• Fantasy Clicks: Looking Back, Looking Forward

  SI.com - Found 8 hours ago Batting Average Manny Ramirez .354 Albert Pujols .352 Chipper Jones .343 Vladimir Guerrero .341 Robinson Cano .337 David Wright .334 Martin...

• Clutch power: Blalock's blast lifts Rangers over Angels

  USA Today - Found Jul. 1, 2009 After Vladimir Guerrero fouled out to first, Rivera drove a 2-0 pitch into the Rangers bullpen in right to tie the score at 7. Francisco... Blalock lifts Rangers past Angels to series win - MSNBC Blalock's walk-off rescues Texas - CBSSports Blalock's blast gives Rangers 9-7 victory 3 NL teams win ... - Central Florida News 13 3 NL teams win with the minimum - Fresno Bee Explore All

  TSN

• Rays 4, Blue Jays 1

  USA Today - Found Jun. 30, 2009 The Angels were without Vladimir Guerrero six weeks ago, and Texas was still hitting. Guerrero was 2 for 5 and scored twice, including on... Angels Make It 6 in Row With Win at Texas - ABC News Angels make it 6 in row with win at Texas - NBC Sports Rivera, Morales hit back-to-back homers - Minneapolis Star Tribune Angels make it 6 in row with win over Rangers - Denver Post Explore All

  NBC Sports

• Angels make it 6 in a row with 5-2 win at Texas

  USA Today - Found Jun. 29, 2009 They just capitalize on mistakes and they don't make many mistakes.' After Vladimir Guerrero's leadoff single in the sixth, Rivera and Morales... High-flying Angels beat Rangers, 5-2 - Los Angeles Times Angels make it 6 in a row with 5-2 win at Texas - Denver Post Angels make it 6 in row with win at Texas - Modesto Bee Angels make it 6 in a row with 5-2 win at Texas - Examiner.com Explore All

  Sympatico

• Neel: The battle for L.A.

  ESPN.com - Found Jun. 28, 2009 ... boastful billboards, a World Series title in 2002, a syntactically tortured name change and one Vladimir Guerrero in their corner -- have...

• Angels do fine without designated hitter

  Major League Baseball - Found Jun. 27, 2009 ... of the Angels' lineup has been showcased in Interleague Play in National League ballparks, where Vladimir Guerrero, recovering from a torn...

• Angels aim to continue dominance of NL in Arizona

  Sports Network - Found Jun. 26, 2009 Vladimir Guerrero and Bobby Abreu each collected two hits, a home run and three RBI to lead the way for Anaheim, while Chone Figgins finished 3-for-4 ... LA Angels of Anaheim (37-32) at Arizona Diamondbacks (30-43), 9:40 ... - Miami Herald Angels aim to continue dominance of NL in Arizona - KPTH Fox 44 LA Angels of Anaheim (37-32) at Arizona Diamondbacks (30-43), 9:40 ... - Modesto Bee LA Angels of Anaheim (37-32) at Arizona Diamondbacks (30-43), 9:40 ... - KansasCity.com Explore All

• Vlad, Saunders lead Angels past Rox

  Major League Baseball - Found Jun. 25, 2009 Guerrero supplies power; left-hander earns eighth win Related Links ANAHEIM -- Vladimir Guerrero dropped his hands and lowered the boom. MLB: LA Angels 11, Colorado 3 - UPI Guerrero homers in Angels' 11-3 win - Denver Post Guerrero homers in Angels' 11-3 win - San Jose Mercury News Angels smash Rockies - Blackfoot Morning News Explore All

  Sympatico

• Angels rally to beat Rockies 4-3

  Denver Post - Found Jun. 24, 2009 Notes: Angels DH Vladimir Guerrero, who came in with only one homer in 128 at-bats this season, had his trademark dreadlocks cut off Tuesday... Rockies Lose For Only 2nd Time In 19 Games - CBS 4 Denver MLB: LA Angels 4, Colorado 3 - UPI Angels rally to beat Rockies 4-3 on Bobby Abreu's tying and go-ahead ... - Sympatico Angels rally to beat Rockies 4-3 - Minneapolis Star Tribune Explore All

  KansasCity.com

• Rockies beat Angels behind Hawpe

  Minneapolis Star Tribune - Found Jun. 23, 2009 Angels DH Vladimir Guerrero has not homered in 25 consecutive games, five shy of his longest career drought two seasons ago. Rockies Beat Angels 11-1 - ABC News Rockies beat Angels 11-1 - Sacramento Bee Red hot Rockies top Angels to win 17th in 18 games - Fresno Bee Rockies beat Angels - Minneapolis Star Tribune Explore All

  Sacramento Bee

Vladimir Guerrero
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — No. 27
Right fielder
Born: February 9, 1975 (1975-02-09) (age 34) Nizao, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
September 19, 1996 for the Montreal Expos
Career statistics (through June 29, 2009)
Batting average	.322
Hits	2,174
Home runs	394
Runs batted in	1281
On-base plus slugging	.957
Stolen bases	175
Teams
Montreal Expos (1996-2003) Anaheim Angels/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004-present)
Career highlights and awards
8x All-Star selection (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) Most Valuable Player (AL) (2004) 3x Silver Slugger (NL) (1999, 2000, 2002) 4x Silver Slugger (AL) (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) 2007 Home Run Derby winner 2004 Gene Autry Trophy winner 6x Player Of The Month Award Led AL in Runs in 2004 Led AL in Total Bases in 2004 Led NL in Hits in 2002

Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1975, in Don Gregorio, Nizao, Dominican Republic) (known in his native Dominican Republic as Miquéas, Spanish for Micah) is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In 2004, he was voted the American League MVP. He helped led the Angels to four American League West championships (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008)

An eight-time All Star, he is widely recognized as one of the best all-around players in Major League Baseball because he regularly hits for power, has a high average, and is credited with one of the strongest outfield arms in baseball. He is best known for his spectacular defense in right field and his impressive hitting, able to hit home runs from balls thrown high above his shoulders and as low as his knees. He is also regarded as the game's premier "bad ball hitter," for his ability to consistently hit balls thrown outside of the strike zone. This skill was evident in a game a number of years ago when Guerrero hit a pitch which bounced before home plate.

Guerrero currently resides in an exclusive neighborhood in Anaheim Hills, CA called Copa De Oro.

Early years and family

One of nine children, Guerrero is the younger brother of ex-major leaguer Wilton Guerrero, who also played with the Montreal Expos. He is also the cousin of current minor leaguer Cristian Guerrero of the Harrisburg Senators.

His 6-3" frame, strong arm, and unusual ability to hit balls out of the strike zone drew attention at a Dodgers training camp. After injuring his hamstring running out a double, Vladimir allegedly hit a home run in his next at-bat to avoid having to run the bases. Due to his leg condition, Guerrero only received a 30-day contract. But he grew frustrated with the structure of the Dodgers camp, and left. In March 1993, Guerrero signed with the Montreal Expos. During the process he lied about his age, claiming to be born February 9, 1976. It wasn't until March 2009 that he revealed to Major League Baseball that he was born February 9, 1975.¹

In 1994, Guerrero hit .314 in 37 games with the Expos' Rookie League team. The next year he hit .333 with the Albany Polecats. In 1996, while advancing from Single-A to Double-A, Guerrero batted .360 with 24 home runs and 96 RBI.² His September callup was unproductive, although he hit his first major league home run.

Professional career

Montreal Expos

Guerrero was signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent from the Harrisburg Senators in 1993 and eventually made his major league debut on September 19, 1996.

Vladimir was criticized during his first season in 1997 (he'd played 9 games in 1996) for being too aggressive at the plate. Nonetheless, he put up solid numbers for a rookie, batting .302 with 11 HRs and 40 RBI in just 325 at-bats.

Scorn for Guerrero's free-swinging ways changed into admiration in 1998. While he continued to swing at pitches that were clearly balls, he also continued to hit them with authority. In one instance, Guerrero got a base hit off a pitch that bounced before arriving at home plate. Guerrero's superior hand-eye coordination and prodigious strength allowed him to be unusually aggressive at the plate, but still put up high batting averages year after year. Despite his freeswinging style, Guerrero has never struck out 100 times in any season.

Guerrero batted .324 with 38 HRs and 109 RBI in 1998, before the end of the 1998, Guerrero agreed $28 million deal.³ Guerrero represented the Expos at the 1999 All-Star Game. During the 1999 season,Guerrero maintained 31 game hitting streak‚ the longest in the majors in 12 years. ⁴ He finished 1999 with 131 RBI, and in 2000, he hit 44 home runs; both figures remain career highs.

He posted similar or slightly improved numbers through the 2002 season. He also developed a running game, stealing 37 bases in 2001. In 2002, he stole a career-high 40 bases, and fell one home run short of becoming the fourth member of the "40-40 Club." However, he hit 30+ home runs and stole 30+ bases in both 2001 and 2002 (see 30-30 club).

Vlad at bat vs. the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, August 28, 2005.

Guerrero's 2003 season was shortened due to a back injury. In 394 at-bats, he hit .330 with 25 HRs and 79 RBIs. Because of the injury, some in the media thought signing him would be a risk. While he was playing injured, though, he still managed to hit for the cycle on September 14, 2003.

Anaheim Angels/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Guerrero was a free agent for the first time after the 2003 season, and he signed $70 million deal with the then-Anaheim Angels after being courted by several teams. The owner of the Angels, Arte Moreno, is the first Latino controlling owner of a Major League ballclub, and Guerrero has cited Moreno's Latin heritage as a motivating factor for choosing the Angels over other teams.⁵ He currently lives in Anaheim Hills, California.

During his first season with Angels, Guerrero led his club, and in some cases the American League (AL), in several offensive categories, including 124 runs (set new club record and led the AL), 366 total bases (tied club record and led AL), and a season ending batting average of .337 (set a new club record), which led to Guerrero being voted the Gene Autry Trophy (Team MVP) by his teammates. After making his fifth MLB All-Star game appearance in July, Guerrero continued his offensive dominance in September, earning American League Player of the Month after batting .371 with 24 runs scored, six doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and 23 RBI. Guerrero was clutch down the stretch. Over the final seven games of the season, his 10 runs, six home runs and 11 RBI helped the Angels overcome a 3-game deficit, which ultimately led to an American League West Division Crown.

Down the stretch of the 2004 MLB season, Guerrero was impressive. Mike Scioscia, the Angels manager, said that Guerrero "really carried us on his back" in the last month of the season, as the Angels overtook first place from the faltering Oakland Athletics who finished the season one game behind in the standings. Guerrero hit six home runs in his last six games of the 2004 regular season, leading the Angels to their first Western Division title since 1986 (The Angels won the 2002 World Series as the American League Wild Card). These late-season heroics led to Guerrero being chosen as the 2004 AL MVP. In the opening best-of-5 round of the playoffs, the Angels were swept by the Boston Red Sox, and Guerrero had an odd batting line: just a .167 average, but six RBIs in three games.The Angels won the Western Division again in 2005, with Guerrero batting .317 with 32 home runs and 108 RBIs in 520 at bats. Late in the season, Guerrero became the 12th player to hit his 300th home run before the age of 30 (along with Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, Harmon Killebrew, Mel Ott, Frank Robinson, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey, Jr., Juan González, and Andruw Jones, who achieved the mark about the same time as Guerrero).

Guerrero had an up-and-down 2005 postseason, batting .333 in ALDS victory over the New York Yankees, but just .050 in the ALCS against the eventual world champion Chicago White Sox. He fared better in a national TV ad for Pepsi with the Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez; the two engaged in a personal home run competition that ended up with the moon being broken. Guerrero also appeared at Game Four of the 2005 World Series, where he was introduced as a member of Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team.

Guerrero recorded his 1000th career RBI on July 15, 2006 at home against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Making his 8th Major League Baseball All-Star game appearance, Guerrero subsequently won his first career Home Run Derby in the 2007 season, highlighted by a 503-foot home run. He is the third Angel to win the Derby (after Wally Joyner in 1986, and Garret Anderson in 2003). Guerrero has been chosen for the All-Star Game in four out of his five seasons with the Angels, with the only exception being the 2008 campaign. Guerrero's stellar fielding talent dwindled in the later 2000's due to age and injuries, prompting the long-time outfielder to be reassigned as a designated hitter at the start of the 2009 season. ⁶

It has been suggested that Guerrero's signing with the Angels has helped lengthen his career, as many of his early career injuries were attributable to playing on the hard artificial surface at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

In 2009 he was named # 37 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. A panel of 100 baseball people, many of them members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards, was polled to arrive at the list.[1]

Batting style

Guerrero bats without wearing batting gloves, a custom rarely seen in modern baseball. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports, he attributed this to helping his grandfather pull cows home barehanded as a young boy in the Dominican Republic. To improve his grip on the bat, he coats his helmet with pine tar and simply rubs his helmet before going into the on-deck circle. As the season progresses, his batting helmet becomes covered in the substance. This is particularly noticeable with the bright red helmet of the Angels. Guerrero has batted over .300 in every official season of his career. He has driven in over 100 runs in every season but 2003 and 2008. Besides his 2004 MVP, has finished 6th (2000), 4th (2002), 3rd (2005) and 9th (2006) in MVP voting.

In 2008, Guerrero tied Lou Gehrig's mark for most consecutive seasons with at least 25 home runs and a batting average of .300 or better with 11. He also swung at a higher percentage of pitches outside the strike zone, 45.5%, than any other hitter in major league baseball.[2]

He had a 44-game hitting streak exclusively against the Texas Rangers from 2004-06, the longest such player-vs.-team streak in MLB history since 1969.⁴ The streak occurred over his first 44 appearances against the Rangers. Guerrero has decimated Ranger pitching over his career, putting up a career batting line of .395/.466/.681 with 22 HR, 29 Doubles and 63 RBI in 87 games.

His nickname among peers and commentators is "Vladdy." He has also been called "Vlad the Impaler," "Big Daddy Vladdy," "Bad Vlad," "Super Vlad," "Vladiator,", and "Vlad Man, And also since 2007, Chucky (because pitchers are scared of him"

Angels broadcaster Rex Hudler, commenting on Guerrero's personal strike zone, often says "From his nose to his toes, that's how Vladdy goes." Fox announcer Tim McCarver once suggested that "Guerrero's strike zone starts when he gets out of bed in the morning."

Vlad and the Dominican Republic

He was named to the Dominican Republic's roster for the inaugural World Baseball Classic, although he eventually withdrew due to the tragic death of 3 cousins in a car accident right before the tournament. He has provided several job opportunities in his hometown in the Dominican Republic through his business ventures: a cement-block factory, a propane distributorship, a supermarket, a livestock and vegetable farm, and a women's clothing store.

Career statistical highlights

• League Top-Ten
  • Top 10 in MVP (2000, 2002, 2005, 2006)
  • Top 10 in AVG (1998, 2000, 2002-2007)
  • Top 10 in home runs (1998-2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007)
  • Top 10 in RBI (1999, 2000, 2002-2007)
  • Top 10 in slugging percentage (1998-2000, 2002-2008)
  • Top 10 in OBP (2002-2005, 2007)
  • Top 10 in OPS (1999, 2000, 2002-2008)
  • Top 10 in HITS (1998-2002, 2004, 2006)
  • Top 10 in RUNS (2002, 2004)
  • Top 10 in STOLEN BASES (2001, 2002)

Career statistics

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vladimir Guerrero

• Top 500 home run hitters of all time
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
• List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
• 30-30 club
• Hitting for the cycle
• List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube