2004 Years in review
http://0rz.net/cc05U
Angels overcame a lot in 2004
By Doug Miller / MLB.com
天使帶著新老闆,不少新球員和對新一年高度的期望殺進2004球季
在得到2002年的世界大賽冠軍之後,天使掙扎過了一個因傷所困,不到五成勝率的慘澹球季,
他們做了不少努力以期爬回頂峰
在忙碌的冬天裡,天使簽來了Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, Kelvim Escobar和Jose Guillen
在一番大動作後,天使被認為會在美聯西區一枝獨秀
但是事情實際上並沒那麼理想,和去年一樣,天使傷兵問題還是沒改善
幸虧有著較之前好的防守深度和先發輪值,天使撐過去了,並且在最後一周的血戰裡,
把美西龍頭從A's手裡搶了過來
上回天使拿到ALW的冠軍,已是1986的往事了
之後的球季不提也罷,在ALDS,天使三場就被Red Sox掃地回家過寒假
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天使2004大事紀
January
The Angels didn't waste much time before they were making big news, swooping
in at the last minute to sign outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, the most coveted
free agent on the market. A few days later, they signed utility infielder
Shane Halter to add depth, and they ended a month of busy work by signing
pitchers Jarrod Washburn and Ben Weber to one-year deals.
February
February rolled along and the Angels took care of some business, paying
shortstop David Eckstein a little bit more when the shortstop won
arbitration. The Angels hosted 10,000 delirious fans in the team's first-ever
FanFest in the Angel Stadium parking lot, which proved a great prelude to the
beginning of Spring Training. Soon after the team arrived in Tempe, Ariz.,
the signing of Francisco Rodriguez was announced, team owner Arte Moreno got
comfortable around the complex, and all eyes were on the batting cage during
Guerrero's first day as an Angel.
March
The Angels got some scares in March that would prove to be harbingers of
tough times in the regular season. The first occurred when Garret Anderson
missed time in Spring Training because of a shoulder ailment. On the
optimistic side, new acquisitions Guerrero and Guillen shined in their Cactus
League debuts, although the same couldn't be said for Colon's first spring
start. More bad news came when the Brendan Donnelly Experience began. First,
the All-Star reliever broke his nose, setting off a string of complications
resulting in the need for more surgery that would keep him out for months.
But on the bright side, Guerrero was fitting in nicely with his new
teammates. On the field, Bengie Molina suffered an injury and the Angels
announced that veteran Aaron Sele would be demoted from the starting rotation
in favor of Ramon Ortiz.
April
The Angels broke camp and kept the spring momentum going with an emphatic
exhibition sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Freeway Series, then
opened the regular season with a bang, winning three more in Seattle. Angels
fans got long-awaited good news when they learned that the Angels had given
Anderson a contract extension, and a few days later the Angels pulled off a
rare sweep of the A's in Oakland to stay in first place. But toward the end
of the month, storms blew into town in the form of the first disabling injury
in Anderson's career and a knee injury to veteran Tim Salmon that would
hobble him all year.
May
May was a crazy month for the Angels, who started it off by announcing that
there was a flip-flop in the starting rotation, with Sele back in and
struggling Ortiz moved to the bullpen. Chone Figgins once again rose out of
his utility role to become a the starter at third base, and not long after
that, Troy Glaus underwent an MRI that proved his right shoulder was as
damaged as in 2003. Glaus wasn't the only injured Angel. Anderson continued
to sit and the Angels continued to wonder about the nature of his mysterious
ailment. Meanwhile, Guillen carried the offensive load, winning a Player of
the Week award as the Angels caught fire. But injuries caught up again, with
Darin Erstad blowing out his hamstring. Soon after that, Glaus announced he
would have surgery that would keep him out until September. The team got some
relief when it was revealed that Anderson had a treatable, early form of
arthritis, but tension hit the clubhouse when Guillen went on a post-loss
tirade in Toronto, the first sign of the troubles that would come to the fore
later in the year. Worried about Anderson, the Angels signed free agent
outfielder Raul Mondesi and somehow could still claim first place at the end
of the month despite being the most banged-up team in the bigs.
June
Guerrero didn't let anybody forget that he was a major star, driving in nine
runs in a career night against Pedro Martinez and the Boston Red Sox. Colon
couldn't boast the same success, however, continuing a disappointing first
half. The Angels suffered yet another crippling injury when closer Troy
Percival went on the DL. The First-Year Player Draft was a forum for more
excitement when the Angels selected Jered Weaver with their first pick. But
on the field, players kept dropping, with Mondesi the latest to get hurt. It
was good timing, however, because Anderson finally made it back after missing
42 games. The healthy vibes lasted at least another day, but that ended when
Sele became the latest DL victim. The Angels treaded water in the AL West
through a tough Interleague slate, finally welcomed back Donnelly, watched
Guerrero make personal history with his 250th career home run, and
experienced a bit more controversy when Ortiz stated the desire to be traded
if he wasn't going to be used as a starter.
July
Jarrod Washburn had reason to celebrate when he pitched his first Major
League shutout in Chicago, and the Angels had reason to celebrate when
Guerrero and Rodriguez were named All-Stars and played in the Midsummer
Classic in Houston. The Angels designated Halter for assignment, withstood
plenty of rumors regarding the possible trade for Randy Johnson, and then had
to watch as Washburn became the latest DL victim. But the Angels' listless
slide into the middle of the AL West might have been given some fire in a
bizarre pregame on-field scuffle between second baseman Adam Kennedy and
Gerald Laird of the Texas Rangers. More good vibes came in the form of
Percival's 300th career save, and the Angels cut some dead weight when they
terminated Mondesi's contract. In a show of confidence, general manager Bill
Stoneman stood pat at the trade deadline, saying he was convinced the team
was good enough to win the division with the team it had.
August
August began with an award for Robb Quinlan, who was in the midst of a
21-game hitting streak and was named the AL's top rookie in July, and the
Angels made some headlines on the other end of the age spectrum by signing
43-year-old Andres Galarraga to a minor league deal to possibly give the Big
Cat a chance to reach 400 career home runs. It wouldn't be a month in the
Angels' 2004 season without an injury, and the Angels had two in August:
first, when Molina hurt his finger, and once again when Quinlan tore his
oblique muscle. Still, the Angels persevered and started playing a lot
better. They managed to sweep the Yankees in New York before coming home and
bludgeoning the Royals in a 21-6 game that was highlighted by Jeff DaVanon
hitting for the cycle. And to make things even more promising, Glaus returned
to the team as the designated hitter a few days before his promised date of
September.
September
The Angels staggered into September by being swept by the Red Sox in Boston,
but the clubhouse was lifted by Galarraga's return to the big leagues.
Longtime team leader Salmon made the difficult decision to call it a season
and prepare for two offseason surgeries that could keep him out all of 2005,
but the Angels again looked to the future by calling up minor league
sensation Dallas McPherson. On the field, frustration continued for Escobar,
whose lack of run support all season showed up when the team couldn't afford
it. Frustration lingered when second baseman Kennedy blew out his knee and
was lost for the season. And frustration exploded into anger when Guillen was
suspended for the rest of the year after an on-field tantrum and subsequent
clubhouse quarrel with manager Mike Scioscia. Still, the Angels seemed to
come to life after all this. They crept closer to the division-leading A's
and beat Texas in dramatic fashion on the last day of the month to put them
in the driver's seat heading toward the three-game series in Oakland that
would decide the division.
October
October rolled in, and with it came yet another award for the Angels, this
one the much-deserved Player of the Month award for September won by
Guerrero, who was in the midst of a torrid streak heading into Oakland.
Torrid was a good word for Colon, too. The burly ace had righted the wrongs
of his first half and finished off his regular season in style, pitching the
Angels to a 10-0 rout of the A's in the first game of the series, meaning the
Angels needed to win one of the last two games to clinch their first division
title since 1986. They did just that the next day, coming back to stun the
A's, 5-4, and celebrate in the visiting locker room. They were to host the
Red Sox to open in the AL Division Series, and Salmon said he'd be there with
the team despite his recent knee surgery. Unfortunately for the Angels, it
was a quick and quite forgettable series. Washburn was knocked around in an
9-3 loss in Game 1, the Red Sox blew open a close game to beat the Angels,
8-3, in Game 2, and David Ortiz's first-pitch homer off Washburn in the 10th
inning led to an 8-6 Red Sox victory in Game 3 that clinched the series. One
thing that stuck with the Angels, however, was the amazing performance of
Guerrero, whose Game 3 grand slam brought them back from a five-run deficit.
A few days after the season ended, Kennedy had surgery that will most likely
keep him out for the first few months of 2005. And to end off the month, the
Angels made the stunning decision to not re-sign Glaus, paving the way for
McPherson to take over third base next year.
November
The Angels' season might have ended in disappointing fashion, but November
brought a lot of pleasant memories and honors. Guerrero's monster season got
its first official recognition when he was given his first Silver Slugger
award as a member of the AL. Shortly after that, first baseman Erstad made
history by becoming the first player ever to win a Gold Glove as an infielder
and an outfielder. On the business side of baseball, the Angels parted ways
with another veteran when they decided not to re-sign Percival, handing the
role to Rodriguez. But some things stayed the same, with the Angels
announcing they were staying in Tempe, for Spring Training and would have
their entire coaching staff back in 2005. The Angels took care of more
business by picking up Molina's 2005 contract option and declining that of
Ramon Ortiz, but all of this minor news paled in comparison to the big story
of the month. Guerrero's late-September heroics clinched his selection as AL
Most Valuable Player, and the right fielder became the first Angel to win the
honor since Don Baylor in 1979. Other November news included Percival's quick
signing with Detroit and the ongoing discussions between the Angels and the
city of Anaheim about the controversial possibility of the team changing its
name to the Los Angeles Angels. The month came to a close with the expected
trade of Guillen to the new Washington franchise and the surgeries of Salmon
and Donnelly that were held over from the regular season.
December
December always is the time for Hot Stove activity, and the Angels were one
of the most active teams in ball around the holidays in 2004. The month
started out on a positive note for the Angels when they learned that Cuban
defector Kendry Morales had come to a contract agreement with the Angels.
Soon enough, the Angels were gearing up for the Winter Meetings in their
backyard in Anaheim. First things first, however, and that was the tough
decision to officially part ways with Troy Glaus and three other free agents.
But once the meetings started, the Angels jumped in with both feet, signing
Steve Finley, getting involved in the Matt Clement sweepstakes, signing
reliever Esteban Yan and nabbing starter Paul Byrd a day after the meetings
ended. They also traded pitcher Ramon Ortiz for a minor league prospect. The
Angels got another postseason honor when Rodriguez was named MLB.com's Setup
Man of the Year. Back at the Big A, Clement paid a visit. The Angels got more
good news when Morales was cleared to sign with the Angels, but they got some
bad news when Clement signed with Boston. Undaunted, the Angels pulled off a
stunning move, signing shortstop Orlando Cabrera to a four-year deal and
emotionally cutting ties with Eckstein, a fan favorite.
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