{"id":341892,"date":"2026-06-01T20:36:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T20:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/341892\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T20:36:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T20:36:08","slug":"is-it-time-for-the-angels-to-return-back-to-their-anaheim-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/341892\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Time for the Angels to Return Back to Their Anaheim Title?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1961, Major League Baseball expanded, adding two new American League (AL) teams. While the Washington Senators<\/a> weren\u2019t officially a new team, as they were originally in the league in the late 1800s before moving and becoming the Minnesota Twins<\/a>, the Los Angeles Angels<\/a> were a brand-new addition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While they started as, and later reverted to, the Los Angeles Angels, the team resides in Anaheim, CA, not Los Angeles<\/a>. Statistically, the team has performed better under a different name than its current one. It sounds odd, but it\u2019s completely true. The ball club has had three other names beyond the \u201cThe Los Angeles Angels\u201d moniker. <\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s take a deeper look at how the teams performed under the different names.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Angels (1961-1964)<\/p>\n

From an outside view, you\u2019d probably think the Angels took the LA title because, perhaps, the Dodgers<\/a> were still in Brooklyn when the team was created. However, that is not the case. According to Baseball Reference<\/a>, the Dodgers moved to LA in 1958. One reason for using \u201cLos Angeles\u201d is that it translates directly from Spanish as \u201cThe Angels.\u201d The main reason for using the LA designation was to pay homage to a minor league team in the LA area decades earlier, which was titled \u201cThe PCL Angels<\/a>\u201d as well.<\/p>\n

Over those four seasons, they played 647 games, with a 308-338 record. These four years were before the divisional era, so instead of finishing out of five in the American League (AL) West, they finished out of 10 in the AL. Their highest finish was third in 1962, and their worst was the following year, 1963, when they finished ninth overall.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Those years were off and on, back and forth, going from being one of the best teams to one of the worst. They only finished above .500 twice, in 1962 and 1964. It is also important to point out that they did not make the playoffs in any of those four years. Fans welcomed a rebrand after a rocky start to the franchise.<\/p>\n

California Angels (1965-1996)<\/p>\n

The team transitioned from the LA Angels to the California Angels after the team officially relocated to Anaheim Stadium. They kept this name for 31 seasons, making it the longest tenured moniker the team has had so far.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In those 31 seasons, their overall record was 2440-2616, finishing above .500 only 12 times. Even with the losing records, the California Angels did make the playoffs three times. In 1979, 1982, and 1986, those teams won the AL West divisional title. However, each time they made the playoffs, they ended up losing in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).<\/p>\n

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While they didn\u2019t win big over these 31 years, they made progress compared to their prior playoff-less LA Angels run. It is also important to point out the increase in attendance. According to Baseball Reference<\/a>, the team only drew over one million fans for the entire season once in the four LA Angels years; the California Angels drew over one million fans 27 times. With big names like Nolan Ryan, Chuck Finley, and Tim Salmon bringing more excitement to the ballpark every day. The conversation about different team names stems not only from wins and losses but also from the enjoyment fans felt all season long.<\/p>\n

Anaheim Angels (1997-2004)<\/p>\n

Moving on to the name that most fans want the team to stick to, the Anaheim Angels. While the team only had this name for eight seasons, it\u2019s certainly iconic. The biggest takeaway would, of course, be the World Series win they had in 2002. This was the first time an Angels team made it past the ALCS, and their first World Series win. During this reign, the Walt Disney Company owned the team. From Disney Fandom<\/a>, the company\u2019s desire to change the team\u2019s name to Anaheim from California stems from their desire to make the city (Anaheim) a \u201cdestination city.\u201d Similar to how Orlando, Florida, is because it\u2019s near Walt Disney World.<\/p>\n

During this time, Angels Stadium was renamed to \u201cEdison International Field of Anaheim\u201d as Edison International became the sponsor. Disney also added two statues to the front of the park, one of Gene Autry (original team owner) and Michelle Carew, Rod Carew\u2019s 17-year-old daughter, who died of leukemia. It felt as though Disney tried to find many ways to connect with the local and die-hard fans.<\/p>\n

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Besides the World Series, the Anaheim Angels brought people in. In their eight seasons, they drew in over 19.3 million<\/a> fans. Everyone flocked to Anaheim Stadium to see Angels legends, Tim Salem, Darin Erstad, Garrett Anderson, etc. They were the team to see, especially after their 2002 win, where they came back multiple times in games. It\u2019s no surprise that when a professional club embraces its hometown, people are going to want to watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Anaheim Angels are also the first Angels team to have an overall record above .500, at 664-632. Although a short run, the Anaheim Angels were a fun, competitive team.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005-2015)<\/p>\n

In 2003, the Walt Disney Company sold the team to the Angels\u2019 current owner, Arte Moreno. Moreno became the first Hispanic person to own a major American sports team. He quickly became someone the fans liked as he found ways to lower concession and ticket prices. He was also not afraid to spend the money to get the top names of the game. <\/p>\n

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However, that relationship between owner and fans quickly dwindled. On January 3, 2005, Moreno decided to rename the team to the \u201cLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim.\u201d The team\u2019s media guide<\/a> stated, \u201cThe inclusion of Los Angeles reflects the original expansion name and returns the Angels as Major League Baseball\u2019s American League representative in the Greater Los Angeles territory.\u201d While the explanation made sense, Anaheim fans did not agree. More than 500 billboards were put up across Southern California, and many were torn down and\/or vandalized by angry fans.<\/p>\n

Not only did it anger fans, but the city of Anaheim itself was devastated. The City actually sued Angels Baseball LP, alleging breach of contract. There was a trial to rename the team back to the Anaheim Angels that started in 2006; however, nothing came of it.<\/p>\n

Even with all the drama, the teams did well. The ball club held on to this name for 10 seasons and posted a 991-791 record. The best overall record the club has seen so far among the many different names. However, even with the wins, nothing translated into playoff success. The team made the playoffs five different years; however, they either lost in the ALCS or the American League Division Series (ALDS). This era produced Mike Trout<\/a>, one of, if not the best, players the game has seen in a while. Although he has only made the playoffs once, in 2015<\/a>, he recorded only one hit while the Royals swept the team. <\/p>\n

With all that drama and well-played seasons, not much has changed.<\/p>\n

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Los Angeles Angels (2016-Present)<\/p>\n

Now we have reached the current name: the LA Angels. The Anaheim title has been officially dropped. Moreno said to ESPN<\/a> in 2006 that he \u201cfelt that for us to grow the brand, we needed to expand the brand into the media market.\u201d As a fan, it feels as if those who live in the Anaheim and Orange County area were not deemed marketable enough in Moreno\u2019s eyes. So he wants to rely on the market pull that the Dodgers and other sports teams have in LA. It\u2019s certainly disappointing.<\/p>\n

Besides disrespecting Anaheim natives, the team has not played well at all. Currently in their 10th season under the name (after the rebrands), the Angels have finished above .500 only once and have not qualified for the playoffs. The highest they have placed is second in the AL West in 2017, yet they still missed out on October baseball.<\/p>\n

Even with attendance still above one million per season, many came to watch only the superstars. Players like Albert Pujols<\/a>, Shohei Ohtani<\/a>, Josh Hamilton<\/a>, etc. represented this team.\u00a0 Many fans on X believe the team has wasted Mike Trout\u2019s prime years, as well as some of Ohtani\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

What Now?<\/p>\n

With poor management and failed offseasons, the LA Angels are no longer one of the teams people want to watch. A rebrand and Moreno selling the team is a must at this point. A lot of fans want the \u201cAnaheim Angels\u201d back, and it might be time to listen to them.<\/p>\n

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The City of Anaheim is also still fighting over the renaming. With recent news suggesting that assembly member Avelino Valencia is proposing a bill requiring the franchise to return to the Anaheim name. Valencia said to the New York Post<\/a>, \u201cMy community has shown up for the Angels franchise year after year, and they deserve more than being treated as an afterthought.\u201d That seems to be a thought shared by Angels fans.<\/p>\n

Whether the franchise chooses Anaheim or California, the team is overdue for an identity rebrand. After several years of disappointing baseball resulting in an increasingly disconnected fanbase, it would serve the team well to return to a name that reflects its home. <\/p>\n

It may be the first step towards rebuilding the crippling relationship between the Angels and Southern California baseball fans.<\/p>\n

The post Is It Time for the Angels to Return Back to Their Anaheim Title?<\/a> appeared first on The Lead<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 1961, Major League Baseball expanded, adding two new American League (AL) teams. While the Washington Senators weren\u2019t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":341893,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[2736,24411,163,165,164,426,62740,47,2866,3834,5128,19317,422,140789],"class_list":["post-341892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-albert-pujols","tag-american-league","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-dodgers","tag-josh-hamilton","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-angels","tag-major-league-baseball","tag-mike-trout","tag-minnesota-twins","tag-shohei-ohtani","tag-washington-senators"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=341892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/341892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/341893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=341892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=341892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=341892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}