The Los Angeles Angels might have to adopt a new name if a proposed bill becomes law in California.
The Angels — formerly the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Anaheim Angels and the California Angels — could be affected by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia’s AB 2512, which has already passed the state Assembly unanimously.
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A return to the Anaheim Angels?
AB 2512 “would require the Major League Baseball franchise to go back to using the name ‘Anaheim Angels’ in official documents and marketing materials” if the city of Anaheim “gives the team special legal treatment to help sell, lease or redevelop Angel Stadium and the surrounding land,” Josh Koehn of the California Post reports.
“Anaheim is a world-class city, and I have seen it firsthand growing up here,” the Anaheim Democrat said in a statement to the Post. “The pride of place our residents carry is real and it is earned. My community has shown up for the Angels franchise year after year, and they deserve more than being treated as an afterthought … It is time the name of our local MLB team reflects the city they play in.”
If the state Senate agrees with the Assembly, it could tie the future of Angel Stadium to a return to the Anaheim name.
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Bill is latest challenge for embattled owner Arte Moreno
Recently, team owner Arte Moreno has found himself facing multiple challenges.
Shirtless fans have been chanting at him to “sell the team,” a message that will be amplified in protests this upcoming weekend.
Mar 11, 2021; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno watches game action during a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
There have also been animal encounters at the stadium, first reportedly involving rats and, more recently, an opossum that was wrangled by a Dodgers fan during the Freeway Series.
If AB 2512 becomes law, it would undo the name change that was enacted by Moreno after he bought the team in the mid 2000s.
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