The Los Angeles Angels have one of the more colorful histories in Major League Baseball. Founded as an American League expansion team in 1961, the Angels began life in Los Angeles before moving to Anaheim in 1966. Over the years, the franchise has been known as the Los Angeles Angels, California Angels, Anaheim Angels and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before returning to simply the Los Angeles Angels.
Los Angeles Angels History: Owners, Ballparks, Hall of Famers, Awards and
Los Angeles Angels History: From the Singing Cowboy to the 2002 World Champions
The Los Angeles Angels have one of the more colorful histories in Major League Baseball. Founded as an American League expansion team in 1961, the Angels began life in Los Angeles before moving to Anaheim in 1966. Over the years, the franchise has been known as the Los Angeles Angels, California Angels, Anaheim Angels and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before returning to simply the Los Angeles Angels.
The franchise has produced Hall of Famers, MVPs, Rookie of the Year winners, Cy Young Award winners and one World Series championship.
Most importantly to Angels fans, the club finally captured its first World Series championship in 2002, completing a 42-year wait for a championship.
The Beginning of the Angels
The Angels were awarded to entertainer and businessman Gene Autry in 1960 as part of the American League’s expansion. Autry originally attended the owners’ meeting hoping to obtain the radio broadcasting rights for the new club. Instead, baseball officials encouraged him to become the owner.
Autry wanted to call his new team the Los Angeles Angels, continuing the name of the popular Pacific Coast League club. The Angels began play in 1961.
The first Angels team finished 70-91 in 1961. Despite the losing record, that .435 winning percentage remains the best winning percentage for an expansion team in its first season.
Angels Ownership History
Owner
Years
Notes
Gene Autry
1960-1998
Founder and first owner; “The Singing Cowboy”
Jackie Autry
1998-1999
Gene Autry’s widow; legal owner after his death
The Walt Disney Company
1995/96-2003
Disney first purchased a minority stake, then gained control and eventually full ownership
Arte Moreno
2003-2027*
Purchased the Angels from Disney
Stan Kroenke / Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
2027*
Agreed to purchase the Angels; closing is expected in 2027 pending MLB approval
*The Kroenke transaction had not yet closed as of September 4, 2026.
Disney purchased 25 percent of the club in 1995 and became managing general partner in 1996. After Gene Autry’s death, Disney completed its acquisition in 1999.
Arte Moreno purchased the franchise in 2003 and became the first Mexican-American owner of a Major League Baseball team.
In September 2026, Moreno agreed to sell the Angels to billionaire Stan Kroenke, whose sports holdings include the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Arsenal. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to MLB approval.
Every Angels Home Ballpark
The Angels have played in only three Major League ballparks.
1. Wrigley Field — Los Angeles
1961
The Angels’ first home was Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. It was not the same Wrigley Field used by the Chicago Cubs. The Los Angeles park was designed to resemble the Chicago ballpark.
The Angels played their entire 1961 season there.
Capacity: 20,457
An incredible 248 home runs were hit at the park during the Angels’ first season, a Major League record at the time.
2. Dodger Stadium — Los Angeles
1962-1965
The Angels moved into Dodger Stadium in 1962. During the Angels’ years there, the club referred to the facility as Chavez Ravine.
The Angels remained tenants of the Dodgers for four seasons.
3. Angel Stadium — Anaheim
1966-present
The Angels moved to their permanent home in Anaheim in 1966.
The stadium originally opened as Anaheim Stadium. It later became Edison International Field in 1997 and returned to the name Angel Stadium after the 2003 season.
Angel Stadium is one of the oldest active Major League ballparks.
Angels Team Name History
The franchise has gone through several names:
Los Angeles Angels: 1961-1965
California Angels: 1965-1996
Anaheim Angels: 1997-2004
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 2005-2015
Los Angeles Angels: 2016-present
The original Los Angeles Angels name returned in 2016.
Angels in the National Baseball Hall of Fame
Several players who wore an Angels uniform have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hall of Famer
Position
Angels Years
Birthplace/Hometown
Rod Carew
1B/2B
1979-1985
Gatun, Panama Canal Zone
Nolan Ryan
P
1972-1979
Refugio, Texas
Frank Robinson
OF
1973-1974
Beaumont, Texas
Reggie Jackson
OF
1982
Wyncote, Pennsylvania
Bert Blyleven
P
1989-1990, 1992
Zeist, Netherlands
Don Sutton
P
1985-1987
Clio, Alabama
Ferguson Jenkins
P
1983
Chatham, Ontario, Canada
Goose Gossage
P
1988
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Dave Winfield
OF
1990-1991
St. Paul, Minnesota
Vladimir Guerrero
OF
2004-2009
Nizao, Dominican Republic
Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. With the Angels, he went 138-121 with a 3.06 ERA and struck out 2,416 batters. Four of his seven career no-hitters came while he was an Angel.
Ryan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Angels retired his No. 30.
Rod Carew
Rod Carew joined the Angels in 1979 after starring for Minnesota. He collected his 3,000th career hit as an Angel in 1985 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
Carew won the American League MVP Award in 1977 and seven batting titles during his career.
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson played only two seasons for the Angels, but his overall career made him one of baseball’s greatest players. He became the first player to win the MVP Award in both the American and National Leagues.
Reggie Jackson
“Mr. October” spent the 1982 season with the Angels. Although his Angels career was brief, Jackson’s Hall of Fame career included five World Series championships and the 1973 American League MVP Award.
Vladimir Guerrero
Guerrero became one of the biggest stars of the Arte Moreno era. He joined the Angels in 2004 and immediately won the American League MVP Award.
Angels Hall of Fame
The Angels also maintain their own club Hall of Fame.
Notable members include:
Gene Autry, Don Baylor, Rod Carew, Dean Chance, Brian Downing, Chuck Finley, Jim Fregosi, Bobby Grich, Bobby Knoop, Jimmie Reese, Nolan Ryan, Tim Salmon, Mike Witt
2002 World Series Championship Team. The Angels inducted Tim Salmon, Dean Chance and Mike Witt in 2015.
American League Rookie of the Year Winners
The Angels have produced three American League Rookie of the Year winners.
Year
Player
Position
1993
Tim Salmon
OF
2012
Mike Trout
OF
2018
Shohei Ohtani
DH/P
Tim Salmon won in 1993 after hitting .283 with 31 home runs and 95 RBI.
Mike Trout won unanimously in 2012 after one of the greatest rookie seasons in baseball history.
Shohei Ohtani won in 2018 after becoming a two-way sensation, contributing as both a pitcher and hitter.
Angels American League MVP Winners
The Angels have had six MVP-winning seasons involving four different players.
Year
MVP
Position
1979
Don Baylor
OF/DH
2004
Vladimir Guerrero
OF
2014
Mike Trout
OF
2016
Mike Trout
OF
2019
Mike Trout
OF
2021
Shohei Ohtani
DH/P
2023
Shohei Ohtani
DH/P
The Angels’ first MVP was Don Baylor in 1979. Baylor hit .296 with 36 home runs and a league-leading 139 RBI.
Mike Trout became a three-time MVP, winning in 2014, 2016 and 2019.
Shohei Ohtani won the MVP in 2021 and again in 2023.
Other Major Angels Award Winners
Cy Young Award
Year
Player
1964
Dean Chance
2005
Bartolo Colon
Dean Chance became the first Angels pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in 1964 after going 20-9 with a 1.65 ERA.
Batting Champion
Year
Player
1970
Alex Johnson
Relief Pitcher Awards
Year
Player
1991
Bryan Harvey
2006
Francisco Rodriguez
2008
Francisco Rodriguez
The Angels’ official awards history also includes numerous Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winners.
The 2002 World Series Champions
The greatest season in Angels history came in 2002.
The Angels finished the regular season 99-63, earning the American League Wild Card.
They then went on an unforgettable postseason run.
American League Division Series
Angels defeated New York Yankees, 3 games to 1
American League Championship Series
Angels defeated Minnesota Twins, 4 games to 1
World Series
Angels defeated San Francisco Giants, 4 games to 3
Overall 2002 postseason record
11 wins – 5 losses
The Angels were American League champions and won the franchise’s first World Series championship.
The 2002 World Series: Angels vs. Giants
The World Series was a seven-game classic.
Game
Result
Game 1
Giants won
Game 2
Angels won
Game 3
Giants won
Game 4
Angels won
Game 5
Giants won
Game 6
Angels won
Game 7
Angels won
Final Series: Angels 4, Giants 3
The Angels trailed the Giants three games to two heading into Game 6.
In Game 6, San Francisco built a 5-0 lead and was only eight outs away from winning the championship.
Then came one of the most famous comebacks in Angels history.
Scott Spiezio hit a three-run home run to bring the Angels back into the game. The Angels scored three more runs in the seventh inning and eventually won 6-5.
The Angels then won Game 7 to capture the championship.
John Lackey became only the second rookie pitcher to win a World Series Game 7.
Troy Glaus was named World Series MVP after hitting .385 with three home runs and eight RBI.
“Win One for the Cowboy”
One of the most emotional parts of the 2002 championship was the fact that Gene Autry had died four years earlier.
Autry had spent decades trying to bring a championship to the Angels.
The Angels dedicated the championship to their original owner, and the phrase “Win One for the Cowboy” became associated with the 2002 championship.
Tim Salmon, one of the most popular players in franchise history, famously wore a white cowboy hat during the championship parade at Disneyland.
Angels Legends
When discussing the greatest players in Angels history, several names stand above the rest:
Nolan Ryan
The greatest pitcher ever to wear an Angels uniform. His four Angels no-hitters and 2,416 strikeouts remain central parts of the franchise’s history.
Rod Carew
One of baseball’s greatest pure hitters and a Hall of Famer who collected his 3,000th career hit as an Angel.
Don Baylor
The first Angels player to win the American League MVP.
Tim Salmon
A lifelong Angel and the franchise’s longtime home-run leader with 299 career Angels home runs.
Vladimir Guerrero
An explosive hitter who won the 2004 MVP Award in his first season with the club.
Mike Trout
Perhaps the greatest player in modern Angels history. Trout won three MVP Awards and the 2012 Rookie of the Year Award.
Shohei Ohtani
One of baseball’s most unique players. Ohtani won Rookie of the Year in 2018 and MVP awards in 2021 and 2023 while starring as both a pitcher and hitter.
The Angels’ Championship Legacy
The Los Angeles Angels have had only one World Series championship, but the franchise has produced some extraordinary baseball history.
From Gene Autry’s expansion club in 1961, to Nolan Ryan’s record-breaking pitching, Rod Carew’s hitting, the 1979 MVP season of Don Baylor, the 2004 MVP season of Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Trout’s incredible decade and Shohei Ohtani’s two-way brilliance, the Angels have been home to some of baseball’s most memorable players.
The greatest moment remains October 27, 2002.
After 42 years of waiting, the Angels defeated the Giants 4 games to 3 and finally became World Series champions.
And for the franchise founded by the Singing Cowboy, the championship truly was a chance to “win one for the cowboy.”
Los Angeles Angels — founded 1961 • One World Series Championship • 2002 World Champions
Artie Fischal
