Smith: Nine things Angels fans need to know
The Angels are opening the season at Angel Stadium on Tuesday. The team hasn't made the playoffs since 2009 and won its only crown in 2002.
The 2013 Angels are aiming to end a three-year postseason drought. They have players who combined for four MVP awards. The 2012 Angels were preseason World Series favorites but finished with 89-77 record. They are 9-1 Vegas odds of taking it all.
Trout was the 2012 American League Rookie of the Year. He was called up from Triple-A on April 28 and played 139 games last season. The 21-year-old is the first player in major league history to steal 45 bases, score 125 runs, hit 30 home runs and finish second in the AL Most Valuable Player voting.
The Angels have created a cheering section called the "Trout farm" to celebrate Trout's popularity. Claude Bilodeau and a dozen friends will hold up a "Hamiltown" sign to welcome Hamilton to the stadium. Five promotional nights are planned around Trout and his image. Mark Trumbo has a bobblehead giveaway on May 18. The giveaway is presented by freecreditscore.com on June 18 and is not part of another Guinness attempt.
The red seat in Section 135 will be there for the first home opener Tuesday. It marks the landing spot of Scott Spiezio’s legendary three-run home run in the seventh inning of Game 6 in 2002 World Series. The blast sparked an Angels” comeback from a 5-0 deficit against the San Francisco and forced a Game 7 and Angels victory.
There are 15 merchandise and souvenir kiosks scattered throughout the ballpark. The largest Angels Team Store is near Homeplate Gate, Section 120. Top players in common sizes sell out quickly. The Team's top five hottest selling jerseys in 2012 were, in order, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Jered Weaver, Mark Trumbo and December signee Josh Hamilton.
There won't be the usual opening day flyover because of the federal government's budget cuts. Lower bowl seats along first- and third-base lines are the danger zone for foul balls and loose bats. The prime landing spots are along the third base line Sections 124 to 131. Netting protects the Diamond Club Seats immediately behind the plate, but towering shots have crashed into the deep Rows J to W.
Nick Adenhart died in a car crash in 2009. He was killed along with friends Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson. The 2013 home opener falls on the fourth anniversary of his death.
David Courtney was the public address announcer for the Los Angeles Angels for 19 seasons. He died in November of a pulmonary embolism. His family will deliver the ceremonial first pitch at Friday's game. Michael Araujo is the new publicaddress announcer at the Home Deport Center.
