All-Angels Team: Shortstop [Poll]

Jim Fregosi (1961-71)

The Los Angeles Angels selected Jim Fregosi with the 35^th pick in the 1960 expansion draft. There were plenty of tough times early on in Angels’ history, but Fregosi was one of the few bright spots. Fregosi was the first true star of the Angels franchise, as he made six All-Star appearances and finished in the top 20 in MVP voting five times as a Halo. The Orange, CA had what was perhaps his best all-around season in 1967 as he hit .290, with 9 home runs and 56 runs batted in. Fregosi finished 9^th in MVP voting in ’67, and took home his first Gold Glove Award.

The Angels sent Jim Fregosi to the New York Mets in 1972 in exchange for a young right-hander named Nolan Ryan. The University of New Mexico alum played 8 more seasons after the trade, but he was never better than when he wore an Angels uniform. Fregosi finished his 11-year career in Anaheim with a batting average of .268, 115 home runs and 546 RBI’s across nearly 1500 games. He was an average defender at short, posting a career .962 fielding percentage against a .963 league average during the same period. During his tenure with the Halos, Fregosi tallied an impressive 45.9 wins above replacement. The Angels retired Fregosi’s number 11 in 1998.

Jim Fregosi returned to the big A as the club’s manager in 1979. That season was a special one for the Angels as they claimed their first American League West title, and made their first ever appearance in the postseason. Fregosi passed away on Valentines Day 2014 at the age of 71. The Angels paid tribute to their former shortstop and manager by inviting his family out onto the field prior to their game on August 12, 2014.

Next: David Eckstein