Rest in Power, Garrett Anderson.

Before we get into anything else — the show opens with a tribute to Garrett Anderson, one of the most reliable, consistent, and criminally underrated Angels of all time. The guy who hit a three-run double in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series. The guy Jonathan made his son a homemade Angels jersey for. The guy you couldn't hate, could only fear. He was 53. He will be missed.

Now — sixty years of Angels history, told the way only Steve can tell it.

The Early Years

The Angels were born as an expansion team in 1961, forever destined to live in the Dodgers' shadow. They had Dean Chance winning a Cy Young in 1964. They had Bo Belinsky throwing no-hitters and dating every starlet in Hollywood. They had Alex Johnson — a Dick Allen type, proud and misunderstood — winning a batting title on the last day of the season

Nolan Ryan

Steve saw him pitch at least ten times in three years, standing behind the third base dugout before games, listening to his fastball explode into the catcher's mitt from sixty feet away. Half a dozen times he had a no-hitter going through the fourth or fifth inning. And when the Angels let him go, their general manager said he'd just replace him with two nine-and-seven pitchers. In 1987, at age 40, Nolan led the league in ERA with a 2.76 and went 8-16. Jonathan adds the cherry on top: Will Clark's first career at-bat was a home run off Nolan Ryan in the Astrodome. Deep center.

1986 — One Strike Away

The Angels were one strike away from the World Series for the very first time. Up three games to one. Home crowd. Donnie Moore on the mound. Dave Henderson at the plate. The rest is one of the most tragic sequences in baseball history — not just the home run, not just the series, but what happened to Donnie Moore afterward. He never recovered. The Angels as a franchise never fully recovered either.

2002 — The One That Got Away (For Giants Fans)

Scott Spiezio on the bus riling everyone up. Felix Rodriguez hanging a slider. The rally sticks. Garrett Anderson's three-run double in Game 7. Jonathan's reaction to all of it. Mark enjoying Jonathan's reaction. The Angels were built from within — Erstad, Salmon, Glaus, Lackey, Percival — and it worked exactly once.

Vlad Guerrero, Lyman Bostock & the Free Agent Disaster Era

Artie Moreno bought the team for $180 million. The Angels are now worth somewhere near $3 billion. And somewhere in between, he signed Josh Hamilton, Anthony Rendon, Albert Pujols, Vernon Wells, Gary Matthews Jr., and a parade of guys who were paid for one good year and delivered none.

Lyman Bostock gets his moment. A 24-year-old hitting machine who tried to give his April paycheck back because he was hitting .135. Was back up near .300 by September. Shot and killed after a game in Gary, Indiana by a man who thought he was someone else. One of the most heartbreaking stories in baseball history, and one the Angels carry with them still.

Mike Trout & Rod Carew

Steve asks whether Rod Carew could survive in today's baseball. Jonathan responds by listing his batting averages consecutively for about fifteen seasons. Then drops his career OPS — higher than Joe Morgan, Derek Jeter, Johnny Bench, Dave Parker, and Tim Raines. Rod Carew was not a singles hitter. Jonathan would like everyone to know this.

And Mike Trout — the best player of his generation, stuck on a franchise that's been out of playoff contention by July almost every year of his career. The modern Ernie Banks. Jonathan hopes he stays an Angel. It would be the better story.

Next Week

Mark does the Knicks. First round picks. The ship be sinking. PJ Brown. All of it.

🎙️ Hosts: Jonathan (Gen X) • Steve (Boomer) • Mark (Millennial)📻 New episodes every Saturday | Now also on YouTube

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