Andres Galarraga
The Big Cat
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=114526
03/06/05 12:53 PM ET
This cat has plenty of lives left
Galarraga hoping to reach 400-homer mark with Mets
By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com
"Baseball is in my blood, and it motivates me," said Galarraga, who will be 44 in June. "For me, it helped save me. If you have cancer and you don't play baseball or a sport or anything like that, be motivated by your family, your kids, or something you like to do to beat it. Baseball is my big reason why I am here today."
"Here" for Galarraga is in Mets camp, as a minor league free agent, who is trying to earn a spot on the big league club and is competing with Doug Mientkiewicz for playing time at first base.
"My goal is to show I am healthy and I can help this team," Galarraga said. "We have a good team, and I want to be part of it."
Galarraga remains jovial, as always, and, for such a really big man -- probably bigger than ever, standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing a hefty 265 pounds -- he still shows signs of the nimbleness at first base that earned him the nickname "Big Cat." And yes, he can still hit.
Galarraga is one home run shy of joining the 400-home-run club, and his displays of power during batting practice are a sight to behold for more than nostalgic reasons. With almost 20 years of big league experience, he mentors the Latin players, but the bilingual Galarraga can also share his knowledge in English.
But the Mets did not bring in Galarraga to be a coach -- yet. The organization brought him to camp to see if he can still play.
"I hope he has a great spring to give him a chance to make the club," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "He has tremendous respect from his peers. He has been there, and he can teach and can motivate, and he can still hit. Andres has got a chance. Nobody has secured a job yet. Competition is what Spring Training is about, and Andres is competitive. He's in the mix."
Mets general manager Omar Minaya's history with Galarraga goes back to the days when both worked in Montreal. Minaya said he has witnessed firsthand the positive effects of having the slugging first baseman around, both on the field and off. But like Randolph, Minaya, though encouraged by what he sees, is not offering the veteran a free pass to the 25-man roster.
Galarraga, like everybody else, is going to have to earn it.
"First of all, I think he can be a productive offensive player, and he has always played good defense," Minaya said. "That said, what he brings as a person to the club is invaluable. When Vladimir [Guerrero] almost had the 40-40 year in Montreal [in 2002], I think Andres had a lot to do with that. Vladdy went off last September for Anaheim, when they brought up Andres. Think about that. To me, there are players that make other guys better, and Andres is one of those. I call him the extra coach. He is also a guy who has been sick, so with him, it is day-to-day."
Galarraga's health history is not a subject the player shies away from, and it never has been. He grimaces when he mentions missing the entire 1999 season while with Atlanta after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the six months of treatment, including chemotherapy, he endured. He returned in 2000 for three seasons, but in the winter of 2003, the cancer returned. Galarraga had surgery that November and underwent a stem cell transplant in February of 2004.
"When they told me it came back for a second time, it was easier because I had beat it before, and I knew how to do it," Galarraga said. "I was not scared. It was the opposite; I was more motivated to play again. I am going to end my career the way I want to, not because of cancer." "
His actions spoke louder than his words.
Anaheim signed Galarraga to a minor league deal last August, and he joined the Angels just more than a month later after hitting .304 with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 25 games at Triple-A. He played in seven games for the Angels, including one start, and delivered a pinch-hit home run, the 399th of his career, on Oct. 1.
"I have to thank Anaheim for the opportunity they gave me after coming back from cancer," he said. "I am very grateful to that organization. They gave me a chance for me to see if I could still do it and if I had the desire to keep on playing."
Galarraga feels he can still play, but whether he breaks camp with the Mets as the starter at first base, the backup, or in Triple-A, the outcome will have little effect upon his legacy in Venezuela. He is the all-time leader for Venezuelan-born players in home runs and RBIs and has been one of the country's most popular players since he made his big league debut with the Expos in 1985. The former star at Enrique Fermi High School in Caracas, who signed with Montreal in 1979, said he does not know when he is going to retire, even though he could have hung up his cleats years ago.
"Let me tell you something, if he runs for president of Venezuela, he is going to win," said Mets second baseman Miguel Cairo, also from Venezuela. "He's an idol, a Venezuelan idol that all kids want to be like. All the things he has gone through, his personality, his family and everything is a great example for the people in our country."
For his part, the five-time All-Star smiles that famous smile when he thinks of Venezuela, his fans, and the positive impact he has had upon lives during his career. He accepts the responsibilities that come with being a baseball player and a cancer survivor, and said he would not change a thing.
"You will get your life back from cancer," Galarraga said. "It's hard when you lose your hair and you're sick and you are throwing up. It's hard to stay positive when people start looking at you different and start treating you different, but you can overcome it. That's why I am here, and others can do it, too."
Now comes the part he lives for -- playing baseball.
Jesse Sanchez is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Returning to an old haunt put a spring back in the Big Cat's legs.
Andres Galarraga, trying to earn a spot on the New York Mets' bench, got his first two hits of the spring Sunday as a Mets split-squad battled his former Braves teammates.
Galarraga led off the second inning with a broken-bat, opposite-field single off John Smoltz, who was making the first start of his return to Atlanta's rotation.
The only thing Galarraga threated to break in the fourth was the cooler of a fan sitting on the lawn beyond the left-field fence: He lined a home run off Zack Miner to get the Mets on the scoreboard.
When Galarraga, who had entered the game 0-for-3 in exhibition play, whipped his wrists through Miner's pitch, left fielder Brian Jordan didn't even bother to make a move after the drive.
Galarraga sprinted around the bases like a 22-year-old trying to outrace a relay from the outfield -- not a 43-year-old in a match race with Father Time.
He obviously was elated to be able to show his best to former Braves teammates who had greeted him warmly. Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones were among those who came up to Galarraga while the Mets loosened up before batting practice, giving him warm hugs.
Galarraga spent the 1998 and 2000 seasons in Atlanta. He sat out 1999 after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
He went 2-for-3 in Sunday's game, striking out in his last at-bat. Hoping to land a job as a pinch-hitter and backup to first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, Galarraga is batting .333 (2-for-6) this spring.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Andres Galarraga made a big splash during the Rockies inaugural campaign and revived his career, winning the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Galarraga, who signed with Colorado as a free agent prior to the 1993 season, was one of the first Rockies to take advantage of the thin, dry air of Denver. The Big Cat hit .370 in his first year with the Rockies to take the National League batting crown and was the Rockies' first representative in an All-Star Game. Throughout his career he was known for his monster shots, including a 500-plus foot homer in Florida. After leaving Colorado for Atlanta, he took 1999 off to fight non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He overcame the cancer and returned in 2000 and was again an All-Star, this time with the Braves.
He's a gamer.
Galarraga, still nursing a tender right calf strain, got a well-deserved day off Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals after yeoman duty at first base the past 10 games filling in for starter J.T. Snow, out with a left groin strain.
Andres Galarraga / 1B |
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The ageless Galarraga was hurting, always cautious he could aggravate his leg injury, especially running the bases, but he stoically went about his business, playing well defensively if struggling a bit at the plate, hitting only .167 over the Giants' homestand.
He did get two singles and scored a run in the Giants' 8-7 comeback victory over the Oakland A's over the weekend, yet more importantly he filled a big gap in the infield.
"I still feel it a little bit," said Galarraga of his calf. "You're never 100 percent, but I don't have time to be on the disabled list. I'd play if I had one hand and one leg. The past week I just had to forget about the calf and the cramp I had."
Galarraga, who suffered from flu-like symptoms then strained the calf against the Chicago White Sox while hitting and then running out a double, played fairly cautiously during his recent stint but laughed, "I'm not a fast runner anyway, so that helped me."
Manager Felipe Alou put hot-hitting Pedro Feliz at first in the opener of the four-game series in place of Galarraga for a variety of reasons, including the lengthy flight to St. Louis, his aching calf and the fact he's played every day for the past week and a half.
Galarraga had played 13 straight games due to the left groin strain of first sacker J.T. Snow, who was activated prior to Thursday's contest -- and was promptly plunked on the right leg in his first at-bat. He's been hit by a pitch six times this season, second highest to Bonds with seven.
Andres Galarraga hit a pinch-hit homer in the eighth, the 393rd of his career and fourth pinch-hit homer.
Andres Galarraga is seven homers shy of the 400 mark for his career after a pinch-hit homer Tuesday.
Homer happy: Andres Galarraga is always happy -- happy to be here, happy to be playing well and delighted to still be smacking the ball out of the yard.
Galarraga smoked career homer No. 393 on Tuesday against St. Louis, his seventh of the season.
His long-standing goal is to reach 400 homers, and he feels he could make it this year.
"It's like batting .299 compared with .300," he said of attaining the magic number. "It's great motivation for me to get 400 home runs. I'm so close and I think I can do it. It keeps me strong. I don't want to fall short -- I want to do it fast."
Wilson's four RBIs not only put him in the NL lead with 83, but put him one behind the Rockies record for RBIs by the All-Star break -- set by current Giant Andres Galarraga in 1997
Ramirez's grand slam in Game 4 was the seventh in NLCS history. It came five years to the day after the last one, by Andres Galarraga of Atlanta. Ramirez also became the seventh player in NLCS history to have four RBIs in an inning, with Galarraga the last to do it in the seventh inning of that 1998 series.
Snow was told by reporters that he would probably not start Friday's critical -- well, they are all monumental -- Game 3 of the National League Division Series against Florida at Pro Player Stadium with the teams deadlocked 1-1.
Manager Felipe Alou said almost casually in an earlier press conference on Thursday, prior to the Giants' off-day workout, that he was "thinking" about putting old pro Andres Galarraga in the lineup.
"In this ballpark," said Alou, "Galarraga hit a few bombs. I'll give him a shot at hitting another one, if possible."
The 42-year-old Galarraga often replaced Snow in the regular season, with the Big Cat playing in 110 games and batting .301 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs while making only three errors at first.
Snow, dogged by groin strains that put him on the disabled list, batted .273 in 103 games with eight homers and 51 RBIs -- a solid year, considering the veteran was rarely 100 percent.
But the fact that Alou hadn't told Snow that he might sit this one out was definitely unsettling to the man who has starred in San Francisco since 1997.
As Snow was getting dressed, he kicked a folding chair out of the way and sent it sprawling. "You'd like to be told," said the 35-year-old Gold Glove winner. "Whatever. You do want the truth, but I guess he could change his mind. The manager's job is to put the best lineup out there that night, giving him the best chance of winning -- that's obviously what ..."
It wasn't etched in stone yet, it was mentioned. Alou could keep Snow in the game.
"I don't know. I guess we'll see tomorrow," said Snow, 1-for-9 in the first two games. "You'd like to know before you leave the ballpark that day [if] you're going to play or not going to play. You don't want to be sitting in the hotel at night wondering if you're going to play tomorrow. You know.
"You do want to be in there," added Snow, a fierce competitor who detests days off. "I did it last year, played every day and had success. But this year was different. You gotta go with what brought you here. If I don't start, I'll be ready if called upon."
Alou said afterward that he was still leaning toward Galarraga for Friday's contest. "This is the kind of ballpark that is inviting for a guy like Galarraga. I might give Galarraga a shot. I haven't written the lineup yet ... we do face two lefties coming up, and I'm going to give at least one of them to Galarraga."
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Notes: Galarraga hopeful
08/26/2003
Only five bashes shy, the Giants first baseman will try -- he has vowed -- to let the homers come naturally, without attempting to hit them on purpose.
The strategy has worked so far, the big man blasting nine homers this season while hitting a hefty .301. But his mindset will be different here in the wispy-thin, mile-high Colorado atmosphere.
The air, almost like helium, is said to be great for birds, who can fly a mile or so on only a few wing flaps, and that balls rocket out of here on bouyant oxygen molecules, seemingly defying gravity.
"He might have 450 homers already if he hadn't missed [1999] with cancer," said manager Felipe Alou. "Maybe he'll get a couple here. I'd love to see him hit two, three or four here.
"If he doesn't get 400 this year, he might get it the next," added Alou. "I'd like for him to reach that mark because he's such a nice man. I'm being selfish -- I signed him to his first pro contract."
Galarraga had some of his finest seasons with the Rockies in the '90s, hitting 47 homers in 1996.
"I have some good memories here and had the best five years of my career here," said the 42-year-old Galarraga. "It would be great to hit some homers here. It's in my head all the time, but I won't try to think of it too much.
"I have to be patient, but no doubt the air is good here," laughed Galarraga. "I have to let it happen. I do feel good and strong. It's on my mind all the time to get 400 homers. But I won't put any pressure on myself to hit it hard."
Alou says Galarraga begins to struggle offensively after four or five straight games of competition, and the 18-year player has played regularly with J.T. Snow out of the lineup with a left groin strain.
The manager hopes to play Galarraga all three games against the Rockies but might rest him on Thursday's day game.
"He does need to be managed carefully," said Alou. "He had a good game last Friday [three singles vs. Florida] but had a tough time the past two games [0-for-7]. He has been effective, but if we play him for a lengthy period his bat gets slow."
Uno mas, por favor: Andres Galarraga was still beaming Saturday morning, about 12 hours after he hit the 399th home run of his 18-year Major League career in a pinch-hitting situation in the ninth inning.
Galarraga, 43, came back to baseball after two battles with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in part to prove he was healthy but also to become the 37th player in big league history to reach the coveted 400-homer mark.
The "Big Cat" had only six at-bats for the Angels in six games since making his way back to The Show via the minor leagues, and he said he's tried to make those at-bats count. In addition to the homer, he has two singles and an RBI.
"I'm just trying to make a hard swing, make hard contact," Galarraga said. "When I try to hit a home run, I'm the worst, so I'm just trying to hit it hard somewhere."
Galarraga was well aware of the fact that he might get a few more chances at No. 400 if the Angels won Saturday's game and clinched a playoff spot, rendering Sunday's game relatively unimportant.
"That would be great," Galarraga said. "To win, go to the playoffs, and get the home run. It's possible."
10/02/2004
OAKLAND -- For the Angels, the complex math needed to break down the American League West is all of a sudden quite simple: One big one down, one huge one to go.
Faced with the tough task of winning two of three games on the road to capture their first division title in 18 years, the Angels kicked the door down Friday night with a 10-0 rout of the Oakland A's.
They watched their ace, Bartolo Colon, silence the A's and their sellout crowd of 47,081at Network Associates Coliseum.
They pounded A's ace Mark Mulder into historic submission.
They got a ridiculously rare grand slam from light-hitting Alfredo Amezaga.
And to top it all off, they got an emotional pinch-hit home run by 43-year-old, two-time cancer survivor Andres Galarraga, the first of the season for the "Big Cat" and the 399th of his storied career.
09/21/2004
Big Cat starts: The Angels decided to give slumping first baseman Darin Erstad a day to collect his thoughts, which paved the way for 18-year veteran Andres Galarraga's first start as an Angel and first start since he came back from baseball after a second bout with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Galarraga, 43, last started a game Sept. 27, 2003, while with the San Francisco Giants. He came back to baseball this year to try to reach the career 400-homer mark and is sitting at 398.
Galarraga beamed while talking about his first start since being called up by the Angels on Sept. 1. He was asked immediately if he would try to hit both historic homers in the first game.
"That'd be great," he said with a laugh. "But seriously, I just want to make hard contact somewhere. I hope I can hit at least one -- for me and the team."
Reed was on first base in the fifth inning with a leadoff single when Angels catcher Josh Paul attempted to pick off Reed. The throw was wide and Gallaraga, known as the Big Cat, had to dive to his right and make a backhanded catch to prevent the ball from going into right field.
Gallaraga got to his feet and pointed to right field.
"I was hoping he might believe me when I said, 'The ball is over there!' " Galarraga said before Wednesday night's game. "But he was looking at me like he knew I had the ball."
"We had a good laugh out of it."
The affable Galarraga said that play actually has worked a couple of times during his long career, but he couldn't remember any details.
Mariners manager Bob Melvin said he got a chuckle out of the play.
"Talk about a guy who loves to have fun. [Galarraga] has an effervescent personality and loves being out there," Melvin said. "We were laughing and Reed was aware that [Galarraga] had the ball. He never was in jeopardy of being fooled."
Reed wasn't about to be tricked into doing anything foolish.
"He tried to trick me by pointing," Reed said, "but I knew he had the ball. When he knew I knew, we both started laughing. It was pretty funny, really -- an inside part of the game that fans usually don't get to see."
Big Cat strut: Andres Galarraga continued to impress the Angels with his play since he signed a minor-league deal last week and began occupying the DH slot for Salt Lake. Galarraga, the 43-year-old veteran of 18 Major League seasons, went 3-for-4 in Salt Lake's loss to Iowa on Wednesday night and is batting .357 in seven games for the Stingers.
"Andres is showing that he's still got something left," Scioscia said.
On this day (8/24): In 1985, first baseman Andres Galarraga collected his first Major League hit off Dodgers left-hander Rick Honeycutt. Galarraga would go on to collect 2,330 hits, 398 of them home runs, during his 18 years in the big leagues.
Thoughts of the Big Cat: It was revealed publicly this week that Andres Galarraga, who won an NL batting title with the expansion Rockies in 1993, has been battling a return of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that kept him out for the entire 1999 season.
"I think it's a situation where a lot of us internally have been well aware of for a period of time, but it wasn't up to me to speak upon it," Hurdle said. "We just wish him well, hope for a complete recovery, and maybe and opportunity for him to play again. I hope he has a lot of life in front of him. He's got a lot of family to take care of."
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Al llegar al camerino del equipo visitante de Fenway Park en Boston, la estrella venezolana no podía ocultar esa espléndida sonrisa que lo ha identificado por 19 años en las Grandes Ligas.
Sus nuevos compañeros venezolanos, los lanzadores Kelvim Escobar y Francisco Rodríguez estaban sumamente felices al ver esa cara tán reconocida no solamente por ellos, sino por toda una nación venezolana.
"Estoy muy emocionado por ver que Andrés se une a nosotros para la recta finál, no solo porque sea venezolano, pero también por su experiencia, y porque es un gran pelotero. Estoy siguiendo su carrera desde que yo era muy joven. Nos puede ayudar muchísimo aquí al final de la campaña a nuestra meta de llegar a los playoffs.", me confesó el lanzador Escobar.
Galarraga, de 43 años de edad, continúa siendo un gran ejemplo de perseverancia, amor a la vida, al béisbol, y a su família.
En dos ocasiones ha tenido que tomar una páusa a su adorada carrera de beisbolista debido al cancer. Ha padecido de 'Lymphoma', y originalmente fué diagnosticado en el 1999, cuando tuvo que perder toda la campaña. Luego, el pasado mes de noviembre, luego de un examen comenzó a ser tratado otra véz.
"Estoy muy contento de regresar a las Grandes Ligas, y muy agradecido de que los Angels me hayan brindado esta oportunidad, pero primero tenía que asegurarme de que mi cuerpo estaba en buena condición y libre del cancer", dijo Galarraga. "Además me faltan solo 2 cuadrangulares para llegar a 400 en mi carrera, y quisiera lograr esa cifra".
El popular "Gato", hombre corpulento, ya ha dado muestras de ese sensacional poder que lo ha caracterizado por tantos años en la Gran Carpa, pegando batazos descomunales en las prácticas de bateo, y también exhibiendo su atleticismo mientras practica su fildeo en primera base antes de los juegos.
La temporada pasada militó con los Gigantes de San Francisco, bateando .301, con 12 cuadrangulares y 42 carreras remolcadas en rol limitado.
Comenzó su carrera con los Expos de Montreal, ciudad donde sigue siendo muy popular, pero sus mejores años vinieron con los Rockies de Colorado, donde junto al jardinero Dante Bichette y al mexicano tercera base Vinny Castilla formaba parte de una artillería pesada que por mucho tiempo va a ser recordada en Denver.
Con ésta, es la segunda véz que pasa por la Liga Americana, ya que jugó con Texas en el 2001. Con los Angels reconoce que va a tener un papel limitado, que se basará más en la necesidad de un bateador emergente derecho para el dirigente Mike Scioscia, quien dice que, "estamos conscientes de la capacidad de Andrés, y sé que nos puede ayudar, es un bateador de muchísima experiéncia que sabe lo que es estar peleando por un lugar para los playoffs. No sé cuantas oportunidades tendrá, ya que tenemos una alineación establecida, y los bateadores están produciendo, y en primera base tenemos a Darin Erstad teniendo un brillante año, pero es bueno saber que Andrés es un verdadero profesional y que siempre será una influencia positiva en nuestros jugadores jóvenes".
Andrés no solamente está dedicado a continuar su carrera en el deporte, sino que además está dedicado a enviar un mensaje positivo a aquellos que han padecido ó padecen de cancer.
"Estoy promoviendo en my página de Internet, WWW.BIGCAT14.COM, la venta de un video, y esos fondos serán donados a causas benéficas y para ayudar en la busca de una cura para la enfermedad. Me siento muy afortunado de que mi cuerpo, otra véz está libre de la enfermedad, y le doy grácias a Diós por utilizarme para representar y ser un símbolo de esperanza para tantos que sufren."
(The following is a rough translation by a friend of mine (thank you, Alice!) of the above article.)
(Title)-- "Cat" .. Now "Angel" , (Picture subheading)-- Andres Galarraga, only lacks two home runs to arrive at 400.
Andres "The Cat" Galarraga returned to the Big
Leagues after it's brief and successful passage by Salt Lake City, Triple branch
to Los Angeles.
When arriving at the (visitor's?) dressing room of the
equipment of Fenway Park in Boston, the Venezuelan star could not hide that
splendid smile that has identified him for 19 years in the Big Leagues.
Their new Venezuelan companions, Kelvim Escobar and Francisco
Rodriguez were extremely happy when seeing that tan face, recognized not only by
them, but by all the Venezuelan nation.
"I am very moved to see that Andres is united to us for
the straight line final, (non single) because he is Venezuelan, but also by his
experience and because he is a great ball player. I am following his race since
I was very young. It can help very many at the end of the campaign to the goal
to arrive here at playoffs.", confessed Escobar.
Galarraga, 43 years old, continues being a great example of perseverance,
love of life, baseball, and his family.
In two occasions he had to take a break from his adored
career, due to cancer. He has suffered from Lymphoma and was originally
diagnosed in 1999, when he had to lose the whole campaign. Recently, the past
month of November, after an examination, he got treated again.
"I am very happy to return to the Big Leagues, and very
thankful that Los Angeles has offered me this opportunity, but first I had to
assure myself that my body was in good condition and free of cancer."
Galarraga said, "Anyway, I need 2 single quadrangular ones to arrive at 400
in my career, and wanted to obtain that (cifra).
The popular "Cat", corpulent man, already has given
samples of that sensational (feat) that he is able to perform that have
characterized him by so many years in the Great Carp, beating extraordinary
batters in batting practices, and also exhibiting their athleticism while at
first base practices before the games.
The last season militated with the Giants of San Francisco ,
batting 301, with 12 quadrangular and 42 races towed in limited roll.
Its race with Expos of Montreal city began where it continues
being very popular, but their better years come with the Rockies of Colorado,
where next to the gardener Dante Bichette and the Mexican Vinny Castilla,
comprised of a heavy artillery that will be remembered for a long time in
Denver.
With this one, the second time that happened through American
league, since it played with Texas in the 2001. With Los Angeles, it recognizes
that it is going to have a limited role, that will be based more on the
necessity of an emergent batter forth leader Mike Scioscia, who says that
"we are of the capacity of Andres and I know that it can help us, he is a
better of very much experience who knows what is to be fighting for a place in
the playoffs. I do not know which opportunities we will have since we have an
established alignment, and the batters are producing and at first base we have
Darin Erstad having a brilliant year, but it is good for knowing that Andres is
a true professional and who always young will be a positive influence to our
players.
Andres is not only dedicated to continue his career in the
sport, but that in addition is dedicated to send a positive message to those who
have suffered or are suffering from cancer.
"I am promoting on my internet page, www.bigcat14.com,
the sale of a video, and the profits will be donated to beneficial causes to
help look for a cure for the disease. I feel very lucky that my body is, once
again, free of the disease, and I give thanks to God to use me to represent and
to be a symbol of hope for those who suffer.
| By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com |
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The club also announced the signing of nine others to minor league deals, including relievers Grant Roberts and Scott Strickland, each of whom is coming off surgery. Catchers Ramon Castro and Andy Dominique, utility men Marlon Anderson and Luis Garcia and outfielders Kerry Robinson and Gerald Williams were also inked to minor league deals, as was pitcher Juan Padilla.
Galarraga missed virtually all of the 2004 season while receiving treatment for a recurrence of non-Hodgins lymphoma. He did get into seven games for Anaheim in September, going 3-for-10 with a homer and two RBIs, but it's unclear how much he would be able to contribute on an every day basis should he make the team. At 43, he would be the third-oldest player in the Major Leagues behind Julio Franco (46) and John Franco (44), should he make a big league roster.
"The Big Cat", as he is know, also played in 25 games last season for Triple-A Salt Lake City of the Pacific Coast League, where he hit .301 with four homers and 19 RBIs, before joining the Angels. Though Galarraga still has to make the club, the move fits the pattern that Minaya established earlier this month when he said that he wanted to bring in veteran players to help guide the youngsters.
"I've seen first hand how Andres can influence and instruct young players," said Minaya, who was also the Expos GM when Galarraga was with Montreal in 2002. "His health is not an issue and I look forward to seeing him play in the spring."
Galarraga, who has 399 career homers, also missed all of the 1999 season while battling cancer. A two-time Gold Glove winner, Galarraga was stricken with the disease again last November.
"The first reason why I want to come back is for my family and friends who supported me through my cancer," Galarraga said. "Maybe others can use it as motivation that they can beat it, too. Also, I'm only one home run from 400 and that record would be nice.
"Everything is going great right now. Once the doctors gave me the green light, I came back in August of last year and hit for power and felt good. I want to go out on my own terms. I've known Omar from my time in Montreal and he is a great person and a great man. I'm going to be there to help my teammates, play hard and pull together to help the Mets win."
El Gato returns: Andres "Big Cat" Galarraga is back.
The Angels signed the 43-year-old veteran to a minor league contract on Aug. 4, and he is 2-for-5 with one RBI with the big-league club since being called up on Sept. 1.
"El Gato" has 398 career home runs, wants two more and is extremely happy to be alive.
In November 2003, Galarraga was diagnosed with a recurrence of the non-Hodgkins lymphoma that caused him to miss the entire 1999 season. He underwent surgery in November and had a transplant in February to remove the disease from his body.
"My health is great, thank God, and here we are, trying to make it to the playoffs," he said. "Having cancer for the second time inspired me to come back more than before. To come back from cancer is something bigger than just me. I think it shows people who have the same thing that if you are optimistic and positive, you can come back, too. I hope I can motivate people and inspire people to never give up."
Galarraga made his first start at first base with the Angels on Sept. 21 but has primarily served as a mentor to Vladimir Guerrero and other Latino players on the team.
"He is a hero in our country," said Angels pitcher and fellow Venezuelan Kelvim Escobar. "Everybody knows him, and to be on the same team is an honor. He knows a lot about baseball, and he is a very humble man. This is something I will always remember. This is a big thing. It's very big for me."
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EY still a favorite: It was evident from the reaction when Eric Young was introduced and when he stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning on Opening Day that the Rockies' fans still remember him fondly.
He made quite the impression on the organization with his leadoff homer in the Rockies' first game at Mile High Stadium in 1993, but he clearly did more than that to earn the cheers some 12 years later.
"It's been that way every time I've been back, and it's a really nice feeling," Young said on Wednesday. "I think it's not only because I hit that home run here, but they appreciate the way I play the game."
If you think it was impressive how they cheered for Young as a visiting player, he said you should have seen when he was in a Rockies uniform from 1993-97.
"It was always a real strong connection," Young said. "Other players used to kid me and [Andres] Galarraga because of the way we used to get the loudest ovations."
Young knocked in two runs with a double in a pinch-hit at-bat in the seventh inning on Wednesday.
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The Vitals: 6-2, 214.
DOB: June 19, 1977 in: Panama City, Panama
Childhood Heroes: "I liked Dwight Gooden, Dave Stewart and Kevin Mitchell."
Nicknames: "Chen Strap, T.C. Chen -- he's a pro golfer."
Hobbies/Interests: "I like to play video games, play golf and read sometimes -- when I have time."
Early Baseball Memory: "When I was little, I played Little League in Panama (age 7). The season was almost over and I didn't have any hits yet. So my dad (Jose) said to just hit the ball somewhere and something good will happen. I hit it over the first baseman and got my first hit. After that -- next game -- I had a couple of other hits. And I was just happy I had some hits."
Funny Baseball Memory: "When I was with Atlanta, I put somebody else's jersey on. They hang them right next to each other in our lockers. So I put it on. None of my teammates told me I had the wrong jersey number on. Until they say -- in the dugout -- 'How you doin' Rocker?' And I'm like, 'What?!' So they kept saying it. He was number 49, I was number 48. So after a while I was like, 'Oh, I got the wrong jersey on.' I went all the way down the tunnel and into the dugout in Cincinnati. Bobby Cox saw me and I walked by and he said, 'Hey, how you doing Rocker?'' I kept walking and they kept saying it. Bobby Cox was laughing, they were all laughing."
Favorite Movies: "Oh, I like 'Men of Honor' and 'The Thomas Crown Affair.'"
Musical Tastes: "I like reggae. Over there in Panama, we listen to a lot of reggae. But I also like bands like Linkin Park. My wife, she got me into it."
First Job: "I was pumping gas and checking fluids at a Delta gas station in Panama City. I didn't get paid. I did that for a month one summer. My dad knew the owner."
First Car: "Navy blue Toyota Corolla."
Favorite Meal: "Rice, beans with fried chicken."
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: "I like any kind of chocolate -- Cocoa Puffs or Cocoa Pebbles -- and I mix it with Frosted Flakes."
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "I'm very simple, I do like a banana split. But if I choose, I do go with chocolate."
Greatest Sports Moment: "I was playing in the 15-17 league when I was 15. And my team was going to the playoffs. They didn't tell me I was going to pitch until a half-hour before the game. They tell me, Hey Bruce, you're going to pitch. And I went out there and pitched nine innings, a shutout game and we won 2-0. And we made it to the semifinals after that."
Most Painful Moment: "Well, when I was 12, I was coming off my best season the year before. Everyone was getting excited. 'Oh yeah, Bruce, he's pitching good and everything.' So the next year, I went in and they were really relying on me to beat this team. And I just gave it up. I only lasted like two innings. I pitched like an inning and a one-third. I gave up maybe eight or nine runs. That was very disappointing to me because I felt like I let everyone down."
Funniest Players: "Denny Neagle. Andres Galarraga was funny too. But he's like sneaky funny. Because he acts serious the whole time and then he suddenly puts out a joke and it's hilarious. Because you don't expect it from him."
Toughest Competitors: "Al Leiter. He always wants to win. When I was with the Mets, he'd tell me about mound presence. Even when you don't have your best stuff, you still have to go out there and battle."
People Qualities Most Admired: "Intelligent people. Smart people, like Einstein. Isaac Newton. Michelangelo. Leonardo Da Vinci. Those people just intrigue me. I think they're so smart. Just one of those things. They don't think like normal people. Whatever they have to say was interesting. I have a lot of respect for scientists and people who work for NASA, because I think they are very smart people."
Scoop Malinowski is a contributor to MLB.com. He created the Biofile interview feature in 1992. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
