AGRI Biz

  Man, I wish I could have been part of the arbitration process for Jeff Mathis. Mathis asked for $1.3 million, the team offered a measly $700,000. Hey that was an insult. The man hit .211, after all! Since I wasn’t there, I can only imagine how it went. Maybe something like this: ARBITRATOR: We are here to assess the 2009 season of catcher Jeff Mathis of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. ...

We all know the well-publicized losses of the Los Angeles Angels: Chone Figgins, John "The Traitor" Lackey, Darren Oliver, and Rex Hudler. They all hurt in one way or another, although for my money, Figgins is a loss worth losing. I want to see what Brandon Wood can do, and there are other players to fill the gap if he flames out. Losing Lackey is, of course, a huge setback, especially considering ...

Okay Angels fans, weÆve got a "good news, bad news" situation on our hands. The good news: Word on the street is the Angels are again in the hunt for the great Roy Halladay. The bad news: Word on the street is their offer might include Jered Weaver. And that is very bad news, indeed. To include Weaver in any trade is a stinker deal. Jered Weaver is a couple of seasons, at most, ...

You know the old saying, ôFool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on meö Well, thatÆs how I felt about the LA Angels' lineup the last few years. DonÆt get me wrong, IÆm happy that they are such perennial contenders, and the victory over the Boston Red Sox in the 2009 playoffs was fantastic. But the way they played against the New York Yankees brought back bitter memories ...

ItÆs too bad this isnÆt golf, where a weaker player gets a handicap, because the Angels are playing every game with one less player. The clean-up hitter. ItÆs a vacuum, a non-existent, game-sucking, anchor-dropping, win-defying, gut- wrenching, canÆt-stand-to-watch-anymore shadow of a once great player. Vladimir Guerrero has left the building. And unfortunately, heÆs taking the entire Angels team with him. Vladimir will be remembered as a great guy and a great player, one who had ...

Wow, that was close. I donÆt know what keeps you up at night, but I know what would have kept up Reggie Willits. What is it that goats eat again? It was a wonderful, strange, incredible game. Plenty of articles are being written on the amazing comeback. And it was amazing. The best game in Angels history since game 6 of the 2002 World Series. But it didnÆt feel like it was going to be ...

ThatÆs right. A prediction. The Angels and Twins and Angels will meet in the ALCS. It all came clear to me watching the Twins run into each otherÆs arms after the Detroit win. Why will the Angels beat Boston?áWell, I have certainly expressed in earlier articles why they wouldnÆt, and why they havenÆt. But now I am saying they WILL. for one simple reason. Because I feel it. IsnÆt that what predictions are based ...

á They havenÆt been for the last four playoff series. They werenÆt in the last series of the regular season. What will make this year different? Maybe nothing. ItÆs not a question of talent. The Angels have as much physical talent as Boston, maybe more. ItÆs a question of the one thing that separates the great athletes from the average ones, the losers from the winners. Pressure. Who can handle it and who canÆt. And ...

For Angel fans, right now, at this moment, the World Series is looking far away. TheyÆre not winning. Their bullpen is unreliable. Their hitters are swinging like Vladdy. The Red Sox are waiting. The opening round is best of five. LetÆs take a look at them one at a time: 1. TheyÆre not winning. This would be a bigger problem if the Texas Rangers hadnÆt tanked the last few weeks. Yes, the lead is down to five, ...

Let’s face it, the Angels are just not taken seriously. They’re Disneyland, beach balls, happy fans. They’re not charging the mound. Screaming at umps. Kicking dirt on a base. They’re West coast cool. Snappy red uniforms. Big smiles. The best place to play. And they’re getting scr***d. Over and over again. Anyone remember the 2005 playoff series against the Chicago White Sox? So many calls went against the Angels it felt fixed. Happened again tonight against ...