Always an Angel (Hardcover)

From the Publisher: Now, for the first time, Tim Salmon opens up about his hardships growing up and how a grandmother's faith set the stage for his remarkable career. When he became an Angel in 1992, the team had an ingrained culture of losing; by the time he retired, they were one of baseball's elite teams. Salmon recalls the exploits of teammates Garret Anderson, Chili Davis, Chuck Finley, and Jim Abbott, who symbolized the grit and spirit of a team struggling for an identity.And the players who provided comic relief, including Rex Hudler, diving through the postgame spread with nothing on but his cleats, and Jim Leyritz, circling the bases with his zipper undone, his silver cup flashing in the sunlight. As eyewitness to some of baseball's all-time greatest moments, Salmon poignantly recalls Cal Ripken Jr.'s legendary streak of 2,132 consecutive games from a fresh perspective. Also included are accounts of his classic confrontations with fearsome pitchers Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, and Roger Clemens.