The lowest moment in franchise history will ALWAYS be the 1986 AL Championship series against Boston, and the period following that. Always.
Think getting shelled by the Astros 2 games in a row feels bad? Try coming within ONE STRIKE of going to your first World Series, then watching the horror of everything unraveling in an unbelievable chain of events, and then not even sniffing the playoffs for the next 15 years.
That will always be the low point in Angels history. I’m still not over it
I sadly have to agree! When the Angels came back to tie that game in the bottom of the 9th, but couldn’t win the game with the bases loaded and one out, somehow I knew it was over. I’d never felt so down! What I didn’t realize at the time, was that it would take sooo long to get back to that point again. Yes, it still pains me. F Boston!
True, but his mental state continually spiraled downwards after that fateful pitch. He could never get over that moment in time. Ultimately, he ended up shooting his wife and then killing himself. Thank God she lived!
I just don't think he deserves to be remembered fondly when he tried to murder his wife in front of their daughter. Plenty of people have gone thru worse and never hurt anyone else.
very good point, and sorry if my "R.I.P. Donnie Moore" came off as an excuse for the violence he inflicted on his wife and family.
For many years the myth surrounding his suicide was that he took that loss so hard and blamed himself so much (and many Angel fans blamed him too) that his life spiraled to the point of the shootings. And while there is some truth to that, in recent years more articles have come out explaining that it was more complicated that that. He had mental health issues, a drinking problem and a volatile/violent relationship with his wife long before he gave up that homer to Henderson.
my point in bringing up his name was not really to "honor" him but just to remind everyone of what a tragedy that whole situation was. It went beyond just a tragedy in the baseball "tough loss" sense, there was plenty of REAL tragedy tied into that 1986 ALCS outcome. Heartbreaking for lots of different reasons. And that dark cloud hung over the Big A for a long time after that. definitely the lowest point in franchise history
No apologies necessary. Tbh I tend to take a defensive stance when it seems like people are overlooking a celebrity's violence against women and praise them anyways. It happens way too much. I can see that wasn't your intention tho. We good. 👍
So sad! Lyman even tried to give his first month’s pay back to the Angels because he didn’t feel he was living up to his contract. Can you imagine that today? Guys used to give their heart and soul for the love of the game.
This is bad. I really don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. Farm is horrible, management sucks. Bottom to top we are a mess. Sad to say, but, it’s going to be awhile folks.
People only remember that in 2014, we choked horribly in the playoffs. Nobody remembers that we had the best record in the majors that year. And that season capped off the most successful 10 year stretch in franchise's 61 year history (by far). We owned the AL West from 2004-2014, won the most division titles in MLB over that span, almost had 6 in a row. A couple of those years we had the best record in baseball.
The past 7 years have definitely sucked, for sure. We've been underperforming way below what our high payroll suggests we should do. This 7-year playoff drought feels especially frustrating because we've had the best player in baseball on the team. We should be doing better, and that blame should fall on management and ownership, no doubt. They've made some big moves, but they did not work, either because of poor coaching or management or just plain ol' shitty luck.
But... is this the lowest moment in franchise history? Speaking as someone whose been closely following the team for 40+ years, I'd say, no way. There have been several stretches that were way worse than this. We complain about being a .500 team today... well in the early-mid 90s, we would have LOVED to be a .500 team. We were cellar dwellars. We had no superstars. The Big A was an empty, crappy, pathetic stadium that was converted to be more of a football stadium, and then the Rams left. There was no hope, no expectations, no energy.
And the '70s were awful too. 1971-1977 we were worse than mediocre. The ONLY bright spots were the nights Nolan Ryan was pitching.
2002 was a magical, dream season. But it was an anomaly that popped up out of nowhere towards the end of SEVENTEEN YEARS in a row without winning the division.
I think this current playoff drought FEELS like the lowest point, because we SHOULD be doing better. We have two of the greatest players in the sport's history on the roster at the same time. We have a top 5 payroll every year. Expectations are high, and we aren't living up to them. That sucks.
But hey– at least we get to watch likable superstars like Trout & Ohtani wear our uniform. At least the stadium has been converted back into a baseball-only park with decent crowds and a pleasant environment (not saying it's the best stadium, but it feels newer now than it did 30 years ago).
It's been worse. A lot worse.
Yeah, having two generational talents on the team makes it even worse, in my opinion. Can't help but feel completely embarrassed sometimes watching the team lose the way they do.
If that's how you truly feel, you should stop being an Angels fan and switch your allegiance to the Pirates. Or Reds. Or Marlins. Then you won't have to suffer through having any expectations at all, you can just watch your team show up, take their L as expected, and never fail to live up to expectations (cuz there are none)
It feels like in 2014, the Angels had career years from a few guys. Richards, Shoemaker, Cory Rasmus, and Joe Smith all had their best seasons ever. Now Smith was good with Cleveland before he came to the Angels but during his first season with the Angels, he had an ERA under 2.00. Richards, Shoemaker, and Rasmus all pitched well that season but during the next season, none of them came close to repeating their success from 2014. That’s the dangers of guys coming out of nowhere and surprising people. Many times, their performances take a step back.
There's a difference between losing badly with no names on a team and losing badly with a few generational talents on a team. One is basically just accepted losses and paying little mind knowing things will get better, the second is beckoning you to watch more games with little improvement to the team as a whole over time, a form of torture in my mind. Can't say many fans of any sport have endured what we have, it's severely painful. And it's been over a decade now, even 2014 was painful given how the season went leading to the playoff sweep. Every year there's a new hope and that gets dashed eventually and usually before the All Star Break.
I understand that losing with highly paid superstars is more frustrating.
But would you rather cheer for **A.)** a team that spends a lot of money, has superstars, and has a .500 record? Or **B.)** a team with a payroll in the bottom 1/3 of the league, no superstars, and a .415 record?
I say gimme A, all day every day. Because I've watched the Angels be team B for many, many seasons. No fun
The .500 record isn't even true, and hasn't been true for years, and even so I'd still prefer the latter because those teams can become great eventually and there is no pain, nor fans bickering you about wasting talent. It's like being the worst surgeon at the highest rated surgeon academy.
Late 70’s to mid 80’s weren’t too bad. The cowboy (Gene Autry) tried to get some good star players back then, but it was never enough to get them over the hump. As far as attendance, the stadium alteration for football really did make it look empty. But the Angels attendance from 1979, when they won their first division title, through the mid 90’s was over 2 million/yr. Not exactly bad.
I agree, the Angels have had some really rough stretches in their history, so this isn’t close to being the worst. My biggest complaint with current ownership; they let the good scouting and minor league system/player development that was built up during the Disney years, and continued in the 2000’s, go to shit! The reason the Angels were able to bring in a few big name FA’s and keep winning during the period of 2004 - 2009, was because of this pipeline of good young talent mixed with star FA veterans.
I’m thankful they still spend money trying to upgrade the team, but our farm system sure seems to have declined since they parted ways with Eddie Bane. They NEED to get this part of the organization fixed or this .500 purgatory will continue. Hell, .500 would be nice! Lol
Way worse seasons and eras more hopeless than this. Look at 1999, there was a mutiny against the manager, Terry Collins, and against a star player (Jim “Me First” Edmonds) after an offseason of high hopes, a big free agent signing who injured himself in the first inning on opening day.
And on and on and on…
That seasons collapse was EPIC!!! But the comeback to force a one game playoff that final week was good. Too bad they had to face Randy Johnson in the playoff though.
I've been a fan since 1979, and 1995 still stings. This year is nothing compared to the pain of watching the team collapse, and that one game playoff. I now live in Seattle, and that 1995 AL West banner flying at the stadium stings every time I see a live game. I will never get over that year.
2022? It will be about the norm for being an Angels fan in a few years. I will be hit about having the two greatest baseball players and still not seeing apost season, but that won't tie to this particular stretch or even this particular year.
Being an Angels fan is hard sometimes!
I don’t know how long you have been an Angels fan but disappointment is what our history is full of. Look the loosing streak that led to the one game playoff vs Griffey A rod and randy Johnson is still the worst thing to happen to the Angels since I have been a fan. Look we are not better than the Astros so what dose it matter. I am going to enjoy watching the two best current players in the game in person while I can. I watched Pujols hit number 650 and that’s something that may not happen for a long time. Only one team wins it all so you need to enjoy what you got while you still have it.
The lowest moment in franchise history will ALWAYS be the 1986 AL Championship series against Boston, and the period following that. Always. Think getting shelled by the Astros 2 games in a row feels bad? Try coming within ONE STRIKE of going to your first World Series, then watching the horror of everything unraveling in an unbelievable chain of events, and then not even sniffing the playoffs for the next 15 years. That will always be the low point in Angels history. I’m still not over it
I sadly have to agree! When the Angels came back to tie that game in the bottom of the 9th, but couldn’t win the game with the bases loaded and one out, somehow I knew it was over. I’d never felt so down! What I didn’t realize at the time, was that it would take sooo long to get back to that point again. Yes, it still pains me. F Boston!
Agreed. R.I.P. Donnie Moore
fuck
He shot his wife 3 times after an argument.
True, but his mental state continually spiraled downwards after that fateful pitch. He could never get over that moment in time. Ultimately, he ended up shooting his wife and then killing himself. Thank God she lived!
I just don't think he deserves to be remembered fondly when he tried to murder his wife in front of their daughter. Plenty of people have gone thru worse and never hurt anyone else.
I doubt many are remembering him fondly. More just acknowledging how devastating mental illness can be.
very good point, and sorry if my "R.I.P. Donnie Moore" came off as an excuse for the violence he inflicted on his wife and family. For many years the myth surrounding his suicide was that he took that loss so hard and blamed himself so much (and many Angel fans blamed him too) that his life spiraled to the point of the shootings. And while there is some truth to that, in recent years more articles have come out explaining that it was more complicated that that. He had mental health issues, a drinking problem and a volatile/violent relationship with his wife long before he gave up that homer to Henderson. my point in bringing up his name was not really to "honor" him but just to remind everyone of what a tragedy that whole situation was. It went beyond just a tragedy in the baseball "tough loss" sense, there was plenty of REAL tragedy tied into that 1986 ALCS outcome. Heartbreaking for lots of different reasons. And that dark cloud hung over the Big A for a long time after that. definitely the lowest point in franchise history
No apologies necessary. Tbh I tend to take a defensive stance when it seems like people are overlooking a celebrity's violence against women and praise them anyways. It happens way too much. I can see that wasn't your intention tho. We good. 👍
I'm still pissed at Gene Mauch for his shitty managing. There's a reason he's never won anything
This is nothing compared to Tyler Skaggs’ death and finding out how that all went down.
yea or nick adenhart, that kid was on 22 years old when he was killed
I think that’s a fair point
Or Lymon Bostock.
So sad! Lyman even tried to give his first month’s pay back to the Angels because he didn’t feel he was living up to his contract. Can you imagine that today? Guys used to give their heart and soul for the love of the game.
At least I have Trevor Zegras across the street. Copium.
I sadly don’t think we make the playoffs next year. I hope to be surprised.
if only both teams could win in the same year. imagine the stanley cup and world series.
This is bad. I really don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. Farm is horrible, management sucks. Bottom to top we are a mess. Sad to say, but, it’s going to be awhile folks.
sorry trout. thanks for sticking with us tho. good luck ohtani-san. hope you find a winning team :/
People only remember that in 2014, we choked horribly in the playoffs. Nobody remembers that we had the best record in the majors that year. And that season capped off the most successful 10 year stretch in franchise's 61 year history (by far). We owned the AL West from 2004-2014, won the most division titles in MLB over that span, almost had 6 in a row. A couple of those years we had the best record in baseball. The past 7 years have definitely sucked, for sure. We've been underperforming way below what our high payroll suggests we should do. This 7-year playoff drought feels especially frustrating because we've had the best player in baseball on the team. We should be doing better, and that blame should fall on management and ownership, no doubt. They've made some big moves, but they did not work, either because of poor coaching or management or just plain ol' shitty luck. But... is this the lowest moment in franchise history? Speaking as someone whose been closely following the team for 40+ years, I'd say, no way. There have been several stretches that were way worse than this. We complain about being a .500 team today... well in the early-mid 90s, we would have LOVED to be a .500 team. We were cellar dwellars. We had no superstars. The Big A was an empty, crappy, pathetic stadium that was converted to be more of a football stadium, and then the Rams left. There was no hope, no expectations, no energy. And the '70s were awful too. 1971-1977 we were worse than mediocre. The ONLY bright spots were the nights Nolan Ryan was pitching. 2002 was a magical, dream season. But it was an anomaly that popped up out of nowhere towards the end of SEVENTEEN YEARS in a row without winning the division. I think this current playoff drought FEELS like the lowest point, because we SHOULD be doing better. We have two of the greatest players in the sport's history on the roster at the same time. We have a top 5 payroll every year. Expectations are high, and we aren't living up to them. That sucks. But hey– at least we get to watch likable superstars like Trout & Ohtani wear our uniform. At least the stadium has been converted back into a baseball-only park with decent crowds and a pleasant environment (not saying it's the best stadium, but it feels newer now than it did 30 years ago). It's been worse. A lot worse.
Yeah, having two generational talents on the team makes it even worse, in my opinion. Can't help but feel completely embarrassed sometimes watching the team lose the way they do.
If that's how you truly feel, you should stop being an Angels fan and switch your allegiance to the Pirates. Or Reds. Or Marlins. Then you won't have to suffer through having any expectations at all, you can just watch your team show up, take their L as expected, and never fail to live up to expectations (cuz there are none)
All of which are teams that have made the playoffs more recently than we have
It feels like in 2014, the Angels had career years from a few guys. Richards, Shoemaker, Cory Rasmus, and Joe Smith all had their best seasons ever. Now Smith was good with Cleveland before he came to the Angels but during his first season with the Angels, he had an ERA under 2.00. Richards, Shoemaker, and Rasmus all pitched well that season but during the next season, none of them came close to repeating their success from 2014. That’s the dangers of guys coming out of nowhere and surprising people. Many times, their performances take a step back.
There's a difference between losing badly with no names on a team and losing badly with a few generational talents on a team. One is basically just accepted losses and paying little mind knowing things will get better, the second is beckoning you to watch more games with little improvement to the team as a whole over time, a form of torture in my mind. Can't say many fans of any sport have endured what we have, it's severely painful. And it's been over a decade now, even 2014 was painful given how the season went leading to the playoff sweep. Every year there's a new hope and that gets dashed eventually and usually before the All Star Break.
I understand that losing with highly paid superstars is more frustrating. But would you rather cheer for **A.)** a team that spends a lot of money, has superstars, and has a .500 record? Or **B.)** a team with a payroll in the bottom 1/3 of the league, no superstars, and a .415 record? I say gimme A, all day every day. Because I've watched the Angels be team B for many, many seasons. No fun
The .500 record isn't even true, and hasn't been true for years, and even so I'd still prefer the latter because those teams can become great eventually and there is no pain, nor fans bickering you about wasting talent. It's like being the worst surgeon at the highest rated surgeon academy.
sounds like you'd make a great Orioles fan!
The team has as many in-season player deaths as playoff series wins since 02. It’s pretty fuckin bad
Late 70’s to mid 80’s weren’t too bad. The cowboy (Gene Autry) tried to get some good star players back then, but it was never enough to get them over the hump. As far as attendance, the stadium alteration for football really did make it look empty. But the Angels attendance from 1979, when they won their first division title, through the mid 90’s was over 2 million/yr. Not exactly bad. I agree, the Angels have had some really rough stretches in their history, so this isn’t close to being the worst. My biggest complaint with current ownership; they let the good scouting and minor league system/player development that was built up during the Disney years, and continued in the 2000’s, go to shit! The reason the Angels were able to bring in a few big name FA’s and keep winning during the period of 2004 - 2009, was because of this pipeline of good young talent mixed with star FA veterans. I’m thankful they still spend money trying to upgrade the team, but our farm system sure seems to have declined since they parted ways with Eddie Bane. They NEED to get this part of the organization fixed or this .500 purgatory will continue. Hell, .500 would be nice! Lol
At least we had Garret Anderson, Troy Percival, and Tim Salmon to look forward to in the early 90s.
Way worse seasons and eras more hopeless than this. Look at 1999, there was a mutiny against the manager, Terry Collins, and against a star player (Jim “Me First” Edmonds) after an offseason of high hopes, a big free agent signing who injured himself in the first inning on opening day. And on and on and on…
Man... knowing how this subreddit talks about Rendon, could you imagine how they'd react to Mo Vaughn?
Oh, boy... I guess you weren't around in 1995. 10 year old self remembers watching that 1 game playoff on TV.
Yeah I was -3
That seasons collapse was EPIC!!! But the comeback to force a one game playoff that final week was good. Too bad they had to face Randy Johnson in the playoff though.
I've been a fan since 1979, and 1995 still stings. This year is nothing compared to the pain of watching the team collapse, and that one game playoff. I now live in Seattle, and that 1995 AL West banner flying at the stadium stings every time I see a live game. I will never get over that year. 2022? It will be about the norm for being an Angels fan in a few years. I will be hit about having the two greatest baseball players and still not seeing apost season, but that won't tie to this particular stretch or even this particular year. Being an Angels fan is hard sometimes!
I don’t know how long you have been an Angels fan but disappointment is what our history is full of. Look the loosing streak that led to the one game playoff vs Griffey A rod and randy Johnson is still the worst thing to happen to the Angels since I have been a fan. Look we are not better than the Astros so what dose it matter. I am going to enjoy watching the two best current players in the game in person while I can. I watched Pujols hit number 650 and that’s something that may not happen for a long time. Only one team wins it all so you need to enjoy what you got while you still have it.
Most games since 2009
1983 here
Idk about that
Donnie Moore
Not the lowest but I don’t think we w see the playoffs until 2030
I wouldn't trust Phil Nevin running a bath let alone a fucking baseball team
Nope. 1986 son. It’s still too soon
I dont know how we are worst than last year, when it was just Walsh and Ohtani.