Link to Bryan Harvey's Post-2005 Season Top 100 Angel Page
After the Donnnie Moore tragedy, Bryan Harvey's most crucial accomplishment in Angels lore was restoring the confidence in a great go-to closer. In this role, he paved the way for Troy eprcival and Francisco Rodriguez. He healed a great psychological wound.
He also established many pitching records for Frankie and Percy others to meet and match - it is in arriving at Harvey's greatness that an Angel reliever becomes an Angel Great.
0 recs | 12 comments
Interesting thing about this post
Is that we have been veryyyyyy lucky? with closers. Over the past 20 + years, we have had more than our fair share of great closers. I don’t know why that is, but with Fuentes/Arredondo on board, it doesn’t seam like it is going to stop. That’s a relief (pun intended).
vladtheimpaler - January 15, 2009
Also, we were great our first 10 years, too
It was only when we had Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana that our bullpens sucked eggs.
mattwelch - January 15, 2009
Anxiously awaiting the post
by BrianHarvey’sMoustache.
red floyd - January 15, 2009
Lest we forget THE 'STACHE
Frankly, in a rather bleak period in Angels baseball, this guy (despite dealing 90 mph fastballs in the ninth) rocked one of hardest moustaches in the big leagues which gave us Halos fans at least one thing to celebrate.
“At least Harvey has a better ’stache than that lame Eckersley character and his puny, pediophile looking lip-whiskers!”
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - January 15, 2009
despite? I meant "in addition to"
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - January 15, 2009
Harvey threw one of the best forkballs
It was quite the power forkball. I recall it hitting as high as 89 mph on the radar gun. It was the fastball/forkball combo that enabled Harvey to post K/9 rates greater than 11 for three consecutive seasons (1989-91).
Fan Since 1981 - January 15, 2009
The interesting aspect for the Angels in 1991was this.
If one considers ……… the pitching staff had a 19 game winner and two 18 game winners ( Mark Langston, Jim Abbott, Chuck Finley, respectively ) plus the AL Saves leader in Harvey, with 46, one would think those stats would have tranlated to a pennant.. The Angels however, finished at 81and 81, 7th in the Al West.
I always assumed Harvey was exposed to the 1992 Expansion draft due to some elbow problems he experienced during the 92 season, management thinking the drafting teams would " shy " away from selecting him. He racked up 45 saves with Florida in 1993.
Interesting comment from Mattwelch : " It was only when we had Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana that our bullpens sucked eggs "……..My take with the bullpen at the time was this………Ryan and Tanana threw major heat and those rare times they were relieved, that reliever’s fast ball probably appeared to the opposing hitters like a beach ball.
Ah yes, I recall the old saying in those days of the mid 70’s with the starting pitching staff, " Tanana & Ryan and two days of crying ".
Canada Angel - January 15, 2009
The Angels exposed Harvey to the '92 draft but did elect to protect a minor league pitcher
I remember reviewing the initial list where ball clubs can protect up to 15 players. Harvey of course wasn’t on the list. But the Angels did decide to protect a pitcher who had thrown a grand total of 30 minor league innings. In fact, he had never even pitched in AAA. I’ll never forget how upon seeing that name, I thought to myself, “This guy better be good some day”. And that pitcher was……………
Troy Percival.
Fan Since 1981 - January 15, 2009
I would love-love-love to have an easy-to-find list of protected players in exp. drafts
The Angels have lost some good players over the years that way — Harvey, Marty Pattin, Dave Collins, Tom Burgmeier, Julio Cruz. It’s very hard to judge the quality of their decisions without having a list of protected players.
mattwelch - January 16, 2009
Harvey
didn’t he also have a fat contract? assuming the Marlins wouldn’t draft someone with a fat contract.
HALO_86 - January 15, 2009
The other interesting thing about '91
Was that final result. .500 ball, and in the cellar. A feat unmatched until the 2005 Nats. However, the Halos did it in a 7 team division, while the Nats did it in a 5 team division.
I won a pair of tix to an Angels game with that one, when I stumped Joe McDonnell.
red floyd - January 15, 2009
You better have bobby knoop coming up or i will be pissed
WillGoAngels27 - January 15, 2009
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