Angels Front Office vs. Mike Scioscia

This season has had the feeling like a volcano just waiting to erupt. It started back in spring training when Josh Hamilton relapsed, which the Angels front office handled admirably, by trading him to the division rival Texas Rangers. The Angels got nothing in return from this trade, in hopes that it would be an addition by subtraction. Well, it hasn’t worked out that way. The lineup clearly misses a hitter like Hamilton in the middle of the order and has struggled to deal with ineffective solutions. But weeks after Hamilton was traded, he told the media that Angels GM Jerry Dipoto was essentially blocking him from talking to team owner Arte Moreno, hinting at the disconnect with the organization.

Theres no question the Angels mediocre start is equally to blame from players, coaches, and the front office. Mike Scioscia is nearing the end of his run and its clear he hasn’t had the same impact on players as he once did. So its time to move on from Scioscia, and bring in a fresh face. The bigger issue is with Jerry Dipoto. He will most likely be with the team for the foreseeable future, but there isn’t one thing that he’s done here yet worth opening his mouth about.

Like it or not, Mike Scioscia brought a title to Anaheim, and for the most part has delivered a playoff contender every year under his watch. He has a history that is hard to deny, and players still have his back. Dipoto does not. As Albert Pujols fired a rebuttal at the Angels GM accusing the coaching staff of not working hard, Pujols basically said the coaches are working as hard as the players and the roster just simply isn’t as good as it was in 2014. The guy in charge of putting the roster together: Jerry Dipoto. With Dipoto in the front office it has had a clear change on the atmosphere in the organization. His micro management and lack of trust in the coaching staff leads to a clear line drawn between the two parties right off the bat. This is no coincidence to how the Angels have played all year. The rift between Scioscia and Dipoto has bled all over the clubhouse and translated to some of the brutal performances we’ve seen this year.

So in a nutshell, its a power struggle between these two parties, and ultimately the downfall will be the product on the field. Personally, I feel like Dipoto is an arrogant prick whose never done squat since taking a position in the Angels front office. His job is to pick the players and make sure they sign on the dotted line. If he wants to put baseball pants on and pull a Dan Jennings by hiring himself as the head coach, go for it. But until then Scioscia is still the coach, and its his job to manage the game between the white lines.