Comments on: Hardball Weekly 6/8/09 http://socalsportshub.com/2009/06/08/hardball-weekly-6809/ SoCal's Destination for Sports Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:09:10 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Scott Bergen http://socalsportshub.com/2009/06/08/hardball-weekly-6809/comment-page-1/#comment-1301 Scott Bergen Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:04:46 +0000 http://socalsportshub.com/?p=8676#comment-1301 I agree with you that the pen and the offense have been bigger problems than the starters, but with all five starters in there eating up innings, the pen will get more rest and will likely improve. Having an ace doesn't help you win one game. It helps you win the one before and the one after too because you can manage those games differently. Having basically 3 aces is even better. As for Vlad, I don't know what he has left in the tank but the offense doesn't have to be historically good to make noise with this starting pitching. They just need to be average. Crappy offense can win crappy divisions (see: 2008 Dodgers) I agree with you that the pen and the offense have been bigger problems than the starters, but with all five starters in there eating up innings, the pen will get more rest and will likely improve. Having an ace doesn’t help you win one game. It helps you win the one before and the one after too because you can manage those games differently. Having basically 3 aces is even better.

As for Vlad, I don’t know what he has left in the tank but the offense doesn’t have to be historically good to make noise with this starting pitching. They just need to be average. Crappy offense can win crappy divisions (see: 2008 Dodgers)

]]> By: Joey Kaufman http://socalsportshub.com/2009/06/08/hardball-weekly-6809/comment-page-1/#comment-1300 Joey Kaufman Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:54:30 +0000 http://socalsportshub.com/?p=8676#comment-1300 I'm surprisingly not all that optimistic about the Angels. Yes, they have all 5 starters back, but starting pitching has not been their achilles heel this year. It's been the bullpen, which is ranked near the bottom in all of major league baseball. It's great how they have the starters all in place, but what are they going to do about a declining Vlad Guerrero and a bullpen, which has a collective ERA around 5? I’m surprisingly not all that optimistic about the Angels. Yes, they have all 5 starters back, but starting pitching has not been their achilles heel this year. It’s been the bullpen, which is ranked near the bottom in all of major league baseball. It’s great how they have the starters all in place, but what are they going to do about a declining Vlad Guerrero and a bullpen, which has a collective ERA around 5?

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