#10
- Aug 21, 2007: GA has a night to remember
By
Eric Denton, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
Angels
fans thought Vladimir Guerrero's nine RBI game
against the Red Sox in 2004 was truly one for
the ages, and rightfully so. But a very familiar
face showed them in 2007 they hadn't seen anything
yet.
Garret
Anderson, who had been slowed by injuries over
the course of the last few seasons, produced
the single greatest individual offensive game
in the history of Angels baseball - against MLB's
premiere franchise, the New York Yankees - 4-for-6
with two doubles, two home runs (a 3-run shot
and a grand slam), three runs scored and a franchise
record 10 RBI.
In
the first inning, Anderson rocked a two run double,
scoring Orlando Cabrera and Chone Figgins. His
next at bat, in the second inning, Anderson doubled
again, scoring Guerrero and giving him three
RBI in two plate appearances.
Then
in the third inning, with Figgins and Jeff Mathis
on first and second, Anderson drilled an Edwar
Ramirez pitch over the right field wall for his
first home run of the game and three more RBI,
giving him six in three at-bats.
Batting
in the fifth, he grounded out to second. But
then in the sixth, with Howie Kendrick, Cabrera
and Guerrero filling the bases, Anderson hit
a towering shot into the right field pavilion
for his eighth career Grand Slam, receiving an
enthusiastic standing ovation from the 44,264
Anaheim faithful as he rounded the bases. And
they would not return to their seats until Anderson
climbed out of the dugout and tipped his cap.
"It
took me 13 years to get that one," Anderson
said of the ovation and curtain call. "I
don't see myself playing for 26 years. It's nice
when the fans appreciate you. I think it's the
first one I've had, and it was kind of a shock."
In
the eighth, Anderson came to bat with two outs
and Angels on first and third, but he grounded
out to short and wound up one RBI shy of Tony
Lazzeri's AL record 11, set May 24, 1936. (The
MLB record of 12 is held by two men: Jim Bottomley,
Sept. 16, 1924, and Mark Whiten, Sept. 7, 1993.)
"It
was an incredible night for Garret," Angels
manager Mike Scioscia said.
Heading
into the 2008 season, Anderson is the all-time
franchise leader in RBI with 1,208 - No. 125
all-time in MLB. He is 88 RBI shy of cracking
the top-100.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALA/ALA200708210.shtml
#9
- Jan. 11, 2004: Angels sign Vladimir Guerrero
By
Adam Dodge, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
It's
rare that a sports event that occurs away from
the field of play would make any sort of top "anything" list.
The vast majority of the moments highlighted
on our list took place on the baseball diamond,
because those are the moments that are most celebrated
and seldom forgotten by fans.
However,
on Jan. 11, 2004, when ESPN Radio affiliate KSPN's
update man Dave Denholm announced that the Anaheim
Angels had reached an agreement on a five-year
contract with free-agent slugger Vladimir Guerrero,
it incited a reaction from fans on par with a
postseason series victory.
It
had been expected that the Montreal Expos' four-time
All-Star right fielder would sign with the Mets,
Dodgers or Orioles. There hadn't been a whisper
that the Angels were even interested in the National
League's best kept secret.
As
the story goes, then Angels General Manager Bill
Stoneman made a call to Guerrero's agent, Arn
Tellem, to inquire about Rafael Palmeiro.
"How
about Vlad?," the agent responded.
Stoneman,
surprised that Guerrero was interested in the
Angels, approached Angels owner Arte Moreno with
the idea. Three days later, Moreno had a new
face for the franchise he'd acquired just eight
months earlier..
Though
he'd already gained credibility among fans by
making other waves during the off-season with
the signings of Jose Guillen, Kelvim Escobar
and Bartolo Colon, Moreno removed any doubt that
he truly meant business with the Guerrero signing.
And
what a signing it was. Guerrero won the American
League MVP award in 2004, carrying the Angels
on his back down the stretch to their first division
title in eighteen years. In his four years with
the Angels, the quiet superstar has averaged
a remarkable .327 batting average, 33 homeruns
and 119 RBI per season while the Angels have
won three division titles.
#8
- Aug. 29, 1986: Schofield leads a grand comeback
By
Geoff Bilau, Angelswin.com Senior Editor
It
is the biggest ninth inning comeback in Angels
history, and shortstop Dick Schofield not only
sparked it - he also ended it with one explosive
swing of the bat.
With
the Angels holding onto a 4.5 game lead over
Texas for the division title, the Rangers had
already applied some pressure with a 5-2 victory
in Chicago earlier that Friday night.
The
Angels, meanwhile, were getting trounced by the
visiting Detroit Tigers, trailing 8-1 after five
uninspiring innings. Heading into the bottom
of the ninth, Detroit's lead stood at 12-5 and
it appeared the Angels division bump would soon
shrink to 3.5 games.
The
rally started innocently enough, with Schofield
beating out an infield single to short off Tigers
reliever Randy O'Neal, who was beginning his
third inning of work. After Rick Burleson lined
out, Wally Joyner drew a walk. When Brian Downing
singled to load the bases, Detroit closer Guillermo "Willie" Hernandez,
the 1984 MVP and Cy Young winner, began to warm
in the bullpen - just in case.
Jack
Howell doubled to right field, scoring Schofield
and Joyner, and Tigers manager Sparky Anderson
had seen enough. He called on Hernandez, even
though Detroit still led 12-7.
Hernandez,
however, would prove no more effective, promptly
giving up consecutive RBI singles to George Hendrick
and Bobby Grich, pulling the Angels within three
runs. But when Gary Pettis grounded into a fielder's
choice at second, California was down to its
final out. Up stepped Ruppert Jones, pinch hitting
for Jerry Narron. Jones worked a walk from Hernandez,
loading the bases for the man who started the
rally: Schofield.
Incredibly,
the Angels typically light-hitting shortstop
- he of the 56 home runs in 1,368 career games
- lofted a Hernandez splitter straight down the
left field line; a ball that kept carrying … carrying … carrying … just
fair over the short wall and just out of the
reach of Dave Collins' leaping attempt.
It
was a grand slam - a walk-off grand slam, in
fact, capping an eight-run ninth that ignited
frenzy among those fans from the original 32,992
in attendance that actually remained.
The
Angels would maintain their 4.5 game lead on
the Rangers, who got no closer than five the
rest of the season. It was the signature victory
of the Angels' 1986 division championship season
and one that fans, even 22 years later, still
recall fondly any time the team rallies in the
ninth.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL198608290.shtml
#7
- Oct. 20, 2002: Salmon blasts give Angels
first WS victory
By
Chuck Richter, Angelswin.com Executive Editor
The
scene: Edison Field, Game 2 of the 2002 World
Series, Angels down 0-1 in the series to the
San Francisco Giants.
After
7 1/2 seesaw innings, the Angels and Giants stood
deadlocked, 9-9. Until Salmon broke it with a
sledgehammer, crushing his second home run of
the game to put the Angels ahead for good.
Typical
of Salmon, despite his own heroism his was not
the home run he was gushing about afterward.
Salmon was still marveling at the one hit by
Barry Bonds in the ninth that sailed some 485
feet into the sea of red in right field.
"That
was the farthest ball I've ever seen hit in this
ballpark, for sure," Salmon said. But the
Angels' always-humble right fielder trumped that
mammoth shot with the drive that counted the
most, a two-out, two-run shot that proved the
difference in the Angels 11-10 victory and knotted
the series at one game apiece.
"We
knew there was going to be a hero in the dugout," Salmon
said, "and tonight it was me."
Until
2002, no active player in the majors had gone
longer than Salmon - 1,388 games - without reaching
the postseason. But that wasn't a well-known
fact because Bonds had been the center of attention,
especially since it was his first World Series,
too.
But
Salmon put the spotlight squarely on himself
on this night by helping the Halos to their first-ever
World Series win.
"I
think I made the most of my opportunities. It
was awesome," Salmon said. "The way
the game went back-and-forth was unbelievable."
Salmon
ended up going 4-for-4 with a walk, while driving
in four runs and scoring three. He capped his
performance with a drive into the Anaheim bullpen
in left field that left Bonds hanging over the
top of the fence. A joyous sight indeed!
Earlier
in the game, Salmon's first two-run homer gave
the Angels a 7-4 lead in the second inning. They
led, 5-0, after the first inning before the Giants
rallied with some fireworks of their own.
But
as Salmon circled the bases and fireworks exploded
overhead after connecting on a 93 mph fastball,
ultimately it was the Giants' Felix Rodriguez
angrily tugging on his cap.
After
Troy Percival gave up the ninth inning two-out
blast to Bonds, the crowd of 44,584 roared as
Benito Santiago popped out harmlessly to Adam
Kennedy at second to end it.
"It
was too much Salmon," Bonds said after the
game. "It's phenomenal. He did everything
any player could do in one game except steal
home."
Salmon
will no doubt be remembered for many highlights
and accomplishments as an Angel: 1993 AL Rookie
of the Year, the sliding catches in right field,
the force that he was with the lumber, the Texas
Ranger beat downs or his last game played, retiring
an Angel for life and the ceremonial send off
from the fans in Anaheim.
But
for me, this game, with all that was riding upon
it, was the highlight of Salmon's career and
clearly one of the "Greatest Moments in
Angels Baseball."
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ANA/ANA200210200.shtml
#6
- Oct. 5, 2002: Angels beat Yanks, win first
postseason series
By
Adam Dodge, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
Fresh
off of a Game 3 come-from-behind win, one in
which the Anaheim Angels erased a 6-1 deficit
against the New York Yankees in the 2002 American
League Division Series to take a 2-1 series lead,
the Angels entered Game 4 looking to close out
the Bronx Bombers at home for the franchise's
first ever postseason series win.
Once
again, the Angels had their opponents on the
ropes, facing elimination. It had become, of
course, a familiar site for Angels fans. The
team had already played six such games in their
history.
In
1982, the then California Angels were up two
games to none on the Milwaukee Brewers in the
best-of-five ALCS. With three chances to beat
the Brew Crew and advance to the World Series,
the Angels failed - losing all three games.
In
1986, the Angels again found themselves on the
cusp of reaching their first World Series. But
up three games to one on the Boston Red Sox and
just one strike away, closer Donnie Moore gave
up a two-out, two-strike, two-run homerun to
Dave Henderson, relinquishing a 5-4 lead in Game
5 of the ALCS. Boston went on to win the game,
as well as Games 6 and 7 in Fenway Park.
With
such a short, yet heart-wrenching postseason
history, many of the 45,067 in attendance on
Oct. 5, 2002, were waiting to see how the Angels
would let this opportunity slip through their
fingers.
With
the Angels down, 2-1, entering the bottom of
the fifth inning, tension was high. David Wells
was 8-1 in his postseason career and was pitching
well for the Yankees on this afternoon.
Then,
something amazing happened. The Angels put together
one of the greatest offensive innings in Major
League postseason history.
Shawn
Wooten led off the fifth with a homerun to left-center
field to tie the game, 2-2. Then, after a Bengie
Molina fly-out, Benji Gil recorded the first
of five consecutive Angels' singles with a shot
into centerfield.
After
a Troy Glaus fly ball out, the Angels connected
for four more hits in a row, including Wooten's
and Gil's second hits of the inning.
When
it was all said and done, the Angels had plated
eight runs on a record-tying 10 hits in the inning.
Anaheim
- Bottom of 5th
David Wells pitching for New York
S
Wooten homered to left center
B Molina flied out to right
B Gil singled to center
D Eckstein singled to right, B Gil to third
D Erstad singled to shallow center, B Gil scored, D Eckstein to second
T Salmon singled to left center, D Eckstein scored, D Erstad to third
G Anderson singled to right center, D Erstad scored, T Salmon to third
T Glaus flied out to shallow right
S Spiezio singled to left, T Salmon scored, G Anderson to second
R Mendoza relieved D Wells
S Wooten singled to right center, G Anderson scored, S Spiezio to third
B Molina doubled to deep left, S Spiezio and S Wooten scored
O Hernandez relieved R Mendoza
B Gil singled to center, B Molina to third
D Eckstein flied out to center
8
Runs, 10 Hits, 0 Errors
With
a 9-2 lead, the Angels needed only 12 outs to
erase the franchise's playoff demons.
New
York scratched across single runs in the sixth,
seventh and ninth innings to close the deficit
to 9-5, but when Nick Johnson lifted a weak pop-up
to deep shortstop, and David Eckstein promptly
squeezed it for the game's final out, jubilation
ensued.
The
Angels had beaten the mighty Yankees three games
to one for their first playoff series win in
the franchise's history.
"It's
been a long time coming for myself and this organization,
a lot of blood, sweat and tears,'' said Salmon
in the clubhouse. "To finally come through
and do it, it's just special.
"Nobody
gave us a chance against the Yankees. Maybe we
caught them on a bad week, I don't know. You
can't say enough about how our club's playing,"
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ANA/ANA200210050.shtml
#5
- Sept. 25, 1979: Angels win first ever division
title
By
Geoff Bilau, Angelswin.com Senior Editor
"The
Angels one out away from their first championship
ever. Porter at the plate, he waits. The pitch
from Frank … swing and a ground ball hit
to Carew. He bobbles it, recovers, throws to
Tanana … IN TIME! The 19-year wait is over,
they've done it: The Angels are the champions
of the West!"
In
light of all the recent success the Angels have
enjoyed this decade - a World Championship and
division titles in three of the past four seasons
- it's sometimes easy to forget just how difficult
a struggle it was for the franchise to win its
first.
But,
oh, did they ever struggle; not only through
losing seasons - and there were plenty of those,
13 of the first 17 to be exact - but also debilitating
injuries and clubhouse unrest. The Angels even
suffered the tragedy of not one, but two players'
deaths during their first two heartbreaking decades.
In 18 previous seasons, they'd gone through eight
managers, four general managers and played in
three different home parks.
But
finally, in 1979, with a rallying cry of "Yes
We Can!" the Angels buried their demons
(well, some of them anyway) and on Sept. 25,
behind a dominant complete game by Frank Tanana,
they won the American League West in front of
40,631 jubilant fans at Anaheim Stadium.
And
true to fashion for this franchise, it still
didn't come easily: Nolan Ryan, Rod Carew and
Willie Aikens each missed significant time with
injuries and Tanana was limited to 17 starts.
But manager Jim Fregosi, hired in the middle
of the 1978 season, days after retiring as a
player, held it all together.
"We've
been ready for it for an awfully long time around
here and I'm just thrilled to death to be part
of it," said Fregosi, who spent 13 of the
team's first 19 seasons in an Angels uniform. "These
players have been absolutely fantastic all season.
They've gone out under really some tough situations,
some tough conditions, they've battled all year
long and I just couldn't be prouder of them."
Great
offensive seasons from Don Baylor, later named
the AL MVP, Bobby Grich, Dan Ford and Brian Downing,
along with a solid season from Ryan and the emergence
of Dave Frost carried the Angels to the title,
which was a watershed moment for the Angels franchise
despite the fact the team would go on to lose
the ALCS, 3-1, to the Orioles.
"The
biggest thing we had to overcome was that we
had never won a division," Fregosi said. "No
matter how good the talent was, there seemed
to be a black cloud hanging over the team - injuries,
people getting hurt. Overcoming that was special
to me. Once a team has won, the team knows it
could do it."
It
would be another 23 years before the Angels would
win it all, but in 1979 they took that first,
all-important step.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CAL/1979.shtml
#4
- Oct. 27, 2002: "Garret Anderson clears
the bases!"
By
Adam Dodge, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
After
an incredibly emotional come-from-behind victory
of historic proportions in Game 6 of the 2002
World Series - one which saw the Anaheim Angels
force a deciding Game 7 at Edison Field - the
home team had every ounce of momentum on its
side.
The
Angels entered the bottom of the third inning
tied, 1-1, with the San Francisco Giants. Though
the scoreboard said it was clearly not make or
break time, the guts of 44, 598 fans in the stadium
and millions more watching on television said
otherwise. Every pitch delivered in the World
Series seems to hold the collective fate of everyone
with a rooting interest.
David
Eckstein led off the third with a single to left
field off of Giants starter Livan Hernandez,
who won Game 7 of the 1997 World Series for the
Florida Marlins. Darin Erstad followed with a
single of his own to left in front of Tim Salmon,
who was hit by a Hernandez off-speed pitch, loading
the bases for team MVP Garret Anderson.
Anderson,
who finished fourth in American League MVP voting
in 2002, had a remarkable season, finishing with
a .306 batting average, 29 home runs and 123
RBI. But his World Series performance had been
a modest one entering his second at-bat of Game
7.
The
stage had been set for Anderson, who needed to
just put the ball in play to give his team a
lead. He did two better, driving a Hernandez
high fastball down the right field line and into
the corner. Eckstein, Erstad and Salmon all scored
on the double, giving the Angels a 4-1 lead.
Anderson
had cleared the bases! Arguably the greatest
Angel, GA had collected his greatest moment.
The
Angels would not score another run in the 2002
season. But three rookie pitchers and their outstanding
closer made sure they didn't need to.
#3
- Oct. 13, 2002: "He has homered THREE
times!"
By
Geoff Bilau, Angelswin.com Senior Editor
Chances
are had you asked a diehard Angels fan if he
or she would have been satisfied with a nondescript
5-2 victory prior to Game 5 of the 2002 ALCS,
the answer would have been "Absolutely!" After
waiting 41 years to see an American League pennant
flying over Anaheim Stadium, few fans were going
to be picky about how it got there.
The
Angels, however - especially second baseman Adam
Kennedy - had a special treat in store for their
long-suffering faithful. Kennedy, who hit just
seven homers during the 2002 regular season,
launched three round trippers over the right
field wall, the third igniting a 10-run seventh
inning that carried the Halos into their first
World Series with a 13-5 victory over the Twins.
Kennedy's
first home run, leading off the third inning
off Joe Mays, shaved the Twins 2-0 lead in half.
When he connected again in the fifth, following
Scott Spiezio's leadoff shot, Kennedy briefly
gave the Angels a 3-2 lead.
The
twins retook the lead with three in the top of
the seventh, and with Johan Santana on the mound
appeared to have perhaps blown an opportunity
to end the series at home.
But
Spiezio and Bengie Molina led off the bottom
half with singles and rather than sending up
right handed Benji Gil to pinch hit for Kennedy,
manager Mike Scioscia allowed the lefty swinger
to bat. On Santana's first pitch, Kennedy squared
around to bunt - a textbook Scioscia move - but
fouled off his attempt.
With
44,835 fans expecting another bunt attempt, Kennedy
got the green light to swing away and fouled
it off. After taking a ball, Kennedy lofted Santana's
1-2 offering, a hanging curveball, deep over
the tall wall in right center field for his third
home run of the game, a three-run shot to give
the Angels a 6-5 lead.
Kennedy
became only the fifth player in Major League
history to homer three times in a playoff game,
joining Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson
and George Brett, and former Pirate Bob Robertson
in the very exclusive club.
"I
don't care if I have another one," Kennedy
said. "This is it right here, the biggest
game of my life. Everybody dreams of this. I
was in the right spot today."
For
good measure, Kennedy's teammates proceeded to
thoroughly pile on the Twins beleaguered bullpen,
scoring seven more runs off three relievers who
followed Santana, Kennedy adding a single later
in the inning.
Kennedy
finished the game 4-for-4 with three runs and
five RBI, earning him series MVP honors - some
fine hardware for his trophy case, but nothing
compared to being remembered as the man whose
bat sent the Angels to their first World Series.
That is simply unforgettable.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ANA/ANA200210130.shtml
#2
- Oct. 26, 2002: The swing that changed a franchise
By
Adam Dodge, Angelswin.com Senior Writer, and
Geoff Bilau, Angelswin.com Senior Editor
It
was just one swing out of hundreds of thousands
in the Angels' 47-year history, but it produced
three of the biggest runs and, in one instant,
shifted an entire franchise's momentum. With
one swing, hopeless became hopeful.
When
Scott Spiezio coaxed that ball over the short
wall in right field, just far enough to elude
the reach of Giants right fielder Reggie Sanders,
there was an immediate sense that it would prove
the most important hit in Angels history. Around
24 hours later, it was no longer just a sense
- it was truth.
Game
6 of the 2002 World Series was do or die for
the Anaheim Angels, who were facing elimination,
down three games to two against the San Francisco
Giants.
Entering
the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Giants
leading 5-0, the Angels appeared prepped for
their casket. The team had shown little life
offensively, thoroughly stifled by starter Russ
Ortiz, and the Giants' greatest strength, their
bullpen, rested and ready.
Garret
Anderson led off the seventh inning with routine
groundball to second base. The Angels had just
eight outs remaining to prevent a very disappointing
end to their season.
The
next batter, Troy Glaus, finally gave the Angels
and their fans something to cheer about when
he singled to left field on Ortiz's next pitch.
And when Brad Fullmer followed with a single
of his own, the Angels had the beginnings of
a rally.
What
happened next proved to be one of the most second-guessed
managerial decisions in World Series history
- and that's putting it mildly.
With
two on and one out, Giants' manager Dusty Baker
made his way out to the mound. The trip was no
doubt to talk strategy, and since it was late
into an elimination game it made sense that the
manager would forgo sending the pitching coach
on such a critical mound visit. After all, Ortiz
had dominated the Angels for 6.1 innings and
had not yet thrown 100 pitches. Surely Baker
would allow him to work through a little bit
of trouble in the seventh, especially with a
five-run lead.
But
Baker had other thoughts. To everyone's surprise,
he raised his right hand toward the bullpen.
He was bringing in right-handed fireballer Felix
Rodriguez to face previously anonymous Angels
first baseman Scott Spiezio.
Baker
had pulled his starting pitcher, though he'd
not given up a run while scattering just four
hits and walking two. What's more, with Ortiz
already a step away from the pitching rubber
and on his way to the dugout, Baker reached back,
symbolically grabbing his pitcher's right arm
to stop him. A curious Ortiz accepted a gift
- the "game ball," which he no doubt
deserved, but that the ball was given to him
on the mound for millions to see was what created
controversy. It no doubt stuck in the craw of
the Angels and their fans.
Spiezio
would have his hands full. Rodriguez was one
of the best relievers in baseball, as evidenced
by the .163 average he allowed to opposing batters
during the 2002 postseason. Spiezio, however,
was working on a special October of his own,
one that saw him tie the postseason record for
RBI with 19.
After
a first pitch ball, Spiezio fouled off three
consecutive Rodriguez fastballs perfectly placed
on the outside corner. Rodriguez evened the count
at 2-2 when he missed with his fifth pitch. On
the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Spiezio put a
great swing on a fastball, fouling it straight
back, prompting a rare prophetic statement from
FOX announcer Tim McCarver, who cautioned, "If
you make a mistake away, it's a single. If you
make a mistake in, it's 5-3."
After
Rodriguez' next pitch went wide, making the count
full, he did, indeed, miss in. On the eighth
pitch of the at-bat, Spiezio took a low and in
fastball high and deep into the right field corner.
Sanders drifted back methodically, tracking the
towering fly ball. When it left the bat, it appeared
Spiezio just missed it, but the ball continued
to carry, taking Sanders all the way to the warning
track; then over it and to the wall. He reached
up and over the short wall, but to no avail.
The ball had disappeared into a mob of suddenly
reinvigorated Angels fans.
Spiezio,
who stopped his trot at first base to watch the
fate of his hit - to wish and to pray - showed
little emotion as he restarted his jog around
the bases, a subtle fist shake sufficing.
The
fans were another story. Edison Field exploded
with roars and cheers, which could no doubt be
heard miles away. The Angels - a team of grinders,
who had come back time and time again throughout
the regular and post-seasons - had trimmed the
Giants' once seemingly insurmountable lead to
5-3. And though its not the kind of thing that
shows up on the scoreboard, had stolen away from
the Giants every last bit of momentum.
From
hopeless to hopeful; and following the Angels'
half of the eighth and the Giants' futile ninth,
from hopeful to absolutely sure the Angels would
now win the series.
But
then, it was only one swing, right?
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ANA/ANA200210260.shtml
#1
- Oct. 27, 2002: Champions of baseball
By
Geoff Bilau, Angelswin.com Senior Editor
By
now, most Angels fans can recite Rory Markas'
call verbatim:
"Here's
the pitch to Lofton. Fly ball, center field.
Erstad says he's got it. Erstaaaaaad MAKES THE
CATCH! The Anaheim Angels are the champions of
baseball!"
When
the Angels' unofficial team captain settled under
and clasped his glove around that most precious
of final outs, it was the culmination of many
things: an incredible World Series comeback;
a riveting postseason run; an unprecedented 99
win regular season; the antidote for heartbreaking
collapses in 1995, 1986 and 1982; a delivery
on the promise of 1979; and the realization of
a dream first dared to be dreamt in 1961.
The
textbook version is simply that the Angels reached
the pinnacle of their sport 42 seasons after
their pursuit began. But to the fans, players,
coaches and front office people who followed
the Angels for any significant amount of time,
of course the emotions run immensely deeper.
For
me, it actually required a season or two of separation
before I could truly appreciate the significance.
Don't get me wrong; I was as elated as anybody
when the confetti and streamers came raining
down upon us following Erstad's catch.
But
maybe I'd already spent all the emotion I could
spare the day before, when I witnessed the birth
of my first child and the rebirth of the Angels
World Series hopes all within a span of about
six hours. Or perhaps it was because even before
the first pitch, the Game 7 victory truly seemed
like a foregone conclusion following the previous
night's drama; and when was ANYTHING positive
for the Angels a given during their first 41
seasons?
And
that's what struck me after the World Series
championship had really sunk in - it happened,
and it could happen again. Previously, I honestly
wasn't sure it ever would. Now, I believe it
will again.
And
while I think the moment when I first knew they
were actually going to play in the World Series
will always rank as the most emotional high in
my years of being an Angels fan, in retrospect
I'm so glad they went ahead and won it all while
they were there. I mean all the greatest stories
have a happy ending, don't they?
Champions
of baseball … yeah, that'll do.
Here's
how other contributors to our Top-50 Greatest
Moments list feel about No. 1:
Adam
Dodge, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
It
is hard to describe exactly what I felt when
Erstad squeezed Kenny Lofton's fly ball for
the final out. I was relatively calm from the
first pitch of the game until the Angels had
finally won. After the complete swing in emotion
I felt watching Game 6, I was too exhausted
to work up any emotion for Game 7.
For
the entire postseason, I had either been in
attendance or at my favorite watering hole
to celebrate every moment with other fans.
I needed a break. So, I watched the entirety
of Game 7 alone; poetic in a sense because
growing up none of my friends or family members
felt the same way about the game of baseball,
and there was certainly no one that loved the
Angels as much as I did. It wasn't my intention
to watch the game alone. I just didn't feel
like sharing that moment with anyone else.
Had
I been there or watched the game with friends
I doubt I'd have noticed - I was focused on
each pitch, nothing else existed but the game.
When the final out was made, I felt accomplished.
Not that I had anything to do with the victory,
but that my fanship had finally paid off. The
years of suffering through bad teams and monumental
collapses proved worth it. I felt like a champion.
Eric
Denton, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
I
had always told my friends, "Just once,
I just need to see it happen one time." It
was worth the wait. Sticking through thick
and thin with the Angels had paid off. All
the sadness and anger from the past were washed
away in one lazy fly ball to Darin Erstad.
I
was fortunate enough have tickets to Game 7.
When the final out was made, I was standing
in center field, over by the rock pile. I momentarily
lost my mind. I let out a loud primal scream
and leapt into the air a few times.
Chuck
Richter, Angelswin.com Founder and Executive
Editor
When
Kenny Lofton drove that ball to right-center
field, my heart leapt with both uncertainty
and joy, thinking it could either be '86 all
over again or the burying of what seemed to
be the franchise's October curse.
When
Darin Erstad pulled it down, I picked up my
best friend's 16-year-old son and spun him
around like a baton, as I have never in my
life experienced such combined joy and adrenaline
from what was essentially a routine outfield
put-out: tears of joy, ear to ear smiles about
my living room and a moment in my life's history
that words cannot describe.
To
me, this was the Greatest Moment in Angels
baseball. Buried were the thoughts of any curse.
Born anew was a World Series Championship for
fans to claim, who throughout the years have
expressed love and passion for the club. And
on this grand night, destiny paid back some
respect to Angels fans around the world.
Editor's
note: I'd like to thank all of the
writers who contributed to this monumental
project the past 50 days. It was quite an undertaking
while simultaneously working full time, managing
a Little League team and looking after a family
of six, but was it ever worth it!
Here's
to the memories and debates we hope our list
inspired and to the making of many more outstanding
top-50 worthy moments in the seasons to come.
Thanks
for reading!
