The 100 Greatest Angels: # 4 Bobby Grich

by Rev Halofan on Feb 27, 2006 12:27 AM PST in Top 100 Angels (2005)

#4 Bobby Grich, 2B

Bobby Grich was a Top Ten selection on every ballot of the 8 Angel fanatics who cast their vote for the Top 40 Angels. Only one voter had him listed below #5.

The fact of Grich's greatness is best illustrated to me by what happened in his aftermath - Wilfong, McLemore, Johnny Ray for 3 years, Luis Sojo for 2, Lovullo, Reynolds, Easley, Velarde, Alicea, Baughman, and then, in 2000, 14 seasons later, Adam Kennedy.

Some Angel fans had plenty to say about the bat and glove of Bobby...

The Chronicler:
Here's Bobby Grich for you: in 4100 career at-bats with the Angels, he posted an OPS+ of 124. Troy Glaus' career OPS+ with the Angels was 119, and Tim Salmon's is 129. So Grich was, as a hitter, somewhere between Troy Glaus and Tim Salmon, only without the strikeouts. And he played defense like Adam Kennedy Plus. Bobby Grich was a Gold Glove second baseman who hit like a DH, and was a huge part of the Angels' first three Division Championship teams.
Read more of The Chronicler at his Chronicles of the Lads blog.

Rich Lederer:
Grich was the first inductee in the Angels HOF, and one of the greatest defensive 2B of all time. He combined fielding and hitting prowess as an Angel for 10 seasons.
Read more of Rich Lederer at his Peter Gammons-endorsed Baseball Analysts site.

Brent Carter:
Grich can claim some of the most dramatic hits in Halos history, especially the 9th Inning Home Run off Ron Guidry of the Yankees just prior to the All-Star break in `79, which finished off a weekend sweep of the two-time defending champions, in what was, for my money the greatest regular season series in Angels history. Any arguments? He also hit that big three-run homer against Boston in `86 in the infamous "Donnie Moore" game. There are just too many great memories of Grich to list them all. Players like Grich make being a fan a rewarding experience.
You can hear Brent call in to Angels Talk throughout the season, and he really let's them have it when he does.

If you are of the generation who became an Angels fan when Bobby was an Angel, Grich is synonymous with Second Base, and he is our #4 Angel of all time.

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Comments

You forgot one stat

Bobby was in the Angel top 10 when it came to having the best-looking dates. My buddy and I saw him in line at Malibu Grand Prix (our favorite Prix and post-game hangout) with some hottie more than once.

Nolan Ryan for president!

by Dodger Hater on Feb 27, 2006 8:33 AM PST reply actions

The other stat the Rev forgot...

That BG had perhaps the most killer mustache in the MLB during the 80s and late 70s.

Maybe thats why he was the pimp of the Malibu Grand Prix...

by Grich4mvp on Feb 27, 2006 10:43 PM PST up reply actions

fuck yeah

by yeswecan on Feb 28, 2006 3:12 AM PST up reply actions

The only thing mor e boring than...

...finishing this lab report is your fucking countdown!

Dude, take a hint, there's a reason no one visisted this site in the offseason.

by Floppy Bad Boy on Feb 27, 2006 11:42 AM PST reply actions

C'mon give it to me harder than that

Make that Flippy Good Girl with the wimpy cup o' Haterade.

Lab report? It's aspirin not ecstasy...

by Rev Halofan on Feb 27, 2006 12:06 PM PST up reply actions

uh, duh

actually, if you were around last year, you'd notice that there are more people on HH right now than ever before.

HH is growing like the slime mold under your microscope, and it will keep growing, if only to spite nerds like you who spend too much time on blogs because it's too hard to talk to girls.

by yeswecan on Feb 27, 2006 12:46 PM PST up reply actions

Wrong

Go to the Athletics Nation blog and click on "advertise." There you will see concrete proof that lots of people come here this offseason. Heck, Halosheaven (lousy logo and all) is the seventh busiest with WAY more page views than even during the American League West Championship season just completed.

Nolan Ryan for president!

by Dodger Hater on Feb 27, 2006 4:22 PM PST up reply actions

Sue the facts prove our case

But why flatter the troll with the truth

by Rev Halofan on Feb 27, 2006 4:27 PM PST up reply actions

About that logo

We gotta do something to make the logo better.

by Grich4mvp on Feb 27, 2006 10:39 PM PST up reply actions

FBB

is either a) dumb or a b) troll. I weep for our edumacation system. Look at some of those threads, they got more comments than a lot of ones during last season. I, for one, have loved the series because it reminds me--as if I need reminding--how awful this franchise has been for most of its history, because some of those players were, in the day, considered total f**king stiffs.

Just saw this on ESPN.com:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2346719

Jeebus.

by Jim @ Halos Heaven on Feb 27, 2006 12:41 PM PST reply actions

Damn man

"I, for one, have loved the series because it reminds me--as if I need reminding--how awful this franchise has been for most of its history, because some of those players were, in the day, considered total f**king stiffs."

Bringing it home and keeping it real.

"I don't have to be nervous... It's a baseball game."

by proletariat on Feb 27, 2006 4:01 PM PST up reply actions

Big Hits

Game four, 1986, biggest hit I've ever seen in person. I still get goosebumps from remembering that game.

by LA Seitz on Feb 27, 2006 8:23 PM PST reply actions

Didn't Bobby...

beat-up guys sliding overly hard into second? I seem to remember that happening more than once.

Back then, in Hawaii, you would only get the box score with a write up like " Angel's score three to win by 1."

Also rev, what technique in Photo-Shop is that with Grich's pic. #378: hors focale + pixelated fortement.

Donnie Moore died an Angel

by eyespy on Feb 27, 2006 9:21 PM PST reply actions

photoshop

I just f- around on photoshop (3.0 btw) I think it is a blur and mosaic, following the words of the master:

"I prefer to learn a new medium just until I have the maximum lack of control"
-Robert Rauschenberg

by Rev Halofan on Feb 27, 2006 9:25 PM PST up reply actions

And yeah about Grich

you spike Bobby, you walk wobbly.

by Rev Halofan on Feb 27, 2006 9:25 PM PST up reply actions

My...

favorite BG moment was in 1979, September. Nolan Ryan is pitching against the Royals and the Big A was going nuts. The Royals are rallying and someone--sorry, can't remember, my friends and I were wasted on this killer hash--hits a shot right up the middle. BG does the dive and tosses it to Jimmy Anderson and the Angels escape. The place went berserk.

by Jim @ Halos Heaven on Feb 27, 2006 9:38 PM PST reply actions

Killer hash at the Big A in '79

and now Killer hashbrowns at Norm's in 2006

by Rev Halofan on Feb 27, 2006 9:40 PM PST up reply actions

Question...

Why isn't the number retired of the first Halo inducted into the Angel Hall of Fame? (or does the HOF still exist?

by Grich4mvp on Feb 27, 2006 10:41 PM PST reply actions

The Angels ahve a high bar for retired numbers

unless you never played for the team like Gene Autry and Jimmie Reese.......

by Rev Halofan on Feb 27, 2006 10:58 PM PST up reply actions

Jimmie was the man...

That guy was old school gangster... original PCL Angel and was sharp as a tac until he passed. He was a roomate with "Babe Ruth's luggage", as I recall he put it.

I have a buddy that went to his funeral. I also remember him being very approachable. My family has a photo of him somewhere, from before a game.

"I don't have to be nervous... It's a baseball game."

by proletariat on Feb 28, 2006 1:07 PM PST up reply actions

In my son's bedroom

He has a photo of Bobby Grich fielding a ground ball; with that dirty mustache, Nolan Ryan after he got hit in the face by Bo Jackson's line drive and continued to pitch, and Nolan Ryan going apeshit on Robin Ventura's face when he tried to charge the mound.

Just making sure that my son knows where his roots are.

Halo Country

by cupie on Feb 28, 2006 5:50 PM PST reply actions