The Trouble with Angels

My apologies to the Hayley Mills aficionado, who may have inadvertently been directed to this page by the way of a Google search. This article will pay no mind to the 1965 boarding school caper, and will instead focus on my animosity toward the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. With that said, please have a seat because class is in session.

Believe it or not, there was time when I respected the Angels. More specifically, I admired their large collection of homegrown players such as Tim Salmon, Garret Anderson, Jim Edmonds, and Gary DiSarcina amongst others. I was never a fan, but I was an enthusiast of  the composition of their team and rooted for them by default during the 2002 World Series.

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Still, there were many details about our neighbors to the south that annoyed me to no end. These issues, would only expand in the years to follow. At the very heart of my indignation lies the head of the Angels, Manager Mike Scioscia. Now, I really don’t recall much of his career as a player. I was much too young during his heyday, to recall much more than bits and pieces from his performance in the 1988 World Series. My perception of him was largely based off his cartoon guest spot on the softball episode of The Simpsons, and the infamous clip of Norm Charlton brutally colliding with him on a play at the plate.

As a manager, I simply abhor him. Since taking the helm of the good ship Anaheim in 2000, Scioscia has led his club to a 1,157-956 record and has twice been named AL Manager of the Year. With a winning record, and an impressive resume under his belt it’s hard to argue against his proven success. However, his very presence and egregious antics in the opposing dugout has drawn my ire on a number of occasions.  From his constant sniveling over balls and strikes, to his excessive challenges of close plays in the field; he has become simply intolerable.

But I digress. Much of my distaste for the ballclub comes from the long-lasting bitter taste left in my mouth, from watching the Angels celebrate a postseason berth on the Coliseum field during back-to-back seasons in ’04 and ’05. 2004 in particular was incredibly painful, as a late-inning bullpen collapse in game 161 essentially gifted them the Division title. It’s because of this game that I still have nightmares of Darin Erstad rocketing a game-tying double off of Ricardo Rincon, and subsequent Anderson RBI single off of Octavio Dotel that would prove to be the game winner.

The 2013 Angels are a high-profile, high-payroll team whom entered the season on a quest to return to postseason play. In their way, our are very own Oakland Athletics who shall resume the role of David in the battle against Goliath. The early season woes of the Angels, have A’s fans pointing fingers and laughing at the bullpen mishaps and offensive struggles of superstar addition Josh Hamilton. With so much of the season left to play, you’ll have to understand if I remain weary of the potential powerhouse that resides in our division. You see, I’ve always had my share of trouble with Angels.