Being 1 hit shut out by a pitcher with an ERA over 6 for the millionth time
this season. Pitch selection on this team is horrible. First pitch
swinging...swinging out of the zone at crappy pitches and just grounding or
popping out. Constantly. This team goes into and out of slumps
consistently and as a team. There is never just one guy.

This is being taught and coming from the Coaches. No one is helping them
improve. This type of aggressive hitting is something that needs to change.
Why isn't this being questioned? Why doesn't Hatcher get put on the spot?
Can anyone tell me. This isn't from a lack of players that can hit...this
is from a lack of instruction. It is almost as though these guys are forced
to figuring out there own problems because their hitting coach can't do
anything for them. We have better batters than a lot of teams that are
doing much better than ours. I could only imagine what bringing anothing
hitting coach may do for this team.

I'd love to hear others input on this. Really...because I really can't
think of anything else.

Nathan

"Nathan Miller" <nate.miller1@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:6U0Qg.28161$W13.3674@trnddc05...

Gooz fra ba... Gooz fra ba... Gooz fra ba...

We don't have better hitters than other teams. These guys hitting styles
were pretty much set before they ever got to the "Bigs". If you're
always playing "hit and run", or "protecting the runner", you're going
to swing at bad pitches. It's the manager and his obsession with "small
ball" that's the problem. It works sometimes, but all the stars in the
heavens have to be lined up just right in order to pull it off. There
are too many variables to win consistently playing that type of
baseball. It looks great when it does work, but it doesn't work often
enough. Counting on highly touted prospects to win a division title is
a fools game. For every one that makes it in the "Bigs", there are 10
others who Flop. If a team is lucky 1 prospect every couple of years may
pan out. Trades and Unfortunatly "Free Agency" seem to be a more
reliable way to build a consistent winner ( ala NY Yankees). We have'nt
had a legitamate First Baseman in years, or a Third Baseman since Glaus.
Dumping Bengie and before him Ekstein, was just plain stupid. Why didn't
we go after Frank Thomas? He sure wasn't much more of a gamble than
Kotchman or Morales or McPherson. The A's got him cheap . Hatcher may
not be solving the problem, but for sure he's not the problem. The
General Manager and the Manager should be singled out for that honor.
The Angels big offensive prospects have flopped. Will other teams be
interested in them in the off season? It really looks like it will be
imperative to build the team for the 2007 season through Trades and Free
Agent aquisitions. Lets hope that this years lessons have not been lost
on Stoneman.

"Donnie Shortpants" <DonnieShortpants@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:28582-4510D1E1-1387@storefull-3338.bay.webtv.net...

That "type" of baseball. You mean solid fundamental baseball? You mean the
"type" of baseball that successful (i.e. winning) high school and college
teams employ?


I guess Walter Alston was a huge fool. He won 6 pennants and 4 world series
playing like a "fool".


Maybe even more. But back in the old days that you seem to pine for (e.g. 4
man pitching rotations) most teams were built from their farm system. The
best teams back then, had the best scouts, the best coaches and the best
players on the farm. And if you are going to invest in scouts, coaches and
players to run a successful farm system, then why not try to get the
greatest return on that investment? I mean, if no one is willing to invest
in their farm system, where does the talent come from? Are you suggesting
that the Angels sit back and let their farm system go to shit and expect
everyone else develop talent for them?


Last time I checked, the Yankees hadn't won shit in 6 years in spite of all
their free agents and trades. The Yankees of the mid to late 90s were built
around a core from their farm system. Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge
Posada, Andy Pettite, Mariano Rivera, Jim Leyritz, Shane Spencer and Alfonso
Soriano were all Yankee farm prospects.


You know what they say about hindsight...


Thomas was/is a short term fix. you think he's gonna play for 900K next
year? You think Oakland stands much of a chance in re-signing him if they
don't fork over $7 million or more? Jay Payton, Milton Bradley and Barry
Zito are also free agents after this season. Mark Kotsay and Jason Kendall
are free after the 2007 season. You want to talk about depending on good
fortune. The A's put all their chips on winning this year. They are also
trying to find someone who will build them a stadium. Does that scenario
sound familiar? Remember the Marlins?


Can't you see that they are trying to build a team that is designed to win
for many years to come? Does any of the good things from this season
compute? Don't you see any promise from the young guys that stepped into the
majors and made contributions. Don't you believe they will get better? Or
are you just looking for instant gratification right now? They offered the
best free agent on the market last year a five year deal. He didn't accept
the offer. What can they do about that? Offer $20 million more? Spend so
lavishly that the team has no flexibility from one season to the next?


I'm sure the Angels will try to one or two free agents this offseason, but
there are no guarantees they will accept. Toronto has stated their intention
to be players in the free agent market this ofseason too. The Yankees are
always bidding. The Dodgers will have holes to plug too. There are fewer
impact free agents available than there are promising young prospects. I
still believe that McPherson and Kotchman may both become productive big
leaguers. Maybe not with the Angels. If they do hook up with other teams and
start producing, I'd bet that you will be in here criticizing management for
letting them get away. Some people will bitch about anything.

"LACountyRefugee" <LACORefugee@spamsux.net> wrote in message
news:hk6Qg.2874$vJ2.224@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com ...

Oh and BTW. The Yankees are paying approx $13 million to Gary Sheffield and
$10 million to Bobby Abreu to play right field this season. After the 2003
season they traded Juan Rivera to the Expos along with Nick Johnson and
Randy Choate for Javier Vasquez. Vasquez earned $9 million with a 14-10
record and a 4.81 ERA. Do you think might be wishing they had kept Rivera?
Not everything Cashman touches turns to gold. But when you have an owner
with almost unlimited funds, well you can always spend more to try and make
up for your mistakes.

L.A. County Refugee, You asked for input. I told you what I thought.
I stand by my statements. You obviously disagree. What can I say! By
the way, because you mentioned it, the four man rotation had a lot going
for it.

BTW the farm teams for the NY Yankees are the rest of the American
League. Oh yes,,, and the National League too.

"Donnie Shortpants" <DonnieShortpants@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:8973-451218D1-275@storefull-3338.bay.webtv.net...

LA County Refugee...I was just asking for input too...not trying to enrage
anyone or start a fight. I wanted to see others opinion of it. You
normally are pretty calm with your responses but it appeared that ya kinda
went on a rampage there. I believed in my heart the Hatcher had some
influence on it. I appreciated Donnie's response but yours to me, and let
me quote "Gooz fra ba... Gooz fra ba... Gooz fra ba..." isn't quite the
conversation I was looking to start. I understand that as fans this season
has been frustrating season but I was merely asking a question to get others
intelligent input as to what they thought and whether I was completely out
of line with my thinking.

This newsgroup has been pretty much dead all season so I was just trying to
start something up....not start something with somebody. Especially you
since I thought we had already come to an understanding. I also find that
when I start making knocks against Hatcher or our lack of offense the Angels
win...as almost to prove me wrong. When we start saying good things about
the team or start making predictions about how well they are gonna do in an
upcoming series they usually flop...A little superstition
Anyway...here's to the rest of the Season and to a good finish no matter
what happens!

Nathan

"Nathan Miller" <nate.miller1@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:QPqQg.305$wh.70@trnddc04...

Did you ever see the movie "Anger Management"?. The response was meant to be
humorous.


You guys have your opinions and I have mine. Obviously they are spectrums
apart. Just pointing out where I see flaws. Hell, I could be flawed in my
opinion. Point out whre you see flaws in that, I'm cool with it. I just
don't see the Yankee model the same way others do.


Nathan, I have been on usenet long enough to not take anything personal. I
am not attacking you or Donnie personally and I'm sorry to you both if you
think I am. I chose the name LACountyRefugee for a reason. I moved from LA
county to Orange county about 6 years ago. I had been a hardcore Dodger fan
from 1963 till 1998. I got sick and tired of the mismanegement of that team.
I believe that free agency and trades are viable ways to build a team. The
Angels have acquired several of their current players this way. But one of
the Dodgers downfalls IMO is that they abandoned their farm system by
trading their top prospects. When they did bring them up they made the
mistake of not augmenting them with solid free agents The Angels have a glut
of prospects, I admit that. But last year the free agent class was pretty
thin. I expect this offseason to be a lot different.

Nathan Miller wrote:


When this newsgroup /was/ active, most of the activity was just someone
starting something with someone else, anyways.

So far this season, 1B, 3B and DH have combined to hit .245/.299/.385.
That's beyond pathetic. The defense has allowed 72 more unearned runs
than the A's -- that's seven games in the standings. I'll bet the
Angels get thrown out at home plate more than anybody else, too.

That's the season.

d.