When did you become an Angels fan? Were you an Angels fan before, during or after the 2002 season?

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

I was born in Detroit in 1969. I moved to So. Cal. in May of 1982 and became an Angels fan immediately.  

[Lifetime]

When I was a small child, early 60's, my grandfather bought me a little transistor radio for my birthday. In rolling through the stations, I came across the Angels broadcast. From then on, I was hooked and I listened to every broadcast I could, just me and my little transistor radio.

[Chuck]

What happened to secret ballots, Chuck? What kind of shitty ass democracy are you running here?

 

No secrets here bud.

[Chuck]

I'll be honest, I was a Yankees fan from the age of 5 till 8 years old. I didn't become a full fledge Angels fan till I was nine. Boy did I love the old Yankees. Guidry, Randolph, Reggie Jackson, Chambliss, Nettles, Dent, Munson, Goose, Hunter.... The Yankees of the 70's really got me into Baseball. 

[Brian Ilten]

I'll be honest, I was a Yankees fan from the age of 5 till 8 years old. I didn't become a full fledge Angels fan till I was nine. Boy did I love the old Yankees. Guidry, Randolph, Reggie Jackson, Chambliss, Nettles, Dent, Munson, Goose, Hunter.... The Yankees of the 70's really got me into Baseball. 

 

BOOOOOO!

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I came on board around 1998, when I moved to the west (and yes, I still have my fitted winged A cap). I became a fan mainly from going to Yankees-Angels games. The wife is a Yankee fan, and we made the trip for her to see her team. I had no strong feelings about the Angels one way or the other in the beginning, but I got to know the players, and it didn't hurt that the Angels beat the Yankees with reasonable regularity. The rest, as they say, is history.

[Torridd]

I became a fan in 1979 when Carew was traded to the team.

[katie]

Was born a dodgers fan but my dad switched us when they sold out to Fox.

[the14thjoey]

I'll be honest, I was a Yankees fan from the age of 5 till 8 years old. I didn't become a full fledge Angels fan till I was nine. Boy did I love the old Yankees. Guidry, Randolph, Reggie Jackson, Chambliss, Nettles, Dent, Munson, Goose, Hunter.... The Yankees of the 70's really got me into Baseball. 

 

Next thing you know, Chuck will go to an Angels game and not even wear a little red.

[VariousCrap]

My earliest memory of being a fan of the Angels was 1982.  I would have been 8 years old.

[Tank]

somewhere around 1968. attended my first game at the big A in '71.

 

what attracted me most was the california angels song at the beginning of each broadcast, and then listening to dick enberg call each game. it was, quite simply, magical, like listening to your favorite story-teller night after night after night.

[katie]

somewhere around 1968. attended my first game at the big A in '71.

 

what attracted me most was the california angels song at the beginning of each broadcast, and then listening to dick enberg call each game. it was, quite simply, magical, like listening to your favorite story-teller night after night after night.

That would not happen in the present... He's terrible now

[greginpsca]

Fan since the inception of the team.

[Brian Ilten]

That would not happen in the present... He's terrible now

Then you will understand why some of us feel that Vin Scully is the worst

[John Smith]

1978 California Angels

1978 California Angels Official Logo

Complete Roster  

 

Roster

Schedule

Statmaster

# Pitchers Height Weight Throws Bats Date Of Birth 46 Don Aase 6-03 210 Right Right 1954-09-08 33 Mike Barlow 6-06 215 Right Left 1948-04-30 34 Ken Brett 5-11 195 Left Left 1948-09-18 39 John Caneira 6-03 180 Right Right 1952-10-07 36 Al Fitzmorris 6-02 190 Right Both 1946-03-21 37 Dave Frost 6-06 235 Right Right 1952-11-17 38 Tom Griffin 6-03 210 Right Right 1948-02-22 45 Paul Hartzell 6-05 200 Right Right 1953-11-02 42 Chris Knapp 6-05 195 Right Right 1953-09-16 17 Dave LaRoche 6-02 200 Left Left 1948-05-14 41 Dyar Miller 6-01 195 Right Right 1946-05-29 30 Nolan Ryan 6-02 195 Right Right 1947-01-31 40 Frank Tanana 6-03 195 Left Left 1953-07-03 # Catchers Height Weight Throws Bats Date Of Birth 5 Brian Downing 5-10 194 Right Right 1950-10-09 15 Ike Hampton 6-01 185 Right Both 1951-08-22 9 Terry Humphrey 6-03 190 Right Right 1949-08-04 # Infielders Height Weight Throws Bats Date Of Birth 14 Jim Anderson 6-00 170 Right Right 1957-02-23 7 Dave Chalk 5-10 175 Right Right 1950-08-30 6 Ron Fairly 5-10 181 Left Left 1938-07-12 4 Bobby Grich 6-02 190 Right Right 1949-01-15 16 Ron Jackson 6-00 205 Right Right 1953-05-09 12 Carney Lansford 6-02 195 Right Right 1957-02-07 35 Dave Machemer 5-11½ 180 Right Right 1951-05-24 18 Rance Mulliniks 6-00 170 Right Left 1956-01-15 # Outfielders Height Weight Throws Bats Date Of Birth 10 Lyman Bostock 6-01 180 Right Left 1950-11-22 19 Ken Landreaux 5-10 165 Right Left 1954-12-22 3 Rick Miller 6-00 185 Left Left 1948-04-19 8 Merv Rettenmund 5-10 195 Right Right 1943-06-06 26 Joe Rudi 6-02 200 Right Right 1946-09-07 # Other Positions Height Weight Throws Bats Date Of Birth 25 Don Baylor 6-01 195 Right Right 1949-06-28 20 Danny Goodwin 6-01 195 Right Left 1953-09-02 27 Tony Solaita 6-00 215 Left Left 1947-01-15 1978 California Angels Roster

[FabulousFabregas]

I was first exposed to the Angels in 1999, but my first game wasn't until 2000 when I was 8 years old.  The 2002 World Series victory was even sweeter because the first couple of years I was a fan I never would have envisioned them making the playoffs, let alone winning the World Series.

 

I remember the first couple of years being a fan going to school everyday in the infamous blue Disney Angels logo jacket and got some crap for it.  Revenge was great in 02.

[Inside Pitch]

I don't remember a time when I wasn't an Angels fan, but my loyalty may have been somewhat split early on.  

 

As a kid I played shortstop and second, Bobby Grich and Reggie Jackson were my favorite players and Ryan my favorite pitcher.  I was likely a closet Yankee fan because of Reggie and because they beat the Dodgers who I hated with a passion in 77 and 78...  Still, I remember wanting the Angels to beat the Yanks every time they played each other in 1979 and my concern that Reggie might win a game for the Yanks.    

 

Whatever split allegiance there may have been ended when Reggie came to Anaheim.  With Preston coaching 3B for Mauch and Reggie in RF it was all Angels all the time from that point on.

[Splint7438]

Wow! What a great idea for a thread. As a kid I went to school in Anaheim and Nolan Ryan lived in a house on my way to school. We would stop and knock on his door and ask if Nolan Ryan really lived there. His wife Ruth was so patient because she would always answer the door and hand out 8x10 signed pictures of Ryan. Looking back I know she recognized the same kids always coming to the door. The day that the man actually answered the door is the day I knew there would never be another team for me. He was HUGE! And I was speechless. Which says a lot if you have ever met me. He basically held my hand through the handing out of yet another 8x10 pic. He was just so nice and had that texas drawl that seperated him from all the other players. I had been a casual fan before this and I chose to follow the Angels because our brother Paul was a dodger fan. Typical sibling rivalry stuff. The knocking on Ryans door happened in 1972. So hardcore since 1972. Nolan Ryan is my favorite athlete/celebrity of all time from any sport. I am lucky enough to have watched him play at a high level from grade school into my 30's. Not many can say that about their favorite player.

 

My favorite baseball player of all time however is Scott Stradling. Knowing I had a small part in his developement as a player and as a man fills me with great pride.I remember taking Stradling to a lot of games when he was a kid. Including the division clinching game in 86 when all of the fans poured onto the field. We had a great team that year and I think we would have beat the Mets if we had gotten past some other team first. I think that was the year i started my prediction every year that the Angels were going to win the series. Same prediction every year since.

 

The first year I thought we had a chance was the 1978 season. That is the year the "YES WE CAN" chant started. There was an overall sense in the stadium that we were into something special. The fans felt it. Of course we had to wait one more year to finally win the West, but us fans knew the Angels were charging fast. We played a lot of good baseball over the next 10 years or so but had a lot of heartbreak too.

 

I went to my first World Series game in game 2 at angel stadium. I was there for their first WS win. Two Salmon homers. And a Bonds homer that I think went into orbit. The Chinese are going to land on Bonds homer ball and plant their flag. Ok so I may have touched on a few too many threads here. Thank you so much for the forum to share. Fan since 1970. I love you scott more than life itself. Let me know if there was a different story you wanted me to tell.

[Jeff M]

Started going to games in 1982 with a neighbor and his dad who had season tickets. Got really hooked in 1986 and started listening to every game on the radio. Been crazy ever since.

[Chuck]

Good story Splint! Thanks for sharing. I think it's awesome you and your brother Scott are so close and both HUGE Angels fans. l don't have a sibling that shares that kind of duel passion for the Angels. 

 

Love all your stories guys. Keep em coming!

[xboom28x]

Followed the team starting in '84. Committed to being a fan of the Angels only in '86

[Brent Maguire]

I started going to games when I was little in 1999, really enjoyed the 2002 season even though I was only 8 and became very very interested when we got Vlad. I started going to a ton of games starting in 2008 so it's tough to say the exact moment when I became a fan. 

[ineedanap]

1986!

 

My mom was a Dodgers fan (from Brooklyn) and my Dad was a Yankee fan (from the Bronx), living in SoCal. So, naturally, I became an Angels fan. Pretty good year for us up until the end. Still hate BOS, but 2009 and the last few years have been cathartic.

 

I was living in NY in 2002 and working at a bar. It was one of the first years of the YES Network and the bar was packed with Yankee fans for the playoffs. It was wonderful.

[Splint7438]

I remember going to games in the early 70's and if Ryan or Tanana wasnt pitching the crowds were scarce. Everybody seemed to get a foul ball. They had archery practice in the seats down the first base line. Later in the 70's as a teenager we would wonder up to the top row and smoke pot. LOL funny how things change. Hasnt been too long ago we were allowed to smoke in our seats. My best friend way back then  would get tickets from his mom. She was a manager at the Howard Johnson Hotel on harbor. That is where the umpires stayed when they were in town. Seats under the old net behind the plate.I remember thinking even back then that I had better seats than the umpire because I could see that those pitches werent strikes!!!! I am unapologetic in that I demand that our team play well. I know we can play well and lose and that is easier to handle than losing while playing bad. Even as a kid you could tell the guys that didnt hustle and it ticked me off. LOL such a burden on a little kid! Trying to make your team play up to a 10 year oldsstandards.

[AzHaloFan]

My signature below pretty much tells the tail. However, I have to admit, my Hard Core "Angels Only" fandom probably started and never looked back in 1993, the dawning of the Tim Salmon era. That's when I got a car and could really go to games on my own and REALLY get into it.