I'm a big fan of organization of thought, and what better way to organize thoughts than through a list? I'm also a big fan of current and ex-Angels, some more than others. I thought I'd post my favorites and then sit back and wait for the responses to said list roll in. I'm hoping to have at least two responses before Bush is out of office. I am going to start off with 6-10, because I really should be acting like a responsible adult, instead of waxing poetic on a bunch of baseball players. But alas, here we go...
10. BRIAN DOWNING
Easily my favorite 1980s Angel. Why? Oh, I don't know.
Because he was a bad ass? During Downing's hey-day I was just a little guy, playing wiffle ball in the street with Hutch and B. Barnes, and I was always Brian Downing. Meanwhile, those guys picked superstars Ryne Sandberg and Cal Ripken as their heroes. How original. Needless to say, I would pretty much dominate. I also liked BD for these reasons:
- I always thought he looked like my dad. And Superman.
- He had a great first name.
- He got hit by a lot of pitches.
- He was responsible for one of my favorite catches of all-time. You know, the one where he and Fred Lynn both collide into the wall? You can see it at every Angel game during the "Calling All Angels" video. Side note: Am I the only one who likes this video?
9. PEP HARRISIf you don't know me by now (cue Simply Red), then you may not know that I am infatuated with random middle relievers who may or may not have major-
league careers spanning more than 3 years. Pep Harris is Exhibit A. I don't know if it was the name, if it was the funky pitching motion, or if it was the fact that I never saw the guy NOT sign autographs before the game. I just liked him. In fact, he is part of the WiseAndEck Favorite Bullpen of All-Time Club, which of course belongs to the 1997 Angels 'pen. More on that later. Harris only pitched three years in the bigs and had a pretty high ERA, but I always counted on him for some entertainment during those 11-2 defeats to the Mariners. Pep, I'm keeping your legend alive. You owe me another autograph.
8. LUIS POLONIAHaha, wow was I gay for this guy back in the day. I was in San Francisco (shocker) the day the Angels traded a past-his-prime-that-he-never-really-had Claudell Washington for sparkplug Luis Polonia. I wrote it down in the newspaper I had on my lap and knew that this would turn out to be a great trade for the Halos. I couldn't have been more right. The guy just did everything right, except maybe for
sleeping with that 15-year-old in Milwaukee back in '89. Probably not the smartest idea.
But on the field Polonia was the man, consistently hitting in the .300s with tons of steals. The one knock on him was his defense and in fact, this is my favorite all-time quote about Polonia, albeit a big slap in the face.
"With Luis Polonia, it's like 'Catch 22'... Hit him a hundred fly balls, and he'll catch 22" - Dennis Lamp
Did I mention I used to write haikus and other forms of poetry about No. 22 back in seventh grade? No? Uh, well, um, I was just kidding about that.
7. MIKE HOLTZ
Another
member of the '97 bullpen, Holtz was the man against lefties. Yes, I know it's surprising, but back in the 90s the Angels actually had good lefties in the 'pen. None of this Scott Schoeneweis, Mark Lukasiewicz, Rich Rodriguez, Jason Christiansen, J.C. Romero (should I keep going?) crap. Holtz came in to face Ken Griffey, he got Ken Griffey out. He didn't come in to face Griffey, walk him, then give up a homer to Paul Sorrento or something. The guy was (actually, he still is) 5'9, had a great curveball and apparently enjoyed a nice Red Delicious apple in his spare time. What's not to like about him?
6. NOLAN RYANIn all reality, he should be higher (or lower?) on my list. He is a family icon. My late grandfather, the purple-hearted Archibald Dennison Scott III, had a favorite player: Nolan Ryan. My grandma and aunt? Nolan Ryan. My mom? Juan Beniquez, actually, but you
get the point. Ryan was revered in our family as a man to look up to, a man that knew how to pitch, strike hitters out like no one else could, and a man that knew not to let young punks like Robin Ventura intimidate him. Nolan Ryan was the intimidator, not some goofy guy from Oklahoma State! In fact, he means so much to my family that my first son's name will be Robin, er, Nolan Ryan. I even tried to slip it past my sedated wife on the day our daughter was born, but she nixed that attempt right before I wrote the N. And good thing, too. You think my daughter would have an enjoyable childhood with a name like Nolan? It could be worse. She could be a boy named Robin.
