TEMPE, Ariz. -- As far as could be discerned, David Eckstein did not bring a rally monkey to Spring Training for his second year as a guest infield instructor for the Angels.
Everything else that gave Eckstein such a special place in team history, however, was front and center for players young and old to absorb.
That, of course, was the whole idea, even if many of the Angels' younger players were teenagers when the undersized, overachieving Eckstein was helping the Angels and the Cardinals to World Series championships.
"I think most of our guys still know who David Eckstein was, and what a terrific Major League shortstop he was, and how he had to learn how to do things very efficiently," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.