LOS ANGELES ANGELS

The Official History of the Los Angeles Angels | Baseball Almanac

What can you say about a baseball franchise that was owned by a singing cowboy for 35 years and the world's most popular mouse for another seven, except that it had to be interesting, even when it was dull.

Gene Autry was one of Hollywood's wealthiest stars when he bought the new American League franchise about to be planted in California. It started a 35 year love affair between Autry and his Angels.

The Halos played their first game in 1961, beating Baltimore 7-2. They wound up 70-91, a winning percentage of .435, the best ever recorded by a first-year team.

In their second season, the Angels contended into September before fading. A perfect made-for-Hollywood personality burst onto the Angels baseball scene that summer — Bo Belinsky, a highly touted left-handed prospect who threw a no-hitter in May and then began dating virtually every starlet in Hollywood. His pitching never panned out as well as his social life, as he received more headlines that any pitcher who went 10-11 in his first season. Arm trouble turned him into a journeyman pitcher and he finished his career 28-51.

Two years later it was Dean Chance who shot across the sky. Only 5-5 at the All Star break, he finished the 1964 season 20-9 with a league leading 278 strikeouts, 11 shutouts and a 1.65 ERA that earned him the Cy Young Award.

CALIFORNIA ANGELS

The Angels stayed fairly respectable through the rest of the 1960's, and in 1970 produced their only batting champion in Alex Johnson, an outfielder they acquired the year before from the Reds. Johnson was moody, given to fits of pique and anger and was another great source of headlines for the press. He was gone to Cleveland a year later.

The Angels traded their franchise player, Jim Fregosi, to the Mets for Nolan Ryan in 1972. Ryan became the premier pitcher in the league, tossing two no-hitters in 1973 (when he also struck out 383 batters) and one each in 1974 and 1975.

Despite the individual achievements of players like Chance, Johnson and Ryan, Gene Autry's postseason trophy was empty accept for Tumbling Tumbleweeds until 1979. That year, a veteran group of Angels finally put the team over the top in the American League Western Division led by Don Baylor's MVP season (.296, 36 home runs and a league leading 139 runs batted in). Veterans like Rod Carew (.318), Bobby Grich (.294, 30 home runs, 101 RBI) and Dan Ford (.290, 21 homers, 101 RBI) contributed much along the way. The Angels lost the American League Championship Series to Baltimore.

After a few off seasons, Autry's boys were Back in the Saddle Again in 1982, with many of the same veterans now joined by Reggie Jackson (.275, 39 HR, 101 RBI). California defeated Milwaukee in the first two games of the best-of-five league championship series only to lose the next three in a row.

Jackson was with the Angels when he clubbed his 500th home run in 1984, but the Angles did not have the horses to compete that season. With Gene Mauch at the helm in 1985 they faded in September but rebounded to win the division again in 1986. Wally Joyner drove in 100 runs and hit .290, but no other regular hit better than .267. That was good enough for a pitching staff with Mike Witt, Kirk McCaskill, John Candelaria and Don Sutton all winning in double digits.

The best-of-seven American League Championship Series started well for the Angels, as they won three of the first four against the Red Sox. They took a 5-2 lead into the ninth inning of Game Five, and had two outs when Don Baylor (ironically) hit a two-run homer to make it 5-4. Then with another man aboard, Dave Henderson hit a shocking two-run homer off Angel relief ace Donnie Moore to give Boston 6-5 lead. Although the Angels managed to tie in their half of the ninth, they lost in extra innings and the next two games as well. A still-despondent Moore committed suicide three years later.

The Angels remained in a downward spiral after that. The only two seasons in which they contended, 1989 and 1995, they blew comfortable August leads. In 1995 they lost a one-game playoff to Seattle to decide the division.

ANAHEIM ANGELS

Autry sold his interest in the Angels to the Walt Disney Company in 1997. Disney promptly spruced up the ballpark, changed the logo and added new promotions. But most importantly it let the baseball people, led by manager Mike Scioscia, build up the team with quality talent and youthful pitching arms.

Solid players such as Troy Glaus (.250, 30 home runs, 111 RBI) and Garrett Anderson (.306, 29 homers, 123 RBI) helped the Angels take the wild card in 2002. They then torpedoed the Yankees and the Twins in the American League playoffs, and then defeated the San Francisco Giants in seven games for their only world championship.

They pulled a miracle of their own, rebounding from a 5-0 deficit after six innings of Game Six, when the Giants were eight outs from winning the championship. Long time Angel players, fans and employees found the championship bittersweet as Autry had not lived to see it. He had died four years earlier.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS

Disney World sold the team in 2005 to advertising executive Arturo Moreno, who became the first Hispanic owner of a Major League baseball team. A four-year dispute ensued as to what to call the team. They were originally called the Los Angeles Angels. Then they became the California Angels.

Today they are officially the Los Angeles Angels - the one constant during the Moreno years is that the team has remained competitive, making the playoffs four of his five years as owner.

They haven't returned to the World Series, but between Disney's promotions, a larger-than-life owner in Gene Autry, Bo Belinsky, Alex Johnson, Nolan Ryan and his no-hitters, Reggie Jackson, the monumental losses and incredible comebacks, the one thing you cannot call the Angels is dull.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"It's not big (the team's earned run average) if you look at it from the standpoint of the national debt." - Los Angeles Angels Manager (1961-1964) & California Angels Manager (1965-1969) Bill Rigney

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Los Angeles Angels Franchise Facts

Los Angeles Angels Rosters | 1961 - 1965
  1961 1962 1963 1964 1965        
California Angels Rosters | 1966 - 1996
            1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996      
Anaheim Angels Rosters | 1997 - 2004
              1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004          
Los Angeles Angels Rosters | 2005 - Current
          2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023            
Bold Seasons : Uniform Numbers Worn
Los Angeles Angels Schedules | 1961 - 1965
  1961 1962 1963 1964 1965        
California Angels Schedules | 1966 - 1996
            1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996      
Anaheim Angels Schedules | 1997 - 2004
              1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004          
Los Angeles Angels Schedules | 2005 - Current
          2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023            
Bold Seasons : Box Scores Online
Angels 100-Win Seasons
Year Record Manager
2008 100-62 Mike Scioscia
Angels 100 Loss Seasons
Year Record Manager
None n/a n/a
Angels No-Hitters
Name IP Date
Bo Belinksy 9.0 05-05-1962
Clyde Wright 9.0 07-03-1970
Nolan Ryan 9.0 05-15-1973
Nolan Ryan 9.0 07-15-1973
Nolan Ryan 9.0 09-28-1974
Nolan Ryan 9.0 06-01-1975
Mike Witt 9.0 09-30-1984
Mark Langston 7.0 04-11-1990
  Mike Witt 2.0 "
Ervin Santana 9.0 07-27-2011
Jered Weaver 9.0 05-02-2012
Taylor Cole 2.0 07-12-2019
  Felix Pena 7.0 "
Reid Detmers 9.0 05-10-2022
Bold = Perfect Game
Angels Cycle Hitters
Name Inn. Date
Jim Fregosi 9.0 07-28-1964
Jim Fregosi 11.0 05-20-1968
Dan Ford 14.0 08-10-1979
Dave Winfield 9.0 06-24-1991
Jeff DaVanon 9.0 08-25-2004
Chone Figgins 9.0 09-16-2006
Mike Trout 9.0 05-21-2013
Shohei Ohtani 9.0 06-13-2019
Jared Walsh 9.0 06-11-2022
Bold = Natural Cycle
Angels Cy Young Winners
Year Name Position
1964 Dean Chance RHP
2005 Bartolo Colon RHP
Angels MVP Winners
Year Name Position
1979 Don Baylor OF
2004 Vladimir Guerrero OF
2014 Mike Trout OF
2016 Mike Trout OF
2021 Shohei Ohtani RHP / DH
2023 Shohei Ohtani RHP / DH
Bold = Unanimous
Angels Rookies of the Year
Year Name Position
1993 Tim Salmon OF
2012 Mike Trout OF
2018 Shohei Ohtani RHP / DH
Angels Retired Numbers
# Name Position
11 Jim Fregosi SS
26 Gene Autry Owner
29 Rod Carew 2B
30 Nolan Ryan P
42 Jackie Robinson 2B
50 Jimmie Reese Coach
Angels Batting Champions
Year Name #
1970 Alex Johnson .329
Angels ERA Champions
Year Name #
1964 Dean Chance 1.65
1977 Frank Tanana 2.54
2007 John Lackey 3.01
Angels Home Run Champions
Year Name #
1981 Bobby Grich 22
1982 Reggie Jackson 39
2000 Troy Glaus 47
2023 Shohei Ohtani 44
Angels Strikeout Champions
Year Name #
1972 Nolan Ryan 329
1973 Nolan Ryan 383
1974 Nolan Ryan 367
1975 Frank Tanana 269
1976 Nolan Ryan 327
1977 Nolan Ryan 341
1978 Nolan Ryan 260
1979 Nolan Ryan 223
2010 Jered Weaver 233
Angels Wild Cards
Year Record Manager
2002 99-63 Mike Scioscia
Angels West Division Titles
Year Record Manager
1979 88-74 Jim Fregosi
1982 93-69 Gene Mauch
1986 92-70 Gene Mauch
2004 92-70 Mike Scioscia
2005 95-67 Mike Scioscia
2007 94-68 Mike Scioscia
2008 100-62 Mike Scioscia
2009 97-65 Mike Scioscia
2014 98-64 Mike Scioscia
Angels A.L. Pennants
Year Record Manager
2002 99-63 Mike Scioscia
Angels World Championships
WS Opponent M.V.P
2002 San Francisco Troy Glaus
Los Angeles Angels Team Statistics Tool
Includes Hitting, Pitching & Fielding Stats
 
California Angels Team Statistics Tool
Includes Hitting, Pitching & Fielding Stats
 
Anaheim Angels Team Statistics Tool
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Los Angeles Angels Team Statistics Tool
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Team-vs-Team Wins & Losses
Los Angeles Angels | Research by Baseball Almanac
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Did you know that the Los Angeles Angels still officially existed during the 1965 season? A review of the box scores reveals that on September 1, 1965, the New York Yankees lost to the Los Angeles Angels 6-7 in a twelve-inning contest. On September 2, 1965, the New York Yankees played the "California Angels" and won 8-1. The latter box score read as follows:

NEW YORK AT CALIFORNIA (D) — Newly renamed California Angels got off on wrong foot, losing to Yankees 8-1. Ford beat Angels for ninth straight time, bringing his career record to 12-3. Mantle, returning to Bombers' lineup after three-day layoff, settled issue quickly hitting three-run homer in first inning. Oft-injured outfielder also drove in another run with single in second inning.

Source : The Sporting News.

On September 14, 1978, the Angels set a team record for runs scored during an inning with thirteen (13) in the ninth (9th) inning versus the Texas Rangers. On May 12, 1997, versus the Chicago Cubs they duplicated their own record during the seventh (7th) inning.

Angels World Series
2002 World Series

On August 25, 1979, the Angels set a team record for hits during a game with twenty-six (26) versus the Toronto Blue Jays. On June 20, 1980, versus the Boston Red Sox they duplicated their own record once again.