Next on the list of MLB Teams are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Yep, fans of teams with short names need not apply.  The organization began life in 1961 as the Los Angeles Angels, then became the California Angels in 1965, the Anaheim Angels in 1997 and then switched to their current mouthful of a moniker in 2005.  The team is now often referred to as the Los Angeles (or LA) Angels so they are back where they started really.  Think of all the headed notepaper that needlessly went to waste over those years.

The adoption of the new/old name was a commercial decision to get the ‘LA’ back into their brand, part of the battle to win fans within the local market against the Dodgers.  That’s a very tough task because the Dodgers have such a well-established identity.  Even sports fans in Britain would have heard of the LA Dodgers and the Angels do slightly live in the shadows of their more illustrious neighbours (a bit like the Cubs and White Sox of Chicago).

However, that could actually work in the Angels’ favour when it comes to attracting British fans.  Supporting the Dodgers is a bit obvious.  Going for the Angels means you get the benefits of following a big team in LA (large player budget in a mass media market – sixth highest in the Majors this season – and the holiday potential that LA provides), without picking a team that even someone with a very limited knowledge of the sport could choose as their own.

I’ve written in the past about timing having a big influence on which team you choose (or which team chooses you) and many newcomers to the sport in 2002 would have fell under the spell of the Angels’ World Series win that year.  They seemed to be a team, and a city, on a roll with an infectious energy that effortlessly travelled across the Atlantic.  Of course, as an A’s fan I was less excited at their success and in particular that damn Rally Monkey.  Still, I’m sure it would have captured the imagination of some people. 

Fans that did join the Angels family in 2002 haven’t enjoyed a repeat of that opening success.  The Angels are one of the many examples that show there is no real formula to being successful in the postseason.  They’ve consistently performed well in the regular season, but that hasn’t translated into numerous World Series appearances. 

The Angels are known for playing a ‘small ball’ brand of baseball (stolen bases, hit-and-runs etc) that many are keen to say is key to winning in October, as opposed to the ‘three-run homer’ type of offense of teams like the A’s.  In truth, few teams religiously stick to a strict method of play all the time and there is no secret to winning a short series.  When you get to the playoffs, you’re looking at eight strong teams who are all capable of beating each other. 

The Angels’ 2008 season made this blatantly clear.  They were the only team to win 100 games during the regular season and they coasted to the AL West title.  Yet the ALDS came around and they were quickly sent packing in four games by the Red Sox.  The Angels’ hadn’t become a bad team overnight; they were a good team that just lost three games out of four to another good team. 

No one can expect postseason success every year, so the best you can hope for as a fan is that your team puts together enjoyable regular seasons that give them a shot at the playoffs most seasons.  Recent history suggests the Angels are as good a choice as any team to offer you this in the near future.

One of the things the Angels’ don’t offer you much of is the chance to follow their games live at a convenient hour in the UK.  Supporting a west coast team immediately puts you at a bit of a disadvantage in this respect (they are eight hours behind British Summer Time, rather than five hours for east coast teams), but judging on 2008 the Angels play few day games during the working week compared to other teams. 

Apart from that, the Angels are an attractive team for a Brit to support.  Maybe they will be the team for you?