History of Los Angeles Angels in Timeline

The Los Angeles Angels are a Major League Baseball team located in the Greater Los Angeles area, specifically Anaheim, California, where they play at Angel Stadium since 1966. As a member of the American League (AL) West Division, they compete in MLB.

1903: Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League

In 1903, the team name continued through the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League.

1961: KHJ-TV Held Angels Broadcast Rights

From 1961 to 1963 under the name of KHJ-TV, KCAL-TV originally held Angels broadcast rights.

1961: KMPC airs Angels games

From 1961, the year of the team's inception, to 1996, KMPC (owned by Gene Autry) aired Angels games.

1961: MLB Franchise Established

In 1961, Gene Autry established the current Angels franchise in MLB after buying the rights to the team name.

1961: Franchise Founded

In 1961, Gene Autry founded the Los Angeles Angels as one of MLB's first two expansion teams, the first to originate in California, taking the name from a previous Los Angeles Angels franchise in the Pacific Coast League.

1961: Expansion Team

In 1961, the Los Angeles Angels were established as an expansion team and played their home games at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field.

May 5, 1962: Belinsky Pitches No-Hitter

On May 5, 1962, Angels pitcher Bo Belinsky pitched the first no-hitter in Dodger Stadium history against the Baltimore Orioles.

1962: Move to Dodger Stadium

In 1962, the Angels moved to the newly built Dodger Stadium, which they referred to as Chavez Ravine.

1963: KHJ-TV Broadcast Ends

From 1961 to 1963 under the name of KHJ-TV, KCAL-TV originally held Angels broadcast rights.

1964: KTLA Carries Angels Games

From 1964 to 1995, KTLA carried Angels games as both entities were owned by Gene Autry.

September 2, 1965: Name change to California Angels

On September 2, 1965, the Los Angeles Angels changed their name to the California Angels.

1965: End of Home Games at Dodger Stadium

From 1962 to 1965, the Angels played their home games at Dodger Stadium under an agreement with Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley.

1965: Nickname "the Big A" coined

In 1965, Bud Furillo of the Herald Examiner coined the nickname "the Big A" for the stadium, referring to the tall letter A that served as the ballpark's primary scoreboard.

1965: Tenancy at Dodger Stadium Ends

In 1965, the Angels' tenancy at Dodger Stadium ended.

1965: Name changed to California Angels

In 1965, the franchise was renamed the California Angels.

1966: Logo Change After Move to Anaheim

In 1966, after the team moved to Anaheim, the logo changed to an interlocking 'CA' to reflect the California Angels name, while maintaining the previous color scheme.

1966: Move to Anaheim Stadium

In 1966, the California Angels moved to the newly constructed Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim.

1966: Angels move to Anaheim

In 1966, the Los Angeles Angels relocated and began playing their home games at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.

1969: Dick Enberg Served as Play-by-Play Announcer

From 1969 to 1978, Dick Enberg served as the Angels play-by-play announcer for KTLA.

1969: Relocation to California and AL West

Since their relocation to California and to the AL West in 1969, the Angels have held a steady rivalry with the Athletics.

1971: State of California logo

In 1971, the Angels adopted a logo that had the word 'Angels' written on an outline of the State of California.

1972: Lower-case 'a' logo

From 1971-1972 the logo had the word 'Angels' written on an outline of the State of California. The 'A' was lower-case.

1973: Upper-case 'A' logo

From 1973 to 1985 the logo had the word 'Angels' written on an outline of the State of California. The 'A' was upper-case.

1978: Dick Enberg ends as Play-by-Play Announcer

From 1969 to 1978, Dick Enberg served as the Angels play-by-play announcer for KTLA.

1980: Relocation of the "Big A"

In 1980, the "Big A" scoreboard was relocated to a section of the parking lot southeast of the stadium after the facility was enclosed and expanded for the NFL's Rams.

1984: Mike Witt pitches a perfect game

In 1984, Mike Witt pitched a perfect game for the Angels against the Texas Rangers at Arlington Stadium.

1985: State of California logo

In 1985, the Angels used a logo that had the word 'Angels' written on an outline of the State of California.

1986: Adoption of "big A" logo

In 1986, the Angels adopted the "big A" on top of a baseball as their new logo, with the shadow of California in the background.

1988: Establishment of Team Hall of Fame

In 1988, the Angels established a team Hall of Fame.

1992: The "big A" era ends

After the "big A" was done in 1992, the Angels returned to their roots and re-adopted the interlocking "CA" logo with some differences.

1993: Re-adoption of "CA" logo

In 1993, the Angels re-adopted the interlocking "CA" logo which was either on top of a blue circle or with nothing else, after the "big A" was done.

1993: Angels Affiliation with Prime Ticket Begins

The Angels have been affiliated with BSW since the 1993 season when the network was originally known as Prime Ticket.

1994: Kenny Rogers pitches a perfect game

In 1994, Kenny Rogers pitched a perfect game for the Texas Rangers against the Angels.

1995: KTLA broadcast ends

From 1964 to 1995, KTLA carried Angels games as both entities were owned by Gene Autry.

1996: KCAL-TV Holds Angels Broadcast Rights

From 1996 to 2005, KCAL-TV held Angels broadcast rights.

1996: End of KMPC broadcast

In 1996, KMPC station stopped airing Angels games.

1996: End of the "CA" logo period

In 1996, the Angels ended using the "CA" logo with either a blue circle or nothing else, marking a change in their visual identity.

1996: Franchise Colors

The franchise colors of the Los Angeles Angels were predominantly blue with a red trim until 1996.

1996: California Angels name

The franchise was known as the California Angels until 1996.

1997: KRLA becomes flagship station

In 1997, KRLA (1110 AM) became the flagship station for Angels broadcasts.

1997: Disney Takes Control and Stadium Renovation

In 1997, The Walt Disney Company took control of the team and extensively renovated Anaheim Stadium, renaming it Edison International Field of Anaheim.

1997: Name change to Anaheim Angels

In 1997, after renovations of then-Anaheim Stadium and the takeover by the Walt Disney Company, the Angels changed their name to the "Anaheim Angels" along with changing the logo and color scheme to dark blue and periwinkle.

1997: Anaheim Angels name

In 1997, the franchise became known as the Anaheim Angels.

1997: First Interleague Play Between Angels and Dodgers

With the introduction of interleague play in the 1997 season, the Angels and Dodgers played each other in the regular season for the first time with a two-game series beginning on June 17 at Dodger Stadium.

1998: KRLA flagship station

In 1998, KRLA (1110 AM) was the flagship station for Angels broadcasts.

June 1999: Bench-Clearing Brawl Between Angels and Dodgers

During a June 1999 series between the Angels and Dodgers, a bench-clearing brawl occurred when Angels pitcher Tim Belcher tagged out Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park after his at-bat, leading to Park punching and kicking Belcher.

1999: KLAC becomes flagship station

In 1999, KLAC (570 AM) became the flagship station for Angels broadcasts.

2000: Rally Monkey born

The Rally Monkey was born in 2000 when the scoreboard showed a clip from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, after which the Angels rallied to win the game. Katie, a white-haired capuchin monkey, was hired to star in original clips for later games.

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2001: Logo change to "Big A" with halo

In 2001, Disney changed the Angels' logo back to a "Big A" with a silver halo over a dark blue baseball diamond and the colors changed to red with dark blue and white.

2002: "Win One for the Cowboy"

After winning the World Series in 2002, Angels player Tim Salmon honored the late Gene Autry by bringing out his signature white Stetson hat, commemorating the team's victory for the "singing cowboy."

2002: Rally Monkey in the World Series

During Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, the Rally Monkey gained national and worldwide attention. The Angels were down 5-0 but scored six unanswered runs, winning the game and turning the momentum of the series.

2002: Angels secure Wild Card berth.

During the 2002 season; both teams were proving to be contenders as the A's famous Moneyball tactics led them to a league record 20 game winstreak; knocking the Angels out of the 1st seed in the division, finishing 4 games ahead while the Angels secured the Wild Card berth and went all the way to the franchise's first and only World Series victory.

2002: Terry Smith becomes play-by-play commentator

In 2002, Terry Smith began providing play-by-play commentary for Angels games on KLAA 830 AM.

2002: World Series Championship

In 2002, under Disney's ownership, the Anaheim Angels won their first pennant and World Series championship.

2002: Attendance milestone

Since 2002, the Angels drew at least 2 million fans per year to the stadium.

2002: Induction of 2002 Team into Hall of Fame

The Angels have inducted fifteen individuals along with members of the 2002 team into their Hall of Fame.

2003: Attendance milestone

From 2003 to 2019, the Angels drew more than 3 million fans per year to the stadium.

2003: Angels return to KSPN

In 2003, the Angels returned to KSPN for their radio broadcasts.

2004: Angels and Athletics battle for division title

During the 2004 season, the Angels and Athletics came down to the wire tied for wins headed into the final week of September and the Angels would go on to suffer a crushing sweep at the hands of the eventual champion Boston Red Sox.

2004: Postseason Appearance

In 2004, the Angels reached the postseason.

2004: Anaheim Angels name

The franchise was known as the Anaheim Angels until 2004.

2005: KCAL-TV broadcast ends

From 1996 to 2005, KCAL-TV held Angels broadcast rights.

2005: Name Change to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

In 2005, "Los Angeles" was added back to the team's name, resulting in the name Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

2007: End of KSPN partnership

In 2007, the Angels' partnership with KSPN for radio broadcasts ended.

2007: Mark Gubicza becomes color commentator

Since 2007, Mark Gubicza has served as the color commentator for Angels games on FanDuel Sports Network West (FDSNW).

2009: Postseason Appearance

In 2009, the Angels reached the postseason.

2009: Fan Value Ranking

In 2009, the Angels were voted as the number one franchise in professional sports in Fan Value by ESPN magazine.

2009: Lawsuit Dropped

In 2009, the City of Anaheim dropped its lawsuit against the team regarding the name change.

2010: Victor Rojas Served as Play-by-Play Announcer

From 2010 to 2020 Victor Rojas served as play-by-play announcer.

2010: High Attendance Despite Not Making Playoffs

In 2010, the Angels averaged 40,000 fans per game despite not making the playoffs.

2011: 50th Anniversary Gold Halo

For the 2011 season, as part of the 50th anniversary of the Angels franchise, the halo on the 'Big A' logo temporarily changed colors from silver to old gold.

2011: High Attendance Despite Not Making Playoffs

In 2011, the Angels averaged 40,000 fans per game despite not making the playoffs.

2012: Feud Between Wilson and Napoli

In 2012, C. J. Wilson played a joke on Mike Napoli, his former teammate, by tweeting his phone number, causing Napoli to exchange words with Wilson.

2012: ESPN & Fan Poll Ranking

In 2012, ESPN and fan polls ranked the Angels fifteenth among sports franchises and third best among MLB teams.

2012: New Uniform Patch Added

In 2012, a new patch was added on the uniforms, featuring a red circle encircling the words "Angels Baseball" and the club logo inside and flanking the year 1961 in the middle.

2012: High Attendance Despite Not Making Playoffs

In 2012, the Angels averaged 40,000 fans per game despite not making the playoffs.

2012: Signing of Albert Pujols and Emergence of Trout and Ohtani

In 2012, the Angels signed Albert Pujols and saw the rise of superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

2012: Mark Langston becomes color commentator

Since 2012, Mark Langston has been providing color commentary for Angels games on KLAA 830 AM.

2013: High Attendance Despite Not Making Playoffs

In 2013, the Angels averaged 40,000 fans per game despite not making the playoffs.

2013: Houston Astros Join AL West

In 2013, the Houston Astros joined the AL West, becoming a division rival of the Angels.

2013: Plan to Restore Original Name

In 2013, the team officially planned to drop 'of Anaheim' from its name and restore its original name, Los Angeles Angels, as part of a new Angel Stadium lease.

2014: Playoff Drought Begins

In 2014, the Angels began what would become the longest active playoff drought of any MLB team.

2015: Guinness World Records

As of 2015, Angels fans had set six Guinness World Records for the largest gatherings of people wearing blankets, wrestling masks, cowboy hats, wigs, Santa hats, superhero capes, and sombreros, plus the world record for largest gathering of people with selfie sticks.

2015: Dick Enberg Won Ford C. Frick Award

In 2015, Dick Enberg won the Ford C. Frick Award for his work with the Angels.

2015: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim name

The franchise was known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim until 2015.

2018: Vladimir Guerrero Inducted into Hall of Fame

In 2018, Vladimir Guerrero was inducted into the Hall of Fame wearing an Angels cap insignia.

December 20, 2019: Sale of Angel Stadium

On December 20, 2019, the city of Anaheim voted to sell Angel Stadium and the surrounding land to a group led by Arte Moreno for $325 million.

2019: Attendance milestone

In 2019, the Angels were fifth in MLB in attendance, with a total of 3,019,012 people.

2020: Omission of 'of Anaheim' Suffix

As of 2020, most official sources omit the 'of Anaheim' suffix from the team's name.

2020: Victor Rojas ends as Play-by-Play Announcer

From 2010 to 2020 Victor Rojas served as play-by-play announcer.

May 24, 2022: Mayor's Resignation

On May 24, 2022, Anaheim mayor Harry Sidhu resigned amidst bribery and corruption allegations related to the Angel Stadium deal.

December 9, 2023: Shohei Ohtani signs with the Dodgers

On December 9, 2023, Angels star pitcher and hitter Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers in free agency, signing the largest contract in professional sports history.