I thought last year was supposed to be the revival of the Angels team. They had all the talent they wanted to make a run at a World Series. They had just signed the greatest hitter of this generation Albert Pujols and a solid lefty starter in CJ Wilson. Then the season started and everybody forgot to tell the Angels outside of Mike Trout and Jered Weaver. Just think how bad last season could have been if those two weren't on the roster. We are talking about a team that probably would have finished ten games below .500.
This season looks exactly like last season so far. Aside from the fact that Albert seems to be much more comfortable at the plate to start this season. But, talk about a rough week for the Angels. They get absolutely crushed during their opening home stand by the A's, a team that doesn't even have half the payroll the Angels do. They lose their one solid rotation pitcher Weaver to a broken elbow on a freak play. Oh and not to mention the newest uber-millionaire hitter they signed this off-season can't hit water if he fell out of a freaking boat. Yes sir, this team looks exactly like that Durham Bulls team that featured Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh and Crash Davis. The only thing different between the two teams so far is that the Bulls were much funnier to watch.
As a fan of any sport you just want to see your team put forth the effort that it takes to win games. As long as they are losing while trying you can at least assume that things will get better. This team however doesn't seem to care enough to put forth the effort. They get down one run early in a game and they already look defeated and then they just give up. I can't take it anymore. What do we need to do for this team to win games? Do they need to get 10 games below .500 before they realize that just because they have talent doesn't mean that teams are going to give them games.
I will give the Angels one thing. They haven't had an easy start to the season. Facing three playoff teams from the previous season to start the season isn't all that easy. The big problem though is that they haven't really been that close in a lot of these games. Their last 4 games have been decided by 4 or more runs. It's not just that the Angels haven't been scoring runs, which was supposed to be their calling card this season, they can't get anybody out. The pitchers 5.42 ERA through 9 games is good enough for 13th best in the AL and 26th in MLB. Not that the pitching has been all that great the last few years, but maybe we should have been trying harder to re-sign Zack Greinke and Dan Haren. They at least could put a solid effort out there and then let the bullpen blow it.
I don't want to spend another season writing about how the Angels are bound to turn the corner here in just a week or two and become the title contenders that many believe they can be. First, will be getting Weaver back from the DL and healthy again. He is the one who sets the tone for the rest of the starting rotation. At least he gives the Angels a chance to win a game. Something they desperately need tonight against the absolutely terrible Houston Astros, who have won one more game than the Angels have so far with a payroll just above that of Josh Hamilton's salary for this season.
Here we go Angels. This is the time to get me to shut up and start writing happier articles. I know that is what I want to do, but I can't do that until you all start winning games. Maybe they are just all breathing through the wrong eye-lids? I know another Bull Durham reference, but come on baseball fans isn't that a great movie? And I know Angel fans would rather watch that then the abysmal performance being put forth by their team. 153 games left to go, I think there is a still a chance to turn things around.
