Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Rule the West Coast

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a Major League Baseball team based out of Anaheim, California. Along with the San Diego Padres, they are one of the only two professional teams that originated in the state of California, and to this day, they are one of the most popular teams in the game.

The Angels joined the MLB in 1961, but the name “Los Angeles Angels” has been in use since the 1890s. Before the Angels joined the big leagues, they were a part of the Pacific Coast League. Today, this PCL franchise is a part of the MLB farm system, but the current incarnation of the Angels exists because of film star Gene Autry purchasing the rights to the team from a former owner. Autry is forever remembered with the chant “Win one for the Cowboy.” Although he owned the team for 38 years, he never lived to see them win a World Series, but they did make the playoffs three times during his tenure. Their one and only World Series Championship came in 2002 when they were owned by the Disney Corporation.

One cool thing about the Angels is that in Southern California, they are rarely referred to by their complete name or with a geographic identifier. Instead, they are just referred to as the Angels or the Halos, one of their nicknames. Anaheim is a suburb of L.A., but they are close enough that the two are often used interchangeably, or just omitted altogether.

The Angels play in Angel Stadium of Anaheim, which has been their home since 1966, although the stadium has had other names over the years. Located in the heart of Anaheim, not too far from Disneyland, tickets to Angels games are often just one part of a family vacation. When the Angels are playing well, in the playoff hunt, or going up against one of their big rivals like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, or Boston Red Sox, the tickets always go much faster than normal. If you’ve never been to see the Angels play, a home game is the best way to experience them.