The Angels Are Dropping Like Flies

Well, not really. But as we creep ever closer to the start of the season -- only four more hours! -- it's possible the Angels would like to postpone Opening Day for another, oh, four or five weeks.

Los Angeles' other team will start the season without their best pitcher, Bartolo Colon (inflamed right shoulder), and their second best, Jerad Weaver (right biceps tendinitis). Also injured is Chone Figgins, whose named is confusingly spelled and whose fingers are broken.

But that's not all. OF Juan Rivera has a broken left leg and is likely to miss significant time, and third baseman Dallas McPherson is still recovering from back surgery and is on the 60-day DL.

I mean, jeez. Sure, some other teams have injuries -- the continued struggles of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood come to mind immediately for this Cubs fan -- but man, the Angels have really been hit hard. You have to sort of feel bad for them. As the familiar excitement of Opening Day comes rushing back, somewhere Arte Moreno and the Angels front office are sitting and dreading the start of the regular schedule and all of the injuries -- and Gary Matthews nonsense -- it will surely entail.