It’s a “where were you when” story, so I’ll tell you where I was: I was living in the Bay Area at the time, so I caught the LA Angels primarily when they played the Oakland A’s. Living the hectic schedule of working retail, I was excited to see I could catch an early Angels game, as the Athletics were down in Anaheim. The 2008 Angels had won 100 games, but fell to Boston in four games in the ALDS. The 2009 edition, though, seemed primed to build on that year.
One of those reasons was on the mound that night.