22 Days Until Opening Day

Opening Day, April 1, 2013 is 22 days away. There have been one hundred walk off home runs in Angels history. This is the story of #22, Darren Oliver's dad's best day as an Angel.

July 30, 1972 - Angels reliever Lloyd Allen blew a Save opportunity by letting the game get tied in the eighth inning. It was his first inning of work. He stuck around long enough, though, to get the Win. Allen pitched four innings after Andy Messersmith left with the lead, having allowed two earned runs in six innings pitched. Steve barber tossed a scoreless seventh and Allen went into his self-made extra innings of this 3-3 game against the Royals.

Bob Oliver was 0 for 4 when he came up to bat to lead off the eleventh inning. He hit a tie-breaking walk off home run for his first hit of the game. Final Score: Angels 4, Royals 3.

The Angels tried Bob Oliver at 1B in 1972 after acquiring him from Kansas City. He started 124 games there in 1972 for the Halos. In 1973 they tried him out at 3B, RF and 1B for 40+ game each. They even tried him out at the brand new baseball position of Designated Hitter. 1972 was the last season of pitchers batting regularly in the American League. Tommy McCraw would be the Angels first Designated Hitter the following April.

Oliver would produce 3.1 Offensive WAR in his two-plus seasons with the Angels, hitting 19 HR in 1972 and 18 in '73. He added 0.2 WAR for the Angels over three seasons in the form of his son, reliever Darren Oliver, who pitched out of the Angels bullpen from 2007 thru 2009.