#18 Doug DeCinces, 3B
Look, I'm a fan of Disco Dan Ford as much as the next guy, but the January 1982 trade of Dan to the Orioles for Doug DeCinces has to be one of the Top 5 trades in the history of Angel player swaps. Douglas Vernon DeCinces was 31 when he arrived in Anaheim and quickly established himself as the best thing to happen to the Hot Corner since Carney Lansford. His 6 years in Anaheim saw him play integral roles on two division champs and a third 90-win campaign.
Doug's Angel career Slug% of .463 is 6th all-time. His .798 OPS is 9th in franchise rankings for players with 2000 or more Plate Appearances under the Halo. His 130 Homeruns are 8th most by an Angel.
His monster 1982 season won over the Anaheim faithful, though, and it bears special examination: Doug's Slugging % in 1982 was .548, 7th best single season in Angels history. His 42 Doubles were then a club record and still rank 3rd most in an Angel single season (part of his 77XBh, 7th most sing.seas.). His OPS+ that year was 149 - 9th best. Only Vlad Guerrero in 2004 and 2005 had an OPS+ and Slugging% in the Angels single season Top Ten in a year the Angels made the postseason. There are individual accomplishments, and there are individual accomplishments that bring home the team bacon. On top of everything else, Doug played stellar defense (although Buddy Bell, George Brett and Gary Gaetti got the Gold Gloves all those years) and was a well-liked member of some teams that had a host of pretty big egos.
Here is The Chronicler (from the Chronicles of the Lads blog) on Doug:
If you ask fans in Baltimore, they might remember DeCinces for being Not Brooks Robinson.
However, I suspect that most people will just remember him for being a damn good player, and, at his best, a fantastic one. Just check out his 1982 season - the raw numbers don't look so amazing by our current standards, but it's an OPS+ of 149, which along with his solid defense contributed pretty heavily to that team's success. It was his first year as an Angel.
DeCinces is clearly the best Angel third baseman before Troy Glaus (chronologically), and the passing of that mantle is appropriate, as DeCinces represented Glaus when the Angels drafted him, as Glaus was dating his daughter at the time. Tim, Doug's son, was a teammate of Troy's at UCLA).