Nightengale: Angels hope party is just getting started
ANAHEIM, Calif. — It is 12:05 local time in the morning, and the Los Angeles Angels clubhouse has turned into Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street.
The Angels have been partying for nearly three hours Wednesday after clinching the American League West title. The music still is blaring. There's four inches of beer and champagne on the floor. There's a piece of ceiling that has crashed onto the floor. Everyone is soaking wet.
And the party is still raging.
"I can't even describe this feeling,'' Angels MVP candidate Mike Trout says. "You always dreamed of this, and always wondered what it was like, and now that it's happened, it's as awesome as it can get.
"What an unbelievable feeling.''
In the words of Angels owner Arte Moreno: "It's been a long time.''
It's been five years since the Angels have been to the postseason, but even after buying some of the greatest and most expensive free agents on the market, they've sat home in October.
Not this year.
The 95-57 Angels, who have the best record in all of baseball, officially clinched the AL West title almost an hour after they actually won their game, 5-0, over the Seattle Mariners.
They then sat in the clubhouse watching the latest chapter of the Oakland A's collapse, 6-1 to the Texas Rangers, while about 5,000 fans remained in Anaheim Stadium, watching the game on the scoreboard, and cheering almost louder for the Rangers than they did the Angels.
"I became the biggest J.P. Arencibia fan in the world,'' says Angels GM Jerry Dipoto, who watched Arencibia's three-run homer highlight the Rangers' six-run ninth-inning uprising, overcoming a 1-0 deficit.
When the game finally ended, the Angels staged one of the wildest celebrations you've seen, pouring onto the field, spraying champagne on the fans, jumping onto the dugout, running from the left field foul pole to the fans at the right-field foul pole, and then retreating back to the clubhouse.
That's when it really got crazy.
There was Trout, who will be going to his first postseason, grabbing manager Mike Scioscia from behind, and Albert Pujols dumping a bucket of ice water over this head.
Oh, and that was some of the tamest antics.
You ever want to know what it's like to be completely dumped into a six-foot tub of ice water, and be completely submerged?
Just ask third baseman Luis Jimenez.
Oh, and those wives and girlfriends dancing by themselves in the back of the clubhouse? They were dry until Pujols ran over and threw a bucket of ice water into the corner.
"This is just the best, isn't it?'' says Trout, wearing green goggles, and dousing everyone in sight, and embracing Pujols so hard that it nearly took Pujols' breath away.
The Angels, of course, weren't supposed to be here.
A year ago, the debate was whether Scioscia would be fired, or would it be Dipoto?
Moreno surprised everyone by keeping them together, and whatever differences they had, they better work them out if they wanted to stay employed.
Dipoto immediately went to work, and with no money to buy that expensive Mercedes, he went with a Yugo. He remade the bullpen, featuring setup man Joe Smith, their most expensive acquisition at $15.75 million. They traded for relievers Huston Street, Fernando Salas and Jason Grilli. And they relied on their farm system, with guys such as 16-game winner Matt Shoemaker bursting onto the scene.
Still, they had plenty of potholes on the road. They lost ace Garrett Richards and starter Tyler Skaggs to season-ending injuries within 10 days. Hamilton has been injured or slumping most of the year, hitting just 10 homers with 44 RBI in 89 games.
"We had to deal with our own adversity,'' Dipoto says. "We had our injuries. We had to make changes. It was a collective effort.''
They were four games behind the Oakland A's on Aug. 10, only to go 27-8, and end the night with an 11 ½-game lead.
Nothing would stop them.
"I think the only way to get there is to experience some pain,'' Dipoto says, "and we experienced that. Now, we've come together. Mike (Scioscia) and I have come to know each other and understand each other, and respect one another. I can't say enough what Mike and his staff did. They kept everybody together.
"And most importantly, it was the makeup and character of the guys. These guys bonded so well.
"We showed we have a complete team. Not just 1 through 25, but 1 through 40.''
Just how complete?
Trout, the leading candidate to win the MVP, stuck out four times on this night, and it didn't matter.
Pujols, their $240 million investment, struck out twice and was hitless in four at-bats, and it didn't matter.
Hamilton, their $125 million prized outfielder, sat out of the game with a sore shoulder, and it didn't matter.
They still won, with homegrown first baseman C.J. Cron hitting a three-run homer. And C.J. Wilson pitching seven shutout innings. And a light-outs bullpen closed the door.
"That's what makes this so special,'' Pujols says. "It's not about one guy in here. Everyone steps up. It's been that way all season.
"I've got to remind these guys, we're just getting started, we got three more of these to go.''
Pujols, who won two World Series and three pennants with the St. Louis Cardinals, suddenly feels vindicated for fleeing St. Louis and coming out West.
"It's a great feeling,'' Pujols says. "But at the end of the day, it's a better feeling when you get to hold that trophy.
"And that's what we're waiting for.''
Trout, whose talents have been limited to regular season games and the All-Star exhibition, now is on center stage for the first time.
"I think the country already knows all about Trout,'' Pujols says, "but now that he's going to have every camera and reporter watching him. The game doesn't change. I'll be telling him that.''
And with only four players remaining from the last 2009 playoff team, it's sweet redemption.
"You kept waiting and wondering when it was going to happen again,'' Kendrick says, "but it's finally here. Man, does it feel good.''
The Angels have two weeks now to prepare for the postseason, where they could have home-field advantage throughout, likely playing the wild-card winner in the first round.
They have plenty of time to get ready.
This night, as it reached nearly 4 in the morning, the party still was going, with the clubhouse turning into a version of Soul Train, with players showing off their best moves on the dance floor.
"Is this the greatest,'' Trout says, "or what?''
Follow Nightengale on Twitter @BNightengale