Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Polos denied the city of Anaheim’s request Friday for a preliminary injunction against Angels owner Arte Moreno’s decision to rename the American League baseball team the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Polos determined that the Angels lease with the city only requires that Anaheim be in the team’s name, giving a legal nod to the clunky Los Angeles of Angels of Anaheim moniker.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed that we were unable to obtain an injunction. We look forward to presenting our compelling evidence at trial,” Anaheim spokesman John Nicoletti said.
No trial date has been set in the city’s lawsuit against the Angels. A lawyers’ conference is set for the first week of March, Nicoletti said.
Even if the case goes to trial, the injunction denial is a big win for Moreno. A trial could drag on for months. During that time, the team is set to go by Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, embedding the name, or at least the Los Angeles portion.
And a trial could just end up bringing monetary damages and not necessarily a switch back to Anaheim Angels.
Morono, a billboard billionaire who bought the Angels in 2003, is seeking to expand the team’s appeal with the name change. He also hopes that naming the team after the nation’s second largest market will yield better TV deals for Angels games.
City officials were seeking a preliminary injunction that would prohibit the team from using the new name, pending a trial.
The city contends that Moreno’s move violates the team’s lease at city-owned Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
Anaheim pressed for including the city’s name alongside Angels when Walt Disney Co. owned the team. Back then, naming the team Anaheim was seen as beneficial for both the city and Disney, which was expanding its operations in Anaheim.
