Dean Chance passed away

[AngelsWin.com]

Interviews from David Saltzer and Rob Goldman with Dean Chance:

 

http://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/angelswincoms-interview-with-original.html

 

http://angelswinblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/q-with-2015-los-angeles-angles-hall-of.html

[disarcina]

Am pleased that he finally was inducted into Halos HOF before he passed away -- of course the Angels first and for many years ONLY Cy Young Award Winner (back when they only gave out ONE for all of MLB) should have been inducted into Halos HOF years ago.

 

Really, Jim Fregosi first and foremost (along with Skipper Bill Rigney) and Dean Chance were the faces of the franchise during the formative years in S. California. (BTW, the Halos second Cy Young Award winner, Bartolo Colon, is having a pretty good post-season for the Mets out of the pen).

 

I am always amazed to read of players from the era that Dean Chance played -- often it's the obits -- but you read about their post baseball life and it just illustrates how much the game has changed.

Chance's obit talks about him working as a carnival barker and as sort of a small time boxing promoter (not too far off from being a carnival barker) and the various things he did.

 

A player of Chance's caliber today (two 20 win seasons, Cy Young Award winner, about 150 career wins) would be set for life -- heck middle relievers with a career spanning five years probably makes more in one year (even counting for inflation) than Dean Chance made in his whole career.

 

Dean Chance a big part of that miracle early year run with  Bill Rigney and the expansion Angels and then that incredible 1964 season.  RIP.