2002 World Series Championship Victory

Lore & Background

This was the first World Series since the 1995 inception of the wild card in MLB in which both wild card teams would vie for the title. This was also the fourth all-California World Series. The series was notable for its Game 6, where the Giants led 5-0 and were six outs away from winning, but home runs by Scott Spiezio and Darin Erstad, as well as a two-RBI double by Troy Glaus helped the Angels overcome a five-run deficit. The two teams set a record for combined most home runs in a World Series (21), which stood until 2017.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Angel Stadium felt heavy, charged with twenty years of anticipation and decades of longing. As the sun dipped behind the mountains, casting long shadows across the diamond, the crowd fell into a hushed reverence. Every step on the field, every crack of the bat, echoed with the weight of history waiting to be written. In that moment, the noise of the past faded, leaving only the singular focus of the present: one out, one run, and a chance for glory.

Reader's Guide

The series was played from October 19–27, 2002, at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco and Edison International Field of Anaheim in Anaheim. This was the first professional sports championship ever won by an Anaheim-based team. As of the source, this is the only time the Angels made or won the World Series, and is the last time the Giants lost in the World Series.

Did You Know?

• Troy Glaus was the World Series MVP.
• This was the first World Series since 1997 to not feature the New York Yankees.
• This was the fourth all-California World Series.
• The two teams set a record for combined most home runs in a World Series (21), which stood until 2017.