Good Sports Weekend So Far

It's only Saturday night, and thus far, my favorite teams have done pretty well this weekend. Last night the Los Angeles Kings won a tight game against the Hurricanes in OT on a great shot by Micheal Handzus with an assist by Alexander Frolov. The Kings won their second in a row and got back to .500, and they did it coming from behind. I've been slagging on the Kings now for several seasons because it just didn't seem like they had what it takes to be a contender, and they still might not this season, BUT they looked an awful lot better last night than against the Sharks those first two games of the season.



Might be time to dig out my Hockey card collection from storage. Yes, I used to collect Hockey cards as well, from about 1999 to roughly 2002 I was fairly hardcore with Hockey being my only sports collectable. At the time I was also collecting UDE's Versus game and WizKids Heroclix, as well as toys, so my collecting dollar was being spent all over the place. I've got a couple of 3200 count boxes in storage, that I'm thinking I should go grab one of these days, if nothing else to check my Kings collection and then get rid of everything else. I'm sure I've got some nice RCs in there, though I stopped collecting before Sid the Kid hit the sport.

Because DAMN, I really like that OPC card design, reminds me of some great 80's hockey cards.

UCLA squeaks out victory against the Cardinal 23-20

I started off listening to this game on the radio while I was coming back from the grocery store with my daughter. One thing I knew was going to happen did during the first quarter, Stanford broke their scoreless streak in the Rose Bowl which had been going since 2002. What I didn't know was going to happen was that Kevin Craft would play a phenomenal game yet again.



This was pretty much a "must-win" game for the Bruins, though honestly I think they're all must-wins at this point if they're going to make a bowl game, and even then, that's iffy. I had the chance to actually go to this game, and I turned down tickets because I couldn't convince the wife that sitting in the hot Pasadena sun for four hours on one of her two days off was a good use of her time. She spent the time making a Halloween costume for our daughter instead, and I can't really complain about that. (Click the link to see it).

At one point in the 2nd quarter the Bruins were down 14-3, but they never gave up and never lost sight of a victory. The half ended at 14-6 after Forbath's second field goal. Stanford opened the 3rd quarter with a long drive that ended with UCLA's Ward picking off a Pritchard pass on the Bruins 42. Craft took over on offense but went three plays for -11 yards and the Bruins punted. Fortunately the Cardinal fumbled and the Bruins took over at the Stanford 30. Six plays later the Bruins scored and the game was 14-13.

Forbath kicked a third FG at the start of the 4th quarter and the Bruins led 16-14. Stanford kicked FGs on consecutive possessions and it was 20-16 with about 2:23 remaining and the Bruins started on their own 13 yard line.

On the final series of the game the third-string QB went 6-8 for 60 yards and a TD, but get this, he had completions to FIVE different receivers. Oh and he rushed for a couple of yards too. In the end he was 23 out of 41 for 284 yards, 2 TDs and 1 pick. He did get sacked 7 times though for 44 yards lost, and that's never good, but with UCLA's offensive line being what it is, at least Craft is still healthy.

A little rain must always fall somewhere, sometime

Unfortunately the Red Sox are leading the Rays 2-1 in the top of the 4th at the moment. This does not make me happy at all, because I feel like if the Sox win tonight they'll take the series tomorrow, and then who knows in the World Series. It scares me because IF the Sox make it to the Series, they'll probably go back-to-back, and I would just hate that. Yes, I hate the Sox officially, they've been added to my list of hated teams.

Just because I can, here's that list:

WildWill's Hated Sports Teams

IN order of level of despisedness

Baseball:

1. New York Yankees
   
2. Boston Red Sox
   
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (though not NEARLY as much as #1 and #2)
   

Basketball:

1. Boston Celtics
   
2. New York Knicks
   

Football:

1. San Francsico 49ers
   
2. Denver Broncos
   
3. Washington Redskins
   
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
   

Hockey:

1. Colorado Rockies
   
2. Detroit Red Wings
   
3. Montreal Canadians
   
4. Toronto Maple Leafs
   
5. New York Rangers

Colleges:

1. Univer$ity of $poiled Children
   
2. Notre Dame
   
3. BYU
   

Yeah, that's about it. I can't stand any of those teams. In fantasy sports I won't have anyone from those teams on my team. Seriously. Unless I'm collecting a full set, I'll trade those teams away faster than any other.

Heh...

It's odd, I really want to see a Philadelphia/Tampa Bay World Series just because it would really, really upset Fox Sports. Here they were champing at the bit to air a Boston/Los Angeles matchup and piggyback on the ratings of the last NBA Championships, but NOOOOOOOO....the Phillies had to kill that dream. I'd also like to see the Rays win it all to be honest, I like Joe Maddon (ex-Angel) and they play just like the Halos should be playing.

UCLA Basketball Practice Starts!

The Bruins started practice yesterday, coach Howland choosing to eschew a "midnight madness" type of event, rather he made it a point of having a locked and serious practice saying this in the LA TImes: "There's not much time until the first game, I don't want to waste a practice." Okay, we getcha coach, you're serious about this stuff. Good, we are too. See in Westwood NOTHING is acceptable for our Men's BBall program except a National Championship. Sucks doesn't it? It's especially bad now that Howland has taken the Bruins to three straight final-fours and has three starters returning AND four freshmen pheonoms coming in. As much fun as I had last season following Kevin Love's one and done year, this year could be even better. Though improving on a 35-4 season is going to be difficult, I have no doubt that this is the year we hang #12

Playoffs Begin TODAY!

The wait is over, the MLB Playoffs start today with a slate of three games. The Phillies are hosting the Brewers (no score, top of the 3rd as of this writing), the Dodgers are in Chicago taking on the Cubs in a couple hours, and then our Western Division Champions take on the hated Red Sox later tonight. The Chicago White Sox will play the Tampa Bay Rays beginning tomorrow.

The pennant races were actually pretty darn interesting this season, with more than one coming down to the last weekend of play. The White Sox actually had to play a make-up game with the Tigers on Monday due to a rainout earlier in the season. If they had lost that game the Twins would have automatically made it in. Since they won, the Sox and the Twins had to play a one-game playoff which was a great pitching duel won by a 7th inning Jim Thome homer.

All eight of the playoff teams deserve to be there, there's no sliding into the playoffs in MLB. What's interesting is that on the AL side, three of the four teams have won the World Series since 2002 (Halos in '02, Boston in '04 and '07 and Chicago in '05) that's four out of the last six World Series, which you have to think bodes well for which ever AL team wins out.

On the NL side, we're looking at a long time in between World Series victories. The Dodgers are actually the most recent of the three NL teams that have won the title, last winning in 1988. The Phillies have only won one World Series in their history, despite being in existence since 1883, and that title came way back in 1980. Their last WS appearance was in 1993 when Mitch Williams gave up that famous game-winning dinger to Joe Carter. The Brewers became the first team in MLB history to make the playoffs in both the AL and the NL, however, it's been a LONG time in between appearances for them; they made their one and only other playoff appearance in 1982, defeating the Halos in the ALDS and then losing to the Cardinals in the World Series. We all know that the Cubs have waited since 1908 for another WS title, and haven't even been to the big dance since the end of World War II! Yes, they've made the playoffs the last two seasons and three times total in the 21st Century, but they're still 100 years away from their last World Series victory.

Playoffs on Demand

Wow, I just checked out the MLB site, and apparently they're streaming each post-season game live as a part of TBS Hot Corner, but with four different camera feeds, one from the mound, one from the plate, one from the center field camera and one from the dugout. It's kind of difficult to figure out the action, but it's rather nifty. Here, check out a pic:



The "live" stream really isn't live either, it's about 30 seconds behind the the television feed, which is usually a couple of seconds behind the actual live action. There are no announcers on the audio either, just the sounds of the game itself, which is a mixed-bag in of itself, because you really can't tell what's going on in the game once the pitch is hit.

It's only available for the division series and the ALCS, so if you want to check it out, do so soon.

Kevin Jepsen Update

Interestingly enough, the playoff roster that I posited on September 17 became a reality on September 29, as Mike Sciosia must have read my blog and decided that I knew what was best for the Angels. Heh...as if. Seriously though, I suppose that I must be pretty dialed into the Angels lineup this season. I'm really glad that Jepsen made the post-season roster, despite only appearing in 8 games with 8 1/3rd innings pitched total. Of course the teams can change their rosters in between rounds, so who knows what the Skipper might do should the Angels advance. I did just now purchase Jepsen's 02 Bowman Chrome RC for $1.20 and $2.00 shipping.

Team Trading Update

I have sent out all packages owed to everyone, and I'm pretty sure I'm not expecting anything else. I still have nice packs of 40-50 cards INCLUDING super-stars, for pretty much every team in the bigs. If you want one or more of these, please email me at wmnoe at yahoo dot com and let's set something up.

eBay Update

I don't have anything of interest for sale at the moment, unless you like Harry Potter Chocolate Frog Cards, WWE Action Figures or The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Figures.

Ending Notes

Here's how long this entry took me to write, it's now the top of the 7th and the Phillies are up 3 - 0.

Angels Playoff History Part 3 - 1986

The Angels new logo for 1986, their 25th Anniversary Season, would be used until 1992. Borrowed from SportsLogos.net

Previous Installments:
Part 1: 1979
Part 2: 1982

In 1985 MLB expanded the first round playoff games from best of 5 to best of 7, a move that was long overdue. Unfortunately after 1993 they went right back to the first round being best of 5, because they effectively doubled the number of teams that made the playoffs. After coming in second in the AL West for two seasons in a row, the 1986 version of the Angels seemed poised to break out and enjoy post-season success. They improved their record by two games, winning the AL West by 5 games, which was a club record at the time (their current best is winning the West by 7 games in 2005, which will be broken this year obviously).

The ’86 Halos were the first team since 1979 not to have Rod Carew starting at first, the HOFer having retired at the end of the ’85 season. In his place was a 24-year-old rookie out of BYU who coined the phrase “Wally World” with a few monster shots out to left field. The venerable Bobby Grich at 2B joined Wally Joyner at 1B, though it would be his last season, Dick Schofield at SS and team veteran Doug DeCinces still at 3B. The starting outfield was Brian Downing still at LF, the speedster Gary Pettis who was in his prime and won a Gold Glove in CF, and an almost-retired Rupert Jones started in RF. Reggie Jackson typically was the DH as he was also in his penultimate season in the bigs, and last with the Halos. Perennial Gold Glover Bob Boone was still behind the plate. Pettis and Joyner were the Angels All-Stars in 1986, Joyner becoming the first rookie in 16 years to start in the All-Star game.




The starting rotation for manager Gene Mauch consisted of 41-year-old Don Sutton, and 25 year-olds Mike Witt and Kirk McCaskill. The trio was joined by John Candelaria, Ron Romanick, Joe Slaton and Ray Chadwick who all started games as well. Sutton, Witt, McCaskill and Candelaria all won 10+ games each, Witt leading the squad with an 18-10 record, with McCaskill right behind him at 17-10. In only 16 starts the Candy-man won 10 games and lost 2. The closer for the Halos was Donnie Moore, who led the team with 21 saves. Such luminaries as Chuck Finley, Doug Corbett and Terry Forster joined him in the bullpen.

After spending the first half of the season dueling with Texas for first place in the West, the Angels took over for good after the 92nd game in the season. With 9 games to go they held a 10 game lead over the Rangers and a 90-63 record. They would win only 2 of their remaining games, going into the post-season on a downturn that would ultimately be their undoing.

Game One showed a lot of promise however, with the Angels jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the second after two walks, a single, a double and another single. Turns out that is all they would need, cruising to an 8-1 victory. Mike Witt got the win over Roger Clemens in his first post-season appearance. Brian Downing had a stellar game at the plate going 2-5 with 4 RBI and Wally Joyner knocked two doubles to go 2-4.

Boston would come roaring back in Game Two with Bruce Hurst on the mound against Kirk McCaskill. The game was extremely close for the first 6 1/2 innings, but the Sox, who held a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the 7th blew the game wide open with 3 in the 7th and 3 in the 8th, winning 9-2. Wally Joyner was the lone bright spot for the Halos with a solo homer in the 5th.

Splitting the first two games at Fenway was a great outcome for the Halos. They rolled into Angel Stadium and won the next two games 5-3 in Game Three with HRs from Pettis and Schofield behind a gem pitched by John Candelaria (7 IP, 1 ER, 5 hits, 3 BB, 5 K) and mopped up by Donnie Moore who got the save. Oil Can Boyd took the loss for the Sox. After the game Wally Joyner would sit out the rest of the series with a staph infection, moving Grich from second to first, and Rob Wilfong getting more playing time. No doubt that had Joyner been healthy, the outcome of the series would have been drastically different. Joyner was the Halos rally-spark that season, and had become a fan favorite.

Game Four was a come-from-behind affair, the Angels winning finally 4-3, after trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the 9th. Clemens started the game, going 8 1/3rd innings. The Sox scored a single run in the 6th and two in the 8th, and were one inning away from tying the series at two games apiece, but Clemens gave up a leadoff solo shot to DeCinces in the bottom of the 9th, and was yanked after giving up back-to-back singles to Schofield and Boone. With runners on 1st and 2nd, and 1 out Pettis delivered a double off of reliever Calvin Schiraldi that scored Schofield and put Devon White (running for Boone) on 3rd. With the bases loaded and two outs, Schiraldi hit Downing with a pitch scoring the tying run.

In the extra frames, the Angels blanked the Sox; Doug Corbett got five straight groundouts and didn’t give up a hit or a walk. In the bottom of the 11th new Catcher Jerry Narron led the inning off with a single. Pettis moved him over to second on a bunt. Rupert Jones was intentionally walked and Bob Grich in his 6th AB of the game finally got a hit, scoring Narron. The Angels were one game away from their first world series ever, and the Red Sox were reeling.

The Angels took a 5-2 lead into the 8th inning in Game Five on homers by Boone (solo) and Grich (two runs) and RBIs by Wilfong and Downing. Starter Mike Witt would be pulled in the top of the 9th in favor of Gary Lucas after he gave up a 2 run HR to former Angel Don Baylor. With the Angels ahead by only 1 run, with two strikes, Donnie Moore gave up a two run shot to Dave Henderson giving the Sox a 6-5 lead. The game would end up going to the 11th after the Wilfong drove in Jones to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th. Unfortunately for Moore he couldn’t keep the Sox off the scoreboard, and they won in the 11th 7-6 off of a sac-fly by Henderson.

The two teams flew back to Boston, with the AL East Champions behind 3 games to 2. Boston dominated every aspect of Games Five and Six, winning them by a combined 13 runs. Game 6 ended 10-4 and Game 7 was over in the 2nd inning, ending 8-1. For all intents and purposes the series really ended with Game Five, as the Angels never really recovered, and neither did Donnie Moore, who had signed a huge 3-year contract extension (avoiding Free-Agency) after the end of the ’85 season where he became one of the league’s pre-eminent closers.

He’d spend the rest of his career with the Angels, being released after his contract expired in 1988. The post ’86 seasons weren’t kind for Moore; he blamed himself for the Halos not making the World Series, and spent a lot of time on the DL. After his release he tried to make one of Kansas City’s minor league squads, but was eventually cut. According to his obituary on July 19, 1989 he had an argument with his wife Tonya whom he was legally separated from. He shot her three times in their Anaheim home, and after she fled with two of their three children, he turned the gun on himself, ending his life at age 35, a tragic reminder of how seriously people take sports. Of course it’s impossible to tell, some almost 20 years later, how much that one pitch factored into the decision that Donnie Moore made to end his life. Reports are that substance abuse and depression over the end of his baseball career were just as much of a factor, as were continuing marital strife and allegations of spousal abuse. Accounts of the shooting also vary depending on the source.



The Red Sox would go on to play the Mets in the 1986 season; a team that many would say was a team of destiny. The Sox would have their own bad luck to overcome, and perhaps a greater goat in Billy Buckner who allowed a slow roller by Mookie Wilson to pass between his legs letting Ray Knight come in to score the winning run. The Sox had been one out away from winning their first World Series since 1918. They would have a long wait in between opportunities, even longer than the Halos. The Sox wouldn’t get another chance at a World Title until 2004, only two years removed from the Angels next chance at a World Title in 2002.

The intervening 16 seasons were a grab bag of middling success for the Halos. They would come in 2nd in the AL West three times during the 90’s, but their combined record between 1987 and 2001 was 81 games under .500 with 9 losing seasons out of 15 with nine different managers between Mauch and Mike Sciosia who took over the managerial duties in 2000.

Since 1986 the Angels and Red Sox have played twice in the Playoffs, the Sox sweeping the Halos 3-0 both times (2004 and 2007). If the Angels end 2008 with the best record in the league and the Red Sox make the post-season as the Wild Card, then they’ll play again this season, and the Halos have won 8 out of 9 against them this season. Both John Lackey and Joe Saunders have two wins against them, and one of those two should start two games in a five game series (probably Lackey).

Next time we’ll look at the Angels historic 2002 run to the title, a feat that we can only hope that they’ll be duplicating this season.

Post Season Starters (Games Started)

1B – Wally Joyner (3), George Hendrick (1), Bob Grich (3)
2B – Rob Wilfong (3), Bob Grich (3), Rick Burleson (1)
3B – Doug DeCinces (7)
SS – Dick Schofield (7)
LF – Brian Downing (7)
CF – Gary Pettis (7)
RF – Rupert Jones (5), George Hendrick (2)
DH – Reggie Jackson (6), Rick Burleson (1)

Rotation
1. Mike Witt (2)
2. Kirk McCaskill (2)
3. John Candelaria (2)
4. Don Sutton

If I were Mike Sciosia

I posted a blog over at Halos Heaven containing the Halos playoff roster if I were in charge. Check it out and either comment there or here wouldya?

EDIT:

I have since removed said post from Halos Heaven because it got several unintended hostile comments, one from the BOARD OWNER, Rev Halofan, which was especially uncalled for. So I have removed the blog and if I could figure out how to do it, I would remove them from my SB Nation account. In fact, I will probably just terminate said account, since the other "blog" from them, Bruins Nation is just as hostile, if not more so.

Here's what I don't understand about all of this, we're all fans of the SAME TEAMS/COLLEGE, why does there have to be so much hatred and hostility? I don't know, but what I do know is that I'm not hanging out somewhere where I'm not wanted.

In any case, here's the playoff roster for the Halos that I would use if I were their manager:

My Playoff Roster


1. C Mike Napoli
2. 1b Mark Texiera
3. 2b Howie Kendrick
4. 3b Chone Figgins
5. SS Erick Aybar
6. RF Vladimir Guerrero
7. CF Torii Hunter
8. LF Garrett Anderson
9. C Jeff Mathis
10. IF Brandon Wood
11. IF Kendry Morales
12. IF Robb Quinlan
13. OF Gary Matthews Jr.
14. OF Juan Rivera
15. OF Reggie Willits
16. SP Ervin Santana
17. SP John Lackey
18. SP Joe Saunders
19. SP Jon Garland
20. RP Frankie Rodriguez
21. RP Scot Shields
22. RP Darren Oliver
23. RP Jered Weaver
24. RP Jose Arredondo
25. RP Kevin Jepsen

Angels Playoff History Part 2 - 1982

Logo borrowed from Chris Creamers Sports Logo Page

The afterglow of making the post-season for the first time in club history did not last long for the 1980 Angels. In the off-season free-agent starter Nolan Ryan was allowed to leave and sign with the Houston Astros as the then-highest paid player in MLB history (four years for 4.4 million dollars!). Angel General Manager Buzzie Bavasi notoriously claimed that for what Ryan did in 1979 (16-14) he could get TWO pitchers who could go 8-7. Boy was he wrong. The 1980 Angels ended up in 6th place in the AL West, out of the pennant race by mid-season.

The 1981 version of the Angels wasn’t much better, coming in 5th in the AL West. However, several key moves would push the Angels towards another division win the next season. 81 was the first year for former MVP Fred Lynn with the Halos, and an up-and-coming rookie named Mike Witt made his debut with the team on April 11. Manager Jim Fregosi was let go during the season to be replaced by Gene Mauch.

Several key off-season transactions would push the Angels towards respectability again. Starting catcher Ed Ott was granted free agency (thought he would be later re-signed) and almost immediately replaced by Bob Boone whom they bought from Philadelphia. The biggest acquisition was that of Mr. October, Reggie Jackson from the Yankees in January, less than a week later solid fielder Dan Ford was traded to the Orioles for Doug DeCinces and Jeff Schneider. Later in the season the Angels traded for Tommy John and acquired Luis Tiant.

The ’82 Angels won a club-record 93 games. Infield anchors Bob Grich and Rod Carew were joined by DeCinces at third and Tim Foli at short. Former catcher Brian Downing had moved to the outfield and played alongside Lynn and Reggie. Don Baylor remained the team’s DH. Jackson didn’t disappoint that season, knocking in 39 dingers tying for the league lead and would join Grich and Lynn as All-Star starters, with Carew as a reserve. Their style of play was similar to the “small-ball” style that Mike Sciosia employs

The Milwaukee Brewers held the best record in baseball going into the playoffs, winning 95 and losing 67. The team featured a couple of HOFers in Robin Yount and Paul Molitor and also had the power-hitting Gorman Thomas and the sturdy Cecil Cooper. Four of their starters won 11 or more games, including Pete Vuckovich who went 18-6.

The ALCS started promisingly enough for the Halos. Their ace Tommy John started Game One, giving up only 3 earned runs in a complete game. Downing scored in the 1st on a sac fly from Baylor making it 1-0. The Brewers roared back in the 2nd and 3rd taking a 3-1 lead, but the Angels would respond in the bottom of the inning with 4 big runs, Downing walked to lead off the inning, DeCinces and Grich each followed with an RBI single, then Baylor tripled to center scoring 2 more. The Halos chased starter Mike Caldwell in the 4th when he gave up an inning opening single to Bob Boone. They would score 3 more to win the game 8-3. Center Fielder Fred Lynn went 3-4 with 2 singles and a solo HR.



Game Two was more of the same from the scarlet clad boys from Anaheim. The Angel starter Bruce Kison pitched another gem of a complete game, giving up only 5 hits and 2 runs. Angel batters made do with only 6 hits total, 4 of them singles. Reggie blasted a solo HR in the 3rd that ended up being the winning run, and they would go on to win 4-2. Lynn had another stellar game going 2-4 and scoring a run.

The series shifted to Milwaukee for the remainder of the playoffs before Game Three. Turns out that all the Brewers needed was home field advantage because they swept the next three games. Geoff Zahn started for the Halos, only lasting until the 3rd, giving up 3 runs and a walk. The difference in the game was a 2-run homer by Molitor in the 7th off of reliever Mike Witt, and the Angels went down 5-3. Venerable Don Sutton picked up the win throwing 7 & 2/3rds giving up 3 runs and striking out 9. Fred Lynn continued his marvelous series (he would end up the series MVP with a 2-3 performance, including a walk, a run and an RBI.

Tommy John again started Game Four, but spotted the Brew-crew a 6 run lead by the fourth. It ended up being all that they would need in an error filled slugfest. The Angels came close in the top of the 8th with Baylor hitting a Grand Slam to make it only a 2 run Brewer lead, but would eventually come up short losing 9-5. Lynn’s’ line: 1-3 with a double, a walk, a run scored, an RBI and a strikeout.

The closest that the Angels got to the big dance was when they took a 3-1 lead in the top of the 4th. They had manufactured single runs in the 1st, 3rd and 4th with 2 RBIs from Lynn and one from Boone. Brewer pitching then shut them down for the remainder of the game. After the 5th the Halos only managed two singles, and no one got past first. The Brewers cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the 4th on a solo HR by Ben Oglive; they took the lead for good in the 7th on a 2 RBI single by Cecil Cooper. Lynn’s’ Line: 3-4 with 2 RBI.



Unfortunately for California the Brewers simply needed their raucous home crowd to get them going, and they simply outplayed the Halos. Manager Gene Mauch did his best to keep up, but ultimately small-ball couldn’t out-maneuver the big sticks of the Brewers. They would go on to lose the World Series to the Cardinals in 7.

The Angels would come close to the post-seasons in two out of the next three seasons, coming in second in the AL West twice, in 1984 going a perfect 500 at 81-81 and in 1985 going 90-72 both times losing out the West to the Kansas City Royals. The ’85 season was heartbreaking because they led the West for much of the season, and as late as October 1, ultimately falling behind by one game.


Starters (All started each game)
1b – Rod Carew
2b – Bob Grich
3b – Doug DeCinces
SS – Tim Foli
LF – Brian Downing
CF – Fred Lynn
RF – Reggie Jackson
C – Bob Boone
DH – Don Baylor

Rotation
1. Tommy John (2 starts)
2. Bruce Kison (2 starts)
3. Geoff Zahn

Next time: Tragedy and One Strike Away from the Series. Or…The OTHER major event that happened in the post-season in 1986.

Angels Playoff History Part 1 - 1979

In honor of the Halos winning their 7th AL West title, I'm going to do a series of articles looking at each one of the Angels previous post-season appearances.



Logo borrowed from Chris Creamers Sports Logo Page

1979 was a watershed year for this particular blog writer, it was my last full year of living in Los Angeles before my parents would uproot us to San Diego in 1980. I remember being 8 years old in the Summer of '79, attending a couple of games, and being very, very excited about the Angels that season.

1979 was a year of firsts for the Angels; they won their first AL West Division Title, and got their first MVP performance from Don Baylor. They made their first playoff appearance, and they won their first playoff game. Unfortunately they lost the ALCS to Baltimore in four games.

Finishing the season off with an 88-74 record that was good enough to edge out the Royals by three games, the Halos sent six players to the All-Star Game in Seattle, including starting pitcher Nolan Ryan. I personally remember attending two games that season, one very early on where the Halos scored a ton of runs in the first inning and sailed to an easy victory. I still have the programs for those games, and I’d dig them out, except they are in storage with all my other Angel memorabilia.

Meanwhile, their opponent the Baltimore Orioles had the best record in baseball with 102-59 (there was a 45 day umpire strike that caused a few games to be lost and another 7 weeks worth of games to be called by scabs). Despite the powerful lineup, the Angels were out-hit and out-pitched in the post-season.

Game One was a star-studded affair that featured two HOFers as the starting pitchers, Ryan for the Angels and Jim Palmer for the Orioles. Dan Ford hit a solo shot off of Palmer in the first and got a second RBI when he drove home Rick Miller in the third. The Orioles tied it in the bottom of the third with two runs, one unearned and took the lead in the fourth. They were tied in the sixth with a run produced by HOFer Rod Carew and fan-favorite Bob Grich. The game would stay tied and go into the 10th when reliever John Montague gave up a three-run dinger to PH John Lowenstein. Ryan pitched 7 innings, gave up 4 hits, 1 earned run, 3 walks and 8 strikeouts in the first game in Angels post-season history. The game would be a harbinger of things to come.

The Halos made quite an effort in Game Two attempting to come from behind, but were thwarted in the top of the 9th by Don Stanhouse who got Baylor to ground out with the bases loaded and the Angels lost by a single run. The game appeared to be over in the third inning when the Orioles took a commanding 9-1 lead, but the Angels roared back with single runs in the 6th and 7th, then three more in the 8th.

The series shifted to the West Coast for game three, the first ever playoff game to be played at The Big A. The home team thrilled the crowd with a manufactured run in the first courtesy of Carney Lansford and Dan Ford, who had a great series. They’d take a 2-1 lead in the 4th on a Baylor homer, but in the 7th the Eastern Division Champion would take a 3-2 lead, which they’d hold until the bottom of the 9th. Oriole Starter Dennis Martinez gave up a one-out double to Rod Carew and was pulled by manager Earl Weaver in favor of Stanhouse, who proceeded to walk the next batter Brian Downing. Bob Grich hit a fly ball that was dropped and Carew tied the game, putting Downing on 2nd. Larry Harlow batted next and doubled home the winning run, the Angels had won their first playoff game ever and cut the lead to 2-1. There was hope yet for the Halos.



Unfortunately that hope quickly diminished in the closing Game Four. No Angel batter got past second base, and the Orioles cruised to an easy 8-0 victory going to their sixth World Series, where they would become the victims of the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates with Willie Stargell and Dave Parker, whom some would say were a team of destiny.

Starters (Games)
1b – Rod Carew (4)
2b – Bob Grich (4)
3b – Carney Lansford (4)
SS – Jim Anderson (4)
LF – Larry Harlow (2), Bobby Clark (1), Don Baylor (1)
CF – Rick Miller (4)
RF – Dan Ford (4)
C – Brian Downing (4)
DH – Don Baylor (3), Merv Rettenmund (1)

Rotation
1. Nolan Ryan
2. Dave Frost
3. Frank Tanana
4. Chris Knapp

If you’d like to take a more detailed look at the 1979 AL Championship Series, click here.

Angels Clinch AL West

With a 4-2 victory over the Yankees and Texas losing to Seattle 7-8 the Halos have officially clinched the AL West - September 9, 2008. Earliest in their history and tied for third earliest date in MLB history (The earliest date was September 7 by the 1975 Reds). Four Division titles over the last five years, and K-Rod gets his 56th save of the season with a full three weeks left. He'll be breaking the record in no time flat, and one has to think that he has the Cy Young sewn up. Dan Patrick earlier said that he might even get some MVP votes, which in my mind would be fantastic.

Of course the L.A. Times has to rain all over our parade and point out that early clinching is no guarantee of playoff success, as only the aforementioned '75 Reds and '98 Yankees have gone on to win the World Series after clinching on September 12 or earlier.

I'll have a look at the Halos' playoff fortunes later, as I am actually old enough and a big enough fan to remember them all.