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2002 World Series
Team (Wins) Manager(s) Season Anaheim Angels (4) Mike Scioscia 99–63, .611, GB: 4 San Francisco Giants (3) Dusty Baker 95–66, .590, GB:2+1⁄2
Dates	October 19–27
Venue(s)	Edison International Field (Anaheim) Pacific Bell Park (San Francisco)
MVP	Troy Glaus (Anaheim)
Umpires	Jerry Crawford (crew chief),Ángel Hernández,Tim Tschida,Mike Winters,Mike Reilly,Tim McClelland
Broadcast
Television	Fox (United States) MLB International (International)
TV announcers	Joe Buck andTim McCarver (Fox) Gary Thorne andKen Singleton (MLB International)
Radio	ESPN KLAC (ANA) KNBR (SF)
Radio announcers	Jon Miller andJoe Morgan (ESPN) Rory Markas andTerry Smith (KLAC) Duane Kuiper,Joe Angel andMike Krukow (KNBR)
ALCS	Anaheim Angels overMinnesota Twins (4–1)
NLCS	San Francisco Giants overSt. Louis Cardinals (4–1)
World Series program
← 2001 World Series 2003 →

The2002 World Series was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball (MLB)'s2002 season. The 98th edition of the World Series,^[1] it was abest-of-seven playoff between theAmerican League (AL) championAnaheim Angels and theNational League (NL) championSan Francisco Giants; the Angels defeated the Giants, four games to three, to win their first, and, to date, onlyWorld Series championship. The series was played from October 19–27, 2002, atPacific Bell Park in San Francisco andEdison International Field of Anaheim inAnaheim.

This was the first World Series since the 1995 inception of thewild card in MLB (and the last until2014) in which both wild card teams would vie for the title. The Angels finished the regular season in second place in theAL West division. They defeated the four-time defending AL championNew York Yankees, three games to one, in the best-of-fiveAL Division Series, and in doing so won their first postseason series in franchise history. They then defeated theMinnesota Twins, four games to one, in the best-of-sevenAL Championship Series to advance to the World Series, another first in franchise history. The Giants finished the regular season in second place in theNL West division. They defeated theAtlanta Braves in theNL Division Series and theSt. Louis Cardinals in theNL Championship Series to advance to the World Series, giving the team their 20th NL pennant and 17th appearance in the Fall Classic but only their third since moving from New York City to San Francisco in 1958.

The series was the fourth World Series played between two teams fromCalifornia, after1974,1988, and1989, and the latest Fall Classic that featured teams from the same city or state (since2000 between cross-town rivalsMets andYankees).Barry Bonds,Reggie Sanders, andJ. T. Snow each hithome runs to help propel the Giants to win Game one. Game two was a high-scoring affair that the Angels ultimately won onTim Salmon's eighth-inning home run. The Angels routed the Giants in Game three, but lost Game four on a tie-breaking eighth-inning single by the Giants'David Bell. The Giants brought the Angels to the brink of elimination by winning Game five in a blowout. The Giants were eight outs away from winning the Series in Game six, but late game home runs byScott Spiezio andDarin Erstad, as well as a two-RBIdouble byTroy Glaus helped the Angels overcome a five-run, seventh-inning deficit to win. A three-run double byGarret Anderson was the difference in the Angels' Game seven win to clinch the series. Glaus was named theWorld Series Most Valuable Player. The two teams set a record for combined most home runs in a World Series (21), which stood until2017.

This was the fourth World Series played between two teams fromCalifornia and the last World Series as of today involving two teams from the same state (since2000 between cross-town rivalsNew York Mets andNew York Yankees). The1974 World Series saw theOakland Athletics defeat theLos Angeles Dodgers; the1988 series saw theLos Angeles Dodgers getting revenge by defeating theOakland Athletics. In1989 theSan Francisco Giants were defeated by theOakland Athletics. The managers of the two clubs,Mike Scioscia of the Angels andDusty Baker of the Giants, were teammates on the Dodgers from1980 to1983, and won a World Series in1981. This was the first World Series to feature opposing managers who had been teammates on a World Championship team as players.

Since their 1958 move from New York City to San Francisco, the Giants franchise and its fans had a long history of futility, frustration, and disappointment. The Giants had won their last World Series crown before the move, in1954. Since the move, the Giants made it to the World Series twice but lost both times. These included a dramatic, down-to-the-wire loss to theNew York Yankees in the seven-game classic1962 World Series, and a four-game sweep by their crosstown rivalOakland Athletics in the1989 World Series that was marred by theLoma Prieta earthquake. Their most recent postseason appearance was in2000, when they were defeated by theNew York Mets in theNLDS. In addition, the Giants narrowly missed winning the National League pennant in1959,1964,1965 and1966. They finished in second place five years in a row from 1965 to1969 and lost the1971 National League Championship Series to thePittsburgh Pirates.

2002 wasDusty Baker's tenth season asmanager of the Giants. It was also their third season playing atPacific Bell Park (now Oracle Park). The Giants finished theprevious season with a record of 90–72, finishing in second place in the National League West, twogames behind theArizona Diamondbacks. They also finished in second place in the NLwild card standings, three games behind theSt. Louis Cardinals. Notable player departures included 2001 midseason acquisitionAndrés Galarraga, who departed as afree agent, andShawn Estes, who was traded to theNew York Mets in exchange forTsuyoshi Shinjo andDesi Relaford. Notable player acquisitions includedReggie Sanders, a free agent, andDavid Bell, who the Giants received from theSeattle Mariners in exchange for Desi Relaford and cash. During the season the Giants also acquiredKenny Lofton from theChicago White Sox in exchange for two minor leaguers. Sanders, Bell, Shinjo, and Lofton helped bolster a Giants offense led by longtime GiantsBarry Bonds,J. T. Snow,Rich Aurilia, andJeff Kent, as well as relative newcomerBenito Santiago. Thestarting pitching rotation was led byKirk Rueter andJason Schmidt, with abullpen led byTim Worrell andcloserRobb Nen.

During the 2002 regular season, the Giants led the NL West standings for most of April and a few days in May; however, by the end of May they had fallen to third place behind theLos Angeles Dodgers andArizona Diamondbacks. They spent most of the next three months in third place, but on September 9 they took second place for good, while the Dodgers either tied them or fell to third place for the rest of the season. The Giants finished the regular season with a record of 95–66,2+1⁄2games behind the NL West champion Diamondbacks. They won the NLwild card,3+1⁄2 games ahead of the runner-up Dodgers.

In the2002 postseason, the wild-card Giants' first opponent was the top-seededAtlanta Braves, who they defeated in five games to return to the NLCS for the first time since1989. In the NLCS, the Giants defeated the #3 seedSt. Louis Cardinals in five games to advance to the World Series for the 17th time in franchise history. Dusty Baker became the first black manager to participate in a World Series sinceCito Gaston forToronto in1992 and1993.

This was Giants' outfielderReggie Sanders' second consecutive World Series appearance with different teams—in2001 he got there with theArizona Diamondbacks. This was the first time this happened sinceDon Baylor did it in three consecutive years with theBoston Red Sox in1986, theMinnesota Twins in1987, and with theOakland Athletics in1988.

Like the Giants, the Angels and their fans carried a long history of futility and disappointment. Enfranchised in 1961, the Angels had never before played in the World Series. They came close several times, including ALCS losses in1979 to theBaltimore Orioles,1982 to theMilwaukee Brewers, and in1986 to theBoston Red Sox. After dropping the 1979 ALCS in four games, the Angels brought their opponents to the brink of elimination in each of those last two series, before losing the next three consecutive games and the series. The 1986 ALCS, in which the Angels were as close as 1 strike away from the World Series, was the Angels' latest postseason appearance, though they came close in1995 when they lost aone-game tie-breaker for the AL West championship to theSeattle Mariners after blowing a 14-game lead in the standings.

2002 was the Angels' third season undermanagerMike Scioscia. The Angels finished the previous injury marredseason with a record of 75–87, finishing in third place in the AL West. The most notable personnel change during the offseason was the trade offirst basemanMo Vaughn to theNew York Mets in exchange forpitcherKevin Appier. Offensively, the team was led by longtime AngelsGarret Anderson,Darin Erstad,Troy Glaus andTim Salmon, as well as relative newcomersAdam Kennedy andDavid Eckstein. Thestarting pitching rotation was led byRamón Ortiz andJarrod Washburn, as well as mid-season call-upJohn Lackey, while the bullpen was led bysetup manBrendan Donnelly andcloserTroy Percival. The bullpen was bolstered in late September by the addition of 20-year-oldreliever prospectFrancisco Rodriguez.

The Angels spent much of the season trailing the first-placeSeattle Mariners and on occasion theOakland Athletics in the AL West standings. However, the Athletics and Angels both mounted late-season comebacks that, coupled with a poor August record for the Mariners, knocked the Mariners down to third place. The Athletics won 20 straight games at one point, and the Angels finished the season in second place with a 99–63 record, fourgames behind the Athletics, but won the ALwild card, six games ahead of theBoston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners. Their 99 wins was third best in the A.L. and fourth best in baseball.

In the2002 postseason, the wild-card Angels first faced off against the overall #1 seed and four-time defending American League championNew York Yankees in the ALDS. The Angels shocked the four-time defending AL champions in four games to return to the ALCS for the first time since1986. Their opponent in the ALCS was the third-seededMinnesota Twins, who they defeated in five games to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Anaheim won the series, 4–3.

San Francisco won 4–3 at Edison International Field of Anaheim (nowAngel Stadium of Anaheim) to take a 1–0 series lead. As he strode into the batter's box to open the second inning,Barry Bonds was finally making his first (and only) World Series appearance; in his first at bat on a 2–1 pitch from Angels starterJarrod Washburn, Bonds smoked a line drive for a home run to right field, which gave the Giants a quick 1–0 lead.Reggie Sanders then followed that up with an opposite-field homer later in the inning. With the Giants leading 2–1 in the fifth, Giants batterJ. T. Snow (who formerly played for the Angels) hit a two-run shot over the center field wall after Sanders singled to give San Francisco a three-run advantage. Eventual Series MVPTroy Glaus hit two home runs for the Angels, one in the second and another in the sixth off Giants starterJason Schmidt. Adam Kennedy drove in a run with a base hit in the sixth as well to trim the deficit to 4–3. However, Schmidt was effective otherwise, along with relieverFélix Rodríguez and closerRobb Nen, as they held off the Halos the rest of the way.

Game 2 was a slugfest that saw the lead fluctuate wildly between the two teams. The Angels plated five runs in the first inning by batting around against Giants starting pitcherRuss Ortiz.David Eckstein singled to lead off and scored onDarin Erstad's double. AfterTim Salmon singled,Garret Anderson's RBI single made it 2–0 Angels. AfterTroy Glaus flew out, consecutive RBI singles byBrad Fullmer andScott Spiezio made it 4–0 Angels. Fullmer stole home plate for the Angels' fifth run of the inning.

In the second inning, however,Kevin Appier surrendered most of the lead by allowing a three-run homer to Sanders followed by a shot to David Bell. The Angels answered with a two-run home run from veteran Tim Salmon to make it 7–4 in the Angels' favor. Ortiz would not finish the inning and was relieved byChad Zerbe, who provided four innings of relief.

Appier did not last much longer than Ortiz, as he was pulled in the third and replaced byJohn Lackey, the Angels scheduled starter for Game 4, after surrendering a lead-off home run toJeff Kent. Lackey temporarily quieted the Giants' offense but ran into trouble in the fifth inning, allowing a double and intentional walk.Ben Weber relieved him but allowed a single toBenito Santiago to load the bases, then a two-run single toJ. T. Snow that tied the game. AfterReggie Sanders struck out, consecutive RBI singles byDavid Bell andShawon Dunston gave the Giants a 9–7 lead.

The Angels turned to 20-year-old rookie relieverFrancisco Rodriguez, who answered by shutting down the Giants offense for the next three innings. He retired nine batters in a row on 25 pitches (22 were strikes). Meanwhile, the Angels chipped away at their deficit. In the bottom of the fifth, Glaus and Fullmer hit back-to-back leadoff singles before the former scored on Spezio's sacrifice fly. Next inning, Erstad doubled with two outs. Zerbe was relieved byJay Witasick, who walkedTim Salmon.Aaron Fultz relieved Witasick and allowed an RBI single to Anderson to tie the game, but Salmon was thrown out at third to end the inning.

Salmon drilled a two-run home run with two outs in the eighth inning off ofFélix Rodríguez, giving Anaheim an 11–9 lead. Closer Troy Percival retired the first two batters in the ninth, and, after allowing a mammoth shot from Bonds that landed halfway up the right field bleachers, retiredBenito Santiago to even the series.Bonds became the first player sinceTed Simmons in the1982 World Series to hit a home run in his first two World Series games, joining Simmons,Dusty Rhodes in the1954 World Series andJimmie Foxx in the1929 World Series. The feat would later be duplicated byCraig Monroe of the Tigers in the2006 World Series.

Giants pitchers failed to strike out a batter for the entire game, the first time this had happened in the World Series since Game 7 of the1960 World Series; as of 2021 it remains the last time a team has not recorded a strikeout in a World Series game.The Angels won despite giving up four home runs to the Giants, compared to two by the Angels.

Earlier in the day, theLos Angeles Galaxy wonMLS Cup and the Angels would later in the World Series a couple of days later, which meant the Angels and Galaxy were the first MLB and MLS champions from the samemetropolitan area within the same season.

Anaheim won 10–4 in the first World Series game at Pacific Bell Park (nowOracle Park). The Angels batted around twice without a home run in either of their four-run innings. They became the first team in World Series history to bat around in consecutive innings. Barry Bonds hit another home run, becoming the first player to homer in his first three World Series games.

The Giants struck first onBenito Santiago's based-loaded groundout in the first off ofRamón Ortiz, but Giants starterLiván Hernández walkedDavid Eckstein to lead off the third and allowed a subsequent double toDarin Erstad. An error onTim Salmon's groundball allowed Eckstein to score. AfterGarret Anderson flew out,Troy Glaus hit an RBI single andScott Spiezio followed with a two-run triple. Next inning, Anderson's RBI groundout with runners on second and third chased Hernandez.Jay Witasick entered in relief and walked Glaus before allowing RBI singles to Spiezio,Adam Kennedy andBengie Molina, which increased Anaheim's lead to 8–1.Rich Aurilia hit a one-out home run in the fifth for the Giants. AfterJeff Kent singled, Bonds's home run made it 8–4, but the Giants did not score after that. The Angels added to their lead on Eckstein's RBI single in the sixth off ofAaron Fultz and Erstad's bases-loaded fielder's choice in the eighth off ofScott Eyre.

Giants public address announcerRenel Brooks-Moon is recognized by theBaseball Hall of Fame as the first female announcer of a championship game in any professional sport for her role in the 2002 World Series. Her scorecard from Game 3 is on display in theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inCooperstown, New York. Until 2014, this game was the Giants' only World Series loss at home sincePacific Bell Park opened in 2000. They proceeded to win the final two games in this series, then won four straight home games in their next two World Series appearances in2010 and2012 until finally losing at home in Game 3 in2014.

The Angels struck first in the second onDavid Eckstein's bases-loaded sacrifice fly, then made it 3–0 next inning onTroy Glaus's two-run home run off of starterKirk Rueter. In the bottom of the fifth, however, Angels starterJohn Lackey allowed three consecutive leadoff singles, the last of which byRich Aurilia scoring Rueter.Jeff Kent's sacrifice fly cut the Angels' lead to 3–2 andNLCS MVPBenito Santiago tied the game with a single in after the Angels walked Barry Bonds with a runner on second and two outs. David Bell put the Giants ahead with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth off ofFrancisco Rodriguez. The run was unearned, due to Anaheim catcherBengie Molina's passed ball during the previous at-bat, allowingJ. T. Snow to move to second.Tim Worrell got the win for the Giants. San Francisco scored a 4–3 victory to tie the series and ensured a return trip to Anaheim.

San Francisco took a 16–4 blowout win in a game in which the Angels never led. The most well-known moment in this game occurred in the bottom of the seventh when Giants first basemanJ. T. Snow scored off aKenny Lofton triple. Three-year-oldbatboyDarren, son of Giants managerDusty Baker, ran to home plate to collect Lofton's bat before the play was completed and was quickly lifted by the jacket by Snow with one hand as he crossed the plate, withDavid Bell close on his heels. Had Snow not acted quickly, Darren could have been seriously injured in a play at home plate.

Giants' second-baseman Jeff Kent hit two home runs to break out of a slump (hitting his first home run since Game 2), driving in four runs.

In the bottom of the first,Barry Bonds's double off ofJarrod Washburn with runners on first and second gave the Giants an early lead.Benito Santiago's sacrifice fly, followed by three consecutive walks made it 3–0 Giants. Next inning, Benito's bases-loaded single scored two andReggie Sanders's sacrifice fly scored another.Orlando Palmeiro doubled to lead off the top of the fifth, moved to third onDavid Eckstein's single and scored onDarin Erstad's sacrifice fly. AfterTim Salmon singled, a wild pitch by starterJason Schmidt allowed Eckstein to score. AfterGarret Anderson struck out,Troy Glaus's RBI double cut the Giants' lead to 6–3. The Angels cut it to 6–4 next inning off ofChad Zerbe on Eckstein's groundout with runners on second and third, but did not score again. Kent's two-run home run in the bottom half off ofBen Weber widened the Giants' lead to 8–4. Next inning,Kenny Lofton's two-run triple made it 10-4 Giants.Scot Shields relieved Weber and after Aurilia struck out, Kent's second home run of the game made it 12–4 Giants. Next inning, Shields allowed consecutive one-out singles toJ. T. Snow andDavid Bell, then an error onTsuyoshi Shinjo's ground ball made it 13–4 Giants. After Lofton grounded out, Aurilia capped the scoring with a three-run home run.Scott Eyre retired the Angels in order in the ninth as the Giants were one win away from a World Series title.Chad Zerbe earned the win for the Giants.

This game shares one peculiar record with Game 2 of the1960 World Series. The two games share the World Series record for most runs scored by a game winning team who ultimately went on to lose the series.

The turning point in the Series came in Game 6. Following the top of the seventh inning, the Giants led 5–0 but then proceeded to surrender three runs in the bottom of the inning and another three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and lost the game 6–5.

The game was scoreless through the first four innings. In the top of the fifth, San Francisco took the lead.David Bell singled with one out, thenShawon Dunston's home run made it 2–0 Giants. AfterKenny Lofton doubled,Francisco Rodríguez relievedKevin Appier. Lofton stole third and scored on a wild pitch. In the top of the sixth, Barry Bonds homered off Rodriguez to make it 4–0, and the Giants added another run in the top of the seventh when Lofton singled and stole second and was driven in by a single byJeff Kent.

Leading 5–0 with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, eight outs away from the Giants' first World Series title sincemoving to San Francisco in 1958, Giants managerDusty Baker pulled starting pitcherRuss Ortiz, who had shut out the Angels during the game, for setup manFélix Rodríguez after Ortiz gave up consecutive singles to third basemanTroy Glaus and designated hitterBrad Fullmer. In a move noted in later years, Baker gave Ortiz the game ball as he sent him back to the dugout, as Ortiz wanted a souvenir ball (contrary to some belief, the Angels did not see the move in real time).^[9] During the pitching change theRally Monkey came on theJumboTron, sending 45,037 Angels fans into a frenzy.

Angels first basemanScott Spiezio then fouled off pitch after pitch before finally hitting a three-run home run that barely cleared the wall in right field. Ortiz would be charged with two runs and a no-decision, his second of the series. The rally continued in the eighth inning, as Angels center fielderDarin Erstad hit a leadoff line-drive home run, followed by consecutive singles byTim Salmon andGarret Anderson. When Bonds misplayed Anderson's shallow left field bloop single,Chone Figgins (who had pinch-run for Salmon) and Anderson took third and second base, respectively. With no outs, two runners in scoring position and now only a 5–4 lead, Baker brought in closerRobb Nen to pitch to Glaus, hoping that Nen could induce a strikeout that might yet preserve the Giants' slim lead; prior to that game, he was seven of seven in postseason saves that year despite dealing with a shoulder injury. However, Glaus slugged a double to the left-center fieldgap over Bonds' head to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs and giving Nen a blown save. Nen managed to keep Glaus from scoring before leaving the game, which ended up being his final appearance as a major league player.

In the ninth inning, Angels closerTroy Percival struck outTom Goodwin, induced a foul popout from Lofton, and struck outRich Aurilia to preserve the 6–5 victory in front of the jubilant home crowd. The comeback from a five-run deficit was the largest in World Series history for an elimination game. No other team overcame a five-run deficit to win a World Series game until Game 1 of the2022 World Series, when thePhiladelphia Phillies did so against theHouston Astros. That Astros team, like the Giants, was managed by Dusty Baker. The Los Angeles Dodgers also overcame a 5-run deficit in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees to clinch the series, 4 games to 1.

This game ranked number 2 asESPN's Game of the Year in 2002.

Game 7 proved to be somewhat anticlimactic after the drama of Game 6. The Giants scored the first run in the top of the second inning whenReggie Sanders hit a sacrifice fly to scoreBenito Santiago from third (after back-to-back singles from Santiago and J.T. Snow), but the Angels responded with a run-scoring double from catcherBengie Molina that scoredScott Spiezio from first after he had walked with two outs. In the bottom of the third,David Eckstein andDarin Erstad led off with back-to-back singles andTim Salmon was hit in his hand by a pitch to load the bases with no outs (Salmon would later leave the game due to the injury, being replaced byAlex Ochoa). Left fielderGarret Anderson then hit a bases-clearing three-run double to push the Angels to a 4–1 lead and gave San Francisco starterLiván Hernández the loss. Hernández was yanked after walkingTroy Glaus to put two on, butChad Zerbe got out of the nightmarish inning. Zerbe,Kirk Rueter, andTim Worrell held the Angels scoreless for the rest of the game, allowing only one hit, but it was not enough. Rookie starting pitcherJohn Lackey maintained that lead through five innings, and turned the game over to the strong Angels bullpen. In the ninth inning, closerTroy Percival provided some tense moments. J.T. Snow led off with a single and was forced out at second byTom Goodwin. Goodwin then stole second asDavid Bell walked, putting two men on with only one out and the tying run at the plate. ButTsuyoshi Shinjo—the first Japanese-born player in a World Series game—struck out swinging, andKenny Lofton, also representing the tying run, flied out toDarin Erstad in right-center field to end the Series. The Angels won Game 7, 4–1, to claim their franchise's first and only World Series championship to date. John Lackey became the first rookie pitcher to win a World Series Game 7 since 1909. In Game 7, three rookie pitchers (John Lackey,Brendan Donnelly, andFrancisco Rodríguez) combined to throw eight innings while only giving up one run combined.

The Angels won the World Series despite scoring fewer runs (41) than the Giants (44). The Angels lost the first game in all three rounds of the playoffs (Division Series,League Championship Series, andWorld Series), yet rebounded to win each time. They were the first, and to date only, team to do this since the new postseason format was created in 1994.

Until2017, this was the last time a franchise would win its first World Series title. It was also the second year in a row that the feat had been accomplished; in 2001, the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in just their fourth year of existence. Also in those two years, both teams won the World Series in just their first appearance, which did not happen again until2019, when the Washington Nationals would accomplish the feat.

The Angels became the first American League (AL) champion team not representing the AL East Division to win the World Series since the Minnesota Twins in1991. The Angels were also the first American League Wild Card winner to win the World Series. With this win the Angels got rid of the supposed curse on their head stemming fromAnaheim Stadium being built on an ancient Indian burial ground.^[10]

2002 World Series(4–3):Anaheim Angels (A.L.) overSan Francisco Giants (N.L.)

The Angels and the Giants combined to log 85 runs over the course of the series, the largest combined run total for both teams in World Series history. This remains the most recent World Series that was played entirely within one state. There would not be another postseason match-up between two California teams until the2020 National League Division Series between theLos Angeles Dodgers andSan Diego Padres, which took place at neutral site (Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas) due to theCOVID-19 outbreak.

This was the last World Series where home-field advantage alternated between the National and American Leagues each year. As a result of the tie in the2002 All-Star Game, beginning in 2003 home-field advantage in the World Series was controversially granted to the league that won the All-Star Game. That practice ended after the2016 Series; beginning in 2017, the team with the better regular season record will enjoy home field advantage, the same format used in theNational Basketball Association'sFinals andNational Hockey League'sStanley Cup Finals.

Following the Darren Baker incident in game 5, MLB changed their rules requiring batboys and batgirls be at least 14 years old.^[12][13]

This is currently the earliest World Series in which no personnel from either team have been elected to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame.

Just before the start of the 2003 season,the Walt Disney Company sold the Angels for $180 million to businessmanArte Moreno. Nevertheless, the 2002 World Series win began the most successful era in Angels franchise history, making six postseason appearances from 2002 to 2009. Before 2002, they had been to the postseason three times in franchise history (1979,1982, and1986). They advanced to the ALCS in2005 and2009, but lost those series respectively to theChicago White Sox andNew York Yankees, each while en route to their own World Series championship. The Angels were the most recent team to win the championship in its first World Series appearance until theWashington Nationals accomplished the feat in2019; between 2002 and 2019, all first-time World Series participants would lose—theHouston Astros in2005,Colorado Rockies in2007,Tampa Bay Rays in2008, andTexas Rangers in2010.

The Angels were the last of fourLos Angeles area teams to win a championship in 2002, with theLakers,Sparks, andGalaxy all winning a title in their respective leagues prior. It was the first time ever four teams in the samemetropolitan areawon a championship within the same season. The seven days between the Galaxy's Cup win and the Angels' World Series was theshortest timespan for two championships in the same metro area.

The Angels would sparingly use theRally Monkey mascot after the 2002 World Series and unofficially retired it after the 2009 postseason.^[14]

BothDavid Eckstein andScott Spiezio later played for the2006St. Louis Cardinals world championship team. Eckstein and Spiezio played alongsideYadier Molina, younger brother ofBengie andJosé Molina, on the Cardinals. José later won a second World Series title with the2009 Yankees, whileJohn Lackey added two World Series rings with the2013Boston Red Sox and2016Chicago Cubs.

Game 7 of the series was Dusty Baker's final game as manager of the Giants, as he left in the offseason to take the same position with the Cubs due to disagreements with ownership. Game 7 was alsoJeff Kent's last game in San Francisco, as he signed a free-agent contract to play for the Houston Astros during the off-season. The departure of manager Baker, a season-long feud withBarry Bonds and a desire to be closer to his family's Texas ranch factored into Kent's eventual decision to leave the Giants.^[15][16] He retired as the all-time leader in home runs as asecond baseman.^[17] Kent, the2000 MVP would later be inducted into theSan Francisco Giants Wall of Fame in 2009.

The Giants would return to the postseason the following season under new managerFelipe Alou with a 100 win season (the first time in ten years), but they would lose in theNLDS to theFlorida Marlins, a Wild Card team that later won the World Series championship. After a second-place finish in 2004, the Giants had losing seasons for the next four years, and they replaced Alou withBruce Bochy in 2007. After losing 90 games in 2008, the Giants won 88 games for a surprising third-place finish in 2009. Building on their 2009 season, the Giants returned to the postseason in 2010 as a Divisional Winner team, defeating the Braves in theNLDS, and the Phillies in theNLCS en route to the World Series, where they defeated the Rangers in five games, earning the long-awaited championship they could not reach in 2002. In 2012, after fighting back from down two games to none in the NLDS against theCincinnati Reds (led by Baker) and down three games to one against the defending World Series Champions, theSt. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS, they swept theDetroit Tigers for their second World Series Championship in three years. In 2014, the Giants added their third title in five seasons by defeating theKansas City Royals in seven games.

Of the players from the 2002 Giants (excluding previous World Series championsLiván Hernández,Robb Nen andReggie Sanders), onlyScott Eyre andPedro Feliz went on to win a World Series ring with another team. Eyre and Feliz became teammates on the 2008Philadelphia Phillies world championship team. By the time San Francisco won their first World Series in 2010, there were no members of the 2002 squad still on that team.

In terms of personal accolades,Barry Bonds would breakHank Aaron's all-time homerun record in 2007. Bonds also won two moreNational League MVPs in 2003 and 2004, extending his record for most MVP Awards to seven. Bonds would enter free agency at the end of the 2007 season for the first time since coming over from Pittsburgh to San Francisco in 1993, but there were no teams interested in signing him. Bonds would not play another major league game after the 2007 season. He retired as one of the greatest players in MLB history to never to win a championship, along withTed Williams andTy Cobb, with the three straight NLCS trips in1990,1991, and1992 with Pittsburgh and 2002 being his only real shot at a World Series in his 21-year career.^[18]

Bonds' last few seasons and his post-playing career would be mired due toperformance enhancing drugs allegations.^[19][20] The only way Bonds could make theNational Baseball Hall of Fame would be through theVeterans Committee, as he lost out toDavid Ortiz in the2022 ballot, his 10th and final one. This was met with negative reaction from some fans, as fans complained that Ortiz had made the Hall of Fame, despite testing positive for PEDs in 2003, whilst Bonds never tested positive for any PEDs.^[21]

Dusty Baker received great fan ire for his decision to pullRuss Ortiz in Game 6 with a 5–0 lead and just a few more outs away from clinching San Francisco's first World Series in the city.^[22][23][24]

Baker would serve as the manager for theChicago Cubs in 2003 after mutually parting ways in San Francisco after the World Series. As with the Giants, he would help break a postseason drought, as he led them to a series victory in the2003 National League Division Series over Atlanta, the first postseason series victory in 95 years for Chicago. However, they would lose in the2003 National League Championship Series to the Florida Marlins when they were five outs from clinching a pennant in Game 6. This was the first of a long line of postseason futility for Baker, who went to the postseason five further times in his next eleven seasons as a manager but failed to win a single series. In 2020, he was hired to manage theHouston Astros. He broke his postseason drought with the team by winning in the Wild Card Series that year (2020) and then returned to theWorld Series the following year (where they ultimately lost toAtlanta in six games) after winning the2021 American League Championship Series. In2022, he finally won a World championship on his third try, defeatingPhiladelphia in six games to set a new mark of being the manager with the most regular season victories (2,093) before winning their first championship. Russ Ortiz, the pitcher who nearly won Baker a world championship 20 years prior, congratulated Baker on his first championship as a manager onInstagram.^[25] After he his retirement in 2023, Baker joined the Giants front office as a special advisor, his third stint with the club (player in 1984, manager from 1993-2002.^[26]

• Fox's telecast of this World Series marked the first time the World Series was telecast inhigh-definition.^{[citation needed]}

• Jon Miller, who called this World Series forESPN Radio, has been play-by-play man for the San Francisco Giants since1997. Coincidentally,KNBR, the Giants' longtime flagship station, was also San Francisco'sESPN Radio affiliate.
• This would be the only World Series called by Angels play-by-play manRory Markas, who died of a heart attack in January 2010.

• 2002 Japan Series

• Forman, Sean L."2002 World Series".Baseball-Reference.com – Major League Statistics and Information.Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. RetrievedDecember 9, 2007.
• Gavant, David (Prod.); Chaplin, Curt (Narrator) (September 26, 2002).2002 World Series (Documentary /DVD). Anaheim, California:MLB Productions /WEA. RetrievedSeptember 21, 2008.

• 2002 World Series atBaseball Almanac
• 2002 World Series atBaseball-Reference.com
• The 2002 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) atRetrosheet
• History of the World Series - 2002 atThe Sporting News. Archived fromthe original in May 2006.

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