Fact #2: First Angels number retired

The first number retired by the Angels franchise was not for a player, but instead for the original owner, Gene Autry. The number that was retired for Gene was #26, because he was the "26th man" for the team. The number was retired in 1982. When Major League Baseball was expanding in 1960-61, he just wanted the broadcasting rights to the team. Instead he served as the owner for the Angels for 38 years until it was sold to Disney during his final years.

Jan 1, 2013 Fact

Dean Chance won the first Cy Young award in franchise history in 1964. Chance went 20-9 with a 1.65 ERA for the Halos. From 1962-1966 only pitchers from the Angels or Dodgers won the award (Drysdale '62 | Koufax '63, '65, '66). In 1967 the award would be given to a pitcher from the AL & NL for the first time since the award began in 1956.

Could be an awful offseason.

The Angels decided to bring back both Scioscia and Dipoto this upcoming season after hinting that one of them were going to be dismissed of their duties. Scioscia needed to come back as he is still one of the top managers in the league. Dipoto is still yet to do something positive for the organization. A very likeable guy, he does know the game very well. However, the signings of Pujols and Hamilton have not worked out. Although he is the general manager, it has been said that those moves had been made by the owner Arte Moreno. Despite those moves, Dipoto did go out and get Joe Blanton who had one of the worst seasons one could remember, Tommy Hanson for Jordan Walden which completely backfired, and also signed two great bullpen guys when injured and they never gave us a sniff at a possible comeback. It makes a fan pinch their eyes and rub their foreheads of how a team can fall off so quickly when being preseason World Series hopefuls two years in a row. Losing Greinke to the Dodgers after not paying him didn't help in this "we need pitchers" offseason.

Things are now only to get worse as the Angels have announced that Trumbo and Bourjos will be on the trading block for hopes of starting pitching, but in the contrary, the front office did not extend qualifying offer to left handed starter Jason Vargas. Mark Trumbo is a home grown talent who tore up AAA Salt Lake just a few years ago, and is now one of the top home run hitters in the American League. His defense has improved, but his discipline has not. When watching games and at-bats, you can tell he is guessing at pitches and will flail at almost anything. Even with that being said, he can still grow and learn and can give you 30/100 offensive numbers. Bourjos was out a majority of this past year with injuries, but again has the potential to be an offensive threat by putting the ball in play and motoring around the base paths. He flies around in the outfield, running down anything that doesn't get to the wall taking hits away in all parts on the grass. Again, another guy who came from within. If the Angels lose both these guys, it will be a huge dent, missing a major power bat, and rabbit on the diamond.

If the Angels are going after pitching, do what you need to do to get rid of Hanson and Blanton. This also means keeping Jason Vargas. A left handed pitcher who still has plenty of years left missed two months due to a blood clot in his armpit. A rare "injury" but had nothing to do with his actual pitching arm. Vargas has been able to go 200+ innings twice in his last three years. This past season with the arm pit injury, Vargas had 24 starts, going 7 innings or more in 10 of them and averaging 6.5K/9.

This will be an interesting offseason for the Halos. As we sit back and cringe awaiting the fate of the Angels trades, let us remember that Weaver and Trout will still be wearing red in Orange County this season.

Ford C. Frick - Journalist, Commissioner, Fan

With Allen Huber “Bud” Selig announcing his plans to retire in January 2015, we can reminisce on the Seilg era, along with the other eight commissioners dating back to Judge Landis in 1921.  They have played an important role in America’s pastime, holding down the fort during mischief and mayhem. They dealt with gambling, civil rights, free agency, and drugs. One which stands out the most is the 1919 Black Sox scandal which gave baseball its first commissioner. The owners gave the key to baseball to Judge Landis who banned eight Chicago players from the game for life. A.B. “Happy” Chandler had the entrance of Jackie Robinson. Ford Frick split Maris and Ruth’s homerun record.  Kuhn was in office for free agency hearings in the US Supreme Court. Giamatti was around for the banning of Pete Rose. Finally, Selig had to handle the steroid era.  These gentlemen were men of law, military, and business. Asked to come in and run it as such. All except for one, Mr. Ford Christopher Frick.

Born just one month and 19 days before the Babe, Frick joined the New York sports writing team in 1922. He became a lifetime baseball employee when he started covering the Bambino in 1923. Just like the rest of America, Frick fell in love with the larger than life ballplayer. This was a time when Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones owned the golf world, Jack Dempsey was the great boxing champion, tennis had Tilden, Lenglen, and Wills, and Notre Dame Football had the four horsemen in the backfield.  Frick covered them all, but there was only one Ruth and he dominated the media. Baseball strategy prior to Ruth was “hit ‘em where they ain’t”, base stealing, and slashing led by Ty Cobb. The game changed because of Ruth and Frick covered it all from his Ruthian blasts to his boyish enthusiasm with fans and kids that never dimmed.

“Attempting to measure Babe Ruth’s greatness by standard rule, or mathematical formula, is like trying to thread a needle while wearing boxing gloves.” – Ford Frick

From the end of WWI until the great depression was considered the golden age of sports by most writers in that time. It was an era of laughter and excitement when America supposedly won the “war to end all wars.” For Frick it was an opportunity to cover sports as they grew internationally, but also to cover some of the greatest baseball players of all time. Of the first 108 players elected into the Hall of Fame, 52 of them played during the postwar decade. Names like: Dickey, Sisler, Gehrig, Foxx, Hornsby, Cronin, Cobb, Ruth, Speaker, and Combs; along with pitchers such as: Walter Johnson, Left Grove, Dazzy Vance, and Grover Alexander.

Judge Landis authorized the broadcasting of the World Series in 1921, which would change radio forever. The first broadcast was done by New York’s WEAF, however it would blow up in Chicago when Mr. Wrigley let all local stations broadcast Cubs games. Public interest in nearby states for the Cubs took off. WOR began broadcasting the same year Frick came to New York in 1922. The first two years of WOR, operation came out of Bamberger’s department store which sold radio sets to consumers. It wasn’t until 1924 that they had their own station. In 1930 Frick went from being a writer to becoming a broadcaster. The first local New York broadcast took place in 1931 when four local stations were invited to broadcast a game at Ebbets Field. Frick along with Ted Husing, Sid Loberfeld, and Graham McNamee sat in a box behind the plate and talked into microphones hooked up by telephone lines with one technician on hand that had the job of keeping the lines open. The fan mail poured in and the radio business would boom. Frick called the final regular season series between the Cardinals and Dodgers which decided the pennant. The Cardinals went onto win and that was as close as Dazzy Vance ever came to a world series, but it did attract a record listening audience. By the mid 1930’s, all sixteen teams were broadcasting their games. It opened up a source of income that television would soon quadruple.

1934 would be a big jump for Frick as he was elected Director of the National League Service Bureau at the beginning of the year, then National League President before Thanksgiving. What he is most known for during his time at the head of the National League is the working with hotel owner Stephen C. Clark in creating the National Baseball Museum in Cooperstown New York. Clark bought a ball for $5 in 1935 that was used by youngsters in games played at Phinney pasture during the mid 1800’s. The ball was found in a trunk, blackened, torn, patched with ancient letters on it. Clark mounted the ball and displayed it through the Otsego County Historical Society which then attracted local interest.  Clark then added his own prized baseballs, paintings, and prints. He would send his staff across the country to collect other baseball artifacts to add to the collection. Within a year, his small library became a place to travel. Although the Hall of Fame opened in 1939, the first induction class came in 1936. Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, and Honus Wagner were elected. 1939 means something even more because it celebrates the 100^th anniversary of the “Myth” of Abner Doubleday creating the game of baseball in Cooperstown in 1839.

From celebratory to controversy, Frick would later have to face the dispute of the first black player coming into his league. Happy Chandler was commissioner of baseball; however Jackie was going to play for the Dodgers of the National League. It was not unexpected as Robinson was assigned to Montreal the year before. Branch Rickey was a man who did not act on impulse. The idea of integrating blacks in the majors goes all the way back to the mid 1930’s, but no one could ever pull the trigger. In 1947, Frick dealt with all problems big and small with Jackie Robinson. It started with spring training in the south, hotels and restaurants, and also opposing teams. The Cardinals, now one of the classiest organizations, was one of the toughest to deal with as they set out to protest their games against the Dodgers. Frick accepted the entrance of Robinson and other black players to follow. He would then go on to warn organizations of possible suspensions for those who chose to dispute.

“I  cannot but feel that the one man, above all others, who deserves the eternal thanks of his own race, and all thinking people, for bringing about baseball’s greatest reform, is Jackie Robinson himself…Certainly baseball people should be eternally grateful for the contribution he made to his own people, and to the game.” – Ford Frick

Brooklyn would bring up Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe the next year, both competitors and gentleman. Robinson was no longer a one man crusade, although he paved the way for other greats to come.

Happy Chandler would retire from being Major League Baseball’s commissioner in 1951, giving the reigns to Ford Frick who has been in the game since the early 1920’s as a journalist following the Sultan of Swat. The 50’s was all about the expansion west. There were meetings with the Pacific Coast League about turning the PCL into a third circuit and compete against the American and National Leagues which only went as far west as Chicago. This was immediately discouraged, however San Francisco and Los Angeles pledged ready to take on a major league team. The plan was to advance individual cities to major league status, expanding the geographic of the baseball, but keeping eight teams to each league. The Braves were the first to go in 1953, taking off for Milwaukee. Although Boston fans were bitter, they still had their Red Sox.  The following year the American League had two changes. The Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City while the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore. The major leagues expanded from 10 to 13 cities. Things then got dicey in 1957 with two New York teams traveling across the country. The Dodgers went to Los Angeles and the Giants took to San Francisco. Fans were appalled and in uproar over this massive change. New York had become a one-club city.

Immediately after, the major leagues would expand to 10 teams each. New York, Houston, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis were selected. A territory rule would be stepped on with two teams playing in New York and two in Los Angeles. A long meeting with league leaders in St. Louis and with Frick as commissioner went back and forth until Mr. Ben Fiery of the American League proposed that no city could be shared between clubs if the city population is less than 4 million. After agreement, Yankees and Mets would share the Polo Grounds until Shea Stadium was built, and the Angels would temporarily use Wrigley Field in Los Angeles.

“Baseball has always been slow to accept change. Only through dire pressure can any radical change be accomplished. The move of the Giants and Dodgers from New York to California brought that pressure in abundance.” – Ford Frick

The last major historic event that took place while Frick was involved with baseball was the homerun race to catch Ruth’s 60 by Roger Maris during the same year of the expansion of two more teams in each league in 1961. Along with the expansion of the leagues was the extension of the season from 154 games to 162. On the 154^th game of the season for the Yankees, Maris had 59 home runs. It wasn’t until September 26^th when Maris his number 60 to tie Babe Ruth’s record. On October 1^st, the last day of the season, Maris hit home run number 61 to break the record, but in 162 games. Frick would separate the two records, not giving full credit to Maris for having the new record. Some say it was because Frick was such a fan and good friend of Ruth’s he would have none of it. Players such as Roger Hornsby backed Frick comparing Ruth’s .356 average in 1927 and Maris’ .269 average in 1961. Either way, Frick did what he thought was right for the game.

“The commissioner is in a tough spot…He cannot flaunt national law. His decisions must be tempered to fit the times. He cannot roll in the mud of a labor argument one moment, and next moment don a clean shirt and assume authority as final judge and arbiter. As commanding general his job is to develop strategy to win the war, not to man the skirmish lines or lead a scouting patrol…The fact is the commissioner is a hardworking executive trying as best he can to weld scores of individual enterprises into a national institution for the purpose of providing honest competitive entertainment for a sports-minded public.” – Ford Frick

Ford Frick is the only commissioner to be built from within. He is a prominent figure in baseball history as he’s been at the forefront from radio beginnings to Astroturf.  The integrity of the game was held strong during his time in office as he paid tribute and respect to the past, but also was a pioneer in the movement and expansion of the game. No one else was as heavily involved in the revolution of baseball as Ford Frick. He was also a fan of the game, its players, and its followers.

Frick’s Players List

Happiest Player: Ernie Banks – His “nice day for a game” is a personal trademark

Most Aggressive Player: Ty Cobb – His every move was a challenge

Player with Greatest Fan Appeal: Babe Ruth – Undoubtedly

Greatest Pitching Performance: Don Larsen’s Perfect Game – vs Dodgers on October 8, 1956

Best World Series Performance: Brooks Robinson – Greatest individual exhibition I ever witnessed

Greatest World Series Thrill: Bill Mazeroski – 9^th inning home run in 1960 game 7 World Series

Favorite “Bad Boy”: Frankie Frisch – I fined him and suspended him the most

*Credit for quotes: Frick, F. (1973). Games, astrisks, and people; memoirs of a lucky fan. New York, NY: Crown Publishers Inc.

The Last Home Game...

A Wednesday afternoon that had weather in the mid 70's with partial clouds and a light breeze is a great excuse to be outside at a ballgame. With Weaver on the mound, and a spring training like attendance, it felt like a scrimmage that still meant something. Our cheap seats in section 426 became field level after telling the attendant that I just wanted to see my old seats where we had season tickets for 15 years. You can see my seats in this picture as they were on the opposite side of the stadium in section 113. It was a great white lie to sit up front one last time in 2013. As I looked out to the field, I saw no Trout, no Pujols, no Bourjos, no Kendrick, and Callaspo in a green uniform. Instead I saw Shuck, Cowgill, Calhoun, Green, and Romine. The only two constant Angels I saw were Weaver and Aybar. This reminded me of the teams Scioscia was successful with. Guys who were scraps in the system who played for eachother. Stealing bases, hitting behind guys, bunting, and beating out grounders.

After a solid first by Weav, Shuck led off the bottom of the 1st. I glanced at the scoreboard to see that his average was .291. A guy in his first full season in the bigs no taller than me was getting a chance because of an injured Borjous and in injured Pujols. Trumbo who is not a natural outfielder made the move back to first, moving Trout to center and giving Shuck the chance of a lifetime. He stepped up and produced all season, additionally making the catch of the year going over the wall next to the foul pole in left.

Aybar came up next and I started to think of how long Aybar has been with the Angels and I still think is one of the most underrated short stops, if not hidden gems in baseball. Bunts for hits, plays stellar defense, doesn't strike out, great arm, great feet, hits behind runners, etc. Hitting from the left side, his first two at-bats he took fastballs down the middle with the smooth approach of staying on the ball and hitting line drives to left center for knocks. As they say, "like poetry in motion" how easy he made it look. These two hits put Aybar in 2nd place in baseball this year with 47 multi-hit games. I hope they sign him to a 5-year deal when his contract is up.

Weaver continued to dominate. A natural fly ball pitcher who can hit his spots, deceive hitters, and change speeds would get mad at himself at every walk or hit he gave up. A true sign of a competitor even with the season basically over and the stands empty. As a big Weaver fan being a Long Beach State alum, I start thinking about the type of person he is. Simple, quiet, and friendly, Weaver draws the initials of the late Nick Adenhart in the back of the mound before he takes the rubber every inning. He has also named his newborn son Aden after him as a tribute. Additionally, Weaver being one of the top 5 pitchers in the AL took a pay cut to stay an Angel and so management could spend money elsewhere to help the team. His agent Scott Boras didn't even show up to his giant press conference in front of the home plate entrance. What a guy.

The three runs the Angels got came from moving runners over, stealing bases and putting pressure on the defense. Both innings the Angels scored in (4th & 5th) the A's had to play with the infield in. After Aybar stole 2nd, Calhoun worked a 3-2 count with 0 outs and pulled a grounder to second to put Aybar at third. Romine and Cowgill both had sacs. We all know Scioscia loves the "contact play" and it worked one out of the two times. Aybar's third hit of the game was a grounder up the middle for an RBI and the game clincher. Strategic offense and shut down pitching was baseball at its best and it was a great last game to watch live. 

My last thoughts were about the A's and how they consistantly make the playoffs with no All-Star names on their roster. But their guys just play baseball the right way. Hitters are patient, pitchers throw strikes, and each player brings a certain skill set to the team. Their lineup featured no one hitting over 300, but yet mostly guys in the .240s -.260s. Again, each guy played a roll. Reddick is a power bat who plays all out defense; a combo that is hard to find. With a runner on first and two outs Shuck hit one past the first baseman and tried to stretch it into a double. Reddick fired one in on the money to bang Shuck out and end a potential threat. Callaspo who was picked up from the Angels made a diving stop down the 3rd baseline with Hamilton on 2nd and threw out a runner to end another threat. This may not have the stars to bring in 40,000 people to see, but they play the game hard and buy into the team strategy.

As we conclude the 2013 season and wonder if Scioscia or Dipoto will be sent off, we also learn about the window of opportunity for Arte Moreno to take the team elsewhere, and the future of Mike Trout when he becomes a free agent in 2017. A lot of questions linger in the future. Will Pujols ever be healthy? Will Hamilton and Trumbo learn to layoff pitches outside the zone? The questions have never been bigger for the Angels because of the star power and expectations. It should make for a very interesting offseason.

Toss in the towel for 2013

At 12 games under .500 and 15 games back of the AL West, it's fair to say that the Angels will not be playing into October. The Halos didn't get off on the right foot in April and have trailed ever since, battling Seattle for third place in the division. For the last few years now it has been a fight between Oakland and Texas and it just goes to show you, you can't buy wins. You will hear people use the "injury" excuse, which is reasonable. Weaver, Vargas, and Hanson have all been on the DL for periods of time. Pujols and Bourjos were not healthy the entire year. Let's not forget Sean Burnett and Ryan Madson who could've potentially formed into the eight, nine spots never made it out of the gate. Injuries are a part of baseball when you play 162 games. Even with these injuries, the Angels should be more competitive. Hamilton, Trumbo, Iannetta, and Conger all hit below .240. Hamilton and Trumbo are supposed to be the four and five hitters with Pujols in the lineup. It became difficult to watch them guess and whiff pitch after pitch, game after game.

2013 POSITIVES:
TROUT: How could we not look at Mike Trout and not be proud with our chests out. Bryce Harper's Nationals are in a similar spot with the Angels, but Harper has no where near the production in the sophomore race. Harper, Machado, and Trout will all be stars for the next 15 years, but Trout will be going down as one of the greatest if he keeps putting up these numbers. A .330 average with 21 home runs, over 75 RBI's and 26 stolen bases makes him one of the most potent offensive players in the league. Let's just hope the Angels kept enough money when his arbitration years are over.

TURNING TWO: The Angels still can say they have one of the best combinations up the middle from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. Erik Aybar and Howie Kendrick are a dynamic duo defensively. Aybar can be considered as a top five defensive shortstop while Howie Kendrick continues to hit .300.

OUTFIELD ASSISTANCE: With Bourjos going down for the year and Hamilton struggling, it was a pleasure to watch JB Shuck, and most recently Kole Calhoun take advantage of the opportunity. Both players are hitting right at .290 and Shuck also has the Angels play of the year when he leaped into the left field stands to rob a home run. Collin Cowgill has also been solid in the outfield mix.


The negative is self explanatory. Besides the 3, 4, 5 hitters being unproductive in Pujols, Hamilton and Trumbo, it really comes down to pitching and defense.  There was no comfort for a fan outside of Weaver and Wilson starting a game. Joe Blanton was a complete bust. The only relief pitcher with an ERA under 3.50 was Scott Downs (1.84) and the Angels traded him away. Frieri lost his touch with an ERA close to 5. Last but not least, you have to play catch as a team. Out of 30 teams in major league baseball, the Angels finished 28th in team ERA and 28th in defensive fielding percentage. This is not a recipe for any type of winning besides earlier tee times at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach.

We should not blame this on Mike Scioscia and he should not be fired. He did not forget how to coach over the last two seasons, but does have to make an adjustment if given another chance by Arty Moreno. Strong teams these days are built from the ground up. Yes the Dodgers went out and spent a lot of money too, but they have arguably the best pitching staff in baseball. The Pirates, Cardinals, Braves, Rays, Royals, and A's all have outstanding farm systems led by pitching then have great role players in the field. Arte does have a lot of money, but you can't buy wins and happiness. The Angels have to go back to restoring their bus leagues to rebuild this team. Most of this year's positives have come from guys who have grown through the system. If only Trumbo could find a comfort with the strike zone and figuring out pitchers, this team could be built on purely themselves. Get some young arms and build it from within. The future under the halo is as unknown as ever before.

All-Star break-down

Finishing the last two weeks 5-6 including getting swept by Seattle before the All-Star break sums up the first half season by the Angels. With all the hype of Josh Hamilton and the signings to revamp the pitching staff, it has been nothing short of disappointing being 11 games back of the first place Oakland A's. It was a battle of spending in the off season between the two LA baseball teams. On paper before the season, a freeway World Series looked very possible. Both teams struggled out of the gate. The difference between the two is the Dodgers called up Yasiel Puig and turned their season around. It does help that only the Diamondback in the NL West have a record over .500, but the boys in blue have fought their way back to .500 while the Angels are still 5 games under.

Offensively Trout, Kendrick, Shuck, and Aybar have done their jobs hitting .290+ and getting on base for the big bats. Shuck is the nice surprise thus far, but I would be happily shocked if he was able to keep this up in the second half. The problem is the 3, 4, 5 hitters in Hamilton, Trumbo, and Pujols are all hitting under .250. On the contrary the Angels do score plenty of runs. They are 7th in MLB in runs scored, 6th in hits, and 4th in average. The problem is both Pujols and Hamilton are .300 career hitters. Both of them are having career lows. Chris Iannetta has been having season woes of his own hitting just .211. Look for Hank Conger to get more playing time if the Angels improve and Iannetta does not.

With a top 10 offense, the pitching has to be the problem. Joe Blanton has been front and center of the blame game, and its a fair blame when a starter is 2-12 with a 5.53 ERA. It doesn't look like Weaver will fully recover this year from his early season injury. He has still been pitching well, but not the dominant Weaver we are used to seeing. CJ Wilson has stepped up and has been pitching better and better, going 8 1/3 in his last start, only giving up two hits against the Oakland A's. Sean Burnett and Ryan Madson were supposed to be the pick ups to seal down the 7th and 8th inning. Both have been hurt the entire season. Scott Downs and Ernesto Frieri are holding it down, both with sub three ERA's.

The Angels will have to hit on all cylinders to get back in the playoff race. 10 games back in the AL West might be too steep, whereas 7.5 of the wild card has higher chances. A lot of things have to align for this season to prolong after the first week of October.

Congratulations to Mike Scioscia on his 1,200 career win as a manager. He becomes the 39th manager to do so. 23 managers who have reached this mark are in the hall of fame. Connie Mack has the most wins all time at 3,731. Mack also has the most losses and most games managed.