Angels’ Fans Can Hope, but Fear the Worst

The more I think about this Dave Parker thing, the more I’m reminded of a phone call I received on the afternoon of Oct. 12, 1986, otherwise remembered in Anaheim as Day of the Apocalypse.

It was Game 5 of the American League playoffs, the break in the action between the eighth and ninth innings. The Angels led the Boston Red Sox, 5-2, as they returned to the field to resume their defensive positions. Anaheim Stadium was charged with anticipation. Miraculously, the Angels stood three outs away from their first American League pennant.

Just then, the phone rang at my seat in the auxiliary press box. On the other end was a colleague on the Angel beat, Pete Schmuck, who was stationed in another press box half a stadium away.

Launching into a bass-heavy imitation of the late, great P.A. announcer John Ramsey, Schmuck gravely intoned:

“Ladies and gentlemen . . . please be prepared . . . for the greatest disappointment of your lives.”

Both of us laughed--how could you not? As the longest-running worst-case scenario in major league history, the Angels had put their fans through hell for 27 years, but here they were, finally poised on the brink of vindication, armed with the law of averages and a briefcase full of IOUs for instant karma. Even dogs have their day. The Angels had to be next.

Both of us laughed, but deep down, there was this gnawing sensation, the same sensation that now carries the surgeon general’s warning in The Consumer’s Guide To Angel Viewing:

Expect nothing, fear everything.

I felt it again this weekend while reading and listening to the rose-colored local reaction to Thursday’s Dave Parker trade. Suddenly, there is talk of Angel contention, of matching the A’s home run-for-home run, of matching the A’s victory-for-victory, of winning the West, of winning the pennant and--oh gosh, why not go for it?--of finally booking the Holy Grail of Southern California baseball, the Freeway World Series.

Settle down, people. Drink something cold.

Granted, Parker is a big name, and a good name, but the Angels have had lots of those--and, as with most of them, Parker is closer to his 40th birthday than his 30th. In fact, Parker gets there in three more months.

What excites people about Parker is past performance. He’s played in three World Series, the last as recent as 1989. He has driven in more than 100 runs five times in his career. He has hit more than 20 home runs nine times in his career.

But that’s the thing about past performance. It’s in the past. Reggie Jackson once hit three home runs in a World Series game, but he never did it for the Angels. The future is now and the future at 40 is always an iffy proposition, unless your name happens to be Lynn Nolan Ryan.

The case for Parker is based on his 1990 statistical line, at age 39: .289, 176 hits, 30 doubles, 21 home runs, 92 RBIs. Maybe he can come close again.

The case against Parker calls Bert Blyleven to the witness stand. Advancing age in a baseball player can turn predictions into a dart board, as Blyleven’s last three seasons suggest.

Age 37: 10-17, 5.43 ERA.

Age 38: 17-5, 2.73 ERA.

Age 39: 8-7, 5.24 ERA and onto the disabled list.

In short, when you’re Parker’s age, you just don’t know. The same goes for Dave Winfield, age 39, and Gary Gaetti, who is only 32 but has batted only .251 and .229 since turning 30. These are the three pillars in the Angels’ new batting order and each of them is shaped like a question mark.

Barring injury and a full-scale erosion of skill, the Angels can expect reasonably consistent run production in the designated hitter spot from Parker. That’s something they haven’t had since January, 1991, when they had Chili Davis.

Davis was hurt in 1990, but compare his 1989 season with Parker’s.

Parker: .264, 27 doubles, 22 home runs, 97 RBIs.

Davis: .271, 24 doubles, 22 home runs, 90 RBIs.

Yet, the Angels shrugged when Davis became a new-look free agent and are turning somersaults over Parker. Were Davis’ back problems that daunting? Or are the Angels committing yesterday’s mistake by simply swooning over reputation? Parker has a good chance at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Davis has a good chance at an error-free season, now that the Minnesota Twins plan to use him exclusively at DH.

For the sake of a fair argument, let’s presume Parker duplicates his 1990 season down to the last foul ball, repeating as AL designated hitter of the year. We’ll also throw in 20 home runs and 80 RBIs apiece from Winfield and Gaetti, which Doug Rader would probably take right now.

What then?

Have the A’s been caught?

Certainly, the Angels have their most interesting-looking lineup since the Reggie-Don Baylor-Fred Lynn-Bobby Grich-Doug DeCinces early ‘80s. Assuming they can hit the baseball, that still leaves pitching and catching it--substantial areas of concern that have yet to be sufficiently covered.

The only sure bet in the starting rotation is Chuck Finley. Kirk McCaskill? How’s the arm? Mark Langston? Where he lands, nobody knows. Jim Abbott? He went from 12 victories as a rookie to 10 as a sophomore. Blyleven? Can you say Scott Lewis and Joe Grahe?

Oakland has the deepest bullpen in baseball, headed by Dennis Eckersley and supported by waves of dependable middle relievers. The Angels have Bryan Harvey, supported by 35-year-old Floyd Bannister, sore-armed Bob McClure and Mark Eichhorn, who had a 1.59 ERA during the first half of 1990 and a 6.11 ERA during the second.

Last, and perhaps least, is the outfield defense, which could be, well, the most interesting-looking the Angels have had since the Johnny Ray-Chico Walker-Chili Davis sieve of 1988. Having traded away their two best outfielders, Devon White and Dante Bichette, the Angels will give it a go with Winfield’s old legs in right, Junior Felix’s on-the-job training in center and Luis Polonia’s bronzed glove in left.

The routine fly ball just qualified for the endangered species list in Anaheim.

Still, Rader insists this is the best of the three Angel teams he has spent spring training with--and in terms of potential and nothing but, he’s right.

Just remember what generally happens when potential and the Angels are mentioned in the same sentence.

Ladies and gentlemen, please be prepared. Always, be prepared.