This Angel Victory Has a Nice Ring

Now this was a party. The pageantry and the pressure of opening day were gone, happily replaced by a snappy ceremony, a lively crowd at Edison Field for a ballgame and not just an event and, yes, just another halo victory.

The Angels got their blindingly shiny World Series championship rings before Tuesday’s game, then stashed them inside their lockers and proceeded with the business at hand. That business was demolition, with Garret Anderson, Darin Erstad and Brad Fullmer as foremen of the wrecking crew in a 10-0 victory over the Texas Rangers.

“Not to sound unappreciative, but it’s a nice feeling to close the book on last year,” Anderson said. “We can’t live on that.”

Said Fullmer: “Everybody’s ready to stop with the victory lap and get back to playing.”

And so they did. Mickey Callaway, Scot Shields and Ben Weber combined on a five-hit shutout, retiring 21 of the last 23 hitters in the Angels’ first victory of the season.

Anderson went four for four. Erstad had three hits and a stolen base. Fullmer drove in three runs, hitting a two-run homer and missing a grand slam by a few feet.

The victory sent the sellout crowd home happy, and the final score sent the crowd home better-fed, thanks to a new --and loudly cheered -- promotion that provides fans with free chicken wings at Hooters whenever the home team scores 10 runs.

Callaway staggered through the first two innings and coasted through the next four. In all, he faced 24 batters, retiring six of the first 12 and all of the last 12.

The Angels were not kind to Texas starter Chan Ho Park. Over the winter, the Rangers signed Park’s favorite catcher, Chad Kreuter, in the hope his $750,000 salary would be a wise investment toward righting their $65-million ace.

No such luck, at least not in Park’s 2003 debut. The Angels pummeled him for two runs in the first inning, one in the second and three more in the third. His evening ended abruptly, with two out in the third inning and the Angels leading 6-0.

The Rangers will pay Park $12 million this year, more than the Angels will pay to any of their players. Commissioner Bud Selig, on hand to help distribute the rings, paid tribute to the defending champions.

“It’s fun being around them, and it’s fun watching them play,” Selig said. “They were a team -- I don’t think they’d mind me saying it -- without superstars. They played the game the way it is supposed to be played.... They stunned a lot of people.”

They would stun even more if they repeat, but Tuesday was not a day for bold predictions -- or, for that matter, for boasts about last season.

“The victory lap is hopefully coming to a close with the rings,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said.

“The last couple days have been extremely exciting for all of us, but the normal routine will be welcomed by everybody on this ballclub.”

Still, the players were tickled to actually see their rings, not prototypes or pictures but the real $15,000 things, personalized and chock full of gold and diamonds.

“I didn’t think it was going to affect me that much,” said the normally unflappable David Eckstein. “I thought I could just concentrate on the game. But it actually brought a smile to my face when I saw it. I can’t believe how big it is.”

Said Tim Salmon: “They’re awesome. They’re so big and heavy.”

Fullmer, a free agent this winter before re-signing with the Angels, was particularly pleased to be here.

“For a while, I thought I was going to get mine by FedEx,” he said. “It’s nice to be here as a team and get them together.”

After the players got their rings, Jackie Autry got one, in memory of her husband, beloved founding owner Gene Autry. She thrust her arms into the air, then blew a kiss at the fans.

And then, before the brief ceremony ended, Salmon took the microphone.

“We’d like to thank our fans,” he said. “We couldn’t have done it without your inspiration. You guys are just as much a part of this as all the players and all the coaches.”