Sometimes ignorance is bliss!
Torii Hunter is “not concerned.”
GM Jerry Dipoto says, “Too early to panic.”
Manager Mike Scioscia always has excuses well scripted over the last ten years.
The fans disagree. Make no mistake: The Angels’ problems are serious.
It’s time Scoscia stops making excuses. It’s getting old and stale and we’re heard it for ten years. Ever since 2002 and the subsequent loss of his key coaches (Madden, Black and Roenicke) the Angels have steadily disappointed us.
* The relief pitching corps is killing the team, just like last year. It is time to panic. As of this writing their record is 6-10 when it should be the reverse. No good relievers means extra pressure on the starters followed by loss of morale for the whole team.
* Maybe some senior mega-vitamins might help.
* Lets’s review a few things: In the last few years they have spent $50 million on Gary Mathews Jr., $19 million on Bobby Abreu, $73 million on Vernon Wells and most recently $254 million with Albert Pujols. Do the math and that means roughly $400 million dollars with little return to date. Certainly they could have used a small fraction of that to acquire a “lights out” reliever.
* Time and again management has equated four or five over the hill, tired, journeyman relievers
with one good reliever and closer. Since the previous GM traded away may of our good young starting pitchers, we have little left to pursue a trade.
* Sadly it is time to say good-by to Wells, Abreu, Alberto Callaspo and just about all of their relievers except for Scott Downs.
* Put Mark Trumbo at third base and leave him there. Decide on a staring lineup and leave it alone. Never ever trade him. Bring up the rookies now! Next year is now.
* The Angel hitters go south as a group faster than any team in baseball. Therefore get a new hitting coach. Get a new pitching coach.
* Maybe Mike Scioscia should go to the front office for a few months’ vacation and give bench coach Rob Piccolo a chance. Dipoto has done a great job in his first few months. but he shouldn’t kid himself.
If you think those 11 losses this early in the season don’t count just wait until the
final week of the season.
It is time to panic if you really want to make the playoffs.
