LA Angels: Where Are The Angels Now 2002 Edition

The Rest of the Bunch

While the 2002 team did have its share of stars, the rest of the team was just as valuable. David Eckstein, the kid shortstop who overcame so many struggles growing up (his book Have Heart is a tremendous read for any baseball fan) played for the Angels until 2004.

He then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals where he won another World Series ring, along with the World Series MVP award. After starting off poor in the first two games, Eckstein would go on to hit 7 for 11 with 4 RBI’s and scored 3 runs in the rest of the series. Eckstein would then go on to play for a few more teams, retiring in 2012. He now works with his wife Ashley in Florida.

2002 World Series MVP Troy Glaus would play with they Angels until 2004. He always provided an enormous boost of power in the Angels’ lineup, but concerns of health made the Angels resist resigning him. Glaus would play for a handful of teams until 2010, when he would retire from baseball after a disappointing final season with the Atlanta Braves. He has since stayed away from baseball, residing with his wife and son in Florida.

The three run homerun Scott Spiezio hit in Game 6 of the World Series is what changed momentum permanently in the Angels’ favor. However, Spiezio’s career would begin to decline after his tenure with the Angels ended. He had the worst two seasons of his career with the Seattle Mariners, then attempted a comeback with the St. Louis Cardinals. He never was more than a reserve player, but he did win a second ring in 2006 with Eckstein, Percival, and Jim Edmonds. He eventually suffered from substance abuse in 2007, and never was able to make a comeback from that.

The great Angels team of 2002 will never be forgotten. They have all taken different paths all over the country, but their hearts still belong to Anaheim.