ANAHEIM, Calif. — Torii Hunter seems to have rediscovered his comfort zone.
The perennial Gold Glove center fielder is having one of his best offensive seasons to help the Los Angeles Angels stay afloat while they struggle to stitch together a starting rotation that has been hampered by a rash of injuries and heartbreak.
“I think production is obviously going to come and go, but at a time when we needed it the most he’s been leading the charge,” Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia said. “What Torii’s brought to us, particularly on the offensive end, has been keeping our heads above water for the first couple of months.”
Hunter was hitting .309 with 56 RBI, 22 fewer than he had all of last season, his first in Orange County after the longtime Twin became a free agent and felt slighted by Minnesota’s three-year offer.
“Out of 10 teams, the Twins offered the least. That’s my home town, that’s my home city — I grew up with those guys,” said Hunter, who started his career in the Twins’ organization in 1993 and made his mark in the major leagues by roaming the Metrodome’s outfield from 1999-2007.
Hunter left Minnesota among the franchise’s top 10 in seven offensive categories. In his last season there, he batted .287 with 28 homers and 107 RBI.
“For them to offer me a three-year deal was kind of like a slap in the face to be honest with you, but I always said I wanted to play with the Angels,” he said. “They called me last minute and I took it in a heartbeat. I’m having a great time.”
The Angels are lucky to have him.
Los Angeles is atop the AL West, a half-game ahead of the Texas Rangers. Thye lead the division despite having yet to fully benefit from the services of Kelvim Escobar, an 18-game winner in 2007 who had offseason shoulder surgery, and Ervin Santana, a 2008 All-Star who opened the season on the disabled list with a sprained ligament in his throwing elbow.
After missing the first six weeks with a strained right forearm, starter John Lackey has had an up-and-down season since returning in mid-May. Mix in the tragic death of rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, who died on April 9 after he was killed in a traffic collision with a suspected drunken driver, and the Angels already have shown resiliency in a difficult season.
Hunter, whose ebullient smile rarely dims, has been a key.
“There’s a lot to smile about,” locker neighbor Gary Matthews Jr. said. “He hasn’t changed just because he’s having a good year. He’s been consistent. At this point, he’s got an opportunity to create a legacy. Whether he admits it or not, I think it kind of drives him.”
Hunter, fourth among AL outfielders in All-Star balloting, disagrees.
“They can mention that all they want, it’s premature,” said Hunter, who has won eight Gold Glove awards. “All I want is a World Series ring. That’s all I want. It’d be nice for a collection for the future, but that ring is more important than any of that.”
And he thinks he can get it with the Angels. So far, he’s giving many a reason to believe it could happen.
Los Angeles has been on a tear since mid-June, going 7-3. Hunter, who went 11 for 38 with four home runs and 10RBIs during the stretch, attributes his offensive success this season to new addition Bobby Abreu.
Abreu, signed as a free agent during the offseason, bats ahead of Hunter in the lineup.
“Just watching him have those seven pitch at-bats, the patience,” Hunter said. “He always tells me ‘They don’t give you nothing, don’t swing.’ I’ve been hearing that for so many years, but I didn’t listen. Watching somebody do that has made me better. Bobby Abreu can make a whole team better, he lives on base.”
Of course, Hunter has shown his teammates a thing or two about defense.
“This guy’s been a gold glove center fielder since the first day he stepped out there playing his first game and he’s continued to do that,” Scioscia said. “I’d hate to see where we would be without Torii.”
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