Operation Gruesome Twosome -The big showdown between former friend and foe, the battle between a team scorned and a longtime rival…Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre. Once these two roll into town things are gonna get dirty. The Angels are gonna be in some big trouble if these two villains try to come in and throw salt in the Angels’ wounds. If we’re going to bring shame to those that have wronged them they’re going to have to approach the situation with some finesse. The one thing us Angel fans would love as much as going to the playoffs, and possibly the World Series, is getting back at these two. Righting the wrongs done to the Angels is a tall order, good thing I got the gameplan ready to go.
Pictured: Carl Crawford blissfully unaware of the 0-6 waiting for him.
It should be said that if the Angels want to maximize the pain they’re going to have to kick it into full throttle. No, I’m not implying a World Series win for the Angels is what they need to fulfill the hunger of all us revenge craving Angel fans, that’s far too improbable to count on right now. The Angels need to directly shame Crawford for allowing us to open our hearts to him only to have him cruelly smash whatever hopes we had at a sure spot in the playoffs for years to come. Carl Crawford is first priority here, breaking him down is going to be a toughie and it directly involves my plan with Beltre. For those who aren’t aware, Beltre turned down the Angels for the Rangers due to the OPINION that he felt the Rangers gave him a better chance at putting a ring on his finger.
Lets take a second to tear apart this insulting and ridiculous statement. For starters, the Angels are the closest removed from their last world series win, receiving their title in 2002 9 years ago. How far removed are the Rangers from their last World Series win? Oh that’s right, infinity years, THEY DON’T HAVE ONE! Not to mention the fact that last year was the first year they won a game in the playoffs before being embarrassed on national television against the Giants. The Angels went to the post season 5 of the past 6 years, while the Rangers have gone once in the past 11 years. Consistency is key to winning in the playoffs, and history is just not on the Rangers side. That comment alone should be enough to fuel the fire beneath the Angels/Rangers rivalry.
If Beltre thinks the Rangers give him the best chance at a World Series, the Angels are going to show him how wrong he is. The best plan of action is going to be tough, not only will it require the best performance from this Angels team possible, it is going to require precise timing and luck. The Angels are going to have to find a way to clinch the division in Texas, celebrating a playoff berth in Beltre’s face against the team he believed would take him all the way would be so sweet in the hearts of us Angel fans. But oh no, it’s not going to take one year of clinching in Texas, the Angels are going to need to do it year in and year out. Imagine how absolutely idiotic and ashamed of himself Beltre would feel if the Angels stole a playoff appearance from the Rangers every single year of his contract. The pain would oh so sweet, and oh so satisfying. The only thing that would make it even better is if the Angels clinch in Texas, win the World Series, and follow that up by clinching in Texas the following season! Of course that is just the dreams of a fanboy, highly unrealistic, clinching in Texas is only the first step in righting all the wrongs of the off-season, the playoffs are where the Angels need to make it happen. No, I’m still not talking about a World Series win, I’m talking an ALCS upset against the Carl Crawford and the Boston Red Sox.
Final Phase: Carl Crawdord. Showing Carl Crawford that money cannot buy you championships, no matter how much you have, is key in the success of this operation. Defeating Carl Crawford is going to take everything every player on this team can muster up. Torii Hunter deserves a ring and he knows it, he’s going to play his heart out on that field; Vernon Wells has never been to the postseason before, he needs to ride the adrenaline of new-found success. The naivety of all our young players who believe that, in their youth, they can do anything and nothing can stop them, will come into play heavily during execution of this plan.
Trampling the Red Sox would show him exactly what the Angels were going to do, with or without him. Being able to move on the the World Series in the same season we clinch in Texas and stomp the Red Sox in the playoffs would be the greatest act of revenge I’ve ever seen in my young life. If the Angels can accomplish all this, ESPECIALLY with the media talking them down, they will show everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with. If only this wasn’t the sad pipe-dream of a bitter Angels fan. Oh well, on to the rest of the season we go!