@DarthPlagueisTheWise

The Angels Are the Only Team to Have Never Lost 100 Games

The Angels were founded all the way back in 1961 and have had some very bad teams over the years, but none of them have ever hit the century mark in losses. The same cannot be said about every other team in MLB. While some teams, like the Dodgers and Cardinals, haven’t lost 100 games in more than a century, with both last doing so in 1908, they did still hit that mark. The Rockies were the most recent team to lose that many for the first time, finally reaching 100 losses in 2023. Even though the Angels have always managed to win enough to keep this streak alive, it has not been easy. Just as recently as 2024, the biggest threat to the streak arose. They were able to just barely win 63 games, finishing with 99 losses. While that was a big scare, this year might be even closer. The Angels are downright terrible this year, and they are going to make this come right down to the wire. They are currently on pace to finish with over 100 losses. Even if they do end up breaking the streak this year, there are still 13 teams that were founded at the same time or after the Angels were that have already hit this dubious mark. We can only hope that the Halos can somehow avoid losing this distinction.

Angels

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Nolan Ryan, No. 4

On June 1, 1975, California Angels right-hander Nolan Ryan threw his fourth career no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles at Anaheim Stadium — tying Sandy Koufax's all-time record. Final: Angels 1, Orioles 0. Ryan was 28 years old and absurd. He struck out 9 in the no-hitter, walked 4, threw an estimated 130+ pitches. He'd already thrown two no-hitters in 1973 alone — the only pitcher to throw multiple no-hitters in a single season since the deadball era. The fourth no-no tied a record that had stood for almost a decade. Most fans assumed Ryan would eventually pass Koufax — and they were right. He'd throw three more no-hitters before he was done, ending his career with seven — a record that has not been threatened since. Ryan retired in 1993 at age 46 with 5,714 career strikeouts (still the all-time record by 839), seven no-hitters, and a wing of Cooperstown built in his name. The June 1 game in 1975 was the night he caught Sandy Koufax. By the time he was done, he was alone.

@zach

No Hits? No Chance.

Every pitcher has a shot at having their perfect day… unless they’re facing the Angels. The Angels organization hasn’t been victim to a no-hitter since September 11th, 1999, when Twins pitcher Eric Milton threw 122 pitches against a bench-filled Angels lineup, striking out 13 batters and walking two. That’s the longest active streak in MLB, and the Angels remain the only team yet to be no-hit in the 21st century.

@ChuckieHussy

The Ryan Express, No-No #1

On May 15, 1973, a 26-year-old California Angels right-hander named Nolan Ryan threw the first of his record seven career no-hitters striking out 12 Kansas City Royals on the way to a 3-0 shutout. The no-no nearly didn't survive the 8th when Royals second baseman Cookie Rojas hit a sinking liner to shallow left-center that looked like the hit that would break it up. Angels shortstop Rudy Meoli sprinted back, dove, and made an over-the-shoulder catch that he later called the best play of his career. You always need one of those to get the no-no. Ryan walked three. Nobody got past second base. Catcher Jeff Torborg caught it, his third career no-hitter as a catcher, having previously caught Sandy Koufax's perfect game in 1965. Ryan would throw six more no-hitters across the next 18 seasons, including two with Texas at age 43 and 44. SEVEN total. Sandy Koufax had four. Nobody else has more than three. May 15th was when the record began.