Tag: Baseball

Where Do We Go From Here?

Imagine an Angels hat on Evita, because I’m too lazy for Photoshop.

It’s been four sleeps since Shohei Ohtani announced his intentions to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers of Elysian Park. It’s been two sleeps since it was announced he’d be deferring about 95% of his contract until 2033 so the Dodgers could remain competitive for all other free agent markets throughout his tenure.

So where do we go from here?

The last time a team lost the best player of all time to their rival.. they didn’t win a championship for 86 years. Even in more contemporary times.. when Barry Bonds left the Pirates, they began a 21-year postseason drought where they finished at the bottom of their division in NINE of those 21 seasons.

The Angels don’t get to start from such a position of privilege. The Red Sox traded Ruth less than 18 months removed from the 1918 World Championship, and the Pirates had played 20 NLCS games in the last three seasons before Bonds left for the West Coast. Alternatively, Angels are now 21 years removed from their last title, 15 years from their last Postseason win, and 9 years from the last postseason appearance.

The Angels DO still have Mike Trout (although health concerns build every year, and his production is in decline, he’s still better than most hitters when he’s healthy), and a promising crop of young players who have made their debuts over the last few seasons. Neto, Detmers, Livan Soto and even Jo Adell still have time to develop into everyday players.

I’m worried the damage is done. I’m worried that no matter what the next steps are, this team is doomed, especially as long as current ownership remains in place. Even if Trout has a comeback and half those young debuts turn into All-Stars, we know they can’t put the other pieces together to actually challenge for anything.

And maybe that’s okay. Maybe this team needs to lose 100 games for the first time ever. Maybe this team needs back-to-back 1st overall picks like the Astros or Orioles.

Since 2010 when the Angels arrived at this current 75-win purgatory, I’ve often day-dreamed of rooting for a team so bad, it rivals those 105-loss Pirates. The only thing your rooting for is for your team not to embarrass themselves. Guys like Neil Walker and Jose Tabata become heroes just because they can play average baseball. That doesn’t sound so bad.

I got this picture from the article of him getting designated for assignment, lmao

I think that’s where I’m going from all this. I’m waiting for my Jose Tabata to arrive.

Shohei Ohtani Baseball Cards Are Going To Bankrupt Me

You might be thinking to yourself “Why, that’s a silly title. What reasonable person would become bankrupt by some baseball cards?”

That’s where you’re wrong.  I am not a reasonable person.

Back in Early December, when the Angels signed Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani, I went through two phases:

Elation.  Oh my god.  The Angels did it.  They put their resources into a smart baseball move and pulled it off.  This is a very exciting day for the baseball team I love so dearly.

Damnation.  Oh my god.  The Angels did it.  They got the hottest 2018 baseball rookie and their price in the baseball card market are going to skyrocket.  I’m going to spend the entire year chasing his jerk’s autographs and be lucky to have a handful of Parker Bridwell autographs and a shitty grey jersey card.

2018 Donruss Baseball

Don’t get me wrong.  I collect Angels baseball cards.  I’ll be happy with some Parker Bridwell autographs.  But the investment into those Bridwell cards is going to be insane because of Ohtani (and the Angels were always overpriced thanks to one Michael Trout, despite his cards being some of the rarest in the hobby).

I’ve already got my 2018 in baseball card collecting slightly panned out, but now I’m calling audibles… looking at boxes of garbage (also, that’s not fair.  Donruss is a really good product, it just doesn’t have much re-sell value thanks to Topps monopoly on the MLB license and logos) because I MIGHT get some Ohtani cards.

It doesn’t help that he is also going to be signing some product in both English and Japanese.  I obviously need to get one of each.  I NEED it.  Both displayed proudly next to each other.  This is my life now.

I can’t let him win.  I need to control myself.  I’ve got a future to think about.  A new car.  A house.  Vacations.

2018 Topps Heritage Baseball

Ok… I’ll buy another box.

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NOTE: This is a post from my Angels specific Blog over at AngelsNation.Blogspot.com.  I’m considering moving everything over here full time, or at least playing with the idea of double posting.  In the meantime, here this is in both places!