Things just got a lot better in Anaheim. Despite falling seven games behind the division rival Rangers, the Angels and their fans just received an injection of hope. Even if the addition of Dan Haren isn’t enough to push the Halos past Texas in 2010, it is a significant boost for the future of the organization.
Read MoreArchive for Blake Warren
Texas Proving to be Tough to Mess With
You may have noticed the Angels playing some very good baseball lately. They haven’t wilted despite numerous injuries to key players. Few people expected them to go 20-9 in the direct aftermath of Kendry Morales’ devastating injury at home plate on May 29.
Read MoreOn Schedule
Major League Baseball’s regular season schedule presents a myriad of challenges to every ball club. When the calendar turns to April, there awaits 162 games on the docket over a stretch of six months. There are inevitable injuries and guaranteed slumps to contend with. Teams face long road trips and extensive travelling. There is also the familiar attrition of squaring off against each division foe 18 times a season.
Read MoreA Cause for Concern?
State of the Angels Haiku:
“Real ugly road trip,
Many runs given, few runs scored,
Is the sky falling?”
It’s been a topsy-turvy start to the season for the Halos and their fans. It’s as if we’re all waiting for the Angels’ real season to start; to see the team we’ve become accustom to seeing on the field, playing Angels baseball. There have been glimpses so far, sure, but the team has failed to sustain any real momentum thus far.
Read MoreClosing Argument
Two hits, two walks, two runs, two-thirds of an inning, and one big question: should Brian Fuentes remain the Halos’ closer? We haven’t yet made it out of April, and the clamoring has already begun. Many Angel fans had seen enough from Fuentes last year to lose confidence, as he faltered in a number of key situations down the stretch, the biggest being a huge blown save against A-Rod and the Yankees in the ALCS. After already enduring a DL stint in the early season, Fuentes’ Wednesday night outing did little to soothe Angel fans’ concerns about the left hander.
Read MoreThe West is Getting Wild
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The Angels have capitalized on playing in a division with teams in transition in recent years. They’ve won four of the last five A.L. West division titles as the Rangers, Mariners, and Athletics have been reshaping and retooling their respective organizations. With a strong farm system and a willing owner in Arte Moreno, the Halos have clearly been the class of the west for the last half decade. But it is clear that the gap between the Have’s and Have Not’s in the division is narrowing.
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