Before I start my campaign to get the Halos to bench Peter Bourjos before he gets to 130 ABs, I want to quickly look at the Angels 3-4 loss to Cleveland in Cleveland yesterday afternoon. Shelley Duncan (whoever that is) was the hero for the Indians, as he singled home a run in the first, hit a solo bomb in the fourth, and jacked a 2 run yard shot in the sixth. I turned the night time replay on just in time to catch the Halo hit party in the eighth (2 out back-to-back doubles by HK and "Booby" and then a triple by Speedy Pete). It was a really exciting half inning, but it wasn't enough to make up for the Amazin' Man-Shelley on the other side of the field. When it was all said and done, it was another loss to a subpar squad, and another message received loud and clear that this version of the Angels just doesn't have it.
The minuses:
-The winning streak is over!
-Bourjos got punched out looking with runners on the corners in the ninth.
-5.67 innings, 4 runs, and 7 hits led Scottie "2 Hottie" Kazmir to fall to 0-5 since August 13 and 1-9 since June 24. Wait, I thought he was getting better...
-A big minus was Mike Scioscia saying he really liked what Kazmir showed tonight, "He didn't miss by much." Ugh.
-Torii Hunter was thrown out on the basepaths AGAIN, as he tried to show Matt Kemp up.
-First time in 9 games we didn't go yard, not that I care about that, but it's something.
-Alberto Callaspo (0 for 5 as the leadoff hitter), Mike Napoli (0 for 4), and Erick Aybar (0 for 4, and slowly dying in the middle of the order) all sucked.
The pluses:
+Bobby Cassevah was given the opportunity to pitch out of his own jam with the bases loaded and Hafner at the plate. He did it. It was a very un-Scioscia like move, probably the first time I'd say he was conceding that we're out of it. And hey, it worked. Maybe Mike should do the opposite of his instinct in every situation from here on out.
+PB&J's triple was a long single for most guys on this team, and it was so fun to see him whip around the base paths. He also punked LaPorta at home for his 9th outfield assist.
+"The Wrath of Kohn" had another shutout inning in relief.
+Torii Hunter and Matsui both led the way with 2 for 4 games.
+Jeff Mathis was nowhere to be found, so that hit parade in the eighth didn't have to be interupted.
Now 70-74, the Angels are now 11 games back of the Texas Rangers and 2 back of the Oakland Athletics with just 18 to play. The magic number of Angel losses or Ranger wins needed to officially eliminate us from a chance at the AL West title is 10. Keep the hope alove...that we can at least get over the A's. It's another 4:05 start at Progressive Field for the Halos today, as Jered "I'm a Good Pitcher, Get Me Out of Here!" Weaver (11-11, 3.06) mixes it up with Jeanmar "What the Hell Kind of First Name Is This?" Gomez (3-3, 3.07). Gomez lost his third straight decision last time out against the Mariners, and was skipped in the rotation after that to "work on some stuff." Meanwhile, The Caveman is 0-4 over his last six and has just 2 wins in his last 9 outings despite his 2.71 ERA. Weav needs just 3 Ks to overtake Felix Hernandez in the chase to win the MLB K race. At least that's a reason to watch.
Now it's time for me to explain why Mike Scioscia and the Angels need to sit Speedy Pete out for the rest of the year, and it has nothing to do with his .205 batting average. To be a rookie, you cannot, in any previous season, have 130 or more ABs or be on an active roster for over 45 days (not counting the part of the season beyond the September 1st roster expansion). While Bourjos cannot be disqualified from being a rookie in 2011 because of the 45 day rule, he IS in immediate danger of losing his 2011 rookie status for the 130+ AB rule. As it stands right now, Speedy Pete has amassed 112 at bats in his 33 games (just 18 shy of becoming a Sophomore next year).
Bourjos really picked up the pace after I compared him to Jeff Mathis, as he's been hitting a respectable .286 over the last week. He continues to shine with his speed, nailing down 3 triples and going 5/6 on stolen bases this year. His defense continues to be amazing, as he (believe it or not) leads all AL center fielders with 9 outfield assists, and ranks 2nd in Total Zone Runs as a CF (11). He's even coming along on the long ball, hitting 3 out of the park in his last 20 starts, most (if not all) going out to straight away center.
My point is this: I think that Peter Bourjos has a strong chance to be the 2011 AL Rookie of the Year, our first since Tim Salmon in 1993. His hitting is only going to improve as he moves forward in the bigs (with .300 potential, in my opinion), and his speed and glove work are already ROY caliber. He's kind of going to be a big deal.
So, please, Mike. Even though it would be sad to not watch him play out the season this time around, it would be much worse to have to see such an amazing young talent miss out on the chance for a really important honor.
Don't let Bourjos get to 130!
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
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