CALIFORNIA ANGELS ROOKIE PITCHING RECORDS

Rookie Jim Abbott is just one of the pleasant surprises on the Angels’ pitching staff this year. He has proved himself capable of handling the major leagues without throwing one pitch in the minors. How he will measure up against Angel first-year pitchers who have come before him is an open question.

The Angels have 50 games remaining in the regular season, meaning Abbott may have as many as 10 starts left. He is within reach of the Angel rookie record for wins (14) and shutouts (4), but overhauling the comparable team marks for complete games (12), innings pitched (268.2) and strikeouts (180) seems out of the question.

Listed below are the Angels rookie pitching records as well as the American League and major league standards.

Category * Record Record-Holder (Team) Year WINS Angel Leaders 14 Frank Tanana 1974 Marcelino Lopez 1965 Dean Chance 1962 12 Kirk McCaskill 1985 Ron Romanick 1984 Ricky Clark 1967 Ken McBride 1961 American League 24 O. Edgar Summers (Detroit Tigers) 1908 Major League 28 Grover Alexander (Philadelphia Phillies) 1911 COMPLETE GAMES Angel Leaders 12 Frank Tanana 1974 11 Ken McBride 1961 8 Ron Romanick 1984 Marcelino Lopez 1965 7 Mike Witt 1981 Paul Hartzell 1976 American League 36 Roscoe Miller (Detroit Tigers) 1901 Major League 41 Irving Young (Boston Braves) 1905 SHUTOUTS Angel Leaders 4 Frank Tanana 1974 3 Bo Belinsky 1962 2 Ron Romanick 1984 Paul Hartzell 1976 Dean Chance 1962 American League 8 Ewell Russell (Chicago White Sox) 1913 Major League (tie) 8 Fernando Valenzuela (L.A. Dodgers) 1981 INNINGS PITCHED Angel Leaders 268 2/3 Frank Tanana 1974 242 Ken McBride 1961 229 2/3 Ron Romanick 1984 215 1/3 Marcelino Lopez 1965 207 Dean Chance 1962 American League 316 Ewell Russell (Chicago White Sox) 1913 Major League 378 Irving Young (Boston Braves) 1905 STRIKEOUTS Angel Leaders 180 Frank Tanana 1974 Ken McBride 1961 145 Bo Belinsky 1962 127 Dean Chance 1962 122 Marcelino Lopez 1965 American League 245 Herb Score (Cleveland Indians) 1955 Major League 276 Dwight Gooden (New York Mets) 1984

* Major League and American League are those established since 1900. JIM ABBOTT, 1989* Wins: 10 Complete games: 2 Shutouts: 1 Strikeouts: 79 Innings pitched: 124 *After 110 games

Source: “The Book of Baseball Records,” Seymour Siwoff, Editor and Publisher; 1989 California Angels Media Digest