1979 California Angels season

The 1979 California Angels season was their 19th in Major League Baseball. The Angels reached the postseason for the first time by winning the American League West Division with a record of 88–74, three games ahead of the Kansas City Royals in Jim Fregosi's first season as manager. The Angels were defeated by the Baltimore Orioles 3–1 in the 1979 American League Championship Series. Don Baylor had an outstanding season, playing in all 162 games, scoring 120 runs (tops in the American League), hitting 36 home runs and driving in 139 runs (also leading the American League) on his way to being named the American League Most Valuable Player, gaining 20 of 28 first place votes.100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Dan Connolly, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2015, ISBN 978-1-62937-041-5, p.126

Offseason December 4, 1978: Ron Jackson and Danny Goodwin were traded by the Angels to the Minnesota Twins for Dan Ford.Dan Ford at Baseball-Reference January 9, 1979: 1979 Major League Baseball draft Al Newman was drafted by the Angels in the 3rd round.Al Newman at Baseball-Reference Otis Nixon was drafted by the Angels in the 1st round (4th pick) of the secondary phase, but did not sign.Otis Nixon at Baseball-Reference January 29, 1979: Bobby Jones was released by the Angels.Bobby Jones at Baseball-Reference February 3, 1979: Ken Landreaux, Dave Engle, Paul Hartzell, and Brad Havens were traded by the Angels to the Minnesota Twins for Rod Carew.Rod Carew at Baseball-Reference March 27, 1979: Willie Davis was signed by the California Angels as a free agent.Willie Davis at Baseball-Reference

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions April 19, 1979: Curt Brown was signed as an amateur free agent by the Angels.Curt Brown at Baseball-Reference May 4, 1979: Dave Chalk was traded by the Angels to the Texas Rangers for Bert Campaneris.Bert Campaneris at Baseball-Reference July 31, 1979: Terry Humphrey was released by the Angels.Terry Humphrey at Baseball-Reference

Roster 1979 California Angels Roster Pitchers Catchers

Infielders Outfielders

Other batters Manager

Coaches

Game log

|- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 1 || April 4 || @ Mariners || 4–5 || || || || 37,748 || 0–1 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 2 || April 6 || @ Mariners || 6–14 || || || || 8,831 || 0–2 || L2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 3 || April 7 || @ Mariners || 5–4 || || || || 18,010 || 1–2 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 4 || April 8 || @ Mariners || 7–5 || || || || 9,183 || 2–2 || W2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 5 || April 10 || Twins || 1–8 || || || || 33,171 || 2–3 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 6 || April 11 || Twins || 11–2 || || || || 21,633 || 3–3 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 7 || April 12 || Twins || 7–1 || || || || 22,211 || 4–3 || W2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 8 || April 13 || @ Athletics || 10–1 || || || || 2,985 || 5–3 || W3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 9 || April 14 || @ Athletics || 9–3 || || || || 2,649 || 6–3 || W4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 10 || April 15 || @ Athletics || 8–1 || || || || 2,243 || 7–3 || W5 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 11 || April 17 || @ Twins || 6–0 || || || || 37,529 || 8–3 || W6 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 12 || April 18 || @ Twins || 11–6 || || || || 3,776 || 9–3 || W7 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 13 || April 19 || @ Twins || 6–4 || || || || 3,537 || 10–3 || W8 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 14 || April 20 || Athletics || 7–4 || || || || 27,417 || 11–3 || W9 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 15 || April 21 || Athletics || 13–1 || || || || 34,728 || 12–3 || W10 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 16 || April 22 || Athletics || 6–7 || || || || 36,130 || 12–4 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 17 || April 24 || Orioles || 2–7 || || || || 22,343 || 12–5 || L2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 18 || April 25 || Orioles || 2–5 || || || || 19,939 || 12–6 || L3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 19 || April 26 || Orioles || 2–4 || || || || 21,598 || 12–7 || L4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 20 || April 27 || Red Sox || 8–6 || || || || 29,408 || 13–7 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 21 || April 28 || Red Sox || 5–0 || || || || 41,954 || 14–7 || W2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 22 || April 29 || Red Sox || 0–2 || || || || 35,206 || 14–8 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 23 || April 30 || Yankees || 2–1 || || || || 37,180 || 15–8 || W1

|- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 24 || May 1 || Yankees || 8–12 (11) || || || || 38,858 || 15–9 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 25 || May 2 || Yankees || 1–0 || || || || 40,648 || 16–9 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bbb" | || May 4 || @ Orioles || colspan=7| Postponed (rain). Makeup: July 19 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 26 || May 5 || @ Orioles || 1–9 || || || || 20,455 || 16–10 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 27 || May 6 || @ Orioles || 0–6 || || || || 25,630 || 16–11 || L2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 28 || May 7 || @ Red Sox || 4–9 || || || || 23,319 || 16–12 || L3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 29 || May 8 || @ Red Sox || 10–2 || || || || 21,160 || 17–12 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 30 || May 9 || @ Red Sox || 8–9 || || || || 24,815 || 17–12 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 31 || May 10 || @ Red Sox || 5–3 || || || || 24,990 || 18–13 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 32 || May 11 || @ Yankees || 4–1 || || || || 37,988 || 19–13 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 33 || May 12 || @ Yankees || 5–6 || || || || 28,783 || 19–14 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 34 || May 13 || @ Yankees || 10–12 || || || || 30,083 || 19–15 || L2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 35 || May 15 || Brewers || 2–1 || || || || 21,235 || 20–15 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 36 || May 16 || Brewers || 4–3 (11) || || || || 21,533 || 21–15 || W2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 37 || May 17 || Brewers || 8–5 || || || || 22,060 || 22–15 || W3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 38 || May 18 || White Sox || 7–3 || || || || 25,598 || 23–15 || W4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 39 || May 19 || White Sox || 10–6 || || || || 41,941 || 24–15 || W5 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 40 || May 20 || White Sox || 4–0 || || || || 27,189 || 25–15 || W6 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 41 || May 22 || @ Brewers || 1–7 || || || || 9,857 || 25–16 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 42 || May 23 || @ Brewers || 0–1 || || || || 8,408 || 25–17 || L2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 43 || May 24 || @ Brewers || 6–7 || || || || 16,314 || 25–18 || L3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 44 || May 25 || @ White Sox || 1–6 || || || || 20,554 || 25–19 || L4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 45 || May 26 || @ White Sox || 8–4 || || || || 31,576 || 26–19 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 46 || May 27 || @ White Sox || 4–2 || || || || 25,025 || 27–19 || W2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 47 || May 27 || @ White Sox || 9–1 || || || || 25,025 || 28–19 || W3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 48 || May 29 || @ Mariners || 6–4 || || || || 4,068 || 29–19 || W4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 49 || May 30 || @ Mariners || 3–2 || || || || 5,206 || 30–19 || W5 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 50 || May 31 || @ Mariners || 10–12 || || || || 5,266 || 30–20 || L1

|- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 51 || June 1 || Indians || 4–7 || || || || 20,070 || 30–21 || L2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 52 || June 2 || Indians || 5–2 || || || || 41,969 || 31–21 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 53 || June 3 || Indians || 3–5 || || || || 24,409 || 31–22 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 54 || June 4 || Blue Jays || 4–2 || || || || 16,979 || 32–22 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 55 || June 5 || Blue Jays || 3–0 || || || || 18,862 || 33–22 || W2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 56 || June 6 || Blue Jays || 4–5 || || || || 18,835 || 33–23 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 57 || June 8 || Tigers || 6–4 || || || || 28,298 || 34–23 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 58 || June 9 || Tigers || 9–1 || || || || 36,499 || 35–23 || W2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 59 || June 10 || Tigers || 7–10 || || || || 30,229 || 35–24 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 60 || June 11 || @ Indians || 9–4 || || || || 10,674 || 36–24 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 61 || June 12 || @ Indians || 10–11 || || || || 9,945 || 36–25 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 62 || June 13 || @ Blue Jays || 8–9 || || || || 28,577 || 36–26 || L2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 63 || June 13 || @ Blue Jays || 10–2 || || || || 28,577 || 37–26 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 64 || June 14 || @ Blue Jays || 10–2 || || || || 15,097 || 38–26 || W2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 65 || June 15 || @ Tigers || 8–7 || || || || 41,151 || 39–26 || W3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 66 || June 16 || @ Tigers || 4–2 || || || || 39,240 || 40–26 || W4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 67 || June 17 || @ Tigers || 4–8 || || || || 32,744 || 40–27 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 68 || June 18 || Rangers || 5–0 || || || || 37,096 || 41–27 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 69 || June 19 || Rangers || 1–2 || || || || 26,553 || 41–28 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 70 || June 20 || Rangers || 5–4 || || || || 26,895 || 42–28 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 71 || June 21 || Rangers || 2–3 (11) || || || || 26,422 || 42–29 || L1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 72 || June 22 || Royals || 5–9 || || || || 30,737 || 42–30 || L2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 73 || June 23 || Royals || 4–13 || || || || 41,002 || 42–31 || L3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 74 || June 24 || Royals || 2–5 || || || || 32,210 || 42–32 || L4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 75 || June 26 || @ Rangers || 1–2 || || || || 28,695 || 42–33 || L5 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 76 || June 27 || @ Rangers || 2–4 || || || || 28,899 || 42–34 || L6 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 77 || June 28 || @ Rangers || 4–14 || || || || 29,101 || 42–35 || L7 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 78 || June 29 || @ Royals || 6–5 (11) || || || || 36,705 || 43–35 || W1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 79 || June 30 || @ Royals || 8–5 || || || || 41,451 || 44–35 || W2

|- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 80 || July 1 || @ Royals || 14–2 || || || || 32,636 || 45–35 || W3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 81 || July 2 || Athletics || 8–3 || || || || 27,639 || 46–35 || W4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 82 || July 3 || Athletics || 3–0 || || || || 22,498 || 47–35 || W5 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 83 || July 4 || Athletics || 17–6 || || || || 41,958 || 48–35 || W6 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 84 || July 5 || Athletics || 0–3 || || || || 23,793 || 48–36 || L1