- The Story: HalosHeaven.com has the top ten reasons for Angel fans (and anyone really) to hate Boston Red Sux. The Monkey Says: As if any Angel fan needed anymore reasons, but still it is a pretty funny list.
- The Story: First pitch duties for Game 1 will go to Tim Mead, the communications director for the Angels. The Monkey Says: Mead is well regarded throughout the league, but this seems like a strange time to honor him for all his excellent work.
- The Story: Tony Reagins denies making a new contract offer to Bobby Abreu. The Monkey Says: I don’t know that I believe him, but it is club policy to not talk contract during the season, so he might be telling the truth. EIther way, it is obvious that Abreu and the Angels are eager to work out a deal as soon as possible.
- The Story: Jason Bulger and Maicer Izturis both expect to be fully healthy to start the ALDS. The Monkey Says: Bulger is probably just talking tough, so don’t expect him to face more than a batter or two. As for Izzy, he is slated to be on the bench against Jon Lester anyway, so he’ll get an extra day to make sure his legs are good.
- The Story: John Lackey isn’t buying the talk of a Boston hex. The Monkey Says: No shock here that Big John isn’t scared of anyone. Let’s hope his bravado can infect the rest of the clubhouse.
- The Story: Mike Scioscia’s imprint is all over the 2009 Angels roster. The Monkey Says: Sosh strives to create unity and a relaxed but focused atmosphere in the clubhouse. The best tidbit in the piece is about the time Sosh ordered Brandon Wood, Erick Aybar and Kendry Morales to have dinner together, only Wood was not allowed to speak English and Aybar and Morales weren’t allowed to speak Spanish.
- The Story: The Angels are better off playing in Fenway. The Monkey Says: Well that is just stupid. Nobody can honestly believe that, right? The basis for this outlandish statement is that LAA’s lone playoff win versus Boston came on the road.
- The Story: The Angels bullpen could spell their doom. The Monkey Says: Thus my calling them the Bullpen of Doom all year. Not a single Angel reliever isn’t hounded by question marks right now.
- The Story: Boston is ravaged by injuries to role players right now. The Monkey Says: The Sox will be without Tim Wakefield and must also deal with injuries to Mike Lowell, Alex Gonzalez and Rocco Baldelli, among a few others. Everyone but Wakefield will at least try to play, but the Angels have a real opportunity to take advantage of Boston’s lack of depth in this series.
- The Story: Brian Fuentes signed with the Angels so he could pitch in the post-season. The Monkey Says: With the way he has been pitching lately, the Angels might wish he hadn’t. No Angel pitcher has more to prove this post-season than Tito.
- The Story: Darren Oliver turned 39 yesterday. The Monkey Says: Happy birthday, DO. Let’s hope age doesn’t catch up with you literally overnight.
- The Story: John Lackey isn’t just pitching for a ring, but also to earn a new contract. The Monkey Says: Big John’s free agency value has taken a hit with his early season injury, but he can boost his stock through the roof with a strong post-season.
- The Story: Boston manager Terry Francona says that these “aren’t the same Angels.” The Monkey Says: Francona is worried about the Angel line-up depth, as well he should be.
- The Story: Boston and the Angels are setting a record for meeting for the fifth time in the post-season, the most by any two teams since expansion in 1969. The Monkey Says: They actually tie a few other teams for this record in the NL, but the Angels need to avoid the dubious distinction of being the only member of such a pair to lose all five series.
- The Story: A Freeway Series seems like a very real possibility this year. The Monkey Says: Let’s not count our chickens just yet, but that would be very exciting. Then again, I don’t care if the Angels play the Nippon Ham Fighters in the World Series so long as they get there.
- The Story: A Red Sox blogger offers his guide on how the Angels can defeat Boston. The Monkey Says: A little intelligence from the enemy never hurt, but the Angels need to focus more on not beating themselves if you ask me.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
