Series Thread: 2015 OPENING SEASON HOME SERIES

[donaldson79]

I did see one replay. Our 1 run and that was a disaster because Fielder did not slide into 2nd. He is doing well with the bat but that is basic base running.

Agreed. That lack of slide made me go crazy.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Random one liner HSOs ...

• Shawn Tolleson instills more confidence than Neftali Feliz
• Prince Fielder is going to have a good year
• Ditto Mitch
• Wonder if Chirinos was thinking "Yea, we got bombed in the 2 games I caught" to Emily Jones' question about "how great it was to get a split in OAK".
• Bass did a heck of a good job in long relief today ... you got to see his play of the day if you haven't

You may be right on those first 3 one liners.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Damn the heavens opened up in Houston. It would have been rained out in 20 minutes had the same rain came to Arlington.

If only that had happened here.

 

[darrylgann]

Gerry Fraley ‏@gfraley 3h3 hours ago

Luke Jackson: Eight baserunners, two on homers, in four innings tonight with Triple-A Round Rock. He's not ready.

 

[donaldson79]

I don't buy into the "Nolan Curse" stuff. But whatever it is, it sure doesn't look like we're gonna get that boot off our neck anytime soon.

Rua headed toward the DL, and Choo day-to-day.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

I don't buy into the "Nolan Curse" stuff. But whatever it is, it sure doesn't look like we're gonna get that boot off our neck anytime soon.

Rua headed toward the DL, and Choo day-to-day.

I think the injury bug will always be an issue for Choo. I wish it wasn't as I know he would be productive otherwise.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

One thing the Rangers organization did for Hamilton is they were always behind him and the fans were too until they were just fed up with it in that last game against Baltimore. He had the support here he needed. But he got what he really wanted - money.

The Angels have turned their back on Josh Hamilton when he needs them most - Yahoo Sports

 

[donaldson79]

One thing the Rangers organization did for Hamilton is they were always behind him and the fans were too until they were just fed up with it in that last game against Baltimore. He had the support here he needed. But he got what he really wanted - money.

The Angels have turned their back on Josh Hamilton when he needs them most - Yahoo Sports

Unfortunately I think this is too true. And how sad. Guy could've been one of the greatest - even after his horrid beginnings - had he accepted/faced his problems in the light of reality.

I bet the Angels are able to wiggle out of at least some of his contract. But I always wonder, in the long run, if this does a team any good. The whole baseball world is watching what they're pulling.

 

[DT LUNA]

Don't stand at the bottom of the hill. It rolls that way and will get on ya.

 

[scotsman1948]

One thing the Rangers organization did for Hamilton is they were always behind him and the fans were too until they were just fed up with it in that last game against Baltimore. He had the support here he needed. But he got what he really wanted - money.

The Angels have turned their back on Josh Hamilton when he needs them most - Yahoo Sports

it wasn't so much they turned their back on him as much as they thought they were signing a grown-up and instead got a child who has no self-control or discipline. once they realized that they just left him to his own devices (or is it vices?)

 

[donaldson79]

it wasn't so much they turned their back on him as much as they thought they were signing a grown-up and instead got a child who has no self-control or discipline. once they realized that they just left him to his own devices (or is it vices?)

First, I honestly don't think the Angels thought they were signing a grown man, but more of a man/child. There was just too much information in the pipeline - recent too - which indicated "sign-at-your-own-risk." So I'm not letting the Angels off the hook for squat.

Not letting Hamilton off either. He should be - especially with the amount of money he has available to help assist him with babysitters/counselors/drivers, etc - able to conduct himself like an adult? Absolutely.

 

[Windingmywatch]

I bet a couple of his former teammates are a mixture of sad and mad about Hamilton's plunge that started even as he was just joining LAA but which has reached the insurmountable point now.

We remember his first day with TEX and how Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and even Milton Bradley (that stable rock of a guy) all welcomed Josh to the team and the family. I know across the entire roster thousands of hours were spent being with him, keeping him positive and being his friend without precondition.

TEX the organization knew they had a very fragile but extremely talented guy and it was mostly positive day in and day out. Good plays on the field ... diving for balls we cringed about. Ruthian home runs including the show in Yankee Stadium. And on the bases ... remembering him scoring from second on an infield grounder (Elvis did it too but Josh did it first). Two trips to the World Series would not have happened without him.

But it took lots of work day in and day out and 95% of it we didn't see or hear about. The World Series disappointments built up. Dispirited play for weeks on end ... a sort of depression ... signaled the end. Everyone was exhausted.

Josh moved on to a far more lucrative contract with LAA ... but that was not the family who had cared for him in Texas. So I imagine while they have moved on I bet Young, Kinsler and even Bradley have tweeted amongst themselves wondering what they can do or should do for their old teammate. In the end -- they are mad and sad.

 

[donaldson79]

I bet a couple of his former teammates are a mixture of sad and mad about Hamilton's plunge that started even as he was just joining LAA but which has reached the insurmountable point now.

We remember his first day with TEX and how Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and even Milton Bradley (that stable rock of a guy) all welcomed Josh to the team and the family. I know across the entire roster thousands of hours were spent being with him, keeping him positive and being his friend without precondition.

TEX the organization knew they had a very fragile but extremely talented guy and it was mostly positive day in and day out. Good plays on the field ... diving for balls we cringed about. Ruthian home runs including the show in Yankee Stadium. And on the bases ... remembering him scoring from second on an infield grounder (Elvis did it too but Josh did it first). Two trips to the World Series would not have happened without him.

But it took lots of work day in and day out and 95% of it we didn't see or hear about. The World Series disappointments built up. Dispirited play for weeks on end ... a sort of depression ... signaled the end. Everyone was exhausted.

Josh moved on to a far more lucrative contract with LAA ... but that was not the family who had cared for him in Texas. So I imagine while they have moved on I bet Young, Kinsler and even Bradley have tweeted amongst themselves wondering what they can do or should do for their old teammate. In the end -- they are mad and sad.

I don't know Winding; maybe yes, maybe no.

For the most part, I'm pretty sure playing professional baseball - all unto itself - is incredibly demanding and takes a huge amount of preparation/concentration/commitment, for each individual. To go above and beyond in the name of assisting a teammate with a purely self-imposed problem is magnanimous all by itself. And they did it for 5 years; well, some for 5 anyway.

I'm sure they are saddened and frustrated by it. But frankly - perhaps even mean spiritedly - at some point ya gotta go, "hey, I've got a life too, and I'm done with trying to assist in the management of your, out-of-control-ass."

 

[saddles]

I think the injury bug will always be an issue for Choo. I wish it wasn't as I know he would be productive otherwise.

He is at that age when those things are more likely to happen. I never liked the signing for that very reason, but even I didn't expect it to be so bad in his first two seasons here.

 

[jaar01]

The Angels, and specifically Arte Moreno, are showing their true colors here. They knew EXACTLY what they were getting when they "Yankeed" Hamilton away from the Rangers. Hamilton had a relapse, and now he's basically an invisible nobody in Anaheim. Moreno is a prick. I don't like how Hamilton's Ranger career ended. He essentially quit on the team. But to try and cut the cord with him simply because he made a mistake is loathsome. Moreno agreed to all the baggage that came with him when he overpaid for his services, and is trying to wiggle out of the deal simply because Hamilton hasn't delivered on the field. Moreno, and the Angel organization, suck.

 

[saddles]

One thing the Rangers organization did for Hamilton is they were always behind him and the fans were too until they were just fed up with it in that last game against Baltimore. He had the support here he needed. But he got what he really wanted - money.

The Angels have turned their back on Josh Hamilton when he needs them most - Yahoo Sports

I remember saying before he left that he would be foolish to leave this place because of the support he had here. Him and his wife made a very foolish decision. If he would have just come back here for a reasonable amount of money and tried hard the next spring everything would have been fine with most of the local fans and I believe he would have had more success. He needs what this team gave him to have success and for some reason was too proud to realize that.

 

[Windingmywatch]

I remember saying before he left that he would be foolish to leave this place because of the support he had here. Him and his wife made a very foolish decision. If he would have just come back here for a reasonable amount of money and tried hard the next spring everything would have been fine with most of the local fans and I believe he would have had more success. He needs what this team gave him to have success and for some reason was too proud to realize that.

Amen Bemmie -- you are 100% correct.

 

[donaldson79]

I remember saying before he left that he would be foolish to leave this place because of the support he had here. Him and his wife made a very foolish decision. If he would have just come back here for a reasonable amount of money and tried hard the next spring everything would have been fine with most of the local fans and I believe he would have had more success. He needs what this team gave him to have success and for some reason was too proud to realize that.

I know JD and Co stand by the company line they wanted to keep Josh. But to me this doesn't ring true.

Hamilton had wore out the FO, the on-field mgmt team, as well as his teammates while here. After 5 years of all his codding, the players had to be worn out with the constant double-standard. That works when you're producing at a high level. But when you quit on the team and stop producing, the sympathy truck follows shortly thereafter.

I said it then, I was thrilled to see him go, and strongly suspected the Angels had royally screwed themselves in the process. Mission accomplished.

 

[saddles]

I know JD and Co stand by the company line they wanted to keep Josh. But to me this doesn't ring true.

Hamilton had wore out the FO, the on-field mgmt team, as well as his teammates while here. After 5 years of all his codding, the players had to be worn out with the constant double-standard. That works when you're producing at a high level. But when you quit on the team and stop producing, the sympathy truck follows shortly thereafter.

I said it then, I was thrilled to see him go, and strongly suspected the Angels had royally screwed themselves in the process. Mission accomplished.

The reason I think JD wanted to sign him was based on JD's press conference or interview right afterwards where JD actually seemed hurt that Josh wouldn't wait for an offer from us. He didn't seem hurt when CJ, or Napoli or Cruz left, but he sure seemd hurt when Josh left.

 

[RevSader]

The Hamilton story is so intriguing. It's amazing the kind of support Hamilton is receiving from across the sports world. The Angels are taking so many PR hits over this story it's hilarious to watch them spin their wheels. Pragmatically, I agree it's ridiculous that Hamilton didn't get suspended and will get to receive full pay.

And also selfishly I can enjoy that he did not get suspended and will continue to make the Angels front office look bad while they look for every way possible to weasel out of the contract that they offered and he signed. That's the free market bitches. Deal with it.