Series Preview: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels
By Euan Leith
Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Last year, the Los Angeles Angels had a payroll just over $141 million. Meanwhile, the Houston Astros had a payroll of just over $26.1 million.
You know what that extra $115 million bought the Angels? 9 wins and 10 losses against the Astros. In fact, the Angels were the only team that Houston had a winning record against in the American League. So money can’t buy happiness, and it certainly can’t buy a winning record against a 51-win baseball team.
If you have followed baseball over the past few years, you know that the Angels have been on a quite the spending spree:
2012: Albert Pujols– 10 years/$240 million, C.J. Wilson– 5 years/$77.5 million, Jered Weaver– 5 years/$85 million (extension)
2013: Josh Hamilton– 5 years/$125 million
2014: Mike Trout– 6 years/$144.5 million (extension)
I don’t know about you, but I don’t need to add up all of those numbers to tell you that the Angels have spent a crap ton and a half of money on just those five players alone. Also, let’s not forget that they are still paying Vernon Wells $22.2 million this year, a player who hasn’t even been on their roster for the past two seasons.
The Angels’ payroll increased another $17 million in 2014, to $158 million, but the Astros have almost doubled their salary and now pay a combined $50.4 million to their players. That’s the equivalent of Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and Howie Kendrick’s salaries!
The Angels are looking to avoid falling to 0-4 for the first time in 22 years, after they were swept by the Seattle Mariners in the opening series of the season. They were outscored 26-8, batted a combined .177 and finished the series 1-19 with runners in scoring position (RISP).
That’s exactly the kind of start that has doomed the Angels in their previous two seasons, in which they have missed the playoffs both years. They will look to rebound against an Astros team that is coming off a series win over the New York Yankees, yet feel disappointed they couldn’t secure the sweep after some untimely hitting and some bad defense doomed them in the series finale.
So let’s see who Astros and Angels fans will get to see pitch in this four-game series.
ALSO, don’t forget that Saturday night is when the Astros are retiring Lance Berkman’s and Roy Oswalt’s jersey numbers! So get out to the ballpark and cheer the greatest Astros to play at Minute Maid Park, as they take the field one last time.
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