Worth the Wait

The Angels haven’t had a history of iconic players who they could call their very own.  There isn’t a guy out there, whose storied career and great accomplishments are tied solely to the Angels.

Of the players whose numbers have been retired by the Angels - Rod Carew is better known as a Twin and Nolan Ryan, an Astro and a Ranger.  There are even members of the team’s own Hall of Fame who are better known for being a part of other franchises. 

Until Vladimir Guerrero was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame, they didn’t have anyone representing the team in Cooperstown and Vlad put up most of his Hall of Famer numbers in Montreal.

Tim Salmon is the closest thing the Angels have to an iconic figure who played his entire career in Anaheim and although he is very much beloved by the Anaheim faithful, he’s not a Hall of Famer or an all-time baseball great by any means.  Salmon never even made an all-star game, unfortunately.

That all changed with the news that Mike Trout will be Angel for his entire career.  For the first time in the franchise’s 58 year history – they have a player who can be mentioned in the same breath as Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson and other greats, who they can also call their very own.

It’s been a long time coming and quite frankly, it’s been worth the wait.

If you’re going to wait 50+ years to find such a player – might as well have that player the greatest player in the history of baseball.  Yes, I said greatest ever.  If you want to debate that fine – but he’s at least in that very limited conversation.

The Trout extension is quite possibly, the most significant event in the history of the franchise (outside of the 2002 World Series). 

Just up the road – the Dodgers can claim ownership of names like Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax and Duke Snider.  Down south – the Padres can boast about Tony Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman. 

As great as those names are – Trout’s overall statistical career is going to better than all of them.

Name a team and who comes to mind?  Cardinals – Stan Musial and Bob Gibson.  Cubs – Ernie Banks.  Reds – Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan.  Pirates – Roberto Clemente.  And now whenever anyone mentions the Angels – the one name that will always be associated with the franchise is Mike Trout.

It’s a beautiful thing.

What’s even more beautiful about all of this is that Mike Trout is even a better human being than he is a baseball player.  He does amazing things out of the public eye and away from the spotlight.  I’m quite certain we don’t even have anywhere near an idea of just how much he does for others.

I can’t think of another baseball player I would rather have my favorite team be associated with.

He may be the most humble superstar on the face of the planet.  His humbleness is even greater than his talent.  He doesn’t seek the spotlight.  He doesn’t seek accolades. He lets his play do all of his talking and his talent screams at us every time he steps on a baseball field. 

All he wants to do is play baseball.  I am beyond thankful – that he’ll be doing just that in Anaheim for the next 12 years.

Remaining reasonable in the face of chaos

The 2013 season started to head south for me on November 16, 2012 – the day Torii Hunter signed with the Detroit Tigers.  Hunter had become my all-time favorite baseball player, let alone Angel – surpassing both Roberto Clemente and Bobby Grich.   A big part of my joy was sucked right out of me and I began to wonder what kind of season was in store for us in 2013.

I felt betrayed by Arte Moreno.  I felt he had led Angel fans to believe that resigning Hunter was a priority.  Regardless of the truth of how things went down – that was how I felt at the time and quite frankly, it still bothers me.

Things got progressively worse the following month when the Angels signed Joe Blanton on December 12.  In my mind – Joe Blanton was a bottom-of-the-barrel kind of guy and I could not understand why in the world Jerry Dipoto would make such a signing.  It was a “face palm” moment for sure.

Those two events were the beginning of the demise of the 2013 season in my opinion and it all happened before 2012 was even over.  It was as if the Angels had a dug themselves into a hole before spring had even come along.

By the time the season rolled around, it was clear to me that everything had to go just right for the Angels to have any chance.  There was no margin for error.  That was a tall order and the results are obvious.

Now, I’m really not here to rehash all the reasons why the Angels have been so terrible this season.  I also don’t want to be “that guy” who comes across as just plain angry.  No, “Angry-Blogger-Dude” isn’t a title I’m looking to champion.  Trust me.

My reasons for this post are purely selfish.  I am hoping it will be therapeutic to put some of my thoughts out on my blog.  To do that I have to organize my thoughts and I’m hoping that process will help me cope.

I haven’t posted much because for the most part, I didn’t know what to say.  I was dumbfounded by what I was seeing on the field.  Lately I’ve also been disturbed by what I’ve been reading in all the media outlets.  As a blogger, I try to focus on the fan experience and quite frankly that experience has been horrific lately.

So, here we go….

Here’s what I know… If you look at the current 40 man roster – exactly half the players were acquired in some fashion by Jerry Dipoto.  Of the 26 players on the active roster (rosters expanded Sept. 1), 12 of them are Dipoto’s. 

I’m certain this means something.  In a nutshell, the roster – be it the 40 or 25 man version, isn’t very impressive.  In fact, one could argue that it stinks.

There are a lot of journeymen and career minor leaguers in the organization right now and that doesn’t appear to be a good thing.  That’s not even counting the reclamation projects like Dontrell Willis or Chad Cordero or even Andy Marte who aren’t even on the 40 man roster. 

Sure, every organization has names like these peppered throughout their farm system, but it sure seems like more than a fair share of them have found their way into the Angels organization.  Let’s not forget Ryan Madson, Brad Hawpe, Brendan Harris, Bill Hall, Chris Snyder, Mark Lowe, and others – who spent time on the active roster and are now elsewhere and in most cases – looking for work.

Is that an unusually high number of also-rans?  I am going to guess that it is.  Some of these names are ones that you’d expect to see on an independent league roster.  Oh wait, some of them actually came from the hinder lands.

It seems to me that Dipoto has been turning over a lot of rocks looking for pieces to make this team better.  Yes, he found J.B. Shuck, but most of his moves have proven to be for naught.   So this begs the question – is this the best he can do, all things considered?  I ask that openly and honestly.

I’m not even including the big ticket moves in this conversation – this about the “little” things that make up a roster.  If the prospects in the minor leagues can’t even displace the Andy Marte’s or Chad Cordero’s of the world – that speaks volumes.

I know the minor league system is in transition and the state of its condition isn’t solely on Dipoto, but he hasn’t done much, if anything to make it any better.  The 40 man roster seems out of whack.  The pieces don’t match and it looks like the old’ finger in the dike scenario.  It’s also been a revolving door with players coming and going as frequently as baseballs are being hit out of the park after Joe Blanton throws a pitch.

I think it’s safe to say that Dipoto won’t be nominated for GM of the Year. 

The bottom line is that I like Mike Scioscia.  I think he’s one of the best in the game.  I also know we can argue that point all day long and never change one another’s mind.  Regardless of that, one thing seems pretty clear – Dipoto’s philosophy and Scioscia’s don’t seem to mix and they certainly don’t complement each other.  Something has to give.

Some people say that Dipoto’s plan needs time.  Tell that to my friends who aren’t renewing their season tickets.  Tell that to the great many fans who are staying away from the ball park this season.

Some people think that Scioscia needs to go.  To that I say, be careful what you wish for.  There’s a reason most managers don’t stay with one organization for any great length of time.  There’s a reason that many have speculated that if Scioscia was to be fired, he wouldn’t stay unemployed for very long.  Can you say the same about Jerry Dipoto?

Mike Scioscia is unique.  His fingerprints are all over the organization; or at least they were.  It’s rare that a manager has that much input and impact.  I believe he can still be effective. 

I’m not happy with how things stand today and I know for a fact I’m not alone in that sentiment.  As I mentioned previously, it’s as if we are looking into the abyss.  That’s a crappy feeling.

Clearly, there are issues between Moreno, Dipoto and Scioscia.  It’s maddening.  It’s depressing.  It has to be resolved.  Of the 3, I’m going to take Scioscia’s side every time and I believe I've arrived at that conclusion in a reasonable manner.  What do you say?

True Confessions

I went to my first baseball game; an Angels game in the late 60’s. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the exact date or a lot of the details, but I do know that in those early years I became a Jim Fregosi fan. He was THE man in Anaheim back in the day.

Fregosi remained my favorite Angel until Bobby Grich came along, but in 1971 I began following a second team from a far – the Pittsburgh Pirates and one player caught my attention more than any other – Roberto Clemente. I’ve written about that experience in my other blog the Baseball Docent.

Clemente could do it all and his 1971 team won a World Series which was significant in many ways. It was the first year that World Series had games at night - paving the way for kids like me to watch them on television. That team had a colorful cast of characters and they were an offensive machine. What kid doesn’t like a team that scores a lot of runs, right?

The catalyst on that team was Roberto Clemente.

Through the years I’ve followed a number of ball players and made a special effort to see them play whenever I could. However, when anyone asked me who my favorite player of all time was, I’d always say Roberto Clemente. I’m not sure if I consciously made him my favorite at a specific time – it just sort of evolved.

Ask me who is my all-time favorite Angel and the answer has been Bobby Grich, obviously. In a perfect world – Grich would probably be my all-time favorite player – but once I claimed Clemete – I never let that go.

Favorites are unique phenomena - we cling to them with a loyalty that’s intense as anything else we might experience in life. No one else and nothing else came ever take their place, right? I mean a favorite is a favorite for a reason.

I guess picking favorite ball players is as much a part of the national pastime as the game itself.

I’ve thought a lot about this and recently came to a conclusion that may surprise you.

Roberto Clemente has been my favorite player for 41 years. That’s a heck of a long time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told people he’s my all-time favorite. The funny thing is that my memories of Clemente are few – as I caught him late in his career and he died tragically at an early age. I only saw him play in a game in person once.

Bobby Grich has been my favorite Angel for more than 30 years. Unlike Clemente, my memories of Grich are many – and he is a huge part of my experience as an Angel fan.

So where am I going with all of this? Let’s just say I have come to realize that I have a new favorite. Wait… stop the presses, right?

Look - when I really think about it, there is one player who really stands out more than any other in all my years of being a baseball fan. He’s not likely to get into the Hall of Fame, but through the years – I have experienced the full range of emotions when watching him play the game and he’s definitely in my own personal Hall of Fame simply because of the amount of joy he has brought me over the years.

He’s provided me with more highlight reel type moments than any other player I’ve ever followed. He’s made me come out of my chair, cheering and screaming many times. He’s also made me laugh a lot because he really knows how to have fun. More than anything – he never fails to make me smile whenever I have any kind of contact or experience with him.

Whenever I see this player – be it on television doing an interview, or interacting with fans at spring training or playing the game itself – I feel joy. That’s right – pure joy. I feel very lucky to have seen this man play the game and even more blessed to have watched him in any kind of spotlight over the years.

So… with all due respect to Roberto Clemente and Bobby Grich – I have to say that Torii Hunter has become my all-time favorite player.

I have an incredible affection for this man. He can light up a stadium with his smile and electrify crowds with his play. His selflessness knows no bounds and he’s truly a role model for young people everywhere. In fact, he’s a role model for people of any age. He is everything one could want in an athlete. He works hard. He plays the game the right way. He has fun and realizes he’s blessed to be doing what he’s doing and he doesn’t take anything for granted.

He’s Torii Hunter and he is truly special. In fact, he’s just awesome.

I could fill up this blog with countless stories about all the wonderful things he does off the field. I can’t tell you how many times he’s made me laugh and smile. And again – he brings me and many others joy and couldn’t we all use a little more joy?

So, why now? Why the realization that Hunter is my new all-time favorite?

Torii Hunter is what baseball is all about. He’s an individual talent who gives his all for a team. He makes me love the game because of the way he represents himself in it. He was my favorite baseball player of this era before he ever came to the Angels and I am so fortunate to have been able to watch him wear the uniform of my favorite team for the past five years. I have loved every moment and still can’t get enough.

He’s in the final year of his contract with the Angels and I have no idea if this will be his last in Anaheim. In fact, I hate thinking about the idea of him not on my favorite team.

I want the Angels to win a world series again for many, many reasons – most of them selfish. But I also want them to win one for a special reason – to see Torii Hunter as a world champion. I want him to feel that sense of accomplishment because I know it will bring him great joy. It would be fitting in so many ways.

So here we are. The Angels are 6-13 and I haven’t blogged since spring training. You might have wondered where I disappeared to (or maybe not). I’ve been here, suffering along with the rest of Angels' nation and I’ve been as frustrated as can be. I’ve agonized over every loss and have often been left speechless after a defeat.

I have felt like ranting; boy, have I felt like ranting, but today is not the day for me to do that. I wanted to bring this blog back to life in style and that’s with something good and hopefully, I’ve done that.

Torii Hunter is my favorite player and I have high hopes that this year will be a special one for him and for Angel fans as well.

In case you’re wondering – I’m not changing the name of this blog because this blog started as a tribute (of sorts) to Bobby Grich, who will always be one of my favorites –but it is always evolving. This blog has always been more about the fan experience more than anything else and that will always be the focus. Maybe this is a turning point of sorts for this blog. We'll see.

Tomorrow is a new day – so let’s hope this post somehow coincides with the emergence of a better Angels’ baseball team. That would do wonders for this fan’s experience for sure. Just saying.

The legacy of Roberto Clemente lives on

Torii Hunter is everything one could hope for in a baseball player. He’s a dynamic talent on the field. He plays the game with passion and comes to the ball park with a smile and a positive attitude every day. Off the field, he’s equally, if not even more dynamic with his service to the community and his philanthropic endeavors.

Torii Hunter is simply, without question my favorite player in the game today. I like the way he carries himself. Long before he ever put on an Angels uniform, Hunter was the guy I loved to watch more than any other. He put a premium on defense and made it cool to be a great defensive player.

My all-time favorite player is Roberto Clemente, the Hall of Famer who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-1972. He captured my attention as a young kid in 1971, the year the Pirates won a World Series. It was the first year the World Series had night games and that allowed kids like me to tune in at night. 1971 will always be special because it was the first World Series that captured my attention. It was also the year I was introduced to the talent of Clemente and thus, one of my fondest baseball memories.

Clemente died tragically on December 31, 1972 in a plane crash while taking supplies to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. He was one of the most gifted baseball players of all time, but his greatest attribute was in his service to those in need.

Yesterday (Sept. 7, 2010), Major League Baseball announced that Torii Hunter was named the Angels’ 2010 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet.

How perfect. Rather than blogging about the abysmal season that is the Angels’ 2010 campaign, I have something better to focus on today.

Today is the 9th Annual Roberto Clemente Day, which was established by Major League Baseball to honor Clemente’s legacy and to officially recognize local Club nominees of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet.

The Award recognizes players who best represent the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and positive contributions to their Clubs.

There are 30 nominees, but I’m here to focus on just one.

In an era when the Nyjer Morgans of the world grab headlines, it’s nice to take some time to recognize those who are actually doing something positive in the world. It’s actually a pleasure to be able to focus on one of the good guys of the game; and that’s Torii Hunter.

I couldn’t tell you who the other 29 nominees are; although I could look it up. All I know is that the award has been given out every year since 1971 and an Angel has never won it. It would be an awesome honor for Hunter to be the first.

I received a press release from the Angels yesterday announcing the nomination. Here’s an excerpt:

Torii Hunter’s passion for helping others sets him apart as one of the true ambassadors of the game. His primary charitable work is done with his own charity, The Torii Hunter Project a program founded in January of 2006. The Torii Hunter Project is a comprehensive, long-term effort to impact youth in need in various locations throughout the United States. The project has four areas of focus related to youth: Sports, Community, Education, and Wellness. Torii and his wife Katrina have personally contributed over $1 million to the project. These efforts include youth athletic facilities in Southern California and Pine Bluff, AR; assistance for children in need, homeless families, children with terminal illnesses, and other community-based and wellness support.

The Torii Hunter Project Education Initiative officially kicked off in 2008. The initiative, which is operated by the Heart of a Champion Foundation, focuses on two aspects: the Heart of a Champion character education curriculum, which is delivered to students in Anaheim, CA, Pine Bluff, AR and Minneapolis, MN and the Hunter’s Hundred scholarship program, which will provide college scholarships to 100 students from Anaheim, Pine Bluff and Las Vegas, NV over the next four years. The goal of the initiative is to raise five million dollars over the next four years to fund both programs. Reaching this goal will enable The Torii Hunter Project to provide the Heart of a Champion program to over 50,000 students, and to fund college scholarships for at least 100 high school graduates.

“Torii’s impact goes far beyond the game of baseball,” stated Angels community relations coordinator Lindsay McHolm. “His most impressive accomplishments are those that have come away from the baseball field, in the community and in the lives of children. He exemplifies what it means to give back to the community that so strongly supports him.”

“Being nominated for this award is very special to me,” Hunter stated. “Roberto Clemente is a hero of mine not just because of his incredible talent, but because of his strong character and his passion for helping others. I am truly honored to be considered for this incredible award.”

As I sit here and think about Hunter’s nomination, I can’t help but smile and think that two of my all-time favorites could be connected via this award.

The Torii Hunter Project lists this educational initiative on its web site: “The way I grew up was pretty tough, I vowed to myself, that if I ever got the opportunity to help anybody that I was going to do it. That's one of the reasons why I'm so passionate about helping kids." - Torii Hunter.

Fans can participate in the voting process by visiting the official site. The winner of the fan poll will receive one vote among those cast by the selection panel, which includes Vera Clemente, wife of the late Hall of Famer; Commissioner Selig; MLB Network analyst and former Roberto Clemente Award winner Harold Reynolds; MLB Network analyst, TBS broadcaster and former Roberto Clemente Award winner John Smoltz; Hall of Famer and ESPN broadcaster Joe Morgan; former All-Star catcher and FOX broadcaster Tim McCarver; and MLB.com senior correspondent Hal Bodley.

In closing, I tried to draw parallels between the two careers, but found more differences than similarities. Clemente was the much more accomplished offensive player and although both have won multiple gold gloves (12 for Clemente and 9 for Hunter) Clemente had the superior arm. Comparing the two for what they accomplish on the field wouldn't be fair. Clemente is a Hall of Famer; and a 12 time all-star. Hunter is a spectacular talent, but most likely won't end up in Cooperstown.

Regardless, both are on the only list that really matters on this blog and that's my all-time favorites list (Bobby Grich is my favorite Angel of all time, Hunter is my favorite player in the game today and Clemente is my all time favorite player, period). Just saying.

Off the field - it's clear the two are definitely peers and their passion for serving others is certainly worth noting. I salute Torii Hunter's nomination and applaud the legacy of Roberto Clemente. To think that the two could be connected iva this award is simply awesome.

It's Unanimous

The so-called baseball experts are falling all over themselves as they line up to pick the Yankees over the Angels. On ESPN.com, it’s unanimous. All ten pundits have picked the Yankees. Peter Gammons, Tim Kurkjan, Rob Neyer (no shock here), Steve Phillips (who picked the Mariners to win the AL West in 2008), John Stark, etc., etc.

You know what? I’m fine with it. The Yankees should be the favorites. They had the best record in baseball, the highest payroll in baseball and own some of the most high profile mercenaries… I mean athletes in all of sports. They also have home field advantage.

No hard feelings. I actually like John Stark and Tim Kurkjan. I’m not going to hold their predictions against them.

Having been an Angels fan for better than forty years, I am quite comfortable seeing my team as the under-dogs. Last year, when they had the best record in baseball and pundits every where were pegging them for a WS title, I felt uneasy. I just wasn’t used to being in that position. This feels much more natural.

Besides, the favorites are simply that – the favorites. People who bet on horses can tell you that being the favorite doesn’t mean squat. Quite frankly, the baseball pundits are like weather men to me. They’re often wrong, but they keep coming back to tell us what they think is going to happen. Truth is, you or I have just as good a chance as predicting an outcome. Tampa Bay Rays anyone?

If you really want to listen to an expert – listen to Bobby Grich. I read on the Angels Win message board Bobby Grich had predicted the Angels would sweep the Red Sox. Good ol’ Bob-bay! is still hitting them out of the park. I haven’t heard any Bobby Grich predictions for the ALCS, but I’d be interested to hear one.

Everyone likes to make predictions. Heck, the first World Series I ever really focused on was in 1971 when the Pirates beat the Orioles. Do you know what I remember about that series? I distinctly remember Tony Kubek (who played for the Yankees from 1957-1965) predicting the Pirates would win in seven. He was dead on and I never forgot that.

Speaking of 1971 – the Orioles were heavy favorites to win it all that year. They boasted four 20 game winners. They had three future Hall of Famers in Jim Palmer, Frank Robinson, and Brooks Robinson. They had a future Hall of Fame manager in Earl Weaver. They even had three future major league managers in Don Baylor (granted, he only played one game), Davey Johnson, and Frank Robinson. They even had Bobby Grich on their bench (although he didn’t have a post-season at bat).

It didn’t matter. The Pirates won it all behind one of the greatest players of all time in Roberto Clemente (a childhood favorite of mine). By the way, do you know who else was on that team? Al Oliver, the dad of our very own Darren Oliver.

Time after time, history has shown that being the favorite doesn’t guarantee you anything. I just picked 1971 as an example because it’s one of my earliest baseball memories and it infused in me the belief that in baseball, anything can happen.

So I guess it’s my turn. I’m not going to predict the number of games it’s going to take and I’m not going to go into some kind of deep analysis of why I feel the way I do. I just believe in my biased, homeristic, Angels loving heart the Angels are going to win this thing. No surprises here.

Face it, you (Angel fans) and I know how good the Angels are. I think the rest of the world is about to find out.

Then again, maybe not the entire world….

True Grich Banned in China

A side note… I’m told by my long time friend Billy who is living in Hong Kong that my blog is banned in China. I know what you’re thinking… Those communists must be Yankee fans!

Actually, he tells me that Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. are blocked in China. I just thought it was kind of cool to say my blog was banned there.

Thank God I live here.

And a huge THANKS to the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces to secure our freedom here and abroad, especially 514 Fanatic Bobby who just completed his tour of duty with United States Marine Corps. Semper Fi Bob-Bay!