"To appreciate the length of a typical Bobby Abreu at-bat, consider what it's like for the player who hits behind him.

When Abreu steps to the plate, Torii Hunter steps into the on-deck circle. He puts a weight on his bat. He takes several practice swings. Then a few more. Eventually, Hunter stops. With his bat resting on his shoulder, he wonders when it will be his turn to hit.

"I'm going crazy," Hunter said. "But I'm pumped up, because he's staying alive, staying alive. He's not striking out or anything like that. He's fouling balls off."

This is what Abreu does. He waits for his preferred pitch to hit, with rare exceptions. And in doing so, he makes others wait for him, from the opposing pitcher to the hitter behind him to fans at home wondering why baseball takes so darn long.

Abreu did it with the Yankees for parts of the last three seasons. Now, he's doing it with the Angels, and it's a big reason why they will meet the Yankees later this week in the American League Championship Series.

"He's our most valuable player," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's been as responsible for our offensive resurgence as anything you can talk about."

Batting second or third for most of this season, Abreu ranked among the top five hitters in the AL in walks (94) and pitches per plate appearance (4.21). He also hit 15 homers, drove in 103 runs and stole 30 bases.

But his impact cannot be measured solely by his own numbers. Scioscia and other Angels players also credited Abreu for instilling a sense of plate discipline on a team that badly needed it.

The Angels drew only 481 walks last season, ranking 25th in the majors. Then they signed Abreu, who would sooner take a swing at the Rally Monkey than swing at a first pitch. And while they are still not a model of patience, they have gotten better.

The Angels ranked 17th in baseball with 547 walks during the regular season, and their on-base percentage (.350) was up 20 points from last year.

"Bobby has been a mentor to a lot of our younger players," Scioscia said. "I think not only by his example, but in talking to them about situations and tendencies and what a pitcher might or might not be doing.""