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EVENTS AD PARTNERS
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1999 Recap: The signing of free agent first baseman Mo Vaughn was supposed to put Anaheim over the top after a disappointing finish in 1998. Instead, Big Mo proceeded to sprain his ankle as he fell into the dugout while chasing a foul pop on Opening Day. Neither Vaughn nor the team recovered. Anaheim never saw the .500 mark after April 18 and team morale disintegrated. About The only thing the Angels could agree on was that they didn't want to play for manager Terry Collins, who they flat-out quit on. Collins was fired on Sept. 3, with the team at 51-82. The Angels finished 19-10 under interm manager Joe Maddon. 1999 Highlight: Swept a three-game series at Yankee Stadium in May, posting back-to-back shutouts (Chuck Finley, Omar Olivares). Troy Percival saves all three games. 1999 Lowlight: With a lineup full of bench players and call-ups, the Angels were no-hit at Minnesota by Eric Milton on Sept. 11. Milton struck out 13, facing two batters over the minimum in the 7-0 whitewash. Manager: Mike Scioscia (first season as a major league manager) Coaches: Mickey Hatcher (hitting), Bud Black (pitching), Alfredo Griffin (first base), Ron Roenicke (third base), Bobby Ramos (bullpen), Joe Maddon (bench coach) Camp Site: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe, Ari. Reporting Dates: Pitchers & catchers on Feb. 17; full squads on Feb. 22 Additions: LHP Kent Mercker, RHP Tom Candiotti, 2B Scott Spiezio Subtractions: LHP Chuck Finley, LHP Mike Magnante, INF Jeff Huson. Spring Cleaning: The Angels cleaned house following the 1998 disaster, starting at the top, naming a new GM, Bill Stoneman, and manager, Mike Scioscia. But the physical -- not to mention emotional -- wounds following last season are still massive and will take much longer than one year to heal. The hitting that should have been bolstered by Mo Vaughn should bounce back, with or without Jim Edmonds, who has been mentioned in every trade rumor that has surfaced. But the pitching could be even more shakey than last season. By cutting ties to 14-year veteran Chuck Finley, Anaheim starts the season with its most effective starters being 34-year-old Ken Hill (4-11, 4.77 ERA) and 38-year-old Tim Belcher (6-8, 6.73).
Key Acquisition: The next one will be the first, unless you consider journeyman Kent Mercker and cast-off Scott Spiezio saviors. New GM Bill Stoneman has been awfully lonely sitting by the phone waiting for someone to call. The Future is Now: Compared by many to Pedro Martinez, RHP Ramon Ortiz could emerge as the Angels No. 1 starter this year. The 23-year-old Dominican has filthy stuff, as he fanned 624 batters in 568 innings during his minor league career. The only concern is his durability. Ortiz fractured his elbow in 1998, but he bounced back last season, going 16-10 with 194 strikeouts in stops at AA, AAA and the majors. Pivital Player: An All-Star in 1998, Darin Erstad never got on track last season, hitting .253 with only 13 HR and 53 RBI. If the Angels want to contend, Erstad will have re-discover his stroke and hit around .300 and steal 20-25 bases like he did in 1997 and 1998. Opportunity Knocks: While Angels management is thrilled with what they saw last season in 25-year-old catcher Ben Molina, manager Mike Scioscia sees a little bit of himself. An August call-up, Molina showed great ability in handling the pitching staff, as well as playing stellar defense in 30 games before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury. Molina fielded .991 and threw out 40 percent of opposing basestealers but only hit about 250. For his career, Scioscia hit .259, while fielding at .988. Prospects to Watch: RHP Brian Cooper, OF Mike Colangelo, 2B Trent Durrington, RHP Seth Etherton, OF Elpidio Guzman, OF Norm Hutchins, C Ben Molina, RHP Ramon Ortiz
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