With Arte selling to Stan, there has been lots of joy, and misinformation. Arte is a terrible owner, yes, but he wasn’t always, and his fall from being beloved to hated is a warning to all those in such positions of power. As a white knight once said, “You either die a hero, or live long enough to become a villain.” And Arte Moreno, who is 80, lived long enough.
Right now, media (and Twitter) have been calling his tenure as Angels owner as 23 years of running the team into the ground. That is false. Because those years in the 2000’s were golden. It was by far the best decade in Angels history, and something we need to remember truthfully. Later eras tainted our memory, but in 2009, ESPN had the Angels as the best ran organization in ALL of Sports. What changed? And what did him in?
Golden Age
Older fans would know that Arte Moreno was seen as a savior. While the Angels won in 2002, fans were not happy with the way Disney ran things, seeing them as too conservative and stingy, treating the Anaheim Angels as a small market team at times. Also the renovation of Angel Stadium was seen as unserious, as the geysers in CF were seen as Disneyfying the team. While beloved now, ask older fans and they will admit that it was not liked at the time.
So here comes Arte Moreno, a businessman, and one who will spend the money Disney won’t. He knows what he is doing, he made a fortune on Billboards, and like any good Billboard, he needed star power, so only the bog names will do. Fans saw a bit of the Cowboy in him, as the Angels used to get plenty of stars in FA like Reggie Jackson and Rod Carew. And Arte did what the fans wanted which was sign the biggest name available, Vladimir Guerrero.
With him and Bartolo Colon, the Angels have gotten the biggest names and won a lot of games. Vlad won MVP in 2004, Colon a Cy Young in 2005, and the Angels won the AL in back to back years, getting as far as the ALCS in 2005. While the team came up short, it was now 3 times in the last 5 years of making the playoffs, already the best stretch in team history.
The future and the present were bright
However, a team does not win with just FA alone, and what was great for the Angels was that the GM, Bill Stoneman, had assembled a team filled to the brim with homegrown talent. While not as flashy as the Yankees or Red Sox, the Angels did not have any holes, being above average at hitting and top 5 in pitching. Names upon names that Angels fans loved even if they were not HOF players. Erstad, K-Rod, Lackey, Figgins, the names went on and on and so did the accolades. Players young, like Mighty Maicer, and those who were older vets like Garrett Anderson. All gained through drafting or trading, allowing Arte to spend to get the final pieces needed to make the team a contender.
The Golden Days
After the 2007 season though, which was yet another AL West Champ year, Bill retired, completing the transition from the Disney era to Arte, and the next GM will have to keep things going. The Angels farm system was ranked 4th best in MLB, being as high as 1 in 2005. And that farm director would take over as GM, someone named Tony Reagins.
Now Tony did quite a few good things, he made some trades, signed some FA, used the power of that high ranked farm to get talent and promote them. Angels fans know the names, Weaver, Aybar, HK-47, and newly signed FA outfielder Torii Hunter. The Angels won the West in 2008 and 2009 as well, riding both new and older players all the way to the ALCS where they lost to the Yankees. That Yankees team had Mark Teixeira, a player that in 2008 the Angels traded for, and who signed with the Yankees. Angels fans, and Arte were bitter about that.
Someone else who was annoyed was Mark Teixeira, as the Angels withdrew their 8/160M dollar offer and he signed with the Yankees for 8/180M. Arte Moreno was rumored to have ordered that, feeling like he was being used in a bidding war with NY. What the Angels did not realize was that this was a blessing in disguise, as his leaving (and K-Rod’s to the Mets) gave the Angels 2 first round draft picks back to back in that 2009 draft. A draft where they picked Mike Trout.
Suck it MFY
Even though this was a golden age, it wasn’t perfect. In 2009, that Angels team that had all 9 batters hitting .300 at one point, lost a young pitcher right after his first MLB win to a drunk driver, Nick Adenhart was only 22 years old. The tragedy caused the team to rally behind his memory, and a memorial was placed in CF to honor him. It wasn’t the first time an Angel player had died, and it wouldn’t be the last.
That wasn’t the end of the golden age though. While 2009 was that last great season of Angels baseball, what ended it happened in the 2010 season. One that started with promise, before unravelling the entire fabric of the franchise.
Silver Age
2010 was a rough year for Angels Baseball. A year which on Opening Day, showed that maybe it was time for a rebuild. The best players had left through FA or retirement, and the next group of young players needed time to develop. But Arte Moreno did not want to rebuild, so the team went on without Vlad, without Figgins, without Lackey. But hey, this Kendry(s) Morales was emerging as a star, surely as long as nothing bad happens the team may still squeak in as the Wild Car-
The start of the silver age
On May 29th, 2010, Kendry(s) Morales had just hit a walk off Grand Slam, and when jumping on home plate, broke his leg. He was out for the rest of the season, and was never the same. The Angels went 80-82 that year, the first losing season since 2003, when Arte bought the team. While not likely, the AL West was somewhat in reach, as the Angels ended up 10 games back of the eventual AL pennant winning Rangers, the team Vlad had signed with.
Napoli took over at 1B, spending less time catching and more time at first, creating conflict with Mike Scioscia as he felt that weak hitting Jeff Mathis was better at Catcher anyway. The lack of star power, a losing season, and not wanting to rebuild had Arte Moreno demand that Tony trade for Vernon Wells in the offseason. He did not want to, for it would be a stupid trade. Arte made him, and it was indeed a stupid trade. Vernon Wells was well past his prime, and Mike Napoli was traded from the Blue Jays to the Rangers, where he ruined the Halos’ chance at making the playoffs, going to the World Series himself instead.
Tony resigned after the 2011 season, and by the time he did, that Angels farm system had cracks in it. Gone were many long time scouts and scouting directors, money was pulled and kept waiting for something big Arte planned. Things were fine in Arte’s mind, he could spend where it really mattered, on All Stars in FA, and the best FA maybe ever was available for the 2012 season.
No one had any idea how bad this would age
You had to be there for the Pujols signing. This was one of the most consistently dominant players of all time. He just won the World Series with St. Louis, his 2nd in his career, and yes, the later years would suck, this was a win now move. And CJ Wilson was on Texas the year prior, they made the World Series, surely he could win a CY Young like Colon did, surely this TV deal that was possible because of these signings will make everything golden. Surely.
2012 was amazing. Not because of Pujols, but the last great thing the Golden Era Angels did, draft Mike Trout. And his rookie season in 2012 was pure joy. Yes, he played in 2011, but it wasn’t that good, the 19 year old needed a bit more time, and 2012 after getting sick during Spring training was the right time.
Welcome to a moment in history
Mike Trout, not Albert Pujols, was the reason why this is the Silver Age. Things weren’t as pretty as the Golden Age, but Mike Trout dragged this team to being relevant, even as those cracks became bigger and wins became rarer. Arte wanted a yes man and got Jerry Dipoto for his GM, but JeDi wasn’t as much of a yes man as Arte wanted. He clashed with Mike Scioscia, old school ball vs new school tech and sabermetrics, he did his job signing FA, but they kept backfiring. Pujols was never the St. Louis Pujols HOF player that the team thought would get at least some years of, Wilson wasn’t great, and so the Angels had to trade, trade away that farm that was slowly depleting and not being refilled anymore…
But the disaster that was the Josh Hamilton deal was the stuff of nightmares. All because when the Angels traded for Zack Greinke in 2012, costing them their best prospect in Jean Segura, he didn’t stay, instead signing with the Dodgers in 2013. Instead of keeping Torii Hunter, who wanted to return, the Angels signed Josh Hamilton, as he was on that 2010 and 2011 World Series team and won the 2010 MVP, surely THAT won’t backfire.
Worst. Contract. Ever.
2013 now had 3 huge contracts, none of which were anything close to being worth it, and a fast depleting farm. Thankfully, Mike Trout was there, as was the last remnants of that once great farm like Weaver, Trumbo, Aybar, and HK-47. The team still had a losing record, but instead of rebuilding, maybe realize that this wasn’t working, Arte was sure that just a 4th member of the 2011 World Series would be enough to put them over the top! David Freese was not good, and the Angels lost both Bourjos and Grichuk, 2 players that were young, cheap, defensive first OF that could have been the new wave of fun but not amazing players in the lineup and in the OF to go along with Mike Trout.
While 2014 was a playoff season, the last in Angels history under Arte, it was because everyone else played their asses off, and not because of Hamilton, Wilson, or Freese. This fools gold of a season, a 98 win team, instead of making Arte rebuild, invigorated him, making him feel responsible, and that his way was working as the foundations started croaking. The Angels getting swept by KC sucked but they would be back next year, no problem.
Instead, the Angels missed the postseason again, going 85-77. Blame was put on players like Weaver who was losing his fastball velocity, and JeDi blamed Mike Scioscia, and their fight was even more epic, with JeDi making Arte choose between him and Mike in the middle of the 2015 season. Arte chose Mike and JeDi resigned, putting to the end the Silver Age.
Bronze Age
Bronze is easier to work with than Iron, which is why it was used first despite iron being more plentiful. Bronze is also an alloy. And just like the metal, this age was an alloy of hope and despair. Where things went wrong and turning everyone green, just like Bronze when it weathers.
Damn you Oxegen!
Arte Moreno needed a yes man GM, so he hired a new one. Billy Eppler was a NY scout, surely he could do what Arte wanted and fix the team that was not in any way his fault. And to make sure everyone knew that HE was in control, Arte changed the name to the Los Angels Angels in 2016. It was the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim from 2005-2015, after being the Anaheim Angels before that and the California Angels before Disney and the Los Angeles Angels back in the 60’s when they played in Los Angeles so really, Arte was doing what every Boomer did in the mid 2010’s, change things back their what it was in their childhood damn it.
“Now THIS was a REAL team” -Arte
And not just in name, no, Arte had to be in control more, that Pepsi was not RED and thus did not fit his vision so he got rid of it for Coke, and the city of Anaheim was mad, but they had to listen to HIM, HE was the reason why the team was good, look at all the money he spent, the awards, the fame, it was him, Arte, and no GM or manager or city council would tell him to do anything ever again!
Well, Josh Hamilton was bad, and Pujols was bad, and the team as a whole sucked, so he told Billy to fix it and he tried. He got Simba from the Braves, a good deal! 2nd best player on the team in 2016. Angels had a losing record, going 74-88. This was now the 4th losing season since Arte owned the team. More was needed. But 2017 was another losing season, worse, Mike Trout was hurt sliding into 2B. He played for only 114 games. The team went 80-82. 5th losing season. Arte needed a miracle, NOW. And Billy, somehow, someway delivered. That hope that makes this the Bronze Age came, and his name was Shohei Ohtani.
It is a miracle!
Simba was a great player, but Ohtani is Ohtani. Instantly all of Japan had their eyes on the Angels. If anyone could turn this team around it was him, the Babe Ruth of Japan, the Unicorn. He couldn’t. He tried, but the Angels finished 80-82 again. That was blamed on injuries, Ohtani tore his elbow, and Trout missed some time. And hey, the Angels eliminated Texas, that was nice.
That was fun
Arte did not keep Mike Scioscia as manager. This losing season needed someone to blame, and Billy got him Simba and OHTANI, so it wasn’t him, and it wasn’t Arte’s fault, no, so it HAD to be Mike Scioscia. He was old and lost his way ever since that Simpsons episode in 2010. New manager, Brad Ausmus. Former catcher, he would do it, even with Ohatni not able to pitch.
Yeah, no. Angels finish 72-90, worst record of Arte’s tenure so far and worst by the org since 1999. Trout won his 3rd MVP though, so some sweet in this sour. But we cannot forget what else happened, sadness. Tyler Skaggs overdosed on pain meds that were cut cheaply and provided by Angels staff Eric Kay and died. While the rest of what happened is for the next era, at least I can say that the Angels honored him by throwing a no hitter on the first game back at Angel Stadium, all while wearing 45.
How DARE Arte remove this from the Calling All Angels video
But Brad was a bad hire, needed someone Arte could trust, a legend who won a WS more recently. Joe Maddon! He could fix the team and he needs help, a new FA, someone to be the 3rd head of the cerberus to go with Troutani. Anthony Rendon!
Dude is so healthy right now
Too bad this Pandemic has ruined the season, but hey, Ohtani was able to heal, surely this means the Angels can win it in the shortened season? 26-34? That is just awful. Even with a super expanded playoff, the Angels failed to make it. This is somehow Billy’s fault! While he did bring in Ohtani and trade for Simba, his lack of pitching on this team is HIS fault, since, well, his 5 bucks to fix it failed as all 5 dollar menu options sucked at pitching. A new GM was needed. Someone who could be a Yes Man and not complain. Someone who literally can’t, PERRY THE PLATYPUS!
Angels baseball 2021-2026
Hiring Perry Minasian wasn’t the start of the dark age, but it symbolized how far gone Arte had fallen. He was now on his 4th Yes Man GM, he was calling the shots and they kept missing. Either he needed to let people do their jobs, or stop pretending that anyone else was at fault. And in 2021, he still couldn’t take the blame, as the Angels went 77-85. He made excuses, Trout missed most of the season. As did Rendon. Ohtani had to carry the team, if only they were healthy. If. If. If…
2022 was when all that hope died. While the season started great, going 27-17, the team lost 14 straight, Maddon was fired, and the Angels never recovered. THAT is when hope died. In that crushing losing streak. It was when I knew Ohtani wouldn’t stay with the team. The holes were too many, and unlike Trout, Ohtani wanted to be on a winner ASAP. He should have been extended or traded in the offseason. Instead, the Angels bought, getting Tyler Anderson in FA and banking on health for one last ride.
Dark Age
2020’s Angels in one image
2023 is when the dark age was really here. Fans were blaming Arte now in full force, going against the online sentiment that he spends therefore is good. The Angels farm was barren, anyone drafted that was any good was rushed to the MLB roster immediately. Wasting Troutani was blared and talked about on TV. Trading Ohatni was what everyone asked the Angels to do. But Arte was busy with more serious matters.
The Eric Kay trial was happening in the background. He was blamed for killing Skaggs, and when things finally ended in Oct 2022, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison. But that was not the end of that book. Skaggs death, something so tragic yet so messy was made into a further mess as the family sued the Angels. Arte, maybe in a sense of defeatism, or exhaustion, maybe even some self reflection, decided to sell the team.
Yet come January 2023, he changed his mind, not wanting to be the owner who wasted Troutani. He did anyway. Perry, the yes man, was told to go all in in 2023, instead of trading Ohtani, instead of turning things around, the Angels bought at the 2023 deadline, and the team went 73-89. Ohtani walked without anything more than a Qualifying Offer. Angels fans were devastated. the team was now a laughingstock. Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, and it was all Arte’s fault as he didn’t even try to match the Dodgers offer.
2024 was the worst season in Angels history. 63-99. Barely escaping losing 100 games for the first time. Fans wanted him gone, Skaggs family wanted him to pay. Trout missed most of the season, and there was no hope at all. This was the darkness. A bad team, a bad farm, a bad owner, and nothing to look forward to. This was a process started years and years ago. I did not even mention the fact that the Angels minor league players weren’t even FED since Arte was too cheap to do that.
I skipped over a lot, but Arte fell this hard because of his own ego. He did not want to rebuild. He did not want to pay for things other than star players. The Lambo in front of a shack kind of deal. He and what fans he had left, mostly from other teams with even cheaper owners pointed at that Lambo and said that was enough, Angels fans should be grateful. He wasn’t as bad as Nutting or Fisher. And while that may be true, a 42% is still an F even though it is better than a 0%.
2025 also sucked. 72-90. But at least Mike Trout was healthy. First time he played 120 games since 2019. But the injuries took a toll. He was not the same. And Rendon basically quit, just like Angels fans were encouraged to do. Arte was here to stay, and there was no sign of his selling the team. Dodgers were back to back champs, and Arte said that Angel fans did not care about winning anyway.
And he finally made changes. His long time buddy from before the Angels was John Carpino and he retired before the 2026 season. His replacement Molly Jolly fired Perry before the draft. A new GM John Mozeliak who was long time with the Cards came in to interim. Kurt Suzuki had a 1 year deal as the manager. The team still sucked. But Mike Trout was healthy. And was better than 2025.
Now Arte’s rein will be over come next season. What was once seen as the businessman the team needed was around long enough to become one of the worst owners in sports. Ego as a sports owner is a risky thing for fans. We did not see it at the time, or even in 2009 due to all the winning. But it was always there. As evident as the fact that the Number 1 Jersey has been out of circulation since 2006. Because Arte saw himself as #1.
Besides the W/L record, we were fortunate to see the best player of the 2000s, the best player of the 2010s, the best player of the 2020s, and the greatest defensive player this century.
That’s how I will remember a lot of this. There’s more than enough to complain about but we certainly had some treats in the last 23 years too.
very good article. Well done. Thank you for taking the time to put that together
I’ve been crucified on Twitter many times for “defending” Arte over the last couple years. Did he meddle with the team? Yes.
Did the Angels struggle over the last decade? Yes
But then I see people say “the Angels have never been good under Arte” or “they’ve never won and always signs bad players.” That is the type of stuff i end up “defending” when it comes to Arte.
As noted, Arte brought us Vladdy, Hunter, extended a fan fav in Weaver, and he was willing to spend and go after the big fish. Hindsight is always 20/20. I don’t think anyone knew Rendon would completely fall off a cliff. I don’t recall anyone saying Josh Hamilton was going to forget how to hit and then start drinking again.
Is there things to blame with Arte? Absolutely.
But it’s almost never a criticism of the players. We can look and say it was a bad signing/trade for any guys that never panned out, but in the moment, A LOT of those deals were seen as optimistic, but then the player(s) ended up not performing to the level they had shown.
This should be turned into a paperback. Very solid effort JHW. Thanks for this painful summary.
Other honorable mention pain points from the top of my noggin:
* GMJ contract
* The Beltre Ulimatum
* Trading for the “untradeable” portion of the Vernon Wells contract ($87M/4yr) turning Alex A into a Toronto folk hero
* Tony Reagins striking the Torii Hunter deal at the Corona Main Street Del Taco location thus being named “Del Ninja” only to sully that lore by making horrible move after horrible move
* Firing of Eddie Bane
* Moreno ticket people explaining that butts in seats means much less than “per-caps” clearly prioritizing the big dollar corporate and elite ticket holders over the everyday family/fans.
How can I forget this Moreno quote in the aftermath of the Wells trade
* “We are not on an austerity program here…”
But as it ended up, they sure made it seem like austerity was the word for it … cut after cut after cut. Throwing good money after bad and skimping on development and drafting.
the golden age was when Arte added a few pieces to the team he inherited. He also kept the front office and scouting department he inherited. In short, the golden era was really the extension of the Disney era.
the more Arte put his imprint on the franchise the worse it got.
Exactly this. It was not the Golden Age of Arte, it was the Golden Age of the Angels that Arte bought into and, over time and with increasing ego, did the opposite of alchemy.
The firing of Eddie Bane and his reluctance to spend in any top end starting pitching was when everything started to go tits up. “Why would I pay for someone who only plays every 5th day?” was the Canary in the Cole mine.
He deserves credit for both Vlad and Torii Hunter as they were the type of impact addition that really heightened the type of strong farm system and roster Arte *inherited* – although Torii himself deserves credit for living up to a contract that people forget was not exactly considered smart value by the industry when it happened (foreshadowing the rest of the Tony Reagins experience).
The biggest and most obvious problem was just that the game rapidly became analytical and saw teams investing resources into front office talent, scouting and player development infrastructure — all things Arte for some reason was stubborn didn’t matter if he just kept doing the Vlad/Torii thing.
Legitimately never pivoted. Saw the farm go dry and never saw that as an existential issue to the franchise. Saw the organization commit scandal after scandal and never pivoted to new faces to clean up the off-field operation. Just ran it into the ground out of pure incompetence and negligence.
Amen. He saw those two initial big splash successes and thought he could duplicate history again and again. All without re-supplying the farm with cash and development / scouting personnel.
The 4 Ages of Arte Moreno’s Ownership
With Arte selling to Stan, there has been lots of joy, and misinformation. Arte is a terrible owner, yes, but he wasn’t always, and his fall from being beloved to hated is a warning to all those in such positions of power. As a white knight once said, “You either die a hero, or live long enough to become a villain.” And Arte Moreno, who is 80, lived long enough.
Right now, media (and Twitter) have been calling his tenure as Angels owner as 23 years of running the team into the ground. That is false. Because those years in the 2000’s were golden. It was by far the best decade in Angels history, and something we need to remember truthfully. Later eras tainted our memory, but in 2009, ESPN had the Angels as the best ran organization in ALL of Sports. What changed? And what did him in?
Golden Age
Older fans would know that Arte Moreno was seen as a savior. While the Angels won in 2002, fans were not happy with the way Disney ran things, seeing them as too conservative and stingy, treating the Anaheim Angels as a small market team at times. Also the renovation of Angel Stadium was seen as unserious, as the geysers in CF were seen as Disneyfying the team. While beloved now, ask older fans and they will admit that it was not liked at the time.
So here comes Arte Moreno, a businessman, and one who will spend the money Disney won’t. He knows what he is doing, he made a fortune on Billboards, and like any good Billboard, he needed star power, so only the bog names will do. Fans saw a bit of the Cowboy in him, as the Angels used to get plenty of stars in FA like Reggie Jackson and Rod Carew. And Arte did what the fans wanted which was sign the biggest name available, Vladimir Guerrero.
With him and Bartolo Colon, the Angels have gotten the biggest names and won a lot of games. Vlad won MVP in 2004, Colon a Cy Young in 2005, and the Angels won the AL in back to back years, getting as far as the ALCS in 2005. While the team came up short, it was now 3 times in the last 5 years of making the playoffs, already the best stretch in team history.
However, a team does not win with just FA alone, and what was great for the Angels was that the GM, Bill Stoneman, had assembled a team filled to the brim with homegrown talent. While not as flashy as the Yankees or Red Sox, the Angels did not have any holes, being above average at hitting and top 5 in pitching. Names upon names that Angels fans loved even if they were not HOF players. Erstad, K-Rod, Lackey, Figgins, the names went on and on and so did the accolades. Players young, like Mighty Maicer, and those who were older vets like Garrett Anderson. All gained through drafting or trading, allowing Arte to spend to get the final pieces needed to make the team a contender.
After the 2007 season though, which was yet another AL West Champ year, Bill retired, completing the transition from the Disney era to Arte, and the next GM will have to keep things going. The Angels farm system was ranked 4th best in MLB, being as high as 1 in 2005. And that farm director would take over as GM, someone named Tony Reagins.
Now Tony did quite a few good things, he made some trades, signed some FA, used the power of that high ranked farm to get talent and promote them. Angels fans know the names, Weaver, Aybar, HK-47, and newly signed FA outfielder Torii Hunter. The Angels won the West in 2008 and 2009 as well, riding both new and older players all the way to the ALCS where they lost to the Yankees. That Yankees team had Mark Teixeira, a player that in 2008 the Angels traded for, and who signed with the Yankees. Angels fans, and Arte were bitter about that.
Someone else who was annoyed was Mark Teixeira, as the Angels withdrew their 8/160M dollar offer and he signed with the Yankees for 8/180M. Arte Moreno was rumored to have ordered that, feeling like he was being used in a bidding war with NY. What the Angels did not realize was that this was a blessing in disguise, as his leaving (and K-Rod’s to the Mets) gave the Angels 2 first round draft picks back to back in that 2009 draft. A draft where they picked Mike Trout.
Even though this was a golden age, it wasn’t perfect. In 2009, that Angels team that had all 9 batters hitting .300 at one point, lost a young pitcher right after his first MLB win to a drunk driver, Nick Adenhart was only 22 years old. The tragedy caused the team to rally behind his memory, and a memorial was placed in CF to honor him. It wasn’t the first time an Angel player had died, and it wouldn’t be the last.
That wasn’t the end of the golden age though. While 2009 was that last great season of Angels baseball, what ended it happened in the 2010 season. One that started with promise, before unravelling the entire fabric of the franchise.
Silver Age
2010 was a rough year for Angels Baseball. A year which on Opening Day, showed that maybe it was time for a rebuild. The best players had left through FA or retirement, and the next group of young players needed time to develop. But Arte Moreno did not want to rebuild, so the team went on without Vlad, without Figgins, without Lackey. But hey, this Kendry(s) Morales was emerging as a star, surely as long as nothing bad happens the team may still squeak in as the Wild Car-
On May 29th, 2010, Kendry(s) Morales had just hit a walk off Grand Slam, and when jumping on home plate, broke his leg. He was out for the rest of the season, and was never the same. The Angels went 80-82 that year, the first losing season since 2003, when Arte bought the team. While not likely, the AL West was somewhat in reach, as the Angels ended up 10 games back of the eventual AL pennant winning Rangers, the team Vlad had signed with.
Napoli took over at 1B, spending less time catching and more time at first, creating conflict with Mike Scioscia as he felt that weak hitting Jeff Mathis was better at Catcher anyway. The lack of star power, a losing season, and not wanting to rebuild had Arte Moreno demand that Tony trade for Vernon Wells in the offseason. He did not want to, for it would be a stupid trade. Arte made him, and it was indeed a stupid trade. Vernon Wells was well past his prime, and Mike Napoli was traded from the Blue Jays to the Rangers, where he ruined the Halos’ chance at making the playoffs, going to the World Series himself instead.
Tony resigned after the 2011 season, and by the time he did, that Angels farm system had cracks in it. Gone were many long time scouts and scouting directors, money was pulled and kept waiting for something big Arte planned. Things were fine in Arte’s mind, he could spend where it really mattered, on All Stars in FA, and the best FA maybe ever was available for the 2012 season.
You had to be there for the Pujols signing. This was one of the most consistently dominant players of all time. He just won the World Series with St. Louis, his 2nd in his career, and yes, the later years would suck, this was a win now move. And CJ Wilson was on Texas the year prior, they made the World Series, surely he could win a CY Young like Colon did, surely this TV deal that was possible because of these signings will make everything golden. Surely.
2012 was amazing. Not because of Pujols, but the last great thing the Golden Era Angels did, draft Mike Trout. And his rookie season in 2012 was pure joy. Yes, he played in 2011, but it wasn’t that good, the 19 year old needed a bit more time, and 2012 after getting sick during Spring training was the right time.
Mike Trout, not Albert Pujols, was the reason why this is the Silver Age. Things weren’t as pretty as the Golden Age, but Mike Trout dragged this team to being relevant, even as those cracks became bigger and wins became rarer. Arte wanted a yes man and got Jerry Dipoto for his GM, but JeDi wasn’t as much of a yes man as Arte wanted. He clashed with Mike Scioscia, old school ball vs new school tech and sabermetrics, he did his job signing FA, but they kept backfiring. Pujols was never the St. Louis Pujols HOF player that the team thought would get at least some years of, Wilson wasn’t great, and so the Angels had to trade, trade away that farm that was slowly depleting and not being refilled anymore…
But the disaster that was the Josh Hamilton deal was the stuff of nightmares. All because when the Angels traded for Zack Greinke in 2012, costing them their best prospect in Jean Segura, he didn’t stay, instead signing with the Dodgers in 2013. Instead of keeping Torii Hunter, who wanted to return, the Angels signed Josh Hamilton, as he was on that 2010 and 2011 World Series team and won the 2010 MVP, surely THAT won’t backfire.
2013 now had 3 huge contracts, none of which were anything close to being worth it, and a fast depleting farm. Thankfully, Mike Trout was there, as was the last remnants of that once great farm like Weaver, Trumbo, Aybar, and HK-47. The team still had a losing record, but instead of rebuilding, maybe realize that this wasn’t working, Arte was sure that just a 4th member of the 2011 World Series would be enough to put them over the top! David Freese was not good, and the Angels lost both Bourjos and Grichuk, 2 players that were young, cheap, defensive first OF that could have been the new wave of fun but not amazing players in the lineup and in the OF to go along with Mike Trout.
While 2014 was a playoff season, the last in Angels history under Arte, it was because everyone else played their asses off, and not because of Hamilton, Wilson, or Freese. This fools gold of a season, a 98 win team, instead of making Arte rebuild, invigorated him, making him feel responsible, and that his way was working as the foundations started croaking. The Angels getting swept by KC sucked but they would be back next year, no problem.
Instead, the Angels missed the postseason again, going 85-77. Blame was put on players like Weaver who was losing his fastball velocity, and JeDi blamed Mike Scioscia, and their fight was even more epic, with JeDi making Arte choose between him and Mike in the middle of the 2015 season. Arte chose Mike and JeDi resigned, putting to the end the Silver Age.
Bronze Age
Bronze is easier to work with than Iron, which is why it was used first despite iron being more plentiful. Bronze is also an alloy. And just like the metal, this age was an alloy of hope and despair. Where things went wrong and turning everyone green, just like Bronze when it weathers.
Arte Moreno needed a yes man GM, so he hired a new one. Billy Eppler was a NY scout, surely he could do what Arte wanted and fix the team that was not in any way his fault. And to make sure everyone knew that HE was in control, Arte changed the name to the Los Angels Angels in 2016. It was the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim from 2005-2015, after being the Anaheim Angels before that and the California Angels before Disney and the Los Angeles Angels back in the 60’s when they played in Los Angeles so really, Arte was doing what every Boomer did in the mid 2010’s, change things back their what it was in their childhood damn it.
And not just in name, no, Arte had to be in control more, that Pepsi was not RED and thus did not fit his vision so he got rid of it for Coke, and the city of Anaheim was mad, but they had to listen to HIM, HE was the reason why the team was good, look at all the money he spent, the awards, the fame, it was him, Arte, and no GM or manager or city council would tell him to do anything ever again!
Well, Josh Hamilton was bad, and Pujols was bad, and the team as a whole sucked, so he told Billy to fix it and he tried. He got Simba from the Braves, a good deal! 2nd best player on the team in 2016. Angels had a losing record, going 74-88. This was now the 4th losing season since Arte owned the team. More was needed. But 2017 was another losing season, worse, Mike Trout was hurt sliding into 2B. He played for only 114 games. The team went 80-82. 5th losing season. Arte needed a miracle, NOW. And Billy, somehow, someway delivered. That hope that makes this the Bronze Age came, and his name was Shohei Ohtani.
Simba was a great player, but Ohtani is Ohtani. Instantly all of Japan had their eyes on the Angels. If anyone could turn this team around it was him, the Babe Ruth of Japan, the Unicorn. He couldn’t. He tried, but the Angels finished 80-82 again. That was blamed on injuries, Ohtani tore his elbow, and Trout missed some time. And hey, the Angels eliminated Texas, that was nice.
Arte did not keep Mike Scioscia as manager. This losing season needed someone to blame, and Billy got him Simba and OHTANI, so it wasn’t him, and it wasn’t Arte’s fault, no, so it HAD to be Mike Scioscia. He was old and lost his way ever since that Simpsons episode in 2010. New manager, Brad Ausmus. Former catcher, he would do it, even with Ohatni not able to pitch.
Yeah, no. Angels finish 72-90, worst record of Arte’s tenure so far and worst by the org since 1999. Trout won his 3rd MVP though, so some sweet in this sour. But we cannot forget what else happened, sadness. Tyler Skaggs overdosed on pain meds that were cut cheaply and provided by Angels staff Eric Kay and died. While the rest of what happened is for the next era, at least I can say that the Angels honored him by throwing a no hitter on the first game back at Angel Stadium, all while wearing 45.
But Brad was a bad hire, needed someone Arte could trust, a legend who won a WS more recently. Joe Maddon! He could fix the team and he needs help, a new FA, someone to be the 3rd head of the cerberus to go with Troutani. Anthony Rendon!
Too bad this Pandemic has ruined the season, but hey, Ohtani was able to heal, surely this means the Angels can win it in the shortened season? 26-34? That is just awful. Even with a super expanded playoff, the Angels failed to make it. This is somehow Billy’s fault! While he did bring in Ohtani and trade for Simba, his lack of pitching on this team is HIS fault, since, well, his 5 bucks to fix it failed as all 5 dollar menu options sucked at pitching. A new GM was needed. Someone who could be a Yes Man and not complain. Someone who literally can’t, PERRY THE PLATYPUS!
Hiring Perry Minasian wasn’t the start of the dark age, but it symbolized how far gone Arte had fallen. He was now on his 4th Yes Man GM, he was calling the shots and they kept missing. Either he needed to let people do their jobs, or stop pretending that anyone else was at fault. And in 2021, he still couldn’t take the blame, as the Angels went 77-85. He made excuses, Trout missed most of the season. As did Rendon. Ohtani had to carry the team, if only they were healthy. If. If. If…
2022 was when all that hope died. While the season started great, going 27-17, the team lost 14 straight, Maddon was fired, and the Angels never recovered. THAT is when hope died. In that crushing losing streak. It was when I knew Ohtani wouldn’t stay with the team. The holes were too many, and unlike Trout, Ohtani wanted to be on a winner ASAP. He should have been extended or traded in the offseason. Instead, the Angels bought, getting Tyler Anderson in FA and banking on health for one last ride.
Dark Age
2023 is when the dark age was really here. Fans were blaming Arte now in full force, going against the online sentiment that he spends therefore is good. The Angels farm was barren, anyone drafted that was any good was rushed to the MLB roster immediately. Wasting Troutani was blared and talked about on TV. Trading Ohatni was what everyone asked the Angels to do. But Arte was busy with more serious matters.
The Eric Kay trial was happening in the background. He was blamed for killing Skaggs, and when things finally ended in Oct 2022, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison. But that was not the end of that book. Skaggs death, something so tragic yet so messy was made into a further mess as the family sued the Angels. Arte, maybe in a sense of defeatism, or exhaustion, maybe even some self reflection, decided to sell the team.
Yet come January 2023, he changed his mind, not wanting to be the owner who wasted Troutani. He did anyway. Perry, the yes man, was told to go all in in 2023, instead of trading Ohtani, instead of turning things around, the Angels bought at the 2023 deadline, and the team went 73-89. Ohtani walked without anything more than a Qualifying Offer. Angels fans were devastated. the team was now a laughingstock. Ohtani signed with the Dodgers, and it was all Arte’s fault as he didn’t even try to match the Dodgers offer.
2024 was the worst season in Angels history. 63-99. Barely escaping losing 100 games for the first time. Fans wanted him gone, Skaggs family wanted him to pay. Trout missed most of the season, and there was no hope at all. This was the darkness. A bad team, a bad farm, a bad owner, and nothing to look forward to. This was a process started years and years ago. I did not even mention the fact that the Angels minor league players weren’t even FED since Arte was too cheap to do that.
I skipped over a lot, but Arte fell this hard because of his own ego. He did not want to rebuild. He did not want to pay for things other than star players. The Lambo in front of a shack kind of deal. He and what fans he had left, mostly from other teams with even cheaper owners pointed at that Lambo and said that was enough, Angels fans should be grateful. He wasn’t as bad as Nutting or Fisher. And while that may be true, a 42% is still an F even though it is better than a 0%.
2025 also sucked. 72-90. But at least Mike Trout was healthy. First time he played 120 games since 2019. But the injuries took a toll. He was not the same. And Rendon basically quit, just like Angels fans were encouraged to do. Arte was here to stay, and there was no sign of his selling the team. Dodgers were back to back champs, and Arte said that Angel fans did not care about winning anyway.
The Skaggs trial part 2 was finally done, even though it was messy, embarrassing, and sad, it brought light to how shitty this organization was run. Players spoke out. The fact that Pujols had to buy stuff for the Angels training room since Arte would not. That the AC was broken and not fixed until Kikuchi talked about it. Everyone was angry. And being hated was too much for Arte. After he showed himself in the 2024 Calling All Angels video, he was booed by the fans. He removed himself the next game.
And he finally made changes. His long time buddy from before the Angels was John Carpino and he retired before the 2026 season. His replacement Molly Jolly fired Perry before the draft. A new GM John Mozeliak who was long time with the Cards came in to interim. Kurt Suzuki had a 1 year deal as the manager. The team still sucked. But Mike Trout was healthy. And was better than 2025.
Now Arte’s rein will be over come next season. What was once seen as the businessman the team needed was around long enough to become one of the worst owners in sports. Ego as a sports owner is a risky thing for fans. We did not see it at the time, or even in 2009 due to all the winning. But it was always there. As evident as the fact that the Number 1 Jersey has been out of circulation since 2006. Because Arte saw himself as #1.