IMPROVED DEFENSE, DEEP BENCH AND CLEAR-CUT NO. 5 STARTER MAKE ANGELS DIVISION'S PROHIBITIVE FAVORITE ON PAPER. NOW ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS PLAY THE GAMES. PIECES IN PLACE TO REPEAT IN WEST.Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer TEMPE, Ariz. - Their new center fielder can hit the ball over the fence just as easily as he can pull one back from the other side to save a home run. Their new shortstop can provide power they haven't had at the position since Jim Fregosi Their new No. 5 starter insists he could win 20 games, their fourth outfielder In baseball, a fourth outfielder is a backup outfielder who does not have the hitting skills to regularly play in the corner outfield but does not have the fielding skills to play center field. was an everyday player who hit .307 a year ago, and their bullpen still is considered among the best in baseball. Topping it all off, the two best pitchers in their division are now tucked away in the National League, leaving the Angels to ponder a question they'd never dare ask themselves. How can't they win the American League West The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. for a second consecutive year? It won't be for lack of balance. ``Complete. That's a good word,'' said starting pitcher Noun 1. starting pitcher - (baseball) a pitcher who starts in a baseball game baseball, baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; Paul Byrd Paul Gregory Byrd (born December 3, 1970 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who plays for the Cleveland Indians. Byrd attended Louisiana State University where he pitched as part of the Tigers baseball team that won the 1991 , who was signed in December to fill out the back of their rotation. ``The World Series is the goal. There's no reason this team shouldn't compete for that and win it. ``I'm our fifth starter. And my goal is to win 20 games.'' Sure, there are as many things that could go wrong for the Angels as there are reasons for optimism. Center fielder Steve Finley Steven Allen Finley (born March 12 1965, in Union City, Tennessee) is a Major League Baseball center fielder who bats and throws left-handed. He currently is a free agent, and has been working out on a regular basis since his release, hopeful a call will come from a team looking , 40, could show his age. Rookie third baseman third baseman n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker Dallas McPherson Dallas Lyle McPherson (born July 23, 1980 in Greensboro, North Carolina) is a professional baseball player, and third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Career could be a year away from being ready and his back is hurting again. Left fielder Garret Anderson Garret Joseph Anderson (born June 30, 1972 in Los Angeles, California) is a Major League Baseball left fielder who has played his entire career for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. must prove he's recovered from a laundry list laundry list A popular term for a long list of Sx, diseases, or etiologies that share something in common–eg, differential diagnosis of acute abdomen of health problems a year ago. And all bets are off if right fielder right fielder n. Baseball The player who defends right field. Noun 1. right fielder - the person who plays right field outfielder - (baseball) a person who plays in the outfield Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1976 in Don Gregorio, Nizao, Dominican Republic), and known in his native Dominican Republic as Miquéas (Spanish for Micah), is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. , their lone indispensable player, should get hurt. But Guerrero played in 156 games last year and has been healthy this spring. And the Angels feel the surrounding cast is far deeper should injuries sweep the clubhouse. They also feel the club is better constructed to avoid the offensive droughts that made them so inconsistent. The flaws they concealed while winning 92 games were revealed in a jarring three-game playoff sweep by Boston. The changes made to close the gap were subtle but significant. Finley hit 36 home runs a year ago and also fits well into manager Mike Scioscia's borderline obsessive commitment to speed and aggressive baserunning. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera Orlando Luis Cabrera (born November 2, 1974 in Cartagena, Colombia) is a Major League Baseball shortstop who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He bats and throws right-handed. provides both a defensive and power upgrade over David Eckstein David Mark Eckstein, (born January 20, 1975 in Sanford, Florida), is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is noted for his size, as he is a small (for professional sports) 5' 7", but weighs 175 pounds. ; his 17 home runs in 2003 are more than any Angel shortstop since Fregosi's 22 in 1970. The Angels will not be confused with the take-and-rake Red Sox anytime soon. But they may have the means to improve on their so-so total of 836 runs scored, seventh in the AL in 2004. ``There are a lot of teams out there deeper than us,'' Scioscia said, ``but we'll make up for statistical differences with the way we play. We have a nice blend of situational hitters with guys who can drive the ball.'' Oh, the Angels won't sit back and wait for the three-run homer. But with power-hitting rookie McPherson, a presumably pre·sum·a·ble adj. That can be presumed or taken for granted; reasonable as a supposition: presumable causes of the disaster. healthier Anderson and Finley manning center, they should improve on their '04 total of 162 homers, 10th in the AL. ``Playing for Scioscia, you have to run the bases,'' first baseman Darin Erstad Darin Charles Erstad (born June 4, 1974 in Jamestown, North Dakota) is a first baseman/center fielder in Major League Baseball currently with the Chicago White Sox. Prior to 2007, he had played his entire career with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise (1996-2006). said. ``But it's also nice to incorporate the home run, and we've got a few guys now who can do that.'' The pitching has question marks, but not nearly as many as their divisional foes now that Atlanta and St. Louis claimed Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder in Oakland's annual payroll dispersal draft. Jarrod Washburn and John Lackey were the Angels' most inconsistent starters a year ago, but both will have the added motivation of free agency and arbitration-eligibility, respectively. And then there is Byrd. He won 17 games in 2002 for Kansas City, had his throwing elbow ligament replaced in '03 and spent '04 building up his strength. He is no Bartolo Colon; in fact, Byrd is the lone finesse pitcher on the 11-man staff. But the Angels are very confident he's no Ramon Ortiz or Aaron Sele, either. ``Last year was a good collection of talent,'' bench coach Joe Maddon said. ``This year, the difference is having five real quality starting pitchers.'' They will entrust their leads to 23-year-old Francisco Rodriguez, who is unproven as a closer but considered among the top five relievers in the AL. In the unlikely event he stumbles, Brendan Donnelly and Scot Shields are a nice safety net as well as solid set-up men. The bench also is sound, led by Juan Rivera, who hit .307 in 134 games for Montreal last year. Seattle, which added Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson, and Texas probably have the division's best lineups. But their pitching is as iffy if·fy adj. if·fi·er, if·fi·est Informal Doubtful; uncertain: an iffy proposition. [From if. as Oakland's hitters, and a month of Cactus League ball confirmed what the glossy preview magazines predicted in January. This is the Angels' division to lose. Their true test might not come until October. ``I have not seen the Florida teams,'' San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers mused recently on a sunny Arizona morning. ``But they are by far the best team out here. Boston and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of will get all the talk, but the lineup can do damage. The starting pitching's good, the bullpen's good. They're good.'' Gabe Lacques, (626) 962-8811 gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com PROJECTED LINEUP DARIN ERSTAD, 1B, 17 Meet the only major league first baseman batting leadoff. JEFF DaVANON, DH, 55 An island of plate discipline in a sea of mad hackers. VLADIMIR GUERRERO, RF, 27 Frank Thomas (1993-94) was the last back-to-back AL MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. . GARRET ANDERSON, LF, 16 Must avoid breakdown lane for club to cruise into postseason. STEVE FINLEY, CF, 12 Ageless wonder 664 hits shy of 3,000. ORLANDO CABRERA, SS, 18 Offensive approach may not fit in; defense is Eck of improvement. ROBB QUINLAN, 3B, 39 Scouts love his bat; keeping seat warm for injured McPherson. BENGIE MOLINA, C, 1 Diet could be best investment he ever made. CHONE FIGGINS, 2B, 9 Ideal for rover position at company softball game. PROJECTED ROTATION BARTOLO COLON, RP, 40 Quietly determined to put inconsistent '04 behind. JARROD WASHBURN, LP, 56 Health and looming free agency equals big rebound? KELVIM ESCOBAR, RP, 45 Has best stuff on staff, seeks run support to match. JOHN LACKEY, RP, 41 Consistently inconsistent since Oct. 27, 2002. PAUL BYRD, RP, 36 Expected to be big improvement over that Ramon Sele guy. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ, RP, 57 Life's a lot lonelier in the ninth inning. CAPTION(S): 16 photos, 6 boxes Photo: (1) Reigning AL MVP Vladimir Guerrero has reason to smile after the offseason additions of Steve Finley, Orlando Cabrera and Paul Byrd. Paul Connors/Associated Press (2) DARIN ERSTAD (3) JEFF DaVANON (4) VLADIMIR GUERRERO (5) GARRET ANDERSON (6) STEVE FINLEY (7) ORLANDO CABRERA (8) ROBB QUINLAN (9) BENGIE MOLINA (10) CHONE FIGGINS (11) BARTOLO COLON (12) JARROD WASHBURN (13) KELVIM ESCOBAR (14) JOHN LACKEY (15) PAUL BYRD (16) FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ Box: (1) PROJECTED LINEUP (see text) (2) PROJECTED ROTATION (see text) (3) CLOSER (see text) (4) PROJECTED BENCH (5) PROJECTED BULLPEN (6) 2005 ANGELS SCHEDULE |
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