Bill Bavasi Fired

For gods sake... it's about freaking time.

"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is '**** David Samson' then you shouldn't say anything at all. So I'm not going to say anything at all."

The one positive thing I will remember this man for. I won't hire him as a GM but I'd sure as hell by him a beer.

as a cubs fan i hope that we trade for bedard. i think he could perform well as a #2 starter, hes not an ace. Ibanez could land a good pitching prospect or 2 from a team that is looking, like the mets or something.

“For gods sake... it's about freaking time.”

…I think most baseball fans share these sentiments ~ well, outside the AL-W ones as mentioned by Brian…

That being said, you know he will catch on somewhere ~ they always seem to do so… Then you have to think of other GMs who might be on the hot-seat, and if your team is one of those then you better start saying your prayers!

Oh, and if youre Dodger fans, say twice as many prayers as you would think was fit ~ just to make sure…

haha good call darkstar. good thing we got Jim Hendry...

Let the Bedard to the Cubs talks begin!

“good thing we got Jim Hendry...”

Oh yeah ~ nothing says job security like a new owner taking over… Cubs fans, ya best be sayin your prayers!

"or he could be like Tony Reagins"

Um, just what does that mean? Reagins learned from an excellent teacher in Bill Stoneman and has had his 2 biggest moves pay off. The Cabrera-Garland deal was excellent given that Aybar looks to be a younger, faster, stronger and more athletic version of OC and given that the Angels were without Lackey for 6 weeks and are still without Escobar. Hunter plays a perfect style for the Angels and has come up with some timely hits and his usual amazing defense. The other thing is the move he didn't make. The trade they were going to make for Cabrera was so incredibly lopsided in Florida's favor, it isn't funny. Kendrick is WAY too good a hitter to dump while both Saunders and Santana are in the Cy Young hunt.

Reagins spent a **** load of money unnecessarily. He doesn't see money as an object. I feel like his worst moves may yet to be made though

I don't see why the M's would trade Bedard. He]is value is low for him and even with a new GM, I don't think it would be a good idea to just flip for him after losing so much talent for him.

I don't think Bedard's value is all that "low"....compared to what they gave up for him, then yeah, his value is low right now. But the new GM isn't and shouldn't worry about that.

He's struggled some this season and he's injury prone, but Bedard's still a young, hard throwing potential left handed ace with more than 1.5 seasons of controllability. He is a pennant race-changing acquisition and there will be a ton of interest if he is available

Trading Bedard now, after the problem is was getting him only 3 months ago ~ well, I see it as a “you really, really, really cant do this” type move… The backlash could be huge...

As an Angels fan I am very sad to see Bavasi go.

O-Cab is great. He's hitting .316 over the last month with awesome defense

http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/article/how_well_can_we_project_team_defense_and_other_uzr_data/

While Garland is still an innings eater, but when you factor in the money the Angels gave the Sox(4.5 mil when you look at salaries) the Angels ended up giving a definite type A for someone who might be, and enough money for the White Sox to buy their other middle infield component, Alexei Ramirez. When you consider the Angels shortstops aren't quite up to par with Cabrera(maybe offensively, but not defensively) and the Sox haven't needed Garland, you can't use it in an argument. I'll acknowledge that it wasn't a "bad" trade for the Angels because Garland has been really useful, in the same way he always has been. But don't make it seem like the White Sox got ripped, far from it.

As for Hunter, the Angels really blew that one IMO. He isn't worth that much, never was and they don't even need him as is. When I say that Reagins worst moves may yet to be, well if he can spend so much on Hunter I fear for how much they'll spend on K-Rod, Garland, and all the other guys that will be free agents in the next couple of years. Moreno won't close the wallet but it may end up handcuffing the Angels in the future.

Bill Stoneman deserves any credit given to Reagins in the above post.

"Torii Hunter was not a good signing AA, no matter how you slice it."

How was it not a good signing? What did they Angels have there? A speed guy who has 4 good tools and 1 extremely lacking one that happened to be a team need? An expensive signing that has been injury prone in his career and is essentially a poor man's version of Hunter? Pretty much nothing else in the minors at the most important outfield position, except MAYBE Terry Evans who really hasn't proven much. Putting Figgins back there when he is more of an asset in the infield?

The truth is, the Angels needed more power, which Hunter brings and they needed a guy who can play Scioscia's running game, which Hunter can do. It also helps that the guy is without a doubt the best defensive center fielder in baseball. They stepped up ahead of other teams who were offering him MAYBE $2 million a year less and got a player who fits in perfectly with their game.

"Also, does the fact that you like Torii Hunter mean you hate all white people? You are a racist. Just like Josh Hamilton."

What kind of an idiot comment is this? Hamilton fucked over the guy who stuck by him through thick and thin because he happens to be Jewish. All because of his false illusions of a little man in the sky.

That I like Hunter's game doesn't mean I don't also like Blake DeWitt's. Hell, I can't even believe I gave you a comparison there. Your post wasn't even worth it.

"What kind of an idiot comment is this? Hamilton fucked over the guy who stuck by him through thick and thin because he happens to be Jewish. All because of his false illusions of a little man in the sky. "

Okay, so I am an idiot for making fun of your ridiculous theory, so what does that make you for calling Josh Hamilton a Jew hater because he happens to believe in god? Anybody else see the irony?

"What kind of idiot comment is it to call Josh Hamilton a jew hater because he went to an agent who shared his beliefs?"

One, I didn't call him anything, I suggested antisemitism as a possibility given the nature of what he did. Two, based on what has come out about, there is no doubt that Sosnick's religious affiliation was the reason Hamilton did what he did. I would have been just as pissed if Shawn Greene or Kevin Youklis did something similar, in the opposite direction.

whoops 1st link wasn't supposed to be there. Anyway, Torii is not the best CF in baseball anymore. Sorry.

Rowand is providing really good production for a guy who plays a decent center, for only $12 mil a season. He might not have been a good signing for the Giants but I'd take him...

Hunter has been good for the Angels. I wish that he was hitting for more power - that's for sure. His defense has been awesome. He may not be the best defensive CF'er in baseball but he is an upgrade over other options.

Basically, the Angels needed to find a power hitting 3B or a power hitting CF. The 3B market was bare. CF had a couple of options between Hunter, Jones, and Rowand.

Jones has been awful and as expensive (at least for 08/09). Rowand has been solid but not a lot of people were projecting that. That leaves Hunter.

Like I said, the Angels paid a few million more/year and committed to him for at least one year too long. However, for a team in a win now mode those are very minor prices to pay.

One last thought on Hunter ...

I'm not a big believer in the "intangibles". However, whatever they are, Hunter has them in spades - same goes with GMJ. Prior teammates have nothing but great things to say about these guys and their presence in the locker room.

I bring this up only because the Angels are playing well above their expected win/loss. Couple that with their injuries and I think it's fair to say either (1) they are incredibly lucky or (2) intangibles are coming into play - especially considering all the close games they have played.

As a fan I'd like to think it's the latter. Of course, it could all just be luck. Anyway, just food for thought.

"Josh Hamilton a Jew hater because he happens to believe in god?"

Newsflash. Jews believe in the same god as Hamilton.

"Yeah, the $90 million dollar man has really solved the power outage with his .786 OPS"

Um, his slugging is down mostly because of his BA, which has been hurt by a recent slump. He is on pace for 25-25 at a minimum plus 40 2B, and that is without his BA going up. Remember too that he is playing in a pitcher's park.

"He's never been close to the best CF during any portion of his career. Before Andruw fell off a cliff, he was always better both offensively and defensively."

Bullshit. He has been a better defensive CF than Jones for at least 3 years now.

"There's a ton of other better defensive CFs too. Crisp, Ichiro, Granderson, Beltran..."

"he's not good defensively."

You are joking, right? How many Gold Gloves does Granderson have? Zero. How many does Crisp have? Zero. Ichiro is indeed an amazing defensive outfielder, though he has always been better in right than center. Beltran is great, but he has always been prone to more mental errors and drops more catchable balls than Hunter.

Listen, Bill James isn't the be all, end all. Stats don't cover everything. Using sabermetric analysis, Andre Ethier had only a middling arm last year. Even the stats heads who came up with the analysis knew he was severely under-rated because of the limitations on their systems.

"Hunter is only a gold glove winner because he makes diving plays and robs home runs after getting bad jumps."

LMAO. Do you realize Hunter has never committed more than 4 errors in a year and has had none this year? Not only does he make spectacular plays, he makes mundane ones. All that, and he played in what is possibly the most difficult stadium in baseball to field fly balls for his whole career till this year.

"Just because you win a gold glove it does not mean you are on of the best at that position."

No, actually, that is the definition of it.

""Just because you win a gold glove it does not mean you are on of the best at that position."

No, actually, that is the definition of it. "

If ignorance is bliss, you must be ecstatic. It has been shown time and time again that Gold Glove voting is a crock of sh*t. Derek Jeter is a terrible defensive ss, Palmeiro won a GG when he DH'd 130 games.

Gold Gloves are a meaningless award, voted on by idiots.

"it's a miracle that the Angels have the 3rd best record in baseball."

I dunno about the miracle part, but the Angels do show the largest positive differential between their actual record and their pythagorean record -- +7.

Their run differential of +1 is 8th best in the AL, and suggests a .500 team

"No, actually, that is the definition of it. "

So, David Wright is the best fielding 3B in baseball?

mets fired Peterson, Nieto and Randolph!!!

Oops, almost forgot to say it ~ Mets fans, better start sayin your prayers…

Willie wasnt the one who should have gone, and if they dont turn it around... Well, I imagine Bavasi will be in for an interview...

""Palmeiro won a GG when he DH'd 130 games."

Wow, you pull out one example of a terrible choice and that MUST mean the GG is meaningless."

Actually I gave two examples. The fact that Jeter won 3 years running kind of makes it 4 examples. If someone wants to go year to year with you so be it, I'm not so inclined.

"Given that you take the sabermetric values at face value, you must also think the A's should win the World Series every year."

I feel bad for you, whatever person whether it be teacher, coach, or parent taught you logic and gave you your limited understanding of baseball must walk around with Epic Failure tattooed on their forehead.

There is some random baseball team that puts huge stock into what Bill James has to say, hell they hired him to do exclusive work for them. I'm sure with the extra 50-80 million in payroll per year and a little luck the A's could have 2 titles in 4 years aswell.

"I feel bad for you, whatever person whether it be teacher, coach, or parent taught you logic and gave you your limited understanding of baseball must walk around with Epic Failure tattooed on their forehead."

Wow, so am I to assume you are calling my parents epic failures? If so, you are not only a moron who can't look past percentages, you are a good old fashioned asshole. Not that they taught me much about baseball other than playing catch and balls, strikes and home runs, but still, you are an ass.

Anyway, I didn't say the sabermetric numbers aren't valuable, they just aren't the only way to evaluate talent, much like the old scouting system isn't either. The problem comes when you place too much stock in either.

As for Jeter, of the three he won, 2 came with him pulling a range factor higher than league average while posting a fielding percentage also higher than league average. Not that I think he is the best fielding SS in baseball, but the "numbers" are there to back him up.

Not all percentages are created equal. Billy Wagner only has sixty percent of his hair, but he's still better than Mitch Williams.