5 Things Halo Fans Should Be Thankful For

In the spirit of  Thanksgiving and the pre dinner ritual of going around the table and sharing what you’re thankful for, I’m going to get a jump on Uncle Carl , Auntie Lilly and Cousin Joe. They always seem to steal my answers! This leaves me a stuttering mess and usually results in me sprouting off  a “I’m thankful for” that’s not genuine in order to not repeat the answers the thieves shared.

With that I bring you the top 5 things Halo Fans should be thankful for.

1. Arte Moreno – Say what you will but Arte has proven to be a great owner. Since buying the team in 2003, he has consistently provided the resources needed to put a winning team on the field and he exudes passion for the game, the team and the fans. As a fan that is all you can ask for. He also  appears to be hell bent on shelling out the dough needed to improve the team this off season.
2. Mike Scioscia – Like Arte, Scioscia has consistently led winning teams. In the past injuries , tragedies , underachieving etc. have not deterred Mike Scioscia from leading his club to wins. He demands excellence from his players an maintains a calm ,confident demeanor seemingly at all times. As a result his teams have reached the playoffs in 6 of his first 10 years  (most ever by a manager). Mike is the Angels all time leader in managerial wins, games managed, and division titles and was named Manager of the Year in 2002 and 2009. To put it blunt we are blessed to have Scioscia at the helm. He is one of the best in the game.
3. Torii Hunter – Some say Hunter is overpaid and declining and depending on what stats you present this may be true. His UZR is down from years past, but he’s also posted the highest OBP numbers of his career in the last 3 seasons. The one thing that’s not really up for debate is that Torii Hunter is the leader of the Angels and a good one at that. He was unapologetic for the teams poor play this season.  As a nine time (mostly deserving) Gold Glove Winner he willingly moved to right field to make room for the stellar defense of Peter Bourjos. With his move to right field Torii has the chance to become an elite defender again couple that with the fact he’s still virtually a lock for .280 / .350/.460 . That’s still a lot of production for a guy who is also the heart and soul of your baseball team.
4. Jered Weaver –  Fresh off the snub (not that he should have won but he should have placed higher) from last weeks Cy Young voters Weaver checks in at #4.  Weaver has blossomed into what every baseball fan covets. A legit ace. His strikeout totals were eye popping (233) the ERA was sparkling  ( 3.01) but what really impressed me was the mentality shift Weaver made all of last year. As an Angel fan you like Weaver now have the confidence that he can and will come through in big games. I suspect it started with his dominant performance in game 2 of the 2009 ALDS against Boston. Weaver hasn’t looked back since. If he had gotten some run support and had a gasoline free bull pen Weaver may have been hoisting old Cy instead of King Felix.
5. Mike Trout  – This was a tough one. I thought about going with Kendry Morales or maybe even Dan Haren here but what ultimately led me to Trout is what he represents, the cant miss prospect. Hope for the future. Its the one thing that as a baseball fan you have to have. Whether your a Yankee or Pirates fan you always want to know that your team has a chance to be good in the future. For the Pirates in fact its all they have to hope for. What Trout presents to  Angels fans is the idea of a future star, a potential franchise corner stone. Only time will tell if hes the next Brandon Wood or Dallas Macpherson or the Next Tim Salmon or Garret Anderson.

Happy Thanksgiving!