Highlighted Year: Dean Chance, 1962

Pitcher, Los Angeles Angels

Age:  21 (June 1)

1^st season with Angels

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 200 

Prior to 1962:

A native of Wooster, Ohio, where his family owned a farm, Chance compiled an astounding 51-1 record at Northwestern High School that included 17 no-hitters. He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles for $30,000 in 1959 and was 10-3 with a 2.94 ERA for Bluefield of the Class D Appalachian League in ’59 and followed up with a 12-9 tally with a 3.13 ERA and 145 strikeouts for Fox Cities of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (or Three I) League in 1960. Reportedly put off by his brashness, the Orioles chose not to protect Chance in the expansion draft for the 1961 season and he was picked by the new Washington Senators franchise, who promptly traded him to the equally new Angels who assigned him to Dallas-Fort Worth of the Class AAA American Association for 1961. Chance was 9-12 with a 3.66 record and earned a late-season trial with the Angels in their inaugural season. He started four games and was 0-2 with a 6.87 ERA. He stuck with the Angels in 1962.

1962 Season Summary

Appeared in 50 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 50 [11, tied with Jim Coates]

Games Started – 24

Games Finished – 16

Complete Games – 6

Wins – 14 [11, tied with Ed Rakow & Bill Stafford]

Losses – 10

PCT - .583 [18]

Saves – 8 [9, tied with Ryne Duren]

Shutouts – 2 [11, tied with fourteen others]

Innings Pitched – 206.2 [15]

Hits – 195 [16, tied with Don Mossi]

Runs – 83

Earned Runs – 68

Home Runs – 14

Bases on Balls – 66

Strikeouts – 127 [18]

ERA – 2.96 [4]

Hit Batters – 5 [14, tied with seven others]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 2 

Midseason Snapshot: 6-4, ERA - 3.81, SV – 4, SO - 40 in 78 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 9 IP) at Minnesota 9/10, (in 10 IP) vs. Detroit 9/14

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at Minnesota 9/10

Batting

PA – 75, AB – 65, R – 1, H – 4, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 3, SO – 29, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .062, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 7, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 50

Put Outs – 12

Assists – 37

Errors – 1

DP – 2

Pct. - .980

Awards & Honors:

3^rd in AL Rookie of the Year voting, tied with Bernie Allen, Min. & Dick Radatz, BosRS (1 vote – 5% share)

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In their second season, the Angels went 86-76 to finish third in the AL, 10 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees. The pitching staff led the league in shutouts (15), saves (47), fewest complete games (23), and fewest home runs allowed (118). Shifting to Dodger Stadium where they improved their home attendance to 1,144,063, the Angels started well and were alone in first place on July 4, a stay that didn’t last long although they drew much attention. Under the guidance of manager Bill Rigney and pitching coach Marv Grissom, who managed the bullpen effectively, the club remained in the first division for the remainder of the season, despite sagging in September. Chance started the season in the bullpen, making an occasional spot start, but was moved into the starting rotation in August with impressive results.

Aftermath of 1962:

1963 was tougher for both the young pitcher and the Angels. Chance posted a 13-18 record for the 70-91 club, with a 3.19 ERA and 168 strikeouts over the course of 248 innings pitched. His most effective pitches were his sinking fastball, sweeping curve, and slider, which he threw with a three-quarters delivery after turning his back to the plate during his windup. Chance had an outstanding season in 1964, leading the American League in wins with his 20-9 record, and in ERA (1.65), complete games (15), shutouts (11), and innings pitched (278.1). He received the major league Cy Young Award for his performance. Chance had a lesser but respectable season for the seventh-place Angels in 1965, going 15-10 with a 3.15 ERA. Rechristened the California Angels, the team moved into the new Anaheim Stadium in 1966 and Chance’s record dropped to 12-17 with a 3.08 ERA. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins in the offseason and had a fine performance for a contending club, leading the AL with 283.2 innings pitched and 18 complete games while compiling a 20-14 record and 2.73 ERA with 220 strikeouts. Along the way he pitched a no-hitter against Cleveland. Chance was 16-16 in 1968, with a 2.53 ERA and 234 strikeouts over the course of 292 innings pitched. It would prove to be his last effective season. A back injury before the 1969 season limited him to 20 appearances and a 5-4 tally with a 2.95 ERA. He was dealt to the Cleveland Indians after the injury-marred year and struggled to a 9-8 record with a 4.24 ERA in 1970 until being sold to the New York Mets in September where he pitched a total of two innings and had an 0-1 record. Chance was traded one more time, to the Detroit Tigers in 1971 where he compiled a 4-6 record with a 3.51 ERA in his last season. Overall in the major leagues Chance was 128-115 with a 2.92 ERA, 83 complete games, 33 shutouts, and 1534 strikeouts over 2147.1 innings. He was 74-66 with a 2.83 ERA, 48 complete games, 21 shutouts, and 857 strikeouts over 1236.2 innings with the Angels. In all, he was a two-time All-Star. Chance was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in 2015, just a few months before his death at age 74.    

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.