Winners and Losers Among the Angels Fans

Re “Play in the World Series and They Will Come,” Oct. 17:

Since as far back as I can remember, my dad would take my sisters and myself to the games. We have no brothers. I now take my son. The last few years I had purchased “mini plans” for my son and me. I can’t afford season tickets; I’m a single mom doing it all alone. This year I could not even afford the “mini plan,” but we still managed to go to a few games.

My sisters and I stood in line approximately 16 hours to try to buy World Series tickets, mostly to take Dad. We didn’t get any. They sold out before our numbers were called.

Now you have all these Hollywood stars all of a sudden wanting to be Angel fans and be seen at the games. This makes me sick! And since they have the money to buy $1,000 seats, they get to go. They are now able to see the winning Angels. Where were these Hollywood types all season?

And I would like to know: Has Michael Eisner ever hosted just plain folk, like me? I think not.

Isabel del Pozo

Anaheim

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Re “In Angel Heaven With Grandpa,” Oct. 17:

I was deeply touched by this story. It made me think of “The Wonder Years” and the movie “The Sandlot.” I don’t follow baseball that much, but it amazes me that the Angels have finally gotten this far. Thank you for such a moving article.

Justin Sechler

Anaheim

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I wanted to thank staff writer Joe Mathews for sharing his story and for the nostalgia he stirred in me.

I vividly remember the steel beams rising above the orange groves as the “Big A” was being built and the tour I took of the new stadium in 1966. I still have the Kodak Instamatic pictures from camera day. I too went to the games with my grandpa. He always wore a white straw hat when we went to the games. He once asked if I would like to see a picture of Mickey Mantle that he had in his wallet. When he showed me, it was a picture of me in my East Orange AA Little League “Red Legs” uniform.

As I stood in Edison Field with my own son after the Angels won the game that put them in the World Series for the first time, the emotion of overcoming all the losses and actually having to deal with winning was uncharted territory for me.

What makes it even more special is how the players and coaches have conducted themselves in achieving this feat. They did it with heart, class, hard work, and appreciation of all those who have come before them. That included the longtime fans. Thank you Angels!

Tim Gilmore

San Clemente

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Re “As Angels Diversify, So Does Fan Base,” Oct. 22:

I, unlike the current “Red Wave” of bandwagon Angel fans, will not sell out to that organization despite recent team success and efforts to reach out to the Latino community. Why has it taken the organization 20-plus years to realize the many benefits Latino fans have to offer, not to mention the rich talent awaiting in countries such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico?

Interesting that it took potential buyer and Mexican billionaire Carlos Peralta just one day to make this observation.

Armando Olivas

Orange

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I just finished watching the Anaheim Angels win the World Series! What a great Series it was! Two wild-card teams managed by two ex-Dodger players from California. Truly amazing! Congratulations to both teams for an outstanding series!

But then, at the end of Game 7, Fox television did a summary highlighting each game and the city that each game was played in. Newsflash: The Angels are from Anaheim, which is in Orange County. The Angels are not from Los Angeles! There were scenes from the Santa Monica Pier, the Hollywood sign and Sunset Boulevard, none of them in the county. What about Disneyland, Huntington Beach, Knott’s Berry Farm? Crystal Cove? Orange Circle? I’m very proud of the Angels and what they have accomplished this year. I am proud that I live in Orange County. Fox television, get with the program!

Kenya Umphenour

Fountain Valley