January 11, 200422 yr The AL West, AL East and NL East are going to be fun to watch. so will be the NL central i'm glad my team isn't in any of divisions and we get a free ride to the playoffs :cool
January 12, 200422 yr The A's are better at catcher, 1b, 3b, and ss Who is the A's shortstop? he probably forgot that they lost teajda
January 12, 200422 yr The A's are better at catcher, 1b, 3b, and ss Who is the A's shortstop? Bobby Crosby, the reason why they let Tejada go. If he's half as good as they say he is the A's will be fine
January 12, 200422 yr I believe they have a highely-touted prospect at SS, not sure. yeah, Bobby Crosby.
January 12, 200422 yr The Angels have the "G-Men!" in the outfield! WoW! Garret, Guerrero & Guillen. :thumbup :thumbup :thumbup :lol
January 12, 200422 yr The Angels have the "G-Men!" in the outfield! WoW! Garret, Guerrero & Guillen. :thumbup :thumbup :thumbup :lol enjoy the G men while you still have the chance. garrett is outta there.
January 12, 200422 yr Vlad is definitely gonna add some much needed pop to the Angels lineup, theyre a huge threat now
January 12, 200422 yr Vlad is definitely gonna add some much needed pop to the Angels lineup, theyre a huge threat now yeah, but they'll be battling the mariners for second
January 12, 200422 yr Top-Shelf Moves Landing All-Star Guerrero shows the Angels are quickly moving to stand tall among baseball's elite and free-spending franchises. By Bill Shaikin, Times Staff Writer With each purchase this winter, the Angels took another step away from the economical, home-grown World Series championship team that captivated fans and rival general managers. As new owner Arte Moreno prepared to unwrap his latest and largest purchase, superstar outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, the Angels have evolved from a model franchise into a target, the big-spending kind that evokes jealousy as well as respect. "I really don't care, as long as I'm on a team that wants to win," pitcher Jarrod Washburn said Sunday. "It looks to me like Mr. Moreno wants to win." Along with a new red cap, the Angels plan to hand Guerrero what could become the largest contract in franchise history. The contract is believed to include five guaranteed years, at $70 million, and an option for a sixth year. If the option is exercised, the Guerrero contract would top the six-year, $80-million deal with former Angel first baseman Mo Vaughn in both average annual value and total value. General Manager Bill Stoneman confirmed Sunday the Angels have reached agreement with Guerrero and said he is scheduled to undergo a physical examination this morning. Assuming he passes, the Angels plan to introduce Guerrero, 27, at an afternoon news conference at Angel Stadium. Angel players, already tickled by the previous arrivals of free agents Bartolo Colon, Kelvim Escobar and Jose Guillen, were just short of delirious on learning that Moreno had lured the best player available in free agency and one of the best players in baseball at an age when his best years might be in front of him. "No one knows how much better he's going to get and he's awesome right now," shortstop David Eckstein said. "It puts a smile on your face." The Angels' player payroll projects to $108 million, far beyond the club-record $76 million on opening day last season but still below the threshold that would require the team to pay a luxury tax. The payroll should drop a bit, with Washburn and Ramon Ortiz on the trading block because of the Angels' surplus in starting pitching. But the acquisition of Guerrero is the most dramatic evidence yet of Moreno's plan to generate additional revenue by extending the Angels' reach outside Orange County and throughout Southern California and beyond. "From a marketing standpoint, it's outstanding," Angel President Dennis Kuhl said. "We have what you call a marquee player." Salaries have long since soared past the point where a star player can sell enough tickets to pay for his salary, and in any case the Angels attracted a record three million fans last season without Guerrero. But with him, and with the other free agents added to a team that won the World Series 15 months ago, Moreno can better persuade potential corporate sponsors that their customers will be watching the Angels. He also hopes to convince Channel 9 and Fox Sports Net to broadcast more Angel games as well as to sign lucrative deals for Spanish-language television and radio broadcasts. However, Kuhl said the signing of an all-Latino quartet of free agents did not reflect a strategy to expand the Angels' Latino audience. The team won't attract fans of any background, he said, if it does not win. "When you're a baseball fan, you want to see the best players out there," he said. "We look at who the best players are. We're expanding into more territory, but not just by an ethnic group or a demographic group. That's all we're doing, trying to create more fans." The acquisitions subject Moreno to significant risk. He approved a four-year, $51-million contract for Colon, the richest deal ever awarded to a pitcher by the Angels. No other team would guarantee more than three years, concerned about Colon's sometimes-poor conditioning habits and the prohibitive cost of insuring contracts beyond three years. Guerrero's risk factor is a back injury, a herniated disk that forced him to sit out 39 games for the Montreal Expos last season. The New York Mets refused to extend their guarantee to Guerrero beyond three years, citing an inability to obtain insurance against another back injury. Last year's injury did not require surgery. He returned to play in 62 of the Expos' last 64 games. The Expos offered Guerrero a five-year, $75-million contract after receiving clearance from the team's medical staff. "Our doctors gave us a comfort zone," Montreal General Manager Omar Minaya said. "And we'd seen him perform great after he came back. There is a risk, but at the end of the day our doctors felt comfortable." The Baltimore Orioles promised to guarantee six years. The Dodgers last week discussed the parameters of a contract with Guerrero, although they were reluctant to guarantee more than four years and ultimately done in by their tenuous ownership situation. With major league owners scheduled to vote this month on whether to approve the bid of would-be Dodger buyer Frank McCourt, a source said Sunday that McCourt asked Commissioner Bud Selig whether some owners might vote against him if he spent freely to acquire Guerrero yet presented a financing package heavily dependent on loans. Selig offered no assurances, the source said, and McCourt sent word to General Manager Dan Evans to cease talks with Guerrero. Guerrero might be the ultimate low-maintenance player in the major leagues. In Montreal, he lived with his mother, who delighted teammates and opponents by preparing home-cooked Dominican specialties. He wears no batting gloves and no jewelry. He shows up on time, says little to anyone, plays every day and hits everything. In a minor league game, he reportedly hit a home run on a ball that bounced in the dirt. He runs well and throws hard, every now and then too aggressively in both areas. He is a four-time All-Star and the youngest player in major league history to post five consecutive seasons with a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in. "I don't see five players better than him in baseball," Minaya said. "If I were an Anaheim Angel fan, I'd be very excited to be able to see a player like Vladimir Guerrero on a daily basis. He's everything you've heard about him and more, not only as a great player but as a very nice kid and a very good person. There's not a word you can say negative about him." The Expos did not offer salary arbitration to Guerrero, so the Angels will not forfeit a draft pick to Montreal as compensation. Guerrero joins Garret Anderson, the All-Star game MVP, and former American League home run champ Troy Glaus in the heart of what could be a devastating lineup. He'll play right field, alongside Anderson and Guillen in the outfield. Angel Manager Mike Scioscia called Darin Erstad on Sunday morning, alerting the Gold Glove center fielder that he would move to first base. Erstad said he had "plenty of time" to adjust to the position before the season begins and did not foresee a recurrence of the hamstring trouble that plagued him in 1998, when he split time between first base and the outfield. He sat out most of last season because of a hamstring injury but is healthy now and said he should remain that way so long as the Angels do not juggle him between the infield and outfield. Erstad declined to proclaim the new and improved Angels the team to beat. "I like our chances," he said. "On paper, we look very tough. We have to come together as a group and win those tough games." The Angels cited strong clubhouse chemistry as one reason they made no personnel changes last winter. One year later, they have added four prominent free agents and lost popular teammates. "I think it's something we'll have to work on, but I don't think it's a concern," Erstad said. "It's very important to have that chemistry, but we still have enough guys that have been around and can help the new guys. And Scioscia is so easy to play for, so it will be an easy transition." Even after reading about the Guerrero signing in newspapers and hearing about it on television, Eckstein said he was still struggling to believe it. After all, Moreno had been plenty good to his Angels before landing Guerrero. "Unbelievable pickup," Eckstein said. "You get a player with his qualities, after all the guys we've already picked up? Golly."
January 12, 200422 yr Author Look at Kelvim Escobar's era pitching as a starter off astroturf...the angels have a mighty good starter there.
January 12, 200422 yr 01/12/2004 2:09 PM ET Angels agree to terms on multi-year deal with outfielder Vladimir Guerrero Four-time all-star is fourth free agent to sign with Angels this off-season ANAHEIM, CA -- The Angels Monday agreed to terms on a five-year contract with a club option for a sixth year (2009) with free agent outfielder Vladimir Guerrero in an announcement made by club Vice President/General Manager Bill Stoneman. Per club policy, no financial terms of the contract will be released. Guerrero joins Bartolo Colon, Kelvim Escobar and Jose Guillen as free agents to sign multi-year contracts with the Angels this off-season. "I know the fans of Southern California are going to enjoy watching Vladimir and the special talents he possesses, " said Stoneman. "He's joining a group of talented, hard-working athletes who play a tremendous team game and are dedicated to returning the Angels to post-season play." Guererro, 27 (turns 28 Feb. 9), finished the season batting .330 (130/394) with 25 home runs and 79 RBI. He was limited to 112 games, the result of a herniated disc in his back that did not require surgery. It marked the sixth straight season he has collected at least 25 home runs and the first campaign he didn't post at least 34 home runs since 1997. During 2003, Guerrero became the sixth player in Montreal history to hit for the cycle, accomplishing the feat Sept. 14th vs. the New York Mets. His 454-foot home run off Odalis Perez at Dodger Stadium Aug. 21st marked the 226th of his career, moving him past Andre Dawson into sole possession of first place on the Expos all-time home run list. A career .323 hitter in 1,004 major league games, his 234 home runs in eight seasons with Montreal stands as a club record. Since 1998, the outfielder has averaged a .325 clip with 99 runs, 37 home runs, 110 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 12 assists per season. His career bests include a .345 average and 44 home runs in 2000, 131 RBI in 1999 and 206 hits in 2002. A native of Nizao Bani, Dominican Republic, Guerrero became the second youngest active player to reach 200 home runs in 2002 when he reached the mark at exactly the same age as Ken Griffey Jr. (26 years, 182 days). He is a three-time Louisville Silver Slugger recipient and fell one home run short of becoming just the fourth ever player to enter the elite 40/40 club in 2002 (39 HR, 40 SB). With this transaction, the Angels 40-man roster now stands at 40 players.
January 12, 200422 yr who exactly do the a's have catching, at first, and at second? forgive me for not knowing these 'stars' off the top of my head.
January 12, 200422 yr who exactly do the a's have catching, at first, and at second? forgive me for not knowing these 'stars' off the top of my head. The A's are not the Angels. You would have to ask GiantsIn04 who lives up there in the SF bay area. The Angels have Bengie Molina catching, 2 time gold glove winner; Darin Erstad at 1st whom batted .355 in 2000; and Adam Kennedy at 2nd whom batted over .300 in 2002.
January 12, 200422 yr ya i know who the angels have....i forget who these players are at these spots who are so much better than what the angels have. especially at first. we wont even discuss outfields though.
January 13, 200422 yr yeah hattenberg is so much better than erstad. molina is probably better than miller. kennedy and ellis i would say are somewhat similar, but i am probably wrong.
January 13, 200422 yr yeah hattenberg is so much better than erstad. molina is probably better than miller. kennedy and ellis i would say are somewhat similar, but i am probably wrong. hatteberg is a lot better. Miller is better than Molina. Ellis isn't better than Kennedy- yet.
January 13, 200422 yr Hatteberg 2003 OPS: .725 Erstad 2003 OPS: .642 Come On, Erstad was injured in 2003. Use the year 2000 figures for Erstad.
January 13, 200422 yr Hatteberg 2003 OPS: .725 Erstad 2003 OPS: .642 so Javy Lopez is the greatest catcher ever?
January 13, 200422 yr Hatteberg 2003 OPS: .725 Erstad 2003 OPS: .642 Come On, Erstad was injured in 2003. Use the year 2000 figures for Erstad. it more than makes up for it if you consider the ballparks they play in. Erstad plays in a slightly hitters park while hatteberg plays in the toughest park in the league
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