May 13, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels starter Joe Blanton (55) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Angels impressive month of May was less than impressive, but it was decidedly improved from the first month of the season. The Angels went on an 8 game winning streak when the offense outside of Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols was on fire, and Jason Vargas and the return of Jered Weaver included a few quality starts. But it was against much weaker competition than the current 9 game stretch against the AL East they are in.

At the end of a one month stretch from early May to early June, the Angels opponents were a combined 47 games under .500. The current 9 games against the Red Sox, Orioles, and Yankees will be a much better indicator of how the Angels are playing. The East Coasters are within 3.5 games of each other, and surprisingly the Red Sox have the best record at 40-25. Through the first 4 games, all indications are it is not going well.

After the Angels won the first game of their double header against Boston on Saturday 9-5, they were shelled 10-5 in the second game, and 7-2 on Sunday. CJ Wilson was roughed up and fell to 4-5 on the year. Then Mike Scioscia gave up the final game of the series by sending 1-10 Joe Blanton to the mound again. Continuing to start Joe Blanton is symptomatic of the Angels being content with thier mediocre results, which will continue since Blanton is inked to start the final game of the 9 against the Yankees at home on Sunday.

Mike Scioscia’s will likely take the fall for this. But a major issue for the Angels is their home grown talent is not meshing well with their free agent signings, and there’s no more home grown talent left. The Angels farm system is ranked near the bottom on almost every list because of the lack of impact pitching especially. The lack of swagger or organizational depth does does not bode well for the struggling Angels any time soon.

The Angels most consistent starter Jason Vargas (5-3, 3.71 ERA) takes the hill Tuesday in Baltimore against the Orioles’ Miguel Gonzalez.

Jun 3, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Alberto Callaspo (6) fields a ground ball during the game against the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

When the Houston Astros moved from the NL Central to the AL West, every team in the West’s record stood to improve because of the new addition–save the Astros themselves. There are no easy games in your own division, unless the games are against the Astros. While playing the Astros, the opposition is supposed to win, end of story.

However the Astros swept the Angels by a combined score of 15-8 over the 4 games in Anaheim. None of the Angels starters were able to put together a quality start against the Major League team with the worst record still after sweeping the Angels. Tommy Hanson returning from bereavement leave, Jerome Williams, CJ Wilson, and Joe Blanton (1-9) were all unable to pick up wins against the Dis-Astros.

Each AL West team will play the last place, the 21-37 Houston Astros 16 times. I figured this season at least 2, and probably 3, AL west teams would make the playoffs because their record include nearly 16 more wins than from previous years where those 16 games are spread around the American League.

This was an extremely disappointing result, especially after the Angels turned it around in May. They batted a higher average, hit more home runs, and picked up more quality starts from Jason Vargas and even Jerome Williams. But I don’t think that is very telling of the Angels team because the quality of the opponent they’ve played is significantly deteriorated. In the last 27 games dating back to May 7th, the combined record of Angels opponents is a combined 47 games under .500 as of June 3rd. The Angels won as many as 8 in a row during that stretch, but they are still 11 games back of the first place Rangers.

Starting Friday the Angels play 9 straight games against teams in the AL East over .500: the Red Sox, Orioles, and Yankees. The state of the Angels will be much more clear after these 3 series.

March 28, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder J.B. Shuck (39) steals second against the tag of Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Skip Schumaker (3) during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

THE TALE OF THE TAPE:

Los Angeles Dodgers:  20-28, last place in the National League West, seven games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants

Los Angeles Angels:  23-27, 3rd place in the American League West, nine games behind the Texas Rangers

All-Time Series:  92 games played, Angels lead 54-38

Biggest Wins:  

Angels: 13-0, June 25,2004

Dodgers: 16-3, May 19, 2006

Longest Streaks:

Dodgers:  Four – 1998, 2005

Angels:  Six – 2003-2004

What They Have Done Lately:

-  Angels have won their last eight games, the longest winning streak in Major League Baseball this season to date.

-  Dodgers have lost six of their last ten games, including two out of three to the St. Louis Cardinals in their most recent series after winning two of three on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers and getting swept in three games against the Atlanta Braves.

There is no sugarcoating it: as Los Angeles’ two baseball teams prepare to square off against each other, it is crystal clear that they – as of right now – are going in very different directions.

For the Angels, they are the hottest team in baseball as they are currently on an eight-game wining streak, sweeping the Seattle Mariners at home and most recently the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City.

May 22, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) tags second on his way to third after hitting a triple in the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

After their atrocious start, the Halos seem to be really coming together, particularly their hitting as virtually every starter has improved at the plate over the past few weeks, namely Mark Trumbo,  who’s batting a solid .276 and whose 11 home runs lead the team, and reigning Rookie of the Year Mike Trout, who’s regaining his young Superman form as he hit for the cycle against the Mariners on May 21st for the first time not only in his career, but in his life; “…high school, little league, everything,” he told the Los Angeles Times. He leads the Angels in runs batted in with 36 and stolen bases with 12.

Howie Kendrick has likewise been outstanding with his .295 average, seven homers and 27 RBIs, and Albert Pujols and especially Josh Hamilton are starting to come around, Hamilton raising his average to .223 with eight home runs after barely hitting .200 for so long.

On the mound, C.J. Wilson and Jason Vargas both have earned run averages in the mid-3.00 range while Ernesto Frieri has done very well with his 2.91 ERA and ten saves.

The most encouraging news coming from Anaheim is the fact that after suffering a broken elbow against Texas on April 8th, pitching ace Jered Weaver is scheduled to return to the mound on Wednesday at Angel Stadium, which will make the Halos that much more formidable as they try to make a move on the Rangers.

As for the Dodgers, compared to their red-clad Orange County rivals things have been rather chaotic as after their sweep at the hands of the Braves, things had gotten to the point where it was widely believed that manager Don Mattingly would be fired right then.

After all, when a team has a MLB-record payroll of $239 million and has an ownership – which includes the ultimate L.A. sports winner Magic Johnson – that expects top-notch results right away, particularly in light of the fact that such team was regarded as a contender for the World Series, it’s not at all surprising that things are in disarray at Chavez Ravine.

Indeed, Mattingly has had a bit of trouble with two of his marquee stars, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, sitting Ethier down three times in a six-game stretch because of his underachieving .253 average and 15 RBIs and consequently having a rough patch with the right fielder, while center fielder Kemp is hitting a mere .260 with only two home runs; far below his 2011 numbers to be sure.

Kemp’s frustration has been showing as he was pulled in a recent game against the Cardinals in a double switch and was not happy about it, the cameras catching him yelling in the dugout. People have speculated that his left shoulder, which was operated on in the off-season, has affected his power.

The main factors in L.A. being where they are has been their lack of hitting with runners in scoring position – they currently rank 28th out of the 30 MLB teams in that category – and their relief pitching; they have blown lead after lead this season, including all three games in Atlanta.

Brandon League, while having saved ten games in 12 opportunities, sports an ugly (for a closer) 4.91 earned run average, which desperately needs to come down.

The Dodgers are fortunate that there have been plenty of bright spots, as utility infielder Nick Punto, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and left fielder Carl Crawford have far exceeded expectaions as well as pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

May 26, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) high fives left fielder Carl Crawford (25) after a 2-run home run in the first inning of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Punto has more than stepped up in the walk of Hanley Ramirez’s hamstring injury – Ramirez has played only four games so far in 2013 – with his team-leading .337 average and stellar play at third, second and shortstop. Gonzalez has been a monster at the plate as his six homers and 36 RBIs lead the team, and Crawford has continued to be the man out of the leadoff spot with his .308 batting average and his five home runs, which is second on the team.

Despite losing to St. Louis in his last start, Kershaw’s 1.68 ERA is, to put it bluntly, sick. And Ryu, the Korean import, has been very consistent with his 5-2 record and an ERA of 3,30.

What does all of this mean as these two teams renew a crosstown rivalry that, while not quite on the level of UCLA – USC, is a pretty intense one in its own right?

Some will say that it doesn’t mean a thing, as the old rivalry cliche of “You throw the records out” is prevalent in their mindsets, but here’s how I see these next four games – two in Dodger Stadium followed by two in Angel Stadium – playing out:

The way things are going, with the Angels being on fire and the Dodgers being a mediocre bunch, particularly with Kershaw’s turn in the rotation not coming up I suspect that the Halos will take three out of four from their north-of-downtown-L.A. counterparts.

But as in other sports, you never know.

Here are the pitching match-ups:

Monday at Dodger Stadium, 5:00 p.m:   C.J. Wilson vs. Zack Greinke

Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, 7:00 p.m:  Joe Blanton vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu

Wednesday at Angel Stadium, 7:00 p.m:  Jered Weaver vs. TBD

Thursday at Angel Stadium, 7:00 p.m:  Jason Vargas vs. TBD

All the games will be shown on Fox Sports West, with Channel 9 also televising the games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday while Prime Ticket will show Monday’s game.

May 18, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; General view of the large halo display in the parking lot of Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

L.A. SPORTS HUBBERS:  HOW DO YOU THINK THIS FREEWAY SERIES WILL GO? WILL THE ANGELS CONTINUE THEIR WHITE-HOT STREAK, OR CAN THE DODGERS SLOW THEM DOWN?

May 10, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of fireworks at Dodger Stadium during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

I reckon that at least some of the rabid fans of the sports teams that call the largest city in the United States that’s west of the Mississippi River home have wondered, as they scream “Go Lakers!” or “Go Dodgers!” or Go Kings Go!!”, how their beloved clubs came to be.

Well, I have taken it upon myself to shine a light on how Los Angeles’ teams first began, as this multiple-part series will discuss the births of the athletic organizations that we in the greater L.A. area hold so dear to our hearts.

Being that the baseball season has taken full form, it’s only appropriate that this series begins with the origin of Los Angeles’ two major league baseball teams, starting with one that’s considered a sports icon, the…

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

First Game:  April 15, 1958, vs. the (brand new, just moved from New York) San Francisco Giants in San Francisco. Dodgers lost, 8-0

First Home Game:  April 18, 1958, in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum vs. the San Francisco Giants. Dodgers won, 6-5

An article like this, that discusses the origins of sports teams in L.A., absolutely cannot be written without giving priority to this blue-clad baseball team with the script lettering on their jerseys and the interlocking “LA” on their caps, for this simple reason:

The arrival of the Dodgers from Brooklyn in 1958 essentially – in the sports world – made Los Angeles a major city.                                                 

May 15, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly (left) exchanges high fives with center fielder Matt Kemp (27).  Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Founded in the New York City borough in 1883 and residing in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn for the following 74 years, playing in legendary Ebbets Field and being responsible for the greatest moment in sports history – Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier on April 15, 1947 – Dodger owner Walter O’ Malley was unhappy with how Ebbets Field and its surrounding neighborhood were deteriorating by the mid-1950s.

He wanted to build a new, state-of-the-art stadium in Brooklyn, but standing in the way was New York City’s city planner Robert Moses, who preferred that O’Malley build his new ballpark in an area where the homes of the Mets, Shea Stadium and currently Citi Field, now stand.

While Moses was blocking O’Malley’s plans, Los Angeles’ leaders were looking for a big league team; plans for the St. Louis Browns and the Washington Senators to come west fell through, but when O’Malley heard that L.A. wanted a team, he made a phone call.

Led by city councilwoman Roz Wyman and mayor Norris Paulsen, Los Angeles worked hard in courting O’Malley, taking him in a helicopter to scout sites for a possible new ballpark. During that trip, O’Malley spotted an area north of downtown L.A. called Chavez Ravine that he thought was perfect for his team.

After he was told that he would be able to buy the land, own the ballpark, and own the revenues that would come from that, O’Malley was more than sold, devastating Brooklyn fans by announcing that he would move the Dodgers 3,000 miles west at the end of the ’57 season, their last game in that borough being played on September 24.

Seven months later, Major League Baseball officially arrived in the City of Angels, their first game in the Coliseum – it took four years for Dodger Stadium to be built – drawing a crowd of 78,672, which is still a opening day record.

Although the Dodgers didn’t do so well that first year, finishing in 7th place with a record of 71-83 before winning the World Series the following year, the first major sports championship ever won on the west coast, there was no turning back.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

First Game:  April 11, 1961, vs. the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore. Angels won, 7-2

First Home Game:  April 27, 1961 vs. the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field on 42nd Street and Avalon. Angels lost, 4-2

When the American League saw how their National League counterparts, namely the Dodgers and Giants, were flourishing in California, they obviously wanted to get in on the action, especially after turning down the St. Louis Browns’ (now Baltimore Orioles) request to come west in 1940 and having a change of heart the next year only to have the attack on Pearl Harbor end those plans for good.

The A.L.’s chance came during the 1960 expansion meetings when it was decreed that a team would be established in Los Angeles to match the Dodgers, who were setting attendance records in the Coliseum and in the middle of building a palatial paradise of a ballpark north of L.A.’s City Hall.

May 5, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Mike Trout (27) celebrates his solo home run with right fielder Josh Hamilton (32) during the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Gene Autry, Hollywood’s famous “Singing Cowboy” known for his classics “Back In The Saddle” and “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”, was urged to put in a bid to buy the new franchise after things fell through with former Browns and Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck. The major league owners said yes to Autry’s bid, which he named the Angels after the longtime Pacific Coast League (minor league) team that called Los Angeles home for over 50 years.

Being that Los Angeles is Spanish for “The Angels”, it was an obvious choice; as Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley owned the right to that name – he owned the PCL Angels, who he moved to Spokane, WA in 1958 to make room for his big league club, but the name “Angels” was still technically his – Autry paid $300,000 for that right, and his new ball club was officially christened.

As it was agreed that the Coliseum wasn’t viable for two baseball teams to share it, for what I’m sure was fear of overuse with the NFL’s Rams and UCLA’s and USC’s football teams playing there, the Angels’ first home during that 1961 year was the PCL Angels’ former park, Wrigley Field in South L.A., which wasn’t very big with a capacity of just over 20,000. They would share Chavez Ravine with the Dodgers a year later and spend four years there before moving to Anaheim in 1966 and becoming the California Angels.

These new Angels, as expected, were buried in the American League standings with an 8th place finish, but their 71-91 mark still stands as the best ever record for a first-year expansion team.

On an interesting side note, Ty Cobb, who was a teammate of the Angels’ general manager, threw out the first ball in the Angels’ first home game. It was his last trip to a ballpark, as he would die three months later, and the all-time legend only stayed two innings.

PART TWO OF THIS SERIES WILL APPEAR ON THURSDAY, MAY 30th, AND WILL FEATURE THE ORIGNS OF LOS ANGELES’  TWO NBA FRANCHISES, THE LAKERS AND THE CLIPPERS – SO WATCH FOR IT!

Apr 7, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver (36) throws a pitch in the 4th inning of the game against the Texas Rangers at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Angels have won 4 games in a row, and the difference in those 4 wins is not been the offense. In the last 4 games the Angels scored 37 runs. The Miami Marlins only had 34 base runners in their last 4 games. But the offensive production is an ongoing trend for May. In the 20 games in 22 days in May that the Angels played, they scored less than 4 runs only five times. It’s due to their poor starting pitching they only have 1 win of those five games, and only 10 wins in May.

Their starting pitching has been improved the last four games and it’s about to get some help. Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reported that Jered Weaver could return soon. How soon?

Scioscia said it is possible Jered Weaver could be activated after his extended spring appearance tomorrow. #Angels

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) May 21, 2013

Mike Scioscia is considering skipping the proposed rehab starts for their ace, and perennial Cy Young candidate. This means one of two things for the Angels. Either Jered Weaver has healed faster than expected and thus return an effective starter quicker than expected, or Mike Scioscia is desperate and needs to pull Weaver out of his bag of tricks.

This news is encouraging for Angels fans, but it comes with concerns. Remember there were serious concerns about Weaver’s velocity before he hit the disabled list early in the season. Few teams are equipped to excel without their ace, and the Angels are not one of them.

But in the last four games the starters have showed improvement. CJ Wilson, Jerome Williams, and Jason Vargas held opposing teams to 2 runs or less for each of their last starts. And with the offense clicking like it has all month, this is the perfect time for the Angels to get their ace back, and get back in the hunt in the AL West.

May 15, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia (14) watches his team in the 8th inning against Kansas City. The Angels lost 9-5. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

According to the Los Angeles Angels’ owner, Arte Moreno, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, absolutely not.

“This is his 14th year,” Moreno told the Times’ Mike DiGiovanna. “…look at his record. He has two World Series rings with the Dodgers. He has one with the Angels. We’ve been to the playoffs.”

Indeed, when looking at the numbers no one disputes the fact that the former Dodger catcher is the best manager that the Angels have ever had, providing a stability at the top that had never really been in Anaheim on the way to being their all-time leader in years managed and victories to go along with winning the club’s only World Series in 2002.

However, in the grand tradition of “What have you done for me lately?” there is plenty of evidence that would lead to many managers being let go:

*  After being a virtual yearly participant for nearly a decade, the Angels have not been in the post-season since 2009, when they lost to the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

*  Despite having a payroll of $148 million and being picked as one of the favorites to represent the American League in the World Series, the team currently has a record of 15-25 (3rd worst in MLB) and sits 11 games behind the Texas Rangers in the A.L. West. Only the Miami Marlins and the Houston Astros – who won two out of three games against the Angels in a recent series – are worse.

*  The pitching has been the biggest factor in the Angels’ extreme disappointment to this point, as their 4.66 earned run average is the 3rd worst in the league.

In all fairness, the Angels’ troubles should not be completely pinned on Scioscia, as injuries have decimated the team.

I’m positive that Angel fans were screaming in horror when pitching ace Jered Weaver went down with a broken elbow against the Rangers; I personally thought that that was the point when the Angels would be in deep trouble.

Apr 11, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia (14) pulls starting pitcher Jason Vargas (60) in the sixth inning of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

When one combines that with key guys like closer Ryan Madson – who hasn’t thrown one pitch for the Angels and is not scheduled to anytime soon – speedy center fielder Peter Bourjos and shortstop Erick Aybar all being on the disabled list, as well as Albert Pujols battling foot problems all year, it can be compared with going into a heavy championship fight with one hand tied behind your back.

And speaking of Pujols, whose foot injury is undoubtedly contributing to him underachieving with his .242 average, other factors out of Scioscia’s control have helped lead to this mess in Orange County; one significant factor in particular:

Not to completely paint him as a scapegoat, but after signing him to a $125 million contract over five years, one expects Josh Hamilton to be doing much better than a .214 average and 12 runs batted in.

Not to mention Moreno letting Torii Hunter go in free agency after having one of his best years in Angel red and letting the Dodgers beat him in signing Zack Grienke to a long term deal.

But…

One has to consider the reality of baseball, which is the concept of the only thing mattering is that the manager is effective now. 

And to be brutally honest, as much as I like the man and remember him most fondly from his Dodger days, I’m not sure if Scioscia is currently effective, as the hard truth is that the 2002 World Series title is history. In the baseball establishment, it’s what you do now that counts.

Plus – even though it would likely be denied in this particular case – coaches and managers have a certain shelf life before the feeling grows that they have stayed a bit too long and perhaps new leadership and a change in culture would be beneficial.

Does this mean that I’m officially advocating the Angels firing Scioscia? NO!

After all, who is to say that the team can’t catch fire and fulfill the pundits’ predictions of October success?

But the way things are going, however, especially after just losing two out of three to the Kansas City Royals at home, I just don’t know.

The Angels have a four-game series this weekend against the Chicago White Sox, who haven’t done so hot themselves as they are sitting in last place in the A.L. Central.

If these Halos are going to get well and make a real move, now is the time to do it.

L.A. Sports Hubbers, what’s your view of this? Do YOU think that Scioscia’s on the hot seat, or should be fired?

April 23, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick (47) hits a walk off solo home run in the eleventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

It always goes way too fast, doesn’t it?

It’s hard to believe that the first month of the major league baseball season is already done, with roughly 25 games having been played among the 30 MLB teams.

And although it’s still fairly early and the baseball season – at 162 games – is a marathon rather than a sprint, it’s also hard to believe that the two teams that call the Los Angeles area home have not begun the season very well, especially after the pundits chose them to be major contenders.

I won’t waste any more time – here’s how L.A.’s two big league clubs stand as May approaches, starting with the American League representative of the nation’s second largest city, the:

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

Current Record: 9-15

4th place in the American League West

6 1/2 games out of first place

Can anyone say, “Deja Vu all over again?”

A year after these Angels won just six of their first 20 games, they – despite adding a devastating slugger in Josh Hamilton – are struggling at the onset again as to date Mike Scioscia’s club has won a mere nine of their first 25 contests, losing three out of four in Seattle on their recent trip.

Indeed, if it wasn’t for their new A.L. division foes, the Houston Astros, this team would have “Last Place” and “The Cellar’ written all over them.

Speaking of Hamilton, this prize free agent signing hasn’t done much at all so far, batting a puny .219 (which is actually an improvement over the first couple of weeks!) while hitting but two home runs and not even reaching double digits in RBIs as of yet as Hamilton has solidified his reputation as being VERY vulnerable against left-handed pitchers; just stick a lefty on the mound against him, and more often than not he will fan.

Apr 24, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Brendan Harris (20) makes a throw to first base for an out in the first inning of the game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The main factor in the Halos’ sub-par play has been their pitching, as a collective “Oh no!!!” went up among the Angel faithful the moment ace Jered Weaver’s elbow cracked against the Texas Rangers while trying to avoid a line drive.

C.J. Wilson leads the Angel starters with two wins, and Garret Richards has been decent with his 3.65 ERA, but Jason Vargas hasn’t won a game yet as his ERA is 4.85.

The pitching staff’s overall Earned Run Average? 4.72 – which won’t get it done at any level, let alone in “The Show”.

On a more encouraging note, Mark Trumbo, Howie Kendrick, and particularly Peter Bourjos have hit well for the Angels, with Bourjos coming onto his own at the plate as the speedy center fielder leads the team in hitting with his .329 average.

The message is clear, however: if these Angels from Orange County are going to fulfill expectations and be a real contender for the post-season, they need to get hot.

And fast.

Starting this week when they travel north to Oakland for a three-game series with the always tough Athletics.

Now to check out how the Halos’ National League rivals are doing, the:

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Current Record: 12-12

4th place in the National League West

2 1/2 games out of first place

You have to give these Dodgers credit for one thing – after all the hype with their over $200 million payroll and their slow start, they have done well to reach the .500 mark.

Coming out of spring training, the Dodgers had an embarrassment of riches in starting pitching, with eight legitimate starters vying for five spots.

April 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) returns to the dugout after the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

That’s an ancient memory now as among those eight guys, three are hurt – one, big free agent Zach Greinke, with a broken collarbone courtesy of the San Diego Padres’ Carlos Quentin, one, Chris Capuano, with a strained calf, and one, Chad Billingsley, being forced to undergo Tommy John surgery on his elbow and will be out until next season at the earliest.

Plus one is in Seattle as Aaron Harang is now a Mariner.

Clayton Kershaw has taken up the slack quite nicely, striking out 12 Milwaukee Brewers in his last outing while sporting a 1.73 ERA, and Brandon League has saved eight out of his first nine opportunities.

The problem with these Dodgers – the biggest reason why they are only 12 and 12 – has been their hitting, particularly in the early going as their average with runners in scoring position has been near the bottom of the league.

Matt Kemp needs to be given props for raising his average to .261 after a pathetic, strike out filled start, but he needs to continue that improvement if the Dodgers are to reach expectations.

The man for Don Mattingly’s team, who in essence is the MVP for L.A. baseball after this first month, is Carl Crawford as he is – to be blunt – on fire after having been out so long with those elbow troubles, batting .307 and leading the team with four home runs, including two against the Brewers at Dodger Stadium on April 28th, leading them to a 2-0 win and taking two out of three games from Milwaukee.

Adrian Gonzalez has been great as well with his .337 average, 17 RBIs and 29 hits, his RBI and hit totals leading the team.

A big challenge awaits these Dodgers as the surprising Colorado Rockies, who are tied for first place with Arizona, come to Dodger Stadium for a three-game set this week.

L.A. can make a real move this week, but they much seize the opportunity.

April 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford (25) and the Dodgers celebrate the 2-0 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Apr 7, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Josh Hamilton (32) doubles during the game against the Texas Rangers at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim doomed their 2012 season from the outset with their cold start. The talented club put themselves in a difficult position in the much improved AL West, and they never recovered. Don’t the Angels remember last year?

The Angels are 2-4 to start the season. It’s desperate to call anything a hole this early in the season. But losing is a sickness. Without addressing what caused it, the symptoms persist game after game. Hole dug.

The Angels started with 6 games against 2 of the better teams in the majors: the Reds and the Rangers. Losing to good teams is no disaster. But the Angels starting pitching has been an area needing improvement. Other than Jered Weaver‘s opening day start, and Jason Vargas‘ Angel’s opener, the starters have been the deficient area of the squad. Other than Weaver’s opener, the Angels are yet to allow less than 3 runs. Tommy Hanson looked allright considering how much he struggled in Spring Training. But CJ Wilson was erratic, Joe Blanton was Joe Blanton, and Wever was rocked in his 2nd outing.

Last year Albert Pujols slow start was appropriately blamed for the Angels horrific start, that and the play of the bullpen. Pujols was ice cold to start his Angels career. It’s too early to consider the start of Josh Hamilton‘s Angels career along similar lines. But Hamilton is 4 for 25 with 10 strikeouts. Hamilton admitted the boos from his former hometown crowd in Arlington affected him, but Hamilton is too good to continue with that trend.

The Angels open up their first game at home Tuesday against the Oakland A’s. The improbable 2012 playoff team is no cake walk, and that’s why the Angels are in dangerous territory again to start this season. The Angels have too many good players to panic now. They’ll turn it around. Then again that’s what we said last season too.

Taking the hill for the Angels in this 3 game series is likely to be CJ Wilson, Joe Blanton, and Jason Vargas; compared to the A’s Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone, and AJ Griffin.

Apr 1, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Dodger Stadium during the 2013 season-opening game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the major league baseball season is underway, the Dodgers coming off a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates while the Angels had a bit of trouble in Arlington, TX, losing two of three games to the Texas Rangers this past weekend, and with the Jackie Robinson movie “42″ , which is getting major buzz, scheduled to open later this week, I thought it would be fun to describe baseball’s history in America’s second largest city.

Contrary to popular belief, particularly by Generation X and the Millenials, baseball in Los Angeles did NOT begin with the arrival of the Dodgers and the building of Dodger Stadium, as there were professional teams in L.A. that were prominent in the national pastime, dating back to the turn of the 20th century.

Essentially speaking, two eras best describe baseball’s history in the City of Angels; before 1958, when the Dodgers came to Los Angeles from Brooklyn, and after 1958.

Let’s explore baseball in L.A. before Dodger owner Walter O’ Malley broke the hearts of Brooklyn fans and delighted Southern Californians by moving his blue-clad team to the Southland…

I.  THE PRE-1958 ERA: ANGELS, STARS IN HOLLYWOOD, AND THE PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Much like today, there were two baseball teams that called Los Angeles home.

The only thing was, they were not big league clubs as St. Louis, with its Cardinals and Browns (who moved to Baltimore in 1954 and became the Orioles), was the furthest west that Major League Baseball went through the 1950s; it was the Pacific Coast League, which although it was technically a minor league was considered  a West Coast version of the majors in many ways and was the top minor league in pro ball, continuing with a Triple-A ranking to this day, that housed L.A.’s teams.

The most prominent ball club in this era was the Los Angeles Angels, who began play in 1903 and lasted for 54 years, all the way to 1957.

Now before anyone gets confused, these are not the Angels as we know them today – more on them later.

These Angels were regarded as the top team in the PCL in the first half of the 20th century, winning a total of 11 championships while playing in two ballparks: Washington Park, which was located on 8th and Hill Streets in downtown L.A., and more notably Wrigley Field – not to be confused with the Cubs’ home in Chicago but with the Angels being owned by that same chewing gum mogul, was given the same name as that ivy-fenced ballpark on Chicago’s Northside – which was located on 42nd and Avalon streets in what is now called South L.A. and where the Angels played for over 30 years.

Nov 24, 2012;  The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the original home of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1958 to 1961. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

The L.A. version of Wrigley’s biggest claim to fame was that it hosted the TV show “Home Run Derby”, which featured Hall of Famers like Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron competing against each other to see who can hit the most balls out of the park, in 1960.

Quite a few stars wore the Angels’ uniform, the biggest ones who spent the bulk of their time in L.A. being Jigger Statz, an outfielder from the 1920s and 30s who still holds the PCL record for hits (3,356), games (2,790) and runs (1,996), and Steve Bilko, a first baseman who won the minor league Triple Crown in 1957 with 55 home runs, 160 RBIs, and a .360 average.

The Angels has two big rivals, the first ones being the Vernon Tigers, an outfit that played from 1909 to 1925 and was located in Vernon, located five miles south of downtown between the 110 and 710 freeways, because it was one of only two towns in Los Angeles County that allowed the sale and consumption of alcohol. After moving to San Francisco, they returned in 1938 as the Hollywood Stars and really became the Angels’ rival, to the point of a huge brawl that erupted between the two clubs on August 2, 1953, which took 30 minutes for the police to break up.

These Stars became prominent in the Los Angeles sports scene due to the fact that Robert H. Cobb, owner of the Brown Derby restaurant and inventor of the Cobb salad, owned the team and got many of his big-name entertainer friends, including singing cowboy Gene Autry – more on him later as he would become much more prominent on the L.A. baseball scene – to buy stock.

Featuring innovations such as wearing shorts on the field in 1950 and being the first professional team, minor or major league, to drag the infield during games in the 5th inning, the Stars played in Gilmore Field, located on Beverly Boulevard and where CBS Television City currently stands, for almost 20 years, up until the beginning of the 1958 season, when something happened that was akin to a large asteroid falling on Earth and killing off the dinosaurs.

This armageddon-like event that happened in ’58? The Dodgers coming to Los Angeles, which pushed both the Angels and the Stars out of town, the Angels moving to Spokane, WA and the Stars relocating to Salt Lake City, Utah.

That leads us to the second part of this history lesson…

II.  1958 AND BEYOND: THE DODGER AND (new version) ANGEL BOOM

If there is one date that baseball fans in L.A. and Southern California need to remember, it is this one:

April 18, 1958 – the day of the Dodgers’ first ever game in Los Angeles.

Walter O’ Malley’s famous “Boys of Summer”, who enjoyed much success in New York City’s Brooklyn borough in the 40s and 50s, played the brand-new San Francisco Giants – who moved with the Dodgers from upper Manhattan to continue their rivalry –  that afternoon in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, before an opening day record crowd of  78,652 ecstatic fans that now considered L.A. a major metropolis now that big league baseball was there.

The Dodgers lost that first game, but they wouldn’t lose too many more as it only took one year for the team to bring a World Series championship to California, beating the Chicago White Sox four games to two in the 1959 Fall Classic while filling up the Coliseum with crowds of more than 90,000, which are still records.

April 1, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers former player Sandy Koufax gets ready to throw out the first pitch before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Being a football stadium that housed the NFL’s Rams and USC at that time, the left field fence in the Coliseum was a mere 250 feet from home plate. Outfielder Wally Moon was one of the first L.A. Dodger stars because he became proficient at hitting “Moon shots” over the huge screen in left, but there would be players wearing the blue “LA” cap that would be baseball icons a few short years later.

Meanwhile, as the Dodgers were getting acclimated to the west coast sun, O’Malley was looking for a permanent home for his team. He found that home while flying in a helicopter a few miles north of downtown and Sunset Boulevard, looking at Chavez Ravine and saying, “Here is the place!”

After some controversy regarding the residents of that area who had to be forced to leave, Dodger Stadium opened on April  10, 1962, and while they lost to the Cincinnati Reds that day 6-3, it was – and still is – widely viewed as a baseball paradise, with a capacity of 56,000.

It was the first baseball stadium to draw 3 million fans in a season in 1978, and holds the record of having the most seasons of drawing 3 million in attendance.

Two legends immediately established themselves in what former manager Tommy Lasorda calls “Blue Heaven on Earth”: Don Drysdale, who threw 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in 1968, and Sandy Koufax, arguably the best left-handed pitcher of all time, who threw four no-hitters, including a perfect game, in a four-year span from 1962 to 1965.

The Dodgers won three pennants and two World Series in those watershed 1960s, but perhaps their most memorable title came in 1988 when Kirk Gibson, who was so badly injured that he wasn’t even introduced in the pre-game ceremonies, hit a pinch-hit homer to win Game One over the heavily favored Oakland A’s and propelled the team to a four games to one upset.

Overall, the Dodgers have won five championships in Los Angeles, but during their first four years in Dodger Stadium another fledgling big league club shared the place with them…

After seeing what went down with the Dodgers and Giants, the American League, who wanted to join their National League counterparts in California, granted Gene Autry, who had gotten a taste of baseball ownership with the Hollywood Stars, a franchise in 1961. To honor L.A’s baseball past (I’m sure), he named his new team the Angels and placed them in Wrigley Field on 42nd and Avalon, where they spent that first season until moving to what they called Chavez Ravine in 1962, sharing that place with the Dodgers.

It soon became clear that these Angels needed a new home, which they got in 1966 when after making a deal with the city of Anaheim, Autry renamed his team the California Angels and built a 43, 250 seat stadium, featuring a scoreboard shaped like a big “A” in left field, 25 miles down the I-5 freeway and not far from Disneyland, bringing major league baseball to Orange County on April 19, 1966.

First known as Anaheim Stadium, the place endured many changes as it expanded to over 60,000 seats when the Rams came south from the L.A. Coliseum in 1980, then was renovated again when that team left in 1995, returning to baseball-only status in 1998. It was renamed Edison International Field of Anaheim that same year, then evolved to its current name, the Angels Stadium of Anaheim, in 2003.

For Angel fans and Orange County baseball followers, it is simply known as “The Big A”.

Sep 22, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; A general view as the sun sets behind Angel Stadium during the third inning of the game game between the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The Angels first gained baseball notoriety when Nolan Ryan joined them in 1972 in a trade from the New York Mets. By the time he left in 1979, the Angels winning their first division title that year, he had matched Sandy Koufax’s record of four no-hitters and, for all intents and purposes, put Autry’s team on the map.

Big-name free agents such as Don Baylor, Fred Lynn, Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson wore the Angel halo in the late 70s and early 1980s as Autry spared no expense to achieve his dream of winning a World Series. They won two more division crowns in 1982 and 1986, but they were denied Fall Classic berths each time with ’86 being a particular heartbreaker  as the Boston Red Sox’s Dave Henderson, with the Angels one strike away from the pennant in Game Five of the ALCS, blasted a home run off Donnie Moore that devastated him and the rest of the team, the Red Sox eventually beating the Angels in that league championship series in seven games.

After another frustrating finish in 1995 where they blew an 11-game lead in the A.L. West and fell just short of a playoff berth, the Angels were sold to Disney in 1996. Their colors, logo and even their name were changed as they were known as the Anaheim Angels  from 1997 until 2005, when Arturo Moreno, who had bought the team from Disney in 2003, changed the name to what the club is known as today, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Three years before that, Autry’s dream came posthumously true (he passed away in 1998) when the team that he founded, led by ex-Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia and players such as Tim Salmon, Garret Anderson, Troy Glaus and Troy Percival, finally broke through in an epic seven-game World Series, beating the Giants after being down three games to two.

The Angels continue to draw big crowds and provide pride to the people of Orange County to this day, as they have more than held their own against their Dodger neighbors to the north over the years, both in the pre-season Freeway Series and the in-season inter-league games.

To date, the Dodgers and Angels have played each other 92 times since inter-league play between the National and American Leagues began in 1997, and the Angels have won 54 of them.

This year the two teams will write another chapter in L.A’s baseball history as they will face each other four times, playing at Dodger Stadium on May 27th and 28th and in Angel Stadium on May 29th and 30th.

Just like Disneyland when Walt Disney said that it will never be finished, this history will likewise never end.

Which considering how rich it is, should not be.

Sept. 18, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia (14), who was the Dodgers’ catcher from 1980 to 1992, talks to reporters before the game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Apr 1, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver (36) pitches during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Angels eagerly race into the 2013 campaign with as high of expectations as any team in the Majors, yet they’re not even within $60 million of the highest payroll. They have the Dodgers spending spree and Mike Trout‘s rookie contract to thank for that.

The Angels Opening Day game was more than you could ask for–an extra inning, affair winner. Still though, in a long list of impressive performances across the nation, the Angels victory got very little love.

It’s unfair that the team featuring Josh Hamilton, Mike Trout, and Albert Pujols didn’t even make the back page. But the big names didn’t have big days. They weren’t part of the discussion opening day. Particularly unfair they were compared and upstaged by a team (or player rather) that is not in their division, nor league. But if if it’s unfair to be compared to NL teams, why did they open up against an NL team for some reason?

Oh, because the Houston Astros moved to the AL West this season. There is now 15 teams in each league. Now there will be 1 inter-league game every day. On Opening Day, the Angels and Cincinnati Reds were that one game.

A long list of incredible performances like Clayton Kershaw‘s complete game shutout and game winning home run, Bryce Harper‘s 2 Home Runs, and Strasburg Verlander King Felix and Chris Sale‘s impressive performances on the mound upstaged the Angels. The Angels had their own stars in the exciting, 13 inning game.

Chris Iannetta and the bullpen starred for the Angels. Iannetta drove in the first run on a solo home run, and the game winning runs on a single in the top of the 13th for the 3-1 victory. The most disappointing feature of last year’s team not named Vernon Wells (too soon) combined for 6 innings of shutout baseball on Monday. Garrett Richards, Sean Burnett, Kevin Jepsen, Scott Downs, Mark Lowe, and Ernesto Frieri combined to shut out one the majors most potent offenses after Jered Weaver went 6 innings.

For not having any fanfare, what is going to make the biggest difference for the Angels this year is winning these types of games. Some games Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and/or Josh Hamilton will carry the potent Halos lineup. But if the Angels want to party like it’s 2002 these are the types of performances they are going to need consistently.

Hubsters, Did the Angels get hosed with almost no national attention?