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Greatest Catch in Angels History?

Poll
Greatest catch you have ever seen by an Angel outfielder...
The Edmonds ESPY Nominee
286 votes
The 2001 Erstad gap-dive at Yankee Stadium
72 votes
Torii Hunter Sunday
156 votes
OTHER - Explain in the comments or add +1
17 votes

531 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs  |  81 comments

Comments

Hunter

Hunter robbing Sexson last year in his first few games with the Angels… Not the best but a memorable one.

That catch gave birth to the meme, "Imma ruin your bithday!"

It was almost identical to the catch Torii made today.

yeah almost but it didnt end the game this time.

read Torii’s blog if you get a chance he wrote about the catch. it is a good one.

This is the story of "Imma ruin your birthday!" for those not familiar with it.

http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2008/4/18/415698/story-title

Wow Hilarous. Something good out of Seattle
Gary Pettis had a few better...

….and Edmonds over the shoulder catch in KC was better.

agree

Torii’s was sweet but Pettis and even Devon White had some glove-over-the-wall catches that were unbelievable.

I went with Edmonds’ catch. I still remember watching it on TV when it happened like it was yesterday, just an amazing catch.

Not that today’s wasn’t great, because it was. I put the two catches in different categories: HR steals (Which that one now takes the cake) and non-HR steals (like Edmonds’).

kinda weird that both Edmonds and Hunters were both against KC.....
torii's catch over the top due to his excitement

I went C R A Z Y

I give Torrii's the nod

because it was not only a game saver, but possibly a job saver. I mean if that goes out and Fuentes blows another one who knows where he would be. Torrii could have quite possibly saved his job and that energy is going to lead to nothing but great things!

Torii's catch today was the best

But let’s not forget that one Matthews had 2 years ago. I don’t remember the opponent, but Lackey was pitching and GMJ robbed a homer to center. The replay showed Lackey shouting something like, ’That’s why we got him!"

Though to be honest, that may have been the only time I actually felt good about having GMJ on the Angels’ roster.

hahaha....good point. We should try and find a video of that.
i think Torii has turned this team around!!!!

honestly who doesn’t like to watch this guy. if you haven’t seen the videos of him on you tube you should check them out. just type his name in and all kinds of good stuff comes up. he is the best thing to happen to this team in a few years. well this year at least.

Personally I went with the Erstad catch

That one also saved the game IIRC and then Erstad came up and hit a homer for the go ahead and eventual GWR IIRC.

I went with Edmonds.......

that catch was AAAAAAAAAAAMAZING………….

greatest play I’ve ever seen in any sport……

Torii

Game-saver. Not as athletic or ridiculous as Edmonds’ catch though.

I was at the game today, and I think that catch was possibly the greatest play I have ever seen made in person at the stadium. It was seriously jaw-dropping.

Erstad's concussion-causing crash into the center field wall

come to mind.

Aaaargh

comes to mind.

edmonds blowing me off when I was 12 and trying to get an autograph comes to mind...

I swear the dude walked out of the ball park with two women under each arm.

you know wht's funny?

Reading that post and missing the word “OFF” in it. Changes the whole meaning.

yes, that DOES change the meaning, Rev...hahaha...
Edmonds' better but Torii's sweeter.

Atheletic-wise…Edmonds was far more stunning.

However, the fact that the game was on the line and that Torii is totally a team player and showed it by how stoked he was by catching it, instead of playing it cool—made this catch all that more enjoyable and savory.

I love Torii, I dont care how much that dude makes, he comes to the ballpark to win, be a leader and give it his all. He truly loves the game and you can see that in the way he plays—And that is priceless and was exemplified today.

It's like you read my mind.

One added note…it appeared Torii had the ball tracked from the moment it left the bat…like he knew EXACTLY the effort it would take to catch it. Remarkable.

How about this one

http://in.truveo.com/Hunters-amazing-catch/id/72057635502119306

Torii smacks his face into the wall and still holds on

i forgot about that one

that was awesome. he was running full on and got f’ed up by the wall

Then

Despite being shook up he got the ball back in right away. What a stud.

PS I think that was his first HR save with us
i think that got him the nickname

“Collard greens”

That was awesome...

….and he was fired up. Torii has taken over on the leadership role and I hope they continue to feed off his enthusiasm and stellar play….dude is a flat-out gamer.

1982 Lynn Downing crash/catch

Come on Rev? No entries from before 1990?

Yep

This was my favorite catch of all-time, although I think the Edmonds catch was better. Also, for those that said Hunter’s was better because it saved the game, Edmonds’ catch saved the game as well.

I loved that Edmonds catch... and I am a big Edmonds homer, but...

that catch started out with a big, fatal misread, IIRC. He went in initially. It still is an amazing catch, however, I voted Torii’s since he went so high over the wall to get that ball. Great catch, definitely one that will go down in Halo’s lore.

Thannk you

It was a bad route gone right

Yeah, you're right...that was an incredible catch.

Thanks for the reminder.

The AP photo up top is primed for photoshopping. Crop out the background and it looks like he's flying. 44Fan, get on it!
go thru the "other" pics...

I love the caption on the one of HK and Naps slapping high fives after scoring…the caption says it is Matthews and Napoli… :(

Speaking of getting pumped...

Did you guys see Saunders after he struck out Gullien in the 9th inning of Saturday’s game? I didn’t get in until late, but luckily remembered to record the game.

After Saundo struck out Guillen he turned towards the outfield (I guess he thought the camera wasn’t on him) and mouthed the words…

“Sit the f**k down motherf**ker!”

I had my wife read his lips as well and she confirmed what I thought he said. My wife was shocked because she always thought of Saundo as a “nice, clean-cut kid”

BAAA!

What I loved

Was the post game shot of HGH and Chupa jumping on Torii in the outfield.

Pettis

I’m sure Gary Pettis made some great grabs that are noteworthy???? Can’t think of the specific game.

Tori had another play same game

In the same game remember Tori had a put out at 2nd on a single. He caught the ball on a bounce and got the runner advancing to 2nd. Is say so far Tori is the best free agent pick up in Angels history , not only skills on the field but great clubhouse guy. Just fun to watch him play.

overstatement

To say he is the best free agent angel in history is crazy. Reggie Jackson, 1982-86. 39 hr in 1982 which tied Gorman Thomas as the American League Leader. He followed with 14 HR, 25, 27, 18. Three years an all-star with the Angels. There was Don Baylor and Bobby Grich.

Exactly

Both Baylor and Vlad won MVPs after being signed as free agents.

Gary Pettis and Devo and Edmunds

Gary, Devo and Edmunds had some great catches. Gary Pettis was a highlight real in center, just could not hit, great base stealer.

Edmonds catch all the way

It was considered by many people as the best catch of all time. Torii’s catch yesterday was awesome but Edmonds catch was just impossible.

I do remember a catch, I really liked, a year or two ago at Yankee Stadium. Reggie Willits climbed a wall in RF foul territory and made a spectacular catch.

That was legit, although, I wouldn’t say it was better than Torii’s yesterday because that one saved a game.

Another recent nominee

Anyone remember a few years ago another flashy game saver when Bengie Molina made a blind flip to Frankie Rodriguez who blocked a runner coming down from 3rd. Basically sat on him and tagged him underneath. I’m pretty sure that was also against the Royals and it preserved the lead. It ended up being one of baseball’s top plays that year, although I really don’t think it tops the Edmonds catch.

It was against Cleveland

if my memory serves me.

as reorted on my old blog:

2004: Labor Day Weekend in Cleveland … a RECAP of the play.

Can anyone find that Erstad catch?

A quick survey of youtube was a no go. I think I have it on a floppy disk somewhere from when the Angels handed them out in like 01 or something, but im not sure I can find it/play it.

wasn't that a CD-rom "baseball card?" (they gave away a vlad one that year, too)...

I don’t ever recall a 5-1/4-inch floppy disk Erstad “the catch” giveaway. I would’ve been there for that.

oops...

by “that year” I meant like 2005 or so.

Not sure

Wasnt old enough yet to have a clear recollection, but im pretty sure that they did give “the catch” away on a floppy.

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