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Committee Chairman

Committee Chairman

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

13. Garret Anderson

One of the most tenured players in Angels history, Garret Anderson suited up for the franchise in 2,013 Games, which at present is a franchise record.

Anderson first appeared with the Halos in 1994, four years after he was drafted.  Following that brief call-up, Anderson settled in at Leftfield, where he was one of the better and consistent offensive players at his position for the next ten years.   His peak coincided with the Angels march to the World Series, which they won in 2002, with Anderson going to his first of three All-Star Games that year.  He was also a Silver Slugger in 2002 and was fourth in MVP voting with 29 Home Runs, 123 RBIs, and a league-leading 56 Doubles.

From 2000 to 2003, Anderson had at least 28 Home Runs and 116 RBIs, with the last three years of that streak seeing a Batting Average over .300.  Anderson played with Los Angeles until he signed with Atlanta as a Free Agent, and he accumulated 1,024 Runs, 1,292 RBIs, and 2,368 Hits, all of which are first all-time for the team.  Anderson also hammered 272 Home Runs for the squad.

Had Anderson been more patient at the plate (.327 OBP) and not had some poor defensive years, he would have been ranked a few spots higher.  Anderson might not have been a superstar, but they never had to think about the Leftfield spot for over a decade, which is a luxury for any Major League club.  

The Angels inducted Anderson into their Hall of Fame in 2016.

12. Brian Downing

Brian Downing joined the Angels via trade from Chicago in 1978, and the Catcher would go to his first and only All-Star Game in 1979.

Downing moved to the Outfield at the start of the 1980s, and he remained with the Angels until 1990.  While he never gained a second All-Star Game appearance, Downing brought a nice balance of power and plate patience.  From 1982 to 1990, Downing had at least 14 Home Runs, peaking with 29 in 1987, which coincided with his league-leading 106 Walks.  

As an Angel, Downing had 222 Home Runs and 1,588 Hits and was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in 2009.

11. Darin Erstad

In 1995, the California Angels made the number one pick Darin Erstad, a former Golden Spikes Finalist from Nebraska.  Erstad debuted for the Angels the following season, and he was arguably the first building block that would see the team win it all in 2002.

Erstad would twice to go the All-Star Game (1998 & 2000), and in his latter All-Star year, the Outfielder had career highs in Batting Average (.355), Home Runs (25), RBIs (100), and led the American League in Hits (240).  Erstad was a crucial part of Anaheim's 2002 World Series Championship, a three-time Gold Glove winner, collecting 25 Hits in that post-season.

Erstad remained with the Angels until 2007, and he had 1,505 Hits for the team with 114 Home Runs and 170 Stolen Bases.

10. Vladimir Guerrero

If you were a fan of the Montreal Expos in the 90s and early 00s, you knew that if you had a star, they would eventually leave for greener pastures because your team could not afford to keep them.  Such was the case for Vladimir Guerrero, who, after four All-Star appearances and 234 Home Runs as an Expo, joined the Halos in 2004.  

You could say (and we are) that Guerrero saved his best performance for his debut campaign with the Angels.  Guerrero captured the MVP on the strength of 39 Home Runs, 126 RBI, .337/.391/.598 performance and it ushered in a new four-year streak of All-Star Games.  During that run, "Vlad the Impaler" never had led that 27 Home Runs, 108 RBIs, and a .317 Batting Average, and he was without a doubt one of the top offensive players in baseball.

Guerrero played with the Angels until 2009, signing with Texas and departing SoCal with 173 Home Runs and a Slash Line of .319/.381/.546.  The Angels inducted Guerrero into their Hall of Fame in 2017.