In the scheme of things it might not be the biggest deal and is certainly not the most pressing issue facing the Angels in 2020, but a perusal of the online roster shows our new primary Catcher Jason Castro slated to wear jersey number fifteen.
Uh… sorry… jersey number 15 belonged to Tim Salmon. No Angels player has worn jersey number fifteen since Sunday, October 1, 2006 – Salmon’s last game.
When a previous Angels blog I wrote for inquired as to why the number fifteen jersey was not retired by the team, no less a source than Tim Mead himself explained that MLB had an unwritten directive to clubs to not retire any number not belonging to a player elected to the Hall of Fame. While a few other teams have apparently ignored these orders, the Angels have honored Salmon’s legacy with the club by not issuing a jersey with his number since he ended his playing days.
The Angels unofficially retired Chuck Finley’s jersey number 31 after he retired for eighteen seasons (save for short stints by GlenAllen Hill in 2001 and pitcher Billy Buckner in 2013) before being given to reliever Ty Buttrey. Salmon’s jersey will have been off the field for a mere thirteen seasons.
Sure, in this era of Mike Trout the numbers Tim Salmon put up are decidedly second best, but still, for many years, this is was the man that defined the best of what being an Angels player meant. It is a crime that his (and Finley’s) number is not retired and what it means to be an Angels fan is lessened just a microscopic smidgen by seeing any player wear 15 on the field. Why not do it this season, early, before Trout passes the Kingfish in all time home runs by an Angel?
Of course if Castro puts up Timmy-type numbers in 2020 all is forgiven, good call by whoever in the clubhouse sewed this one up. But until then, perhaps the Halo in the sky can inspire a reconsideration of this jersey assignment.
Looks like Castro has worn #15 his entire MLB career and while at Stanford. Can’t find a picture of him in HS, but it is weird that Jason CASTRO went to CASTRO Valley High School. Maybe he responds to my tweet?
https://twitter.com/Germer/status/1230653026907512832
That MLB edict is stupid and not really enforced. On the Angels, Fregosi, Reese and Autry (I think) aren’t in the Hall. Harold Baines had his number retired for 30 years before getting into the Hall.
I just perused the list of retired numbers and noticed a bunch of players who were their team’s version of Finley or Salmon. Kent Hrbek, Rusty Staub, Jose Cruz, Mike Scott, Randy Jones all have their numbers retired.
And the only Angel player who is in the Hall of Fame as an Angel has not had his number retired. Go Figure. But, alas:
This is the way.
They can’t exactly retire No. 27 at this point, can they?
They Can and retire it again for Trout
Now that you mention it, yeah, I guess they can!
When MLB retired no 42 across the league they allowed players that had already been wearing that number the option to continue to wear it. If recall , Mo Vaughn was allowed to wear it on the Red Sox, , Angels & Mets even after the league retired the number for every franchise. Mariano Rivera also wore number 42 during his multi year career well past the number’s retirement . So there is precedent.
Right. I remembered that after my first response to you in this subthread. Also, as Nate points out below, other teams have retired the same number for two people (MFY, Cubs and Expos/Nats).
Of course, some of the really old teams often have players in their HoF that never wore a number.
We’ll most likely have two 27s on the wall after Trout’s in the HoF. The other will be for Vlad. I think this has only happened a few times before for some of the really old teams so it will be kind of cool for us to have it.
No Effin’ way. What, exactly, are the Angels looking for to surpass Tim?
Both Tim Salmon’s and Chuck Finley’s numbers should be retired. They are #4 and #2 respectively in bWAR with the Angels. Fregosi and Ryan are #3 and #5, and their numbers are retired.
Yep. If it should be done, then just do it. If not, then don’t do it, and roll those numbers out when ever you want.
Agree we don’t want to become the MFY but Salmon was everything you want in someone representing the Angels. Forget the unwritten directives the league powers have no integrity therefore their directives are meaningless. Give the man his place in right field and the red blazer.
I couldn’t be more meh about Tim Salmon. Do I like him, yeah, sure I do. Both him and Finley. And if they were truly Angels Greats and beloved of generations of fans then that MLB HOFers only edict is stupid. It is also stupid because, as far as I can tell, most teams have a bunch of non-HOF players numbers retired. So if you want to do it, then do it. I’d rather teams retire fan favorite numbers than reach like crazy, like when the Braves retired Babe Ruth’s number…. you know, Mr Braves.
On the other hand, it’s Tim Salmon and Chuck Finley. They weren’t all THAT good (“he was 7th in MVP voting TWICE!”). I guess you can go either way. The Padres, who are pathetic, retired Steve Garvey and Randy Jones numbers. Dale Murphy was slightly better than Salmon, I know the Braves retired his number. Greg Luzinski hasn’t been retired by the Phillies. How sacred are Ryan Klesko and David Justice to people?
It’s not like letting a player wear 15 is treading on some sort of deeply sacred ground. I say, if you don’t want anyone wearing a number because it’s THAT important then retire the number, MLB can suck it. Otherwise it’s really not worth getting into a snit over, why work so hard to disapprove of something?
You don’t think only one season where the babe had a .181 batting average with 6 home runs and 12 R.B.I.s in only 72 At bats deserves a jersey number retirement party?
But still he was 40 years old. Whats the Over/under on Grandpa exceeding those numbers in next years age 41 season (allegedly) to finish out his playing contract?
Grandpa will beat out the Babe at age 40what. But it’s only because the Babe’s stomach was 92 years old, his liver was 89 years old and his lungs were 68 while his STDs were all born anew every few months. Albert, at age 43? is years behind the Babe mileage wise, so will proudly poop out another season of 85-90 OPS+….. which, as has been said a million times, will be OK if he is our #6 hitter.
All while Gramps plays against vastly superior competition who were drafted due to talent, developed through the minor leagues, and not hung over a notable portion of the time.
Let Them Eat Fish!
Tim Salmon .282/.385/.498
has a higher career OBP then Albert Pujols.
This number choice gives one a reason to really examine Tim Salmon’s quintessential Angles Championship Journey. Starting from ROY, to his prime, to his last wave in which he helped secure the 2002 title, Salmon was consistently producing, competing, never voted an All Star, but 7th in MVP voting on 2 occasions, he was certainly All Star Caliber in an era of wildly juiced numbers.
He should be at camp right now. Anybody get a good look and see if it’s accurate?
Castro is at camp but has been wearing a generic pullover. But its a real thing – he is #15 for the 2020 Angels
The number 15 should be awarded to the first pre-arb starting pitcher who either: throws 180 IP or starts 25 games in a single season with a sub-4.00 FIP.
Maybe Griffin Canning doesn’t want no. 15
NO…I Forbid It!!!
Of course there are bigger issues to worry about these days, but I still don’t like this. Maybe if it was going to a top prospect who was going to be with us for 6+ years, but an average catcher on a 1 year deal wearing Tim’s number just rubs me the wrong way. But, I didn’t like the idea of Trout wearing 27 at first but he certainly earned the right. Just not Castro.
That’s a good distinction.
I feel the same way, time for the team to get real and respectful. Castro while still OK as a MLB catcher is still not qualified to wear Tim Salmon’s number., imho.
I agree with your sentiment. While I know Erstad’s body of work does not merit retirement of his number, he is one of my very favorite Angels alll-time, and I am glad to see Ohtani wearing no. 17 now.
Whatever. If we keep retiring numbers, we will become the Yankees, and have no numbers left to use.
I say continue the legacy. Let special players wear the haloed numbers. Like how they do in soccer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU4pyiB-kq0
I agree. 27 isn’t special to me because of Mike Trout. 27 is special to me because of Mike Trout, Vladimir Guerrero, and Leon Wagner.
Leon Wagner’s 37 homers in 1962 is the second most in a season by a left-handed batter in Angel history (Reggie Jackson’s 39 in 1982 is number one).
And Ersty wore it for a few years as well.
I wonder, did anyone ask Castro if he’s willing to wear a different number? He wore #21 with Twins until he switched back to to 15. So he’s been flexible in the past. On the other hand, his Twitter handle does include 15 in it.
On another note, please tell the powers that be that the constant floating FB and Twitter links now on the site suuuuuck.
funny! I didn’t know what you meant by the FB and Twitter links. Then I scrolled down and out of the corner of my eye I saw these things on the side that were annoying and thought “oh, those!”
Agree, very annoying
And worse on my phone than on the laptop.
Yeah I’m on my phone. Now it’s just Twitter. FB disappeared.
FB is still there under the water and it appears when scrolling on my phone… 🙁
The floating links are cute … But I won’t click. Should have a ‘dismiss’ option for those of us who yell at clouds for a living
Me four on the FB/Twitter. I’m assuming it’s not deliberate
The numbers 15 and 16 should be retired by the Halos.
Still hard to believe it hasn’t happened yet.