Los Angeles' Wrigley Field - Chavez Ravine
Anaheim Stadium Special Photo Gallery
Anaheim, California
Formerly Anaheim Stadium and Edison International Field of Anaheim
Los Angeles Rams (NFL 1980-1994)
Groundbreaking: August 31, 1964
1st American League Game: April 19, 1966 (White Sox 3, Angels 1)
1st NFL Game: September 7, 1980
Last NFL Game: December 24, 1994
Surface: Natural Grass
Construction: Del Webb Company (1964-66), Turner Constriction Co. (1997-99 renovation)
Architect: HOK Sport (renovation)
Cost: $24 million (1966), $118 million (1999 renovation)
Owner: City of Anaheim
NickNames: The Big A, The Big Ed (1997-2003)
Baseball seating capacity: 43,250 (1966), 64,593 (1979), 33,851 (1997), 45,050 (1999)
Playing Field Dimensions:
Foul lines: 333 ft (1966), 330 ft (1997)
Right field alley: 375 ft (1966), 374 ft (1974), 370 ft (1989)
Left field alley: 375 ft (1966), 374 ft (1974), 370 ft (1989), 387 ft (1998)
Center Field: 406 ft (1966), 404 ft (1974), 400 (1998)
Deepest center field at corner: 406 ft (1998)
Fences:
Right field, 18 feet high (scoreboard wall, 1998)
Left & Center, 8 feet high (1966)
Corners, 4.5 feet high (1966)
Hosted World Series: 2002
Hosted All Star Game: 1967, 1989
Anaheim Stadium had been the home of the Angels since their move from Los Angeles following the 1965 season. The stadium opened April 9, 1966, as the California Angels hosted the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition game. The franchise's first American League game was April 19, 1966 vs. the Chicago White Sox. The Los Angeles Angels played at Wrigley Field in 1961 and Chavez Ravine from 1962-65.
The original Anaheim Stadium seated 43,204 (later 43,250). The stadium underwent construction in 1979-80 for additional seating to accommodate the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL. Upon completion in 1981, the stadium seated 65,158 (later 64,593) for baseball. The Rams left Anaheim for St. Louis, MO in 1995. The new Angel Stadium of Anaheim has a seating capacity of approximately 45,050 for the Anaheim Angels.
Features of the remodeled Angel Stadium include terraced bullpens in the outfield, widened concourses, new restroom and concession areas, a spacious and modernized press box and broadcast booths, family-oriented seating sections (The Nestle Family Zone), state-of-the-art club-level and dugout-level suites, the Pepsi Perfect Game Pavilion (a youth-oriented interactive game area) and landscaped courtyards (with statues in rememberance of Gene Autry and Michelle Carew).
Angel Stadium includes three full-service restaurants: The KnotHole Club (a sports bar located at the club level down the right field line); The Diamond Club (an upscale restaurant with outdoor seating on the field level behind home plate); and the Home Plate Club (an indoor restaurant on the club level overlooking the main entrance to the ballpark).
The following organizations were involved in the 1997-98 renovations: Walt Disney Imagineering, which served as the manager of the design and construction of Angel Stadium; HOK Sports Facilities Group and Robert A.M. Stern Architects, which were responsible for the architectural planning, design and renovation; and Turner Construction, which directed and provided construction services.
Iconic moment: 10/12/86 ALCS, Game 5. With the Angels one pitch away from winning their 1st ever pennant, Dave Henderson hit a 2-2 splitter from Donnie Moore over the left field wall putting the Red Sox ahead 6-5 in the 9th. The Angels tied the score in the bottom of the inning, but Dave Henderson continued as hero and put the Bo-Sox ahead for good with a sac-fly in the 11th. Boston the went home to Fenway to win games 6 and 7, and the 1986 A.L. pennant.
The good: No more 25,000 empty football seats in the outfield.
The bad: When the stadium was renovated in '99, the "Big-A" scoreboard was left sitting in the parking lot. It should've been moved back to its original location behind the left field fence.
The ugly: While other ballparks offer breathtaking views of gleaming downtown skylines beyond centerfield, in Anaheim you get a view of the freeway.
Another live ballpark organist bites the dust. Peggy Duquesnel, organist for the team since 1998, has been sacked to make room for more canned shlock rok, videos and corporate sponsorship.
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2000 Gene Autry Way
Anaheim, California 92806
(714) 634-2000
Diamond Club $75
Club MVP $45
Club All-Star $34
Club Loge $30
Field MVP $44
Terrace MVP $34
Field All-Star & Box $27
Terrace All-Star & Box $25
Lower View MVP $20
Lower View Box $15
Upper View level $12
Right Field Pavilion $12
L.F. Family Pavilion $9
Seating Chart
Purchase Tickets
TV: KCAL-9, FSN
In-park dining choices: The Grandstand, Bullpen Pizza, Panda Express, Main Street Deli, BBQ Courtyard, Carl's Jr., Angelitos, Homer's Cafe, The Rookie Table, Angels Sausage Haus, Beers of America, Chili Peppers
Orange County Dining Guide Best Bets
Directions & Parking
Ballpark Tour & Vacation Packages
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NOTES, FACTS AND FEATURES
The Big A hosted the New Orleans Saints first ever game (exhibition) in 1967.
In 1979, renovation changed the stadium into a completely enclosed, multipurpose facility, suitable for both professional football and baseball.
The 1997-98 renovations included an 18 ft. high wall with scoreboard running from the old bullpen gate in right field to right center field, terraced bullpens in the outfield, a new scoreboard tower in right field, widened concourses, new restrooms and concession areas, and club-level and dugout-level suites.
Angel Stadium has three full-service restaurants.
Angel Stadium has hosted the All-Star Game twice (1967, 1989), and the World Series in 2002.
A bronze statue of Gene Autry welcomes all Guests that enter the ballpark through Gate 2 and a statue of Michelle Carew can be seen as Guests enter Gate 3.
Located beyond the Center Field wall, the Outfield Extravaganza area was created to be the signature piece of Angel Stadium of Anaheim. The Outfield Extravaganza area was built to model the rocky California coastline and comes to life with six geysers (a 30,000 gallon water tank can send geysers 90 feet high)
The Pepsi Perfect Game Pavilion, located on the Terrace Level concourse, features nine interactive baseball-style games, including Power Alley Video Batting Tunnel and Home Run Derby.
Located behind the Outfield Extravaganza area on the Terrace Level concourse, the Center Field Picnic Area is open to all guests. The main eatery in this area is Angelitos, a Mexican-style cafe. There is seating for roughly 400 guests on a first-come, first -served basis.
For many years, two black TV cables ran in fair territory from the left field corner bullpen gate to the foul pole, then along the wall in foul territory toward third base.
In 1966, Anaheim had a population of only 150,00, but the surrounding 30 mile radius was almost 6 million.
The first shovels of dirt were turned over by Gene Autry, Anaheim mayor Chuck Chandler and Construction contract winner, Del Webb. Webb was a co-owner of the New York Yankees.
The distance from the playing field to the top row of the upper deck is 109 ft.
The Big A got its nickname from the 230 foot high, $1 million, halo topped, A-frame scoreboard which was erected in left field by the Standard Oil Co. of California for free, in exchange for advertising rights (See photo above). When the stadium was fully enclosed in 1979 (below left) the scoreboard was moved to the edge of the parking lot and used to promote events at the stadium.
The Angels drew 1.4 million in their 1st season in Anaheim.
Before the 2004 season, 4 new video boards were installed: 2 small "ribbon" boards along the Club level; 1 large "ribbon" board along the right field wall; And 1 large traditional video board topped by an "A" logo above the left field bleachers at a total cost of $6 million.
Other notable moments at Angel Stadium:
Rod Carew's 3000th hit on August 4, 1985
Don Sutton's 300th career win on June 18, 1986
George Brett's 3,000 hit on September 30, 1992
Two no hitters by Nolan Ryan in 1974 and 1975.
Reggie Jackson's 500th career homerun.
Sept. 25, 1979, the Halos beat the Royals to clinch their 1st ever post season appearance.
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