Daily links for the LA Angels including Napoli didn’t get traded, Napoli wants back in the lineup, evaluating Rodney by inning and much more.
The Story: The Red Sox and Angels failed to agree on a trade for Mike Napoli.
The Monkey Says: That means Naps is going to finish the year as an Angel; beyond that, all bets are off. With as little playing time as he is receiving, it seems pretty clear that Napoli isn’t considered a big part of LAA’s future, so expect the trade chatter around him to pick up this off-season.
The Story: Mike Napoli just wants back in the lineup.
The Monkey Says: Mike Scioscia keeps talking like Napoli is an everyday player, but he seldom plays more than two days in a row anymore.
The Story: Fernando Rodney historically pitches better in the ninth inning.
The Monkey Says: The stats say, but Scioscia says no to that claim. I tend to agree with Sosh though and feel like the statistical difference is just a fluke. His ERA by inning shows a big difference, but his strikeout rate is virtually the same while his OPS allowed and walk rate are only slight improvements in the ninth. To me though, I just don’t see how the inning would dictate just how well he pitches. The pressure of the situation is a more interesting measure (as the ninth inning isn’t necessarily pressure-packed). When you look at his leverage splits, his high leverage numbers are a good bit worse than his medium leverage numbers, though eerily similar to his low leverage numbers. To sum up, I think I just confused myself, but I still think Rodney sucks and shouldn’t be closing anyway.
The Story: Remembering the “Yes, We Can” Angels.
The Monkey Says: Yeah, I’m 29, so I don’t remember them. I was just an itch in my dad’s Fruit of the Looms back in 1978.
The Story: Check out Kobe Bryant visiting the Angels this last weekend.
The Monkey Says: That has to really chap the asses of Dodger fans, I bet.