The Angels’ Father-Son Combos

Pictured above — Casey and Tom Kotchman

During the past fifty-five years, there have been countless numbers of fathers and sons (and daughters) who have enjoyed watching Angel baseball together, and this will obviously continue to be a tradition for many years to come.  But did you know that that there are three sets of fathers and sons who actually got to play baseball as members of the Angels?  Here is the rundown of these father-and-son Angel combinations:

Bob and Darren Oliver

Bob Oliver was a first baseman/third baseman/corner outfielder/designated hitter for the Angels in the early seventies.  He played in 395 games for the Halos from 1972 through 1974.  He had a .262 batting average during this time and scored 120 runs.  His son Darren was a terrific left-handed relief pitcher who appeared in 178 games for the Angels from 2007 through 2009.  He had a sparkling 1.18 WHIP and a 7.1 strikeouts per nine innings during his stint as a Halo.

Jerry and Jeff DaVannon

Jerry DaVannon played in 41 games for the 1973 Angels as a second baseman/third baseman/shortstop/designated hitter.  He hit .245 and scored six runs during those 41 games.  His son Jeff DaVannon would play in 402 games as an outfielder/designated hitter for the Angels in 1999 and during the 2001 through 2005 seasons.  Jeff hit .259 and scored 153 runs in his career as a Halo.

Chris and CJ Cron

Chris Cron played in just six games for the 1991 Angels as a first baseman/designated hitter.  He hit .133 and did not score a run.  His son CJ has played a more significant role during his time with the Angels so far.  CJ Cron has played the same two positions for the Angels as his father did, but the younger Cron has played in 250 games for the 2014-2016 Angels.  He has hit .259 and scored 87 runs during this time.

In addition to these three pairs, there have been two other significant father/son duos who have contributed to the Angel cause.

Tom and Casey Kotchman

Tom Kotchman worked for the Angels as an acclaimed minor league manager and scout from 1984 through 2012.  As a scout based in Florida, he signed future Angels Howie Kendrick, Scot Shields, and Jeff Mathis, among others.  He managed in the Angel farm system for 29 seasons, mostly at the Single-A and Rookie league level, and he compiled an overall 1476-1121 record.  His son Casey played in 351 games for the Angels as a first baseman/designated hitter from 2004-2008.  He hit .274 during this time and scored 140 runs.

Cookie and Victor Rojas

Cookie Rojas was a five-time All-Star second baseman in the 1960s and 1970s for the Phillies and Royals.  After his playing days, he worked as a coach for the Chicago Cubs and then came to work for the Angels in the 1980s.  After manager Gene Mauch told the team during spring training in 1988 that he wouldn’t be able to do the job, the Angels chose Rojas to take over as manager.  Rojas led the team to a 75-79 record before he was replaced by Moose Stubing late in the season.  Rojas found subsequent coaching jobs with the Miami Marlins, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays.  He has been doing Spanish-language broadcasts for the Marlins since 2003.  His son, Victor, has been broadcasting Angel games since the 2010 season on Fox Sports West.