The Angels seem to be treading water right now, and I don’t think anyone would argue that they don’t need a change. So, in my dream world where I am Angels GM, here is what I would do.

1. Trade for Francisco Liriano: Liriano is under a one year contract, and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2011. Due to a poor start at the beginning of the season, his value is fairly low. Unlike Kazmir, injury should not be a concern as he has already had Tommy John surgery. The Angels need a lefty, and his potential in unlimited, especially because his numbers are in a hitter friendly ballpark.

Who to give up: Tyler Chatwood, and two low level minor leaguers. I like Chatwood, but let’s face it, his ceiling isn’t that high.

2. Trade for David Wright: Most of you are probably thinking I am either overly ambitious, or out of my mind. However, my argument for Wright is similar to Liriano, and I think we can do both. He is not performing to his ability and his numbers are really constricted due to the ballpark he is in. We need power, we need a third baseman, and the Mets are sellers. This would be a great deal.

Who to give up: Here is where I will lose most of you. I would give up Peter Bourjos, Alberto Callaspo, and two low level minor leaguers. I know Bourjos is fast, but I don’t don’t see either of these players as huge impact players, and that’s what the Angels need. This also allows some flexibility with the DH slot, and leaves a hole for Mike Trout. I know our defense would be worse with Abreu in the outfield, but we would still feature two Gold Glovers. The best part about it is we get to keep two great, young talents in Trout and Trumbo.

3. Keep Howie Kendrick up in the order: I know this is a managerial decision, and it is usually done, but this would be a shift in ideology. There is no doubt that Mike Scioscia is the best manager in baseball, but he has no consistent lineup philosophy. In my view, your best hitters should bat early in the lineup so they get the most AB’s. For whatever reason, Scioscia likes to spread out his performers. I don’t care how fast they are, or how well they hit with runners in scoring position (which is usually luck), your best hitters should hit first.

All three of these are entirely possible and we would end up with a starting rotation and lineup like this:

Starting Rotation:

1. Weaver
2. Liriano (To split up the best righties)
3. Haren
4. Santana
5. Piniero

Lineup:

1. Abreu
2. Kendrick
3. Wright
4. Hunter
5. Wells
6. Aybar
7. Trumbo
8. Trout/Branyan/Whoever else
9. Mathis/Conger

Tell me what you think in the comments section below.

-Tony C.

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.

In the Mike Scioscia era, the playoffs are expected. And I think because of this it causes fans to think irrationally. There is no question that last season was a disappointing one, but it is important to see why.

First and foremost, our best hitter was taken out for the season. Where would the Reds have been without Joey Votto, or the Rays without Evan Longoria? Kendry Morales changes every player in that lineup, and there is no question that his going down had a huge impact on the Angels season.

Second, almost every Angel hitter had a career low in batting average. I’m here to tell you that this is not normal, and the rules of probability tell us that this “probably” won’t happen again.

Third, our pitching depth was depleted with the injury to Joel Pinero. Pinero is an innings eater and was having a great season. The effects of his loss were most felt by the bullpen, which brings me to my next point.

Last by not least, our bullpen was terrible. This is something the Angels have already remedied with the addition of two solid left handers.

To give someone like a Torii Hunter contract, he must significantly make your team better, like Torii Hunter. The last thing the Angels need is another Gary Matthews Jr., and this is how I see Adrian Beltre. He has only ever performed well during contract years. I’m not convinced that he is a better option at third than Callaspo, and even if he is he is not worth sacrificing the addition of future free-agents.

The Angels will be fine, because chances are, all of the above will not happen again. There is a lot to look forward to in Trout, Trumbo, Bourjos, and Bell. So chin up, Angels fans! 2011 will be an exciting year.

-Tony C

As I have stated in the past, I will not give up on this season until I see Texas celebrate. However, considering the position the Angels are in, 2011 is of interest. So starting with the catcher, where do the Angels stand?

Mike Napoli: Napoli may have been the most talked about trade piece the Angels had at the July and August deadlines. A catcher with the kind of pop that he has is appealing to any team. With his average defensive stills, however, he may not be Mike Scioscia’s first choice. With the Morales injury we have seen Napoli showcased at first base, which does add some much needed flexibility. But with Kendry coming back next year, and Howie Kendrick and Juan Rivera now able to play first base, it doesn’t appear there is a place for Napoli at first either. Because of this, I don’t think Napoli will be back next year, but with his bat and age the Angels should be able to get something out of him.

Potential Destination: Boston Red Sox

Jeff Mathis: Mathis has always been an excellent defensive catcher, and nearly carried us to the World Series last year. The problem is this year, as with many Angels, has been a different story. On the season, Mathis is hitting a measly .195 in 185 AB’s. However, even with that terrible average, I think Mike Scioscia still feels he can trust Mathis in clutch situations, and of course he loves him behind the plate. Jeff Mathis should be an Angel next year.

Bobby Wilson: This is a guy who only has 101 big league AB’s but for some reason he seems so comfortable at the plate. His .211 average is not great, but he is still really young, and he seems to handle the pitching staff really well. Wilson definitely seems like a Scioscia guy, and also should be back next season.

Hank Conger: Conger has a whole world of potential. In Salt Lake City this year he hit .300 with 11 home runs and a .385 on-base-percentage(something the Angels don’t see very often in there minor league system). However, he has struggled a little behind the plate, even though he worked great with Jered Weaver the other night. Because his talent is fairly raw I would expect to see him start next season in the minor leagues.

7 hits, 1 run and 2 errors. Can’t win games like that, and last night’s outcome proved it. We hung around til the 5th inning, but after Travis Hafner ended Trevor Bell’s night, Francisco Rodriguez handed he game to the Indians after allowing 2 walks and a grand slam. We now have lost two games against a last place AL Central team, and have one final chance to make sure we don’t get swept. We’ll send out Scott Kazmir, who walked 6 in his last loss to the Oakland A’s. Kazmir hasn’t won a game in over a month, and he’ll try again today against rookie Josh Tomlin. He’s won his last two starts. The Angels aren’t out of the hunt yet, but they will be if they keep losing. As always, another must-win game for the Halos.

AccuScore.com Forecast:

A day off to refocus and hopefully collect ourselves for a big series in Oakland. Both teams are tied for wins in the division, and 10 games behind the Texas Rangers, who are in Minnesota for the next couple of days. Again, another big opportunity to make up some ground on Texas. Today, we’ll face Gio Gonzalez, who has an impressive 12 wins and 3.23 ERA. Scott Kazmir will be on the mound for the Halos. He’s struggled in his last three outings, lasting less than 6 innings while allowing 11 combined runs. In his last game against Oakland, he absolutely imploded (allowing THIRTEEN runs in 5 innings) and landed on the DL. Today feels like a good day for redemption…

AccuScore.com Forecast:

Yesterday, we witnessed yet another eighth inning meltdown by our bullpen. Dan Haren pitched another solid game for the Angels and still came up short. Howie Kendrick and Alberto Callaspo gave him some run support in the top of the inning, but reliever Kevin Jepsen let one slip through by allowing three runs. On top of that, we had a chance to go up a game against the Texas Rangers after a 10-9 loss the the Kansas City Royals. Now, the Angels must win against lefty Jason Vargas, who has a 1.71 ERA against the Angels in 21 innings this year. We’ll throw out Trevor Bell, who had his first solid outing of the year against the Baltimore Orioles. Kansas City is doing their job against the Rangers, we need to do our job to win this series against the Mariners.

Accuscore.com Forecast:

Finally, we scored a run. The Angels went homerun happy in the top of the 6th gave Ervin Santana some run support. Santana had a solid outing, and newly promoted closer Fernando Rodney was able to give the Angels their 64th win of the season. The Halos will have a chance to win another game against the Mariners tonight, but it’s gonna be tough against Felix Hernandez. Hernandez has struggled this year against the Angels, allowing 11 earned runs in 19 innings. He’ll face Dan Haren, who had a great outing against the Tampa Bay Rays his last time on the mound. He has a 3.01 career ERA against Seattle, so he should give the Angels a solid chance to win.

AccuScore.com Forecast: