Notes on a Scorecard - April 12, 1994

It happened on opening day at Anaheim Stadium:

10:30 a.m.--The standings reveal that the Angels are the only major pro team in Southern California with a winning record. . . .

10:32--”It’s important for a young club to get off to a good start,” says Buck Rodgers, aware that the young Angels were 13-5 last year before fading to 71-91. . . .

10:40--Already, it is warm in Orange County. The predicted high for today in Cleveland is 51. . . .

10:50--Mark Langston, 33, who is on the disabled list, and Jimmie Reese, 92, who isn’t, stroll into the Angel dugout together. . . .

10:53--Rodgers on watching Bo Jackson run: “It’s like a Mack truck with a tire wobbling.” . . .

10:55--Something is missing atop the seats in the left field upper deck. It’s the scoreboard that was wrecked by the earthquake and won’t be rebuilt until August. There is a temporary replacement board on the lower level. . . .

11--The Angels can’t complain about their digs at the Big A, where the home team clubhouse has been tastefully redecorated. . . .

11:10--KMPC announcer Bob Starr prepares his pregame notes. His 25th year doing baseball will be special. “I damn near died,” says Starr, who contracted Legionnaire’s disease last year. “I’m grateful to be here.” . . .

11:20--Angel executive Bob Harrison, who scouted Brian Anderson in college, says, “He’s got more confidence than any five guys should have.” . . .

11:25--Dugout visitor Wayne Gretzky says the NHL tournament is wide open, but predicts the New York Rangers will win their first Stanley Cup since 1940. . . .

12:45 p.m.--There are plenty of empty seats, which isn’t unusual for Angel home openers. Only twice have they attracted as many as 40,000. . . .

12:56--Bo Jackson receives the loudest ovation during introductions, edging Tim Salmon, Mark Langston, Chuck Finley and Brian Anderson. . . .

1--Gretzky tosses out the first ball. It’s high and outside. But he’s playing hurt, suffering from a knee injury that will keep him out of the Kings’ final two games. . . .

1:20--Dwight Smith increases his batting average to .500 with a double to left-center field in the first inning. . . .

1:23--Designated hitter Chili Davis strikes out with a runner on third and two out. I still like the DH rule. I would rather see Davis strike out with gusto in the cleanup spot than pitcher John Dopson strike out meekly in the ninth spot. . . .

1:46--Center fielder Chad Curtis robs Sandy Alomar Jr. of a hit with a diving catch. . . .

1:48--The Angels, who committed only two errors in their first six games, continue to field well as second baseman Harold Reynolds makes a charging stop of Jim Thome’s grounder. . . .

1:50--Players on both teams are wearing patches on the right sleeve to commemorate the 125th anniversary of professional baseball. Next year, they probably will wear 126th anniversary patches. . . .

2:11--So much for that great California defense. Shortstop Gary DiSarcina, fighting the sun, drops Albert Belle’s pop fly for a two-base error and the Indians lead by 1-0 in the fourth. . . .

2:24--Alomar takes Dopson deep into the left field seats. . . .

2:29--Manny Ramirez takes Dopson even deeper. . . .

2:49--Reliever Bob Patterson limits Paul Sorrento to a two-run double as Cleveland pulls away, 6-0, in the sixth. . . .

2:54--In an early bid for rookie-of-the-year honors, Ramirez hits his second homer and drives in his fifth run in two innings to make it 9-0. . . .

2:55--Patterson delivers some chin music to Kenny Lofton, who threatens to charge the mound and then decides to walk to first base instead. . . .

3:15--”We Want Bo! We Want Bo!” chant the fans. . . .

3:19--Davis gets the Angels on the board and doubles their hit production off Mark Clark with a homer in the seventh. . . .

4:11--Reynolds comes to bat in the ninth. . . .

4:15--On Eric Plunk’s 12th pitch to him, Reynolds hits a bases-loaded single off first baseman Sorrento’s glove to keep the rally alive. . . .

4:17--DiSarcina gets the Angels’ fourth single of the inning to close the gap to 9-6 and bring the tying run to the plate. . . .

4:24--Thousands of motorists listening to the radio wish they hadn’t left early. . . .

4:25--The crowd gets Bo Jackson, but reliever Steve Farr gets him to strike out on a 3-and-2 pitch to end the game.