ANGELS: ONE GAME FOR THE TITLE : Season’s Voices

A look back at the Angels’ season, through their comments during the year.

“I’m going into this season thinking we can win. I couldn’t say that in Detroit.”

--Tony Phillips, April 25

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“The biggest thing we need is for our young guys to gain some self-confidence. These guys are two and three years in the making, and it’s time for them to jump up and show they belong.”

--Chili Davis, April 26

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“You can’t even think about being in first place. When you try to hold on to something you squeeze real tight, and eventually you can’t squeeze any more because your hands are tired.”

--Davis, at the All-Star break

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“It’s time to grind it out. Everything we get now is going to help us in September. It’s time to rack up some wins.”

--Phillips, Aug. 5

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“I’ve never seen a team that’s as powerful as this team. The offense has really carried the pitching staff this season. This has been so much fun. I’m really grateful.”

--Mark Langston, Aug. 20

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“We hate them. We don’t hate them personally, but we hate them.”

--Boston’s Mo Vaughn, discussing the Angels,

Aug. 23

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“Yeah, it’s slipping away, that’s a realization. The only way we can change that is to start winning.”

--Phillips, Sept. 3

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“I’ve never been around a magic number before. Fourteen? That seems like a lot.”

--Tim Salmon, Sept. 9

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“We have to stop the momentum. To do that, we have to win a game.”

--Team official Preston Gomez, Sept. 22

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“You could see this coming--you knew we’d struggle for a week or so--but you couldn’t see it coming for this long, not for this team.”

--Jim Edmonds, Sept. 23, after losing streak hit nine games