MLB Playoffs 2015: Which Wild Card teams have won the World Series?

2002 – Anaheim Angels

In some cases, the Wild Card is the golden ticket that a team needs to push the envelope and go for broke. A seemingly under-performing team gets a second breath and all it takes is a hot streak for that team to go from barely in the postseason to winning a championship.

Such was the case with the 2002 Anaheim Angels, a team seemingly destined to win the series. For the Angels, that destiny came in the form of a Rally Monkey.

After dispatching of the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins in the ALDS and ALCS respectively, the Angels ran into the Barry Bonds-led San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Giants took game one in Anaheim, the Angels’ first loss at home in the postseason and splitting the first two games in Anaheim. The Giants then took two of three in San Francisco, putting the Angels on the cusp of defeat.

Game Six started off on a very rough note for Anaheim, with San Francisco quickly jumping out to a 5-0 lead through the first six and a half innings. However, upon breaking out the rally monkey, the Angels ran off six runs over the next two innings and stealing game six from the Giants. That led to an anticlimactic 4-1 win in game seven to secure the series title.

Next: 2003 - Florida Marlins