The Year in Review

The Angels’ season included many memorable moments. Few had anything to do with victories, however.

THE ECSTASY

* Ryan Hancock threw 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for his first major league win, singled and scored the winning run in the top of the 13th and turned a spectacular double play in the bottom of the 13th to preserve an 8-6 victory at Cleveland June 9. “Do you think the Bulls will call him up for the last two games of the NBA Finals?” Mike Aldrete asked. Said Mark Langston: “He gets his own plane now.”

* Jim Abbott ended a four-month losing streak, the Angels turned a triple play and Rex Hudler made a game-saving, diving catch in a 4-2 win at Minnesota Sept. 8.

* Mike Holtz struck out Mo Vaughn with the bases loaded to end the top of the eighth inning, and the Angels held on for a 4-3 win at Boston Aug. 18.

* Angels overcame a seven-run deficit, highlighted by a six-run seventh inning, to beat Texas, 10-7, July 15.

* Dennis Springer shut out powerful Baltimore, 13-0, in cozy Camden Yards Aug. 25.

* Gary DiSarcina hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win over Milwaukee July 25.

THE AGONY

* Chuck Finley was battered for eight runs in 2 2/3 innings and the Angels got hammered by Milwaukee, 15-9, in the season opener April 2.

* Shawn Boskie was unable to hold an eight-run lead and the Angels lost to Seattle, 11-10, April 15.

* Angels had a runner on third with no outs in the ninth inning of tie game, but heart of the order can’t bring him home, and Boston wins, 4-3, in 12 innings May 14.

* In seventh inning of 13-1 loss at Baltimore May 20, Rex Hudler and Damion Easley collided in Camden Yards tunnel between the dugout and the clubhouse, resulting in three stitches under Easley’s eye and a knot on Hudler’s forehead.

* Angels gave up 14 homers to Oakland in three games June 27-29, including eight--two shy of a major league record--in an 18-2 loss June 27.

* Oakland hammers Hancock, Brad Pennington and Abbott for 13 first-inning runs en route to a 16-8 victory July 5.

* Detroit, the worst team in baseball, swept a three-game series from the Angels July 30-Aug. 1.

* Angels take a 5-0 lead, then lose, 17-6, to New York Yankees Aug. 20

* Cleveland’s Manny Ramirez hit a three-run homer in bottom of the ninth off closer Troy Percival to give the Indians a 7-5 victory Sept. 10. It marked Percival’s second loss of the season, both to Cleveland.

STRANGE BUT TRUE

* A Percival pitch got past the catcher and went through the backstop at Cleveland’s Jacobs Field Sept. 10.

* Umpire Larry Barnett had two on-field collisions with Angels going for popups--first baseman J.T. Snow June 12 in Kansas City and third baseman Jack Howell Aug. 8 in Anaheim--and took a potential RBI double away from Howell in Cleveland Sept. 10 when Howell’s grounder past first base caromed off Barnett’s shin and to first baseman Julio Franco, who grabbed the ball and stepped on the bag.

* Bullpen catcher Mick Billmeyer hit a two-run home run against the Montreal Expos in the Hall of Fame game at Cooperstown, N.Y.

* Owner Jackie Autry was so excited during an early-season victory she was seen dancing to the Village People’s “YMCA” in her private box.

* Grimsley took out the frustration of a May 15 loss to Boston on his head . . . by shaving all his hair off.

* On a clear, brisk Chicago evening--and one on which the Bulls were playing across town in the NBA Finals--the White Sox postponed a game against the Angels five hours before it was supposed to start, supposedly because of inclement weather. Two days later, the Angels and White Sox played in rainy, frigid conditions. “It was a total farce,” Langston said.

* Relievers rubbed slugging first basemen the wrong way. Chicago’s Frank Thomas took exception to Percival’s fist-pumping after a strikeout (left), and Boston’s Mo Vaughn didn’t care for James’ exuberance after a strikeout. Said Percival: “Everyone’s world revolves around Frank Thomas. . . . Last I looked, we did the Pledge of Allegiance, not the Pledge to Frank Thomas.”

* Yankee infielder Mariano Duncan actually had the gall to rip Percival, he of the 97-mph fastball, for pitching inside. “It’s a man’s game,” Percival said. “If they’re gonna play like a bunch of crying babies, they can expect that.” Said Duncan: “He’s . . . goofy.”