The Moreno Rubble: A Q&A on the Angels' Era of Dysfunction
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As Stan Kroenke takes the reins, we look at the wreckage Arte Moreno left behind in Anaheim.
Q: What is the immediate reaction to the news that Arte Moreno is selling the Los Angeles Angels?
A: According to Sports Illustrated, fans were elated following the Tuesday announcement that Stan Kroenke agreed to purchase the team. Former Angels slugger Mark Trumbo, speaking on the Halo Territory podcast, noted that if the sale is the happiest Moreno ever made the fans, it reflects how depressing the team has been for a long time.
Q: How does the current state of the roster reflect Moreno's tenure?
A: It is a disaster. Sports Illustrated reports that the Angels are trudging toward what could be the first 100-loss season in the history of the franchise, sitting at 53-85 through Monday. Furthermore, the team is currently mired in the longest postseason drought in all of Major League Baseball; they have not played in October since being swept by the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 American League Division Series.
Q: Was there ever a period where Moreno's ownership actually worked?
A: Yes, but it's a distant memory. Sports Illustrated notes that the team sustained its post-2002 championship success for a period under Moreno, manager Mike Scioscia, and general manager Bill Stoneman. Additionally, when Moreno first bought the team from the Disney Corporation in May 2004, he gained early favor with fans by lowering the cost of beer.
Q: Beyond the win-loss column, what other failures define the Moreno era?
A: The mismanagement extended to the stadium and the surrounding land. Sports Illustrated reports that Moreno failed to reach an agreement with the city of Anaheim—which owns the land—despite multiple attempts to develop the area around Angel Stadium.
Q: What is the condition of the stadium as it is handed over to Stan Kroenke?
A: It is in dire shape. As the second-oldest venue in the American League, the stadium is showing its age. Sports Illustrated cites a Los Angeles Times report stating that the city of Anaheim expects a property assessment to show the stadium requires hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades to remain viable for the long term.
Q: In my opinion, Moreno treated this franchise like a vanity project rather than a competitive baseball team. Does the evidence support this?
A: The numbers certainly do. Between the potential for a franchise-record 100 losses and the total collapse of the stadium infrastructure, Moreno has left a decade of wreckage for the next owner to clean up. As Josh Peter writes for USA TODAY via Yahoo Sports, Moreno's sale of the Angels serves as a gold-standard example of owner failure.