First off, I want to apologize for the lack of articles during the 2011 season. The passion to write for the team that we love is still there, but sometimes, life gets in the way and forces us to focus on the things that we have to do and not the things that we’d like to do. The head and the heart are there, but currently, the time is not. And while this may sound like a wordy, ambiguous excuse, I’d still like to apologize to all of our supporters who have made GoHalos what it is today.

Now, please allow me to explain the bold title. This past Saturday, the GoHalos crew rounded up 20 of our friends to cheer on our boys at Angels Stadium as they took on the New York Yankees. We went to Throwbacks Sports Bar and Grill and took their complimentary shuttle to the game. The ride over was filled with rowdy, excited Angel fans. During the game, we got down early, but were able to tie things up in the 4th inning. Then A-Rod jacked a 2-run homer to put them up in the 6th. We’re down in the bottom of the 8th, and Abreu hit a single to left after Aybar flied out to center. Torii popped out, but Callaspo came up with a clutch hit to move Bobby to second. Callaspo’s hit got me on my feet, and I stood up, cheering like crazy. I was standing and cheering for Howie (welcome back) when I first felt it…someone had thrown something at me. I didn’t turn around, thinking it was probably just a Yankee fan. Then another one…and another. Suddenly, I felt a continuous flurry of debris hitting me in the back. A concerned friend told me to sit down, and then, at that moment, I made the decision that nothing was going to make me take my seat. I was going to continue standing up until the inning was over or someone made me sit down. And then…someone did.

That’s right…someone came and told me to sit down. But it wasn’t an enforcing, authoritative figure like I would have guessed. It was a fan wearing an Angels jersey. She told me to sit down because I was disrupting the game…in the 8th inning…when we’re down by 2…with 2 outs…and runners in scoring position. Then, a security guard came over and told me to sit down and that we had been warned. At this point, I was in shock. Maybe people were confused because I wore a black Angels hat and a grey hoodie, covering my all-red Angels shirt. I guess I’ll have to rethink what I wear in order to not have people throw things at me.

The top of the 9th went quick (Good work, Rich Thompson: 2 innings, 0 hits, 3 strikeouts). Bottom of the 9th and we’re down by 2, and every Angel fan in the stadium knows what’s coming…The Rally Monkey. My friends and I stand up and begin cheering, and that’s when it happened. We were told that we needed to leave. We were being kicked out, and wouldn’t get to see the end of the game. When we asked the security supervisor why were being kicked out, she told us it was because “We had received multiple complaints, and didn’t sit down after repeatedly being asked.” We were “purposely causing a disturbance” and I was one of the troublemakers that people had reported. I just had my friends kicked out of a ballgame…for cheering.

Please take my word that article is not designed to bash the security team at Angels’ stadium. The supervisor actually informed me that security was to be on high alert during Yankee games, and any complaints are dealt with very seriously. I understand, especially because of the Dodgers/Giants incident earlier this year. But the hatred of anything Yankee should not come at the cost of breaking up the Angel alliance. However, the Angels Stadium security team is not the reason I wouldn’t attend another home game.

There is no doubt in my mind that there were some peanut-pelting Yankee fans. Heck, some of our friends that came with us are Yankee fans, and they were playfully joking and jeering us the entire time. The Yankee loyal had a strong showing that night. In fact, the bus ride back to Throwbacks was filled with happy New York fans supporting their team. There were absolutely no altercations; just generic baseball bragging, chanting “Let’s Go, Yankees”. But Yankee fans are not the reason I wouldn’t attend another home game.

I wasn’t upset that we lost the game. I was upset that I didn’t get to see the end of it. I wasn’t upset that we got kicked out. I was upset that Angel “fans” kicked us out. Never in my life have I been so embarrassed to cheer for my team. The Halo family is just that…a family. And for the first time, I felt like I got kicked out of my own house, rooting for my older brother Howie Kendrick and my favorite little Rally Monkey. It wasn’t just a Yankee victory in the win-loss column; it was a moral victory for New York fans. After Saturday, they’ll be able to say that they saw Angel fans kick out 20 of their own because they were standing up and “purposely disrupting the game.” And this is what makes us at GoHalos so upset.

I’ve seen us close games before. I’ve been to major playoffs games and seen us lose series. I’ve even seen us lose championships. But I have to say, this is the lowest point of my Angel career. Never did I think I would be disowned by my Angel family. At that moment, I was ashamed to share the title “Angel fan” with a woman in a jersey telling me to cheer for my team only when I’m sitting down. Apparently, I had ruined the game for an entire section of people because I was standing up. And the worst part of this short story is that bad behavior was rewarded. People used me as peanut target practice and I was kicked out of a home game by Angel fans who only stood up in order to complain about me standing up…and CHEERING.

What make this scenario worse is that this is not the first time it’s happened. When we told people about our situation, some confirmed that it happened to them! Why in the great and wonderful world of baseball are Angel fans being kicked out for cheering…for the Angels…at Angel stadium? Is that the reputation we want to have and the message we want to send? “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” should have an asterisk after the phrase “Root, root, root for the home team” that reads…”But only when it’s convenient for the people that paid less than you…”

The title of this article obviously stems from a frustrated experience, and to be completely honest, there’s nothing that could keep me away from Angels stadium. I’d take a million peanuts to the back just to make sure Howie Kendrick knew that, when his team was down, one fan with a nosebleed seat still believed in him. But this is my call-to-action to every person that claims to be an Angel fan. In the words of that catchy Train song, I am indeed “Calling all Angels.” We need to seriously take a deep, hard look at the reason we all became Angel fans in the first place and why we go to home games. I didn’t pay hard earned money doing the things I need to do just to be kicked out the thing I like to do. It has never been more imperative that we shed this reputation and change the attitude and atmosphere in Angel Stadium. Don’t throw on a jersey and claim to be a fan; show people why you’re wearing that jersey in the first place. I ask that if you really are an Angel fan, tell me your true feelings. (Train reference #2) “I need a sign to let me know you’re here.” Tell me what you would do if someone in front of you was cheering for your team when you had a chance to score in late innings. Would you throw things at them and have them kicked out? Would you get up just to tell them to sit down? Do you think Yankee fans would ever kick out their own for cheering in the bottom of the 8th inning with a runner on second? What does this say about the Angel “faithful?!”

I’m grateful that readers have given me a platform to vent on a public level, and it’s sad to think that a few of them know exactly what I’m going through because they’ve been here before. I know that all of our readers know the true definition of a “fan,” and in no way am I lumping you in with this group of imitation supporters. And I would apologize in a heartbeat if I had done or said anything offensive or inappropriate. But standing up in the bottom of the 8th to yell “HOOOWWWWIIIIEEEEE” hardly seems like a reason to apologize. I want so badly to go back to Angel stadium with my friends and family and cheer for my team. But I want to be there with true fans, knowing that the moment we have a chance to win the game, everyone is in the same seat.

-Kevin H.

Last Week:

Avg (.304), HR (2), R (4), RBI (2), OPS (1.012)

Howie Kendrick followed Kendry’s walk-off with a walk-off of his own. Except this time, no injuries. Look for Howie’s hot streak to continue, as he is a career .297 hitter and is only batting .264.

The latest poll on GoHalos.com asks, “who do you think the most disappointing Angel has been this season?” If you haven’t noticed, the list is extremely long. This got me thinking; are all the Angels players on pace for career lows, or are we about to see something really special? Here are some numbers to look at.

Batting Average:

Erick Aybar – 2010 (.230) Career (.278)
Howie Kendrick – 2010 (.284) Career (.300)
Bobby Abreu – 2010 (.268) Career (.299)
Torii Hunter – 2010 (.281) Career (.274)
Kendry Morales – 2010 (.272) Career (.282)
Hideki Matsui – 2010 (.234) Career (.290)
Juan Rivera – 2010 (.250) Career (.283)
Mike Napoli – 2010 (.233) Career (.255)
Brandon Wood – 2010 (.171) Career (.185)

In case you weren’t keeping track, that’s 8 of 9 hitters underperforming. (There IS hope for Brandon Wood!)

I know many fans are concerned, and frankly, I have been also. But I can’t see an entire lineup hitting below their career numbers, which means this could be a great summer for the Angels. When it’s 125 degrees in Texas, the Rangers will be able to do very little to cool off those Halo bats.

Tell us what you think… Is this a slow start or are the Angels destined to fail?

This off-season has marked one of the largest turnovers in Angel’s history. Lackey to the Red Sox, Figgins to the Mariners, and Vlad and Oliver to the Rangers. In response, the Angels quietly brought in three so-called “band-aid” free agents in Hideki Matsui, Fernando Rodney, and Joel Pinero. We have heard all off-season about how there are really no clear-cut “stars” on any part of this team. Torii Hunter is the favorite in the line-up, but even with his spectacular defense he usually struggles to hit .280. Weaver is the guy in the starting rotation, but he has yet to win more than 16 games in a season. And finally the bullpen, well, we’ll let Alex Rodriguez tell you who the star is there. Baseball Prospectus has the Angels finishing in last place in the AL West which is pretty difficult to swallow for Angels fans. So how will the Angels win without an ace, a dominant closer, or a big bat?

I seem to recall a World Championship caliber starting rotation that consisted of Jared Washburn, Ramon Ortiz, Kevin Appier, Aaron Sele, and young John Lackey. This mediocre rotation managed to sneak into the playoffs and take down the prize of the National League, the San Francisco Giants, who just so happened to be lead by dominant starting pitcher Jason Schmidt. Ok ok, I hear you. That was a magical year, but was it repeatable? Take a look at some other recently successful starting rotations.

2008 Tampa Bay Rays – Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine
2007 Colorado Rockies – Jeff Francis, young Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Fogg, Aaron Cook
2004 St. Louis Cardinals – Woody Williams, Matt Morris, Jeff Suppan, Jason Marquis
2003 Florida Marlins – Brad Penny, Mark Redman, young Josh Beckett, Carl Pavano
2002 – Angels – See above

A couple of things to note: most of these teams lost in the World Series, and many of these pitchers would later become aces, but the point in all of this is that you have to give them a chance. Did anyone expect young Josh Beckett to destroy the Cubs’ hopes of a World Series title with his 100 mph fastball, or Justin Verlander to shut down the rest of the AL Central in his first full season? The Angels are filled with young, live arms who can do some major damage in this division. This is also an Angels lineup who is mostly still intact, and who were second to only the New York Yankees last year in runs scored. Scot Shields is back and healthy, and Fernando Rodney comes in after only blowing one save last year. Also, don’t forget guys like Kevin Jepsen, Brandon Wood, Kendry Morales (future MVP), or Howie Kendrick. In my view, there is not a team in the league with this kind of depth. (Sorry Red Sox fans)

Now as many of you know, I was pretty upset this off-season. I felt Figgins should have been brought back, that there were better, cheaper relievers available other than Fernando Rodney, and that the disposal of Rex Hudler was wrong. But no off-season is perfect in the free-agent era, and all-in-all, the Angels are a better team. This team of two’s will soon be remembered as great.

Rotation: Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana, Joel Pinero, Scott Kazmir
Bullpen: Brian Fuentes, Fernando Rodney, Scot Shields, Kevin Jepsen, Jason Bulger, Matt Palmer
Line-up: Erick Aybar, Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, Hideki Matsui, Kendry Morales, Juan Rivera, Howie Kendrick, Brandon Wood, Mike Napoli

- Tony C

It’s been a rough end of the month for the Angels. Halo fans witnessed a rarity in 2009: 3 consecutive losses. It’s only happened 3 other times this year. Los Angeles Dodgers/Colorado Rockies in June, Texas Rangers in May, and Minnesota Twins in April. The Angels have only been swept in 2 series, and have never lost more than 3 in a row. Some might be concerned about the recent increase in the loss column after LAA dropped 5 of its last 7 games. It’s easy to get swept up in the recent downturn, but GoHalos is here to right the ship of despair.

Yes, this has been a rough couple of series, but up until this past week of games, the Angels were 12-5 in August, averaging just over 6 runs a game. Despite our struggles, we had created so much space between us and the Texas Rangers that we still have a 5 game cushion and are tied for the second most wins in baseball. Don’t forget, Torii Hunter is back and starting to look like his old self, recording a hit in every game he’s played in since his return on August 16. His current hit streak is punctuated by 3 consecutive multi-hit games, improving his batting average to a team-high .318. Chone Figgins seems to be taking after Hunter, also having 3 consecutive multi-hit games which included 2 steals to bring his 2009 total to 39. Juan Rivera has quietly tallied 72 RBIs and hit 20 homeruns, only trailing possibly AL MVP candidate Kendry Morales in that category (27). And then there’s Howie Kendrick. Angel fans not only had to suffer through Howard’s commercials, but also had to endure his poor performance on the field. Since getting the call up on July 4th, he’s totalled 8 doubles, 4 homeruns and 26RBIs, raising his batting average nearly 40 points. Manager Mike Scioscia has seemed to figure out how to rotate the three-headed monster that consists of Kendrick, Maicer Izturis, and Erick Aybar.

Pitching woes? We’ve had to deal with that all year. But don’t be too concerned. Despite Ervin Santana having an enormous 6.13 ERA, he has won 4 straight games. Worried about John Lackey and his 11 innings, 11 earned runs in his 2 past starts? Don’t be. Before those recent outings, he had only allowed 11 runs in 52.1 innings with a 5-1 record in 7 starts. To top it off, Lackey, Santana and Jered Weaver have all pitched complete game shutouts in a little over a month. How many teams can send out a core of pitchers that can do that? Plus, Joe Saunders returns off the DL yesterday to pitch his best quality start since June 24, surrendering 2 earned runs in 5 innings while striking out 6. Welcome back, Joe.

The Angels will begin a 4-games series against the Oakland Athletics, who are 4th in the AL West with a 55-71 record. They are 6-3 against the A’s this year, and will face 3 rookies and a 36-year-old journeyman whose combine records totals 20-32 with a 4.55 ERA.

There’s really no reason to worry. The Angels have put themselves in a great position on top of the AL West, and will look to close out the season with their sights set on another Championship.

-Kevin H.

Last week, Mike Scioscia threatened a shake up if the team didn’t turn things around, and that shakeup happened over the weekend. Howie Kendrick (.231, 4HR 22RBI) has been officially optioned to triple A and Sean Rodriguez (‘09 stats – 205AB, .273, 21HR 60RBI 6SB) has been brought to the majors. Also, Scott Shields (6.62ERA, 15BB 12K) is to have season ending surgery on his right knee after a brief stint on the DL with patellar tendinitis in his left knee, and Kelvim Escobar (0-1, 3.60ERA) is taking his spot in the bullpen. This is all in addition to last week’s demotion of Jose Arredondo (5.55ERA, 12BB 27K) and promotion of Kevin Jepsen (‘09 stats – 18in, 9.00ERA, 16BB 20K). The Angels have a bit of a new look.

These were all surprises, but the biggest shocker to me was that Rodriguez was called up rather than Brandon Wood (‘09 stats – 175AB, .297, 14HR 36RBI). Yes, Sean Rodriguez has been hot of late and he plays second base, but Brandon Wood is the guy. I’m guessing this was because Scioscia didn’t want Howie and Sean splitting time in triple A, but it still would have been nice to see Figgins slide over to second base with Brandon Wood at third. We’ll see how it works out. Scioscia is usually right.

It is sad to see Scott Shields gone, but Escobar and Jepsen should help stabilize our bullpen. This weekend of moves resulted in a sweep of the San Diego Padres (28-34). Hopefully it will continue.

By: Tony C

Howie Kendrick (.227, 4HR 20RBI) has been the gem of the Angels farm system for a number of years now.  However, previously he only struggled with his health, while consistently hitting over .300 when he was on the field.  This year, maybe due to too many Howard’s commercials, it’s a different story.  He is only hitting .227 with an on base percentage of .266.

There has been some talk of bringing up hot minor leaguer Sean Rodriguez (.279, 18HR, 55RBI) and either sending Howie to the minors to work things out, or send him to the DL to rest his hamstring.  However, we know Mike Scioscia’s history of sticking with his guys for as long as possible, and I believe this is the right move.

Kendrick has proven himself as a major leaguer already.  When he’s healthy, he’s as good as they come.  This current slump he is in is exactly that: a slump and nothing more.  Every major leaguer outside of Albert Pujols (.339, 16HR 45 RBI) and Chipper Jones (.319, 5HR 22 RBI) goes through it.  There is no reason to think that he will not bounce back.  He has a great inside out swing that is bound to connect with those pitches sooner or later.

By: Tony C