The most underrated signing was Darren Oliver. I remember countless times Oliver would come in and get the third out without damage being done. During his tenure as an Angel, we went Back to Back to Back as AL West champions. After he left, our bullpen fell apart so did our AL West Championships. Which didn't change until we signed Joe smith and traded for Huston Street.
Words of encouragement: You are now blessed with an opportunity to get a better job with better pay because you have experience. Keep that in mind and stay positive. I would also encourage aiming high for a job you might not be qualified for, but want really bad, because you never know what can happen. Believe it or not I learned a lot from some awesome people on AngelsWin, most specifically that interviewers LOVE candidates who are excited for the opportunity to be a part of their company -- even if they're not qualified! That helped me A LOT. And I'm not gonna lie, the application and interview process can be grueling, brutal, sometimes almost demeaning, but the possibilities for a person like you with experience in that field are IMO endless.
Advice: I don't know the last time you made a resume, but would highly recommend hiring a resume creator for help if you are getting frustrated at the lack of bites after the first month of searching. I used doostang.com, and it cost me $150, but it made an INVALUABLE difference on my application responses, and was well worth it in the end. Take it from a guy who relentlessly searched for 8+ months. Except I had NO experience and only a Bachelors degree in Finance. Here's a thread of my frustration with one company back in September when I thought I landed the job:
I didn't update that thread once I finally landed a job, but am going to now.
In the end the hard work makes it worth it. Through persistence and a lot of soul searching, I found a great job. I feel accomplished. I'm glad even through all my self doubt and ego beating I didn't give up, I'm glad my education made it all worth-while. My confidence is higher than ever because I accomplished a feat that at times I felt impossible. And you can too.
I HATED when people told me this through the process over the last year, but things can happen for a reason. And it really all depends on your attitude, and how you react to things that happen in life. That's what defines you as a person. My pops always says: NEVER. GIVE. UP. Sometimes stuff like this is a blessing in disguise, and maybe this will be an opportunity for you to make more money, and enjoy your job even more.
It's a damn shame I'm a 48, because I would give you $200 straight up for the jersey right now, especially because it's a red one. And those red uni's are f***in' bad ass.
But most of all, best of luck. Keep your chin up. And don't look at this as a kick in the crotch, but an opportunity for better things to come. I mean it!