Anaheim’s playoff drought hits a brutal new low following a disastrous 100-loss campaign, yet a high-profile ownership change offers a glimmer of hope for a long-awaited turnaround.
The Los Angeles Angels once again are missing the playoffs, and nobody knows when they will ever be playing meaningful baseball in September once again.
The Angels are right on the cusp of a 100-loss season, and the frustration in Anaheim is reaching its limit.
But, maybe, just maybe, there is some hope. Stan Kroenke purchased the Angels recently, and he has already had success in this realm while he owns the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche.
The Kronke Sports Entertainment company also holds the rights to the Colorado Rapids of the MLS and the Colorado Mammoth of the NLL (lacrosse) league. Kroenke also is a major shareholder of Arsenal FC in the premier League.
So, maybe the disappointing streak will come to an end. However, ESPN's David Schoenfield had grades for every MLB team this season, and he gave the Angels an F.
The only other teams to earn Fs were the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants. The Mariners were in the ALCS a year ago, and the Giants' decision to hire Tennessee Volunteers coach Tony Vitello as the manager has not worked out thus far.
The Angels now have 11 consecutive losing seasons and 12 consecutive non-playoff seasons, but the best news, according to Schoenfield, is Arte Moreno finally selling the team to a competent owner in Kroenke.
"The best news came in early September when Arte Moreno agreed to sell the team for $4 billion to Stan Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Arsenal F.C. and other sports franchises," he wrote.
The Angels saw superstar outfielder Mike Trout find his form again, and that was exciting. Star pitcher Jose Soriano began the season as a Cy Young candidate before hitting some bumps in the road, and Jo Adell had some flashes before he was traded to the Cleveland Guardians at the deadline.
The Angels did keep Zach Neto, so at least they have some talented youth pieces to build around.
And, Reid Detmers and Walbert Urena pitched well this season, so there could be some talent staying around in Anaheim for the foreseeable future.
Right now, there is a sense of disappointment in Anaheim because it has been more than a decade since they made the postseason.
However, having Stan Kroenke running the show is going to change a lot of things, and first-year manager Kurt Suzuki might not get another chance after a frustrating season.
