LA Angels History: Dean Chance the original Angels All-Star snub (1962)

For the LA Angels the 2017 MLB All-Star game has again brought up the idea of All-Star snubs in the selection process. Despite a spectacular first half, Andrelton Simmons finds himself on the outside looking in.

However, Simmons is far from the first Angels All-Star snub. Garrett Richards in 2014 was a glaring instance of one such snub. Notorious second half performer Tim Salmon is another case to be argued in the history of LA Angels All-Star snubs.

More from LA Angels News

Perhaps the first snub in LA Angels History came in the team’s second season. In 1962, the Los Angeles Angels were still freshly an expansion team. Comprised mostly of a mix of cast offs, aged veterans past their prime, and unproven youngsters, All-Stars were often sparse. However, in 1962, a young pitcher rose to the top of the Angels pitching staff.

Originally a Baltimore Orioles prospect, Dean Chance came to the Angels by way of a trade with fellow expansion team, the Washington Senators. In his first full season with the big club, Chance on quite a show.

For the 1962 season, the 21 year old from Ohio did a bit of it all in his 50 games pitched. That Chance pitched 206.2 innings is a statement to how pitchers were used then. The youngster started just 24 of those 50 games and even closed out 16 of his appearances. With only six complete games on the year, that means he closed out ten games in relief. For his work, Chance notched eight saves on the year.

Want your voice heard? Join the Halo Hangout team!

Write for us!

All told, Dean Chance’s line for the season certainly shows an All-Star worthy performance. A 14-10 record, a 2.96 ERA, and a 1.263 WHIP all stand as good numbers on their own. As a 21 year old on an a second year expansion team, they’re almost spectacular.

1962 was the last season that the MLB experimented with two Mid-Summer Classics. By the time of the second game at the end of July, Chance had a 7-5 record with 7 saves and an ERA hovering in the mid 3.00’s. Certainly worthy of a nod on any team, let alone one so new.

Next: LA Angels getting big lift from reliever David Hernandez

For Chance, things turned out alright. The right hander finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1962. In 1964 he won the CY Young award when it was still given out to one pitcher in all of the MLB (at the time he was the youngest pitcher to do so.) Chance also finally got that All-Star nod to go along with his CY Young (and a fifth place MVP finish.) While Chance would be out of Anaheim just two seasons later and baseball altogether by 1972, 1962 still stands as the young Halos first All-Star snub.

For the LA Angels the 2017 MLB All-Star game has again brought up the idea of All-Star snubs in the selection process. Despite a spectacular first half, Andrelton Simmons finds himself on the outside looking in.

More from LA Angels News

Schedule