If you mention the phrase “Brian Fuentes traded to the Angels”, to an Angels fan you may get your lunch money taken from you. Fuentes who signed a two-year $17.5mm deal during the winter of 2008, immediately stepped in and became the teams closer. Though he posted 3.93 era and 47 saves, he also had 7 blown saves. As fans, we sometimes focus more on the bad than the good, but hey thats what makes us fans.

The first half of 2010 wasn’t much different as he again blew 4 saves with the fans calling for his head. He was eventually traded to the Twins for a basketball center, and threw 9.2 innings of scoreless ball for the Twins.  In defense of Fuentes, he was one of the better closers the second half of last year. But he has never known as a fan favorite or a clubhouse leader.

This past offseason, Fuentes signed a two-year $10.5mm plus an option year deal with the A’s. He was set to join a stacked bullpen with aspirations of competing for the AL West Title. The injury bug bit the A’s bullpen early, which caused Fuentes to be used in various roles.  For the season, he is 1-6 with a 4.71 era with 9 saves and 2 blown saves (prior to the game). Not entirely bad but not great either.

Today, the A’s faced the rival Angels when Fuentes got the call to pitch in the 8th. He faced only two batters while walking one and recording only one out. He was then lifted for Michael Wuertz and the A’s eventually lost the game with Fuentes taking the lose.

After the game, Fuentes had some interesting comments regarding his manager Bob Geren (compliments of John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle) and the way Geren used him in the 8th inning.

-“Unorthodox managing. I thought it was a NL thing. But tonight was pretty unbelievable.”

-Ranking Geren with his other managers, Fuentes said, “It’s a pretty drastic difference.”

-Fuentes said it’s not just him when it comes to Geren: “I don’t think anybody knows what direction he’s headed.”

-When Fuentes got call in 8th inning in 1-1 game today: “I thought he misspoke. I thought it was a mistake. Two games, on the road, bring the closer in a tied game, with no previous discussions of doing so. And then, tonight, in the seventh inning, I get up. I haven’t stretched, I haven’t prepared myself. If there was some communication beforehand I would be ready to come into the game – which I was, when I came into the game, I was ready. Just lack of communication. I don’t think anybody really knows which direction he’s headed.“

-Time for a clear-the-air session with Geren? Fuentes: “At this point, I have nothing to say.”

Whether Fuentes’ comments were just him blowing off steam or actually a deeper issue, you never as a manager want to see a key piece of your bullpen running to the media and exploding about how they were used two months into the season.

Baseball in general is all about routines, but routines are extra important for relief pitchers. Whatever your role is, you know when it is time to start getting ready for a potential appearance. Not knowing your role for the day could lead to you not fully being prepared.

Whatever the reason was, Angels’ fans couldn’t be more happier that Fuentes blew the game at Angel Stadium like he did so many times in the last two years, just this time he was wearing the visiting team uniform.