the baseball diaries

"I always thought of you as my brick wall, built like an angel six feet tall... Six feet tall. And when you go away I start to weep, you're too expensive, girl, to keep. Isn't it sweet...?" From cringing to surging to all points in between, the Angels have given us quite the season so far! They pitch (a Weaver no-hitter!) and then they can't pitch (Magic's struggle to locate), they hit (Trum-Bone .322 10 hr's) and then they can't hit (the well documented woes of Pujols). Yet, they somehow strung together an 8 game win streak, broken up by the Yank, then a couple solid outtings vs the Rangers, and find themselves at .500 in second place trying to make a run in the AL West. Losing the last two games, one to the aforementioned Rangers and last night to the Mariners, just doesn't help, but look at it ths way: Would it be better for us as fans if they hit every preseason mark of expectation only to collapse at the end? Or is it much better to see them struggle to get what they want now and fight for every win, hopefully improving even in losses? I say the struggle is what is more compelling, more interesting because we, at least I, can identify more easily with that. If success for these guys, maybe even for us, comes too easily, it doesn't seem earned. Unless you're just a complete badass and you have no true competition... If I may add, there is a direct link to Hatcher being fired and the Angels bats awakening! The Angels send Garrett Richads to the hill for his first start of 2012, filling in for the ubiquitous Weaver. Now that's confidence! "Hark, the Herald Angel's sting, please repair my broken wing. Why won't you look at me? I live and breathe..." - from Get the Message by Electronic dil8d halo P.S. I hate blogger! No spacing? The heck you say!!

the baseball diaries

Jered Weaver. There are pitchers and there are Pitchers. He is the latter! In the midst of a really taxing season for Angels fans, Jered Weaver makes his own luck, goes his own way, and throws no-hitters. The consumate professional, he never whines and complains, he never eases upon his game, he doesn't take innings off, he just goes out and throws no-hitters. I wish more of our beloved Angels were like him! It's no secret Prince Albert has sucked it this year. He looks like a minor leaguer out there who just got called up to the bigs and is confused and crossed up by the AL's average pitchers let alone the Aces. The guy is in a bad way and yet there is hope: He finally hit his first home run as an Angel this past Sunday! All the collective breaths that were let out in Orange County created gale force winds! Children rejoiced, mothers fainted, fathers put beers to the air, and Arte Moreno quietly mouthed "It's about freakin' time..." as he signed his paycheck. The Angels are winners of three straight and noone would even know it. Dirty Dan will try to make it four in a row, but his whoas at the Target are well documented. Well, I say whoas are ment to become wows and he'll shake off the dust before he gets down and dirty! Thing is, to get to .500 they'll need to win another three after this. Yes, they are that bad, and yet when you see them win it all seems so easy for them. Truth is, nothing has come easily this season except maybe the fact that Chocha looks like he packed on a few more pounds. All that midnight eating trying to figure out how to blow up the line-up has taken it's toll! Oh yeah #FireHatcher dil8d halo

the baseball diaries

Welcome Back Kendrys!!

More-Alice went deep yesterday against Chokeland for the first time in almost two years!. Finally, after suffering a serverly broken ankle (from celebrating a walk-off grand slam) on May 29, 2010 and up until this spring not being fully recovered, the Angels have their big bat back. Kendrys crushed one in the 1st inning, a three run shot(!) and added a rbi later in the game. Alllll-Bert went 2-4, but still has yet to homer. Then they left it to Weaver who went 6 2/3 with 1 BB and 6 K's, passing the 1000 K mark for his career!! Angels win 6-0!

As great as it was to see this, the Angels have been struggling lately. They managed only one win in the Bronx over the weekend (8-1) but got pounded in their two losses. Their pitching looked silly and amateurish. The hitting, though adequate, lacked the timing and rally setting that we're accustomed to. But you can see it. They stand poised and ready, a breakout is brewing, and we're gonna see some great baseball, I can feel it! It started last night, hope it will continue tonight with Dirty Dan taking the hill vs. Tyson Chicken.

One bothersome thing about last night's game: Errors! 3 of them. Basics boys, basics...

Over the past few nights I've been engrossed in watching "Baseball" by Ken Burns. It's an older documentary series but features a complete (as far as I can tell) history of baseball. It has great old pictures, some really old film footage, awesome almost ghostly quotes from old ballplayers and sports writers alike. They have commentaries by Bob Costas, Mario Cuomo, Billy Crystal, and my favorite; George Will! It tells how distinctly "American" a game it is even though it has roots in Rounders and Cricket, both English bat and ball games. It has American rules (not laws, as in England). It has American pace, no time for lunch or tea. It's played by men, boys, girls, women, lawyers, doctors, factory men, white, black, brown, and yellow. Even if that wasn't always the case. Plus, the cool names of those old clubs are far superior to most now like the Gothams, Excelsiors, Tip-Tops, Pithians, and Trolley Dodgers, to name a few.

"If 2000 years from now someone will research the United States to find something distinctly "American" they will find these three: The Constitution, Jazz Music, and Baseball!" -- Gerald Early

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the baseball diaries

"Here I go it must be four in a row, I gotta get my head down tonight. But you know I know, when the streets are aglow, I'll be heading for the city of light..."

Willllsssssooooonnnnn!!!!!

Nice job CJ! Going seven innings with only one run allowed is pretty nice. He also struck out five and easily cruised to his first win of the year. That brought the Angels back to .500 and only looking better. Huntsman and Abreu had good ab's, Gaybar playing good D and throwing down take-out slides, and Pujols legging out fielder's choices is how we win ball games! Seriously though, this guy needs to start hitting. Earn that cheddah Albert!

Vernon Wells is worthless. 2-14 to start the season. Last year he had a career worst .218 average and this year is not looking any better. Yet he still has a cheerleader in Chocha saying that he's basically trying too hard not to suck, yet sucking all the more in the process. Can we dump this guy already?

"With a matchbox full and a sulfurous skull, trying to set my mind to rights, I'm gonna burn, burn, burn as the universe turns, out of mind and out of sight..."

Weaver and the Angels have a chance to give the Twins their first ever 0-5 start to the season. If Weaver is even remotely as good as he was in the opener, I think that will be easy. This is one of the few guys that "gets" it. He doesn't talk smack, he doesn't make excuses when he struggles, he goes out and wins, or fights hard in losses. A consummate professional. He faces Carl Pavano who struggled in his first outing and no doubt will try to be sharper vs. the Angels. But the Twins are light-hitting. I know that because of the three articles I've read on the match-up and the recap of the last game, they all said that! Bunch of light-hitting "twankers"...

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"Baseball Bill went in for the kill, he blew it when he found his soul. Lost his will to live when he saw someone give, 'cause giving always takes its toll!" - Echo and the Bunnymen

the baseball diaries

Wow.

After a nice showing in opening day by Weave and crew, winning 5-nil, they blew the next two, droping to 1-2 to start the season and lose their first series. OK, I know, long season and our expectations were probably over inflated, but it would have been nice to see them beat Kaci and go on to do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. But we have to face the reality of Wells and Abreu in the line up daily, and guys like Dirty Dan really struggling. Hmm. The Twinks are next and with that new hope. We need wins!

At least the Red Sox are 0-3 to start the season. However much it pains me to see the Angels lose, it is almost balanced out if Boston loses. And the Yank. And Texas. And the gA's...

Who's up for a game next Monday?

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the baseball diaries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUjUTG3hwyQ&feature=relmfu

"A heaven, a gateway, a hope. Just like a feeling inside, it's no joke. And though it hurts me to treat you this way..., Betrayed by words I've never heard, too hard to say..."

Angels home opener tonight!! Weave it to Beaver vs. Bruce Lee

Angels Line-up

Gaybar
Howiewood
Pujols
Lorii the Huntsman
Oh-for-Four
More Alice
Trum-BONE
Iannetta
Bourgeois

Here's to the start of a World Champion season!

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"Each way I turn, I know I'll always try to break this circle that's been placed around my. From time to time, I find I've lost some need that wasn't urgent to myself, I do believe.

"Up, down, turn around, please don't me hit the ground! Tonight I think I'll walk alone, I'll find my soul as I go home..." from Temptation by New Order

the baseball diaries

This Field is a Dream

As I step out from the corner of the dugout, dark, dank and stuffy, and take in the air outside, I'm revitalized. It's new life. There's a crowd, but I only hear a whisper. There was a time when I could not hear myself think on days like this, but today is different. I walk, yet my feet feel like they're hovering. I'm conveyed up each step by virtue of what draws me rather than my own efforts to move. I reach out for a bat and will it into my hand. My fingers curl around it and stick to the pinetar. I put my hand up to my nose and am intoxicated by the scent. My uniform gleems white as if I'm robed in an angel's garb.

I survey the scene.

This must be a dream. The grass green. The sky cerulean. A wisp of a cloud. I look down at my feet, my cleats polished, black as night. I raise my head and see nine images staring intently at me. Vested in vermilion, they glare, eyes taunting. "I'm observing a painting" I say aloud. The one crouching behind home plate laughs. Closer to the box the dirt crunches under my feet. I have finally landed. The chalk perfectly square. I look again and it now forms an outline of my body.

Left foot in, I brush the dirt towards the pitcher with my right. I stand poised. Paratus. Contra Mundum. A faint hiss followed by a loud CLAAPPP!!!

Then I realize this is not a dream. This is opening day.

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