FIVE years ago this weekend, it was a Dodger-Angels series at the Big A. At the stadium on July 3 2004, I met Arte Moreno and BLOGGED ABOUT it at my old LiveJournal Angels blog. This is still one of my great memories as an Angels fan. Tell US: Have you ever met Arte? What did you discuss? If you have never met him, what would you discuss if you did?
0 recs | 39 comments
Yep
The first time I ever went to Spring Training was with a friend from High School. We sat in the stands (before it got so popular) and talked to the scout that signed Scott Spiezio. Watched the game a bit, and then saw Arte walking around.
Coolest guy ever. Seriously, just a very nice man, down-to-earth, always wanted to know what we as fans liked to see or wanted. Struck me as a man who was committed to putting out something real, true, and with old-time quality. He was more than kind enough to snap a picture, and then was off to talk to Scioscia about whatever they needed to talk about.
I often wonder how many other owners would be so cool. My guess is not many.
Thanks Arte – you’re the best and it isn’t flim-flam politics that got you here – it is sincerity and class, the kind of respect that survives the tests and tribulations of time.
reddawnman - July 2, 2009
Met him at this year’s Spring Training opener when I got asked to be one of the ball/bat boys. Half the time I was right next to him during the game as he had the closest seat to the field (and if you’ve been to Tempe Diablo, you know it’s practically on the field). He was pretty pretty throughout the game talking to the people around him and what not. Finally got to actually meet and talk to him after the game, mainly talking about the upcoming season and all that. Just a great guy, with a voice that reminds me of Mickey Mouse to be honest, lol.
BrentSchmidt - July 2, 2009
Never met him
but I think he kind of looks like my dad…
Maybe a little (if you squint your eyes)
WiHaloFan - July 2, 2009
I see it!
Clutch - July 2, 2009
But your dad wasnt' black?
and their sunglasses are different
RexTookMyStash - July 2, 2009
Black?
opiejeanne - July 2, 2009
clue to my joke: look at the guy in the picture next to arte
RexTookMyStash - July 2, 2009
Sorry, don't get it at all.
opiejeanne - July 2, 2009
That guy is Tony Reagins
I think he helps run the team or something.
BBFan1 - July 2, 2009
You mean the guy in the background behind Arte?
Ok. I thought he meant to look at the picture alongside Arte.
opiejeanne - July 2, 2009
I was born a poor black child
WiHaloFan - July 2, 2009
I remember the days, sittin’ on the porch with my family, singin’ and dancin’ down in Mississippi.
RexTookMyStash - July 2, 2009
The new phonebook's out!
I’M SOMEBODY!!
WiHaloFan - July 2, 2009
One of the most memorable opening lines to a movie...
…for my memory anyway.
sothball - July 2, 2009
Do a Google Image search on Arte Moreno...
and BAM!!!! It’s the Rev!!!! He’s everywhere!
Sweetmeats - July 2, 2009
My brother and I were sitting in our seats back 2004
and he was wandering around the upper view talking with fans. It was early, so it was pretty sparse. He came over and said hello and signed our caps. He was impressive and we were thilled.
Moondoggy - July 2, 2009
about that trade...
Mathis and McPherson for Johnson actually would’ve been pretty fair.
but no, i’ve never met Arte. that would be cool, though
howiestheman - July 2, 2009
I was thinking the same thing...
Mathis and Kotchman/Mcpherson? Sounds like a pretty good trade now.
Nashdiesel - July 2, 2009
In retrospect, yeah, I would have pulled that in a heartbeat
But damn hindsight, not foresight, being 20/20…:-D
Clutch - July 2, 2009
no joke
darn Canadians and their stupid cheap medications….
howiestheman - July 2, 2009
Well of all places I met Arte at a Giants game (i live in SF so it's not that crazy I guess)
It was last year and I believe it was a Giants-dbacks game. He was with some executives from the giants org. I presume and was hanging out in the standing room only section. He didn’t have his angels hat which kinda bugged me but it was still cool. I had my Halo’s hat on so I called out to him and went over and shook his hand and wished us a good season.
Then I drank way too much, ate some gilroy garlic fries, and ended up partying in the mission district that night.
Go Halo’s!
RexTookMyStash - July 2, 2009
I actually couldn’t find a picture of him with an Angels hat on so strike my hat comment from the record.
RexTookMyStash - July 2, 2009
I have met him twice
1st time is when me and my dad went to Chokland to watch the Angels clinch and he gave me a ball than signed it
the second time I had just got a hat at the Angels store and when I was coming out he was out there signing autograghs and he signed my hat
Vladd#27 - July 2, 2009
Met him at 05 spring training game vs the Cubs
He was just walking the concourse area in Diablo. It was funny because I was the 1st one to recognize him – no one noticed he was even there. Talked to him for all but about 1 minute. Told him we were glad to have him and not to let anyone give him shit about the name change (it was a big topic at the time). He kinda side stepped it and said we just want to be known as “the Angels” then he signed my hat. After that a crowd started to gather around.
I asked some random lady, who ended up being pretty stupid, to take a pic of us but she was too dumb to figure out what button to push on my cell to take it (after repeated directions). I didn’t want to hold him up or piss him offf so I just told him good luck and didnt get my picture. Really cool guy though.
gorams77 - July 2, 2009
Never met him.
But if I did, and he was up for a chat, I would ask him:
1) Have the Halos have ever looked into an in-stadium seat upgrade program. After out #3 of the bottom of the 3rd, folks in the 400/500 levels can take their ticket and stick into a slot in a kiosk, and exchange it for an unused seat on field level for an upgrade fee. Fans do it anyway, why not make a buck or two out of it and endorse the practice? (Original ticket holder gets “best seat available” if they show up after the 3rd.)
2) How about opening up the outfield concourse area to more events with local flavor? Maybe a police/fire chili cookoff to raise money for their charities, or a local micro-brew festival, or be a stop on the BBQ compeittion circuit.
3) How about sending a minor league coach or two out to the youth baseball leagues in spring to hold a league-wide “training day”? The kids get to practice with soem real coaches from the Angels organization, and the volunteer moms and dads get to learn how to run a real practice and teach real skills. Plus, you are grooming your future generations of fans.
Ideas, man, ideas! I get ‘em all the time. Can’t shut it off, actually.
Stirrups - July 2, 2009
P.S. - Bejeebus. We coulda had Randy Johnson for the 2004 season and subsequent???
I woulda given up Mathis, Kotchman, McPherson AND CASH for that! But nooooooo,
Brandon Wood…er…Dallas McPherson was the second coming of Mike Schmidt!Stirrups - July 2, 2009
Thoughts...
1) Wouldn’t work. The fan that paid for the seat and arriving in the 4th inning being told they get “best seat available”? Lawsuits up the wazoo.You can hear the arguments now…"I paid for THAT seat. For a full 9 innings! No one said I had to arrive by the 3rd inning to “claim” it. I want MY seat!"
2) I like this idea, with emphasis on “local”. The only potential problem is if any items sold cannibalize existing concessionaires. I actually ran into this problem about 10 years ago as scoutmaster for our scout troop. Hermosa Beach has art festivals over Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. We (the scouts) were allowed to setup a coffee/donuts/muffins booth. It was the best fundraiser we ever had. Unfortunately, there was a coffee shop (similar to Starbucks) on Pier Ave that thought we were “cannibalizing” their sales. They complained to the event organizers, and we got shut down. We appealed, but it didn’t help. It really stunk, but we didn’t have any choice. (They were paying for a booth. Ours was donated.)
3) Great idea. Perfect outreach program. Just not sure how busy the coaches are in early spring when little league is in full bloom.
4) My idea..I was amazed by the number of people tailgating at Miller Park (post to follow). The whole friggin parking lot was one big bar-b-que! I’d merge your idea #2 with the tailgater crowd. There may be less conflict with the concessionaires inside the stadium.
sothball - July 2, 2009
#1. Lots of way to make that work.
In a world where it is legal to sell a license to a customer that grants merely the right to purchase the actual tickets which grant the right to sit in a seat, this is solvable.
For example, change the license terms itself to outright state that the owner must be inside the gate by xx time or settle for best available.
Or…change the terms and split the revenue with the original owner. Bribe them.
Or…offer the original owner, at the time of purchase, the option of a lower package cost for the alternate terms that allow the Halos to sell those empty seats if they are no-show.
Another idea is to offer a package wherein the Halos issue one Angels smart card for every seat purchased in a full season-ticket package. Don’t issue paper tickets at all. The owner has to scan their card at entry in order to gain admission, and a machine spits out a paper receipt with the seat location printed on it. Don’t allow those owners to resell their seats via the official exchange, and this precludes them from reselling their seats at all, since there is nothing they can hand over to the buyer that the buyer could use independent of the original owner to gain admission. So, these season ticket owners would get their seats at a significant discount, and these would be the ones who would be part of the in-game upgrade. They would not be compensated by the organization for failure to arrive. Some accountant would have to figure out how to price all this up to make it a win-win-win. That accountant ain’t me.
Stirrups - July 2, 2009
Oh hell yeah
This is a picture of my wife and I meeting Arte on the day he took over as owner of the Angels. He was at the front gate shaking hands. I thought that was awesome. That was right before he lowered the price of beer, too. Great memory.
Riverrun - July 2, 2009
Never met him
If I had time, I’d plead with him to open up the Angels’ historical books, so we could know salaries and payroll and forgotten minor-league transactions and which-draft-pick-signed-for-how much and ticket/parking revenue and broadcast fees stretching back to late December back in ’60.
There’s a huge gap in the understanding of roster/franchise construction baseball-wide, particularly but not only between 1976 and the late ‘80s, and it would be neat if the Angels would break ground on transparency for this stuff. Would do wonders in helping us analyze the team’s various historical decisions.
And it would (as an incidental bonus) make us realize anew how lucky we are to have a great businessman and a better fan at the helm of our franchise.
mattwelch - July 2, 2009
He walked past me a Spring Training
I was too chicken to bother him so I said " great job on the Team" he smiled
snapped this photo
/Users/brandonstewart/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2008/Spring Training 08/IMG_2523.JPG
UCIHalo - July 2, 2009
that didn't work
UCIHalo - July 2, 2009
you gotta upload it to imageshack.us or something and post THAT link
reddawnman - July 2, 2009
We are fortunate
Wife and I went to St. Louis several years ago for the Angel Cardinal interleague games. We, of course were logoed with Angel hats and shirts. After a game, first pub, up the stairs into an open area, someone calls out “over here, you belong over here.” It was Arte waving us over to buy refreshments for two original Angel season ticket holders.
We also have season tickets for two weeks+ in Tempe. About 5 rows behind Arte’s seats. There is a constant barrage of well meaning people (children and adults) interrupting him for autographs and pictures.
Not once have I seen him disturbed or “miffed” with these interruptions. Always accomidating.
A very special person. Angel fans, as we know, are very fortunate to have this individual as the Angel Boss.
Long time reader, first post. Had to jump in on this one.
Angelwisdom - July 3, 2009
Welcome to the board!
Figgi4life - July 3, 2009
Welcome!
Hope you have around here.
WiHaloFan - July 3, 2009
I hope he has a rectangle here.
red floyd - July 4, 2009
That shold have been "have fun around here"
Somehow I forgot the fun.
WiHaloFan - July 4, 2009
I know. I just like wordplay.
red floyd - July 5, 2009
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