Top-50 Greatest Moments in Angels Baseball Feature

[AngelsWin.com]

Finally, I spent some time and went through it and put it all in one location for viewing. 

You can now see it on the menu bar under the header logo when on desktop, or by clicking on the 3 horizontal lines in the upper right on a mobile device, then choosing "Greatest Moments" from the drop down menu. You can also view this in our Blog here as a featured article as well. 

This feature is without a doubt the finest work I've been a part of in a collaborative effort. The Angels acknowledged the work we did and even used some of our content in their Under The Halo book project for their 50th anniversary season. So super proud of the entire effort.

Enjoy taking a trip back into memory lane. 

 

[Chuck]

Here's a question for you all. 

I think the Angels no-hitter on the day they honored Tyler Skaggs this season needs to be somewhere on the list. 

If so, what does it replace on the list? Would love your feedback. 

[Lou]

I don't think it should make the list.

[Chuck]

5 minutes ago, Lou said:

I don't think it should make the list.

Why?

I mean, it surely was a more memorable moment in Angels history than Vlad's Mad Dash, no?

#45 – Sept. 9, 2005: Vlad’s Mad Dash

A reasonable argument can be made that 2005 was the second-best season in Angels history. The team won 95 regular season games and again defeated the favored New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. They might just have made it back to the World Series, too, if not for a now infamous umpiring call that certainly won’t be referenced anywhere else on this list.

The team formerly known as the Anaheim Angels was the Los Angeles Angels again. (Well, almost.) Fitting that in order to win this standout September game against the Chicago White Sox, Vladimir Guerrero and the Angels had to steal a scene straight out of Hollywood.

The play brings immediate comparisons to the climax of the 1989 film “Major League.” In the film, the perennially lousy Cleveland Indians, comprised of a bunch of washouts and no-names, somehow forces a one-game playoff against the division rival Yankees (Remember when the Indians and Yankees were in the same division?) for the AL East pennant. The ending features bad-kneed catcher Jake Taylor calling his shot before laying down a bunt on which speedster Willie Mays Hayes scores from second base to send the Indians to the playoffs.

In the Angels version, the team was clinging to the slimmest one-game lead over Oakland and locked up in an extra-innings donnybrook with the White Sox. In the 11th inning, the White Sox appeared poised to win the game, but Juan Rivera nailed Aaron Rowand at the plate to preserve the 5-5 tie.

Leading off the 12th, Guerrero scorched an 0-1 pitch from Dustin Hermanson to deep center field. Believing he’d just given the Angels the lead with one swing, Guerrero was slow out of the box and barely got into second ahead of the tag once he realized the ball had remained in the park. Frustrated at himself for his mental blunder, Guerrero seemed determined to score by any means necessary.

Up stepped catcher Bengie Molina to lay down a sacrifice bunt and move Guerrero to third. (Molina did not call his shot and, sadly, unlike Taylor he didn’t get the girl, either.) Molina bunted to third baseman Geoff Blum, who threw to first where Tad Iguchi was covering. Guerrero, who will never be confused with a great baserunner, charged straight through third base coach Ron Roenicke’s stop sign and galloped, as only Vlad can, toward the plate.

“I never got to the yes part,” Roenicke said. “I was ‘No, no, no.’ I didn’t hold my hands up but I said ‘no’ a couple of times. When his mind was made up to go, he got going in a hurry.”

Iguchi’s throw home got there well ahead of Guerrero, but was offline, leaving catcher A.J. Pierzysnski (Booo!) out of position. Guerrero awkwardly shifted his momentum to avoid Pierzynski’s tag and fell down with his hand landing on home plate to score the go-ahead run. Stunned by the play, Angels broadcaster Steve Physioc instinctively called Guerrero out before seeing that home plate umpire Ron Kulpa had indicated safe.

“You look back at the last 150 years of baseball and you can probably count on one hand how many times that play has worked,” Blum said. “So you can call it luck, you can call it savvy, you can call it whatever you want.”

The Angels held on to win the game, 6-5, with Frankie Rodriguez striking out the side in the bottom of the inning.

All of his home runs and clutch hits not withstanding, this play captures so much of Guerrero’s almost certain Hall of Fame career in a nutshell. Even blessed with such immense talent, he still plays the game how most of us imagine we would: with joy, passion and occasional recklessness that remind us why we love the game so much.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA200509090.shtml

[Lou]

I get it.  I guess I just don't like 1 of the top moments in franchise history associated with a tribute to an addict who overdosed on illegal drugs.

[Chuck]

1 minute ago, Lou said:

I get it.  I guess I just don't like 1 of the top moments in franchise history associated with a tribute to an addict who overdosed on illegal drugs.

That's fair. Hmm

[Lou]

it's memorable, just not sure it's a "great moment" after all is said and done.

[Chuck]

1 minute ago, Lou said:

it's memorable, just not sure it's a "great moment" after all is said and done.

Yeah. Actually signing Shohei Ohtani was a pretty damn special moment in addition to his rookie of the year campaign. He should definitely crack our list for sure. 

Probably going to get him on there in 45's spot.

[Inside Pitch]

Ill say this much -- Vlad's mad dash is pretty much indicative of the sort of player he was and a play that for ME, symbolized his passion and type of play.  Vlad was a huge part of the Angels golden era.   As heartfelt as the combined No-no was it has IMO been jaded somewhat by everything that's come out of it since.   Not sure that's fair because what happened is more a testament to how much those other 25 guys put into that game than anything else but the situation is a black cloud right now.

[Chuck]

4 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Ill say this much -- Vlad's mad dash is pretty much indicative of the sort of player he was and a play that for ME, symbolized his passion and type of play.  Vlad was a huge part of the Angels golden era.   As heartfelt as the combined No-no was it has IMO been jaded somewhat by everything that's come out of it since.   Not sure that's fair because what happened is more a testament to how much those other 25 guys put into that game than anything else but the situation is a black cloud right now.

Yeah, that makes sense. 

Man, Vlad has a ton of entries on our Top-50 list. Almost as many as his fellow Hall of Famer, Nolan  Ryan.

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

Yeah, that makes sense. 

Man, Vlad has a ton of entries on our Top-50 list. Almost as many as his fellow Hall of Famer, Nolan  Ryan.

Like Trout, he was a joy to watch and made the game more fun.   

[Chuck]

13 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Like Trout, he was a joy to watch and made the game more fun.   

Agreed. I rarely missed a Vladimir Guerrero at bat. He was like superman at the plate. 

[Chuck]

That said, don't you think @Inside Pitch, @Spirit, @nate, @Adam, @Lou, @Dochalo, @ettin, @Glen and others that Ohtani's rookie of the year season and his initial signing should go somewhere on our list? Tim Salmon's is on there, as is Wally World and Trout's rookie of the year season. 

Which great moment on our list goes bye bye in its place?

[T.G.]

If you're going to have #38 as Trio of Hall of Fame Moments - then you should include Albert's milestones as well... even though he's not in the HOF yet.  Or just leave them all off.

Jered Weaver's no hitter was one of the most memorable moments I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in person.

Vlad's 2004 MVP was pretty cool too; especially since he carried the team on his back to the post-season down the stretch. It was one of the greatest performances I can remember.

Percival's 300th save was special to me too.

April 7, 2008 - Torii Hunter's walk off grand slam was also one of the best moments I can ever remember.

Those are just off the top of my head.

 

Overall, it's a great list and nice to have and reflect on. Thanks for doing that Chuck!

 

[nate]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

That said, don't you think @Inside Pitch, @Spirit, @nate, @Adam, @Lou, @Dochalo, @ettin, @Glen and others that Ohtani's rookie of the year season and his initial signing should go somewhere on our list? Tim Salmon's is on there, as is Wally World and Trout's rookie of the year season. 

Which great moment on our list goes bye bye in its place?

I am not quite sure it should be included yet.

[T.G.]

Another special night for me as a fan - was the game where Joe Saunders wore his Virginia Tech hat in a start after the shooting occurred as his alma mater.  He pitched a gem.  I thought it was pretty cool.  Maybe not a top 50 moment - but special never-the-less.  Joe Saunders is one of my all time favorites for personal reasons.

Edited October 16, 2019 by True Grich

[Chuck]

7 minutes ago, True Grich said:

Another special night for me as a fan - was the game where Joe Saunders wore his Virginia Tech hat in a start after the shooting occurred as his alma mater.  He pitched a gem.  I thought it was pretty cool.  Maybe not a top 50 moment - but special never-the-less.  Joe Saunders is one of my all time favorites for personal reasons.

That great moment used to be on our list, but got bumped off. 

https://thesportsdaily.com/2008/02/11/49-saunders-honors-virginia-tech/

 

 

[Lou]

8 minutes ago, nate said:

I am not quite sure it should be included yet.

I agree

[Chuck]

13 minutes ago, True Grich said:

If you're going to have #38 as Trio of Hall of Fame Moments - then you should include Albert's milestones as well... even though he's not in the HOF yet.  Or just leave them all off.

Jered Weaver's no hitter was one of the most memorable moments I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in person.

Vlad's 2004 MVP was pretty cool too; especially since he carried the team on his back to the post-season down the stretch. It was one of the greatest performances I can remember.

Percival's 300th save was special to me too.

April 7, 2008 - Torii Hunter's walk off grand slam was also one of the best moments I can ever remember.

Those are just off the top of my head.

 

Overall, it's a great list and nice to have and reflect on. Thanks for doing that Chuck!

 

The Jered Weaver moment covers his no-hitter and other accomplishments all in one. 

Vlad's MVP is covered 

We will probably do the same thing for Albert Pujols.

I'm not sure about Troy Percival's 300th save. I'll have to think that one over as he didn't set a record, nor did he make the Hall of Fame.

[nate]

1 minute ago, Lou said:

I agree

I changed my mind then

[Adam]

I also agree @nate

[Lou]

2 minutes ago, nate said:

I changed my mind then

me, too

[Adam]

I don’t agree to change my mind, I agree with your original point. I agree with @Lou

[T.G.]

If you want to talk about records... K-Rod's 62 save season in 2008.

[nate]

I am confused.  Do I agree or disagree with @Lou

All I know is @Adam is very wrong