Mauch's decision to remove Mike Witt in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS proved costly in more ways than one. (Topps, Inc.)

It was a pitch that had been set in motion four years prior. A pitch meant to put away a hitter that wouldn’t have been in the game if not for an injury. A pitch that was supposed to put the California Angels- and Gene Mauch- into the World Series for the first time. It was a pitch that allegedly caused Donnie Moore to take his own life.

Mauch (1902 wins/2037 losses/ .483 lifetime winning percentage with the Phillies, Expos, Twins and Angels) had been on the cusp of the promised land before. Twice in fact. In late September 1964, Gene Mauch had managed his Phillie club to the best record in the National League with one week left in the season. Philadelphia had finished last, seventh and fourth in Mauch’s three previous seasons, but in ’64 held a 6 1/2 game lead with 12 to play. Philly promptly lost 10 of it’s final 12 games, crashing to earth and losing out to the Cardinals in what is still known as “The Phold”. Eighteen years later Mauch’s Angels were a collection of vagabond talent that he brought to within one win away from facing the Cardinals in the ’82 fall classic but lost in a taut, five-game struggle with the Milwaukee Brewers.

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Match-up Between Two Bitter Rivals Has Halo Fans Perplexed

As an Angel fan this ALCS match up between the Rangers and Yankees has been hard to watch for many reasons.

1.  Literally because as we lamented earlier some of the games have started at 1 PM PST.!

2.  This series has featured two of the three most hated American League  rivals ( minus the Red Sox)  facing off.

3. Former Angel stalwarts Vlad Guerrero, Bengie Molina and Daren Oliver have been key figures in the Rangers success (minus the game one meltdown by Oliver) . Daren O’day although limited in this series is also a member of the Rangers bullpen bringing the former Halo total to 4, actually make that 5 if you count former Angel Dustin Moseley in the Yanks pen. It’s that whole  ex girlfriend syndrome all over again.

So which team is the lesser of two evils?  Who should Angel fans root for with the Rangers currently ahead in the series  3 -2? (more…)

(Photo Credit: Yardbarker.com)

I’d like to take you back a bit, to a simpler time. A better time. A happy time. It was a mere 204 days sooner, and the Angels were getting the monkey that is the Red Sox in the playoffs off their back, finishing up a sweep at Fenway to advance to the ALCS. It happened in dramatic fashion, with the pitching letting us down early, but the offense storming back to win the game by scoring three runs in the 9th, and off closer Jonathan Papelbon no less. It was amazing, and sweet, and nearly as good as winning it all in 2002. It felt like a team that was on a mission, a team that was going somewhere, that could beat anyone. Angel fans everywhere walked just a little bit taller the next day.

Fast forward past those 204 days, and we find ourselves going back to Fenway for the first time since that magical ALDS sweep. This team has had significant changes, obviously – gone is Vladimir Guerrero, Chone Figgins, and Darrin Oliver – but some would say the core of the team is still there. Of course, now that we’ve gotten over the hurdle that is the Red Sox in October, we have their number… right?

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