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| Scioscia was showered with water by veterans Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells to celebrate the milestone. |
After reliever, Fernando Rodney surrendered a one run lead in the 8th inning and gave Cleveland a 4-3 lead, it looked as if Scioscia's milestone would have to wait yet again. The Angels put together a three-run bottom half of the inning, capped off by an Erik Aybar two-run double to put Los Angeles back out in front.
Rookie closer Jordan Walden gave up back-to-back doubles, but struck out the final two batters securing the win for Scioscia and the Halos.
Scioscia becomes the 56th manager in major league history to record 1,000 wins as a manager and only the 26th to record them for one team. Known for his playing career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and being a viable part to both of their World Series titles in the '80's, Scoscia looked like the air apparent to succeed Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda as manager.
Instead Los Angeles went a different direction hiring three different mangers in a three-year span, leaving Scioscia waiting in the minor leagues. Scioscia would make a decision that would prove to be a regretful one for the Dodger organization. The two-time All-Star moved down the freeway and was hired by at the time by, the Anaheim Angels prior to the 2000 season.
Although Sciosica would miss the postseason his first two seasons at the Big A, 2002 marked the greatest year in the franchises history. With his National League small ball approach and aggressive base running, the Angels ended their 15-year postseason drought by clinching a Wild Card berth for the first time in franchise history. They would roll through the American League in the first two rounds, beating the defending American League Champion New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins in a combined nine games.
Sciosca would met a familiar face in the World Series that year. San Francisco Giants manager, Dusty Baker was a former teammate of Scioscia's on the '81 World Series champion team in Los Angeles.
It would be one of the greatest World Series played in major league history. With the Angels trailing by five runs in the 7th inning of Game 6, Scioscia's squad rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning and then again in the 8th to take the lead and force a decisive seventh game in Anaheim the following night.
The Angels would go on to win Game 7 riding on the back of their rookie right-hander, John Lackey. It was the first and only World Series is franchise history to date, something that can never be taken away from the former Dodgers backstop. At the time Scioscia became only the 17th manager in history to a win World Series as a player and manager.
With his win Sunday at Angel Stadium, Scioscia is the fifth active manager to have 1,000 career win behind, Tony La Russa, Jim Leyland, Dusty Baker, and Bruce Bochy. During his tenure as Angels manager, Scioscia has led the Angels to five American League Western Division titles and has been named Manager of the Year twice, most recently in 2009. That season Los Angeles would exercise their postseason demons by sweeping the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS, but lost to the eventual World Series Champion New York Yankees in the ALCS.
With his '09 postseason berth Scioscia became the first manager in major league history to lead a team to the postseason in his first ten seasons as a manager.
Now in his twelfth season at the helm in Anaheim no manager has managed more games or seasons in franchise history. All that being said Scioscia has cemented himself as the greatest manager in Angels history and continuing the trend with his team currently in first place in the AL West, two games in front of Oakland and Texas.
Scioscia will go for his 1,001 career victory tonight at home against the Chicago White Sox leaving Dodger fans to continually say, the one that got away.
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