Dave Henderson

What? After 25 years of also-running, you expected the Angels to cruise into the World Series on automatic pilot? You thought they'd ease into the Fall Classic fresh and happy, 24 guys riding a parade float, waving and blowing kisses? Not this time. If they get to the Series at all, they'll have to go through Boston--the town and the team. And it won't be easy. Ask Donnie Moore. Moore is the Angels' ace relief pitcher. At least he used to be.

The campout for Angels' tickets was not for the fainthearted. Fairweather fans were well advised to stay away. If you're the type who hates waiting in any line, you were wise to avoid this one. Only the bravest Angel fans mastered the system, snatching up red-hot tickets Saturday morning to see the red-hot Anaheim Angels in their first playoff appearance in 16 long-suffering years.

It was deja Hendu, all over again. Dave Henderson has foiled the Angels so many times that it's hard to keep track of them anymore. Just replay it in your mind--the bearded center fielder at the plate, the ball over the fence, the jog. This time, Henderson took care of the Angels and spoiled his neighbor's no-hitter, too. It wasn't the first time Henderson has caused trouble for Mark Langston, a former Seattle teammate who still has a house practically next door in Bellevue, Wash.

Bert Blyleven made his 629th major league start Sunday, a day after Jim Abbott made his 21st. Sometimes you can't send a boy to do a man's job, even when the boy is one swell kid, and even when both of you earn a living playing a boy's game. Abbott is a wholesome nipper with fuzzy cheeks. Blyleven is a father of four with Van Gogh whiskers and a "U B UGLY" vanity license plate fastened to his locker. Abbott is Disney to Blyleven's Touchstone.

Dave Henderson's day at the ballpark began as usual. He dressed. He practiced. He sat. And sat. And sat. Henderson is accustomed to it. Center used to be his best position; now it's sedentary. So there he was, minding his own business Sunday at Anaheim Stadium when Red Sox starter Tony Armas hurried toward the center-field fence in pursuit of Doug DeCinces' second-inning line drive. The ball thumped against the sparsely padded fence, followed soon thereafter by Armas.

Dave Henderson followed the flight of the ball, measured the approach to the fence, calculated the angle of the leap, saw the confluence of ball, glove, man and wall . . . and felt the despair as the ball bounced off the glove and over the fence. Deja vu in Boston. Only this time, the Red Sox center fielder wasn't the one who alley-ooped the ball over the fence for a home run.

This isn't Dave Henderson, but it's close. Henderson ranks as perhaps the most infamous villain in Angel history, with his one-strike-away home run that prevented the Angels from beating the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 playoffs and advancing to the World Series. The Angels have yet to return to the playoffs, and another Boston outfielder struck a dagger into the hearts of long-suffering Angel fans Monday.

Whenever Angel Manager Gene Mauch listens, he hears the words. Wherever the Boston Red Sox look, they see them. Choke. Curse. Collapse. Ugly sounding. But labels that whichever one loses the American League playoffs this week will have to live with for another winter. Is either one meant to win? No Mauch-led team has reached the World Series in his 25 years of major league managing, the longest such streak ever. His 1964 Philadelphia Phillies blew it in the final week.

For a guy who has made it into postseason play only twice, Dave Henderson is making more than his share of impact. He has been up. He has been down. He's a regular playoff yo-yo. In 1986, when he was with the Boston Red Sox, Henderson came into Game 5 of the American League championship series against the Angels just in time to help push a Bobby Grich drive over the center-field fence.

A game is never over till the final out. --Ancient Baseball Maxim The opera's not over till the fat lady sings. --Dick Motta, basketball coach It's never over till it's over. --Yogi Berra FLASH!--ANAHEIM--The California Angels won the 1986 American League pennant Sunday taking a 5-2 lead into the ninth inning of their game with . . . (Attention editors, BUST THIS, BUST THIS!) FLASH!