World Series Champion Turned Broadcaster Heaps High Praise on Angel Stadium

Will Middlebrooks was a middling hitter whenever he batted at Angel Stadium. In nine games at the "Big A," the former major league infielder went 8 for 31 (.258) with three extra-base hits, including a home run.

Middlebrooks, now a Boston Red Sox broadcaster for NESN, loved playing in Anaheim just the same.

During the third inning of the Boston Red Sox's game against the Angels on Tuesday, Middlebrooks said on the NESN broadcast that the Angels have “the best infield in baseball.”

“There’s those field-level suites behind home plate, and it’s black, the walls behind it," he said, via NESN.com. "So when the ball comes off the bat here, you see the ball really well. It’s not coming out of the stands.”

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Middlebrooks spent parts of six seasons (2012-17) at the major league level, the first three with the Red Sox. He hit 15 home runs in 75 games as a rookie but never again flashed the elite power he showed in 2012.

Still, Middlebrooks was a useful utility infielder during his second season in Boston. He played 94 games in 2013 and slashed .227/.271/.425 with 17 homers for the Red Sox, who ultimately won the World Series that October.

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Middlebrooks made his first visit to Anaheim in 2014, playing three games and going 2 for 14 with a walk and a steal. After seeing his numbers fall across the board during an injury-plagued season, Middlebrooks was traded to the San Diego Padres for catcher Ryan Hanigan in December 2014.

Middlebrooks played 83 MLB games in his lone season with the Padres, hitting .212 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs before he was optioned to Triple-A in July. In four games against the Angels in Anaheim, Middlebrooks went 4 for 13 (.308) with a home run.

After spending the 2016 in the Milwaukee Brewers' organization, Middlebrooks signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent in November. That afforded him three more visits to his favorite infield; Middlebrooks went 2 for 4 in those games.