Somewhat Forgotten Players You Miss

[Angelsjunky]

The discussion about the "Von Hayes Era" got me thinking about Angels players I actually miss seeing on the field. The player that comes most readily to mind is Scot Shields, who was one of the most important members of the team during the "Golden Era" Aughties. He was at his very best from 2003-06, when he accumulated 6.8 fWAR, which is good for 9th best in the majors. While I don't love WAR for pitchers, that's impressive considering that all eight guys above him were closers. Shields was so valuable as the high leverage reliever that almost always could be counted on. It is really too bad that he declined so rapidly and relatively early.

I'll also always miss Chuck Finley and was bummed he was gone when they won the World Series. While I started following the Angels in the early 80s, I didn't really get serious until 1987 when Finley was an up and coming young pitcher. He wasn't quite an ace, but he was a solid #2-3; those 4.00+ ERAs don't look so good now, but that was the 90s. He was consistently an above average 200+ inning starter for the Angels for a dozen years.

Tim Salmon was my favorite Angel of the 90s and Darin Erstad was always so fun to watch, even if I was always disappointed that he could never come close to repeating his great 2000 season. I could go on and on, but mainly wanted to mention Shields, and then thought of Finley, and then...

[GrittyVeterans]

This is Maicer Izturis without question for me. Say what you want about the nagging injuries he incurred, that guy was consistently one of the best guys in the league to have on your bench and a key part of some of the Angels most successful teams.

We really haven't had a pinch hitter/utility guy in that stratosphere ever since and I'm hoping Fletcher can blossom into that

[Amazing Larry]

Ralston Schmidt.

[Angel Dog and Beer]

Figgy. Damn was he fun to watch. Table setter, solid contact, can work a walk, steal a base, play a strong 3b. Always with a smile on his face. Wish we had him in front of Trout. 

[floplag]

Figgins, Shields, Eckstein, and Hasegawa.  

[Roy Hobbs]

Lyman Bostock, he was only here for less than a year but he made a huge impact on me.He signed his contract then immediately donated $10,000 to a chuch  to rebuild a Sunday school and then when he had a bad month of April he tried to give his salary back to the Angels,who refused.He ended up donating that to charity.I learned about him being killed on the news,it just didn't seem real.His killer was found not guilty by reason of insanity,he said his wife's cheating drove him insane and  he only served 21 MONTHS in custody and was released.A very sad case of justice not being served.

[Lou]

Scot Shields is the most underrated player in franchise history 

[Taylor]

Curtis Pride

[Lou]

1 minute ago, Taylor said:

Curtis Pride

huh? 

[T.G.]

Somewhat forgotten...Joe Saunders and Bengie Molina. 

[jsnpritchett]

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

 

I'll also always miss Chuck Finley and was bummed he was gone when they won the World Series. While I started following the Angels in the early 80s, I didn't really get serious until 1987 when Finley was an up and coming young pitcher. He wasn't quite an ace, but he was a solid #2-3; those 4.00+ ERAs don't look so good now, but that was the 90s. He was consistently an above average 200+ inning starter for the Angels for a dozen years.

I was a huge Finley fan from the day he came up.  I even wrote an angry letter to the Sporting News, telling them they should be giving him more coverage than Mark Langston (this was in 1990 when the Angels made a splash with the Langston free agent signing and he had a terrible first half.  They actually published it!  I still have a copy somewhere...

In addition to enjoying Finley as a player, I always loved hearing him in interviews.  Just an easy-going, naturally funny guy.

[Angel Oracle]

42 minutes ago, Roy Hobbs said:

Lyman Bostock, he was only here for less than a year but he made a huge impact on me.He signed his contract then immediately donated $10,000 to a chuch  to rebuild a Sunday school and then when he had a bad month of April he tried to give his salary back to the Angels,who refused.He ended up donating that to charity.I learned about him being killed on the news,it just didn't seem real.His killer was found not guilty by reason of insanity,he said his wife's cheating drove him insane and  he only served 21 MONTHS in custody and was released.A very sad case of justice not being served.

Went from hitting around .143 in April to hitting around .340 the rest of the 1978 season.    What warped judge releases someone committing that heinous a of crime after just 21 months?

Imagine him in that 1979 lineup.

Update:   the warped judge was Felix Kaul.    Blame the stupid mental health facility that claimed Leonard Smith was not mentally ill?    

[Angel Oracle]

4 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

I was a huge Finley fan from the day he came up.  I even wrote an angry letter to the Sporting News, telling them they should be giving him more coverage than Mark Langston (this was in 1990 when the Angels made a splash with the Langston free agent signing and he had a terrible first half.  They actually published it!  I still have a copy somewhere...

In addition to enjoying Finley as a player, I always loved hearing him in interviews.  Just an easy-going, naturally funny guy.

I wish the current Halos starting pitchers had Finley's durability. 

[eaterfan]

Along with those already named (Chuck Finley, Tim Salmon, Darin Erstad, and Bengie Molina) I would like to add Vlad Guererro (former RF) and Mike Trout (recentlly extended) to the list. I miss them and am not sure they are remembered enough.

[tdawg87]

37 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Curtis Pride

What?

[tdawg87]

God dammit Lou

Edited April 9, 2019 by tdawg87

[Chuck]

Chili Davis: I just loved his intensity and hitting HR's from both sides of the plate. Also loved when he struck out and broke bats over his leg. 

Reggie Jackson: I've always been a Reggie fan going back from his days as a Yankees as a kid. When the Angels signed him I was as excited as the Trout extension and Vlad signing. 

Devon White: So fast, great defender and a decent bat. I thought he'd hit more HR's than he actually did when with the Angels, but I've never seen someone go so fast from 1st to 3rd and run down balls like it was nothing in the outfield. 

Wally Joyner: Those first few years with the Angels, especially that rookie campaign. Wally World baby! 

Vlad Guerrero: The most exciting player to watch, a close second behind Mike Trout. Dude was clutch and hit other team's aces like it was nothing. 

Brian Downing: Loved watching his grit and toughness. Good leadoff hitter with some pop. He got me into bodybuilding back in the day. 

Mike Witt: I was too young to really appreciate Nolan Ryan, but I always loved watching Mike Witt pitch. Chuck Finley a close second (even though he had better stats). 

K-Rod: That fastball slider combo was so filthy. You knew he had a good shot at striking out the side every time he came out in the 8th and 9th inning. 

The mid-late 90's outfield of GA, Edmonds and Salmon: I watched these guys come up through the system and when they all came up together and killed it, known as the best young outfield in baseball. That was something to witness. JT Snow and later on Darin Estad, good times. Same goes for that rotation of Finley, Langston, Abbott and Anderson. That 95 club was so good, it's too bad Disar got hurt and and pitching collapsed. 

[Scott34]

He wasn't around for too long but I loved Orlando Cabrera. Really fun to watch.

Also Maicer Izturis just got shit done.

[nando714]

Orlando Cabrera 

Benji Gil

Chili Davis

Juan Rivera

[m0nkey]

Brad Fullmer and Aaron Sele were my favorite players back in the day.

[Stradling]

When I read the title the first name to come to mind was Scot Shields.  

This team would kill to have a Howie Kendrick.  

[notherhalo]

I really enjoyed watching Matt Palmer going 11-2 in 2009, including a complete game against boston and a gritty win against a (talented at the time) Tim Lincecum 

Robb Quinlan, he was the reason 1 of 2 that the ChiSox didnt go 11-0 that postseason as he was the hero for that win, and also kind of a funny guy on the message boards.  The other reason being AJ, the umpire and our current (bench coach?) Josh Paul not throwing to first....

Bobby Abreu wasnt worth his second contract, but when he came on for 5 mil and took 5 million pitches, I think he was the real MVP of the team in possibly our best season in recent decades

[John Taylor]

David Eckstein and Adam Kennedy. 

[notherhalo]

has anyone else thought that Aybar w/ the dreads looked like thriller Michael Jackson?

 

HK always looked like a human version of Kermit the Frog to me also

[Taylor]

23 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Chili Davis: I just loved his intensity and hitting HR's from both sides of the plate. Also loved when he struck out and broke bats over his leg. 

Reggie Jackson: I've always been a Reggie fan going back from his days as a Yankees as a kid. When the Angels signed him I was as excited as the Trout extension and Vlad signing. 

Devon White: So fast, great defender and a decent bat. I thought he'd hit more HR's than he actually did when with the Angels, but I've never seen someone go so fast from 1st to 3rd and run down balls like it was nothing in the outfield. 

Wally Joyner: Those first few years with the Angels, especially that rookie campaign. Wally World baby! 

Vlad Guerrero: The most exciting player to watch, a close second behind Mike Trout. Dude was clutch and hit other team's aces like it was nothing. 

Brian Downing: Loved watching his grit and toughness. Good leadoff hitter with some pop. He got me into bodybuilding back in the day. 

Mike Witt: I was too young to really appreciate Nolan Ryan, but I always loved watching Mike Witt pitch. Chuck Finley a close second (even though he had better stats). 

K-Rod: That fastball slider combo was so filthy. You knew he had a good shot at striking out the side every time he came out in the 8th and 9th inning. 

The mid-late 90's outfield of GA, Edmonds and Salmon: I watched these guys come up through the system and when they all came up together and killed it, known as the best young outfield in baseball. That was something to witness. JT Snow and later on Darin Estad, good times. Same goes for that rotation of Finley, Langston, Abbott and Anderson. That 95 club was so good, it's too bad Disar got hurt and and pitching collapsed. 

None of those players are forgotten.