The Final Chapter: of Mouse and Men

They said they were going, and with this group they might actually do it. Minutes after Darin Erstad had safely tucked away Kenny Lofton’s fly ball for the final out of the World Series, Scott Spiezio, Troy Glaus, Alex Ochoa, Adam Kennedy and Benji Gil were corralled by a team official and coaxed toward a waiting camera crew.

Cameras rolling, together they shouted, “We’re going to Disneyland!”

It has been done after a championship series before, of course, but this team is better connected than the rest.

The cameras were rolling for only a couple of seconds, but getting the shot was quite a production. Disney had a camera, mike and three producer types on hand just to make sure they got the commercial. And even then they almost missed it.

Because the airwaves were so clogged with cell phone and walkie-talkie traffic as the game was about to end, the crew got the run-around -- literally -- trying to get onto the field.

Through corridors under the stadium, they were rushed from behind the third base dugout, over to the first base side and back behind home plate as Troy Percival tried to get the final three outs of the game.

“Michael [Eisner] is really going to be mad if this doesn’t get done,” one said. But even dropping the boss’ name wasn’t helping with security.

Finally, they made it, just after the final out. Tim Mead, the Angels’ vice president of communications, said the commercial will air locally.

In the past, the commercial’s starring role has gone to the World Series’ MVP, but Anaheim Sports officials decided that if the Angels won they should include more than one player. “That’s been the whole thing about this season,” Mead said. “It’s been about the team.”

Of course, without an Angel victory, the camera crew would have been there for nothing. Before the game, Mead was asked what the plans were for the Disney commercial if the Giants won.

“We’re not doing it if the Giants win,” he said.