By Brian Lichterman | Sports Editor
On Wednesday, the Angels hosted their annual Angels Baseball Foundation Golf Classic at the Pelican Hill Golf Club, to benefit the foundation’s mission to serve youth organizations in the local community.
Alumni of various seasons throughout the Angels’ 50-year history participated in the event. Players scheduled to play included: Rod Carew, Torii Hunter, Gary DiSarcina, Bobby Grich, Dave Winfield, Chuck Finley, Jim Abbott, Chili Davis, Doug DeCinces, Mark Langston, Troy Percival, Tim Salmon, Clyde Wright, Mike Witt, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia and many others.
Oddly enough, with so many great former players and such a rich history and baseball tradition, the Angels don’t have a single player in the hall of fame wearing an Angels cap. In Cooperstown, where the Hall of Fame is located, a player’s commemorative plaque features a biography and a summary of his career in the league, as well as a depiction of the player. If the player played for multiple teams, the Hall of Fame commission determines which hat he wears on the plaque by looking at his body of work from each team and deciding where he achieved the most.
For instance, this year when Andre Dawson was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he requested to enter the Hall of Fame in a Cubs cap on his plaque to join all the famous Cubs players in baseball history. However, the committee in Cooperstown rejected his request, saying that he accomplished most of his career achievements in Montreal with the Expos, who are now the Washington Nationals. Dawson spent 10 years with the Expos as opposed to six with the Cubs.
The Angels roster at one time or another featured powerhouse players such as Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, and Nolan Ryan, but their plaques don’t feature Angels caps. Carew is wearing a Minnesota Twins hat, Jackson a New York Yankee hat, and Ryan a Texas Rangers hat. Part of this has to be due to the accomplishments achieved by these players in those respective cities, but it seems odd that Ryan wears a Rangers hat when he spent three fewer seasons in Texas than he did in Anaheim.
Regardless, most people assume the first Angel Hall of Famer will be Vladimir Guerrero, seven or eight years down the line. Although he had magnificent years in Montreal, Guerrero won an MVP in Anaheim and burst onto the national stage while in Southern California.
With a few more quality years, Garrett Anderson had a chance for the Hall of Fame and still leads the Angels in many offensive categories including hits and RBIs. Tim Salmon, another fan favorite, won’t make the Hall of Fame, but should be honored by the Angels. Torii Hunter has a shot to make it after winning so many gold gloves, but he’ll most likely enter as a Minnesota Twin should that day come.
An Angel that gets overlooked and should absolutely be in the Hall of Fame, in my opinion, is Jim Abbott. For those of you who weren’t fortunate enough to see this man pitch, Abbott managed to have a terrific career in the majors, mostly with the Angels, and did so with only one hand! He would rapidly switch his glove from arm to arm so he was able to pitch and field his position. It was amazing to see him throw a 92 mph fastball, and a split second later switch his glove hand and field a comebacker, then switch it again to throw to first.
Many of these great Angels that played in the golf tournament in Newport Beach on Wednesday should be honored, if not in the Hall of Fame, then with retired numbers by the Angels. Some numbers already are and hang on the right field wall under the scoreboard including those of Nolan Ryan, Jimmie Reese, Jim Fregosi, Rod Carew, and of course Jackie Robinson, whose number, 42, was retired by the entire league.
For more information about events and the yearlong celebration of 50 years of Angels baseball, visit angelsbaseball.com.
