Week Four Of The 2013 Season Not A Good One For The Los Angeles Angels As They Go 2-5 And Drop To 9-15 For The Season

The inspiring three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers by the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim on April 19-21 did not prove to be a precursor to success during Week Four of the 2013 MLB season. The Angels dropped two of three to the Texas Rangers in Anaheim, although two of the games were tightly contested, and then lost three of four to the Mariners in Seattle, although two of the losses were by one run. Against Texas, the Angels had hitting but the pitching was weak; against Seattle, the pitching came around but the bats died, particularly in the last two games.

The Rangers came to Anaheim on April 22-24. In the April 22nd opener, the Angels jumped out to a 6-3 lead after six innings, fueled by Josh Hamilton's 4-for-4 performance. However, the Rangers started pecking away at rookie relievers Mike Roth and Dane de la Rosa in the top of the seventh, knotting it up at 6-6 when Scott Downs bobbled Jeff Baker's high chopper in front of the plate, permitting Adrian Beltre to score the tying run. Then in the top of the ninth, Ernesto Frieri served up a 386-foot blast to A.J. Pierzynski with two out, giving the Rangers the lead and eventually the game, 7-6.

On April 23rd, the Angels once again took the early lead, 4-0 after five innings, and once again the Rangers came back to tie it up. In the top of the sixth, with one out and two on, Nelson Cruz blasted one 439 feet off Jason Vargas to make it 4-3. Then in the top of the eighth, with Scott Downs on the hill for the Angels, two on and nobody out, David Murphy grounded into a double play, but Adrian Beltre scored on the fielder's choice. Game now tied 4-4. An error by Andrew Romine prolonged the inning; without the error, the double play would have ended the inning. But this game would end up differently, with goose eggs being exchanged until the bottom of the 11th. With one out, Howie Kendrick smacked a Joe Ortiz pitch 402 feet into center field to end the game, 5-4 Angels.

The April 24th game turned out to be an unmitigated disaster -- for the Angels. Rookie Mike Roth was given his first start of the year, and for three innings, he matched zeroes with Rangers' ace Yu Darvish. Then came the top of the fourth. The first five Texas batters reached base against Roth. The onslaught continued after David Carpenter relieved Roth; with two out and the Rangers already leading 3-0, Lance Berkman stroked a two-run single to make it 5-0. Still not hopeless yet, though. After the Rangers scored again to make it 6-0, Nelson Cruz slammed a three-run homer to make it 9-0. Now it became hopeless. In the sixth, the Rangers added two more runs to make it 11-0. Finally in the eight, with Yu Darvish long gone, the Angels woke up at scored three runs, but it was merely an afterthought. Final score: Rangers 11, Angels 3. The one positive note in the game was three scoreless and hitless innings by Jerome Williams, long after the game had been effectively decided. The Angels are now 2-4 against Texas this year.

On to Seattle for a four-game series against the Mariners. The April 25th opener, played before only 13,000 paying fans, was all Seattle. The Mariners scored two in the third, two in the seventh, and two more in the eighth. The big blow was Carlos Peguero's 451-foot solo moon shot in the third, the third-longest home run in Safeco Field history. However, Kyle Seager, 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and Jason Bay, 2-for-4 with two RBIs, sealed the Angels' fate as their hitters were virtually helpless against three Mariners pitchers. Brandon Maurer pitched the first 6.1 innings and got the win, while Garrett Richards was fairly strong for the Angels early, eventually allowing five runs in 7.1 innings. No Angel got more than one hit.

On April 26th, the Angels decided to jump off the blocks early, building a 5-0 lead after three innings on the strength of two-run homers by Hank Conger and Mark Trumbo. Meanwhile, C.J. Wilson was smoking on the hill for the Angels, striking out nine batters in only 5.1 innings. But Wilson had thrown 110 pitches, and it showed in the bottom of the sixth when the Mariners struck for two more runs, adding to the run they scored in the bottom of the fourth. But a parade of four more Angels pitchers were able to slam the door, and after the Angels added another run in the top of the seventh, they won 6-3.

The game of April 27th featured a pitching duel between the Mariners' "King Felix" Hernandez and the Angels' Joe Blanton. Blanton pitched his best game of the season, but it ultimately didn't prove good enough. The Angels struck first with two runs in the top of the third, one coming on Chris Ianetta's solo shot, his third of the year. But the Mariners tied it in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer by Jesus Montero, then after Mike Roth relieved Blanton in the seventh, Roth allowed an RBI single to former Angel Kendrys Morales. The Mariners held, winning 3-2.

The final game on April 28th featured a pitching duel between former Mariner Jason Vargas and current Mariner Hisashi Iwakuma, and Vargas was anxious to get payback on his ex-mates. The teams exchanged goose eggs until the top of the sixth inning, when the Angels drew first blood after Andrew Romine scored on an error. But victory was not in the cards for Vargas on this day, although he had enough gas to throw a complete game. In the bottom of the seventh, Jason Bay launched a bases-empty home run for the Mariners to tie it up. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Michael Morse launched one of his own to put the Mariners in front, 2-1. The lead stood up and the Angels lost three of four in this series, sinking to fourth place and a 9-15 record. The Angels are now 1-3 against Seattle this year. Illustrating the Angels offensive futility in this final game was the fact that Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo combined to go 0-for-16 with six strikeouts.

What's coming up? A three-game trip to Oakland on April 29th, 30th, and May 1st. The A's eviscerated the Angels, outscoring them 28-11 during a three-game visit to Anaheim on April 9-11. However, the A's have fallen on hard times recently, dropping eight of nine games to fall from a season high of 12-4 to 13-12 before rallying to beat the Orioles in Oakland on April 28th. The A's are now 14-12, and could be vulnerable if the Angels can mesh their hitting and their pitching together. The Angels really need to win two out of three against Oakland to start some momentum. The upcoming week then closes out with a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles in Anaheim; the Birds are in the thick of the A.L. East chase with a 15-10 record. The Angels need to win three out of four against Baltimore.

Once again, the vultures are circling around Mike Scioscia. The latest ESPN Power Rankings posted on April 29th have the Angels at number 19, no change from the previous week. They write "The Angels lead the AL in batting average, but are near the top of the league in runners left on base. They'll get a boost this week with Erick Aybar expected to return to the lineup, but will it be enough to keep them in contention?"

Facts and Stats:

-- Current Standings
-- Latest Individual Hitting Stats
-- Latest Individual Pitching Stats

If You Can't Outpitch Them, Outhit Them: Los Angeles Angels Lose Out On Zack Greinke, Take Josh Hamilton As Consolation Prize

I guess Los Angeles Angels' General Manager Jerry Dipoto decided that if you can't outpitch them, then you outhit them instead. After losing out on the Zack Greinke sweepstakes to the Los Angeles Dodgers, they scored a valuable consolation prize in hard-hitting Texas Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton, signing him to a five-year, $125 million contract. This is less than the guaranteed $147 million for six years offered Greinke by the Dodgers.

Hamilton would become the Angels' left fielder, joining Mike Trout in center field and Mark Trumbo in left field. He is younger and adds considerably more power than the departed left fielder Torii Hunter, who chose to sign with Detroit. While Josh Hamilton has a reputation for streakiness on offense and has had to work through a few personal issues, he is still one of the most dangerous offensive players in the game. In 2012, he smacked a career-high 43 home runs and drove in 128 runs; he's hit as high as .359 in 2010.

But all this offense was displayed as a Texas Ranger. The Rangers play their home games in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the major leagues. In contrast, Anaheim Stadium is more of a pitcher's park. So can Hamilton produce offensively in Anaheim? ESPN's Michael Veneziano seems to think so; his analysis revealed that only one the homers Hamilton hit last year would not have gone out of Anaheim Stadium.

However, Rangers Ballpark sits at a higher elevation and has warmer temperatures during the summer, both of which cause balls to go further. In contrast, night games at Anaheim Stadium are played at sea level and the air is cooler and heavier when the marine layer moves in. Thus we can expect some decrease in Hamilton's home run totals. How much? Let's look at Albert Pujols for an example. In his first year as an Angel in 2012, he dropped from 37 homers to 30. While some of that may be attributable to adjusting to American League pitching, some of it must also be attributable to the stadium. Thus we can expect Josh Hamilton to produce 30-35 home runs; anything beyond 35 would be a bonus. Combined with a .300 batting average, that would be a productive year. By the way, Hamilton is batting .260 and slugging .440 at Angels Stadium in his career, while he has a .315 BA and .592 slugging percentage at Rangers Ballpark.

As Zack Greinke Eyes Texas, Los Angeles Angels Sign Starter Joe Blanton And Reliever Sean Burnett

It appears that those of us Angels fans who were hoping that Zack Greinke would re-sign with the Halos will be disappointed. The word from ESPN on December 6th, 2012 is that he's leaning towards the Texas Rangers, which will make them stronger. Update: Greinke eventually signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for six years at a guaranteed $147 million.

But it appears the Angels already accounted for that possibility. On December 5th, they announced the signing of free agent Joe Blanton to a two-year contract worth $15 million, with a club option for a third year. The right-hander split time between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, compiling a 10-13, 4.71 record.

The one advantage Blanton brings to the table is that he can eat up innings -- when he's healthy. Blanton missed much of 2011 with a right elbow injury. In 2012, he worked 191 innings. He also knows where he's throwing; he walked only 34 batters and struck out 167 for an excellent 4.88 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Unfortunately, he either doesn't put enough mustard on the ball, or else he can't move it around the strike zone deceptively enough, because he also yielded 207 hits and served up 29 homers. Ervin Santana had the same problem in 2012, and the Angels dumped him to Kansas City for a song. Halos Daily points out that the heavier air at Anaheim Stadium could suppress Blanton's gopher balls, and that some of those deep flies could be reeled in by flyhawks such as Peter Bourjos and Mike Trout. Blanton's career ERA is 4.37, and in only two seasons did he post an ERA of less than 4.00. This is offset somewhat by a winning 83-75 lifetime record.

So now an Angels starting rotation of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Tommy Hanson, and Joe Blanton takes shape, with Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards competing for the number five spot. This is a rotation which can win if backed up by a good bullpen. And the Angels took another step towards strengthening that bullpen by signing left-handed middle reliever Sean Burnett away from the Washington Nationals pending completion of a physical. Despite posting a 1-2, 2.38 record with 31 holds in 2012, Burnett pitched the entire second half with a bone spur in his left elbow, which required relatively minor surgery following the postseason, so the physical is a precaution to determine his recovery progress. The Los Angeles Times reports that Burnett signed for two years at $8 million.

Thus Burnett joins a bullpen already headed up by Ernesto Frieri, Kevin Jepsen, and newcomer Ryan Madson. Despite Frieri's success as a closer in 2012, the Angels have already penciled in Madson as their closer for 2013, thinking that Frieri can be more helpful as a middle reliever where they were plagued with inconsistency in 2012. Madson had 32 saves for the Phillies in 2011; he was injured all of 2012. Scott Downs is also slated to return in 2013.

Maybe it's a good thing that the Angels decided to get two lesser but still useful pitchers for the same price they would have paid for Zack Greinke.

Dan Haren Reportedly Signs With Washington Nationals Pending Physical; May Come Back To Haunt The Angels

ESPN is reporting that Los Angeles Angels pitcher Dan Haren, whose contract was bought out by the Angels for $3.5 million in November, has signed with the Washington Nationals, although the signing is contingent upon a successful physical. Haren's performance was impeded by back problems during the 2012 season. Halos Daily reports the contract is for one year at $13.0 million.

If healthy, Dan Haren would provide veteran leadership to a Nationals rotation already including Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler, which helped lead the Nats to the National League Eastern Division title in 2012. One of Haren's past strengths has been his durability; he's made at least 30 starts in eight straight years. Last year was his first time on the disabled list.

However, this move could come back to bite the Angels in the ass. The Angels already dumped Ervin Santana, who blew up to a 9-13, 5.16 record in 2012 when he coughed up an AL-leading 39 home runs, and it is uncertain if they can re-sign Zack Greinke, who's being arduously romanced by the free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers as of this post. The Angels did try to fill the prospective gap by trading reliever Jordan Walden to Atlanta for starter Tommy Hanson, but guess what? Like Dan Haren, Hanson also had back problems in 2012. Hanson was 10-5, 3.71 before the All-Star break, but 3-5, 5.69 in the second half after he went on the disabled list from July 31st to August 17th with a lower back strain.

I guess the Angels think a 26-year-old with a back history is a less risky investment than a 31-year-old with a back history.

The Angels still have 20-win ace Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, but Wilson was a bit inconsistent during the second half of the season. After getting off to a 9-4, 2.36 start through June 26th, Wilson went 4-6, 5.24 the rest of the way. Then there's Greinke -- IF he can be re-signed. Then there's Hanson, who must prove he's overcome his back problems. Then we have to hope that Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards can pan out; both were inconsistent at times in 2012. While Williams at least has pinpoint control, the same cannot be said for Richards, who walked one batter every two innings.

If Greinke doesn't re-sign and Williams and Richards don't rise to the occasion, the Angels will wish they had Haren back, particularly if Haren returns to form. Haren is a workhorse who can eat up innings. Perhaps the Angels got a bit gun-shy after being burned so bad by Scott Kazmir and disappointed by Joel Piniero, but it's possible they may have pulled the trigger on Dan Haren a bit too quickly. If Haren's back to normal, the Washington Nationals become the overwhelming favorite to win the N.L. East in 2013 -- and can be spoken of as a potential World Series champion.

AP Survey Indicates Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, And Sammy Sosa Won't Get Enough Votes For The Hall Of Fame In 2013

Apparently the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) can't overlook the association of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa with performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). On November 30th, 2012, ESPN reports that a survey of prospective voters by the Associated Press indicates that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa will not get enough votes for induction into the Hall of Fame on their first try in 2013. In fact, Sosa fares worst of all.

Players need to be named on at least 75 percent on BBWAA ballots for inclusion. Ballots must be submitted to the BBWAA by December 31st, and selections will be announced on January 9th, 2013. Inductions will take place on July 28th. Among voters who expressed an opinion, Bonds received 45 percent support, Clemens 43 percent and Sosa 18 percent. To gain election, Bonds and Clemens would need more than 80 percent support among the voters not surveyed and Sosa would need to get more than 85 percent.

Bonds has denied knowingly using steroids, although a positive test was introduced as evidence during his criminal trial in 2011, in which the jury hung. Clemens has repeatedly denied drug use and was acquitted in 2012 on charges he lied to Congress when he said he didn't take steroids or human growth hormone. Although Sosa was among the 104 positive tests in baseball's 2003 anonymous survey, he told a congressional committee in 2005 that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs. But despite the denials, David Lariviere still thinks there's enough evidence against the three, writing "As a voter for 20 years, there is no way I could vote for any of these three men simply because there is more than enough evidence that they cheated at least once and, most likely, more often. Obviously, there’s no way to know how often they used the performance-enhancing drugs and how much it elevated their statistics, which should automatically disqualify them" in Forbes. But Lariviere presents no objective evidence, believing that mere association with PEDs automatically creates a character issue.

Also typical of those opposed to their inclusion is Thom Loverro, a columnist for The Washington Examiner, who wrote "No one would dare say that Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP with 762 home runs, isn't a Hall of Famer. Nor would anyone say that Clemens, with 354 career victories, 4,672 strikeouts and seven Cy Young Awards, shouldn't be enshrined in Cooperstown. The same goes for Sosa, who finished with 609 career home runs, including 243 of them from 1998 through 2001. Except they cheated -- all of them. And this Hall of Fame is not just about numbers. Three of the six criteria for election to Cooperstown are sportsmanship, integrity and character. Bonds, Sosa and Clemens fail on all three counts."

But typical of those who don't object to their inclusion is San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins, who wrote in an e-mail response "The Hall of Fame's 'character' clause should be stricken immediately, because it's far too late to turn Cooperstown into a church. Whether it was gambling (rampant in the early 20th century), scuffing the baseballs, corking bats, amphetamines or steroids, players have been cheating like crazy forever. It's an integral, if unsavory, part of the culture. I've always had the same criteria: which players were the best performers of their particular era -- so absolutely, I'll vote for Bonds, Clemens and Sosa."

The distinction between Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on the one hand, and Sammy Sosa on the other, also has to do with their career records. Jim Caple of ESPN.com believes Bonds and Clemens have stronger resumes than Sosa. The public echoes this distinction in a current Sports Nation poll which now shows Bonds with 44.5 percent, Clemens with 44.0 percent, and Sosa with only 25.7 percent. I agree with this assessment because Bonds and Clemens were more consistent throughout their careers, while Sosa was not particularly productive during the first four years of his career. But Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago thinks Sosa's "good" years were simply too good for Sosa to be delayed or passed up.

Bleacher Report writes, "Regardless of what you think of them as people, there was nothing illegal about what they did and they weren't the only ones doing it. Voting individuals need to get off their high horses and address the different baseball culture that existed in the early '90s and 2000s". And the "cheating" argument loses its punch when you consider that Gaylord Perry, who wrote a book confessing to using the spitter as his "out" pitch for several years, is ALSO in the Hall of Fame. Unless Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa either confess to using PEDs or objective evidence appears, this should not ban them from the Hall of Fame.

Why Barry Bonds And Roger Clemens Deserve Election To The Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame

I can think of no better excuse to re-start this blog than the latest Hall of Fame ballot which has just been published on November 28th, 2012. Included on the ballot are three prominent superstars who are suspected to have used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during their careers -- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa. For all three, it is their first time on the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) ballot; they will each need to be named on at least 75 percent of the BBWAA ballots to qualify for induction. The outcome will be announced on January 9th, 2013.

All three have imposing credentials. Barry Bonds is the all-time home run champion with 762 and won a record seven MVP awards. Roger Clemens set a record with seven Cy Young trophies and Sammy Sosa hit 609 homers. But all three were linked to PEDs, although unlike Mark McGwire, who's also on the ballot this year for his seventh time, they've never admitted to using the drugs. I've hot-linked their names to the career stats on Baseball Reference.

Reaction to their possible induction is mixed. Much of the public seems receptive, since none of the three admitted to using PEDs. Here's a screenshot of a Sports Nation public poll currently in progress.

However, Curt Schilling, currently an ESPN analyst who's on the HOF ballot for the first time this year, said he'd never vote for them. "Here's the thing, it generally goes this way with people who are caught doing stuff: You generally never catch someone on the first go-around. These guys to some degree or another in different cases cheated and in some cases cheated for a lengthy period of time", said Schilling.

The problem is that so many players were linked to PEDs during the "Steroid Era" of the late 90s/early 00s that you would have to keep out the lion's share of superstars who played during that era. Is it their fault that the Lords of Baseball refused to recognize the problem and take corrective measures during that time? Furthermore, these players didn't take PEDs to get high; they took them to get more out of their bodies. Conscious of the fact that they were making seven-figure salaries at the time, they felt the need to get more out of the physical tools that already put them at the top of their game. Just because these superstars were making gargantuan salaries doesn't mean they didn't still take personal pride. They wanted to help their teams win -- and prolong their careers as long as possible.

Consequently, unless they suddenly admit they took PEDs, I would consider Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to be slam dunks for admission to the HOF this year. In the case of Sammy Sosa, I'm not so enthusiastic -- while he hit 609 career home runs, he was not consistent throughout his entire career. His first four years were rather ordinary, and he aged quickly in his 30s, so Sosa should wait. I predict of the three, Roger Clemens may have the best chance to get selected this year, since he succesfully defended himself in two trials for allegedly lying to Congress (although Congress never gets put on trial for lying to us).

Los Angeles Angels Charter Plane Makes Emergency Landing At LAX; Rule 29 Specifies Team Restocking Procedure In Case Of Catastrophe

ESPN reports that on June 1st, 2011, the Los Angeles Angels charter plane flown by Delta Airlines diverted from its intended destination at Orange County's John Wayne Airport and made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport instead because of a mechanical problem. The landing proved to be uneventful and there were no injuries; the 61 people aboard were bussed to Orange County. The situation was a possible hydraulics problem impairing the landing gear. The landing gear apparently had to be lowered mechanically.

Angels first baseman Russell Branyan said that the pilot did an outstanding job. "These guys, they fly us all over the country, not enough can be said for them", Branyan said. Pitcher Rick Thompson tweeted "Glad to be on the ground save, pilot did a he'll of a job bringing the bird down!" KNBC Channel 4 news video embedded below:

View more videos at: http://www.nbclosangeles.com.

Naturally, this story generated questions about what would happen if a major league team was to be decimated by an aircraft mishap or other mass disaster. Major League Baseball has a contingency covering just such a tragedy; it's called Rule 29, the Major League Disaster Plan:

-- Disaster: If a common accident, illness, or event causes the death, dismemberment, or permanent disability from playing professional baseball of (1) at least five players on one team’s active, disables, or suspended list; or (2) at least six players whatsoever on any team, the team shall be a “disabled club”
-- Procedures: In such an event, the following procedures shall take place:
----- Mourning Period: Commissioner has discretion to postpone or cancel games for a period of mourning.
----- Continuation of season: In conjunction with the Players’ Association, the Commissioner may cancel the teams’ season, or may set a date to resume the season.
----- Restocking Draft: The Commissioner has the discretion to hold a Restocking Draft to restock the disabled team with players. Each club shall make five players from its active roster available for the draft. Each team’s list shall include at least one pitcher, one catcher, one infielder, one infielder (at the discretion of the Commissioner). If the club has less than three eligible catchers on its roster, that team need not make a catcher available. Subject to these rules, each team shall include in its list at least as many players with 60+ days of service time as the disabled club lost (up to five). Any player with no-trade rights may not be made available for a restocking draft. Unless those rights are waived. Each team shall warrant that each player it makes available is capable of playing immediately. The names of players on the restocking list shall be confidential. The disabled club may select as many players as it lost, but no more than one from each other team. In its discretion, the Commissioner may also award the disabled club additional selections in the Rule 4 or Rule 5 drafts.
-- Insurance: The Commissioner shall exercise best efforts to maintain appropriate insurance to ensure the financial rehabilitation of the disabled club.

An index to all the rules of MLB is accessible HERE.

The timing of the restocking draft would depend upon when the catastrophe occurred and the team's position in the standings. If the catastrophe occurred early in the season, the restocking draft would likely occur before play was resumed. But if the catastrophe occurred late in the season and the team was already out of contention, the commissioner would likely cancel the remainder of the team's season and delay the restocking draft until the off-season.

The question is what might happen if the catastrophe occurred late in the season and the team was still in contention or had already clinched a postseason berth.

Hall Of Fame Catcher Gary Carter Diagnosed With Inoperable Glioblastoma, Will Begin Radiation And Chemotherapy Treatment

Doctors treating Hall of Fame major league baseball player Gary Carter have confirmed that he has glioblastoma, a form of cancer which affects the brain and central nervous system. They say surgery is not a good option given the location of the tumor. Instead of surgery, doctors have discussed an aggressive treatment plan entered around chemotherapy and radiation. Carter will return home to Florida to begin the next phase of treatment. According to Carter's daughter, Kimmy Bloemers, doctors further described Carter's four tumors as "a snake of tumors that are connected across the back of the brain." Performing surgery on something like this would be like trying to unravel cooked spaghetti one strand at a time.

Allan H. Friedman and Henry S. Friedman, co-deputy directors of Duke's Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, issued the following statement:

"The results of biopsies performed on the tumor in Gary Carter's brain have conclusively shown that Mr. Carter has a glioblastoma. While surgery is not a good option given the location of the tumor, we discussed an aggressive treatment plan with Mr. Carter and his family, which will include chemotherapy and radiation. ... Mr. Carter's youth, strong physical condition and fighting spirit will be to his advantage as his treatment commences."

The family of Gary Carter issued a statement of their own:

"While we are saddened by the news we received today, we take comfort in the overwhelming support and prayers that have been extended to our family during this difficult time. ... Gary was always a fierce competitor on the baseball field and that same tenacity will help him not only fight but win this battle. So please join Team Carter and continue to pray with our family."

The drama began when Gary Carter reportedly started forgetting things, repeating questions and feeling tired all the time. He sought medical treatment, and it was first reported on March 21st, 2011 that four small tumors were found. Now they've been confirmed to be malignant. Glioblastoma is considered a particularly aggressive and fast-moving cancer; the average survival rate for patients after surgery, radiation and chemotherapy is 14 ½ months although a few patients have survived as long as 15 years. Carter is 57 years old.

Other major league figures affected by this type of cancer include Bobby Murcer, Tug McGraw, Dick Howser, Dan Quisenberry and Johnny Oates. All are now deceased. Meanwhile, another former major leaguer battling cancer, Tony Gwynn, has a much better prognosis. Gwynn, who is battling parotid cancer, reports that five months after treatment began, all his tests have come back good.

Gary Carter's career record can be viewed on Baseball Reference. He played in the majors from 1974-1992, beginning with the Montreal Expos. In 1975, he was runner-up for National League Rookie of the Year, but his first breakout season was 1977, when he slugged 31 homers with 84 RBIs, and hit .284. Carter was then traded to the New York Mets in 1985; he was instrumental in their world championship run in 1986. Towards the end of his career, he made one-year stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles (NL), and then a final curtain call in Montreal. In 2001, Carter was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame, and in 2003, he was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame; during the same year, he was also elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Carter has been married to his wife, Sandy, since 1975. They have three children - Christy, Kimmy and D.J., and three grandchildren. They reside in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Carter also runs the Gary Carter Foundation, which supports eight Title I schools in Palm Beach County.

No Doubt About It: Los Angeles Angels Genuine Contenders In 2011, Sweep White Sox In Chicago; Jordan Walden Passes Gut Check

There's no longer any doubt about it. The Los Angeles Angels have now established themselves as genuine contenders after sweeping the Chicago White Sox in Chicago. Just as importantly, rookie Angels' closer Jordan Walden passed a major gut check.

The Angels won the first two games, 4-3 and 7-2. In the first game, Jordan Walden garnered his second save with minimal effort. So when the Angels built a 4-2 lead in game three, manager Mike Scioscia called upon Walden to slam the door shut in the bottom of the ninth after having used four pitchers. One of those four was Fernando Rodney, the former closer, and he actually had an uneventful outing.

But Walden's outing was hardly uneventful. He did not have his best stuff today. First, Carlos Quentin doubled to right. Alex Rios then walked. After a sacrifice moved the runners to second and third, Alexei Ramirez struck out on three pitches. But then Omar Vizquel walked. Bases loaded, two out.

However, Mike Scioscia stuck with Walden, realizing that working his way out of a jam is a necessary experience for a young reliever. So he let Walden face Juan Pierre, a good slap hitter. Walden repaid Scioscia's confidence; after a strike, he induced Pierre to fly out to left field, grabbing his third save of the year. Final score: 4-2 Angels.

This was Walden's first major gut check -- and he passed it with flying colors. If the Angels do win this year, one of the major decision points will be when Mike Scioscia demoted Fernando Rodney to setup man and promoted Jordan Walden to closer early in the year after Rodney misfired twice in the season-opening series in Kansas City.

But there are other reasons why the Angels will contend. Rookie Mark Trumbo has been an admirable fill-in for Kendrys Morales at first base, hitting for both average and power. Peter Bourjos, already a human vacuum cleaner in center field, has finally breached the Mendoza Line, hitting .224. Shortstop Maice Izturis is hitting .383. Alberto Callaspo is hitting .346 with power. Howard Kendrick is hitting .309 with five homers in 55 at bats. Vernon Wells is finally waking up at the plate; he's up to .148 now. Morales is in the final stages of rehab now and is expected back in May. And the starting duo of Jered Weaver and Dan Haren is being compared to the Braves' famous starting duo of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.

But a major test is at hand. The Angels begin a three-game series with the Texas Rangers in Arlington on Monday April 18th. The Rangers got off to a hot start, tattooing the ball all over the place. Lately, they've been slowed a bit by the loss of Josh Hamilton due to a broken arm, but are still a potent force. The Angels are scheduled to pitch Ervin Santana, Matt Palmer, and Jered Weaver during the series; I expect Palmer to lose. If the Angels can emerge from the series with at least one win, it'll show they can play with the big boys. Two wins would be a bonus. Then after Texas comes a four-game series against the Red Sox in Anaheim; despite Boston's slow start, they're not to be taken lightly. The Red Sox could just decide to resurrect themselves against the Angels.

Nonetheless, by sweeping the White Sox in Chicago, the Angels proved they're contenders.

Current 2011 American League Batting Average Of .248 The Lowest Since 1972

The Steroid Era is definitely over. If you think hitting is down in the American League in 2011, you're right; the numbers show it. According to Baseball Reference, the current American League batting average as of April 14th, 2011 is .248

That's the lowest league batting average since 1972, when A.L. batters hit .239. That's also a 12-point drop from the 2010 figure of .260. During the height of the Steroid Era, the A.L. registered figures of .277 in 1996, .276 in 2000, and .275 as recently as 2006.

Other offensive numbers have dropped, but not as noticeably. Home runs per game are only down from 0.97 in 2010 to 0.96 this year. Runs per game are down from 4.45 in 2010 to 4.39 this year (reached a high of 5.39 in 1996). Perhaps in response to the drop in hitting, stolen bases are up from 0.66 per game in 2010 to 0.74 this year as managers scramble to get more out of those batters who get on base. This drop is also reflected in pitching; the league ERA is down to 4.00, the lowest figure since the 3.92 number posted in 1992.

By teams, nine A.L. teams have batting averages of less than .250, and five of those teams are hitting .230 or less at this point of the season. In pitching, seven teams have ERAs of 4.00 or higher, but three teams have ERAs of under 3.00. There were some seasons during the Steroid Era in which no A.L. team had an ERA of under 4.00.

The decline in hitting is not mirrored in the National League. The N.L.'s batting average is currently .258, up from .255 in 2010. The latter figure was the lowest since 1992, which was a down year offensively for all of major league baseball. Stolen bases are up from 0.56 per game in 2010 to 0.71 this year. On the other hand, power is down in the National League, from 0.93 home runs per game in 2010 to 0.85 this year, the lowest since 1992. On the pitching side of the house, league ERA is down slightly to 4.01.

In contrast to the A.L., 13 of the 16 N.L. teams have batting averages of over .250. Four teams are hitting .280 or better. On the pitching side of the house, 10 of the 16 N.L. teams have ERAs of under 4.00, but four teams are over 5.00.

The National League is outhitting the American League even though it's the American League which uses the designated hitter.

Jeremy Lundblad picks up on this trend on ESPN. He notes that while A.L. teams are hitting almost the same at home (.246) as on the road (.247), N.L. teams are substantially better at home (.271) than on the road (.251). He also points out that A.L. teams are hitting .237 at night compared to .256 during the day. And finally, Lundblad reveals an interesting age gap in American League pitching; those who are age 30 or younger combine for a 3.73 ERA, while those older combine for a 5.06 ERA. The American League has received an influx of young pitchers.

As temperatures warm up and pitchers begin to tire, we can expect American League hitting to rebound. But the A.L. is still on track to have its worst hitting season since 1992, at the very least. After the excesses of the Steroid Era, it's good to see some balance back in baseball.