Vladimir Guerrero to wear Angels, not Expos, cap on HOF plaque

NEW YORK -- Vladimir Guerrero will become the first player to wear an Angels hat on his Hall of Fame plaque.

Guerrero spent more of his career in Montreal, leading many to think he would sport an Expos cap.

Guerrero made the announcement Thursday, a day after he was elected to the Hall by an overwhelming margin.

"I toiled over this for a long time because the Canadian people mean a whole lot to me,'' he said through a translator.

He said he chose the Angels because "what it represented and what it represents now and all the winning that happened when I was with the Angels.'' Guerrero went to the postseason five times with the Angels but never made it that far with Montreal.

The Hall gets the final say on how a player is depicted in the plaque gallery in Cooperstown, New York.The decision leaves four current franchises without a cap in the plaque gallery: Colorado, Miami, Tampa Bay and Washington.

Guerrero played the first eight seasons of his career in Montreal, spending half of his career with the Expos. He joined the Anaheim Angels as a free agent in 2004 and played six seasons with them, including during their rebranding as the Los Angeles Angels.

He said his run with the Expos was a time "I'll never forget, very special years for me.''

The Angels started out as an expansion team in 1961. Reggie Jackson is among those who played for the Angels but have a different cap in the Hall.

Angels owner Arte Moreno, who signed Guerrero to a $70 million, five-year contract as a free agent before the 2004 season, was with the nine-time All-Star during his Hall of Fame news conference.

"This is such a proud and special day for Vladimir Guerrero, his family, his countrymen in the Dominican Republic and of course all Angels fans,'' Moreno said in a statement. "His election into the Hall Of Fame is so meaningful and impactful for so many. We are proud and privileged that he becomes the first player enshrined in Cooperstown wearing the Angels logo. He represented four quality organizations during his playing career and his induction is special for each."

Guerrero was a four-time All-Star with both the Angels and Expos. He hit .323 with 234 home runs for Montreal and batted .319 with 173 homers for the Angels. Guerrero went to the postseason four times with the Angels, but he never made it that far with the Expos.

An outfielder for most of his career, Guerrero finished up as a designated hitter. He spent one season with Texas and reached his only World Series in 2010. He then played one more year for Baltimore. He was a nine-time All-Star overall, hitting .318 with 449 homers and 1,496 RBIs in 16 seasons.

Gary Carter, Andre Dawson and Tim Raines are the only players with Montreal hats on their bronze plaques in the Hall.

Guerrero, Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman were elected to the Hall on Wednesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. They will be enshrined with Jack Morris and Alan Trammell, who were picked by a smaller committee, on July 29.