 Walsh had to rebuild the team's front office, as in the months just prior to Haney's retirement, his two top aides, Marvin Milkes and Cedric Tallis, left to take over the two American League expansion teams set to debut in 1969, the Seattle Pilots and Kansas City Royals.Walsh then faced another test after the 1969 season began, when the Angels lost 28 of their first 39 games.Walsh fired Bill Rigney, the only manager in the club's Major League history to that point, and replaced him with Lefty Phillips, who had just joined the Angel front office after a long career as a scout and pitching coach with the Dodgers.