Best Players to Play For the Angels and Indians

One of the highlights of my trip to The National will take place tonight when I attend the Indians vs Angels game at Progressive Field. Hopes of seeing Shohei Ohtani along with superstars Mike Trout, Francisco Lindor, and Jose Ramirez make this matchup one of the best I've ever seen.

I visited Progressive Field and saw the Yankees take on and defeat the Indians back in 2016. I'm not too used to going to games and not rooting for a particular team, so I guess I'll just sit back, watch, and enjoy seeing these 2 talented teams play.

While on the road to Cleveland, I began to speculate what type of post I wanted to do regarding the game I'm seeing tonight. After looking up the topic, I decided to make a quick post about the greatest players to play for both the Cleveland Indians and the California/Los Angeles Angels.

Although he played the majority of his career with the Padres and Yankees, Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield still spent a season in Cleveland and 2 seasons with the Angels. Of those 2 teams, he played better for the Angels, hitting .268 during his time in California with 47 homers and 158 RBI. Comparatively, he hit just .191 in his time with the Indians in 1995, the final season of his 22-year career.

Because Hoyt Wilhelm played for so many different teams over the course of his career, it's not a surprise to hear that he played for the Indians in addition to the Angels. He spent 2 years in Cleveland along with 1 season with the Angels, and he maintained a near identical ERA for both teams (2.49 in Cleveland, 2.47 in California). While Hoyt still played for 7 other teams over the course of his career, his time with each team, including Cleveland and California, helped make him into a Hall of Fame reliever which is incredibly difficult to do.

1970's star outfielder Bobby Bonds had a stellar season with the Indians in 1979, hitting .275 with 25 homers and 85 RBI. Additionally, his 2 seasons with the Angels (1976 and 1977) saw him hit 47 homers while driving in 169 runs. While he didn't make the All-Star team in his combined 3 seasons with these 2 clubs, his 1977 year with the Angels saw him earn MVP votes for his 37 home runs and 41 stolen bases.

Over the course of his 22-year career, Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven established himself as an exceptional talent who could pitch well no matter where he played. This is proven through the stats from his 5 years with the Indians and 3 seasons spent with the Angels. Although he pitched very well for both teams along with the Twins, Pirates, and Rangers who he also played for, Of all those teams, his 2nd lowest ERA during each tenure was the Indians with his lowest coming from his 2 seasons in Texas.

Finally, we have a player who found his way into the 500 home run club and the 3,000 hit club. The 8-time All-Star played for 5 teams throughout his career, spending most of his years playing for the Baltimore Orioles. Murray may have spent his last season with the Angels, but his 3 seasons and .281 batting average during his time in Cleveland is without a doubt a better career performance. In fact, Murray became a member of the 3,000 hit club during his time as a Cleveland Indian.