Promotions for Dennis Kuhl, John Carpino

The Angels announced today that they have promoted two of their top front-office figures in a realignment of the organization, with President Dennis Kuhl taking over as chairman and John Carpino, senior vice president of sales and marketing, assuming Kuhl's spot as president.

Kuhl will oversee team administration and day-to-day operations as well as what the Angels termed "a renewed effort" in the areas of civic affairs and community outreach. Carpino will focus on business, sales, marketing and communications.

Kuhl has been the Angels' president since November 2003 after spending 30 years in management in the outdoor advertising industry. Carpino had spent nearly six years in his previous role as senior vice president after working alongside Angels owner Arte Moreno since 1985 in the billboard industry.

-- Ben Bolch

Signing Bobby Abreu a smart move

The Angels were not only smart; they were quick.

On the day baseball's free agent market opened, they signed Bobby Abreu to a new, two-year contract with a club option for a third year.

Give Tony Reagins and Mike Scioscia credit. They recognize a key component when they see one. Abreu was probably the team's overall MVP this past season, especially when you include the playoffs.

His contributions at the plate, in the dugout and in the clubhouse were staggering. He single-handedly changed the Angels' offensive personality, both by example and in conversations with many of the club's young players.

Patience hadn't been a major trait of this team until Abreu arrived. He showed how you can hit (.293, 103 RBIs, 96 runs) and still be selective (93 walks, .390 OBP) at the same time. It seemed as though he was in the middle of almost every important rally all summer long.

A bargain at a one-year $5-million price tag, his value clearly went up after his 2009 performance. But early on, Abreu, who'll be 36 in March, made it clear that he loved playing for this team and this organization. Lots of players say that, however. A lot of them change their minds when the new rounds of negotiating start.

Happily for the Angels, Abreu stuck by his word. The club rewarded him with a substantial raise (a reported $19 million that includes two years at $9 million and a potential $1 million buyout), and now that they know he'll be back, they can concentrate on trying to re-sign John Lackey and/or Chone Figgins, the two other pivotal free agents they'd like to have back.

Neither figures to be this easy. Or this quick.

But for now, the organization can celebrate the fact that Abreu, the consummate professional, will be back in Anaheim for at least two more years.

-- Steve Bisheff

A little perspective, and a 2010 plan

As sad as it was to see the Angels fail to play "their game" in the ALCS, what happened in 2009 still has to be put in proper perspective.

They had a terrific season under trying circumstances, overcoming tragedy and injuries that would have derailed most teams. They established themselves at several positions, especially center field, first base and shortstop, and they continue to feature one of the deeper pitching rotations in the sport. They wiped out the postseason curse that was the Red Sox, and while the Yankees demonstrated they were a better team, they weren't that much better. A little tinkering here and there and Mike Scioscia's guys could be back in the ALCS next year.

But the offseason challenge is imposing, beginning with which of their top-line free agents they'll keep or lose. Let's start with that. Here's my best, semi-educated guess on how that will go:

VLAD GUERRERO: Gone. In what was almost assuredly his final game as an Angel, Guerrero showed us the whole gamut. He had three hits, including an impressive clutch RBI against the impenetrable Mariano Rivera to cut the score to 3-2. But he also had one of his typical baserunning blunders, getting doubled off on a simple, embarrassingly short fly ball to right, and then later, lost track of the count, running to first base when it was only ball three in that at-bat against Rivera. ("What was he thinking?" asked Tim McCarver on television. Uh, yeah, Tim, that's been the problem.) Overall, though, Vlad's career here has been spectacular, and it's too bad he wasn't in Angel Stadium for one final standing ovation. He deserved it. But it's also time to cut ties with the star who hasn't really been a $16-million-a-year player for a couple of seasons now. Besides clogging the bases, he has clogged up the middle of the order, and Kendry Morales is ready to assume his spot as the team's new cleanup hitter, at least against right-handers. Don't shed too many tears for Vlad. Somebody in the American League will sign him as a DH for more than a few million dollars a year.

CHONE FIGGINS: Gone. This seemed like the toughest call of all until Figgins fell into yet another mysterious postseason funk. America has yet to see the great leadoff hitter we've watched during the regular season, and that's too bad. More than anyone, he has defined this offense, getting on base, stealing his way to second and/or third, scoring runs by the bunches. It will be difficult to replace that, but how many more playoff games can you go waiting for him to relax? The timing now seems right. Sooner or later, the Angels have to find out if Brandon Wood is a star-in-waiting or the next Dallas McPherson. They have Maicer Izturis as an insurance policy at third, so they finally can give Wood a couple of months to see if he can hit big-league pitching. Figgins, even with his .086 postseason average, will be highly coveted in the free agent market, probably getting bids as high as $10 million or $11 million a year. The Angels won't go that high. They'll probably try to make Erick Aybar their new leadoff hitter, although it will take some time to teach Erick that four balls equals a walk. Still, he's an enormously gifted young player who has been eager to learn so far. Don't be misled, though. In the regular season, at least, Figgins will be missed.

BOBBY ABREU: Stay. This is a case where the Angels only have to match his market value. That shouldn't be too difficult, unless it skyrockets out of control. Abreu loves it in Anaheim, and Scioscia already is on the record as saying he was the team MVP. Hey, it isn't every day you sign an extraordinary offensive player who can double as the hitting coach. Abreu scores 90-plus runs, drives in 100-plus and hits in the neighborhood of .300. All that while willingly talking baseball to a bunch of eager kids who are happy to listen. Now imagine what Abreu might do for someone like Wood. I'd guess $16 million across two years would be just about what it would take to keep Abreu an Angel. Fans can only hope Arte Moreno will pay it.

JOHN LACKEY: Gone. Certainly, the Angels would like to have him back. But are they likely to pay the five-year, $75 million-to-$100 million it will take to keep him? Probably not. Besides, there always has been the feeling that Lackey would like to go to somewhere he would get more consistent support offensively. Some are arguing that he's so angry Scioscia pulled him in Game 5, it convinced him to leave. I doubt that. Big John is a competitor, and he would have felt that way against anybody coming to get him in a game of that magnitude. Even without Lackey, the Angels' starting rotation is solid, and with the money they would spend on him, they can turn around and shop for some of their other needs. But when they're finished, they'd better make sure they have somebody who can be the new top-of-the-rotation guy. Whatever else you thought of Lackey, that's what he was for most of his time here.

DARREN OLIVER: Stay. The most underrated of all the Angels was their most consistent pitcher in the playoffs. Take away one bad pitch to Mark Teixeira in Game 5, and he was close to perfect. He could get some interesting offers, but at his age (39), it's likely he'd prefer to stay in an environment he knows and enjoys. The Angels would be crazy not to resign him.

All right, so let's assume that's the way it goes. Abreu and Oliver are in, Guerrero, Figgins and Lackey are out. What do the Angels do next?

Whatever it is, it should be built around getting to the World Series, not just winning the division again. What will it take to make that next large step? Well, it seems obvious, if you watched CC Sabathia work his magic, that the Angels need an overpowering No. 1 pitcher of their own.

Since there is no one better than Lackey on the market, they need to try to trade for someone like Roy Halladay, who should be available again at a much more feasible price. He'll be a free agent after 2010, so you'd try to sign him to a multiyear deal first. But if you could get him, he, more than anyone else, immediately makes the Angels a much more imposing postseason threat.

After that, there still will be a hole in the middle of the lineup. You'll need to find a new DH, someone who can bat fourth or fifth and deliver 25 to 30 homers and 90 to 100 RBIs. Matt Holliday and Jason Bay will both be out there, but the cost will be high. Can the Angels, who'll have more than a few of their young players up for arbitration, afford one of the sluggers? They will have some money to spend if Guerrero, Lackey and Figgins all leave. It's possible. It probably depends how much Moreno really wants to win.

So what would my personal 2010 opening day lineup look like? How about this:

Erick Aybar, SS; Bobby Abreu, right field; Torii Hunter, CF; Kendry Morales, 1B; Jason Bay, LF; Juan Rivera, DH; Howie Kendrick, 2B; Brandon Wood, 3B; Jeff Mathis, C. (Roy Halladay, P).

Is that a bit of an Angels' pipe dream? Probably. But then, that's what offseasons are for, aren't they?

-- Steve Bisheff   

   

A season to remember: A fan's look back at the 2009 Angels

This was a season to remember.  From the way the team rebounded from the loss of a teammate early in the season to the way they collected on some baseball karma by dispatching the Red Sox.  To lose to the best team money can buy is no tragedy.  The Angels lived through tragedy and a 4-2 series loss to the Yankees is not it.  The Yanks are playing good baseball and deserved to move on.  Now it's time for Angel fans to reflect on a season unlike any other.  It's a time to look back with fondness and forward with anticipation.  Sure, it's corny but true baseball fans, true Angel fans understand.  Fans that never felt "right" after 1986.  Fans that still think the outfield of Salmon, Edmonds and Anderson rivaled the infield of Garvey, Lopes, Cey and Russell and should have had the chance for as much time together.  Fans that miss Nick Adenhart after having so little time to enjoy watching him play.  Fans that think Arte Moreno is just...cool.  Those fans know and understand that this was a special season; one to be remembered.

Teams have suffered through the loss of a teammate before but to lose someone so young on the same day he blanked the Oakland club over six innings left the Angels and baseball stunned.  As a fan I admit, with great disappointment, that the club was hard to watch after that.  Watching them play somehow seemed wrong, out of place.  The memorial should have lasted much longer than the cancellation of a single game I thought. Players were quoted admitting the games didn't matter much to them after that and a funk fell over the team that was there for months.  Managers at the big league level have to be motivators.  They have to be strong leaders that unite a club and motivate each player and the team as a whole to be their best.  In the long storied history of organized baseball I doubt any manager was faced with a tougher challenge than the one Mike Scioscia faced in having to motivate this team after that loss.  If he is not named Manager of the Year then there is no sense giving out the award.  Led by Scioscia the funk began to lift as the mourning turned to remembrance.  The team began to play with a purpose and the wins began to follow.  The memorial I thought was limited to the cancellation of a single game in fact went on game after game and continues today.

The Angels ended the regular season with a center fielder who had firmly entrenched himself as a leader and voice of the club.  A first baseman that started the year with a question mark and ended it with an exclamation point!  The left fielder didn't quite make us forget G.A., but he came close.  The third baseman was a non-prototypical player for the position who earned a well deserved All-Star invitation.  This years Angels had a shortstop with range we have never seen at the position.  A right fielder that doubled as an assistant hitting coach; preaching and practicing patience at the plate our free swinging Angels hadn’t seen in some time.  A platoon at the catcher and second base positions that did what platoons regularly don’t do, they worked! A Designated Hitter who proved he still has some pop.  Starters who worked deep into innings as a general rule and a bullpen that was put together on the fly that bent but rarely broke.  This was an exciting club that was primed to erase one of the darkest moments in club history after suffering through the darkest moment in club history.  What a roller coaster ride the regular season was, but it was just the opening course that led us to the main dish in the playoffs.

True Angel fans instinctively cringed at the very mention of 1986.  We remember Mike Witt pitching well and being pulled.  We remember Brian Downing's exaggerated open stance.  We remember where we were the moment the ball landed in the left field stands off the bat of you know who.  It pales in comparison to what the 2009 Angels had to endure but the 1986 Angels certainly suffered through their fair share of struggles because of that blast.  Boston represented more than a first round opponent this year, they were unfinished business.  No one breathed easy when the Angels took game one or even game two this year.  Game three was the key and the Angels, in defeating Boston the way they did, healed a twenty-three year old wound.  Angel fans everywhere let out a collective sigh and will never again buckle when a New Englander wants to talk baseball.

It's fun as a fan to have a team, owner and manager that aren't satisfied with anything less than holding up the Commissioner's trophy at the end of the year.  Looking forward to 2010 lets remember that champions are generally built through adversity.  The way the year ended stung, but the Angels will field a team in 2010 that will have learned from the roller coaster ride that was 2009 and be better for it.  If I may be so bold I would like to speak for every Angel fan when I say to Angel players, management, and owner - Thank you! 

Thank you for making Angel Stadium a fun place to be.  Thank you for playing fundamentally sound baseball.  Thank you for the Rally Monkey.  Thank you for not being satisfied with anything less than a championship.  Thank you for beating Boston three games to none!!  Thank you for healing an old wound (we know it means more to us as fans than it might to you as players).  Thank you for showing not only us but the country if not the world how to memorialize a fallen teammate in a way that was classy and thoughtful.  Thank you for an amazing 2009.  We can't wait to see what the off season brings and to support you again in 2010 and beyond.  Thank you for a season to remember.

-- Jose Salviati

Above all, poise was missing

In the end, the one thing the Angels were missing, above all else, was poise.

The team that played so well, with so much confidence, in the regular season and the ALDS never showed up in the ALCS. Instead, we were forced to watch these tentative impostors dressed in red.

Where was the Chone Figgins who had a near .400 on-base percentage and regularly kick-started the offense all summer? Nowhere to be found.

Where was Kendry Morales and the explosive offense that had them showcasing all nine in the lineup averaging .300 at one point? They never appeared in this series.

Where was the excellent defense they displayed all season? It disappeared in the pressure of this championship series, blowing up terribly, first in Game 1, then even worse in the bottom of the eighth in Game 6.

The bullpen wasn't sharp, the managerial decisions were sometimes strange (the latest: why not Jered Weaver, instead of Ervin Santana, to open the eighth?) and the mistakes were unfathomable (The good Vlad Guerrero hit well, the bad Vlad got doubled off first base on a short fly to right.).

All that, and the strength of the team, the starting pitching, was overshadowed by the Yankees' overpowering CC Sabathia.

The Yankees closed it out in six games, winning 5-2 in Game 6, because they had the best pitcher in Sabathia, the best hitter in Alex Rodriguez and the best relief pitcher in Mariano Rivera. But they also won because they maintained their poise and confidence.

In other words, they acted as if they'd been here before. The Angels did not.

-- Steve Bisheff

Why he left Saunders in

You could almost hear all the Angels fans screaming at their television sets in the top of the fourth inning as Joe Saunders struggled in Game 6 of the ALCS.

"Get him out! . . .Why are you leaving him in?"

Well, there was a reason Manager Mike Scioscia left his shaky left-hander in to pitch to Alex Rodriguez with the bases loaded, one out and the Yankees already ahead, 2-1.

His option was young Kevin Jepsen, who a) has had his share of problems in the series so far, and b) throws a 97 mph fastball as his out pitch.

Rodriguez usually kills 97 mph fastballs, so Scisocia thought he'd have a better shot with the more experienced Saunders, who can throw a variety of pitches, including a sinker that can induce double plays. As it turned out, Saunders threw a borderline inside fastball that was called ball four. The walk brought in another run to make it 3-1.

Scisocia also knew that if Saunders surrendered one more walk, he was bringing in Darren Oliver, who quickly got Jorge Posada, batting from a less effective right side, to hit into a double play and end the rally.

-- Steve Bisheff

Mathis continues to double his fun

That's five doubles in only 14 postseason at-bats for Jeff Mathis now after the Angels catcher stroked a leadoff double to right-center field in the third inning off New York Yankees starter Andy Pettitte in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium.

Mathis then scored the Angels' first run on Bobby Abreu's two-out single to right.

Five of Mathis' last seven hits have been doubles, and he has nearly as many doubles in the playoffs now as the eight he compiled in 237 regular-season at-bats.

-- Ben Bolch

Rain out helps Angels

It was bad news if you were a fan looking forward to Game 6 tonight. But when the official announcement of a rainout was made in New York, it was good news for the Angels.

Now Mike Scioscia will have all sorts of options with his starting rotation, including the strong possibility that he could come back with John Lackey, on three days' rest, in a potential Game 7 on Monday.

It also means he not only will have Joe Saunders starting Game 6, but he could have Jered Weaver, who had been scheduled to start Game 7, available in relief, as well.

For the Yankees, it means winning Game 6 becomes much more important for their World Series hopes. If they don't, they'll have to use their ace, CC Sabathia,in Game 7 of the ALCS, negating the possibility that Sabathia would start Game 1 of the World Series and perhaps start two more times after that.

Now, if the ALCS goes to seven games and the Yankees win, Sabathia probably wouldn't be able to start until Game 3 of the World Series. Manager Joe Girardi also would likely have to use four starting pitchers, instead of three, against the Phillies. And Sabathia could start only twice at the most.

-- Steve Bisheff

Game 5 postmortems

It was too great a game with too many juicy subplots for one day. Here are just a few Game 5 postmortems:

--SCIOSCIA'S MOVES -- Considering the wails of anger and stream of comments and e-mails, Mike Scioscia must be very happy the Angels won. What would it have been like if those controversial moves had led to a loss and the end of the team's season? One can only imagine. If you've followed Scioscia, though, you couldn't have been surprised at either of his decisions. He is a by-the-book manager who believes in the percentages. He knew Mark Teixeira was a better hitter left-handed than right-handed, and that's the biggest reason he pulled John Lackey. As for taking out Jered Weaver and calling in Brian Fuentes, that should have come as no shock, either. Fuentes is his closer, it's the ninth inning and his team is one run up, and that's who he goes with. He's done it all season long. No way he was about to change now, no matter how scary it was to watch.

--THE CALL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING -- In the maze of terrible calls, the one by home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth, calling an obvious strike three a ball to Jorge Posada on a 3-2 count in the seventh inning, changed the tenor of not only that inning, but the entire game. If the call is made right, Lackey probably coasts through that inning and goes into the eighth with his shutout intact.

-- MATHIS HAS TO START NOW, RIGHT? Nobody has hit better in the postseason than catcher Jeff Mathis (6-for-10, .600 average with four doubles), and you'd think it would be a slam dunk that he start whatever games are left, at least in this series. But Mike Napoli has started more games Joe Saunders has pitched, and Scioscia is a creature of habit, as we all know. Still, Mathis is clearly the better defensive catcher and the way he's hitting, you have to keep him in there, don't you? Angels fans sure hope so.

-- CALL ME HALF-WITT -- Yes, I know it was Mike Witt, not Bobby as I somehow wrote in one of my Thursday night blogs, who pitched in that infamous Game 5 in 1986. I should know. I was there. But as the umpires have continued to demonstrate in this postseason, we all make mistakes. I'm honored so many readers took the time to point it out to me, though. Keep it up, folks. Makes us stay on our toes.

-- GOING OUT IN STYLE -- It also must be mentioned that Vlad Guerrero is playing out the final days of his Angels career in style. He is not driving the ball like he once did, but he continues to deliver clutch hits, like the one that tied the score at 6 Thursday night. Scioscia didn't listen when a lot of us called for Guerrero to be moved out of the cleanup spot. Guess the manager knew what he was doing.

-- IN JOE'S HANDS -- Game 6 in New York, if the rain gods cooperate Saturday night, will be in good hands for the Angels. Saunders might not be the most overpowering pitcher, but his won-loss percentage is startling. Quietly, he has gone 48-22 lifetime in the majors, which figures out to a .686 winning percentage. Whitey Ford, the former Yankee Hall of Famer, has the best winning percentage of all time at .690. When you realize Saunders lost some games in the month or so he struggled with an injured shoulder, his numbers are even more impressive. I like his chances in Game 6 against Andy Pettitte. A potential Game 7 against CC Sabathia? That's something different altogether.

--Steve Bisheff

   

Scioscia on a tightrope

Mike Scioscia, all 200-and-whatever pounds of him, was on the managerial tightrope, teetering in one direction, wobbling precariously off on another, but somehow, in one final, flailing lunge, barely making it to the other side.

The Angels are still alive in the ALCS after winning Game 5, 7-6, and Scioscia is off the hook. Sort of.

But not before he made probably the two most controversial moves of his career.

He took out his No. 1 starter, John Lackey, who had a 4-0 lead with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh of this melodramatic game. Everyone was screaming at him not to, including Lackey. But he did it anyway.

Then the decision promptly blew up in his face when the Yankees rallied, ripping his bullpen for not only the tying runs but also the two go-ahead runs.

Fortunately for Scioscia, his offense bailed him out in the bottom of the seventh, rallying for three more runs of their own, behind back-to--back clutch hits from Vlad Guerrero and Kendry Morales to go ahead 7-6.

In the top of the eighth, the Angels manager went with his No. 2 starter, Jared Weaver, in relief. Weaver was brilliant, retiring the Yankees in order, striking out two, including Derek Jeter with a 93 mph fastball to end the inning.

After the Angels failed to score with another mini-rally, it was the top of the ninth, and Scioscia, needing a victory to stave off elimination, had yet another major decision.

Should he leave in Weaver, who looked so sharp? Or should he bring in his closer, Brian Fuentes, who has been as shaky as these playoff umpires in the second half of the season?

He went with Fuentes, who somehow, some way survived. But it wasn't easy. With two outs, he walked two batters and hit another. Now it was bases loaded with Nick Swisher at the plate.

If Swisher walks or gets a hit to tie or go ahead, Scioscia would have faced the most severe criticism of any Angels' manager going back to Gene Mauch in 1986. He would have been ripped for not leaving Lackey in and for going to Fuentes, instead of Weaver.

Naturally, after getting ahead 0-2, Fuentes made everyone, especially Scioscia, sweat. He went to 1-2 and 2-2 and finally 3-2. Then, with the pressure almost unbearable, he got Swisher to send a high pop into the warm October night.

Shortstop Erick Aybar circled under and caught it to force a Game 6 in New York.

And not surprisingly, when the Angels and a relieved Scioscia looked up afterward, the tightrobe was still quivering.

-- Steve Bisheff

Say hello to controversy

It's already the most controversial move of the postseason, no matter what happens the rest of the night.

Mike Scioscia taking out John Lackey with the bases loaded, two outs and the Angels still leading 4-0 in the seventh inning has to rank has the most controversial playoff decision since . . . well, since Gene Mauch took out Bobby Wittin Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS.

Turned out about the same way, too. After Lackey could be seen yelling at Scioscia: "You've got to be [bleeping] me. This is mine," the manager calmly took the ball and handed it to reliever Darren Oliver, who's been outstanding in the postseason up to that point. 

Oliver quickly gave up a bases-clearing double to Mark Teixeira to make it 4-3, then a base hit to Hideki Matsui to tie the game at 4. Scioscia came out, replaced Oliver with young Kevin Jepsen, who didn't fare much better. Jepsen allowed a triple by Robinson Cano to score two more runs and give the Yankees a 6-4 lead.

The question afterward was this: Even after he'd thrown 104 pitches, do you really take out your No. 1 guy with the game and the season on the line?

Trust me, especially if the Angels lose this game, they'll be asking that one for weeks, months, maybe even years to come.

-- Steve Bisheff

Finally, a big inning

It wasn't just a big inning. It was a big FIRST inning.

The first five Angels batters either walked or spewed base hits, two of them for extra bases, and before some people had even found their seats, Mike Scioscia's guys were leading 4-0 in Game 5.

It was a long time coming for this offense that entered the game hitting a collective .201 in the ALCS. But it was timely, if nothing else, considering this could be an elimination game for the Angels if they lose.

John Lackey, who often doesn't get many runs to work with, now has a nice cushion in an effort to win his second game of the playoffs. It was Lackey, remember, who pitched so superbly in winning Game 1 of the ALDS.

But it was the hitting, not the pitching, that was the talk early. Chone Figgins walked to lead off the game, getting on base early for what seemed like the first time in a month. Bobby Abreu followed with a double to right center. Torii Hunter, who hadn't driven in a run since that first Lackey win vs. the Red Sox, promptly singled up the middle to make it 2-0.

Vlad Guerrero was next, ripping the first pitch (naturally) to left center for a double to score Hunter all the way from first. Kendry Morales then singled in Guerrero to make it 4-0.

This was the first time the Angels had scored at all in the first three innings of any playoff game this October.

In other words, they were due. 

-- Steve Bisheff

Torii Time?

On the day Torii Hunter was named to The Sporting News' American League All-Star team, you couldn't blame Angels fans for wondering when, or if, their gifted center fielder will make an impact in the ALCS. 

So far, going into Game 5 tonight, Hunter's bat has been whisper quiet, delivering only one extra-base hit, no home runs and, most important, zero RBIs in the four games against the Yankees.

It's been something of a strange season for the team's highest-paid player. In the first half, he was easily the Angels' MVP, hitting .305 with 17 homers and 65 RBIs and fielding spectacularly before the All-Star break. But then he strained his right groin, had to sit out 32 games, and only had a .289 average with five home runs and 25 RBIs after the break.

This is the emotional leader of the team, the unofficial captain whose three-run home run in Game 1 of the ALDS catapulted the Angels to a three-game sweep of Boston.

Against New York, though, it's been a different story. Maybe it should have been expected. In 30 regular season at-bats against the Yankees, he hit .233 with no home runs. In the ALCS in 17 at-bats, he is hitting .235 without hitting a homer.

With his team facing possible elimination tonight, it will be interesting to see if Hunter can get back to his All-Star self.

-- Steve Bisheff

Reconsidering Lackey's status

The consensus of most baseball people I've talked to is that Game 5 of the ALCS could be John Lackey's last as an Angel, barring an unlikely three-win comeback against the Yankees, of course.

As the most appealing pitcher in the free-agent market, Lackey will be heavily pursued by a number of teams, and although the Angels would like to keep him, the feeling is they won't pay the expected $75 million to $100 million over five years that his agent is likely to ask.

After what has happened in the postseason, however, you wonder if Arte Moreno should reconsider his stance.

The acquisition of Scott Kazmir was supposed to give Moreno the leverage to let Lackey go. But considering the disappointing way Kazmir has pitched in his two playoff appearances, you can't help but question if that's still the case.

One writer described the Angels' staff heading into the postseason as four No. 2 starters. I don't agree with that. When he's sound, Lackey, who was brilliant in Game 1 of he ALDS, is a No. 1 starter. It's just that he's not quite at the same elite level as the CC Sabathias, Cliff Lees and Roy Halladays.

If it wasn't clear before, it should be now. The Angels have to build their team for the postseason. Their current talent, along with a farm system that is continuing to produce good prospects, will allow them to be contenders for quite a while. But winning the AL West is one thing.

Getting to the World Series is another, especially when the payroll-heavy Yankees are in the same league.

It would appear obvious that, pitching-wise, Moreno's team has two options. Either re-sign Lackey, or, perhaps the more appealing alternative,  make an all-out bid in the off-season for someone like Halladay, who is still rumored to be available in trade. In fact, the Blue Jays probably will be more anxious than ever to trade their ace before he leaves for free agency and they get nothing in return.

This is not to say the Angels can't repeat as division champs with a rotation of Kazmir, Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana and, say, Sean O'Sullivan. They almost assuredly can.

But they probably can't make it to the World Series, or even back to the ALCS, without Lackey or one of the more elite pitchers at the front end of their rotation.

They came close to signing Sabathia last year. But as we're now seeing, close isn't much of a consolation.

They'll either need to keep Lackey or find someone even more imposing to return this deep into October in 2010.

                                                                *

Several readers have written reminding me that I was the one who agreed it was the right move not to include Erick Aybar in any midseason trade for Toronto's Halladay. That's true. Aybar has come into his own this season and has established himself as an All-Star caliber shortstop for what should be many years to come.

But that doesn't mean the Angels shouldn't have tried other possibilities in exploring a Halladay trade. Or, if that wasn't working, go harder after Cleveland's former Cy Young Award winner Lee.

Go back and look at what the Phillies gave up for Lee. The Angels could have presented any number of more attractive offers to land him. But did they? We don't know. If they had, it's difficult to believe the Indians wouldn't have at least seriously considered them.

The point is, you desperately needed to go get an elite No. 1 pitcher, and you didn't. And now your team is paying the price.

-- Steve Bisheff

                                                                                                                                    

 

The Ace of (broken) hearts

The Yankees have an "Ace," and the Angels don't.

Really, that's been the difference in this ALCS so far. The Yankees' CC Sabathia has dispensed two xerox masterpieces, a pair of dominant eight-inning, low-hit, one-run performances, and the guys who were runners-up in the off-season CC Sweepstakes have had no one to match him.

So Mike Scioscia's overpowered guys are down 3-1, like their L.A. neighbors, and they will turn to the closest thing have have to an ace, John Lackey, to try to take this thing back to New York.

Only Lackey is no Sabathia. He's no Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee, either.

Maybe now you can understand why so many of us urged the Angels to make the deal for a truly elite pitcher at the trade deadline.

In postseason baseball, "Aces" are the difference more often than not. Remember Orel Hershiser in 1988? Or Curt Schilling with the Red Sox and the Diamondbacks, the latter lucky enough to have had a pair of aces with Randy Johnson joining the party? There was Jack Morris with the Twins and John Smoltz with the Braves and Josh Bekcett with the Marlins and Red Sox and . . .well, you get the idea.

Great starting pitchers are the Academy Award winners of October.

And Sabathia, who was paid a King's ransom to sign, has earned his money for the Yankees, not only dominating this series but losing just once -- that's right, once -- since July 28.

In the ALCS, he outpitched Lackey in Game 1, then came back on only three days' rest, to outpitch the disappointing Scott Kazmir in Tuesday night's 10-1 rout. 

You recall Kazmir. He's the guy the Angels acquired because of his terrific record against Boston and New York. So he started once against each in the postseason, pitching poorly in both games.

Arte Moreno tried to get Sabathia, who would come back to pitch Game 7 in this series if it were needed, in the off-season. But even he couldn't match the $160 million-plus the Yankees paid the jumbo-sized lefty.

 At the trade deadline, GM Tony Reagins dabbled with the idea of dealing for Halladay or Lee, but in both cases the Angels came up short, claiming the asking price was too high. You know, there were all those promising "prospects" to consider.

In retrospect, you can't help but wonder if, given another chance, they would make that deal now in Anaheim, where the only "Ace" they've seen lately has broken their hearts.

-- Steve Bisheff