Orange County Register

The slow-moving, smiling man in the straw hat won’t be at spring training this year.

Preston Gomez, 86, died Tuesday in a long-term care facility in Fullerton. He was hit by a car while getting gasoline last March, on his way back from Arizona, and never recovered from his injuries.

Gomez in many ways was the last word in the Angels organization. He saw Bryan Harvey perfect his forkball in the Dominican Republic and told management he was ready, and Harvey became one of the game’s best closers. He told the volatile Jose Arredondo that it was time to shape up and keep his temper curbed, and Arredondo was a plus in the clubhouse last year and became an effective setup man.

Gomez did everything in baseball, including manage three major league clubs, and he always had a kind word for everyone. The Angels respected his honest, measured opinions. Gomez also lived long enough to see Caribbean players become prevalent in the Angels organization.

Those spring training days will be a little longer without him.

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