California Angels - The Reagan Years (1980-1989)
 
   
 

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          Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L             1980  
          1980 8 65 95   1983 5 70 92   1987 7 75 87             Decade  
          1981 5 51 51   1984 2 81 81   1988 4 75 87             Click  
          1982 1 93 69   1985 2 90 72   1989 3 91 71             on Logo  
                    1986 1 92 70                          
                                                       
   
  Titles: Top Angels Players of the Eighties  
  1882 - Division Champs (Lose to Milwaukee in ALCS)  
  1986 - Division Champs (Lose to Boston in ALCS)  
    Pitchers:  
  BallPark: Mike Witt (21.83)  -   77  
  Anaheim Stadium Geoff Zahn (10.62) -   36  
    Kirk McCaskill (9.8) -   33  
  Team Name: Ken Forsch (8.03) -   27  
  Angels Donnie Moore (4.52) -   18  
    Chuck Finley (7.42) -   17  
  Owner:  Ron Romanick (3.79) -   17  
  Gene Autry Don Sutton (4.68) -   16  
    Steve Renko (2.63) -   15  
  General Managers: Willie Fraser (1.81) -   14  
  Buzzy Bavasi (1980-1984) Bert Blyleven (6) -  13  
  Mike Port (1985-1989) Bryan Harvey (3.46) -   12  
    Tommy John (3.81) -   12  
  Managers: Bruce Kison (5.07) -   9  
  Jim Fregosi (1980-1981) Don Aase (7.46) -   8  
  Gene Mauch (1981-1982) Andy Hassler (5.19) -   5  
  John McNamara (1983-1984)    
  Gene Mauch (1985-1987) Catchers:  
  Moose Stubing (1988) Bob Boone (12.07) -   53  
  Cookie Rojas (1988)    
  Doug Rader (1989) First Basemen:  
    Rod Carew (14.79) -   42  
  No Hitters: Wally Joyner (13.2) -   33  
  Mike Witt (1984 - Perfect Game)    
    Second Basemen:  
  Hall of Famers: Bobby Grich (24.19) -   52  
  Rod Carew    
  Reggie Jackson ShortStop:  
  Don Sutton Dick Schofield (12.5)-   33  
  Bert Blyleven Rick Burleson (5.01) -   13  
       
  Rookie of the Year: Third Base:  
  None Doug DeCinces (18.92) -   41  
    Jack Howell (7.28) -   19  
  MVP:    
  None Outfield:  
    Brian Downing (27.44) -   60  
  Cy Young: Gary Pettis (13.23) -   41  
  None Devon White (13.56) -   35  
    Fred Lynn (10.18) -   32  
  Notable Events: Reggie Jackson (3.46) -   17  
    Juan Beniquez (3.32) -   14  
  1980 - The Angels were riding a high coming into the Eighties. They had just gone Ruppert Jones (5.05) -   11  
  thru the previous three years spending a zillion on free agents and 1979 was the Chili Davis (3.11) -   10  
  best year in franchise history, as they went 88-74 and won the Division. That heady    
  success lasted all of one season as the Angels crashed twenty two games to sixth Notable Events:  
  place in the Division in 1980. It turns out that, despite all of the free agents, 1979    
  was a mirage. A lot of guys had career years all at once and now boomeranged 1983 - Anaheim drops twenty three games in the standings as father time  
  in the opposite dirction: wins this round.  The Angels don't jettison many of their old guys because   
  □  C - Brian Downing, 29, got hurt in '80 - he was a keeper moving forward they're paying them too much. The old guys will flounder again in '84  
  □  2B - Bobby Grich, 31, '79 was a career year and aberation, '80 was more like it  
  □  OF - Don Baylor, 31, '79 was his last huge year, he was a different player now 1985 - Buzzy Bavasi steps down as General Manager. After him, the Angels  
  □  OF - Dan Ford, 27, '79 was an aberration, he was never that good before or after front office flounders until 2000 when Bill Stoneman takes over as GM  
  □  P - David Frost, 27, He was a one year wonder in '79 winning sixteen games  
  □  P - Nolan Ryan, 33, bolted for his home state of Texas in '80 1985 - After a couple of down years, Anaheim wins ninety games and they do  
  □  P - Jim Barr, 32, A mainstay in the middle of the Angels rotation for the previous  it in an unusual (for them) way. They've actually got a sprinkling of young   
  eight years, having won 90 games during that span, hurt his arm and was finished   players fueling the resurgence amongst the usual ton of old guys  
    □  1B - Wally Joyner, 24, 3rd round pick in 1983 draft - rookie in '86  
  1981 - Thirty five year old lefty Geoff Zahn is obtained as a FA from the Twins □  SS - Dick Schofield, 22, 3rd overall pick 1981 draft  
    □  3B - Jack Howell, 23, 1983 amateur FA  
  1981 - Hot young shortstop prospect Dickie Thon, 22, is dealt to Houston for  □  OF - Gary Pettis, 27, 6th round pick in 1979 draft  
  veteran righthander Ken Forsch. Pretty obvious with this deal that the future was □  OF - Devon White, 22, 6th round pick in 1981 draft  
  now in Anaheim. □  Righty - Mike Witt, 24, 4th round pick in 1978 draft  
    □  Righty - Ron Romanick, 24, 4th overall pick 1981 draft  
  1981 - Hot young third base prospect Carney Lansford, 23, is dealt to Boston for □  Righty - Kirk McCaskill, 24, 4th round pick in 1982 draft  
  veteran infielders Rick Burleson and Butch Hobson. Ditto the Thon trade. □  Lefty - Chuck Finley, 23, 4th overall pick in 1985 draft - rookie in '86  
       
  1982 - Third baseman Doug DeCinces, 31, is stolen from the Orioles for Dan Ford 1985 - the old geezers that are still around contributing are C Bob Boone;  
    1B Rod Carew, 2B Bobby Grich, 3B Doug DeCinces, OF Juan Beniquez  
  1982 - Centerfielder Fred Lynn, 30, who can still play at a very high level, and OF Brian Downing and OF Reggie Jackson. None of the old pitchers help.   
   pitcher Steve Renko, 37, are obtained from Boston for Joe Rudi and Frank Tanana   
    1986 - The Angels win the Division with the old ballplayers having their last  
  1982 - Catcher Bob Boone, 34, is purchased from the Phillies. He can still catch. hurrah. The over 35 club includes Don Sutton, Reggie Jackson, Bob  
    Boone, Brian Downing, Bob Grich, Rick Burleson, Doug DeCinces and  
  1982 - Superstar outfielder Reggie Jackson, 36, is signed as a free agent from the  George Hendrick. It's the sprinkling of youngsters that makes the difference.  
  Yankees. He's still got something left in the tank Twenty five year old aces Mike Witt and Kirk McCaskill have big years,  
     twenty four year old Wally Joyner knocks in a hundred runs and  
  1982 - The Ancient Angels win the Division. This is one of the oldest teams in   twenty eight year old center fielder Gary Pettis steals 50 bases  
  baseball history to win a title. Every player in the starting lineup is over thirty    
  and they average thirty three years of age. Not only that, three top subs are also  1988 - Outfielder Chilli Davis, 28, is signed as a free agent from the Giants  
  over thirty: Rick Burleson; Juan Beniquez; and Joe Ferguson. And we're not even  
  looking at the pitching yet. The rotation consists of Geoff Zahn, 36, Ken Forsch, 35, 1988 - Righty reliever Brian Harvey, 25, is a rookie. He was an amateur FA in '84  
  Bruce Kison, 32, Steve Renko, 37, Dave Goltz, 33, and (how did he ever get in     
  there?) Mike Witt, 21. For reinforcements late in the season, Anaheim 1989 - Lefty Jim Abbott, 21, is a rookie. He was the 8th overall pick in '88  
   dealt for some real experience, trading with the Yankees for     
  thirty nine year old Tommy John and purchasing forty one year old Luis Tiant from 1989 - Righty Bert Blyleven, 38, is obtained from the Twins in a trade.  
  Tabasco of the Mexican League. Anyway, it all worked. Anaheim was fueled     
   by thirty one year old Brian Downing suddenly becoming (and staying) a slugger, 1989 - In an aberrant year, the Angels finish 3rd with a 91-71 mark.  
   FA Jackson having a huge year going 39-101-.273, Lynn going 21-86-.299 and They won't be this good again for quite a while. '89 ends up being their  
   DeCinces going 30-97.301 On the mound, Zahn went 18-8 best mark, by far, in the fifteen year stretch from 1987 thru 2001.