Seven is Definitely not Heaven

Post date: Aug 11, 2010 4:58:48 AM

The Angels as of tonight are seven games behind the Texas Rangers who defeated the Angels 1 to 0. The Angels have not been playing that bad, the Rangers are just that good. The Angels have played seven head to head games with the Rangers, six out of the seven games have had a one run differential unfortunately, the Angels have been the losing party the majority of the time. The Angels play seven head to head games with the Rangers within a 10 day span, there are still a lot of games to be played. A lot could happen within these games not to mention that there are 63 games left in the regular season; to say the season is over for the Angels or that they are in trouble is ludicrous. There is however, cause for serious concern. Today for example, the Halos had 17 three ball counts, and they could not capitalize on any of them.

The Rangers' C.J. Wilson stated earlier this season that the Angels were not as good as the Rangers. Does he really want to pour gasoline on the Angels' fire? Yes, the Rangers have a seven game lead in the American League West. Yes, the Texas Rangers are a serious threat to the Angels, but it is too early for fans on either side claim that they have won division, or that the division is lost.

The trade deadline is a week from tomorrow, there's still a chance that the Angels might make a move in order for us to win division. But I must caution however, that winning the division won't do the Angels any good if they can not get out of the first round. We can not obsess over making moves at the trade deadline if it means mortgaging our future. For example limiting our ability to make a serious offer to Carl Crawford.

I was listening to " Angel Talk" with Terry Smith after the game today and a lot of Angels' fans were complaining about how the Angels need to be more competitive, Angels' fans are spoiled. I wish they would talk to lifelong fans like me that remember when the Angels were not that good, heck, Hollywood made a movie making fun of us, remember " Angels In The Outfield"? That definitely wasn't funny at all; or 2001 when the Angels finished 41 games out of first place in the division; or 1995 when the Angels had a 13 1/2 game lead on the Seattle Mariners late in the season, only to lose the division in a one game playoff at the end of the season. Yes the Angels' fans, with the you'd like it are not, we have been spoiled. This is no time to panic for all we know we might end up having a repeat of 1995 with the Angels playing the role of the Mariners. We can't win every year, however this year is certainly not over. As long as we stay competitive every single year and have a legitimate shot of going deep in the playoffs, which this year we do; that is the only thing that matters.

-ICE