Disney Deal Makes Sense to Budig

Gene Budig, American League president, wanted to make it clear before the Angels opened their 36th season Tuesday at Anaheim Stadium: He was not here to announce that the deal between the Walt Disney Co. and the city of Anaheim had been completed.

Budig will leave that to someone else, but he did say he was extremely pleased the sides had at last come to an agreement.

“It’s a good deal for all parties,” Budig said in his first statement since the deal seemed doomed in mid-March. “It made good sense from the beginning. Major League baseball believed in it. The Autrys [Gene and Jackie] believed in it.

“I was always hopeful.”

Budig, on a tour of opening-day games around the AL, said he would meet with city officials Tuesday night and again today. He will attend today’s press conference to announce the agreement.

He refused further comment on the deal, but did say he was looking forward to seeing plans for a renovated Anaheim Stadium come to pass. He was a visitor to Anaheim Stadium before it was enclosed for the Los Angeles Rams in 1980 and believes it’s currently too big to provide an ideal baseball experience for fans.

“We are attempting to have baseball-only, fan-friendly facilities in the American League,” Budig said. “It’s a league-wide objective and it’s been reflected in [new ballparks] in Baltimore, Cleveland and Texas.

“Facilities are important to the overall franchise well-being. Fans want to be near the game and that’s reflected in the new facilities. Major League baseball needs revenue-sharing, labor peace and creativity in marketing. It also needs state-of-the-art facilities.”

In addition to the upcoming renovations to Anaheim Stadium, there are plans for new ballparks in Detroit and Milwaukee. And there is talk of renovating Fenway Park or building a stadium in Boston.

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Hours before the game’s first pitch, Bobby Knoop sat in the Angel dugout wondering what changes Disney has in store for Anaheim Stadium.

Knoop is the Angels’ first base coach now, but on April 19, 1966, he was the club’s starting second baseman in the first game at Anaheim Stadium. He has vivid memories of opening day in ’66.

“It was a beautiful ballpark,” Knoop said before the Angels opened their 31st season in Anaheim. “It was our home. Up until that time we were like stepchildren. We were tenants. From that standpoint, it was very special.”

The nomad Angels played at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles and later at Dodger Stadium before moving into Anaheim Stadium. Knoop liked the look of the 43,000-seat ballpark when it opened. He’s not particularly fond of the current 64,000-seat multipurpose stadium.

“If they do it [remove the football seats], it will make it a baseball park again instead of a stadium,” Knoop said.

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The Angels had yet to play a game and already they missed dependable left-handed reliever Bob Patterson. On opening day Monday, Patterson helped the Chicago Cubs, his new team, to a 10th-inning victory over the San Diego Padres.

Patterson, 5-2 with a 3.04 earned-run average for the Angels last season, pitched a scoreless two-thirds of an inning, halting a Padre rally in the ninth inning and picking up the victory when the Cubs rallied to win in the 10th.

The Angels replaced Patterson, who signed with the Cubs as a free agent, with left-hander Mark Holzemer, 0-4 with a 5.40 ERA in his major league career.