Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Encyclopedia
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team
based in Anaheim, California
, United States
. The Angels are a member of the Western Division
of Major League Baseball
's American League
. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles
. The Angels have been based in Angel Stadium of Anaheim
since 1966, but the baseball team name originated in Los Angeles since 1892 in the California and Pacific Coast League before the MLB expansion to the west coast in 1958. The Angels franchise of today was established in the MLB in 1961 through former owner Gene Autry
, the team’s first Major League owner who bought the rights to continue the franchise name from Walter O'Malley, the former Los Angeles Dodgers
owner who acquired the franchise from Phil Wrigley the owner of the Chicago Cubs
at the time. The true birth of the team name in existence of baseball stems from the year 1892, making them the first Los Angeles sports team in history due to the continuity of the name in professional baseball, and by having the rights to the name, "Los Angeles Angels," bought and transferred from franchise owners. MLB considers the current Los Angeles Angels franchise to be an expansion team due to the fact that the team did not exist in the major league until 1961. . As far as recent team accomplishments, in 2009, the Angels were AL Western Division champions for the third straight season. 2011 marked the ninth straight year in which the Angels franchise had drawn more than 3 Million fans in attendance for the regular baseball season. ESPN ranked the Los Angeles Angels #4 on it's list of Ultimate Team Rankings ahead of every team in baseball and any franchise in Los Angeles. .
, now a minor league affiliate of the MLB. After the Angels joined Major League Baseball
, some players from the Angels' PCL team joined the MLB Angels in 1961. An expansion franchise, the club continued in Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Angels, and played their home games at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field
(not to be confused with Chicago
's stadium of the same name
), which had formerly been the home of the PCL Los Angeles Angels
. The team then moved in to newly built Dodger Stadium
, which the Angels referred to as Chavez Ravine
, where they were tenants of the Los Angeles Dodgers
through .
The team's founder, entertainer Gene Autry
, owned the franchise for its first 36 years. During Autry's ownership, the team made the playoffs three times, but never won the pennant. The team has gone through several name changes in their history, first changing their name to the California Angels on September 2, 1965 with a month still left of the season, in recognition of their upcoming move to the newly constructed Anaheim Stadium
in Anaheim at the start of the 1966 season. When The Walt Disney Company
took control of the team in , it extensively renovated Anaheim Stadium, which was then re-named Edison International Field of Anaheim. The City of Anaheim contributed $30 million to the $118 million renovation with a renegotiated lease providing that the names of both the stadium and team contain the word "Anaheim". The team was renamed the Anaheim Angels and became a subsidiary of Disney Sports, Inc. (later renamed Anaheim Sports, Inc.). Under Disney's ownership and the leadership of manager Mike Scioscia
, the Angels finally won their first pennant and world championship in 2002
.
In 2005
, new owner Arturo Moreno added "Los Angeles" to the team's name in order to better tap into the team's history and appeal to more Los Angeles fans like in the team's past; he has also stated that Los Angeles is the second largest market in the U.S. and it would benefit the team greatly. In compliance with the terms of its lease with the city of Anaheim, which required "Anaheim" be a part of the team's name, the team was renamed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Hotly disputed when initially announced, the change was eventually upheld in court
and the city finally dropped its four-year legal battle in 2009. The team usually refers to itself as the Angels or Angels Baseball in its home media market, and the words "Los Angeles" and "LAA" do not appear in the stadium, on the Angels' uniforms, or on official team merchandise. Local media in Southern California
tend to omit a geographic identifier and refer to the team as the Angels or as the Halos. The Associated Press
, the most prominent news service in the U.S., refers to the team as the Los Angeles Angels, the Angels, or Los Angeles.
team relocating to LA.In 1940, the St. Louis Browns
asked AL owners for permission to move to Los Angeles, but were turned down. They planned another move for the 1942 season
, and this time got permission from the league. A schedule was even drawn up including Los Angeles, but the bombing of Pearl Harbor
in December 1941 made major-league sports of any sort on the West Coast unviable. In 1953
, there was again talk of the Browns moving to L.A. for the 1954 season
, but the team was sold and moved to Baltimore
instead as the Orioles
. There were on-again, off-again discussions between city officials and the Washington Senators regarding a possible move. There were also rumors that the Philadelphia Athletics
' move to Kansas City
in 1955
was a temporary stop on the way to Los Angeles.
In the end it was the National League
that first came to the city, in the form of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley
purchased the Pacific Coast League
's Los Angeles Angels
in early 1957 from Chicago Cubs
owner Phil Wrigley
. Under the rules of the time, he also acquired the rights to a major league team in Los Angeles, which he used to move the Dodgers there a year later. Under ordinary circumstances, that would have precluded any subsequent American League presence in the Los Angeles area
. However, in an effort to prevent the proposed Continental League
from becoming a reality, in 1960 the two existing leagues agreed to expand, adding two new teams to each league. Though the understanding was that expansion teams would be placed in cities without major league baseball, that agreement quickly broke down. When the National League placed a team in New York
(the Mets
) as its tenth franchise, the American League announced plans to place an expansion team in Los Angeles, to begin play in 1961.
, former movie cowboy, singer, actor and owner of Golden West Broadcasters (including Los Angeles' KMPC
radio and KTLA
television), attended the Major League Owners’ meeting in St. Louis in 1960 in hopes of winning broadcasting rights for the new team’s games. Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg
was initially on the fast track to be the team's first owner, with Bill Veeck
as a partner. However, when O'Malley got word of Veeck's involvement, he invoked his exclusive right to operate a major league team in Southern California. In truth, O'Malley wasn't about to compete with Veeck, who was known as a master promoter. After it became obvious that O'Malley would never sign off on the deal as long as Veeck was a part-owner, Greenberg was forced to bow out. After another bid by Chicago
insurance executive and future A's
owner Charlie Finley failed, Autry was persuaded to make a bid himself. Autry (who had been a minority stockholder in the Angels' PCL rival, the Hollywood Stars
) agreed, and purchased the franchise.
to make way for the Dodgers, so Autry paid O'Malley $300,000 for the rights to the name.
) chose players from other American League teams in an expansion draft
. In 1961
, the first year of the team’s existence, the Angels finished 70-91 for a .435 winning percentage
, still the highest winning percentage ever for a first-year major league expansion team. Moreover, they not only finished 9 games ahead of the Senators
, but also 9 games ahead of the Kansas City Athletics
. The 1961 Angels, admittedly a motley crew, featured portly first baseman Steve Bilko
, a long-time fan favorite, having played many years with the PCL Angels. Another favorite was the diminutive (5' 5-3/8") center fielder, El Monte
native Albie Pearson
. The Angels played that inaugural season at Wrigley Field
in South Los Angeles
, the longtime home of the PCL Angels and also of the syndicated television series Home Run Derby
. They originally wanted to play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
, where the Dodgers had played on a temporary basis since moving from Brooklyn. However, Commissioner
Ford Frick
turned this idea down almost out of hand after concluding that the Coliseum's extremely short left field fence (only 250 feet from the plate) made it unsuitable even as a temporary facility.
, under the terms of their agreement with O'Malley, the Angels moved to Dodger Stadium
, which they would refer to as Chavez Ravine
. That year, the Angels—amazingly—were a contender for the American League pennant for most of the season, even leading the American League standings on July 4, before finishing in third place, 10 games behind the New York Yankees
, who won their 27th American League pennant. On May 5 of that year, Bo Belinsky
tossed the first no-hit game in the history of Dodger Stadium/Chavez Ravine, blanking the Orioles
5-0.
, the Halos again finished fifth in the American League, and pitcher Dean Chance
won the Major League Cy Young Award
that year. The need for a new stadium became more and more evident. It was thought the Angels would never develop a large fan base playing as tenants of the Dodgers. Also, O'Malley imposed fairly onerous lease conditions on the Angels; for example, he charged them for 50% of all stadium supplies, even though the Angels at the time drew at best half of the Dodgers' attendance.
. However, the city insisted the team be renamed the Long Beach Angels, a condition Autry refused to accept. He was able to strike a deal with the suburban city of Anaheim in Orange County
, and construction began on Anaheim Stadium (nicknamed The Big A by Southern Californians), where the Angels moved in 1966. On September 2, 1965, team ownership announced the Los Angeles Angels would thenceforth be known as the California Angels, in anticipation of the team's move to Anaheim the following year. They were the second Major League baseball team to be named after an entire state, following the Minnesota Twins
. At the time, though they were one of three major league teams in the state of California, the Angels were the only American League team in the state. (Despite the move of the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland
in 1968, the Angels retained their California moniker through 1996.) They were also the first Major League Baseball team that was originally from California (The Dodgers, Giants were from New York, the A's were from Kansas City and the Padres were granted Major League status after the Angels.)
In their last year at Chavez Ravine, the Angels drew only 566,727 paying customers. In their 1966
inaugural year in Anaheim, the Angels
drew over 1.4 million, leading the American League in attendance. In 1967
, their second year in Anaheim, the Angels
contended for the American League pennant as part of a five-team pennant race (along with Chicago
, Detroit
, Minnesota
and eventual winner Boston
) before fading in late August, but eventually became the "spoilers" by defeating Detroit at Tiger Stadium in the last game of the regular season to give Boston its first AL pennant in 21 years. In 1970, the Angels finished third in the AL Western Division and Alex Johnson
became the first (and so far only) Angel to win an American League batting title.
Nolan Ryan
, who tossed four of his seven no-hitter
s as an Angel. He also set several strikeout records throughout his career, most notably a 383-strikeout mark in 1973
, still a major league record. Ryan was acquired in a trade that sent Jim Fregosi
to the Mets. Ryan had been a middle relief pitcher on the "Miracle Mets" team that captured the 1969 World Series
. Ryan's feats caused him to be named the Ryan Express, after the 1965 film Von Ryan's Express
, which starred Frank Sinatra
. His prowess, combined with that of fellow moundsman Frank Tanana
, produced the refrain, "Tanana, Ryan and Two Days of Cryin'", a derivative of the refrain, "Spahn and Sain, then pray for rain," coined when Warren Spahn
and Johnny Sain
anchored the pitching staff of the then Boston Braves
in the 1940s.
Ironically, the 1970s came to a close with the decision by then-general manager Buzzie Bavasi
to allow Ryan to become a free agent. At the time, Bavasi remarked that Ryan, whose 1979 record was 16-14 (Ryan was 26-27 under Bavasi), could be replaced "with two pitchers who go 8-7." Bavasi later admitted this was "the worst mistake I ever made in all my years in baseball."
, a former Angel shortstop who was sent to the New York Mets
in 1972
as part of the trade that brought Nolan Ryan
to the Angels. Don Baylor
became the first designated hitter
to win the American League Most Valuable Player award. Other contributors to the team, which featured a powerful offense, were Bert Campaneris
, Rod Carew
, Dan Ford
and Bobby Grich
. However, the Angels lost what then was a best 3-out-of-5 ALCS
to the Baltimore Orioles
, managed by Earl Weaver
, three games to one. The Halos won Game 3 at home, scoring twice in the bottom of the 9th inning to shade Baltimore 4-3.
This was the only year between 1971 and 1981 that the American League West wasn't won by either the Oakland Athletics
or the Kansas City Royals
.
football team agreed to move to Anaheim for the 1980 season, with seating increased to almost 65,000. The expansion completely enclosed the stadium, replacing the view of the San Gabriel
and Santa Ana Mountains
with three decks of gray concrete. In the 1980s, like many other baseball teams of that era, the Angels learned the difficulties of marketing the team while playing in a multi-purpose facility with a seating capacity too large for baseball.
, who previously starred for the Oakland Athletics
and the New York Yankees
, joined the Angels that year and teamed with many holdovers from the 1979 team for the 1982 effort. The team was helmed by manager Gene Mauch
, who would also manage the team during their 1986 postseason appearance. After clinching their second AL West championship, the Angels won the first two games of the best-of-five ALCS
against the AL East champion Milwaukee Brewers
— then promptly dropped the next three in a row to lose the series. As Steve Bisheff wrote in Tales from the Angels Dugout, “No team in history had ever come back from an 0-2 deficit to win in a best-of-five series. Of course, no team had ever faced the Angels in that situation.” (At that time, the team with home field advantage played the first two games on the road before hosting the final three games at home, a format that was changed following the season. In subsequent years, the same has happened to other teams.)
runner-up Wally Joyner
and pitcher Chuck Finley
. Champions of the AL West for the third time, the Angels faced the AL East champions Boston Red Sox
in the ALCS
. Leading in the series three games to one, the Angels were one out away from defeating Boston and going to the World Series for the first time in their history. Leading 5-2 in the top of the ninth inning of Game 5, starter Mike Witt
surrendered a two-run home run to former Angel Don Baylor
, cutting the Angels' lead to 5-4. After reliever Gary Lucas hit Rich Gedman
with his first and only pitch, closer Donnie Moore
came in to shut the door. Though twice the Angels were one strike away from the Series, Moore gave up a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run
to Dave Henderson
that put Boston ahead 6-5.
Although the Angels managed to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, Henderson again came through for the Red Sox with a sacrifice fly in the 11th, eventually giving Boston a 7-6 victory. Thoroughly shocked, the Angels then travelled to Fenway Park
and were blown out in Games 6 and 7 as the Red Sox claimed the pennant. Boston would go on to lose the 1986 World Series
in seven games to the New York Mets
, a series known for the infamous Bill Buckner
error in Game 6.
In the aftermath of the ALCS, Angels fans regarded Henderson's home run off Moore as the point at which their team had been closest to the World Series, and thus Moore became the scapegoat for the Angels' loss of the pennant. Although the fans were hard on him, Moore (who had battled depression in the past) was even harder on himself, and that one pitch to Henderson that turned the tide of the ALCS haunted him for the rest of his days. He would take his own life three years later, claiming to have never gotten over that moment. Moore's suicide was the latest in a series of tragedies that dogged the team (star outfielder Lyman Bostock
was shot to death in 1978 while visiting friends in Gary, Indiana
) and gave rise to talk of a "hex" on the franchise. The Angels would not qualify for the playoffs for the next 16 years.
, though holding a controlling interest in the Angels, was in control in name only due to poor health in his advanced years. Autry’s wife Jackie, 20 years his junior, at times seemed to be the decision-maker, and at other times the Disney Company
, then a minority owner, seemed to be in charge.
On May 21, 1992, an Angels' team bus traveling from New York to Baltimore crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike. Twelve members of the team ensemble were injured, including manager Buck Rodgers
, who was hospitalized and missed the next two months of the season.
In 1993, the Angels had a new spring training camp in Tempe, Arizona
after 31 previous seasons in Palm Springs Stadium
in Palm Springs
, an idea Autry developed from the days when he stayed in his desert resort home. The Angels hoped a new facility would rejuvenate and improve the roster in the long run. The 1993
and 1994 seasons
proved to be worse for the Angels than the previous three, particularly since the 1994 season ended in a baseball player strike that kept Angel fans waiting even longer for the team's fate to change.
) and went on an extended slide during the final stretch run. By season's end, they were in a first-place tie with the surging Seattle Mariners
, prompting a one-game playoff
for the division title. The Mariners, managed by Lou Piniella
and led by pitching ace Randy Johnson
, laid a 9–1 drubbing on the Angels in the playoff game, clinching the AL West championship and forcing the Angels and their fans to endure yet another season of heartbreak and bitter disappointment.
, however, remained as chairman until his death in 1998. In 1999, Tavares hired Bill Stoneman
as team general manager, under whose watch the Angels eventually won their first World Series Championship
.
Although Disney did not technically acquire a controlling interest in the team until after Autry's death, for all practical purposes it ran the team (the Autry loyalists on the board acted as "silent partner
s") through its Anaheim Sports subsidiary, which also owned the NHL
's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
at the time.
Disney, of course, had been a catalyst for the development of and population growth in Orange County, having opened its Disneyland theme park in Anaheim in 1955. Autry had named Walt Disney
himself to the Angels' board in 1960; Mr. Disney served on the board until his death in 1966, and had been one of the proponents of the team's move to Orange County in 1965-66. Walt Disney Pictures
also produced the 1994 movie Angels in the Outfield
, which featured a fictionalized version of the team.
In 1995, the year of the Angels' worst regular season collapse, the Los Angeles Rams had moved to St. Louis
, citing the deteriorating conditions at Anaheim Stadium as a primary cause for the move. Angels management, stuck in an aging, oversized "white elephant" of a stadium, hinted the team might be moved from Southern California as well.
In 1997, negotiations between the Angels and the city of Anaheim for renovation of Anaheim Stadium ended with an agreement to rehabilitate and downsize the facility into a baseball-only stadium once more. One condition of the stadium agreement was that the Angels could sell naming rights to the renovated stadium, so long as the new name was one "containing Anaheim therein." Anaheim Stadium was almost immediately renamed Edison International
Field of Anaheim, though it was almost always referred to as simply Edison Field. Sportscasters also referred to the stadium at the time as The Big Ed, with a few others continuing to use the Big A nickname and, at times, Anaheim Stadium.
, where Walt Disney World was located. Accordingly, the team changed its name again, to the Anaheim Angels on November 19, 1996. Many fans of the team protested the name change, believing the Anaheim name was small-time, though in time the protests fizzled out.
Then came . The year began with the team scrapping its pinstriped vest jerseys after five years, reverting to uniforms conforming more to the team's traditional uniforms, but now mostly red, with a bit of navy blue trim. Significantly, the Angels' road jerseys now read "Anaheim", the first time the team's geographic location had been noted on its uniforms since 1965.
Pundits predicted the Angels to be third-place finishers in the four-team AL West division, and the team played to those expectations with a 6-14 start to the regular season. The Angels, managed by former Los Angeles Dodgers
catcher Mike Scioscia
, then went on to win 99 games and earn the American League wildcard berth. The Oakland Athletics won 103 games, putting the Angels in second place in the division. The Halos defeated the AL East champions New York Yankees
three games to one in the American League Division Series
, ending the Yankees' streak of 4 straight American League pennants, and the Minnesota Twins four games to one in the ALCS
, to win the American League pennant for the first time in their history.
In the 2002 World Series they met the Wildcard San Francisco Giants
, paced by slugger Barry Bonds
, in what ended up being the highest-scoring World Series of all time. San Francisco took Game 1 (4–3), but the Angels followed that up by winning Games 2 (11–10) and 3 (10–4). The Giants came back to win Games 4 (4–3) and 5 (16–4). The turning point in the series came in Game 6. The Angels trailed 5–0 and were eight outs away from elimination before rallying for 3 runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to win 6–5. The Angels then won Game 7, 4–1, to claim their franchise's first and only World Series championship.
Third baseman Troy Glaus
was named the MVP of the Series. Twenty-year-old rookie relief pitcher Francisco Rodríguez won a record five postseason games, despite never having won a regular-season game before. Angel pitcher John Lackey
became the first rookie pitcher to win the seventh game of the World Series in 93 years.
sold the Angels to Angels Baseball, L.P., a group headed by advertising magnate Arturo "Arte" Moreno
. The sale made the Angels the first major American sports team to be owned by a Hispanic owner and also signaled the beginning of the end of Disney's involvement in professional sports. The company sold the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
hockey team two years later.
removed its name from the stadium. The stadium was renamed Angel Stadium of Anaheim, again almost always referred to as simply Angel Stadium or, The Big A, although the original name, Anaheim Stadium, is still used by many locals. The stadium is owned by the City of Anaheim, which has shown no compunction toward changing the name. Over the years, there have been few, if any, complaints from Anaheim officials about the dropping of "of Anaheim" from common parlance when referring to the stadium.
The new name sparked outrage among Anaheim and Los Angeles city leaders, who argued that a team that does not play its home games within the city or county
of Los Angeles should not claim to be from Los Angeles, even though the Los Angeles Rams played many years in Anaheim without incident. They also regarded the name a lingual farce, as the English "The Angels" was mixed with the Spanish "Los Angeles," especially in a region where Spanish is so heavily used. With the support of the city of Los Angeles, The Walt Disney Company
, and every city in Orange County
, the city of Anaheim sued the Angels, claiming the team violated its lease with the city. The team countered that they were in full compliance with the lease, since the lease only stipulated that the team name contain "Anaheim", and the new name was well within the bounds of this stipulation. A jury trial, which concluded February 9, 2006 resulted in a verdict siding with the Angels and allowing the team to keep the new name.
Although organized fan resistance to the new name had subsided, legal challenges to restore the name Anaheim Angels went forward. They were not successful, however, and on January 13, 2009, Anaheim mayor
Curt Pringle
announced that the city council
had voted unanimously to drop the legal challenge.
On official press releases, and on the team's website, the entire name "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" is used. In other contexts, the team uses simply "Angels" or "Angels Baseball." The team correctly anticipated that the national media and baseball fans outside of the Southern California media market would simply drop "of Anaheim" and refer to the team as the "Los Angeles Angels". When Major League Baseball uses location to identify a team, it refers to the Angels as "Los Angeles," as do MLB's member teams and many sportscasters.
was a tough year, following the previous season's championship. The Angels finished 77-85 in third place and 19 games behind A.L. West champions Oakland
.
However, all was not bleak for the Angels. They sent three players to the All-Star Game
. Slugging third baseman Troy Glaus
and veteran outfielder Garret Anderson
were in the starting lineup, while relief pitcher Brendan Donnelly
was selected to be in the bullpen. Anderson would go on to win the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, as well as the Home Run Derby, and Donnelly picked up the win in the game.
, newly acquired free-agent Vladimir Guerrero
won the American League Most Valuable Player Award
as he led the Angels to their first American League West championship since 1986.
Also in 2004, the Angels mounted a comeback to overcome the division leading Oakland Athletics
in the last week of the regular season, clinching the title in the next-to-last game. However, they were swept in the American League Division Series
three games to zero by the AL Wild Card Boston Red Sox
, who, after beating their longtime rivals, the New York Yankees
, went on to win their first World Series
since 1918.
, the Halos became the first team in the American League to clinch their division, doing so with five games left in the regular season. It was also the first time the team had made the playoffs in back-to-back years. The Angels went on in 2005 to beat the AL East champions New York Yankees
in the Division Series
in five games, but lost in the American League Championship Series
to the eventual World Series champions Chicago White Sox
in five games. Pitcher Bartolo Colón
, who went 21-8 for the season, was voted A.L. Cy Young Award
winner in 2005, only the second Angel to be so honored (Dean Chance
won the award in 1964).
led American League setup men in holds with 31, and was second in the league in innings of relief pitched with 87.2 innings. Chone Figgins
was second in the American League in stolen bases with 52. Jered Weaver
tied Whitey Ford's
American League rookie record by winning the first nine decisions of his career.
The Angels finished in second place in the American League West for the 2006 season
, missing the post-season for the first time since 2003
. While a disappointing development for the franchise, the 2006 campaign was the Angels' third straight season with a winning record, a first in club history. Owner Arte Moreno vowed that the club would make "major" changes during the offseason, a comment that generated talk in trades or free agent signings of players such as Carlos Lee
, Miguel Tejada
, Aramis Ramirez
or perhaps even Alex Rodriguez
.http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-angels20sep20,0,4350586.story?coll=la-home-sports Center fielder Gary Matthews, Jr. signed a five-year, $50-million contract in a deal.
season proved to be a success for the Angels. The Angels got off to the best start in club history, becoming the first club in the major leagues to win fifty games while maintaining a lead in the American League West
. Chone Figgins set a club record for the most hits in a single month with 53, and became just the second Angel to go six-for-six in a single, nine-inning game. Ace John Lackey
was the first starter in the American League to win ten games. Lackey, along with Francisco Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero, were chosen to represent the Angels at the 2007 All-Star Game
in San Francisco
. Guerrero became just the third Angel to win the Home Run Derby
, and Rodriguez was the first to earn a save in an All-Star Game.
2007 was also a resurgent year for veteran outfielder Garret Anderson
. On August 21, Anderson set a new club record for most RBIs in one game with 10 against the New York Yankees
. He also posted a new Angel record with eleven consecutive games with an RBI on September 6 after hitting a single off Indians pitcher Paul Byrd
. On September 7, Anderson again posted a new Angel record with twelve consecutive games with an RBI single against Cleveland's pitcher Jake Westbrook.
On September 23, 2007 the Angels defeated the Seattle Mariners
to clinch the championship of the American League West Division. This is the club's sixth division title and seventh overall playoff berth in its history. The Angels were unable to follow up their success in the regular season with playoff success, as the club, depleted by injuries, was swept by the AL East champions Boston Red Sox
in the ALDS
.
After the 2007 playoff campaign ended, general manager Bill Stoneman
retired and was replaced by Tony Reagins
. Reagins quickly made two headline roster moves: the acquisition of free agent outfielder Torii Hunter
, previously of the Minnesota Twins
, as well as the trade of shortstop Orlando Cabrera
to the Chicago White Sox
for starting pitcher Jon Garland
.
), the Angels had the best record in the American League (tied with the Chicago Cubs
for best record in MLB) going into the All-Star Break. On July 20, closer Francisco Rodríguez accumulated 40 saves in 98 team games, becoming the fastest pitcher to accumulate 40 saves since John Smoltz
did so in 108 team games in . Rodríguez broke Bobby Thigpen's all-time record for saves in a season on September 13 in a game against the Seattle Mariners
and eventually finished with 62 saves. The Angels made another headline trade on July 29, acquiring first baseman Mark Teixeira
from the Atlanta Braves
in exchange for Casey Kotchman
and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek.
On September 10, 2008 with a win over the New York Yankees
and a loss by the Texas Rangers
to the Seattle Mariners, the Angels clinched their seventh American League West Division title. By clinching on September 10, the Angels set a new mark for the earliest clinch date in American League West history. They would finish the 2008 regular season setting a franchise record for wins at 100, breaking the previous club record of 99 wins set by the 2002 World Series championship team. For the second straight year, the Angels faced off against the Boston Red Sox
(AL Wild Card) in the ALDS
, but were unable to advance, losing the series three games to one.
, injuries suddenly plagued John Lackey
and Ervin Santana
, while Kelvim Escobar
was experiencing setbacks to his long-awaited return. This caused the Angels to add long-relievers Dustin Moseley
and Shane Loux
to the rotation, as well as call up top prospect Nick Adenhart
to the rotation.
These injuries left the Opening Day start to Joe Saunders
, who pitched a dominating game against the Oakland Athletics
to start the season. Two days later, Nick Adenhart made his first start of the season, pitching six shutout innings before being pulled from the game. Hours later, he and two other friends were killed in a hit-and-run crash. Adenhart's death was a shock to the team and to all baseball fans nationwide. It caused the next day's game to be postponed, and the Angels' April 10 game against the Boston Red Sox
became a tribute to Adenhart.
After Adenhart's death, this left another folly in the rotation, which led to reliever Darren Oliver
taking his place in the rotation. Shortly after, Moseley would become injured, leading minor leaguer Matt Palmer
to be called up. Palmer would claim six victories in his first eight starts before his first loss on June 29, leading to him cementing a spot in the rotation while Escobar would make only one start after returning from the disabled list before becoming re injured.
As the non-waiver trade deadline of July 31 loomed, the Angels were seen as big contenders for Heath Bell
, Cliff Lee
and even Roy Halladay
; however, all of these rumors fell through. Nearly a month later, however, on August 29, two days before the waiver trade deadline, the Angels acquired Tampa Bay Rays
ace Scott Kazmir
, in exchange for two low-level minor leaguers and prized prospect Sean Rodriguez
. Ervin Santana shut-out the Texas Rangers for the West Division Title on September 28, 2009.
For the third straight year, the Angels faced the Boston Red Sox
(the AL Wild Card) in the ALDS
. Despite being 0-4 in playoff series against the Red Sox and having lost 12 of the last 13 post-season games against them, the Angels swept the series 3-0. The Angels next faced the New York Yankees
in the ALCS
, but went on to lose the series four games to two.
was on pace to top his home run totals from 2009. However, on May 29, in a game against the Seattle Mariners
, Morales hit a walk-off grand slam to give the Angels a 5-1 victory; this victory was quite bittersweet, as Morales broke his leg jumping on home plate. This would send Morales to the disabled list for the remainder of the 2010 season.
Although the Angels stormed to a record of 18-9 in the month of June, the team never quite recovered from the loss of Morales, as they posted three consecutive sub-.500 months from July to September. However, the team did not back down without a fight. On July 22, the team acquired third baseman Alberto Callaspo
from the Kansas City Royals
in exchange for Sean O'Sullivan
and a pitching prospect. Although this move received mild criticism, general manager Tony Reagins
certainly silenced the critics three days later, on July 25; it was on that day that he pulled off a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks
. The Angels acquired ace starting pitcher Dan Haren
in exchange for pitchers Joe Saunders
and Rafael Rodriguez
, and prospects Patrick Corbin and Tyler Skaggs.
Haren added certainty to an already-strong rotation, posting an earned run average of 2.87; however, due to poor run support from the Angels' anemic offense, Haren posted a win-loss record of 5-4 in his 14 starts with the team.
They ended the season with a record of 80-82, in third place and ten games behind the division champion (and eventually American League champion) Texas Rangers
.
" by Train
being played on the P.A.
The Angel Stadium of Anaheim has a section in center field nicknamed the "California Spectacular," a formation of artificial rocks made to look like a desert mountain in California. The California Spectacular has a running waterfall, geysers that shoot in the air, and also shoot fireworks from the rocks before every game; anytime the Angels hit a home run or win a game the fireworks shoot from the rocks as well.
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is nicknamed "The Big A."
Anytime the Angels win a game, the saying "Light Up the Halo!" is used in reference to the giant landmark which is a big 230 foot tall A with a halo surrounding the top which lights up every time the Angels win a game.
Every Friday night home game is Big Bang Friday, which consists of a postgame fireworks display.
Once every season, usually in the late summer, there is "Break Out the Red Week," when fans at Angel Stadium are encouraged to wear more ostentatious Angels gear or more red clothing in support of the team. The most extravagant fans receive prizes for their support.
During the seventh inning stretch of every home game, the fans sing along to "Build Me Up Buttercup
" by The Foundations
.
The Angels organization created "thunder sticks" when the team made the playoffs. Thunder sticks are now in use by many other sports teams.
The main rivalries of the Angels and their fans include the New York Yankees
, Boston Red Sox
, Seattle Mariners
, Oakland Athletics
, Los Angeles Dodgers
, and the Texas Rangers
.
The Angels have been known to dislike these teams and their fans for various reasons, or else it would not be considered a rivalry.
The Los Angeles Dodgers rivalry has been referred to as the Freeway Series
because of the freeway linking the two teams home grounds.
is a mascot for the Angels which appears if the Angels are losing a game or if the game is tied during the 7th inning. The Rally Monkey appears on the scoreboard in various movies or pop culture references that have been edited to include him.
These video clips proved to be so popular that the team hired Katie, a white-haired capuchin monkey, to star in original clips for later games. When seen, she jumps up and down to the House of Pain
song "Jump Around
" and holds a sign that says "RALLY TIME!"
At this time the crowd at Angels stadium erupts louder than usual in cheers and dances for the support of their team.
The rally monkey came to national and worldwide attention during the Angels' appearance in the 2002 World Series
, again against the San Francisco Giants
. In the 6th game, the Angels were playing at home, but were trailing the series 3-2 and facing elimination. They were down 5-0 as the game entered the bottom of the 7th inning. Amid fervid rally-monkey themed fan support, the Angels proceeded to score six unanswered runs over the next two innings, winning the game and turning the momentum of the series for good (they went on to clinch the championship in game 7).
From 2007 to 2009, the Angels reached the post-season each year, sparking a renewal of the rally monkey's popularity.
The Angels have drawn 3 million plus fans to the stadium for nine years straight, and at least 2 million for 28 seasons, and a game average in 2010 and 2011 of 40,000 fans at each game during, and after one of the teams worst losing seasons. In 2011, the Angels had the fifth best home attendance in Major League Baseball, averaging 39,090 fans per game.
In 2009, the Angels were voted the number one franchise in professional sports in Fan Value by ESPN magazine.In 2011, ESPN & Fan polls by ESPN ranked the Angels #4 in the best sports franchises in all of sports, ahead of every Major League team in baseball at #1 and also making it the #1 sports franchise in Los Angeles. The rankings were determined through a combination of sports analysts and fan votes ranking all sports franchises by a combination of average fan attendance, fan relations, "Bang for your Buck" or winning percentage over the past 3 years, ownership, affordability, stadium experience, players effort on the field and likability, coaching, and "Title Track".
In 1966, after the club's move to Anaheim
, the team name changed from the "Los Angeles Angels" to the "California Angels," along with the name change, the logo changed as well. During the 31 years of being known as the "California Angels," the team kept the previous color scheme, however, their logo did change six times during this period. The first logo under this name was very similar to the previous "LA" logo, the only difference was instead of an interlocking "LA," there was an interlocking "CA." Directly after this from 1971–1985, the Angels adopted a logo that had the word "Angels" written on an outline of the State of California. Between the years 1971–1972 the "A" was lower-case while from 1973–1985 it was upper-case.
It was in 1965, while the stadium was being finished, that Bud Furillo (of the Herald Examiner) coined its nickname, "the Big A" after the tall letter A that once stood beyond left-center field and served as the arena's primary scoreboard (it was later relocated to a section of the parking lot, south-east of the stadium).
In 1986, the Angels adopted the "big A" on top of a baseball as their new logo, with the shadow of California in the background. After the "big A" was done in 1992, the Angels returned to their roots and re-adopted the interlocking "CA" logo with some differences. The Angels used this logo from 1993–1996, during that time, the "CA" was either on top of a blue circle or with nothing else.
After the renovations of then-Anaheim Stadium and the takeover by the Walt Disney Company, the Angels changed their name to the "Anaheim Angels" along with changing the logo and color scheme. The first logo under Disney removed the halo and had a rather cartoon-like "ANGELS" script with a wing on the "A" over a periwinkle plate and crossed bats. With this change, the Angels's color scheme changed to dark blue and periwinkle. After a run with the "winged" logo from 1997–2001, Disney changed the Angels's logo back to a "Big A" with a silver logo over a dark blue baseball diamond. WIth this logo change, the colors changed to the team's current color scheme: predominately red with some dark blue and white.
When the team's name changed from the "Anaheim Angels" to the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim," the logo changed only slightly, the name "ANAHEIM ANGELS" and the blue baseball diamond were removed leaving only the "big A."
For the 2011 season, as part of the 50th anniversary of the Angels franchise, the halo on the 'Big A' logo temporarily changed colors from silver to old gold, paying tribute to the Angels logos of the past. The uniforms also reflected the change to the gold halo for this season.
During the 50th Anniversary season the players have worn throwback jerseys at each friday home game reflecting all the different logos and uniforms previously worn by players. Also Angels alumni from past season during the 50th year throw out the first Angels pitch at every home game.
radio station
is KLAA 830AM, which is owned by the Angels themselves. It replaces KSPN
(710 ESPN), on which frequency had aired most Angels games since the team's inception in 1961. That station, then KMPC, aired games from to . In & , the flagship station became KRLA
(1110AM). In , it was replaced by KLAC for four seasons, including the 2002 World Series season
.
The Angels 2010 broadcast line-up was thrown into doubt with the death of Rory Markas
in January 2010. The Angels had announced in November 2009 that Markas and Mark Gubicza
would broadcast Angels' televised games, with Terry Smith
and José Mota handling the radio side. At the same time, the Angels announced that Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler
would not return to the broadcasting team. On March 3, 2010 it was announced that Victor Rojas
will replace Markas.
In 2008, KLAA broadcast spring training games on tape delay from the beginning on February 28 to March 9 because of advertiser commitments to some daytime talk show
s. Those games were available live only online. Live preseason broadcasts were to begin on March 10.
In 2009, KFWB
980AM started broadcasting 110 weekday games, including postseason games, to better reach listeners in Los Angeles County and other areas to the north. All 162 games plus post season games still air on KLAA.
In 2010, KSPN
710AM will broadcast at least 60 weekday games. This will be a partial return to their old station from 2007.
Angels radio broadcasts are also in Spanish
on KWKW
1330AM and KWKU 1220AM.
Television rights are held by FSN West
and MyNetworkTV
affiliate KCOP, with various announcers. During the 2009 season, Physioc and Hudler called about 100 games, while Markas and Gubicza had the remaining game telecasts (about 50, depending on ESPN
and Fox exclusive national schedules). The split arrangement dated back to the 2007 season, when Mota and Gubicza were the second team. Markas debuted on TV in a three-game series at the Toronto Blue Jays
in August 2007.
Mota, who is bilingual and the son of former Dodger
Manny Mota
, has also called Angels games in Spanish, and at one time did analysis from the dugout
rather than the usual booth position.
All games are produced by FSN regardless of the outlet actually showing the games.
Dick Enberg
, who broadcast Angels baseball in the 1970s, is the broadcaster most identified with the Angels, using such phrases as "Oh, my!", "Touch 'em all!" after Angel home runs, and "The halo shines tonight!".
Other former Angels broadcasters over the past three decades include Dave Niehaus
, Don Drysdale
, Bob Starr, Joe Torre
, Paul Olden
, Al Wisk, Al Conin, Mario Impemba
, Sparky Anderson
, Jerry Reuss
, Ken Wilson, Ken Brett
, and Ron Fairly
. Jerry Coleman
also spent time with the Angels organization in the early-1970s as a pre-game and post-game host before joining the San Diego Padres
broadcast team.
As of 2010, the public address announcer for all Angels home games is David Courtney, who has held the position since 1994. He is also the public address announcer for the Los Angeles Kings
and Los Angeles Clippers
.
in 1994
with the California Angels as the team that receives heavenly assistance. The team is also featured in the 1988 comedy film The Naked Gun
.
The Angels have a team Hall of Fame, with the following members:
election, no inducted members have elected to be depicted wearing an Angels cap on their plaque. However, several Hall of Famers have spent part of their careers with the Angels:
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
based in Anaheim, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Angels are a member of the Western Division
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The Angels have been based in Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
since 1966, but the baseball team name originated in Los Angeles since 1892 in the California and Pacific Coast League before the MLB expansion to the west coast in 1958. The Angels franchise of today was established in the MLB in 1961 through former owner Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, the team’s first Major League owner who bought the rights to continue the franchise name from Walter O'Malley, the former Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
owner who acquired the franchise from Phil Wrigley the owner of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
at the time. The true birth of the team name in existence of baseball stems from the year 1892, making them the first Los Angeles sports team in history due to the continuity of the name in professional baseball, and by having the rights to the name, "Los Angeles Angels," bought and transferred from franchise owners. MLB considers the current Los Angeles Angels franchise to be an expansion team due to the fact that the team did not exist in the major league until 1961. . As far as recent team accomplishments, in 2009, the Angels were AL Western Division champions for the third straight season. 2011 marked the ninth straight year in which the Angels franchise had drawn more than 3 Million fans in attendance for the regular baseball season. ESPN ranked the Los Angeles Angels #4 on it's list of Ultimate Team Rankings ahead of every team in baseball and any franchise in Los Angeles. .
Franchise history
The Los Angeles Angels name originates from the first Los Angeles based sports team, the Los Angeles Angels, who took the name Angels from Los Angeles, which translates to "city of Angels." The team name started in 1892; in 1903, the team joined the Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, now a minor league affiliate of the MLB. After the Angels joined Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, some players from the Angels' PCL team joined the MLB Angels in 1961. An expansion franchise, the club continued in Los Angeles as the Los Angeles Angels, and played their home games at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)
Wrigley Field was a ballpark in Los Angeles, California which served as host to minor league baseball teams in the region for over 30 years, and was the home park for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League as well as a current major league team, the later Los Angeles Angels, in their...
(not to be confused with Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's stadium of the same name
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
), which had formerly been the home of the PCL Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
The Los Angeles Angels were a team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957, after which they transferred to Spokane, Washington to become the Spokane Indians. Los Angeles would later become the host city to a Major League Baseball team, the...
. The team then moved in to newly built Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
, which the Angels referred to as Chavez Ravine
Chávez Ravine
Chavez Ravine is an area in Sulfir Canyon that is the current site of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.It was named after Julian Chavez, a Los Angeles Councilman in the 19th century.-History:...
, where they were tenants of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
through .
The team's founder, entertainer Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, owned the franchise for its first 36 years. During Autry's ownership, the team made the playoffs three times, but never won the pennant. The team has gone through several name changes in their history, first changing their name to the California Angels on September 2, 1965 with a month still left of the season, in recognition of their upcoming move to the newly constructed Anaheim Stadium
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
in Anaheim at the start of the 1966 season. When The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
took control of the team in , it extensively renovated Anaheim Stadium, which was then re-named Edison International Field of Anaheim. The City of Anaheim contributed $30 million to the $118 million renovation with a renegotiated lease providing that the names of both the stadium and team contain the word "Anaheim". The team was renamed the Anaheim Angels and became a subsidiary of Disney Sports, Inc. (later renamed Anaheim Sports, Inc.). Under Disney's ownership and the leadership of manager Mike Scioscia
Mike Scioscia
Michael Lorri Scioscia is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has worked in that capacity since the 2000 season, and is the longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball....
, the Angels finally won their first pennant and world championship in 2002
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
.
In 2005
2005 Major League Baseball season
Click on any series score to link to that series' page.Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2005 All-Star...
, new owner Arturo Moreno added "Los Angeles" to the team's name in order to better tap into the team's history and appeal to more Los Angeles fans like in the team's past; he has also stated that Los Angeles is the second largest market in the U.S. and it would benefit the team greatly. In compliance with the terms of its lease with the city of Anaheim, which required "Anaheim" be a part of the team's name, the team was renamed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Hotly disputed when initially announced, the change was eventually upheld in court
City of Anaheim v. Angels Baseball LP
City of Anaheim v. Angels Baseball LP is a lawsuit filed in Orange County, California Superior Court by the city of Anaheim, California against the owners of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League Baseball franchise, concerning the team's official name...
and the city finally dropped its four-year legal battle in 2009. The team usually refers to itself as the Angels or Angels Baseball in its home media market, and the words "Los Angeles" and "LAA" do not appear in the stadium, on the Angels' uniforms, or on official team merchandise. Local media in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
tend to omit a geographic identifier and refer to the team as the Angels or as the Halos. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, the most prominent news service in the U.S., refers to the team as the Los Angeles Angels, the Angels, or Los Angeles.
Prelude: The American League comes to Los Angeles
For many years, there had been talk of an existing American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
team relocating to LA.In 1940, the St. Louis Browns
History of the St. Louis Browns
-1902-1921:In 1902 the Milwaukee Brewers moved to St. Louis from Milwaukee, where it became the "Browns", in reference to the original name of the 1880s club that by 1900 was known as the Cardinals. A new park was built on the site of the old Browns' former home, Sportsman's Park. In their first...
asked AL owners for permission to move to Los Angeles, but were turned down. They planned another move for the 1942 season
1942 Major League Baseball season
- External links :*...
, and this time got permission from the league. A schedule was even drawn up including Los Angeles, but the bombing of Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
in December 1941 made major-league sports of any sort on the West Coast unviable. In 1953
1953 Major League Baseball season
The 1953 Major League Baseball season marked the first relocation of an MLB franchise in fifty years, as the Boston Braves moved their NL franchise to Milwaukee, where they would play their home games at the new County Stadium.- External links :*...
, there was again talk of the Browns moving to L.A. for the 1954 season
1954 Major League Baseball season
For the second consecutive season, an MLB franchise relocated, as the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Orioles, who played their home games at Memorial Stadium.-World series:NL New York Giants vs...
, but the team was sold and moved to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
instead as the Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. There were on-again, off-again discussions between city officials and the Washington Senators regarding a possible move. There were also rumors that the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
' move to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in 1955
1955 Major League Baseball season
For the third consecutive season, a franchise changed homes as the Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City, MO and played their home games at Municipal Stadium.-Statistical leaders:-External links:*...
was a temporary stop on the way to Los Angeles.
In the end it was the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
that first came to the city, in the form of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley
Walter O'Malley
Walter Francis O'Malley was an American sports executive who owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from to . He served as Brooklyn Dodgers chief legal counsel when Jackie Robinson broke the racial color barrier in...
purchased the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
's Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
The Los Angeles Angels were a team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957, after which they transferred to Spokane, Washington to become the Spokane Indians. Los Angeles would later become the host city to a Major League Baseball team, the...
in early 1957 from Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
owner Phil Wrigley
Philip K. Wrigley
Philip Knight Wrigley , sometimes also called P.K. or Phil. Born in Chicago, he was an American chewing gum manufacturer and executive in Major League Baseball, inheriting both those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William Wrigley Jr. After his father died in 1932, Philip...
. Under the rules of the time, he also acquired the rights to a major league team in Los Angeles, which he used to move the Dodgers there a year later. Under ordinary circumstances, that would have precluded any subsequent American League presence in the Los Angeles area
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
. However, in an effort to prevent the proposed Continental League
Continental League
The Continental League was a proposed third major league for baseball, announced in 1959 and scheduled to begin play in the 1961 season...
from becoming a reality, in 1960 the two existing leagues agreed to expand, adding two new teams to each league. Though the understanding was that expansion teams would be placed in cities without major league baseball, that agreement quickly broke down. When the National League placed a team in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(the Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
) as its tenth franchise, the American League announced plans to place an expansion team in Los Angeles, to begin play in 1961.
The team has an owner
Gene AutryGene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, former movie cowboy, singer, actor and owner of Golden West Broadcasters (including Los Angeles' KMPC
KMPC
KMPC is a radio station based in Los Angeles, California and is owned by P&Y Broadcasting Licensee, LLC. Radio Korea is a division of the Radio Korea Media Group. The station airs Korean-language programming...
radio and KTLA
KTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
television), attended the Major League Owners’ meeting in St. Louis in 1960 in hopes of winning broadcasting rights for the new team’s games. Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
was initially on the fast track to be the team's first owner, with Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
as a partner. However, when O'Malley got word of Veeck's involvement, he invoked his exclusive right to operate a major league team in Southern California. In truth, O'Malley wasn't about to compete with Veeck, who was known as a master promoter. After it became obvious that O'Malley would never sign off on the deal as long as Veeck was a part-owner, Greenberg was forced to bow out. After another bid by Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
insurance executive and future A's
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
owner Charlie Finley failed, Autry was persuaded to make a bid himself. Autry (who had been a minority stockholder in the Angels' PCL rival, the Hollywood Stars
Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
) agreed, and purchased the franchise.
The team gets its name
Autry named the new franchise the Los Angeles Angels. The origins of the name date back to 1892, when it was first used by a Los Angeles franchise in the California League. The Angel moniker has always been natural for Los Angeles teams, since The Angels is a literal English translation of the Spanish Los Angeles. It was also a nod to the long-successful PCL team that played in Los Angeles from 1903 through 1957. O'Malley still owned the rights to the Angels name even after moving the team to SpokaneSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
to make way for the Dodgers, so Autry paid O'Malley $300,000 for the rights to the name.
Angels in Los Angeles
The Angels and their fellow expansionists, the new Washington Senators (now the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
) chose players from other American League teams in an expansion draft
1960 MLB expansion draft
The 1960 MLB Expansion Draft was held by Major League Baseball on December 14, 1960 to fill the rosters of the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators...
. In 1961
1961 Major League Baseball season
The New York Yankees defeated the Cincinnati Reds in five games in the World Series. The season is most well known for Yankee teammates Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle's pursuit of Babe Ruth's prestigious 34-year-old single-season home run record of 60...
, the first year of the team’s existence, the Angels finished 70-91 for a .435 winning percentage
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
, still the highest winning percentage ever for a first-year major league expansion team. Moreover, they not only finished 9 games ahead of the Senators
1961 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators season was a season in American baseball. The team was in its inaugural season, having been established as a replacement for the previous franchise of the same name, which relocated to the Twin Cities of Minnesota following the 1960 season, becoming the Minnesota Twins...
, but also 9 games ahead of the Kansas City Athletics
1961 Kansas City Athletics season
The Kansas City Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The A's finished with a record of 61–100, tying the expansion Washington Senators for ninth place, last in the newly-expanded 10-team American League.- Offseason :...
. The 1961 Angels, admittedly a motley crew, featured portly first baseman Steve Bilko
Steve Bilko
Stephen Thomas Bilko , was an American professional baseball player known for his home run hitting as a minor league player during the 1950s. He was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 22, 1949, with the St. Louis Cardinals.Nat Hiken, creator of The Phil Silvers Show,...
, a long-time fan favorite, having played many years with the PCL Angels. Another favorite was the diminutive (5' 5-3/8") center fielder, El Monte
El Monte, California
El Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte," and historically is known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail." As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 113,475,...
native Albie Pearson
Albie Pearson
Albert Gregory Pearson is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the Washington Senators , Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles/California Angels . One of the smallest MLB players of his era, he stood tall, weighed , and batted and threw left-handed...
. The Angels played that inaugural season at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)
Wrigley Field was a ballpark in Los Angeles, California which served as host to minor league baseball teams in the region for over 30 years, and was the home park for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League as well as a current major league team, the later Los Angeles Angels, in their...
in South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
, the longtime home of the PCL Angels and also of the syndicated television series Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby (TV series)
Home Run Derby is a 1960 television show that was held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles putting the top sluggers of Major League Baseball against each other in nine-inning home run contests...
. They originally wanted to play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, where the Dodgers had played on a temporary basis since moving from Brooklyn. However, Commissioner
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
Ford Frick
Ford Frick
Ford Christopher Frick was an American sportswriter and executive who served as president of the National League from to and as the third Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1951 to . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
turned this idea down almost out of hand after concluding that the Coliseum's extremely short left field fence (only 250 feet from the plate) made it unsuitable even as a temporary facility.
1962
In 19621962 Major League Baseball season
This was the first 162-game schedule for the National League, as they added the Houston Colt .45s and the New York Mets to their lineup, as the NL returned to New York City, after a four-year absence...
, under the terms of their agreement with O'Malley, the Angels moved to Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
, which they would refer to as Chavez Ravine
Chávez Ravine
Chavez Ravine is an area in Sulfir Canyon that is the current site of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.It was named after Julian Chavez, a Los Angeles Councilman in the 19th century.-History:...
. That year, the Angels—amazingly—were a contender for the American League pennant for most of the season, even leading the American League standings on July 4, before finishing in third place, 10 games behind the New York Yankees
1962 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 60th season for the team in New York, and its 62nd season overall. The team finished with a record of 96-66, winning their 27th pennant, finishing 5 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins. New York was managed by Ralph Houk. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
, who won their 27th American League pennant. On May 5 of that year, Bo Belinsky
Bo Belinsky
Robert "Bo" Belinsky was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, who became an instant southern California celebrity as a rookie with the original Los Angeles Angels, especially when the fourth of his season-opening four straight wins was a no-hit, no-run game against his former...
tossed the first no-hit game in the history of Dodger Stadium/Chavez Ravine, blanking the Orioles
1962 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1962 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 77 wins and 85 losses.- Offseason :* October 9, 1961: Dave Philley was released by the Orioles....
5-0.
1964
In 19641964 Major League Baseball season
The 1964 Major League Baseball season is best remembered for the end of the New York Yankees' dynasty, as they won their 29th American League Championship in 44 seasons. However, the Yankees lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games...
, the Halos again finished fifth in the American League, and pitcher Dean Chance
Dean Chance
Wilmer Dean Chance is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Over the right hander's 11-year major league career, he would play for the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers...
won the Major League Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
that year. The need for a new stadium became more and more evident. It was thought the Angels would never develop a large fan base playing as tenants of the Dodgers. Also, O'Malley imposed fairly onerous lease conditions on the Angels; for example, he charged them for 50% of all stadium supplies, even though the Angels at the time drew at best half of the Dodgers' attendance.
Hittin' the Road: the move from Los Angeles to Anaheim
Stymied in his attempt to get a new stadium in Los Angeles, Autry looked elsewhere. His first choice for a stadium was the site offered by the city of Long BeachLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. However, the city insisted the team be renamed the Long Beach Angels, a condition Autry refused to accept. He was able to strike a deal with the suburban city of Anaheim in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, and construction began on Anaheim Stadium (nicknamed The Big A by Southern Californians), where the Angels moved in 1966. On September 2, 1965, team ownership announced the Los Angeles Angels would thenceforth be known as the California Angels, in anticipation of the team's move to Anaheim the following year. They were the second Major League baseball team to be named after an entire state, following the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. At the time, though they were one of three major league teams in the state of California, the Angels were the only American League team in the state. (Despite the move of the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
in 1968, the Angels retained their California moniker through 1996.) They were also the first Major League Baseball team that was originally from California (The Dodgers, Giants were from New York, the A's were from Kansas City and the Padres were granted Major League status after the Angels.)
In their last year at Chavez Ravine, the Angels drew only 566,727 paying customers. In their 1966
1966 Major League Baseball season
The 1966 Major League Baseball season was held between the American and National Leagues. The Braves play their first season in Atlanta, following their relocation from Milwaukee. Three new stadiums opened that season. On April 12, the Braves ushered in Atlanta Stadium with the Pittsburgh...
inaugural year in Anaheim, the Angels
1967 California Angels season
The California Angels season involved the Angels finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 84 wins and 77 losses, 7½ games behind the AL Champion Boston Red Sox.- Offseason :...
drew over 1.4 million, leading the American League in attendance. In 1967
1967 Major League Baseball season
The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Boston Red Sox four games to three in the 64th World Series, which was the first World Series appearance for the Red Sox in 21 years. Following the season, the Kansas City Athletics relocated to Oakland.-Awards and honors:...
, their second year in Anaheim, the Angels
1967 California Angels season
The California Angels season involved the Angels finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 84 wins and 77 losses, 7½ games behind the AL Champion Boston Red Sox.- Offseason :...
contended for the American League pennant as part of a five-team pennant race (along with Chicago
1967 Chicago White Sox season
The 1967 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 67th season in the major leagues, and its 68th season overall. They finished with a record 89-73, good enough for fourth place in the American League, 3 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox.- Offseason :...
, Detroit
1967 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished tied for second in the American League with the Minnesota Twins with 91 wins and 71 losses, one game behind the AL pennant-winning Boston Red Sox.- Notable transactions :...
, Minnesota
1967 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins finished 91-73, tied for second in the American League with the Detroit Tigers. The Twins had a one-game lead with two games remaining, but lost both games to the Boston Red Sox in the season's final days...
and eventual winner Boston
1967 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season, often referred to as The Impossible Dream, consisted of the Red Sox shocking New England and the rest of the baseball world by winning the American League Championship and reaching the World Series for the first time since 1946...
) before fading in late August, but eventually became the "spoilers" by defeating Detroit at Tiger Stadium in the last game of the regular season to give Boston its first AL pennant in 21 years. In 1970, the Angels finished third in the AL Western Division and Alex Johnson
Alex Johnson
Alexander Johnson Alexander Johnson Alexander Johnson (born December 7, 1942, in Helena, Arkansas is a former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder and designated hitter over parts of 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, California Angels,...
became the first (and so far only) Angel to win an American League batting title.
The Ryan express
During the 1970s, although Angel fans endured some mediocre years on the field they also were able to enjoy the heroics of fireballerFireballer
In baseball, a fireballer is a pitcher who throws at a notably high velocity. Generally, this term is reserved for pitchers with the ability to throw a fastball in excess of...
Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, who tossed four of his seven no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s as an Angel. He also set several strikeout records throughout his career, most notably a 383-strikeout mark in 1973
1973 Major League Baseball season
The 1973 Major League Baseball season was the first season of play for the designated hitter in the American League. The Kansas City Royals moved their home games from Municipal Stadium to the new Royals Stadium, adjacent to the Chiefs' football facility, Arrowhead Stadium...
, still a major league record. Ryan was acquired in a trade that sent Jim Fregosi
Jim Fregosi
James Louis Fregosi is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played from 1961–1978 for four different teams, primarily the Los Angeles and California Angels. In that franchise's first eleven years of play, he became its first star as the team's...
to the Mets. Ryan had been a middle relief pitcher on the "Miracle Mets" team that captured the 1969 World Series
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
. Ryan's feats caused him to be named the Ryan Express, after the 1965 film Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, based on a novel by David Westheimer, and directed by Mark Robson.-Plot:...
, which starred Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. His prowess, combined with that of fellow moundsman Frank Tanana
Frank Tanana
Frank Daryl Tanana is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He was the California Angels' 1st round draft pick in 1971....
, produced the refrain, "Tanana, Ryan and Two Days of Cryin'", a derivative of the refrain, "Spahn and Sain, then pray for rain," coined when Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
and Johnny Sain
Johnny Sain
John Franklin Sain was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was best known for teaming with left-hander Warren Spahn on the Boston Braves teams from 1946 to 1951...
anchored the pitching staff of the then Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in the 1940s.
Ironically, the 1970s came to a close with the decision by then-general manager Buzzie Bavasi
Buzzie Bavasi
Emil Joseph "Buzzie" Bavasi was an American executive in Major League Baseball who played a major role in the operation of three franchises from the late 1940s through the mid-1980s....
to allow Ryan to become a free agent. At the time, Bavasi remarked that Ryan, whose 1979 record was 16-14 (Ryan was 26-27 under Bavasi), could be replaced "with two pitchers who go 8-7." Bavasi later admitted this was "the worst mistake I ever made in all my years in baseball."
1979: Angels finally reach the playoffs
The Angels won their first American League West Division championship in 1979 under manager Jim FregosiJim Fregosi
James Louis Fregosi is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played from 1961–1978 for four different teams, primarily the Los Angeles and California Angels. In that franchise's first eleven years of play, he became its first star as the team's...
, a former Angel shortstop who was sent to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in 1972
1972 Major League Baseball season
The 1972 Major League Baseball season was the first to have games cancelled by a player strike. It was also the last season in which American League pitchers would hit for themselves on a regular basis; the designated hitter rule would go into effect the following season.-Labor strife and more...
as part of the trade that brought Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
to the Angels. Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
became the first designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
to win the American League Most Valuable Player award. Other contributors to the team, which featured a powerful offense, were Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
, Rod Carew
Rod Carew
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National...
, Dan Ford
Dan Ford
Darnell "Disco Dan" Glenn Ford , is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder from 1975-1985...
and Bobby Grich
Bobby Grich
Robert Anthony "Bobby" Grich is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels of Major League Baseball...
. However, the Angels lost what then was a best 3-out-of-5 ALCS
1979 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1979 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandGame 1 was a match-up of Nolan Ryan in his final season with the Angels, and Jim Palmer for the Orioles. The Angels jumped out to the early lead when Dan Ford homered in the top of the first. The Angels extended the lead...
to the Baltimore Orioles
1979 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1979 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. The Orioles finished first in the American League East division of Major League Baseball with a record of 102 wins and 57 losses...
, managed by Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver
Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
, three games to one. The Halos won Game 3 at home, scoring twice in the bottom of the 9th inning to shade Baltimore 4-3.
This was the only year between 1971 and 1981 that the American League West wasn't won by either the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
or the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
.
The 1980s: A decade of frustration
1979 had been the Angels' last season at the "old" Big A. The Los Angeles RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
football team agreed to move to Anaheim for the 1980 season, with seating increased to almost 65,000. The expansion completely enclosed the stadium, replacing the view of the San Gabriel
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
and Santa Ana Mountains
Santa Ana Mountains
The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 36 mi southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside counties.- Geography :The range starts in the...
with three decks of gray concrete. In the 1980s, like many other baseball teams of that era, the Angels learned the difficulties of marketing the team while playing in a multi-purpose facility with a seating capacity too large for baseball.
1982: One game away
The Angels nearly reached the World Series in the 1982 postseason. Reggie JacksonReggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
, who previously starred for the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, joined the Angels that year and teamed with many holdovers from the 1979 team for the 1982 effort. The team was helmed by manager Gene Mauch
Gene Mauch
Gene William Mauch was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , Boston Braves , St...
, who would also manage the team during their 1986 postseason appearance. After clinching their second AL West championship, the Angels won the first two games of the best-of-five ALCS
1982 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 5, 1982 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, CaliforniaThe Angels jumped to a 1–0 lead in the first when Brian Downing scored an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Don Baylor. Milwaukee came back to take a 3–1 lead with a two-run homer by Gorman Thomas in the second and a run...
against the AL East champion Milwaukee Brewers
1982 Milwaukee Brewers season
The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers season resulted in the team winning its first and only American League Championship.- Offseason :*October 23, 1981: Rickey Keeton was traded by the Brewers to the Houston Astros for Pete Ladd....
— then promptly dropped the next three in a row to lose the series. As Steve Bisheff wrote in Tales from the Angels Dugout, “No team in history had ever come back from an 0-2 deficit to win in a best-of-five series. Of course, no team had ever faced the Angels in that situation.” (At that time, the team with home field advantage played the first two games on the road before hosting the final three games at home, a format that was changed following the season. In subsequent years, the same has happened to other teams.)
1986: One strike away
Again, the Halos nearly reached the World Series in the postseason. Baylor was gone, but among the new additions were American League Rookie of the YearMLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
runner-up Wally Joyner
Wally Joyner
Wallace Keith "Wally" Joyner is a former first baseman and hitting coach in Major League Baseball. He played for four major league teams during a 16-year career, most notably for the California Angels, for whom he was an All-Star...
and pitcher Chuck Finley
Chuck Finley
Charles Edward "Chuck" Finley is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1986-2002 for three different teams, but pitched primarily with the California Angels...
. Champions of the AL West for the third time, the Angels faced the AL East champions Boston Red Sox
1986 Boston Red Sox season
The 1986 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 66 losses.-Offseason:...
in the ALCS
1986 American League Championship Series
The 1986 American League Championship Series was a back-and-forth battle between the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels for the right to advance to the 1986 World Series to face the winner of the 1986 National League Championship Series...
. Leading in the series three games to one, the Angels were one out away from defeating Boston and going to the World Series for the first time in their history. Leading 5-2 in the top of the ninth inning of Game 5, starter Mike Witt
Mike Witt
Michael Atwater "Mike" Witt is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.At just twenty years of age, Witt made his major league debut with the California Angels in 1981. Standing 6 feet, 7 inches tall and possessing a great curveball as well as a good fastball, Witt's breakout season came in...
surrendered a two-run home run to former Angel Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
, cutting the Angels' lead to 5-4. After reliever Gary Lucas hit Rich Gedman
Rich Gedman
Richard Leo Gedman is a former Major League Baseball catcher and left-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox , Houston Astros and St...
with his first and only pitch, closer Donnie Moore
Donnie Moore
Donnie Ray Moore was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs , St...
came in to shut the door. Though twice the Angels were one strike away from the Series, Moore gave up a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
to Dave Henderson
Dave Henderson
David Lee Henderson , nicknamed Hendu, is an American former Major League Baseball player who played for the Seattle Mariners , Boston Red Sox , San Francisco Giants , Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed...
that put Boston ahead 6-5.
Although the Angels managed to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, Henderson again came through for the Red Sox with a sacrifice fly in the 11th, eventually giving Boston a 7-6 victory. Thoroughly shocked, the Angels then travelled to Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
and were blown out in Games 6 and 7 as the Red Sox claimed the pennant. Boston would go on to lose the 1986 World Series
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
in seven games to the New York Mets
1986 New York Mets season
The 1986 New York Mets season was the Mets' 25th season in the National League. They began the season looking to equal or improve upon their 98–64 record from 1985 and to try to win the National League East Division. They finished the season with a 108–54 record, cruising to the division title...
, a series known for the infamous Bill Buckner
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
error in Game 6.
In the aftermath of the ALCS, Angels fans regarded Henderson's home run off Moore as the point at which their team had been closest to the World Series, and thus Moore became the scapegoat for the Angels' loss of the pennant. Although the fans were hard on him, Moore (who had battled depression in the past) was even harder on himself, and that one pitch to Henderson that turned the tide of the ALCS haunted him for the rest of his days. He would take his own life three years later, claiming to have never gotten over that moment. Moore's suicide was the latest in a series of tragedies that dogged the team (star outfielder Lyman Bostock
Lyman Bostock
Lyman Wesley Bostock, Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He played Major League Baseball for four seasons, as an outfielder for the Minnesota Twins and California Angels...
was shot to death in 1978 while visiting friends in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
) and gave rise to talk of a "hex" on the franchise. The Angels would not qualify for the playoffs for the next 16 years.
The early 1990s: Struggles on field and off
For most of the 1990s, the Angels played sub-.500 baseball, due in no small part to the confusion which reigned at the top. Gene AutryGene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, though holding a controlling interest in the Angels, was in control in name only due to poor health in his advanced years. Autry’s wife Jackie, 20 years his junior, at times seemed to be the decision-maker, and at other times the Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, then a minority owner, seemed to be in charge.
On May 21, 1992, an Angels' team bus traveling from New York to Baltimore crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike. Twelve members of the team ensemble were injured, including manager Buck Rodgers
Buck Rodgers
Robert LeRoy "Buck" Rodgers is a former catcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he helmed three major league teams: the Milwaukee Brewers , Montreal Expos and California Angels , compiling a career won-lost mark of 784–773 .-Playing career:Rodgers attended Ohio Wesleyan...
, who was hospitalized and missed the next two months of the season.
In 1993, the Angels had a new spring training camp in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
after 31 previous seasons in Palm Springs Stadium
Palm Springs Stadium
Palm Springs Stadium is a stadium in Palm Springs, California. It is primarily used for baseball. It was formerly named Angels Stadium and was the home field of the Palm Springs Suns of the Western Baseball League in 1995 and 1996. Palm Springs Stadium is currently the home of the Palm Springs...
in Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, an idea Autry developed from the days when he stayed in his desert resort home. The Angels hoped a new facility would rejuvenate and improve the roster in the long run. The 1993
1993 Major League Baseball season
The 1993 Major League Baseball season was also the final season of two division play in each league, before the Central Division was added the following season, giving both the NL and AL three divisions each....
and 1994 seasons
1994 Major League Baseball season
The 1994 Major League Baseball season ended with the infamous players strike ending the season on August 11, 1994.-Strike:As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ended prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason was played...
proved to be worse for the Angels than the previous three, particularly since the 1994 season ended in a baseball player strike that kept Angel fans waiting even longer for the team's fate to change.
1995: The Collapse
In 1995, the Angels suffered the worst collapse in franchise history. In first place in the AL West by 11 games in August, the team again lost key personnel (particularly shortstop Gary DiSarcinaGary DiSarcina
Gary Thomas DiSarcina is a front office executive and a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was raised in Billerica, Massachusetts and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst. DiSarcina was drafted by the California Angels in the 6th round of the 1988 amateur draft...
) and went on an extended slide during the final stretch run. By season's end, they were in a first-place tie with the surging Seattle Mariners
1995 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners' 1995 season was the 19th in the history of the franchise. The team finished with a regular season record of 79–66, tying the California Angels for first in the American League West...
, prompting a one-game playoff
One-game playoff
A one-game playoff, sometimes known as a pennant playoff or play-in game, is a tiebreaker in certain sports—usually but not always professional—to determine which of two teams, tied in the final standings, will qualify for a post-season tournament...
for the division title. The Mariners, managed by Lou Piniella
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...
and led by pitching ace Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
, laid a 9–1 drubbing on the Angels in the playoff game, clinching the AL West championship and forcing the Angels and their fans to endure yet another season of heartbreak and bitter disappointment.
The Disney era
The Disney Company effectively took control of the Angels in 1996, when it was able to gain enough support on the board to hire Tony Tavares as team president. Gene AutryGene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, however, remained as chairman until his death in 1998. In 1999, Tavares hired Bill Stoneman
Bill Stoneman
William Hambly Stoneman III is a consultant for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. From 1999 to October 15, 2007, he served as the general manager of the Angels...
as team general manager, under whose watch the Angels eventually won their first World Series Championship
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
.
Although Disney did not technically acquire a controlling interest in the team until after Autry's death, for all practical purposes it ran the team (the Autry loyalists on the board acted as "silent partner
Silent partner
Silent partner may refer to:*An anonymous member of a business partnership, or one uninvolved in management*The Silent Partner, the name of several films*Silent partner , a piece of climbing equipment...
s") through its Anaheim Sports subsidiary, which also owned the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
at the time.
Disney, of course, had been a catalyst for the development of and population growth in Orange County, having opened its Disneyland theme park in Anaheim in 1955. Autry had named Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
himself to the Angels' board in 1960; Mr. Disney served on the board until his death in 1966, and had been one of the proponents of the team's move to Orange County in 1965-66. Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
also produced the 1994 movie Angels in the Outfield
Angels in the Outfield (1994 film)
Angels in the Outfield is a 1994 remake of the 1951 film of the same name. The film stars Danny Glover, Tony Danza and Christopher Lloyd, and features appearances from future stars, including Adrien Brody, Matthew McConaughey, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Neal McDonough.Unlike the original, which...
, which featured a fictionalized version of the team.
Downsizing the stadium: "The Big Ed"
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, citing the deteriorating conditions at Anaheim Stadium as a primary cause for the move. Angels management, stuck in an aging, oversized "white elephant" of a stadium, hinted the team might be moved from Southern California as well.
In 1997, negotiations between the Angels and the city of Anaheim for renovation of Anaheim Stadium ended with an agreement to rehabilitate and downsize the facility into a baseball-only stadium once more. One condition of the stadium agreement was that the Angels could sell naming rights to the renovated stadium, so long as the new name was one "containing Anaheim therein." Anaheim Stadium was almost immediately renamed Edison International
Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison , the largest subsidiary of Edison International , is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California, USA. It provides 14 million people with electricity...
Field of Anaheim, though it was almost always referred to as simply Edison Field. Sportscasters also referred to the stadium at the time as The Big Ed, with a few others continuing to use the Big A nickname and, at times, Anaheim Stadium.
Downsizing the name: The Anaheim Angels
Another condition of the stadium renovation agreement was that the team name itself be one "containing Anaheim therein." The emerging Disney ownership was itself in the process of renovating and upgrading its aging Disneyland park. Disney hoped to market Anaheim as a "destination city", much the same way it had done with Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, where Walt Disney World was located. Accordingly, the team changed its name again, to the Anaheim Angels on November 19, 1996. Many fans of the team protested the name change, believing the Anaheim name was small-time, though in time the protests fizzled out.
2002: Angels' first World Series title
Then came . The year began with the team scrapping its pinstriped vest jerseys after five years, reverting to uniforms conforming more to the team's traditional uniforms, but now mostly red, with a bit of navy blue trim. Significantly, the Angels' road jerseys now read "Anaheim", the first time the team's geographic location had been noted on its uniforms since 1965.
Pundits predicted the Angels to be third-place finishers in the four-team AL West division, and the team played to those expectations with a 6-14 start to the regular season. The Angels, managed by former Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
catcher Mike Scioscia
Mike Scioscia
Michael Lorri Scioscia is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has worked in that capacity since the 2000 season, and is the longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball....
, then went on to win 99 games and earn the American League wildcard berth. The Oakland Athletics won 103 games, putting the Angels in second place in the division. The Halos defeated the AL East champions New York Yankees
2002 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2002 season was the 100th season for the Yankees in New York, and their 102nd overall going back to their origins in Baltimore. The team finished with a record of 103-58 finishing 10.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at...
three games to one in the American League Division Series
2002 American League Division Series
-Oakland Athletics vs. Minnesota Twins:-Game 1, October 1:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe game went back and forth with the Angels taking a 5–4 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning. Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia brought in Scott Schoeneweis to pitch to Jason Giambi, who tied the game...
, ending the Yankees' streak of 4 straight American League pennants, and the Minnesota Twins four games to one in the ALCS
2002 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 8, 2002 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, MinnesotaJoe Mays outdueled Kevin Appier as the Twins won Game 1. A.J. Pierzynski hit a sac fly to put the Twins out in front first, but the Angels tied it the next inning on an error by Cristian Guzmán. The Twins...
, to win the American League pennant for the first time in their history.
2002 World Series
In the 2002 World Series they met the Wildcard San Francisco Giants
2002 San Francisco Giants season
The 2002 San Francisco Giants season was the 120th in franchise history, and the franchise's 45th season in San Francisco. The season ended with the Giants winning the National League pennant but losing to the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series....
, paced by slugger Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
, in what ended up being the highest-scoring World Series of all time. San Francisco took Game 1 (4–3), but the Angels followed that up by winning Games 2 (11–10) and 3 (10–4). The Giants came back to win Games 4 (4–3) and 5 (16–4). The turning point in the series came in Game 6. The Angels trailed 5–0 and were eight outs away from elimination before rallying for 3 runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to win 6–5. The Angels then won Game 7, 4–1, to claim their franchise's first and only World Series championship.
Third baseman Troy Glaus
Troy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
was named the MVP of the Series. Twenty-year-old rookie relief pitcher Francisco Rodríguez won a record five postseason games, despite never having won a regular-season game before. Angel pitcher John Lackey
John Lackey
John Derran Lackey is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Lackey was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 1999 and helped the franchise win its first World Series title in 2002, which was his first season in the major leagues...
became the first rookie pitcher to win the seventh game of the World Series in 93 years.
The 2000s: New owner, another new name
On May 15, 2003, DisneyThe Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
sold the Angels to Angels Baseball, L.P., a group headed by advertising magnate Arturo "Arte" Moreno
Arturo Moreno
Arturo "Arte" Moreno is an American businessman of Mexican descent. On May 15, 2003, he made history by becoming the first Hispanic to own a major sports team in the United States when he purchased the Anaheim Angels baseball team from the Walt Disney Company.-Early life:Moreno is a native of...
. The sale made the Angels the first major American sports team to be owned by a Hispanic owner and also signaled the beginning of the end of Disney's involvement in professional sports. The company sold the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
hockey team two years later.
The stadium renamed: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
In December 2003, after a seven-year run as Edison International Field of Anaheim, EdisonSouthern California Edison
Southern California Edison , the largest subsidiary of Edison International , is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California, USA. It provides 14 million people with electricity...
removed its name from the stadium. The stadium was renamed Angel Stadium of Anaheim, again almost always referred to as simply Angel Stadium or, The Big A, although the original name, Anaheim Stadium, is still used by many locals. The stadium is owned by the City of Anaheim, which has shown no compunction toward changing the name. Over the years, there have been few, if any, complaints from Anaheim officials about the dropping of "of Anaheim" from common parlance when referring to the stadium.
The team renamed: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
On January 3, 2005 Angels Baseball, L.P. announced that it would change the name of the club from Anaheim Angels to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. As stated in the club's 2005 media guide:The inclusion of Los Angeles reflects the original expansion name and returns the Angels as Major League Baseball's American League representative in the Greater Los Angeles territory.
The new name sparked outrage among Anaheim and Los Angeles city leaders, who argued that a team that does not play its home games within the city or county
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
of Los Angeles should not claim to be from Los Angeles, even though the Los Angeles Rams played many years in Anaheim without incident. They also regarded the name a lingual farce, as the English "The Angels" was mixed with the Spanish "Los Angeles," especially in a region where Spanish is so heavily used. With the support of the city of Los Angeles, The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, and every city in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, the city of Anaheim sued the Angels, claiming the team violated its lease with the city. The team countered that they were in full compliance with the lease, since the lease only stipulated that the team name contain "Anaheim", and the new name was well within the bounds of this stipulation. A jury trial, which concluded February 9, 2006 resulted in a verdict siding with the Angels and allowing the team to keep the new name.
Although organized fan resistance to the new name had subsided, legal challenges to restore the name Anaheim Angels went forward. They were not successful, however, and on January 13, 2009, Anaheim mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Curt Pringle
Curt Pringle
Curtis L. "Curt" Pringle , is a politician from the U.S. state of California. Pringle, a Republican, a onetime Speaker of the California State Assembly, former Mayor of Anaheim, California and former Chairman of the California High Speed Rail Authority, today runs his own public relations and...
announced that the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
had voted unanimously to drop the legal challenge.
On official press releases, and on the team's website, the entire name "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" is used. In other contexts, the team uses simply "Angels" or "Angels Baseball." The team correctly anticipated that the national media and baseball fans outside of the Southern California media market would simply drop "of Anaheim" and refer to the team as the "Los Angeles Angels". When Major League Baseball uses location to identify a team, it refers to the Angels as "Los Angeles," as do MLB's member teams and many sportscasters.
2003
20032003 Major League Baseball season
*World Series MVP: Josh Beckett**American League Championship Series MVP: Mariano Rivera**National League Championship Series MVP: Iván Rodríguez*All-Star Game, July 15 at U.S...
was a tough year, following the previous season's championship. The Angels finished 77-85 in third place and 19 games behind A.L. West champions Oakland
2003 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 2003 season involved the A's finishing 1st in the American League West with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses.-Offseason:...
.
However, all was not bleak for the Angels. They sent three players to the All-Star Game
2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 74th midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues constituting Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 15, 2003 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the Chicago...
. Slugging third baseman Troy Glaus
Troy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
and veteran outfielder Garret Anderson
Garret Anderson
Garret Joseph Anderson is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played most of his career with the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels...
were in the starting lineup, while relief pitcher Brendan Donnelly
Brendan Donnelly
Brendan Kevin Donnelly is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He bats and throws right-handed.-Career:Donnelly was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 27th round of the 1992 amateur draft...
was selected to be in the bullpen. Anderson would go on to win the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, as well as the Home Run Derby, and Donnelly picked up the win in the game.
2004
In 20042004 Major League Baseball season
* Playoff MVPs** Manny Ramírez ** David Ortiz ** Albert Pujols * All-Star Game, July 13 at Minute Maid Park: American League, 9-4; Alfonso Soriano, MVP-References:* *...
, newly acquired free-agent Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Alvino Guerrero is a free agent Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter.In , he was voted the American League MVP...
won the American League Most Valuable Player Award
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as he led the Angels to their first American League West championship since 1986.
Also in 2004, the Angels mounted a comeback to overcome the division leading Oakland Athletics
2004 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 2004 season involved the A's finishing 2nd in the American League West with a record of 91 wins and 71 losses.-Offseason:*October 9, 2003: Marco Scutaro was selected off waivers by the Oakland Athletics from the New York Mets....
in the last week of the regular season, clinching the title in the next-to-last game. However, they were swept in the American League Division Series
2004 American League Division Series
-Anaheim Angels vs. Boston Red Sox:-Game 1, October 5:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkPitching dominated in Game 1 as Mike Mussina faced Johan Santana. The Twins got on the board first when Shannon Stewart singled home Michael Cuddyer. Then in the sixth, Jacque Jones hit a solo home run to make...
three games to zero by the AL Wild Card Boston Red Sox
2004 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox 2004 season was the 103rd Major League Baseball season for the Boston Red Sox franchise. Managed under Terry Francona, the team finished with a 98–64 record...
, who, after beating their longtime rivals, the New York Yankees
2004 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2004 season was the 102nd season for the Yankees. The Yankees opened the season by playing two games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Japan on March 30, 2004. The team finished with a record of 101-61, finishing 3 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. New...
, went on to win their first World Series
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
since 1918.
2005
In the 2005 season2005 Major League Baseball season
Click on any series score to link to that series' page.Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2005 All-Star...
, the Halos became the first team in the American League to clinch their division, doing so with five games left in the regular season. It was also the first time the team had made the playoffs in back-to-back years. The Angels went on in 2005 to beat the AL East champions New York Yankees
2005 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2005 season was the 103rd season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 95-67 finishing with the same record as the Boston Red Sox but winning the division due to a head-to-head advantage over Boston. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee...
in the Division Series
2005 American League Division Series
-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. New York Yankees:†: Game was postponed due to rain on October 8-Game 1, October 4:U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois...
in five games, but lost in the American League Championship Series
2005 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 2005 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, IllinoisIn the series opener, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won 3–2 in their third game in as many nights and as many cities. The Angels took the lead in the second inning on a Garret Anderson home run. The Angels added two...
to the eventual World Series champions Chicago White Sox
2005 Chicago White Sox season
The 2005 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 105th season. They finished with a 99-63 record in the regular season and won first-place the American League Central division by six games over the Cleveland Indians...
in five games. Pitcher Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2009 and again in 2011...
, who went 21-8 for the season, was voted A.L. Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner in 2005, only the second Angel to be so honored (Dean Chance
Dean Chance
Wilmer Dean Chance is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Over the right hander's 11-year major league career, he would play for the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Detroit Tigers...
won the award in 1964).
2006
While the Angels were not able to play October baseball, several players met or broke individual records in 2006. Closer Francisco Rodriguez led the major leagues and broke a franchise record in saves with 47, and became the youngest closer to record 100 career saves. Scot ShieldsScot Shields
Robert Scot Shields is a former American Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He played his entire baseball career with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, serving as their setup man since...
led American League setup men in holds with 31, and was second in the league in innings of relief pitched with 87.2 innings. Chone Figgins
Chone Figgins
Desmond DeChone "Chone" Figgins is an American Major League Baseball third baseman for the Seattle Mariners. Figgins is a utility player, playing all positions except catcher, pitcher, and first base.-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:...
was second in the American League in stolen bases with 52. Jered Weaver
Jered Weaver
Jered David Weaver , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...
tied Whitey Ford's
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
American League rookie record by winning the first nine decisions of his career.
The Angels finished in second place in the American League West for the 2006 season
2006 Major League Baseball season
In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the National League's St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series with the lowest regular season victory total in history. The American League continued its domination at the All-Star Game by winning its fourth straight game; the A.L. has won nine...
, missing the post-season for the first time since 2003
2003 Major League Baseball season
*World Series MVP: Josh Beckett**American League Championship Series MVP: Mariano Rivera**National League Championship Series MVP: Iván Rodríguez*All-Star Game, July 15 at U.S...
. While a disappointing development for the franchise, the 2006 campaign was the Angels' third straight season with a winning record, a first in club history. Owner Arte Moreno vowed that the club would make "major" changes during the offseason, a comment that generated talk in trades or free agent signings of players such as Carlos Lee
Carlos Lee
Carlos Noriel Lee is a first basemen in Major League Baseball who plays for the Houston Astros. He bats and throws right-handed....
, Miguel Tejada
Miguel Tejada
Miguel Odalis Tejada was a Major League Baseball infielder who has played for the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres, the Houston Astros, the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland Athletics...
, Aramis Ramirez
Aramis Ramírez
Aramis Nin Ramírez is an All-Star Major League Baseball third baseman for the Chicago Cubs.He started his professional career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998, before being traded to the Cubs in 2003. On November 12, 2006, Ramírez signed a five-year deal with the Cubs...
or perhaps even Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
.http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-angels20sep20,0,4350586.story?coll=la-home-sports Center fielder Gary Matthews, Jr. signed a five-year, $50-million contract in a deal.
2007
The 20072007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
season proved to be a success for the Angels. The Angels got off to the best start in club history, becoming the first club in the major leagues to win fifty games while maintaining a lead in the American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
. Chone Figgins set a club record for the most hits in a single month with 53, and became just the second Angel to go six-for-six in a single, nine-inning game. Ace John Lackey
John Lackey
John Derran Lackey is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Lackey was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 1999 and helped the franchise win its first World Series title in 2002, which was his first season in the major leagues...
was the first starter in the American League to win ten games. Lackey, along with Francisco Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero, were chosen to represent the Angels at the 2007 All-Star Game
2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, at AT&T Park, the home of the NL's San Francisco Giants...
in San Francisco
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
. Guerrero became just the third Angel to win the Home Run Derby
2007 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby
The 2007 State Farm Home Run Derby was a 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game event. The Home Run Derby was held on July 9 at AT&T Park, the home field of the San Francisco Giants. As usual, the competition had eight competitors, seven of whom were eliminated over three rounds. The Home Run...
, and Rodriguez was the first to earn a save in an All-Star Game.
2007 was also a resurgent year for veteran outfielder Garret Anderson
Garret Anderson
Garret Joseph Anderson is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played most of his career with the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels...
. On August 21, Anderson set a new club record for most RBIs in one game with 10 against the New York Yankees
2007 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2007 season was the Yankees' 105th in New York and their 107th overall dating back to their origins in Baltimore. The season started with the Yankees trying to win the AL East championship, a title they had won every season since after the 1997 season, but ultimately they came...
. He also posted a new Angel record with eleven consecutive games with an RBI on September 6 after hitting a single off Indians pitcher Paul Byrd
Paul Byrd
Paul Gregory Byrd is an American professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2009. He is known as being the "nicest guy in baseball"...
. On September 7, Anderson again posted a new Angel record with twelve consecutive games with an RBI single against Cleveland's pitcher Jake Westbrook.
On September 23, 2007 the Angels defeated the Seattle Mariners
2007 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners' 2007 season was their 31st in franchise history, and has started with the Mariners trying to win their first AL West title since they tied the MLB record for wins in a season in the 2001...
to clinch the championship of the American League West Division. This is the club's sixth division title and seventh overall playoff berth in its history. The Angels were unable to follow up their success in the regular season with playoff success, as the club, depleted by injuries, was swept by the AL East champions Boston Red Sox
2007 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2007 season began with the Boston, Massachusetts-based Major League Baseball team trying to rebound after a disappointing 2006 season, in which they finished third in the American League East behind the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, and missed the postseason for...
in the ALDS
2007 American League Division Series
-Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, October 3:Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsIn Game 1, Boston starter Josh Beckett threw a complete-game shut out, allowing the Red Sox to win the opener...
.
After the 2007 playoff campaign ended, general manager Bill Stoneman
Bill Stoneman
William Hambly Stoneman III is a consultant for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. From 1999 to October 15, 2007, he served as the general manager of the Angels...
retired and was replaced by Tony Reagins
Tony Reagins
Tony Demetrius Reagins was an executive in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Reagins had previously served as general manager of the Angels from 2007 until his 2011 resignation...
. Reagins quickly made two headline roster moves: the acquisition of free agent outfielder Torii Hunter
Torii Hunter
Torii Kedar Hunter is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.Hunter has taken away many home runs throughout his 13-year major league career by "climbing the fence" in the outfield. He has won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder.Hunter resides...
, previously of the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, as well as the trade of shortstop Orlando Cabrera
Orlando Cabrera
Orlando Luis Cabrera, nicknamed "O-Cab" and "The OC", is a Colombian-American baseball infielder.He won a World Series championship in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox. He has played for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins,...
to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for starting pitcher Jon Garland
Jon Garland
Jon Steven Garland is a right-handed starting pitcher, who is currently a free agent.-High school career:At John F...
.
2008
Though hampered by injuries on Opening Day (including to veteran starting pitcher John LackeyJohn Lackey
John Derran Lackey is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Lackey was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 1999 and helped the franchise win its first World Series title in 2002, which was his first season in the major leagues...
), the Angels had the best record in the American League (tied with the Chicago Cubs
2008 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 2008 season was the 136th season for the Chicago Cubs. It is considered one of their most impressive regular seasons in the entire history of the franchise. Despite 97 regular season wins—the most since 1945—they failed to make it past the first round of the playoffs, losing 3-0...
for best record in MLB) going into the All-Star Break. On July 20, closer Francisco Rodríguez accumulated 40 saves in 98 team games, becoming the fastest pitcher to accumulate 40 saves since John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
did so in 108 team games in . Rodríguez broke Bobby Thigpen's all-time record for saves in a season on September 13 in a game against the Seattle Mariners
2008 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners season was the 32nd Major League Baseball season in the team's history. Coming off the heels of the previous 2007 season, in which the M's finished with their first winning record since 2003, the team was widely expected to once again compete for the American League West...
and eventually finished with 62 saves. The Angels made another headline trade on July 29, acquiring first baseman Mark Teixeira
Mark Teixeira
Mark Charles Teixeira , nicknamed "Tex" is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Mostly a first baseman, he has also played third base and in the outfield...
from the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in exchange for Casey Kotchman
Casey Kotchman
Casey John Kotchman is an American Major League Baseball first baseman.-High school:He was on the 2001 national champion team of Seminole High School in Seminole, Florida.-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:...
and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek.
On September 10, 2008 with a win over the New York Yankees
2008 New York Yankees season
The 2008 New York Yankees season was the 106th season for the New York Yankees franchise. The Yankees hosted the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday July 15, 2008. It was the 83rd and last season at Yankee Stadium prior to the team's move to a new ballpark just north of the current...
and a loss by the Texas Rangers
2008 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers' 2008 season was the 48th year of the franchise and 37th since moving to Arlington, Texas. The organization, after finishing second in the American League Western Division in 2007. The new season would be the first under the oversight of newly-hired club president and former...
to the Seattle Mariners, the Angels clinched their seventh American League West Division title. By clinching on September 10, the Angels set a new mark for the earliest clinch date in American League West history. They would finish the 2008 regular season setting a franchise record for wins at 100, breaking the previous club record of 99 wins set by the 2002 World Series championship team. For the second straight year, the Angels faced off against the Boston Red Sox
2008 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2008 season began on March 25, in Tokyo, Japan for the MLB Japan Opening Day 2008. The Red Sox were attempting to become the first repeat World Series Champions since the 1999–2000 New York Yankees and also be the first repeat Champions of the 21st century. They also tried to...
(AL Wild Card) in the ALDS
2008 American League Division Series
-Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox:-Game 1, October 1:Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CaliforniaIn a re-match of last year's ALDS, starters Jon Lester and John Lackey were sharp early on, each tossing a couple of scoreless innings. The Angels finally got on the board in the third, when...
, but were unable to advance, losing the series three games to one.
2009
As the Angels' much-lauded rotation was set to return for 20092009 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions – New York Yankees**American League Champions – New York Yankees**National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies*Postseason – October 7 to November 4...
, injuries suddenly plagued John Lackey
John Lackey
John Derran Lackey is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Lackey was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 1999 and helped the franchise win its first World Series title in 2002, which was his first season in the major leagues...
and Ervin Santana
Ervin Santana
Ervin Ramon Santana is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Name:...
, while Kelvim Escobar
Kelvim Escobar
Kelvim Jose Escobar Bolivar is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed...
was experiencing setbacks to his long-awaited return. This caused the Angels to add long-relievers Dustin Moseley
Dustin Moseley
Dustin Aaron Moseley is an American Major League Baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres.-Career:Moseley was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. Prior to the season, he was ranked by Baseball America as the fourth best prospect in the...
and Shane Loux
Shane Loux
Shane A. Loux is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants organization.Loux graduated from Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona after a great prep career....
to the rotation, as well as call up top prospect Nick Adenhart
Nick Adenhart
Nicholas James Adenhart was an American right-handed baseball starting pitcher who played two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...
to the rotation.
These injuries left the Opening Day start to Joe Saunders
Joe Saunders
Joseph Francis Saunders is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-College and minor league career:...
, who pitched a dominating game against the Oakland Athletics
2009 Oakland Athletics season
-Roster:- Game log : -Batting:Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases-Pitching:...
to start the season. Two days later, Nick Adenhart made his first start of the season, pitching six shutout innings before being pulled from the game. Hours later, he and two other friends were killed in a hit-and-run crash. Adenhart's death was a shock to the team and to all baseball fans nationwide. It caused the next day's game to be postponed, and the Angels' April 10 game against the Boston Red Sox
2009 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2009 season is the 109th in the team's history. The Red Sox came in off a loss in the American League Championship Series during their 2008 season. The team is in the 97th season at Fenway Park, the oldest active ballpark in Major League Baseball.-Roster:-Regular season:The Red...
became a tribute to Adenhart.
After Adenhart's death, this left another folly in the rotation, which led to reliever Darren Oliver
Darren Oliver
Darren Christopher Oliver is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Oliver was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 3rd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft, and has had three separate stints with the club.-Early life:...
taking his place in the rotation. Shortly after, Moseley would become injured, leading minor leaguer Matt Palmer
Matt Palmer
Jonathan Matthew "Matt" Palmer is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed...
to be called up. Palmer would claim six victories in his first eight starts before his first loss on June 29, leading to him cementing a spot in the rotation while Escobar would make only one start after returning from the disabled list before becoming re injured.
As the non-waiver trade deadline of July 31 loomed, the Angels were seen as big contenders for Heath Bell
Heath Bell
Heath Justin Bell is an American professional baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. After taking over the San Diego Padres closer role from Trevor Hoffman in 2009, Bell was named a three-time All-Star and has been awarded with the Rolaids Relief Man Award twice and has also won the DHL...
, Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
and even Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
; however, all of these rumors fell through. Nearly a month later, however, on August 29, two days before the waiver trade deadline, the Angels acquired Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
ace Scott Kazmir
Scott Kazmir
Scott Edward Kazmir is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Kazmir made his Major League debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004 when he was only 20 years old and at one time held many of the franchise's career pitching records...
, in exchange for two low-level minor leaguers and prized prospect Sean Rodriguez
Sean Rodriguez
Sean John Rodriguez is a Cuban American Major League Baseball short stop for the Tampa Bay Rays.-High school career:...
. Ervin Santana shut-out the Texas Rangers for the West Division Title on September 28, 2009.
For the third straight year, the Angels faced the Boston Red Sox
2009 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2009 season is the 109th in the team's history. The Red Sox came in off a loss in the American League Championship Series during their 2008 season. The team is in the 97th season at Fenway Park, the oldest active ballpark in Major League Baseball.-Roster:-Regular season:The Red...
(the AL Wild Card) in the ALDS
2009 American League Division Series
The American League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 American League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The ALDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
. Despite being 0-4 in playoff series against the Red Sox and having lost 12 of the last 13 post-season games against them, the Angels swept the series 3-0. The Angels next faced the New York Yankees
2009 New York Yankees season
The 2009 New York Yankees season was the 107th season for the New York Yankees franchise. The Yankees opened their new Yankee Stadium on April 3, 2009, when they hosted an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs...
in the ALCS
2009 American League Championship Series
The American League Championship Series , the second round of the 2009 American League playoffs, was a best-of-seven game series matching the two winners of the 2009 American League Division Series...
, but went on to lose the series four games to two.
2010
The Angels got off to a mediocre start to the season in April; however, things looked to be turning around near the end of May, as slugging first baseman Kendry MoralesKendry Morales
Kendrys Morales Rodriguez is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is a switch hitter and throws right-handed.-Cuban career:...
was on pace to top his home run totals from 2009. However, on May 29, in a game against the Seattle Mariners
2010 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners season was the 34th season in franchise history. Their last playoff appearance was in 2001.-Coaching staff changes:Most of the 2009 major league coaching staff was retained, with the exception of third base coach Bruce Hines. Mike Brumley was named the new third base coach on...
, Morales hit a walk-off grand slam to give the Angels a 5-1 victory; this victory was quite bittersweet, as Morales broke his leg jumping on home plate. This would send Morales to the disabled list for the remainder of the 2010 season.
Although the Angels stormed to a record of 18-9 in the month of June, the team never quite recovered from the loss of Morales, as they posted three consecutive sub-.500 months from July to September. However, the team did not back down without a fight. On July 22, the team acquired third baseman Alberto Callaspo
Alberto Callaspo
Alberto José Callaspo is a baseball second baseman and third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Career:Callaspo was originally signed by the then-Anaheim Angels in , playing for the Aguilas Cibaeñas of Dominican Summer League...
from the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in exchange for Sean O'Sullivan
Sean O'Sullivan (baseball)
Sean Daniel O'Sullivan is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.-Professional career:...
and a pitching prospect. Although this move received mild criticism, general manager Tony Reagins
Tony Reagins
Tony Demetrius Reagins was an executive in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Reagins had previously served as general manager of the Angels from 2007 until his 2011 resignation...
certainly silenced the critics three days later, on July 25; it was on that day that he pulled off a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. The Angels acquired ace starting pitcher Dan Haren
Dan Haren
Daniel John Haren is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.- High-school and college career :...
in exchange for pitchers Joe Saunders
Joe Saunders
Joseph Francis Saunders is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-College and minor league career:...
and Rafael Rodriguez
Rafael Rodriguez
Rafael Rodriguez is a retired light middleweight professional boxer from Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Personal life:Rafael Rodriguez is a member of Minnesota's illustrious Rodriguez family of boxers: Bobby, Kenny, Rudy, all of whom fought as professionals; brother John, who fought only as an amateur,...
, and prospects Patrick Corbin and Tyler Skaggs.
Haren added certainty to an already-strong rotation, posting an earned run average of 2.87; however, due to poor run support from the Angels' anemic offense, Haren posted a win-loss record of 5-4 in his 14 starts with the team.
They ended the season with a record of 80-82, in third place and ten games behind the division champion (and eventually American League champion) Texas Rangers
2010 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers’ 2010 season was the 50th in franchise history. The team, managed by Ron Washington, won their first division title since 1999 and reached the World Series for the first time in only their fourth playoff appearance. Washington would become only the second manager in franchise...
.
Team traditions
Each game begins with the song "Calling All AngelsCalling All Angels
"Calling All Angels" is the title of a 2003 song by the rock band Train. It was included on the band's third studio album, My Private Nation, and produced by Brendan O'Brien....
" by Train
Train (band)
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
being played on the P.A.
The Angel Stadium of Anaheim has a section in center field nicknamed the "California Spectacular," a formation of artificial rocks made to look like a desert mountain in California. The California Spectacular has a running waterfall, geysers that shoot in the air, and also shoot fireworks from the rocks before every game; anytime the Angels hit a home run or win a game the fireworks shoot from the rocks as well.
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is nicknamed "The Big A."
Anytime the Angels win a game, the saying "Light Up the Halo!" is used in reference to the giant landmark which is a big 230 foot tall A with a halo surrounding the top which lights up every time the Angels win a game.
Every Friday night home game is Big Bang Friday, which consists of a postgame fireworks display.
Once every season, usually in the late summer, there is "Break Out the Red Week," when fans at Angel Stadium are encouraged to wear more ostentatious Angels gear or more red clothing in support of the team. The most extravagant fans receive prizes for their support.
During the seventh inning stretch of every home game, the fans sing along to "Build Me Up Buttercup
Build Me Up Buttercup
"Build Me Up Buttercup" is the name of a song written by Mike d'Abo and Tony Macaulay, and released by The Foundations with Colin Young singing the lead vocals in 1968. This was the third major hit for The Foundations. Colin Young replaced Clem Curtis in 1968 and this was the first Foundations hit...
" by The Foundations
The Foundations
The Foundations were a British soul band, active from 1967 to 1970. The group, made up of West Indians, White British, and a Sri Lankan, are best known for their two biggest hits, "Baby Now That I've Found You" , written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod; and "Build Me Up Buttercup" The Foundations...
.
The Angels organization created "thunder sticks" when the team made the playoffs. Thunder sticks are now in use by many other sports teams.
Rivalries
The Angels have many rivalries within their division and outside their division, which has developed through the team and fans over the ball club's history.The main rivalries of the Angels and their fans include the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, and the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
The Angels have been known to dislike these teams and their fans for various reasons, or else it would not be considered a rivalry.
The Los Angeles Dodgers rivalry has been referred to as the Freeway Series
Freeway Series
The term Freeway Series refers to a series of baseball games played between Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League...
because of the freeway linking the two teams home grounds.
The Rally Monkey
The Rally MonkeyRally Monkey
The Rally Monkey is a mascot for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League Baseball team.-Introduction:The character debuted on June 6, 2000, when the Angels were trailing the San Francisco Giants 5–4 in the bottom of the ninth inning...
is a mascot for the Angels which appears if the Angels are losing a game or if the game is tied during the 7th inning. The Rally Monkey appears on the scoreboard in various movies or pop culture references that have been edited to include him.
These video clips proved to be so popular that the team hired Katie, a white-haired capuchin monkey, to star in original clips for later games. When seen, she jumps up and down to the House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
song "Jump Around
Jump Around
"Jump Around" is the title of a song by the band House of Pain, produced by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. This song became a hit in 1992, reaching Number 3 in the USA. A 1993 re-release of the song in the UK, where the original had been a minor hit, peaked at Number 8. On VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of...
" and holds a sign that says "RALLY TIME!"
At this time the crowd at Angels stadium erupts louder than usual in cheers and dances for the support of their team.
The rally monkey came to national and worldwide attention during the Angels' appearance in the 2002 World Series
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
, again against the San Francisco Giants
2002 San Francisco Giants season
The 2002 San Francisco Giants season was the 120th in franchise history, and the franchise's 45th season in San Francisco. The season ended with the Giants winning the National League pennant but losing to the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series....
. In the 6th game, the Angels were playing at home, but were trailing the series 3-2 and facing elimination. They were down 5-0 as the game entered the bottom of the 7th inning. Amid fervid rally-monkey themed fan support, the Angels proceeded to score six unanswered runs over the next two innings, winning the game and turning the momentum of the series for good (they went on to clinch the championship in game 7).
From 2007 to 2009, the Angels reached the post-season each year, sparking a renewal of the rally monkey's popularity.
Fan support
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been seen as an underdog in the baseball world with little to no publicity on sport media networks such as ESPN.The Angels have drawn 3 million plus fans to the stadium for nine years straight, and at least 2 million for 28 seasons, and a game average in 2010 and 2011 of 40,000 fans at each game during, and after one of the teams worst losing seasons. In 2011, the Angels had the fifth best home attendance in Major League Baseball, averaging 39,090 fans per game.
In 2009, the Angels were voted the number one franchise in professional sports in Fan Value by ESPN magazine.In 2011, ESPN & Fan polls by ESPN ranked the Angels #4 in the best sports franchises in all of sports, ahead of every Major League team in baseball at #1 and also making it the #1 sports franchise in Los Angeles. The rankings were determined through a combination of sports analysts and fan votes ranking all sports franchises by a combination of average fan attendance, fan relations, "Bang for your Buck" or winning percentage over the past 3 years, ownership, affordability, stadium experience, players effort on the field and likability, coaching, and "Title Track".
Logos and colors
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have used ten different logos and three different color combinations throughout their history. Their first two logos depict a baseball with wings and a halo over a baseball diamond with the letters "L" and "A" over it in different styles. The original team colors were the predominately blue with a red trim. This color scheme would be in effect for most of the franchise's history lasting from 1961–1996.In 1966, after the club's move to Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, the team name changed from the "Los Angeles Angels" to the "California Angels," along with the name change, the logo changed as well. During the 31 years of being known as the "California Angels," the team kept the previous color scheme, however, their logo did change six times during this period. The first logo under this name was very similar to the previous "LA" logo, the only difference was instead of an interlocking "LA," there was an interlocking "CA." Directly after this from 1971–1985, the Angels adopted a logo that had the word "Angels" written on an outline of the State of California. Between the years 1971–1972 the "A" was lower-case while from 1973–1985 it was upper-case.
It was in 1965, while the stadium was being finished, that Bud Furillo (of the Herald Examiner) coined its nickname, "the Big A" after the tall letter A that once stood beyond left-center field and served as the arena's primary scoreboard (it was later relocated to a section of the parking lot, south-east of the stadium).
After the renovations of then-Anaheim Stadium and the takeover by the Walt Disney Company, the Angels changed their name to the "Anaheim Angels" along with changing the logo and color scheme. The first logo under Disney removed the halo and had a rather cartoon-like "ANGELS" script with a wing on the "A" over a periwinkle plate and crossed bats. With this change, the Angels's color scheme changed to dark blue and periwinkle. After a run with the "winged" logo from 1997–2001, Disney changed the Angels's logo back to a "Big A" with a silver logo over a dark blue baseball diamond. WIth this logo change, the colors changed to the team's current color scheme: predominately red with some dark blue and white.
When the team's name changed from the "Anaheim Angels" to the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim," the logo changed only slightly, the name "ANAHEIM ANGELS" and the blue baseball diamond were removed leaving only the "big A."
For the 2011 season, as part of the 50th anniversary of the Angels franchise, the halo on the 'Big A' logo temporarily changed colors from silver to old gold, paying tribute to the Angels logos of the past. The uniforms also reflected the change to the gold halo for this season.
During the 50th Anniversary season the players have worn throwback jerseys at each friday home game reflecting all the different logos and uniforms previously worn by players. Also Angels alumni from past season during the 50th year throw out the first Angels pitch at every home game.
Radio and television
, the Angels' flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
is KLAA 830AM, which is owned by the Angels themselves. It replaces KSPN
KSPN (AM)
KSPN is an all-sports radio station based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned by Disney. It is an ESPN Radio owned-and-operated station.-Play-by-play:...
(710 ESPN), on which frequency had aired most Angels games since the team's inception in 1961. That station, then KMPC, aired games from to . In & , the flagship station became KRLA
KRLA
KRLA is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. Licensed to Glendale, California, USA, it serves the Southern California area. The station is currently owned by Salem Communications.- KIEV :...
(1110AM). In , it was replaced by KLAC for four seasons, including the 2002 World Series season
2002 Anaheim Angels season
The Anaheim Angels 2002 season was the franchise's 42nd, and it ended with the team's first American League pennant and World Series championship....
.
The Angels 2010 broadcast line-up was thrown into doubt with the death of Rory Markas
Rory Markas
Rory Markas was an American sportscaster best known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's play-by-play broadcaster for eight seasons, and as the radio voice of the University of Southern California men's basketball team for 11 seasons...
in January 2010. The Angels had announced in November 2009 that Markas and Mark Gubicza
Mark Gubicza
Mark Steven Gubicza is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for 14 seasons for the Kansas City Royals and Anaheim Angels . He currently does color commentary for Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim games on Fox Sports...
would broadcast Angels' televised games, with Terry Smith
Terry Smith (radio)
Terry Smith is an American announcer for KLAA radio in Los Angeles, California, and has broadcast play-by-play for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim since 2002...
and José Mota handling the radio side. At the same time, the Angels announced that Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler
Rex Hudler
Rex Allen Hudler is a former Major League Baseball utility player. He played a total of thirteen seasons after being a first round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 1978.-Playing career:...
would not return to the broadcasting team. On March 3, 2010 it was announced that Victor Rojas
Victor Rojas
Victor Rojas is an American baseball broadcaster, currently the TV voice of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. -Playing career:Rojas is the son of former major-league player and manager Cookie Rojas...
will replace Markas.
In 2008, KLAA broadcast spring training games on tape delay from the beginning on February 28 to March 9 because of advertiser commitments to some daytime talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s. Those games were available live only online. Live preseason broadcasts were to begin on March 10.
In 2009, KFWB
KFWB (AM)
KFWB is a Los Angeles, California AM radio station operating on 980 kHz with 5,000 watts of power from a transmitter site near Lincoln Park . The station had a mostly all-news format from 1968 until September 8, 2009, after which it converted to a news-talk format...
980AM started broadcasting 110 weekday games, including postseason games, to better reach listeners in Los Angeles County and other areas to the north. All 162 games plus post season games still air on KLAA.
In 2010, KSPN
KSPN (AM)
KSPN is an all-sports radio station based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned by Disney. It is an ESPN Radio owned-and-operated station.-Play-by-play:...
710AM will broadcast at least 60 weekday games. This will be a partial return to their old station from 2007.
Angels radio broadcasts are also in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
on KWKW
KWKW
KWKW is an American radio station licensed to serve Los Angeles, California. The station is owned by Lotus Communications Corporation.KWKW is one of the oldest Spanish-language radio stations in the Greater Los Angeles area...
1330AM and KWKU 1220AM.
Television rights are held by FSN West
Fox Sports Net West/Prime Ticket
Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket are Los Angeles-based regional sports networks serving Southern California, Central California, southern Nevada, and Hawaii...
and MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate KCOP, with various announcers. During the 2009 season, Physioc and Hudler called about 100 games, while Markas and Gubicza had the remaining game telecasts (about 50, depending on ESPN
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD. ESPN's MLB coverage debuted on April 9, 1990 with three Opening Day telecasts. ESPN Major League Baseball is guaranteed to remain on air until 2013.The title is derived from...
and Fox exclusive national schedules). The split arrangement dated back to the 2007 season, when Mota and Gubicza were the second team. Markas debuted on TV in a three-game series at the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in August 2007.
Mota, who is bilingual and the son of former Dodger
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
Manny Mota
Manny Mota
Manuel Rafael Mota Geronimo, more commonly known as Manny Mota was a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos and most notably the Los Angeles Dodgers, best known for his pinch hitting abilities...
, has also called Angels games in Spanish, and at one time did analysis from the dugout
Dugout (baseball)
In baseball, the dugout is a team's bench area and is located in foul territory between home plate and either first or third base. There are two dugouts, one for the home team and one for the visiting team. In general, the dugout is occupied by all players not prescribed to be on the field at that...
rather than the usual booth position.
All games are produced by FSN regardless of the outlet actually showing the games.
Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
, who broadcast Angels baseball in the 1970s, is the broadcaster most identified with the Angels, using such phrases as "Oh, my!", "Touch 'em all!" after Angel home runs, and "The halo shines tonight!".
Other former Angels broadcasters over the past three decades include Dave Niehaus
Dave Niehaus
David Arnold Niehaus was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with the Ford C. Frick Award, the...
, Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
, Bob Starr, Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
, Paul Olden
Paul Olden
Paul Olden is the current public address announcer for the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. He has been the announcer since the Yankees moved to their new ballpark in 2009, replacing Jim Hall, who replaced Bob Sheppard, who had been the Yankees announcer since 1951.Previously, Olden has been a...
, Al Wisk, Al Conin, Mario Impemba
Mario Impemba
Mario Impemba is an American sportscaster, currently the TV voice of the Detroit Tigers and the radio and TV voice of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies men's basketball team.-Early life:...
, Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
, Jerry Reuss
Jerry Reuss
Jerry Reuss -- pronounced "royce" -- is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the United States, who had a 22-year career from to ....
, Ken Wilson, Ken Brett
Ken Brett
Kenneth Alven Brett was a Major League Baseball pitcher and the second of four Brett brothers who played professional baseball, the most notable being the youngest, George Brett.Ken played for 10 teams in his 14-year MLB career.Born in Brooklyn, Ken Brett grew up in southern California and was an...
, and Ron Fairly
Ron Fairly
Ronald Ray Fairly is a former Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. He either played in or broadcast over 7,000 major league games from through .-College career:...
. Jerry Coleman
Jerry Coleman
Gerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
also spent time with the Angels organization in the early-1970s as a pre-game and post-game host before joining the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
broadcast team.
As of 2010, the public address announcer for all Angels home games is David Courtney, who has held the position since 1994. He is also the public address announcer for the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
.
Film
Parent company Disney remade the 1951 film Angels in the OutfieldAngels in the Outfield (1951 film)
Angels in the Outfield is a 1951 American black-and-white film starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh, directed by Clarence Brown, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
in 1994
Angels in the Outfield (1994 film)
Angels in the Outfield is a 1994 remake of the 1951 film of the same name. The film stars Danny Glover, Tony Danza and Christopher Lloyd, and features appearances from future stars, including Adrien Brody, Matthew McConaughey, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Neal McDonough.Unlike the original, which...
with the California Angels as the team that receives heavenly assistance. The team is also featured in the 1988 comedy film The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American comedy film that is the first in a The Naked Gun series of films starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O. J. Simpson...
.
Retired numbers
 Fregosi Jim Fregosi James Louis Fregosi is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played from 1961–1978 for four different teams, primarily the Los Angeles and California Angels. In that franchise's first eleven years of play, he became its first star as the team's... SS: 1961–71 Manager: 1978–81 Retired August 1, 1998 |
 Autry Gene Autry Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s... Team Founder Retired October 3, 1982 |
 Carew Rod Carew Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National... 1B: 1979–85 Coach: 1992–99 Retired August 6, 1991 |
 Ryan Nolan Ryan Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers.... P: 1972-79 Retired June 16, 1992 |
 Robinson Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947... Retired by Baseball Retired April 15, 1997 |
 Reese Jimmie Reese Jimmie Reese was a Major League Baseball second baseman, third baseman, and coach.In order to avoid the brunt of prejudice against Jewish... Coach: 1972–94 Retired August 2, 1995 |
- #26 was retired for Gene Autry to indicate he was the team's "26th Man" (25 is the player limit for any MLB team's active rosterMajor League Baseball rostersA Major League Baseball roster is a roster of players able to play for their respective Major League team. There are two types of rosters, the 25-man roster and the 40-man roster.-25-man roster:...
, except in September) - #42 was retired throughout Major League Baseball in 1997 to honor Jackie Robinson
Angels Hall of Fame
The Angels have a team Hall of Fame, with the following members:
| Player | Bobby Grich Bobby Grich Robert Anthony "Bobby" Grich is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels of Major League Baseball... |
Jim Fregosi Jim Fregosi James Louis Fregosi is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played from 1961–1978 for four different teams, primarily the Los Angeles and California Angels. In that franchise's first eleven years of play, he became its first star as the team's... |
Don Baylor Don Baylor Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter... |
Rod Carew Rod Carew Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National... |
Nolan Ryan Nolan Ryan Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers.... |
Jimmie Reese Jimmie Reese Jimmie Reese was a Major League Baseball second baseman, third baseman, and coach.In order to avoid the brunt of prejudice against Jewish... |
Brian Downing Brian Downing Brian Jay Downing is a former professional baseball player who had a 20-year MLB career with the Chicago White Sox, California Angels and Texas Rangers.- Chicago Years :... |
Chuck Finley Chuck Finley Charles Edward "Chuck" Finley is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1986-2002 for three different teams, but pitched primarily with the California Angels... |
Gene Autry Gene Autry Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Inducted | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1995 | 2009 | 2009 | 2011 |
Baseball Hall of Fame
As of the Hall of FameNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
election, no inducted members have elected to be depicted wearing an Angels cap on their plaque. However, several Hall of Famers have spent part of their careers with the Angels:
Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Minor league affiliations
| Level | Team | League | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Salt Lake Bees Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bees serve as the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They play their home games at Spring Mobile Ballpark, known to fans as the Apiary, which was... |
Pacific Coast League Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The... |
Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197... |
| AA | Arkansas Travelers Arkansas Travelers The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League club.... |
Texas League Texas League The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892... |
North Little Rock, AR North Little Rock, Arkansas the city was 62.55% White, 33.98% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races... |
| Advanced A | Inland Empire 66ers | California League California League The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth... |
San Bernardino, CA San Bernardino, California San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States... |
| A | Cedar Rapids Kernels Cedar Rapids Kernels The Cedar Rapids Kernels are a Class A minor league baseball team based in Iowa. It is affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and plays in the Midwest League.-Franchise history:... |
Midwest League Midwest League The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort... |
Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city... |
| Rookie | Orem Owlz Orem Owlz The Orem Owlz are a minor league baseball farm team affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball franchise. The team plays in Orem, Utah.... |
Pioneer League | Orem, UT Orem, Utah Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and... |
| AZL Angels | Arizona League Arizona League The Arizona League is a minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. It is a rookie-level professional baseball league run by Major League Baseball since 1989. Games are played at the spring training complexes of the team's parent organizations from mid-June until the... |
Tempe, AZ Tempe, Arizona Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale... |
|
| DSL Angels Dominican Summer Angels The Dominican Summer Angels are a minor league baseball team in the Dominican Summer League. The team plays in the San Pedro de Macorís division and is affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-External links:*... |
Dominican Summer League Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated minor league baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2011 72-game season begins May 28 and ends August 20... |
San Pedro de Macorís San Pedro de Macorís San Pedro de Macorís is a municipality and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the Dominican Republic.-Demographics:... , Dominican Republic Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries... |