LA Angels: Former Halos executive Tim Mead steps down as Hall of Fame president

Say it ain’t so Tim? Former Angels Vice President of Communications Tim Mead is stepping down as MLB’s Hall of Fame president.

Unfortunately it comes in true Tim Mead form, thinking of others before himself. Anyone in the Halos organization would tell you is his style. Mead has decided to step down as the Hall of Fame president sometime in May.

In a statement Mead he wrote about his decision, Mead said, “I made the recent leap (taking the job as HOF President) with every intention of following in the footsteps of my predecessors, in maintaining the Hall of Fame as a critical component of the game. Try as I might, even with the unwavering support of my family, these last 22 months have been challenging in maintaining my responsibilities to them.”

Mead seemed to be the perfect curator to lead the Hall of Fame as its president as he has always shown a true passion for the game ever since he started as an intern with the California Angels in 1980.  His tireless efforts helped Mead move up the ranks in the Angels organization even serving as their Assistant General Manager from 1994 to 1997.  “The driving force behind my career in baseball has always been love of the game,” Mead added in his statement.

Mead was with the Angels for their glorious 2002 World Series championship and has been there for many other milestones and great moments including Albert Pujols’ 600th home run and 3,000th hit, Don Sutton’s 300th career victory, and Rod Carew’s 3000th hit. 

Mead was the quintessential living, breathing Angels historian.  He was always noted for the manner in which he treated everyone with caring, respect, and dignity. It didn’t matter your position, Mead treated you the same way always trying to make your experience with the team he loved, the Angels, the best that it could be.

Angels: Tim Mead is a true class act, and will be missed as Hall of Fame President.

For me when I had first started with Halo Hangout back in 2015, I got the opportunity to cover the Angels Single-A affiliate the Inland Empire 66ers and two injury rehab starts of Jered Weaver.  Mead had made the drive from Anaheim to San Bernardino for both of Weaver’s starters in the end of July of 2015.  After interviewing Weaver for the second time in a week, I asked Mead if there is any way I could cover Weaver’s first start back for the Angels the following week.

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Most people in Mead’s position wouldn’t have even given me the time of day, but Mead said he would look into it and get back to me later in the week. The following Thursday, I woke up to a message on my voicemail to call him.  I was in shock, though I shouldn’t have been, that Tim Mead had followed through on his promise and had gotten approval for me to get credentialed for that Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles when Weaver would come back to Anaheim.

For a fellow life-long Angels fan it was a dream come true.  Many a night when I was growing up I dreamed of this moment, but at 42 years of age I thought this dream would be just a pipe-dream.  Thanks to the kindness of Tim Mead it had become a reality.  Even after that day I have been able to return numerous times over the past six years to be there and do countless interviews with many Angels players, coaches, and even managers Mike Scioscia, Brad Ausmus, and Joe Maddon’s introductory press conference (which was actually thanks to the new Angels Director of communications Adam Chodzko).

All of this would not have been possible if Mead hadn’t trusted a reporter from a fan-powered website with limited experience covering professional sports (not because I didn’t want to).  So upon hearing the news that Mead was resigning from the Hall of Fame as its president is a sad day for me and for the many people whose lives Mead has touched in baseball.

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What will be next for the 62-year old Mead?  Only he truly knows? I would believe it would have to be something in baseball since it is Mead’s love and passion.  I hope somehow the Angels will find a place for Mead back in the organization as the Angels are very close to his heart and also close to his family.  Only time will tell.

For now we will just have to wait and see what happens.  However, no matter what Tim Mead decides to do, I know it will be done with class and dignity and plenty of TLC.