It’s No Light Matter to Rename the Big A Edison Field

It’s a little sad to me that Anaheim doesn’t have its own Kathryn Crosby--a buffer to slow down corporate America’s eagerness to horn in on tradition. . . .

I thought of her as I left Monday’s rather forced hoopla at the grand old ballpark soon to be formerly known as Anaheim Stadium. Disney Chairman Michael Eisner had just announced that Disney, corporate giant owners of the Anaheim Angels, had struck a deal with another corporate giant, Edison International, to change the name of the stadium next season to Edison International Field of Anaheim. Quite a ring to it, eh?

A lot of Orange County politicians and business leaders were on hand. Most said nice things about Edison, the utility company, and Disney, and the stadium name change. But noticeably absent was any show of enthusiasm, even from Eisner.

Eisner looked uncomfortable donning an Edison hat. When he boasted calmly of the new Disney/Anaheim/Edison “partnership,” as he calls it, it was as if he was saying prunes are good for us, no matter what kind of taste they leave.

I couldn’t help but think of the contrast between this Eisner and the man with schoolboy enthusiasm who first brought the Mighty Ducks to Anaheim. Eisner showed more excitement at Disney’s stockholders meeting last February--and then he was even on the hot seat.

Sure, there were the usual Disney streamers, balloons and mini-rockets. And Eisner did give Edison CEO John E. Bryson a hearty handshake. But afterward, Eisner was hardly in a partying mood as he answered a few reporters’ questions while trying to make a hasty retreat through the Angels’ dugout.

Some TV fellow asked him: What about the baseball purists? The ones who don’t want a corporate name on their favorite ballpark?

“This isn’t about purists,” Eisner said. “This is about theatrics, and having a good business partner. Disney has lots of partners. We’ve got Arrowhead at the Pond, and we’ve been very happy with that arrangement.”

Which brings me back to Kathryn Crosby. She’s one of those purists.

Her husband was the late Bing Crosby. Der Bingle. Golf’s best friend, along with his entertainment buddy, Bob Hope. For more than 40 years, the Bing Crosby Pro-Am on the Monterey Peninsula was a favorite stop for players on the PGA Tour. The players loved Bing and the tourney’s golf courses, such as Pebble Beach.

In 1986, nine years after Crosby’s death, the foundation that ran the tournament wanted to add the name of AT&T;, the telephone conglomerate, next to Bing’s in the title of the tournament.

Nobody was too keen on the AT&T-Bing; Crosby Open, or any of the proposed variations. Even so, Kathryn Crosby surprised everyone when she nixed the deal. Some things money just can’t buy, she said. Her husband’s name was one of them.

The foundation had a choice: Bing’s name or AT&T.; Adieu to Der Bingle. AT&T; still has its name on that tournament, sans Crosby. What I always found courageous about Kathryn Crosby’s decision was that she had to withstand strong public criticism from her own two sons. They were avid golfers who liked playing in the pro-am tournament.

The closest Anaheim came to a Kathryn Crosby stance was when Mayor Tom Daly, speaking just before Eisner on Monday, called it “a difficult decision” to market Anaheim Stadium.

I’ve never seen anyone so unenthusiastic about his own speech. You would have thought Daly was at a dental convention.

Daly listed all the reasons it was important to bring in Edison, for the stadium’s sake. The millions Edison paid to get its name out front further shifts the financial burden of the stadium to the private sector, Daly said. Daly emphasized that the agreement that attracted Edison also brought about the team name change this season--from the California Angels to the Anaheim Angels, producing great national advertising for the city. Later, Daly said to some of us: “What would you rather have, the Anaheim name on the team or on the stadium?”

The question is: Did it have to come down to either/or?

To me the whole thing smacks of the White House Lincoln bedroom syndrome. What have we got around here that we can make some money from? Some things ought to be off limits from corporate America. It seems a shame nobody in power considered Anaheim Stadium one of them.

In fairness, there was one enthusiastic voice at Monday’s gathering: Edison CEO Bryson. And why not? He’s bought his way into being a major player in Anaheim. Right now, the city is its own energy supplier but is looking for new energy “partners.” Besides, Bryson got his own Angel jersey, No. 98.

I noticed that Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove), whose name was called out in the listing of politicians present, had not shown up. Turns out she had another engagement that ran late.

I prefer to think she knows the story of Kathryn Crosby and AT&T.;

Wrap-Up: The corporate change that bothered me most, since I’m from Indiana, was renaming the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis the RCA Dome. Actually, most people I know back in Indiana have a pet name for the place: They call it the Hoosier Dome.

Then there was the dreadful decision in San Diego to rename Jack Murphy Stadium--which honored the late sports editor who helped get the place built--Qualcomm Stadium, for the telecommunications firm. Some fans there, unhappy with the full corporate name, simply call it “The Q.” At the Anaheim event Monday, I heard several people refer to that park: They called it Jack Murphy Stadium.

My guess is that Anaheim Angel fans will settle on a home field name they like: Anaheim Stadium. Or the Big A.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling the Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com