ANGELS 1988 PREVIEW SECTION : ALL--TIME ANGELS : This Team Might Even Win It All

Besides the color scoreboard in left field and Chili Davis in right, the first new thing you’ll notice at Anaheim Stadium this season are three over-sized phone booths inside Gate 2 that trumpet 27 years of “Angel tradition.”

The Angels call it their hall of fame.

Right now, it’s not much of an exhibit. Some old jerseys in one booth, playoff programs and newspaper headlines in another. And in the middle booth sits one, lonely, solitary bronze bust. It’s a rendering of Bobby Grich--the first, and thus far only inductee into the Angel hall of fame.

Grich says he’ll take his dates over to check it out whenever he’s in the neighborhood.

The Angels insist that there’ll be more inductees, more busts and more booths. Maybe Jim Fregosi next. Or Nolan Ryan, if he ever retires.

This got us to thinking. If there is to be a shrine for old Angel heroes, which are the names that deserve to be included? Do we really need that many booths? If you put together an all-time Angel team, what would it look like?

Glad we asked.

Assembling a panel of Times baseball writers Ross Newhan, John Weyler and yours truly, along with Angel director of publicity Tim Mead, we set out this spring to answer that burning question. And with surprisingly little hagging, we were able put to select a 12-man Angel team for the ages, consisting of eight hitters, three pitchers and one manager.

The starting pitchers came in a flash, just like the fastballs of Ryan and Frank Tanana.

The infield, too, was a snap--although some might accuse us of jumping the gun by tabbing Wally Joyner over Rod Carew at first base. We disagree.

Catcher was also a no-brainer, a gimme for Bob Boone. You were expecting, maybe, Joe Azcue?

Outfield and relief pitcher provided more of a challenge. Quickly scrapping the notion that our three selections would ever be asked to convene in the same outfield, we loaded up on bats--Don Baylor, Leon Wagner and Brian Downing. Just don’t ask anyone to play center field. And as for our reliever, after much discussion, we went for longevity over one phenomenal season, which meant we went for Dave LaRoche over Donnie Moore.

Our manager? Gene Mauch. He and Bill Rigney were the only candidates--they’re the only ones to have managed the Angels for at least three full seasons--and for us, Mauch’s two divisional championships rated him the edge.

A closer look at our findings, guaranteed to be thoroughly and assuredly unscientific:

WALLY JOYNER FIRST BASE

Yeah, yeah, we know about Rod Carew’s 3,000 hits and his .328 lifetime average and his already-punched ticket to Cooperstown. We know his .339 mark in 1983 was the highest ever recorded by an Angel and we know about his six consecutive All-Star selections in a California uniform.

We know all of that.

We also know that in just two seasons. Wally Joyner has already made more of an impact on the Angel franchise than Carew did in seven.

Carew hit 18 home runs as an Angel; Joyner reached that figure before his rookie season was three months old.

Carew drove in 282 runs as an Angel; Joyner should surpass that by the 1988 All-Star break.

Carew also rarely hit in the clutch, was a run-of-the-mill fielder at first base and spent most of his final years grousing about a lack of appreciation. Contrast that to Joyner, who has a career average of .314 with runners on base, finished 1987 with 52 consecutive errorless games and is developing into the most popular Angel player since Ryan.

We have yet to hear of a place called Rodney World.

In truth, this was a tough call. Mead suggested that the nod go to Carew and an asterisk go to Joyner--foot-noting him as a “a future.” But the consensus here is that the future is now. Carew belongs on an all-time Minnesota Twins team. Joyner belongs on this one.

Others considered: Jim Spencer--Won a Gold Glove, but had no stick . . . Bob Oliver--Back in the days when 19 home runs in Anaheim made you look like Babe Ruth . . . Lee Thomas--Two big years and then a fizzle.

BOBBY GRINCH SECOND BASE

He’s the entire Angel hall of fame, isn’t he?

Actually, the selection of Grich as the hall’s charter member makes more sense the more you think about it. In many ways, Grich was the ultimate California Angel.

He was an owner’s Angel--one of the few free agents who truly paid off for Gene Autry.

He was a general’s manager’s Angel--he never held out, he avoided controversy and he never blasted Mike Port. He was a manager’s Angel--admired especially by Mauch for his gritty style and intensity.

He was an Angels’ Angel--regarded as “a gamer,” a leader and a regular guy by his teammates.

And, as we can attest, he was a sportswriter’s Angel--often the only willing and available quote in the chilly postgame climes of the Angel clubhouse.

We won’t get into his popularity among female Angel fans.

But besides all of this, the bottom line is that Grich produced. In 10 California seasons, he hit 154 home runs, drove in 557 runs, set a major league fielding record in 1985 and shared the AL home-run title in 1981. Currently, he ranks among the top three in nine Angel career batting categories.

Others considered: Bobby Knoop--Won three Gold Gloves but batted just .240 as an Angel . . . Jerry Remy--Stole 110 bases his first three seasons and then Buzzie Bavasi traded him . . . Sandy Alomar--Held the club’s stolen-base record before Gary Pettis.

DOUG DeCINCES THIRD BASE

Had the Angels never encountered Doug DeCinces, they might not have won division championships in 1982 and 1986.

But they might have made the World Series in 1979.

DeCinces made perhaps his most indelible mark on Angel history as an opponent. His diving stop of Jim Anderson’s smash at third to end a budding Angel rally is widely regarded as the decisive play in the 1979 AL championship series-- a playoff ultimately won by DeCinces’ Baltimore Orioles, three games to one.

Two years later, the Angels traded for DeCinces and immediately returned to the playoffs. DeCinces was a major reason why, batting .301 with 30 home runs and 97 RBIs--in short, an MVP-type season. And in 1986, his 26 home runs and 96 RBIs were essential to the Angels’ third AL West title.

It would be unfair to remember DeCinces for what happened after that--his bases-loaded pop fly in the ninth inning of infamous Game 5, his sad 1987 season, his clumsy and bitter release last September. And although his never-ending back ailments were always easy to caricature, the simple facts are these: In five of his six Anaheim season, DeCinces averaged 23 home runs, 84 RBIs and was a defensive rock at third base.

May his batting stroke make a comeback in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Others considered: Carney Lansford--His .294 average in 1978 still stands as a club rookie record. . . Dave Chalk--A two-time All-Star in the mid-1970s. . . Ken McMullen--His best days came as a Dodger and a Senator.

JIM FREGOSI SHORTSTOP

An original Angel and, for years, the definitive Angel, Fregosi probably influenced this franchise more than any individual aside from Gene Autry.

As a player, Fregosi teamed with second baseman Bobby Knoop to from the double-play combination that was the Angels’ pride of late 1960s. Fregosi was a six-time AL All-Star, won a Gold Glove in 1967 and remains the Angels’ all-time leader in hits (1,408), games (1,429) and at-bats (5,244).

As a manager, in his first full season, Fregosi brought the franchise its first division championship in 1979. With a team ERA of 4.34, a thin bullpen and Jim Anderson at shortstop, Fregosi still found a way to win 88 games and edge Kansas City by three games.

Even as an ex-player, Fregosi served the Angels well. He was the trade bait that pried Nolan Ryan away from the New York Mets before the 1972 season. . . and the rest, as they say, is major league history.

Prior to that trade, Fregosi hit 115 home runs, amassed 546 RBIs and scored 691 runs--numbers that still rank him among the top six in those Angel career categories.

Others considered: Rick Burleson--With a different shoulder, could have been the greatest. . . Tim Foli--The Angels would have never won in ’82 without him. . . Dick Schofield--Check back in 1992.

BOB BOONE CATCHER

More than a quarter-century has passed and the Angel farm system is still waiting to produce its first decent big league catcher. Bob Allietta, Tom Donohue, Danny Goodwin, Ike Hampton, Stan Cliburn--not even as much as a Jerry Narron in the lot.

In 1982, the Angels figured they were merely buying time when they bought Bob Boone’s contract from the Philadelphia Phillies. It was essentially a purchase off the rack--an over-the-hill 34-year-old who couldn’t throw out runners anymore, coming off a .211 season. What the heck, the Angels figured, maybe he could plug the gap for a year or two.

Six seasons, three Gold Gloves and one major league record later, Boone is still plugging away.

Last September, Boone became baseball’s all-time leader for most games caught when he surpassed Al Lopez’s record of 1,918, which means his 2,001 odyssey--to go where no man has gone before--will be complete some time in June.

In the meantime, the Angels’ latest catching prospects, Erik Pappas and John Orton, continue to learn their wares in the minor leagues. Maybe by 1990, one of them will be ready.

And maybe by then, Boone will be ready to step down. But we doubt it.

Others considered: Bob Rodgers--Caught Dean Chance and Bo Belinsky during the 1960s . . . Ellie Rodriguez--Caught Nolan Ryan during the mid-1970s.

DON BAYLOR OUTFIELD

He remains the only Angel to be named league MVP and the decision not to re-sign him after the 1982 season remains one of the dumbest in Angel history.

Or haven’t you noticed who DHed for Boston and Minnesota in the last two World Series?

The real shame of Baylor’s six-year Angel career is that he was never fully appreciated until he was gone. lAs one of the Big Three free-agent signees of ‘76, he was booed in Anaheim his first season mainly because he was healthy, Bobby Grich and Joe Rudi weren’t, and the Angels weren’t winning. And in the early 1980s, he was ridiculed to the point of near-retirement by then-GM Buzzie Bavasi.

Remember Bavasi’s infamous crack when inspecting a photo of Baylor, Carew, Reggie Jackson and Fred Lynn--”What’s Baylor doing in there with all those hitters?” Remember Baylor’s one-day walk-out immediately thereafter?

Not entirely by coincidence, the Angels were at their best when Baylor was at his. In 1979, the club won its first title while Baylor won MVP honors with 36 home runs and 139 RBIs. And in 1982, the Angels returned to the playoffs when Baylor produced 24 home runs, 93 RBIs and 21 game-winning hits.

By the time the Angels qualified for their third playoff in 1986, Baylor was a member of the Boston Red Sox. And it was his two-run home run off Mike Witt that began to bring the walls down on California in the ninth inning of Game 5--a home run witnessed in a box seat by Bavasi, the man who lit Baylor get away in 1983.

It was the ultimate in last laughs.

BRIAN DOWNING OUTFIELD

Put down that barbell, Brian, and relax for a minute. Take a look at your Angel career. Enjoy yourself.

--Before Boone, you were the best catcher the Angels ever had. Yeah, even with the rotten shoulder. You batted .326 in 1979 and made the All-Star team. You still hold the club record for best fielding percentage by a catcher--.993 in 1978. You were sight for the sore eyes that had to endure Terry Humphrey, Ton Egan, Rich Stelmaszek and Art Kusnyer behind the plate.

--You moved to the outfield in 1981 and immediately embarked upon the longest errorless streak (244 games) in big league history. You were never all that pretty, but you got better at it than you’ll ever admit. You flattened walls--and occasionally Gary Pettis--but you usually got to the ball.

--Now, after 10 Angels seasons and a move to designated hitter, you already hold club records for home runs (169), RBIs (672), extra-base hits (406), runs (703) and doubles (221). Add you’re closing in on the games-played, total-base and hit categories. That’s a long ways from the bench at Magnolia High.

So take some time out and celebrate for once. Go bench-press the bat rack. It’s on us.

LEON WAGNER OUTFIELD

Our final outfield selection came down to two guys with recognizable nicknames, one of whom is a shoo-in for the baseball Hall of Fame. But we couldn’t bring ourselves to vote for Reggie. Instead, we went with Daddy Wags.

Remember, this is an all-time Angels team. The 49 home runs Reggie Jackson hit with Oakland in ’69 or the three Yankee homers he had in one World Series game don’t add up to a pile of Reggie bars here. It comes down to what Jackson did as an Angel. And in brief, that came down to one great year (39 homers in ‘82), one awful year (.194 in ‘83), a good year and two mediocre ones. Jackson’s career average as an Angel: 239.

Wagner, meanwhile, played three seasons with the Angels and each of them were of high quality. He led the expansion Angels of 1961 with 28 home runs. He was an All-Star starter in 1962 en route to 37 home runs and 107 RBIs. And he returned to the All-Star game in 1963, on his way to a 26-home run, 90-RBI season.

Then, as the Angels have been known to do, they up and traded Wagner before the ’64 season--dispatching him to Cleveland yet, in exchange for pitcher Barry Latman and first baseman Joe Adcock. Thanks for everything, Daddy Wags.

Wagner went on to have three more fine seasons with the Indians, including another 100-RBI year in 1964. He retired after the 1969 season, finishing with a career batting average of .272.

Others considered: Gary Pettis--But not for very long . . . Alex Johnson--The Angels’ only league batting champion . . . Fred Lynn--if not the hangnails . . . Bobby Bonds--The Angels’ only 30-30 man . . . Mickey Rivers--Seventy stolen bases in 1975 . . . Devon White--Wait till next year . . . Albie Pearson--A name from the past that makes you smile.

NOLAN RYAN RIGHT-HANDED STARTER

The grandest Angel of them all. The Express. The only reason to come to Anaheim Stadium between 1972 and 1976. Four no-hitters in three years. Six one-hitters. A record 383 strikeouts in 1973.

So, what has Ryan been doing in Houston this past decade?

Just more dandy work by the man they call Buzzie, who let Ryan opt for free agency in 1980 and bid him adieu with this epitaph: “We can replace him with two 8-7 pitchers.”

You’ll notice there is no general manager selection on this all-time team.

Ryan was the single biggest drawing card in Angel history and during his days in Anaheim, rivaled Sandy Koufax as the most exciting pitcher of the era. You never knew when Ryan might no-hit someone. Or strike out 19. Or walk 19. He was the Big-A’s barrel of fun.

He also pitched for some truly wretched teams. In 1972, he lost two 1-0 decisions in 10 days and finished 19-16. In 1973, he lost a no-hitter when second baseman Sandy Alomar and shortstop Rudy Meoli allowed a pop fly by Thurman Munson to bloop in for a single. Ryan somehow managed to win 20 games twice, which should have earned him a Cy Young, but never did.

He’ll have to settle for Cooperstown instead.

Others considered: Dean Chance--He did win a Cy Young, with a 20-9 record in 1964 . . . Andy Messersmith--Went 20-13 in 1971 . . . Mike Witt--Already third on the Angels’ all-time victory and strikeout lists.

FRANK TANANA LEFT--HANDED STARTER

They were the days of Tanana and Ryan and then lots of cryin’. For the Angels, in many ways, they were the good old days.

From 1974 through 1978, Ryan and Tanana formed a 1-2 tandem that has yet to be equaled in Anaheim. It was heat followed by heat, only from different sides of the mound. And some years, Tanana even managed to outpitch Ryan--striking out 269 batters in 1975, winning 19 games in 1977 and 18 more in 1978.

Tanana’s left arm, however, failed to hold up through the decade. He stopped pumping up the volume in 1979, but even then, even with a blown-out arm, he was there on title-clinching day--taking the throw from Carew and stomping on first base for the final, decisive out.

Tanana spent one more season in California before getting shipped to Boston in 1980 along with Joe Rudi and pitcher Jim Dorsey in exchange for Fred Lynn and Steve Renko. Today, only Lynn and Tanana are still playing.

And last year, only Tanana was in the playoffs. He beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 1-0, on the regular season’s last day to clinch a division championship for Detroit. Sound familiar?

Others considered: Clyde Wright--Had 20 wins and a no-hitter in 1970 . . . Geoff Zahn--Went 18-8 for Mauch’s first division winner . . . Rudy May--Pitched well for the horrid teams of the early ‘70s.

DAVE LaROCHE RELIEVER

OK. Fist, we’ll take care of the Donnie Moore argument.

Moore had one spectacular season, one glistening moment in the sun, in 1985. He saved 31 games--a franchise record--and won 8 others. He had a 1.92 earned-run average. He was an American League All-Star.

But it was only one year. And it ended in a cloud of disappointment, with Moore serving up the home run to Cleveland’s Andre Thornton that helped erase a 5-0 Angel lead in late September, paving the way for a crucial loss that ultimately cost California a share of the AL West title. Then came 1986 and Dave Henderson. Then came 1987 and the back problems and 5 saves in 14 appearances.

Fact of the matter is, the Angels don’t have much to choose from when it comes to all-time relievers. This is, you know, the long-time home of the Arson Squad. Bob Lee, Minnie Rojas and Ken Tatum--like Moore--did it well briefly. Don Aase had his moments, too. But only Dave LaRoche did it for an extended period of time.

LaRoche turned in two stints with the Angels, 1970-71 and 1977-80. Stint I yielded 14 saves before LaRoche was dealt to Minnesota for Leo Cardenas. Stint II was arranged via a trade with Cleveland, bringing LaRoche back to Anaheim, where he saved 13 games in ‘77, 25 in ’78 and 10 for the division winners of ’79. He also compiled a 35-32 record and a 2.65 ERA in his years with the Angels--highly respectable numbers considering the caliber of teams he pitched for.

Besides, anyone who throws the eephus pitch and names it “The LaLob” is our kind of guy.

GENE MAUCH MANAGER

Enough already about ’64 and ’82 and ’86. (Weird how these things happen in even-numbered years.) Enough, too, about him being the oldest guy never to win a pennant.

Some facts:

--1964 is Philadelphia’s business. As for ‘82, Mauch may have mis-managed his pitching staff in Milwaukee, but look at what he had to work with. His rotation was Geoff Zahn, Ken Forsch, Tommy John and Steve Renko. His bullpen ace was Luis Sanchez (!) And in ‘86, how is Mauch supposed to know Gary Lucas will pick the worst time humanly possible to hit his first batter in four years?

--Mauch managed many bad teams and did well to raise most to mediocrity. Could Whitey Herzog or Billy Martin have done better with the Phillies of the 1960s, the expansion Expos or the Twins of the late ‘70s?

--The Angels have won 90 games just three times during their 27-year existence. Guess who managed all three teams?

Unfortunately for Mauch, his Angel legacy will remain on the doorstep of two World Series.

But wee it not for two pitiful pitches--Moore to Dave Henderson, Sanchez to Cecil Cooper--that legacy might have been altogether different. And so would the Angels’.

THE EXPERTS’ TEAM

YRS AVE HR RBI WALLY JOYNER First Base 86- .288 56 217 BOBBY GRICH Second Base 77-86 .269 154 557 DOUG DeCINCES Third Base 82-87 .265 130 481 JIM FREGOSI Shortstop 61-71 .268 115 546 BOB BOONE Catcher 82- .238 34 279 DON BAYLOR Outfield 77-82 .262 141 523 BRIAN DOWNING Outfield 78- .273 169 672 LEON WAGNER Outfield 61-63 .279 91 276

YRS W L ERA NOLAN RYAN RHP 72-79 138 121 3.07 FRANK TANANA LHP 73-80 102 78 3.08

YRS W-L S ERA DAVE LaROCHE Reliever 70-71, 77-80 35-32 65 2.65

YRS W L PCT GENE MAUCH Manager 81-82, 85-87 379 332 .533

Won Division titles in ‘82, ’86