Angels Mailbag: Dalesandro and Morris

Mark Dalesandro signed 2 cards for me and graciously answered some hastily written questions after 49 days sent to his home in Plainfield, IL.

Mark played for the Angels in 1994 and 1995.

1991 Classic Best #259 Quad City Angels

1995 Score #278

You can see why I usually type these things out. I'll transcribe for you:

Were you up long before you made your debut against the Twins on June 6, 1994?
"I was up about 3 days before my pinch hit against Larry Casian."

What was that like?
"I was a little nervous but it was the greatest moment of my career. I had a lot of different emotions at the time."

How did you prepare for "life after baseball?"
"I was fortunate to go to a great high school and 4 years of college helped me prepare for life after baseball. I think my experiences as a player have helped me handle life situations even more so than my education."

I'm always thankful when a player answers my question, I'm especially thankful when they put an extra amount of effort into it.

Hal Morris became the Angels new Director of Pro Scouting last month so I quickly shot a card, index card and letter to him at Anaheim Stadium. Thirty-five days later I get the 1991 Upper Deck set card back, no IC, and some answers to my letter.

A faded thick black sharpie will do. Glad to have it and cross him off my 1991 Upper Deck set list and my All-Time Angels list.

Oh how I wished he would have elaborated on the Chris Sabo answer. Is it safe to assume Sabo got him trouble too?

In reference to the last question I asked Mr. Morris, below is an overview of the book from Amazon.com:

In this landmark work of deep scholarship and insight, Eric Foner gives us the definitive history of Lincoln and the end of slavery in America. Foner begins with Lincoln's youth in Indiana and Illinois and follows the trajectory of his career across an increasingly tense and shifting political terrain from Illinois to Washington, D.C. Although “naturally anti-slavery” for as long as he can remember, Lincoln scrupulously holds to the position that the Constitution protects the institution in the original slave states. But the political landscape is transformed in 1854 when the Kansas-Nebraska Act makes the expansion of slavery a national issue.

That actually sounds like a good read.