It’s only a game.
Tell that to loyal Angels fans who have been sold a bunch of malarkey by management for the past three years.
Baseball is big business in Orange County. We’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars during the season and progressively tens of millions more if you get into the playoffs and the World Series.
The Angels let down the OC fans and a host of allied businesses.
Angels fans are frustrated because management chose not to do what was needed to get past the first round of the playoffs. They persisted in telling themselves and fans certain myths based on some delusions.
Myth one: We don’t need power hitters
The Angels were well designed to win their division. Lots of small, speedy players and steals served them well. But history shows that to move past the division series almost always requires some power. Power can win close games in an instant.
Is there a law against building a team with both speed and power? Some of those power guys are awful fast.
Myth two: We have the best farm system and young prospects
Anyone watching the playoffs has noticed how many good young players, including rookies, on other teams (Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondback, Indians), are already performing at a high level, are extremely productive and are close to star or superstar status.
The Angels’ current class of young players,thought to be prime prospects,has been disappointing.
But for the past three to five years, position players like Casey Kotchman, Howie Kendrick, Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis have yet to perform as advertised. A rookie, Reggie Willits, helped carry the team early this season but was not even on the Angels list of prime players. The team needs to seriously re-examine its scouting and development programs.
Myth three: the Angels have a great manager
While Mike Scioscia has had success, he continues to be plagued by bad decisions, stubbornness and past loyalties. While most managers experiment during spring training and early in the season, Scioscia continued trying new things all season. He kept starting Ervin Santana even though his pitching resulted in an extra dozen losses. He left starters in long past their effectiveness. He continued to use Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez even when they couldn’t get anyone out.
Add to the win column the 15 to 20 games those pitchers gave away and they would have played the division series at home against the beatable Yankees.
Yet the Angels arrived in Boston with an injured Gary Matthews, Vladimir Guerrero and Chone Figgins and Garret Anderson with an eye that looked like he had been hit by Muhammad Ali.
The Angels should build an infirmary behind the dressing room at the Big A.
Myth four: Bill Stoneman has been a wise general manager
Maybe time will tell more. But it seems that perennial contenders like Boston and New York always make the moves that will give them a chance to compete. At one point the Yankees were 14 games out and without any starting pitchers. Cleveland moved to get Kenny Lofton, the new Mr. October.
Owner Arte Moreno must decide if he wants a division-winning team that embarrasses itself in the playoffs, or a franchise that is prepared to win the whole thing. To do that will require a letting go of certain myths and delusions.
Michael Glueck
Newport Beach
