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The Great Ballpark Chase: Angels in the Anaheim Outfield

timothynrussell
Angels Stadium
The view from above the home on-deck circle at Angels Stadium.

I’ve always had a fascination with the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels.

Growing up, they were owned by famed actor Gene Autry, which I always thought was cool for some reason. My dad watched a few movies that Autry starred in, so he always asked about him when I’d watch the Tigers play the Angels. It probably was more along the lines that it was a recognizable name. And most owners’ names are not.

So when we pulled into the Angel Stadium parking lot and saw the “Big A,” it brought back a few memories.

The Big A used to support the scoreboard of the stadium before being moved in 1979.

The Big A held the scoreboard at the stadium before 1979, when it was moved to make way for more seating. It is currently located near the eastern boundary of the parking lot. The structure stands 230-feet tall and weighs 210 tons.

This was the sixth of seven stops on the West Coast Swing tour with Coast 2 Coast Sports Tours. This was my second trip with the group and I’ll likely do another one next summer. This summer, the tour included visits to three of the five oldest stadiums in the majors. Earlier, we had visited Dodger Stadium (third oldest) and the Oakland Coliseum (fifth oldest). Angel Stadium is the fourth oldest. It has hosted the MLB All-Star Game three times in 1967, 1989, and 2010 as well as the World Series in 2002.

For Dub and Sue Ann, who were on the tour, it was a chance to see their hometown Texas Rangers. The couple lives in a northern suburb of Dallas.

The first thing you really notice is the rock pile landscaping in left-center field. That was a part of the Disney renovations, which were completed in time for Opening Day 1998.

The artificial outcropping of rocks in the outfield are a key feature of Angels Stadium.

The artificial rock sculpture was named the “California Spectacular” by Disney. It features an “A” as part of the formation, with geysers erupting to create a waterfall effect. Fireworks are shot off from that area before the start of every game and after every Angels’ home run.

During the renovations, a plaza was built around the perimeter of the stadium. In this plaza area, there are statues showing Autry and Michelle Carew, who was the daughter of former Angel and Baseball Hall of Famer, Rod Carew. The younger Carew died from leukemia at the age of 18 in April 1996.

Capacity for the stadium is 45,517.

The field dimensions are asymmetrical. Down the left field line, it is 347 feet; to left-center, it’s 390 feet; 396 to center field; 370 feet to right-center; 365 to shallow right-center and 350 feet down the right field line.

The team has also gone through several name changes. Originally, they were known as the California Angels. Then, they switched to the Anaheim Angels. Finally, they added L.A. and became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Clockwise from upper left, the Big A is seen beyond the outfield; former team owner Gene Autry’s hat; giant Angels hats adorn the homeplate entrance; Nolan Ryan’s glove and bobbleheads in a showcase; and Mike Trout, when healthy, is a must-see Angels’ player.

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