Always an Angel: Playing the Game with Fire and Faith

Professional baseball player Tim Salmon opens up about his hardships growing up and how a grandmother's faith set the stage for his remarkable career with the Angels, a team with an ingrained culture of losing that became one of baseball's elite teams by the time he retired. 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 he discusses the players who provided comic relief, including Rex Hudler diving through the post game spread with nothing on but his cleats. 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.