Alou: Guerrero more Expo than Angel
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — This is Felipe Alou’s 24th year in the Giants’ organization, but he has a “very soft spot” in his heart for a team that no longer exists.
The Montreal Expos were around for 36 years, and Alou was there for 26 as a manager, coach, minor-league instructor and player.
So excuse Alou if he’s not thrilled that Vladimir Guerrero, who had some of his best years in Montreal, is going into the Hall of Fame in July as an Angel. The announcement was made in late January, a day after he was elected to the Cooperstown shrine.
“I was hoping for him to go in as an Expo,” Alou said from the Giants’ dugout at Scottsdale Stadium in his first interview on the subject. “I’m very happy for Vlady, and I’m sad for Montreal. I got many phone calls from (reporters in) Canada to ask me the question about how I feel, and I have not answered any of those. I was afraid I might say the wrong thing.”
Alou, 82, a Giants special assistant, was the Expos’ manager when Guerrero broke into the majors in September 1996 as an immensely promising but raw outfielder who evolved into a five-tool master and nine-time All-Star.
“We brought him up from Double-A when there were parts of his game that were not really ready,” Alou said, “and then he completed his walk to the Hall of Fame.
“He used to throw to the wrong base, he was not a good baserunner. He had speed. He had a cannon arm. But with the Expos, he learned the game. He became a complete player with the Expos. Not a DH, a complete player.”
Guerrero joined the Angels in 2004 and immediately won an MVP award. But his stats with the Expos were better than in Anaheim — more home runs, RBIs and steals, a higher average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage — and he eventually lost his five-tool repertoire and spent more and more games as a designated hitter.
Reggie Jackson is a similar story, hitting more home runs in Oakland than New York, but as a Hall of Famer, he represents the team in the Bronx.
In Guerrero’s defense, it’s easy to see why he prefers to be depicted as an Angel on his plaque — he appeared in the postseason five times with the Angels, and they’re celebrating his coming enshrinement. They welcome him as a guest coach each spring training and put him on the cover of this year’s media guide.
The Expos can’t do any of that.
A year after Guerrero left Montreal, the Expos moved to Washington and became the Nationals, who don’t acknowledge their Montreal roots as the Giants acknowledge theirs in New York and the A’s acknowledge theirs in Philadelphia and Kansas City.
However, the memories of the Expos — and Guerrero, in particular — haven’t faded for many Canadians. In fact, there’s renewed interest with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. an elite prospect with Toronto.
“Great guy, great family,” Alou said. “Vladdy brought many of his teammates to eat lunch with him at his house in Montreal. His mother was such a good cook. Two years ago in the Dominican, the entire country had a wish and feeling this guy was going to make it (to the Hall), and he made it. Everybody was so happy. He’s such a nice guy, nice person.”
Gary Carter and Andre Dawson were the first to go in the Hall of Fame as Expos, though Carter wanted to be a Met and Dawson a Cub. Refreshingly, the Expos were Tim Raines’ first choice.
The Hall has the final say. In the case of Guerrero, the Hall believed the argument could be made for either the Expos or Angels and went with the player’s preference.
October dreamin’: Have the Phillies emerged as another team that could interfere with the Giants’ playoff pursuit?
The Phillies were one of the offseason’s most active teams and added accomplished players to an evolving youth movement, signing starter Jake Arrieta and first baseman Carlos Santana along with experienced relievers Pat Neshek and Tommy Hunter.
Arrieta joins 24-year-old Aaron Nola atop the rotation, and Santana fits in the middle of the lineup along with Rhys Hoskins, 25.
Then again, the Phillies lost 96 games last year, two fewer than the Giants. What business does either have talking playoffs? Well, the inspiration is last season’s Diamondbacks, who won 93 games a year after losing 93.
The expected contenders are the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals and Nationals. That’s seven teams for five playoff spots. The Phillies, like the Giants, would love to be in the conversation. Baseball’s Retrievers: In the wake of No. 16 UMBC’s stunning win over top-seeded Virginia, let’s consider the biggest World Series upsets. Here’s a top five:
Close to home, nothing beats the 1988 World Series and the scrawny Dodgers over the stacked A’s. The Dodgers pulled off the feat despite having little more than Orel Hershiser and one unlikely hack from Kirk Gibson.
We could include the Reds over the A’s in 1990, but let’s spread the wealth.
Jack McKeon’s 2003 Marlins weren’t supposed to put up a fight against the dynastic Yankees after sneaking into the postseason as a wild card. Fearing what could happen in a Game 7, McKeon wisely started 23-year-old Josh Beckett on short rest in Game 6 and then smoked a victory cigar.
In 1960, the heavily favored Yankees — 10th World Series appearance in 12 years, featuring Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Whitey Ford — outscored Pittsburgh 55-27, which was incidental because the Pirates won Game 7 on Bill Mazeroski’s home run.
The Indians won 111 games in 1954, and their rotation was legendary. But a young Willie Mays robbed Vic Wertz at the Polo Grounds, and Dusty Rhodes came off the bench for unexpected home runs. Giants in a sweep.
Can we count 1919? Absolutely. The Reds upset the loaded White Sox five games to three in a best-of-nine format, and few knew at the time that eight Sox players would be thrown out of baseball for throwing the Series and the biggest winner would be Arnold Rothstein.