talent in future years. No one can say whether Lackey and Guerrero will be re-signed at season’s end. While it appears the team has sufficiency with starting pitching, the outfield could present a different story. Bobby Abreu was signed to a one year deal only. The possibility exists that both Abreu and Guerrero could be gone. Rivera and Matthews don’t come close to replacing them, which is all the more reason to get Brandon Wood more and more at bats to make up for a potential loss of power in 2010.

The Angels have terrific draft picks in this year’s draft, but those picks won’t be major league ready for several years. Now is the time to package a deal offering a combination of Quinlan, Izturis, Figgins, Aybar, Brown and Rodriguez.

100 Wins Again?

By Brent Hubbard - Angelswin.com Columnist

This year’s Angels have dominated in Tempe to the tune of a 18-4-1 record to this point, has divided fans into two camps.

100 wins again this season? Or not?

Though I think the “nots” are far more extensive because it is easier to be a pessimist than an optimist, I would like to offer the following argument.

Yes we can.

This off-season had a number of subtractions from last season’s 100-62 winning club, but the team has also added a few pieces. Most are focusing on the Hot Stove success as a prediction for the upcoming season, but I would like to make my case for the 2009 Angels joining the 100-Win Club once again.

Yes we can.

And it’s really because our strength of schedule is dramatically better than last.

Here’s the extended run down.

AL EAST

NEW YORK YANKEES
2008, 10 games, 7-3 (5-1 H, 2-2 A)
2009, 10 games, 7-3 (4-2 H, 3-1 A)

The Yankees improved their lineup, but they are without the game’s best player for at least the four road games vs. the Angels at the end of May. I am projecting the same record in the same number of games.

BOSTON RED SOX
2008 9 games, 8-1 (DOMINATION IN FENWAY 5-1 Away, 3-0 Home)
2009 9 games, 6-3 (4-2 H, 1-2 A)

Boston's pitching is going to be suspect; at least more than last year, and without Manny are they going to be as good in the regular season? 61-48 before the deadline, 34-19 after. Yet I don’t know if that trend was due to Manny being Manny in Los Angeles. The Red Sox played Tampa Bay, Oakland, Kansas City, Chicago, Texas, Toronto, Baltimore, the Yankees and Cleveland in the two months following the trade. They piled up a 15-3 record sans Manny against four teams with losing records after the break. Against five teams with a winning records after the break, they were 19-16. I do not expect the overall record without Manny to be as good as it was in the latter part of 2008. I expect a decline in wins from 95 to the 89-90 range for the Sox. Too many questions. I do think the domination the Angels showed in Fenway was a fluke, and the Red Sox will even things out a bit.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS
2008 9 games, 6-3 (4-2 H, 2-1 A)
2009 8 games, 4-4 (2-0 H, 2-4 R)

Toronto lost one of its more reliable pitchers, but the Angels did play well against a team they don’t normally do so. They play six games in Toronto and only two at home, so I think the Angels may lose a few more games against Toronto than they did in 2008. Yet they also face them one less time.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES
2008 9 games, 6-3 (4-2 H, 2-1 A)
2009 10 games, 7-3 (4-0 H, 3-3 R)

The Angels play one more game against Baltimore than in 2008, and though more games are at Camden Yards this season, I think the Angels will do as well as they did in 2008.

TAMPA BAY RAYS
2008 9 games, 3-6 (2-1 H, 1-5 A)
2009 6 games, 3-3 (2-1 H, 1-2 R)

Tampa Bay is definitely a club on the rise and I think they will repeat as the AL East division champs. They were the only team to sweep the Angels in 2008 and were the only team against which the Angels had a losing record. Yet they play the Angels three fewer times in 2008, so I am predicting a simple split. I do not think either team sweeps.

Totaling it all up, 7-3 vs. NYY, 6-3 vs. BOS, 4-4 vs. TOR, 7-3 vs. BAL and 3-3 vs. TB = 27-16 record versus the AL EAST. In 2008, the Angels went 30-16 in three more games.

AL CENTRAL

CHICAGO WHITE SOX
2008 10 games, 5-5 (2-2 H and 3-3 A)
2009 9 games, 6-3 (4-2 H, 2-1 A)

One less game against the AL Central Champs and more games at home in 2009 than 2008. Chicago is a team that is always there, even when you predict a downfall. I do think the Angels win the season series, based purely on the fact that they have more games at home.

MINNESOTA TWINS
2008 8 games, 5-3 (2-2 H, 3-1 A)
2009 10 games, 5-5 (3-1 H, 2-4 A)

Two more games against the Twins in 2009, as well as more games on the road do not bode well for the Angels. They have another year to improve their young pitching and to develop young players such as Carlos Gomez. Joe Crede also adds to their punch and solidifies third base. I predict the AL Central title for the Twins and an even split against the Angels.

CLEVELAND INDIANS
2008 9 games, 5-4 (4-2 H, 1-2 A)
2009 6 games, 3-3 (2-1 H, 1-2 A)

Three fewer games against the Indians in 2009 is a good thing, as this team stumbled badly after leading the league in wins in 2007. They lost CC Sabathia, but Cliff Lee won the AL Cy Young Award. And big time slugging prospect Matt LaPorta is going to be a big addition to their lineup. Add in a more reliable closer in Kerry Wood, and fellow ex-Cubbie Mark De Rosa, and you have a wild card and division contender for 2009. They also are building on big successes after the trade deadline in which they put together a 34-21 record.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS
2008 5 games, 3-2 (1-1 H, 2-1 A)
2009 10 games, 8-2 (3-0 H, 5-2 A)

The Angels play five more games against the Royals than they did in 2008 and that is also a good thing. The Royals are still a young team in development under second year skipper Trey Hillman. They added some pieces and continue to try and change the position of 3B/2B/1B/OF Mark Teahan, but a 3-2 record was an odd deal in 2008 and I expect a big change in 2009.

DETROIT TIGERS
2008 9 games 6-3, (2-1 H, 4-2 A)
2009 9 games 6-3 (4-2 H, 2-1 A) E

One of the Worst teams in Baseball for a long time, then a short few seasons of being one of the best, then a 74-win season in 2008. I don’t know what to think here, but I doubt the Angels will do any worse. They play more games at home than last season, but 6-3 is about right.

Totaling it up, against the AL Central: 6-3 vs. CHI, 5-5 vs. MIN, 3-3 vs. CLE, 6-3 vs. DET, 8-2 vs. KC = a 28-16 projected record against the AL Central in three more games than 2008, when they posted a 24-17 record.

AL WEST

The Angels dominated the AL West last year, particularly on the road, where they had a winning record against all three teams.

TEXAS RANGERS
2008 19 games, 12-7 (5-5 H, 7-2 A)
2009 19 games, 11-8 (6-4 H, 5-4 A)

Texas’ story is always the same; the lack of pitching depth and a smash mouth powerful offense. Texas will probably pick up a few more games overall, but against the Angels I see just one game.

SEATTLE MARINERS
2008 19 games, 14-5 (7-2 H, 7-3 A)
2009 19 games, 13-6 (7-2 H, 6-4 R)

Seattle was picked by many to win the AL West after their addition of Erik Bedard, tet they finished 61-101 as I knew they would. They lost Raul Ibanez, Richie Sexson and J.J. Putz from last year’s team. A much different lineup awaits M’s fans in 2009, with many small additions and subtractions on top of those mentioned above. Don Wakamatsu takes over as manager and Russell Branyan replaces Sexson, I assume. It’s tough to see this team get better, but its pitching could be, even without Putz. Hernandez stays healthy and a Cy Young could be in his future. And I like Bedard to improve, if he can actually stay on the mound.

Yet maybe a return from 61 wins to the 78 they had in 2006 is about the limit. Against the Angels they were horrible at home and on the road. I think this continues.

OAKLAND A’s
2008 19 games 10-9 (5-4 H, 5-4 A)
2009 19 games 11-8 (7-3 H, 4-5 A)

They had a much better pitching staff going into 2008 than they do in 2009 and although their offense is better, it’s tough to see these young guys carrying them very far upward in the standings. A 75-86 record maybe goes to 81-81, but against the Angels I see them doing worse, as in the beginning of the 2008 season the A’s played well, and then they traded 3/5 of their rotation. And even one of the guys who was either in that remaining 2/5 or filled in when they moved the others is now gone. Even with Jason Giambi, Matt Holliday and Orlando Cabrera, I see the Angels picking up a game.

And in the AL West: 11-8 vs. TEX, 13-6 vs. SEA and 11-8 vs. OAK = 35-22 against the West. In 2008, they went 36-21.

NL (INTERLEAGUE)

This season’s 12 rotating division games are against the NL West and, if anything, that should make it easier in regard to travel. The Angels also have the usual six-game home-and-home series against the Dodgers. They’ll take on Colorado and San Diego at home and travel to Arizona and San Francisco.

The 10-8 Interleague record from last season was a very strange one. They split with the Dodgers, 2-1 at home and 1-2 away. One of the two losses in Dodger town was the 8-inning no-hitter loss by Jered Weaver and Jose Arrendondo.

I can see this rivalry being a similar 3-3 split, a 4-2 win or a 2-4 loss. The Dodgers have made a lot of changes. I’ll just say we’ll stay even.

Against the Braves and Mets in Anaheim, the Angles went 2-4. That’s just odd. They then went to Philadelphia and Washington and swept them both.

San Diego will battle Washington for the worst record in the league, along with Detroit, so I am predicting a 3-0 sweep at the Big A. Colorado may not return to ’07 form, but I do expect the Rockies to be better, just not on the road as they are not a great team away from Coors Field. And minus Holliday, well … 2-1 Angels series win

The Giants will be better than last year, but I still like the series win in San Francisco at 2-1. And to be fair, I see the Angels dropping the series to the Diamondbacks. They’ll be right with the Dodgers all year for the division and like in 2007, when everyone thought the NL West was the NL’s weakest division, I think they’re a second place team and the D’Backs will take the wild card. They’ll take two of three from the Angels in Arizona.

All of this adds up to an 11-7 Interleague record. Which is +1 from last year.

So, AL EAST 27-16 + AL CENTRAL 28-16 + AL WEST 35-22 = 90 wins

Add the NL Interleague projection at 11-7, one game better than 10-8 from 2008.

This means I have the Angels winning 101 and losing 61.

The offense relies on the young players more than ever, but while they lost a pair of bats in Garret Anderson and Mark Teixeira, as well as the single season saves Leader in Francisco Rodriguez, the Angels could actually have a better offense by the numbers.

They did pick up a pretty good replacement closer, are hoping for a successful season from a resurgent dominant pitcher and picked up a solid bat in Bobby Abreu. Their pitching will be better much better in 2009 than in 2008.

The Angels should drop a few more games in the Pythagorean standings, but they will win the AL West for the fifth time in six seasons; against an easier schedule, yes. They play fewer games against what I figure to be a resurgent Indian team, the AL champ Devil Rays and perennially difficult Chicago and Toronto. They play more games against cellar dwelling Baltimore and Kansas City, but also Minnesota, who figures to be in the hunt for the playoffs.

They also have the advantage of playing fewer games against tough teams on the road, with the exception of Minnesota and Toronto. They won games against the big boys in the East last year, taking seven of ten in Fenway and Yankee Stadium. This year, they play just seven games there, and I see them taking four.

They also don’t have a long East Coast trip for six interleague games. Playing San Francisco and Arizona instead of Philadelphia and Washington. (Though they did well on that swing.)

But taking six road games against the Rays and Indians and replacing them with games against Kansas City and Baltimore makes me believe that even though the Angels may not be as bountiful with Pythagorean luck, they will win 100 games for the second time in club history.

Around The Halo 3/24/2009

Yesterday the Angels crushed the Dodgers 10-4. Jeff Mathis, Erick Aybar and Robb Quinlan all homered as Dustin Moseley pitched 6 solid innings giving up 3 runs.

96!

That's the number Kelvim Escobar hit on the radar gun yesterday during his full first start of the spring in a minor league game against the Cubs. Escobar threw 34 pitches and was consistently between 94-96 mph.

"Oh man, I feel good," Escobar said. "I knew I had good velocity, but I never thought I'd be throwing 96."

Again, excellent news! I think if you would have asked any Angels fan in December what they thought about Escobar's role in 2009 most would have said, He'll be a nice addition to the bullpen in August. Escobar's recovery has been nothing short of amazing. If the Angels can get 25 starts out of Kelvim and the currently injured Ervin Santana the starting staff will be very strong.

Bobby Abreu is back from the WBC and is headed back out to left field after playing right for Venezuela. The newcomer appears to be making friends fast and is fitting in well with the Angels.

Torii Hunter enjoys his role as clubhouse leader.

Fangraphs ranks the Angels the 10th best franchise in baseball. It would appear the Angels farm system drags their overall grade down a bit.

Today Los Angeles will take on San Diego with Joe Saunders opposing Cha Seung Baek.

Around The Halo 3/23/2009

Catching up from news over the weekend.

The biggest story was John Lackey announcing that he was upset with the pace of the talks regarding a new contract with the Angels. Lackey is believed to be looking for something in the range of 5 years $90 million which fits right between the contracts C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett received this off-season.

My take. The Angels can't mess this one up. Unlike the departures of Troy Glaus, Bengie Molina, Jarrod Washburn, Adam Kennedy, Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez there is no replacement waiting in the wings. John Lackey is not just a leader on the field but in the locker room as well. The Angels need to do what it takes to get a contract in place with Lackey (and for that matter Vladimir Guerrero).

With the money they have thrown at players like Shea Hillenbrand, Jeff Weaver, Orlando Cabrera, Kelvim Escobar, Bartolo Colon, Brian Fuentes, Torii Hunter, Gary Matthews Jr. and yes Vladdy over the last few years, it's disappointing to see that they seem to have no problem giving money to players from outside the organization but become frugal when it comes to their own home grown free agents. In fact the last in house free agent they signed before he hit the open market was Garret Anderson. Keep John Lackey!

In an effort to stay healthy, Howie Kendrick has been following Torii Hunter's pre-game warm up routines.

Speaking of Torii, Jeff Miller writes about the positive influence Hunter is in the locker room.

Angels farm hand Matt Brown is having a big spring. Unfortunately, with the roster situation the way it is Brown is looking at spending yet another season at Salt Lake City.

Nick Adenhart continues to impress this spring. It would appear there will be a battle for the 5th rotation spot between Adenhart and Shane Loux all the way until opening day. One thing working in Loux's favor is he's out of options while Adenhart can be sent back to the minors.

Lyle Spencer takes a look at the Angels catching depth.

Today will be the first time the Angels face the Dodgers in Cactus League play.

Also be sure to check out Angelswin.com Senior Writer Adam Dodge and Editor Geoff Bilau tonight on AM830 with Jeff Biggs. They will be discussing the "Greatest Moments In Angels Baseball". They will be on from 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm. If you do not have a radio handy or are out of state you can stream the show live on the internet at am830.

To follow along with the segment, check out our Greatest Moments feature here.

Around The Halo 3/20/2009

Both the LA Times and OC Register did features on the return of Kelvim Escobar. Escobar threw batting practice and said he felt fine other than his mechanics being a "bit rusty". Kelvim was able to use all of his pitches and believed he was throwing in the 90's. Great News!

Nick Adenhart spent a lot of the off-season watching video of some of the greats of MLB. Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens & Greg Maddux hoping to pick up tips regarding how those pitchers used their leg strength. Adenhart is coming off a disastrous 2008 season that saw him dominate AAA early and then get hammered with the Angels. Adenhart was not able to find his command when he returned to Salt Lake City. At the tender age of 22, the Angels still have high hopes for Adenhart and believe he still has the tools to become a reliable major league pitcher.

Torii Hunter has joined MLB Blogs and has written his first entry. Hunter is also the subject on the video corner talking about work ethic on the official Angels website.

Today the Angels will face the Diamondbacks in Tempe.

“They’ll Go with K-Mo”

By Victor Varadi - Angelswin.com Columnist

In his second at-bat of his first Major League baseball game, the big Cuban stepped to the plate and knocked the cover off the ball, a home run that would spark a 14-hit barrage and a 7-6 victory that ended a six-game slide by the Angels. Kendry Morales was that Cuban and he was 22 years old.

Fast-forwarding three years from that 3-for-5, 3-RBI night, things now don’t seem all that different from that warm and windy Texas night. Once again, the Angels offense rests squarely on K-Mo’s ability to be the offensive juggernaut that made the Angels fight the New York Yankees for the chance to sign him to a six-year deal fresh off his defection from Cuba. And make no mistake; the Angels expect big things from Morales. Why shouldn’t they?

Morales is the definition of a ball player; he’s big, strong, hits it hard from both sides of the plate and was almost as good a pitcher as a hitter as a 17-year-old on the Cuban national team. But since becoming an Angel, Morales has been stuck way down the depth chart at first base behind Casey Kotchman and Robb Quinlan; and as a hitter, due to an aging outfield needing constant rest, he has been unable to fill the DH role originally envisioned for him when the Angels signed him. The 2008 mid-season trade of Kotchman to the Braves for Mark Teixeira, however, moved Morales up the depth chart and to the big league club for what seemed to be for good, at the very least as a back-up to Teixera if not as the everyday DH.

If Angels fans ponder why the team didn’t up its offer to Mark Teixera once it became clear there were better offers on the table for the perennial All-Star, they only need look to last October for their collective answer. In Game 1 of the ALDS, Morales pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth with one out and the Angels trailing by three. Facing one of the game’s best closers, Jonathan Papelbon, K-Mo roped a single into right field, entirely unfazed by the pressure of the situation or his opponent’s stuff.

A few nights later, with Game 4 tied, 2-2, and the Angels looking to do the improbable and send the series back to Anaheim for a winner-take-all Game 5, K-Mo once again came through in the clutch, scorching a double off the green monster to open the ninth inning.

Obviously there is more to a player than two at-bats, but there’s something very telling when you look closely at them and the way Morales strolled to the plate. In both games, and in the series for that matter, his teammates looked tight at times and sometimes played that way — both a product of one too many October losses at the hands of the Red Sox. The exception was K-Mo — and maybe it was because he had not really been part of those teams that had in recent years been swept out of the playoffs by the Red Sox — but there was an undeniable swagger about Morales that was, for long stretches, painfully missing from the rest of the Angels squad.

So far this spring, Morales has not disappointed. In 40 at-bats, K-Mo is hitting an even .400 with six doubles and one homer. If there is a knock on Morales, it might be that he doesn’t walk a lot. And while his batting average is a scorcher, fans may be worried that the power hasn’t shown its face, either this spring or at the Major League level.

Don’t forget that Morales has played only sporadically in the Majors over the last three years, his minor league numbers proving that there is only one place left for him to play. And as Eddie Bane, Angels director of scouting, says about Morales, with regular at-bats and “that type of swing with that type balance … you know power is coming.”

With a new season comes new hope, and much of that hope rests on Morales’ shoulders. It was a nail-biter of a winter as Angels fans waited with baited breath for the re-signing of Teixeira. The Angels front office, however, isn’t one of the best in baseball for nothing. They knew they could let Teixera go elsewhere because they had Kendry Morales.

So, let’s put this issue to rest once and for all; had the Angels not had K-Mo and instead had to look to Robb Quinlan to fill that first base void, chances are great they’d have wound up overpaying for Teixeira.

The Angels will go this year as K-Mo goes. Yes, Vlad is the meat in the middle of the order, but Morales will be looked upon to supply batting average, power and just a little bit of swagger.

Around The Halo 3/19/2009

Yesterday the Halos defeated the Chicago White Sox 4-1. Dustin Moseley pitched 5 strong innings and appears to be close to locking down one of the open rotation spots. Chone Figgins and Gary Matthews Jr. homered for the Angels.

Despite having a very strong Spring, it doesn't appear that Brandon Wood is in the plans at short-stop according to Mike Scioscia due to the defense of Erick Aybar and Macier Izturis.

My take. This is very disappointing. The Angels need to add some power to the lineup, especially on the left side of the infield that features Aybar and Figgins. Wood has nothing left to prove at the minor league level, however sitting on the bench and only getting a couple at bats per week isn't productive either. I don't understand the appeal of Erick Aybar. He would have been a great short-stop in the pre-Derek Jeter, ARod, Nomar Garciaparra era of baseball, but all glove and a weak stick are not what the Angels need.

John Lackey points out the weakness in Aybar's defensive game.

"Aybar is probably more likely to mess up a routine play and make a spectacular play."

Honestly, what good does it do the Angels if he boots a routine play that leads to 3 unearned runs when he isn't capable of the 3-run jack later in the game?

As for Wood's personal situation, he might want to have his agent push for a trade to another organization where he can get his career underway. Not that 24 years is old age, but another year of AAA is a setback when he could be starting for some of more youth oriented teams in the league.

Lyle Spencer continues to take a look at the roster and is a fan of the Angels bench depth.

I agree, Macier Izturis, Robb Quinlan, Jeff Mathis, Gary Matthews Jr., Reggie Willits and Sean Rodriguez are very solid off the bench. Since Matthews is concerned about playing time, perhaps he could be worked out over at first-base, this way the Angels have a left handed stick available if Mike Scioscia choses to use Quinlan as a pinch hitter for Kendry Morales late in a game.

OC Register's Jeff Miller writes about the Angels good fortune in being able to acquire Bobby Abreu. The Register also features an entertaining slide show regarding Angels who had huge Spring Trainings.

Today the Angels are off.

Around The Halo 3/17/2009

Back from Tempe!

A great time was had by all as AngelsWin.com members met up for a weekend of spring training games. It was awesome getting to see old friends and meet new ones for the first time in person during the dinner at "Hail Mary's".

A special "Thank You" to Angels broadcasters Terry Smith and Rex Hudler for stopping by. Smith & Hudler seemed to enjoy themselves quite a bit and us fans were very happy to have him. Rex held court, telling stories, signing autographs, posed for every picture and even left some messages on cell phones for those who didn't make the trip to Arizona.

Hud made my day posing for a photo while letting yours truly try on his 2002 World Series ring. Baseball geek fantasy fulfilled.

I also had time to sit down with Robert Goldman, former Angels bat-boy turned author who wrote one of the most insightful books about the Angels available called "Once They Were Angels". Robert has some great stories to tell, if you haven't gotten a copy of his book you're missing out. Here's hoping his Tim Salmon project becomes available to Angels fans as soon as possible.

If you have the chance to join us, we'll be back in AZ again in 2010. The next AngelsWin.com meet up will be in Anaheim over the July 4th holiday. Planning is already under way!

Catching up of the news. It appears the Angels may have a distraction on their hands as Gary Matthews Jr. finally plays the "playing time" card.

"I sacrificed by changing positions, not making a stink about it and playing when I was hurt, with a pretty significant injury," Matthews said. "I did what I was supposed to do and kept my mouth shut. "Now that I'm healthy, I want to go back to playing every day. I don't think anybody would fault me for that."

Maybe Matthews should have produced better than a .323 on base percentage in 2007 when he was healthy. Perhaps, like other players who get injured he should have produced when he was given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to stay in the line up in 2008.

There are plenty of players who grind it out and are still productive when injured. I can vividly recall Tim Salmon playing all season with plantar fasciitis and putting up his normal stats while it felt like he was standing on a nail all year. I can also recall Garret Anderson hitting .300 in 2004 while dealing with the same foot condition and trying to come to terms with a mysterious form of arthritis.

My take, the Angels did the correct thing signing Bobby Abreu. The team is much stronger with an outfield rotation featuring Abreu, Hunter, Guerrero and Juan Rivera. If Matthews wants playing time he should produce when given a chance (like he did in the Angels 12-5 win today over San Diego) and see how it works out for him. Or, maybe he should waive his no-trade clause and see what GM Tony Reagins can do for him. I guess I just don't appreciate his "sacrifice" of moving to left field when the Angels acquired one of the best defensive center fielders in the game.

Kelvim Escobar likes the Angels rotation. Once he and Santana return from injury it will be one of the deepest starting staffs in the game. John Lackey looks to be rounding into opening day shape cruising through 5 innings and 50 pitches today. Lyle Spencer takes a look at the competition for the two rotation spots currently up for grabs.

Hall Of Famer George Brett and his brother will be purchasing the Angels Cal League team, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

On Wednesday the Angels will be in Glendale to take on the Chicago White Sox. Dustin Moseley will be getting the start.

Dodge Ball Daily - The Growth of Angelswin.com

By Adam Dodge - Angelswin.com Senior Writer

In 2000, after spending the fall covering high school football for the Los Angeles Times in Orange County, I sought out various online baseball publications in an attempt to do some writing. The pickings were rather slim at that time and I was unable to find a good fit. Fast forward a few years to 2003. As the Internet grew and as the Angels reached the height of their popularity I searched again. I came across a few sites and blogs dedicated to the Angels. I sent emails to several people offering to provide content. Chuck Richter was the only one to respond. I am very grateful he did.

I began writing for Angelswin.com and its handful of members, including Victor, AngelClipperFaninOz, GogoTheHaloFan, John Ward and Chuck, almost immediately.

It’s hard to believe that just six years later the site has grown to be the Internet home to so many Angels fans. The stable of talented individuals, who produce articles, editorials, conduct interviews, create graphics and provide professional quality photos, who have joined Angelswin.com over the years — for nothing more than their love of baseball, the Angels and the occasional pat on the back — has been noticed by not only the community for which they do it, but by the outside, as well.

As many of you know, for the past few years I have performed stand-up comedy in and around Southern California. I bring this up to preface an interesting encounter I had last summer. I performed with a half dozen or so other comics at the Ice House in Pasadena. It was a good show in front of a packed house and for whatever reason my set went over incredibly well with the audience that night. Out on the patio after my set, a fellow comic and I shared a few laughs over beers when I was approached by a young man named Scott and his girlfriend. They were kind enough to congratulate me on a good set before Scott asked me the following question: “Are you the same Adam Dodge who writes for Angelswin.com?”

“That’s me,” I said, smiling.

Before I knew it, Scott and I had spent close to half an hour talking Angels baseball. Scott loved the site and expressed to me that he visited our blog daily.

I knew then that what Chuck had created and what so many have helped facilitate had become a legitimate product for baseball fans. It was extremely rewarding.

Just a couple of days ago, Rex Hudler spent considerable time during a radio broadcast talking about the site and next week Angelswin.com will be featured on Jeff Biggs’ show on 830 AM for the second time in a month.

Pretty incredible. I can’t wait to see where the site is in another six years.

Highlights of the Angelswin.com 2009 Spring Fanfest

By Chuck Richter - Angelswin.com Executive Editor

The month of March means a lot of things for different people. Whether it's March Madness for college hoops fans or St. Patrick's Day parties for those who love their corned beef and cabbage with Irish brews. And for us baseball fans, there's nothing like the sound of the ball smacking the catcher's glove and the crack of the bat, signifying that baseball is back. Though we may enjoy all of the above during this time of year, we Angelswin.com folk most look forward to our annual Spring Fanfest in Tempe, Ariz., every year. There is nothing like breathing in Angels Baseball when it's new and fresh, while bringing to life all that is shared on the forum throughout the season with long time friends or putting faces to new names.

This event, like all of the others, did not lack an effort by the Angels to make the experience all the more special. Tim Mead, Angels vice president of communications, made a call to Rex Hudler and Terry Smith and asked him to visit with us at Hail Mary's, a restaurant/bar in Tempe. Tim had to fly out to San Diego to help with the WBC. Both Terry and Rex were incredible guests, answering fan questions and talking Angels Baseball and the things they've experienced over the years being in baseball.

As you can tell from the slide show pictures, Terry and Rex had as much fun as we did, but as usual Rex brought excitement and his passion for Halos baseball to the room and it energized us all. When he left, after hanging with us for two hours, he showed his 2002 World Series Championship ring to the crowd of Angelswin.com guests and said we're going to get another one of these in 2009. As he clinched his fists and let his voice be heard, he created a buzz in the room that had all of us pumped up well into the early stages of the morning. I do want to mention Hudler's book, which I just ordered, titled "Splinters." You can order your own from his Website. Rex also plugged our Website on the air during Sunday's day game vs. the Oakland A's. You can listen here to the sound bytes.

Besides witnessing all three Angels games over the weekend, including a comeback win on Saturday in Mesa against the Cubs, a good size crowd had food and drinks at one of our favorite spots in Tempe, PF Changs. We spent a good portion of the night there as a group before heading our separate ways.

All in all, the weekend was incredible, but it took several people to make an event of this magnitude successful and fun for everyone. Here's a list of thank yous to all who made this event a special one; one that will be memorable for all who attended.

Special thanks to: Tim Mead, Rex Hudler, Terry Smith, Dennis Kuhl for stopping by Throwbacks on Friday night to visit with those who couldn't make it to Tempe, AM 830 KLAA Angels radio, Rob Goldman, Photographer Tommy B., Geoff Bilau for the Angelswin.com Fanfest Logo, Cassy Carlson, Hail Mary's owner Renee, Angelswin.com driver Andrew Zauner, Dan McKechnie for providing me with awesome seats and Eric Notti, who bought me a seat in the front row at Sunday's game vs. the A's.

There are many more to whom we owe kudos and appreciation, making our motto, first borrowed six years ago, come to life.

Angelswin.com is an Angels Website of the fans, by the fans, for the fans.

For more about the entire Spring Fanfest and the activities and stories surrounding the weekend, visit our message board and view this thread.

Dodge Ball Daily - Nick Adenhart

By Adam Dodge - Angelswin.com Senior Writer

Collectively, fans have always shown a great tendency to give up on young players too quickly.

Nick Adenhart made his Major League debut for the Angels in 2008, after several minor league seasons of making hitters look foolish. Much was expected of the young righthander when he joined the big club for three starts last season. Things could not have gone more poorly for the Angels’ top pitching prospect, however, as Adenhart never showed an ability to get ahead of hitters. It seemed as though the pressure was too much. Adenhart allowed twelve earned runs in twelve innings over his three starts before being sent back down to AAA Salt Lake City.

Whereas Adenhart dominated hitters in the PCL before his call-up, he took his struggles in Anaheim back with him to Utah. He finished 2008 with an inflated 5.76 ERA for the Bees and an unflattering 1.71 WHIP.

Angels scouting director Eddie Bane insists that there is still no better pitching prospect in all of baseball. But Angels fans do not seem as optimistic.

Ironically, Adenhart has a chance to make the Major League roster out of Spring Training due to an injury to another righthander, who many fans similarly gave up on just a season ago. Ervin Santana got off to a good start in the big leagues, but struggled mightily in 2007, causing many to question his stuff, ability and mental toughness. The Angels stuck with Santana, who had an All-Star season in 2008, earning him a long-term, big money extension in the off-season.

It would behoove Angels fans to defer to the talent evaluators — and they tend to agree that Adenhart is going to be a fine Major League hurler. With Santana out indefinitely, let’s hope Adenhart proves Eddie Bane and company right, sooner rather than later.

Listen in today as Nick Adenhart takes on the San Francisco Giants at 1 p.m.

Around The Halo 3/12/2009

Howie Kendrick tells the OC Register that he "can play every day". Bill Plunkett says the "oft-injured underachiever" is ready for a breakout year.

My take. Hopefully this comes to pass because the Angels will feature a very dangerous offense if Kendrick blossoms into the player at the major league level that he showed in the minor leagues. The Angels desperately need Kendrick to become a run producer. I don't think anyone expects him to match his career .360 minor league batting average, but it is time for Kendrick to put together the type of numbers for the Angels he had in 2005, with 43 doubles, 19 homers and 89 RBI.

Kendrick has the right attitude, working hard on his conditioning hoping to overcome his hamstring issues and he's chosen a great mentor in Torii Hunter. However, from the Angels standpoint Kendrick needs to have a big year to show them that he is worth keeping around. With Sean Rodriguez and Ryan Mount in the organization, the Angels have options at second base and as with any prospect or young player you want to try and sell high if you are to move one of them. In the winter of 2008 the Angels almost had a deal for Miguel Cabrera with Kendrick being one of the central pieces. In 2009 it's unlikely that Kendrick could fetch the Angels a player who could produce like Cabrera.

The Angels are blessed with pitching depth. Even without Ervin Santana in tow the Halos look like they will have more than enough pitching to see them through this season. Kelvim Escobar is way ahead of schedule and Nick Adenhart, Shane Loux and Dustin Moseley are all performing well. Two of those three will likely take two of the five rotation spots to open the year.

Even with the departures of Jon Garland and Francisco Rodriguez, the Angels organization continues to stockpile reliable arms. Rookie Kevin Jepsen looks to take a prominent role in the bullpen this year.

Today the Angels will take on the Colorado Rockies with John Lackey taking the mound.

AM 830 Spring Training Contest

· 3 Days 2 Nights at the Four Points by Sheraton in Tempe, AZ
· 2 Tickets for an Angels Preseason Game at Diablo Stadium
· Free Airport and Stadium Shuttle
· Free Microbrew Beer Sampler and Hot Dogs

There are several ways to win:

1) Listen to The Sports Lodge Rewind, the Sports God Challenge on The Drive, the Angels Tonite Scramble or The Biggs "Big Hit" of the day! If you call in (8778-830-830) and win any of the our show challenges, you'll receive ten(10) Bonus Entries to increase your chances of winning!

2) Register to win online here at AM830.net/promotions.

Winners will be drawn on Thursdays (2/26, 3/5, 3/12, & 3/19, one on each date) at 8:30 am on air on AM830! If you win, you and a guest will be on your way to Tempe, AZ for Angels Spring Training!

Brought to you by your friends at the Four Points by Sheraton in Tempe, Arizona and AM830…your Home for Angels Baseball.

The Eddie Bane Connection - Spring Camp Edition

By Chuck Richter - Angelswin.com Executive Editor

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Since we're titling this the Spring Camp Edition, what are you hearing from your scouts and coaches thus far in Tempe about the Angels prospects in camp? Who's really turning heads on the hill, defensively and with the lumber?

A: (Eddie Bane) – Sorry, guys, that it has taken awhile to get back with Angels fans, but blame Chris McAlpin, Kevin Ham and Bobby Dejardin. They are our area scouts that have had me running around the country seeing their players. One day recently in southern California, I was able to watch six high school pitchers on one Saturday. A scout lives for those kind of days. OK, onto the questions for spring training.

I think if you look at who Mike, Ron, Alfredo and Mickey play in the spring training games, you can tell who are turning the big league heads. Romine is playing a lot, Peter Bourjos is playing a lot, Petit is getting a lot of hits and O’Sullivan, Walden, Herndon, Browning and Adenhart are getting innings on the mound; nothing but positives from the camp, with the extra emphasis perhaps on a bit more plate discipline for some of our guys.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - What guys are flying under the radar right now that we should keep an eye on this season?

A: (Eddie Bane) - I think this is the year to keep an eye on Matt Sweeney; injured last year, but still a premium bat. Same thing with Chris Petit. He was hurt some last year, but finished strong and then tore up the Fall League. David Herndon will jump quickly as a closer type, also. Hard to keep guys under the radar any longer as you guys are so good at picking through our stuff that most of the fans already know most of the guys. Remember, last year we kept predicting Trumbo had monster power and then he hit 30 plus home runs. Now he just needs to do it again, huh? Easy enough, right?

Q: (Angelswin.com) – Nick Adenhart — how's he looking? I'm hoping last year was just a blip, ala Ervin Santana.

A: (Eddie Bane) - Nick Adenhart is as good a pitching prospect as the game has. He is about the same age as the college guys I am chasing right now. And he has already touched the big leagues. So far in the spring, from what I hear his stuff has been dynamite as always. When Nick gets ahead of the count with a pitch low and in the middle of the plate, he will win consistently in the major leagues. His stuff is top drawer and, specifically, his fastball gets on the hitters.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Now that we've learned more about the player development from Abe Flores, do you and your staff draft toward the organization's strengths in developing players? What are some of your early thoughts on the draft for 2009? Have you already targeted a few kids?

A: (Eddie Bane) - Shoot, the process started right after the 2008 draft ended. All of our scouts, but especially the crosscheckers — Jeff Malinoff, Ric Wilson, Bo Hughes, Ron Marigny and Mike Silvestri — have been chasing players since the ’08 draft finished. No, we cannot target positions, but it is obvious that I would like to put more corner power into the system. We have only had two first round picks since 2004 and while that is fine with me it means we have to do a good job at finding the Mounts and Recklings while they are in high school and get first round picks in that manner.

This year, we have six picks before we ever selected in the 2008 draft. If we can get six guys with the upside that Tyler Chatwood (our first pick in ’08) has, then we will be happy.

One of the things that hurts a premium system like ours are things like the Rule V Draft. It is a way for teams to draft players off your roster that you are unable to protect on your 40-man. We lost three pitchers in the Rule V Draft and that is tough to replace immediately, those type arms. But we would rather have other teams admiring our system like that instead of ignoring us.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - When you came on board in 2004, the Angels had a solid outfield of run producers which included Vladimir Guerrero. Since, we've acquired Torii Hunter, Gary Matthews Jr. and Juan Rivera, not exactly the Angels outfield of old, which consisted of Garret Anderson, Jim Edmonds and Tim Salmon at one point — three outfielders drafted and developed by the Angels. Will you go after some power hitting outfielders in this up and coming draft to replace Guerrero, Hunter and Rivera down the road?

A: (Eddie Bane) - As I was able to state above, we need to develop a few more guys with corner bat power. That will happen between what myself and Abe Flores do. Peter Bourjos is a future star centerfielder and Fuller behind him is a major leaguer. Some of our corner infield types like Sweeney could also play left field. When the Angels had those three guys in the outfield for a short period of time they did not have the homegrown starting or relief pitching that we currently have. They also did not have an infield of home growns at first, second and two guys of Major League quality at shortstop, to go along with at least four deep of homegrown Major League catchers.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How much work does Hank Conger have to do defensively before he can start moving up in the organization? Why is he not able to throw in spring camp? I thought Hank was cleared to catch going into the 2009 minor league season?

A: (Eddie Bane) - Hank has to get behind the plate and see if the body can take a season of catching. But, the part that people just steam right by it seems to me is that the game does not have many hitting prospects as good as this young man. He drove in 88 runs in 83 games last season. That is remarkable. He is like a bear around a honey pot when there is a runner in scoring position. I got ripped for saying I would take Hank over Matt Weiters and J.P. Arrenciba. I stick by that statement and time will tell. Hank was driving in runs in the playoffs in the Texas League when those guys were finishing their college career. Remember, if Hank had gone to USC instead of signing, then he would be in the 2009 draft. Put his bat in this draft and see where he would fit.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How do the Angels plan on dealing with the organization's semi-logjam of middle infielders — Izturis, Aybar, Wood, Rodriguez, Kendrick, Statia, Phillips, Mount, Romine — and where do you see each of them starting the year? What do you do with players like Wood and Rodriguez, who seem to have little to prove at AAA, but don't have a spot on the big league roster because of a stud like Kendrick at second, a lead-off hitter/catalyst (when healthy) like Figgins at third, and a platoon of Aybar and Izturis at short?

A: (Eddie Bane) - Chuck, that is the best problem in the world to have. That is not a logjam. That is what we are supposed to do. The cream rises to the top. Open up the competition and let the best guys get the time at the top. Our job is to have a quality second baseman in place. We do. Our other job is to have someone behind that quality second baseman to take his spot if the lead guy has something happen. We have that now in Mount, Statia, Rodriguez, etc. Who is to say that one of those middle infield types could not go to the corner outfield and make a mark as an outfielder? Phillips and Rodriguez certainly have good enough offensive skills to play any position on the diamond.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Is the apparent emphasis on plate discipline that is going on with the Major League club something that is being emphasized throughout the organization? Is this a change in philosophy or just a change in perception from the outside?

A: (Eddie Bane) - No. I think it is a new emphasis from the top on down; just something to remind the players of. Stay aggressive, but do it in a relaxed way. Everyone already knows that is the best way to hit anyhow.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - It's Kendry Morales’ time to shine. You must be excited to see him get a full time gig after scouting and signing him four years ago. Any predictions on how you think Morales will do with a full season of at-bats for the Halos?

A: (Eddie Bane) - If Kendry can stay healthy, he will hit as he always has. It is great to see a young man that has put in the hard work, after being the top dog in Cuba, to make himself a Major League hitter. This is something that everybody should root for. Kendry is one of those types of hitters that his power will even get better with regular time at the Major League level. It is hard to see his power potential in looking at his stats, but when you see that type of swing with that type balance, then you know power is coming.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - What do scouts say about Howie Kendrick's ability to hit for power in the big leagues? With only 12 home runs in 945 Major League at-bats, do you think Kendrick can hit 20-plus home runs in the big leagues down the road?

A: (Eddie Bane) - 20 home runs in Angel Stadium for half your games is a monster season for any player. But Howie is a premium hitter. I was one of those that said Howie would win a batting title and I stand by that. Health has been tough on Howie Kendrick, but that is not something you can predict. He is a gamer and that will show. “Line drive doubles power” is what scouts call the type power that Kendrick has.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Finally, who is your preseason pick for Minor League Player of the Year?

A: (Eddie Bane) - Ryan Mount. See guys, I don’t duck any questions. I hope all the other guys that could win the award end up helping our big league team so they wont be eligible for minor league awards.


This concludes our monthly feature with Eddie Bane. To discuss this feature or any of the questions and answers, visit our forum.