The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th series between the champions of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), here respectively the Anaheim Angels and the San Francisco Giants. The series was played from October 19–27, 2002 at Pacific Bell Park (now AT&T Park) in San Francisco and Edison International Field of Anaheim (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim) in Anaheim. The Angels defeated the Giants four games to three to win the franchise's first championship.
The series was the first time since the 1995 inception of the wild card in Major League Baseball that both wild card teams would vie for the title. The Angels finished the regular season in second place in the American League West, four games behind the AL West champion Oakland Athletics. They defeated the New York Yankees in the best-of-five American League Division Series (ALDS), and in doing so won their first postseason series in franchise history. They then defeated the Minnesota Twins in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series (ALCS) to advance to the World Series, another first in franchise history.
The Giants, meanwhile, finished the regular season in second place in the National League West, 2 1⁄2 games behind the NL West champion (and defending World Series champions) Arizona Diamondbacks. They defeated the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series (NLDS) and the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) to advance to the World Series, the franchise's 20th appearance in the Fall Classic but only its third since moving from New York to San Francisco in 1958. The series was the fourth World Series played between two teams from California, after 1974, 1988, and 1989.
Barry Bonds, Reggie Sanders, and J. T. Snow each hit home runs to help propel the Giants to win Game 1. Game 2 was a high-scoring affair that the Angels ultimately won on Tim Salmon's eighth-inning home run. The Angels routed the Giants in Game 3, but lost Game 4 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 5 in a blowout. The Giants were eight outs away from winning the Series in Game 6, but late game 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, seventh inning deficit to win. A three-run double by Garret Anderson was the difference in the Angels' Game 7 win to clinch the series. Glaus was named the series MVP. As of 2012, 2002 was the most recent Fall Classic appearance for the Angels. The Giants, meanwhile, returned to the World Series in 2010, and defeated the Texas Rangers four games to one.
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