Sports Redux: Let's Learn About the Angels

Forget for a moment the questions still lingering around the Red Sox. We know about those. Let's take a brief look at the angst-ridden article in today's LA Times about the myriad questions swirling around our first-round opponents, the AnaheimOrWhatever Angels.

They don't know who's starting when (OK, neither do we). Two of their key sluggers, Vlad Guerrero and Gary Matthews, are nursing injuries and may not be 100% (hey, just like Manny!). Will their youngsters respond well to playoff pressure? (Wait...will ours?) Will Juan Rivera, who didn't help at all during most of the season, be able to parlay his hot September into playoff success (OK, he was injured, but do we have any outfielders who were useless all season and then came on in the last few weeks?). And will the Angels overcome their "Fenway phobia" Now THAT is one we don't have to worry about.

For a local perspective, Boston.com has a gallery of things you should know about the Angels.

Yesterday's game ended the regular season with a whimper. Julian Tavarez gave up 3 to the Twins in the first, and that was enough. Even though Varitek homered, and the bullpen pitched almost flawlessly (even Gagne!), Terry Francona wisely replaced most of the starters and was clearly not playing to win.

It's too bad it wasn't the Yankees, but it's kind of fun to see the anguish and misery in New York after the Mets completed one of the quickest collapses in baseball history. Seven games up with seventeen to go, they got hammered by the Marlins yesterday, while the Phillies and Padres won, sending the Mets to the golf course early. We feel bad for Pedro, but not for much of anyone else. Meanwhile, the potential NL circus of playoff games has been pared to one, as the Padres have to go to Denver tonight to play the Rockies for the Wild Card slot.

Don't forget the Sox rally at City Hall tonight. Then head home to watch the Patriots play the Bengals. In Cincinnati, they're already hoping merely not to get embarrased on national TV. If there's this much angst in sunny Southern California and in the pleasant Midwest, should we start feeling good about ourselves now? We'll know in a few weeks.

Image from Amazon.