Trout National does not formally open until April. But, when you’re Mike Trout, you can invite your friends to play a couple rounds on the course that carries your name.
And so it was that Trout, the best player in Angels history, last week welcomed Torii Hunter, one of the most popular and respected players in Angels history. The course, designed by Tiger Woods and his team, is located in Trout’s hometown of Millville, N.J., and includes a refueling stop in “a concrete bunker tucked behind the 14th tee and styled like a classic baseball dugout.”
Said Hunter: “It’s a great course.”
Hunter could have managed his former teammate next season, had the Angels chosen him to replace Ron Washington. However, for the second time in three years, the Angels interviewed Hunter for their managerial vacancy and then hired someone else — this time, former Angels catcher Kurt Suzuki.
Hunter, speaking Monday at Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast before a fundraiser for Major League Baseball’s Urban Youth Academy in Compton, said he interviewed with Angels general manager Perry Minasian.
Hunter said he believed Suzuki would do well in the position and had no hard feelings about the process.
“It was a great interview,” Hunter said. “We had a good talk. It just didn’t work out.
“The opportunity presented itself. They were looking for a manager, and they decided to interview me for the job. They told me to.
“I still love the Angels. That’s why I did it. That’s why I wanted to do it.”
He felt the same way about his original team, the Minnesota Twins. He said he “put my name in the hat” for the Twins’ managerial vacancy and had informal discussions with the team, but no formal interview.
Hunter declined to discuss details of his interview with Minasian.
The Angels have baseball’s longest playoff drought, now at 11 years, and have finished in last place in back-to-back seasons. Hunter said prospects need to get to Anaheim and start playing with the young players already there.
“I think those guys have got a couple of years under their belts,” he said. “It’s time to go out there and really compete.”
The Angels’ minor league system is widely regarded as one of baseball’s thinnest. Hunter, who worked as a special assistant to Minasian last season, said he sees a fair amount of talent at the lower levels of the system.
“Maybe they don’t win the World Series next year,” Hunter said. “Maybe they don’t go to the playoffs.
“A shift in the team dynamic depends on the pieces that they add. But, in the next two years, you’re going to see these guys, and they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
Hunter said he is unsure yet whether his business interests — he owns five restaurants and two coffee shops, in addition to commercial real estate investments — will allow him to continue as an Angels special assistant. He hopes to do so.
“I love Kurt Suzuki,” Hunter said. “I played with him with the Twins in 2015, and I played against him forever. I love everything about him. I would love to be there to help him along the way if I can.”
Suzuki agreed to a one-year contract, which puts him in the uncomfortable position of being a lame duck before he manages his first game.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Hunter said. “You’ve got to give him time, and a chance to get to know the fellas. The guy is smart, he’s intelligent, he’s got great relationship skills. So, be patient.”