Tanana went 2-2 in his first taste of the Big Leagues in 1973, posting an ERA of 3.08 and striking out 22 batters over 26.1 innings of work.
It was just a glimpse of what the Angels fans were in for, as he’d go on to team up with Nolan Ryan to give California a nifty one-two punch, with Tanana going on to strikeout over 200 batters three years in a row between 1975 and 1977, including a league-leading 269 in 1975.
He would also lead the American League in ERA in 1977 with a 2.54 mark, along with seven shutouts, all at the age of 23, while posting a record of 15-9 with 205 strikeouts.
1978 brought more of the same, as he’d post a record of 18-12 with four shutouts over 33 starts, but his strikeouts dropped dramatically, with only 137 over 239 innings.
Turns out he developed arm problems that could have easily ended his career. However he turned into a completely different style of pitcher, and went on to pitch another 15 seasons, winning 240 games while tossing 34 shutouts through the 1993 season.
It really is amazing how he switched gears and remained an effective Major League starter, putting together a very nice 21-year Big League career where most others would have struggled to even hang on for another season or two.
