California Angels - The Disco Years (1970-1979)

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1970

Decade

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Titles:

Top Angels Players of the Seventies

1979 - Division Champs (Lose to Baltimore in ALCS)

Pitchers:

BallPark:

Nolan Ryan (40.36) - 100

Anaheim Stadium

Frank Tanana (32.61) - 61

Clyde Wright (11.24) - 47

Team Name:

Andy Messersmith (7.58) - 29

Angels

Rudy May (4.1) - 23

Bill Singer (7.1) - 21

Owner:

Dave LaRoche (5.01) - 16

Gene Autry

Tom Murphy (0.98) - 14

Paul Hartzell (6.46) - 14

General Managers:

Ed Figueroa (6.7) - 12

Dick Walsh (1970-1971)

David Frost (7.32) - 11

Harry Dalton (1972-1977)

Buzzy Bavasi (1978-1979)

Catchers:

Brian Downing (8.43) - 15

Managers:

Eliseo Rodriguez (4.82) - 9

Lefty Phillips (1970-1971)

Del Rice (1972)

First Basemen:

Bobby Winkles (1973-1974)

Jim Spencer (0.75) - 11

Whitey Herzog (1974)

Ron Jackson (4.08) - 11

Dick Williams (1974-1976)

Norm Sherry (1976-1977)

Second Basemen:

Dave Garcia (1977-1978)

Sandy Alomar (10.39) - 31

Jim Fregosi (1978-1979)

Jerry Remy (8.08) - 24

Bobby Grich (10.88) - 16

No Hitters:

Clyde Wright (1970)

ShortStop:

Nolan Ryan (1973)

Dave Chalk (10.16) - 22

Nolan Ryan (1973)

Jim Fregosi (8.47) - 17

Nolan Ryan (1974)

Nolan Ryan (1975)

Third Base:

Ken McMullen (10.34) - 16

Hall of Famers:

Bob Oliver (3.1) - 15

Nolan Ryan

Carney Lansford (6.39) - 11

Frank Robinson

Outfield:

Rookie of the Year:

Mickey Rivers (9.22) - 28

None

Don Baylor (5.71) - 25

Bobby Bonds (7.19) - 25

MVP:

Ken Berry (6.73) - 21

Don Baylor (1979)

LeRoy Stanton (5.28) - 21

Frank Robinson (8.2) - 18

Cy Young:

Rick Miller (4.68) - 17

None

Dave Collins (3.39) - 15

Joe Rudi (3.78) - 13

Notable Events:

Vada Pinson (2.88) - 11

Alex Johnson (2.61) - 11

1970 - Owner Gene Autry is in a big market and he has deep pockets. He's

Bruce Bochte (3.5) - 8

highly motivated to win and has brought in a new management team. However,

it just doesn't work out for Gene for most of the decade. He keeps changing GM's

Notable Events:

and managers, buys free agents, but it doesn't really happen for him. Finally, in

1979, Anaheim finishes first, altho' with a pedestrian 88-74 mark.

1972 - Anaheim steals righty Nolan Ryan, 25, from the Mets in a deal

for Jim Fregosi. The best trade in Angels history - Dalton got off to a

1970 - Coming into the decade, the Angels appear to have a number of useful

great start, but was unable to sustain it. In retrospect, you would

assets on their roster and the future looks promising. But only Clyde Wright

think that Dalton was the right guy for the job. Anaheim had a lot of

ends up doing much for the Angels out of all the talent on the roster

decent talent on hand and he had worked wonders with the Orioles

opening up the decade:

dealing for the likes of Frank Robinson, Miguel Cuellar, Don Buford

□ 2B - Doug Griffin, 23, ==> traded away to the Red Sox

and Pat Dobson. However, after the Ryan trade with the Mets,

□ 2B - Sandy Alomar, 26 ==> never made it to the next level

Dalton traded the Angels into purgatory

□ SS - Jim Fregosi, 28 ==> traded to the Mets for Nolan Ryan

□ SS - Marty Perez, 24, ==> traded away to the Braves

1973 - Lefty Frank Tanana, 19, is a rookie, giving the Angels a great

□ 3B - Ken McMullen, 28 ==> got old early - traded away to the Dodgers

lefty-righty one two punch with him and Ryan at the top of their

□ 3B - Aurelio Rodriguez, 22, ==> great fielder - traded away to Detroit

rotation for most of the decade. However, Anaheim was never

□ OF - Jay Johnstone, 24, ==> never quite fulfilled his promise

able to fill out the rest of the staff adequately to support the top two.

□ OF - Mickey Rivers, 21 ==> traded away to the Yankees - bad trade

Tanana was the thirteenth overall pick in the 1971 draft.

□ OF Rick Reichardt, 27 ==> onetime phenom who fizzled due to injuries

□ Lefty - Clyde Wright, 29, ==> late bloomer with plenty left in the tank

1973 - Nolan Ryan tosses two no-hitters and strikes out 383 batters.

□ Lefty - Rudy May, 25, ==> traded away to the Yankees - bad trade

He also goes 21-16 with a 2.87 ERA

□ Righty - Andy Messersmith, 24, ==> traded away to the Dodgers - bad trade

□ Righty reliever - Ken Tatum, 26, ==> traded away to the Red Sox

1977 - Very tired of still losing, Gene Autry goes on the wildest Free Agent

□ Righty reliever - Tom Murphy, 24, ==> traded away to kansas City

spending spree in baseball history, making even George Steinbrenner

□ OF - Alex Johnson, 27 ==> head case,- traded away to Cleveland - his

look like a piker. I guess its because the Angels never became dominant

unprofessional behavior was a catalyst for the team imploding despite his

even with all of these guys, or because Gene was a nice guy as opposed

considerable talent

to being a boor like Steinbrenner, but nobody ever said anything about

Autry trying to buy championships. Anyway, the Angels picked up Don Baylor,

1971 - In a bad trade for both clubs, the Angels acquire outfielder Tony

Bobby Grich and Joe Rudi as Free Agents in '77, followed by Lyman

Conigliaro, 26, from the Red Sox in exchange for relief ace Ken Tatum.

Bostock and Rick Miller in '78 and, finally, Rod Carew and Jim Barr in '79.

Conigliaro, who was once the best young hitter in baseball before getting

It made the Angels competitive and entertaining, but the pitching was never

beaned by Jack Hamilton, had temporarily recovered, but his eyesight

dominant as, ironically, just as the support cast was getting good, Tanana

apparently deteriorated after the trade to the Angels

lost his fastball and Ryan jumped to his home state Astros as a Free Agent.

1972 - Harry Dalton, who was a major force in building the Orioles dynasty,

1977 - Anaheim suffers their seventh losing season in a row. And it's not

is hired on as General Manager replacing the dysfunctional Dick Walsh.

even close. They average a 74-88 record during that seven year span

Autry is going for the best of breed to get competitive. Unfortunately for Gene,

even Dalton is unable to turn this thing around.

1978 - Buzzy Bavasi becomes General Manager and establishes a trading

pipleine with Haywood Sullivan of the Red Sox. Three major deals from

'78 to '81 between the two clubs. Bavasi was another best of breed GM as

Autry was pulling out all stops to get the best of the best on his team,

Bavasi had been the extremely successful GM of the cross town Dodgers

for over two decades.