On Vacation

I'll be on vacation in California until the first of July. Sorry I didn't prepare any more posts ahead of time. I hope you all wont lose interest until I get back and start posting again. Until then...

Tom

#55 Billy Consolo

Autographed Custom All-Time Angels card

William Angelo Consolo
Shortstop, Second Baseman and Third Baseman
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 5' 11", Weight: 180 lb.
Born: August 18, 1934 in Cleveland, OH
Debut: April 20, 1953 Boston Red Sox
Final Game: September 30, 1962 Kansas City Athletics
Died: March 27, 2008 in Westlake Village, CA
Years with the Angels: 1962

Purchased by the Los Angeles Angels from the Philadelphia Phillies on May 8, 1962.
Later, selected off waivers by the Kansas City Athletics from the Los Angeles Angels on June 26, 1962.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered the game in the 6th as a pinch hitter for Marlan Coughtry and singled, later scoring on Albie Pearsons sac fly. He was called out on strikes in his second at bat, and had 2 assists at third base in a 6-4 win against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, May 10, 1962 (D) at Chavez Ravine.

ANGELS RECORD:
1962
In 20 at-bats over 28 games hit .100 with 2 stolen bases. In 25 games (2 starts) committed 2 errors in 29 chances.

Autographed Custom Index Card

INTERESTING FACTS:
Billy Consolo grew up in Los Angeles, California, graduating from from Dorsey High School where he played baseball with Sparky Anderson. He was named the Los Angeles High School Baseball city player of the year in 1951 and 1952. Consolo and Anderson also played together for the Crenshaw Post 715 American Legion team, which won the American Legion Baseball national title in 1951.
In 1953 Consolo went directly to the Red Sox from high school after signing as a bonus baby. He joined the Red Sox at age 18. In addition to the Red Sox, he played for the Senators/Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, and Kansas City Athletics in his final 1962 season. After his playing days ended in 1962, Consolo returned to Los Angeles and like his father before him he became a barber at the old Statler Hilton Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

#54 Bob Botz

Autographed Custom All-Time Angels card

Robert Allen Botz
Pitcher
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 5' 11", Weight: 170 lb.
Born: April 28, 1935 in Milwaukee, WI
MLB Debut: May 8, 1962 Los Angeles Angels
Final Game: September 29, 1962 Los Angeles Angels
Years with the Angels: 1962

Traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the Los Angeles Angels for Frank Leja on May 5, 1962.
Later traded by the Los Angeles Angels to the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5, 1963 for a player to be named later. The St. Louis Cardinals sent Bob Duliba (April 8, 1963) to the Los Angeles Angels to complete the trade.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Entered the game in the 3rd for starter Eli Grba who had given up 7 runs on 5 hits and couldn't get an out in the inning. Botz then went 3 scoreless innings and struck out in his only plate appearance in an eventual 10-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, May 8, 1962 (N) at Chavez Ravine.

ANGELS RECORD:
1962
Had a 2-1 record with 2 saves and a 3.43 ERA in 63 innings as a reliever.

Autographed 1994 Big League Cards

INTERESTING FACTS:
Made his major league debut on May 8, 1962 against the Detroit Tigers, pitched three scoreless innings and struck out two batters, Bill Bruton and Al Kaline (who went 3 for 5 with a homer and 4 RBI). Earned his first save on June 20 at Kansas City, and got his first win exactly one month later in a home game vs. the Cleveland Indians.
After Botz was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for relief pitcher Bob Duliba, he never again pitched in a major league game. He spent one more season in the minors before retiring.

Autographed Custom Index card

#53 Bo Belinsky

Autographed Custom All-Time Angels card

Robert Belinsky
Pitcher
Bats: Left, Throws: Left
Height: 6' 2", Weight: 191 lb.
Born: December 7, 1936 in New York, NY
Debut: April 18, 1962 Los Angeles Angels
Final Game: May 18, 1970 Cincinatti Reds
Died: November 23, 2001 in Las Vegas, NV
Years with the Angels: 1962-1964

Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels from the Baltimore Orioles in the 1961 rule 5 draft on November 27, 1961.
Later traded by the California Angels to the Philadelphia Phillies for Rudy May and Costen Shockley on December 3, 1964.
Purchased by the California Angels from the St. Louis Cardinals on April 3, 1969.
Later purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the California Angels on July 30, 1969.

ANGELS DEBUT:
As the starting pitcher, walked the first batter faced (Dick Howser) but ended up giving up 2 runs on 5 hits with 6 Ks over 6 innings for the win in a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Athletics on Wednesday, April 18, 1962 (N) at Chavez Ravine.

ANGELS RECORD:
1962-1964
Went 21-28 with a 3.74 ERA. Had 11 complete games in 66 starts and struck out 196 batters.
No-hitter May 5, 1962.

1963 Topps

INTERESTING FACTS:
Started his rookie season with 5 straight wins, the 4th of which was a no-hitter against the Orioles on May 5, 1962. Later that same year he was on the losing end of the first no-hitter ever pitched against the Angels as Bostons Earl Wilson would throw one on June 26. He also led the league in walks in 1962 with 122. Belinsky was probably just as well known however for his free-wheeling playboy lifestyle. In 1964 he was suspended from the Angels then later traded after a hotel brawl with an LA Times sportswriter. After playing with the Phillies and Astos the Angels picked him up again in 1969 and assigned him to thier AAA affiliate Hawaii Islanders in the PCL where he went 12-5 with a 2.82 ERA, but he never made it back up to the big club. He then went on to play for the Pirates and Reds before retiring in 1970.

#52 Marlan Coughtry

Autographed Custom All-Time Angels card

James Marion Coughtry
Second Baseman and Third Baseman
Bats: Left, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 1", Weight: 170 lb.
Born: September 11, 1934 in Hollywood, CA
Debut: September 2, 1960 Boston Red Sox
Final Game: July 15, 1962 Cleveland Indians
Years with the Angels: 1962

Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels from the Boston Red Sox in the 1961 rule 5 draft on November 27, 1961.
Later traded by the Los Angeles Angels to the Kansas City Athletics for Gordie Windhorn on May 12, 1962.

ANGELS DEBUT:
Started at 2nd base and first play he made was a force at second against Harmon Killebrew. In his first at bat in the 2nd he was called out on strikes from pitcher Jack Kralick in an eventual 6-3 Angels win against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, April 15, 1962 (D) at Metropolitan Stadium.

ANGELS RECORD:
1962
In 22 at bats over 11 games he had a .182 average. In the field, he commited 3 errors in 29 chances and started 5 games.

Autographed Custom Index card

INTERESTING FACTS:
Signed by Boston in 1954 Coughtry kicked around the Red Sox minor league system until he made his debut with them in 1960, eventually playing in 15 games for them that year. In 1962 he was successively traded to the Angels, then the Athletics, and finally ending up with the Indians. He was out of baseball after being released in July of that year.