Well, there goes a possible number 1 pick.

This guy was the face of the Angels.  Has any other Angel been in more All Star games?  Bringing him back to coach and winning the division in 1979 are 2 of my favorite memories.

After seeing the mention of all the triples he hit, it calls to mind a moment where Fregosi hits a triple.  Then noticing that the opposing pitcher was not paying attention breaks for home.  The pitcher hurried throws the ball from the rubber which Rick Reichardt promptly placed over the left field wall.  It was one of those must-see moments that happened in the dark ages before television recorded every baseball play.

Amazing the little factoids that stick in your mind.  While Fregosi played with the Angels, he lived in the Anaheim Hills and his next door neighbor was Raquel Welch.  

I just wanted to add that this guy should be in the Hall of Fame.  Of all the shortstops who were prominent in the 60's only Luis Aparicio is in the HoF and Fregosi beats him in every meaningful way.
Playing in a decidedly pitcher's park in a pitcher's age and having injuries basically end his career at age 31, makes it easy for the east coast media to ignore him.
 

My favorite Jim Fregosi game was on June 11th, 1967.  With the Angels trailing Detroit 4-3 with one out in the last of the 9th Fregosi launched a home run over the fence in leftcenter off Fred "the Bear" Gladding.   This was the first sayonara walk-off home run I ever saw an Angel hit.  Fans celebrated as the organist played the California Angels "A-OK" official fight song.

Earlier in that game Al Kaline ended Jim McGlothlin's scoreless inning streak at 36 2/3 innings with a 4th inning solo home run.  My incomplete research indicates that McGlothlin's streak was the longest in west coast major league history at that time.

From 1963 to 1970 I saw Jim Fregosi hit 10 triples.  Fregosi is my all-time leader in that category.  The Tigers Bill Freehan surprisingly hit three triples in games I attended.  All of Fregosi triples came one to a game.  The Astros Craig Reynolds and the Giants Will Clark are the only players I have seen hit two triples in one game.  Fregosi is my  triples king.

There was a Six Day Israeli War in early June 1967.  Bracketing that war were two of the finest baseball games I went to in the Sixties.  On June 4th, 1967 I saw Roberto Clemente go 3-for-4 with 2 home runs and 4 rbi to lead the Pirates to a 4-1 victory over the Dodgers.  Bob Veale earned the victory with Roy Face getting the save.  Don Drysdale took the loss.  The following Sunday Fregosi hit his game-winning home run.

Of the eight Fregosi seasons that make the Angels Top Ten shortstop seasons I prefer the 1964 season.  Fregosi was a faster baserunner in 1964 than in 1970.  Comparatively 1970 was a higher octane offensive year.  The Angels got more bang for the buck out of Fregosi in 1964.  A run was worth more that season.

The best overall weekend I saw an Angel shortstop have was Rick Burleson on August 14-16, 1981 at Oakland.  The Rooster was all over the Mausoleum infield.  Rick made a couple spectacular deep-in-the-hole plays getting to the ball and throwing out the A's batter.  Burleson went 3-for-6 with a home run in the middle game of that series, an 8-7 loss in 13 innings.  Bobby Grich went 4-for-7 with 2 home runs in the same game.  The Angels had their best all-around middle infield in 1981.  As much as I liked Fregosi and Bobby Knoop in 1966, I would have to give the nod to Grich and Burleson in 1981.

My least favorite Jim Fregosi moment was his one out double into the left field corner in the bottom of the 9th inning to break up a Steve Barber no-hitter.  That was in the 2nd game of a twinbill on April 16th, 1967.  Barber finished with a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 Oriole victory.  Yes, when the visiting pitcher has a no-hitter going in the 9th inning I am rooting for him.  I appreciate the fact that the batter is trying to break-up the no-hitter.  He is not supposed to roll over and play dead.  I am familiar with the Elston Howard/Bill Rohr argument.  Rohr's near no-hitter in his major league debut occurred two days before Fregosi ruined Barber's no-hitter.  Fregosi did it with one out in the 9th, Howard did it with two outs in the 9th.
_______________

Here is an unofficial list of the longest consecutive scoreless inning streaks by west coast major league pitchers:

1962 Ken McBride, LA Angels, 27.2 innings
1963 Sandy Koufax, LA Dodgers, 33 innings
1967 Jim McGlothlin, LA Angels, 36.3 innings
1967 Gaylord Perry. SF Giants, 40 innings
1968 Don Drysdale, LA Dodgers, 58 innings
1988 Orel Hershiser, LA Dodgers, 59 innings

I do not know who held the west coast scoreless inning streak mark from 1958 to 1961.  Johnny Antonelli and Sam Jones each had 4 shutouts for the 1959 Giants.  It is possible that they qualify for this list.  In 1967 west coast refers to only the Angels, Dodgers, and Giants.  I researched this information at the Retrosheet website.

________________

You want the complete with double exclamation points California Angels "A-OK" song?  Here you go:

California Angels "A-OK"
(Official fight song of the California Angels)
Lyrics by Shirley and Dick Winslow
Music by Dick Winslow (ASCAP)

California Angels A OK!!
California Angels all the way!!
Hear them shout that you're the best
Clear throughout "The Golden West"
Watch `em play night and day.  Keep the crowds in the clouds.
California Angels win that game!!
California Angels win that fame!!
Ev'rybody blow your horn!  With a halo we adorn the California Angels Team.

Short or tall; large or small; Welcome any time!
Have a ball one and all, come to Anaheim!!
Cheer!!  Cheer!!  Let them know we're here!!

California Angels A OK!!
Hear them shout that you're the best
Clear throughout "The Golden West"
Watch `em play night and day.  Keep the crowds in the clouds.
California Angels win that game!!
California Angels win that fame!!
Ev'rybody blow your horn!  With a halo we adorn the California Angels Team.

(copyright 1966 Walt Disney Music Co., Burbank, Cal.)

These lyrics are at the bottom of page 40 of the June 11th, 1967 Angels Baselines scorebook/program.  

Picture Jim Fregosi disappearing among a mob of teammates at home plate as this song is playing!  Crank, you had to have been there!

As shown, Fregosi ranks in the top four or five in almost every hitting category, yet ranks EIGHTH all-time.  Hmmm.  I realize that we have to make room for pitchers, too, but the fact that Fregosi played SS seems to have been lost on the voters.

Fregosi was not only the best Angel of the 1960s, he was arguably the best SS of his era.  I'm not sure there has ever been another Angels player who could lay claim to being the team and position best for a decade.

Add in his managerial accomplishments and Fregosi is much closer to being #1 than #8.

In Spring 1970, There is a cover with Jim Fregosi and Dave Duncan (A's.)  It has the caption, "Who will unseat the Orioles?"

It seems crazy to think now that the Angels were poised to be the team with 5 straight division titles and 3 World Series.  But the article seem to think we had the best chance.  Instead we settled for a lot of disappointment in the 70's.