Hunter is a treasure in center field

Torii Hunter in Angels red? Torii Hunter mashing homers, snatching liners, hustling around the bases and bringing some high-kilowatt spark to a low-key clubhouse?

Wow. Nice move.

Hunter will be Orange County's new center fielder for $90 million over five years. Not chump change, but by bringing this superb performer into the fold, the Angels have nudged a whole lot closer to their World Series dreams.

If you haven't been paying attention to Torii Hunter, then you've been missing out. He is everything a baseball player should be, particularly in an era when the game needs to sell itself to a younger generation looking for more sizzle.

The Angels wanted a heavy new bat. They got it.

Granted, Hunter doesn't bring monster power to Anaheim. But with him in the line-up, other teams won't be able to dink their way around Vladimir Guerrero, who has been the straw that stirs the drink. If they try, they'll have to deal with Hunter, an RBI machine who hit 31 homers two years ago and 28 last year.

Of course, there's much more to Hunter than his bat. Here's a guy who fits right in with the Angels' philosophy: slash at opposing teams with swift-boat speed. Hunter will pilfer plenty of bases. He'll hit line drives, and he'll scramble from first to third and rarely get caught.

Angels fans, I know it's the day after Thanksgiving and you're stuffed, but you should be licking your chops.

Close your eyes and imagine this guy in your outfield. There is a reason Hunter is a seven-time Gold Glove winner. Picture Boston in town. Those Red Sox fans and their incessant "Let's go, Red Sox" are making you nuts. Suddenly, Manny Ramirez drives a ball deep into center field.

There it goes, another Manny home run.

Wait, what's that?

It's Torii Hunter flying high above the center-field wall, arm stretched, glove wide.

Home run stolen.

"Let's go, Red Sox"? Put a sock in it.

Then there's Hunter the person. In Minneapolis, fans are in mourning. They know they've just lost a guy who has gone flat out for them for nearly a decade -- on the field and in the community.

Hunter is known as a mensch. And he's a spark plug. The Angels are a good group of guys who seem to get along, but their clubhouse feels a little calm. They need some crackle, someone to lighten the moment and generate some spirit to repeat their 2002 World Series run.

Hunter's personality is going to help.