ALCS Game 3

So I got doubly lucky this year, and was able to score tickets to our first home game of the American League Championship Series.  Not wanting to mess with the formula that worked for game one of the AL Division Series, Jamie and I took our friends Clark and Michelle.  The Angels were already down in the series two games to none to the hated Yankmes from New Yawk, and I have to admit that I wasn't feeling confident coming in to this game.

Unlike the ALDS, we actually had a flyover for this game.  This C-130 cargo jet circled so low over the stadium that Michelle thought that terrorists were attacking.

The Angels had the right side of the '80s infield there for the first pitch - Rod Carew tossed the ball to Bobby Grich.

The Big A is still under renovation for the All-Star Game next year.  It is so very weird to look out there and see a big hole instead of a cola ad.  Unfortunately the Big Halo did not get lit after our win in game 1 of the ALDS.  I always like to take a picture of a lit Halo after an Angels victory.

Always nice to see that fans still remember and love Mr. Autry!

All right, first pitch, and Jered Weaver throws... a ball.  Meh.

Weaver gave up three runs in five innings, and left with the Angels in a 3-0 hole.  Soon after, Howie Kendrick hit a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth, and Vladdy said "Yes we can!" with a two-run blast in the sixth.  The game was tied at the seventh inning stretch when they introduced the crew of the C-130.

I really don't have enough pics of the numbers that the Angels have retired.

Once again, I was so busy watching the game (and our seats were in the nosebleeds) that I didn't get any pics of the action.  Oddly enough, I was really tempted to pull out the camera right before Vladdy's two-run shot.  We ended up going ahead in the 7th (BRILLIANT move by Mike Scioscia to pinch hit Maicer Izturis for Mike Napoli - Mighty Maicer seems like he's always clutch), but the Yankees tied it in the 8th.  I blame this partly on the video crew showing a second Rally Monkey video after we had already taken the lead.  Isn't that against the rules?

I'd like to take a moment to point out how much respect the Yankees have for Angels fans. Every time the Angels got any sort of momentum going on offense (i.e. anyone on base at all), they did everything they could to slow the game down. I cannot remember the last time I saw a pitcher throw to first four times in a row so early in the game, so thank you for that, Andy Pettitte. Joe Girardi also got in on the fun, having inserted Mo Rivera into the batting order at one point, and stopping the game to confirm with the umpire that that's what he was doing. All these delays did a good job of getting us fans to sit back down (especially when beer sales stopped an inning earlier than usual) but it didn't knock us out of the game. As usual, Angels fans were up to the occasion, and went nuts when--

--after three more scoreless innings, the Angels finally came through in the bottom of the eleventh when Jeff Mathis knocked in Howie Kendrick to make it a 2-1 series.  The folks in the condos across the parking lot were pretty happy about it.

Taking a cue from the Afternoon Angel, I made sure to congratulate a couple of Yankees fans on a great game before heading out.  After all, no matter who wins, an eleven inning game won by one run is always a good beisbol game.  It made me happy that the first two guys I said "good game" to shook my hand and took my well wishes as they were intended.  They both looked to be in their twenties.  I find it very interesting that the two older gentlemen that I said "good game" to looked at me like I had just spat on Babe Ruth's grave.

Mr. Autry was all smiles as we made our way back to the parking lot.

One great bonus was realizing that part of the renovation on the Big A is complete; they lit up the Halo!  Now instead of a single row of white light, we have a bunch of rows that can go multiple colors.

After thirteen innings Saturday night, and eleven today, I am WIPED. Rest up, Angels fans. The Halos are going to need every cheer we can muster to even this up.

Now where did I put my broom?

So I'm standing there watching the game in the 7th, and the wife's Uncle turns to me and says, "Oh well, I guess we can clinch it in tomorrow's game."

I looked at him and calmly said, "Game's not over yet."

I had no doubt in my mind that the Angels could come back from a 5-1 deficit on Sunday to beat the hated Red Sox and sweep them out of the playoffs.  Soon after, we made it 5-2.  Then Billy Wagner let two men on in the eighth, and they brought in Papelbon.

I smiled.

It seems like every time Tito Francona sends in Papelbon against us and there are men on base, we end up scoring.  True, we usually only score enough runs against the kid to lose by 1, but we seem to reach him regularly.  And I had a feeling this time would be different.

Top of the eighth.  Two on, two out.  Juan Rivera gets his first-ever hit off of Papelbon, and suddenly it's a 1 run game.  Bottom of the eight,  it becomes 6-4 Red Sox.  Okay, that's just one extra run we need.

Top of the ninth.  Casey Kotchman in at first for the Red Sox (never thought I'd ever type that).  Papelbon gets two quick outs.  I'm so focused on what the Angels are doing, I don't even realize we're one out from playing another game in Boston.

Then Aybar singles.  They let him take second.

Figgins walks.  I start to smile.

CLANG! - Abreu doubles off the wall.  6-5 Red Sox.  Men on 2nd and 3rd.

And then, AND THEN, they intentionally walk Torii to get to Vladdy.  My confident smile becomes a huge grin.  Do these Sox not remember what happened the last time Vladdy came to bat in a do-or-die moment in this stadium with bases loaded?  I sure do.  And sure enough--

--CRACK! - Vladdy singles to knock in two runs, and the Angels take their first lead of the game.  Fuentes comes in and locks down the win.

7-6 Angels.

I hope Donnie Moore can finally rest in peace after this one.

Let the Playoffs Begin!

Yes, I know five playoff games had already begun by the time the Angels' first postseason first game started, but let's face it - the playoffs don't truly begin until the Halos play their first postseason game. And what a game it was!

A game can't start any better than the wife giving Vladdy a beeg kees.

Not the best picture, but this is what we play for every year:

 And every year we play for Mr. Autry--

--and this year we also play for Nick Adenhart and his family.  I almost lost it when the Angels paid tribute to Nick in the pre-game video.

I was especially happy to see that the Angels included a clip of Jon Wilhite (the sole survivor of the accident that took the lives of Nick and his friends Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson) throwing out the first pitch on August 29.

I will never get tired of seeing an American flag this large stretched across the lawn of my favorite place in the world.

Eventually it was time for the lineups to be introduced--

 --and for John Lackey to throw out the first pitch. It was a strike.

Most of these pics were taken from our seats in the top deck, section 431.  Not very close to the action, which explains why I don't have more in-game pics, but it was a great place to get pics of the celebration after we won the game.

Nine innings of shutout ball.  John Lackey's first postseason victory since he won Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.  The first postseason shutout in Angels history.  Heck, it was the first time I've witnessed a playoff win at the Big A since the 2002 ALDS.  Here's hoping that we keep dealing more of the same.

And lo... there shall be a banner!

Finally finished the banner! Being an Anaheim native, I had to keep the Anaheim in the logo (at least for now). And since this is a blog about Angels cards, I figured it was finally time to throw some up here. As I was flipping through the binders, I decided to go with a spread of the Angels' uniforms throughout the years, including some of my favorite players, coolest cards, and a legend. So here's the lowdown on the cards in the banner:

1961 Topps #413, Eddie Yost

This was the first card to feature a player in an Angels uniform. And he looks damned happy to be wearing it!

1986 Topps #345, Donnie Moore

If you know your Angels history, you know all about Donnie Moore. I found this signed card on the eBay, and had to grab it.

2003 Topps Prime Cuts Autograph Series #PCA-DE, Darin Erstad, numbered 14/50

Topps really went crazy with the Angels inserts after we won the World Series. This is perhaps the coolest - an end-of-the-barrel chunk of Ersty's bat, and it's signed.

1980 Topps #700, Rod Carew
Although I was a Dodgers fan as a kid, Rod Carew was almost enough to make me an Angels fan as well. One of the greatest hitters, ever. And you can't go wrong with the only player to ever be name-dropped in a Beastie Boys song.

2009 Topps #5, John Lackey
I included a card from the Angels' first year, so why not include one from this year? Lackey was the winning pitcher of Game 7 of the greatest World Series to date. Big John is also the only Angel to ever appear as card #1 in the Topps Regular set (2007).

1972 Topps #595, Nolan Ryan
How this man never won a Cy Young during his Angel years is beyond me. This is probably the most expensive non-insert Angels card ever. I'll eventually have to upgrade this one, as there are chunks gouged out of the back of mine.

2001 Topps Base Hit Autographed Base card, Mike Scioscia

This may actually be the coolest card in my entire collection. The front of the card states, "Authentic game-used opening day 2000 base," and the back states that Topps went to 28 MLB ballparks plus the opener in Japan to grab bases. Which should mean that not only is this card signed by the greatest skipper in Angels' history, but the chunk of the base is from his very first game as Manager.

1969 Topps #653, "Aurelio Rodriguez"

Here's the legendary card I mentioned earlier. Not because it's the last card from the year I was born. Not even because I knew about this card even when I was a kid. No, it's because this is likely the greatest blunder Topps has ever made with a card. The guy in the picture isn't Aurelio Rodriguez. It's the Angels' bat boy, Leonard Garcia. How they managed this, I have no idea. Much worse than when they put a picture of Adam Kennedy on the David Eckstein card in 2004.

2008 Topps Highlights Autographed Relic #HAR-VG, Vladimir Guerrero, numbered 21/25

I practically squealed with glee when the Angels signed Big Daddy. His only auto/relic card as an Angel definitely belongs in the banner.

1997 Topps #254, Rex Hudler

The Wonder Dog! I was lucky enough to get Rex, the one-time Angel and current Angels broadcaster, to sign this for me at the Angels Fan Fest in '05. Thanks, Hud!

2003 Topps #721, World Series Highlights

The greatest image ever to grace a Topps baseball card. Ever.