Gary Disarcina

Pretty sure this hurt.

Why we like him: Let's face it. The only good things the Angels have ever had going for them was that they beat Barry Bonds in the 2002 World Series, and they had some of the coolest looking uniforms of the 80s and early 90s. Then they adopted the single dumbest name of any sports franchise in history, the Los Angeles Fighting Angels of the Anaheim District of the Western San Bernardino Valley Area. They have tried so hard to be cool in recent years, but they just can't pull it off. Not even with the help of that ridiculous Rally Monkey.

Two decades ago, however, the Angels had a certain quality about them that made them seem like a pretty happening franchise. Their record was never horrible but never great either. They hovered around .500 year after year like Wooderson hung around the bowling alley in Dazed and Confused. Still they featured a very good top of the rotation with lefties Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, and Jim Abbott, and they were a haven for obviously-past-their-prime stars like Dave Winfield, Lance Parrish, Tony Phillips, and Dave Parker. They were also quietly churning out quality prospects like Tim Salmon, Damion Easley, Chad Curtis, and, of course, Gary Disarcina on a fairly regular basis.

Coming out of UMass in 1988, Gary Disarcina was never the caliber of prospect that teammates Tim Salmon or even Chad Curtis were, but he was a dependable shortstop with a decent bat for the majority of his 12 seasons in the majors. After his first five seasons of struggles and inconsistent play, Disarcina began to find his groove at the plate, posting a .260 average in 1994.  For the 1995 season, he batted .307 and earned his only All Star appearance and even finished 19th in MVP voting despite playing in just 99 games of the slightly shortened season. Despite some pretty ugly numbers early on, he finished his career with a respectable .258 average. He also led the American League in both assists and errors by a shortstop in 1992.

After retiring at the end 2000 season after batting .395 in just 12 games, Disarcina went back home to New England where he became a broadcast analyst for the Red Sox. He also served as third base coach for the 2006 Italian World Baseball Classic team because of, I assume, his last name. So what was Gary Disarcina's appeal? I really don't know, apart from having a name that was just fun to say. I do have to give him a heaping helping of praise, however, for his loyalty to the Angels. He played every year of his 12-year career for the club. Then again, who wouldn't like to spend 12 years in California?

Ladies and gentlemen, Gary Disarcina, Ballplayer.