ANGELS GO WAY OF L.A. NAME CHANGE COULD DRAW SUIT.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

Shrugging off the specter of a lawsuit that will be filed against them by the city they call home, the Angels on Monday changed their name for the third time in franchise history, this time to the all-encompassing Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Citing the need to broaden their fan base in order to generate revenues sufficient to support the third-largest payroll in baseball, Angels owner Arte Moreno opted for a moniker with an ostensibly larger regional appeal, even though it could violate terms of a lease that binds the Angels to Anaheim through at least 2016.

Anaheim's city council voted in December to seek legal action if the Angels moved to change their name, and city spokesman John Nicoletti said Monday the city will seek to obtain a temporary restraining order later this week in advance of future litigation.

Lease language stipulating that Anaheim merely be contained in the team name could favor the Angels in the legal arena, but Nicoletti said the club has violated the ``implied covenant of good faith,'' and that the name change culminates a ``systematic devaluation of the Anaheim name'' since Moreno bought the team in 2003.

But a legal battle is worth the potential gains in marketability and revenue for Moreno, who until now has enjoyed a high approval rating from Angels fans.

He vowed to keep ticket prices affordable even after investing $146 million on roster improvements for the 2004 team that eventually won the American League West championship.

Moreno continued the spending spree this winter, approving $57 million in multiyear contracts for free agents.

The club's '05 payroll will be around $95 million.

Moreno said recently he lost about $35 million on the Angels in '04, even though they drew a franchise record 3.375 million fans.

Eventually, vice president Tim Mead said Monday, the club must find ways to close the gap between the third-highest payroll and the 23rd-highest ticket prices in baseball.

The club's local television revenue lags behind that of other big-market clubs, and it will lose its over-the-air carrier in 2006, when Channel 9 begins broadcasting Dodgers games.

``We've made a business decision that we feel in the long term is for the fans,'' Mead said. ``When an organization has shown the willingness to put forth the resources and payroll and protect the affordability of ticket prices, we need to find additional revenue streams. We feel this will enhance those efforts.''

The Angels have been deluged with complaints from Orange County residents about the name change, and sports marketing experts say the change cannot guarantee a wider appeal or more revenue.

But they also stress this move dovetails with Moreno's vision of creating a franchise with regional, national and even international appeal.

``This is part of an effort to become the Major League Baseball bridge to Latin America and become more of an international team,'' said Marc Ganis, president of Sportscorp, a Chicago-based sports industry consulting firm.

``If they win, they could create a new generation of fans.

``They have to market around it and almost re-brand the team.''

They also must soothe a portion of its core fan base that has traditionally detested all things Los Angeles. More than two-thirds of the Angels' season ticket holders hail from Orange County and many are loathe to identify with Los Angeles and its Dodgers.

``They've taken the name of the team I've absolutely hated,'' said Brian Ilten, 37, a Whittier resident and lifelong Angels fan. ``After the (2002) World Series, we finally felt we were coming into our own and no longer the red-headed stepchild to the Dodgers.

``I took a lot of crap from Dodger fans for rooting for that little team in Orange County. That wasn't good enough for Arte. Now, all of a sudden, we're wannabes.''

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com

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Arte Moreno has worked to eliminate Anaheim from uniforms and advertising campaigns since buying the Angels in 2003.

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WHAT'S IN A NAME?