Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Anaheim Curse

The big splash round these parts is the recent signing of Albert Pujols by the Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim.
Team owner Art Moreno continues his quest for a World Series Championship by throwing big money into the hunt.
The deal for Pujols is unprecedented in Angels history and in a rare class for Major League Baseball. The 10-year commitment that will pay Pujols at least $250 million is approximately $70 million more than Arte Moreno paid for the franchise when he purchased the Angels from the Disney Company in 2003.
Wow. $25 million a year for ten years, for a slugger who should be hitting his downside long before the contract runs out.
To add, I think it fitting that Moreno paid so much for a last name that sounds very much like my nickname for him.

I'm calling it now: It won't work.

I placed a curse upon the Angels when Moreno decided he wanted to give the team a Los Angeles identity after taking millions of dollars from Anaheim's taxpayers in exchange for naming rights.
The Angels will be frustrated every year that they continue to be a Los Angeles team.
No more World Series titles for them until they make it right. That is my curse.
Nobody believed me then, but I make sure to remind my heart broken Angelphile friends every October.

Lastly, I hope Mr. Pujols enjoys his time in one of the best places to live on earth, but I advise him not to start counting all of his money just yet. Moreno has a record of breaking contractual obligations and getting away with it.

4 comments:

RW said...

Every year there are teams that forget the lessons of Moneyball and can't stop themselves. It either makes a great success or a tremendous flop. Either way winning results can also be gotten by the use of on-base-pect in hitters and strikeouts-to-walks ratios and HRs per 9 innings for pitchers. Bargains exist in undervalued players. Anyway I have no way of knowing if this works or not - it could - but big payrolls don't seem to be an guarantee for anything. The more things change...

RW said...

I do speak & write in English, most days, too.

Gino said...

the angels have come a long way from the days of Autry ownership and low payrolls.
but i liked the scrappy little team that sometimes almost could better than this creation.

the World Series team had none of these megamillions players. i liked that.

Mr. D said...

I agree -- Pujols will not get the money on the back end of that contract.