Former Angel Don Sutton created special memories as a Halo

When Don Sutton pitched for the California Angels it was an exciting time for the team.  The Angels acquired Sutton from Oakland for a push in the 1985 AL West title race. Sutton went 2-2 with a 3.69 ERA in five starts.  The Angels fell short that season, but in the next year, the Halos put it all together with a mix of youth and veterans to win the 1986 AL West Title.

During that season I was able to watch Sutton pitch twice and both games were very memorable.

On June 18, 1986, Sutton took the Anaheim Stadium mound for his second attempt of notching his 300th victory.  I was sitting with my grandfather on the terrace level down the first-base line along with 37,042 fans. The entire stadium hung onto every pitch, hoping that we were going to witness history that evening.

I will never forget being in attendance for Don Sutton’s 300th career win with the Angels.

The Angels started off quickly with three runs in the first inning on an RBI-double by Brian Downing followed by a two-run single by Rob Wilfong.  This is all Sutton needed on this night as he was in total control.  The veteran right-hander from Pensacola, Florida gave up only three hits on the night and one run.

In the ninth inning, my grandfather and I stood with the other 37,042 fans as we watched Sutton get two quick outs, bringing the Rangers Gary Ward to the plate.  On a 1-2 pitch Ward tried to check his swing on a nasty Sutton sinker to no avail as the home plate umpire rung Ward up, setting off a celebration as the Angels mobbed Sutton and he pumped his fist in excitement. Don Sutton was the 19th and newest member of the MLB 300-win club.

A little over a month later, I was again in the stands for a historic match-up between two 300-game winners with Sutton and the Boston’s Tom Seaver on July 28. This was only the second time in baseball history that two 300-game winners were matched up against each other. A few weeks earlier, Sutton had beaten another 300-game winner Phil Niekro, who was pitching for the Cleveland Indians.

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This match-up was special as it also was a playoff preview for the 1986 ALCS, with the Red Sox and the Angels leading their respective divisions. I remembered it was musical hat giveaway day, as if you didn’t need another incentive to attend, you got a cool Angels hat that played Take Me Out to the Ball Game if you pressed the bill of the cap.

My grandfather and I got general admission of $3 tickets, which got us in almost dead-centerfield in the upper level. Not the best seat, but still a spot for an amazing game. 61,559 fans were there for this one, and it had a playoff atmosphere.

Don Sutton pitched in some of the most memorable games in the history of Angels baseball.

While Sutton was not as dominant on this day as he had been the night he won No. 300, he still pitched well, shutting out Boston for six innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. Seaver was strong as well, allowing only two runs in six innings coming on a Bobby Grich two-run shot in the fourth inning.

When the dust had settled, Sutton had again come out on top in a battle of 300-game winners, and the Angels would go on to win the AL West. Sutton went 15-11 that season with a 3.74 ERA.

Sutton would pitch well in the ALCS that year for the Angels, starting one game and pitching in relief in another for nine total innings, allowing only two runs.

The right-hander would pitch one more season with the Halos in 1987, going 11-11 with a 4.70 ERA before heading back to his original team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he recorded three wins in 16 starts with a 3.92 ERA.

Sutton retired after that season, pitching for 23 seasons in the big leagues, recording 324 wins with 256 losses and an ERA of 3.26. He posted 3,574 strikeouts and had a 1.124 WHIP.