The Numbers
	2002 record: 99-63, .611 (4th overall) Runs scored: 851, 4th in AL Runs allowed: 644, 1st in AL Run differential: +207 (1st overall) Starters' ERA: 4.00, 4th in AL Bullpen ERA: 2.98, 1st in AL Payroll (Opening Day): $61.7 million (15th overall) Attendance: 2.31 million (16th overall) 3-year record: 256-230, .527 (11th overall)

2002 in review
What went right?
Almost everything. After a worrisome 6-14 start, the worst in franchise history, the Angels got hot and finished the season as World Champs. Jarrod Washburn emerged as an ace with 18 wins, while fellow starters Ramon Ortiz and Kevin Appier won 15 and 14 games, respectively. Rookie John Lackey was called up from Triple-A in June, went 9-4, and won Game 7 of the World Series. 31-year-old rookie Brendan Donnelly was very effective in middle relief, and closer Troy Percival registered 40 saves.

Rookie phenom Francisco Rodriguez was brought up from the minors in mid-September, and won five postseason games out of the pen. Left fielder Garret Anderson garnered his first All-Star selection, hitting .306 with 29 homers and 123 RBI. Troy Glaus hit 30 home runs and drove in 111 runs, while Tim Salmon had 22 and 88. Scott Spiezio played well as the full-time first baseman, with career highs in batting average (.285) and RBI (82). Second baseman Adam Kennedy hit .312, and shortstop David Eckstein .293. Center fielder Darin Erstad bounced back from a dismal 2001 to hit .283, winning a Gold Glove along with catcher Bengie Molina. And new DH Brad Fullmer hit .289 with 19 home runs.

What went wrong?
After the slow start, not a whole lot. Glaus' batting average settled at .250 for the second straight season, after he hit .284 in 2000. Molina's average also dipped, for the second straight season, to .245, down from .281 in 2000. Starter Aaron Sele was only 8-9 with a 4.89 ERA before tearing his right rotator cuff in August. Left-hander Scott Schoeneweis was ineffective as a starter before being sent to the bullpen. Utility man Shawn Wooten didn't play until July after tearing a thumb ligament in spring training. Percival, Salmon and Molina also spent significant time on the disabled list.

In retrospect, the critical decisions were:
1. Not gutting the team. After a very disappointing 2001 season, in which the Angels won only 75 games (seven less than the year before) and finished 41 games out of first place, general manager Bill Stoneman seriously considered dismantling the roster and beginning to rebuild. But in the end, he decided to give this group another shot, banking on veterans like Erstad and Salmon to bounce back from sub-par seasons. Smart move.

	Kevin Appier Starting pitcher Anaheim Angels Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM IP W-L BB SO ERA 32 188.1 14-12 64 132 3.92

2. Trading Mo Vaughn for Kevin Appier. The one major move Stoneman did pull the trigger on was shipping the disgruntled first baseman back east. In the process, he unloaded a huge salary and a negative clubhouse character for a solid veteran starter, who won 14 games and provided leadership on a young staff.

3. Calling up Rodriguez. The Venezuelan sensation began the season in Double-A -- a month before the playoffs, most Angels players didn't even know his name. But he was called up to the bigs in mid-September, and the 20-year-old was soon christened K-Rod, playing a pivotal role out of the pen in the postseason.

Looking ahead to 2003
Three key questions
1. Depth of starting pitching. Sele is expected to be ready for spring training after surgery on his rotator cuff, but that's still a serious injury to recover from. Youngster Mickey Callaway replaced him in the rotation late last season, but is unproven. Lackey had a successful rookie year, but still hasn't pitched a full season. Schoeneweis was switched to the bullpen last year, and wants to return to the rotation -- but the Angels would rather keep him in relief.

2. Can they stay healthy? The Angels return their entire lineup and practically their entire pitching staff. They overcame some injuries last season, but weren't hit too hard in the health department. If they can avoid major injuries this year, they should contend again.

3. Can they win their division? The Angels won a World Championship, but as a wild card, finishing four games behind the Oakland A's. Winning the AL West, and potentially home-field advantage in the playoffs, would aid them in their bid to repeat.

Stats Corner
Troy Glaus (above) had a career high 111 RBI and also hit 30 homers, the third straight season he's hit 30 or more, in 2002. Jarrod Washburn led the club with 18 wins and topped 200 innings pitched (206) for the first time in his career. Garret Anderson tied for the major league lead with 56 doubles and also had a career high 195 hits. Brendan Donnelly was 1-1 with a 1.49 ERA in 40 appearances in the second half.

Can expect to play better
Rodriguez had a huge impact in a little more than a month last season. It'll be hard for him to improve on his performance, but just being in the bigs all season will increase K-Rod's impact this season. Look for him to resemble the Yankees' Mariano Rivera in his pre-closer days, setting up Pecival.

Can expect to play worse
The Angels' young nucleus should continue to improve. But if one player's performance dips, it could be Adam Kennedy. He hit .312 out of the No. 9 hole last year and had a great season, but don't be surprised if his average drops some.

Projected lineup
SS David Eckstein
CF Darin Erstad
RF Tim Salmon
LF Garret Anderson
3B Troy Glaus
DH Brad Fullmer
1B Scott Spiezio
C Bengie Molina
2B Adam Kennedy

Rotation
Jarrod Washburn
Ramon Ortiz
Kevin Appier
Aaron Sele
John Lackey

Closer
Troy Percival

A closer look
In an era of free-agent wheeling and dealing, the Anaheim Angels' front office has done a wonderful job of building a winner the old-fashioned way.

The heart of their batting order -- Darin Erstad, Tim Salmon, Garret Anderson and Troy Glaus -- were draft picks, along with ace Jarrod Washburn, closer Troy Percival, and World Series Game 7 winner John Lackey. Three other regulars -- starter Ramon Ortiz, reliever Francisco Rodriguez, and catcher Bengie Molina -- were signed out of Latin America and developed by the Angels.

The only regulars who weren't developed in the Angels organization are: David Eckstein (waivers), Scott Spiezio (free agent) and Brad Fullmer, Adam Kennedy and Kevin Appier (trades).

Current GM Bill Stoneman deserves a lot of credit for sticking with this nucleus despite a disastrous 2001 season, banking on them performing better the following year. The shrewd moves he made last offseason, bringing in Fullmer, Appier and Aaron Sele, aided the team in its championship run significantly.

And Angels fans should be very excited about the future, because the core of this team is under contract and returns in full this year. Furthermore, although a few key players are eligible for salary arbitration, ownership has granted Stoneman an extra $20 million in payroll to cover the salary increases and keep this championship team intact.

Not only is the championship nucleus intact -- it's a young nucleus, too. Just look at the Angels' starting lineup in Game 7 of the World Series -- seven players were under the age of 30: Lackey (24), Kennedy (26), Glaus (26), Eckstein (27), Fullmer (27), Erstad (28) and Molina (28). Starters Washburn and Ortiz are still under 30, and Rodriguez is barely 21. Anderson and Spiezio are 30 on the nose. Even manager Mike Scioscia is only 43.

A Disney dynasty, perhaps?

Kieran Darcy covers baseball for ESPN The Magazine. He can be reached at kieran.d.darcy@espn3.com.