Blogging from Connecticut

Connecticut ranks pretty high on my list of awful states, mostly because it's perennially between where you were and where you're going. Although the lack of tolls on the highways is a nice touch, it's really no consolation for the complete lack of off-highway amenities and the general idiocy that plagues the roads. Stupid license plates, too. I imagine the state itself is quite nice, but there is never anything here for me.

Naturally, I'm blogging from Connecticut. Apparently Greyhound has decided to replace their 70's-era buses with modern ones featuring power outlets and free WiFi, although the speed and latency of the connection are likely less than optimal for online Crysis. And whoever designs these seats clearly has no concept of what an armrest actually does. Hint: It shouldn't exist only to stab customers in the ribs.


Angels 13, Minnesota 4

Apologies to Matt Janning, but the Angels absolutely demolished the Twins this series. Payback, it seems, for an early season sweep in the Metrodome, but scoring 35 runs in three games seems a little uncouth, for those of us interested in baseball etiquette.

One Twins blogger thinks the Angels are this year's champions, but I'm unconvinced this offense can keep putting up crooked numbers with such frequency. The pitching is still suspect, but an offense like this hides blemishes. It also happens to be how the Angels won in 2002...remember, their top-line pitchers were Kevin Appier and Jarrod Washburn. Formidable, indeed.

Jered Weaver was solid today, and I'd say he was spectacular if not for those long fly balls over the fence. His godlike HR/FB% at the beginning of the season has made quite the regression to the mean, and he didn't help matters by giving up another two amidst his 6.1 inning, 11 (!) strikeout, 4R performance.

By the way, I'm starting to realize that we're witnessing one of the weirdest seasons in recent memory. A team which is unlikely to contend beyond this season (for a year or two, at least) is scoring runs and winning at a historic pace despite missing several parts for some or all of a season:

• a hitter who has largely carried the offense since 2004 in Vlad Guerrero
  
• a center fielder who has been on pace for a career year in Torii Hunter
  
• an All Star starting pitcher who had one of the highest average fastball velocities in the majors last season in Ervin Santana
• the de facto staff ace in John Lackey
  
• a record-setting closer now pitching in New York in Frankie Rodriguez

And that's ignoring the death of a top prospect pitcher in Nick Adenhart, the best 8th-inning pitcher in baseball in Scot Shields, and last season's best reliever in Jose Arredondo. Oh yeah, Kelvim Escobar has made his last professional pitch, maybe ever, but definitely for the Angels.

If this team can make the playoffs, I'm feeling a lot better about their chances than I have for the last couple years. Something is working.