Tony Reagins

TRADES NOV. 19, 2007 Traded Orlando Cabrera to the Chicago White Sox for Jon Garland. JULY 29, 2008 Traded Casey Kotchman and Steve Marek to the Atlanta Braves for Mark Teixeira. AUG. 29, 2009 Traded Sean Rodriguez, Matt Sweeney and Alexander Torres to the Tampa Bay Rays for Scott Kazmir. JULY 25, 2010 Traded Joe Saunders, Tyler Skaggs, Patrick Corbin and Rafael Rodriguez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Dan Haren. JAN. 21, 2011 Traded Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to the Toronto Blue Jays for Vernon Wells and cash.

There was no Kevin Malone-like proclamation of a "new sheriff in town," no Al Haig-like "I'm-in-charge-here" speech. But at Saturday's news conference to announce the hiring of Jerry Dipoto as the Angels' new general manager, it seemed clear who will be calling the shots in Anaheim. And it won't be the manager many think is the de facto general manager, or the guy writing the checks. "He has complete power," Angels owner Arte Moreno said of Dipoto, the former Arizona executive who signed a three-year contract with two option years to become the 11th general manager in franchise history.

When the Angels promoted Tony Reagins, a former marketing and advertising sales intern whose only front-office experience was at the minor league level, to general manager last October, the immediate assumption was that Manager Mike Scioscia and owner Arte Moreno would be calling the shots. While that perception faded during a year in which Reagins has acted swiftly and boldly, it hasn't disappeared entirely.

The three words have chilled Angels fans seemingly every night for the last month, blaring into their homes, echoing through their television sets, a high-definition taunt. For Texas Rangers fans, it is a chant. For Angels fans, it is a cringe. Nap! Oh! Lee! The three words form the name of Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli, and all through town you can hear shoes flying through screens. Through five games of the World Series, Napoli is the MVP, and Angels fans are all OMG. For five years, he was their catcher.

The three words have chilled Angels fans seemingly every night for the last month, blaring into their homes, echoing through their television sets, a high-definition taunt. For Texas Rangers fans, it is a chant. For Angels fans, it is a cringe. Nap! Oh! Lee! The three words form the name of Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli, and all through town you can hear shoes flying through screens. Through five games of the World Series, Napoli is the MVP, and Angels fans are all OMG. For five years, he was their catcher.

Mike Scioscia is the Angels' problem. And no one wants to say it, let alone hear it. After all, Saint Mike is as loved as they come around here in sports. The daughter bought a refrigerator from Howard's because Mike says that's where you should shop. He might wear red but he's been true blue Southern California since making his plucky debut with the Dodgers in 1980. He's the rock-solid former catcher, nitty-gritty and a roadblock at home plate willing to sacrifice his body for the good of our favorite team.

The Angels would rather pay reliever Justin Speier $6.5 million not to pitch for them the rest of this season and all of next, giving the veteran right-hander his unconditional release before Tuesday's game with the Tampa Bay Rays. "We felt it was appropriate, not only [for] the organization, but for the player, to make the move now as opposed to getting down the road in the season and making the move at some point later," General Manager Tony Reagins said. By releasing him unconditionally, the Angels essentially granted Speier free agency, allowing him to sign with any club that wants him. However the Angels are responsible for the money left on the four-year, $18-million contract Speier signed with them after the 2006 season.

I guarantee a title. This year, the Angels stuff the Red Sox. There's a new sheriff in town. Watch out world, here I come. Mike Scioscia? I'm the boss. If he has problems with that, the dude is gone. If you ever hear Polly Reagins' youngest child utter anything remotely similar to those three lines, you will know that just around the bend is the apocalypse. In case you missed it, Polly's youngest is the Angels' new general manager.

Another fancy news conference, another name change. Introducing the Mike Scioscia Angels of Anaheim. It's his team now, from the kids who fold the towels to the ones who throw the fastballs, from the big-armed prospect in Salt Lake City to the puffy-eyed vet in the corner locker. In hanging out a new shingle for their general manager Tuesday, the Angels were actually reinforcing the cornerstone that is their manager.

For all the angst Fenway Park seems to cause the Angels, who suffered walk-off losses there in each of their last three American League division series against the Red Sox, they have actually fared worse against Boston in Angel Stadium. While the Angels won a playoff game in Fenway Park last October, a dramatic 5-4, 12-inning victory in Game 3, they are winless in five playoff games against the Red Sox at home since 2004, including Games 1 and 2 last season. "The goal is to win the first two in our house -- one, minimum," Angels pitcher Joe Saun ders said.

The meeting was supposed to be an hour, two at the most. The prospective owner wanted to talk baseball with the general manager, to hear about how the team planned to sustain its success. Arte Moreno and Bill Stoneman met for five hours that day. Moreno bought the Angels soon after, kept the baseball side of the front office intact, and the team won five of the next six American League West championships. Now the time has come for Moreno to hold a series of five-hour meetings, to listen to candidates from far and wide propose a new long-range vision for the Angels.

Mike Scioscia is the Angels' problem. And no one wants to say it, let alone hear it. After all, Saint Mike is as loved as they come around here in sports. The daughter bought a refrigerator from Howard's because Mike says that's where you should shop. He might wear red but he's been true blue Southern California since making his plucky debut with the Dodgers in 1980. He's the rock-solid former catcher, nitty-gritty and a roadblock at home plate willing to sacrifice his body for the good of our favorite team.

TRADES NOV. 19, 2007 Traded Orlando Cabrera to the Chicago White Sox for Jon Garland. JULY 29, 2008 Traded Casey Kotchman and Steve Marek to the Atlanta Braves for Mark Teixeira. AUG. 29, 2009 Traded Sean Rodriguez, Matt Sweeney and Alexander Torres to the Tampa Bay Rays for Scott Kazmir. JULY 25, 2010 Traded Joe Saunders, Tyler Skaggs, Patrick Corbin and Rafael Rodriguez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Dan Haren. JAN. 21, 2011 Traded Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to the Toronto Blue Jays for Vernon Wells and cash.

The Angels worked their way quickly through the unavoidable charade Friday and sent the loudest message possible to their fans. Being a late-season contender isn't enough. Sitting at home in October, watching pinstripes and Texans on TV, won't cut it. Having the ever-present great fan experience and welcoming 40,000 to every home game is nice, but not the whole goal. General Manager Tony Reagins resigned Friday. The announcement came at 2:18 p.m. PDT. The official face-the-music was handled in a hastily arranged conference call with Reagins and team President John Carpino at 3. There was no face to face.

Tony Reagins vows to approach this off-season the way the Angels like to run the bases. He will not be passive. He will not be shy. "We're going to try to be creative, aggressive, and see where things shake out," the general manager said Thursday, one day after the Angels closed a season in which they failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year. "We're not going to sit back and let things come. We're going to try to improve the club. " The needs are clear. The Angels must upgrade an offense that scored 667 runs, 188 fewer than the Texas Rangers, who won the American League West by 10 games and appear built to dominate the division for years.

Fernando Rodney has met with Angels Manager Mike Scioscia and pitching coach Mike Butcher several times to inquire about his disappearing relief role. He was so frustrated a few weeks ago, he asked General Manager Tony Reagins for a trade. "I'm mad — I'm really mad," Rodney said Friday. "I told them if they're not going to use me, trade me. They say no, we need you for this year. " They have a funny way of showing it. Rodney, who opened the season as the Angels' closer and spent most of the first half as a setup man, entered Friday having pitched twice this month.

Even with the Angels one defeat from elimination, the vibe in the visitors' clubhouse at Yankee Stadium on Saturday seemed more relaxed than it did before the first two games of the American League Championship Series. "I think the first two games we didn't know what to expect," said center fielder Torii Hunter . "It was cold and guys were kind of quiet." And now? "We're running around cracking jokes and lighting guys' shoestrings up and different things like that," Hunter said.

Reporting from New York — The Angels' top pitching prospect, Garrett Richards , is set to make his major league debut Wednesday. That could make the Angels' 2009 draft even more special, but the scouting director responsible for selecting those players is long gone. The Angels had four of the first 42 picks that year. Mike Trout , the outfielder considered one of the two best prospects in baseball, was one. Tyler Skaggs , the pitcher who was the key to the Dan Haren trade, was another.