Angel Stadium

About

Angel Stadium (originally and colloquially known as Anaheim Stadium) is a ballpark in Anaheim, California, United States. Since its opening 60 years ago in 1966, it has been the home venue of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB), who relocated from Los Angeles to Anaheim following the 1965 season. Founded in 1961, the Angels were the first MLB team to originate in California, unlike the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, who relocated from New York. The Angels played their inaugural season at Wrigley Field (Los Angeles), a now-demolished ballpark in South Los Angeles, and then at Chavez Ravine Stadium (better known as Dodger Stadium) from 1962 to 1965 before moving to Anaheim Stadium, where construction began in 1964. The stadium also served as the home of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) from 1980 to 1994. The stadium is often referred to by its unofficial nickname The Big A, coined by Herald Examiner Sports Editor Bud Furillo. It is the fourth-oldest active ballpark in the majors, behind Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium. The stadium hosted the MLB All-Star Game three times in 1967, 1989, and 2010, as well as the World Series in 2002. Aside from professional baseball and football, Angel Stadium has hosted a variety of major events. These include concerts by artists such as The Who (1970), Aerosmith (1976), Pink Floyd (1977), the Rolling Stones (1978, 2002, 2005), and the Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan (1987) as one of the venues on their Dylan & the Dead tour. The stadium has also been a longtime venue for the AMA Supercross Championship, which has been held at the venue since 1976. The stadium remains one of the most iconic stops on the Supercross circuit, frequently serving as the season opener and hosting multiple rounds annually. Religious events have also played a significant role at the stadium, including Billy Graham's evangelistic crusades and the annual Harvest Crusades led by Greg Laurie. In addition, Eid al-Fitr celebrations have drawn thousands of worshippers for morning prayers. Other events have included college and high school football games. The stadium also houses the studios and offices of the Angels' owned and operated flagship radio station, KLAA (830 AM).

Angel Stadium and its surrounding parking lot are roughly bounded by Katella Avenue to the north, the Orange Freeway to the east, Orangewood Avenue to the south, and State College Boulevard to the west. The landmark "Big A" sign, which originally served as a scoreboard support in left field, is located near the eastern boundary of the parking lot. The halo located near the top of the 230-foot (70 m) tall, 210-ton sign once blinked on and off after dark on game days when the Angels won (both at home and on the road) a practice broadcaster Victor Rojas was known for referring to by saying "Light that baby up!" (blinking) after a victory. The halo would remain on without blinking when they lost. Since at least the 2023 season, the halo remains lit at all times, although it shines brighter when the Angels win.

ARTIC (Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center) servicing the Metrolink Orange County Line and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, is located nearby on the other side of the State Route 57 and accessed through the Douglass Road gate at the northeast corner of the parking lot. The station provides convenient access to the stadium, the nearby Honda Center, and Disneyland from various communities along the route.

Angel Stadium has been the home of the Angels since their move from Los Angeles. On August 31, 1964, ground was broken for Anaheim Stadium and in 1966, the then-California Angels moved into their new home after having spent four seasons renting Dodger Stadium (referred to in Angels games as Chavez Ravine Stadium) from the Dodgers (In their inaugural season of 1961, the Angels played their home games at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field.) Originally called Anaheim Stadium when the Angels began play there in 1966, the name was changed to Edison International Field in 1997 and to Angel Stadium following the 2003 season. The stadium was built on a parcel of about 160 acres (0.65 km2) of flat land originally used for agricultural purposes by the Allec, Russell, and Knutzen families in the southeast portion of Anaheim. Consistent with many major-league sports stadiums built in the 1960s, it is located in a suburban area, though one that is host to major tourist attractions.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.