http://0rz.net/cc05U Angels overcame a lot in 2004 By Doug Miller / MLB.com 天使带着新老板,不少新球员和对新一年高度的期望杀进2004球季 在得到2002年的世界大赛冠军之後,天使挣扎过了一个因伤所困,不到五成胜率的惨澹球季, 他们做了不少努力以期爬回顶峰 在忙碌的冬天里,天使签来了Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, Kelvim Escobar和Jose Guillen 在一番大动作後,天使被认为会在美联西区一枝独秀 但是事情实际上并没那麽理想,和去年一样,天使伤兵问题还是没改善 幸亏有着较之前好的防守深度和先发轮值,天使撑过去了,并且在最後一周的血战里, 把美西龙头从A's手里抢了过来 上回天使拿到ALW的冠军,已是1986的往事了 之後的球季不提也罢,在ALDS,天使三场就被Red Sox扫地回家过寒假 -- 天使2004大事纪 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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