Now It’s Time to Play Wrecking Ball

With the baseball season over for the Angels, demolition crews will soon begin a $100-million metamorphosis of Anaheim Stadium.

In a little more than 18 months, Southern California should have a new-look, baseball-only stadium that seats 45,000.

But for next season, fans should expect some disruption as the work continues.

“I don’t think people are going to be overly disgusted with what they see, if we are creative about the way we do this,” said Disney Sports Enterprises President Tony Tavares.

“People will live with it for a year. Everyone understands there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

The stadium will look the same from the outside, except for a few missing concrete panels. But the changes inside will be drastic. Seating capacity will be temporarily reduced from 64,593 to less than 30,000.

Some seats behind home plate and the entire club level will be closed, forcing the relocation of a few thousand season-ticket holders, Disney officials said. Some seats in the right- and left-field corners also will be closed.

The remodeling job has changed considerably since Disney and the city of Anaheim reached an agreement in May on the renovation. The stadium opened in 1966, then was expanded and enclosed in 1980 to accommodate the Rams after the National Football League team moved from Los Angeles.

Disney, which took control of the Angels this year, insisted on changing the stadium back to a baseball-only facility, a project that was supposed to take three years. Disney officials decided to speed up the process, even if it meant working during the 1997 season.

The remodeling plan is still “evolving” and won’t be finalized until later this fall, according to Disney officials. But the stadium design has already changed because of budget and structural concerns.

Plans to move the Big A scoreboard, long the stadium’s symbol, inside the stadium will probably be dropped. The structure was moved from behind the left field fence to the parking lot in 1980. Its return inside was heavily promoted by Disney officials before the deal was approved by the Anaheim City Council.

Disney officials now say it may be too fragile to move again. Building a smaller version inside is being considered.

Ahead of the Curve

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Big A Make-Over

Baseball fans will find Anaheim Stadium is a work in progress next season, as Disney transforms the ballpark from the inside out. Expected changes include:

1. Entire outfield seating section, plus an unspecified number of seats in right and left-field corners, will be torn out. (Some of the seats will be replaced for the 1998-99 season)

2. Scoreboard will be moved to center field; original Big A scoreboards likely will remain in parking lot.

3. Terrace level seats directly behind home plate will be removed for construction of press box and suites.

4. Most of club level will be closed throughout the season.

5. Football press box will be removed and replaced by seats in time for the 1997 baseball season.

* Anticipated completion: April 1, 1998

* Anticipated cost: $100 million