ANGELS REPORT

When Disney bought the Angels in 1996, Anaheim officials couldn’t hide their glee. Now that the city’s most prominent corporate citizen--and one of the world’s most successful corporations--is negotiating to sell the team, those officials are at least comforted by the fact that the potential buyers are local.

Henry T. Nicholas III, a Laguna Hills resident and co-founder of Broadcom Corp., heads a small group of investors that have offered close to $450 million for the Angels and Mighty Ducks. The group includes his Broadcom partner, Henry Samueli of San Juan Capistrano, and Marvin Winkler, a neighbor of Nicholas and chairman of Gotcha International, located in the same Irvine business park as Broadcom.

“We’re excited by the possibility of successful Orange County business people working with the teams,” Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly said.

Angel President Tony Tavares, speaking to reporters at baseball owners’ meetings in Cooperstown, N.Y., reiterated no sale agreement is close. Disney was first approached about selling the teams four months ago, Tavares said.

“I think the best way to describe Disney right now is that we’re in a listening mode,” Tavares said.