The All-Time Angels Baseball Team
By Derek Hart
In the midst of this baseball season, it occurred to me that I’ve never seen an article or a list of the all-time Angels team anywhere online – and I’ve written for Bleacher Report.com, a prominent sports article site, for three years.
Being that’s the case, I thought I’d remedy that by listing my choices for an all-time Angel team here. I hope all you Angels fans out there like my choices for this 25-man roster, beginning with the starters:
First Base: ROD CAREW – It was a fairly tough decision between this seven-time batting champ and Wally Joyner, who followed Carew in 1986 and became a fan favorite as well as a decent slugger.
However, I went with Carew, who had seven good seasons with the Halos after a phenominal tenure with the Minnesota Twins, for this overwhelming reason:
Carew is a Hall of Famer. Joyner is not.
Second Base: BOBBY GRICH – After coming over from Baltimore in the mid-1970s, this man solidified the second base position for nearly a decade and was one of the biggest factors in the Angels’ achieving respectability in the late 70s and 80s.
Shortstop: JIM FREGOSI – If I had to pick a guy as the ultimate Angel, Fregosi would be it as he was the Halos’s shortstop for the first eleven years of their existence, all the way through 1971. The fact that he managed the team to their first divisional title in 1979 solidifies his ultimate Angel status.
Third Base: DOUG DeCINCES – It was a tough choice between this guy who, like Grich, came over from Baltimore to solidify the Angel infield, and Troy Glaus, whose slugging led the Angels to their World Series title in 2002, but I’m going to go with DeCinces because he was more durable and hit for a higher average.
Left Field: GARRET ANDERSON – Without a doubt, Anderson was the classiest Angel ever, playing the game with an utmost professionalism and dependability that you really don’t see in pro athletes anymore.
The fact that he’s the all-time Angel leader in hits, runs and RBIs doesn’t hurt, either.
Center Field: JIM EDMONDS – After recalling his spectacular catches as a young player in the 1990s, and his numerous home runs, I had to put this man in here. The team made a big mistake when they traded him to St. Louis.
Right Field: TIM SALMON – “The Kingfish”. Being that he’s the Halos’ home run king with 299 and was one of the big reasons behind their first World Championship in 2002, this is a no-brainer here.
Designated Hitter: DON BAYLOR – Being that this is an American League team, it’s obligatory that I have an all-time DH, and like Salmon in right, Don Baylor is a no-brainer here, winning the MVP in 1979 as he led the team to their first post season berth.
Yes, I know that he was the left fielder that year, but this man just simply could not be left off this team.
Catcher: BOB BOONE – Was a crucial factor in the Angels’ 1982 and 1986 division titles; coming over from Philadelphia, he was just what the team, and their young pitching staff, needed.
Starting Pitchers:
NOLAN RYAN – In an article I wrote online a few years ago detailing my choices for the best players of all-time according to team, I chose this all-time strikeout king as the Angels’ all-time greatest for one reason:
His four no-hitters and 382 strikeouts in 1973, breaking Sandy Koufax’s single season record, put this franchise on the map – simple as that.
FRANK TANANA – This hard throwing left-hander made a great combimation with Ryan in the 70s, as he was on the mound when the Angels clinched their first division crown over the Kansas City Royals in Septamber of ’79 – I remember that moment well.
MIKE WITT – Was the leader of the pitching staff in the 80s, pitching an unforgettable perfect game against the Texas Rangers on the last day of the 1984 season and generally being the ace of the Halos’ staff, along with…
CHUCK FINLEY – Who made a tremendous lefty-righty combination with Witt during the late 80s and stayed around through the late 90s, becoming the ace of the staff by that time.
Yes, he did have some problems with his wife, video kitten Tawny Kitaen, but that didn’t change the fact that he was an great pitcher.
DEAN CHANCE – This guy was the franchise’s first pitching ace in the 60s, throwing 11 shutouts with a 1.65 earned run average in 1964, and winning the team’s first Cy Young Award that year.
Relief Pitchers
TROY PERCIVAL – The all-time Angels saves leader with 316. Was on the mound for the last out of their epic 2002 World Series title. Enough said.
FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ – Broke the all-time single season saves record with 62 in 2008. Again, enough said.
DONNIE MOORE – Until Dave Henderson’s home run off of him in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series in ’86, Moore was a rock in the Angels’ bullpen. So tragic what happened to him, commiting suicide and all.
JIM ABBOTT – Yes, I know he was a starter, but I couldn’t leave him out, I just couldn’t.
GARY DiSARCINA – It was unthinkable to imagine the Angels in the 90s and early 2000s without this man at shortstop.
WALLY JOYNER – “Wally World” was a big thing in the mid-80s due to this guy; his standout rookie season in ’86 being the factor. Anchored first base through the early to mid-90s.
TROY GLAUS – This third baseman came out of UCLA to slug the Angels to their ’02 title, winning the World Series MVP in the process.
ALEX JOHNSON – Won the American League batting championship in 1970 while playing the outfield, the first – and still the only – Angel to do so.
DARIN ERSTAD – I definitely can’t leave this hustling gamer off this team, especially after he hit .355 in 2000, an all-time single season mark for the Angels. And he caught the last out in that ’02 series.
BRIAN DOWNING – This Angel great, who I have as a backup catcher as well as an outfielder, was the all-time team leader in pretty much every offensive category by the time he left the team in 1990.
And his .325 average in ’79 wasn’t too shabby, either.
VLADIMIR GUERRERO – Coming over as a free agent from the then-Montreal Expos, this outfielder was sick with the bat, posting the all-time highest career average in an Angel uniform and doing everything but lead the team into another World Series berth.
Manager: MIKE SCIOSCIA – Like several other players on this list, a no-brainer as he’s the all-time Angel leader in wins, and led them to their ’02 crown.
One can only imagine what might have been if the Dodgers, with whom he was a standout catcher for, kept him around their organization instead of letting him go.
There you have it – the (unofficial) all-time Los Angeles/California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim team.
I know I left out some people, but I suppose you can’t include everyone.
In the meantime, I hope all you fans out there who break out the Rally Monkey and wear red to support this icon of Orange County enjoy the memories that I hopefully invoked with these men.