"We thought we had a shot because nobody knew" - When Damon Oppenheimer lamented over Angels snatching young Mike Trout from Yankees 

In 2009, Mike Trout was still playing high school baseball in Millville, New Jersey. He was not quite on the radar for the teams that were scouting for new players. Damon Oppenheimer, one of the scouts of the New York Yankees at that time, saw the immense potential of the young player.

In an interview in 2023 with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of "The Show," Oppenheimer shared the story of how Trout slipped through their hands and ended.

“That one was gut wrenching,“ Oppenheimer recalled. “We really thought there were a lot of teams that weren’t on Mike Trout. It was South Jersey. He was hard to see. So we thought, Hey, we’ve really got a shot. And we really loved him."

Oppenheimer added:

“We got fortunate because every time we’d go see him, he was really good. When you go see a guy and he hits missiles all over the park and he runs four-flat down the line and he plays a pretty good center field, it’s pretty helpful when you’re doing your evaluation.

“We thought we had a really good shot because there aren’t many people who are really into … the area he’s from and all that."

Before the Yankees selected at No. 29, the Angels had first-round selections at Nos. 24 and 25, and they chose Texas outfielder Randal Grichuk with their first pick. Grichuk attended Lamar Consolidated High School. The next guy that the Angels picked up was the legendary Mike Trout.

“And I’m thinking, ‘He’s not going to take another player like that, a high school player,” Oppenheimer said. “And then he takes [Trout] and you have to regroup and your heart sinks. And you think, ‘We really had a shot at an impactful guy."

“That changes history, doesn’t it?” continued Oppenheimer.

The rest, as they say, is history. Mike Trout went on to become a generational talent, an 11-time MLB All-Star, and a three-time American League Most Valuable Player.

This story serves as a reminder that chance still exists in the world of professional sports, despite all the scouting and research.

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Angels Star Committed to LA

In February 2024, the all-star outfielder put an end to trade rumours by tweeting that he wants to win a championship with the organisation that selected him and wants to stay loyal to them.

"I think the easy way out is to ask for a trade," Mike Trout told reporters, including The Athletic. "There might be a time, maybe. I really haven't thought about this. When I signed that contract, I'm loyal. I want to win a championship here."

"The overall picture of winning a championship or getting to the playoffs here is the bigger satisfaction than bailing out or taking the easy way out," Trout added. "I think that's been my mindset. Maybe down the road, if some things change."