Angel Fans, It's Time to Panic
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| OC Weekly |
- "Dude, you are better off without her."
- "Come on man, there are plenty of other fish in the sea."
- "The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else."
- "Seriously dude, you need to leave her alone before she files a restraining order."
Those are things I have heard people say when someone breaks up with you, 'cause, you know, it's never happened to me personally. The point is clichés are stupid and a sure sign that something is wrong.
The clichés are flying out of the offices of the Anaheim Angels of Anaheim by way of Los Angeles.
"All the cylinders aren't clicking right now," center fielder Torii Hunter said recently after a loss to the Rays. "When we hit, the pitching is not right, and when the pitching is right, we don't hit. Everything is not coming together like we want it to, but the season is not over."
"We've got to let this keep moving forward," Mike Scioscia said.
This gem comes from struggling pitcher Scott Kazmir, "... now it's time to get down to business."
Isn't it past time to get down to business?
Los Angeles, and sure, I will include the OC Angels in the LA bubble, loves a winner. Fans support a winning team like no other. The worst thing you can do in Los Angeles is to not win, but if you are going to lose, at least be entertaining. The Angels this year are not only losing, but they are also a pretty boring baseball team thus far.
LA had always been Dodger town. Not even the Angels championship in 2002 changed that. It wasn't until Arte Moreno bought the club in 2003 that a shift began to take place--billboards popped up all over what was always Dodger territory. Hawthorne, East LA, even areas in and around downtown LA saw Angel red billboards. It helped, too, of course, that the Angels were winning while the Dodgers were floundering.
The Angels are to the Dodgers as the Lakers are to the Clippers.
Now, it seems the teams are changing roles. Where the Dodgers have a bonafide Hall of Famer in Manny Ramirez, the Angels have none--with apologies to Torii Hunter. The Blue boasts some good young hitters in Ethier, Martin and Kemp, the Red have Kendry Morales. Sure, neither one of the teams is tearing up their division, but the Dodgers play with a passion that has seemed to elude the Angles thus far this year.
The Angels are wearing the Clippers jersey in 2010.
Almost a quarter of the way way into the season, it is officially time to panic. Even the players recognize it's time to shift into another gear or see this season get away from them. After a disastrous 3-7 road trip, not only did they call a players only meeting, which fits the pattern of over-used cliché, they actually apologized to the fans!
"Like I said to you guys before, I apologize to the fans, to everybody for the way we played those seven games on the road (a seven-game losing streak). It was terrible--offensively, defensively. Everything was bad for those seven days." That was Angel spokesman Torii Hunter after that road trip from hell.Apology accepted.
The panic button is officially out, however, and our finger is resting on it. Angel fans can forgive a few losses, but no self-respecting baseball fan can overlook a lack of passion. We want to see dirty jerseys, we want to see our left fielder going horizontal for catch-able fly balls, we want to see our third baseman play great defense if he can't hit the side of a barn.
We want our Angels back.
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