What was your most disappointing season as an Angels fan?

[Chuck]

11 minutes ago, eligrba said:

Any fond reminiscing about the season was extinguished for me after learning about what Donnie Moore experienced during the season and afterward.  I always thought Donnie Moore's story was tragic.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/10/the-myth-of-the-home-run-that-drove-an-angels-pitcher-to-suicide/247447/

It definitely was tragic, but until then it was one of my favorites. I guess it's just a matter of ones opinion. 

That said, I wonder if AngelsWin.com was around during that time if we too would have jumped on Donnie Moore like the fans did that year which partly resulted in him offing himself. 

I know a lot of players/prospects and their family, significant others and friends read this website quite often, so the message and fan reactions get back to them. Now with Twitter and Facebook as well, there's no hiding it. 

[floplag]

5 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

It definitely was tragic, but until then it was one of my favorites. I guess it's just a matter of ones opinion. 

That said, I wonder if AngelsWin.com was around during that time if we too would have jumped on Donnie Moore like the fans did that year which partly resulted in him offing himself. 

I know a lot of players/prospects and their family, significant others and friends read this website quite often, so the message and fan reactions get back to them. Now with Twitter and Facebook as well, there's no hiding it. 

I was there that day, one of my worst as a fan watching that ball go.
And yes the aftermath was horrific.  Fans can be brutal, he didnt deserve the treatment he got.

[Justin]

Just now, stormngt said:

Yes it was a disappointing season.   The Bullpen sucked.  We got Grienke at the trade deadline and Haren and Santana proceeded to suck.

The reason I moved to New York: a woman, of course, long gone from my life now. And she was a Yankees fan. (Perhaps that one is on me.) So she got to see her favorite team in the postseason while I did not. Hell, we had to watch the motherfu**ing Tigers in the World Series while we missed the postseason even though WE HAD A BETTER RECORD THAN THEY DID. 

Nine years later and I still get pissed off thinking about that season. By which I mean both the baseball season and that season in my life. Une Saison en Enfer. 

If I live to be 100, I doubt there will ever be a more disappointing season for me. 

[Justin]

7 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

I wonder if AngelsWin.com was around during that time if we too would have jumped on Donnie Moore like the fans did 

I don’t wonder at all. 

[Torridd]

54 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

 

All of that said, while the end result was heartbreaking that 1986 season was one of my favorites until the Donnie Moore HR and the eventual loss to the Red Sox in the ALCS. 

That was a great season. 

If Joyner was healthy for the entire series, I think we win.

[T.G.]

1995 for sure.  Losing that tie breaker game against Seattle.  Redemption came seven years later, but those were 7 long years.

Also...

I really thought the Angels were going to win it all in 2005.  The whole AJ thing still bugs me a bit. 2014 is another one because the Angels had the best record, Trout, etc. 

It's not about the expectations I had before the season started, it's about how the season ended. 

[Jay]

Somebody mentioned 1986 and while it was crushing to lose the LCS after being one-strike-away, 1986 was actually a great year.

 

[Torridd]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Somebody mentioned 1986 and while it was crushing to lose the LCS after being one-strike-away, 1986 was actually a great year.

 

It was a great year, but the anguish only increased for me when they gave the ROY to Canseco instead of Joyner. 

[greginpsca]

Just now, Torridd said:

It was a great year, but the anguish only increased for me when they gave the ROY to Canseco instead of Joyner. 

I thought they were the best team in baseball that year. That is, until Dave Henderson.

[greginpsca]

Pretty much every year from 61- 78 was frustrating. But the choke year in 96  and 86 were the 2 worst.

[Torridd]

36 minutes ago, greginpsca said:

I thought they were the best team in baseball that year. That is, until Dave Henderson.

Many people forget we actually tied the game after that only to lose in extra innings.

[oldguy]

3 minutes ago, Torridd said:

Many people forget we actually tied the game after that only to lose in extra innings.

Yep, we couldn't get the run in from third with less than two outs to win in the 10th (DeCinces popped up).  Remember in Boston when Grich went off on Moose Stubing for freezing-up as third-base coach?  That summarizes the frustration in those two games.

[eligrba]

30 minutes ago, Torridd said:

Many people forget we actually tied the game after that only to lose in extra innings.

 

24 minutes ago, oldguy said:

Yep, we couldn't get the run in from third with less than two outs to win in the 10th (DeCinces popped up).  Remember in Boston when Grich went off on Moose Stubing for freezing-up as third-base coach?  That summarizes the frustration in those two games.

And then the Angels went back to Boston and shit all over themselves for the last two games.

[Kevin]

Since it hasn’t been mentioned yet, I’ll throw in 1999. Edmonds was hurt till August, DiSarcina having his arm broken in spring training by walking into a coaches bat as he hit ground balls, Mo falling into the dugout in the first game. And of course the mutiny situation with Collins. 
 

Thought this might be the season that would help us get over the hump after the disappointing finishes to ‘95, ‘97, and ‘98 when we got so close. What a disaster of a season.

[tdawg87]

It's hard to pick a "disappointing" season, for me at least.

I keep thinking about 2008 and 2009, which were not disappointing as we won 100 games and 98 games, respectively. 

2008 we got reamed by the Red Sox in the playoffs...again. Whatever it was about that team, the Angels were spooked. It was awful.

Then in 2009, the Angels seemingly rallied after the death of Adenhart. This was their year. Then they swept Boston in the ALDS and finally got over that hump, only to lose to a Yankees team they had dominated for years. They were once again spooked. They couldn't win in the new Yankees Stadium. They still can't. Fucking Fuentes.

Yeah, idk. 2000 was pretty disappointing I suppose. That offense was a fucking monster. But the pitching was such a dumpster fire they had no chance.

[greginpsca]

1 hour ago, Torridd said:

Many people forget we actually tied the game after that only to lose in extra innings.

Yep. Grich hr tied it.

[eligrba4ever]

1982 would not usually stand out as a major disappointment of a season, I suppose.  The Angels fell short only at the end and lost the League Championship Series to Harvey's Wallbangers, 3 games to 2 after leading 2-0.

But 1982 is my biggest Angels disappointment, edging out 1986 -- maybe because it came first. The higher the altitude the more painful the fall. Ask Icarus.

The many "lost seasons" which preceded and followed those two years were telegraphed well in advance and involved much less emotional investment.

 

 

 

 

[T.G.]

Gave this some more thought...

2018 was especially demoralizing.

The Angels started out great...  Started out 13-3 and then Boston came to town and destroyed the Angels in 3 straight... 10-1, 9-0, 8-2.  It was horrific.  Three series' later the Yankees came to town and also swept the Angels... 4-3, 11-1 and 2-1.  I was at all six games and the opposing teams' fans were obnoxious as always.  That was a hard stretch of games to be a fan. What made that season even worse was losing 2 of 3 in NY and getting swept again in Boston (part of a 6 game losing streak).

Final record 80-82, but it felt much, much worse.  That 13-3 start was amazing. Baseball was fun and then the rug was pulled out from under us. 

Just thinking about those Sox/Yankees games now still makes me sick. 

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by T.G.

[tdawg87]

5 minutes ago, T.G. said:

Gave this some more thought...

2018 was especially demoralizing.

The Angels started out great...  Started out 13-3 and then Boston came to town and destroyed the Angels in 3 straight... 10-1, 9-0, 8-2.  It was horrific.  Three series' later the Yankees came to town and also swept the Angels... 4-3, 11-1 and 2-1.  I was at all six games and the opposing teams' fans were obnoxious as always.  That was a hard stretch of games to be a fan. What made that season even worse was losing 2 of 3 in NY and getting swept again in Boston.

Final record 80-82, but it felt much, much worse.  That 13-3 start was amazing. Baseball was fun and then the rug was pulled out from under us. 

Just thinking about those Sox/Yankees games now still makes me sick. 

 

We used to play so well against the Yankees. Not anymore.

Boston seems to always fuck us no matter how good or bad they are.

Baseball is weird.

[ScottT]

Last year was pretty disappointing.  Didn't think I wouldn't attend a single game.

[JAHV76]

1992 the team bus crash happened and it seemed to impact the team on many levels.

[tdawg87]

Just now, JAHV76 said:

1992 the team bus crash happened and it seemed to impact the team on many levels.

I was only 5 at the time so I didn't quite understand what was going on.

Looking back at the stats though, holy shit that offense was historically awful. Gary Gaetti led the team with 12 homeruns.

[oldguy]

1 hour ago, greginpsca said:

Yep. Grich hr tied it.

 

1 hour ago, greginpsca said:

Yep. Grich hr tied it.

Actually we're both wrong...Wilfong single scored Rupert Jones to tie it.  DeCinces popup was the same inning (9th)

[Duren, Duren]

Last year, actually. Despite all the covid chaos and league and rule restructuring I was sure they could make the expanded playoffs at least.

So many self inflicted mistakes however. Leads blown, horrendous fielding and base running. Adell off to a nightmare start, Trout somewhat less than expected, Tehran a bad joke acquisition, left and right fielders with mammoth slumps, Pujols being a drain on finances again,  Ohtani regressing badly as a hitter and useless on the mound,  Simmons sulking at the end. And just a general disappointing first year from Maddon, who had his own learning curve to go through. They may have turned it around a little at the end but a playoff spot was attainable and they never even were close.

As bad as it was, the season was screwy and will be forgotten eventually. Hopefully a big rebound this year and  improved team motivation.

 

[Second Base]

Most recently, 2018. Getting Richards back, bringing in Ohtani and Cozart. Landing Kevin Maitan from the Braves. Albert was coming in healthy. Things were looking up.