Vlad to make history by entering Hall wearing Angels cap
Vladimir Guerrero, the newest Hall of Famer, has chosen to make history.
Despite having played the majority of his career with the Montreal Expos, Guerrero - who was elected to the Hall of Fame on Wednesday - revealed at a Thursday press conference that he'll wear a Los Angeles Angels cap on his plaque.
A HALO IN THE HALL!@VladGuerrero27 will represent the #Angels in the @baseballhall, the first in franchise history. #VladHOF pic.twitter.com/b5I8Rk9DOA
— Angels (@Angels) January 25, 2018
"This is such a proud and special day for Vladimir Guerrero, his family, his countrymen in the Dominican Republic and of course all Angels fans," Angels owner Arte Moreno said, according to Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com. "We are proud and privileged that he becomes the first player enshrined in Cooperstown wearing the Angels logo."
Though 12 other Hall of Famers spent portions of their careers with the Angels, a franchise that was founded in 1961, Guerrero will be the first to enter Cooperstown wearing their cap. Nolan Ryan pitched more games with the Angels than any other team, but chose to go in wearing a Texas Rangers cap.
| Player | Years with LAA | Year Inducted | HOF Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Robinson | 1973-74 | 1982 | Orioles |
| Hoyt Wilhelm | 1969 | 1985 | NY Giants |
| Rod Carew | 1979-85 | 1991 | Twins |
| Reggie Jackson | 1982-86 | 1993 | Yankees |
| Don Sutton | 1985-87 | 1998 | Dodgers |
| Nolan Ryan* | 1972-79 | 1999 | Rangers |
| Dave Winfield | 1990-91 | 2001 | Padres |
| Eddie Murray | 1997 | 2003 | Orioles |
| Dick Williams** | 1974-76 | 2008 | Athletics |
| Rickey Henderson | 1997 | 2009 | Athletics |
| Whitey Herzog** | 1974 | 2010 | Cardinals |
| Bert Blyleven | 1989-90; 92 | 2011 | Twins |
| Vladimir Guerrero | 2004-09 | 2018 | Angels |
*Hall of Fame lists Angels as player's primary team
**Elected to the Hall of Fame as a manager
Guerrero said it was a difficult decision to choose the Angels over the Expos, who initially signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 1993.
"I toiled over this for a long time," Guerrero said via an interpreter Thursday, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. "Canadian people mean a whole lot to me. Picking the Angels means a lot because of what it represents, with all the winning."
Guerrero played just six seasons with the Angels compared to eight in Montreal, but his impact in Anaheim was significant. Guerrero won the AL MVP in his first season with the Angels, and led them to the playoffs in five of his six seasons there.
During his eight years in Montreal from 1996-2003 Guerrero produced his best individual seasons, including two 30-30 campaigns (one long foul ball denied him a 40-40 season in 2002). Though the Expos failed to make the playoffs with Guerrero on their side, he did represent them at four All-Star Games and win three of his Silver Sluggers in their uniform.
| Team | OPS | HR | SB | RBI | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expos | .978 | 234 | 123 | 702 | 34.6 |
| Angels | .927 | 173 | 52 | 616 | 22.8 |
Guerrero also spent single seasons with the Rangers and Baltimore Orioles before retiring in 2011.
Guerrero's decision means the Expos, who moved to Washington in 2005, will likely never see another player wear their logo into the Hall. Three inductees - Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, and Tim Raines - are enshrined as Expos after spending the vast majority of their careers in Quebec.
With the Angels now officially represented in Cooperstown, only four active franchises - the Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Washington Nationals, ironically the Expos' successors - do not have their cap on a Hall of Fame plaque. No Hall of Fame player has ever played a game in a Rockies uniform.