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The Anaheim Angels' 2002 season was the franchise's 42nd, and it ended with the team's first American League pennant and World Series championship.
Contents
- Off Season
- Off Season transactions
- Spring training
- Spring training transactions
- 2002 draft
- Game log
- Regular Season Transactions
- Batting
- Other pitchers
- Postseason
- American League Division Series
- American League Championship Series
- World series
- Game Log
- Bracket
- Awards and honors
- 73rd Major League Baseball All Star Game
- Local Media
- References
The Angels finished the regular season with a record of 99-63, 4 games behind the Oakland Athletics in the American League West standings, but qualified for the franchise's first ever wild card playoff berth to return to the postseason for the first time since 1986. Outfielder Garret Anderson led the team with 123 runs batted in and a .539 slugging percentage, was selected for the AL All-Star team, and won the Silver Slugger Award. Jarrod Washburn went 18-6 with a 3.15 earned run average to anchor a pitching staff that allowed the fewest runs in the league.
In the postseason, the Angels defeated the New York Yankees 3-1 in the American League Division Series, then defeated the Minnesota Twins 4-1 in the American League Championship Series to win the AL pennant. The Angels then won the World Series in dramatic fashion when, with a 3-2 series deficit to the San Francisco Giants, they overcame a 5 run deficit in the late innings of Game 6 to force a winner-take-all Game 7, which they won to clinch the series 4-3. The morning after the win, The Orange County Register celebrated the Angels' win with the headline "7th Heaven," referring to the popular television series and fact that it took seven games for the Angels to win the World Series, and in doing so, it sent them to seventh heaven.
2002 was also notable as the season in which the Angels debuted their present-day uniforms, colors, and halo insignia, which replaced the widely ridiculed "periwinkle" uniforms and "winged" insignia they had worn since 1997. It was also the last full season the team was owned by The Walt Disney Company, which sold its controlling interest in the team to present-day owner Arte Moreno in May 2003.
Off Season
The Anaheim Angels focus in the off season leading up to the 2002 season was on how to improve the Angels from the 2001 season when they finished an incredible 41 games behind the Seattle Mariners (who won an American League record 116 games) in the AL West.
Off Season transactions
Spring training
The Anaheim Angels' 2002 Spring training was Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona and held a Spring training record of 17-15.
Spring training transactions
2002 draft
The 2002 Major League Baseball draft was held on June 4–5.
Game log
Regular Season Transactions
Batting
Note: Pos. = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Other pitchers
Relief pitchers
Postseason
With their 10-5 win over the Texas Rangers on Mon. September 26, 2002, the Angels clinched their first (and only to date as of 2015) Wildcard berth. At this time, the Angels would be in the postseason for the first time since the 1986 season.
American League Division Series
The 2002 American League Division Series featured the Wildcard winner Anaheim Angels and the AL East champion New York Yankees. The series began on October 1, 2002 with the Angels splitting the first two games at Yankee Stadium. The Angels then proceeded to win the next two games, earning their ticket to the ALCS and winning their first postseason series in franchise history.
American League Championship Series
The 2002 American League Championship Series featured the Wildcard winner Anaheim Angels and the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins. The series began on October 8, 2002 with the Angels splitting the first two games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The Angels then went home where they won three straight at Edison Field to earn a spot in the 2002 World Series. Infielder Adam Kennedy was the ALCS MVP.
World series
The 2002 World Series was the 98th edition of the Fall Classic, held from October 19–27, 2002. The series featured the American League champion Anaheim Angels defeating the National League champion San Francisco Giants, 4–3, to win the franchise's first ever World Series.
The series was notable as being the first time since the 1995 inception of the wild card in Major League Baseball that two wild card teams would vie for the title. It was also the fourth World Series played between two teams from California (after 1974, 1988, and 1989, when the Giants last went to the World Series), and the first such series to not include the Oakland Athletics. It was also the last Series to be played in a full seven games until 2011.
The series was played as a best-of-seven playoff with a 2–3–2 site format (standard in Major League Baseball). Barry Bonds of the Giants was almost elected World Series MVP before the Angels began their Game 6 comeback; the award would be presented the following night to Troy Glaus of the Angels for his role in that comeback. (Bobby Richardson of the 1960 New York Yankees remains the only World Series MVP from a losing team.)
Game Log
Bracket
The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series.
Note: Major League Baseball's playoff format automatically seeds the Wild Card team 4th. Normally, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed in the Division Series. However, MLB does not allow the No. 1 seed to play the 4th seed/Wild Card winner in the Division Series if they are from the same division, instead having the No. 1 seed play the next lowest seed, the No. 3 seed.
Awards and honors
Troy Glaus
Adam Kennedy
Tim Salmon
Garret Anderson
Darin Erstad
Bengie Molina
Mike Scioscia
73rd Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Outfielders
Coaches
Local Media
Local TV
Local Cable TV
Local Radio
Some radio games carried on KBIG–FM 104.3 because of broadcast conflict with the Los Angeles Lakers of the (NBA).