Los Angeles Angels Lone Championship 15 years later

The Los Angeles Angels are 15 years removed from their victory over the Giants in the 2002 World Series. So, why do some hang on to that season as if it is a specific formula for Halo success?

Let’s Get it out of the way: 15 years after the Los Angeles Angels first (and only) World Series Win,
2002 is still a fascinating year. Just ask any Angels fan who was around then and now. My first inclination was to end the article right there. Why, you might ask, would someone who is a fan of the team, want to end a discussion of their franchise’s lone championship so early? The reasoning is a fairly simple one.

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Ending the glorification of mediocrity.

More specifically, an attitude that creeps up every year that the Los Angeles Angels leadership fields a patchwork roster. One that is neither outright terrible or clearly destined for playoff glory. If you’ve not been following along recently, it seems as if the Angels do this most years now.

Billy Eppler is doing the best he can they will say and with a barren minor league system they will say. Once that is accepted and out of the way, and once the team begins to scuffle and struggle long term, the comparisons will roll in.

Surely, much of it is trying to self-soothe what can so swiftly tip into another lost season. Another wasted season in Mike Trout’s prime. A fanatics attempt to reassure oneself that “Hey, look, the 2002 Angels went through this and look what they ended up doing.” I know, because I am guilty of it too.

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Today, I’m saying “no more!” It’s been fifteen years since the Angels won the World Series (or even appeared in it.)  Laying claim to having won more recently than that of their National League rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers (who last won in 1988) is more defense mechanism than actual boasting. So if tHess 2017 Angels begin to falter, let’s just not go there. Don’t look at how the Angels did ‘this’ or their record was ‘that’ on a certain day back in ’02.

2002 was a great year. It had lots of exciting, scrappy, surprising wins. To all involved it seemed to be like one improbable journey that could end at any moment- but, fortunately- amazingly, didn’t end until the Angels were the last team standing in October.

Next: Fast Start for Angels?

2017 is here, and for better or worse, the Los Angeles Angels will trot out to play at least 162 games. The roster is improved over last year. Additionally, some more money will be coming off the books at season’s end. We as fanatics of the Los Angeles Angels are going to have opinions. Thoughts for the day-after on decisions. On how it should have gone. And let’s enjoy and revel in every moment of its excitement and question each loss. Just please, if you start to feel like it’s all going sideways for the 2017 Angels, don’t go there- don’t go to 2002, because we just did