Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno took responsibility Wednesday for his team achieving so little the past three-plus seasons, including its 15-25 record this season. That means the jobs of manager Mike Scioscia and GM Jerry Dipoto are safe.
Moreno told Fox Sports there was "zero" chance of an in-season managerial change with Scioscia, who has managed the Angels for 14 seasons and has a contract through 2018. Dipoto has been GM for a year-and-a-half and, besides, it was Moreno who was the point man on the additions of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, who cost a combined $375 million over the past two offseasons. And it was Moreno's decision to let Zack Greinke and Torii Hunter walk.
"There are a lot of underlying things we need to fix and adjust in the organization.”
The first order of business might be to let the baseball people build the roster. Still, it's encouraging to hear an owner pull a mea culpa, instead of lashing out with mass firings:
“I try not to live with that victim mentality that I want to blame everyone. If you’re going to blame anyone, you’ve got to blame me. I’m the one at the end of the day that has the final call.”
It reminds me of another Arte — Artie Fufkin from "This is Spinal Tap," played by Paul Schaffer — taking the blame for the band drawing zero fans to an album party.
"Do me a favor. Just kick my ass, will ya'?"
It's in this NSFW clip from the classic film:
It would be a fine goodwill exercise for Arte Moreno to come on down to the main concourse at Angel Stadium, bend over and offer Angels fans a chance to playfully boot him in the boot. And then, right after that, have Dipoto fix the farm system. Transforming an organization is that simple, right?
Regardless of who's to blame, these are dark times — none more black — for the Angels right now.
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