Former Angels LHP in Camp as Special Instructor

He was an All-Star for the Angels in 2008.

Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington has invited a special instructor to help at Spring Training this year. Former Angels southpaw Joe Saunders has been around to help some of the younger guys navigate big league camp and beyond.

Saunders not only played for the Angels for parts of six seasons, he was a member of the Texas Rangers for one season when Washington was the manager.

He’s been through it. We have a lot of young pitchers that haven’t been through it. And he can give them a perspective on how you deal with the downside of it. It’s not so much the upside. It’s the downside that you have to deal with. And he’s been there. And I’m so happy he is here. Because he’s been all of that. He’s been good. He’s been bad. He’s been indifferent. He had to struggle. He had to fight. He’s been through everything that any of these kids will ever experience. And it’s nice that he’s here to give him that wisdom he has.”

Ron Washington via O.C. Register

Saunders made one All-Star team in 2008 with the Angels with a record of 17-7.

He was a dependable arm and threw 100-plus innings in nine seasons. He had two seasons of 200-plus innings.

Overall, he spent parts of 10 seasons in the big leagues and finished with a career record of 89-86 with a 4.37 ERA.