The 50 Greatest Angels....

2011 marks the Angels’ 50th anniversary. It should be quite a year of celebrations, reflections, retrospectives and more. And of course, no anniversary of this nature would be complete without an obligatory list or two.

Yes, lists. We are going to see things like the 50 greatest moments in Angels’ history, the 50 greatest Angel players, etc., etc. I’m sure a great many people will be making up lists of their own. In fact, it’s already begun…

The Orange County Register’s Keith Sharon asked me to be a part of a panel that submitted their list of the 50 greatest Angels of all time. This list is not limited to players alone, but can include coaches, managers, owners, and more. Rally Monkey anyone?

Coming up with the 50 names wasn’t too difficult for me (especially since Sharon provided most of the names), but ranking them in order was an entirely different matter. It was a difficult; albeit, a fun task. The list will be revealed next week; starting on Valentine’s Day – February 14, 2011. Each day ten names will be revealed, starting with 50-41 with the final ten being published on Friday – February 18, 2011.

Check out today’s teaser “50 Greatest Angels to be revealed” from the OC Register’s web site.

In the mean time, let’s talk about that list of the 50 greatest Angels of all time.

First of all, the word “great” means different things to different people. Just like the phrase “most valuable,” greatness is pretty subjective. Wikipedia says “Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person, object or place. The concept carries the implication that the particular person or object, when compared to others of a similar type, has clear and perceivable advantage. As a descriptive term it is most often applied to a person or their work, and may be qualified or unqualified.” it shoudl be noted that I can't believe I just quoted Wikipedia...

In any case, that leaves it pretty wide open, doesn’t it?

As I compiled my list, I thought of several things. If they were a player – I thought about where they ranked statistically, what they meant to the organization, and how they represented themselves. I gave careful consideration to the fan’s perception. For example – Wally Joyner fans created “Wally World” in right field and in my mind that was very significant.

Another example would be how Jim Abbott brought national attention to the Angels (for obvious reasons).

Some guys made the list because of the number of years they played in Anaheim. Longevity almost guaranteed a spot on my list, but not necessarily a high spot on my list. I mean if a player was/is just plain terrible - he didn't make the list. In other words, you won't find Jeff Mathis on my list at all. Just saying.

By the way, players had to have played in Anaheim for at least three years to qualify for the list (per Keith Sharon).

I won’t reveal my picks until the Register publishes the compiled list. So bear with me and check back next week. It should be an interesting discussion. Who’s your all time greatest Angel?