The Texas Rangers have been in the World Series two straight years. The Angels haven’t made the playoffs two straight years.
That’s enough to greatly concern Arte Moreno, the Angels’ owner who has a reputation of spending what it takes to keep his team in playoff contention.
Now add the fact that Mike Napoli, the former Angels catcher, was traded to Toronto and then dealt again to Texas a few days later and has become one of the Rangers’ key players.
It’s enough for Moreno to respond harshly.
In recent weeks Angels’ general manager Tony Reagins resigned and his two key assistants were fired.
In my many years of covering sports I’ve seen a lot of owners overreact. Their money doesn’t produce a winner and they don’t have the background in the sport to understand thg problems that occur in building a championship roster.
That doesn’t apply in this case.
It would be hard for Reagins to have explained how he traded the power-hitting Napoli. And it’s Reagins’ bad luck that Napoli ended up with the Angels’ primary division rival.
It’s bad enough that the light-hitting Angels gave up one of their best power hitters. And it’s even worse that the Angels’ spent free agent money on Vernon Wells, who had a disappointing year.
Now the Rangers get into the World Series for the second straight year, helped by Napoli’s 30 home runs, 75 RBI and .320 batting average in the regular season.
And on Sunday night, with the Rangers trailing the St. Louis Cardinals, 2-1 in the World Series and in great need of a victory, it is Napoli’s home run that makes it possible.
I’m glad I wasn’t with Moreno that night to see his reaction.
Without Napoli, the Angels were left with Jeff Mathis as their catcher. From all I’ve heard Mathis has a lot of attributes. He handles the Angels’ pitching staff well and is superior to Napoli defensively. Unfortunately for the Angels, however, Mathis batted .174 this season with three home runs.
Also, Rangers’ manager Ron Washington said Napoli improved defensively, which was one of the biggest surprises of the Rangers’ season.
In his years as the Angels’ owner Moreno has had the difficult task of trying to succeed in the playoffs in competition with the free-spending Yankees and Red Sox.
Now here are two straight years when neither the Yankees nor Red Sox get into the World Series but a team in the Angels’ division does. And with considerable help from a former Angel.
It’s enough to justify any action Moreno takes.
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