Fallen Angels

Let's play a game.  I'll post selected statistics for two different Angels batters, and you have to guess who they are.

A:  .395 OBP, 6.7 speed rating, 0.89 BB/K
B:  .325 OBP, 4.1 speed rating, 0.59 BB/K

Take a minute and think about it.  It's tricky.  This is a filler sentence to give you some time, since I don't feel like filling vertical space with silly images of pimped alpacas or whatever.  Ok, ready?  This was something of a trick question, as player B is Erick Aybar this year, the Angels leadoff hitter, and player A is 2009's Chone Figgins, last year's leadoff hitter.  Let's play again.

A:  .295 AVG, .334 OBP, .460 SLG
B:  .236 AVG, .309 OBP, .400 SLG

This one's easier for this crowd.  Player B:  Hideki Matsui, cleanup hitter and DH.  Player A:  2009's Vlad Guerrero, cleanup hitter and DH.  Do you see where I"m going with this yet?

A:  .272/.350/.492, 27.0% K%
B:  .230/.329/.361, 37.7% K%

Trick question again!  They're both Mike Napoli, last year versus this year.

A:  7.4%  BB%, .263 ISO
B:  3.3% BB%, .179 ISO

Say hello to Kendry Morales, 4th round pick (aka pick number 6) who was just acquired in our league for undrafted free agent acquisitions Austin "Luckiest Player on Earth" Jackson and Paul "Mr. 2006" Konerko.  Alright, one more easy one.

A:  0.85 CLE
B:  1.00 CLE

Player A is, of course, Brandon Wood (who probably wouldn't be chosen to pinch hit for pitchers in the national league right now) and Player B is the surging Carlos Lee.  By "surging" I mean in the sense that any largely fluid mass, like an ocean, might surge and swell with the tide, not necessarily anything having to do with baseball.

The point to take away from this little game is that the Angels, second last year in total runs scored, are now tied for 23rd.  Every batter from 2009 is having a down year, and the guys they got to replace their key departures are significantly worse.  I don't really have a good explanation, but I would wager a guess that losing a .400 OBP leadoff guy who can tear up the basepath like Chone Figgins and replacing his spot in the lineup with Erick Aybar is like going from eating a lovingly prepared meal at the dining room table on fine china to eating off the barren garage floor.  If the table isn't set, it can ruin the whole meal.

This isn't to say Chone's faring any better with the Mariners right now (.336 OBP, team second worst offense in baseball) but the Mariners were bad to begin with (third worst offense in 2009).  The Angels, on the other hand, have suffered a complete offensive collapse, and they're not yet showing any signs of recovery.  How the mighty have fallen.