Daily Links for the LA Angels including Weaver named AL Pitcher of the Month, Weaver’s pitch to Varitek should’ve been a strike, Abreu’s patience is no longer an influence and much more…
The Story: Jered Weaver was named the AL Pitcher of the Month.
The Monkey Says: The only way he wouldn’t have won was if there was voter fraud of North Korean proportions.
The Story: The tide-turning non-strike call Weaver had against Jason Varitek sure appears to be a strike.
The Monkey Says: Buck Foston.
The Story: Bobby Abreu’s patience is no longer having an influence on the rest of the Angel lineup.
The Monkey Says: I know his presence had a great effect on the Angels in 2009, but I actually think this is a good thing. For the most part, the Angel regulars are action players similar to the ones Scioscia relied upon years ago. Walks are never a bad thing, but with too many guys trying to do something that they aren’t cut out for, the lineup loses its identity.
The Story: Mike Scioscia tries to defend Torii Hunter’s ill-advised dash for third on Monday.
The Monkey Says: You can’t blame Sosh for defending his guy, but the play was still just plain dumb.
The Story: What’s wrong with Vernon Wells?
The Monkey Says: There really isn’t any answers in the article other than some allusions to the change in home field, but there is no way that accounts for Wells massive disappointment.
The Story: Why do the Red Sox own the Angels?
The Monkey Says: My theory is that the Red Sox just have good pitching and the Angels have below average hitting, plus Boston is very much in the Angels’ head. That is just a recipe for disaster.
The Story: Bobby Abreu headlines the 2012 contract issues facing the Angels.
The Monkey Says: The bad news is that Abreu’s option seems like a mortal lock to vest, but the good news is they should still have enough financial flexibility to make big upgrades to the roster… assuming they can don’t screw up the contract negotiations.
The Story: Peter Bourjos is working on his two-strike approach.
The Monkey Says: That is very savvy of him. He definitely isn’t ever going to become a legit leadoff option if he doesn’t cut down on his strikeouts.