June 23, 1974 at Arlington Stadium in Texas the California Angels beat the Texas Rangers 10-2. Andy Hassler pitched 7 1/3 innings allowing 1 run on 3 hits for his first win of the season. Leroy Stanton was 4-5 with 3 RBI and a home run and Frank Robinson went 2-5 with 3 RBI and added a home run in the game, his 10th of the season. After 17 years in the majors Robinson was traded to the Angels with Bill Singer, Mike Strahler, Billy Grabarkewitz and Bobby Valentine from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andy Messersmith and Ken McMullen. In 1973 at the age of 38, Robinson would still hit 30 home runs and have 97 RBI while with the Angels and in 1974 would make his last of 14 All-Star game appearances in an Angel uniform.
*Programming note: Due to technical difficulties we were unable to post the previous ‘This Day in Angels Baseball’ features the past few days. Below are the ones which were to be posted on those missed days.
June 22, 1966 at Anaheim Stadium the California Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 4-1. Dean Chance went the distance in the game, allowing 1 run on 6 hits, with 5 strike outs. Jose Cardenal and Bobby Knoop would each hit a home run in the game to lead the Angels scoring. It was Knoop’s 11th home run of the season to date. Knoop was selected by the Angels at the end of 1963 in the Rule 5 major league draft and would become the Angels regular second baseman from 1964 until May of 1969 when he was sent to the Chicago White Sox in the Sandy Alomar trade. 1966 would be Knoop’s best year with the Angels posting career-highs of 17 home runs, 72 RBI, 54 runs and 11 triples (led the American league that year). In 1966 he also set an American League record with 6 double plays in a game. Knoop would win gold gloves with the Angels from 1966-1968 and teamed with shortstop Jim Fregosi, they were one of the top double play combinations in baseball, both joining a select group as second base/shortstop to win the award in the same year on the same team in 1967. Knoop would return to the Angels in different coaching capacities from 1979-1996.
June 21, 2008 the Angels beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 at Citizens Bank Park. Vlad Guerrero would homer twice and drive in 2 and Erick Aybar would also hit a home run and have 2 RBI’s. Joe Saunders pitched 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits for his 11th win of the year and Frankie Rodriguez would record his 29th save during the Angels club record 100 win season. Saunders was the Angels first-round (12th overall) pick in the 2002 draft and made his major league debut in 2005. In 2008 after Angels pitchers John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar were injured, Saunders would assume a full time role and have his best year going 17-7 with a 3.41 ERA. Both Saunders and Ervin Santana would start off 2008 with 5-0 records, tying Frank Tanana with 5-0 starts to a season as an Angel. On this date Saunders would become the first American League pitcher to record 11 wins and in 2008 would be an All-Star game selection.
June 20,1980 at Fenway Park in Boston the California Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 20-2. Frank Tanana pitched a complete game allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with 5 strikeouts, earning his 3rd win of the year in what would be his last season with the Angels. The Angels batters in the game would feast off Boston pitching, setting or tying club records with 26 hits, 52 total bases and 13 extra base hits. The Angels had 13 singles, 6 doubles, 1 triple and 6 home runs in the game. Carney Lansford, Rick Miller and Jason Thompson would each homer while Freddie Patek (known as the smallest player in the majors and for his speed more than his power) would hit 3 home runs, drive in 7 and have 14 of the 52 total bases himself, only 1 off Dave Winfield’s Angel club record in a game. Patek signed with the Angels as a free agent before the 1980 season and would play in a utility role before retiring after 1981.
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