How Arte Moreno burned Angels goodwill one disaster at a time
After years of losing and squandered opportunities, Arte Moreno finally delivered the result Angels fans wanted most: his exit.When Moreno agreed Tuesday to sell controlling interest in the Angels to Stan Kroenke, supporters celebrated like they had won a championship.To understand why, return to 2003.Moreno bought the defending World Series champions from Disney for $183.5 million, becoming Major League Baseball’s first Latino majority owner.He cut beer prices, increased payroll and added Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar.The Angels won five AL West titles between 2004 and 2009 and set a franchise record with 100 victories in 2008.
Moreno appeared capable of pleasing fans while multiplying his investment.The cracks appeared after that run ended.In 2011, the Angels traded Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera for Vernon Wells, assuming $81 million of the $86 million remaining on his contract.Wells struggled while Napoli became an All-Star and helped Texas reach the World Series.Moreno responded by spending bigger.
The Angels signed Albert Pujols for 10 years and $240 million, then added Josh Hamilton for five years and $125 million.Pujols never approached his MVP production from St.
Louis, while Hamilton lasted only two seasons.The Angels became the Twilight Zone version of a contender, collecting all the trappings of success while remaining bizarrely incapable of experiencing it.Mike Trout made the illusion convincing.He became one of baseball’s greatest players and won three MVP awards.
In 2014, the Angels posted an MLB-best 98 victories and returned to October.Then came the cruel twist.Kansas City swept them in the AL Division Series, Trout went 1-for-12 and the postseason door slammed shut.General manager Jerry Dipoto resigned amid an internal power struggle the following season.
The Angels finished 85-77, one game short of the playoffs, and have not posted a winning record since.By 2016, Angels fan sites were already documenting calls for More...