Uninspired Angels Drop 7th Straight : Team Gives Fans Little to Appreciate in Final Home Game

Come back, Cookie Rojas, all is forgiven.

Angel malaise wasn’t built in a day and no Moose-for-Cookie managerial switch was going to sweep it away in a day. Or two. Or three.

Interim Manager Moose Stubing’s record fell to 0-3 Sunday afternoon as the Minnesota Twins completed a four-game sweep of the Angels with a 6-2 victory before a crowd of 34,745 at Anaheim Stadium. The Angel losing streak is now seven games, the longest of the season. The last Angel home stand of 1988 ended at 2-11, leaving the Angels 11 games below .500 (35-46) at home.

And they had the gall to bill Sunday as Fan Appreciation Day.

The Angels also are guaranteed a second consecutive losing season, courtesy of Minnesota’s Frank Viola, who used the afternoon to casually pad his Cy Young Award credentials. Seven innings of so-so pitching--9 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs--were more than enough for Viola to improve his record to 23-7 while dropping the Angels to 75-82 with 5 games to play.

But this was the last home game and how about that send-off the Angels gave their final Anaheim Stadium crowd of the summer?

Something to remember us by:

--Outfield errors by Dante Bichette and George Hendrick set up the Twins’ first two runs in the second inning.

--Minnesota’s Dan Gladden broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh by walking, stealing second, taking third on an infield out and--in the ultimate indignity--stealing home on Angel pitcher Dan Petry (3-8).

--Nine Angel runners were left on base, including Darrell Miller, who opened the fifth inning with a triple and then watched idly by as Dick Schofield grounded to first, Johnny Ray popped to right and Wally Joyner flied to center.

If General Manager Mike Port truly intended to light a fire by dumping Rojas as an example, as “change for change’s sake,” he should have grabbed an Angel roster and kept firing away.

“Nobody can assume they’ve got a job for next year,” said designated hitter Brian Downing, who accounted for one run with his 24th home run. “That’s why you don’t roll over. If you look at it realistically, everyone’s got to be fighting for a position on the ’89 team.”

Stubing echoed that sentiment.

“I know I’m being showcased, but they’re being showcased, too,” Stubing said. “If I’m not here next year, it’ll be someone else. And he’ll have to make some decisions. Figures don’t lie. (Video) tapes don’t lie. There’s a lot at money at stake for these players.

Has this team simply given up, as it did in 1987 with a 9-21 season-ending dive?

Stubing wouldn’t go that far, but he did admit that intensity isn’t exactly running rampant through the Angel lineup.

“I don’t think anybody’s quit but after a while, it gets into a lull,” Stubing said. “They’re taking it hard. They might be faking it, but nobody likes to lose.”

Because the Angels have something known as The Owner’s Trophy, which is traditionally presented to the club’s most valuable player, they felt obligated to give it to someone before Sunday’s game. This year, the award will be shared by Bob Boone and Ray.

At least the Angels have an apt title for their highlight film. They can call it The Bob and Ray Show.