NO RAINING ON PARADE; DESPITE WEATHER, ANGELS SHOW OFF NEW-LOOK PARK : ANGELS 4, N.Y. YANKEES 1.

Byline: Associated Press

A brilliantly vivid double rainbow arched over the Orange Freeway and appeared to end right inside the stadium.

Even Disney couldn't have arranged that.

Although there were some showers and the game against the New York Yankees was delayed 56 minutes by rain Wednesday evening, the Angels finally opened their spectacular ``new'' stadium in style - Disney style.

There were waterfalls, colored water geysers spouting from simulated boulders behind the outfield fence, and a barrage of fireworks that left a blue haze floating over the entire ballpark.

As for the game, through 5-1/2 innings, the Angels had a 4-1 lead over the Yankees as Matt Walbeck had a two-run triple, Gary DiSarcina had an RBI double and Darin Erstad an RBI single. Chuck Finley held the Yankees to four hits through six innings.

The Walt Disney Co. financed the bulk of the reported $117 million remodeling project, which gave the stadium a completely new ``Disneyland'' look.

However, when Disney CEO Michael Eisner and Anaheim Sports Inc. president Tony Tavares were introduced, there were more boos than cheers from the crowd of 45,050 - the first sellout ever for an Angels opener at home. Reggie Jackson, who was with the Angels toward the end of his career, walked onto the field to a similar greeting.

But there was a rousing cheer for Gene Autry, who began the Angels as a new franchise in 1961 and just sold the operating interest to Disney in 1996. Autry, 90, smiled as he rode a golf cart onto the field.

The crowd seemed to enjoy the festivities.

``It's really neat,'' 9-year-old Justin Adams said. ``The fireworks were great. It's a little bit like Disneyland, only with a baseball team.''

Eric Sense, 38, said he had attended games shortly after the stadium was built in 1966, and also played baseball there while he was at Cal State Fullerton.

``I've seen the stadium go full circle, seen it enclosed when the Rams moved down, and see what they've done to it now,'' said Sense, who had his 3-year-old son, Cody, in tow.

``It (the remodel) seems to be something most of the people would like. But for a real baseball purist, it would probably be too much. With all the stuff going on, I don't know whether most people even noticed the first pitch, or knew it was the first pitch of the baseball season.''

Mary Collinsworth, 30, thought Disney did a good job of making the stadium a cozy place for families to enjoy games.

``I think that's what they did with the Pond and the Mighty Ducks (the Disney-owned NHL team that plays just up the street). Kids seem to get a kick out of all the excitement.''

Eisner seemed pleased with the stadium's makeover.

``It shows you can take a stadium that's many decades old and turn it around and make it feel like a brand new arena,'' he said. ``I think you can see for yourself that you don't always have to build a new stadium; you can use some imagination.''

He hopes the excitement over the stadium - and what shapes up as a good Angels team - will snowball.

``I think this is going to be a growing and evolving acceptance of the Angels,'' he said. ``I think that coming to an Angel game will be a terrific baseball experience.''

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Photo

PHOTO (Color) With the Angels' Dave Hollins at second base, Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte throws in the first inning.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press