The A.L playoffs are now set.

The Angels / Red Sox series starts Oct 3rd in Boston.  The Red Sox reward for having the best record in the American League was to choose weather the series would start Wednesday or Thursday. By choosing Wednesday, both teams can choose to have their starting pitchers for games one and two also start games four and five on a regular time frame. If the series goes five games, quality pitching will be vital. The Angels have more pitching depth then the Red Sox but,  Boston has great starting pitching. Can the Halos beat Josh Beckett twice ? That might be what they have to do if the series goes five.

The key for the Angels to beat the Red Sox is to be able to at least split the first two games in Fenway. The Angels have to treat game one like game five. Game one is almost a must win. If Lackey is struggling early, bring in Saunders, bring in Santana, Bring in BARTOLO COLON. The Angels have to keep the games close. If the Angels get an early lead they have to try to score as many runs as possible. What I mean by this is the Halos can’t just get a 4 to 0 lead and try to hang on. A four run lead in Fenway is like a 1 to 0 lead anywhere else. Also the Angels have to play "Angel Baseball" no matter what. If the Halos find themselves down four or five runs, they can’t stop running. They have to continue to put pressure on the Red Sox defense no matter what the score. If the Angels try to play like the Red Sox and wait for the three run home run, they are going to get swept.

One key for the Angel pitchers is to get the first batter out in each inning. No walks ! As far as walks are concerned, the only exception is Big Pappi.The second key for the Angels pitching is, don’t let Big Pappi beat you. Treat Big Pappi like a juiced up Barry Bonds in his prime. Manny Ramirez is great but, he is not Big Pappi. Pitch to Man Ram. If Ramirez beats the Halos, so be it.

Another key to beating the Red Sox in Fenway is to not put in pitchers that don’t pitch well in Fenway. I understand that you have to go with Lackey in game one but, other then Lackey, no other pitcher with a high ERA in Boston should see any action in Boston. I’m mainly talking about Scot Schields. Even when Schields was at his best,(and he’s not at his best right now) he pitched like SH#t at Fenway. Oliver, Speier, even Bootcheck, have better luck in Boston then Shields. I still believe that Shields can help the team. Once in Anaheim, Shields can be used. If the Halos can split in fenway, that would put the pressure back on Boston. The Red Sox would have to beat the Angels two out of three games with two of those games being in Anaheim. If they can do that then they deserve to win the series.

The Red Sox are going to be a tough test for the Angels. Like I’ve said before, the Red Sox are the only team in all of baseball, as an Angel  fan, I fear. They can score runs like crazy. The have great starting pitching and a great closer. They play quality defense and rarely beat themselves. The Angels have to play flawless baseball to beat them. Good luck Angels !!! Go get em !!!

IT’S OFFICIAL !!!!

HERE ARE THE FOUR AMERICAN LEAGUE TEAMS THAT WILL BE PLAYING FOR THE RIGHT TO GO TO THE WORLD SERIES.

BOSTON RED SOX – NEW YORK YANKEES – CLEVELAND INDIANS – THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM !!!!

If you where to go back to the beginning of the season and see these four teams as the ones who would be in the playoffs, probably the only mild surprise would be the Cleveland Indians. Not because they didn’t have the talent, but because they had to deal with the Twins and the Tigers.

If you where to go back to the end of June the big surprise would have to be the New York Yankees. The Yankees didn’t look like a playoff team, the looked and played like a team that would be lucky to be at 500 by the end of the year.

That’s why Baseball is so great. With a 162 game season, the cream always rises to the top. What all the teams in the American League playoffs have in common is all four teams had to rely on not only their major league roster but, also a lot of help from their minor leagues as well.  Baseball is truly a team sport.

Congratulations to all four teams.

As for the National League …………… WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW !!!

HAS ANYONE CLINCHED YET ???

As I watched the Angels lose their second game in a row to the Texas Rangers, my first instinct is to get mad at the team for not putting out their best offense on to the field. Then I saw a shot of Mike Scioscia in the dugout. Mike looked just as intense as if the Halos where in the middle of a pennant race instead of playing out the season until the playoffs.  Scioscia is looking at the big picture. A rested Vlad and GA are better prepared for the intensity of the playoffs then a tired Vlad and GA with home field advantage. Scioscia is still trying to win games, Just not at the expense of the health of his big guns. Scioscia is getting his ducks in a row. By clinching the division early, the Angels have the chance to put their best, rested, and healthiest team on the field as possible. In 2004, the Angels had the home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs against the Boston Red Sox. Remember what happened ? The Angels lost the first two games at home and where swept. I want the Angels to have home field advantage throughout the playoffs but, if the Halos win it all, they will have to win games on the road.

I can’t wait for the season to end. We should know who the Angels will be playing in the next few games. In the mean time lets enjoy watching the youngsters get some playing time. It’s so relaxing to know the Halos will be going into Oakland over the weekend with the division already clinched.

The magic number was reduced to "0" as the Angels finally clinched the A.L. West.

Now the Halos can turn their attention to who their opponent will be in the first round of the playoffs. Right now I have it narrowed down to two teams. Either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox  (Talk about stating the obvious). There is a slight chance that their opponent could be the Detroit Tigers. If that where to happen, the Yankees would not be allowed to return back to New York. At first I wanted the Angels to face the Yankees. Now I’m not so sure. I know the Halos play the Yankees well but, can the Angels beat the Yankees again ? That would be three times in five years !  A five game series has just as much to do with luck as it does with talent. In a seven game series I think the Halos have too much pitching for the Yanks but, in a five game series, anything can happen.

Well, it’s out of the Angels hands who they play in the playoffs. Even having the home field advantage is not a guarantee of smooth sailing to the World Series. So, lets enjoy today and celebrate a great season. I’ve watched or listened to almost every game this year. I am so proud of the Angels and the organization. The Halos had injuries and set backs all season. Still, they never lost sight of their goal. That was to play "Angel Baseball". Take each series one game at a time and to win as many games as possible. No excuses. No finger pointing. They won as a team and they lost as a team. No matter who the Angels play in the first round, that team is going to have their hands full. Because the Angels will be ready. The Angels will scratch and claw and fight until the last out is made.

Mike Scioscia and the Angels are back where they belong. They are the ……..

"AMERICAN LEAGUE WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONS"

JUST ANOTHER HALO VICTORY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANGEL  RECORD  92  WINS  -  64  LOSES

NOTE TO ROOKIE PITCHERS - 

DON’T MESS WITH VLAD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANGELS MAGIC NUMBER IS "1" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TONIGHT JOE SAUNDERS GOES FOR THE SEASON CLINCHING WIN !!!!!!!!!!

GO GET EM ANGELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!

JUST ANOTHER HALO VICTORY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANGEL  RECORD   91  WINS  -   62  LOSES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Angels behind John Lackey reduced their magic number to 4 with a 2 to 1   victory against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.With the win Lackey finally got his 17TH victory.  Lackey tried to get a complete game shut out but was removed by Mike Scioscia after giving up a single to start the 9TH. Lackey didn’t get the shut out but the Angels got the victory, that’s all that matters.

It’s great to see the Halos aren’t taking their lead for granted. The Red Sox had a large lead for most of the summer and appeared to have a lock on the best record in baseball.  They still may end up with the best record but, the Yankees are right on their tail and the Red Sox might not end up with the best record in their own division. It’s highly unlikely but until the Angels officially clinch the division, they should continue to play like they need to win every single game they play. Even after they clinch, the Halos need to try to get home field advantage for the Playoffs. The Angels have the best home record in the majors. It would be hard for any team to come to the Big "A" and beat this team.

With the win tonight the Angels equaled their win total for 2006. That’s with 11 games still left to be played.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE !!!

JUST ANOTHER HALO VICTORY !!!

ANGEL RECORD  89  WINS  -  62  LOSES

The Angels reduced their magic number for clinching the American League West to 5 games with a 10 to 7 win against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

WINGS FOR ALL !!!

Seattle is starting to win games so it’s very important for the Halos to keep winning. Right now it’s still very much in the air who the Angels will be playing in the first round of the playoffs. Just keep winning and let whoever your going to play work itself out.

JUST ANOTHER HALO VICTORY !!!

ANGEL RECORD   88  WINS  -  62  LOSES

The Angels reduced their magic number to 7 with a 2 to 1 victory against the Chicago White Sox. The game was great practice for the playoffs. A close game that had to be won by good quality pitching. Weaver pitched 6 strong innings. Oliver did his part in the 7TH. Scot Shields is looking like his old dominant self pitching a solid 8TH. And Frankie, even though the tying run was on second base, didn’t let it bother him as he closed out the game with a strike out against the evil A.J. Pierzynski.

What’s great about the Angels is their consistency. Other then in April when they had a six game losing streak,  The Halos have only lost three games in a row only twice. That shows the team believes in how they are playing and don’t get too down when things aren’t going their way. They take one game at a time. When they win or lose they put it behind them and go on to the next game.

The Angels haven’t been scoring a lot of runs the past few games but they are getting hits. It shows the team is not in a hitting slump. They just need to get the big hit with runners on base. 

The Angels really miss Gary Mathews Jr.  Not so much his bat as much as his glove. Reggie Willits is doing his best but he just doesn’t cover the ground in center nearly as much as Mathews. It’s a good thing the Halos have such a big lead to give players like Mathews the time to get better in time for the playoffs.

The best record in baseball is still up for grabs so the Angels still have something to play for besides winning the division. It’s really still up in the air as to who the Halos will be playing in the first round. It looks like either Detroit or New York won’t be making the playoffs. That just shows you how important it is to be consistent during the regular season. Either the Tigers or the Yankees have the talent to win it all. But because they weren’t consistent enough, they are in a position to miss the post season.

The Angels have Joe Saunders pitching today.

Lets keep lowering that magic number.

JUST ANOTHER HALO VICTORY !!!

ANGEL RECORD  87  WINS  -  61  LOSES

The Angels once again scored in double digits to beat the Baltimore Orioles. This time they won the game 18 to 6. With the win the Angels gave Kelvim Escobar his 17TH win of the season and his 100TH win in his career. Kelvim didn’t look too sharp but, Escobar is not used to pitching with a big lead. He’ll have to pitch better in the playoffs but he got his work in tonight and more important, he got a win. I really like to see the Halos not playing down to the level of their opponent. The O’s are using a lot of young pitchers and the Angels are taking advantage of that fact.

The Angels got a glimpse of the future Wednesday with the first career home run hit by the Halos top minor league prospect  Brandon Wood.

It looks like the Yankees are going to make the playoffs. Don’t be surprised if they end up winning the East.  If they can sweep the Red Sox over the weekend, that would put them a game in a half behind the Sox with games against Baltimore and Toronto at home and Tampa bay and Baltimore on the road. If the Yankees get swept by the Red Sox, that would open the door for the Tigers or the Mariners in the Wild Card. it’s going to be interesting to see who ends up in the playoffs. The Angels have to keep playing high quality baseball the rest of the way and be ready for any team once the playoffs start. It looks like it’s going to be the Yankees but nothing is set in stone.

BARTOLO COLON is going to start against the White Sox on Friday. It’s a perfect test for BARTOLO COLON to see if BARTOLO COLON is ready to help the Angels in the Playoffs. The White Sox still have a solid offensive team that will jump all over BARTOLO COLON if he’s not ready.

If I where Mike Scioscia, I would have my starting rotation for the first round of the playoffs as fallows : GAME ONE – John Lackey (Lackey would feed off the home crowd and would be very tough to beat).  GAME TWO – Jered Weaver ( Weaver is a very steady force but he’s still young. He would be much better at home then on the road).  GAME THREE – Kelvim Escobar – (For the first playoff game on the road the Halos are going to need a steady force).  GAME FOUR IF NEEDED – Joe Saunders (Saunders has shown he can pitch on the road. BARTOLO COLON just has not pitched well against the Yankees or the Sox. Even at his best ) .  GAME FIVE IF NEEDED – John Lackey ( The deciding game of any series is not for the meek. If Lackey can’t get outs early Scioscia will bring in every arm in the bullpen to get the win).

The Magic number is now 9.  Lets close this thing out as soon as possible so the Angels can get ready for the second season.

JUST ANOTHER HALO VICTORY !!!

ANGEL RECORD  86  WINS  -  59  LOSES

The Angels ran into a buzz saw Saturday night as the Cleveland Indians C C Sabathia pitched a complete game 6 to 1 victory. Sabathia has flown under the radar when it comes to the Cy young but, I haven’t seen a better, more commanding pitcher this year.

Even with the loss, the Angels reduced their magic number to 13.

The Halos are a game and a half behind the Boston Red Sox for the best record in baseball so every game is still important.  It looks like the Yankees are going to get the wild card, but there still is a lot of baseball still left to be played. The team I don’t want to play in the first round is the Red Sox. If Cleveland passes the Halos in the standings, that would be the case. I think the Halos can take the Sox in a seven game series, but it would be very hard to beat them in a five game series. The road to the World Series has just as much to do with who you are playing as much as how you are playing.  In 2002 when the Halos won it all, their first round opponent was the Yankees. The Angels have always matched up well with the Yankees and it was the same in 2002. The major reason the Halos won in 2002 was because the A’s lost to the Twins. No team knew the Angels better then the A’s that year. Everyone expected the A’s and the Yankees would be playing in the A.L.C.S., but they played teams that they didn’t match up well with, and in a five game series, it bit both of them in the back side. So the Angels played the Twins instead of the A’s and the rest is history.

Garret Anderson’s RBI streak ended last night at 12.

The streak may have done more for Garret Anderson then anything he has done in his whole career.

For some reason G.A. has always had a hard time getting respect from the Angel fans. Every year G.A. would put up consistent numbers yet a lot of the fans would call G.A. lazy for not diving for every ball like Erstad or Jim Edmonds. Andersons demeanor on the field of not showing emotion no matter what happened also gave fans fits. So to see G.A. smiling and tipping his helmet to the fans is not only a breath of fresh air, it shows that G.A. is not a robot. He’s a player that truly cares about the fans . Now the Angels faithful are finally showing Anderson the respect that is long over due.

Sunday’s game is on ESPN tonight. Lets hope the announcers can actually concentrate on the game instead of talking about everything under the sun. It was so annoying last week when the Angels played Texas. Shields was brought into the game in the eighth inning and let the first two hitters get on base. The announcers barley payed attention to what was going on until Texas hit a grand slam to take the lead. Just call the game and save the interviews and the grandstanding for between innings, or better yet, not at all.

If the Angels win tonight, they take the series and take anothe step closer to winning the west.

HALO RECORD   84  WINS  -  57  LOSES