Welcome back, Kendry Morales. Just when Gohalos calls you out for your poor performance the past week, you come back and immediately make your presence felt against the Yankees. Another great decision by manager Mike Scioscia to sit Kendry at the start of the game, and bring him in as a pinch hitter. It shows that Scioscia still trusts Morales enough to send him in when the Angels really need a hit.

But this article won’t touch too much on the Yankees series, but the following series. I’m talking about finally three series of the year. The Angels will get the Athletics and Rangers at home before traveling out to Oakland to take on the A’s for a final 3 game series.

The Angels are 8-5 against Athletics this year, with a 3-4 record at home and a 5-1 record away.

It looks like the Angels have the division wrapped up. As long as they win three of the next four series, they’ll come out on top. The only team the Angels are worried about are the Rangers, who they have had trouble with all year. This year, the Angels are 5-10 against the Rangers, earning 2 of those wins in the previous 3 game series. When the Halos are hosting Texas, they are 2-5. The have a 7.5 game lead over the Rangers, and will make a four-game homestand within the next couple weeks. The outcome of that series may have a big effect on the AL West standings.

The Rangers don’t exactly have a cake walk. They’ll take on the Rays at home with and have a 4-2 record against Tampa Bay this season. They are 3-0 and have outscored the Rays 20-7 while in Texas. They are currently playing the A’s, but have a surprisingly weak 6-8 record against Oakland.

Texas will also take on the Mariners, and have a 10-6 overall, 3-3 away record.

The Angels have 12 games left, and if the these stats are any indicator of what is to come, the Angels should have the division locked up by the 25th

While starting pitching was hard to come by at the beginning of the season, the tables have turned. In September, the Angels have only allowed more than 4 runs in 5 out of 20 games and have one of the best ERAs in the American League this month.

Gohalos wants you to make a bold prediction in our comments section of when the Angels will have the division wrapped up. You can bet that we will have an article announcing when the Halos have locked up first place, so check back and see how close you were.

The Halos are close to winning the division, and just need to hold it together for a few more weeks. Then we can focus on the playoffs and winning another championship.

-Kevin H.

Joe Saunders takes the mound tonight for what could be a possible postseason preview between the Angels and Yankees. The Angels have not had much trouble with the Yankees in the past, but this is a new Yankee team with a different manager. This team is more aggressive, and as Torii Hunter says, “they have a fire in them that I didn’t see last year.” It will be important for the Angels to keep the Yankees from building to much confidence against them for the playoffs.

The Yankees are definitely out to prove something this year, but so are the Angels. In fact, maybe more so. The Angels are currently fourth on ESPN’s power rankings, but have been higher than that for most of the second half of the season. An yet the story of the year seems to be the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals. Yahoo Sports is really the only site that has given the Angels there fair share. Even so, I think Mike Scioscia and Angels prefer it that way. Without the spotlight the team can focus on the prize: another World Series.

Things to look for:

Kendry Morales has been in a major September slump, and in the last week he is hitting .138 with 12 stikeouts. He may have ruined his MVP chances, but look for him to try and gain some momentum for the playoffs.

Right now Scott Kazmir has the lead on a three way playoff rotation spot. Saunders had a rough last outing, so look for him to rebound tonight. There is still a chance Scioscia goes four deep, but it’s unlikely.

Pitching Match-ups:

Game 1: Saunders (13-7, 4.75 era) v. Pettitte (13-6, 4.14 era)

Game 2: Santana (7-8, 5.43 era) v. Gaudin (5-10, 4.81 era)

Game 3: Kazmir (9-8, 5.08 era) v. Burnett (11-9, 4.22 era)

I don’t need to go through the history of the Angels losing to the Red Sox in the postseason. We all know it. For some reason when October rolls around, and the Red Sox show up to town they can’t be beat. So why is that?

In 2004, when the Red Sox came back from three games to none against the Yankees, Manny Ramirez was interviewed after game three and asked if he was worried. He said, “If we lose, we lose.” I addition, the Red Sox that year were always laughing and very loose. Nothing seemed to bother them. You wouldn’t think a curse even existed if you saw them in the locker room.

Mike Scioscia runs the Angels like a business. This has worked for him against ever other team in baseball except for the Red Sox in the postseason. When the Angels play the Red Sox it seems to be less of a business mindset and more of a stick up there ass. Our hitters never come through with runners in scoring position because, even though they won’t admit it, they are nervous.

Now this may seem very doom and gloom, but here is why I think this year will be different. We have confidence. Now that Torii Hunter is in his second year with the Angels, and Kendry Morales seems ready to hit anything, this year will be different. My friends will tell you I say that every year, but we’ll see. Like the Yankees, the Angels have a new fire, and if it is to be put out, I don’t think it will be the Red Sox.

Also, as we saw a little bit last year with Teixeira, but he was only here for two months so it didn’t really have a chance to take hold, we have plate discipline. Two of the top five walks leaders in the American League are on the Angels, Chone Figgins and Bobby Abreu. This is what the Red Sox have had over us in previous years. We make Daisuke Matsuzaka look like a god because we swing at everything, and he doesn’t throw strikes. We saw a glimpse of this last night, but I don’t think it will be a trend.

So again, if the curse is going to be broken, it will be this year. Lets hope.

- Tony C

The Angels get set to embark upon the road trip of the year. The Angels are six games up so a little struggle wouldn’t kill us, but coming out at about .500 for the trip should sustain our division league. This is, however, easier said than done as we get set to face the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rangers. This week will be must see TV for Angels so be sure not to miss these matchups.

Things to look for:

Brian Fuentes: Scioscia just had a closed door talk with Brian about his mechanics, so look for a short leash in save situations.

Kendry Morales/Juan Rivera: Both have been sluggish lately, so we’ll see if they get back to their hot hitting ways.

Monday: @New York
Jered Weaver v. Joba Chamberlain

Tuesday: @Boston
John Lackey v. Diasuke Matsuzaka

Wednesday: @Boston
Joe Saunders v. (TBA)

Thursday: @Boston
Ervin Santana v. Josh Beckett

Here at GoHalos.com we have been talking about Kendry Morales all season long. We were the first to post the Morales/Teixeira stat comparison that you see on your left. Now, it’s time for all of Halo Nation to start pushing our MVP first baseman.

The Angels have really been bypassed by the media all season. The most recent display was at the waiver deadline. The Angels landed, by far, the best player in Scott Kazmir, but all we seem to hear about is John Garland, and Jim Thome who will likely make little to no impact on the Dodgers. Now we are seeing it with the MVP race. There seems to be a huge push to get Derek Jeter his first MVP. It reminds me of last years pick in Dustin Pedroia. Only in Boston and New York can solid serviceable hitters become MVP’s. Derek Jeter is hitting .333 with 17 home runs, an OPS of .880, and 23 stolen bases. These are very good numbers don’t get me wrong, but not good enough to be great.

To qualify for MVP in my opinion, yes you must span all of the stat categories, but more importantly you must be doing something that no one else in the league is doing. This is why the MVP vote comes down to two players. Joe Mauer and Kendry Morales. Joe Mauer is hitting .367 with no one else even close to that. And Kendry Morales has 69 extra base hits, with a .314 batting average, 30 home runs, 94 RBI’s, and an OPS of .955. He has more extra base hits than anyone else in the league. Again, amazing.

Now there is one benefit to not getting the coverage we deserve. We are now the underdog, and that is never bad. Last year the Angels soared into the playoffs with the best record in baseball and we all know what happened. The year seems to be different. If the league doesn’t recognize Kendry now, they sure as hell will in the playoffs.

So don’t listen to the Yankee lover news media out there and start pushing Kendry Morales for American League MVP.

- 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.

When ranking candidates for AL MVP I look at a few things. I look first for the player to manufacture a huge chunk of the teams runs, to the point where the team would be hurting without the player. I also look for the player to not hurt the team in any particular stat category. Finally, I look for a player one of the overall best pure hitters in the American League.

1. Joe Mauer - runs(73), avg(.378), HR(25), RBI(77)
(This was pretty clear to me as Mauer may be one of the greatest hitters of our time)

2. Justin Morneau - runs(79), avg(.298), HR(28), RBI(94)
(He seems to be in this race every year. He is not flashy, but sure does put up the numbers)

3. Carl Crawford - runs(78), avg(.321), HR(12), SB(54)
(Stolen bases are like a guaranteed double, and that’s a lot of extra base hits)

4. Kendry Morales - runs(66), avg(.302), HR(27), RBI(81)
(I know this is a surprise, but look at the numbers)

5. Bobby Abreu - runs(74), avg(.311), HR(11), RBI(81), SB(26)
(Probably the best overall numbers in the American league)

6. Ichiro Suzuki - runs(72), avg(.365), HR(8), SB(24)
(Really just here because he is hitting .365)

7. Chone Figgins - runs(94), avg(.305), HR(3), SB(37)
(Chone Figgins might be the most important player for the Angels offensive production)

8. Mark Teixeira - runs(73), avg(.283), HR(31), RBI(89)
(I had to put him on hear even though I didn’t want to)

9. Miquel Cabrera - runs(71), avg(.335), HR(24), RBI(72)
(His RBI’s are down, but that really isn’t his fault)

10. Evan Longoria - runs(69), avg(.276), HR(24), RBI(88)
(He may move up in this race with an end of season surge)

If you would also like to see your article on GoHalos.com please send it to GoHalosMail@gmail.com. Thank you.

Who would have thought at the beginning of this season that Kendry Morales would be the Angels MVP, and that Juan Rivera would be putting up numbers similar to those that Vlad has been putting up in years past. We all expected big things out of Bobby Abreu and he did not disappoint. And despite Torii Hunter’s injury that has sidelined him since the All-Star break; he is still considered one of the top candidates for the American League MVP. So if he’s being considered, why not the rest of these guys?
Many experts have Mark Teixeira at the top of their A.L. MVP list, but let’s compare some numbers here. Big Tex is batting .288 with 29 HR and 85 RBI, not too shabby. Now let’s look at our first baseman. Kendry “Give Me Some More” Morales is batting .303 with 25 HR and 76 RBI, stellar numbers considering his role with the team last season, and he’s only getting better. Since August 1, his average has gone from .295 to .303, and incredible leap. Put aside my love for the Angels, I still pick Morales over Teixeira. Why? Teixeira is making so much money. Morales, on the other hand, is making the same amount as a superstar in the WNBA. If I can get Morales’ numbers for the price of Lisa Leslie, I’ll take it.
Now we move onto our insanely stacked outfield. When the outfield is healthy, they boast a 1-2-3 punch of Juan Rivera, Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu. All three of these guys are having monster-like seasons. Coming off of an injury to his leg that sidelined him for a majority of last season, no one thought that “The Chosen Juan” Rivera would be doing this well. This season has been a very large step in the development of Juan Rivera as a player. Torii Hunter has been one of the biggest names in all of Major League Baseball in the last decade. Not only has this guy’s glove been made of pure gold this season, his bat has also been formed from some of America’s finest silver, he’s a monster! He has been out since the All-Star break and still has numbers at the top of many American League batting categories: .305 AVG, 17 HR and 65 RBI. I have one word for that, amazing. Tony Reagins signing of Bobby Abreu in the offseason has been nothing short of genius. If you don’t think he is worthy of the AL MVP award then there is either something wrong with you or you are a dirty Yankee fan. Batting .306 with 9 HR and 77 RBI, many Angels fans consider him to be our MVP. But those aren’t his most impressive numbers; the number that sticks out the most is his OBP (On Base Percentage), .403. That is unreal. This guy is doing exactly what we need him to do, getting on base and scoring some runs. His patience at the plate is what puts him on base more than anyone in the American League. So Angel’s fans, we don’t miss Mr. Teixeira too much now do we.
These four Angels have been a vital part to our success this year and they all deserve to be recognized by the MLB.
Other Notable Angels having breakout seasons: Jered Weaver, Chone Figgins, Erick Aybar, Brian Fuentes
By: Zach B

He’s one of the reasons the Angels have scored the most runs in Major League Baseball. He’s in the top 20 RBI producers with 76. He’s batting .303 and he’s in the top 15 in homeruns with 25. He has been called the biggest bargain in baseball by ESPN, saving the Angels more than $21 million when compared to the money Yankees were willing to give Mark Teixeira. Kendry Morales has been on a tear this season, helping the Angels win games and stay on top of the AL West despite injuries to several starting pitchers and powerful bats in the outfield.

The 26-year-old switch hitter grew up in Cuba playing the equivalent of Triple-A, where he was the ace starting pitcher and batting 4th in the line-up. He made some serious noise in the 2003 World Cup by hitting a late home-run against Brazil. Cuba would go on to win the final round against Taiwan in a 6-3 final thanks to a Morales grand slam. Morales set seven rookie records with the Havana Industriales, was named Rookie of the Year, and is considered to be the best rookie in Cuban baseball history.

The Industriales actually banned their superstar from the team due to his repeated arrests for trying to flee the country and play Major League Baseball. He succesfully defected in 2004 on his 8th attempt. Once in Florida, Morales left to play ball in the Dominican Republic where he was privately scouted, and eventually signed by the Angels to a six-year deal.

In 2005, The Angels wanted to move Kendry into their farm system, but since he was not a citizen of either the U.S. or the Dominican Republic, he was not able to start the beginning of the minor league season. He was finally granted a passport and made his minor league debut on May 21. He played three weeks with the Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, batting .344 with 5 homeruns. He was immediately moved up to Double-A Arkansas Travelers, finishing the season second in homeruns despite only playing half the season.

Morales failed to make the Angels’ 2006 roster despite a strong spring. On May 23, 2006, he got his first Major League action, going 3-5 with a homerun against the Texas Rangers. He was sent back down to Triple-A and accumulated 377 at bats over the next 3 years.

2009 has been Kendry’s first full season, and the Angels’ organization and fans couldn’t be happier with his performance. Morales has a nose for the ball and is one of three players to have a +.300 batting average with at least 25 homeruns (the other two are Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder). He is a solid source of power in the Angels line-up and looks like he will continue his strong play into the post-season. If the pitching staff can finally sort out all of its problems, I can’t see any reason why Morales and our big bats wouldn’t lead us to another World Championship Title.

-Kevin H.

As Vladimir Guerrero returned from his second trip to the DL, it seemed as though his bat speed was just not up to par. As we have have learned time and time again, we really should just trust the expertise of the greatest coach in the league, Mike Scioscia. Mike Scioscia has insisted for two months now that Vladdy looks great in batting practice and he should come around any time now.

Tonight, we finally saw the Big Daddy of old, as he belted two home runs against Joe Maddon’s Rays, becoming the 45th player to hit 400 homeruns. In addition to Kendry Morales’s two home runs, the Angels were able to get back on track and returned to there winning ways. When Torii Hunter returns there is no telling what is in store for these High Flyin’ Angels.

By: Tony C

It was seven months ago, Christmas was right around the corner and the Angels were in the midst of an off-season in flux. General manager Tony Reagins was too busy to be sitting around drinking egg nog in a Christmas sweater with family and friends. It had only been eight weeks since the Angels were bounced from the post-season by the playoff nemesis Red Sox. This off-season posed big questions about the roster and his A job required him to tighten up his GM chinstrap and come up with answers.

After setting the single-season saves record in 2008, Francisco Rodriguez took his violent delivery to the Mets bullpen in the Big Apple. Two days before Christmas, the Angels other marquee free agent, Mark Teixeira, joined Rodriguez in New York, signing an eight-year, $180 million contract with deep-pocketed Yankees. Missing out on two premium free agents, Reagins began piecing together answers.

He started by deciding to let life-long Angel Garret Anderson seek employment elsewhere for the first time in his career. Reagins quickly filled the void by inking then platoon outfielder Juan Rivera to a three-year extension. A week and a half later, he replaced the electric Rodriquez with mild-mannered three-time All Star, Brian Fuentes.

Reagins and the Angels’ brass felt confident moving forward with Kendry Morales as the everyday first baseman. The opportunity for Morales was much anticipated, as the buzz of his pure ability had been swirling ever since the Cuban defector’s signing with the Angels in 2004.

The final piece was added shortly before spring training would begin. Making perhaps the best bang-for-your-buck signing of the off-season, Reagins added the disciplined Bobby Abreu with a $5 million, one year deal. Abreu’s professional, consistent approach at the plate has been instrumentally infectious in the Angels’ lineup in 2009.

Losing Teixeira to free agency essentially altered the direction of the organization for the next decade. By allowing the Yankees to outbid him, Reagins was able to use the money allotted for Teixeira to improve the club in several areas, while maintaining much more financial flexibility in the coming years. That flexibility will likely prove to be extremely valuable come November and December, as the Angels are faced with the free agency of a number of their core players (Chone Figgins and John Lackey among them). It’s also worth mentioning that the financial flexibility will also be a factor in possibly acquiring a front-line player via trade - ala Halladay.

Essentially, the Angels added Morales, Abreu, and Rivera to the everyday lineup in exchange for letting Teixeira sign the more lucrative deal with New York. The way all three players have performed thus far, seeing Tex head east has been much easier on Angel fans than expected. Morales’ ceiling is sky high and has established himself as the team’s first baseman for years to come, as he has posted 20 HR’s and 60 RBI’s before August. Rivera has provided a steady power source in the middle of the order. And there’s no question that Abreu’s professionalism has rubbed off on the entire team, resulting in the team scoring the second most runs in baseball.

For an organization that has seemingly done little wrong over the last decade, it appears the trend will continue. Tony Reagins found the answers he was looking for. This 2009 Angel team has fans throughout Southern California saying, “Mark who?”

By: Blake Warren

Overcoming adversity

For the Angels, the beginning of the season was a roller coaster to say the least. It began with a plague of injuries to some of our key stars, especially, the pitching staff. This included John Lackey, Ervin Santana, and Kelvim Escobar (who is still out). The problem, however, was alleviated due to the depth of the Angels pitching. This was topped by outstanding performances from Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders, and completed by a solid back end lead by top prospect Nick Adenhart.

Our heart was then broken by the passing of this outstanding young pitching prospect. The death of Nick Adenhart is something the team, and Angels fans will always remember. Most of us didn’t even know who he was, but it didn’t matter because he was one of our Angels. The young men that all of us at this end of the 5 freeway cheer for year after year. But, as many tragedies do, it made this team stronger both on and off the field. Lead by Torii Hunter, the Angels became a new team. One to be reckoned with.

Highlights

With all of the issues the Angels have had, some leaders have emerged. This begins with our Gold Glove and All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter. Most of us were pretty upset with the problems that arose with Gary Matthews Jr., but Torii has made us forget. His 17 home runs, 65 RBI’s, and amazing defensive play have been the Angels rock during the first half of the season.

Also, both Juan Rivera (.312 avg., 14HR, 50RBI) and Kendry Morales (.285avg., 14HR, 45RBI) have emerged as elite players in this league. With Mark Teixeira turning his back on us, most of us thought we would have a huge hole offensively. This has proven not to be the case, especially with the addition of Bobby Abreu.

With all the injuries to our rotation who can forget the 30-year-old rookie. With a 7-0 start, Matt Palmer locked down a much needed rotation spot and gave consistent starts when we needed them the most.

Finally, Chone Figgins has been has returned to the Figgins we all know and love, and plants a solid bat at the beginning of the lineup.

Outlook

With everything the Angels have gone through, and with the exception of Kelvim Escobar and Scott Shields, our team is healthy and performing. Mike Scioscia should win coach of the year and the Angels should win the division. Hopefully, the adversity the Angels have overcome has given them a toughness they have lacked in the past. And maybe, just maybe, they can take down the Red Sox this year.

-Tony C