The Three Dates That Shaped the Angels History

These may not be the dates you would expect to see on the list, but they may be the ones that define the history of the franchise. 

The Los Angeles Angels came into 2020 with high expectations.  They went out and signed Anthony Rendon, Shohei Ohtani was healthy, they have the best player in the world in Mike Trout, and they also got one of the best managers in baseball in Joe Maddon after his stint with the Cubs.

Well, things don’t always work out and for the Angels, it seems like things don’t work out a lot of the time.  This would be a good time to look back and remember the good times.

The average fan probably doesn’t think of Angels baseball when they think of the MLB.  They’re not the Yankees or Red Sox, and sharing a region with the Dodgers has them playing second fiddle a lot.  I don’t say that to be negative, it’s just fact.  However, every team has a meaningful history that fans latch on to and it may be time to revisit that.

These may not be the greatest moments in Angels history but they are three of the most important dates that shaped the history of the franchise.  Dates that Angel fans can brag on, call their own, and maybe crack a smile every time they think of it.  Also, these are dates that may bring pain to other fan bases, giving Angel fans a feeling of satisfaction after a rough few years.

Is it wrong I want fan bases to relive bad moments because their favorite team is responsible for Angels history? Probably, but the Angels deserve a win here.

So, let’s forget about this season and take a trip down memory lane. Hopefully, this will put a grin on the face of the Halo faithful and maybe, make a few other fan bases relive regret.

December 10, 1971: The Angels trade for 24-year old Nolan Ryan

Some things never change.  Fifty years later and the New York Mets are still making trades that come back and haunt them.  In this case, they sent over arguably the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball for Jim Fregosi.  Now, while Ryan won a ring in New York, nobody was prepared for what he would do in the remainder of the 70’s.

Here’s what Mets Manager, Gil Hodges told the New York Times following the trade.

“You always hate to give up on an arm like Ryan’s,” Hodges said today. “He could put things together overnight, but he hasn’t done it for us and the Angels wanted him. I would not hesitate making a trade for somebody who might help us right now, and Fregosi is such a guy.”

Yes, Nolan Ryan did that thing where he, “put it together overnight.”  In Nolan Ryan’s first year with the Halo’s he would go 19-16 with 329 strikeouts.  He would do all that while rocking a sub 3 ERA over 39 starts.  Nine more wins than he ever saw in a season than when he was in the Big Apple.

Nolan, as most know leads the MLB with seven no-hitters all-time.  He would throw four of those seven for the Angels and then throw his fifth against the Angels.  In 1973, Nolan would go on to toss two no-hitters while winning 21 games and it was arguably his best season as he struck out 383 batters that year and had a 2.87 ERA.

While never winning a Cy Young, Ryan did finish top 3 in the race in 1973, 1974, and 1977.  He would be voted into 5 All-Star games during his time in California and would go on to strike out 2416 batters between 1972 and 1979.  Ryan would take 14 years to strike out another 2805. He won at least 16 games in eight seasons with the Angels and would only hit that number two more times the rest of his career.

While the Angels never brought home any championships in his time with the Angels, he was a bright spot in the team’s history.  He had four no-hitters, 2416 strikeouts, 138 wins and a 3.07 ERA in eight seasons.  Unprecedented and immaculate is what Ryan was as an Angel and while it wasn’t known at the time, the date he was traded to Anaheim was one of the most important in Angels history.

October 27, 2002: The Angels beat the Giants in Game 7 to win the World Series 

Obviously, this date is one of the most important dates of all time.  While it may not have any long-lasting impact on the franchise for future years like the other two dates, it is without a doubt one of the happiest moments in Angels history.

The night that the Angels won their first World Series.

The Angels, to this point, had been in three American League Championship series, never advancing to the World Series.  Coming off of a year where they had 75 wins and the following year they had 77 wins, it was an odd title but none the less, a well-deserved one.

The world’s eyes were locked on none other than Barry Bonds in the 2002 World Series and a good chunk of the baseball world were wanting to see a legend get a ring.  The Angels, however, had other plans.  Down 5-0 in the 7th of game 6 with the trophy in the Giants clubhouse, Scott Spiezio hit a 3 run shot to get the Angels back in the game on a 3-2 count.    Erstad homers, Glaus doubles, and all that momentum led to game 7.

Behind the rookie John Lackey, the Angels would cruise on to a 4-1 win in game 7 to take home their first and only World Series.  This day would change the way baseball fans would perceive the Angels forever.  Coming off of a losing season, a mediocre history, they would go on and beat Barry Bonds and the Giants.  Now forever, the Angels have their name sketched in the record books as World Series Champions and nobody can take away that memorable ride or that night from the players and Angels faithful.