The Angels were founded in 1961 during the expansion of the American League (AL). The franchise was purchased by Gene Autry – a former actor and owner of a number of radio and TV stations on the west coast. It was he who named the team the Los Angeles Angels, now officially known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Original LA Angels
Prior to the current Angels of Anaheim, there was another team by the same name that played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) – which was a minor league baseball team based in LA, California. This team played from 1903 up to 1957. In early 1957, the owner – Peter Wrigley, who inherited the team from his father – sold the team to Walter O’Malley, then owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. After the 1957 season, this Angels team was relocated to Spokane, and was renamed the Spokane Indians.

The Current Angels
When Autry bought the AL franchise, the rights of the Angels name still belonged to O’Malley of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Autry paid O’Malley $300,000 for the rights to the name. From the time the team was founded, up to September 1, 1965, the team was known as the LA Angels. From then onwards up to November 18, 1996, it was popularly known as the California Angels. Thereafter, up to January 2, 2005, the team came to be called the Anaheim Angels. From January 3, 2005 onwards, the team is officially known as the LA Angels of Anaheim.

The Home Parks
The team started playing at the Wrigley Field in 1961, and then moved base to the Dodgers Stadium. The team called the stadium the Chávez Ravine Stadium or just “Chávez Ravine,” as the stadium was located in that geographical part of Los Angeles. They stayed at the Chávez Ravine Stadium from 1962 to 1965. In 1966, they moved to their own newly constructed stadium, the Anaheim Stadium.

Though the stadium officially opened on April 19, 1966 with the first official game against the Chicago White Sox, the first exhibition game at the new stadium was held, 10 days earlier, on April 9, 1966 against the San Francisco Giants. From 1998 onwards up to 2003, the Stadium was known as Edison International Field, and then renamed as the Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Though the Angels have one five West Division titles, it has only won one AL Pennant and World Series titles each – in 2002.