RETAIL : Angels Hope to Make Hit With New Uniform on Field and in Stores

The local boys of summer take to the field April 6 for their home opener at Anaheim Stadium. And when they throw out the first ball, the California Angels will be wearing newly designed uniforms.

The uniforms, which draw heavily upon traditional baseball designs, are supposed to do two things: bolster fan excitement and pump up sales of the team’s licensed apparel and other merchandise. The Angels could stand some improvement on both counts.

The team finished 1992 with a 72-90 record, good enough for fifth place in the American League’s Western Division. The Angels also finished 22nd out of 26 Major League Baseball teams when measured by sales of licensed merchandise. Individual teams don’t break out details on such revenue, but professional baseball’s marketing arm generated $2.4 billion in gross sales during 1992.

The Chicago White Sox, who unveiled a new uniform in 1991, led all teams in sales of licensed merchandise. Also in the top 10 were the Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins, two expansion clubs that have yet to play a game.

The Angels have high hopes for the uniforms, both on the field and in the stores, said Bob Wagner, the Angels’ marketing and sales director. The new merchandise is available at various retailers throughout the county. “With our market, we should be selling a lot more product,” Wagner said. “We feel very strongly about our new, traditional look.”