The 2008 Angels: The Pinnacle of Class (Irony) in MLB

by VORP is too nerdy on Oct 7, 2008 9:49 PM PDT Comment 38 comments

I appreciate irony. I love irony. I find it hilarious.

The irony of 2008 baseball is the fact that the team with the best record, the LA Angels, was not the best team in baseball. At all. Their actual record was an MLB-best 100-62, but their expected W/L record was the worst among AL playoff contenders at 88-74. Thus, the Angels were not the best team in the AL, but they were easily the luckiest.

Except in the 2008 playoffs, their luck ran out, sort of.

So what do you do when you have the best record in baseball, the ESPN analysts orgasm over how awesome your team is, and you get beaten by the clearly better (but less lucky) Boston Red Sox? You take it like a professional, congratulate the other team, and vow to exact revenge next year.

Unless you're the Angels, then you just blame the umpires, the Boston Red Sox, and the economy for your suckitude.

Without further ado, I present the Angels whinefest of 2008

Highlights:

It's way different than last year," said Lackey, who was 0-1 with a 2.63 ERA in two starts this postseason. "We are way better than they are. We lost to a team not as good as us."

[On Sunday] they scored on a pop fly they called a hit, which is a joke," said Lackey, referring to a popup that was misplayed into three runs. "[On Monday], they score on a broken-bat ground ball and a fly ball anywhere else in America [except in Fenway Park]. And [Pedroia's] fist-pumping on second like he did something great."

In conclusion, John Lackey is a grade-A douchenozzle.

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Music to my eyes

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin

by Helloooo 1st on Oct 8, 2008 12:09 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

all the Angels do is bitch

"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra

by Cheezombie on Oct 8, 2008 1:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This was my favorite of the series

"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra

by Cheezombie on Oct 8, 2008 1:19 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs

lololol

by drmmerchk on Oct 8, 2008 3:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Looks like my kid

When I took his cell phone away.

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Oct 8, 2008 7:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Invisible swarm of bees perhaps?

by train80 on Oct 8, 2008 7:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

what the heck

happened there?

Andy Bernard does not lose contests. He wins them. Or he quits them. Because they're unfair.

by BigTuna on Oct 8, 2008 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

his reaction after the umpire called the runner safe

and the replay shows he completely missed the tag

"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra

by Cheezombie on Oct 8, 2008 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's f'in hilarious!

I saw it live, but seeing it over and over again is ridiculously funny!

"You can have the alimony. But I want some pussy payments!" - Chris Rock

by oaktownmario on Oct 8, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That. Is. Awesome.

by whiteshoes40 on Oct 8, 2008 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lookout Landing had a great article today.

The Angels Are Delusional

Says they might have finished 5th if they had played in the AL East.

Other kids may be sayin' hi-ho, but The Gooch just says yo.

by whobob on Oct 8, 2008 8:17 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!

Check the angels record vs the AL East. I dare you. Just do it.

Mr Moreno,
Please re-sign Tex.
Sincerely yours,
Halo fans everywhere

by anaheim angels on Oct 18, 2008 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

A DOUCHENOZZLE!

Do Douches have nozzles!?, even if they don’t John Lackey is just that.

Doesn’t he look like he’s straight out of a barn?

Is that Embry warming up?....... NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

by iljackb on Oct 8, 2008 9:25 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Dear John Lackey

Please throw K-Rod through a wall. You wanted to throw someone through a wall.

Now with 100% more Canuck.

by Blicks on Oct 8, 2008 9:31 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The sad thing is, I could see a team beating the Angels out next year....

and that would be the Rangers. Unless, of course, our rookies all decide to break out in very big ways, and our pitching is not so walk happy (with the exception of Duke). Then A’s all the way in ’09 baby.

'That's something we do...thirteen hits and not score'-Terrence Long

by DyeLongJustice on Oct 8, 2008 9:40 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Rangers

No Way. That is a .500 team until they get 3-4 Solid Starting Pitchers + a Deep Bullpen. I just don’t see it.

by Colorado Fan on Oct 8, 2008 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

.500 teams get lucky and turn into 88 win teams ...

88 win teams are better than the Angels of ’08 …

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Oct 8, 2008 12:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nope

I was being nice when I said they are a .500 team. They had a nice year this year, and the A’s almost finished w/ a better record. A team relying on Millwood-Padilla-Harrison-Diamond-Hurley-McCarthy-Wright???

Angels should win the West again in 2009, but I think the A’s will finish in 2nd Place.

Angels 86-76
A’s 81-81
Rangers 79-83
Mariners 65-97

by Colorado Fan on Oct 8, 2008 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not arguing in favor of the Rangers ...

just in favor of the randomness of baseball …

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Oct 8, 2008 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

apparently the angel bandwagoners are returning their merchandise

angels bandwagon over?

"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra

by Cheezombie on Oct 8, 2008 11:11 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

They are in full Meltdown mode over at HH. Hopefully they pick up Garrett Anderson’s Option, Re-Sign K-Rod, Re-Sign Garland, and lose out on signing Teixeira. Lackey is calling out the Offense & Defense. Is Vlad done? They don’t have much of a Farm System anymore – Adenhart & Wood have lost there luster as Prospects. We could have just witnessed the fall of the Angels.

by Colorado Fan on Oct 8, 2008 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL, They say on Halo Heaven they don't need bandwagoners

That means the stadium could have 3 seats next year and not be full

May the Angels suffer one more agonizing defeat in Boston and may K-Rod accidentally get in the way of a 120 mph line drive off David Ortiz's bat

by Trainman on Oct 8, 2008 2:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If they don't want Wood, I'll take him

by thejd44 on Oct 10, 2008 7:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's what SHE said!!!

Sorry … had to be done …

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Oct 12, 2008 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Speaking of bandwagon fans...

I didn’t start coming to AN until into the 2007 season, but did you guys get a bunch of bandwagon fans here when the A’s made the playoffs in ’06?

by VORP is too nerdy on Oct 8, 2008 2:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think the bandwagon is stuck in traffic.

I don’t recall it ever making it to Oakland.

by jpl on Oct 8, 2008 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

a lot of people went to the games during the bash brother era

"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra

by Cheezombie on Oct 8, 2008 3:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Definitely during the playoffs, but many of those disappeared about halfway through the offseason.

Nothing like Golden State of Mind last year, though.

by Rocktopus on Oct 8, 2008 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't feel the least bit sorry for the Angels

… you make your own breaks in a play-off series, and they played like crap. They deserved to lose. Period.
That being said, the Red Sox did get awful lucky on several occasions … the biggest thing for me is, I’m extremely afraid this thing is lining up perfectly for Boston. Eliminate a shaky Angels team in the first round and face a playoff “rookie” in Tampa Bay in the ALCS. I’m going to be rooting so hard for the Rays it’s not even funny, but I’ve got a really, really bad feeling the Bosox are gonna be raising another flag come April. Damn, that’s just sad.

I needed a team so I wouldn’t turn into one of the eighty million pink hat-wearing Bud Light-drinking mulleted idiots at Fenway.

by Vacafan on Oct 8, 2008 4:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

That damn Pedroia...

Imagine being excited getting a huge hit at home in game 4 of the ALDS on the verge of clinching? Shut the fuck up Lackey……cuz your team never celebrates bitch.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Oct 8, 2008 5:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

How can Lackey be mad at the Red Sox for that 3-run single

That was all Angels. They let it drop, while all three fielders had a clear shot at it, none of them took charge in a situation where it was absolutely necessary that someone stepped up and took charge. I think this article almost takes it out of proportion by interviewing all of these players right after they lose in the first round, of course they’re going to be irrational. Of course they’re going to say some things that they’re going to regret. I feel that if they interviewed them after a few days this article would be completely different. Except for Lackey, he’s just a douche.

by thesteve9x on Oct 8, 2008 5:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs