Sunday, February 29, 2004
CAN WE BRING THIS MAN UP TO SEATTLE?
Arte Moreno wants to win. Now.
Angels owner Arte Moreno has made a huge splash in his short tenure in Anaheim. He's lowered concession prices. But more importantly, he's signed Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, and Jose Guillen. There's a reason why the Angels should be the A.L. West favorite in 2004.
No one was prepared for the Angels to spend like Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Now with a starting rotation so deep a double-figure starter might be cut, Anaheim might well be the best team in the American League, and the game has gotten just a little heavier at the top.
Moreno squints into the breeze. The band is playing louder now, everybody is eating, burritos, beer and soda. Children are laughing. The Angels' owner glances at them and smiles.
"What are we trying to accomplish in the long term?" he asks. "Is it to try and stay competitive? If you have the opportunity to get better, why don't you take it? Our baseball people felt we needed to change our pitching, so we signed Colon and Escobar. We needed a right fielder, and we went out and got Jose Guillen. At the 25th hour we had the opportunity to get Guerrero.
"Basically what am I supposed to do when I tell the Los Angeles papers I had the opportunity to get a player of (Guerrero's) caliber and didn't? I would have been doing a disservice to the fans."
Instead, he gave them everybody they could have ever wanted.
THIS IS A MAN WHO GETS IT.
Folks, if you want to run a baseball team, don't run it like a charity case. It's not about how nice the players are. Baseball is a business. In order to be successful, you must win. And I don't mean winning 393 games the past 4 seasons and not having jackcrap to show for it.
The Anaheim Angels finished NINETEEN GAMES behind the Oakland Athletics in 2003. This was coming off the 2002 World Championship season. So what did the Angels do to improve themselves?
They signed a very solid starting pitcher in Bartolo Colon. Sure, 48 mil is a lot of money for the guy. But the fact is, he's good for at least 14 wins in 2004. Not too shabby if you ask me.
Oh, and they also signed the most underrated player in baseball. That would be Vladimir Guerrero. He's in the A.L. West for the next 5 seasons. Tell me that isn't scary to think about.
Who did the Mariners acquire this offseason? Well, they certainly didn't sign or trade for a player of Vlad's caliber.
"Let me ask you a question," Moreno says. "Do you like Guerrero playing in Seattle? How about Colon pitching?"
This isn't even a question.
If the M's brass had any sense whatsoever, they would have told Mr. Ichiro Primadonna Suzuki to move his ass to center field to make room for Vladimir Guerrero. Yes, I just called Ichiro a primadonna. Sue me.
And Colon in Seattle? Well, this is harder question to answer, only because the M's problem isn't pitching. But hey, I wouldn't mind Fat Ass Colon in the M's rotation, that's for sure.
Folks, Arte Moreno wants to win. He wants to win now. Hell, with this lineup, I think he has a reason to think that way:
C Bengie Molina, 1B Darin Erstad, 2B Adam Kennedy, SS David Eckstein, 3B Troy Glaus, LF Jose Guillen, CF Garret Anderson, RF Vladimir Guerrero, DH Tim Salmon
The only guy in that lineup that I don't really think is a problem is that punk Eckstein. But other than him, the Angels lineup is clearly the best in the West. I wish I could say the same for the M's, but I just can't.
The Angels have already won a World Series (2002). But you see, Mr. Moreno wasn't in charge when that happened.
He's in charge now. Watch out, Howard.
Angels owner Arte Moreno has made a huge splash in his short tenure in Anaheim. He's lowered concession prices. But more importantly, he's signed Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, and Jose Guillen. There's a reason why the Angels should be the A.L. West favorite in 2004.
No one was prepared for the Angels to spend like Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Now with a starting rotation so deep a double-figure starter might be cut, Anaheim might well be the best team in the American League, and the game has gotten just a little heavier at the top.
Moreno squints into the breeze. The band is playing louder now, everybody is eating, burritos, beer and soda. Children are laughing. The Angels' owner glances at them and smiles.
"What are we trying to accomplish in the long term?" he asks. "Is it to try and stay competitive? If you have the opportunity to get better, why don't you take it? Our baseball people felt we needed to change our pitching, so we signed Colon and Escobar. We needed a right fielder, and we went out and got Jose Guillen. At the 25th hour we had the opportunity to get Guerrero.
"Basically what am I supposed to do when I tell the Los Angeles papers I had the opportunity to get a player of (Guerrero's) caliber and didn't? I would have been doing a disservice to the fans."
Instead, he gave them everybody they could have ever wanted.
THIS IS A MAN WHO GETS IT.
Folks, if you want to run a baseball team, don't run it like a charity case. It's not about how nice the players are. Baseball is a business. In order to be successful, you must win. And I don't mean winning 393 games the past 4 seasons and not having jackcrap to show for it.
The Anaheim Angels finished NINETEEN GAMES behind the Oakland Athletics in 2003. This was coming off the 2002 World Championship season. So what did the Angels do to improve themselves?
They signed a very solid starting pitcher in Bartolo Colon. Sure, 48 mil is a lot of money for the guy. But the fact is, he's good for at least 14 wins in 2004. Not too shabby if you ask me.
Oh, and they also signed the most underrated player in baseball. That would be Vladimir Guerrero. He's in the A.L. West for the next 5 seasons. Tell me that isn't scary to think about.
Who did the Mariners acquire this offseason? Well, they certainly didn't sign or trade for a player of Vlad's caliber.
"Let me ask you a question," Moreno says. "Do you like Guerrero playing in Seattle? How about Colon pitching?"
This isn't even a question.
If the M's brass had any sense whatsoever, they would have told Mr. Ichiro Primadonna Suzuki to move his ass to center field to make room for Vladimir Guerrero. Yes, I just called Ichiro a primadonna. Sue me.
And Colon in Seattle? Well, this is harder question to answer, only because the M's problem isn't pitching. But hey, I wouldn't mind Fat Ass Colon in the M's rotation, that's for sure.
Folks, Arte Moreno wants to win. He wants to win now. Hell, with this lineup, I think he has a reason to think that way:
C Bengie Molina, 1B Darin Erstad, 2B Adam Kennedy, SS David Eckstein, 3B Troy Glaus, LF Jose Guillen, CF Garret Anderson, RF Vladimir Guerrero, DH Tim Salmon
The only guy in that lineup that I don't really think is a problem is that punk Eckstein. But other than him, the Angels lineup is clearly the best in the West. I wish I could say the same for the M's, but I just can't.
The Angels have already won a World Series (2002). But you see, Mr. Moreno wasn't in charge when that happened.
He's in charge now. Watch out, Howard.
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