Bill Shaikin, a California Sportswriter of the Year honoree, covers baseball and sports business for the Los Angeles Times. His story on the Dodgers’ Russian physicist-turned-healer who claimed to channel positive energy to the team – “If You Think It, They Will Win” – was featured in the Best American Sports Writing anthology. He was the beat writer when the Dodgers filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and the Angels won the World Series in 2002, two events considered beyond improbable before they happened. He incurred the wrath of Kelly Clarkson’s fans while wondering why she was singing at the Turin Olympics, in a country with a cultural lineage that included da Vinci, Michelangelo and Fellini. He has reported from the Dominican Republic, Israel, England, Italy, Mexico, Canada and Hickory, N.C. He graduated from UC Berkeley and hopes to see the Golden Bears in the Rose Bowl during his lifetime, just once.
Latest From This Author
Trevor Bauer’s latest court fight against Lindsey Hill stalled on Wednesday when a judge denied him a default ruling. The judge said he would revisit the matter in June.
The Angels ended their losing streak in Zach Neto’s season debut, and that might not be a coincidence. The standout shortstop can be a difference-maker.
If tickets to sporting events have gotten too expensive for the average fan, then Dodger Stadium is a flash point in the debate over whether teams should pursue every dollar they can.
As ticket prices have soared, a small but growing number of teams in all sports are offering a limited menu of basic concession items at fan-friendly prices.
The criticism comes days after Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken invited Angels owner Arte Moreno to join her in “an open and honest conversation about the future of baseball in Anaheim.”
The Dodgers loomed large at the Angels’ home opener, but it doesn’t bother a team sure it needs just to deliver wins to woo more fans.
- Voices
Shaikin: What’s the future for aging Angel Stadium? It feels like an increasingly uncertain one
The Angels and the city of Anaheim have discussed, debated and twice agreed upon plans to enhance the stadium and secure the team’s future there. The city walked away from both deals.
The Dodgers might be fully capable of breaking the MLB record for wins in a season, even if success in October remains the ultimate goal.
Jack Flaherty’s time with the Dodgers didn’t have a true Hollywood ending, but he cherishes being able to win a World Series title with his hometown team.
The only specific financial outcome of the report: Auditors discovered the Angels had overpaid $95,000 in ticket revenue to the city in 2021. The city agreed to refund the money.