My Baseball Dream (Game Two - Angels vs Brewers)

My Baseball Dream
by Ray Bergman

Game 2 - Angels vs Brewers at Anaheim Stadium

July 28, 1996

It's about 450 miles straight down Interstate 5 from San Francisco. This is the route that runs from Canada to Mexico, drawing a line up and down the west coast, almost arrow straight, The road is a joy to travel and requires almost no concentration on my part so that I can let my thoughts wander to Anaheim, Southern California, baseball and my mission.

The Califorina Angels were one of the earliest expansion teams in Major League Baseball (hereafter to be refered to as MLB), becoming a major league franchise in 1961. The other was the "new" Washington Senators. The new refers to the second time that Washington D.C. had an American league franchise. This was MLB's first attempt at expansion since the turn of the century. This expansion increased the American league from eight to ten teams. The following year the National league added two teams of there own, The New York Mets and the Houston Colt 45's.

End of July early August, what a great time for baseball. Several teams in both the American and National leagues are still in the fight, be it for the pennant or a wild card birth. Many trades were pulled off in this the year of the juiced ball! One of the biggest (no pun intended) was the Yankees getting Cecil Fielder from Detroit for some Minor leaguer's as the July 31st midnight deadline closed in.

There was another major baseball announcement today. I'll give the details on that story in my game three article.

Now its time to PLAY BALL!

This game begins under sunny skies and the temperature in the 90's, unlike San Francisco where it was a frigid winters evening in July. The game was won by the Brewers in thirteen innings. Each team hit two home runs. The most dramatic, a pinch hit homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 3-3 by Jim Edmonds of the Angels and to send it into extra innings.

Notes:

Starting pitchers: for the Angels Mark Langston and for the Brewers Scott Karl.
Attendance was 25,539 and the game was played in a snappy 4 hours and 29 minutes.
Special event of the day was a large beach towel givaway by the Angels Angelett's moved through the crowd throughout the game spraying cool water on the fans with large water bottles with fans attached. The giveaway towels came in handy.
My cousin joined me for this game and we sat on the third base side about thirty rows up and just behind home plate. We had a great view, thanks to the Angels and their generosity.
One other note. The game was played on real grass and in the afternoon the way baseball should be played.

Until next time and game 3, keep dreaming and the homers will come.

To Game Three
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