My Angels

I am proud to state that my Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are the best team in baseball. Yesterday, they acquired one of the premier first basemen in the game: Mark Teixeira. For the last six years, the Angels have lacked a bonafide slugger in their lineup. It has affected them in recent years, and it has been the primary reason why they have been unable to reach the World Series. 

By adding Mark Teixeira, it will strengthen our batting lineup that features Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and Garret Anderson. Teixeira's imposing presence in the starting lineup will be incalculable. I have been waiting six years for the Angels to finally make a mid-season trade to put our club over the top. The Angels have the best record in baseball (67-40) and many sports writers now believe that the Angels will make it to the World Series. 

Now, there is some speculation regarding Teixeira because he will be a free agent after the end of this season. There are some reports that he is asking for a 10 year, 230 million dollar deal. Will the Angels choose to lock him up? That remains to be seen. But in the short term, this is a historic move for the Angels and it will definitely help them in October. 

This is a great time to be an Angel fan and I am thrilled to see what will happen in the coming weeks!

Angels Outlook for 2008

Baseball season is almost a week old and I must admit, I am very excited to watch baseball on tv again. It seems that there is a bit more optimism in within the Angel fold. We have a plethora of outfielders including the newest Angel Torii Hunter. With the signing of Hunter, it is hoped that he can provide more protection to Angel's slugger Vladimir Guerrero in the batting lineup. However, unlike past seasons, the Angels are having health issues related to their pitching staff in the bullpen and in the starting rotation. 

One shining point compared to 2007 is that Angels GM Bill Stoneman is no longer the GM. I thought it was a joke that he hoisted the 2007 AL West Division Champion banner before last night's game. Its probably because of HIM that it was AL West banner instead of a World Series flag. 

My biggest concern for the team this year is whether they will have enough pitching to get them past the stacked lineups of the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. I believe the Angels have the pieces to make the post season but I am still not convinced that they can beat the Red Sox. I was right last year (in April) when I said the Angels would crumble against the Red Sox. And I was right when I said that they did not have enough offense. I still think that the Angels are a team built to win their division but not the best team in baseball: Boston. 

Those are my thoughts on the Angels. My allegiance to my team is still as strong as ever. However, I don't want the mistakes of the past to carry over into the 2008 season.