Man, if only I would have stayed on the Mathis bandwagon for another month, I could have looked so cool last night! It was a wild roller coaster last night, and I'm only talking about my thoughts on my ability to watch the game. I had a co-ed roller hockey game at 7:30, which initially had me bummed that I'd miss most of the 7 pm start. Then, as I'm driving home listening to the radio, I realized it was 4 pm start thanks to hearing Terry Smith in my speakers. Sweet! I'd get to watch most of the game! Then, the game drifted to extras as I made my way to the hockey rink. All of the sudden I was bummed again, realizing I would potentially miss a cool extra inning ending. Once I got back in my car after our 3-3 tie with some chumps called Slo Mo it was joy again! It was the 15th inning, and the Halos hadn't even gotten a hit for most of the time I was away. I arrived home in plenty of time to see Torii's double, Callaspo's accidental sacrifice on a ground out (the one time in my life I was wondering why Scioscia wasn't calling for a bunt...really, the only time ever), and Jeff Mathis' big boy walk off sacrifice fly to score Big Game and mercifully end the 5 hour affair. My wife and I were bummed to have had Q released the day before, because it's been well documented how much we love his antics in a walk of celebration. Ah, memories.
In the end, Mathis saved the day for a game that serves as kind of a micorcosm for the Angels season. Great pitching, zero hitting, and barely any fans in the stands. Despite that, it was a 4-3 win to save us from another sub-par team sweeping us, and we should be happy (briefly). By the way, in case you're wondering how we got to extras in the first place: it was another Fernando Rodney blown save! Are you all ready for "Fraud" to be the full time 2011 closer? I'm not even sure Reagins is ready for that.
The pluses:
+Peter Bourjos had a really cool jack to straight away center, as he often likes to do.
+Torii Hunter was literally the only guy to have a multi-hit game, and that's hard to do in a 16 inning battle. He finished 2 for 5 with 2 walks, and a very important run scored.
+Kaz-berries made it through 6 innings of 1 run ball, and actually looked really good out there. No, really!
+After Fernando Rodney blew the save in the ninth, the Halo bullpen went into ultimate lock down mode. Cassevah (2), Kohn (1), Rodriguez (1), and Palmer (3) shut Cleveland out. Did Palmer make his case to be the fifth starter next year over Kaz?
The minuses:
-The Angels only managed 6 hits in a game that was nearly two games long. That's really, really bad.
-Somehow, Mike Scioscia was able to avoid playing either Mark Trumbo or Hank Conger despite this game lasting forever.
-That Fernando Rodney has me "hella" worried (4 blown saves in last 12 chances).
-Erick Aybar went 0 for 6! What happened to this guy?
-Callaspo got called out at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, which could have helped us avoid this whole mess.
-The Halos loaded the bases in the 11th, only to have Mathis and Aybar kill all hope of getting out then too. It was one of the most difficult to enjoy wins of the year, and not just because it lasted so long.
At 67-73, the Angels continue to be stuck 9.5 back of Tejas and 2.5 back of Choke-land. Haven't we been here for like 2 weeks? I guess this is where we'll finish. 22 games until hockey season! Number 1 of those 22 will kick off (cross sports reference!) on Friday, after a much needed Halo off day today, as the Angels face off (cross sports reference!) with the last place She-attle Mariners (love the names, right?). Jered Weaver (11-11, 3.14) looks to avoid consecutive loss #5 and a sub-.500 season despite being great overall this year as he goes against David Pauley (2-7, 4.42). Weaver will need 5 Ks to retake the MLB K lead from Felix Hernandez. Let's hope he can get it.
I'm sure you're waiting for today's best whatever in Angels history debate, right? Well, Sam Miller has decided to grace us with his top 9 Angel thirdbasemen of all time today, and I'll try and mix it up by taking a different route to prove him wrong.
First, here is the OCR's list of top 9 Halo 3B of all time (I hope you're sitting down):
9. Alberto Callaspo
8. Rene Gonzalez
7. Jack Howell
6. Tony Phillips
5. Carney Lansford
4. Ken McMullen
3. Chone Figgins
2. Doug DeCinces
1. Troy Glaus
And, Miller's "player most likely to be on this list someday":
Kaleb Cowart
I'll be honest. I almost fell out of my seat when I saw that Miller and the OCR even thought about putting Alberto Callaspo on this list. Callaspo, while he has been good since coming over, has played 41 games as a Halo and hardly qualifies to make any all-time list for our franchise. Right? Now, the last two days I've bored you with a long list of Total WAR and Average WAR for twelve players before picking my list of 9. Today, instead, I'll submit my list of 9 right off the bat, and explain why they are more appropriate at the slot than the player Miller has listed (unless we agree, which we have about 6 out of 18 times so far, I think). So, I hope you enjoy this version more, and if not, whatever.
LSF 9. Jack Howell
OCR 9. Alberto Callaspo
Jack Howell may best be remembered as a prospect that didn't pan out like we thought he would, but he finished his Halo career with a 7.7 WAR, which is miles above where Brandon Wood will finish (or is it?). Howell played for 9 years, and outside of DeCinces he's probably the 3B I remember most from my childhood. As for Callaspo, if you read the blog you know I love the guy, but he has no business being on this list right now (much like a couple of guys I pointed out on the last two lists).
LSF 8. Dave Hollins
OCR 8. Rene Gonzalez
Gonzalez played 3 years with the Halos and hit just .265 with 72 RBI in his 251 games. Talk about someone else who doesn't belong on the list! Meanwhile, Dave Hollins held a 1.35 WAR/Season for the Angels in his two seasons, and didn't even sniff the OCR list.
LSF 7. Maicer Izturis
OCR 7. Jack Howell
Hi there, Izzy! I made fun of the OCR for putting you like fourth on the 2B list, and here I have you 7th on the 3B list. At least Baseball Reference actually lists Izturis as a guy who was a primary starter for the Halos at 3B. Izzy has an impressive 9.8 total WAR as a Halo, and I've always considered the trade with Izzy and JR for José Guillen to be one of our most underrated deals of all time (despite my love for JG). That's one big reason Ma$e had to make a list.
LSF 6. Carney Lansford
OCR 6. Tony Phillips
Man, Miller and I were so close on our 5/6 guys! For me it came down to Tony Phillips having a 2.6 WAR/Season versus Lansford's 2.23. Sure Carney's overall WAR of 6.7 looks better than Phillips' 5.2, but Sam Miller needs to learn the simple math skill of division to figure out who is the better player.
LSF 5. Tony Phillips
OCR 5. Carney Lansford
See above.
LSF 4. Chone Figgins
OCR 4. Ken McMullen
We actually agree on the players in the top 4, but I feel he has them all out of whack. Ken McMullen has THE BEST WAR/Season of any 3B in the history of the team, so to make him fourth with Figgins ahead of him shows how Miller is one of those guys who gives more admiration to players still in his recent memory. Meanwhile, I hated on Chone Figgins for so long for being a hugely overrated leadoff hitter, until his last year here, and I couldn't possibly give him any higher than 4th after all that.
LSF 3. Troy Glaus
OCR 3. Chone Figgins
Kind of interesting that I put Miller's #1 all the way at #3! But, I think his love of Glaus as our G3BOAT (greatest third baseman of all time) has to again do with 1) his significance of Total WAR over WAR averaged out by seasons (Glaus has the second highest total WAR of all time, but only the third best WAR/Season, hence the #3 ranking) and 2) his love of the more recent player. Seriously, how do you put Troy above Douggie?
LSF 2. Ken McMullen
OCR 2. Doug DeCinces
Personally, I think it's a travesty to put Glaus aead of DeCinces, but what do I know? I've already mentioned why I have Kenny Mac so high.
LSF 1. Doug DeCinces
OCR 1. Troy Glaus
For me, growing up in the 80's, Doug DeCinces was THE man. I really am surprised that there is any list that wouldn't have him as the greatest 3B in Halo history. Douggie had an 18 WAR over his 6 seasons here, good enough for a 3 spot every season. And that's good enough to be my best of all time.
Finally, my "player most likely to make the list someday":
Don't hate on me too much, but I'm going to say...Brandon Wood! Look, I know how much he sucks, but I have this feeling that the Halos aren't interested in giving up on him, and we are one solid Spring Training away from him getting the starting job again in April 2011. You can laugh now, but when Wood turns it all around next year, remember that I called it. By the way, picking 18 year old and recent high school graduate Kaleb Cowart is just dumb. Again Miller is trying to impress us with his paragraph trying to show knowledge of the up and comers. Try again, big boy.
So, that's that. I hope you enjoyed this format a little better than the one I used for 1B and 2B earlier in the week. I think I did.
70 wins by Sunday night?
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
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