Rick Reichardt

Reichardt became the highest-paid "bonus baby" in baseball history when the Angels beat out 17 other teams and signed him for a reported $200,000 in 1964. It looked like the club's gamble would pay off when the outfielder started 1966 with 16 homers and a .288 average, but his season ended after only 89 games when an illness led to the removal of a kidney in August.

It hit me last week as Mike Trout was turning a stand-up double into a head-first-slide triple against the New York Yankees, that we are looking at the most mesmerizing prospect in the Angels' 51-year history. Mind you, I've only been following the team since 1966. Ross Newhan, a semiretired Hall of Fame baseball columnist, has been chronicling the team since its 1961 inception. "I don't remember one," Newhan responded when I asked if he could remember a brighter young Halo.

Rick Reichardt, a few years older and a few pounds heavier, took a seat in the corner of the Angel dugout Sunday morning and, in the spirit of Oldtimers' Day, began to reminisce. Some of the memories of his 11-year major league career are pleasant ones. Reichardt, who played for the Angels from 1964 to 1970 and later for the Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, had seasons in which he hit as many as 21 home runs and batted as high as .300.

In an era when run-of-the-mill major league baseball players own fleets of Hummers and aging superstar pitchers command $1 million a start -- here's looking at you, Roger Clemens -- it's almost comical to learn that a reported $205,000 bonus paid to an amateur 43 years ago sent ripples through the sport. But it did.

In an era when run-of-the-mill major league baseball players own fleets of Hummers and aging superstar pitchers command $1 million a start -- here's looking at you, Roger Clemens -- it's almost comical to learn that a reported $205,000 bonus paid to an amateur 43 years ago sent ripples through the sport. But it did.

It hit me last week as Mike Trout was turning a stand-up double into a head-first-slide triple against the New York Yankees, that we are looking at the most mesmerizing prospect in the Angels' 51-year history. Mind you, I've only been following the team since 1966. Ross Newhan, a semiretired Hall of Fame baseball columnist, has been chronicling the team since its 1961 inception. "I don't remember one," Newhan responded when I asked if he could remember a brighter young Halo.

Player Years Stats Residence Joe Adcock 1964-66 .261 Coushatta, LA Sandy Alomar 1969-74 .243 Salinas Ken Aspromonte 1961 .223 Houston, TX Earl Averill 1961-62 .243 Auburn, WA Julio Becquer 1961 .000 Minneapolis,MN Bobby Bonds 1976-77 .264 San Carlos Ted Bowsfield 1961-62 .137 Seattle, WA Dean Chance 1961-66 74-66 Wooster, OH Tex Clevenger 1961 2-1 Porterville Paul Doyle 1970-72 3-0 Huntington Beach Ryne Duren 1961-62 8-21 Soughton, WI Tom Egan 1965-70, .186 Hacienda Heights 1974-75 .

At 5 feet 8, 170 pounds, Angel rookie David Eckstein doesn't have the physically imposing presence that Don Baylor did. But when Eckstein was hit by a Rick Reed pitch Saturday night, it was the 19th time Eckstein had been plugged this season, a club record that surpassed Baylor's 18 in 1978 and Rick Reichardt's 18 in 1968. It also gave Eckstein the American League rookie record. Detroit's Heinie Manush was hit 18 times in 1923.

When this week's games began in Seattle, the Angels led the major leagues in team home runs with 98. That's an average of .95 dingers per game and projects to a season total of 154. While that would be a 25% improvement over last year's 124, it would not be close to the Angels' season record, 189, hit in their first season in old Wrigley Field.

Shortstop David Eckstein doesn't need his head examined--not yet. But when he was plunked on the arm by a Kip Wells' pitch in the second inning against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, he moved into a tie for the American League lead for being hit by a pitch. Eckstein and Oakland's Frank Menechino have been hit 15 times. Nothing wrong with a leadoff batter getting on base by any means necessary, and Eckstein's on-base percentage is .361. But he denies having any premeditated thoughts.

Reichardt became the highest-paid "bonus baby" in baseball history when the Angels beat out 17 other teams and signed him for a reported $200,000 in 1964. It looked like the club's gamble would pay off when the outfielder started 1966 with 16 homers and a .288 average, but his season ended after only 89 games when an illness led to the removal of a kidney in August.

Rick Reichardt, a few years older and a few pounds heavier, took a seat in the corner of the Angel dugout Sunday morning and, in the spirit of Oldtimers' Day, began to reminisce. Some of the memories of his 11-year major league career are pleasant ones. Reichardt, who played for the Angels from 1964 to 1970 and later for the Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, had seasons in which he hit as many as 21 home runs and batted as high as .300.

Severe thunderstorms wiped out most of the opening-night schedule at the U.S. track and field championships Thursday in Indianapolis, and delayed the competition again Sunday. Carroll Stadium was evacuated each time because of lightning and heavy rain, leaving fans and competitors to take refuge in nearby parking garages and other structures. Just wondering ... when a stadium is evacuated during a track meet, do officials say, "On your marks, get set, go!"?

Left-handed starter Joe Magrane, in deference to Angel Vice President Whitey Herzog, signed Thursday with the Angels and will make his American League debut Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Magrane chose the Angels over at least half a dozen teams, including the Dodgers and New York Mets, because of his close relationship with Herzog, his former manager in St. Louis. Magrane, 6-feet-6, 235 pounds, is eligible for free agency at the end of the season.