The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Planet Earth, Our Solar System are doing their part to hurt NL East teams that don’t feature Jose Guillen. Earlier today at the Big A, Vladimir Guerrero homered off Florida’s Jim Mercir in the 8th, then won the game with a blast into the LF bullpen off CSTB fave Todd Jones.
I had the displeasure earlier today of listening to the Blue Jays radio team of Jerry Howarth and Warren Sawkiw wax nostalgic about Vlad’s early days in Montreal, crediting Felipe Alou with having the requisite “patience” required to deal with an unproven commodity like Guerrero. Gimme a break. Having seen Vlad toil (briefly) for the Vermont Expos and having read no shortage of articles chronicling his rise to stardom, I suspect he’d have prospered under any number of managers with a pulse. Did Alou teach Guerrero how to throw a runner out at the plate from the warning track? How to hit a pitch off his shoelaces (or over his head) 450 feet? If so, I take it all back. Alou is a genius.
Its amazing how broadcasters whom are paid very good money and have plenty of time to research and prepare for their airtime come up with such inane comments. Had these broadcasters checked out Vlads page on Sportsline.com where minor league stats are included, they would have seen where Guerrero has pulverized pitching every stop on his way up to the show and from his rookie year on with the Expos.
I’m not gonna insist that Alou isn’t a very good manager (nor would it be fair to say he had nothing to teach Guerrero), but if your most enduring memory of Vlad in an Expos uniform is Felipe lecturing him…wtf?