At least the Mariners still suck, a plea for Nap..

Even though the Rally Monkey has seemingly been out of a job all season, the Angels were able to get a nice little reminder last night: We're still better than Seattle. A three home run (four run) sixth inning finally busted our 31+ inning scoreless streak, and we actually held the lead, as we beat the last place M's 5-3 last night up at Safeco.

The pluses:

+Ervin improved to a team best 14-9 on the campaign after 7.67 innings of 2 run ball with 4 Ks and no walks. Take that, Weaver!

+Despite giving up a run and not looking too great, Sweat-nando Rodney not only lived up to his name, but also managed to pick up a Fuentes-esque save for his 7th on the year.

+Peter Bourjos continued his defensive work, stopping a bad baserunning Franklin Gutierrez, twice.

+Speaking of Speedy Pete, he was a part of the tridium that included Abreu and Matsui last night, as the trio each had a jack in the Halos' 4 run sixth inning. Both Bourjos and Abreu impressed with straight away center bombs, while Godzilla went second deck right field to plate Torii in addition to himself.

+Torii Hunter was 2 for 3 with a walk. As Torii goes, so goes the Angels?

+J-Balls Piñata may be coming back, as he was already throwing off the mound yesterday!

The minuses:

-Alberto Callaspo was given a shot at the leadoff spot, as Scioscia continues to experiment with the lineup. AC/DV went 0 for 5.

-Howie Kendrick and Juan Rivera both went 0 for 4.

-Not only did Jeff Mathis go 0 for 4, but he almost perfectly grounded into a double play to kill a nice early rally. I'm really starting to see how wrong I was, as Jeff is now hitting .196 this season (and we were giving Brandon Wood a hard time).

-Erick Aybar and Alberto Callaspo looked like fools letting a pop up fall between them for a run. And I thought they'd communicate flawlessly, being twins and all.

Now 64-68, the Halos remain 10.5 back of Texas, but now trail Oakland by just 2 games. Like the title says, "At least the Mariners still suck." 

In waiver wire news, Mike Napoli was not traded to the Red Sox (as we tweeted here yesterday), and ESPNBoston.com is reporting Boston simply put in the claim to block another team from getting to Naps. He was probably unlikely to be dealt anyway, to be honest, as Tony Reagins has said he was simply gauging interest for the slugger. 2011 DH?

My big question is: Now that Napoli is for sure staying this season (at least) can we please stop benching him in favor of Mathis? I'm not quite sure I understand the logic here. We explored a couple of posts ago just how bad Mathis actually has been, and yet Scioscia continues to sit our home run leader in favor of a .196 hitting defensive specialist who leads his position in throwing errors over the last few years. Keep in mind, while I'm saying this, that I'm the same guy who was on the Mathis bandwagon for all these years. I, once, was just like Mike Scioscia. But, I was forced to see the error of my ways. I'd still like to see Jeff come around, to be sure, but it just isn't happening. Shouldn't Mike have to face the same reality? Especially with Juan Rivera getting his time at 1B, Napoli MUST be the starting catcher from here on out (unless, of course, they call up "The Conger Need Food"). 

Just in case you need a reminder:

Naps: .249 BA, 21 HR, 60 RBI
Math: .196 BA, 3 HR, 14 RBI

And:

Napoli: 28 % CS and 5 E
Mathis: 22% CS and 5 E

Mathis has been top 5 in errors for a catcher in each of the last 3 seasons, and even led the bigs in 2008. Even more heartbreaking, Baseball Reference lists Bob Uecker as a similar batter, and I'm not joking. Believe the numbers, Scioscia, start Napoli.

Even if Napoli starts, tonight might be a tough win, which sucks, because Dan Haren is getting the start. The M's will cart King Felix (10-10, 2.47), their version of Jered Weaver, out there tonight. However, in three starts this year, Hernandez is a terrible 0-2 with a 5.12 ERA against us. Maybe we can continue to make him suffer? In his last outing, he became just the 4th Mariner in history to record over 1,000 strikeouts. Watch out, Mathis (I say that assuming that Scioscia will read this post and STILL sit Napoli in favor of Jefe). We, as stated, counter with Danny "The Cheese Meister" Haren (9-12, 4.45) who looks to win his second straight for the first time ever with the Halos. The Angels gave Haren 12 runs of support in his last outing against the Rays after giving him just 14 runs of support his previous SIX times out. Amazing. Don't expect 12 again tonight, Danny Boy.

A nice little former Halo fun fact: Chone Figgins is hitting just .163 against us this year.

Corrections and retractions: I've made a lot of noise about my thoughts that Jered Weaver would leave after his contract expires this year, but because of that whole bringing them up in your own system thing, he can't actually become a free agent until 2013. Good for us. Sorry, Jered.

And finally, can someone please explain to me why every sport talk radio show in town has been wasting the day talking about if the White Sox are going to force Manny to cut his hair? Who the feck cares?

Enjoy the game at the Safe tonight, folks, because we're only 4 days away from turning our hearts over to Notre Dame football.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Carroll's header earns draw with Wolves.

#9's fourth goal in two games was a big one, as it cancelled out the Wolve's opening tally, and Newcastle finished an intense battle with a 1-1 draw on the road. It was pretty exciting to see the traveling Toon Army going nuts just off center behind the goal when Carroll scored, and even better to see him hop the fence to celebrate with them. All in all, it was a solid effort, a solid point earned, and a continued solid campaign since the season opening Man U loss.

The Magpies jogged onto the pitch in their all white kits, looking fresh, clean, and ready to battle the Goldies. Wayne Routledge was a force to be reckoned with as the test got off, crossing a ball for Carroll in the 5th that just failed to work out, and then trying to set up another one to the middle in the 6th. 6 minutes later, it looked as though Andy Carroll was ready to throw down after a high challenge. The ref stepped in to break it up, which is alright, I guess, but AC would have effed that Wolfie up! At this point, the game started to heat up. Steve Harper seemed to collide with his own post, knocking him down, but he would man up and stay strong. Soon, it was the bad guys going at us, not just the wood work. Gutierrez got horribly challenged in the 36th by Jelle Van Damme (insert Jean Claude joke here), and after the booking, Newcastle was off and running again. However, a chance for Carroll in the 40th would lead to a counter attack, and the game's opening goal for the Wolves. The long goal kick was picked up down the field, and the ball was crossed in. The Wolves player and 'Castle defender went up for the header, and neither won. The Wolves player pushed Newcastle's man away while in the air, though, leaving him all alone with the unclaimed ball, and he bashed it home for the lead. Perch was the Magpie pushed away, and while I would have said "play on" if we did it, I kind of wanted a whistle when they did it. But, what are you going to do? We were down 0-1 after 45.

The first 20 or so minutes of the second half featured hard ill-timed challenges for both squads, and finally, Newcastle got a free kick they could do something with. Joey Barton (sans mustache, by the way) sent in a perfect free kick that Andy Carroll got up for easily, being he's a giant compared to the defenders. #9's header bounced off the post and into the net, putting us even with the home side. It was so awesome to see the visiting fans right there near the goal going insane. That is what this squad is all about. Big ups, Carroll, my boy! The rain started coming down in the 70th, Ameobi subbed in for Carroll in the 85th (quickly getting a chance on goal), and in all 11 players were booked in a battle of a match, but when the final whistle blew after 90+ it was a 1-1 draw.

It was a hard fought battle, and one we should be okay with drawing. The lineup may not have exploded for 6 goals again, but they were still pretty darn good:

GK: Harper- Stevie was solid in goal, even after almost having to go off for injury. The only goal he allowed was one he couldn't have stopped, because of the delay after the header attempt. Good effort.

D: Perch, Williamson, Coloccini, and Enrique- Perch gets some crap from me for letting that Wolfie fecker push him away from the challenge on the first half goal. Other than that, I think is worth noting that Williamson continues to impress.

M: Routledge, Smith, Barton, and Gutierrez- I'll give my most amazing love to Wayne's World. Routs was all over the pitch, especially early. Barton was perfect on the free kick to Carroll for the Newcastle goal, and Jonas continues to surprise me with his speed. I must again say, however, that I hate having Alan Smith starting. I'd much rather have Løvie or Vuckic playing back at middie.

F: Nolan and Carroll- Just when you think you've seen the best that Andy Carroll can offer, he continues to pour it on. #9 is legit, and the national team had better recognize. Nolan was up in the mess enough to avoid getting his second "ghost award" of the year.

Subs used: Ryan Taylor, Nile Ranger, and Shola Shola Shola: Of course I love me some Ameobi, but I was also pumped that the young Ranger was out there. Good stuff.

Are we showing that we belong with the big boys yet? At 1-1-1 (4 points, +3 GD), the Magpies are quietly an early success at the #8 spot in the table. Don't look now, but we're better than the likes of Man City, Everton, Liverpool, Fulham, and more! I know it's a long season, but I'm excited. We get a little break from European soccer this weekend to give way to some International action (Ireland should beat Armenia and Andorra, right?). Our beloved Magpies aren't back in action until Saturday 9/11 against Blackpool. 'Pool are also 1-1-1 after three games, but have a -2 goal differential. Most recently, the drew at deuces with Fulham over last weekend. Blackpool is a team that goes by the motto, "It's not orange, it's tangerine," and hopefully are ready to chant, "It's not 3 points, it's zero," when they play 'Castle in a couple of weeks. 

Who knows? Maybe we'll even get to see new acquisition Hatem Ben Afra finally take the pitch for the Mags (as a sub, I gather). I just hope he's not as much of a bitch as he seems to be.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Angels woeful weekend signals end of the world.

The Angels horrible play against Baltimore over the weekend sparked such headlines as "Angels Hit Rock Bottom" and "Angels Have Worst Weekend Ever." And that's just from the OC Register! I decided to join the drama with my headline, and credit the Lego Jesus website with the image of the Angels fighting the seven headed dragon from Revelation. We've been swept by the Orioles for the second time this year! The end is nigh!

The facts are hard to de-nigh, the Halos flat out sucked over the weekend (substitue weekend for season, if you wish). We lost all three games of the series by the combined score of 9-1. We were shutout in the final two games 5-0 and 1-0. We had tons of chances, which makes it even worse. In the ninth inning of yesterday's 1-0 loss, I watched Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter come up to the plate with the tying run just 90 feet away. Strikeout, pop out, end of game. The Halo post game tried to get us to believe that Jeremy Guthrie is just that good. How about Brad Bergesen? How about Kevin Millwood? Are they just that good, too? I'm afraid not (they have a combined ERA of 4.94, with Guthrie being the only sub-5 guy). By the way, in case you're waiting for me to say it, our lone run in the series came on a balk. Suckers.

In nice news, we helped the Orioles pull off their first winning month since June of 2008. We're so generous! June 2008 was also the last time the Angels were bounced in back to back shutouts. It's funny how those things work out. It's becoming commonplace for Jered Weaver, as his offense produced zero runs for the third straight Caveman start. It's just absurd. After the game, Torii Hunter said, "It's the worst ever. Offensively, this might be rock bottom." At least Weaver was able to bust Julio Lugo in the head with a pickoff attempt and send him to the hospital. I'm not condoning violence, I'm just looking at anything to keep me entertained over these three games.

While the offensive was pathetic, I'm most worried about Jered Weaver and Mike Scioscia having a "Lackey Moment" after the eighth inning of this one. After giving up nothing more than a sacrifice fly in the 7th inning, Scioscia decided to pull Weaver after 8 innings of work (8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K) and just 109 pitches. On the way to the dugout after getting the final out in the 8th (an inning where he only needed 6 pitches to get all 3 outs), you could see The Caveman shaking his head and barking at the dugout. Once he got back, he and Scioscia had heated words about Weaver coming out, and defeated in the argument, Weaver walked away huffing and puffing. Clearly, Jered wanted to stay out to try and keep pitching until his team could give him a win. His wish was not granted, especially because they didn't come back anyway, and he fell to 11-10 on the year. I've openly speculated all year about Weaver not wanting to return once his contract expires at the end of this year. This argument, much like Lackey's last year in (granted) a much more important game with Boston, may tip the scales for Big Baby. If he leaves, we may have to dub Mike Scioscia, "The Ace Killer."

Meanwhile, the waiver wire was lighting up this weekend for the Angels. Mike Napoli was claimed by the Red Sox, although most reports say a deal is unlikely and he'll stay an Angel, and Brian Fuentes was claimed and dealt to the Minnesota Twins. The Twinkies gave us the always exciting "player to be named later," so we'll have to wait and see. But, as I reminded my wife, Sean "HR-Rod" Rodriguez was a "player to be named later" once, so we might get somebody pretty cool. Tito leaving the squad, although not unexpected, was a little surprising. We now have a giant hole at closer, not that it matters this year, that the organization wants to fill with Fernando Rodney. You can see it with the way the TV guys talked about Sweat-nando in his 9th inning outing over the weekend, "His movement is so amazing." Whatever. He's been pretty good, as I have noted, outside of that Red Sox grand slam, but he's not the kind of closer that gets you out of your seat. Rumors are also floating around that young fireballer Jordan Walden migh get his shot in the role, but I think that's just MiLB nerds like me being hopeful. I'll just point out that until this year, Waldo was a starter in the minors. Let's not jump to annointing him a RP just yet.

Back to BFF going to Minnie, though. Guess what our dear former closer decided to do prior to picking up his first Twinkie save? You guessed it! Tito pulled a Lackey. Another in a long line of departing Angel players who took a shot at us fans. Here is Fuentes' comments in all their glory, and much like Lackey's, I doubt they'll be forgotten quickly (if ever) around here:

"It was funny. I felt like I was pitching on the road quite a bit. I came in to a lot of boos, but the fans here come out in droves. They're here to be entertained. They're entertained one way or another, through my frustration or through my success. I felt like I've given them a lot more success than failure."

Now, I know that Halo Nation never quite seemed to warm to Fuentes, especially compared to the borners we got for Frankie before him. If you read this blog, you know that I have always tried to give him his credit when it was due. But, come on, why is he going to go out this way? If the fan base was always kind of iffy on you, why give them a reason to completely hate you on your way out? We turned on Lackey, and he was our boy. What chance do you have? 

Just to help you keep score at home, Fuentes blew three out of eight save chances earlier this year in one stretch, enough to make any fan nervous. Despite giving us "more success than failure," he never really presented that explosive closer presence on the mound. It should be noted that his K/9 was nearly a 1, which isn't really exciting closer stuff. He also had that stupid mustache going for a while, which took him down a couple of pegs in my book. And I'm pretty sure we all remember the A-Rod AB in last year's ALCS. You don't really bounce back from stuff like that, even if you did lead the bigs in saves last year. His 48 saves last year is the second most in franchise history (behind, guess who?), and his 71 total are good enough to rank fourth all-time as an Angel. In the end, though, it's not about how you start but how you finish, and when you talk shit on the fans on your way out, you'll always be a loser in our books. 

It's funny to spend all this time talking about pitching when our offense is such a problem. 

At 63-68, the Halos are now 10.5 games back of Texas with 31 games left until hockey season starts. Even worse, we now trail the comeback kids in Oakland by 3. 3! We continue with the dregs part of our schedule tonight, as we start a series with Seattle, but playing horrible teams obviously isn't helping. In case you are curious, at 51-79, ESPN's 2009 AND 2010 AL West Champs are an even 22 back of the division lead. Does ESPN ever hold themselves accountable for their ridiculous preseason predictions?

Of course, if we suck tonight, history might be made before our very eyes. Currently, the Red Hats haven't scored a run in the last 26 innings. The Angels all-time record is 33 (established in 1963 and again in 2004). So, if Mariners starter David Pauley (2-5, 4.02) can shut us down for 7.3 innings, a record will be born! Pauley, who in 2004 was involved in the trade that brought Dave Roberts (a nugget for the Doyer fans!) to the San Diego Padres, sucks. And that's great, because he's going up against a team that has the amazing ability to make crap pitchers look awesome. However, maybe Pauley would fit in better with us. He's 0-3 at home this year, despite posting a 2.86 ERA. In four home starts, he's received 2 total runs of support. Did I just find Jered Weaver's relacement? The Angels counter with Ervin Santana (13-9, 4.13), who is somehow walking away with the Angels wins race this year. El Rosario is 6-2 in his career against Seattle with a 3.34 ERA, and has allowed just one run in each of his last two outings against them. Unfortunately, allowing just one run in a start hasn't been good enough for the Angels as of late.

At least we'll get to watch Figgins and Kotchman!

Does anyone think any of our players will want to step up with the bat in this series? Maybe I'll just wait for the final game of the series, when the Halos will be able to expand the roster with eager young talent looking to get a chance to shine.

Trumbo, anyone?

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Braun and Chivas heads above DC.

Former Chivas USA coach and (former?) US National skip Bob Bradley was in the crowd at the HDC (slumming it to get his old job back?) and saw quite an entertaining match between Chivas and DC United. While it may have been a battle between the two last place teams, it ended up being a darned exciting contest that resulted in three points to the home team thanks to a Justin Braun golden goal header early on. Huge defensive props need to be given to Mariano Trujillo, as well, as he saved a goal on a perfect spot on play in the 1-0 Goat win. It's always nice to perform well on ESPN.

The Black & Red started with a strong offensive posture, and sent a ball just over ZTB's crossbar. El Rebaño were on their heels, but the counter attack would change everything. In the 13th Saragosa fed Ante Jaziç, who trotted up field and hurled a ball on from pretty deep. With a DC player going up, Justin Braun simply outjumped him and put his head to the ball. The simple redirection sent the ball into the twine, and the Chivas fans went nuts. It was a promising lead despite how much time remained. Just over 20 minutes later, Braunie had another chance. Collecting a sweet pass from Gio Maldonado, Braun raced through the defense only to have his shot expertly saved by the DC keeper. Despite DCU pushing back as the half came to a close, ZTB stood strong between the wood work, and the Goats were off with a 1-0 lead after 45.

Bringing in 17 year old sub Andy Najar brought fresh legs to DC, and they continued to push hard as the Red and White went into more of a defensive mode. In the 69th minute, Thorton needed a little help to keep a ball out, and he got it. With pieces set on a corner kick, DC had their forward head a ball toward goal, catching The Beast out of position. As if he knew what was coming, Mariano "The Trujth" Trujillo was standing on the goal line in the perfect spot and was there to make the thrilling save. It was intense, and I must have replayed it six times when it happened. While both teams closed with a couple of chances, the ball was kept out, and the Goats were off with a big 3 points against a the worst the East had to offer.

It was Zach Thorton's 5th shutout of the year, if you can believe it, and his 74th over his career. He's now tied for second on the all-time MLS list. Meanwhile, Justin Braun tallied his team leading eighth goal on the campaign to continue his impressive break out season.

The lineup, especially the defensive parts, worked really well:

GK: Thorton did really well in goal, and is doing all he can to keep the tiny little playoff dream alive.

D: Trujillo, Delgado, Umaña, Jaziç: The Trujth and Jazzy Jaziç need to get most of the love here. Jaziç's pass to Braun was a thing of beauty, and Trujth's save on the goal line was perfection in defense. Double D and Umaña From Heaven were both on their game as well, keeping the mega-attack from DC at bay.

M: Bornstein, Saragosa, Nagamura, Espinoza (Lahoud 71): Interesting to see Bornie McMexico in the middle of the pitch and not getting more into the action. With Zemanski and Gavin not starting, you'd have to hope that they're resting for the big Open Cup battle with Seattle on Wednesday. Nice to see the Wake Forest star, Lahoud, get in there.

F: Braun (Zemaski 91) and Maldonado (Gordon 46): Glad to see Flash as a sub, although I'd rather see El Gringo. There can never be enough positive things one can say about JB. He is the star of this team, and hopefully will be for some time (hopefully Europe isn't watching). Maldo-gol had an underrated first half.

Now at 6-11-4 (22 points), Chivas USA trail Houston by just 1 point in their quest to escape the West's cellar. A win next weekend would not only get us there (hopefully), but could also vault the Goats to 11th out of the MLS' 16 squads. 

Before the weekend, though, Chivas has some very important business to take care of. We've been waiting for 9/1 for some time, and it's finally here (in two more days, I mean). There is a serious chance for Chivas to rewrite their history with the Open Cup. We are known as a team that sucks every year in the event, but in the 97th edition of the domestic batle, we have a chance to do something great. The final four teams are DC United, Columbus, Seattle, and us. This Wednesday, we battle the Rave Green with a chance to make it to the finals. And,  we've done well against all three teams lately. We drew 0-0 with Seattle on August 14, we beat DC this weekend, and we crushed an impressive Columbus team back in late July, 3-1. Could US Open Cup glory be the thing we'll be bragging about when it's all said and done this season? High hopes abound.

On Saturday, it's back to MLS work as we're on the road to battle Colorado. At 8-6-7, Colorado are 5th in the West with 31 points and hold a +4 goal differential. They most recently creamed a sad Houston squad 3-0. Their fan base are known as "The Front Range," and have worked to routinely pack their stadium. Goats do travel, though, so watch out Raps. 

Hopefully the win against DC can power our confidence through two big wins this week, as we continue to walk on.

¡Arriba las Chivas!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Death to the Orange Birds!

Well, here we go again. Tonight the Halos embark on a three game weekend series against the O's, and you'd have to believe we'll perform better than last time. Showalter and his boys have cooled off, the Angels are coming off a 9 run win over the best the AL East has to offer, and we're looking for orange blood from here to Sunday.

Pitching probables:

Friday- Trevor "Bozo" Bell (1-3, 5.48) v Brad Bergesen (5-9, 5.84)

Saturday- Scott "Kaz-berries" Kazmir (8-11, 6.33) v Kevin Millwood (2-14, 5.63)

Sunday- Jered "Gotta' Beat Erv" Weaver (11-9, 3.21) v Jeremy Guthrie (7-13, 4.13)

Not a huge series if you're into great pitching. Five out of the six pitchers going are just a joke. On a side note, what the hell happened to Kevin Millwood?

Expected offensvie explosions:

1. Mike Napoli- Could you expect any other name to top this short list? Napolini has 7 RBI in the last 3 games started, and has popped 3 homeruns in the last 8 games started. He has reacted to going on the waiver wire in a very positive way.

2. Peter Bourjos- It just has to happen for Speedy Pete, and what better series than this one? Despite hitting .185 this season, Bourjos has picked it up with a .294 mark over the last week, and his speed has to be the key to bringing that average up even higher. He needs to get on base by any means necessary, and against the O's it shouldn't be too hard. He's seen Murder-More before, and they'll be his first repeat, so that should help too.

3. Alberto Callaspo- AC/DV has been just a straight up stud since coming over. He's hitting .336 in his 29 games since the trade, and is helping us all to forget about Sean O'What's-His-Name, Will Smith, et al. He should be able to keep it up against the AL East's worst.

The Oriole I'm worried about:

Luke Scott has to get the nod here. His .289/25/59 hitting makes him the guy to fear, and despite hitting just .200 over the last 7 days, Scott still has 3 jacks in his last 5 starts to show he can still strike fear in my heart.

Quickly to the predictions:

Every game is a toss up, at this point, as we just countdown the days until Wednesday, when the Angels can call up all our sweet prospects to take over. But, I'll try my best.

Friday- Halos win in a 11-9 run fest.
Saturday- Millwood beats us, 5-1.
Sunday- Weaver is back, we win 3-0.

Two out of three is all I'm asking for...mostly because I called sweep last time and got completely shafted.

As with most days after an off day, we'll finish with the MiLB stories.

Bees- SLC got dropped 17-6 by the Sky Sox after coughing up an 8 run third inning in their last game. But, there are always positives to be found. OF Terry Evans and 1B Mark Trumbo were the big boys with the bats. Evans went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a double as an interesting leadoff choice, and Trumbo was an even more impressive 4 for 5 with 2 doubles and a RBI. Trumbo is now hitting .297 with 30 homeruns and 105 RBI in his 128 games with the Bees this year. Um, he's going to need to focus on changing positions (wasn't he transitioning to corner outfield?), because I do not want to lose this guy because of a Kendry log jam. He had better be playing 1B for the big club come Wednesday.

Travs- Arkansas also lost their last outing, 5-7 to Tulsa. P Trevor Reckling went just 5 innings, allowing 3 runs in the loss to drop to 2-5 despite a 3.99 ERA. A 2 for 3 game with 1 RBI and a run scored earns LF Roberto Lopez the spotlight. The USC grad is hitting .280 with 11 bombs and 78 RBI in 120 total minor league games this year (46 with Rancho and 74 with Arkansas).

Quakes- RC's 6-2 over Bakersfield is the lone win this time around, and it was powered by 5 innings of shutout ball from Garrett Richards (3-1, 4.38). He's probably already better than Scott Kazmir! DH Luis Jimenez and 3B Dillon Baird each had 3 for 5 games and2 doubles a piece, with Baird nailing 3 RBI. Baird, an Arizona native, is now hitting .254/12/50, and is putting Brandon Wood on notice. You just have 3 more years to prove yourself, Woody.

Here's to Trevor Bell getting this series off on the right foot.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

I'm Setting a Deadline for the Dodgers

If you haven't done so already, forget about winning the division. We are 11.5 out as I blog and the Padres don't seem to be staggering. We are 5 out in the Wild Card with four teams in front of us.

Things look terrible. I'm tired of hoping for a miracle.

That's why I'm giving the Dodgers a deadline. Well, not really a deadline, but a point at which I am going to stop holding out for one of those miracle runs. The dates I'm giving are August 30th, 31st and September 1st.

If the team hasn't made a leap after that, sorry. You'll get nothing more from me. In fact, should you be swept by the Phillies and then roar back with 28 straight wins to take the Wild Card in the last game of the season on a walk-off slam by Steve Finley, I simply won't accept it. (Exceptions will be made in the event of a Marlon Anderson or Toby Hall pinch hit GS)

These are the dates of our home series against the Philadelphia Phillies. If we are swept, dunzo. Lose two of three, same fate. Even if we win 2 of 3, I'll only offer a short reprieve. If we sweep them, things change.

We'll likely at that point have squeezed the teams in play in the WC all to within a few games of each other. Then, it's anyone's for the taking. And coming off an emotional sweep of the team that has bounced us from competition each of the past two season, could send us sky high.

With how many games we have remaining against the Giants (6) and Rockies (6), we could no doubt be the top contender from the west after the Friars (How much would you give for a late season collapse in San Diego? Even if the Dodgers didn't make the playoffs, that would be so sweet to watch.). Getting past the Cardinals or Reds will be tough, not to mention entirely hurdling the Phils, but I will be rooting for it should we put ourselves in that position.

Anything else, I'm looking at the offseason.

Angels throttle Rays, giving in on Jeff Mathis.

How can the guy in the above picture not be awesome? I never believed it could be true, but it may be time to concede defeat with that one.

First, though, what a turn of events in the day game with the Rays yesterday. The offense erupted to back Dan Haren after he got roughed up in the first, and we beat arguably baseball's best team, 12-3. Haren allowed a jack in the rough Anaheim heat to start the game, but settled down and finished strong. It didn't hurt that Matsui doubled the loaded bases empty in the first (which tied as the best first inning this season for the Halos), Napoli hit a third inning salami (and then got walked the next inning when he had another bases loaded chance), and the bats just flat out came through. 

The pluses:

+A fan ran onto the field and hopped over the center field wall before he was caught.

+The Chessmaster got another win (and so soon!) after putting 6 innings of 1 run ball with 8 Ks out there in the "123 degree heat" (weather report per Dan Haren himself, in a post game quote).

+Mike "Waiver Wire" Napoli made a case for the Halos to pull him back should a claim be put in for him. I really never thought I'd be the guy arguing to keep Napolini, but he IS THE offense. Yesterday's career high 6 RBI game (2 for 4 with a walk) is case in point (or is it "case and point?" Oh well).

+Howie Kendrick went 5 for 6 as the #2 hitter with 1 RBI and two runs scored. He's hitting .538 over the last week, .404 over the last 2 weeks, and .356 over the last 4 weeks. Any way you split it, he's on fire right now.

+Torii Hunter scored three times thanks to his 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 HPB.

+After Jepsen sucked, Hat-cisco, Sweat-nando, and Gas Can put together 2.3 innings of great work against a great team.

The minuses:

-Kevin Jepsen sucked!

-Bobby Abreu went 0 for 3 at the leadoff spot and is hitting .130 over the last week and just .227 over the last two weeks. Crashing back down to .279 as a leadoff hitter, I'm starting to get the feeling I jumped on the bandwagon a tad early.

-As a stand in for Peter Bourjos (which makes no sense, resting Speedy Pete, that is), Reggie Willits went 0 for 5 with 2Ks. Man, Bourjos could have done that (actually, he went 1 for 2 after subbing in for La Luche).

-Brandon Wood started at SS and actually got a hit! How am I supposed to continue talking shit if he keeps putting these 1 for 4 efforts together every 30 games?

-Former Angel super prospect (only because I watched him live and in person at Rancho back in the day) Sean Rodriguez (formerly known as "HR-Rod") went 0 for 3. I want to see him do well against the Angels, personally. .263/8/37 for a backup guy on a great team is pretty good, though.

Now elevated to 63-65, the Halos continue to sit 10 back of Vlad's Rangers and 1.5 back of those hated Athletics. After an off day today (as opposed to an "awf"-ul day when we play), the Halos will welcome Murder-more (45-82) into town starting tomorrow night. The Big Bang Fireworks (the real reason people are buying tickets) will be preceded by a clash between Jered "Big Baby" Weaver (11-9, 3.21) and Brad Burgesen (5-9, 5.84). We'll get in to the series preview a little more tomorrow, but hopefully the Halos can pay the O's back for that sweep a couple of weeks ago. Imagine, we could be just 7 back by...oh forget it.

So, today I thought I would rationally and realistically explore the "goodness" of our catcher Jeff Mathis. There are a ton of Mathis haters out there, and if you read the blog, you know I am not one of them. Almost daily I reference how I'd like to see Mathis starting behind the dish over Napoli. I point out his solid defense, the fact that I feel he is better than his offensive numbers indicate, and the fact that he just seems like a better dude than Naps. But today, Halos Heaven (a website that I'm sure would have no problem declaring themselves "Mathis haters") brought some numbers up to my attention that I can't deny. 

Remember yesterday on the LSF Twitter feed, when I reported:

"Halos Heaven reports: Jeff Mathis & Brandon Wood are on pace to be 1st players since '03 to have at least 200 PAs and a 12:1 K:BB ratio. Ass."

That was just the tip of the sucky iceberg. Evidently, when you run some numbers, Jeff Mathis is actually one of the worst baseball players of all time (definitely since 1994). As Halos Heaven drops the bomb, we compare Jeff Mathis to the all time worst players with at least 1,000 PAs (he now has 1,022).

- His .200 BA is the 7th worst in baseball history.

-His .267 OBP is the 51st worst in baseball history.

-His 53 OPS+ is the 33rd worst in baseball history (100 OPS+ is dead average).

Since 1871, there have been more than 3,000 players with 1,000+ PAs, according to the HH article. So, I mean, this is pretty bad stuff.

As if that wasn't damning enough, the article looks at the same numbers post-1994 (which is an arbitrary "post-strike era" that kind of places him in more of a generational context, I guess), and it gets worse.

-His .200 BA is the ABSOLUTE WORST since 1994 (by .012 points).

-His .267 OBP is the ABSOLUTE WORST since 1994.

-His .313 SLG is the 13th worst since 1994.

-His .583 OPS is the ABSOLUTE WORST since 1994.

-His 53 OPS+ is the ABSOLUTE WORST since 1994.

This is where I feel like I should already throw up my hands in defeat. Why did I support Mathis? Why!? Wait...it gets worse? The idea that his defense makes up for his epically bad hitting isn't true either? Come on!

-His 23% career caught stealing rate trails the league average of 26%.

-Since 2007, he leads all catchers is throwing errors, despite splitting time with Napoli, Budde, and Wilson.

Please, Halos Heaven, please stop! I promise that I'll never post or say anything about wanting Mathis to start again! Just take those awful, awful stats away! Then again, he did go 2 for 5 with 2 RBI against the Rays yesterday. See how he just sucks you back in? 

So where do I stand of Jeff Mathis after this damning article? What do I think the Halo should do? Well, we are wrapping up his arbitration awarded 1 year/$1.3 million contract, and with Nap and Wilson up and Conger playing really well for the Bees, I wonder if it will be time to say goodbye to the Mathis-matician. It's tough, because despite the numbers, I still kind of like Jeff. He seems like a good guy, he's had a couple of memorable walk off hits, and he's even gotten to fisticuffs in a couple of thrilling on-field brawls (even when Kendall was on the A's). Despite all the reasons I like him, it has been made perfectly clear that he sucks, and I don't see much of a way to argue that. 

While we're at it, here is a list of the other Halo contracts that expire after this season, and what I think we should do:

-Brian Fuentes: He has an option for 2011, but I kind of doubt he'll be back when we are stuck with Rodney and have other in-house options coming to light.

-Hideki Matsui: Adios, pal.

-Scot Shields: We have no choice but to let the Gas Can fade off into the sunset.

-Jered Weaver: I'd be shocked if he would want to come back, but we might still have one more year of arbitration open to us.

-Mike Napoli: Either Mathis goes and Napoli stays, or Mathis stays and Napoli goes. I think we've all discovered the better choice. That is, assuming he isn't off with a waiver trade this week. 

-Erick Aybar: I'd guess we'd keep him, but again, we may have one more arbitration year with his deal.

-Howie Kendrick- I think it's the same deal, but HK-47 has to come back, at least until he wins the batting title.

-Kendry Morales- Don't even ask, he's the team's All-Star next year.

-Reggie Willits- Unless he has one more arbitration chance, I'd say farewell.

-Robb Quinlan- Sadly, gone.

-Kevin Frandsen- Who knows? Why not keep him?

-Alberto Callaspo- After the trade, I see no reason to let AC/DV go. He only makes $460,000 this year, and he's been swinging a hot bat.

-Brian Stokes- Ah, GMJ's replacement, we hardly knew ye.

-Matt Palmer- I may be nostalgic, but keep him.

-Jason Bulger- keep him.

I know that's a lot of information you probably don't care about, but if you'd like to share your thoughts on the Mathis suck fest or the other contracts, leave a comment.

*Bonus question: Is Matt Kemp one of the worst/laziest current baserunners in the game? He is so Hollywood!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Making peace with Raffi Torres.

Man, this is going to be tough.

As reported on the LSF Twitter feed (which STILL needs a new name, and I'm awaiting submission) about 25 hours ago:

"Horrible news out of Vancouver: Alex Burrows is out until Dec with shoulder probs, and we've signed Raffi Torres to 1 yr/$1 mil. I hate him."

And quickly after, my favorite Orca site, "'Nucks Misconduct" posted a picture of Torres with the following caption:

"Awww...remember when we used to hate you?"

Such is the feeling around Orca Nation today, as we all try to come to terms with Vancouver's acquisition of a former Oiler who united us all in hate. Sure, he's been on the Isles, Jackets, and Sabres (you'll have to give me your assessment, B) as well, but it was his tenure with the Oil that led to Canuckleheads everywhere hating his guts. Everyone remembers the 2005/2006 season when Torres tormented the Canucks with his now famous 27 goals with 41 points (in his season, not just against us), and led the Oilers to the 8 seed in the playoffs (just 3 points ahead of the Canucks), and somehow all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals against Carolina. The Canucks were #9, 3 points back of Edmonton, and obviously denied a trip to the playoffs by Raffi and his boys. The Canucks went 2-6 against the Oilers that year. Just as a quick aside; do you remember 2005? Alex Auld led the team in wins, Anson Carter led the team in goals, and it was the year Marc Crawford got axed for sucking yet again. Crazy.

But now, we Canucks fans are left trying to accept Raffi Torres into our fold. Raffi is coming, and being a part of the 7th Canuck crew, we must provide every Vannie player with our unwavering support. So, let's make peace with Raffi. Let's figure out some reasons we can like him, and some reasons that acquiring this left winger is a positive move. Let's get to it.

Half Mexican and half Peruvian, Raphael "Raffi" Torres was born 28 years ago (29 once the season starts) in Toronto, ON. At 6 foot, 216 pounds, he's a big boy at the left. Last season, after being traded to the LSF's Buffalo Sabres (by the way, does this signing increase the Nucks/Slugs rivalry? Because that would be a huge positive), Raffi tallied just 5 assists in 14 games. Earlier in the year, though, he put up 19 goals, 12 assists, and 32 penalty minutes over 60 tests with Columbus. His last "full" season with the Jacks saw him rake in 12 goals, 8 assists, and 23 penalty minutes in an injury shortened 51 game season. 2006/2007 was the last time he played more than 74 games in a season (82 that year with the Oilers), so we may be rolling the dice with the injury bug a little bit. But, it's hard to argue against acquiring a solid third line winger for a risk free 1 year/$1 million contract when he played 19-17-36 hockey last year. Really hard.

So, welcome to Vancouver, Raffi. But beware. We are a hockey fan base that prides itself in being way over the top in our reactions to the way our team is playing. If I were you, I'd probably do anything to tally a point in my first game. If you do, you'll at least buy yourself a three game pass with us fans. If not, we'll be chanting about how much of a mistake you were until you start producing. Hey, it's a tough team to play for, and we're darn proud of that. 

Nickname suggestions are flowing in from hockey message boards around the internet. The top three I've seen so far are "Dirty Sanchez" (based on his half-Mexican heritage), "Baby Beluga" (based on sharing a name with a formerly popular children's singer), and "Stupid" (a name he picked up while with the Oilers for taking stupid penalties back in the day). Good stuff. 

In other Canucks news, I am proud to inform you that "The Hockey News" has picked the 'Nucks as their #1 team in the Western Conference for this upcoming season. For you other LSF fans, we see Buffalo ranked 6th in the East, Toronto ranked 12th in the East, and Chicago overrated at 4th in the West (sorry, still bitter about the last two postseasons). I know it's just BS prognostications, but it is an exciting reminder that hockey season is around the corner.

Before I finish, I'll provide my updated, new and improved, 2010/2011 Canucks starting lineup. Keep in mind that Alex Burrows and Sami Salo are off to injury never-never land, and Willie Mitchell signed with the Kings yesterday.

Line 1: Daniel - Henrik - Samuelsson
Line 2: Mason - Kesler - Hansen
Line 3: Torres - Malhotra - Hodgson
Line 4: Glass - Rypien - Shirokov

D 1: Hamhuis - Edler
D 2: Ballard - Ehrhoff
D 3: Bieksa - O'Brien

GK: Luongo
BU: Schneider

A couple of things about my lineup, because some 'Nucks fans may disagree. 1) This is what I would like to see given our known injuries to start the season. 2) Yes, I moved the right handed Hodgson from his normal center to RW to a) take the pressure off, and b) because Malohtra is a good faceoff guy. 3) Unlike most in Orca Nation, I still believe in Shirokov, and want him out there over Hordichuk. 4) Having Hamhuis and Edler on the same defensive pairing already has me drooling. 5) Once Burrows comes back, I don't want him with the Twins. I want him with Ma$e and Kes because that would easily be my favorite line. With that, Hansen would slide down to line 3, and Hodgon would either replace Ryp or Sergei on the fourh line. We'll see how it shakes out, but that's a pretty fun lineup to watch out there.

It was nice to write about hockey.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Rays bust Angels, we play the name game.

Ervin Santana was undefeated in three tries against the Rays at home in his career. His ERA was something like 1.22 over that brief span. Last night, the Rays turned their fortunes against El Rosario, and I'm sure you're not shocked to find out that the bats weren't there to back him up. In the end, the Rays battered the Angels 10-3, sending us to a 62-65 record and a 10 game deficit on the Rangers (1.5 back of Oakland now). It was the same old broken record, as Mike Scioscia has been saying, as the Angels couldn't recover after giving up the big inning. 

The pluses:

+Hideki Matsui went 3 for 5 with a RBI on his "double double" (as Jeff Biggs put it) with Hunter. Godzilla's ground rule double was one of the highlights for me.

+Howie Kendrick went yard to tie his career high in HR and RBI. A quiet little okay season for HK-47. 

+Kohn Head and Shields combined for 1.67 innings of shutout work in the 'pen.

+Second-time-out reliever Jordan Walden hit 101 MPH on the radar gun to get the fans excited.

The minuses:

-Ervin was dirt bad, going just 5.3 innings of 6 run ball (8 hits and 3 walks).

-Tito Fuentes gave up 3 big runs in the top of the ninth, and even though they were meaningless, they made me slightly happy to see BFF off to the waiver wire.

-The Angels left 12 runners on base, with Speedy Pete's 3 leading the way.

-Despite being way back, the Halos had 'em loaded in the ninth with just one out, and Matsui and Rivera just couldn't come through. Sums up the season, really. 

- Abreu went 0 for 3, as his leadoff skills come crashing back down to Earth. 

The Angels have never been swept by the Rays at home, and have been underway in their day game for about an hour now (it's 1:30 right now), and lead 4-1 in the third. A four run bottom of the first really helped out Danny Boy Haren (8-12, 4.52), as he looks to get another difficult to find win. Hideki Matsui cleared the bases with a nice double as the highlight of the inning. Is there a chance we might win? We'll see.

Today, I thought I could get everyone involved in the Angels name game. If you read the blog, you know I like to toss out nicknames for everyone. Usually I adopt the Doug "No need for a nickname" Fister format, for example, but there are a number of other ways nicknames surface on the blog. What I'll do today is give my 3 top nicknames for every player on the Halos 25 man roster, and you can vote on your favorite one (or write one in), and I'll use the winners for the rest of the season. I'll try and explain the nicknames as well. 

We'll start with pitchers:

-Trevor Bell: 1) Bozo Bell (based on his grandfather being the original "Bozo the Clown"), 2) TB (not only his initials, but also a rough disease), and 3) Trevor Hollyweird (reflecting his North Hollywood roots).

-Brian Fuentes: 1) Tito Fuentes (a nickname made by Torii Hunter to reference Tito Puente), 2) BFF (not only his initials, but also a way of showing he's our best friend forever...don't ever change), and 3) El Mostachio (referencing his ugly nose neighbor).

-Dan Haren: 1) The Chessmaster (his way of pitching as described by Mark Grace), 2) Danny Boy (I just think it's cute), and 3) DH (his initials, and a position he'll never play).

-Kevin Jepsen: 1) Jeps (obvious), 2) Big Country (mostly because he's a big white guy who kind of throws a country fastball...no, it's just because he's a big white guy), and 3) Big Bronzey (a nod to his 2008 Bronze medal in the Olympics).

-Scott Kazmir: 1) The Kazmanian Devil (my original nickname for him with obvious origins), 2) Kaz-berries (a reference to him not having big enough balls to win games, and sometimes a Super Troopers reference, which I hate), and 3) Pussy (I don't know, I used it before his last game against Lackey, and it kind of stuck).

-Michael Kohn: 1) Kohn Head (an obvious SNL reference), 2) The Bullpen Savior (provided by Halos Heaven), and 3) Kohner (not sure, but it rhymes with boner, and even though I'm mature, that makes me laugh).

-Fernando Rodney: 1) Sweat-nando Rodney (based on his sweat problem), 2) F-raud (a reference to "F-Rod," but showing that he sucked when he gave up a grand slam earlier in the year to Boston, which I'll never forget), and 3) Mud Butt (well, I really only use the first one, but he used to be on the Mud Hens in the minors, and I laughed when I said it).

-Francisco Rodriguez: 1) Hat-cisco Rodriguez (he wears his hat really low), 2) Not THAT Francisco Rodriguez (this one doesn't punch his father-in-law), and 3) The 'Cisco Kid (a nickname that never stuck for the old Frankie, so I'll try again).

-Ervin Santana: 1) El Rosario (a reference to his arm tattoo), 2) Black Magic ( a reference to having a name similar to Magic Johnson), and 3) Hooter Hubbie (he married a Hooters waitress after splitting with Ilenia).

-Scot Shields: 1) Gas Can (a reference to his awful pitching), 2) Bob Shields (his real first name is Bob), and 3) Ol' Rubber Arm (remember those days?).

-Jordan Walden: 1) J-Wal (obvious, and dumb), 2) Highway 101 (he clocked in at 101 MPH last night), and 3) Walrus (for me, it just kind of works).

-Jered Weaver: 1) Big Baby (came about after his "every fucking time" comment on the mound a couple of years ago), 2) The Caveman (he just looks like a caveman), and 3) Jered "So Easy A Caveman Can Do It" Weaver (see #2).

Now to the position players:

-Jeff Mathis: 1) Mathis-matician (I really always liked this one), 2) Jefe (a reference to his first name), and 3) 0'fer (it hurts because it's true).

-Mike Napoli: 1) Mike Crapoli (only to be used when he sucks it up), 2) Napolini (a reference to his guido heritage), and 3) MANny (Mike Anthony Napoli).

-Bobby Wilson: 1) "Booby" Wilson (he's a big dude, and it makes me giggle because his boobies do jiggle), 2) Bobby "The Pitchers Have A Low-ERA When He Catches" Wilson (an argument you here from Halo fans all the time), and 3) Just Another Floridian Catcher (a reference to him being the third catcher from Florida on our team).

-Erick Aybar: 1) EA Sports (initials reference), 2) The World's Worst Leadoff Hitter (and he seemed to be, for a while), and 3) The Bunt Heard Round the World (remember when he blew that squeeze against the Sox in the playoffs?).

-Alberto Callaspo: 1) AC/DV (not only a reference to a band and his initials, but also a reference to his domestic violence case from 2007), 2) Alberto Collapse-o (only to be used if he sucks), and 3) The Venezuelan Monarch (a reference to his native land and previous team).

-Howie Kendrick: 1) HK-47 (his initials and number, and a nod to Andrei Kirilenko), 2) Howard's Kendrick (he does a lot of Howard's commercials), and 3) The Third (like me, Howie is a III).

-Brandon Wood: 1) Woody (obvious), 2) Bee4Life (a reference to him being a career minor leaguer at best), and 3) Brandon "I lost my job to Alberto Fucking Callaspo" Wood (a reference to just how bad he sucks).

-Bobby Abreu: 1) El Comedulce (I don't know where I saw this, but I like it; it means "the sweet eats"), 2) La Luche (off of his Wikipedia page, which has a sweet picture of him, and means "the fight"), and 3) BoBBy Abreu (a reference to his love of walks).

-Peter Bourjos: 1) Speedy Pete (he's a fast dude), 2) El Burro (only because before I heard his name, I thought it was pronounced "Boor-hose"; that's the downside of following the minors via the internet box scores only), and 3) PB&J (kind of an initials reference, and a damn solid lunch for so many years).

-Torii Hunter: 1) Big Game (because I loved "Big Game Hunter" on PS2), 2) Spiderman (the "regular" nickname that I'm not a huge fan of), and 3) T-Hunt (a name reference that also almost sounds like a dirty word).

-Juan Rivera: 1) Good ol' JR (a WWF reference), 2) Magic Juan'd (coined by none other than Rex Hudler), and 3) Rocky Mountain Man (a reference to the Spanish explorer by the same name who discovered those very mountains).

-Reggie Willits: 1) Lil' Willy (he's a small dude, and probably wears a small shoe, if you know what I mean), 2) Reggie Joyner (a small reference to how the crowds chanted his name for one season back in the day, similarly to my boy Wally Joyner), and 3) Eckstein in the OF (again, he's small).

-Hideki Matsui: 1) Godzilla (his "regular" nickname; also see Godzirra for the Asian pronunciation), 2) H-Dek (a mish mash of his first name), and 3) Spoony (a reference to his Japanese heritage and that hilarious attempt at a Snoopy bag).

So, I hope you enjoyed that. If you read the blog, you've probably seen most of those, but now it's your turn. You can post a comment to vote on which nicknames I should use for the remainder of the year. And, even better, give me a post filled with nicknames from your favorite teams.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Celtic continue to thump SPL.

Different week, different opponent, same Celtic thrashing. This time around, it was a 4-0 win over St. Mirren at Celtic Park that helped Celtic fans around the world raise a pint in honor of their favorite squad. It was the second straight clean sheet for Zaluska, who is trying to solidify his starting role after the Bhoys acquired GK Forster from Newcastle on loan. He seems to be doing a more than adequate job. The offense was on point, the pitch seemed to be downhill in our favor, and we continued to prove that we have returned as a force in the SPL this year.

The Hoops wasted little time, as my boy Joe Ledley decided to get his first official Celtic goal just 5 minutes in. James Forrest ran in through the defenders and slipped a pass to Samaras. With a perfect first touch, the Super Greek set up a perfect ball for Ledley, who was streaking into close range. Ledley bashed the ball into the twine, and we were off and running. After Beram Kayal made a name for himself by banging a shot off the bar, Celtic maintained possession on the rebound and doubled things in the 23rd. Marc-Antoine Fortuné gathered the ball on the far side and sent a perfect through ball all the way into the box and across the net to the foot of Shaun Maloney. The pass from Fortuné travelled past four (count them, four) St. Mirren defenders, and perfectly found Maloney. What a pass, and what a goal! We doubled 'em up. There were about three more really good chances for Celtic as the first 45 closed out, but the Saints keeper held the game as close as possible, despite his team struggling to even get out of their own half.

In the second, that pressure would prove too much, and the Bhoys would get two more. Twenty minutes deep, with Celtic still dominating play, Samaras earned a rest in favor of Paddy McCourt. Four minutes after the subbing, Celtic would get their third. Just outside the box, Fortuné was able to maintain a ball despite having the defender right on top of him. He held it, despite that pressure, until he was able to give Forrest a perfect pass. Streaking just inside the box, Forrest unleashed a blast that sailed into the net. It was a brilliant strike, all set up by the strong ball control of Marc-Antoine. Just about a dozen minutes later, Ki would put his final touch on this one. Ki and Murphy subbed in for Kayal and Fortuné, both of whome surely impressed the entirety of Celtic Nation. The move to bring in Ki would immediately pay off. Paddy McCourt held the ball off to the side and sent a pass to Ki just outside the box, but in the dead middle of the pitch. Ki stopped the ball, settled it down, and took aim. He had nobody on him, and was given all kinds of time. With what was almost a free kick without the set pieces, Ki sent a cannon of a shot into the net from 25 out to seal the deal. It was Ki's first Celtic goal as well, and the squad was shown the love with a standing ovation from the Hoop faithful once the final whistle blew. It was the second straight game with all the action on the right side of the pitch. 

Neil Lennon may have sent out a different lineup than we have seen, but it sure worked! Celtic rolled the 4-2-3-1:

GK: Zaluska- I don't see any way our Polish net minder will lose his spot to our new backup from Newcastle. No way.

D: Juarez, Majstorovic, Hooiveld, and Ledley- The defense didn't really get tested, but Holy Guacamole and J-Led were all over the field making magic happen. While it was nice to see Jos getting back out there after missing the Utrecht first leg, I would have liked to have seen more from newbie Majstorovic (who I'm going to nickname "Swede Emotion"). 

D-M: Kayal (Ki 71) and Brown- Kind of playing back on midfield were Kayal and Brown. I think Kayal made a name for himself in his first outing, and the Isreal international should be a cult hero here in no time. Lennon bringing in Ki, though, was a spot on brilliant choice.

A-M: Fortuné (Murphy 74), Maloney, and Forrest- The three attacking middies did everything in this game. Marc-Antoine Fortuné has to earn the man of the match award, as he seemed to possess the ball for about 65 of the 90 minutes, and he was perfect with his passing. Definitely an underrated effort. James Forrest was ridiculous in the game as well, and is really coming on here in Paradise.

F: Samaras (McCourt 65)- As usual, the Gorgeous Greek was great on the pitch, despite not connecting for a goal. His speed, first touch ability, and flowing hair are an inspiration to the masses. My main man Paddy McCourt showed he had no problems returning from last week's minor injury, and looked great in his 25, especially when setting up Ki's goal.

At 2-0-0 (6 points), the Bhoys are wrapped up in what is now a three way tie atop the SPL. Aberdeen and Rangers are the other two squads at 6 points. Celtic and Aberdeen both hold a +5 goal differential, while the hated Protties from Rangers have just a +4.

Tomorrow, Celtic gets the away leg (and second leg) of their UEFA Eurpoa League match with FC Utrecht, as we continue to try and qualify for the group stage. After the 2-0 home throttle we scored against the Dutch team, we fans should be pretty hopeful that we can pull this one off. Then, on Sunday, it's back to SPL action against Motherwell. Established in 1886, Motherwell, also known as the "Well," the "Steelmen," and the "Dossers," finished 5th in the SPL last season. So far this season, The Well are 1-1-0 after losing to the Hibs in the opener and then beating Killy last weekend. Blackman, who I believe is the principal from "Strangers With Candy," scored the golden goal in their win last week, and they should not be taken lightly by the Bhoys.

For now, though, Utrecht is our focus, as we seek out Euro glory.

I'll leave you with an old Celtic song,

"North Men, South Men, 
 Comrades all.
 Soon there will be no
 Protestants at all!"

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

The state of the 62-64 Angels.

There is a storied history of me doing a "state of the team" post through my tenure here at LSF. From "The state of the 28-18-2 Canucks" in January of this year, to "The State of the 17-14-0 Canucks" in December of last year, fans look to my "state of the team" posts for knowledge about where we're at. After a longer weekend than I expected in the Bay Area, so much happened around Angels Nation that I figured this was a good time to look at the Halos with a fine toothed comb. We're not just going to say that the state of the Angels is bleak, but we're going to roll up our sleeves and get into the muck.

At 62-64 and 9 games back from the 2010 AL West Champion Texas Rangers, most fans around Halo Nation are ready to push the forfit button and move on to hockey season. While I am excited about hockey season, there is still a lot of baseball to be played. Well, maybe not a lot, but about 36 more games. Well, not about, but exactly 36 more games. So, are we ready to give up on this season, as we sit 0.5 back of Oakland, almost too comfortably in third place? We really should be, but of course hardcore fans like us push on blindly. So just how bad is this 62-64 team? Currently mired in a two game losing streak, and a 3-7 record over their last 10, the Angels are 29-36 on the road while keeping home fans happy with their 33-28 record. That home record, although it sounds nice, is only good enough for 8th out of the 14 AL teams. Brandon has tricked me into believing that run differential (like goal differential) is a good way of judging a team. The Angels have a -22 run differential, which is 9th out of the 14 AL teams, and only 11 teams in all of the Majors have a worse mark than us (vs 18 teams better than us). 

There are plenty of other ways to judge a team in their overall play after 126 games. To be clear, I'm not doing this to continue to dump on the Angels. In fact, I'm hoping that I can somehow prove that they are better than we think. I don't think it'll happen, but let's see. When it comes to runs scored, our 558 ranks 15th (dead middle of the pack) in the MLB (keep in mind only 8 teams are good enough to make the playoffs, and if we make top 8 in any category, I'll be singing from the rooftops). Better than us in runs scored? The likes of Arizona, the Brewers, and the Jays. Our team batting average is a lowly .257, ranking 18th in the bigs. Better than the Angels are the likes of the Orioles, the Doyers, and even the Chicago Cubbies. Everyone claims we're more of a long ball team, and ranked 11th with 123, we may be. But even upping the jacks isn't really good enough, and I don't take that stat very seriously. Even more depressing is that we're not that exciting running team either. At 64%, our stolen base percentage is fourth from the bottom at 27th and our stolen base total of 78 is only 11th. Finally, with 357 extra base hits, we rank 17th in the bigs.

Maybe pitching will yield better results for the state of this team. We do, after all, have a potential Cy Young candidate according to ESPN. Sadly, the Angels 4.35 team ERA ranks 22nd in the bigs. Despite all that J Weav has done, our 67 quality starts only rank 18th (would you believe the Padres only rank 17th?). Our pitchers issue the fifth most walks at 441, which is second most in the AL (behind only the Indians). Our BAA of .260 is bad enough to be 19th in the bigs. Let's face it, folks, this has been a tough season. And finally, just to take you down my train of thought, it's not just the bullpen screwing up our pitching numbers. I figured our 22nd ranked ERA was dragged down because of our 'pen, but if you do the split for starters only, the ERA gets even worse at 4.39 (still bad enough for 22nd). Is there no relief? 

Looking at individual performance, we continue to realize just how bad this version of the Angels has been (despite our undying optimism). The Angels top hitter is debatable, with Torii Hunter really holding the title with his .290 BA. However, Alberto Callaspo has to be given some love, as he has been hitting .337 in his 27 games since the trade with KC. Total this year, AC/DV is hitting .289 and could overtake Torii tonight. I like to compare our best with the best in the AL to see how we're rolling along, and I think I'll continue with that.

BA-
Our best (Hunter/Callaspo): .290
AL best (J Hamilton): .357
Our best's AL rank: t. #19

RBI-
Our best (Hunter): 70
AL best (M Cabrera): 103
Our best's AL rank: t. #16

HR-
Our best (Napoli): 20
AL best (J Bautista): 40
Our best's AL rank: t. #16

SB-
Our best (Aybar): 18
AL best (J Pierre): 49
Our best's AL rank: t. #16

OBP-
Our best (Hunter): .366
AL best (M Cabrera): .437
Our best's AL rank: t. #15

I don't know what, if anything, that all says, but to me it sucks that a brief look at some offensive categories shows our top guy never ranked higher than 15th in the AL. To me it's telling of how bad we have been, how we haven't had a consistent standout player this year. It wasn't too long ago when we had 9 .300+ hitters starting in this lineup (it happened last year, I think!), and now we can't even field 9 .200+ hitters, it would seem.

So, where is this team headed? A projection on our final record based on what we've done so far would put us (generously) at 80-82 (based on winning roughly 49% of our games). Meanwhile, the Rangers would (by that math) project to finish at 92-70, and we would finish 12 games back in the AL West. Now listen, I'm a big believer that anything could happen, but I also am finding it increasingly difficult to believe that the outcome won't look just like that when it's all said and done. 

Why has this happened? Well, a telling thing for me is that through 126 games, the Angels have used 102 different lineups. Wow. Sure, there have been some injuries, but the majority of the changes and shuffles have been done to compensate for bad hitting. I mean, really bad hitting. 

The 2010 Angels offensive shit list:

+Brandon Wood (.163 over 61 G)
+Jeff Mathis (.196 over 48 G)
+Bobby Wilson (.222 over 26 G)
+Peter Bourjos (.169 over 17 G)
+Mike Ryan (.205 over 22 G)
+Robb Quinlan (.121 over 23 G)

And, the 2010 Angels offensive shitty list (just a tad better than the shit list):

+Mike Napoli (.248 over 109 G)
+Erick Aybar (.265 over 115 G)
+Juan Rivera (.260 over 98 G)
+Bobby Abreu (.262 over 122 G)
+Hideki Matsui (.258 over 112 G)
+Maicer Izturis (.245 over 56 G)

That's just about everybody. Literally, we have 12 players hitting sub-.265, and the .265 guy is (normally) our leadoff hitter. The offense took giant leaps backward this season, but one could only hope that this combination of bad seasons for most of our hitters won't last into next year. I don't think it's possible that it could happen again.

Despite all the doom and gloom of this "state of the team" address, there is always something we can enjoy about the remaining 36 games of this season. Here is my short list:

1. Beating the A's for 2nd place: We currently trail our most bitter rivals by 0.5 games, but Oakland has 3 games in hand.

2. Jered Weaver finishing #1 in Ks: Our ace may not return to this hapless team next year, but he's not going out without trying to make some history. With 189 strikeouts this season, Weaver leads the MLB by +6 over rival Seattle's Felix Hernandez. I'm pretty sure Nolan Ryan was the last Angel that led the bigs in punchouts (and he did it 7 times in his 8 seasons with the Halos).

3. Watching Bourjos' defense: Speedy Pete's stick work may need to come a ways, but he flashes the leather like a champ, and it's crazy fun to watch him patrol center field. 

4. The team HR race: We still have a battle between Napoli (20), Hunter (18), and even Matsui (16) in the Halo homerun derby.

5. A team triple crown: Could Torii Hunter somehow win the Halo triple crown? He leads in BA and RBI and is just -2 on Napoli for jacks. A quick jog through stats on BaseballReference.com showed me that the last Halo to accomplish this feat was Vladimir Guerrero in 2006 with his .329/33/116 season. 

6. The team arms race: Despite Jered Weaver clearly being the better pitcher, his 11 wins are 2 shy of Ervin Santana's 13 this year. Can Erv continue to somehow squeak by and actually beat The Caveman in the team's win race?

All 6 of those things excite me like crazy, and will keep me going long past when we are finally mathematically eliminated from the AL West race in a couple of weeks. But, I'm a nerd fan, so I like that kind of stuff.

The season continues tonight, as Mike Scioscia tries to get himself a win over Maddon and the Rays. Tonight's 7:05 clash features Ervin "El Rosario" Santana (13-8, 3.93) looking to extend his team lead in wins against Tampa's Wade Davis (9-9, 4.45). Davis is 4-0 with a 3.41 ERA since the end of June, but is just now coming off the DL since he was injured back on August 5. Meanwhile, Santana has posted a 2.66 ERA over his last three starts, and he holds a 1.22 ERA in 3 home starts against the Rays in his career. The last was a three hit shutout back on August 11, 2009. Hopefully this August outing against the Rays can be similarly awesome. 

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Newcastle scores 6 in Villa win.

There was a fan at the Newcastle/Villa game this weekend wearing a personalized kit with "We're Back" written across the back. After the Man United match, he looked like a fool. But, after our complete destruction of Aston Villa, he's my new hero. Newcastle bounced back in a major way, handing the home fans an unbelievable 6-0 win in the EPL's return to St. James. Andy Carroll tallied a hat trick in the match, and a clean sheet on the other end by Harper combined for quite the masterpiece. Thrilling, thrilling stuff (even if you are watching highlights via the French Sports "Centre" on You Tube). 

In the 9th minute, it wasn't looking good. Former Celtic God Stiliyan Petrov was awarded a penalty after being dragged down by Stevie Harper in the box. The ref placed the ball on the spot, and as if proving God is a Magpie supporter, Petrov blasted his attempt wildly into the stands. That missed PK was the turning point. Just 3 minutes later, Joey "Cop 'Stache" Barton answered the critics (me). Outside the box, and about 30 yards total out from goal, Barton sent a lovely curling ball into the upper right hand corner of the net for the game's first netter. Barton promised to keep his ugly mustache until United won a game, and was obviously looking to get rid of it ASAP! What about all those fans sporting fake 'staches in support of Joey? What about them? Newcastle seemed to dominate from this point forward. In the 31st, it was a goal for the Black & White thanks to insane effort. José Enrique sent a brilliant cross into the box that Kevin Nolan blasted in with the head. The header was saved, but the rebound came right back to Nolan, who headed it again. This time, our cap found the back of the net. Finally, he's not a ghost! Just 3 minutes later, Newcastle would put an exclamation point on their first half exploits. Joey Barton sent a cross that was headed toward the middle by Mike Williamson. A Villa defender tried to clear the ball, but failed, and the ball came right to #9. Andy Carroll drilled the ball in with authority, and we were up a triple on The Villans. Why didn't they bring in Guzan??

It took twenty minutes off the half to turn it into a route. In the 67th, Newcastle came away with a chance on a set piece. Mike Williamson was able to flick an amazing pass to an onrushing Carroll, who sent the ball in with force from 12 yards out. Andy Carroll looked superb, and it was a 4 goal lead. As time started to tick away, the pace understandably dropped, but the Mags weren't done. In the 86th, it was a chance for Shola. Shola put his head to a ball, which was saved initially, but came right back out to Kevin Nolan, who impressed by drilling his second of the match. The crowd went insane, but we still weren't done. In the 89th, former 'Castle defender Habib Beye came in for Villa to a chorus of boos. I love the Toon Army. 3 minutes were added beyond the 90, and 2 minutes deep, Andy Carroll made it a hattie. Streaking in on the right, Carroll was on the receiving end of a perfect pass from Xisco. The well timed play allowed Carroll to stay onside, and he busted in on goal all alone, burying his third and Newcastle's sixth. I'd say he lives up to the #9 hype so far. Who would have expected this outcome??

What the heck kind of lineup led to this?

GK: Steve Harper- The Harp wasn't completely tested in this one, as the pitch seemed tilted in our favor. But, he was there when he needed to be, and of course, I had him on the bench for my fantasy team.

D: Perch, Williamson, Coloccini, and Enrique- James Perch was the best defender of the set in the match, and Williamson was awesome helping out up front. And how about José's cross?

M: Routledge, Smith, Barton, and Gutierrez- I'll say this about the midfield, the were shockingly better than when at Old Trafford. Barton and Smith were the butt of my jokes after we got shafted by the Red Devils, and they completely shut me up in this one. Barton's goal was spot on, and Smith proved he could pitch in. A little more from Wayne-O would have been nice.

F: Nolan and Carroll- There we go. Five of the six goals came from this tandem, just like we all dreamed it would as we thought about the EPL return. Carroll was spot freaking on, and Kevin Nolan proved he deserved the captain's arm band. You knew it would happen for Carroll, but seeing Nolan completely turn things around after last week was splendid. Great stuff.

The win vaults Newcastle to #9 (a sign?) in the EPL table with their 1-1-0 record and 3 points. When looking at the table, one thing becomes clear: Chelsea is nuts. They are 2-0 with a +12 goal differential. Holy crap. It must be hard to root for them! Ahead for 'Castle is a Carling Cup clash tomorrow against Accrington Stanley before getting back to their EPL campaign against Wolverhampton on Saturday. Stanley FC, nicknamed "The 'Owd Reds," are a team that finished 15th in League Two last season. After seeing Newcastle dismantle a team like Aston Villa, there is no fear in this Mag when it comes to the Carling opener. The weekend will bring Wolverhampton to our sites. The Wolves finished 15th in the EPL last season, and are currently 1-1 after drawing at 1s with Everton (cough, bitches) and are sitting on a +1 goal differential. Now I don't mean to offend the Wolves, but they are exactly the type of squad that Newcastle needs to beat to find success this year (aka, not get relegated).

For now, though, let's enjoy the 6-0 triumph.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Hating Jeps, hating Lackey, hating life.

After last night's game, I felt like I'd had enough. Enough of this pathetic season. Little things try to give me a glimmer of hope, the Rays sweeping the Rangers for instance, but inevitably the Halos slam me right back down to Earth fairly quickly. I pump myself up by deciding there is no way we will lose a ninth straight to Boston and a third straight to Lackey, and then it happens. I try not to remember that we could be just 6 games back when I look at the standings to find us sub-.500 and 8 games back, as tears fall onto my cell phone screen. This, however, is the essence of why this blog was created. The Long Suffering Fans was born out of my desire to chronicle the horrible suffering that we all go through as sports fans. I guess I just wish the Angels weren't so eager to drive that reminder home this season. Watch out, Doyer fans, we're coming to join you.

I think if you check back through the blog, you'll find a couple of times where I call Angel fans love of Kevin Jepsen into question. I've always pointed out that he's barely an average reliever out of the 'pen, and that he has a couple of good outings with his hard stuff, and we all think he's a shut down big guy. I think everyone finally understood what I've ben saying, last night. After building up a nice lead, which was shrunk to one, Big Jeps decided to do his best to destroy our dreams. Eventually two hits and two walks found our reliever with the bases loaded, and he had no confidence that he'd be able to work out of the jam. First, a wild pitch saw Victor Martinez cross the plate for the tying run. Then, bases still loaded, a bean ball on Nava saw David Ortiz cross for the winning run. It was straight pathetic stuff. And, while Big Country was throwing the balls, I'd say Mike Scioscia has to shoulder the blame. For years and years we've watched this guy mismanage pitchers. He takes starters out too early, leaves reliever out too long, and just seems to have little idea on when to make a pitching change. He did it again last night. How do you leave Jepsen out there after he clearly didn't have it? We look like a joke thanks to that decision. Not that the 'pen blew an amazing starting effort, or anything. I was wrong about Scott Kazmir being able to sack up one more time, as he went just 5 IP of 4 run ball with more walks than strikeouts. Come on, man.

The offense did all they could with the talent they have. Napoli bombed one over the Monster for his 20th of the year and even Callaspo went yard, a three run job over the right field mini-wall. Reggie "Why Am I In CF Over Hunter?" Willits was the only Halo with two hits, though AC/DV (Alberto Callaspo/Domestic Violence) and Godzilla each had a hit and a walk. It looked like we may have a chance to tie the game back up after Jepsen blew it, as Izzy sent a potential RBI sinking liner into left. The previosuly beaned Daniel Nava, however, went do-or-die and laid out to make a game changing catch. When it doesn't go your way, it pours. Or something like that. It didn't improve morale that Pimple-bon punched out the side in the ninth. In the end, the Sox improved to 9-0 against us this year via the 7-5 win. 

Tiny John and his fat fecking face now gets to gloat all the way to next season, as he bested the Angels for the third straight time in his first year with the enemy. I can't even believe we could let that happen. Are we that weak? Is there anything that can pump us up enough play our brains out? How about the prospect of possibly going 0-10 against a team you swept out of last year's playoffs? Will that get us pumped to win? Doubt it.

If you read this blog, you know I'm kind of hard on Mike Napoli (try googling "hard on Mike Napoli" and see what comes up...not at work), but every once in a while, I have to give him props. With his 20 jacks this season, he has accomplished a fairly epic feat, especially considering not playing full time. As reported to me by Terry Smith as I was driving home from work listening to the game, Napoli is now the only Angels catcher in history to have three straight seasons of 20+ jacks. Better than that, he joins only 18 other (primarily) catchers in MLB history with 3 straight seasons of 20 homeruns or more. Can you believe that? He could easily break the Halo catcher HR record this season (Lance Perrish w/ 22) if they go by his primary position, and over MLB history he joins the likes of Mike Piazza, Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench, and Yogi Berra. During a season like this, even I can admit, Napoli has been good (man, that was hard for me to say).

I'd also like to briefly point out that yesterday I did a little comparison between Peter Bourjos and Jeff Mathis, and today Halos Heaven compared Bourjos to Brandon Wood in their headline. I don't really think either are a completely fair comparison at this point in Speedy Pete's career, but I'd have to say that mine makes more sense (based on Bourjos playing for his defensive skill, like Mathis). Being semi-copied is nice, though.

So, this afternoon we play the Red Sox again. Does it really matter? I'd like to say I've given up, but sadly (because it's just inflicting more emotional pain on me) I haven't. At 60-61, we trail Texas by 8 games, and are (kind of) tied with the A's (59-60), who are also 8 back. In about 40 minutes, Ervin "El Rosario" Santana (12-8, 3.99) goes up against Josh Beckett (3-2, 6.51) in the finale of this three game struggle. Boston carries a BA of .327 over their 9 wins against the Angels, averaging 7.3 runs/game over that span. I have completely no expectations of winning this game, so I guess I'd be pleasantly surprised if we did. 

The lineup is:

Abreu, Izturis, Callaspo, Hunter, Matsui, Kendrick, Aybar, Mathis, and Bourjos. 

Best of luck boys; I'm flying to San Jose for the weekend and not looking back. We'll see you on Monday, pals.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

"Weekly" Football Post #75.

I have plenty to be excited about on this upcoming big football weekend. Here is all the latest, including brief game previews for my squads.

Notre Dame: We are inching ever closer to the September 4 opener against Purdue! The lastest news to come out is from Coach Brian Kelly talking crap on the way Michael Floyd was used in Charlie Weis' offense and how it hid his skills. "I thought Michael Floyd was overhyped, I thought he was at times average. Run down the field and throw it up. He wasn't a precision runner. He wasn't asked to be." Kelly determined that Floyd simply wasn't being given a way to show his talents under Weis. That will all change with Kelly's offense, "He's capable of doing a lot more. He's shown me that he's that guy that can be a complete receiver." Like the team leader he is, Floyd responded well, "It makes me want to work harder. It's just that last year there were a lot of routes that didn't really show too much of our ability to do stuff. Now in this offense, I'm running all kinds of different types of routes." The Weis era is officially over. It's funny, because I felt that Weis didn't do enough of sending Tate and Floyd straight up the field and heaving it up, but what do I know? The new regime is here, and I couldn't be more excited. Looking back to my January 4th post, "Notre Dame's 2010 preview: Part One," I predicted, "This is a ND win. Not an easy one, but we'll get 'em." Come 9/4, we'll find out if I'm right.

Rams: After their 7-28 loss to the Vikings with no offensive touchdowns, the Rams get the new look Browns (and by that, I do not mean the Ravens, but actually the Browns and their new players) this Saturday. Will Sam Bradford show some movement forward in his readiness? Will AJ Feeley look more like the veteran (backup) he is? Will Steven Jackson play? The latest on that last question, is most likely yes. Jackson appears do be doing well, even getting into a scrap with a defensive player during practice earlier this week. Another reason to get excited for the weekend clash with the Browns is the debute of Cincy grad and Brian Kelly product Mardy Gilyard. I've been hoping like crazy that Gilyard can impress enough to be given an opportunity to be an impact guy on offense this year. As a WR, he couldn't have asked to be put on a better team (in terms of WR being a huge need). With 204 catches for 3,003 yards and 25 TDs, Gilyard showed he was a stud at the college level, and we're all just hoping it translates. Defensive end George Selvie is also making some noise for the Rams. Selvie, our 7th rounder from SOUTH Florida (not to be confused with the douchebags in Blue & Orange) had four tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in the test with Minnie. He went seriously underrated in his efforts, even by me. It'll be weird to see Delhomme in a Browns uni, right?

Newcastle: Now that we have that Man United match out of the way, it's time to see what the Toon can really do. We get Aston Villa on Sunday, and as I alluded to in a previous post, this game has a lot of ties for me. From Guzan (Chivas) to Beye ('Castle) to Petrov (Celtic), I was at one time a huge fan of a handful of players on the Villans. Now, I'll be cheering my brains out against these guys as they brawl with my Mags on the pitch as the EPL finally returns to the SJP. Keep in mind that 'Castle went undefeated at St. Jame's Park during their season in the Championship League. Un-freaking-defeated. Also keep in mind that Aston Villa was the last team we played, on the road I'll add, on our final day of our last EPL season. The Villan fans that day did their very best to embarrass us for our relegation to the second division, and that should not be forgotten by either the Toon or their fan base (I'll assure you that it won't). While Villa, as we explored earlier in the week, and still a top of the table team, they are no Manchester, and we MUST step it up against them. Points have to be picked up to stay in the top flight, and why not start now? The game starts at 5:30 am, our time, so I'm dreaming that I'll wake up to a positive result.

Celtic: Prior to Sunday's SPL round two clash with St. Mirren, the Hoops have some Europa League action to take care of. Dutch side FC Utrecht roll into town to battle Lennon and the Bhoys at Celtic Park in about an hour, in the first leg of the qualifier to get into the group stage of the former UEFA Cup. After our bounce by Braga in Champs League qualifying, it'll be important for Celtic to have a solid home match today. Despite his injury after scoring his video-game-esque goal on Saturday against ICT, Paddy McCourt will be fit to play, and he can be joined by Danny Majstorovic who was recently acquire by the Sligo Side. Unfortunately, Jos Hooiveld won't get to go against his fellow countrymen, as he's being held out on a suspension (not exactly sure why). Emilion Izaguierre was also recently acquired (this week) by the Celts, but he'll be held out for today's match. It's quite the important match, as we have yet to show this year that we can compete beyond the SPL level, and getting into the group stage of this competition would bolster not only our image around the soccer world, but also the finances of the club. Neil Lennon knows the benefit of a strong home showing in a two leg battle, seeing Braga take it seriously first hand, and he must have the Bhoys ready. Fingers crossed, lads.

Chivas: After losing to Toronto and drawing with Seattle, Chivas need to get a win again. Going to Pizza Hut Park and trying to steal it from FC Dallas, though, won't be easy. Keep in mind that Mariano "The Trujth" Trujillo will be out thanks to his red card in the Seattle game, Zach "The Beast" Thorton will be in goal with Kennedy still probably out for the season, and Alan "Flash" Gordon will (hopefully) be subbing in so that Braun and Maldo can play together up front for the majority of the game. While the Toros are #3 in the West with their 8-2-9 record and 33 points (that's right, only 2 losses in 19 games), Chivas are motivated by knowing that a win and 3 points could catapult them up the table. A win would give the Goats 22 points, which could help El Rebaño leap frog Houston in the West and climb all the way up to #11 out of the MLS' 16 clubs. We can't keep waiting for the big win that will get us out of the cellar. It has to happen now. Predicted man of the match: Rodolfo Espinoza.

Enjoy your weekend, football fans.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

0-8, Bourjos is Mathis, Angels testing me.

*Just a quick note on the "where are they now" story. Mark Prior has surfaced as a relief pitcher for the Orange County Flyers of Fullerton in the Independent League. I thought Andrew would enjoy the update, being that he was once a devoted fan boy of the USC alumn. In 10 innings of relief work, Prior has punched out 10, allowed 1 ER, and given up two walks and two hits (Halos Heaven provides the info). Maybe he could help our 'pen?

The look on Jered's face in the above picture says it all. With a chance to gain a game on the division leading Rangers, the Halos supremely choked last night at Fenway. Jered Weaver had a personal meltdown, allowing a grand slam to a no name bum, Erick Aybar twice stranded the bases loaded, and the Angels were handed a 0-6 loss to fall to 0-8 against Boston this season.

0-8 against the Red Sox this year. Straight pathetic man. Have they exacted their revenge for last year's dreamy playoff sweep yet (last October really does seem like a dream now)? Jered Weaver was due, I guess, to have a bad start after a long string of good outings lasting back to God knows when. In this one, he allowed a solo bomb to Old McDonald, and a grand salami to a guy (Ryan Kalish) whose last name sounds like some sort of long lost hot dog condiment. The Caveman finished with just 5 innings of 6 run, 2 BB, 4 K work. Has he been hanging out with Kazmir? Speaking of Kaz-berries, wouldn't it have been cooler to switch Scott and Jered's starts, so Kaz could have lost this one while J Weav could have gotten pumped and primed for a Lack Daddy rematch tonight? If only I was Mike Scioscia...I'd eat a lot more lasagna. Trevor "Bozo" Bell was the ONLY bright spot (besides maybe, MAYBE Matsui and Hunter) in this game, and an underrated one at that, going 3 innings of shut down shutout work against Boston. Pin a tail on that clown.

The Halo bats managed 7 hits in the game, and pressured multiple times. If only the threat to score was enough to get runs on the board. In the end, it was 9 (N-I-N-E, 9!) men left on base in this crucial rivalry match. We have to give the "Loser of the Game" award to Erick "F'in" Aybar for his positively pitiful, pathetic performance (4 points for alliteration!). EA Sports came up to the dish TWICE with the bases loaded in the game, and TWICE became the third out of the inning. I'm sorry to be screaming so much in this post, but I'm pissed. Whenever we have a chance to pick up a game lately and then don't even show up to try, my blood starts boiling. Torii Hunter, besides making a homerun saving catch that had me out of my seat (at home) clapping, went 2 for 4, and was joined by Godzilla's 2 for 3 (with a walk) game as the only multi-hit dudes. Props to Callaspo, 1 for 3 with a walk as well.

Opposite of props to my main man Peter Bourjos (0 for 4), who is starting to make me feel he may be Jeff Mathis in disguise. Speedy Pete has impressed the heck out of me and made my stud list. However, a young catcher did the same when he started breaking in. When you look at stats, the potential is scary. I'll be the first to admit that I am a Jeff Mathis-matician fan. However, most fans know Jeff as the "defensive specialist" with no bat. He was hot in April, which had me stoked to get to yell in those fans' faces, but reality has set in. "Booby" Wilson seems set to be the everyday-ish catcher with Naps at first and Math on the bench. And, sadly, I can't complain. Over the last 4 years now (kind of the time since he's mostly been up), his BAs are .211, .194, .211, and .215 (this year). The 2010 edition of Mathis is .215/.234/3/11 in 43 games. I think Jon Davis could have a .234 OBP in the bigs. He's a guy I like (talking again about Mathis, not Davis), who, let's face it, hasn't quite lived up to the MiLB hype once he reached the MLB. Now enter Peter Bourjos. Speedy Pete's hype was maybe even higher than Mathis. Partly spurred on by myself, the debut of Peter was met with high anticipation. And, in the beginning, he looked like he'd live up to it. Fielding like a super star, making running the bases exciting again, and ripping doubles off the wall. However, as reality sets in, Bourjos is hitting .122/.200/0/2 in 12 games with 2 steals and 1 caught stealing. He has 3 walks and 5 hits in 41 ABs, but also 10 Ks. While his thrilling center field play cannot truly be quantified or appreciated without just watching it, his bat has fizzled since coming up 12 games ago. What happened to the .314 contact hitter with 13 jacks from SLC this season? The guy with 27 steals and only 5 caught stealings? I know he's in there, and I know (just like I still kind of believe with Mathis) that he's going to perform at this level. I just want to see him do it soon. 

At 60-60 and now 7.5 games back (Texas gifted us another chance by losing today, and getting swept by Tampa), the Angels are testing my faith. We lead Oakland by 1, and have a chance to make it just a 7 game deficit heading into Thursday's Boston finale. But, with the way the Halos have been playing (first two out of three in poor fashion to Toronto and then last night...insert spitting noise), I feel like the faith of myself and all of Angel Nation is being called into question. But we (by which I mean I, really) cannot give in. Just because it's getting hard, we've been seriously sucking, and we're running out of time does not mean it's over. Nay! We are not destined to go double digits back, as the Dodgers have gone. We refuse! There is only one goal for this season, and that is to chip away at this 7.5 game lead the fading Rangers having built for themselves, make the playoffs, and celebrate just another Halo division title. 

The quest to be good continues tonight, and it couldn't be any more of the kind of game the Angels need to get pumped up. John "Pussy" Lackey (let's just lay it out, here) (10-7, 4.54) is set to make his third and final start of the year against us. So far he's 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA this season against us. We've only tagged him for 9 hits in 14.67 innings. His good form against us led to his hate inspiring comments after getting booed at The Stadium last time out, "The scoreboard talks the loudest...that won't be forgotten, for sure." Well, guess what, dumbass? I already forgot the score of that game, and it was just a couple of weeks ago. In your face. The question is, can Scott "Pussy" Kazmir (again, let's just be real here) (8-10, 6.36) throw his balls around enough to have a third straight "good" start since returning from his trip to the DL for injured pride? Does Kaz-berries have the berries to become a hero in Angels lore by becoming the first to beat Little Jon? I say, yes! The bats will awaken at the sound of Lackey's heaving breathing and Gomer Pile-esque voice. Kazmir will pitch his brains out, giving this one everything he has left in that flamable tank of his. We will beat John Lackey!

7 games back by 7 pm or death!

-- Sent from my Palm Prē