Angels in the Hall of Fame

Yesterday, shortstop Barry Larkin was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. While I think Tim Raines and Jeff Bagwell should've been the ones voted in, thats a discussion for another day. Angels fan favorite Tim Salmon was on the ballot, but only gained five votes for admittance. Which is five more than I think he should've gotten. He was a no-brainer not Hall of Famer. He's an Angels Hall of Famer but not a Baseball Hall of Famer.

There is nobody representing the Angels in the Hall of Fame. There are Hall of Fame players who could've but it ended up they didn't (Rod Carew and Nolan Ryan) and others who played a small portion of their careers for the Angels (Reggie Jackson). Come to think of it, there are no Angels players who will be Hall of Fame bound anytime soon. I think the first person to get into the Hall of Fame as an Angel will be manager Mike Scioscia. Here are a few potential candidates who could get in as an Angel, but probably will not.

Vladimir Guerrero: 2004-2009. Will go in as the last Montreal Expo. He has the highest shot of any player. Won an MVP with the Angels in 2004. He is a HoFer who hit 173 of his 443 HRs as an Angel. One of the most feared players of the 2000s. But he hit most of his home runs and RBIs as an Expo.

Jim Edmonds: Angels 1993-1999. Will go in as a St. Louis Cardinal. He won a World Series title with the Cardinals in 2006. While starting out his career as an Angel, he made his mark as a great defensive centerfielder with the Cardinals. He also hit 1200 RBIs and 393 home runs. He has my vote for the HoF.

Torii Hunter: Angels 2007-present. Will go in as a Minnesota Twin. Considered the greatest defensive centerfielder of the 2000s probably. Has the solid offensive numbers to back up a HoF candidacy. While he gets my vote, he will probably be a borderline candidate who will be a fifteenth balloter.

Albert Pujols: Angels 2012- Probably end of career. Will go in as a St. Louis Cardinal. Unless he puts up monster numbers with the Angels, nothing will match his Cardinals career.