SPORTS INDUSTRY
Untitled Page
Angels take flight? Not so fast
The team’s top executive says that Anaheim is home sweet home for the time being
By Steve Churm
Executive Editor/Publisher OC METROPublished: April 30, 2012
Could Southern California’s Freeway Series between the Dodgers and the Angels become the Surface Street Series?
A new report by the L.A. Times is suggesting that could be the case just four years down the road, in 2016; but the voice at the top of the Angels executive lineup, Chairman Dennis Kuhl, told OC METRO that the Angels are “very happy” in Anaheim and have no intention of moving the baseball team up the 5 Freeway to a new stadium in downtown Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Times reported on the front page of Sunday’s sports section that Kuhl had recently met with the developers of Staples Center and LA Live about a possible move if the Angels do not exercise their option to remain in Anaheim in Angel Stadium.
Mega developer AEG is trying to bring a pro football team to Los Angeles. Should they fail, the company is looking at building a new baseball-only stadium near the Staples Center, and the Angels would be an attractive tenant.
Kuhl attended a charity event in Tustin Sunday afternoon, where he was asked about the story and the chances of the Angels returning to their L.A. roots. The gregarious executive, who had hip replacement surgery just eight weeks ago, simply laughed, saying, “The L.A. Times got the story all wrong. We aren’t planning on going anywhere.”
Kuhl did acknowledge that the 46-year-old stadium does need improvements. Even though Angel Stadium received an external makeover in 1997, Kuhl and others assert that much of the interior of the stadium is tired and below major league standards.
The Angels must exercise their option by 2016 if they want to remain at Anaheim Stadium through 2029. Angels team owner Arte Moreno has said he wants to make a decision in the next 12 to 18 months about staying until 2029. Stay tuned to ocmetro.com for more on this important story.
Related headlines
Chronic Tacos debuts at Angels Stadium on opening day
Angels sign Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson
The Knothole Club: Angels Stadium
|
||||
|
A new report by the L.A. Times is suggesting that could be the case just four years down the road, in 2016; but the voice at the top of the Angels executive lineup, Chairman Dennis Kuhl, told OC METRO that the Angels are “very happy” in Anaheim and have no intention of moving the baseball team up the 5 Freeway to a new stadium in downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times reported on the front page of Sunday’s sports section that Kuhl had recently met with the developers of Staples Center and LA Live about a possible move if the Angels do not exercise their option to remain in Anaheim in Angel Stadium. Mega developer AEG is trying to bring a pro football team to Los Angeles. Should they fail, the company is looking at building a new baseball-only stadium near the Staples Center, and the Angels would be an attractive tenant. Kuhl attended a charity event in Tustin Sunday afternoon, where he was asked about the story and the chances of the Angels returning to their L.A. roots. The gregarious executive, who had hip replacement surgery just eight weeks ago, simply laughed, saying, “The L.A. Times got the story all wrong. We aren’t planning on going anywhere.” Kuhl did acknowledge that the 46-year-old stadium does need improvements. Even though Angel Stadium received an external makeover in 1997, Kuhl and others assert that much of the interior of the stadium is tired and below major league standards. The Angels must exercise their option by 2016 if they want to remain at Anaheim Stadium through 2029. Angels team owner Arte Moreno has said he wants to make a decision in the next 12 to 18 months about staying until 2029. Stay tuned to ocmetro.com for more on this important story. Related headlines Chronic Tacos debuts at Angels Stadium on opening day Angels sign Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson The Knothole Club: Angels Stadium |
||||
