Octoberfest: Angels, Dodgers eye World Series

"The Angels have a good ballclub, a heck of a ballclub," Torre said. "I'm still concerned about our well-being."

Scioscia realizes that despite everything his team has accomplished, there's a long way to go before they face the Dodgers, or anyone else, in the World Series.

"That stuff is all going to play itself out," he said. "If it happens to be something that's as special as a Freeway World Series, then that would be great. But our plate's full right now just trying to prepare for whoever we're going to play."

While the Dodgers haven't clinched a postseason berth, they've been at their best recently, having won 12 of 13 games in one stretch to go from 4 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks to 4 1/2 games ahead.

"We've been hanging in there and putting ourselves in a position to hopefully win the division," said Dodgers infielder Nomar Garciaparra, who grew up in nearby Whittier.

As for an LA-LA matchup, "it's way premature," he said.

"Right now, our focus is just trying to get to our goal, which is to get to the playoffs and get to the World Series," Garciaparra said.

The Dodgers haven't done that since 1988, when Orel Hershiser and Kirk Gibson led them past the favored Oakland Athletics in five games. They've made the playoffs only four times since then, going 1-12 in being eliminated in the first round each time.

"They've had some good teams that have reached the playoffs, but they just haven't been able to put together a run like we had in '88," Scioscia said. "It's one of baseball's storied franchises and incredible organizations, and they'll rebound."

The Angels played in the postseason only three times in their first 41 years of existence, but have done so five times in the last seven years - all under Scioscia, who played for the Dodgers from 1980-92.

Fans in Chicago have their hearts set on a Windy City World Series, with the Cubs and White Sox leading their respective divisions. That's happened once before, in 1906 - two years before the Cubs last won the World Series.

There have been 14 Subway Series involving New York teams, but only one since the Dodgers and Giants moved to California 50 years ago. That was in 2000, when the Yankees beat the Mets in five games.

"When they had the Mets and the Yankees, the people out west didn't care," Lasorda said.

Marc Ludwick and Karen Hollyfield, season ticket-holders at Dodger Stadium, go to quite a few Angels games as well. They live in Santa Clarita, giving them an 80-mile round trip to see the Dodgers and 140 miles for the Angels.

Hollyfield said she'd probably root for the Dodgers in a Freeway World Series.

"It's never going to happen, though," she said. "We'll be lucky if they go to the playoffs and win one game. The Angels are fantastic, though."

Said Ludwick: "It's a rivalry matchup that's long overdue. I think the city would certainly relish seeing that World Series matchup. We have exhibitions and the interleague play between them, but that would really be something."

Ludwick said he'd pull for the Dodgers, adding: "I think Blue."

Greg Donovan makes the 180-mile round trip from Palm Springs to Angel Stadium for games, having married an Anaheim woman who's a season ticket-holder.

"It would be tough for the rest of the country, great for us," he said of a Freeway World Series. "Seeing Scioscia going up against the Dodgers would be fantastic."