ANGEL REVIEW : ALMOST ALL THE RIGHT MOVES : Fifty Days in First Give 1989 Angels a Glimpse of Glory

Around the Horn

A closer look at the players who helped the Angels make a run at the division championship.

Wally Joyner/1B

.282 AVG. 16 HRs. 79 RBIs

Wally World appeared to be out of business when Joyner fell into a protracted early-season slump. He was hitting .197 on April 24, but regained his stroke and hit 14 homers after the All-Star break.

Johnny Ray/2B

.289 AVG. 5 HRs. 62 RBIs

Ray had his contract extended in mid-season, then spent a couple of days in Manager Doug Rader’s doghouse for not running out a pop-up late in the year. But the veteran again led the regulars in average.

Dick Schofield/SS

.228 AVG. 4 HRs. 26 RBIs

Two extended stays on the disabled list because of a strained chest muscle and a broken bone in his left hand put Schofield out of action for almost half the season. He missed a total of 59 games.

Jack Howell/3B

.228 AVG. 16 HRs. 79 RBIs

Howell’s defense was a steadying factor for an infield that played without its No. 1 shortstop much of the year. His power surges were also a plus. His batting average was a disappointment, though.

Lance Parrish/C

.238 AVG. 17 HRs. 50 RBIs

Parrish, who likes to call inside pitches, got some of the credit for the pitching staff’s resurgence. His bat was a welcome addition to the offense, but he hit less than .190 with just two homers after Aug. 5.

Chili Davis/LF

.271 AVG. 22 HRs. 90 RBIs

Leaving the defensive woes that haunted him in right field last season behind, Davis put together a banner year offensively. He was the Angels’ most consistent run-producer and clutch hitter.

Devon White/CF

.245 AVG. 12 HRs. 56 RBIs

White’s lack of discipline at the plate again kept him from reaching his potential as an offensive weapon. He led the team in steals (44) and triples (13), but he also struck out a team-high 129 times with 31 walks.

Claudell Washington/RF

.273 AVG. 13 HRs. 42 RBIs

Washington played a key role in the Angel offense . . . when he was in the lineup. Twice, he went home for personal reasons and also had a leg infection, missing 33 games.

Brian Downing/DH

.283 AVG. 14 HRs. 59 RBIs

Downing says he hasn’t made a decision about retirement, but the Angels would be glad for another year like 1989 from their designated hitter. Despite a painful chronic rib injury, Downing continued to lead by example.

Doug Rader/MGR

Won 91 Lost 71 .561 Pct

How much of the Angels’ success this season can be attributed to the manager? It’s hard to say, but Rader made major contributions. He kept the team loose and his on-the-field decisions left little room for second-guessing.

The Pitching Staff

The additions of free-agent Bert Blyleven and rookie Jim Abbott and the turnaround of Chuck Finley were key factors in the Angels’ ascension to title contender. Blyleven (17-5) won the big games. Abbott (12-12) ended a long search for a fifth starter. And Finley (16-9) had seven more victories than he did a year ago. Kirk McCaskill (15-10) also had a season to remember. Bryan Harvey, with 25 saves, and Greg Minton (2.20 earned-run average) provided the relief.

The Long and Losing Road On Aug. 21, the Angels departed for a 15-day trip to Kansas City, Texas, Boston and New York. They left with a percentage-points lead in the American League West. When they finally staggered back home on Sept. 5, after losing 11 of15, they trailed the Athletics by 4 1/2 games and were in third place.

RECORD AGAINST OPPOSING TEAM ANAHEIM STADIUM KANSAS CITY 1-3 TEXAS 2-1 BOSTON 1-3 NEW YORK 0-4

Breakdown of a Breakdown The Angels’ league-leading pitching staff faltered and their home run-oriented offense dried up during the disastrous trip.

ERA W-L BA RBI HR GB Before 3.12 74-48 .263 497 122 Tied Trip 4.39 4-11 .240 45 8 After 3.25 78-59 .260 542 130 -4 1/2

The Lowlights The Angels started off on the wrong foot when Chuck Finley sprained a toe ligament warming up for the first game in Kansas City. They managed wo win two of three in Texas, before being outscored, 21-9, in a doubleheader in Boston. Then, the sixth-place Yankees landed the crowning blow with a sweep of the reeling Angels in New York.

Source: California Angels The Numbers Game A closer look at some of the statistics which added up to a winning combination in ’89. The Stopper

Veteran Bert Blyleven was the Angels’ pitcher on the spot eight times this season, stepping up to end an Angel losing streak.

Streak Date Score (games) April 11 Angels 7, A’s 1 1 June 16 Angels 9, Tigers 4 7 July 7 Angels 5, Twins 2 1 July 18 Angels 1, Blue Jays 0 5 Aug. 2 Angels 7, Seattle 0 3 Aug. 13 Angels 4, A’s 3 3 Aug. 24 Angels 5, Royals 0 3 Sept. 8 Angels 2, Red Sox 1 2 Sept. 28 Angels 2, Royals 0 6

The Power Supply

The Angels hit a league-leading 144 home runs in 1989, peaking in the middle of the summer. A look at Angel homers by the month:

APRIL 20 MAY 25 JUNE 23 JULY 33 AUG. 25 SEPT./OCT. 18

Source: California Angels Mound of Difference

Pitching was the major factor in the Angels’ success in 1989. A comparison between the 1988 team pitching statistics and the 1989 numbers:

Category 1989 1988 Won-Lost 91-71 75-86 Earned-Run Avg. 3.28 4.32 Complete Games 32 26 Shutouts 20 9 Saves 38 33 Walks 465 568 Strikeouts 897 817 Home Runs Allowed 113 135

Beating Up the East

The Angels were 50-34 against American League East opponents in 1989, their best record ever against the East.

Percentage of wins

East 55% West 45% Baltimore 6-6, Boston 8-4, Cleveland 5-7, Detroit 11-1, Milwaukee 7-5, New York 6-6 and Toronto 7-5.

Source: California Angels A Rookie Attraction

Anaheim Stadium attendance when Jim Abbott pitched averaged 36,958, more than 4,000 above the season average of 32,683. Seven of his 15 starts at home drew more than 40,000.

* Largest Anaheim Stadium crowd:

53,036 (Oakland, Aug. 12)

* First start at home:

46,847 (April 8)

* Largest away crowd:

48,641 (at Toronto, July 17)

* Second-largest away crowd:

39,961 (at Detroit, June 17)

Run for the West

The Texas Rangers spent the first four weeks atop the American League West standings, but it soon turned into a three-team race between the Angels, Oakland and Kansas City. The Angels reigned in the top spot for a total of 50 days during the season, but the Athletics moved into first place in mid-August. The A’s held their ground after that, earning a chance for their second consecutive pennant.

MAY 9: Bert Blyleven and Greg Minton combine to beat the Tigers, 5-1, lifting the Angels to their 11th victory in 12 games. They trail Oakland by one game.

MAY 30: Jim Abbott gets a victory at Milwaukee, capping a four-game streak during which opponents score five runs. The Angels lead by percentage points.

JUNE 14: The Angels drop a doubleheader at Texas, their sixth and seventh consecutive losses. They fall to third place, four games behind first-place Oakland.

JULY 9: Brian Downing drives in three runs as the Angels beat the Twins to complete a 13-3 run that propels them into a 1 1/2-game lead at the All-Star break.

AUGUST 20: Kirk McCaskill throws a four-hitter to beat the Indians, 1-0, as the Angels win their fifth in a row to maintain a slim lead over the A’s.

SEPTEMBER 7: The Brewers score five times in the first inning and the Angels lose for the ninth time in 10 games to drop six games behind and fall into third.