By James Riswick
Opinions Editor
In April, a friend and I were discussing the upcoming baseball season. My team, the Toronto Blue Jays, was a long shot to say the least. His team, the Anaheim Angels, had improved in the off-season, but as I told him, the addition of two free agent pitchers would not be enough to get passed the mighty Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics. He wouldn’t listen and insisted his Angels had a chance.
It looked like the ills of baseball would continue in 2002, with big-budget teams squashing the poor underdogs and the usual suspects once again returning to the playoffs. Although my Jays were in fact a long shot, this season couldn’t have been any different than what was expected. Congratulations baseball, there is some hope yet.
The American League Championship Series featured the Minnesota Twins and the Anaheim Angels. That just sounds weird. One team that was so bad for nine consecutive years that it was nearly eliminated and another that was famous for mediocrity and choking when it counted down the stretch.
But those are the teams — both small-budget clubs — that emerged from the top of the American League pile. The Angels managed to stun the New York Yankees and their fans by winning three consecutive games in the Division Series. What a relief that was to see Yankee manager Joe Torre look on in complete shock as the Angels celebrated. Although I hoped the Angels would get passed the Yankees, I had little faith in the power of the Angel’s unofficial mascot, the Rally Monkey. I should have. The Angels eventually would beat the Twins — who squeeked passed the scrappy, playoff experienced A’s in the ALDS — and would go on to beat the San Francisco Giants in a thrilling seven-game slugfest World Series.
It was time for new blood in baseball and 2002 delivered. Here are some of the highlights from the 2002 playoffs:
It was heart-warming and refreshing to see the presence of player’s children on many of the post-season teams. The San Francisco Giants alone had at least nine bat boys on the team that were all the sons of players or coaches. Especially Giant Manager Dusty Baker’s tiny, overly eager 3-year-old son Darren who was heroically scooped up at home plate in what was the defensive play of the series. In a post-game interview, Angel closer Troy Percival hoisted his son in the air with as much pride, if not more, as he did the World Series trophy. This emphasis on youth was great to see — especially late St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Darrel Kyle’s son in the Cardinal dugout — in an era of player greed and selfishness.
Both League Championship Series featured teams that hadn’t been there in several years. They were teams that unlike the annually playoff-bound Atlanta Braves and Yankees, would not take their post-season experience for granted. The sight of a less-than-capacity Turner Field in Atlanta made me angry. Braves fans simply expected their team to be in the playoffs and couldn’t be bothered driving to the ballpark to cheer them on. Meanwhile, myself and many others would be willing to fly across the country for many hours just to see their teams compete in the playoffs if they got there. It was insulting and the Braves didn’t deserve to win anything.
Young, unheard of players like, well, the entire Anaheim Angels, Oakland A’s and Minnesota Twins squad, showed building a team from the ground up the old-fashioned way still works. Angel phenom Francisco Rodriguez blew away the competition in the post-season having pitched in only five regular season games. The sight of the rookie going after Giants slugger Barry Bonds was a moment to be remembered.
And speaking of the big man, even if the Giants weren’t your team, Bonds proved that he is undeniably the greatest, most feared player to step into the batters’ box in years. I don’t know what a game with Babe Ruth was like, but it must have been something like one with Bonds. Only I think Bonds is better, and I doubt many would argue with that.
With such small market, no-name teams, television ratings may have suffered, but who cares? Baseball is about competition and it doesn’t matter if Fox isn’t able to reach its desired demographic. Real fans will still watch and they are the ones who matter, not the bandwagon fans who cheer on the current best team.
Those are the fans who keep cheering no matter the score and they are the ones who come back year after year regardless of the team’s record. They are the ones who this great game is played for. These playoffs were for them and gave them hope.
Whether you were waving a chicken for the Giants, a homer-hankey for the Twins or the mighty Rally Monkey for the Angels, 2002 was a great year regardless of who won in the end. And above all else, it gives loyal fans like me hope that our teams will rise from obscurity and adversity to come out on top. Because next year, I plan on telling my friend that like his Angels in 2002, my Blue Jays have a shot too. I can’t wait.
October 31, 2002