Angels Squeak by the Orioles

In this era of democracy gone wild, fans can register their opinion with a call to a talk show, a vote in an online poll or a post on a message board. The customers need not suffer in silence.

Yet a ballclub is not a democracy. The owner’s say carries the day. And, although Angels owner Arte Moreno appreciates customer feedback, he continues to approve of the performance of General Manager Bill Stoneman.

“Am I satisfied with the job Bill has done? Yes, very much,” Moreno said Monday.

As the Angels cling to a faint hope of a third consecutive American League West championship, Stoneman has drawn criticism for his inability to acquire a player to supplement the offense.

The Angels won Monday in spite of their offense, not because of it. Jered Weaver, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez combined on a 1-0 shutout of the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles outhit the Angels, 7-5, but Adam Kennedy’s two-out single in the fourth inning drove home the lone run.

After the Angels hit .175 in losing last season’s league championship series, they promised to get a big bat. As the July trade deadline approached, they promised to get a big bat.

They went 0 for 2. Moreno spent $103 million on the Angels’ player payroll this season and said he would spend more if needed, so it wasn’t for a lack of resources. Disgruntled fans blamed Stoneman, who has yet to make a major midseason trade in his seven seasons as general manager.

The assumption, then, is that Moreno runs the business and signs the checks, while Stoneman runs baseball operations. Surely Moreno would want more bang for his bucks, or so the arguments went.

However, the premise is flawed. Moreno is very much a hands-on owner -- not in a bombastic style, a la George Steinbrenner in his heyday, but involved nonetheless. He said he talked to Stoneman several times each day as the trade deadline approached.

“It starts here,” Moreno said. “If there’s a problem with the team, it’s my fault.”

Moreno inherited Stoneman when he bought the club and liked him so much he signed him to a contract extension through 2010 -- as general manager through 2007 and consultant thereafter.

Moreno said he did not want to discuss next season, because he hasn’t given up on this one. The Angels trail the Oakland Athletics by 6 1/2 games, with 24 to play.

Yes, he said, the Angels still need a big bat. They can sign one in free agency this winter and keep their prospects too.

In July, the Angels offered pitcher Ervin Santana and shortstop Erick Aybar to Baltimore for Miguel Tejada, who has three seasons left on his contract. They offered Aybar and catcher Jeff Mathis to Milwaukee for outfielder Carlos Lee, who can file for free agency this fall.

Moreno wouldn’t discuss specific trade offers, but he and Stoneman agree on the principle behind them. Weaver pitched seven shutout innings and scattered six hits, all singles, nicely illustrating the point Moreno made before the game.

“Any time you take a real quick-fix attitude, that potentially can affect you in the long term,” Moreno said. “You start giving up young pitching for a two-month fix, and you better be 100% sure that two-month fix will get you to the promised land, because next year, you’ve got to replace that pitching.”

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bill.shaikin@latimes.com