Anaheim Angels:

Going from David to Goliath

The Anaheim Angels were the second of three teams that showed you don’t have to go out and spend a ridiculous amount of money, like the Yankees and Red Sox do, to win a World Series. In the 2002 playoffs the Angels caught lightning in a bottle and rode their bullpen and timely hitting all the way to a World Series victory. On the way to the trophy they dismissed the Moneyball A’s, the goliath Yankees, and slayed the Giants led by NL MVP Barry Bonds. The Anaheim Angels came off a 2002 World Series win, with a less than adequate season in 2003. The Angels went 77-85 and finished 3rd in the American League West and failed to make the playoffs with basically the same team as the year before. This year the club, led by manager Mike Scioscia for the 4th consecutive year, is determined to get back to the post-season.

The team saw that while you can catch lightning in a bottle for a season or maybe even two seasons there comes a time when you have to open up your wallet and buy yourself some talent. They acquired four time All-Star right fielder Valdimir Guerrero and hard throwing right hander Bartolo Colon. The Angels invested $11 mil in each one of these players giving them the 3rd highest payroll in all of baseball, only behind the Yankees and Red Sox. They also picked up young left fielder Jose Guillen through free agency. Guerrero, Guillen, and Colon join an all-star cast lead by third baseman Troy Glaus, right fielder Darin Erstad, and starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn. This year’s line-up has so much talent that long time A’s slugger Tim Salmon has been relegated to the number seven spot in line-up as the designated hitter.

The Angels also have arguably the best middle relief corps in the majors. The bullpen consists of 22 year-old sensation Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez, Ben Weber, Scott Shields and anchored by the seasoned veteran closer Troy Percival. That’s not to say their starting pitching is anything to sneeze at they’re just as, if not more, talented than the relief corps. The ace of the staff is newcomer Colon who will be followed in the starting rotation by Jarrod Washburn, Kelvim Escobar, John Lackey, and Aaron Sele. With this much talent, look out for the angels to be blessed with a great deal of wins this year.

The Angels play their home games at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, where in left center field Big-Thunder rock waterfall stands ominously over the outfield. Ever since the Rally Monkey’s breakout season in ’02, the atmosphere at Angel Stadium has been anything but dull. ESPN.com’s Eric Neel rated the 45,000 seat stadium the second best in the AL and 5 in all of Major League Baseball. Angels’ fans have loved the stadium ever since the renovation that started in 1996 and showcased a new building in 1998. Some of the parks features are family oriented seating sections (The Nestle Family seating zone), a state of the art club level, dugout suites, the Pepsi Perfect Game Pavilion (a kids gaming area), and landscaped courtyards that feature giant bats and Angels batting helmets.

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