The Eddie Bane Connection - August Edition

Eddie Bane chatted live with Angelswin.com members in this month's edition of "The Bane Connection". Let's find out what was discussed at Angelswin.com below.

Q: (Angelswin) - How is Bob Wilson defensively vs our current ML catchers?

Eddie — Hey guys. Sorry it took so long to get on, but now here I am and ready to go. Bobby Wilson is solid defensively and on par with our 2 guys in the Major Leagues in my opinion.

Q: (Angelswin) — Not sure you can comment on this Eddie. But what could Toronto possibly be asking for Eckstein, McDonald or Scutaro. With all due respect to the future of Sean Rodriguez, but the very real prospect of him having to play this post-season isn't appealing.

A: (Eddie Bane) — Guys, I will answer some of the ML questions the best I can, but as you know my field is trying to find homegrown products and I can help in that area.

As far as Sean Rod and Brandon Wood go we are very lucky to have these guys as possible help when guys go down and I have complete faith in those guys. That part of the equation is up to Tony, Ken, Mike S and Gary Sutherland though.

Q: (Angelswin) — I'm interested in the org's plan for Wood. Does he get a shot at a full time position next year? Are we thinking SS or 3B?

Similarly, what are the feelings regarding the future of Sandoval and Brown with the big club?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Brandon Wood can play either SS or 3B and play it Major League which is a surprise to some scouts because of his size at SS. Wood hit his 31st homerun the other night in the PCL and that is a big deal to us. He needs to get a chance, and he will, but when he gets that chance he needs to take off and run with it. He will get a chance here shortly, but nobody can be quite sure when.

Remember fellas, if you know me, then you realize that tech is definitely challenging for me and I will get to as many as I can, but be patient.

Sandoval put his name on our map this year for the first time. He can hit and has hit all the way through and now he has 2B and 3B he can play. He would be wise to shag some balls in the OF during BP to increase his worth.

Q: (Angelswin) — I was wondering if you could profile a couple guys from Rancho for me: Bryan Rembisz (cool story and performing well it seems) and Alexander Torres (also doing very well). Was he hurt last year?

A: (Eddie Bane) — I personally call Rembisz the "hat" because when he is on the mound he is so short that it looks like a hat and a jersey on the mound. Very short and as they say "vertically challenged" but he comes at the hitter and attacks guys.

Torres is a legit prospect from that side of the rubber and with Fish and Reckling it helps us in an area that I had not done very well in (LHP's).

Q: (Angelswin) — There is so much talent at Salt Lake yet very little room on the big club. Do you see any position changes for some of these guys any time soon? And on that note, we saw that Kendry has played some outfield. Does he have the tools to do so at the major league level?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Honest to goodness guys, I do not look as bad as that picture in person. That guy is a lot older than I am.

Kendry Morales grew up at 3B and RF for the Cuban National team and he is comfortable at both of those spots as well as 1B. But, Kendry is showing that he is real comfortable at the plate from either side.

Yes, the talent level at 3A and 1A is bigger than most any club in the game, but that is our job. Make it hard on the big league guys and create competition everywhere in the org.

Q: (Angelswin) — How much stock do you put in statistics for amateur baseball like High School, college (D1-D3)? Do you overlook them and just go by their physical tools and raw stuff?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Great q. I watched Phil Hughes in HS and he never walked anyone. He was also doing it against some of the best HS teams in SoCal. That makes it mean something. Also watched Mark Rogers pitch in HS in Maine. No competition and in fact the catcher for the other team asked Rogers for his autograph during the game.

We were all set to take Hughes in the 04 draft, but got lucky and had Jered Weaver fall in our lap.

Stuff, location, movement, velocity are all things I look at before stats at the HS level, but when facing So Cal HS hitters it has to count for something. Same thing in Florida.

Q: (Angelswin) — Freddy Sandoval - I know he's been discussed before with regards to being a major league utility player, but besides what he can do with the bat (he has been exceptional) how is his glove at 3B?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Freddy is a little above avg. at any INF spot except SS.

Q: (Angelswin) — I saw the 'hat' pitch last night ... couldn't believe how short he was. He did get through an inning or two unscathed. Was a little disappointed with O' Sullivan ... they seemed to hit him hard ... but he does throw hard and has a solid frame for a pitcher. What's his projection?

btw Conger hit a monster HR last night.

A: (Eddie Bane) — I was also at the game in High Desert hiding down the sidelines. Sean has 15 wins in a 5 month league. That is a stat that I would follow. High Desert is a launching pad and Sean was overstriding last night which hurt his life.

I was glad nobody was around when Conger hit his HR because my hot dog almost came up. It was a legit bomb. It was a LH home run BTW.

Q: (Angelswin) — Mount has been raking. Is his recent power surge something that was expected and does he profile as having that much pop down the line? Also, how is his defense at 2B?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Rob Piccilo and Ryan Mount both deserve a ton of credit for Mount's improvement on defense. He made 2 plays last night he could not have made before.

Mount has 16 home runs right now and that is in half the season. Yes, his power was expected, but not this soon. The other stat that stands out at with the Rancho club is that Conger is averaging about an RBI per game. 67 games and 66 Ribbies. That from a young man that would not even be eligible until next years draft if he had attended USC.

Q: (Angelswin) — Is anything in particular going on with Peter Bourjos? He has barely walked in the last 2 months and hasn't stolen many bases either.

A: (Eddie Bane) — Sure, good q. Peter's tank has worn out and he has to do better than that. He is one of the best prospects in the game and the sky is the limit, but he has to smooth out and not have the highs and lows he is experiencing right now. That being said Peter is a great young man, with great habits, a great mom and dad and faster than most anyone in the game. I wish they were all like Pete. And, the power is coming like one of our ML scouts, Brad Sloan, said it would.

Q: (Angelswin) — Looks like Roberto Lopez has a chance to win the Pioneer league Triple Crown. Any reason he hasn't seen time at Cedar considering that he is older than most at his current level?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Most organizations might have moved a Lopez type by this time, but the Angels are not most organizations and he has competition from all sides here. He has been a very pleasant surprise where you have to give props to Bo Hughes and Bobby DeJardin and Tim Corcoran of our scouting department.

Aside on Lopez. He is playing great now, but off the field he plays a really, really good piano. Elton John type stuff.

Q: (Angelswin) — Ryan Aldridge, I see he hasn't played lately, arm injury or? (hoping not).

A: (Eddie Bane) — Ryan has a constant battle with his arm, but this is not a big one and when healthy he is a major league pitcher with 2 plus pitches in his fastball and slider.

Q: (Angelswin) — Can you tell me where Demetrius Washington and Rolando Gomez are? I saw them a few times in the box scores early on. Are they both in Arizona working on a few things first?

A: (Eddie Bane) — We signed Gomez a little late and he went to AZ but shut it down after a few games with a hand problem and he should be available at the end of the AZIL. Rollie has family in the Dominican so he will be going there after the AZIL.

Q: (Angelswin) — Any other updates on injured players?

A: (Eddie Bane) — I wish I could help more, but at this time of the year the grind of playing everyday is starting to take its toll.

Q: (Angelswin) — Which players have developed beyond your expectations this year? How do you think Trumbo is doing at AA? Who might be asked to go to Winter Ball? What skills would they be looking to develop? How will you determine where to place a player like Sweeney next year who lost the whole year due to injury? How much do you foresee the loss affecting his development?

A: (Eddie Bane) — It was nice to see Sandoval hit at 3A and put himself in front of the ML people. You cannot ignore the 15 wins from O'Sullivan. Herndon to the pen was a great idea. Mount has showed up big after hurting his knee in the spring.

Trumbo has done what he should at Arkansas. He is driving in a lot of runs and every once in awhile he smashes a tape measure HR. I have been on the Trumbo bandwagon for a longtime and am getting joined by a lot of other folks now. Mark has power like the great power hitters in the game have had. Now he needs to get it consistent and he will help us at the ML level.

When I played (a long time ago) players went to Winter Ball to make money. Now they go to hone a skill like base running or to learn a new pitch.

Q: (Angelswin) — Jordan Walden, how has his secondary stuff progressed? (Changeup, Slider, etc.)

A: (Eddie Bane) — I just saw Jordan the other night and his fastball was huge at up to 97. His fastball down in the strike zone is a brick that is hard to get in the air. His curve (he probably calls it a slider) is tighter every time I see him pitch. He is close to being a big leaguer and he knows it. He has to do the little things that ML pitchers do in order to get over that hump.

Q: (Angelswin) — Eddie, I watched Nick Adenhart last night in Portland (just a 3 hour drive from Seattle) and he looked dominant. Showed an excellent curve and changeup, while spotting his FB which was hitting 91-95 MPH. He also showed some moxy on the hill, getting out of a couple jams, one with runners at 1st and 3rd and 1 out where he fanned two hitters in a row. Positive signs for a pitcher that has struggled in '08, especially considering the Beavers have a good hitting ball club in Triple A.

A: (Eddie Bane) — I have said here before that I believe Nick Adenhart is one of the top pitching prospects in the game. It was nice to see him pitch the clincher for the Bees. I agree the walks and lack of 1st pitch strikes is a bother, but for me it is just a blip. He has 3 big league pitches now, he has had command of his stuff in the past and he is a winner. I like my chances with Adenhart. Did you know that Nick played some basketball in high school against Carmelo Anthony.

Q: (Angelswin) — How's Abe Flores doing?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Abe is doing great and this is as good a time as any to say this. Every team in the Angels system will probably make the playoffs. That is from the DR on up to the Major League club. Unheard of. The great thing about is that almost every one of those clubs has the youngest club in that league. I know we stabilized in 2A with some older guys in the 1st half, but since then they have added Trumbo and Pettit.

That being said, Abe left me in scouting and took Tony Reagins’ old job and we have not missed a beat. Prospects and winning are a hard combination to beat.

Q: (Angelswin) — Tom Kotchman - this guy is incredible. I know you and your staff can take some credit to the Owlz success over the years (before Orem it was Provo) because of your advanced scouting, but wow, this guy is an incredible manager and scout for the Angels. A HUGE asset to the organization. The Orem club this year is STACKED!

A: (Eddie Bane) — We do have some nice prospects in Orem and Tom gets them to play the game the Angels way from the moment they come into the organization. TBone does the same thing with the guys in Arzona.

Q: (Angelswin) — Almost of us have to go by are the stats that we see on MILB.com. Are there any guys that you have been really impressed with or surprised by that wouldn't necessarily translate via a box score?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Take a look sometime at a guy like Bobby Cassevah. His numbers do not jump out until you get really in depth with them and see a guy that gets nothing but ground balls. He needs to throw more strikes, but the fastball is back up to an occasional 94 and his other stuff has improved. Also, Mosebach is having a nice season, but his stats don’t show it. But, he has to know that scouts love his season. Stuff like that is what a scout will do with the press box info we get.

Q: (Angelswin) — So what's been going on with Adenhart? After his call up he pretty drastically fell off the log for a while, but just recently seems to have found his form. What's the story - just development bumps or did the call up perhaps rattle him a bit?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Good call. Nick did have some bumps, but the stuff never faltered and neither did his makeup. He is a gamer on the mound and a perfectionist. Next time Nick pitches up here I believe he won’t go back again. And, you are right also on the fact that lately he has teed it up.

Q: (Angelswin) — Gabe Jacobo, looks like he was a great pick. He sure is raking!

A: (Eddie Bane) — Thanks, Scott Richardson, our NorCal scout found this guy. Has a plus bat and has shown some versatility. Thanks for the compliment about the draft, but we try and stay away from the Mel Kiper, Baseball America way of grading our draft 1 day after the draft is over.

A: (Eddie Bane) — Guys, I wanted to say thanks and I am floored that you guys would take the time out to ask so many Angel Questions and I am sorry I cannot answer all of them. You guys keep me on my toes with all of your knowledge about all things Angels, but keep up the great work. You also should thank Chuck as he is relentless at working on me to do this type stuff which I really enjoy. Go Angels and ASU SunDevils both. ASU has a tough game with the NAU Lumberjacks this Saturday, but I think we can handle them.

Q: (Angelswin) — Eddie, do the Angels still project Nick Green as a starter or is the thought to eventually move him to the bullpen?

A: (Eddie Bane) — Nick Green has starter stuff and in the pen he would only project as a long man, but I see him as a starter at the big league level and he is close.

Q: (Angelswin) — How do you believe the changes to the draft affected the process? Did it give more leverage to either side or just move up the date to sign on the calendar?

A: (Eddie Bane) — August 15 deadline just changed the date and gave the colleges a set date which helped them. We are seeing the same things happen on Aug 15 that used to always happen the Sunday before school started. Same deal but a different day.

Q: (Angelswin) — Tyler Chatwood. His strikeout numbers are great, but what's with the walks? Is it a mechanical issue or does he just have trouble throwing strikes? BTW, nice outing last time out (5 innings, 0 runs and 11 K's). A testament of excellent scouting by you and your guys Eddie. That is a dominant type performance for such a young kid.

A: (Eddie Bane) — Chatwood, and I will leave after this story, talked with Gerrit Cole before the signing deadline and Cole complained about money and everything else and later did not sign at all with New York and cost the Yankees their 1st round pick. Tyler Chatwood told him that he loved everything about professional baseball and especially the competition. This is one great kid and the walks will go down with more innings and time on the mound.

Q: (Angelswin) — Eddie, THANK YOU for showing up and fielding questions from the Angelswin.com members. We really appreciate it and are thankful the Halos have you driving this thing going forward. Feel free to pop in every now and then (and even later on tonight to answer a couple questions from the guys that got here late if time permits). Go Angels

A: (Eddie Bane) — Thanks again guys and have a good night. Let's change that picture Chuck. Looks like my grandpa for heaven’s sake.

Q: (Angelswin) — I know organizations have area scouts, but do you ever make it out to see potential prospects (like do you have an area yourself) or do you just go see the big names at places like the College World Series where they are all at one place?

A: (Eddie Bane) — It is now Friday and I am in the office, but I wanted to give you an answer to a couple q's that I was not able to get to. We got to the $ figure that both Cone and Cooper asked for and they still turned us down. With Cone we got to his number twice so it was tough that it did not get done. Chris McAlpin our area scout for Cone did a great job with Cone and his family. But, in the end when you deal with mostly 18 year old young men they have a tendency to change their mind at times. Not a great deal, but it happens.

As far as my personal travel, I see a lot of players and love the actual scouting part of the job. I will go into a scout’s area and tell them something like they have 5 days to show me their best players. You take that 5 days and then move on to the next area. You just keep moving like that until you can’t handle the road any longer and then you go home for a couple days. Then repeat the process. But it is a great job and I love working for the Angels and having the Director job.

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Love Him Or Hate Him, K-Rod Is Headed For History

By Bruce Nye - Angelswin.com Columnist

On August 1, 2008, with the Angels leading 1-0 in the 9th inning at Yankee Stadium, Frankie Rodriguez was facing MLB’s best player, A-Rod and had a 3-2 count. The next pitch surprised A-Rod, he was looking for K-Rod’s nasty curve or slider. Instead, Frankie struck him out with his latest pitch, a straight change. A-Rod just stood and stared.

Less than a month later, on August 28th, Frankie recorded his 51st save of the year – a personal best for him. Seven more saves and he sets the MLB record and marches into history. Most assuredly, barring injury, he will do it.

But the Angel fans are not as jubilant as they would for another of their heroes. Why?

You can count on one hand guys who have been as dominant a closer as Frankie. Rivera, Nathan and maybe Wagner, but who else? The answer is none.

It started on Sunday February 17, 2008 when Frankie told an Orange County Register journalist that this will likely be his last year with the Angels:

“ Yeah, probably, Probably,” the two-time All-Star closer said. “If they wanted me here, they would have done something a long time ago. But in the meantime, I have to put that out of my head. I can’t be thinking they don’t want me here or anything like that. Just do my job.”

That the Angels don’t want him beyond this season is “not what I’m saying,” Rodriguez said, “it’s just something I can’t control.”

Guys, I don’t want to talk about that,” he said when asked if he was eager to test his value on the free-agent market next winter. “Maybe in the middle of the year, we can talk about that.”

This conversation resonated throughout Orange County like the latest after-shock. In Orange County, that’s like booing the Little Boys Choir at the Christmas Pageant. Angel fans aren’t used to a 26 year-old star player who came up through the farm system with his best years ahead of him saying good-bye. Holy Tim Salmon! Holy Garret Anderson!

Rodriguez has been miffed about not receiving a long-term contract to his liking even though the Angels offered a 3-year deal. His eyes and ears have been on Mariano Rivera’s gaudy 3-year, $45 million contract, which pales his one-year $10 million contract he has this year. If the 39 year-old Rivera can be paid that amount, why can’t he?

To his credit, K-Rod has performed exceedingly well this year. He has 51 saves now and blown only 5 save opportunities. There is something different, however. The stats tell a different story.

Rivera is on a pace for 36 saves this year with a 1.48 ERA and a WHIP of .068. Nathan is on a pace for 43 saves and his ERA is 1.45 with a WHI of 0.86. Frankie’s ERA and WHIP are on a pace for 2.60 ERA and 1.27, respectively.

The once feared strike-out closer has been walking more hitters and given up more hits. At one point during mid-season, only 14 of his 43 saves have come with 1-2-3 innings.

Frankie says, “The walks are kind of high. That’s the only thing that’s irritating. You’ve got to give credit, though. They’re not chasing pitches they usually do.

Previously, Rodriguez had been able to get hitters to chase a hard-breaking slider in the dirt, but now he says his time in the league has brought a familiarity about what he throws. That, plus videotape have allowed hitters to catch up, even if only a little.

“I’ve got to make a lot better pitches,” he said. “The hitters are working it. I wish I was striking all the hitters out on three pitches, but this is the big leagues. It’s not a Nintendo game.”

All of this had led the Angel faithful to wonder if the trend will continue and perhaps the Front Office should spend their off-season money elsewhere. The Angels have a terrific bullpen now being bolstered by newcomer Jose Arredondo along with Scot Shields who has set up Frankie for the years he has been the closer.

The Angels are facing their most difficult off-season with options on Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson and questions about the middle infield. And now, the attention is focused on re-signing superstar, Mark Teixeira. In short, even though the Angels are now one of MLB’s most successful franchises, the ownership under Arte Moreno has a keen eye on the business end of the franchise.

Most Angel fans are thrilled for Frankie’s quest to beat Bobby Thigpen’s 57 save record, but most are ready for him to move on. The fans will stand and applaud each save but publicly airing his contract issues left an unsettling in the stomachs of the fans. The feelings here are: “hello, thanks and good-bye.”

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Reunited?

Could the two-time World Series contributor - David Eckstein be reunited with the Angels?

By Eric Denton - Angelswin.com Senior Writer

With the Angels scuffling over the past month (12-12 over their last 24 games) and now hamstring injuries to Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar compounded by the loss of Macier Izturis. Things haven’t been looking as rosy for the club as they were at the end of July.

Not only are the injuries worrisome, the funk the team seems to be stuck is also. It’s hard to tell if the 15.5 game lead the Angels currently enjoy is going to be a hindrance to them when it comes to the post-season.

Yes it will be nice for Mike Scioscia to be able to rest his regulars and not worry about the other teams behind them in the standings, but it could also cause the team to get complacent and not play with a sense of urgency.

The thought of rookie Sean Rodriguez starting play-off games at second-base or short-stop has sent chills up the spines of Angel fans. This is why General Manager Tony Reagins needs to do everything he can to obtain some middle infield help.

In today’s Los Angeles Times, Reagins was asked about a trade.

"At this point, there hasn't been a fit," "The waiver aspect hasn't been an issue. The right pieces aren't in place for a deal. Will that change? Maybe. It may not."

The names mentioned are John McDonald, Marco Scutaro, Jamey Carroll and Juan Castro. These players are all serviceable and would help out the team. However, the most exciting name that is available is former Angel’s short-stop David Eckstein.

The two-time World Series Champion just might be spark the Angels need to get over their malaise. Not to mention the energy he’d bring to the fans inside the Big A if he were to return to the club.

Eckstein is a big game player. He could help the Angels either as a starter or off the bench, at second-base or short-stop, depending on the availability of Aybar and Kendrick. Granted, Eck isn’t the flashy fielder with a great arm or range as Aybar, but he can get the job done.

The 2008 edition is the best team Mike Scioscia has had since 2002. Tony Reagins must step up to the plate again like he did in acquiring Mark Teixeira.

-- Comment on this article here

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Angelswin.com Prospect Hotlist (August 26th)

The Orem Owlz have been a dynasty of sorts in the minors - The entire club tops the #1 spot this week

By David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Columnist

1. The Orem Owlz, the Entire Team
Past 10 Games: 9-1 Record
Overall: 19-5 Second Half Record, Division Winners in the 1st Half

In a season that saw Tom Kotchman earn his 1500th managerial win, the Orem Owlz are dominating their league. They find ways to win each and every game. There are many potential stars on this team, and many potential Top-50 prospects here.

Some names to note:

Hitters

Castillo, Angel, RF, 289/347/539 with 13 HRs, 46 runs and 43 RBIs
Giovanatto, Donato, DH, 312/384/488 with 8 HRs, 39 runs and 31 RBIs
Jimenez, Luis, 3B, 318/352/628 with 14 HRs, 50 runs and 58 RBIs
Lopez, Roberto, 1B, 401/482/650 with 12 HRs, 63 runs and 58 RBIs
Perez, Darwin, SS, 290/402/435 with 51 runs and 12 SBs

Pitchers

Boshers, Jeff, SP (LH), 4-0, 2.66 ERA with 35:19 K:BB in 40.2 IPs
Kohn, Michael, RP (RH), 2-0, 2.29 ERA with 36:9 K:BB in 19.2 IPs
Miller, Jayson, SP (LH), 7-2, 2.01 ERA with 61:7 K:BB in 71.2 IPs
Perez, Jose, SP (RH), 5-2, 4.17 ERA with 77:8 K:BB in 58.1 IPs
Scholl, Chris, RP (RH), 3-1, 1.82 ERA with 39: 13 K: BB in 39.2 IPs
Thorne, Jeremy, RP(RH), 0-0, 0.39 ERA with 6 saves and 17 Ks in 23.1 IPs

2. Brandon Wood, INF, Class AAA Salt Lake Bees
Past 10 Games: 12/34 (353), 2 Doubles, 0 Triple, 3 HRs, 5 Runs, 12 RBIs, 1 SB
Overall: 298/372/602 with 31 HRs and 5 SBs

For all those who thought that Wood was a failed prospect, they need to revisit him again. In the second half of 2008, he has been a totally different player. He has worked to shorten his swing and has not lost the power. He is striking out substantially less (18:37 BB:K ratio) and has been putting on a major power display. Most likely he should go to winter ball to continue this offensive progress, but, more importantly to define and refine his defensive position. It seems very likely that he will break with the big league camp next year, so, there is the question as to where he will play. However, what no longer seems to be a question is if he is ready to hit in the majors. This second half has clearly answered that question.

3. Drew Touissant, OF, Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Past 10 Games: 14/38 (368), 2 Doubles, 1 Triple, 2 HRs, 6 Runs, 14 RBIs, 0 SBs
Overall: 298/333/466 with 14 HRs and 6 SBs

Another fine showing for Drew. He appears to have mastered the Cal League in almost all respects. He still needs to work on his plate discipline (he had 0 walks compared to 8 SOs in the past 10 games and a 14:96 BB:K rate for the season). However, next year should see him starting in Arkansas. Hopefully he’ll take better to the higher level competition next year than he did this year.

4. Ryan Mount, 2B, Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Past 10 Games: 15/45 (333), 2 Doubles, 1 Triple, 3 HRs, 9 Runs, 9 RBIs, 1 SB
Overall: 297/349/533 with 16 HRs and 10 SBs

In our top 50 prospect list at the start of the season, we said this about our 28th ranked left-handed hitting infielder: “Ryan has some pop, but profiles to hit more doubles at higher levels, though he may enjoy a breakout season in terms of slugging pct. in the hitting friendly California League. Mount runs well, has average speed and moves well going into the hole, while showing a slightly above average arm. Profiles to be an adequate 2B with a chance to provide some offense along the way. Keep an eye on him in '08 as some project him to breakout.” That still holds true for him today. Ryan is finally posting more of the power that we projected (he’s had 8 dingers in August and 6 in July), so maybe this is the breakout that was projected for him.

5. Jordan Walden, SP, Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Past 4 Starts: 3-0, 0 Saves, 2.66 ERA, 23.2 IP, 18 H, 9 BB, 22 K, 1.14 WHIP
Overall: 8-8, 0 Saves, 2.68 ERA, 144.2 IP, 114 H, 51 BB, 127 K, 1.07 WHIP, 215 BAA

After struggling when promoted to the high octane Cal League, Jordan is bringing the heat. When I saw him pitch a few weeks ago, you could tell the ball was popping into the catcher’s mitt with a different sound. His breaking pitch was crisp, and he was setting hitters up well (he had 9 Ks that night in 7 innings). Most likely he will stay as a starter (where he could be front-end material with his 98+ mph heat), but he needs a more dominating third pitch to succeed at the higher levels. However, if he cannot master one, I can see him becoming a very successful closer. Either way, he has ML material.

6. Gabriel Jacobo, 1B, Class A Cedar Rapids Kernels
Past 10 Games: 14/38 (333), 3 Doubles, 1 Triple, 1 HR, 3 Runs, 9 RBIs, 2 SBs
Overall: 327/363/566 with 9 HRs and 5 SBs

With a current 10-game hitting streak in progress, Gabe’s pushing hard to help the Kernels earn a playoff berth. Since his promotion from Orem earlier this year, Gabe’s hitting has remained constant (he had a 327 BA in Orem and has the same overall at Cedar Rapids). Most likely Gabe could start at Rancho next year where he could have a breakout season.

7. Freddy Sandoval, 3B, Class AAA Salt Lake Bees
Past 10 Games: 14/42 (333), 5 Doubles, 0 Triple, 1 HR, 7 Runs, 9 RBIs, 0 SBs
Overall: 330/385/514 with 15 HRs and 6 SBs

A sleeper prospect if ever there was one, Freddy has a shot to earn a roster spot next year as the backup corner infielder. He has been rather consistent throughout the year. He has good plate discipline (46:72 BB:K ratio) and hits well with runners on (361) and in scoring position (391). He’s a switch hitter and has posted a 316/379/456 vs. lefties and 336/388/540 split. If the Angels decide to forego Quinlan next year, watch for Sandoval to battle it out with Matt Brown to earn the final bench spot. Brown has more power, but Sandoval has better discipline and is less prone to streaks.

8. Robert Fish, SP, Class A Cedar Rapids Kernels
Past 4 Games: 2-0, 0 Saves, 1.21 ERA, 25.1 IP, 21 H, 6 BB, 20 K, 1.07 WHIP
Overall: 9-4, 0 Saves, 5.07 ERA, 135 IP, 135 H, 65 BB, 126 K, 1.48 WHIP, 260 BAA

Robert has had a Jekyll and Hyde season. He’s been great for month long stretches, such as in April, June and August, and not so great in May and July. In the good months he’s posted a 3.45 ERA. In the bad months, a 7.31 ERA. Robert has been allowing too many walks and too many fly balls (he has a 0.97 GO/AO ratio) to be successful at the higher levels. However, he is young (he’s 20) and a lefty. So, a repeat of the Midwest league may be in order for him with a chance at a promotion to Rancho later next year.

9. Naldy Calderon, RP, Class A Cedar Rapids Kernels
Past 4 Games: 2-0, 0 Saves, 0.00 ERA, 9 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 7 K, 0.55 WHIP
Overall: 4-0, 0 Saves, 1.73 ERA, 36.1 IP, 20 H, 20 BB, 45 K, 1.10 WHIP, 161 BAA

Drafted in the 10th round of the 2006 draft, this lefty was another Tom Kotchman find out of Lake City Florida Junior College. His command has improved from last year where he posted a 27:19 K:BB ratio. He’s mostly a fly-ball pitcher (he has a 0.97 GO/AO ratio). We should get a better chance to see him next year at Rancho where he will be challenged by many of the ballparks. Hopefully he will be able to succeed there with such a high fly-ball ratio.

10. Peter Bourjos, OF, Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Past 10 Games: 15/45 (333), 5 Doubles, 0 Triples, 1 HRs, 7 Runs, 4 RBIs, 0 SBs
Overall: 291/320/427 with 6 HRs and 47 SBs

It’s been a while since Peter has cracked the Top 10 Hot Prospect List. He has been struggling and bounced around in the lineup of late. Of concern is his lack of patience at the plate (when I saw him he was pressing hard and flailing at pitches out of the zone) and his recent lack of speed on the bases. Since the start of July, he’s only had 4 walks and 6 SBs while striking out 45 times and getting caught stealing 7 times. Hopefully Eddie Bane can give us some more insight as to what is going on with him as he still profiles to be a fixture in our outfield in the next few years.

Vivid Seats has the MLB tickets you're searching for. Find Angels tickets and news, along with Yankees tickets or the best in Red Sox tickets. Vivid Seats has your World Series ticket information and more.

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What Is a Real Fan?

By David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Columnist

You can hear it on the sports-talk radio. You can read it on the internet. It’s that time of year again when the bandwagon fans come out to catch a ride on the hot teams—much to the annoyance of the real fans. And with the Angels presently sporting the best record in baseball, they are coming out in full-force for our team.

For real fans, the bandwagoners create many problems. They buy up a lot of merchandise. They buy up tickets and drive up the costs for real fans. They act very self-important, as if they have been paying attention to the team all along. They get into silly arguments about things they don’t know or understand—like why Teixeira didn’t lay down a bunt in the 3rd inning with 2 men on and 2 outs. Basically, they act like the whiny kids complaining about low grades on book reports they wrote about books they didn’t even bother to read.

At this time of year, the phrase bandwagoner gets bantered about regularly. While luckily it doesn’t happen so much on Angelswin.com (maybe due to the quality of the site and the posters), you can find it almost everywhere else. On the radio, callers and hosts regularly use the term to deride a person with whom they disagree. The talk-show hosts use it to generate needless controversy to fill the hours.

So, how do we tell the real fans from the bandwagoners? Sometimes the difference is easy—such as when a person suggests that we need to drop “Valdy” to the 7-hole in the lineup and trade for Erstad to take over CF. Other times, though, it’s not so easy.

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of objective tests that we can use to distinguish between the bandwagoners and the real fans. Both may or may not have Angels gear to wear. Both may or may not attend a certain number of games. Both may or may not make silly trade ideas or lineup ideas for the both. Both may or may not know every last detail about every player and minor leaguer in the system. Some real fans may not be able to get to many games due to finances, where they live, life events (from personal experience having infants greatly affects the number of games that I can attend), etc. while some bandwagon fans can get to many more.

So, what makes a person a real fan?

For me, a real fan is one who will attend, watch, or read about a set number of games for the team regardless of the standings. Real fans are following the team in April and May as well as in September. They pay attention while hockey and basketball are wrapping up their seasons and are still paying attention late in a year when the Angels chances of the post season have long since dimmed. They may have to make sacrifices, such as not eating in the ballpark, or sitting in cheaper seats, but they still come regardless or watch regardless of the standings.

For real fans, the Angels are their team. They are paying attention year in and year out regardless of how the team performs. While real fans may mourn the loss of certain players from the Angels (like Eckstein), and may hope that former Angels play well once they leave the Angels, they still want to beat their former teammates. Real fans want their former players to go 4-4 with NO runs scored while we pitch a shutout for the game.

Real fans may disagree with management about a signing or a trade—or lack thereof. They can blog, post, call, or complain about team actions (or inactions) vociferously. But, unlike the bandwagoners, they recognize that they will never have all the information that the team has. So ultimately, they give deference to the Angels management to which they are due.

Real fans will keep at least casually informed about the rest of baseball, but will have a greater knowledge about the Angels. As baseball fans, real fans are fans of baseball, so they keep abreast of it. They may read some interesting stories about other teams or players. But, when push comes to shove, they’ll gladly read an article about a game they saw the day before rather than reading about A-Rod’s latest tryst with Madonna.

Real fans have class and dignity when attending a game. They don’t root for players on other teams to get hurt (like when Kotchman got a concussion), and they acknowledge an opponent who does get hurt. Real fans politely applaud when the opposition makes a great play—even if they wish the play had turned out differently and groan when an opponent gets injured. They don’t get drunk and belligerent with fans for other teams. They may heckle and cheer, but they don’t get physical or violent.

The hardest thing for real fans to accept is that deep down they know that the team needs the bandwagon fans. For one thing, some of the bandwagoners will go on to become real fans. Let’s face it: no one is innately born an Angels fan. Had we lived in other cities or in different times (when the Angels weren’t an ML team for example) we might have easily become real fans for other teams. There is no doubt that some child will be brought to Angels Stadium for the first time this summer because the Angels are hot and the child will become hooked. That child will grow up to be a future real fan. As good as we’ve been playing, we’re probably making many more future real fans.

Another reason why real fans need bandwagoners is that baseball is a business that depends on numbers. Bodies equal ratings, and ratings equal cash for the team. The more bandwagoners we can get, the less real fans will have to pay for tickets over the course of the year. And the more merchandise they buy, the greater the variety that will be produced. With a great owner like Arte Moreno, the more revenue the team can generate, the more revenue we can spend to keep players like Teixeira and Lackey.

So, let’s face it real fans: as much as we may complain about them, we need the bandwagoners. Every time we have to suffer through callers talking about “Shoney Figgins” or asking why Scioscia doesn’t pitch K-Rod in the 5th inning, we need to remember that some of those asking the questions will go on to be great fans in the future or help us to remain a large market team.

As a real fan, I am thankful that bandwagon season only lasts from August through October. And, I’m thankful that we will be playing in October—even if it means the bandwagoners will be descending on Angels Stadium like a plague of locusts. While the bandwagoners may be starting to hatch, I know that I’ll have the rest of the year to love the Angels without them.

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Should the Angels Promote Brandon Wood Now?

(Photo by Phillip Richmond)

By David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Columnist

After announcing the season-ending injury to Maicer Izturis, the Angels promoted Kendry Morales to the majors. The Angels reasoned that in the event of any need, they have Sean Rodriguez who could play short until they made an additional roster move.

The question is: should we have promoted Brandon Wood instead of Kendry Morales? While promoting Kendry gives the Angels a chance to evaluate him as a potential replacement for Mark Teixeira or as a potential DH next year, it is not likely that Kendry will see many ABs over the remainder of the season. In order for Kendry to get some ABs, he would have to displace GA (who is on a hot streak) and Juan Rivera (who has been showing a lot of power) as well as displacing GMJr.

So, if Kendry will not be getting many ABs, why should we promote Brandon? Simple. I believe that we should promote rookies in situations that give them the best chance to succeed. Brandon Wood has the potential to be a special talent, but, it is going to take some time for him to adjust to ML pitching. Using his minor league history as a guide, it takes Brandon 2-3 months of consistent playing time to adjust to a new league.

Right now, Brandon is on an offensive tear at AAA. Since the minor league All-Star break, Brandon is hitting 374/443/813! He crushed 14 HRs in just 107 ABs! He has a 13:25 BB:K ratio in that time period. So, it should be easier for him to adjust to the majors now while he is hot.

At the same time, we have Mark Teixeira in our lineup—a hitter who has power and patience. Although I want to see Teixeira in an Angels uniform next year, there is the chance that he will sign elsewhere. So, it would be better for Brandon to get some experience playing with a Teixeira who has the power and the plate discipline we want Brandon to emulate while we assured that Teixeira is in our lineup.

At the same time, the combination of Teixeira, Vlad, Hunter, GA and Rivera has proven to be an offensive juggernaut. All of those guys are hot, so, we could afford to keep Brandon in the lineup if he struggles because we will not be relying on major offensive contributions from him. We could get him the ABs now to help him adjust so that next year he will be that much more productive from the get-go.

Defensively, Brandon is playing SS right now at AAA. If we move Brandon back to 3B next year, it would be better for him to be more comfortable at the plate so that he does not have to adjust both offensively and defensively at the same time. Asking Brandon to make both adjustments at the ML level is a bit much. The best way to get Brandon comfortable at the plate in 2009 is to give him consistent Major League AB's in 2008.

While Aybar may be our SS for the future, and probably has a higher defensive ceiling than Brandon, he does not have the same offensive ceiling that Brandon has. So, while getting Brandon into games may slow Aybar’s development, the potential loss in Aybar’s offensive development would not be as great as the potential loss in Brandon’s development.

With a 15-game lead in the A.L. West, and the post-season nearly all but assured, in my opinion, now is the right time to promote Brandon Wood and play him for the rest of the season. The only major item left on the table for our team to accomplish is the home-field advantage, and odds are with our team, we should be able to get that as well. With the remainder of this season, we could get Brandon the seasoning he will need in order to make next year’s campaign that much better.

While all of the arguments made about Brandon could be made for Kendry Morales, I believe that Kendry will be better able to adjust to the majors than Brandon. In his brief stints in the majors, Kendry has performed better than Brandon. And, as pointed out, for Kendry to get playing time this year, Scioscia would have to bench either GA or Juan Rivera, and that is not likely to happen. So, Kendry would be better off getting regular ABs at AAA and breaking into the majors full-time next year.

If we want to be perennial winners, we have to look at the outgrowths of our moves both in the short and in the long term. In the short term, promoting Brandon has very little downside compared to promoting Kendry. However, in the long term, promoting Brandon has a much greater chance of improving the team.

Normally, I believe that the Angels make the right decisions most of the time concerning the development of minor league players. However, at this time, I believe that Angels have the opportunity to make some lemonade out of Izturis’ injury and should use the remainder of the season to fully develop Brandon Wood by promoting him to the majors and playing him for the rest of the season.

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FREEWAY SERIES AHEAD?

Angels, Dodgers Could Meet in Fall Classic

By Adam Dodge - Angelswin.com Senior Writer

For the Angels, it’s only a matter of playing the remaining forty-three regular season games. Despite a disappointing extra innings loss to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, the Angels maintain a 15.5 game lead in the American League West. Certainly the team with the best record in all of baseball will continue to play as if there were something on the line, but they are a lock to reach the post-season for the fifth time in seven years. The obvious goal for Scioscia and the Angels is to enter the 2008 post-season playing well, with home field advantage, and in contrast to the 2007 playoffs, with overall team health.

The Dodgers are a microcosm of the National League – a very average baseball team. That they play in the worst division of the lesser league is the only reason that their 62-59 record merits talk of a possible post-season birth. Fortunately for the Blue Crew, the more talented Arizona Diamondbacks don’t seem too eager to repeat as division champions. The two teams will battle it out down the stretch, and you have to like the Dodgers’ chances.

The acquisition of Manny Ramirez has legitimized the Dodger offense. Ramirez, since coming over from Boston via trade, is hitting .438 with 5 home runs and 16 RBI in just 13 games. And, the Dodger youngsters – Matt Kemp, James Loney and Andre Ethier seem to be going better than core of the Diamondbacks line-up.

Coming off of a four game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers still have two series remaining against Arizona. In their quest for a division title, those six games, to be played from August 29th – 31st and September 5th – 7th, will likely determine the ultimate NL West champion.

If the Dodgers do come away with the division and join their American League rival Angels in the post-season, a Freeway Series that really matters will be a real possibility.

At this point, it’s difficult to argue for any American League team other than the Angels to make the World Series. The Angels are by far the most balanced team, posting terrific starting pitching, a deep bullpen and an offense which has averaged close to seven runs a game over the past month. At the trade deadline, the best team in baseball did something they haven’t done in years – got even better. The addition of Mark Teixeira to the line-up has already paid huge dividends for the Angels as sluggers Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and the aging Garret Anderson have hit their collective stride with Teixeira hitting in front of them.

There is even hope for the Angels in case of a post-season match-up against the Boston Red Sox, who have won nine consecutive playoff games against the Halos. The Angels exercised some demons in the regular season taking the final eight games of the season series against the Sox. It remains to be seen whether or not the teams will meet in the post-season. But it won’t seem like October if they don’t. With Tampa Bay injuries to Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and Troy Percival it appears that Boston will have a legitimate chance at repeating as AL East champs, leaving the Rays to play for the Wild Card.

But I digress…

The Angels are easily the best team in baseball. They need only play as they have the past couple months to ensure a World Series birth. To assume that they won’t is not a valid argument, so let’s slot them as AL Champs, sitting in the third base dugout of Angel Stadium, hosting game one of the 2008 World Series. The question then, is which NL team sits in the first base dugout?

Answer: The Chicago Cubs.

With apologies to myopic Dodger fans, there is no argument as to which team is the best in the National League. And quite honestly, it’s not even close.

And that is unfortunate for the Angels, who would certainly benefit most from a series against the Dodgers, primarily because they would likely beat their cross-town rivals in four or five games, earning their second World Series championship of the decade and perhaps more importantly, taking another, if not the final step in securing dominance in the Southern California market.

The talk of a possible Freeway series looms each season around this time as both teams always seem to be in contention for the post-season, and like years past, it is more of a dream than a realistic possibility. It is true that “anything can happen” in the playoffs, but it’s not intellectually honest to make an argument for any teams other than the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels to meet in the Fall Classic. The two squads are head and shoulders above their league rivals currently, and figure to be so when October begins.

With a battle for the NL West looming and more talented and experienced National League teams like the Cubs, Mets, Phillies and Brewers to get through in the playoffs, the Dodgers are not likely to hold up their end of the bargain.

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The Angels: Built for Now and the Future

(Photo by - Getty Images) Will Vlad be a part of the Angels long term future?

By David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Columnist

When Bill Stoneman took over managing the Angels, he instituted a simple philosophy for making our organization a perennial champion: Draft for strength within and sign free agents to fill in the needs that arise. At the outset of his tenure, Stoneman predicted that if we stayed the course, it would take 5 years to turn the franchise around, but, once done, would lead to many years of playoff caliber teams.

Well, we stayed the course, and the fans have seen the results. We have won the A.L. West 3 out of the last 4 years. We have the best record in the majors this year. We have signed marquee free agents, such as Vlad and Hunter, and developed a strong cadre of players from within. We are the envy of major league baseball and the model for many other franchises wishing to duplicate our success. There is no question that we are the most balanced team to beat in the American League right now.

For fans, the question is: Are we a team only built for today? Or, do we have the potential to continue the success into the future? Long-time fans know that in the past when we have had great teams they fell apart in subsequent years because ownership could not/would not maintain the team.

To analyze if this team is built for the future, let’s take the worst case scenario, one in which we do not resign any of our current Major League Players.

By 2011, our lineup would look like:

C Hank Conger
1B/DH Mark Trumbo
2B Howie Kendrick
SS Erick Aybar
3B Brandon Wood
LF Sean Rodriguez
CF Peter Bourjos
RF Torii Hunter
1B/DH Kendry Morales

SP Jordan Walden
SP Nick Adenhart
SP Trevor Reckling
SP Sean O’Sullivan
SP Michael Anton

SM Kevin Jepsen/Ryan Aldridge
CL Jose Arredondo

That is a solid team!

There are several reasons why posting such a lineup is necessary to evaluate the health of our franchise. First, it shows our ability to overcome any potential injury over the next few years from within the organization. If anyone goes down, we have a solid replacement ready or nearly ready to step up and fill in.

Second, it shows that we have a solid mix of prospects to maintain a balance of veterans and youngsters to keep the payroll affordable. As we all know, baseball is a business and needs to run at or near a profit. Arte Moreno has said that we do not have the ability to pay every player $15-$20 million/year. However, because of the economic structure of baseball, we can afford to pay a few players $15-$20 million per year if we maintain a steady supply of cheap and talented prospects to balance out the costs of the veteran players. While this will result in some fan favorites leaving on a regular basis, it also means that if we act carefully, we can continue to dominate for a long time without raising ticket prices too dramatically.

Third, it shows just how much talent one of our prospect must overcome in order to be given the chance in the majors. Although we would all love it for our prospects to step up and produce, such as Longoria, we have to be realistic and realize that there is still a big jump from AAA to the majors. We can be confident that the talent that does make it to the majors is truly talented because they had to earn each and every promotion within our minor league system.

In my opinion, the key to maintaining our A.L. dominance is to resign Teixeira next year. Having a beastly heart of the order in Teixeira, Vlad, and Hunter means that we can continue to develop and promote rookies on a yearly basis without needing them to perform at a high level at the outset. And, having Teixeira, Vlad, and Hunter in our lineup will require us to continue to promote prospects to balance out the cost of their salaries.

While resigning Teixeira may result in us losing players like GA and K-Rod, as a fan, I can live with that. I am a fan of the team first and want to see us playing in every October every year. I know that new players will emerge as fan favorites if we have a winning team. And, I know that the best way to promote rookies is to bring them up when the team does not need to rely entirely on their performance and instead they can ease into our lineup.

If Reagins maintains the Stoneman philosophy, by 2011, I could easily see this as our lineup:

C Hank Conger
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Howie Kendrick
SS Erick Aybar
3B Brandon Wood
LF (Insert Free Agent here) or Kendry Morales
CF Peter Bourjos
RF Torii Hunter
DH Vlad Guerrero

SP John Lackey
SP CC Sabathia (or insert another free agent signing here)
SP Ervin Santana
SP Joe Saunders
SP Jered Weaver or Nick Adenhart

SM Kevin Jepsen/Ryan Aldridge
RP Jose Arredondo

Now that is a sick lineup—one that is built for now and for the future.

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Darren O'Day Player Journal (2008) Vol. 2

(Photo by Lori Keil)

Hey everybody,

I come to you this time from my couch in Salt Lake City. I was optioned to join the Salt Lake Bees a week ago, and luckily I went from one pennant race to another. Although you don't see us on Sportscenter every night, we still play some good baseball down here. I had a blog entry prepared regarding our east coast road trip, the signing of Tex, and Lackey's bid for a no hitter, but when I was reassigned it was lost in the shuffle of trying to reorganize my life for a bit. This is the reality of being an up and coming player in such a talent laden organization. Chuck went ahead and created an email address for you guys to send me questions. Feel free to email me at angelswinoday@gmail.com, so you can point me in the right direction. The one condition is that there will be some clubhouse questions I can't answer. The locker room is a sanctuary, and some things must be kept sacred. Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing from all of you.

What hazing type incident did you have to do as a rookie? As a new bullpen addition?

- Bruce N.

I haven't really endured any "hazing" as of yet. There is however a yearly tradition of dressing the rookies in embarrassing costumes in September. Hopefully I am with the team so that some of you get to see me in a skirt or something similarly ridiculous. The veterans get to choose the outfit and we are then paraded in front of the fans in the parking lot and at the airport. Last year the Yankees did a great job dressing their rookies in Wizard of Oz costumes......I thought Joba made a great cowardly lion.

I'm sure some of you might be familiar with the famous bullpen snack bag. It is pink or purple, with the most embarrassing theme possible. We fill it with gum, seeds, and candy to tide us over during the three hour games, and the bullpen pitcher with the least amount of MLB service time is responsible for its upkeep and transportation. You can imagine the attention it gets in places like Boston, Seattle, and Philly.... My first bag was a My Littlest Pet Shop rolling backpack in neon pink. On opening day, I was told to roll it all the way from the locker room to the bullpen in the Metrodome. Minnesota might not draw the crowds we get in Anaheim, but on opening day it was packed. My rolling form was so outstanding that Sportscenter even featured me (and my bag) in it's opening clips that night (picture seen below). That, along with a couple articles and blogs featuring my stylish luggage, was enough attention for Hasbro to notice my free advertising I was doing for them, and send me a nice letter and care package. The letter thanked me for choosing My Littlest Pet Shop and it came with a lunchbox, and couple t-shirts, a pail and shovel, and tons more pink stuff. I was pretty surprised when it showed up in the clubhouse, and we all had a few laughs about it. Franky did a good job picking that one out for me, and since Arredondo's arrival he has been sporting a purple My Little Pony backpack.

I intended to answer a couple more questions, but I have to be up early for a flight to Sacramento. Hopefully I will get to a couple more while I'm there.

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Good times at Throwbacks

Here is a slideshow of photos taken by (Baseballmom) of Angelswin.com at Throwbacks on August 10th, 2008. Some good times were shared amongst Angels fans and the Angelswin.com community. The partnership that Angelswin.com & Sports Bar and Grill-Throwbacks has shared over the last few months has grown in size and interest.

Just like in the sitcom Cheers, Throwbacks is the place where everybody knows your name within the Angelswin.com home of Angels fans, the #1 fan site for Angels fans on the net.

Make sure you register on our message board to become a member of this incredible community of Angels fans, then make it out to one our many events or Live Angels broadcasts at Throwbacks throughout the season & offseason.

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Angelswin.com Prospect Hotlist (August 11th)

(Photo by Phillip Richmond)

By Jason Sinner - Angelswin.com Columnist

Once a week (Monday) AngelsWin.com will cover the top 10 hottest prospects in the organization. We will list their current stats and feats with a little blurb on each player. This is a great way for you Halo fans to find out who's hot in the Angels organization. It is important as a fan to know who is up and coming in the organization because prospects not only strengthen our team in the future, but they also become trade fodder for teams looking to rebuild who might give up an established player in the big leagues.

Covering the minor leagues has been something we at Angelswin.com enjoy doing for for the fans and parents of the Halos minor leaguers, giving recognition to top performers for the previous week . The top 10 hottest future Halos will be covered here, but if you have any questions on other prospects in other organizations or if want to send your comments on our weekly lists, send me an email at chuck@angelswin.com and I will respond in a timely manner.

Now, on to this weeks' Angelswin.com Prospect Hotlist...

1. Brandon Wood, SS, Class AAA, Salt Lake Bees
Last 10 games: 12-37 (.324), 4 HR's, 11 RBI's, 3bb/5k
Season: .294 avg, 27 HR's, 69 RBI's, .959 OPS

Did anyone know that Brandon’s first name is actually Richard? Dick Wood? I think we need to have a chat with his parents. Anyway, I am really glad we didn’t trade this guy. In the minds of many fans, he had slipped from the top slot on the prospect list leaving some wondering if 2005 was a bit of a fluke. We have been waiting for him to turn a corner in terms of pitch recognition and plate discipline and we need wait no more. On July 6th, he went 0-4 with 2k dropping his average to .253. At the time, he had 13hr, and 39rbi. So in a little over a month, he has hit 14hr, and driven in 20 while raising his average by over 40 points to .294.

2. Kendry Morales, 1b, Class AAA, Salt Lake Bees
Last 10 games: 18-40 (.450), 4 HR's, 9 RBI's
Season: .332 avg, 14 HR's, 55 RBI's, .904 OPS in 274 ab's

There has been a spring in Morales step lately. I am sure it’s the fact that an opportunity may be on the way for the switch hitting Cuban if the halos decide not to shell out a monster contract to Teixeira. If he can continue to hit for average and power, he will likely see a roster spot become available regardless. There will be plenty of competition as other young guns vie for at bats come 2009, but there is no doubt this kid can hit.

3. Alexander Torres, SP, Class High A, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Last 3 starts: 2-0, 18 IP, 2.00 ERA, 5 BB, 24 K's
Season: 7-1, 2.83 ERA, 57.1 IP, 46 h, 21 BB, 60 K's, .230 BAA

The Halos obviously have a lot of confidence in this kid as he was promoted from the AZL directly to Rancho and is not yet 21 years old. He only pitched 5 innings last year, but at more than a strikeout per inning, it appears that he is in good health and ready to start moving up the ranks.

4. Cedar Rapids Starting pitchers

Trevor Reckling
Last 3 starts: 19 IP, 14 H, 1.42 ERA, 5 BB's 20 K's
Season: 9-5, 3.04 ERA, 133.1 IP, 110 H, 54 BB's, 110 K's, .230 BAA

Robert Fish
Last 3 starts: 18.2 IP, 11 H, 0.48 ERA, 6 BB's, 17 K's
Season: 8-4, 4.62 ERA, 120.2 IP, 114 H, 57 BB's, 115 K's, .247 BAA

Michael Davitt
Last 3 starts: 20.1 IP, 21 H, 0.89 ERA, 5 BB, 18 K's
Season: 5-7, 4.73 ERA, 99.0 IP, 115 H, 48 BB, 67 K's

Esmerlin Jiminez
Last 3 starts: 18 IP, 19 H, 3.00 ERA, 12 BB, 17 K's
Season: 5-6, 4.00 ERA, 87.2 IP, 90 H, 38 BB, 72 K's

Jeremy Haynes
Last 3 starts: 19.2 IP, 11 H, 0.92 ERA, 11 BB, 12 K's
Season: 3-3, 6.23 ERA, 47.2 IP, 53 H, 41 BB, 20 K's

After losing their top three starters with Walden and Anton heading to Rancho and Tobin heading to the DL, the Kernels have seen their rebuilt rotation step up as of late. Spanning three trips to the mound for each starter, the youngsters have gone 9-3 with a 1.32 era over their last 95.2ip amassing 81k.

5. Ryan Mount, 2b, Class High A, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Last 10 games: 16-43 (.372), 2 HR's, 7 RBI's
Season: .292 avg, 10 HR's, 33 RBI's, .845 OPS

It was only a matter of time till Ryan really got things going. A late start to the season after injury likely left him chomping at the bit to improve upon his subpar 2007. He has not disappointed in his 240abs and with a strong showing in the Quakes remaining 20 or so games, he will maintain his standing as one of the halos top 30 prospects.

6. Anthony Ortega, SP, Class AAA, Salt Lake Bees
Last 2 starts: 2-0, 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 3 BB, 8 K's
Season (AA/AAA): 11-7, 3.53 ERA, 148 IP, 91 K's, 52 BB's, .247 BAA

All of a sudden Anthony is at AAA and doing well. He posted solid number in 2007 with a 4.02era which was good for fifth in the cal league. He’s got good stuff and although he may have a tough time cracking the rotation any time soon, he has been very good at every level he has been at. With a mid season call up being well deserved, my guess is that his stock is on the rise.

7. Rafael Rodriguez, RP, Class AA, Arkansas Travelers
Last 6 outings: 3 saves, 6.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K's, 0.00 ERA
Season (AA): 2.13 ERA, 42 IP, 37 K's, 11 BB, 7 saves

Rafael now shares the closer role with Ryan Aldridge after the departure of Steve Marek. After a tough start to the season with the Bees and a quick demotion, he has done very well for the Travs which can hopefully translate into him taking his high 90’s fastball back to Salt Lake next season

8. Corey Smith, 3b, Class AA, Arkansas Travelers
Last 10 games: 13-37 (.351), 6 HR, 8 RBI's
Season: .267 avg, 22 HR, 73 RBI's, .800 OPS

Corey had a recent stretch where he hit 6hrs in 4 games. At age 26 and with marginal defense, he’s likely pretty far down the depth chart, but it’s clear he has power to spare. If he keeps putting up solid numbers offensively, he could find himself in the bigs someday even if it’s not with the halos.

9. Andrew Romine, SS, Class A, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Last 10 games: 13-37 (.351), 3 RBI's
Season: .260 avg, 2 HR, 29 RBI's, 51 SB's

Mired in what seemed like a season long slump, the defensive stud with speed to burn has raised his average to a respectable level. Just in his second year of pro ball after departing Arizona State University, there is talk that he has some decent upside as a hitter to go along with his flashy defense.

10. Amalio Diaz, SP, Class AA, Arkansas Travelers
Last 4 starts: 3-0, 26 IP, 1.03 ERA, 12 BB, 19 K's
Season: (High A/AA): 10-6, 3.88 ERA, 139.0 IP, 140 H, 45 BB, 88 K's

Amalio had a rough year in 2007 with time spent at Cedar, Rancho, and Arkansas but he has made steady progress this year doing very well since his promotion to AA. It seems he’s not a strike out guy so he needs to keep the walks under control if he is going to succeed.

A few of note from Orem:

Christopher Garcia, 1b, Class Rookie, Orem Owlz
Season: .398 avg (103 ab's), 7 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 22 RBI's, 16 bb, 17 k, 1.031 OPS

Luis Jiminez, 3b, Class Rookie, Orem Owlz
Last 10 games: 15-48 (.349), 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR's, 10 RBI's
Season: .307 avg, 17 doubles, 5 triples, 10 HR, 41 RBI's, .931 OPS

Jayson Miller, SP, Class Rookie, Orem Owlz
Season: 4-2, 1.32 ERA, 54.2ip, 48h, 5 BB, 47 K's, .232 BAA

William Smith, SP, Class Rookie, Orem Owlz
Season: 5-2, 2.94 ERA, 49 IP, 48 H, 5 BB, 49 k's, .251 BAA

Michael Kohn, RP, Class Rookie, Orem Owlz
Season: 1-0, 2.87 ERA, 15.2 IP, 9 H, 6 BB, 29 K's (almost 2 per inning)

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Angels have nothing to fear but themselves

(Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

By Eric Denton, Angelswin.com Senior Writer

As Angel fans, by now we all know Mike Scioscia’s cliches by heart.

“We just need to square up a couple of balls”

“They (the pitchers) just need to execute their pitches”

Scioscia is right. If the Angels execute their game properly, it’s the other teams that make the post-season that will need to worry about who they’re facing and not the Angels.

If the Halos have one fault this year it could be that they play down to their competition. Baltimore, Kansas City, Toronto, those are the teams that have given the Angels a bit of a problem. Not the teams currently in line for a post-season berth.

Potential October Match-ups

If the season ended today the Angels would have home field advantage and would face the Wild Card winner. Currently, the dreaded Boston Red Sox.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, been in prison or on another planet, all Angel fans we’re elated to see their team finally have a dominant season against Boston going 8-1.

That’s not a typo. The Angels went 8-1 against Boston this year. Really, it’s true.

Boston gave up a 6.88 era against the Angels this year while Angel pitching controlled the Red Sox giving up a 3.88 era against one of the top offensive teams in the league.

Fortune has also smiled on the Angels. After the Angels left Fenway Park (where they completed a second consecutive series sweep) Boston traded the most notorious Angel killer in their line up, Manny Ramirez. Since that deal, David Ortiz’s wrist has feeling started wonky again. With only a 2.5 game lead on the Wild Card, there is a good change Boston could fall out of contention.

This would mean the Angels would be facing either the Minnesota Twins (1-3, 3.75 era vs. LAA) or the New York Yankees (2-2, 5.75 era vs. LAA). With the Yankees coming into Anaheim this weekend and the Angels going to the Twin Cities later this month, those marks could improve.

Looking at the other match up, based on the current standings the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays would take on the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox.

The Angels have a 4-3 mark against the White Sox this year only managing to scrape out 2.66 runs against them. This could be the product of the White Sox facing the Angels during their big offensive drought in May where the club hit an anemic .232.

Tampa Bay is also 4-3 against Chicago this season so that potential play-off match up would seem to be one that may be tight and go five games.

If the Rays get past the White Sox and meet up with the Angels this is going to be a toughest test for the Angels. Tampa Bay is currently 4-2, 3.29 era against the Angels with three more to play.

The Rays are on a roll. They are finding different ways to win every night and are playing a lot like the 2002 version of the Angels. The parallels are easy to make when fans look into the Rays dugout and see former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon and to the bullpen at former closer Troy Percival.

While the Angels are the road warriors of MLB this year with 38 victories, Tropicana Field has historically been a house of horrors for the them.

Praise of the Rays is not written to strike fear in the hearts of Angel fans or to prepare them for a defeat. It’s a sign of respect for a club that is having a terrific year.

However, post-season success will still come down to how the Angels execute their game. It’s completely possible the starting pitching and bullpen may not perform or the hitting could go into a slump.

That said this is the best team Mike Scioscia has managed outside of the 02 team. The rotation lead by John Lackey and the two All-Stars, Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders is more than solid, the combination of Jose Arredondo, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez have been nails finishing off games.

With the addition of Mark Teixeira hitting in front of Vladimir Guerrero, the Angels now have the best 1-2 punch of any playoff bound team. Managers will not be able to pitch around Vladdy this year. Also, Guerrero will not feel the pressure to be “the man” this post-season like he has in the past. Vladdy will have help and not just from Teixeira. Torii Hunter is a career .300 hitter in the post-season. Howie Kendrick has another year under his belt and has vastly improved his production with runners in scoring position (.409, 1.010 OPS). Garret Anderson is having another big second half of the season and a reoccurrence of an October bout of “pink eye” is highly unlikely. Juan Rivera is healthy and productive who can provide power batting lower in the lineup.

The Angels have a deep roster and they have won 71 games for a reason. When it comes to the post-season, this writer firmly believes the only team that can beat the Angels is the Angels. If they take it “one game at a time”, “square up some balls” and “execute their pitches”, this team will go far in October.

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One more for GA

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

By Jacob Kagi - Angelswin.com Columnist

The Angels claim to be taking one game at a time. That is perfectly fine for them, but with such a key offseason ahead of them, it is only natural for the fans to do their best Tony Reagins impersonation and work out what they would do with the team once the last pitch has been thrown for 2008.

The Angels have two big players about to hit free agency. Mark Teixeira must be re-signed by the team, while Francisco Rodriguez will likely be allowed to walk with the amount of money he will ask for. Perhaps just as important, the Angels must make some tough decisions in the outfield, with Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson both entering club option years. Guerrero’s option will almost certainly be picked up, but debate amongst Angels fans has been fierce when discussing what to do with Anderson.

Anderson, one of the best hitters in franchise history, has a club option in his contract for next year worth $14 million, with a $3 million buyout if the club decides not to pick it up. Many fans have been arguing whether Anderson would be worth such a large amount of money, especially with so much money committed to fellow outfielders Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews Jr. As this season has progressed the answer to the debate has become far more apparent; the Angels must re-sign Garret.

Despite seemingly endless unfair criticism directed at Anderson for being “lazy”, at age 36 he has put together a year that warrants at least one more season with the Angels. Among Angels with more than 50 at-bats, GA is second in batting average, fifth in slugging percentage, third in total bases, second in runs batted in, fourth in home runs and perhaps most remarkably, tied for first in at-bats.

Entering this year the biggest question about Anderson was whether he could stay healthy for a full season. So far he has proven that he can, and has been one of the best Angel hitters in the process. His performances have been overlooked recently because of the acquisition of Teixeira and the hot-streaks of Hunter and Guerrero, but it must be noted that Anderson has had a very nice season.

It is unfair to say that Anderson must be re-signed without looking at other options though. Kendry Morales is an intriguing prospect, but for a team with an offense that can be fragile at times, it is too big of a risk to give him a starting job entering a season. Reggie Willits is another who could fill the void, although his production has been sporadic since the midway point of last season. Sean Rodriguez could play in left field as well, but his excellent defense as a middle infielder (as well as great offensive potential) will likely see him win a starting job there within a year or two.

With Guerrero, Hunter, Anderson and free agent to be Juan Rivera (who may actually prove difficult to keep, but is an important piece of the puzzle nonetheless), the Angels have one of the best outfield/DH combination's in the American League. It is vitally important that the Angels keep this group together while they still can. Halo fans have had enough of getting to the postseason and lacking the offense to seriously challenge. If this group of four is added to Teixeira, Howie Kendrick and Chone Figgins for beyond this season, the Angels will continue to be one of the best offensive teams in baseball. However if they were to lose a key piece of that (for example, Teixeira, Rivera or Anderson), the offense could well return to its often weak and fragile ways. GA may not be the star player that he once was, but he is still solid and could be an important part of an excellent team.

Besides 2002 & 2004 the Angels have struggled to put together an offense capable of bringing home a World Series, now that they have the O and one of the best pitching staffs in the league, they must ensure they bring back all of the parts next year, no matter what happens in postseason this year. That must include keeping Garret Anderson as a regular in the lineup for 2009, giving one of the best Angels hitters’ lifetime a farewell tour and proper send off.

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Will The Angels Hold Their Big Lead This Season?

Mark Teixeira will help the Angels for the big push towards October

By Bruce Nye - Angelswin.com Columnist

Or are we heading towards 1995 all over again?

Many of the Angels fans recall the tortuous ending to the 1995 season when the Angels had an 11 game late summer lead only to suffer two nine-game losing streaks. The end of the season came down to a one-game playoff in Seattle with the Mariners. Arguably that win by the Mariners was the beginning for an impressive run by them in the American League West.

The question is: Can it happen again? The answer is no and here’s why. Almost anything can happen in a game, in a series or in a year, so it’s important to look at statistics to understand how it did happen, before we can boldly predict that it won’t happen again.

The Offense:
The 1995 Team -- The 2008 Team
C Jorge Fabregas --- C Mathis/Napoli
1B JT Snow --- 1B Mark Teixeira
2B Damon Easley --- 2B Howie Kendrick
SS Gary DiSarcina --- SS Aybar/Izturis
3B Tony Phillips --- 3B Chone Figgins
LF Garret Anderson --- LF Garret Anderson
CF Jim Edmonds --- CF Torii Hunter
RF Tim Salmon --- RF Vlad Guerrero
DH Chili Davis --- DH Rivera/Matthews
Bench Greg Myers --- Bench Reggie Willits
Bench Rex Hudler --- Bench Rob Quinlan/Gary Matthews
Bench Spike Owens --- Bench Erick Aybar/Maicer Izturis/Jeff Mathis

The Pitching staff:
1995 Team - - - 2008 Team
SP Chuck Finley -- John Lackey
SP Mark Langston -- Joe Saunders
SP Shawn Boskie -- Ervin Santana
SP Brian Anderson -- Jon Garland
SP Jim Abbott -- Jered Weaver
CL Lee Smith -- Frankie Rodriguez

Offensively, the 1995 team had plenty of power. Salmon with 34 HRs; Edmonds with 33 HRs; Phillips with 27 HRs; JT Snow with 24 HRs and Chili Davis with 20 HRs led the way with three of them with more than 100 RBIs and three with OBPs with at or near .400 averages. Impressive, to be sure.

However, the pitching staff tells the story. Finley led the 1995 team with 15 wins and a 4.21 ERA; Langston, too had 15 wins, but a 4.63 ERA; Boskie had 7 wins and a 5.64 ERA; Anderson had 6 wins and a 5.87 ERA; and finally, Abbott had 5 wins and a 4.15 ERA.

The closer Lee Smith had 37 saves and a 3.47 ERA.

The 2008 Angels team has five starters who are on a pace for 15 wins each – the first team and ONLY team since the 1998 Atlanta Braves in MLB to do so. Only Garland and Weaver have ERAs higher than 4.00 and Frankie Rodriguez’ ERA is 2.40 and as of this writing has 45 saves.

Offensively, the 2008 team probably will not have anyone hitting 30 or more HRs or amass more than 100 RBIs; however, there are indications now that the offensive output is on the rise.

After the pitching superiority, there is another major factor for the success of the team with the best record in MLB and that is the manager, Mike Scioscia. He does not manage to win large streaks, rather he manages one game at a time and one series at a time. Currently, the 2008 Angels are 14-0-3 in their last 17 series. They have swept a few teams in a series, but more often than not, Scioscia manages to win 2 of 3 and move on. In between, he sits the veterans to be sure they are not overused during the regular season He has a solid bullpen of relievers that lead up to an almost certain record setting season for saves by Rodriguez.

In conclusion, it’s not the offense that will keep the team from a potential collapse, it’s the pitching staff and steady managing of the best manager in baseball. Scioscia’s steady managing style, the best pitching staff in MLB and now a steady improvement in the offense, especially with the addition of slugger and Gold Glover, Mark Teixeira will ensure that history does not repeat itself.

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The Brok Butcher Journal - Summer Edition

By Brok Butcher - Arkansas Travelers starting pitcher

I am lying down on a queen size bed at the Homestead Suites in Tempe, Ariz., watching Sportscenter while trying to rehab a shoulder injury. The temperature here in Tempe averages about 105 degrees daily, with highs reaching nearly 118. I can assimilate Arizona and Arkansas to a sauna and a steam room. Saunas can get up to 170 degrees with absolutely no moisture, while sucking the oil right out of your skin, just as it does in Arizona. Steam rooms can reach a tolerable 120 degrees, leaving your entire body soaked in sweat, as in the case in Arkansas. Which do I prefer? I would have to go with the sauna because there are at least a few spots on your clothes that are actually dry after a 30-minute run.

It's been difficult rehabbing over here in Arizona, mostly because I am unable to play baseball due to problems with my shoulder. I got an MRI, which showed that there is a decent sized tear in my labrum, a sprain in my superspraspinatus and type 1 acromius. The acromius is the bone on the top of the shoulder and type 1 means that it has bent a little, putting strain on the rotator cuff. I could feel the tear that I have been battling since last season get a little worse about a month and a half ago. My arm felt as though it could never get loose and I had a constant nagging pain that just didn't seem to fade. I thought this condition would go away and decided to pitch through the pain, not saying anything to my trainer or coaches. My wishful thinking had me hoping that I was just experiencing a bad case of dead arm and that my arm would come alive again sooner than later.

Well, it obviously was buried six feet under with no chance of resurrection! It was the same feeling I had at the end of last year, just a little worse, so I kinda knew what was going on. I tried the positive thinking bit, but who was I kidding? I knew what was going on and I could have positive thunk 'til my head turned white, but that wouldn't change the chemistry in my shoulder. I do believe a lot in thinking positively, it just didn't work for this situation.

I usually spend around four to five hours a day at Tempe Diablo Stadium (Angels minor league spring training complex) working on developing the muscles around the labrum, the rotator cuff, the lats, the core and the legs. I know most of "Team Rehab" because I've played with a lot of them. Our main focus is to get the heck out of here and continue on with our careers. I am getting another MRI today because the doc wants another look at the inside of my shoulder; he said the previous MRI is a little unclear. My dad and brother are coming to visit me today, which is great news; they tend to relieve me from the monotony of the heat and knowing that I might have to get surgery.

Before I sent this blog in for publication, I learned that a second MRI revealed a full blown tear in my labrum that will require surgery. I am scheduled for season ending shoulder surgery Aug. 15. Dr. Yocum has informed me that I will require 6-9 months of rehab before I can be cleared to pitch again next season. Dr Yocum is a great physician and I have the utmost confidence in him getting me back to pain free pitching.

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Check out Brok Butcher's other journals:

http://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/brok-butchers-spring-camp-journal.html

http://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/brok-butchers-spring-camp-journal-2nd.html

http://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/brok-butchers-minor-league-journal.html

http://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/brok-butcher-journal-may-edition.html

http://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/brok-butcher-minor-league-journal-june.html

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