Let's be thankful for the best young player in professional sports wearing a Halo.

Let's be thankful ...

...that 21 teams passed on drafting Mike Trout in the 2009 draft, some of them TWICE.

...that Mark Teixiera let Scott Boras play Arte for a fool, got called on it and is aging quickly in the Bronx. It was the Yankees 25th pick in the draft with which we drafted Trout.

...that the agent for Francisco Rodriguez rejected a large contract offer from Arte after the 2008 season, aiming for the big money payday of free agency. The Angels also had the 24th pick in the draft in 2009 as compensation for the Mets signing Frankie. While the Angels took Randall Grichuk with their first election at #24, they did so only to bring down Trout's leverage a pinch. Had Frankie stuck with the Angels, the Mets would have had a chance to draft the kid from New Jersey.

...that we know his real age.

...that most major league players tend to peak at age 28 (Mike turns 28 in August of the 2019 season).

...that every Angels fan is now well-versed in WAR and other analytical stats

...that the gulf between the real analysts of baseball and the dinosaur counting stat crew was never more nakedly exposed in the debacle vote that awarded the AL MVP to Miguel Cabrera.

...that among classy athletes, there are no clown questions.

Happy Thanksgiving to Angels fans and their families everywhere.