Angel buys into Balboa Island

S.J. Cahn

Think this piece of paradise couldn’t get any more heavenly?

It has.

Anaheim Angels manager Mike Scioscia has bought a harbor front

island house, which was listed at $3.495 million. Scioscia had been

renting a summer home in Newport Beach.

“They fell in love with Balboa Island,” Cabot Harvey, of

Prudential Real Estate, said of Scioscia and his wife, Anne. Harvey

was the selling agent.

“They had talked about it for years and then got real serious

about it this year,” Harvey added.

Harvey toured the entire island with the Scioscias, checking

houses in the interior and on the harbor. “We just kind of waited

until the right house,” Harvey said.

The home’s listing agent was Bob Clarke of Coast Newport

Properties.

Harvey said that Scioscia, who last year guided the Angels to the

team’s first World Series win, “is a really good guy.”

“He’s everything everybody says,” said Harvey, who has at least a

bit of stake in Scioscia’s proving to be a good neighbor to island

residents. Harvey is one of them.

For those with a stake in the Angels, the other good news is that

the purchase means “he’s not going anywhere,” said Tim Mead, the

team’s vice president of communications.

“Mike is going to be the manager of the ball club for a very long

time,” Mead said, noting that the purchase solidifies what already

was a long-term contract.

Scioscia, his wife and two children have a main home in Westlake

Village but spend “a lot of quality time down” in Newport, Mead said.

Scioscia joins a list of sports figures who have called or do call

Newport Beach home.

Others are Lakers Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone, who have homes in

Newport Coast. Former Angels Mo Vaughn and Chuck Finley settled in

town for a while. Former UCLA football coach Terry Donahue, now with

the San Francisco 49ers, has a home on Balboa Island.

Then, of course, there’s Dennis Rodman.

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He can be reached at (949)

574-4233 or by e-mail at s.j.cahn@latimes.com.