Bronx & Beans

You know, we don't mind Beans contributor Halo Hughes gloating over another torrid July for his beloved Angels.

With the specter of their powerhouse offense once again grinding to a complete stop against the quality pitching of October --- What do you think we can expect from Vlad Guerrero this postseason? .125 batting average? Eight strikeouts? In three games? --- I guess I'd savor the moment, too.

But kissing up to Yankee fans? Just shameful!

Here's an excerpt: "A confession: I like the Yankees, hate the Red Sox ... Yankee fans don't whine. You don't do that. Neither do Angel fans. Red Sox and Met fans? They whine. I hate them."

We'll forget the fact that Halo Hughes then proceeded to do little else BUT whine... 'Michael Kay made fun of us... Wah, Wah, Wah....The Angels were in a bus crash 20 years ago...Wah. Wah. Wah.'

I suppose it doesn't take a trained analyst to uncover where this rage comes from.

The two Sox postseason sweeps of recent years were bad, but the real sting began on that afternoon in1986.

You know... Gene Mauch pulls Mike Witt from Game 5 of the ALCS in the ninth inning. Donnie Moore comes in to close out the series and send the Halos to their first World Series, Al Michaels cries, '...and Downing goes back, and it's GONE!!' Dave Henderson clumsily hops around the bases. The mounted police quietly return to the exits... And, somewhere in that quiet stadium, according to sources, a young Halo Hughes is there.

Cue Robin Williams from 'Good Will Hunting'... 'Son, all of these things that happened... It's not your fault. It's not your FAULT!.'

It wasn't your fault when the Angels took 'Rooster' Burleson, and he was never heard from again. Or when Freddie Lynn went west, rediscovered his wavy-gravy California temperment, and forgot how to win.

Or when Mo Vaughn moved to Anaheim and, well, fell down the dugout steps.

Look, these things happen. And, yes, 1986 was a lousy year. But, hey, we got over it.

-- Dennehy