MLB Franchise Four – Biggest Snubs for Each Team
Los Angeles Angels – Chuck Finley
Franchise Four: Vladimir Guerrero, Tim Salmon, Nolan Ryan, Mike Trout
While in my mind, there is no doubt in naming Vladimir Guerrero, Tim Salmon, and Nolan Ryan to the four, I question the choice of Mike Trout among the team’s greatest players of all-time. That’s not a dog on Trout at all, I firmly believe he’s destined to be one of the greatest players the league will ever see, but we’re also talking about a player that is still just 23-years-old and has played just three – albeit very good – seasons in the Major Leagues. Is three years really enough to merit a “Greatest of All-Time” mention?
Let’s let the kid play one or two more years before we anoint him the G.O.A.T.
To me, I think his place would have been better served in the hands of Chuck Finley, the erstwhile left-hander that anchored the Angels rotation for 14 seasons.
During those 14 years, Finley went 165-140 with a 3.72 ERA, a 3.93 FIP, 2,151 strike-outs, and 14 shut-outs. After becoming a full-time starter in 1988, Finley recorded just three losing records in an Angels uniform and six time tallied more than 15 wins in a season.
That said, Finley is no one’s idea of a front line starter, at least by today’s standards, but he was the face of the Angels rotation during some truly tough years and likely deserved a bit more recognition for the work he did.
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