Are the 'Los Angeles' Angels a possibility?

[ISiddiqui]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1921736

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Angels president Dennis Kuhl met with Anaheim officials Friday -- three days after they threatened to sue the team over a possible name change.

Although the Angels haven't directly commented on a change, it's been rumored for several months the team wants to change its name from the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels.

The team issued a statement from Kuhl following Friday's meeting, which didn't directly address the issue of a name change.

But the city issued a statement of its own saying the possibility of the team changing its name was included in the discussions.

And that, the city said, "would constitute a direct violation of the Angels' lease agreement with the city."

"Anaheim Angels management remains unwilling to publicly clarify their position regarding their interest in changing the name of the team and has not committed to honoring the terms of their lease with the city," the statement added.

The City Council voted unanimously earlier this week to sue the Angels immediately if the team changed its name and to consider suing them even if it doesn't.

The council will meet again Tuesday "to explore all of the options available to them," according to Friday's statement.

Kuhl said the parties met "to discuss a variety of issues."

"I told them that we are exploring concepts of economic growth opportunities, which do not force our fans to bear the burden of our payroll," Kuhl said. "Large-market franchises have a corporate appeal that can create advertising revenues, which allow an organization to field a high payroll."

Kuhl said the Angels ranked third in payroll while maintaining the 23rd-lowest average ticket price out of baseball's 30 teams this season.

The Angels had an Opening Day payroll of $101,084,667 -- higher than every team but the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Their Opening Day payroll in 2003 was $79,031,667.

"The Angels televised (159) of our games in 2004, yet we still finished in the bottom half of broadcast revenues," Kuhl said. "We are all interested in the long-term economic health of this club in our efforts to field a perennial contender and maintain ticket affordability for our loyal fans."

The Angels drew 3,375,677 last season -- the third-highest total in baseball behind the Yankees and Dodgers.

The franchise began play as the Los Angeles Angels in 1961. It became the California Angels upon moving to Anaheim in 1966 and has been the Anaheim Angels since 1997, after negotiating a 30-year lease with that city.

The possibility of a name change was first reported in July. Last weekend, the Los Angeles Times quoted an unidentified high-ranking baseball official as saying commissioner Bud Selig had given permission to Angels owner Arte Moreno to rename the team.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Council president Alex Padilla and councilman Ed Reyes introduced a resolution Friday expressing opposition to a name change.

"This idea is a wild pitch," Padilla said in a press release. "There is only one major-league baseball team in the city of Los Angeles, and that is the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is wrong for the Angels to seek to capitalize on Los Angeles' prestige and status by exploiting our good name. Last time I checked, the Angels do not contribute in any way to our city's coffers."

The motion expressing opposition to a possible name change will be voted on by the full 15-member council next Wednesday.

Though the funny part is that L.A. doesn't want them to change their name either. However, I consider the whole the 'Angels do not contribute in any way to our city's coffers' to be utterly ignorant. I mean it isn't like Anaheim is 50 miles away! A good amount of the Angels workforce, I'd imagine, comes from L.A. Quite likely a lot of Angels players live in L.A. and spend their dough there.

[sachmo71]

I wish I had a Los Angeles class submarine.

[Chief Rum]

While you're probably right that it is a completely ignorant comment, do you really think there is a significant contribution? The Angels workforce isn't all that large, and I would guess almost every one of the lower end employees (stadium employees for instance) are from relatively close to Anaheim (probably Orange Cunty), as most of those jobs don't pay enough for people to want to commute an hour or two from the better parts of LA (which are mostly pretty far away from OC).

And although I don't have any residence lists in front of me, I am pretty sure almost all of the Angels players live in and around OC (or keep temporary residence there, while maintaining their regular homes wherever they have them set up across the country or out of country even).

I know Mike Scioscia lives in the Valley and commutes, because that's where he set up his family when he was playing with the Dodgers, and I wouldn't be surprised to see most of the coaching staff being the same (they are almost all ex-Dodger players), but guys who weren't ex-Dodgers or didn't previously live in LA before coming to the Angels will almost certainly have grabbed a prime piece of real estate right in OC or in the San Bernadino-Riverside area--somewhere they could reach the stadium a little faster (and yet still live in really nice areas, of which OC has a lot).

CR

[Young Drachma]

Their owner is a moron...

It's official

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

What's next? Brooklyn Dodgers of Los Angeles
New York Giants of San Francisco
Cleveland Browns of Baltimore

This is dumb.

[SackAttack]

The Boston and Milwaukee Braves of Atlanta.

Hey, this is fun!

[ISiddiqui]

LOL! LA Angels of Anaheim. Man, that's funny.

[JeeberD]

What about teams that have changed their nicknames?

The Houston Astros nee Colt .45s? Does that work?

[rkmsuf]

The switch will "strengthen the Angels' long-term economic health by enhancing the marketability through this metropolitan area and beyond," the team said Monday.

Hello, McFly? Ever heard of the Dodgers? Hmm?

[heybrad]

Why dont they just become the Earth Angels?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Okay, I'm supposed to know a little bit about marketing & such, but damned if I understand how on earth T.L.A.A.o.A. is supposed to even make sense, much les improve anybody's economic health.

I see the original line of reasoning, more presitigious to have the Los Angeles name attached than Anaheim, maybe worth a few more dollars to someone subconsciously if not consciously, but this current convoluted configuration makes about as much sense as New Coke.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Okay, I'm supposed to know a little bit about marketing & such, but damned if I understand how on earth T.L.A.A.o.A. is supposed to even make sense, much les improve anybody's economic health.

I see the original line of reasoning, more presitigious to have the Los Angeles name attached than Anaheim, maybe worth a few more dollars to someone subconsciously if not consciously, but this current convoluted configuration makes about as much sense as New Coke.

Well, lets take Camden Yards- which is officialy known as Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Or alternatively, The Ballpark at Arlington. Essentialy, Moreno knows people will likely shorten this in day to day parlance to " LA Angels" - which is exactly what he wants, without breaking the lease.

[Bomber]

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim = The the Angels Angels of Anaheim.

I guess their lease with the city for the stadium states they have to have Anaheim somewhere in the name and they feel LA is more marketable than Anaheim.

[AnalBumCover]

How about Los Angeles of Anaheim?

[Young Drachma]

What's even more screwed up is...even if Moreno thought the sponsors would be dumb and buy the whole "we're an LA team" crap, I wouldn't go blabbing everywhere that they are essentially stupid and tell everyone what he's doing.

Ultimately, he's just a dumbass and this move won't be viewed as endearing the new owner to the fans. I think he's gonna be like Arizona's ownership in a few years. Buying players, to make people think you're a big time player, when you're really just a poser.

Well, a poser with millions. But still a poser. He's no Steinbrenner. But then, who is? He's trying his hardest to act like one though. Good thing the A's are making it easier for him in the short term, long-term..not gonna work me thinks.

[MylesKnight]

First The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim..

Silly.

[Desnudo]

They should have just called themselves the Orange County Angels. Considering the popularity of the show, OCA hats would have been a gold mine. Plus the scoreboard could have flashed "Welcome to the O.C. bitch!" anytime an Angel homered.

[WSUCougar]

With no disrespect intended to any of you Catholics out there, this sounds like one of your church names:

The Los Angeles Angels of Our Perpetual Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Queen of Heaven
The Los Angeles Angels of the Blessed Virgin Anaheim

[Coffee Warlord]

Lest we forget.....Chicago Bears Football By Bank One.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

They should have just called themselves the Orange County Angels. Considering the popularity of the show, OCA hats would have been a gold mine. Plus the scoreboard could have flashed "Welcome to the O.C. bitch!" anytime an Angel homered.

The O.C. Angels. Gold. How could they have missed out on that?

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by MylesKnight

First The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim..

Silly.

I actually liked that the Ducks did that. It was different for American sports and even though the name was wacky, it was still pretty neat. But this Moreno thing is just stupid.

[Ragone]

So is it Los Angeles.. or Anaheim.. wonder if the athlete's can be double taxed now

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Bomber

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim = The the Angels Angels of Anaheim.

Reminds me of The La Brea Tar Pits.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Reminds me of The La Brea Tar Pits.

Which is a place EVERY kid in Los Angeles Public Schools has been to at one point