History of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team

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...

. 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 that was their original home, 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...

, and was inspired by a minor league club of the same name

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 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.

Prelude: The American League comes to Los Angeles

For many years, there had been talk of an existing American League

American League

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

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, there was again talk of the Browns moving to L.A. for the 1954 season, 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

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...

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 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)

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 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

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 Spokane

Spokane, 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 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...

) 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, 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, but also 9 games ahead of the Kansas City Athletics

Oakland Athletics

. 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 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.

In 1962, 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

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...

, 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...

, who was as famous for his dexterity with the pool cue and his dating of Hollywood starlets (most particularly Mamie Van Doren

Mamie Van Doren

Mamie Van Doren is an American actress and singer; who rose to popularity as Universal Pictures's version of 20th Century Fox's Marilyn Monroe....

) as for his pitching prowess, tossed the first no-hit game in the history of Dodger Stadium/Chavez Ravine, blanking the Orioles 5-0. (Though raised in the Jewish faith, Belinsky later became a born-again Christian and counselor, advising against the lifestyle which once was his trademark.)

In 1964, 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 Beach

Long 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

. 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 and the establishment of 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...

in 1969, the Angels retained their California moniker through 1996, despite any objections the other California teams may have had.) 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

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...

, Detroit

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...

, Minnesota

Minnesota Twins

and eventual winner Boston

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"...

) 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. Other notable Angels of this period included pitchers Clyde Wright

Clyde Wright

Clyde Wright , nicknamed "Skeeter", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for the California Angels , Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers . He also pitched three seasons in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants...

and Ken McBride

Ken McBride

Kenneth Faye McBride is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. The 6'0", . righty was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before the 1954 season...

, shortstop 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...

, outfielders Albie Pearson

Albie Pearson

and Leon Wagner

Leon Wagner

Leon Lamar Wagner was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the San Francisco Giants , St. Louis Cardinals , Los Angeles Angels , Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...

, and catcher 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...

. Fregosi and Rodgers later managed the Angels.

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 fireballer

Fireballer

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

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, still a major league record. Ryan was acquired in a trade that sent Jim Fregosi

Jim Fregosi

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 Fregosi

Jim Fregosi

, a former Angel shortstop who was sent to the New York Mets

New York Mets

in 1972 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

Most Valuable Player

In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...

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 American League Championship Series

American League Championship Series

In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...

to the Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles

, 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...

, 3 games to 1. 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

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 Rams

St. 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

Seating capacity

Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...

too large for baseball.

1982: One game away

The Angels nearly reached the World Series in the 1982 postseason. Reggie Jackson

Reggie 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

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 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

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

— 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 Year

MLB 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

Boston Red Sox

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 3 games to 1, 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

, cutting the Angels' lead to 5-4. After reliever Gary Lucas

Gary Lucas (baseball player)

Gary Paul Lucas is an American former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Diego Padres , Montreal Expos and California Angels ....

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

Sacrifice fly

In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....

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

New York Mets

, 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 Autry

Gene Autry

, 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

, 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 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.

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 DiSarcina

Gary 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

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...

, 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 Curse of the Cowboy?

Given the clubs's inability to win a pennant thus far, the postseason disasters of 1982 and 1986, the 1995 collapse, and tragedies such as Bostock's murder and Moore's suicide, it was suggested that there must be a "curse

Curse

A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...

" on the Angels. Since there did not appear to be a single defining moment when things started to go downhill, or one where "the baseball gods" might have been offended, some suggested that it was Autry who was the cause, a grand life seeing all its good luck evened out in his ownership of a baseball team. The idea of a "Curse of the Cowboy" did not take hold, however, due to the great affection Autry engendered as a public figure, and the idea would diminish with the sale of the team and its later postseason success.

To some extent, the idea of a different curse did take hold, however. Prior to the Angels' World Series victory in 2002, some had theorized that the team did not have success because its stadium, The Big A

Angel Stadium of Anaheim

, was supposedly built upon an ancient Native American

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

burial ground (although Anaheim city historians have not been able to either confirm or debunk the theory).

"Heck, people were talking about it in spring training. We were standing around the outfield one day and everyone was concerned about the stadium being cursed because it was built on an ancient Indian burial ground. We were going to go get an exorcist or a Catholic priest or something to get rid of the curse. I'm like, "I don't want to be on an Indian burial ground."

— Ben Weber, former Angel pitcher, in 2002

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 Autry

Gene Autry

, 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"

In 1995, the year of the Angels' worst regular season collapse, the Los Angeles Rams had moved to St. Louis

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, Florida

Orlando, 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.

Team uniforms changed in 1997 as well. The familiar "A-N-G-E-L-S" spelled out on the jersey front was replaced with a logo designed by Disney Studios, being a stylized form of the team name with an enlarged angel wing to the left of the "A", on new pinstriped vest jerseys. These uniforms were universally ridiculed, being referred to as the "softball beer league" uniforms by Chris Berman of ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

and as "periwinkle jerseys" by many Angel fans.

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

Catcher

Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...

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

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...

3 games to 1 in the American League Division Series

American League Division Series

In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series...

, ending the Yankees' streak of 4 straight American League Pennants, and the Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins

4 games to 1 in the ALCS, to win the American League pennant for the first time in their history.

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...

they met the Wildcard San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

, 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 8 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

Most Valuable Player

of the Series. Twenty-year-old rookie relief pitcher

Relief pitcher

A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...

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 Rally Monkey

The Angels' 2000 season marked the introduction of a mascot known as the Rally Monkey. The whole movement began as a joke by the video crew in the stadium during a game where the Angels were trailing the Giants 5-4. A looped clip of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. It co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino....

where a monkey jumps up and down was shown on the Jumbotron Video Screen with the flashing sign of "Rally Monkey" during a pitching change. The Angels went on to win that game, and started to build a following as "the comeback kids", most famously exemplified in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series (coincidentally against the Giants).

The 2000s: New owner, another new name

On May 15, 2003, Disney

The Walt Disney Company

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, Edison

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...

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

, and every city in Orange County

Orange County, California

, 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

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

2003 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

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

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

Home Run Derby

The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...

, and Donnelly picked up the win in the game.

2004

From to the present the Angels have been in the unfamiliar role of perennial playoff contender; however, they have not returned to the World Series since the 2002 campaign.

In 2004, 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 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

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 3 games to 0 by the AL Wild Card Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

, who, after beating their longtime rivals, the New York Yankees, went on to win their first World Series

World Series

since 1918.

2005

In the 2005 season, the Halos became the first team in the American League

American League

to clinch their division, doing so with 5 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

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...

in the Division Series

Division Series

In baseball, the Division Series is the official name for the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Currently, a total of four series are played in this opening round, two each for both the American League and the National League.-1981 season:...

in 5 games, but lost in the American League Championship Series

American League Championship Series

In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...

to the eventual World Series Champions Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox

in 5 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

winner in 2005, only the second Angel to be so honored (Dean Chance

Dean Chance

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

Save (sport)

In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...

with 47, and became the youngest closer to record 100 career saves. Scot Shields

Scot 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

Hold (baseball)

A hold is awarded to a relief pitcher who meets the following three conditions:Unlike saves, wins, and losses, more than one pitcher per team can earn a hold for a game, though it is not possible for a pitcher to receive more than one hold in a given game...

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 in baseball

-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...

, missing the post-season for the first time since . 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 5-year, $50-million contract in a deal.

2007

The 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

. 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

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. Guerrero became just the third Angel to win the Home Run Derby

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

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

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...

. He also posted a new Angel record with eleven consecutive games with an RBI on September 6 after hitting a single off Indians

Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

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

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

Boston Red Sox

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

Free agent

In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

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

, 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

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 Lackey

John Lackey

), the Angels had the best record in the American League (tied with the Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

for best record in MLB) going into the All-Star Break. On July 20, closer

Closer (baseball)

In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...

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

Seattle Mariners

and eventually finished with 62 saves. The Angels made another headline trade on July 29, acquiring first baseman

First baseman

First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...

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

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 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 3 games to 1.

2009

As the Angels' much-lauded rotation was set to return for 2009

2009 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

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

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

Boston Red Sox

became a tribute to Adenhart.

After Adenhart's death, this left another folly in the rotation, which led to reliver 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.

Moseley (who would almost immediately injure himself) and Loux, after paltry beginnings to their season, would reclaim their long-relief spots as Lackey and Santana returned. However, Santana once again became injured, and minor leaguer Sean O'Sullivan

Sean O'Sullivan (baseball)

Sean Daniel O'Sullivan is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.-Professional career:...

took his place, creating a masterful debut of his own, winning his first two starts in dominating appearances.

Amid all of the pitching rotation chaos, outfielder Torii Hunter

Torii Hunter

quietly took the place as leader of the Angels' offense, with a powerful April where he hit eight home runs, then third in the American League

American League

. Offseason addition Bobby Abreu

Bobby Abreu

Bob Kelly "Bobby" Abreu , nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Luche", is a Major League Baseball left fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim....

had a modest start to the season before making a powerful presence in June.

The Angels were originally to send two players, Hunter and closer Brian Fuentes

Brian Fuentes

Brian Christopher Fuentes is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who currently plays for the Oakland Athletics. Previously, he played for the Seattle Mariners, the Colorado Rockies, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Minnesota Twins...

, to the All-Star Game

2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th 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 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...

. However, with just days before the game, Hunter was sent to the disabled list

Disabled list

In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...

with a groin injury, effectively removing him from the All-Star Game. The team's offensive catalyst, Chone Figgins

Chone Figgins

, was eligible for the All-Star Game Final Vote, but placed third. However, he would later be added to the roster the morning of the game to replace injured 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...

slugger Evan Longoria

Evan Longoria

Evan Michael Longoria is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the Cape Cod League MVP, and the Big West Co-Player of the Year.He made his major league debut for the Rays in , and...

.

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

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 (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

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 4 games to 2.

2009 offseason

The Angels entered the 2009 offseason with countless question marks, most notably if they would retain pitching ace John Lackey

John Lackey

and fan favorite Chone Figgins

Chone Figgins

. The answer to both of these questions was no, as Lackey and Figgins signed with Boston

Boston Red Sox

and Seattle

Seattle Mariners

respectively.

The Angels were, once again, big players to acquire Toronto

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 ....

ace Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay

Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...

in the winter, and were rumored to have offered a package of Joe Saunders

Joe Saunders

Joseph Francis Saunders is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-College and minor league career:...

, Erick Aybar

Erick Aybar

Erick Johan Aybar is a Major League Baseball shortstop with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Dominican Republic:Aybar has also previously played in the Dominican Republic...

and Peter Bourjos

Peter Bourjos

Peter Christopher Bourjos is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim....

for Halladay, but the Jays rejected such an offer and sent Halladay to two-time defending National League

National League

champion Philadelphia

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

for three prospects. The Angels' next plan was to acquire Phillies ace Cliff Lee

Cliff Lee

, but just hours after Halladay was dealt, Lee was traded to Seattle for a prospect package.

On this same action-packed day, the Angels signed reigning 2009 World Series

2009 World Series

The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...

MVP Hideki Matsui

Hideki Matsui

is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...

to a one-year, $6.5 million contract, effectively spelling the end of longtime fan favorite Vladimir Guerrero's

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...

time with the Angels.

On Christmas Eve, the team signed Detroit

Detroit Tigers

reliever Fernando Rodney

Fernando Rodney

Fernando Rodney is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Rodney throws a fastball in the mid to upper-90 miles per hour and a changeup in the low 80s.-Minor leagues:...

to a two-year, $11 million deal, doing so after the loss of reliever Darren Oliver

Darren Oliver

, who would sign with division rival Texas

Texas Rangers (baseball)

.

The Angels now head into 2010

2010 in baseball

-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions - San Francisco Giants**American League Champions - Texas Rangers**National League Champions - San Francisco Giants*Postseason - October 7 to November 4...

with an uncertain roster, similar to how they entered the 2009

2009 in baseball

season.

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 Morales

Kendry 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

Seattle Mariners

, Morales hit a walk-off grand slam

Grand slam (baseball)

In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...

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

Disabled list

In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...

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

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

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; it is notable that all four pitchers the Angels sent in return are left-handed pitchers.

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.

Attempting to replace Morales' bat, at least for the short term, the Angels nearly had a trade in place for Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs

first baseman Derrek Lee

Derrek Lee

Derrek Leon Lee , or "D-Lee", is a Major League Baseball first baseman. Lee has played with the San Diego Padres , the Florida Marlins , Chicago Cubs , Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates . He bats and throws right-handed.Lee was a World Series Champion with Florida in 2003,...

; however, even though the two parties agreed on the terms of the deal and were ready to pull the trigger, Lee invoked his no-trade clause, and the deal was nixed. This move on Lee's part proved fatal for the Angels, as they never did find the right bat to replace Morales, ending the season with a record of 80-82, in third place and ten games behind the division champion (and eventually American League

American League

champion) Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers (baseball)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Prelude: The American League comes to Los Angeles

The team has an owner

The team gets its name

Angels in Los Angeles

Hittin' the Road: the move from Los Angeles to Anaheim

The Ryan express

1979: Angels finally reach the playoffs

The 1980s: A decade of frustration

1982: One game away

1986: One strike away

The early 1990s: Struggles on field and off

1995: The Collapse

The Curse of the Cowboy?

The Disney Era

Downsizing the stadium: "The Big Ed"

Downsizing the name: The Anaheim Angels

2002: Angels' first World Series title

The Rally Monkey

The 2000s: New owner, another new name

The stadium renamed: Angel Stadium of Anaheim

The team renamed: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2009 offseason

2010

See also

External links