1967 American League Pennant Race

May 14, 1967 at Comiskey Park
White Sox 4 (17-7), Angels 2 (13-16)

The White Sox made it nine in a row in the first game of their doubleheader with the Angels.  Tommy John picked up the win with a nice start.  He gave up two runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.  Bob Locker picked up the save with 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief.

For the Angels, George Brunet continued his tough start and he dropped to 1-6.  He gave up four runs on nine hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

Ken Berry brought the hot stick and he played a part in three of the White Sox four runs.  He went three for four with a double, two RBIS and a run.  Don Buford went two for three with a run and an RBI.  For the Angels, Buck Rodgers went two for three with an RBI while Don Mincher went one for one with two walks and two runs.

May 14, 1967 at Comiskey Park
White Sox 3 (18-7), Angels 1 (13-17)

The White Sox won their tenth straight and the finished up a sweep of both their doubleheader and their series against the Angels.  Gary Peters picked up the win with a really nice start.  He gave up one run on just one hit and two walks with ten strikeouts in a complete game.  For the Angels, Jim Coates dropped to 0-1 on the season and he gave up two runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts in five innings.

Tommie Agee hit a solo homerun in the win.  Peters helped out his own cause with a single and he drove in two runs.  For the Angels, the lone hit was a solo homerun by Bill Skowron.

May 13, 1967 at Comiskey Park
White Sox 1 (16-7), Angels 0 (13-15)

Jim O’Toole was simply phenomonal in a ten inning, two hit shutout for the White Sox.  He walked just one batter and he struck out eleven Angels to push the White Sox to their eighth straight win.

A great start by Nick Wilhite went to waste.  He gave up three hits and a walk with one strikeout in eight shutout innings.

Burgess drove home Williams with a sac. fly in the bottom of the tenth to win it.  No player on either side had more the one hit there were only six hits between the two teams in the ten inning game.

May 12, 1967 at Comiskey Park
White Sox 1 (15-7), Angels 0 (13-14)

Joe Horlen outdueled Jack Sanford in the White Sox seventh straight win.  Horlen threw 8 1/3 shutout innings and he picked up the win whle Sanford gave up just one unearned run in seven innings to take the loss.

The lone run of the game by the White Sox came in the fifth inning when J.C. Martin doubled home Ken Berry.  Martin was the only White Sox hitter with two hits while Don Mincher went three for four for the Angels.

May 10, 1967 at Memorial Stadium
White Sox 15, Orioles 1  (14-7)

The White Sox got plenty of offense in their sixth straight win and just about everyone was a hitting star.  Tommie Agee was one of four White Sox to go yard and he went three for five with two RBIs and two runs.  Don Buford went three for four with an RBI and two runs.

Lost in all of the offense was a really nice start by Tommy John.  He went the distance and he gave up one run on six hits with five strikeouts.

April 30, 1967 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 4, Angels 1  (7-9)

The Yankees handed the Angels their fourth straight loss in a ten inning game.  Both teams scored a run in the second and then neither team scored until Mickey Mantle hit a three run walk off homerun in the tenth inning to put the game away.

Buck Rodgers drove in the only run for the Angels and Jim Fregosi had three hits in the game.  George Brunet was awesome through nine innings but he was probably left in there an inning too long as he let two men reach base with only one out before Minnie Rojas gave up the Mantle homerun.

April 30, 1967 at Yankee Stadium

Angels 4, Yankees 2  (8-9)

The Angels finally figured out the Yankees and snapped a four game losing streak in the second game of their doubleheader.  Don Mincher had a big game at the plate for the Angels.  He went two for four with a homerun and two RBIs.  It was his fifth homerun of the season.

Rickey Clark picked up the win and he improved to 2-0.  He gave up two runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts in seven innings of work.  Bill Kelso struck out three in the final two frames and he picked up his first save of the season.

April 29, 1967 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 5, Angels 2  (7-8)

The Angels bats were completely shut down as the team lost their third straight game.  Bobby Knoop and Sanford accounted for the only two Angels hits in the game and oddly, Buck Rodgers scored both runs despite not getting a hit.

Jack Sanford was roughed up in 4 2/3 innings and he took his first loss of the season.  He gave up four runs on five hits and three walks with one strikeout.

April 28, 1967 at Yankee Stadium

Yankees 5, Angels 4  (7-7)

The Angels lost a tough on at the hands of the Yankees today.  They scored four runs in the second inning to take a 4-1 lead but the Yankees chipped away at the lead and finally tied the game in he seventh and then took the lead in the eighth.

Jim McGlothin left with the lead after five decent innings but the pen didn’t do their job.  Pete Cimino gave up two runs and then Minnie Rojas gave up the game winner to take the loss.

Don Mincher had the big hit for the Angels.  His three run homerun capped off the four run second inning.  All six Angel hits came by different players and all four runs were also scored by different players.

April 25, 1967 at Memorial Stadium

Orioles 2, Angels 1  (7-6)

The Angels four game winning streak came to an end when they were shut down by Orioles starter Tom Phoebus.  In all, the Angels managed only a single run on seven hits, with the lone run being an RBI single by Paul Schaal in the seventh inning.

A solid start by George Brunet went to waste.  He gave up two runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in six innings of work.  Pete Cimino was also effective out the pen with two no-hit innings.

April 23, 1967 at Cleveland Stadium

Angels 9, Indians 6  (6-5)

The Angels won the first game of their doubleheader with the Indians in a game that saw the scoring come in bunches.  The Angels took a 5-2 lead with five runs in second but then the Indians took the lead back with four in the fifth.  Then the Angels won it with three runs in the twelth inning.

Don Mincher and Tom Satriano both scored twice in the win while Len Gabrielson drove in two.  Jay Johnstone and Knoop each had two hits in the game.

Pete Cimino picked up the win with two shutout innings in the eleventh and twelth innings.  He improved to 1-1 on the season.

April 23, 1967 at Cleveland Stadium

Angels 2, IndiansJack  1  (7-5)

This game was the exact opposite of the first and the Angels came out on top in a pitchers duel for their fourth straight win.  Jorge Rubio gave up the run and he left in the sixth while Minnie Rojas got the win with two shutout innings.  Jack Sanford picked up his first save with a perfect ninth.

Johnstone had two hits and an RBI and that was the extent of the hitting stars in this one.  An odd note is that Indians pitcher Jack Kralick took the loss in both games of the doubleheader.

April 22, 1967 at Cleveland Stadium

Angels 11, Indians 4  (5-5)

The Angels turned on the offensive and racked up eleven runs against the Indians.  Rick Reichardt and Tom Satriano led the way for the Angels.  Reichardt went three for five with two RBIs and two runs whle Satriano went three for three with two RBIs and a run.

It’s hard to believe the Indians were actually up 4-0 in this one when you look at the final score.  Jim McGlothin gave up all four of those runs and he was bounced after only two innings.  Rickey Clark picked up the win with four shutout innings and then Pete Cimino picked up the save with three scoreless innings to close the game out.

April 21, 1967 at Cleveland Stadium

Angels 6, Indians 5  (4-5)

The Angels won an exciting game to end their three game losing streak when they came back from four down to tie it, and then they came back again and won it in the ninth when the Indians took the lead again.  Jim Fregosi provided the heroics in the ninth when, down by a run, he hit a two run shot to give the Angels their first lead of the game.

Pete Schaal also homered for the Angels and Jose Cardenal drove in two runs.  Jack Sanford was bounced after four innings and it was Bill Kelso who picked up the win despite giving up the go ahead run in the bottom of the eighth.  Lew Burdette picked up the save with a perfect ninth inning.

April 20, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4 (5-3), Angels 3 (3-5)

The Tigers made it two straight wins at home in a come from behind win over the Angels.  Down 3-2, the Tigers scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead. Gates Brown scored on a wild pitch and Jim Northrup scored on Jay Johnstone’s error.

The Angels scored all three of their runs on homeruns.  Jimmie Hall hit his second homerun in as many days and he drove in two in the fourth inning.  Then Tom Satriano hit a solo shot in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie.

Bill Freehan hit homerun number two and Al Kaline continued his hot hitting with his fourth homerun of the season.  Joe Sparma pitched seven solid innings but it was Fred Gladding who picked up the win with two shutout relief innings.  George Brunet took the loss for the Angels.  He gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.

April 18, 1967 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4 (4-3), Angels 1 (3-4)

Earl Wilson pitched the Tigers to a win in their home opener.  Wilson gave up only a single run on seven hits and four walks with six strikeouts in his first win of the season.  Marcelino Lopez threw better then he did in his previous game against the Tigers, but it wasn’t good enough and he dropped to 0-2.  He gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in six innings.

Bill Freehan had a big day at the plate.  He went two for four with a double and two RBis.  Al Kaline hit a solo shot, his third homerun of the season.  The Angels scored their only run on Jimmie Hall’s solo shot in the second inning.

April 16, 1967 at Anaheim Stadium

Angels 5, Orioles 4  (3-2)

The Angels had a huge come from behind victory in their first game of a double header with the Orioles.  Down 4-0, the Angels scored two runs in the eighth and then two in the ninth to tie the game up then Jim Fregosi singled home Don Wallace in the bottom of the tenth to win it.

The Angels did most of their damage on homeruns.  Paul Schaal hit a two run shot in the eighth and then Jose Cardenal and Don Mincher hit solo shots in the ninth.  It was Mincher’s third homerun already.  Fregosi finished the game with the hits.

George Brunet didn’t have a great game but he pitched well enough to keep the Angels in it.  He gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts in eight innings of work.  Lew Burdette picked up the win when he held the Orioles scoreless in the ninth and tenth innings.

April 16, 1967 at Anaheim Stadium

Orioles 3, Angels 0  (3-3)

The Angels were held to a single hit as they were completely shut down in game two of their doubleheader with the Orioles.  That lone hit was a ninth inning, one out double by Jim Fregosi that broke up Steve Barber’s no hitter.

A solid start by Jorge Rubio went to waste.  He gave up two runs on six hits and three walks with two strikeouts in six innings of work.

April 15, 1967 at Anaheim Stadium

Indians 4, Angels 1  (2-2)

Jim McGlothin was cruising and had a shut out through eight innings before he gave up the tying run in the ninth inning.  Then in the top of the tenth, Pete Cimino gave up the game winner and the Angels lost a tough one despite holding the opposition to no runs through the first eight innings.

Rick Reichardt had three hits and a run in the loss.  Jose Cardenal had the only RBI of the game for the Angels with his sac. fly.

April 14, 1967 at Anaheim Stadium

Angels 10, Indians 1  (2-1)

The Indians really took it to Luis Tiant in this blowout win ovet the Indians.  The Angels scored three in the first, two in the fourth and two in the fifth to give Jack Sanford plenty to work with.  Don Mincher hit his second homerun of the season and he drove in three runs while Rick Reichardt homered and drove in four.  Jim Fregosi also had a really good game with three hits and three runs.

Sanford cruised to an easy win and he only had to go six innings because of the comfortable lead.  He gave up a run on eight hits with three strikeouts.  Minnie Rojas pitched three perfect innings to close out the game and he struck out two to pick up the save.

April 12, 1967 at Angels Stadium
Tigers 6 (1-1), Angels 3 (1-1)

Mickey Lolich pitched the Tigers to their first victory of the 1967 season.  Lolich went the distance and gave up only three runs on six hits and two walks with four strikouts.

The Tigers put up an early run in the first inning when Jake Wood led off the game with a double and later scored on a wild pitch.  The Tigers added another run in the third inning when Jim Northrup singled home Gates Brown to make it 2-0. 

The Tigers added two more runs in the fifth inning to effectively put the game away.  Gates Brown hit his second homerun in as many days to make it 3-0.  Then the Tigers loaded up the bases and Bill Freehan scored on Northrup’s ground out.

The Angels finally put some runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth off of Lolich to make it close.  Orlando McFarlane singled home Don Mincher and Bobby Knoop scored on Paul Schaal’s ground out.  In the inning, Don Wallace made his major league debut when he pinch ran for McFarlane.

The Tigers added two more runs in the seventh to give the team some insurance.  The two runs came when Freehan doubled home Al Kaline and Norm Cash.  The Angels scored one more in the seventh o Johnstone’s RBI double but the Angels never got any closer then 6-3.

Marcelino Lopez took the loss for the Angels and he lasted only two innings.  The pen didn’t fare much better as three different relievers all gave up at least a run a piece.

April 11, 1967 at Anaheim Stadium
Angels 4 (1-0), Tigers 2 (0-1)

The Tigers lost their season opener against the California Angels as Denny McLain was outdueled by George Brunet.  The Angels tagged McClain for a single run in the first inning when Rick Reichardt doubled home Jim Fregosi.  The Angels then knocked him out of the game in the fourth inning after they scored three more runs.  Two runs scored on Don Mincher’s homerun and then Bobby Knoop tripled home Jose Cardenal.

The Tigers really didn’t put up much of a fight in this one.  The Tigers were held to three hits and they didn’t get their first one until the fourth when Jim Northrup singled with two outs.  They didn’t score a run until the ninth inning.  Norm Cash drew a lead off walk and then Gates Brown hit a two run shot with two outs to make it 4-2.

Jim Price made his major league debut in the fifth inning when he came in to pinch hit for McLain.  He grounded out to third base.

Brunet threw a great game for his home crowd on opening day.  He gave up two runs on only three hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in nine innings.

The Angels might have been on the outside looking in for most of the 1967 AL pennant race but at one point late in the first half, they led the way. The team got by on some solid pitching but some less then stupendous offense. One hitter rose above the rest, and that was first baseman Don Mincher. Mincher had played for the Twins the year before and in the off season prior to the 1967 season, he was traded along with Pete Cimino and Jimmie Hall for Dean Chance and Jackie Hernandez.

Mincher led the team in just about every offensive category. He led in homeruns (25), RBIs (76), runs (81), walks (69) and OPS (.854). His .487 slugging percentage was good for sixth in the league and his 25 homeruns was good for fifth in the league. He also played in his first of two All Star games in 1967.

Mincher was one of the driving forces in the Angels first half run. He hit .295/.397/.534 and he had 15 homeruns and 48 RBIs. As Mincher went, so did they Angels though and as the Angels faded, Mincher hit .247/.331/.430 with 10 homeruns and only 28 RBIs. Those numbers would have looked even worse had Mincher not hit three homeruns in a season ending double header with the Tigers.

Here’s a look at Mincher’s final 1967 numbers

Games 147
AB 487
Runs 81
Hits 133
Doubles 23
Triples 3
Homeruns 25
RBIs 76
Walks 69
Strikeouts 69
Stolen Bases 0
Caught Stealing 3
BA .273
OBA .367
SLG% .487
OPS .854
RC 86
RCAA 35
RCAP 21
RC/G 6.26
ISO .214