ANAHEIM, Calif. -- After 42 years, the Anaheim Angels finally put on World Series championship rings.

	Tim Salmon and the Angels collected their first Series rings Tuesday.

"This is definitely something you wait a lifetime for, the opportunity to win a World Series and to be able to carry around the hardware,'' right fielder Tim Salmon said Tuesday night. "It's signifies the bond among our players, like a class ring, and what we achieved together.''

Salmon, 34, has played his entire big league career with the Angels, beginning in 1992. Until last fall, Salmon had the dubious distinction of being the senior player in the majors who had not appeared in the postseason.

"It's been 42 years, and I thank you, the fans,'' Salmon said. "We couldn't have done it without you.''

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig presented the rings, which feature a ruby-inlaid "A'' with a halo around it, surrounded by diamonds and with "World'' above the "A'' and "Champions'' below. The sides of the large gold rings feature "Angels'' and "1st Championship,'' with the player's name and 2002 on the other side. The rings have an appraisal value of about $15,000 each.

Jackie Autry, widow of longtime team owner Gene Autry, was among those receiving rings in the brief ceremony before the Angels' game against the Texas Rangers.

While obviously pleased that the Angels won the rings, manager Mike Scioscia said earlier in the dugout that it may be easier for the team to focus when all the ceremonies are finished.

"The victory lap hopefully is coming to a close with the rings, and we can keep all our focus on the field,'' he said. "The last couple of days have been exciting for us, but maybe now we can get back to routine.''

The Angels had the World Series championship flag-raising ceremony on Sunday, when they went on to lose the major league season opener 6-3 to the Rangers.

Scioscia, beginning his fourth season as the Anaheim manager, will add the 2002 World Series ring to the two he earned as a catcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 and 1988.

In addition to the players and key front office personnel who received rings, the Angels will give similar, although less expensive, rings to other fulltime employees at a company ceremony after Wednesday's game against the Rangers.