They have the best young pitcher in the American League, Jared Weaver, and a solid No. 2 in Dan Haren. Pundits through the world of baseball prognosticated that the World Series was the Angels' to lose.
The Angels have spent the season in the basement of the American League West. They were shut out back to back last week. They have been shut out seven times in this young season.
Meanwhile the Texas Rangers are dominating their division and look on the way to capturing a third straight division title. The Angels anticipated sell-out crowds for every game with a ticket seen as a hot property.
What went wrong?
The team cannot seem to hit consistently and the biggest disappointment is the performance of Pujols. His batting average has been hovering below .200 and it took him over 100 at bats to hit his only home run this year. Switching leagues after spending his career in St. Louis is certainly a factor. He doesn't know the American League pitchers and has no book on them. He is adjusting to a new environment. But generally if a hitter can succeed in one park he will at least be a credible hitter in others.
Some observers in spring training concluded that his bat speed has lost velocity over time. But much of what has occurred has to do with the psychology of desperately trying to succeed. When a player starts pressing and is frustrated by failure he loses the natural way of doing things that made him successful.
Any golfer can tell you that when the game starts to deteriorate it can end in meltdown. When one of the biggest national stories is the horrific start to a season for a player like Pujols, every plate appearance is viewed under a microscope. It seems to have been contagious, with only Howie Kendrick hitting with any consistency.
