Facility Still Has Room for Improvement

When the Angels lift the curtain at their open house today, thousands of fans figure to peek inside Edison International Field of Anaheim and wonder: Is this a construction site or a major league ballpark?

The field is a sea of mud. Most of the seats aren’t installed. Construction workers saw, drill and pound relentlessly.

And yet, as a series of rainstorms sweeps across the Southland, Disney officials vow the stadium renovation will be substantially complete for the March 27 Freeway Series exhibition against the Dodgers.

“If we get a month of rain, yeah, we’d be in trouble,” said Kevin Uhlich, the Angels’ director of stadium operations. “But we haven’t hit any panic level yet. We feel pretty confident.”

Construction crews do not work double shifts or a seven-day week, Uhlich said, so the Angels retain the capability to accelerate work. Even so, he said, the interactive games behind the outfield seats--touted as Disney tries to lure families into the bleachers--cannot be installed until May. Also, crews will likely work into the first month of the season to complete painting, lighting, flooring and landscaping.

“If you want to come out here in April and see construction workers working, you’re going to see that,” Uhlich said.

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The Angels have virtually eliminated day games from their home schedule, even on Sundays.

After two Sunday afternoon dates in April, all Sunday games except one will start at 5:05 p.m., the same time Disney’s Mighty Ducks play their Sunday games. The lone remaining afternoon game is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The Angels drew an average of 27,518 to four Sunday night games last season and 20,840 to nine Sunday afternoon games.

“In the summer, it’s just so hot here, and our competition is the beach,” said Ken Wachter, vice president of sales and marketing. “Now people can spend their days doing something else. Five o’clock is a good time for us.”

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The Angels signed radio announcer Mario Impemba to a two-year contract this week. Impemba joined the Angels’ broadcast team in 1995.

“We really like Mario,” club President Tony Tavares said. “He does a quality job.”

Tavares said the Angels still were evaluating candidates to replace the retired Bob Starr as Impemba’s partner. The new announcer is unlikely to be a former player, Tavares said.

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The Angels are hoping marketing efforts directed toward the Latino community--a market lightly tapped during the Autry family management--will help them reverse an attendance slide.

The stadium will include bilingual signs, and the Angels will bring back Spanish language radio broadcasts.

“We’re doing some of the things the Dodgers have had great success with,” Tavares said.