LA Angels need to stick with skipper Mike Scioscia

We need to end this rallying cry to fire LA Angels manager Mike Scioscia. I understand this has been a frustrating season and at times, Scioscia has made some questionable decisions throughout his tenure. However, the Angels shouldn’t part ways with their long time manager and here is why.

First and foremost, there isn’t anyone better to take his place. You don’t get to be the manager of a big league team like the LA Angels for 17 seasons just by chance. Mike Scioscia knows the game and baseball strategy better than most. I don’t agree with his go on contact rule with runners on third base and sometimes his pitching changes are questionable but the guy knows what he is doing.

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At this point of the season, as much as it pains me to say it, the Angels aren’t even close to being in the hunt anymore. They’re 20 games back and just the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays have worse records. Anyone can see though that you can’t put this season’s turmoil on Scioscia’s shoulders. No team in baseball would be able to prevail through the injuries this team has had.

The Angels don’t have a strong farm system, but the strongest farm system wouldn’t be able to survive losing five viable starting pitchers.  Garret Richards,  Andrew Heaney,  CJ Wilson, Nick Tropeano and Tyler Skaggs have all missed the majority of the season or in Wilson’s case the entire season. That is a full rotation of guys that the Angels counted on starting the season in the rotation. And that is just the starting rotation. Then you can add Andrelton Simmons, Geovanny Soto (now on the DL for the 3rd time this season), Cliff Pennington, Daniel Nava,  and unfortunately the list can continue. You see where I’m going with this.

Think back to just two seasons ago. It seems like forever but it was only in 2014 that the Angels led the Major Leagues in wins. Guess who the manager was then? If you guessed Mike Scioscia then you’re right. Give this guy a healthy team and he’ll make it work. I know the Angels were swept out of the playoffs that season in the first round. Try to remember though, that in games 1 and 2 of the American League Division Series that the Angels were 1 play away in each of those games to going up 2-0 on the Royals. Don’t forget that the Royals had the best start to a post season that Major League Baseball has ever seen.

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When the Halos have made it into the playoffs and won the series, can you guess the name of the manager who has his name next to every single playoff series won in Angels history? Again, if you guessed Mike Scioscia you’re two for two on this test. I’m going to repeat myself in different words for everyone. Mike Scioscia is the only manager in Angels history to have won a playoff series and he has won all of them.

I know that when things get heated, the manager takes the blunt force of the blame and when the team is winning, the players are doing it all. Things in Anaheim aren’t good so Scioscia is the one to take it on the chin. What about how they ‘need a new voice in the locker room to shake things up.’ Well there are only 11 players on the Angels from 2014, so they are hearing a new message. It may be from the same guy who has been saying for the past 16 years but its new to them.

Mike Whicker from the Orange County Register said in article today that the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the most winningest franchises in the National Football League have had three different head coaches since 1969 (insert wide eyed emoji here). The Cleveland Browns who have been one of the most laughable franchises in the NFL have just hired their fifth head coach since 2009.

Maybe firing the guy at the top is the answer in some cases but in this one, I think the Angels are a lot better off keeping Scioscia in his little cubby by the dugout steps.