"As you get older, you realize the way you treat people and the work ethic you put forth is rewarded". (Mike Colangelo)

Mike Colangelo (born October 22, 1976) is an American former outfielder who played in parts of 3 seasons for the Anaheim Angels, San Diego Padres, and Oakland Athletics.

A native of Teaneck, New Jersey, Mike attended C. D. Hylton High School and George Mason University. In 1996, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He was selected by the Angels in the 21st round of the 1997 MLB Draft, and a hot bat rocketed him through the system.

At the plate, Mike hit for high average at every level. He began the 1998 season at Low-A Cedar Rapids, posting an AVG/OBP/SLG of .277/.378/.518 in 22 games. That got him a promotion to High-A Lake Elsinore, where in 36 games he hit .379/.448/.600. At Lake Elsinore in 1999 he started the season with a promotion to Double-A Erie, and kept on hitting. In 28 games, his line was .339/.433/.514. So the Angels moved him up to Triple-A Edmonton — and he hit .362/.442/.448.

After only playing a total of 112 minor league games, less than one full season, Mike made his major-league debut with the Angels on June 13, 1999 — and never played for the Angels again. Mike had three plate appearances that day. He reached base twice, with a single and walk. He also threw out Arizona baserunner Andy Fox, who tagged up on the rookie outfielder and tried to advance from first to second on a routine fly ball. Mike nailed him. But, in the top of the 7th, Fate intervened.

A line drive was hit up the alley in left-center field. Colangelo raced to his left. Center fielder Reggie Williams raced to his right. Each heard the other call for the ball, hesitated, then realized the other had slowed so they both accelerated. It was a head-on collision. Mike lay face-down in the outfield for ten minutes. He was unconscious for a while, and an ambulance raced him to the hospital. Initially he was diagnosed with the concussion and a torn thumb, which sidelined him for the rest of 1999.

In the spring of 2000, Mike’s non-throwing shoulder was bothering him. The doctors finally decided he’d suffered a torn labrum in the collision that had somehow gone undetected. So Mike underwent surgery again, and missed all of 2000. He was claimed off waivers by San Diego in 2000, and had his most productive major league season there in 2001, playing in 50 games for the Padres and batting .242. Prior to the 2002 season, he signed as a free agent with Oakland, and appeared in 20 games for the Athletics in what was his final major league campaign.

Mike is on Twitter @colangelobasebl, and he is the owner of Colangelo Baseball in Northern Virginia. He was inducted into the the Home Plate Club’s Hall of Fame - the longtime DC/No. VA area baseball organization. After retiring, Mike opened Colangelo Baseball Instruction in Virginia.

(excerpted from Baseball Almanac, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)