Skip to Content
Sports

The Angels (of Anaheim) Are Considering a Move to the Long Beach Waterfront

[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]he Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have made overtures into a protected 13-acre lot on the Long Beach waterfront, a move that would place the 2002 World Series champions in L.A. County for the first time since 1965, according to a report by the Long Beach Post.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia confirmed to the Associated Press late Monday that they were in preliminary talks.

The Post cites "several sources familiar with the discussions" who say Arte Moreno's team is in preliminary talks with the city about the possibility of moving the franchise to the empty lot near the Long Beach Arena and Performing Arts Center.

Because the waterfront property is considered part of the protected tidelands, any deal would require state approval. The Post also notes that Long Beach has several commitments on the property including the 2028 Olympics, scheduled to take place all over parts of L.A. County.

RELATED: Weed Is Finally Legal to Pack When Flying Out of LAX, But There’s a Catch

Moreno has been itching for a bigger slice of the L.A. market since 2005 when he began a 4-year-long battle to change the team's name from the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels. Anaheim sued Moreno for the name change citing a clause in the contract that said "Anaheim" must be officially part of the team's name. To get around this, Moreno called them the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim." The Angles started playing under the L.A. moniker officially in 2007, after winning several appeals, but the city didn't drop its lawsuit until 2009.

Now the two sides are battling over a lease renewal. The Angels opted out of their lease last year but signed a one-year deal to remain in Anaheim through 2020.

Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu released a statement Monday night saying the city is “confident that the best place for the Angels is and always will be Anaheim.”

Though there are fans all over the Southland, the core Angels fanbase still lives in Orange County. Long Beach would represent a step into big Dodgers territory though it would not be the team's first stand in Los Angeles.

Via Wikicommons.

The Angels played their first games in L.A. In 1961, Gene Autry bought the rights to the team name from then Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, who had owned a minor league team with the same name, and started the Los Angeles Angels as an expansion team playing in the old Wrigley Field, originally located in the Historic South Central neighborhood of South Los Angeles.

The Angels played there for a year before moving to Dodger Stadium in 1962. To avoid calling it Dodger Stadium for their home games, the Angels referred to it as Chavez Ravine, the geographical location of the ballpark. In 1966, the team moved to Anaheim as the California Angels.

In 1997, Disney bought the team and renovated the stadium partially using funds from the city under the condition that the stadium and the team name contain "Anaheim" in the title. That's when the Anaheim Angels were born. They won the World Series as the Anaheim Angels in seven games denying Barry Bonds and the hated San Francisco Giants the title.

RELATED: A Foul Ball Killed a Fan at Dodger Stadium Last Year and the Dodgers Said Nothing About It

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Tens of Thousands of Angelenos Flock to L.A.’s Flower District for a Valentine’s Day Flower Free-For-All

Tens of thousands made their way to the city's wholesale flower capital, jamming the streets and sidewalks with countless flowers and people. L.A. TACO'S contributing photographer Kemal Cilengir was there to capture it all, including street vendors getting fined and the dystopian-like flower free-for-all being had by lovestruck customers and hustling vendors eager to offload their prized plants.

February 14, 2025

This Weekend: A New Bar-Setting Indian Restaurant, Duck Laab Pizza, and a Filipino Breakfast Diner Pop-Up

Have a three-day weekend full of chai cheesecake, black garlic cocktails, egg pie, and famous flour tortillas.

February 14, 2025

Self-Defense Against ICE: Community Groups In L.A. Are Uniting to Protect Themselves

More than 50 organizations have joined the call to join this coalition, making it one of Southern California's largest immigrant rights coalitions. The group aims to extend from the San Fernando Valley to the U.S./Mexico border. The coalition is organizing training sessions to prepare its members for community tactics to defend their neighbors from ICE raids and deportations. Their first mass protest is taking place on Monday.

February 13, 2025

Tacos Before Vatos: 13 Tacos In L.A. That Will Make You Forget About Him

For L.A. TACO, love is always in the air, and it smells like charcoal burning on a sunny day under carne asada and tortillas hot off the comal, with vibrant salsas, caramelized onions, and thick guacamole. Forget him, and spend time with things that matter in life: tacos, forever. 

February 13, 2025

Unmatched Hustle: Immigrant from Michoacán’s Tierra Caliente Creates Innovative Tortillería on Wheels…In Bakersfield

Many come and buy pounds and pounds to share with their family members as soon as they taste a warm “taco de sal,” a tortilla sprinkled simply with salt and rolled up like a thin flauta. It’s common to eat tacos de sal while waiting in line at a tortillería in Mexico, but not so much in the U.S. 

February 12, 2025
See all posts