Memo to Yankees: Staying in First Starts with Beating the Angels
July 10, 2009 · Doug Rush · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
When you think of opponents that Yankee fans dislike the most, the Red Sox and Mets immediately come off their tongues.
But how about the Angels, one of the biggest thorns in the Yankees’ side?
Ever since 1996, the Los Angeles Angels are 60-54 against the Yankees. In 2008, the Angels were 7-3 against the Bombers.
Most importantly, the Angels eliminated the Yankees twice in the American League Divisional Series in 2002 and 2005.
It’s safe to say the Angels are pests.
It all started when Mike Scioscia was hired as manager for the Angels—then known as the Anaheim Angels—in 2000.
Scioscia, a former Major League catcher, turned the Angels into a winning franchise because of the hard-nosed, every-play hustle and fundamentally sound baseball that he brought in.
It hasn’t mattered who was brought into the Angels system—they bought into it.
With Scioscia at the helm, the Angels have made five playoff appearances and won the AL West division four times. They also won the World Series in 2002.
But the 2009 Angels are not the same team. They are in second place and battling the Texas Rangers for the top spot in the West.
Kelvim Escobar and Scot Shields are both on the disabled list. Vladimir Guerrero has been injured this season, and his power numbers have dropped dramatically. John Lackey has not been the same dominant pitcher since returning from injury.
Free agency hurt the Angels the most.
They let longtime closer Francisco Rodriguez walk to the Mets. Rodriguez is playing like an All-Star while new closer Brian Fuentes continues to struggle.
They also let Mark Teixeira walk right over to the Yankees. Teixeira wanted to play closer to home on the East Coast, so the Angels really had no chance to retain him. At the same time, the Angels lost slick-fielding Casey Kotchman.
The Angels also let longtime leader Garret Anderson go to the Braves. Despite his age of 37, Anderson was the leader of the Angels team. Anderson played 15 seasons with the Angels, going back to when they were known as the California Angels before the name changes.
It’s not easy to replace longtime leaders like Anderson, and the team’s results have shown it.
Just last night, the Yankees tied the Red Sox for first place. They have a three-game series in LA with the Angels. What will the Yankees need to do to stay on top of the division?
They need to get good pitching out of Joba Chamberlain, Andy Pettitte, and CC Sabathia. If the Yankees want to stay in all three of these games, Chamberlain, Pettitte, and Sabathia have to pitch deep into the games and try to silence the Angels’ bats.
They need to make Lackey, Joe Saunders, and Jered Weaver work harder than they want to. The Yankee hitters need to work counts, take pitches, and make quality swings. New York will need to take chances against these pitchers.
Joe Girardi must be aggressive this whole series. It would take a page from the Angels’ book. After all, that’s how the Angels have beaten up on the Yankees over the last 10-plus years. They use the hit and run, steal bases, play great defense, pitch well, and have great situational hitting.
Chone Figgins is a pest on the basepaths for the Yankees. Now, Brett Gardner must be a pest for the Angels. Alex Rodriguez, Teixeira, Robinson Cano, and others must use good situational hitting and maybe even use hit and run plays with Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, and Gardner on base.
This weekend, the Yankees must beat the Angels at their own game.
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