Name Change Not Made Just for Kicks

For “silly,” “stupid,” “absurd” and all the other unkind adjectives lobbed toward the Angels’ new name -- the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim -- here’s another: “unoriginal.” Two years before owner Arte Moreno branded the Angels with two geographic names, the minor league San Bernardino Stampede changed its name to the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino.

“He copied us,” 66er General Manager Dave Oldham said.

The dollars are exponentially higher in the major leagues than in the minors, but Oldham said the change has attracted additional advertising revenue for the club, the outcome Moreno promises for the Angels. In one instance, Oldham said, a Laughlin, Nev., casino that draws heavily from the Inland Empire agreed that it could reach its target audience through the 66ers and signed a lucrative sponsorship contract with the team.

“We identified the Inland Empire as the major force,” he said. “Everywhere I travel, it’s Inland Empire this and Inland Empire that. The stadium will always be in San Bernardino. The city has been a great partner for us.”

The team sells itself as the Inland Empire 66ers, using the “of San Bernardino” suffix to satisfy their stadium lease with the city. Moreno believes the “of Anaheim” suffix will satisfy his lease, although Anaheim is charging him with breach of contract and will argue in court today for an order blocking the name change.

San Bernardino endorsed its team’s new name -- the 66ers refers to the historic highway immortalized in song and running through the Inland Empire -- because it believed the new name could help attract people to a struggling downtown area and to its restaurants and shops, Oldham said.

In two seasons with the new name, he said, attendance has increased 50%. The 66ers are the Class A California League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

Moreno isn’t moving the Angels from Anaheim, but he believes the Los Angeles name -- representing the metropolitan area, which includes Anaheim -- better reflects his target audience. The change has angered some Orange County residents who want no affiliation with the behemoth city to the north.

“I guess I’m surprised at the backlash,” Oldham said. “You’ve got to make money to field a great team. It’s a competition with the Yankees and Red Sox. As a fan, if I know where the stadium is and I know it’s in Anaheim, then whatever you have to do to make it a world champion, count me in.”