Add The California Post on Google Throughout the summer, the chants of “sell the team” echoed across Angel Stadium — and it appears those chants worked.
During an episode of “Foul Territory,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal appeared as a guest and said he heard that team owner Arte Moreno was well aware of the resentment from the fanbase.
“We all know the atmosphere at the ballpark for Arte Moreno has not been good,” Rosenthal said. “And I talked to someone [Wednesday] who said he had heard from Moreno that, yeah, the negative environment did affect him, and did kind of prompt him to do this now.”
Los Angeles Angels fans participating in tarps off, celebrating the departure of team owner Arte Moreno. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill Rosenthal went on to say that Moreno started to question his future with the franchise after the San Diego Padres sold for a record high of $3.9 billion in April.
“Once he got the price he wanted, then I would think maybe he thought, ‘Ok enough’s enough. I don’t need this; my family doesn’t need this,” Rosenthal said.
Aside from the fans protesting Moreno inside the stadium, they also organized a targeted protest against him, demanding he part ways with the team.
The organizer of the protest Johnny Gonzalez told The California Post that the fans would not quit the “sell the team” chants until Moreno was no longer in charge.
Aside from the fans protesting Moreno inside the stadium, they also organized a targeted protest against him. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Despite facing public pressure, behind the scenes it appeared Moreno might’ve known he was going to relinquish the team from his guidance before the season even began, as team president John Carpino would be retiring in March.
Molly Jolly would later be appointed as team president, immediately enacting a shakeup across the Angels’ front office, firing general manager Perry Minasian last June and appointing John Mozeliak as interim general manager.
Mozeliak has been busy working alongside Jolly by making the team sellers at the trade deadline for the first time during Moreno’s ownership. Recently, he’s retooled the Angels’ pitching staff, firing Mike Maddux, Dom Chiti and assistant coach Darryl Scott.
He’s also made some changes around the team’s scouting department by firing three area scouts, three cross-checkers and letting go of Ray Montgomery, who served as the team’s interim manager last season.
With all the moves the Angels made over the last three months, the sale proved quite the shock, as Moreno has never been one to waive the white flag and had long been considered one of the more aggressive owners in baseball, as he’s actively had his hands in making front office and roster decisions.
Stan Kroenke coming in as the team’s new owner marks a change in philosophy, as he’s had a reputation of hiring people, sitting back, and letting them do their job without putting his fingerprints on the product.
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