The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a
professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The Angels
are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's
American League. The "Angels" name originates from the
city that was their original home, Los Angeles. They are informally
known by many fans as "the Halos", a nickname based
on the presence of a halo in most of the team's logos over the
years. The Angels have been based in Angel Stadium of Anaheim
since 1966.
An expansion franchise, the club was founded
in Los Angeles in 1961. Then the Los Angeles Angels, the team
was based at Los Angeles's Wrigley Field (not to be confused with
Chicago's stadium of the same name). The team has gone through
several name changes in their history, first changing to the California
Angels in 1965 to emphasize their status as the only AL team in
California. When the Disney Company took control in 1997, they
extensively renovated Angel Stadium on the condition that both
the stadium's name and the team's name contain the word "Anaheim".
Disney was hoping to make Anaheim, the home of Disneyland, a major
tourist destination and thus the team became the Anaheim Angels.
In 2005, new owner Arte Moreno wanted to
include "Los Angeles" in the team's name, in order to
better tap into the Los Angeles media market, the second largest
in the country. In compliance with the terms of its lease with
the city of Anaheim, the team changed its name to the Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim. Hotly disputed when initially announced, the
change was eventually upheld in court and still stands today,
though the team usually refers to itself as simply the Angels
in its home media market.
The Angels are the incumbent American League
West Champions.