Frank Tanana

We recently asked you to list your choices for the 10 greatest Angels of all time. We received 993 ballots. Each weekday at 11 a.m. PDT, a new person will be listed as we count down all 10. Remember, any Angel was eligible, including managers, owners, announcers, etc. Points were assigned based on where you listed the person on the ballot. Your first choice received 12 points, second choice 10, third place eight, all the way down to one point for 10th place. So without further ado, here is No. 10: No. 10: Frank Tanana (22 first-place votes, 2,305 points)

We recently asked you to list your choices for the 10 greatest Angels of all time. We received 993 ballots. Each weekday at 11 a.m. PDT, a new person will be listed as we count down all 10. Remember, any Angel was eligible, including managers, owners, announcers, etc. Points were assigned based on where you listed the person on the ballot. Your first choice received 12 points, second choice 10, third place eight, all the way down to one point for 10th place. So without further ado, here is No. 10: No. 10: Frank Tanana (22 first-place votes, 2,305 points)

It has been 15 years since Frank Tanana's fastball could keep up with Sunday morning freeway traffic, but somehow he remains upwardly mobile. While the rest of the New York Mets are facing some dog days, Tanana figures to be throwing curveballs for a pennant contender. Last Saturday, he improved his stock when he held San Francisco without a hit until Barry Bonds homered with two out in the seventh inning. It was the closest Tanana has come to a no-hitter in 20 major league seasons.

Jered Weaver is feeling a little invincible these days, which is understandable when you're pitching as well as he is and you just dominated the Seattle Mariners, a team that would struggle to score runs in the Pacific Coast League. Maybe that's why the Angels' ace, after Vernon Wells' 10th-inning single gave his team a 1-0 walk-off win over the Mariners on Friday night, said he plans to go through with an appeal of a six-game suspension for throwing at the head of Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila last Sunday.

The milestone didn't register. Somebody had to tell Chuck Finley late Monday night, "Congratulations, you're the winningest left-hander in team history." Finley had no idea, no clue that he'd just passed Frank Tanana with his 103rd victory as an Angel. Next: Mike Witt, who won 109, and Nolan Ryan, the all-time leader with 138 victories as an Angel. "Nolan," Finley mused aloud after going seven innings in a 9-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Anaheim Stadium.

The Detroit Tigers exercised their $1.7-million option on left-handed pitcher Frank Tanana, who will return for his eighth season with the club.

Angels' top career pitchers. VICTORIES Name No. Nolan Ryan 138 Frank Tanana 102 Mike Witt 100 Clyde Wright 87 Dean Chance 74 Andy Messersmith 74 STRIKEOUTS Name No. Nolan Ryan 2416 Frank Tanana 1233 Mike Witt 1146 Dean Chance 857 Rudy May 844 SAVES Name No. Dave LaRoche 65 Donnie Moore 61 Bob Lee 58 Minnie Rojas 43 Ken Tatum 39 SHUTOUTS Name No. Nolan Ryan 40 Frank Tanana 24 Dean Chance 21 George Brunet 14 Geoff Zahn 13 Rudy May 12 Andy Messersmith 11 Mike Witt 10 STARTS Name No.

Pitcher Frank Tanana, a former Angel, was traded by the Texas Rangers to the Detroit Tigers for minor league pitcher Duane James Thursday. Tanana, 31, had been struggling this season with a 2-7 record and a 5.91 earned-run-average in 13 starts. He was a 15-game winner for Texas last season and has won in double figures seven times in the major leagues, including a high of 19 victories for the Angels in 1976.

Before Wednesday night's outing against the Brewers, Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said he was "looking for results and control" from Frank Tanana, whose future with the Angels is in doubt. Tanana gave up five hits and three runs in the first inning, then settled down and finished four innings of work, giving up seven hits and four earned runs. Milwaukee won, 6-3. "I was very encouraged by the last three innings," Rodgers said. "I saw some good spin (on the curve) and a good changeup.

Frank Robinson's brusque treatment of M.C. Hammer (Morning Briefing, June 15) brought back memories. As a college 18-year-old, I began a daily radio sports show. A lifetime fan of the Dodgers and Angels, imagine my excitement going onto the field to chat with Steve Garvey, Bill Singer, Frank Tanana and Angel center fielder Bobby Valentine, who upon spotting a wide-eyed rookie, took me to each of his teammates and asked them to give me some time. Frank Robinson was one. Long before a game, he sat in the dugout, eyes fixed on the field, and imperiously answered one question.

John Lackey turns 31 on Friday and the Angels' ace hopes to give himself a birthday present: a sixth playoff game between the Angels and the New York Yankees. The right-hander will start Game 5 of the American League Championship Series tonight as the Angels, in a 3-1 hole in the best-of-seven series, try to stave off elimination at Angel Stadium. Despite New York's comfortable margin in the series -- and despite having beaten Lackey and the Angels in Game 1 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium -- the Yankees hold considerable respect for the 6-foot-6 Texan.

There was the food poisoning that knocked him out for a weekend in late March, and a bout with spring-training "dead arm" that slowed him the last week of camp. Joe Saunders seemed a little wobbly entering the season, which was actually an upgrade from the rest of the Angels' rotation, three-fifths of which -- John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar -- is on the disabled list.

The milestone didn't register. Somebody had to tell Chuck Finley late Monday night, "Congratulations, you're the winningest left-hander in team history." Finley had no idea, no clue that he'd just passed Frank Tanana with his 103rd victory as an Angel. Next: Mike Witt, who won 109, and Nolan Ryan, the all-time leader with 138 victories as an Angel. "Nolan," Finley mused aloud after going seven innings in a 9-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Anaheim Stadium.

Frank Tanana poured himself a cup of coffee, put his right arm around 92-year-old Jimmie Reese, and momentarily wondered if he was going to cry. "It was fun being with Jimmie," Tanana said. "You know I'll always love you." Reese, coach with the Angels the first time Tanana was here, said: "Me too, Frank, me too." Tanana, 40, was given his unconditional release, perhaps ending his 20-year career as a starting pitcher. He will head back to Farmington Hills, Mich.

Before Wednesday night's outing against the Brewers, Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said he was "looking for results and control" from Frank Tanana, whose future with the Angels is in doubt. Tanana gave up five hits and three runs in the first inning, then settled down and finished four innings of work, giving up seven hits and four earned runs. Milwaukee won, 6-3. "I was very encouraged by the last three innings," Rodgers said. "I saw some good spin (on the curve) and a good changeup.

He has to be the best pitcher in baseball today. Maybe ever. Roger Clemens? Naw. He's got that big, bust-out fastball, a snapping curve. That's not pitching, that's shotputting. That's "Here, hit this if you can!" stuff. Dwight Gooden? Dr. K? Naw. Heat and more heat. You go up to hit on tippy-toes. You can't dig in or you may be buried there. David Cone? Naw. You're overmatched. Overpowering stuff. A pennant arm. No, the best pitcher in baseball has to be Frank Tanana. Of the New York Mets.

Eleven years ago, the challenge of properly describing the personality of 20-year-old Frank Tanana was a chore nearly equal to facing him in the batter's box. Searching for adjectives that would capture his true nature generally was a fruitless task, akin to waving at one of his 95-m.p.h. fastballs or being unmercifully humiliated by his deceptive curve. They tried in vain, few realizing there was no need to go any further than his first name to discover what he truly was about.