ANAHEIM ANGELS
| Juan Alvarez (28, L) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AA-AAA 4 5 64 0 0 0 12 60 54 29 53 448 1999 AA-AAA 0 4 50 0 0 0 4 59 50 14 47 275 2000 AAA 3 1 43 0 0 0 0 37 30 19 25 289 |
| Alvarez is a left-handed reliever, gets one out at a time. His future depends on a simple equation: if he throws strikes, he will have a career; if he doesn't, he won't. Last year he didn't; maybe next year he will. |
| Garret Anderson (CF, 29, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 ANA 156 622 183 41 7 15 62 79 29 80 294 325 455 8 3 1999 ANA 157 620 188 36 2 21 88 80 34 81 303 336 469 3 4 2000 ANA 159 647 185 40 3 35 92 117 24 87 286 307 519 7 6 |
|
He has had a bizarre career, and I'm not really sure what to expect in 2001. Nothing about Anderson's season really makes sense; not only did he have an unexpected power surge, but he also demolished left-handed pitchers, batting .333 against them with 15 homers. His low OBA prevents him from being one of the better outfielders in the league, but he is very durable and he keeps increasing his production. As for what he will do this year... I will hazard a guess and say that he will bat around .290, with at least 20-25 homers and 35-40 doubles. |
| Justin Baughman (IF, 27, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AAA 54 222 66 10 4 0 35 15 13 28 297 344 378 26 8 2000 AA-AAA 111 429 107 9 4 2 59 41 38 61 249 322 303 39 7 |
| Baughman was a promising young player until he broke his leg in 1999. Last year he was back in the minors; he ran well, but didn't hit. Baughman's speed will likely guarantee that he will continue to get chances to play on someone's bench; I think he can hit well enough that he might be able to stick around a few years. |
| Tim Belcher (39, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 KC 14 14 34 34 2 0 0 234 247 73 130 427 1999 ANA 6 8 24 24 0 0 0 132 168 46 52 673 2000 ANA 4 5 9 9 1 0 0 41 45 22 22 686 |
| Belcher somehow managed to win four games last year, despite making two trips to the 60-day disabled list, and pitching really badly when he was in the rotation. He's 39 years old, and should be thinking about retirement. |
| Jose Canseco (DH, 37, R/R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 TOR 151 583 138 26 0 46 98 107 65 159 237 313 518 29 17 1999 TAM 113 430 120 18 1 34 75 95 58 135 279 369 563 3 0 2000 TAM-NYY 98 329 83 18 0 15 47 49 64 102 252 377 444 2 0 |
| Canseco now has 446 home runs and 198 stolen bases. His performance depends a great deal on his health; last year he was having trouble with his feet, and he didn't hit for much power. He will start the year with the Angels, and the injury to Vaughn should give him a chance to play as often as he can. |
| Edgard Clemente (CF, 25, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AAA 135 493 124 21 7 22 79 82 40 117 252 310 456 5 5 1999 AAA 75 276 84 24 1 17 46 60 20 55 304 355 583 5 5 |
| Clemente was acquired by the Angels from Colorado before last season. He arrived without many credentials; with Anaheim, he struck out 27 times, and never walked. Though he played pretty well for Edmonton, Clemente's command of the strike zone is awful, and he's never hit much in the past, even with Colorado. A fourth/fifth outfielder at best. |
| Brian Cooper (27, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AA 8 10 32 24 5 0 1 162 215 59 141 713 1999 AA-AAA 12 6 27 27 0 0 0 189 176 39 175 338 2000 AAA 3 7 11 11 1 1 0 61 87 18 37 723 |
| There have been times in Cooper's career when he has looked terrific, and there have been other times when he has just been awful. Last year he was awful. If I were to view the glass as half full, I would say that Cooper just needs a couple of years to adjust to a new level. On the other hand, he's not getting younger, and there wasn't much to like in his performance last season. |
| Jeff DaVanon (OF, 27, S) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 A 84 301 101 17 4 5 66 60 59 69 336 439 468 33 10 1999 AA-AAA 134 506 171 37 14 17 122 79 73 95 338 422 576 29 14 2000 INJURED - DID NOT PLAY |
| DaVanon was hoping to get a big break, but instead he missed the entire season. He had a torn labrum in his shoulder - the exact same injury that befell another Angels' prospect, Mike Colangelo. DaVanon can play, but he's not getting any younger; he'll need some luck (and good health) to get much playing time this year. |
| Gary DiSarcina (SS, 33, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 ANA 157 551 158 39 3 3 73 56 21 51 287 321 385 11 7 1999 ANA 81 271 62 7 1 1 32 29 15 32 229 273 273 2 2 2000 ANA 12 38 15 2 0 1 6 11 1 3 395 409 541 0 1 |
| DiSarcina was hurt for the second year in a row; this time, a bad thumb put him on the shelf for most of the season. He is a good defensive shortstop, and sometimes he can hit a little; there's always a need for a shortstop who can do one or the other. |
| Darin Erstad (LF, 27, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 ANA 133 537 159 39 3 19 84 82 43 77 296 353 486 20 6 1999 ANA 142 585 148 22 5 13 84 53 47 101 253 308 374 13 7 2000 ANA 157 676 240 39 6 25 121 100 64 82 355 409 541 28 8 |
| For those of us who thought Erstad was a terrific young player, this season was something like what we had in mind. He stayed in the lineup, raised his average 100 points, and set a career high in just about everything. He should be entering his prime seasons now, and he's one of the top candidates to win a batting title. |
| Jorge Fabregas (CA, 31, L/R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 ARI-NYM 70 183 36 4 0 2 11 20 14 32 197 255 251 0 0 1999 FLO-ATL 88 231 46 10 2 3 20 21 26 27 199 280 299 0 0 2000 KC 43 142 40 4 0 3 13 17 8 11 282 320 373 1 0 |
| Fabregas saved his career with a .282 average. He's a decent second or third-string catcher; this season he will back up Molina in Anaheim, and he won't get any more at bats than necessary. |
| Benji Gil (SS, 28, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 2000 ANA 110 301 72 14 1 6 28 23 30 59 239 317 352 10 6 |
| You remember this guy. Gil was a good prospect for the Rangers about ten years ago; he didn't hit, and eventually lost his job to Kevin Elster. The injury to DiSarcina gave him a second chance with the Angels; it was the first time he had played in the majors since 1997. He has good range at short, but he's a lousy hitter, and he won't be a permanent solution for the Anaheim. |
| Troy Glaus (3B, 25, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AA-AAA 109 407 125 27 2 35 84 93 60 96 307 402 641 7 4 |
| At age 25, Glaus is already a great hitter. He has tremendous power and takes a lot of walks, and that's a deadly combination. He also hit for a good average, and may push that up as well. I also expect him to improve his base stealing, and cut down on the 33 errors he made at third base. He's a great young player, and an MVP candidate. |
| Shigetoshi Hasegawa (32, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 ANA 8 3 61 0 0 0 5 97 86 32 73 314 1999 ANA 4 6 64 1 0 0 2 77 80 34 44 491 2000 ANA 10 6 66 0 0 0 9 96 100 38 59 357 |
| Hasegawa was a key to the Angels' resurgence last season, pitching much better than in 1999. He's a capable middle reliever, probably has a couple of solid seasons left in that role... but I really wouldn't want him to close many games for my team. |
| Glenallen Hill (LF, 36, R/R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 SEA-CHC 122 390 121 25 2 20 63 56 28 79 310 356 538 1 1 1999 CHC 99 253 76 9 1 20 43 55 22 61 300 353 581 5 1 2000 CHC-NYY 104 300 88 9 1 27 45 58 19 76 293 336 600 0 1 |
| He's had three straight terrific years now; Hill was not a player that I would have expected to thrive at Yankee Stadium, but he hit .333 with 16 homers in only 40 games with the Bombers. He's limited in other areas of the game, including run production (almost half of his 58 RBI were himself), but there's always a need for .300 hitters with power. |
| Mike Holtz (28, L) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 ANA 2 2 53 0 0 0 1 30 38 15 29 475 1999 ANA 2 3 28 0 0 0 0 22 26 15 17 806 2000 ANA 3 3 61 0 0 0 0 41 37 18 40 505 |
| Holtz spent the first month of the season in the minors, then was given a chance to rescue his career. He didn't fare too badly, holding left-handers to a .213 average. He doesn't have much value; Holtz faces only a couple of hitters at a time, plus his control isn't good and he gets whacked by right-handers. But he has established a reputation for getting the lefties out, and will have a job in 2001. |
| Keith Johnson (IF, 30, R/R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1999 AA-AAA 124 426 123 29 1 15 78 61 34 88 289 353 467 2 5 2000 AAA 109 423 130 31 2 13 63 64 19 71 307 344 482 7 8 |
| Johnson is a veteran minor league infielder who never learned how to take pitches. He's also not fast, doesn't have much power; I don't expect to see too much of him this year. |
| Adam Kennedy (2B, 25, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AA-AAA 126 510 150 33 9 10 71 65 20 63 294 331 453 21 6 1999 AAA 91 367 120 22 4 10 69 63 29 36 327 378 490 20 6 |
| I thought very highly of Kennedy when he was in the Cardinals' organization; he was dealt to the Angels before the season, and got a chance to play every day. He had a decent rookie season; I think he's capable of doing much better, but the most important thing is that he was able to stay healthy. Within two years I expect Kennedy to be hitting around .300 with better plate discipline and a better stolen base percentage. |
| Al Levine (33, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 TEX 0 1 30 0 0 0 0 58 68 16 19 450 1999 ANA 1 1 50 1 0 0 0 85 76 29 37 339 2000 ANA 3 4 51 5 0 0 2 95 98 49 42 387 |
| Levine is one of the least impressive pitchers in baseball, but has somehow managed to have three straight solid seasons. He's an important member of the Angels' staff, and they will be counting on him... but he walked more batters than he struck out, and he also went on the DL in August with a sore shoulder. I expect this season to be a big struggle for him. |
| Ben Molina (CA, 27, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AA-AAA 90 338 109 17 1 10 41 61 19 21 322 359 467 1 2 1999 AAA 65 241 69 16 0 7 28 41 15 17 286 338 440 1 2 |
| Molina was given the job as Anaheim's regular catcher, and he was good. He is a fine defensive player who can also hit a little. I don't expect Molina to improve much as a hitter - in fact, his numbers may drop a little in 2001 - but he should remain a solid player. |
| Jose Nieves (IF, 26, R/R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 AA 82 314 91 27 5 6 42 39 18 55 290 327 484 17 10 1999 AAA 104 392 105 25 3 11 55 59 24 65 268 314 431 11 8 |
| Nieves looked like a decent young player a year ago, but now his future is in doubt. Everything went wrong; he had a bad year, both at the plate and in the field. Also, Ricky Gutierrez (who is only five years older) had a good year, and at the moment looks like a better option. I think Nieves can hit a little, and if he were a better defensive player he might get more of a chance to show what he can do. As it is, I expect that he'll spend this year at Iowa. |
| Ramon Ortiz (25, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AA 2 1 7 7 0 0 0 47 50 16 53 555 1999 AA-AAA 14 7 24 24 2 2 0 155 134 59 130 325 2000 AAA 6 6 15 15 1 0 0 89 74 37 76 455 |
| Ortiz is the Angels' best young pitcher, but there are grave concerns about his health. He missed most of the 1998 season with elbow problems, and made another trip to the DL last year. He's incredibly thin, is often compared to Ramon Martinez; if he's healthy he should become a terrific pitcher, but I have some serious doubts about his arm. |
| Orlando Palmeiro (OF, 32, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 ANA 75 165 53 7 2 0 28 21 20 11 321 395 388 5 4 1999 ANA 109 317 88 12 1 1 46 23 39 30 278 364 331 5 5 2000 ANA 108 243 73 20 2 0 38 25 38 20 300 395 399 4 1 |
| A fourth outfielder extraordinaire, Palmeiro received just the right amount of playing time, and responded with his best season. He has no power, but he can hit .300 and draw a bunch of walks. Probably has a couple of good years left. |
| Troy Percival (32, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 ANA 2 7 67 0 0 0 42 66 45 37 87 365 1999 ANA 4 6 60 0 0 0 31 57 38 22 58 379 2000 ANA 5 5 54 0 0 0 32 50 42 30 49 450 |
| It was another rough season for Percival; his ERA rose for the third straight year, and he blew 10 saves. He used to be one of the best closers in the league; he isn't anymore, plus he was also bothered by right shoulder tendinitis. There's no evidence that his arm is getting better, and I don't expect it to mysteriously heal itself. |
| Lou Pote (30, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AA 8 10 32 19 6 1 0 154 194 54 117 531 1999 AAA 7 9 24 23 3 0 0 150 171 41 118 450 2000 AAA 2 1 24 0 0 0 12 31 27 14 28 352 |
| Pote spent a decade in the minors before getting his chance in 1999; last season, the Angels demoted him twice during the summer, for reasons I can't understand. He pitched extremely well for Anaheim; I think Pote now has enough quality innings under his belt that we can consider him a good middle reliever. |
| Pat Rapp (34, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 KC 12 13 32 32 1 1 0 188 208 107 132 530 1999 BOS 6 7 37 26 0 0 0 146 147 69 90 412 2000 BAL 9 12 31 30 0 0 0 174 203 83 106 590 |
| Rapp is a pretty lousy pitcher, but he eats up innings and he doesn't lose 20 games or anything, so he has a job. |
| Tim Salmon (RF, 33, R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 ANA 136 463 139 28 1 26 84 88 90 100 300 410 533 0 1 1999 ANA 98 353 94 24 2 17 60 69 63 82 266 372 490 4 1 2000 ANA 158 568 165 36 2 34 108 97 104 139 290 404 540 0 2 |
| Salmon defied the odds at age 32, and had one of his healthiest seasons. He's a terrific hitter, and he's also probably the best player in team history. I'd look for more of the same next year, though history suggests that he likely won't play in 150 games again. |
| Scott Schoeneweis (27, L) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AAA 11 8 27 27 2 0 0 180 188 59 133 450 |
| Schoeneweis lasted almost the whole year in the Angels' starting rotation, with only a strained rib cage keeping him on the shelf during the summer. He started well, but struggled more as the season wore on. He's capable of pitching a little better than he did last year; I don't expect big things, but he might reverse that won-loss record and go 10-7. |
| Scott Spiezio (IF, 29, S) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 OAK 114 406 105 19 1 9 54 50 44 56 259 333 377 1 3 1999 OAK 89 247 60 24 0 8 31 33 29 36 243 324 437 0 0 2000 ANA 123 297 72 11 2 17 47 49 40 56 242 334 465 1 2 |
| Spiezio can play almost anywhere in the field, plus he hits some home runs and draws some walks. His average isn't great, but at least it's consistent; he's a valuable bench player. |
| Kevin Stocker (SS, 31, S) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 TAM 112 336 70 11 3 6 37 25 27 80 208 282 313 5 3 1999 TAM 79 254 76 11 2 1 39 27 24 41 299 369 370 9 7 2000 TAM-ANA 110 343 75 20 4 2 41 24 51 81 219 326 318 1 5 |
|
Stocker began the year with Tampa Bay, but was released in May. He was doing a solid job with the bat, hitting .263, but the Devil Rays' dumped him because he was a defensive disaster at short, and because he still reminded Tampa fans of that Abreu deal. Stocker was signed by the Angels after DiSarcina's injury. His defense improved, but he hit just .197 with Anaheim. He's a veteran player who can play well at times, but who is very inconsistent with both the bat and glove. I don't know how far that reputation can take him. |
| Derrick Turnbow (23, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 R 2 6 13 13 1 0 0 70 66 26 45 501 1999 A 12 8 26 26 4 1 0 161 130 53 149 335 |
| Turnbow was claimed by the Angels from Philadelphia in the Rule V Draft last year; he had to spend the entire season on the Angels' roster, despite the fact that he spent all of 1999 in the South Atlantic League. He pitched mostly in blowouts, and didn't embarrass himself. He'll be back in the minors in 2001; he's still very young, and he looks like a great prospect. |
| Ismael Valdes (28, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 LA 11 10 27 27 2 2 0 174 171 66 122 398 1999 LA 9 14 32 32 2 1 0 203 213 58 143 398 2000 LA 2 7 21 20 0 0 0 107 124 40 74 564 |
|
I'm writing this comment in February; I read yesterday that Valdes was driving to Anaheim's training camp, but got lost and ended up at Oakland's training camp. It is a fitting metaphor for a guy who three years ago looked like a young Catfish Hunter but last year looked like a young Mark Lemongello. Last year, Valdes signed with the Cubs, but struggled with a blister problem, and was dealt back to the Dodgers in July. He will start this season in Anaheim; any bets about when he will be dealt back to the Dodgers again? Seriously, Valdes is an extremely talented pitcher who is capable of having a big season... but obviously something ain't working right now. |
| Mo Vaughn (1B, 33, L) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 BOS 154 609 205 31 2 40 107 115 61 144 337 402 591 0 0 1999 ANA 139 524 147 20 0 33 63 108 54 127 281 358 508 0 0 2000 ANA 161 614 167 31 0 36 93 117 79 181 272 365 498 2 0 |
|
His second season with Anaheim was another disappointment; though 36 homers and 117 RBI may look good in a fantasy league, Mo was only average in 2000. His biggest problem was a .204 average versus left-handers - strange, because in the past Vaughn has handled lefties very effectively. It's still possible that we may see the old Mo again; on the other hand, he never struck me as the kind of player who would age very well. He's still a decent player, but it's more likely that he will break the strikeout record than return to All-Star form. ADDENDUM: Vaughn has a bad elbow. He will be out at least until August, and he may miss the entire season. |
| Matt Walbeck (CA, 31, S) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 ANA 108 338 87 15 2 6 41 46 30 68 257 317 367 1 1 1999 ANA 107 288 69 8 1 3 26 22 26 46 240 308 306 2 3 2000 ANA 47 146 29 5 0 6 17 12 7 22 199 240 356 0 1 |
| Walbeck is a veteran, switch-hitting catcher who should easily be able to survive a .199 batting average. |
| Jarrod Washburn (27, L) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AAA 4 5 14 14 2 0 0 92 91 43 66 432 |
| Washburn pitched much better than he has in the past, though he made two trips to the DL. The first injury (a strained right oblique) wasn't too serious, but the second (a strained left bicep) gives me the shivers. I'm impressed by what he has accomplished, but I hope the Angels aren't counting on big things from him. |
| Eric Weaver (28, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AAA 2 5 46 0 0 0 3 62 65 32 63 555 1999 AAA 1 2 16 3 0 0 1 26 22 7 22 386 2000 AAA 1 2 34 0 0 0 13 37 37 13 36 414 |
| He's not a good pitcher, and he didn't have a good year. Weaver will continue to get chances because there are many pitchers who are worse than he is, but he isn't a good pitcher even when he throws strikes, and last year he didn't throw strikes. |
| Ben Weber (31, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1999 AAA 2 4 51 0 0 0 8 86 78 28 67 334 2000 AAA 4 8 38 3 0 0 7 78 72 20 66 242 |
| Weber disappeared from pro ball a few years ago, then tried to make a comeback in 1999. Last year he worked his way up to the big leagues; he looks like a good pitcher, throws lots of strikes. The Giants never had much patience with him, but he was claimed by the Angels in August and pitched extremely well for them; I expect him to start the year in Anaheim's bullpen. |
| Matt Wise (24, R) |
|---|
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1998 AA 9 10 27 27 3 1 0 168 195 46 131 542 1999 AA 8 5 16 16 3 0 0 98 102 24 72 377 2000 AAA 9 6 19 19 2 1 0 124 122 26 82 369 |
| A fine young pitching prospect with the Angels, Wise had a terrific year at Edmonton and wasn't too bad with Anaheim after they called him up in August. He'll get every opportunity to pitch with the Angels this year; he's young and he throws lots of strikes, and he should be a good pitcher. |
| Shawn Wooten (CA, 29, R/R) |
|---|
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1998 A 105 395 116 31 0 16 56 74 38 82 294 357 494 0 2 1999 AA 137 518 151 27 1 19 70 88 50 102 292 360 458 3 1 2000 AA-AAA 117 443 145 33 5 20 75 77 35 68 327 383 560 4 1 |
|
Wooten made his debut in Rookie Ball in 1993, and batted .350. His career got a little derailed after that; he left organized ball in 1996, and spent the year playing with Moose Jaw in the North By Northwest League (no, that's not really what they're called, but I can't remember the exact name at the moment). Getting on with the story, Wooten joined the Angels organization in 1997, and had to start his career all over again. He has hit very well the past four years, and has earned every promotion; there is no obvious reason why he could not be Molina's backup in 2001. |