May both teams win the Series

I am not really a baseball fan. All of my sports-fan energy is

channeled into rooting for the greatest team on earth -- my beloved

San Francisco 49ers.

But I usually do glance at the games during the playoffs and was

utterly captivated by the New York Yankees-Arizona Diamondbacks

series last year. In the post-Sept. 11 shock, it was glorious to see

a New York team bring passion back to the city by mounting such a

valiant effort against the eventual World Series champion.

This year, it was difficult not to be swept away by the Anaheim

Angels’ tour de force throughout the playoffs. I found myself

anxiously watching the games on TV, rooting for Darin Erstad, David

Eckstein and Troy Percival as they disposed of the Yankees and

Minnesota Twins in a formidable fashion. After annoying me to no end

at the beginning of the playoffs as a furry freak, the rally monkey

even grew on me, evolving into a downright cuddly creature.

So after jumping on the Angels’ bandwagon during the playoffs, I

was looking forward to riding it with Gene Autry gusto throughout the

World Series. That is until my home team, the San Francisco Giants,

entered the picture.

Now I am in the undecided camp, wondering if I should root for my

former hometown heroes, who have suffered through many a playoff

series to come up empty handed, or my new county heroes who had never

even made it to the second round of the playoffs.

Watching the Angels during the past few weeks has been a magical

experience -- they always seem to come through in the clutch and

explode in dramatic fashion with their sensational batting power.

Honestly, I have not watched a lot of the Giants during the playoffs

since football and the Angels have taken precedence, but I was

shocked to hear that Barry Bonds was actually hitting home runs,

since he is a notorious no-show in the playoffs.

I have been surprised by the parallels between the teams -- both

are the first wildcard teams to advance to the World Series and

neither have won a World Series in California -- the Giants since

they came from New York in 1958 and the Angels since their inception

in 1961.

The Giants definitely trump the Angels in one aspect -- their

ballpark. I went to Pac Bell Park a few times before moving down here

last fall, and it is a transcendental baseball experience, especially

compared to the Ice Age conditions of the Giants’ former home,

Candlestick Park.

Pac Bell Park is perfectly situated on the bay. At times, half of

the stadium is actually drenched in sunlight, and the smell of garlic

fries wafting through the air is heavenly. When Bonds slams a homer

into the drink, the crowds go wild.

Granted, it will be hard to root for the Giants surrounded by

uncontrollably giddy Angel fans and understandably so. They have

suffered enough unrealized playoff hopes in the ‘80s. I like the fact

that the team does not have any marquee players and has gotten to

where they are now based on a true team effort.

Aside from Bonds, though, the Giants are a modest bunch as well.

And they also need to exorcise the ghosts of the past when they were

routed by teams like the hated Los Angeles Dodgers.

The San Francisco papers are touting the World Series as a

much-needed economic boon for the city, which is still recovering

from the dot-com implosion. In that case, I hope the series lasts

through the scheduled dates in San Francisco.

But the Angels seem to be a team of destiny this year. And I have

a gut feeling that whatever arsenal the Giants unload against them,

the Angels will somehow be immune.

So I will probably root for both teams -- the Giants to win enough

games to make the series challenging and the Angels to take home the

trophy.

But where will they go when they win it all? Disneyland Paris? In

that case, I am glad the Giants won’t have to endure that experience.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].