Top Ten Reasons To Not Give Up Hope Yet For the Angels’ Season

Eight games left.  Five games back in the AL West.  3.5 games back in the Wild Card.  To some that is a dreary outlook for the Angels’ chances at making the post-season.  I say KEEP HOPE ALIVE!  DON’T STOP BELIEVING!!  Call me crazy, but I still think the Angels can do this thing and here are ten reasons why:

1. If the Angels win out the season, they need the Rangers to lose twice before they meet in Anaheim.  Texas owns Oakland, but Thursday, they face Trevor Cahill, who beat them last week.  Then on Saturday, they face Felix Hernandez.  That could easily be those two losses the Angels need from Texas.
2. Vernon Wells is FINALLY starting to hit.  Better late than never, right?
3. The Red Sox rotation currently includes Tim Wakefield, John Lackey, Kyle Weiland and sometimes Andrew Miller.
4. After a season this heart-wrenching, don’t the baseball gods at least owe us a dazzling finish with a decisive Angels-Rangers series to close the season?
5. We still have the “firm hands” of Jeff Mathis guiding us.  The Rangers may have Mike Napoli’s big bat, but his hands are soft and doughy, thus ill-suited for team guiding. (This entry was sponsored by The Lyle Spencer Foundation for Mathis Propaganda)
6. The post-season just wouldn’t be the same without Yankees or Red Sox fans complaining about having to start games at 7 pm PST, so the Angels have to make it, don’t they?
7. The Cardinals are coming back on the Braves.  The Giants are coming back on the D’Backs.  The Rays are coming back on the Red Sox.  So, you know, all the cool kids are doing it.
8. The Angels don’t have to play the Orioles anymore, the Red Sox do.  Apparently nobody can beat the Orioles anymore, so this is very much in the Angels favor.
9. ALL the pressure is on the Red Sox right now and it looks like they are crumbling.  If the Angels can get back within three games of Texas, then the pressure is on them too.
10. With Weaver, Haren and Santana set to start six of the final eight games, you have to think they have more than a puncher’s chance at running the table.