- The Story: Breaking down the Napoli vs. Mathis debate. The Monkey Says: Much like my similar attempt last week, the conclusion is obvious that the Angels are much better off with Napoli in the line-up, no matter what Mike Scioscia seems to think. The question is when will he realize the error of his ways.
- The Story: The Angels sent Robb Quinlan to the minors and called up Bobby Cassevah. The Monkey Says: Cassevah will probably be gone when Scott Kazmir comes of the disabled list later this week, but had a solid debut that should earn him another chance in the majors if the Halos need to add a reliever. As for Q, he will get a chance for some ABs in the minors to hopefully regain the stroke he had a few years ago. Personally, I am just glad to see the Angels weren’t so myopic as to keep Q on the roster and DFA a youngster like Bobby Wilson or Terry Evans instead.
- The Story: Could Carl Crawford end up an Angel next season? The Monkey Says: It is awfully early for free agent speculation, but Crawford is going to be highly sought after by any team with money, including the Angels. Crawford couldn’t be a more perfect fit for Mike Scioscia and the Angels but, as always, the Yankees are expected to be front-runners for his services.
- The Story: Scott Kazmir passes his tune-up test. The Monkey Says: Kaz is fully expected to rejoin the rotation this Thursday against the Yankees having felt no pain in his minor league rehab start over the weekend. Let’s just hope he is being honest with the team and not trying to be a tough guy because he is so anxious to play again.
- The Story: Five things Mike Scioscia can do to get the Angels going. The Monkey Says: Here is a sixth thing: don’t panic because it is only the first week of the season. I think that one might work pretty well, though I 100% agree with almost all of the five things suggested, especially playing Mike Napoli more and moving Kendrick up in the order.
- The Story: Reggie Willits began his minor league rehab assignment. The Monkey Says: Willits could be cleared to rejoin the Angels soon, but it will be curious to see who goes down if/when Reggie gets called back up which might be as early as Tuesday.
- The Story: Brandon Wood isn’t worried about his slow start. The Monkey Says: Fan patience is already starting to wear thin for Wood, but let’s try and remember that this is his first real shot in the big leagues and he is going to have to adjust both to the level of competition and the nerves of finally being a full-time major leaguer. The more fans get on him, the more uptight he is going to be and that isn’t going to help him settle in.
- The Story: Bobby Abreu admits to being a slow starter. The Monkey Says: Admitting you have a problem is the first step on the road to recovery. Bobby isn’t off to a great start, but he hasn’t been bad either, so his sluggish beginning hardly ranks amongst the most pressing issues in Angel nation.
- The Story: Going back to the Bronx brings back bad memories. The Monkey Says: Maybe some bad memories might be just what the Angels needed to light a fire under some butts and get everyone back on track to snap the team out of this early skid.
- The Story: Mike Scioscia isn’t fazed by the pitching staff’s slow start. The Monkey Says: The supposed deepest staff in the majors has been nothing more than a deep pool of toxic waste. Mike Butcher is going to have his work cut out for him this week trying to straighten the mess out.
- The Story: The starting pitchers aren’t going deep enough into games. The Monkey Says: While that is true, it is also quite early in the season and smart managers aren’t going to tax the pitch count on their starters right now, so this is to be expected. Still, the primary reason Angel starters aren’t going deep into games is because they aren’t pitching well.
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