Anaheim Angels Information
The Angels don’t have the Disney Machine behind them anymore, or larger than life team owner Gene Autry. Today’s Angels are owned by the first Hispanic team owner in Baseball, ad exec Arturo Moreno. The goal for ’07 is to take the division championship back from Oakland. And they seem to be well on their way, beating the Orioles in their first game in June with a 3-2 comeback win. They also scored season highs against the Twins in runs, hits, and home runs. They are also tied with the Red Sox for the best overall record in the major league. At the moment, the Angels also lead the AL west, with the Mariners close behind. Despite the LA/Anaheim controversy, under Moreno’s leadership the Angels have doubled their team value – without having to build a new stadium. And if the Angels paid attendance record is anything to go by, this is definitely a team to watch.
Two
years ago, the Anaheim Angels shocked the baseball world by making
a dramatic run to end the season and make the playoffs, but they
weren’t finished there. The Angels dismantled the Yankees
and Twins in the first two rounds of the playoffs, and in the World
Series against the San Francisco Giants, they staged a breathtaking
comeback to win the series at home in game seven. After a disappointing
2003 season in which they finished 12 games under .500, the Anaheim
Angels look to rebound in 2004.
Mike Scioscia goes into his fifth season as manager and he’ll look to build
on his 11-4 record in the postseason. To get to that point, he’ll need
his big guns to produce, and there’s none bigger than key off-season acquisition
Vladimir Guerrero. Guerrero moves to the Angels from the Expos in 2004 after
a year in which he was slowed by back injuries. Even though he missed 50 games,
Guerrero hit .330 with 25 homers, and when he’s healthy, he’s one
of the most feared outfielders in the game, due to his speed on the bases, his
power in the box, and his almost bionic arm from the depths of right field. Another
move in the off-season was the acquisition of left fielder Jose Guillen, who
played for the Reds and the Athletics last year. Guillen also has an arm that
will make an opposing runner think twice before tagging up, and last year, his
bat came alive. He was pushed into the starting role with the reds due to Ken
Griffey, Jr’s continuing injury troubles, and Guillen came up in a big
way. Near the trade deadline, he was acquired by Oakland for the stretch run
leading to the playoffs. The last big off-season pick up was on the mound, with
Bartolo Colon coming over from the Cleveland Indians. Colon is an overpowering
pitcher, and he’ll look to bully the AL west throughout the summer. Colon
and Guerrero will join up with all-stars all over the field, including third
baseman Troy Glaus, outfielder Garret Anderson, and closer Troy Percival.
The Anaheim Angels will be moving into a newly named ballpark this season, but
the field itself won’t change. Beautiful Angel Stadium of Anaheim (formerly
Edison Field) can hold more than 45,000 people and is equipped with three full-service
restaurants. Anaheim realizes that one of their continuing struggles is their
relative vicinity to the Los Angeles Dodgers, only a few miles down the highway.
Even though the Dodgers have struggled in recent years, they’re still one
of the best known teams not only here in America, but also the world. Even when
the Angels won the World Series in 2002, they were seemingly overshadowed by
the Dodgers. The Angels realize that if they can keep up their stellar play in
the difficult AL West, they won’t be in the Dodgers’ shadow much
longer.