[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20911-20912]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE ALL-CALIFORNIA WORLD SERIES

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to commend and 
congratulate the two teams from California who will compete for the 
2002 World Series Championship: the National League Champion San 
Francisco Giants, and the American League Champion Anaheim Angels.
  This will be the fourth All-California World Series--following the 
1974 and 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers-Oakland Athletics match-ups and the 
1989 ``Bay Bridge Series'' between the Giants and the Athletics--and I 
am confident it will go down in history as one of the best.
  Both teams have beaten the odds and overcome huge obstacles to 
advance to the fall classic. In fact, this will be the first World 
Series between two wild-card teams.
  My hometown team, the Giants, won the National League Wild Card with 
a 95 and 66 record, edging another California team, the Los Angeles 
Dodgers, by 3\1/2\ games. They then defeated the heavily favored 
Atlanta Braves in the National League Divisional Series 3 games to 2, 
before finishing off a tough and determined St. Louis Cardinals team 4 
games to 1, to win their third National League Pennant since moving to 
San Francisco in 1958.
  The Anaheim Angels overcame a 6 and 14 start to win the American 
League Wild Card with a 99 and 63 record, just 4 games behind yet 
another California team, the Oakland Athletics. They upset the New York 
Yankees in the American League Divisional Series 3 games to 1 and 
defeated the Minnesota Twins 4 games to 1, to win the first American 
League Pennant in the 42-year history of the Angels organization. I 
only wish Gene Autry had lived to see his beloved team succeed with 
such brilliance.
  The Giants and Angels epitomize the word ``team.'' Each has its share 
of All-Stars, but they have advanced to the final round because of the 
dedication and hard work of each player.
  Everyone knows the Giants are led by four-time National League Most 
Valuable Player, newest member of the 600 Home Run club and 2002 
National League Batting Champion, Barry Bonds. But Barry would be the 
first to say that the Giants would not be where they are without the 
contributions of players such as National League Championship Series 
Most Valuable Player Benito Santiago, David Bell, Jeff Kent, J.T. Snow, 
and pitchers Russ Ortiz, Jason Schmidt, Kirk Rueter and Rob Nenn. The 
list goes on.
  And, what Giants fan will ever forget Kenny Lofton, a center-fielder 
acquired in a mid-season trade, who drove in the winning run in game 5 
of the National League Championship Series with a two-out base-hit?
  The Angels got to the World Series by hitting .320 as a team in the 
postseason and scoring 60 runs in 9 games. They are led by David 
Eckstein, Garret Anderson, Troy Glaus, Tim Salmon, and pitchers Troy 
Percival, Jarrod Washburn, and 20-year-old rookie, Felix Rodriguez.
  American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Adam Kennedy 
made history by becoming only the fifth player--following the likes of 
Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and George Brett--to hit 
three home runs in a playoff game in the deciding game 5 of the 
American League Championship Series.
  Every great team has a great manager and the Giants and the Angels

[[Page 20912]]

have two of the best: three-time National League Manager of the Year 
Dusty Baker and Mike Scioscia, who has led the Angels to a World Series 
in only his third year as manager. Former teammates on the Los Angeles 
Dodgers, both set high standards for their teams, stuck with them 
through thick and thin, and provided the leadership for success.
  Finally I want to pay tribute to the front office staffs of both 
organizations: President and managing partner Peter Magowan, executive 
vice-president and chief operating officer Larry Baer, and general 
manager Brian Sabean of the Giants and chairman and CEO of the Walt 
Disney Company Michael Eisner and general manager Bill Stoneman of the 
Angels. Not only have they built championship franchises, but they have 
established the Giants and Angels as class organizations.
  Normally, the Senators from the States of the teams represented in 
the World Series place a friendly wager on the outcome. This year, 
Senator Boxer and I will simply take pleasure in watching two 
California teams battle for the title.
  From Edison Field to Pacific Bell Park, each game will showcase a 
different part of California and the great fans of both teams. The 
Giants and the Angels have done California proud and may the best team 
win.

                          ____________________