<Table> <Tr> <Td> ← 2001 </Td> <Td> World Series </Td> <Td> 2003 → </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> ← 2001 </Td> <Td> World Series </Td> <Td> 2003 → </Td> </Tr> <P> The 2002 World Series was a best - of - seven playoff series to determine Major League Baseball (MLB)'s champion for the 2002 season . It was the 98th series played between the American League (AL) and National League (NL) champions . The AL champion Anaheim Angels played the NL champion San Francisco Giants for the title . The series was played from October 19--27, 2002 at Pacific Bell Park (now AT&T Park) in San Francisco and Edison International Field of Anaheim (now Angel Stadium) in Anaheim . The Angels defeated the Giants four games to three to win their first World Series championship . </P> <P> This was the first World Series since the 1995 inception of the wild card in Major League Baseball (and the last until 2014) in which both wild card teams would vie for the title . The Angels finished the regular season in second place in the American League West, four games behind the AL West champions Oakland Athletics . They defeated the four time defending A.L. champions New York Yankees three games to one in the best - of - five American League Division Series (ALDS), and in doing so won their first postseason series in franchise history . They then defeated the Minnesota Twins four games to one in the best - of - seven American League Championship Series (ALCS) to advance to the World Series, another first in franchise history . </P>

Who won the mlb world series in 2002