The Halos Hall of Shame
So sad, those Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – beaten 11 straight times by the Red Sox in postseason games. Weren’t they supposed to be the best team in baseball? I think not!
First, I must give a public lashing to
Yes, you, Mr. Hunter. After you were nailed at first in that close play, you stomped up and down like a petulant child and jammed your knee. Your crime didn’t rise to the level of Kevin Brown punching a wall, but it was dumb. Your error in center didn’t help your cause.
Next, I must pass judgement on
Yes, you, Mr. Kendrick. You not only struck out swinging with bases loaded (have you ever heard of taking a pitch?), but you’ve left 11 men on base in this series. Bad, Howie. Bad.
Now, I must take to task the one and only
Yes, you, Mr. K-Rod. You can yell and scream and point to the sky all you want, but the fact remains that you were ineffective tonight. I’d worry about that big contract if I were you.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out
Yes, you, Angels fans. Your thundersticks are ridiculous. Have you noticed that Yankee fans manage perfectly well by cheering for our team using our own hands? It’s called clapping.
And finally, I must single out the most shameful of all
Yes, you, Mr. Rally Monkey. Enough said.
P.S. There IS one person who did distinguish himself tonight
Yes, you, Mr. Teixeira. You went 3-for-3 with a sac fly, and I want you on the Yankees in ’09. A lot.
Confessions of a She-Fan 
Thundersticks, cow bells, rally monkeys, the wave . . . all things that annoy, a lot. Nice blog — and I’d like to see Teixeira with a long term deal in the Bronx as well. A lot of people cry how unfair it is when the Yankees break open their fat wallet, but I’m not one of them.
— David
http://sportsbythenumbers.mlblogs.com/
Jane, you’re turning out to be a Red Sox good luck charm! Whatever hexing you’re doing–keep it up!
The off-season will be interesting for the Yankees. Will they build another superstar-studded $200 million machine of veterans or will they rely on younger players to get the job done?
With aging veterans Jeter, Damon, A-Rod (OK, he’s still in his prime), Mo, and Posada on the books, will they offer a 3-year deal for Abreu? The Yanks will have plenty of dough to spend, so it will be interesting to see if they can create a team of stars that can function as a team.
Steve T.
http://soxblog.mlblogs.com
It’s painful to watch the Angels play in the playoffs.
I wish I could be optimistic and give them a chance, but they just look so beaten and confused.
Oh well.
http://yankeesfainboston.blogspot.com
David, I think signing Teixeira should be a priority for the Yankees (along with starting pitching). They’ve fooled around with first base for too long. Teix is, at last, a player who deserves a long term deal. As for those who complain about our payroll, they don’t complain about the luxury tax, do they?
Me a Red Sox good luck charm? Please, Steve, no!!!!! I think the Angels are your charm. They just cave when they see that “B” on your caps. And, um, what’s the payroll of the Sox these days? How old is Tek? From what I read, the Yankees are trying to get younger and more athletic. I guess we’ll see in the coming weeks what that actually means.
The Angels do look beaten and confused, Damian, and it’s so interesting. They totally have the Yankees’ number and yet they match up so poorly against the Sox. Must be fun up there in Boston right now – not. Btw, did you see the lone Yankee fan in the stands at Angels Stadium? He sure looked lonely.
The Angels are over matched by the Red Sox bats and the experience the Red Sox have in the playoffs. The Angles have experience as well but it is of the choking type.
The Sox are 4th in payroll this year at $133 million. With Manny’s $20 million off the books and the continued additions of the farm system graduating to the majors, I’d expect the Sox payroll to continue to drop as the team gets better. The Yankees, meanwhile, have been trying to get younger since they ran Randy Johnson out of town, but that payroll still sits comfortably over the $200 million mark. Both teams have lots of cash, no question. But the Red Sox have spent theirs better over the past few years.
Steve T.
I’m wondering why He waits until the post-season to forsake K-Rod.
http://paullebowitz.mlblogs.com/
max11, there must be a choking factor going on here. The Angels looked so strong in the regular season but have definitely wilted under the bright lights of the postseason. They look overmatched for sure. But we could all be eating our words if they somehow bounce back at Fenway.
Well, Steve, I can’t argue that the Yankees don’t have the highest payroll. And right now the Sox do seem to have spent their money wisely (Julio Lugo aside). But everything goes in cycles. Don’t get TOO comfortable because the Yankees will be back!
LOL, Paul.
I hate petulant children.
Most of all, I hate that damn rally monkey. Last summer I took a trip to LA and drove two hours to Anaheim in crapola traffic to see my Astros take on the Angels, and we were leading by six runs when they brought that stupid rally monkey out and Dave Borkowski gave up like, eight runs in one inning and we lost.
Kylie — http://kylie.mlblogs.com
I did see that lone Yankee fan. I’m sure the Angel fans there weren’t happy to see him, but they really couldn’t say to much after the performance of their team.
Anybody think the Cubs can extend the series tonight?
http://yankeesfaninboston.blogspot.com
I went to Anaheim for the last Yankees-Angels series and sat next to a very excited Angels fan. Right before the rally money showed up on the screen, he said, “Get ready for THIS.” He was riveted. The monkey – I kid you not – was on a surfboard with the music from “Jaws” playing. Has it worked to rally the Angels? Not lately. Maybe they’ll retire it.
I think the Cubs could do it tonight. The Dodgers are my adopted team, so I’m rooting for them, but I’ve got tix for Sunday night and wouldn’t be that upset if it went four.
Don’t be so mean to the Angels, maybe the Sox are just the better team. 🙂
And thank you for calling out the rally monkey. I really hate that thing. And the Yankees will probably get Teixeira or Manny, just because that’s what they do. (permit me an eye-roll) I have to say I loved seeing the one random Yankees fan in the stands last night, I mean, he’s really holding true to the whole “I Love the Yankees and anyone who’s playing the Red Sox” thing.
-Sara H.
http://transnation.mlblogs.com/
Sara, it’s funny how all my friends who are Red Sox fans (and I really do have some) think the Yankees will sign Manny. I could be wrong – it’s happened many times before! – but I really don’t see the Yanks committing that kind of money for a player we don’t need. We need pitching and a first baseman, not a left fielder/DH (we have a few of those already). So yeah, I hope we sign Teixeira.
“And the Yankees will probably get Teixeira or Manny, just because that’s what they do. (permit me an eye-roll)”
Well I get the perception about the Yankees signing all the top FA’s and spending tons of money… But the face is that hasn’t been true for a few years.
Who was their biggest signing in 2006? Pettittie? Hardly the biggest free agent out there.
2007? Their biggest was Kei Igawa. I think we remember Boston spending the most in free agency going after Dice-K
You’d have to really go back to 2005, when they signed one big FA, and that was Pavano.
And the year before that, in 2004, they again had no big FA signings.
Yes the Yankees will go hard after Manny, Tex and/or CC, but so will every other team with money. They perception that the Yankees have been ‘buying’ teams the last 4 or 5 years, I think, is a false one.
http://yankeesfaninboston.blogspot.com
And the Sox did spend a nice chunk of change on Drew. There’s still the perception that all the Yankees do is “buy” players and that they’re the only team that does. Not true, as you point out, but oh well.