Angels not in city’s outfield

Dave Brooks

A marketing decision to change the name of baseball’s Angels to

include “Los Angeles” has become the scorn of Orange County baseball

fans tired of living in the shadow of its more crowded neighbor to

the north.

On Monday, the club’s owner, Arte Moreno, announced he was

changing the name of the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of

Anaheim. The move immediately drew criticism from Huntington Beach

residents and Orange County officials, many of whom argued that

Moreno missed a key opportunity to capitalize on Orange County’s

burgeoning popularity.

“That’s like renaming the Bolsa Chica wetlands the Los Angeles

Ecological reserve,” said Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors

Bureau President Doug Traub.

The reason for the name change is simple: Moreno believes his team

can capture a larger share of the national baseball audience if he

uses the Los Angeles moniker.

“Sure we know the difference between Los Angeles and Anaheim, but

for the average guy who lives on the other side of the country,

they’re the same thing,” said Councilman Keith Bohr, who said he

understands Moreno’s decision and voted against a Dec. 20 resolution

by the Huntington Beach City Council urging Moreno to drop the idea.

Through the name change and a billboard marketing campaign

throughout Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside

counties, Moreno is also hoping the Angels can better tap into the

16-million person market of Southern California. The change is

needed, he argues, to generate more revenues for player acquisitions.

According to https://www.MLB.com, the Anaheim Angels have the third

highest payroll in the league.

At best, the idea has gained a few shoulder shrugs and sighs from

Moreno supporters, while everyone from the Los Angeles Dodgers to

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher have condemned the name change with a scorn

usually reserved for enemies of the state.

The Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution condemning the

move, while the city of Anaheim has threatened to sue. A lease

agreement with the city that provided money for Angels Stadium

requires the team keep Anaheim in its name.

Huntington Beach Planning Commission chairman and avid baseball

fan Steve Ray said he was disheartened by the decision.

“I preferred to keep the Anaheim Angels because it gave an

identity to Orange County that we all can share,” he said. “Orange

County is not just a suburb of Los Angeles. In fact, we’re bigger

than a lot of countries.”

Traub said he believed Moreno missed out on a chance to capitalize

on the increasing popularity of Orange County, spurred by television

shows like Fox’s “The O.C.” and “Arrested Development.”

“For those of us who are patriots of Orange County and Anaheim,

it’s a big insult,” he said. “He took a winning team, a fantastic

formula and a fabulous fan base and threw a wrench into it.”