Angel Fans Won’t Be Caught Looking

“This ain’t no 45,000 traffic,” Abdul says, pointing down Gene Autry Way, directly across State College Boulevard from one of the Edison Field entrances.

Autry Way is as quiet as an empty dugout. What that tells Abdul is that the Angels won’t be selling out their 45,000-seat ballpark. Not on this night. If they were, he’d have more business on this prime stretch of ground where ticket scalpers hawk their wares.

It’s 90 minutes before Monday night’s supposedly big game against the Oakland A’s, and I had the silly idea the Angels might actually sell out for the opener of the four-game series. After all, the Angels sport a 10-game winning streak and the first-place A’s have won 22 of 23.

The Angels’ first playoff appearance since 1986 beckons. They could go to the World Series and, maybe, win it.

And the fans are where, exactly?

“Angel fans are fickle,” Abdul says, standing on the curb on Autry Way. In L.A., he points out, “If the Dodgers had a 10-game winning streak, they’d have 56,000 every night.” Abdul is confident this will turn out to be a good week for ticket scalpers in Anaheim, and yet, on this first night of the series ...

“You’ve got to have a World Series in your pocket to get the fan base,” he says, referring to the Angels’ notable lack of one in their 41-year history. Abdul (scalpers tend to work on a first-name-only basis) says he’d given thought to spending the week in San Francisco for the Dodgers-Giants series, but figured, “Why do that when we’ve got the Angels and A’s here?”

A possible professional miscalculation, because the teams drew only 28,145 on Monday night--far short of a sellout and roughly the same crowds drawn in Cleveland, Denver and Chicago for home teams long ago buried in their divisions. The Giants-Dodgers game drew 40,000-plus, just shy of a sellout.

A bit farther down Autry Way, Emanuel is supervising operations. He says he has been in the ticket business for more than 20 years, although I could swear on another occasion he told me 30 years. The point is, he has sold tickets to people of all races, colors, creeds and baseball loyalties.

“Angel fans are different than the rest of the league, period,” Emanuel says. “If it sells out tonight, it’ll be mostly because of Oakland fans living here or coming down from Oakland. Angels fans got too much else to do, and they’ve been let down too many times. They don’t want to be disappointed. They don’t want to show their loyalty and then feel stupid for showing loyalty.”

I’m guessing Emanuel doesn’t have a doctorate in psychology, but is he right? Is this all about self-esteem?

Angel fans clamor for a serious contender, and Disney has given them one. The team has played great ball, but the locals still act as if they want guarantees their hearts won’t be broken down the stretch.

They missed some good theater Monday night. In the plaza just outside the stadium gates, a radio deejay sounds a pregame battle cry: “Miguel Tejada, Miguel Teschmada,” he says, mocking the A’s shortstop.

An hour before game time, the scant business at the walk-up window proves Abdul a prophet: There will be no sellout.

Inside the stadium, 79-year-old Claire Hoskins of Fullerton waits for grandson Geoff Moore to return from a food run. Hoskins has high hopes but says he’s not an avid fan--a characterization that after being relayed to Moore almost produces a spit take from his grandson.

“Ask my grandmother if he’s an avid fan,” Moore, 32, says. “The baseball season alters their TV viewing habits.”

OK, so Hoskins is playing it cool. I ask how he’d handle another Angels team that came up short.

“I’d be disappointed, but it won’t ruin my life,” he says. “I always figure there’s another year coming up.”

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Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. He may be reached by calling (714) 966-7821 or by e-mail at dana.parsons@latimes.com.