For the first seven years of his career, establishing his Hall of Fame credentials was a part-time job for Vladimir Guerrero that ended in September. The Montreal Expos never made it to the postseason in his time with them.
In his six seasons with the Angels, though, the team has made the playoffs five times, giving Guerrero ample opportunities to add an October imprimatur to his credentials.
But Guerrero has had just one “Super Vladdy” moment in the Angels’ six playoff series since his arrival — a game-tying grand slam in the seventh inning of Game 3 during the Angels’ 2004 ALDS loss to the Boston Red Sox. In 17 postseason games since, he has one RBI and one extra-base hit, a double last year.
With free agency, this fall could be Guerrero’s last chance with the Angels to add a postseason chapter to those Hall of Fame credentials.
“First of all, I don’t know if I’m going to the Hall of Fame,” Guerrero said through an interpreter. “One thing I’m sure of is that I have a lot of baseball in front of me. Winning a championship is very important. I don’t know if I’m going to the Hall of Fame, but I don’t think one would affect the other.”
Guerrero’s career postseason numbers are far from Hall of Fame-caliber. He is a .240 (18 for 75) hitter in 20 playoff games with two extra-base hits and seven RBIs — six in that first series against the Red Sox.
“I don’t look at that. I don’t get caught up in the numbers,” Guerrero said when asked if he considered his playoff performances disappointing. “I just try to do a good job. That’s the bottom line.”
If he were so inclined, Guerrero could find a handy excuse for his poor playoff production. He has rarely been healthy at this time of year.
In 2005, it was a lingering shoulder injury (he hit .184 against the Yankees and White Sox).
In 2007, triceps tendinitis limited him to being the DH for the final month of the season and then he was drilled by a pitch in the back of the left shoulder in one of the last games of the season, leaving him in pain for the playoffs (he went 2 for 10 against the Red Sox).
Last year, Guerrero’s shaky knees were getting bad enough to convince him to have offseason surgery.
“Last year, my knee was so stiff, everyone knew how limited I was,” said Guerrero who tied for the team lead with seven hits in the four games against the Red Sox (six were singles and he had no RBIs).
This year, Guerrero said, is the healthiest he has been entering the postseason since 2004.
“In 2004, there was nothing wrong with me physically,” Guerrero said. “But it was my first time in the playoffs in the big leagues. I know that in ’04 I was trying to do too much sometimes. I’ve learned a little since then. I’ve learned to relax more.”
Manager Mike Scioscia said he would not blame Guerrero’s inability to carry his regular-season production into the postseason all on health, while conceding Guerrero had physical limitations in each of the past three postseasons.
“At times (in the playoffs), you have to take what the pitcher is giving you and that’s not always going to be a mistake you can hit 480 feet,” Scioscia said.
“I think Vlad knows he doesn’t have to be Superman, but we need that foundation in our lineup to keep that offensive continuity.
“In earlier series, he really felt confident in his ability. I think he might have tried to bite off too much.”
Limited by a torn pectoral muscle and a leg injury, he missed 56 games this season and failed to hit .300 for the first time since his nine-game big-league debut in 1996 or 25 home runs for the first time since his injury-interrupted rookie season in 1997.
If Guerrero has less to offer at this point in his career, it might come at a time when the Angels need him less than they have at any point in his time with the team.
“I think we have the potential to get very deep offensively if guys are swinging the bat the way they can,” Scioscia said to the idea of the Angels being less dependent on Guerrero heading into this postseason. “I don’t think we’re ever contingent on one guy. But if Vlad is able to swing the bat the way he can, it would do a lot for us.
“I think a healthy Vlad has the potential to be something special in the playoffs and hopefully he’s going to be there.”
