Angels deserve world title
Graham
Thomas
The Walt Disney Co. already made one movie about the Angels franchise in the 1994 motion picture “Angels in the Outfield.” After Anaheim won a thrilling seven-game World Series Sunday night over Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants, maybe Disney executive Michael Eisner and Disney should consider another.
Only this time, heavenly angels are not needed to help the Angels win. Not when Anaheim is stocked with a relentless offense, solid pitching staff, the Rally Monkey, Thunderstix and the wild and crazy fans at Edison International Field.
Congratulations, Anaheim! You’ve just won the World Series and you’re going to Disneyland! Oh wait, you are already there.
It was a magical, Disney-like run for Anaheim this season, after finishing 41 games out of first place a year ago.
The Angels rallied from a 6-14 start in 2002 to win 99 games and ripped through the American League playoffs, easily disposing of the Yankees and Twins, before ousting the Giants in the Fall Classic.
Perhaps the Angels’ rally from a 6-14 start of this season is the key theme for this never-say-die club. No lead was ever safe against the Angels’ bats.
The Angels rallied from Yankee leads in four games against New York in the division series and held on to win three of them, including the 9-5 clincher in Anaheim, where the Angels scored eight runs in the fifth inning.
Trailing 5-3 in game five against the Twins in the American League Championship Series, the Rally Monkey appeared in the bottom of the seventh and the Angels scored 10 runs in the inning, led by Adam Kennedy’s three-home run game.
However, the most incredible rally came in game six of the World Series with the Angels trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning and nine outs away from losing the series to the Giants.
The Rally Monkey popped out again. Scott Spiezio clubbed a three-run home run to pull Anaheim within two runs; the Angels scored three more runs in the eighth and won the game 6-5 to force a game seven.
Do we see a pattern forming here?
The Angels were a perfect example this season of what baseball is all about.
In order to succeed in baseball, you need all 25 players on the roster to fill their role. One player cannot win the whole thing by himself, although Barry Bonds sure gave it a nice try.
What is most refreshing is the Angels built their team from within their farm system and developed their own players, something not seen much in the days of free agency and multi-million dollar signing bonuses.
Other baseball teams should learn a lesson from the small payroll, self-built, now World Champion Anaheim ballclub. These guys play for the love of the game, and I am not sure many other teams in the Major Leagues can say that.