City Urges Support for Angels

In an open letter to Anaheim citizens, city officials vowed to continue their court fight against the Angels’ name change but urged fans to support the team and its players.

“They are not a part of this misguided marketing effort and should not be punished or faulted for the decisions of the front office,” read the letter, signed by the mayor and city council.

The letter appeared Thursday as a full-page advertisement in two weekly newspapers, the Anaheim Bulletin and Anaheim Hills News. The ad ran one day after the city released its legal bills in the case -- close to $200,000 so far, with one expert projecting a million-dollar tab if the city proceeds to trial.

That timing was strictly coincidental, city spokesman John Nicoletti said Monday. He said the ad ran in response to the previous week’s Orange County Superior Court hearing, in which Judge Peter Polos refused to stop the team from playing as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and ruled the city had not shown a reasonable probability of proving the name change violated the stadium lease.

Even after dumping the Anaheim Angels name, the team remains a member in good standing of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, vice president Sarah Wolkenhauer said. In a strongly worded statement, Chamber chairman Kevin Ober supported the city’s lawsuit and said “the recent name change of this Anaheim business must be challenged.”

In an interview last week, Ober said, “The Anaheim Chamber of Commerce is not here to brand the Los Angeles name.”

The Angels’ business strategy is exactly that, but Ober said the group would not bar the team from membership. The Angels donated $25,000 to the Chamber’s President’s Circle last year.

“They’re welcome as a partner,” he said. “If the Angels see value in the Chamber, facilitating what goes on with business relationships, then there’s mutual agreement.”