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SPORTS ZONE 1: 2002 World Series Preview

The San Francisco Giants will face the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series, with game one being played this Saturday (October 19th) in Anaheim. For the first time ever, two wildcard teams will compete for the World Championship. This is also the first time since 1989 that two California teams are in the Series.

The Anaheim Angels are making their first World Series appearance in the franchise's history. Following a 99-win season, the Angels beat the defending American League Champion New York Yankees in the Division series, and then defeated the upstart Minnesota Twins 4 games to 1 in the American League Championship series.

Giants' manager Dusty Baker led his team to a 4-to-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship series after defeating the Atlanta Braves in five games in the Division Series. Not only is this the first World Series for the Giants since 1989, it's a chance for San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds to cement his position as the greatest player in the game and silence the doubters who claim he can't produce in October.

If the Championship and Division series are any indication, Bonds has exorcised his post-season demons. After struggling in the playoffs with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the early 1990's, Bonds has been amazing in the 2002 playoffs, batting .286, hitting 10 home runs, and driving in 10 runs to lead the Giants' explosive offense. A World Championship would be the final feather in Bonds' cap after breaking the single-season home run record and would establish him as the single greatest slugger of his (and some would argue, any) era.

That's not to say that Bonds has not had some help from the rest of the Giants' veteran line-up. Catcher Benito Santiago, the National League Championship series MVP, is hitting .300 with two home runs in these playoffs. At age 37, and after playing for 7 different teams, Santiago is taking his first trip to the World Series. And you better believe Benito is hungry for a title. Center fielder Kenny Lofton has also come through for the Giants this year, most notably with a game winning hit in the 9th inning to win the National League Championship Series. Traded to the Giants from the Chicago White Sox in July after an abysmal start, Lofton has proven to be a reliable leadoff man, scoring 9 runs in 10 games against the Cardinals and Braves.

The Giants' pitching rotation consists of right-handers Jason Schmidt, Ramon Ortiz, and Livan Hernandez, plus left-hander Kirk Rueter. These pitchers have been outstanding in the postseason; Hernandez has a 6-0 2002 playoff record. Felix Rodriguez leads the Giants out of the bullpen-a group with the second-best earned run average (2.91) in the majors this season.

The Angels, while lacking the star power of Barry Bonds, have enough offensive talent to keep up with San Francisco. First baseman Scott Spiezio, third baseman Troy Glaus, and left fielder Garret Anderson have all played outstanding this postseason. Glaus is batting .314 these playoffs with four home runs, while Anderson has quietly had one of the best seasons in the majors. When the Angels need to score runs, you can bet they'll find a way to do it.

The Angels' starting pitching rotation is a bit of a question mark. Multiple times this postseason Anaheim pitchers had to be bailed out by their offense in late inning rallies. Angels' manager Mike Scioscia will start left-hander Jarrod Washburn, and right-handers Ramon Ortiz, Kevin Appier, and John Lackey. Washburn is the ace of the staff, recoding 18 wins this season. The other three have pitched well enough to get the game into the hands of the American League's best bullpen. Led by Tony Percival, the Angels will need their relief pitchers to play well if they are to have any chance against the Giants.

One problem facing both Anaheim's starters and relievers is how to pitch to Barry Bonds. It is always dangerous to give Bonds pitches to hit, but walking him has also proven troublesome with the rest of the Giants line-up hitting well. However the Angels choose to deal with Bonds, they must be careful in their approach. The Giants are usually no more than two swings of the bat away from a big inning.

On paper, the Giants and the Angels are evenly matched. They counter each other's strength and weaknesses well, which makes for unpredictable and exciting baseball. With the Series likely going to at least 5 games, the Angels' home field advantage might become a factor. Edison Field is a very difficult place to play, as the Twins found out in the American League Championship Series. When the Angels get a little momentum, the crowd erupts, Rally Monkeys in hand, making visiting teams quite uncomfortable. This might be the deciding factor in a series with no clear favorite.

--Written by David Francis

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