The 1979 California Angels

It's time to go back to the past...to the year 1978.  The disco era was just past its peak and started its decent into becoming the joke that defined the decade as punk rock had landed in New York City and was spreading west.  The number one song in the nation on November 11th, 1978 was Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park", and "Y.M.C.A." by the Village People was still on the charts at #31 after peaking at #2 earlier in the year.  "The Deer Hunter" won the Academy award for Best Picture and Emmy awards went to "All In The Family", "The Rockford Files", and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson".

The 2009 season will mark the 30th anniversary of the first Angels team to win a division title.  In 1979, the California Angels finished 3 games ahead of the defending American League West Division champion Kansas City Royals.  Thirty years ago the California Angels had just completed their best season in franchise history finishing the 1978 season in second place in the AL West, 5 games behind the Kansas City Royals. 

Prior to the '78 season the Angels had traded RF Bobby Bonds, OF Thad Bosley, and minor league pitcher Richard Dotson to the Chicago White Sox for catcher Brian Downing, pitchers Chris Knapp, and Dave Frost.  Bonds had had a great year for the Angels in 1977, leading the team in home runs, RBI (with 40 more than the next highest amount), runs scored, hits, slugging percentage, stolen bases (tied with Jerry Remy), and walks.  Although the Angels sent their best hitter to the Sox, they received two pitchers who went a combined 19-12 with a 3.72 ERA in 1978 and Frost won 16 more games in '79.  In addition to the two pitchers, the Angels acquired Brian Downing who would go on to become one of the all-time great Angels and one of the key pieces to the '79 offense (Downing finished 14th in MVP voting in 1979).  During the off-season prior to the 1979 season, the Angels made two important trades.  In early December the Angels sent 1B Ron Jackson and DH Danny Goodwin to the Minnesota Twins for Dan Ford.  Jackson had batted .297 in 105 games for the Halos in '78, while Goodwin a former number one draft pick of the Angels had been a part-time player for them over the last couple seasons.  "Disco Dan" Ford would become another key ingredient to the success of the '79 season by hitting .290 with 21 home runs, 101 RBI, and 100 runs scored while manning rightfield.  Later that off-season, in another deal with the Twins, the Angels sent Ken Landreaux, Dave Engle, Paul Hartzell, and Brad Havens for future Hall of Famer Rod Carew.  Up to that point, Carew had been Rookie of the Year (1967), won a MVP award (1977), and had been an All-Star 12 times.

Daily Notes:

• Apparently Garret Anderson feels he can still be a full-time player in 2009, and he's surprised the Angels didn't pick up his $14M option.  Actually, I'm surprised he's surprised.  Except for re-signing him for sentimental reasons, the extra $11M the Angels would have paid him can used towards Teixeira or another player.  I still hope he comes back for another year because he definitely has value, but not at an extra $11M.  I also still think a leftfield of Rocco Baldelli / Anderson at $6M each would make sense.
• No news on Mark Teixeira.  The Angels have 5 more days to negotiate exclusively with him, after that time, players can solicit offers from other teams.  "We have an understanding of how we're going to move forward on this thing," Angels' GM Tony Reagins said. "At the appropriate time, we'll sit down with him and his people. ... That time is not now."  "We've already had meetings with the Angels because we're local," said Teixeira's agent Scott Boras, whose office is in Newport Beach. "We've had a number of conversations. I think they know where we stand and we know where they are and we're going to continue to talk."  Also, Reagins would not rule out the possibility of the Angels being in the bidding for the two most attractive players on the free agent market -- 1B Mark Teixeira and LHP CC Sabathia. "But we're going to act reasonably and responsibly," Reagins said.  Greg Genske, who represents star pitcher CC Sabathia, said Wednesday he's had discussions with the Angels.  "All things being equal, of course he'd like playing in his home state," said Brian Peters, Genske's partner at the LS Legacy Sports Group.  Sabathia grew up in Vallejo.
• Angels CF Torii Hunter was named to the 2008 AL Gold Glove Award team.  It is the eighth consecutive year Hunter has earned the honor.  Only two outfielders in baseball history have won the award more often in the American League -- Ken Griffey Jr. and Hall of Famer Al Kaline (10 times each).  Hunter is the first Angels outfielder to win a Gold Glove since Darin Erstad in 2002.  Hunter did not make an error in 354 chances during the regular season (Sports Xchange).
• Angels play-by-play announcer Rory Markas had surgery this week to remove a blood clot in his head and is recovering at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, an Angels spokesman said.  Doctors told the Angels the procedure went well.  "The doctors were optimistic and positive about it, and so is his family," Angels vice president of communications Tim Mead said.  Markas, who has been calling Angels games for seven seasons, serves as voice of the Angels on 710 ESPN and is the play-by-play man on FSN West and KCOP. He also is the play-by-play voice for USC men's basketball and a reporter for FOX 11 KTTV in Los Angeles.  Mead said he's optimistic Markas will return to work next year with the Angels.  (Press Enterprise story)