Yes, they're eight games back in the AL West. Yes, they can't even win their series against miserable teams like the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles, though in the Halos defense Baltimore had magic on its side. Yes, very few Angels players seem like they give a crap right now.
Things look pretty bleak for the Halos at this point in the season. But as a few fans/haters enlightened us in their comments for this pessimistic post, there's still time for Mike Scioscia and crew to turn it around.
Even if they don't have the chutzpah to pull off a miracle and make the playoffs, there's still plenty of reasons to keep watching this miserable team.
Read why you should jump back on that Angels bandwagon, after the jump.
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Reason #1
Because Torii Hunter might freak out again
Admit it, you loved it when Hunter threw that bag of balls onto the field at Comerica Park in the Angels game against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 7. Even if it might of been a little over the top, it was nice to finally see an Angels player show some emotion.
Seeing as how Hunter is a pretty emotional player to begin with, there's always the possibility of another moment like this happening again.
Holding out for another on-field explosion is definitely worth it, too, because baseball freakouts are always awesome. For some reason, baseball players and managers always find a way to be entertaining when they decide it's high time to cause some mayhem out on the field.
Whether it's a huge, benches-clearing brawl or one manager just being a dick (1:48 in the video might be the greatest manager freakout move of all time), baseball meltdowns always are worth watching. Maybe it's because they play a game that involves a lot of standing around.
Reason #2
Because Jered Weaver is a straight-up gangsta' on the mound
The Angels' ace is having what will almost certainly become the best season of his career up to this point. He leads the league in strikeouts with 182. His 2.87 ERA is in the top 15 of the MLB and in the top 10 of the American League.
The best part is, the man isn't even slowing down. This month, his ERA is an astounding 0.82, his best month of the season so far. Truly ridiculous.
Even better? Halos fans have gotten to watch it all without having to look at the terrible haircut he had until last season.
Reason #3
Because Peter Bourjos is pretty exciting, so is Dan Haren and maybe even Bobby Abreu
Bourjos is one of those young prospects who comes around every once in a while that really puts some excitement into a clubhouse. He already made Sportscenter Top 10 with this catch.
As you could see from the video, this guy is fast. So fast, in fact, that teammate Howie Kendrick told the Los Angeles Times that Bourjos “might be the fastest white guy I ever saw.” And he'll be manning that centerfield position for the foreseeable future.
Haren is another exciting addition to the Angels roster. Angels fans should be pretty pleased with their team's newest acquisition at the starting pitcher spot, especially after seeing how consistent he's been in his first four games for his new team.
Even if three of those games have been losses, he's looked pretty consistent in all of them and none have been blowups. His complete game against the Texas Rangers on July 31, in which he gave up just one run, a solo home-run to Vladimir Guerrero, is hopefully an indicator of where's he's headed as an Angels starter.
Lastly, Abreu has really picked it up this past week, breaking a slump that's lasted most of this season. Last week, the veteran hit .524 with two home runs and five RBIs. While it's unlikely that he'll keep up that pace for the rest of the season, it would be great for Angels fans if he could at least keep creating fireworks at the Big A to finish the year.
Reason #4
Because if you go to a game, you're bound to get something for free
Aside from the possibility that Abreu will continue to light it up at home, there's plenty of other reasons to keep going to see the Angels in person.
One reason is all of the free stuff that Major League Baseball parks give out.
As far as I've seen, Angels Stadium is one of the better venues in terms handing out freebies: bobbleheads, T-shirts, those creepy Snuggies.
Most recently, the stadium handed out free Rally Monkey soap dispensers, because monkeys that throw feces at each other really should be the mascots for keeping clean in the bathroom.
Reason #5
Because there's always hope!
As a wise man once said, “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!“
There's not a whole lot of time left for the Angels to make this season worth the effort, but there's always hope that they'll turn it on just in time to at least make a Wild Card spot for the playoffs.
Unlikely as that may be, holding out for that improbable moment and actually seeing it happen is one of the reasons humans like watching athletic competition (never trust someone who doesn't watch any kind of sport, he/she is probably a robot).
And seeing as our simian mascot's favorite pastime is, well, rallying his team, this is exactly the kind of moment the Rally Monkey lives for.
