died in April<\/a> at age 53. <\/p>\n“I had a personal relationship with him once I went to (Orange Lutheran) high school,” Mitchell said of Anderson. “His son and I, Trey, went to high school together. So I got to have some good conversations with him, take some blasts into the past and talk about memories.”<\/p>\n
The Angels can’t be too displeased that they passed on Mitchell when he was available in the 2020 MLB Draft. They drafted pitcher Reid Detmers out of Louisville with the No. 10 pick; the Brewers selected Mitchell out of UCLA 10 picks later.<\/p>\n
In the years between his first game at Angel Stadium and his hearing his name called on draft day, Mitchell converted from shortstop to the outfield. Because of his ambitions as a middle infielder, Mitchell enjoyed watching the Angels’ combo of David Eckstein and Adam Kennedy as a youth.<\/p>\n
“And I also have a personal relationship with Adam Kennedy as well,” Mitchell said.<\/p>\n
Much of the Angels’ identity during the early years of Mike Scioscia’s managerial tenure can be traced back to those three players. None were the most physically gifted athletes, but each had excellent bat-to-ball skills and maximized his talent.<\/p>\n
Anderson, for example, only hit 30 home runs in a season once in a 17-year career, at a time when 30-homer seasons were more common than any previous point in MLB history. But he batted .296 as an Angel, and was a favorite of Scioscia’s for his ability to put the ball in play and advance baserunners.<\/p>\n
“I always loved how they played the game. It was always exciting,” Mitchell said of those Angels teams. “It kind of reminds me now, being older, like how (the Brewers) play in a way too. Like I said, guys who maybe aren’t the greatest or the best on the field but know what they’ve got to do and know their roles and grind and compete to the best of their abilities, and that’s what it takes. It’s a team effort.”<\/p>\n
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