Everyone and everything has some way of being identified. It’s called a name, and that name allows us to demographically correlate one thing to another — for instance, location.
Just recently, owner Arte Moreno decided to rename his Anaheim Angels the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for marketing reasons.
Doesn’t that have a nice ring to it?
Supposedly, the name change will increase revenue by welcoming more advertising and broadcasting opportunities. I wonder if George Steinbrenner or Donald Trump got into Moreno’s head at all.
The Angels franchise is bringing in enough dough already. They had enough funding last season to sign a slugger by the name of Vladimir Guerrero. Heck, in 2004 the Angels attracted 3,375,677 fans to their stadium, which was third most in Major League Baseball. Only the New York Yankees and the true Los Angeles team, the Dodgers, achieved higher attendance totals than Anaheim.
The fact is, that name change slaps the importance of even having names right in the face and pretty much asks the question, “What’s in a name?”
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
That’s soooooo confusing. Which city are they in: L.A. or Anaheim? Anaheim’s spokesman, John Nicolette, pointed out that there is no other professional team in this country with two cities in its name.
The two-city name has stirred up some dust between the franchise and the city
of Anaheim.
According to a clause in the 1996 agreement between the city of Anaheim (the renter) and the Angels (the tenant) addressing the team name, the “tenant will change the name of the team to include the name ‘Anaheim’ therein, such change to be effective no later than the commencement of the 1997 season.”
This clause was created because Anaheim pitched in $20 million to renovate the stadium and it wanted exposure in return.
But, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim?
It almost sounds like Anaheim is just a bureau of Los Angeles. But even then, the Yanks aren’t the New York Yankees of the Bronx.
I am a former resident of Southern California, and I can tell you there’s a definite difference between the two cities. Sure, the area may seem like a metropolis with everything connected and an In-N-Out Burger on every corner, but let me tell you, those traffic-jammed freeways mark some significant boundaries and act as informal city lines.
Los Angeles is more about producing air pollution and big-screen pollution, while Anaheim is home to the Magic Kingdom known for creating millions of smiles and childhood memories. Anaheim is not just a stone’s throw from Los Angeles, either. The two cities are 26 miles apart, which makes it about a two-hour drive during rush hour.
In that case, why don’t we rename our local single-A baseball team the Portland Emeralds of Eugene?
I say they go back to calling the Angels the California Angels, which is what they went by from 1965-96. The Walt Disney Company changed the name from the California Angels to the Anaheim Angels in 1997. It may not bring back any fond postseason memories (the Angels reached the playoffs three times prior to 2002), but it solves the identity dilemma. Make it the Southern California Angels if you want to.
When the Washington Senators moved to the twin cities in 1961, naming the team the Minnesota Twins seemed like the appropriate label. They play in Minneapolis, but with
St. Paul right across the river it’s only fair that neither city snags all the glory.
I’ve got a couple more suggestions. The Anaheim Angels of Orange County would surely attract more female spectators, since the name relates to Fox’s prized show set in Newport Beach (only 20 miles from Angel Stadium).
Or how about the Anaheim Angels of Disneyland? That would surely open the eyes of any young boy or girl. I’d bet Disney would even loan one of its famous characters for a mascot.
Maybe I’d better go find my
Mickey Mouse ears.

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