Angel Stadium of Anaheim

Angel Stadium of Anaheim The Big A
Facility Statistics
Location	2000 Gene Autry Way Anaheim, California 92806
Broke Ground	August 31, 1964
Opened	April 19, 1966
Surface	Grass
Owner	City of Anaheim
Operator	Angels Baseball LP
Construction Cost	$24 million USD $118 million USD (1997-1999 renovations)
Architect	HOK Sport (Renovations), Walt Disney Imagineering (Renovations)
Former Names
Anaheim Stadium	1966-1997
Edison International Field	1997-2003
Tenants
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	1966-present (expires 2018/2031)
Los Angeles Rams	1981-1994
Seating Capacity
1966	43,000
1979	64,593
1997	33,851
1998	45,050
Posted Dimensions
1966-1972
Left Field	333 ft / 101.5 m
Left-Center (shallow)	366 ft / 111.6 m
Left-Center	375 ft / 114.3 m
Left-Center (deep)	393 ft / 119.8 m
Center Field	406 ft / 123.7 m
Right-Center (deep)	393 ft / 119.8 m
Right-Center	375 ft / 114.3 m
Right-Center (shallow)	366 ft / 111.6 m
Right Field	333 ft / 101.5 m
1973 only
Left Field	333 ft / 101.5 m
Left-Center (shallow)	364 ft / 110.9 m
Left-Center	369 ft / 112.5 m
Left-Center (deep)	386 ft / 117.7 m
Center Field	402 ft / 122.5 m
Right-Center (deep)	386 ft / 117.7 m
Right-Center	369 ft / 112.5 m
Right-Center (shallow)	364 ft / 110.9 m
Right Field	333 ft / 101.5 m
1974-1976
Left Field	333 ft / 101.5 m
Left-Center (shallow)	362 ft / 110.3 m
Left-Center	371 ft / 113.1 m
Left-Center (deep)	386 ft / 117.7 m
Center Field	404 ft / 123.1 m
Right-Center (deep)	386 ft / 117.7 m
Right-Center	371 ft / 113.1 m
Right-Center (shallow)	362 ft / 110.3 m
Right Field	333 ft / 101.5 m
1977-1997
Left Field	333 ft / 101.5 m
Left-Center (shallow)	362 ft / 110.3 m
Left-Center	370 ft / 112.8 m
Left-Center (deep)	386 ft / 117.7 m
Center Field	404 ft / 123.1 m
Right-Center (deep)	386 ft / 117.7 m
Right-Center	370 ft / 112.8 m
Right-Center (shallow)	362 ft / 110.3 m
Right Field	333 ft / 101.5 m
1998 only
Left Field	330 ft / 100.5 m
Left-Center (shallow)	365 ft / 111.3 m
Left-Center (deep)	395 ft / 120.4 m
Center Field	406 ft / 123.7 m
Right-Center	370 ft / 112.8 m
Right Field	330 ft / 100.5 m
1999 to date
Left Field	330 ft / 100.5 m
Left-Center	387 ft / 118.0 m
Center Field	400 ft / 121.9 m
Right-Center	370 ft / 112.8 m
Right-Center (shallow)	365 ft / 111.3 m
Right Field	330 ft / 100.5 m
Backstop	60.5 ft / 18.4 m

Angel Stadium, originally Anaheim Stadium and later Edison International Field, is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Anaheim, California, and home to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League.

The stadium is often referred to by its unofficial nickname The Big A.

History

Angel Stadium has been the home of the Angels since their move from Los Angeles. In 1964, ground was broken for Anaheim Stadium and in 1966, the Angels, then California Angels, moved into their new home after having spent four seasons renting Chavez Ravine Stadium from the Dodgers.

The general shape of the playing field was very similar to their previous home, except for having somewhat less foul territory. The seemingly over-precise dimensions (333 feet instead of 330, for example) were derived from a scientific study conducted by the Angels to try to formulate dimensions that were fairly balanced between pitcher, hitter and average weather conditions. The Angels tinkered with those dimensions several times, expanding or contracting parts of the outfield by a few feet here and there, to try to refine that balance. None of this seemed to matter to their Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, whose astonishing record of 7 career no-hitters included 2 in this ballpark, and who racked up 2,416 of his untouchable 5,714 career strikeouts record in a mere 8 seasons with the Angels. (Ryan stats from The Sporting News Baseball Record Book).

In the late 1970s, Los Angeles Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom brokered a deal by which the Rams would move from Los Angeles to an expanded Anaheim Stadium. To add more seats for football games, the stadium was enclosed. As a result, the view of the local mountains and State Highway 57 was lost. Additionally, the 23-story, 240-ton Big A scoreboard that had stood in leftfield, and from whence the nickname for the stadium originated, was moved 1300 feet to the parking lot. The expansion was completed in time for the 1980 NFL season, and the Rams played in Anaheim Stadium from then until their move to St. Louis after the 1994 season.

In 1996, the City of Anaheim and The Walt Disney Company, owner of the Angels at the time, agreed to a new deal that would keep the Angels in Anaheim until 2031, with an option to leave the facility early in 2018. As part of the deal, the stadium would undergo an extensive renovation, returning the stadium to its original role as a baseball-only facility. The section of the stadium behind the outfield wall was demolished, replaced by smaller outfield pavilions and a large water fountain. Disney briefly considered moving the Big A scoreboard to its original location, but decided against such a move, citing costs. Despite the fact that much of the stadium was still a hard-hat zone, the demolition and construction being only half-completed, the Angels played their 1997 season in Anaheim.

In 1997 a sponsorship deal was reached with Edison International, giving it the naming rights over the stadium for 20 years, and during this time, the stadium was referred to as the Big Ed. However, after the 2003 season, Edison International exercised its option to exit the sponsorship deal. On December 29, 2003, the Angels announced that from then on the stadium would be known as Angel Stadium (in full, Angel Stadium of Anaheim), although locals still refer to the stadium as Anaheim Stadium, and its original nickname The Big A was restored.

The field was host to Major League Baseball's All-Star Game in 1967 and again in 1989. It hosted the 2002 World Series, which the Angels won in dramatic fashion over the San Francisco Giants, finally winning one for their late and long-time owner, "Singing Cowboy" Gene Autry.

Missing image Angel_Stadium.jpg Opening day 2003

External links

• MLB's Ballpark History (http://anaheim.angels.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ana/ballpark/ana_ballpark_history.jsp)
• Angel Stadium images and information (http://insidetheparks.com/)
• older USGS aerial photo showing multi-purpose structure (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=11&X=2091&Y=18701&W=1&qs=%7cAnaheim%7cCA%7c)
• newer USGS aerial photo showing baseball-only structure (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=4&S=10&Z=11&X=2091&Y=18701&W=1&qs=%7cAnaheim%7cCA%7c)
• Google maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=33.800522,-117.882442&spn=0.004163,0.006781&t=k&hl=en)

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