Better Luck Next Time

Flying home with somber teammates recently, another stretch of bad road completed, Tim Salmon had an idea.

He pulled out a disk, loaded it into his computer, and soon, several Angels were crowded around his seat, hooting and hollering.

It was the 2002 World Series highlights.

Yeah, he thought they won.

“I wanted to remember what it was like when the game was fun,” Salmon said.

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Last fall, in roaring stadiums everywhere, Francisco Rodriguez stared down Goliaths, All-Stars and history.

On Wednesday, in a quiet Angel clubhouse, it was only me.

“It’s been kind of hard,” Rodriguez said, shaking his head. “It’s been very, very different.”

Last fall, David Eckstein was hopping in the on-deck circle, dancing off the bases, hustling into hearts.

On Wednesday, he was sprawled motionless on a carpet.

“It’s been very frustrating,” Eckstein said. “It makes you look back and realize how fortunate you were.”

How lucky we all were last fall, the Southland clinging to a halo and a prayer as the Angels delivered the unlikeliest of World Series championships.

How alone those Angels are today, decimated by injuries, betrayed by fate, finishing the final groaning days of one of the most precipitous drops in modern baseball history.

“It’s kind of tough to go out and play right now,” Salmon said.

From first to nearly worst, from sheer joy to absolute drudgery, the Angels will finish their lost-plane-tickets honeymoon this weekend having only one thing in common with last season.

The ending.

Seriously.

They didn’t quit then, and apparently they aren’t quitting now, the reflection of a sturdy culture that has suffered no tendinitis or tear.

Take Wednesday’s 4-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners at Edison Field, a game featuring invisible stakes, an incomprehensible lineup, but constant effort.

Last year, John Lackey’s final start was Game 7.

This year, it was Game 159.

While last year he won a ring, this year he threw a five-hit shutout that seemed to make him just as proud.

“I’m better now than I was then,” he said, and you believe him.

Last year, Garret Anderson’s final big play was a bases-clearing double in Game 7.

This year, perhaps, it will be the way he sneaked home from third base on a fly ball when Seattle center fielder Mike Cameron inexplicably forgot to throw the ball.

“You can tell a lot more about a person by watching him play when things aren’t going well,” said Manager Mike Scioscia, who needed to say no more.

The sports world will look more cynically at last year’s champions, of course. Can you hear it already?

The Angels were a fluke. The Angels were a blip. The Angels got lucky.

A novelty act. A one-hit wonder. The Starland Vocal Band of the baseball world.

“I’m sorry, but something like last year, all that grinding and work, you just don’t fluke your way through a situation like that,” Salmon said.

Walk through the clubhouse five days before the end of this season, and you hear talk of a different sort of fluke.

“This year is the fluke,” Eckstein said. “Just look around you.”

Indeed, look around, and be struck not by what you see, but what you don’t see.

Nine games under .500, yet no turmoil. A season that virtually ended in July, yet no finger-pointing or in-fighting or cheap shots.

Because of injuries, sometimes half of the lineup card has been scribbled with players who should not even be in the major leagues.

Because of Scioscia’s influence, the players have quietly refused to let it divide them.

“We have taken our butt-kicking like men,” Jarrod Washburn said.

And, in doing so, they may have lost more games but, perhaps, become a better team.

“Our core unit has grown up a lot,” said Scioscia, who has not allowed the losing to infect his culture of unselfishness.

For every player who has gone down, one has stood up.

Troy Glaus was lost, but Bengie Molina was found, equaling his career highs in home runs and runs batted in before breaking his wrist three weeks ago.

Darin Erstad was hobbled, but Anderson found his stride, his relentless effort finally gaining him the recognition due a player who insists on playing every day.

The starters struggled, but the bullpen was still the league’s best. The high expectations began crumbling from the moment Glaus complained of wrist pain in spring training, but the manager was still the league’s sturdiest, refusing to make excuses or allow compromise.

“It would be different if our whole team just stunk,” Salmon said. “But when you look around the clubhouse and see 15 guys from Salt Lake, how are you going to get mad at that?”

The new guys they hope to see next year could include a top pitcher and power hitter, even at big money, because owner Arte Moreno has said he will spend the money.

But the World Series championship group will still run the place, a group that understands togetherness lasts longer than fame.

“We are all really close in here, we get along great, you saw how well that worked this year,” Adam Kennedy said. “We’ll be back.”

Attending Wednesday’s meaningless game at Edison Field, I didn’t see a rally monkey, I didn’t hear noise sticks.

But I did see 30,917 fans still cheering as if it were October.

And I did see the Mariners’ Bret Boone gunned down in a home-plate collision after a hustling, perfect relay from Anderson to shortstop Alfredo Amezaga to catcher Tom Gregorio.

As season-ending parades go, that will have to do.

*

Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Classic Falls

The Angels will become the 12th World Series champion to have a losing record in its follow-up season. A look at the first 11: (* per game)

*--* Year Rec. Runs* ERA Best hitter Best pitcher 1917 100-54 4.21 2.16 HAPPY FELSCH (.308, EDDIE CICOTTE CHICAGO 6 HR, 102 RBIs) (28-12, 1.53 WHITE ERA) SOX

*--*

Comment: Led league in hitting and pitching, beat New York Giants in World Series, 4-2

*--* 1918 CHICAGO 57-67 3.69 2.73 SHANO COLLINS EDDIE CICOTTE WHITE SOX (.274, 1, 56) (12-19, 2.77)

*--*

Comment: Injuries to Felsch, Joe Jackson and several other regulars hurt offense.

*--* 1918 BOSTON 75-51 3.76 2.31 BABE RUTH (.300, CARL MAYS RED SOX 11, 66) (21-13, 2.21)

*--*

Comment: Dominant Ruth led with bat and arm (13-7, 2.22 ERA). The rest of the Red Sox had four home runs.

*--* 1919 BOSTON 66-71 4.09 3.31 BABE RUTH (.322, HERB PENNOCK RED SOX 28, 114) (16-8, 2.71)

*--*

Comment: Offense actually got better with Ruth a regular in lineup, but pitching fell apart, highlighted by Sam Jones, who went from 16-5, 2.24 to 12-20, 3.75.

*--* 1931 ST. 101-53 5.29 3.45 CHICK HAFEY BILL HALLAHAN LOUIS (.349, 16, 95) (19-9, 3.29) CARDINALS

*--*

Comment: Hafey won league batting title, Frankie Frisch (.311, 4, 82) was selected NL MVP.

*--* 1932 ST. 72-82 4.38 3.97 RIPPER COLLINS DIZZY DEAN LOUIS (.279, 21, 91) (18-15, 3.30) CARDINALS

*--*

Comment: Cardinals traded Hafey, who was a holdout, just before the season started and sent Burleigh Grimes (18-8 in 1931) to Chicago for a washed-up Hack Wilson. Branch Rickey was hired as GM after 1932, setting the stage for the 1934 Gashouse Gang.

*--* 1960 95-59 4.74 3.49 ROBERTO CLEMENTE HARVEY HADDIX PITTSBURGH (.314, 16, 94) (20-9, 3.08) PIRATES

*--*

Comment: Shortstop Dick Groat (.325, 2, 50) was league MVP and combined with second baseman Bill Mazeroski to provide superior defense. Roy Face (10-8, 2.90, 24 saves) anchored the bullpen.

*--* 1961 75-79 4.51 3.92 ROBERTO CLEMENTE JOE GIBBON PITTSBURGH (.351, 23, 89) (13-10, 3.32) PIRATES

*--*

Comment: Starting pitching fell apart, as Bob Friend (14-19, 3.85) and Vinegar Bend Mizell (7-10, 5.04) had poor seasons. Haddix (10-6, 4.10) was sidelined part of the season by an injury and closer Face (6-12, 3.82, 17 saves) had an off year.

*--* 1964 ST. LOUIS 93-69 4.41 3.43 KEN BOYER (.295, BOB GIBSON CARDINALS 24, 119) (19-12, 3.01)

*--*

Comment: Boyer was selected MVP and Lou Brock (.348, 12, 44) and Bill White (.303, 21, 102) had career years. Dick Groat (.292, 1, 70) came over from the Pirates to provide leadership. Groat finished third in MVP voting.

*--* 1965 ST. LOUIS 80-81 4.36 3.77 BILL WHITE BOB GIBSON CARDINALS (.289, 24, 73) (20-12, 3.07)

*--*

Comment: Offense was fine, but the starting pitching fell apart. After Gibson, staff was “led” by Curt Simmons (9-15, 4.08) and Ray Sadecki (6-15, 4.21).

*--* 1966 97-63 4.72 3.32 FRANK ROBINSON DAVE McNALLY BALTIMORE (.316, 49, 122) (13-6, 3.17) ORIOLES

*--*

Comment: Offense also had Boog Powell (.287, 34, 109) and Brooks Robinson (.269, 23, 100). Closer Stu Miller (9-4, 2.25, 18 saves) led a strong bullpen.

*--* 1967 76-85 4.06 3.32 FRANK ROBINSON TOM PHOEBUS BALTIMORE (.311, 30, 94) (14-9, 3.33) ORIOLES

*--*

Comment: Shortstop Luis Aparicio (.233, 4, 31) got old in a hurry and Powell (.234, 13, 55) had a poor year. The Orioles’ starting staff fell apart, with injuries sidelining McNally (7-7, 4.54) and Jim Palmer (3-1, 2.94) for much of the season.

*--* 1982 ST. 92-70 4.23 3.37 LONNIE SMITH JOAQUIN ANDUJAR LOUIS (.307, 8, 69) (15-10, 2.47) CARDINALS

*--*

Comment: St. Louis ran with abandon, stealing 200 bases and getting timely hitting from Keith Hernandez (.299, 7, 94) and George Hendrick (.282, 19, 104). All the team needed was a solid seven innings from the starters to turn the game over to Bruce Sutter (9-8, 2.90, 36 saves), who finished third in Cy Young voting and fifth in MVP voting.

*--* 1983 ST. 79-83 4.19 3.79 GEORGE HENDRICK JOHN STUPER LOUIS (.318, 18, 97) (12-11, 3.68) CARDINALS

*--*

Comment: Whitey Herzog traded Keith Hernandez to the Mets and the Cardinals missed his bat. In return, St. Louis got Neil Allen (10-6, 3.70). Andujar’s numbers (6-16, 4.16) fell, as did Sutter’s (9-12, 4.23, 21 saves).

*--* 1985 KANSAS 91-71 4.24 3.49 GEORGE BRETT BRET SABERHAGEN CITY ROYALS (.335, 30, 112) (20-6, 2.87)

*--*

Comment: Pitching, pitching and more pitching led this team to the title. The offense ranked next to last in runs scored, but Saberhagen, who won the Cy Young Award, Charlie Leibrandt (17-9, 2.69) and closer Dan Quisenberry (8-9, 2.37, 37 saves) led a solid staff from top to bottom.

*--* 1986 KANSAS 76-86 4.04 3.82 GEORGE BRETT CHARLIE LEIBRANDT CITY ROYALS (.290, 16, 73) (14-11, 4.09)

*--*

Comment: The Royals again finished next to last in scoring, as should any team that fields a lineup that includes Angel Salazar, Rudy Law and Jorge Orta. Saberhagen (7-12, 4.15) suffered the first of many injuries in his career and Quisenberry saved only 12 games.

*--* 1988 DODGERS 94-67 3.88 2.96 KIRK GIBSON OREL HERSHISER (.290, 25, 76) (23-8, 2.26)

*--*

Comment: Gibson (MVP) and Hershiser (Cy Young) were the big names, but everyone on the roster, from Mickey Hatcher to Brian Holton, contributed in some way. And who’s the only person on the roster still playing baseball? Jesse Orosco.

*--* 1989 DODGERS 77-83 3.46 2.95 EDDIE MURRAY OREL HERSHISER (.247, 20, 88) (15-15, 2.31)

*--*

Comment: The Dodgers were first in ERA but last in runs scored. Kirk Gibson (.213, 9, 28) was still fighting off injuries and was replaced in the lineup by perennial prospect Jose Gonzalez (.268, 3, 18). Steve Sax was with the Yankees.

*--* 1990 91-71 4.28 3.39 ERIC DAVIS (.260, JOSE RIJO CINCINNATI 24, 86) (14-8, 2.70) REDS

*--*

Comment: The offense was decent, but the pitching, especially the “Nasty Boys” bullpen of Randy Myers (3-6, 2.08, 31 saves), Rob Dibble (8-3, 1.74, 11 saves) and Norm Charlton (12-9, 2.74, 2 saves) was dominant. Those three relievers struck out 351 batters in 339 innings.

*--* 1991 74-88 4.25 3.83 CHRIS SABO (.301, JOSE RIJO CINCINNATI 26, 88) (15-6, 2.51) REDS

*--*

Comment: The offense was again decent but, other than Rijo, the pitching was off. Jack Armstrong went from 1990 NL All-Star game starter to 7-13 with a 5.48 ERA. No starter other than Rijo had an ERA below 4.00.

*--* 1997 92-70 4.57 3.83 MOISES ALOU (.292, KEVIN BROWN FLORIDA 23, 115) (16-8, 2.69) MARLINS

*--*

Comment: Owner Wayne Huizenga decided he wanted a World Series title, so he brought in Alou, Bobby Bonilla (.297, 17, 96) and Alex Fernandez (17-12, 4.04) to help him get it.

*--* 1998 54-108 4.12 5.20 CLIFF FLOYD LIVAN HERNANDEZ FLORIDA (.282, 22, 90) (10-12, 4.72) MARLINS

*--*

Comment: And just like that, Huizenga got rid of almost everybody, sending away Bonilla, Brown, Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, Al Leiter and closer Robb Nen, among others.

-- Houston Mitchell