AL West is gaining on the Angels

The Anaheim Angels may finally be getting some competition in the AL West division that they have dominated for so long.

Certainly the Oakland A’s made a move in the right direction by signing pitcher Ben Sheets … as long as he’s over the elbow surgery that sidelined him all of last season.

Sheets joins a formidable rotation with two-time All Star Justin Duchscherer, Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden.

In addition, the A’s have added punch and pop with new center fielder Coco Crisp and third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.

The Texas Rangers certainly have added power with the free agent signing of former Angel Vladimir Guerrero to an already potent offense.

Plus, with Nolan Ryan included in the team’s new ownership group, look for Rangers’ pitchers to take on some of the toughness Ryan displayed in his Hall of Fame career. No more babying pitchers; let’s see how far they can go in a game rather than how soon they can come out!

As for the Seattle Mariners, the likes of standout pitcher Cliff Lee and former Angel third baseman Chone Figgins will be a definite upgrade in 2010.

The Angels? Not only have they lost top players to division rivals; they also lost ace John Lackey to the Boston Red Sox.

When the Angels look back, they are going to find people are gaining on them this season.

Angels-Dodgers Would Series would be just fine

Turn on ESPN during the baseball season. If they’re not talking about the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; they’re talking about the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Here’s one voice for hoping that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Anaheim Angels play in the World Series.

Wouldn’t it be nice for a change for the media … with its East Coast bias … to see that there actually are teams worth talking about in Southern California?

Oh, sure, ESPN loves talking about Manny Ramirez of the Dodgers. Of course, that’s only because all of his years with the Red Sox.

You don’t exactly hear about Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw or James Loney of the Dodgers every day on ESPN.

Ditto for Torii Hunter, John Lackey, Kendry Morales and Howie Kendrick of the Angels.

The only way for these guys to make a national dent is to beat the St. Louis Cardinals and Red Sox, respectively, then go on to win their respective league championship series.

Sure, an all-Southern California World Series would not exactly make for the greatest TV ratings ever. But neither did the Yankees-Mets World Series outside of New York in 2000.

It’s about time the West Coast received its due in MLB.

Roy Halladay could take many teams to World Series

If the Los Angeles Dodgers can trade for Roy Halladay, go ahead and pencil them in for the World Series.

It’s pretty much ditto for the Philadelphia Phillies, Anaheim Angels, Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees.

If you had one game to win in MLB and could pick any pitcher, Halladay would be the guy to take.

But to get Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays before the trading deadline of July 31, any team will have to give plenty to get him.

Would the Dodgers give up 21-year-old pitcher Clayton Kershaw, already called by some the next Sandy Koufax?

Would the Phillies trade young pitching phenom Kyle Drabek, among others?

Do the injury-plagued Angels have enough of a package to offer?

How about the Red Sox trading top young pitching prospect Clay Buchholz?

What kind of a package could the Yankees put together?

It would be surprising to see Toronto trade Halladay within the AL East to New York or Boston. In fact, Red Sox Manager Terry Francona would just as soon see Halladay in the National League … unless he goes to Boston.

Consider Francona’s comments after Halladay pitched a complete-game six-hitter to defeat the Red Sox on Sunday, 3-1.

“I stand by what I said the other day,” Francona joked. “They should have traded him the other day, and to a National League team.”

The Dodgers or Phillies would certainly be OK by that.

Interleague play: It's an all-American (League) tradition

Boy, are National League teams glad that interleague play has ended!

Once again, the American League dominated the NL, 137-114, in the 251 interleague games this season.

Just look what interleague did for some teams:

The Anaheim Angels, with an interleague-best record of 14-4, moved 2 ½ games ahead of the Texas Rangers (9-9 in interleague) in the AL West.

The Tampa Bay Rays were 13-5 in interleague, jumping back into the AL East race.

Toronto was only 7-11, thus falling one game behind Tampa Bay in the East.

The only other AL teams with losing records – Cleveland and Oakland (5-13 each) and Kansas City (8-10) – are virtually out of the pennant races.

In the NL, the Colorado Rockies were an interleague-high of 11-4, getting back into the NL West (and wild card) races.

The Los Angeles Dodgers only went 9-9, but they’re so far out front in the West that nobody’s going to catch them.

Florida (10-8) and San Francisco and St. Louis (both 9-6) were the lone other NL teams with winning records.

On the other end, it’s no surprise that the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks were each 5-10 … but a bigger surprise that Milwaukee and the New York Mets were also 5-10.

All in all, it’s just nice that teams will be playing within their own leagues from now on.

Nick Adenhart: Tragedy recalls sad memories of Lyman Bostock

Nick Adenhart’s life was taken way too soon.

At only 22 years of age, the Anaheim Angels pitcher had a multi-million dollar future ahead of him … not to mention a mega-million dollar personality that made him liked by all, according to teammates.

His sudden and shocking automobile accident death brings to mind another fallen Angel in Lyman Bostock.

Back in September 1978, Bostock, 27, was in his hometown of Gary, Ind. after a game and was fatally shot.

Like Adenhart, Bostock had a great career in front of him. And what’s more, Bostock put his money where his bat was.

Old-timers will remember the time when Bostock struggled so much in April 1978 with the then California Angels that he offered to return his entire salary for the month. (See if that ever happens in this baseball era!)

After three years with the Minnesota Twins, Bostock signed with the Angels as a free agent and batted .150 for the month of April. He went the team's management and attempted to return his April salary, saying he had not earned it. The team refused, so Bostock announced he would donate his April salary to charity.

Bostock batted .404 in June on the way to a .296 average for the season that tragically ended too soon for him.

Adenhart was killed by a suspected drunken driver; Bostock by a jealous husband who thought Bostock was having an affair with the murderer’s wife. (Bostock, who was riding in the back seat a car with the woman, had just met her 20 minutes earlier.)

Sadly, Bostock’s killer was found innocent by reason of insanity and spent only 21 months in custody.

Let’s hope that Adenhart’s killer receives a more just punishment.

New York teams say 'bye' to MLB playoffs

What’s the best storyline about the upcoming Major League Baseball playoffs?

How about the fact that there are not any New York teams involved for the first time in more than a decade …

As much as the TV networks jam New York down our collective throats, it’s nice to see the playoffs commence with some truly compelling possibilities for smaller market teams.

What about:

Tampa Bay being in for the first time ever
Milwaukee being back for the first time since winning the World Series in 1982
The chance of Minnesota getting back in if it survives in the AL Central

Then the bigger markets:

The Chicago Cubs trying to win a World Series for the first time in 100 years
The Los Angeles Dodgers trying to win their second playoff GAME since a World Series title 20 years ago
Philadelphia looking for its first championship in 28 years
The Anaheim Angels shooting to win it all for the second time in six years
The Boston Red Sox attempting to make it three titles in five years

The happiest guy of all in the playoffs may be Manager Joe Torre of the Dodgers.

He’s taken so much criticism for the Yankees seemingly losing in the first-round each year lately. (Without him, the Yankees won’t face such a fate while looking from the outside in from the beginning.)

That coincides with the best news of all: No New York teams!

Hey Chargers, old stadiums produce champions

Did you see the senseless quote from Mark Fabiani of the Chargers in the San Diego Union-Tribune?

“There's a world for a team with an old stadium – a world where you're consistently behind. It's a world you see in baseball all the time,” the Chargers’ current (and Bill Clinton’s former) spin doctor said.

Well, let’s look at the last six World Series winners, see where they played and figure out who’s really behind:

2002: Anaheim Angels (35-year-old stadium)
2003: Florida Marlins (16-year-old stadium)
2004: Boston Red Sox (92-year-old stadium)
2005: Chicago White Sox (14-year-old rebuilt stadium)
2006: St. Louis Cardinals (new ballpark)
2007: Boston Red Sox (95-year-old stadium)

If you look at it, the teams with older stadiums are winning the World Series more times than not.

And oh, by the way, the last two Super Bowl winners were the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants.

The Colts played in a 23-year-old stadium; the Giants a 31-year-old stadium.

So much for spin doctor Fabiani’s theory that you can’t win in an old house.

Interleague play benefits Padres

When it comes to interleague play, which begins Friday night, the Padres have it much easier than their two California rivals in the NL West.

The Padres get to play Seattle each year as their “natural rival.” The Los Angeles Dodgers must face the Anaheim Angels; while the San Francisco Giants are matched up against the Oakland Athletics.

Think about it for a minute. The Padres play a Seattle team that traditionally battles Texas for last place. The Dodgers and Giants are playing the year-in and year-out top two teams in the AL West.

What’s interesting is how this all breaks down. The Padres have a winning record against Seattle and losing record against the rest of the AL. The Dodgers and Giants have losing records vs. their “natural rivals,” but winning records against the remainder of the AL.

So we can’t feel too sorry for the Padres having to play the New York Yankees, Cleveland, Detroit and Minnesota this year.

It could be worse: They could be playing the Angels or Athletics every year in interleague action.

Money can't buy Yankees championships

The Beatles taught us through song in the 1960s that “Money Can’t Buy Me Love.”

The New York Yankees are teaching us in the 21st century that money can’t buy them love … or championships.

They can have the highest payroll in baseball, as always.

They can have Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, et al.

Come October, one thing they won’t have again is something they haven’t possessed since 2000 … a World Series title.

As you know, the Anaheim Angels are lurking in the background. They’ve done it before – and they will do it again – when it comes to knocking the Yankees out of the playoffs in October.

If the season were to end today, the Yankees would not be in the playoffs. But history tells us the Yankees will be there; no matter where they stand on Aug. 9.

They won’t be there long in October. The Angels are just around the corner waiting to eliminate the Yankees.

This will break the hearts of such East Coast transplants as Pat Colabucci who are in San Diego rooting for the Yankees.

Is interleague fair?

On the Padres’ radio pregame show last week, some said it was unfair that the Padres had to play the Boston Red Sox three times while the Dodgers did not have to do so.

Fair enough, until you look at the rest of interleague play.

Both the Padres and Dodgers played three games against Tampa Bay. It’s the other 12 games that were different.

The Dodgers had six games against the Anaheim Angels, arguably the best team in baseball along with Boston. They also played six against Toronto, second in the AL East.

The Padres? Besides the Boston and Tampa Bay games, they did not exactly play against the American League elite. They played six times against Seattle (second in the weak AL West) and three games against Baltimore (last in the AL East.)

Thank goodness, it’s now back to National League play as the Padres begin the week with three games at San Francisco while the Dodgers play four times at NL West-leading Arizona.

Until the Dodgers stop playing the Angels six times annually during interleague play, the Padres should not be griping about their interleague schedule.

Interleague schedule favors Padres

When it comes to interleague play, the Padres have it much easier than their two California rivals in the NL West.

The Padres get to play Seattle each year as their “natural rival.” The Los Angeles Dodgers must face the Anaheim Angels; while the San Francisco Giants are matched up against the Oakland Athletics.

Think about it for a minute. The Padres play a Seattle team that traditionally battles Texas for last place. The Dodgers and Giants are playing the year-in and year-out top two teams in the AL West.

Let the interleague numbers tell the story:

The Padres are 26-24 vs. the Mariners; 48-63 vs. the rest of the American League.
The Dodgers are 26-30 vs. the Angels; 54-51 vs. the rest of the AL.
The Giants are 27-29 vs. Oakland; 59-46 vs. the rest of the AL.

Broken down, the Padres have a winning record against Seattle and losing record against the rest of the AL. The Dodgers and Giants have losing records vs. their “natural rivals,” but winning records against the remainder of the AL.

The next time the Padres complain about their schedule, it could be worse. They could be playing the Angels or Athletics every year in interleague action.

Cameron may need vision test

Mike Cameron of the Padres probably needs to be checked by an optometrist.

Cameron has misjudged at least four balls in the twilight this season. He’s also not making as many of the spectacular plays that have made him a three-time Gold Glove award winner.

Obviously, he is not tracking the ball as well as he used to.

Manager Bud Black excuses Cameron’s misplays by saying that Darin Erstad normally missed one ball per homestand because of the twilight when he played for the Anaheim Angels. That was Erstad. He’s the same guy who misjudged a fly ball in the twilight this year in Anaheim during his first game back with the Chicago White Sox.

Cameron was not losing balls in the twilight last season. He also seemed to be getting better jumps on the ball in 2006.

Let’s just hope this is an early-season bump in the road; not a developing pattern.

In the meantime, the Padres should have Cameron’s eyes checked out; just to be sure there is no lingering impact from the brutal collision he had in the Petco Park outfield with then New York Mets’ teammate Carlos Beltran in August 2005.