Los Angeles Angels: Ranking the Most Shocking Award Snubs Since 1961

When Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim rookie sensation Mark Trumbo and Cy Young Award runner-up Jered Weaver placed second in their respective postseason award races, they unknowingly made history.

2011 is the first year in Angels franchise history that two award candidates have both finished as runners-up in their two respective postseason award races.

When postseason awards are distributed every November, the baseball community honors players and coaches across multiple categories for being the best of the best, the cream of the crop. Unfortunately, as Trumbo and Weaver can tell you, November is also a month of coming so close yet finishing so far away from award-filled glory.

Though Trumbo and Weaver played second fiddle to the 2012 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, respectively, they aren't the only Angels who have finished right behind No. 1 over the years.

From the California Angels to Anaheim and beyond, these are the best Halos in history to have settled for second place after being denied a postseason award.

Honorable Mention: Vladimir Guerrero (2005, 2006, 2007 MVP Award)

When Vladimir Guerrero joined the Anaheim Angels in 2004, he was immediately poised for success, leading the Angels in many offensive—and defensive—categories during his first season at the Big A.

Guerrero additionally led the American League with 124 runs scored, 13 outfield assists and 366 total bases during his first of four consecutive All-Star Game appearances. Guerrero won the Gene Autry Trophy in 2004, as well as the American League MVP Award.

Yet he wasn't done there.

In 2005, Guerrero hit .317 with 32 HR and 108 RBI. For his efforts, he finished only third in the 2005 MVP Award balloting.

In 2007, Guerrero again hit an impressive .324 with 27 HR and 125 RBI. He also won his first and only Home Run Derby during the 2007 All-Star Game festivities in San Francisco. Unfortunately, he once again finished only third in the MVP race.

Improbably, Guerrero's 2006 campaign in which he finished ninth in MVP voting was more impressive than his seasons in both 2005 and 2007. In 2006, Guerrero hit .329 with 33 HR and 116 RBI.

Though Guerrero might have been robbed from 2005-2007, he and 1979's Don Baylor remain the only two Angels to have ever won the MVP award.

No. 10: Buck Rodgers (1962 Rookie of the Year Award)

In 1962, the young Angels franchise were the Los Angeles Angels and played at Chavez Ravine (Dodger Stadium). The 1962 squad also featured the introduction of a talented switch hitting catcher named Buck Rodgers, who had appeared in 16 games for LA in 1961.

Rodgers finished his 1962 rookie season with a .258 average, six HR and 61 RBI. He even stole one base.

However, the AL featured one rookie who had a better 1962 season. New York Yankees utilityman Tom Tresh recorded a batting average of .286, with 20 HR and 93 RBI.

In the end, Tresh took home the 1962 AL Rookie of the Year Award, 13 votes to four.

No. 9: Jered Weaver (2011 Cy Young Award)

Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver's only transgression in 2011 was pitching in the same league as Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander—and for going completely crazy during a July 31 game against Verlander's Tigers.

Verlander threw a 2.40 ERA in 2011, finishing 24-5 with 250 strikeouts over a league leading 251 innings pitched. Verlander also maintained his advantage by not getting ejected for throwing at opponents.

Weaver was a respectable 18-8 himself, recording a 2.41 ERA with 198 strikeouts.

Unfortunately, 2011 was Verlander's year, as he was voted the unanimous AL Cy Young Award Winner by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

No. 8: Mike Scioscia (2007 Manager of the Year Award)

Back when the Angels were routinely making the MLB playoffs, manager Mike Scioscia consistently finished in the top four of the annual AL Manager of the Year race.

In 2007, Scioscia finished second to Indians manager Eric Wedge.

The 2007 Angels were AL West champions, finishing their season with a 94-68 record, tied with Joe Torre's New York Yankees.

The 2007 Indians were champions of the AL Central and finished their season with a 96-66 record, tied with Terry Francona's Boston Red Sox.

In the playoffs, the Angels played host to the Red Sox while the Indians visited the Yankees. Though the postseason isn't considered by the BBWAA—balloting takes place at the conclusion of the regular season—the Angels struggled once again with the Red Sox, losing the ALDS in three straight.

Meanwhile, the Indians advanced to the ALCS, losing four games to three to the Boston Red Sox en route to their second championship under Francona and GM Theo Epstein in the past four years.

Nonetheless, the 2007 Indians improved dramatically on their 78-84 mark in 2006, an improvement greatly credited to manager Wedge's involvement.

Meanwhile, the Angels placed second in the AL West in 2006, recording a record of 89-73.

Sportswriters recognized Wedge's 2007 performance as most impressive, so even though Scioscia had often flirted with the AL Manager of the Year award, Wedge won the title in 2007.

No. 7: Marcelino Lopez (1965 Rookie of the Year Award)

When California Angels pitcher Marcelino Lopez lost the 1965 AL Rookie of the Year to Baltimore's Curt Blefary, it was a classic case of pitcher versus position player.

Lopez threw a 14-13 season in his rookie year with a 2.93 ERA, 122 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.24 in 215.1 innings of work.

Meanwhile, Blefary hit .260 with 22 HR and 70 RBI, scoring 72 runs over 462 at bats.

Voters sided with the position player, awarding Blefary the 1965 AL Rookie of the Year Award by just four votes.

From 1963 to 2003, The Sporting News Rookie of the Year award was presented annually to two candidates from each league—one pitcher and one position player.

Accordingly, both Lopez and Blefary won TSN AL Rookie of the Year Awards in 1965.

No. 6: Jim Abbot (1991 Cy Young Award)

While Jered Weaver had to run against Justin Verlander, 1995 California Angels ace Jim Abbott had to face Boston Red Sox sensation Roger Clemens.

When you look at the numbers, they're not terribly different.

Abbott was an 18-11 pitcher with a 2.89 ERA with 85 runs allowed over 243.0 innings pitched.

Clemens was an 18-10 pitcher with a 2.62 ERA with 93 runs allowed over 271.1 innings pitched.

Clemens held the strikeout advantage over Abbott, 241 K to just 158.

In the end, Clemens outshined Abbott in the then-still obscure WHIP category. Clemens had a WHIP of just 1.05 while Abbott's WHIP was 1.21.

Clemens won his 1995 AL Cy Young Award with 119.0 overall points.

For the record, that was double the 56.0 total good enough for second place.

No. 5: Mark Trumbo (2011 Rookie of the Year Award)

When Angels rookie first baseman Mark Trumbo was named AL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News, he joined Atlanta Braves candidate Craig Kimbrel, named NL Rookie of the Year by the publication.

In the end, although Kimbrel would go on to win MLB's own Rookie of the Year Award, Trumbo would not, losing out to Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, a 13-10 candidate with a 2.95 ERA and 117 strikeouts over 189.0 innings pitched.

Trumbo joined 2010 TSN Rookies of the Year Jason Heyward and Austin Jackson in winning the TSN award while finishing second in MLB balloting. Heyward finished second to San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, while Jackson lost to Texas Rangers closer Neftali Feliz.

Trumbo's 2011 rookie campaign featured 29 HR and 87 RBI over a .254 batting average in 149 games.

Why the disparity?

TSN's awards are voted on exclusively by members of that publication while MLB's awards consider votes from the greater Baseball Writers' Association of America. This permits the MLB award to ask for a greater variety of input from its voters, whereas TSN awards are often decided by consensus.

No. 4: Nolan Ryan (1973 Cy Young Award)

Though he is now most famously known as the former MLB pitcher who owns the Texas Rangers, Nolan Ryan used to play for the California Angels, and when he did, he came close to winning the AL Cy Young several years running from 1973-1975.

His closest brush with winning the award occurred during a remarkable 1973 season.

In 1973, Ryan won 21 games with a 2.87 ERA, recording a colossal 383 strikeouts. By comparison, MLB strikeout leader Justin Verlander recorded only 250 punch-outs while his NL counterpart, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, recorded 248.

Unfortunately for Ryan, Baltimore Orioles hurler Jim Palmer won 22 games with a 2.40 ERA, though he only threw 158 strikeouts.

Ryan nonetheless lost the 1973 AL Cy Young to Palmer by 18 overall points and five first place votes.

No. 3: Bryan Harvey (1988 Rookie of the Year Award)

Like 2011's Mark Trumbo, 1988's Bryan Harvey was named AL Rookie of the Year (pitcher) by The Sporting News. Also like Trumbo, Harvey finished second in the MLB race for his year's AL Rookie of the Year Award.

The 1988 California Angels finished with an abysmal 75-87 record, 29 games behind the first place Oakland A's. The Angels were not an especially great offensive team in 1988, and their pitchers' statistics suffered as a result.

Still, Harvey worked primarily out of the bullpen and recorded a 7-5 record with a rookie-best 2.13 ERA with 67 strikeouts over 76.0 innings pitched. Harvey's rookie season WHIP was 1.04.

Giving credence to the notion that award winners generally come from first place teams, Athletics rookie Walt Weiss won the 1988 AL Rookie of the Year Award with a .250 batting average, hitting just three home runs with 39 RBI over his 147 game season.

Comparing rookie pitchers to rookie position players can be like comparing apples to oranges. Unfortunately, the young Angels pitcher from Orange County lost out to the A from Oakland.

No. 2: Wally Joyner (1986 Rookie of the Year Award)

Just like Bryan Harvey two years later, 1986 California Angels rookie Wally Joyner lost the AL Rookie of the Year Award to a rival Oakland Athletics rook.

Joyner finished just 12 overall points behind A's newcomer Jose Canseco, receiving just four fewer first place votes than Canseco did.

Joyner and Canseco had similar 1985 seasons.

Joyner batted .290 with 22 HR and 100 RBI. Joyner's OPS was .805.

Canseco hit just .240, but with 33 HR and 117 RBI. His OPS was .775, which means that both he and Joyner recorded symmetrical .457 slugging percentages.

Unlike Harvey's loss in 1988, however, this one cannot be blamed on the standings.

The California Angels finished a full 16 games ahead of the Oakland A's in the AL West that year, ultimately losing the ALCS on a dramatic Game 5 loss to the Boston Red Sox and their hero, Dave Henderson.

No. 1: Garret Anderson (1995 Rookie of the Year Award)

The one player in Los Angeles-California-Anaheim-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise history to come closest to winning a postseason award—but falling just short of doing so—was 1995 AL Rookie of the Year candidate Garret Anderson.

Anderson lost out to the Minnesota Twins' Marty Cordova by just six overall points, receiving the same number of first place votes.

In his 1995 rookie season, Anderson hit .321 with 16 HR and 69 RBI over 374 AB for the California Angels.

Cordova, on the other hand, hit only .277 with 24 HR and 84 RBI.

But don't think Cordova was all power while Anderson was all about contact.

Cordova and Anderson shared an on-base percentage of .325, while Anderson bested Cordova in slugging percentage, .505 to .486.

Only 144 games were played in 1995, MLB's first season since their prolonged 1994-95 strike. Nonetheless, Cordova's Twins finished dead last in the AL Central, while Anderson's California Angels finished second in the AL West to the Seattle Mariners.

This was by far the closest AL Rookie of the Year ballot in several years, and unfortunately for Anderson and the Angels, the young California outfielder got snubbed.