Ivan Rodriguez (.347, 27, 83) breaks his thumb when it is struck by Mo Vaughn’s bat swinging on a third strike when the American League MVP attempts to throw out a runner stealing second base. The Texas Rangers’ All-Star catcher will miss the rest of the season.
On June 25, 2000, After starting in the bottom of the first with leadoff home run, Darin Erstad ends the game in the bottom of the 11th inning with a walk-off home run, giving the Angels a 7-6 victory over Minnesota at Edison Field. Erstad homers off Mark Redman in the first and…
The Angels defeat the Tigers, 10 – 2, as Chuck Finley becomes the first pitcher in history to strike out four batters in an inning twice in his career. Finley previously fanned four Yankees in Anaheim’s game with the New Yorkers on May 12th. Both instances occurred in the 1st inning.
May 7, 1999 Former Boston Red Sox Slugger, one of the best in team history Mo Vaughn return to Boston turned into the Pedro Show as Pedro set a (then) career high 15 strikeouts – a feat he would match five more times in 1999 and three more times in 2000. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IGp1c3QgY2xpY2sgdGhlIHRhZ3MhICAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsImxpbmtfdG9fdGVybV9wYWdlIjoib24iLCJzZXBhcmF0b3IiOiIgfCAiLCJjYXRlZ29yeV90eXBlIjoicG9zdF90YWcifX0=@
1998 – The Anaheim Angels sign free agent first baseman Mo Vaughn to a six-year contract, a year longer than the Boston Red Sox were willing to give Vaughn.
Rickey Henderson finishes the campaign with a league-leading 66 stolen bases when he swipes second and third in the bottom the third inning of the A’s 4-3 victory over the Angels at Network Associates Coliseum. The 39 year-old ‘Man of Steal’ becomes the oldest player ever to lead the league in purloined bags.
Wade Boggs makes his pitching debut, throwing 16 knuckleballs and one fastball in a 12-4 loss to the Angels at Anaheim Stadium. The Yankee third baseman, a future Hall of Famer, hurls a scoreless eighth inning, giving up no hits, walking one batter, and striking out Todd Greene swinging to end the frame.
Joe Cowley walks seven batters and gives up a run, but the White Sox right-hander no-hits the Angels at Anaheim Stadium, 7-1. The 28 year-old Kentuckian will become the first pitcher in major league history never to win another game after tossing a no-hitter when he is released by the Phillies next season.
The new Los Angeles American League franchise is awarded to Gene Autry, a well-known cowboy movie star who once turned down an opportunity to play in the minor leagues, and former football player Bob Reynolds for $350,000. After spending its inaugural season at LA’s Wrigley Field and then playing the next three years at Dodger Stadium, the team will move to Anaheim, a short distance from L.A., and will be known as the California Angels (1965-1996), the Anaheim Angels (1997-2004) and then, to better market the team, will become known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2005.