By way of introduction, my name is John Stellman and I am a writer. For many years I was a sports writer. My specialty? Baseball. My passion? The Angels.
But let’s backtrack a bit. My first writing job out of college (University of the Pacific, Stockton, California) was in California’s Imperial Valley. I was hired as the Sport Editor of the Imperial Valley Post Press, a small daily in El Centro.
As you can imagine it was a one man operation. I laid out the section, wrote the headlines as well as most of the copy, and covered area high school sports. There was one community college (Imperial Valley College) nearby.
Going…Going…Gone!
My stay there was brief.
Three months after my arrival it was on to the Orange Daily News in Orange, California. I eventually landed at the Indio Daily News in the Coachella Valley before enlisting in the United States Naval Reserve and doing a two year stint aboard the USS Oriskany (CVA 34), which included two deployments to the Gulf Of Tonkin off the Vietnamese coast.
During my first tour I was the Administrative Assistant for the CAG 16 Air Wing Commander, James Stockdale. He was shot down over North Vietnam, and subsequently taken as a Prisoner Of War. Ironically, not only did he survive, but he became Ross Perot’s vice presidential running mate in 1992.
That second tour in 1968 was cut short by a disastrous 24-hour fire that killed 44 crew members. Strong evidence suggests that the accident occurred when those reloading the aircraft mishandled and then dropped bombs on the flight deck.
Russian trawlers quickly circled the ship. They were wasting their time. We didn’t sink.
After limping into Subic Bay, The Philippines for repairs, we headed for our home port in San Diego. And by to getting back to the states three months early, we were able to celebrate Christmas with the family.
Shortly after that, I was discharged and on my way back to Orange and then on to The Santa Ana (now The Orange County ) Register as the beat writer covering the then California Angels.
I began covering the club during the final month of the 1969 season. Ahead was the not so glorious decade of the ’70’s when the Angels managed just two winning seasons, 1970 (86-76) and 1978 (87-75).
Nolan Ryan Saved The Day
Fortunately, Nolan Ryan came along. Thank goodness for December 10, 1971. On that day the whole landscape changed.
The flame throwing 24-year old Ryan, pitcher Don Rose, catcher Francisco Estrada an outfielder Leroy Stanton were acquired by the Angels for perennial All-Star shortstop Jim Fregosi.
Just 29 years old, Fregosi had been named to the American League All Star team six times between 1964 and 1970.
But despite his impressive resume, many pundits shuck their heads and argued that it was one of the worst trades in Met history.
Fregosi would later return to manage the Angels in 1978. In fact, he guided the Halos to their first American League Western Division title in 1979 (88-74). But that, ” what have you done for me lately” cry finally caught up with the popular infielder who was fired 47 games into the 1981 season.
Meanwhile, Ryan’s career began to flourish. He was 19-16 in his debut season and followed that up with records of 21-16 and 22-16.
But in 1973 he was TOTAL DOMINATION! He hurled two of his seven no-hitters (four as an Angel), and established the major league record for strikeouts in a season with 383. It took 11 innings before the Twins Rich Reese enabled Ryan to move past Dodger Hall Of Fame inductee Sandy Koufax.
No Laughing Matter
Remarking on Ryan’s feat, Koufax joked, “Yeah, and he also surpassed my total for bases on balls in a single season by 91. I suspect half of those guys he struck out swung rather than get hit.”
He spun his first no-hitter that year on May 15 at Kansas City. but it was his effort exactly two months later in Detroit that had 41,411 stunned spectators in complete awe. He struck out 17 Tigers, a major league record for most strikeouts in a no-hitter that was equaled by Max Scherzer on October 3, 2015.
After already having whiffed twice, the Tigers cleanup hitter Norm Cash strolled to the plate with two out in the bottom of the ninth carrying the leg off a clubhouse table. When umpire Ron Luciano suggested he exchange the leg for a bat Cash asked, “Why? I won’t hit him anyway!” Cash politely obliged by grabbing a bat then immediately popped out to end the game.
Palmer Prevails
Nonetheless, Baltimore’s Jim Palmer (22-9, 2.40) captured the American League’s 1973 Cy Young Award with 14 first place votes and 88 points from the Baseball Writers Association Of America. Ryan (9, 62) was a distant second.
Over that winter however, Nolan was rewarded by becoming the Angels first $100,000 a year player.
It was September 28, 1974 that the Ryan Express, a moniker given him by Los Angeles Herald Examiner beat writer Dick Miller, treated the home folks to his magic. It was only the second major league no-hitter in Orange County and yours truly was in the unenviable position of being the game’s official scorer.
Previously, Clyde Wright no-hit Oakland, 4-0, on July 3, 1970. Bo Belinsky’s first Halo no-hitter, a 3-0 gem against Baltimore, was spun at Dodger Stadium on May 5, 1962.
Ryan’s final gem was a 1-0 masterpiece against the Orioles on June 1, 1975.
Select Company
In addition to his seven no hitters, Ryan equaled the fete of the great Bob Feller by hurling 12 one-hitters.
When it was all said and done, Ryan had amassed 5,714 strikeouts, 839 more than Randy Johnson’s second best total. Johnson (4,875), Roger Clemens (4,672) and Steve Carlton (4,130) are the only other major league pitchers to exceed 4,000 strikeouts. Ryan’s record may never be broken.
Six times in his career (five of those with the Angels) Ryan struck out more than 300 batters in a season. During his stay in Anaheim he led the league in strikeouts seven times. And only once between 1968 and 1991 did Ryan strikeout less than 125 batters.
In the winter of 1979 Houston made Ryan baseball’s first $1M man!
Deservedly Enshrined
In 1992 Ryan’s Angel jersey (30) was retired and placed on Anaheim Stadium’s Wall Of Fame. He was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1999 with the third highest percentage of votes in history (98.70). Only Ken Griffey Jr. (99.30) and Tom Seaver (98.84) were elected by a greater margin.
I left The Register before Ryan’s final season in Anaheim but am truly thankful that I was able to witness the maturation of one of the greatest career’s in major league history.
It has taken over 35 years to realize what I have truly missed. But finally, I have come full circle. I am back where I belong. In baseball. Writing about the Angels!
