Angels’ Wings Lift Fans, Businesses

Like many Anaheim business owners, Jason Schmid was disappointed when Angel owner Arte Moreno renamed the team and gave his city second billing to Los Angeles.

But with the American League division series opening tonight in Anaheim against the New York Yankees, and after hundreds of thousands of dollars have poured into his brew house close to the stadium, Schmid is having an easier time swallowing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

“We’ve had a significant increase in revenue,” said Schmid, whose restaurant JT Schmid’s did an average of 250 additional dinners on Angel game nights. “And much of that is directly attributable to the Angels’ success. There really hasn’t been a lull all year.”

From the sold-out home opener against Texas to the near-sellout of the final regular-season home game against Tampa Bay, Angel fans have been streaming through the turnstiles like never before. A record 3.4 million fans attended Angel games this year -- eclipsing last year’s team record by about 30,000.

That seemed an unlikely scenario last spring when Moreno added Los Angeles to the team name. Some fans pledged they would stay away from the park, the city’s mayor boycotted the games, and the name itself became a running gag on sports talk radio.

The name was so geographically over the top that it provided plenty of cannon fodder for sports writers. One national columnist suggested: “They’re now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Just North of San Diego but South of Santa Barbara and Minutes Away From Disneyland Right Down the Street from Fuddrucker’s in the Heart of Orange County Wait No Make That in the Middle of Los Angeles and Don’t Even Think About Saying West of Arizona, Thank You Very Much and Drive Home Safely.”

But judging by the numbers, fans didn’t lose much sleep over the name change. For most, what mattered was that the Angels won.

Longtime Angel fan David Skonezny protested the name change by hawking bright red “We Are Not L.A.” T-shirts at a swap meet and on his website. He sold nearly 2,000 shirts by early April, but Skonezny said sales dropped off “measurably” as the victories continued and the Angels roared toward their second consecutive AL West title under Moreno’s ownership.

“Whether it’s apathy or people have gotten used the idea, I’m not sure,” said Skonezny, who folded up his stand a month ago.

Meanwhile, Skonezny said he remained conflicted.

“I’m thrilled to death over the team’s success,” he said. “At the same time, I hate it that they’re doing it as the Los Angeles Angels. It’s like they’re dragging this anchor behind them.”

Anaheim has sued the Angels over the name change, yet the city is showing its support for the hometown team in a number of ways, too. During the playoffs, red “A” banners will be displayed at the Convention Center, City Hall and the East Anaheim Police Station, and city employees are being encouraged to wear red on game days. The city is also issuing a proclamation recognizing the Angels’ accomplishments.

Just the same, the city’s online message boards remind visitors of the Jan. 7 court battle pitting Anaheim against the Angels. The flashing sign reads, “Go Anaheim Angels.”

The Anaheim Chamber of Commerce also is sending mixed messages. Chamber President Todd Ament announced last week that “the chamber continues to support the city’s efforts in court” while they “congratulate the team for completing a fantastic and exciting season.” The Angels donated $25,000 to the chamber last year, and the team remains a member in good standing.

Whatever they are called, Moreno’s winning teams have been putting people in the seats and money into the city treasury. In Moreno’s three years of ownership, the Angels have set a franchise attendance record each year and thus contributed more than $4 million to city coffers. The stadium lease requires the Angels to pay the city $2 for every ticket sold over 2.6 million; the team has easily surpassed that mark the last three years.

The city also cashes in -- in sales tax revenue -- when local shops and restaurants thrive. The National Sports Grill, ESPN Zone, the Catch, Mr. Stox and JT Schmid’s all have reported increases in business over last year, and they attribute much of the upsurge to the Angels and their growing fan base.

Schmid said the Angels’ record-breaking attendance year couldn’t have come at a better time. JT Schmid’s, across Katella Avenue from Arrowhead Pond where the Mighty Ducks play and a few blocks from Angel Stadium, lost an estimated $800,000 in business from the National Hockey League lockout.

“We more than made up for that this year with the Angels,” Schmid said. “Thankfully, the Angels helped bridge that gap.”

Schmid still hasn’t gotten used to the new name, but he admits he’s coming around to Moreno’s point of view.

“It’s his team; I guess he can call them what he wants,” Schmid said. “I’m a business owner too. If I wanted to serve just one item on the menu, I could.”