Fare Thee Well, Erick Aybar

For the past 10 seasons, The Angels roster has seen quite a bit of turnover. From the subtraction by addition move that brought Vernon Wells to Southern California, to the slick maneuvering that brought Mark Teixeira to the team in 2008 to the unfortunate byproduct of bad decisions that led to Nick Adenhart becoming an angelic memory, the Angels and their fans have seen players come and go. But, for a large part of the past 10 years, there has been one certainty. On a near everyday basis, when lineup cards were filled out, Erick Aybar‘s name would be sitting next to the “SS.”

There is a lot that goes into 10 years. Marriage, kids, receding hairlines and expanding waistlines. Career decisions, demotions, promotions and false starts. We like to think of our lives as being consistent entities without much sway in any direction, but the reality is that we deal with far more upheaval than we like to admit. And, while all of that was happening, Erick Aybar kept being penciled in as the shortstop for the Los Angeles Angels. Remarkable. Let’s take a trip down amnesia lane, shall we? We have all come a long way in 10 years, so let’s see how far Erick Aybar has come.

Prospect

From 2004 through 2006, Erick Aybar was the third-best prospect in an Angels organization that, at the time, was seemingly bursting at the seams with young talent. Their infield of the future at that time was Casey Kotchman at first, Howie Kendrick at second, Aybar at short, and Brandon Wood at third. That was supposed to be their Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Addison Russell and Kris Bryant. All things being equal, it didn’t pan out that way. But, to be fair, that was how it was supposed to be.

Only Aybar and Kendrick actually became worth anything to the organization. And now with Aybar being traded, the only player on the current roster that hearkens back to those golden years is Jered Weaver. With the trade of Erick Aybar, the last glimpse of what should have been one of the most dominant infields of the last 15 years has now become less than a memory.

Full-Time Gig

In 2008, Aybar made his presence known by playing 98 games for the only Angels team to ever win 100 games in a season. In that, his age 24 season, Erick posted a slash line of .277/.314/.384, a range factor per nine innings of 4.77 while the league average was 4.33, and 15 defensive runs saved above average. He had a very good year, even if the regular season did end with him missing a month leading into the playoffs and the playoffs ended with him failing to squeeze home Reggie Willits in Game 4 of the ALDS.

The really sad part about that is that that is what people remember about Erick Aybar that year. Not that he played very well in his second full season with the Angels. Not that his defense was now the stuff of legends. Not that he was a smart player who preyed on the laziness of other players. But that he missed a damn bunt.

Gold Glove

It only took another three seasons, but voters finally got the hint that this kid out in Southern California was something else with the glove. A cannon for a right arm that had finally been harnessed, a flair for the dramatic and now he wasn’t letting easy plays swallow him up. Erick Aybar added his first piece of hardware to his mantel, and he did it while he was an Angel. We all knew that he was this good all along, but it was nice to see the establishment catch up.

All-Star

Added as an injury replacement probably sounds terrible, but, in the end, that won’t get brought up when Erick Aybar tells people that he was an All Star in 2014. It was his fourth-best season at the plate by OPS+, but at some point in his career, there weren’t many shortstops who were better than him at his job. It is just too bad that only decent picture I could find of this All Star Game also had to include Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler.

Lasting Impressions

There are only two players in franchise history who have played more than 1,000 games at shortstop for the Angels. Erick Aybar is one, the other is Jim Fregosi. His 23.8 rWAR ranks 69th (Ed. note: Nice.) among shortstops who played at least 1,000 games at the position, and from what I hear from my sources, the wad of chew in Aybar’s lip is now its own city in Orange County. Erick also left us with this enduring moment:

That was Erick Aybar’s last hit as an Angel. A home run that started a preposterous comeback against the eventual 2015 AL West champions as the Angels desperately clung to their hopes of winning a Wild Card spot. That’s what I will choose to remember while Andrelton Simmons suits up as the Angels new starting shortstop for 2016 and beyond. Because, in all honesty, I will miss everything about Erick Aybar, even his boneheadedness. He was an Angel, and he will always be an Angel.

And now, one more time for shits and giggles, Erick Aybar being attacked by bees.

Good luck in Hotlanta, Erick.