Torii Hunter was still a Minnesota Twin at the time, but even he was struck by the spate of injuries that ravaged the Angels last October against the Boston Red Sox in their American League division series.
"Garret Anderson's eye was swollen, [Gary] Matthews Jr.'s knee, Vladdy [Guerrero's] back . . . they had a lot of guys banged up," recalled Hunter, who watched the series on television.
And that's only a partial list.
First baseman Casey Kotchman spent Game 3 in an Anaheim hospital, so weak from food poisoning that he was barely able to stay awake. Reggie Willits, who finished the series as the Angels' cleanup hitter after Anderson had to leave Game 3 following one at-bat because of an eye infection, was playing with a defective gallbladder that was eventually removed over the winter.
Guerrero played with a large knot on his upper back after being hit with a pitch in Game 2, and Matthews was sidelined the entire series by a knee injury. Infielders Chone Figgins (sore left wrist) and Maicer Izturis (tight left quadriceps) also played with minor injuries.
The results were predictable. Boston outscored the Angels, 19-4, and swept them in three games. The Angels batted .192 with no home runs and held a lead in all of three innings.
"It's tough to play in the playoffs like that," Hunter said.
The Angels return to Fenway Park tonight for the first time since the postseason, bringing with them a mostly intact batting order missing only second baseman Howie Kendrick (strained left hamstring). Starting pitchers John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar are both out because of injuries as well, but the Angels say they're better equipped to play the defending World Series champions this time around.
"Obviously, we're healthier and that's first and foremost the most important thing," Matthews said.
The Angels are also a tad deeper offensively after signing Hunter to a five-year, $90-million contract in November, plopping a player capable of hitting 30-plus homers and driving in more than 100 runs into the middle of a lineup that already included sluggers Guerrero, Anderson and Matthews.
The early returns are encouraging. The team's .293 batting average is among the best in the majors, and its 20 home runs in April are already three more than it hit during the entire month last season.
Do the Angels think they now have an offense that can measure up to Boston's one-two punch of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez?
