I really miss Vladimir Guererro

[The God of Runs]

You know, a guy who came in after getting paid by Arte and continued to play at an all-star level, a guy who practically carried a team on his back to playoff after playoff appearances, and a guy who was on the last Angel playoff team. He had power. He had heart. And was a whole hell of a lot cheaper than PullHam

[full circle]

He was far from my favorite, but there is no denying he earned his money while here. A lot more than can be said about some others cough cough....

[HaloCory22]

I remember his ofers in the postseason.

[full circle]

Big reason why he wasn't my favorite. It was not fun watching him get himself out in big spots swinging at crap three feet in front of the plate.

[Chimi]

I remember him getting some pretty big hits in the postseason.

[mrwicked]

he was so fun to watch.

but man could he be a quick rally killer.

[disarcina]

he's out of the game now.........how many lifetime HRs did he wind up with -- at one time there was talk of Hall of Fame status for him.........perhaps going in as a Halo -- but more appropriate, I think, as a Montreal Expo but HOF committee may agree with MLB and have him go in as a Halo as being 'better for the current game' as opposed to a defunct franchise.........

 

Geez, how long has it been since the Expos left Montreal?  At least 10 years now. May be 15. time flies.

[m0nkey]

I'm sure he's better than pujols now

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

he's out of the game now.........how many lifetime HRs did he wind up with -- at one time there was talk of Hall of Fame status for him.........perhaps going in as a Halo -- but more appropriate, I think, as a Montreal Expo but HOF committee may agree with MLB and have him go in as a Halo as being 'better for the current game' as opposed to a defunct franchise.........

 

Geez, how long has it been since the Expos left Montreal?  At least 10 years now. May be 15. time flies.

Vlad finished with 449 HR's. The Expos last year was 2004. 

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guerrvl01.shtml

[stormngt]

You know, a guy who came in after getting paid by Arte and continued to play at an all-star level, a guy who practically carried a team on his back to playoff after playoff appearances, and a guy who was on the last Angel playoff team. He had power. He had heart. And was a whole hell of a lot cheaper than PullHam

 

 

I always felt it was wrong how the Angels treated him.  They let him go for Matsui!  NO he wasn't the dominating player he used to be but he was willing to take a pay cut and still produced better than Hamilton and Pujols.  

[Mudville]

he's out of the game now.........how many lifetime HRs did he wind up with -- at one time there was talk of Hall of Fame status for him.........perhaps going in as a Halo -- but more appropriate, I think, as a Montreal Expo but HOF committee may agree with MLB and have him go in as a Halo as being 'better for the current game' as opposed to a defunct franchise.........

 

Geez, how long has it been since the Expos left Montreal?  At least 10 years now. May be 15. time flies.

9 years. Last Montreal team was 2005.

[stormngt]

I remember his ofers in the postseason.

 

I remember his game winning hit against Boston in the playoffs.

 

I also remember him being the best offensive player in the 2nd half his last season.  

 

He got old, hurt and his performance declined, and thanks to your thread I remember how much hell he got from the fan base when his skills declined.

[vlad27]

I remember his game winning hit against Boston in the playoffs.

I also remember him being the best offensive player in the 2nd half his last season.

He got old, hurt and his performance declined, and thanks to your thread I remember how much hell he got from the fan base when his skills declined.

Vlad was great obviously I was/am a big fan of his - how cool was it that he produced at a very high level In his first season with us- no weird 6 week .194 slumps or 3 month .216 crap - Vlad was the real deal

[Angel Oracle]

I see Pujols and Hamilton struggle to even exceed a .750 OPS, and I kick myself for being frustrated with a couple of powerless months that Vlad had in his last two seasons here.

Heck, he was still >>>>>>> Pujols and Hamilton in his last season here.

[Glen]

If 5 straight years of .300+AVG, 27+HR's couldn't please some on here I don't know what ever could.  Funny how we thought .295, 15hr's was such terrible production  from him in 2009.  That's much more than we'll ever get out of the younger Poo Hole and Damnilton this year.

 

 

You do realize that Pujols already has 15 HR and Hamilton has 14.  Yes, neither of them will match the batting average but both will surpass the HR total.  While I understand and agree with what you're saying, you're dead wrong with the last sentence. 

[gotbeer]

Liked early Vlad.  But towards the end of his Angels career, he really became a shell of himself.  And it was getting more and more painful to watch him bat or even field.  Definitely worth the contract.  But I agree on why we didn't ask him back.  

 

HOF.  He doesn't have the 3000 hits or the 500 HR's.  But over 16 years, a .318/.931 slash line is HOF worthy.  And he'll probably be the last Expo to go in the hall.  

[Richard]

Miss the Valdy. Dude was a freak of nature

 

 

[stormngt]

You do realize that Pujols already has 15 HR and Hamilton has 14.  Yes, neither of them will match the batting average but both will surpass the HR total.  While I understand and agree with what you're saying, you're dead wrong with the last sentence. 

 

You do realize that Pujols already has 15 HR and Hamilton has 14.  Yes, neither of them will match the batting average but both will surpass the HR total.  While I understand and agree with what you're saying, you're dead wrong with the last sentence. 

Keep in mind Vladdy was hurt and didn't play in as many games.

[stormngt]

Liked early Vlad.  But towards the end of his Angels career, he really became a shell of himself.  And it was getting more and more painful to watch him bat or even field.  Definitely worth the contract.  But I agree on why we didn't ask him back.  

 

HOF.  He doesn't have the 3000 hits or the 500 HR's.  But over 16 years, a .318/.931 slash line is HOF worthy.  And he'll probably be the last Expo to go in the hall.  

 

LBut I agree on why we didn't ask him back.  

 

   

Yes, Matsui was so much better than Vladdy!  And who was our DH the following year?  That is right the powerful Bobby Abreu!

[HaloFan85]

I liked Vlad for being a genuine good guy and a kid at heart.  Never striked me as having a mean or arrogant bone in his body.

 

The one thing I didn't like was his power always went missing in the post season.  With the exception of his last year with the Angels, he was really nothing more than a singles hitter come playoff time.

[Chuck]

To respond to the thread in question, I miss Vlad too.

[Ray McKigney]

The good ol' days on the SoCal freeways:

 

[fureousangel]

Man Vladdy was well worth the price. High risk high reward. I miss him as well.

[Chuck]

So who misses Vladimir Guerrero? And who gets happy when they read this while traveling down memory lane:

 

#15 - Oct. 11, 2009: Vlad Finishes Some Business

 

 

By Geoff Bilau - AngelsWin.com Senior Editor

It was a moment almost exactly 23 years in the making and the principle players couldn't have been dreamed up any better:

Angels and Red Sox. Fenway Park and  October. Vladimir Guerrero and Jonathan Papelbon.

So much history between the two teams, almost all of it favoring Boston. Recently it was the ALDS sweeps in 2004 and 2007 and the gut-wrenching walk-off hits in those series and again in 2008. All of those, of course, were merely aftershocks to the debacle that was the 1986 ALCS, specifically Game 5 on Oct. 12, 1986.

Anybody with more than a passing interest in Angels baseball understands that what happened in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the 2009 ALDS wasn't just a clutch hit off a dominant closer. It was the hit many fans had wanted to see for more than two decades — dare I say it was the hit they needed to see.

Though the Angels had already jumped out to a commanding 2-0 series lead on the strength of dominant pitching performances by John Lackey and Jered Weaver in Games 1 and 2 in Anaheim, no Angels fan took a series victory for granted. How could they after all that had happened in the past?

And when the Red Sox, back home in their comfy bandbox, roughed up Scott Kazmir and took a 5-2 lead into the eight inning of Game 3, Angels fans were already fast forwarding to Game 5 and Josh Beckett.

Red Sox reliever Billy Wagner, however, allowed the Angels to mount a threat in the eighth, forcing Boston manager Terry Francona to summon Papelbon for a four-out save. In 26 postseason innings, the Red Sox closer had not allowed a single run. But with runners on second and third, Juan Rivera drove Papelbon's first pitch to right field, drawing the Angels to within one, 5-4.

All hope seemed to die moments later, however, when pinch runner Reggie Willits was picked off first base to end the inning and the Red Sox added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning.

Papelbon made quick work of Maicer Izturis and pinch hitter Gary Matthews Jr. to start the ninth and Game 4 seemed assured. But Erick Aybar, 2008 ALDS goat, lined an 0-2 Papelbon offering into center field to keep the Angels alive. Chone Figgins, in the midst of a horrible series (0-12) worked a seven-pitch walk.

When Bobby Abreu slapped a 1-2 pitch over left fielder Jason Bay's head, the Fenway crowd grew so quiet the sound of the ball slamming into the Green Monster echoed throughout the stadium. Aybar scored, the Angels trailed, 6-5, and Game 1 hero Torii Hunter was due up.

Francona elected to walk Hunter and load the bases for Guerrero. The face of the Angels franchise for much of the most successful period in team history was no longer the same "Super Vlad," injuries and age sapping much of his power and presence. A likely free agent at season's end, there was every indication this might be Guerrero's last hurrah with the Angels.

To nobody's surprise, Guerrero swung at Papelbon's first pitch, a knee-high 95 mph fastball, and served into into center field, where it dropped in front of a fast-charging Jacoby Ellsbury. Figgins and Abreu scored, giving the Angels a 7-6 lead, and Guerrero stood safe at first base with the biggest hit of his postseason career.

Papelbon walked off the Fenway Park mound to a chorus of boos.

A few minutes later, Brian Fuentes retired Boston in order in the bottom of the ninth and the Angels completed an unbelievable series sweep of the Red Sox.

Though they would succumb to the eventual World Champion Yankees, 4-2, in the ALCS (though not before providing two more memorable victories), there was undoubtedly a sense that the Angels had indeed completed some "unfinished business," thanks in huge part to the ninth inning heroics the man who may one day become the first player enshrined in the Hall of Fame as an Angel.

[Chuck]

Sweep Caroline

 

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

By David Saltzer - AngelsWin.com Columnist

With all due respect to Neil Diamond

Where it began
I believe it was in 86
I was there for the 86 curse.
Was in the spring
Then the spring became the summer
The Angels couldn’t have started off much worse.

Games. Winning games.
Scoring runs. Beating Boston. In their yard!

Sweep Caroline
Good times never seemed so good.
I’ve been inclined.
To believe we’re destined for something good.
But now I -

Look at the scoreboard
And it seems too empty
It’s in the 9th and we’re down by two.
With 2 quick outs
Aybar, Figgy, Abreu and Vlad
All come through!

Games. Winning games.
Scoring runs. Beating Boston. In their yard!

Sweep Caroline
Good times never seemed so good.
I’ve been inclined.
To believe we’re destined for something good.
Oh
Yes
We Are.