#92 - MARK EICHHORN, P
Mark Ranked #87 in our 2008 Top 100 Angels List (LINK)
He ranked #74 in our 2005 Top 100 Angels List (LINK)
Relief Pitcher Mark Eichhorn signed as a free agent before the 1990 season. His greatest years of effectiveness came as a middle reliever in 1990-92. he was traded to Toronto, won a ring, got injured, signed again with the Angels but couldn't recapture the glory in 1996, getting injured and staying injured.
But in that time he was called on quite a bit. He appeared in 70 games throwing 84 innings in 1990 and 65 games throwing 84 innings in 1991. His 253 IP ranks 25th all time among Angels pitchers. While most stat websites that rank a franchise pitcher's contributions in rate stats require twice as many innings pitched, he accrued an ERA+ of 146 as an Angel - second only to Troy Percival on the list of Angels greats with a minimum of 500 IP.
One counting stat that does stick out is Eichhorn's 5.7 Wins Above Replacement as Angel. Consider that he accrued 1.3 more WAR in 253 IP than Bartoo Colon did in 586. A crucial middle reliever who would be the benchmark for later greats Brendan Donnelly and Scot Shields, Mark Eichhorn made people forget the antacid chewing that Angels fans came to associate with middle relief when the term accompanied a Mark Clear or Dave LaRoche outing.