ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Angels may not have advanced to the postseason at all if not for the contributions of four pitchers whose main function during the World Series will be as cheerleaders.

Aaron Sele, Mickey Callaway, Dennis Cook and Al Levine are not on manager Mike Scioscia's roster, which has remained unchanged since the start of the playoffs.

Levine made way for rookie Francisco Rodriguez, who wasn't even in the Angels' team photo but has recorded his first four big-league victories in the postseason. Levine declined to discuss his situation Wednesday, but the injured Cook has accepted his.

"Sitting out is a lot harder than I expected it to be, just knowing that I have no say in the outcome of the game," Cook said.

Cook underwent surgery Oct. 4, his 40th birthday, following a season plagued by shoulder problems. The left-hander would have come in handy in the late innings against Giants slugger Barry Bonds and has not allowed a run in 16 1/3 innings spanning 19 postseason appearances.

"It's gut-wrenching, because I want to be out there. I want to be out there in a one-run game facing Barry, or whoever it is," said Cook, who won a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins in 1997 and pitched in another fall classic with the New York Mets two years ago.

"But all I can do now is encourage and inform guys about my past experiences in the playoffs and World Series, talk to the young guys about keeping their heads on straight and keep them focused on every pitch. Whether it's helping or not, I have no idea. But in my own mind, I think I'm helping. I just want to contribute any way I can.''

Cook had a torn labrum that was detached from the bone, and a couple of rotator cuff muscles that needed to be trimmed down.

He opted not to have surgery in July was because he wanted a chance to pitch in the postseason. But the race with Oakland for the division title went down to the final weekend, preventing Scioscia from testing the strength of his shoulder.

"I would love to have a chance to come back here next year and show them what I can do and how much I can help them, at a pretty well-discounted price -- just to kind of even things up,'' Cook said.

Sele, who joined the Angels last winter as a free agent, was 8-9 with a 4.89 ERA in 26 starts before going on the disabled list Aug. 21 because of a partial tear in his rotator cuff.

"Injuries happen, and I'm disappointed," the two-time All-Star said. "But I threw 160 innings and I think I've contributed quite a lot to the growth of the staff."

Callaway, called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to replace Sele, is just happy to be in the dugout during the Series. The 27-year-old right-hander joined the Angels from Tampa Bay in a Dec. 17 trade.

"My job during the World Series is just to stay in shape in case somebody gets hurt," Callahan said. "I think it's more nerve-racking sitting in the dugout and knowing you don't have any control of the situation, but this is great just to be experiencing it. And maybe down the road, sometime I'll be able to play in it."

Thundershtick
"Tonight" show host Jay Leno sent comedian Arsenio Hall to the Angels' World Series workout Wednesday to do some prerecorded shtick with his ThunderStix.

Hall did similar segments at last year's NBA Finals and the 1998 baseball All-Star game at Coors Field. He doesn't care if people find out he's been a closet Angels fan for a long time, having attended games in Anaheim since 1980.

"I love baseball. I was down here when it was easier to get tickets -- before the jerseys became white and red. I just always liked the facility and dug the underdog thing. I mean, there were things about the Dodgers that just weren't me. It's the same reason you rooted for Rocky in the first Rocky movie."

First impressions
Joe Buck's introduction to Barry Bonds didn't go well.

It happened about nine years ago when Don Baylor, who then was a batting coach for St. Louis, brought them together.

"I was looking at Barry Bonds, and it just seemed like here's this megastar and all you heard was how unhappy he was," the Fox announcer recalled Wednesday.

"I was talking to Don about it and he said, 'Oh, Barry's a good guy, his bark is just worse than bite.'"

Then came the introduction.

"Don, who's known him all his life, comes up and goes, 'Barry this is Joe Buck, Jack Buck's son, one of our broadcasters, and he'd like to meet you.' And Barry looked at me and went, "So ...?'"

"I just walked back to the dugout with my tail between my legs, my pride completely deflated. And it's always been like that. That's the reason I react to Barry the way I do," Buck said.

Buck, however, doesn't deny his appreciation of Bonds' accomplishments.

"I'm happy for him and I'm excited to see him get a chance on the biggest stage baseball has to offer," Buck said. "I wasn't expecting to feel that way, but I do. He is a superstar whether you like him or not, and having him in the lineup hitting home runs and getting walks and the controversy can do nothing but help what we're trying to promote here."