Angel Fans: Keep Name

Arte Moreno made millions of dollars in the outdoor advertising business, which suggests he has some amount of marketing savvy.

But with Moreno proposing to change the name of his Anaheim Angels baseball team to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, a four-year season ticket holder was eager Saturday to give Moreno a piece of her marketing mind.

“It’s absolutely awful,” said Gloria Sanchez. “He came in telling us he was going to be a good guy. Well, he was for a year. But now he wants people to think the team is from Los Angeles. Listen, Orange County doesn’t need anything that Los Angeles has, including their name.”

Sanchez, who grew up in Orange County but lives in Santa Fe Springs, was among several hundred fans Saturday who signed letters urging Moreno and the Angels “to keep the name the same.” The campaign was sponsored by the city of Anaheim at the Irvine Spectrum, where Sanchez put her signature on the letter, and at the Block of Orange.

However, Sanchez’s dismay over the possible change in the team’s identity is not enough to make her give up the four season tickets -- price tag $3,500 with parking -- she shares with three family members. “I’ll keep the tickets and continue going to the games.

“But I won’t like it,” she said with a laugh.

According to a Major League Baseball website, two-thirds of the Angels’ 22,000 season ticket holders live in Orange County.

Saturday’s letter-signing event cost $60,000, said city spokesman John James Nicoletti. The city gave away T-shirts and stickers modeled after baseballs that said “Keep the name Anaheim Angels the same” to those who signed.

Nicoletti said the event was timed to coincide with baseball’s annual winter meetings, which are at the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend.

“We want to make sure the [team] owners and [MLB] Commissioner [Bud] Selig know the city’s objection to the name change and the fans’ position on the issue,” said Nicoletti.

“This has been a hot-button issue for us.”

The Angels signed a contract with Anaheim in 1996, with the club agreeing to carry the city’s name on its logo and road jerseys. In exchange, Anaheim agreed to pay $30 million toward renovation costs of city-owned Angel Stadium.

Moreno purchased the Angels in May, 2003, aware of the club’s contract with the city. But according to a letter released by the city manager’s office, Moreno told city officials in a meeting four months later that he was contemplating a name change.

In a Sept. 11, 2003, letter to Moreno after the meeting, City Manager David M. Morgan expressed concern that “some staff members have interpreted your comments to suggest that you may be considering a change in the team name.” Morgan reminded Moreno about the 1996 contract.

The issue became public in November. Los Angeles officials have also voiced their opposition.

Last month, Morgan also wrote to Selig, asking about the commissioner’s “alleged support of a name change for the Anaheim Angels.” Nicoletti said Selig has not responded to that letter or an earlier one.

On Saturday, fan opposition was solid. Jimmy Nguyen said Moreno would probably lose more fans from Orange County than he would gain from Los Angeles if he goes through with his proposal.

“I don’t like it. I grew up an Angel fan in Orange County,” said Chad Cooper of Dana Point.

“It’s a local team. Why shouldn’t it have a local name?”