Josh Hamilton

2012 Stats: 148 Games, .285 BA, 43 HRs, 128 RBIs & .930 OPS

Josh Hamilton signed a 5 year contract with the Los Angeles Angels worth $125 million. Last off-season the Angels signed Albert Pujols & C.J. Wilson and the signing of Hamilton should help the team immensely. Hamilton will play in an outfield that includes Rookie of the Year Mike Trout and Peter Bourjos. If Hamilton repeats his homerun and hits numbers this year he will reach the milestones of 200 HRs and 1,000 Hits.

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Zack Greinke

2012 Stats: 34 Games, W-L: 15-5, 3.48 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 200 Ks

The top free-agent pitcher Zack Greinke signed a 6 year contract worth $147 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2012 Greinke started the season with the Milwaukee Brewers and finished it with the Los Angeles Angels. Greinke is 9 career wins away from 100 and has a strikeout-walk ratio of 3.5. In 2009 he won the Cy Young Award while leading the AL in ERA and WHIP. Greinke joins a rotation which includes Clayton Kershaw, Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley. The Dodgers are definitely going "all-in" and expect to see them playing in October.

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Dan Haren

2012 Stats: 30 Games, W-L: 12-13, 4.33 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 142 Ks

The Washington Nationals signed Dan Haren to a 1 year deal worth $13 million. Haren will join a rotation that already includes Stephen Strasberg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Ross Detwiler which helped lead the Nationals to the AL East title. Haren's 2012 numbers may not seem too good, but he will bring a veteran presence to a very young rotation. Look for Haren to have more wins and a lower ERA in 2013 and maybe even lead the Nationals back to the playoffs for a second straight season.

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This Day in Sports History - 10/26/2002

In Game 6 of the World Series, the Anaheim Angels come from behind to defeat the San Francisco Giants, 6 - 5, in Anaheim. The Giants, who haven't won a World Series since moving to San Francisco in 1958, come into the game with a 3 - 2 lead in the Series. Russ Ortiz shuts out the Angels for six innings and holds a 5 - 0 lead before giving up two singles in the seventh. In the eighth, Tim Worrell surrenders a leadoff homer to Darrin Erstad, and the score is 5 - 4. After a pair of singles, Rob Nen comes in from the bullpen, and Troy Glaus belts a two-run double to put the Angels ahead. Troy Percival records the save with a perfect ninth. In Game 7, the Giants go down 4 - 1, and the Angels have their first world championship in franchise history.

This Day in Sports History - 10/10/1982

The California Angels lose the fifth and deciding game of the ALCS, 4 - 3, to the Brewers at County Stadium in Milwaukee. The Angels won the first two games in Anaheim before dropping games 3 & 4 by scores of 5 - 3 and 9 - 5. In game 5, the Angels lead 3 - 2 in the seventh with two out, the bases loaded, and left-handed-batting first baseman Cecil Cooper at the plate. Angels manager Gene Mauch decides to stick with right-handed pitcher Luis Sanchez instead of bringing in lefty Andy Hassler who is warming up in the bullpen. Cooper delivers a two-run single for a 4 - 3 lead. The Angels have the tying run on second base with one out in the ninth, but reliever Bob McClure retires the final three batters to give the Brewers their first World Series berth. Milwaukee will lose the Series in seven games to the Cardinals.

C.J. Wilson

Besides for Albert Pujols the Angels signed C.J. Wilson. Wilson joins Ervin Santana, Dan Haren & Jered Weaver in a very good rotation. Wilson started his career as a reliever and has only been a starter for the last two seasons in which he started a total of 73 games. His two seasons as a starter he ranked in the top 10 in Batting Average Against & E.R.A. Wilson hopes that he'll be pitching in the World Series for the third consecutive season.

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Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols signed with the Angels on a 10 year contract. Pujols is regarded as the best right-handed hitter of this generation and possibly of all-time. He had been with the Cardinals since 2001. Pujols is a 3-time MVP & 2-time Gold Glove winner. This past season Pujols batted .299 with 37 HRs & 99 RBIs, which is the first timke in his career that he batted under .300 and had less than 100 RBIs. He is at 445 career HRs and can reach the All-Time record by the time the contract is done.

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