Call it fate, or coincidence, but I've been holding out *forever* for the Bot to update logos to correctly reflect the Angels of 1984 before I did this...and just as they finally updated, I happened to notice a gap in my scheduled posts that had today wide open for a post. So instead of queuing up the eventual Mike Witt post for almost a year from now, we can now enjoy it immediately!
As the 1984 season was coming to a close on September 30, both the California Angels and the hosting Texas Rangers were already eliminated from the playoffs as they met in Arlington Stadium. Between the meaninglessness of the game couple with the fact that the Dallas Cowboys were also playing that day, not a lot of people cared to show up to watch the game. Even during the game, there weren't many cares to go around. Sportswriters were busy doing a season wrap-up article or playoff preview when they looked up in the 5th or 6th inning and realized that something was up. Rangers players would also go on to say that they didn't seem to care so much in the early innings since they were looking forward to the offseason, but that just sounds like excuses.
Mike would strikeout 10 Rangers and need just 94 pitches to end his season on a high note. The game was a pitcher's duel as Ranger's starter Charlie Hough would also go the distance, but allow an unearned run to give the Angels and Witt a 1-0 victory. Witt would go on to be the ace of the Angels staff that would go on to threaten for the AL flag in future seasons. Any time Witt found himself in a slump, he'd look to the film of his perfect day to compare with to see what he was doing wrong, since perfection is always a good benchmark to look to when you're struggling.
I was willing to die on the hill of this particular Angels logo, so this is a very satisfying card to make. Witt's control makes it easy to understand how he could hold the advantage so easily over a weak Rangers team, but that chart shows how lucky he needed to be at times.
Boone was a well known defensive Catcher in his career, so it's not out of character to see that he was the man calling one of the greatest pitched games in history.
Reggie Jackson was apart of
Catfish Hunter's perfect game back in 1968, but he went 0-4 and didn't contribute. Here, he also goes 0-4 but managed to hit into a Fielder's Choice that allowed the game's lone run to score and give Witt all the offense any perfect game pitcher ever needs.
DeCinces would be the man who scored that unearned run to give the Angels their 1-0 win. He also made a slick barehanded play early in the game to keep the perfect game intact.
Hough was the unfortunate opposing pitcher on this final day of the 1984 season. On most days, pitching a Complete Game while only allowing a lonely unearned run would be an easy recipe for a victory, but as always, unless you can match perfection with perfection, then all you get is a tough luck L.
Catching a knuckleball pitcher is hard on it's own. Catching a knuckleball pitcher while you are a +2 defensive Catcher is just asking for trouble. I know that +2 is really more reflective of his arm for throwing out runners, but it's still a bad look. The fact that Scott only allowed one passed ball is a small miracle, but that one was enough for the Angels to manufacture the single run they'd need. In his defense, Hough was also credited with a wild pitch in this game. It's an interesting what-if to play, that had Scott not let that Hough pitch get by him and the Angels didn't score, how much longer would this game have gone? With the season over, there would be no reason to save Witt's arm so he'd be allowed to pitch into the extra innings like
Harvey Haddix had attempted once upon a time.
