But Will Angels Give Fans a Red October?

The Anaheim Angels, who finished last season 41 games out of first place, haven’t made a statement on the field in a while, so marketing experts have devised Plan B: the fashion statement.

Today the team rolls out new uniforms, a new logo and a new color--red.

In a ceremony this morning at Edison International Field that will include 800 sixth-graders and current and former players moonlighting as models, the Angels plan to unveil their new look--the seventh incarnation in the team’s 41-year history.

The “Big A” has been clipped of its wings, adopting instead the team’s old-time halo. Gone is the eight-color spectrum--which included a fierce periwinkle--in favor of a clean, four-color scheme dominated by red.

To further mark the new era, supervisors on Tuesday officially proclaimed today “Red Dawn” day in Orange County.

“We’re excited about it,” said Kevin Uhlich, vice president of sales, marketing and operations for the Angels. “Red was a color that Gene Autry absolutely loved.”

Autry, the Angels’ founding owner and a savvy businessman, also knew that sports is about more than games. A big part of any business is marketing.

Some teams, such as the New York Yankees, have branded themselves as winners. The Anaheim Angels haven’t.

“Winning is the best branding strategy,” said Dean Bonham, chief executive officer of the Bonham Group, a Denver-based sports and entertainment marketing firm. “But with all due respect to the Angels, when you don’t have a winning tradition, perhaps you need to fall back on the second-best branding strategy.”

The new uniform and logo have been in the works for at least 18 months, said Howard Smith, senior vice president of licensing for Major League Baseball.

“You wait,” Smith said. “The fans will be very excited about this change.”

The Angels’ Disney-designed uniforms that debuted in 1997 were never embraced by fans, Uhlich conceded. People didn’t like the wings on the A. They didn’t like the pinstripes.

And periwinkle?

“We really wanted to open a new chapter with the Angels,” Uhlich said. “I hope people won’t be cynical about it.

“Winning is the foundation for so many great things. Nothing will take the place of winning. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be creative . . . and offer new things to our fans.”