{"id":820292,"date":"2026-05-25T03:51:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T03:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/820292\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T03:51:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T03:51:28","slug":"frustrated-angels-fans-call-for-owner-arte-moreno-to-sell-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/820292\/","title":{"rendered":"Frustrated Angels fans call for owner Arte Moreno to sell team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lifelong Angels fan Johnny Gonzalez has reached his boiling point as the team sits at the bottom of the standings, but he\u2019s not giving up. And he\u2019s not alone.<\/p>\n

The Angels completed a surprise sweep of the Rangers Sunday, but the team still is tied for the worst record in Major League Baseball with a 20-34. Their fans spent the holiday weekend pushing back against the idea that the franchise would never be more than a bargain option amid rising prices all around them.<\/p>\n

Frustrated fans have gone shirtless during the Angels\u2019 homestand and chanted for owner Arte Moreno to \u201csell the team.\u201d And about 75 fans heeded Gonzalez\u2019s call for a protest, gathering in front of the Angel Stadium State College Boulevard entrance on Saturday chanting \u201csell the team,\u201d \u201cwe want playoffs\u201d and \u201cwinning matters.\u201d Drivers passing the spectacle honked their horns in support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not doing much for us fans,\u201d said Gonzalez, who organized the protest using the Instagram account @AngelsBoycott<\/a>. \u201cIt seems like every other team is just doing a lot more than us, despite us having a huge following [and] having some of the best players to ever play the game. I mean, it\u2019s just like a lack of commitment, to say the least, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re here today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Angels <\/p>\n

Angels fans wave signs and urge owner Arte Moreno to sell the team to an ownership group willing to invest more in winning during a pregame protest Saturday at Angel Stadium.<\/p>\n

(Joaquin Ruiz \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

It has been three months since Angels owner Arte Moreno<\/a> told the Orange County Register that<\/a>, according to Angels survey results, winning was not a top-five priority for fans and that data showed they valued affordability, safety and a \u201cgood experience\u201d first.<\/p>\n

Outrage over the remarks has grown as the Angels remain anchored at the bottom of the standings.<\/p>\n

With a megaphone in his hand, Gonzalez pointed to the Ducks\u2019 recent Stanley Cup playoff run as proof that Anaheim enjoys winning. He also noted how the nearby Dodgers<\/a> and even the Padres demonstrate how Southern California teams can play for the postseason.<\/p>\n

The Angels have missed the MLB playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons \u2014 including six with stars Shohei Ohtani<\/a> and Mike Trout<\/a> on the roster \u2014 and have reached the postseason six times since Moreno purchased the team in 2003 after the franchise\u2019s sole World Series title win in 2002.<\/p>\n

Team officials did not respond to The Times\u2019 request for comment on the fans\u2019 protest, but manager Kurt Suzuki<\/a> addressed the \u201csell the team\u201d chants that are so loud they can be heard during Angels television broadcasts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s a thing, the no shirts and waving,\u201d Suzuki said. \u201cBut yeah, we see it. We recognize it. They have the right to their opinion, and \u2026 they cheer for the guys, they roll-call them. I think it\u2019s pretty neat for them to have that kind of support.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A fan wears a bag over his head that says \u201cSell the Team Arte!!!\u201d during a game against the Rangers on Friday at Angel Stadium.<\/p>\n

(Mark J. Terrill \/ Ap Photo\/mark J. Terrill)<\/p>\n

Suzuki added that the Angels remain focused on winning and haven\u2019t paid the chants too much attention.<\/p>\n

The Angels entered Sunday\u2019s game ranked No. 9 in MLB attendance<\/a> with 34,555 announced fans per night, according to ESPN. There are swaths of empty seats during every home game, suggesting some season ticket holders are choosing to stay home.<\/p>\n

There is an expanding contingent of fans in the upper deck adjacent to the right-field foul pole who have chanted \u201csell the team\u201d while waving T-shirts, joining in on a trendy \u201ctarps off\u201d fan movement across MLB sparked by Cardinals fans in St. Louis.<\/p>\n

Angels fans who haven\u2019t joined the protests are pleased to see the calls for change.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s good that there\u2019s fans that are passionate enough to actually speak out, to want to see a better team and really want to get us back into the playoffs,\u201d Darren Shimasaki, an Angels fan from Yorba Linda, said Friday.<\/p>\n

Debbie and Reed Olive, meanwhile, said they usually attend games for the promotions.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going to come away with the wins,\u201d Debbie said. \u201cSo, we got to get something for our ticket price.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even the fan experience unrelated to winning that Moreno touted has taken a hit.<\/p>\n

Angels officials said they quickly resolved a rodent infestation Orange County health inspectors flagged<\/a> at an outdoor food stand in View Level Section 432. Videos of stadium workers capturing a possum in one fan section and spraying gnats on the field during the last few weeks haven\u2019t helped the team\u2019s image.<\/p>\n

Reed said the rodent infestation \u201cwas a bad look\u201d and that the Angels need a new stadium in addition to a new owner.<\/p>\n

Catcher Logan O\u2019Hoppe, who has spent his five-year career with the Angels, said he understands the fans\u2019 frustration.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t like not doing well, either,\u201d O\u2019Hoppe said. \u201cIt\u2019s not OK to us. It doesn\u2019t matter how much we\u2019re getting paid or that we get treated great throughout the league and things like that. We hate it, too. I think people definitely don\u2019t realize that. I think I can speak for a lot of guys in here that we dedicate our lives to this. \u2026 We\u2019re not happy with how it\u2019s going, but we\u2019re doing everything we can to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Hoppe is a New York Rangers fan and gets frustrated when his team struggles, but he said he reminds himself that \u201cwe\u2019re all humans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Rangers\u2019 Josh Jung is tagged out at home by Angels catcher Logan O\u2019Hoppe on Friday at Angel Stadium.<\/p>\n

(Mark J. Terrill \/ Ap Photo\/mark J. Terrill)<\/p>\n

Angels left fielder Wade Meckler, who made his debut on Friday night, is an Orange County native who grew up cheering for the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, I get it,\u201d Meckler said. \u201cIt\u2019s a hungry fan base. The fan base is hungry for a winning team. So I understand, you know, being frustrated. They just really want a winning team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meckler has been following the Angels since age 5 and remembers feeling dejected after attending the Angels\u2019 4-1 home loss to the Royals in Game 2 of the 2014 American League Division Series.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a super loyal fan base,\u201d Meckler said. \u201cI feel like they show up with energy every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Angels are on track to miss the postseason for a 12th consecutive season, prompting restless fans to call for new owners who will invest in building a team capable of reaching the playoffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cArte don\u2019t know what he\u2019s talking about,\u201d said Austin Kleschka, an Angels fan who joined Gonzalez at the front of Saturday\u2019s protest. \u201cWinning is a priority. We want that.\u201d<\/p>\n