MWAH has a new writer, Mr. Loren Robb. Allow him to introduce himself.
Loren Robb, an Angels fan since 2000, was born with a baseball in his hand. Somewhere along the line it fell out, to his dismay, but now he remains an avid spectator from Fountain Valley, CA. Loren attends the University of San Diego as a Marketing major and can be reached at his Facebook, Twitter, or email.
It’s a very tough game we watch and play, an operation with a short memory and an even shorter tolerance for error. Similar to the rigidness of corporate America, professional baseball eats you up and spits you out if you don’t stand up straight. Ask Bobby Abreu, he is the perfect example.
Starting in 2009, Abreu stayed classic and bullied his averages around his career marks for Anaheim. He made his loyalty seem And us Angel fans let Bobby pull at the heart strings as he manned the 2nd spot in the lineup better than most around the league. In his first two seasons his slash lines went as follows: .293/.390/.435 and .255/.352/.435, respectively. Numbers worthy of appreciation. But when his numbers started to dip in 2010 (a season in which nothing really went right for the Halos), nature wasn’t kind to Bobby. I think it was taken too far when comments he made this off-season about wanting to play or be traded, even if it meant for another team, were interpreted as distasteful. Who wants to be in a relationship where they aren’t given the opportunity to contribute and in turn are criticized for not doing so? He was judged on the smallest sample size: 9 games and 27 PA’s before being released. We never gave him a chance, and the guy was heading for decline before he even put the jersey on.
But after the conclusion of this week’s Freeway Series, one can only smile at the fact that Bobby is back to a place of comfort and meaning. Or that’s at least as it seems. His numbers are back to form: .309/.425/.436 in 35 games. He is used with more frequency (94 AB) and plays left field as he wanted to. As a Dodger, his demeanor even suggests he’s older, more himself. He stays fresh, he battles, and he contributes; much like those who took his place here in Anaheim (mainly those guys with 25 and 27 on their backs). There is finally peace among Southern California, and hopefully this happy ending is only the beginning for both clubs connected by the freeway.