1986

[Lou E Ville]

The craziness of this postseason is reminding me of 1986. I was telling someone about the Angels-Red Sox series and I got to thinking. How many people know that the Angels won Game Four that year going into the ninth trailing 3-0? All they remember is Game Five.

[19HALO71]

I was there for all the home games in Anaheim. I can't say that I remember all the details but as you mentioned the traumatic D.Henderson HR is about all I do remember, vividly. The ball landed about two sections to my left.

 

Go Halos!!!

Edited October 15, 2015 by 19HALO71

[gurn67]

I remember being in CF seats that don't exist anymore and my brother turning to me after the 8th inning and saying "F*** it, let's go." I also remember him thanking me after the game for refusing to leave.

[Angel Oracle]

And they came back in game 4 with Clemens pitching into the ninth, before DeCinces' HR broke up the shutout and then Calvin Schraldi allowed the 2nd run to score and then hit Downing with two strikes on him to tie it up.

When Grich hit the game winner in extra innings, Schraldi went straight to the dugout and had his face buried in a towel for what seemed like several minutes.

 

Grudging respect, but respect nonetheless for Schraldi going back out there in game 5 and totally shutting the Halos down in the 11th to seal the Red Sux win  

 

It's ironic though that Schraldi pitched the 10th inning in game 6 of the WS with a 2 run lead (thanks to bleeping Henderson again), and let it get away with the help of Bob Stanley's WP and Buckner's error. 

Edited October 15, 2015 by Angel Oracle

[DMVol]

Everybody remembers the Henderson HR but we had a great chance to win it in the bottom of the 9th with DeCinces up and one out, runner on 3rd....

[Angel Oracle]

And Pettis sent Rice to the fence in the 10th.   If Rice is playing Pettis like he did the night before, the Halos are playing the Mets in the WS. 

[seenoevil]

I remember Bobby Grich slamming his helmet in disgust cuz Moose Stubing didn't give him any hand singals while rounding 3rd base and getting thrown out

[tomsred]

Everybody remembers the Henderson HR but we had a great chance to win it in the bottom of the 9th with DeCinces up and one out, runner on 3rd....

 

Yeah, I remember that one too.  If I remember correctly I think he hit an infield pop up.  It was a great game, unfortunately for Angel fans a terrible outcome.  I was depressed for about two weeks.  The good news is that all the other disappointments that have happened after don't seem to hurt quite as much, because that was was so horrible.

 

The last two games in Boston that we lost are just a blur, I can't even remember much about them now other than we lost.

Edited October 16, 2015 by tomsred

[gurn67]

Another thing I remember about game 5 is that Rob Wilfong drove in Ruppert Jones with one out to score the tying run in the bottom of the 9th. Everyone in the stadium was watching the close play at the plate, including Wilfong! I remember looking at 2nd and thinking why in the hell isn't Wilfong at 2nd? First of all, you're at home so he should have run towards 2nd as soon as he saw the ball was going through. If they cut it off and throw him out that elimated the close play at the plate and you've tied the game. If he goes to 2nd and the throw goes to the plate, he's at 2nd base with only one out with Schofield and Downing coming up.

[seenoevil]

DeCinces was the one who really pissed me off. I thought the game was just about over, the crowd was wild, this team came back all year. DeCines was known for getting the big hit too. He really got off the hook in the history books, because of what happened to Donnie Moore. People think of Moore who blew that game, well I always thought of Mauch who shouldn't of pulled out Witt (especially with Moore not 100%) in that game and DeCines missing out on a golden opportunity to win it in the 10, a sac fly could had won it.

[seenoevil]

86 team had a bunch of aging veterans, minus Wally Joyer. Autry really wanted to win a championship. I actually commend him for trying to cough up the bucks for proven stars with mileage on them, it almost worked. This team should had been in the world series in 86 at least. shit happens

[LAA Road Tripper]

Another thing I remember about game 5 is that Rob Wilfong drove in Ruppert Jones with one out to score the tying run in the bottom of the 9th. Everyone in the stadium was watching the close play at the plate, including Wilfong! I remember looking at 2nd and thinking why in the hell isn't Wilfong at 2nd? First of all, you're at home so he should have run towards 2nd as soon as he saw the ball was going through. If they cut it off and throw him out that elimated the close play at the plate and you've tied the game. If he goes to 2nd and the throw goes to the plate, he's at 2nd base with only one out with Schofield and Downing coming up.

Bingo. One of the little-regarded brain farts that rarely gets brought up about that game. I always caution people that say things such as "he would have scored since Schofield singled." Not necessarily. The whole situation changes. You never know. That said, really, really dumb move by Wilfong. I was standing near the left field foul pole that day and I'll never forget how much that loss hurt after '82 and to a lesser extent, '84 and '85.

But as I reflected back on that moment years later and after reading "One Pitch Away" about the entire '86 playoffs, one thing began to bother me and it's this. That Angel team was a veteran group. If true, the story I hear is that after Game 5 the team was as crestfallen as we immature, reactive fans generally are. The plane back to Boston was apparently like a funeral. Why? They had Reggie, Boone, Grich, DeCinces, Candelaria, etc. Couldn't someone step up and calm that clubhouse down?

[DMVol]

If true, the story I hear is that after Game 5 the team was as crestfallen as we immature, reactive fans generally are. The plane back to Boston was apparently like a funeral. Why? They had Reggie, Boone, Grich, DeCinces, Candelaria, etc. Couldn't someone step up and calm that clubhouse down?

Not sure even a grizzled vet can "turn the page" after a loss like game 5.....

[Angel Oracle]

DeCinces had also been hammering the ball since the series came back here.    I was expecting him to at least hit the AL pennant winning SF, especially with a pitcher like Crawford who had seen no action in the ALCS to that point.

If only that FB to Evans had gone another 60-80 feet.    Still may have been close with Evans' arm though. 

Edited October 16, 2015 by Angel Oracle

[Stradling]

I don't remember much of the 86 series, and certainly not some of the specifics you guys are talking about. I was a big Angels fan but I was also a teenager that had a lot of other hobbies back then. If you gave me the option back then of watching the game or going out and playing over the line, I would choose play over the line every time. Around 95 when I got season tickets is when I became fanatical about the team. One of the things that really helped me become as passionate about the team, that the younger fans never had to deal with was when Arte made sure every single game was televised. Back in the 80's and 90's you would only get a couple games a week and it wasn't like we had apps on our phones to follow. I remember having the call the OC Register sports hotline to find out who won the game because there were times when the radio signal was so shitty after dark you couldn't really listen to the game, and this is when I lived in Anaheim. Crazy how awesome it is now, but it is probably more awesome to us that had to live with how it was and now get to experience what it is like today.

[arch stanton]

I was in Okinawa then and only got to watch games 3 and 4. Since I was in a class at that time I couldn't even listen on radio. It was depressing coming home everyday and finding they hadn't gotten that 4th win yet.

Edited October 16, 2015 by arch stanton

[ELEVEN]

Just reading the number 1986 hurts to this day.

I was at game 5. It was the greatest game I ever saw in person, and a curse that I wore for 16 years.

[Stradling]

The greatest game I saw in person was game three against the Yankees 2002, we just kept coming back and won. I was at game 6 and 7 which were incredible but that game against the Yanks was so damn fun.

[Angel Oracle]

ALCS game 5 in 2002 for me

To see Minnesota take a 5-3 lead after 6.5 innings, only to have the Halos score TEN runs in the bottom of the 7th inning, nothing can sufficiently describe that.

That tied a MLB record for most runs in a post-season inning (A'th against the Cubs in the 1929 WS). 

[ten ocho recon scout]

The greatest game I saw in person was game three against the Yankees 2002, we just kept coming back and won. I was at game 6 and 7 which were incredible but that game against the Yanks was so damn fun.

Hate to be super nostalgic guy, but i dont see how we could ever top 2002. Whatever team we assemble now will have a big names free agent, and trouts the bezt in baseball. 02 was the home grown, no other fanbase knew about, little engine that could.

Damn that was a fun year...

[seenoevil]

Hendo home run was even on a pitch that was low and outside. The same kind of pitches that Trout smashes, low in the zone. Hendo quick bat speed and anticipation of what pitch was coming , it was timed perfectly.. Another thing that annoyed me was why stick with a 4 man rotation. They really should of had Witt go on three days if needed, he should had been available 3 times in that series. The Red Sox had no problem throwing their ace in Clemmens for game 1,4 and 7.

 

Even if the Angels had gone to the series , I would had favored the Mets, they were well balanced, their starting pitching was very solid. The Angels would had to go with Witt in 3 games that series to beat the Mets. Witt was clearly their Ace , he had major league stuff, besides Blyleven, best dam curve I have seen.

[fan_since79]

On the Katella Ave offramp of the 57, driving to Game 4, my brother and I heard the news on the radio that Wally Joyner was in the hospital with an infected leg. We looked at each other and said "Uh oh..." 

 

The game itself was great, though. An improbable comeback to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Then the disaster the next day.

 

[Homebrewer]

I blame Gene f'n Mauch for all of it.

[stormngt]

Doesn't suprise me.

I blame Gene f'n Mauch for all of it.

[IEAngelsfan]

Game 5 tore my heart out and stomped on it repeatedly.  I remember thinking to myself after the game that the series was lost and I really wasn't interested in watching the rest of the games.  Unfortunately, I was right.