By T.J. Simers
I almost ran out of derogatory words to write about Angry Arte Moreno, waiting until the 3 p.m. MLB trading deadline just to make sure I didn’t have to find new ones.
But Arte remained firm, just as it had been leaked earlier, holding on to the best player in the game in Shohei Ohtani if only for another couple of months.
There was a time when I really liked Arte. We drank beers together beyond the centerfield wall until I criticized him, hurt his feelings and he went into hiding. He banished the media to a right field corner press box, a small-time owner making sure he didn’t bump into any of the scribes while entering or exiting his owner’s box.
But I commend Arte today, congratulate him on getting it right for the fans in Orange County. And when Arte started his journey as team owner he really did care about the fans until it got away from him.
It’s a fact. There are no guarantees with prospects; there is with Ohtani.
Yet some yahoos, some who have even been given a column to write, wanted Arte to trade the best player to ever play the game for prospects.
Arte made it clear at the trade deadline his team was going to try and make the playoffs, and isn’t that what every fan wants?
The Angels are within reach of the playoffs, and have been playing without an injured Mike Trout. And as soon as Arte made the statement in silence that he was in this to win it, his team traded for pitching and some additional hitting.
There is a reason to be excited about the Angels.
Isn’t that all you can ask for as a fan beyond cheaper prices for beer and cheap baseball caps for youngsters?
What I don’t get is how anyone could advise Arte to dump Ohtani, and take away the show in Anaheim? He’s worth the price of admission, and Angels’ fans have been supporting their team this season.
When Arte changed his mind about selling the Angels it had nothing to do with developing prospects. He realized the Angels were in position to seize the moment, a chance to win now and rehabilitate his reputation as a loser.
It’s ludicrous to suggest to the Angels’ faithful, “wait until next year,” which is what the Angels would be saying in trading Ohtani. In other words, the Angels would be surrendering, and I would have had to find more derogatory words for Angry Arte.
Now I can use those derogatory words on the Dodgers, who were all about saving money in the lead up to this season and who were outplayed at the trading deadline.
Go Angels!
