A True Innovator

Name: Vladimir Guerrero

Card Company: Fleer

Year: 2006

Team: Anaheim Angels

Bats/Throws: R

Ht: 6'3

Vladimir Guerrero is possibly one of the most underappreciated superstars that ever played the game. Known for his free-swinging style that made him a nightmare for pitchers because he could hit literally anything that was thrown to him. He also possessed one of the biggest arms of all-time rivaling the likes of Roberto Clemente and Bo Jackson. All in all, Vlad was a complete player and is one of the best players of all-time to come out of the Dominican Republic.

Signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free-agent in 1993 he would receive his first call-up in 1996. In his first full season with the Expos Guerrero finished 6th in Rookie of the Year voting posting a stat-line of (.302 BA) (.350 OBP) (11 HR) (40 RBI) in 90 games. Guerrero would go on to become one of the best players to ever play for the Expos becoming their career leader in batting average (.323), home runs (234), slugging (.588), and OPS (.978). Making the All-Star team from 1999-2002 winning three Silver Slugger Awards along the way. A back injury in 2003 would shorten his season and it just so happened he was in the last year of his deal with the Expos. This caused both the media and management to doubt whether Vlad was worth the risk to sign long term.

Now while Vlad Guerrero had one of the best arms of all-time he wasn't one of the best defensive players though. Leading all of baseball in outfield errors in 1997-2001, while leading the NL in outfield errors in 2002. But with an arm like this people tended to overlook this deficiency.

credit to MLB and youtube.

Guerrero would end up signing with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on a 5 year $70 million contract. He would pay immediate dividends winning the AL MVP in his first year with the Angels in 2004. In that year, he would set a new franchise record for runs scored with (124) while also batting .337, bashing 39 home runs with 126 RBI's. While never making it past the ALCS with the Angels that did not stop Vlad from posting great stats. In 5 season with the Angels he posted a stat-line of (.319 BA) (173 HR) (616 RBI), while winning four more Silver Sluggers and finishing in the top 10 of MVP voting 4 times. However, age and injuries would eventually catch up to Guerrero forcing him to become a full-time DH, which eventually led to his departure from the Angels.

Now when I said earlier that Vladimir Guerrero could hit anything I wasn't exaggerating in the slightest. Because of his long arms and slender yet muscular build, it allowed him to target pitches no matter where they were and put solid contact on the ball. He is known by many as the best "bad ball hitter" of all-time. But the question must be asked, if you can hit it is it really a bad ball? The answer for Vlad was no, never posting a batting average below .290 in a full season. Don't believe me here's the proof courtesy of the MLB Network.

Vlad would finally make the World Series as a member of the Texas Rangers in 2010. Unfortunately, they would go on to lose to the Giants in 5 games. This would-be Guerrero's last great year hitting .300 with 29 HR's and 115 RBI's, winning another Silver Slugger Award and making the all-star team for the final time in his career. He would play one more year in the MLB with the Baltimore Orioles with his game finally falling off hitting below his career averages in BA, OBP, HR, RBI, and slugging percentage. He would try and make a comeback several times but never made it back to the MLB.

This year will be Vladimir Guerrero's 2nd year on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame and should be a near lock to get in. The reason he didn't get in his first year still puzzles me. Here you have a player for as free-swinging as he was only hit below .300 three times in his career, had one of the best arms of all-time, and did it all without steroids. In an era where baseball was decimated by steroid use, Vlad Guerrero was one of the few players that kept himself clean.

One can only hope that the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America) don't screw him over again, and let Vladimir Guerrero take his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.

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