A very solid rotation with no clear ace and no weak link. Why Jason Schmidt hasn't won 20 games is a mystery. As he showed against the Cardinals, his 97-mph fastball and hard slider are lethal when he has his command and pitches aggressively. Kirk Rueter is a Glavine clone who frustrates hitters with lots of soft stuff away. Russ Ortiz has four effective pitches. If he keeps his control and concentration, he can breeze through any lineup. Then there's Livan Hernandez, who can be erratic from start to start, but is undefeated in eight career postseason outings. Pitching to the Angels, who are patient and don't strike out much, can be exhausting. The Giants' starters will need to change speeds and patterns to keep Anaheim hitters off balance.
They're not always pretty, but that's OK. The Angels' starters need only throw six decent innings and then can turn things over to the bullpen. Ace Jarrod Washburn is the only starter who consistently pitches deep into the game. He likes to work up in the zone with his fastball and can be very tough. Kevin Appier refuses to throw the ball over the plate, mainly because he can't rely on his stuff to get anyone out. He nibbles and nibbles and goes to three-ball counts on every batter; he's usually gone before the sixth inning ends. Ramon Ortiz can be difficult to hit, but he rattles easily and hasn't been sharp in the postseason. Rookie John Lackey is a sleeper who keeps hitters off balance with a nasty cutter. If this group keeps games close, the Angels will be fine.
BULLPEN
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
Closer Robb Nen is excellent as long as his hard slider is biting. If it's not, he can struggle and make the ninth inning interesting (he's been touched for seven hits in six postseason innings.) Long and middle relief are a weakness. The late innings might become a battle of the Rodriguezes. San Francisco's Felix, who has a nasty slider, is similar to Anaheim's Francisco. Felix has allowed just one run and four hits in seven postseason games, but he can be erratic. Tim Worrell has a good fastball, but Dusty Baker's other setup choices -- Jay Witasick, Scott Eyre, Aaron Fultz -- don't frighten many hitters.
Strike early, Giants. The Angels are tough to beat if they carry a lead into the seventh inning. Squinty-eyed closer Troy Percival has been Riveraesque in October. Right-handers Ben Weber and Brendan Donnelly, two power setup men, have also been superb, though their maximum-effort offerings are generally good only in short bursts (think 20 pitches). Soft-throwing Scott Schoeneweis is the lone lefty. The matchup we really want to see with the game on the line is Barry vs. Frankie. Francisco Rodriguez, the 20-year-old right-hander with more postseason wins (four) than regular-season hits allowed (three), features a vicious hard slider and a cut fastball that makes Mariano Rivera's look straight. It's tempting to let the rookie pitch the seventh and eighth innings every day, but Mike Scioscia must be careful he doesn't overuse his new toy.
CATCHER
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
The Fountain of Youth must have a tributary running through the Giants clubhouse. Benito Santiago, the NLCS MVP at age 37, is playing like he's 25 -- throwing out runners from his knees, getting big hits, scampering around the bases. He's also done an excellent job calling games in the postseason. Despite his offensive heroics in the NLCS, the Angels will pitch around Bonds to get to Santiago. He'll have ample opportunity to be a World Series hero.
Good thing the Angels have five days off before the Series starts. Bengie Molina, perhaps the slowest runner in the league, trudged his way to a triple in Game 4 of the ALCS and is still huffing and puffing. There's no reason to ever throw him a strike. If it's in California, Molina will swing at it. He has a strong arm and can shut down the opponent's running game, but at times during the LCS he looked lazy behind the plate.
FIRST BASE
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
J.T. Snow is the NL's best defensive first baseman. He'll save his infielders at least an error a game by picking balls out of the dirt. The Angels will try to tie him up inside, but he's a dangerous hitter if you make a mistake. If Anaheim pitches around Bonds, Snow is one of the guys lower in the lineup who has to make the Angels pay.
Talk about development: Scott Spiezio, a former utility man, has turned himself into a very solid defender. He used to be a switch hitter who couldn't hit from the right side; now he's extremely dangerous against lefties. From both sides, he's a clutch hitter who's great with runners on base. Spiezio makes the bottom of the Angels' order dangerous.
SECOND BASE
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
Home of the Giants' other MVP, Jeff Kent. He's no Roberto Alomar with the glove, but he is steady and dependable, and compensates for any defensive shortcomings with his offensive skills. He's deadly with runners in scoring position and, with Bonds hitting behind him, Anaheim can't pitch around him. If the Angels have to throw Kent a fastball in a key situation, they're in trouble.
Adam Kennedy was the Angels' leading hitter (.312) during the season, but no one saw his three-homer outburst in Game 5 of the ALCS coming. He's not dazzling, but he makes the plays he's supposed to at second. As the Twins learned, he'll jump all over mistake pitches. He doesn't walk much, but he acts as a second leadoff hitter from the ninth hole.
THIRD BASE
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
He won't headline any highlight shows, but David Bell won't make any errors, either. He's intelligent and very surehanded in the field. He can hit mistakes for power, he doesn't strike out much, and he's very good at moving runners with a bunt or situational hitting.
Troy Glaus showed his development as a hitter by going the other way again and again in the ALCS. A classic power hitter -- he has pop to all fields, but also strikes out often. The Giants have to get him to chase junk pitches out of the strike zone. Very solid at third with a strong arm.
SHORTSTOP
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
Rich Aurilia is underrated defensively; he gets to more balls than you'd expect. He's an excellent hitter with power, and in the second spot in the order he'll drop a bunt to move a runner along. He's overshadowed by Bonds and Kent, but is a key part of the lineup.
How many synonyms are there for pest? (Pain in the butt, thorn in the side ...) They all apply to the undersized David Eckstein, who sets the tone for the Angels' bloop-and-dink offense. He forces pitchers to work, makes contact with everything and isn't afraid to lean into a pitch. He can hit anyone's fastball, but, for some reason, teams continue to try to blow heat by him. He has good hands at short, but his range is limited and even routine major league throws take all his might.
LEFT FIELD
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
From Fox storylines to in-game strategy, the Series will revolve around Bonds. Will the Angels pitch to him? Not if they're smart. Bonds is simply too dangerous. Messing with him is like tasting month-old milk to see if it's sour -- you're going to end up with a stomachache. With four home runs and 10 RBIs so far, Barry has proven he can hit in the postseason. The Angels have to make someone else beat them.
Garret Anderson had a breakout year at the plate -- and he's even diving for balls in the outfield! (His dirty uniform was the talk of the clubhouse after his sliding catch ended Game 3 against the Twins.) Anderson glides around the field and occasionally takes his time getting down the first base line, but he's one of the most dangerous hitters in the game. He kills fastballs and is the Angels' top run producer.
CENTER FIELD
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
Kenny Lofton still has his speed, but he doesn't reach base as much as a leadoff hitter should. He gets himself out trying to hit high fastballs over the fence. He's streaky; if his NLCS-winning hit was the start of a hot streak, the Angels are in trouble. His range in center is good, but he sometimes takes odd routes to fly balls, and his arm is terrible. The aggressive Angels will run on him with abandon.
Darin Erstad is Anderson's outfield opposite; he crashes his body around like a linebacker. His arm isn't spectacular, but few center fielders are better at running down balls in the gap. He's another in the Angels' long line of contact hitters who can annoy a pitcher to death. He puts the ball in play and keeps the strikeouts to a minimum. If Erstad and Eckstein get on often in the Series, the Giants are in trouble.
RIGHT FIELD
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
Another streaky hitter, Reggie Sanders has been scuffling lately (5 for 34 in the postseason, 1 for 16 in the NLCS). High fastballs are his weakness -- he loves to chase 'em, and he can't hit 'em. Sanders has speed and can bunt, and he's solid with an average arm defensively.
Tim Salmon, hardly the most mobile player in the league to begin with, was bothered by a sore hamstring in the ALCS. After two subpar seasons he reasserted himself as a dangerous hitter this year. Not the home run threat he once was, but he and Glaus are the guys the Angels rely on for power.
DH
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
Baker may go with veteran Shawon Dunston, who has holes in his swing. Another choice is backup third baseman Pedro Feliz, a free swinger with power.
Muscle-bound Brad Fullmer looks like a brute, but he actually makes good contact for a power hitter. He gets in trouble when he tries to hit everything, especially high fastballs, out of the park.
BENCH
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
Some decent hitters, but not much power here. Extra outfielder Tom Goodwin is a speedy pinch runner, but he leaves a lot to be desired at the plate. Dunston can play the infield or the outfield late in the game and still handles the bat well. Infielder Ramon Martinez is a good contact hitter.
Shawn Wooten has power and is a quality right-handed bat off the bench. Orlando Palmeiro is a serviceable left-handed option. Alex Ochoa is a late-inning defensive replacement for Salmon. Keep your eyes on Chone Figgins, a speedster who looks as if he barely knows what order to run the bases in. The pinch runner was a butcher on the basepaths in the ALCS. Sooner or later one of his mistakes will haunt the Angels.
MANAGER
Giants
The Edge:
Angels
Why doesn't Dusty Baker have a contract for next year? The price he'll command this winter, which was already high, will only skyrocket with his first trip to the World Series. Baker loves to play small ball -- the Giants set an NLCS record for sacrifice bunts -- and no manager gets more out of his players. His bullpen isn't deep, but Baker has made the right decisions more often than not in the postseason.
Mike Scioscia, a career-long Dodger as a player, runs the Angels in his National League image. He likes to put runners in motion and he likes to bunt. He's also not afraid to throw conventional wisdom out the window. The turning point of Game 5 was his decision to have Kennedy swing away in an obvious bunt situation. (He hit his third homer of the day.) So far, Scioscia's October touch has been perfect.
