Efren Navarro: the Angels’ latest outfielder-cult hero

For reasons that I have never fully grasped, Angels fans have a unique way of glomming onto an unheralded reserve outfielder and turning him into something of a cult hero among the fan base. The newest entry into this long lineage is non-prospect-first-baseman-turned-reserve-outfielder-fan-favorite (sorry, internet, I think I just used up the entire supply of hyphens), Efren Navarro.

Why has Efren captured the hearts of fans? I don’t really know. I don’t even know why predecessors like J.B. Shuck and Orlando Palmeiro have been so popular. That really leaves me no choice but to investigate.

J.B. Shuck
Distinguishing characteristics:

• Never a top prospect
• Undersized (not really, he’s 5’11 and 195 pounds, but people think he is undersized)
• Fast (sort of, he doesn’t really steal bases)
• Gritty
• White
• Goofy name (so many fun things rhyme with Shuck!)
• Made highlight reel catch (sort of, it was overrated, but it covered up the fact that he’s a terrible defensive outfielder)
• Good rookie season

Reggie Willits
Distinguishing characteristics:

• Never a top prospect
• Homegrown talent
• Undersized
• Fast
• Gritty
• White
• Ridiculous lip snarl while at-bat, despite being the opposite of intimidating due to his total lack of power
• High socks
• Literally lived in a batting cage
• Goofy name (on name alone, everyone assumed he was black until he got called up and everyone saw him)
• Good rookie season

Tommy Murphy
Distinguishing characteristics:

• Never a top prospect (sort of, he was a third round pick)
• Homegrown talent
• Small-ish
• Fast
• Gritty
• White
• High socks
• Fun nickname (“Happy,” at least according to Rex Hudler)

Jeff DaVanon
Distinguishing characteristics:

• Never a top prospect
• Fast
• Gritty
• White
• Wore a double-earflap helmet
• High socks
• Kind of DERPy
• Hit three homers in a game
• Good rookie season

Orlando Palmeiro
Distinguishing characteristics:

• Never a top prospect
• Homegrown talent
• Undersized
• Fast-ish
• Gritty
• Fun name (Orlando is unique and it rhymes well with Palmeiro)
• 80-grade DADHAT
• Good rookie season

The list goes on and on, but that at least covers the entirety of the 21st century. Compiling the results, far it seems that to be a cult hero outfielder one must tick off most of the following checkboxes:

• Never a top prospect
• Homegrown talent
• Undersized
• Fast
• White
• Gritty
• Goofy name or nickname
• Quirky appearance or personality
• Good rookie season
• One or more memorable highlight/achievement

So where does Efren fit into this?

• Never a top prospect? CHECK! 50th round draft pick.
• Homegrown talent? CHECK!
• Undersized? NOPE.
• Fast? NOPE. Not even a little bit.
• White? NOPE. But he is Mexican, which is almost as good for the Southern California fanbase.
• Gritty? CHECK! Probably. This is non-quantifiable and based entirely on media narrative.
• Goofy name or nickname? CHECK! C’mon, his name is “Efren.”
• Quirky appearance or personality? NOPE.
• At least one good season? INCOMPLETE. But so far so good.
• One or more memorable highlight/achievement? CHECK! Two game-winning hits in one week. I’m not sure if those memories will hold up long-term, but they are good enough for now.

So Efren meets six of the ten requirements. That’s a “D” average and that’s good enough for Angels fans. Welcome to the Cult Hero Outfielder Club, Efren! May your membership last longer than Tommy Murphy’s.