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The 2001 Angels were a far better team than their 75-87 record would suggest. Partially to blame are the Mariners and A's, the two best teams in baseball in the regular season, against whom Anaheim was a lowly 10-29. But more importantly, the fact that the Angels were out of the race by early September, despite a winning record, allowed for a lack of urgency late in the season. After play resumed following the tragic events of Sept. 11, no team in baseball was worse than the 2-16 Angels.
Best Pitcher: Just as the Angels seemed to pack it in once they were out of the race, so did staff ace Jarrod Washburn. Through August, Washburn was 11-6 with a 3.41 ERA, putting him among the elite in the AL. With the team out of it in September and October, he went 0-4 with a 5.76 ERA. Even with his late fall from grace, Washburn allowed more than three earned runs in a game just three times in his final 26 outings. Troy Percival appeared to be not a happy camper after the season, but he remained one of the most consistent closers in the game, earning 39-of-42 save opportunities.
Best Position Player: Is there a more underrated player in baseball than outfielder Garret Anderson? When one thinks of the Angels, Darin Erstad comes to mind, or Troy Glaus. But nobody comes close to the consistent production of Anderson, who had a career-best 194 hits, 123 RBI, and 13 steals this year. Quite simply, Anderson comes to play. For the sixth straight year, the veteran had at least 600 at-bats, drove in at least 70 runs, and hit at least .285. Glaus continued to supply power, hitting 41 homers, but struggled with consistency and hit just .250 on the year. Those of you waiting for Tim Salmon to get on track, we have bad news: The season is now over. It appeared during the course of the season that Salmon's once-formidable skills had diminished; after averaging over 28 home runs and a near-.290 average from 1993 to 2000, Salmon hit just .227 with 17 homers this year.
Grading The Manager: B+. You won't find too many baseball people who have really bad things to say about manager Mike Scioscia. And with good reason. He seems to find a way to win despite questionable circumstances. This time, it was a season-ending injury to Mo Vaughn in the preseason, which led to a power vacuum at first base. Add to that the lack of production from Jose Canseco and then Glenallen Hill at DH, both of whom were subsequently waived, and you can see why the team finished 25th in the majors in runs scored. Still, Scioscia took a team which was all hitting last year and fielded a winner for most of the year using guys like Scott Spiezio (.271-13-54) at first base and plugging in 15 different players at DH over the course of the season. Fine juggling act.
Most Improved: SS David Eckstein hit just .246 in one full season at the Triple-A level, so imagine the team's surprise when he broke out as a rookie this year, hitting .285 with a team-leading 29 stolen bases. Another rookie who shined was Shawn Wooten (.312, 8 HR in 221 AB), but in Wooten's case everyone knew he could hit. Expect both to be important parts of the team next season and beyond.
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Angels 2000-01 comparison
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2000
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2001
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W-L
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82-80
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75-87
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HR leader
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Glaus, 47
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Glaus, 41
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BA leader
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Erstad, .355
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Anderson, .289
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ERA
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Schoeneweis, 5.45
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Washburn, 3.77
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Biggest Weakness: Spezio did a decent job holding down the fort at first base, but the team simply didn't get enough production out of their first basemen. Combined, the team used nine players to spell Mo Vaughn, and they combined for 18 homers and just 64 RBI. Wally Joyner simply couldn't cut it and abruptly retired in June. Likewise, the team got very poor production from their center field and right field positions. Erstad and Salmon struggled mightily, and players who played those positions combined for a paltry 29 homers and 126 RBI while hitting just .248. Simply not enough.
Gaining Momentum: The pitching staff as a whole seem to be heading in a very nice direction. In addition to the emergence of Washburn, Ramon Ortiz (13-11, 4.36 ERA) looked extremely sharp at times, as did Scott Schoeneweis (10-11, 5.08). That triumvirate could be the basis of an excellent rotation for years to come. In the bullpen, rookie right-hander Ben Weber excelled in 56 games as a rookie, posting a 6-2 record and holding opponents to a .212 average with runners in scoring position.
Kicked Off The Island: Simply put, veteran Pat Rapp (5-12, 4.76 ERA) adds little to this burgeoning starting rotation and it would be a surprise if he were to re-sign with the club. Ismael Valdes is more of a gray area. Valdes was adequate in his first year in the American League, going 9-13 with a 4.45 ERA. Nothing to write home about, but if the club decided to keep one of those two, Valdes would be a stronger choice. Percival was hoping to be kicked off the island, as the quiet closer openly griped for the first time about the club's way of handling contract negotiations. But the team has exercised it's option on him, and he'll be back in Anaheim next year. If there's any sign that Salmon's dismal campaign was more than a fluke, it's time to part ways with him as well. It's also time to part ways with Gary DiSarcina, who has now played all of 12 games since the start of 2000 because of a rotator cuff injury. The veteran is a free agent.
Bill Konigsberg is an assistant editor at ESPN.com.
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