Vladimir Guerrero: Angels' winning environment 'inspired me'
When Vladimir Guerrero entered the major leagues, he would be the first to tell you he was surrounded by bad baseball.
As the rookie out of the Dominican Republic played his first full season in 1997, smashing a .302 batting average in 90 games, the team around him fell apart. Finishing with a 78-84 record, the Montreal Expos scampered to a fourth-place finish in the National League East.
Little did he know, that rookie campaign would be a microcosm of Guerrero’s seven years in Canada.
Over that time, the best ‘bad ball’ hitter the game has ever seen sent 233 balls scorching into the seats, registered 701 RBI, accounted for 639 runs of his own, all while carrying a .324 average and being named an All-Star four times; meanwhile, the Expos put together only two winning seasons while finishing in fourth or fifth place in the NL East six of the seven seasons.
https://www.foxsports.com/west/story/vlad-guerrero-baseball-hall-of-fame-social-media-reaction-los-angeles-angels-012418
Then, a spark happened.
As a free agent, Vladdy took control of his destiny and signed with the Anaheim Angels where, for once, his talents would not go left unused.
In 2004, Guerrero was hotter than a southern California summer day. The lanky righty piled together a career-best .337 average, smacking 39 homers and tallying 126 RBI in the process. He finished 100 points ahead of second-place Gary Sheffield in MVP voting.
“What really motivated me the most was we were fighting for something,” Guerrero recalled to a group of reporters ahead of his travel to Cooperstown to be immortalized in the Baseball Hall of Fame July 29. “In Montreal, there were so many times when August rolled around we were talking about packing our suit cases and getting back to the Dominican. The case with the Angels my first year was not— the first time I ever did that. That inspired me and inspired the rest of the team. The players had success a couple of years before, some of the players were still there, but for me that was the biggest thing and how they rallied around me.”
https://twitter.com/Angels/status/956305930810884097
The success did not end there.
Courtesy in large part to Vladdy’s 173 home runs, 616 RBI and 544 runs, the Angels enjoyed unprecedented success over his six years with the team. The Halos finished atop the American League West five times, and continued their journey to the Championship Series twice.
“My six years there and winning the division five times meant a whole lot,” Guerrero said. “Just playing baseball and having fun, but it meant a lot to be playing for something at that time.”
His .319 batting average as an Angel is the highest mark in franchise history.
https://twitter.com/FoxSportsWest/status/956304984844283905
While he accomplished much of his career success as a member of the Angels, Guerrero never forgot his roots and he plans on sharing that part of his life with the masses during his induction speech.
“I don’t know if I have anything necessarily planned out in terms of recognizing anybody within the speech, but there’s many things I want to come out and I want them to come out naturally,” the 43-year-old said. “My mom, family, fans, the many years my mom spent cooking for me are always going to be very special and they’re going to be mentioned. Beyond that also, Felipe Alou’s name I’m sure will come up because of what he meant to me and my career— what he still means to me in my life. The first thing that was instrumental in my career were the Montreal Expos and the guy they trusted to sign me. I’m going to keep it as simple as possible, but mainly knowing there have been a lot of people to help influence this career of mine, I don’t want to script it too much.”
Guerrero added that he is not currently nervous to deliver the speech in front of a crowd that will include his son, minor league sensation Vlad Guerrero Jr., because the people in the D.R. are keeping him relaxed, but admitted there is a chance that changes as the fateful Sunday approaches: “We’ll see. I might get nervous on the 29th, but I’m looking forward to that day.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLheyHTvGdXNVT859vcUK80a6JIvmIrFA4&v=DIrboZRFdiI
Guerrero will deliver his speech in Spanish, while Angels broadcaster Jose Mota translates it into English.
Although he may not be nervous when he takes the stage, he will certainly be emotional. When recounting the meaningful moments he carries with him from his playing career, one with Vladdy Jr. stands out specifically.
“My great memory I will never forget is my last season when I was saluting the [Expo] fans and I got an ovation and before you know, the ovation gets bigger. I didn’t realize it, but it was because my son was next to me. Little Valdy was next to me so he was drawing the attention of so many people and I thought they were clapping for me, but they were actually clapping for him. I will never forget that. I was so happy about that and also so happy about how the people in Montreal in a way said goodbye to me. That will forever live in my mind.”
Just as that moment will forever live in his mind, the name Vladimir Guerrero will forever live in the halls of baseball immortality.
