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Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] .

One of the few Canadian Pitchers who had a long career in Major League Baseball, Kirk McCaskill, played the first seven of his 12 years with California.

McCaskill was a starter for the duration of his Angels run, where he twice posted seasons where he won at least 15 Games.  McCaskill made the top ten in ERA in three different years, peaking with a fifth-place finish in 1989 with 2.93.  

He left the Angels for the White Sox in 1992 and would have a 78-74 record in California.  

45. Fred Lynn

Fred Lynn was one of the most popular players in the 1970s and was in rarified air as a player who won the Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.  After seven years in Massachusetts, Lynn was traded to the California Angels, who thought he might be a player to help them reach the top.

Lynn had a poor start in California, as though he was voted into the All-Star Game, his numbers in the strike-shortened 1981 Season (5 HR, 31 RBI .219/.322/.316) were not good.  Lynn was voted to the following two All-Star Games, but he was a better player than in 1981.  He had at least 21 Home Runs in both of those years, batting at least .271, but his best moment was the 1982 ALCS, where despite the Angels losing, he won the ALCS MVP with a .611/.650/.889 Slash Line.

Lynn had another decent power year, hitting 23 Home Runs with a .271 Batting Average, and that was it for Lynn in California as he signed with the Orioles afterward.

With the Angels, Lynn had 71 Home Runs while batting .271.

A 2010 Draft Pick, Kole Calhoun first made the majors with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012, becoming a starter at baseball’s highest level in 2014 at Rightfield.  

In his first full season, Calhoun batted .272 with 17 Home Runs, and he followed that with back-to-back 161 Hit Years, which again had at least double-digit power numbers.  Winning a Gold Glove in 2015, Calhoun kept his power numbers respectable, though he never matched his .272 Batting Average in 2014.  In 2019, which would be his last year as an Angel (he signed with Arizona after), he smashed 33 Home Runs.

With the Angels, Calhoun had 884 Hits with 140 Home Runs. 

Don Baylor joined Anaheim in 1977 as a key signing during the early free-agency period. He was a muscular slugger whose presence marked a bold new era for the team. Although he is now well-known for his later roles as a manager and hitting coach, his playing days in California were characterized by a particular kind of power-driven middle-of-the-order intimidation.

Baylor’s 1979 season is among the most successful in the team's history. That summer, he proved his skill in driving in runs at an exceptional pace, leading the American League with 139 RBIs and scoring 120 runs. He demonstrated his elite status by hitting 36 home runs and earning the 1979 American League MVP, becoming the first in franchise history to receive the award. This consistent production was the key factor that helped the Angels reach their first postseason. Interestingly, it also marked his only All-Star appearance in a Halos uniform.

Known for "crowding the plate" and standing firm, he led the league twice in hit-by-pitches. From 1977 to 1982, he demonstrated consistent power, averaging nearly 24 home runs annually despite missing much of 1980 due to a major injury. Although he was a key run-producer, his overall value was limited by particular difficulties in the field.  Bluntly, he was a defensive liability throughout his stay with the Angels.

After 141 home runs and over 500 RBIs, Baylor departed for the New York Yankees as a free agent. In 1990, he was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame, becoming just the third man to receive the honor.