Monkey With A Halo

2010 Player Preview: Ervin Santana

Garrett Wilson — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:47:32 +0000

After a rough 2009 season, the Angels are once again questioning what they have in the talented but frustrating Ervin Santana. Will he get his career back on track in 2010 or will it just be another head-scratching year for Ervin?

2009 Stats: 139.2 IP, 8-8, 159 H, 47 BB, 107 K, 5.03 ERA, 1.55 WHIP

2010 Bill James Projections: 183.0 IP, 10-10, 187 H, 57 BB, 152 K, 4.23 ERA, 1.33 WHIP

2010 Chone Projections: 173.0 IP, 10-10, 180 H, 51 BB, 143 K, 4.47 ERA, 1.34 WHIP

2010 Marcel Projections: 151.0 IP, 9-8, 154 H, 46 BB, 131 K, 4.41 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

2010 Monkey Projections*: 165.0 IP, 13-11, 175 H, 40 BB, 145 K, 4.25 ERA, 1.30 WHIP

*All stats courtesy of FanGraphs.com except the Monkey Projections which are strictly based on my own knowledge, logic and intuition.

2009 Review: It was an odd year for Ervin Santana and by that I don’t mean a strange year but rather a year that ended with an odd number, so that obviously meant he was in for a rough go and sure enough he was. Santana was one of many Angel starters to begin the season on the disabled list but even when he came back he never really seemed fully healthy. It wasn’t until the final two months of the season that Ervin started to come around, but even then it seemed like it was more smoke and mirrors than it was the return of his stellar stuff. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Ervin was so low on the rotation totem pole that he was the guy who lost his rotation spot and was forced into the bullpen.

3 Questions for 2010:

Will Ervin be able to stay healthy? Health has to be a real concern for Santana coming into the season since he did have to make multiple trips to the disabled list last season. There was even some grumblings that he was going to have to undergo Tommy John surgery at one point, but he seemed to get to a healthy enough state to finish the year strong. That doesn’t mean Ervin is totally out of the woods yet, so keep a close eye on his elbow this in 2010.
Can Santana keep the ball in the yard? What really hurt Santana last season was the long ball. Even though he pitched a mere 139.2, he allowed 24 home runs, just two shy of his career-high. That left Ervin with a groan-inducing 1.55 HR/9 rate. The good news is that his career HR/9 rate is just 1.18, so 2009 could have been something of a fluke… or not, since he had an almost identical homer rate in his 2007 campaign which was not so coincidentally the worst year of his career. It seems pretty obvious that we will get a good feel for what kind of season Santana is going to have based on how prone to gopheritis he is early in the season.
Is he the next Ramon Ortiz? Great stuff, not so great results. That is always the story for Ervin Santana who always seems to have some kind of excuse for his struggles with consistency. Let’s not forget that this is a guy who forgot how to pitch on the road a few seasons ago. Santana is headed into the prime years of his career though, so if ever there was a time for him to finally have the fabled “it” just click for him, it is now.

2010 Preview: This alternating between great and terrible years thing is getting old and I think that this is the year it will come to and end for Ervin. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean he is going to be great from here on out. There might be stretches of greatness all the way but expect another up-and-down season from Ervin. There is always going to be something that throws Santana out of whack, be it injuries or mechanical issues in his delivery, I just don’t think that Ervin is ever going to put it all together. Still, he does have great stuff and likely be good in more starts than he is bad, making him a nice middle of the rotation starter, just not the ace that his innate talent says he should be.

Halo Headlines – 3/10/10

Garrett Wilson — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:45:18 +0000

The Story: Joel Pineiro was scratched from his start on Tuesday because he had a tooth fall out. The Monkey Says: How does a tooth just fall out? Joel, you make $8 million per year, get your ass to a dentist every once in awhile, I’m pretty sure you can afford it.
The Story: Chris Pettit is out for the season after opting to undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. The Monkey Says: And then there were two. The fifth outfielder job is now pretty much up to just Reggie Willits and Terry Evans now with Willits holding a major edge, though there is a small chance the Angels end up carrying them both.
The Story: Scot Shields and Kevin Jepsen pass their test. The Monkey Says: They both threw simulated games today and each got very positive reviews. Hopefully they will appear in a real game in the very near future.
The Story: Hideki Matsui is showing off a great sense of humor early in camp. The Monkey Says: More importantly, Matsui got to show off his bat for the first time yesterday as he finally made his spring debut for the team.
The Story: True Grich ponders the meaning of the Angels’ new slogan, “Tradition.” The Monkey Says: I tend to think the new slogan is more about the Angels establishing a new tradition of being a perennial contender and playing the game their way.

Halo Headlines – 3/9/10

Garrett Wilson — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:22:21 +0000

The Story: Kendry Morales made his spring debut yesterday. The Monkey Says: K-Mo had two run-scoring hits and helped the Angels win their first game of Spring Training. Hmmm, Kendry returns and the Angels win for the first time, that can’t be a coincidence.
The Story: The Angels reunited with Vladimir Guerrero for the first time yesterday. The Monkey Says: It isn’t like I didn’t know that Vlad signed with Texas, but it really cut me deep to see Guerrero wearing a Texas Ranger uniform.
The Story: Kevin Jepsen, Scot Shields and Scott Kazmir will all pitch simulated games this week. The Monkey Says: I’ve always wanted to see a simulated game. I’ve always imagined that it was like one of the simulations in the Danger Room of Professor Xavier’s mansion. Or maybe I just need to stop reading comic books. Oh yeah, this is good news as all three have been slowed by injuries early in camp.
The Story: Former MLB GM (and current alleged embezzler) Jim Bowden interviews Tony Reagins and three other GMs. The Monkey Says: The most notable point that Reagins’ makes is that he is not concerned about their lack of a left middle reliever. I tend to agree with him in that the Angels have a collection of highly effective righties who can get lefties out but I also partly think it won’t be a problem once Brian Fuentes loses his closer job, freeing himself up to be used as more of a situational southpaw.
The Story: Joe Saunders = Zach Greinke? Not quiteDaily Links f. The Monkey Says: Ah yes, the popular but blissfully ignorant notion that Saunders just wins games. How is it that some people can so willfully keep ignoring advanced statistics?
The Story: Troy Percival visited Angels camp this week. The Monkey Says: Percy was back as a guest instructor. I’m not sure what he has to teach besides “just throw a really hard fastball” every time, but it is still nice to see Percival anyway.
The Story: Catching up with Hank Conger. The Monkey Says: It is a pretty vanilla interview with young Hank, but it is good to hear him talk about how his shoulder is finally feeling fully healthy again. His defense and health are the only things holding him back right now and if he can put those concerns behind him this year, he could be in Anaheim on Opening Day 2011.
The Story: Taking the next step with Peter Bourjos. The Monkey Says: Interesting projections though they obviously aren’t scientific or anything. My concern is more with where and when Bourjos will play when he reaches the majors since Torii Hunter is blocking him from center field for at least the next three years.

Spring Training Rewind: Week 1

Garrett Wilson — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:17:40 +0000

Let’s take a look back at the week that was in Spring Training for the LA Angels:

3/4 vs. White Sox (4-4 Tie)

Highlights:

Joel Pineiro made his pseudo-debut for the Angels in two innings of work. He gave up a run and three hits, but all three hits were singles and Pineiro got three groundouts (including a double play) to go with two strikeouts. Looks to me like his sinker is already ahead of schedule.
Brian Stokes made an early statement in his first action as an Angel, pitching two hitless innings (though he did walk two). His spot in the bullpen should be a given, but starting like this definitely doesn’t hurt.
The first Angel homer of the spring goes to Mike Napoli who hit a big opposite field blast.
Erick Aybar worked a walk in one of his three plate appearances as the Angels new leadoff hitter. I’m not saying it means anything, I’m just pointing it out.

Lowlights:

Three errors for the Angels. That is why it is Spring Training, I guess. One of the errors went to Hank Conger who is not off to a good start in terms of proving his defense is getting close to matching his bat.
Anthony Ortega got lit up in his two innings of work, costing the Angels the win. We shouldn’t be too hard on Ortega since he is working his way back from an injury-riddled 2009, but after seeing him get torched like this after he got abused in his brief call-up with the Angels certainly makes me think he has a long way to go to move his name back up the Angels’ depth chart.
Maicer Izturis got the start at DH and was in the five-hole in the line-up. I’m going to just cross my fingers that this is Sosh’s way of getting Maicer more at-bats in the game and not some new hare-brained batting order idea he has for his personal pet player.

3/5 vs. Rockies (7-5 Loss)

Highlights:

Maicer Izturis got his shot at batting leadoff and performed quite well, getting a hit and drawing two walks in his three plate appearances. Mike Scioscia is smiling.
Robb Quinlan might have the inside track on one of the final bench spot if his two consecutive starts are any indicator. I am not actually sure this is a highlight, but it is a for Quinlan, just not the Angels who are likely better off going with Freddy Sandoval.

Lowlights:

Dammit! Torii Hunter managed to re-injure his groin while sliding in to a base in this game. He says he is going to be OK, but considering all the problems the same injury gave him the second half of last season, this is definitely cause for concern.
Two games in a row for Howie Kendrick. He better clean that up in a hurry because we all know that Scioscia won’t hesitate to give some of Howie’s playing time to Izturis, especially if he has the excuse of a defensive upgrade.
Sean O’Sullivan might have already eliminated himself as a dark horse for one of the final spots in the bullpen by getting bombed for five runs in 1.1 innings of work. I hope he renewed his lease on his apartment in Salt Lake.
Brian Fuentes is happy with his appearance in that he got two strikeouts, but he did still give up two hits, a walk and an earned run. Talk about lowering the bar for your own personal goals.

3/6 @ Athletics (4-2 Loss)

Highlights:

Michael Ryan had his second straight productive outing and might start getting some talk as a dark horse for a bench spot if he keeps it up. He does have the advantage of having some MLB experience on his resume, so it isn’t totally far-fetched.
Rafael Rodriguez was sharp in his debut, pitching 1.1 perfect innings in his first action of the spring. R-Rod likely won’t break camp with the Angels, but if he keeps pitching like this, he’ll be one of the first guys called up should injury strike the Halo relievers.

Lowlights:

Make it three games in a row for Howie Kendrick committing an error. It is one thing to be a little rusty, but this is beyond that now and getting into the camp of being a real concern.
Jered Weaver didn’t exactly make an awe-inspiring start to the spring in his quest to be the Angel ace. One bad spring start isn’t anything to worry about, but still, if he wants to be the top dog in the rotation he is going to have to step it up next time out.

Halo Headlines – 3/8/10

Garrett Wilson — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:08:56 +0000

The Story: Torii Hunter aggravated his old groin injury but says he will be OK. The Monkey Says: Sonuvabitch. Torii may say he is OK, but Angel fans should be cautious as this is the same groin that sent him to the DL for several weeks last year. It was supposed to be repaired by surgery this off-season and if he is tweaking it this soon into the spring, I have a hard time believing it won’t be a problem later on in the year.
The Story: Emotions were high when statues of Nick Adenhart and Preston Gomez were brought into the Angel clubhouse. The Monkey Says: A very somber reminder to the Angels about the hardships they fought through last season and a move that definitely should serve as motivation for the team again this year.
The Story: Jon Wilhite has made an amazing recovery from the life-threatening injuries he suffered in the Nick Adenhart car accident. The Monkey Says: It sounds as if Wilhite is almost fully healthy again despite being internally decapitated in the crash which supposedly is almost impossible to survive much less fully recover from. That, my friends, is a miracle.
The Story: Will Hideki Matsui really play the outfield this year? The Monkey Says: We all know he will since Mike Scioscia insisted on playing Vlad Guerrero and Garret Anderson in the field long past their ability to even be average fielders. The idea that there is no risk involved is laughable since Matsui is playing on bad knees and would be subjected to unnecessary wear and tear by patrolling left field.
The Story: Fernando Rodney has been cleared to throw off the mound. The Monkey Says: And the Frodney ERA is now ready to begin. Excuse me if I don’t plan a parade in his honor.
The Story: This could be Scot Shields’ last season as an Angel. The Monkey Says: Even if Shields has a bounceback year, history suggests the Angels will let him leave in free agency just like they have with almost all of their other veterans in recent years.
The Story: Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria is now free to sign with any team. The Monkey Says: The Angels have shown interest in the prospect, but the Cubs and Yankees seem like they are bound to outbid them.
The Story: The Angels are stacked with a deep rotation. The Monkey Says: I like the premise that the Angels may not have a real ace but are more than happy to have five number two starters. First off, not only does that make some big assumptions about Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana and Joel Pineiro but what really bothers me is the mentality of being OK with a collection of solid starters when we have seen plenty of proof that you need more than above average starters to win in the post-season.
The Story: Freddy Sandoval’s versatility shines for the Angels. The Monkey Says: I sure hope it shines because I would much rather he make the team than Robb Quinlan.
The Story: Mike Scioscia is eager to get Brandon Wood’s power into the line-up. The Monkey Says: Or so he says until he realizes that Maicer Izturis won’t have a starting job then I am sure Izzy will be starting at third and batting fifth before you know it.

2010 Player Preview: Jeff Mathis

Garrett Wilson — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:48:41 +0000

The great catcher debate heads into its fourth year in Anaheim and once again Jeff Mathis and his lifeless bat remains a major part of the equation. There is some hope that Mathis might finally be turning the corner with his hitting after a strong playoff performance, but was it just a fluke or will Mathis’ glove have to carry him once again?

2009 Stats: 237 AB, .211 AVG, 26 R, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 2 SB, .596 OPS

2010 Bill James Projections: 238 AB, .218 AVG, 30 R, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 2 SB, .640 OPS

2010 Chone Projections: 339 AB, .218 AVG, 46 R, 8 HR, 40 RBI, 2 SB, .635 OPS

2010 Marcel Projections: 322 AB, .224 AVG, 41 R, 9 HR, 43 RBI, 3 SB, .656 OPS

2010 Monkey Projections*: 200 AB, .195 AVG, 20 R, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 1 SB, .615 OPS

*All stats courtesy of FanGraphs.com except the Monkey Projections which are strictly based on my own knowledge, logic and intuition.

2009 Review: Another year for Mathis meant another year of putrid production at the plate. Mathis was unable to hit for either average or power in 2009 yet still managed to get a relatively even split of time in the battery with Mike Napoli. What earned Mathis his innings was his superior defense as can be seen by him beating Napoli in catcher ERA by nearly a run in 2009 (3.95 vs. 4.86). It really wasn’t until Mathis got hot in the batter’s box in the ALCS that anyone thought he might finally be ready to fill all the promise the organization thought he had years ago. It was a long time coming, but it at least provided some glimmer of hope that Mathis might soon be more than a strong defensive back-up catcher.

3 Questions for 2010:

How will Mathis split time with Mike Napoli? Isn’t this always the question? By all rights, Mike Napoli should be getting a vast majority of the at-bats at catcher by virtue of his mighty bat. However, Napoli just can’t seem to get his act together behind the dish thus creating a role for Mathis. There is little doubt Mathis is he superior defender, but his playing time will always be dictated more by how Napoli performs defensively than anything else.
Can he build on his playoff success with the bat? How this question is answered will largely answer the above question as well. If Mathis can just be a below average hitter rather than a threat to have the Mendoza line renamed the Mathis line, Mike Scioscia might not be able to help himself with giving Mathis starts. Being a former catcher, Sosh places a premium on the defense of his backstop and Mathis will always be at least a rung or two (if not seven) above Napoli on the defensive ladder. If Mathis can show the same powerful and potent bat that he did in the ALCS, he might finally move ahead of Napoli on the depth chart for good.
Might Mathis get traded before the regular season? I admit, I am kind of throwing crap against a wall and seeing if it will stick here, but I think it would make a lot of sense for the Angels to see if they can’t get some value for Mathis on the trade market in the next few weeks. They have a capable replacement for Mathis waiting in the wings in the form of Bobby Wilson, someone they are likely to lose if Mathis isn’t dealt since Wilson is out of options. Plus with Hank Conger getting closer and closer to major-league ready, there just isn’t many compelling reasons to keep Mathis around for the sake of a small upgrade at #2 catcher. If they could get a decent prospect for Mathis, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mathis end up getting dealt.

2010 Preview: I think this is finally going to be the year that Napoli separates himself from his best buddy Mathis. That means at-bats are going to be a little harder to come by for Jeff. Frankly, that should be expected anyway since he got some extra at-bats last year when Napoli was moved to DH for a few weeks. Not only do I expect Napoli to perform better defensively (I will explain this later when I preview Napoli himself), but I think Mathis is destined to always be an offensive liability. Just because he got hot for a week in October doesn’t mean he suddenly learned how to hit. Mathis will still play once or twice each time through the rotation, but with so many question marks in the Angel line-up, I just don’t see Scioscia having much tolerance for Mathis’ impotent stick.

Halo Headlines – 3/5/10

Garrett Wilson — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:53:56 +0000

The Story: The Angels first Spring Training game ended in a 4-4 tie with the White Sox. The Monkey Says: A tie?!?! There’s no tying in baseball!!! Highlights of the game included Mike Napoli going yard while the lowlights included three Angel errors.
The Story: The Angels have signed six of their young players to new contracts. The Monkey Says: Brandon Wood, Jason Bulger, Brian Stokes, Rafael Rodriguez, Matt Palmer and Kevin Jepsen all go the privilege of being told how much money they will be making this season whether they like it or not as they don’t have enough experience to be arbitration-eligible yet.
The Story: Ranking the General Managers in MLB. The Monkey Says: Tony Reagins checks in at 15th apparently just because he hasn’t been on the job for very long despite the ranker not finding any real flaws on his resume. Brilliant work.
The Story: Bobby Abreu has sold his old condo New York. The Monkey Says: Well at least we know he is here to stay now… or maybe we already knew that when he signed a new two-year contract.
The Story: Scot Shields and Kevin Jepsen are throwing off the mound again and Fernando Rodney should join them soon. The Monkey Says: This Frodney singing just keeps looking better doesn’t it? At least Shields and Jepsen are getting healthy.
The Story: Joel Pineiro is using all of his doubters as motivation this season. The Monkey Says: I’m glad he is motivated but I’d still feel a lot better if I knew he still had Dave Duncan on speed dial.
The Story: Bobby Abreu inspires his teammates on and off the field. The Monkey Says: I find it interesting that that he is getting credited for bringing a more laid back demeanor to the Angel clubhouse. I have to say I never really thought that would be a problem for the Angels. If anything they need someone a more fiery to inject some grit and toughness into the roster.
The Story: Mark Gubicza talks about his new announcing partner Victor Rojas. The Monkey Says: Of course, Gubi has nothing but nice things to say but I got the scoop on Rojas from our network’s Ranger blogger since Rojas used to be the Texas lead announcer. He generally thinks Rojas is good at his job but can be a bit arrogant at times, especially when it comes to him recalling his very brief playing days.

2010 Player Preview: Joel Pineiro

Garrett Wilson — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:55:32 +0000

Joel Pineiro revived his career thanks to a new pitch in 2009, but the Angels were the only team really willing to take a chance that Pineiro’s strong 2009 showing was nothing more than a fluke. Will the gamble pay off for the Halos or will Pineiro’s miracle pitch let him down?

2009 Stats: 214.0 IP, 15-12, 218 H, 27 BB, 105 K, 3.49 ERA, 1.14 WHIP

2010 Bill James Projections: 205.0 IP, 12-11, 224 H, 53 BB, 118 K, 4.17 ERA, 1.35 WHIP

2010 Chone Projections: 168.0 IP, 10-9, 198 H, 35 BB, 79 K, 4.45 ERA, 1.39 WHIP

2010 Marcel Projections: 176.0 IP, 11-10, 187 H, 38 BB, 100 K, 4.04 ERA, 1.28 WHIP

2010 Monkey Projections*: 140.0 IP, 7-9, 155 H, 40 BB, 65 K, 4.65 ERA, 1.39 WHIP

*All stats courtesy of FanGraphs.com except the Monkey Projections which are strictly based on my own knowledge, logic and intuition.

2009 Review: With his career teetering on the edge of extinction, Joel Pineiro resorted to desperate measures in 2009 in an attempt to salvage his once promising career. That desperate act turned out to be Pineiro adding a sinking fastball to his repertoire and it successfully gave Pineiro a much more promising future. Relying heavily on his new pitch, Pineiro had one of the best seasons of his career despite being on the wrong side of 30 years old.

3 Questions for 2010:

Is this sinker thing for real? The staggering jump in groundball/flyball ratio speaks to the impact of his newly discovered sinker. Last season, Joel induced grounders more than 60% of the time. Before last season, Pineiro has topped out at 48.6% grounders. That is just too much of a difference to be an anomaly. The only problem will be for Pineiro to keep his sinker in top form without the guiding hand of pitching coach extraordinaire Dave Duncan. Mike Butcher is good, Duncan is the best.
Is durability going to be a problem? The facts are simple. Pineiro threw 214 innings last year, but has only once topped 200 innings in his previous eight seasons as a pro and that season came all the way back in 2003. It wasn’t long ago that Joel was bouncing around on minor league contracts because of all his arm problems. The Angels are hoping Pineiro can be an innings-eater, but they should just be hoping he can avoid a trip to the disabled list.
Can Pineiro make the transition back to the American League? Going from the pitcher-friendly National League to the American League is no small task for any starting pitcher, especially a guy like Pineiro who allows so much contact. However, Pineiro is no stranger to the AL as he spent his first several seasons with the Mariners and Red Sox. So while Pineiro may still struggle to battle against the tougher and deeper line-ups, he at least should know what kind of challenge he is in for and how he might need to alter his approach.

2010 Preview: I think it is pretty obvious that I am not high on Pineiro. So much of his performance last season screams fluke. While his groundball rate gets the most attention, I am more concerned over his precipitous reduction in walks, as he issued just 1.14 bases on balls per nine innings last year versus a career rate of 2.56. I know his sinker is supposed to kick ass, but did it really make him all the much better of a control pitcher? I’m not buying it. Nor am I buying that hitter’s won’t adjust to his new approach. The last two months of the season were the only two months Joel posted ERAs north of 4.00. Of more concern, Pineiro also allowed 8 of his 11 homers during that stretch which indicates to me that opposing batter’s finally caught up with him. In that case, moving to the American League will actually help Pineiro since they still haven’t seen his sinker that much, but they do have a full year’s of scouting reports and video on him, so the effect might be short-lived. The real surprise I see in his projections though is that he is expected to throw so many innings. His durability problems are too big to ignore and I very much worry about how his arm will respond after his first 200+ inning season in years.

Spring Has Spring! Angels First Spring Training Game is Today!!!

Garrett Wilson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:13:55 +0000

Let the games begin!

‘Nuff said.

The Angels get their spring started officially today at 2:05 PM against Chicago White Sox. Joel Pineiro draws the start for the Halos but the rest of the line-up is expected to mostly include the roster scrubs. It may be a game full of guys with a bunch of crooked numbers on their back and with names we have never heard of and probably won’t ever hear again, but who gives a crap? It’s BASEBALL!!!!!!

Now I just have to hope that my co-workers don’t think I am weird when I am sitting at my desk during the game, listening to it on the radio with a mouth full of sunflower seeds, wearing my red Angels jersey.

UPDATE (10:33 AM)

The line-up is posted and is surprisingly full of regulars:

Erick Aybar, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Torii Hunter, CF
Juan Rivera, LF
Maicer Izturis, DH
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Mike Napoli, C
Brandon Wood, 3B
Robb Quinlan, 1B

A few thoughts:

Izturis hitting fifth? I know it is spring, but c’mon Sosh!
Quinlan getting an early start certainly shows that he is a front-runner for one of the last bench jobs. Freddy Sandoval and Terry Evans should be pretty pissed.
This line-up looks pretty close to what we should regularly expect with the exception of where Matsui and Morales will hit, which should be an interesting development to track.

Halo Headlines – 3/4/10

Garrett Wilson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:52:48 +0000

The Story: Joel Pineiro is slated to start the Angels’ opening Spring Training game. The Monkey Says: Looks like Mike Scioscia is eager to take one of his new toys out for a test drive.
The Story: Did Mike Scioscia drop a hint that Jered Weaver will be the Opening Day starter? The Monkey Says: That seems to be a pretty big leap in logic but since the decision is likely between Weaver and Kazmir, it is worth taking a guess knowing that you have at least a 50/50 shot at being right.
The Story: Ranger owner Nolan Ryan predicts the Rangers will win 92 games and the AL West. The Monkey Says: Ryan’s “feeling” isn’t actually that far-fetched, but I still don’t see how anyone can consider anyone but the Angels the favorite to win the division until they prove that they have actually fallen off. So many times the Halos have been written off but they still end up winning.
The Story: Kendry Morales expects to be fully ready for Opening Day. The Monkey Says: He better be because the Angels need him to shoulder even more of the offensive load than he did last season.
The Story: Umpire inconsistency might explain why Bobby Abreu doesn’t pull the ball more. The Monkey Says: Part of me thinks it also has to do with Bobby sometimes being too patient and taking pitches that he could drive, but it is hard to argue with charts. Everyone loves charts. They’re all colorful and shiny.
The Story: Hideki Matsui already feels comfortable in Anaheim. The Monkey Says: To be honest, I don’t know how someone leaving the microscope of New York for the more laid back LA/Anaheim wouldn’t feel more comfortable.
The Story: Is Jered Weaver’s velocity a concern? The Monkey Says: I had no idea that Weaver’s average velocity was so low, but it makes sense with the way he changes speed on his four-seamer. Still he seems to be above 90 most of the time and I don’t really recall him throwing under 88 very much, which makes his low average a little bewildering.
The Story: Mike Scioscia has never heard of PECOTA. The Monkey Says: I know the Angels aren’t the most sabermetric-friendly franchise in the world but how can Sosh not even know about PECOTA? This certainly explains all the times he hit Maicer Izturis third over the years and never moved Vlad or GA down in the order.