It has been nearly 20 years since Arte Moreno owned the Los Angeles Angels. It is also safe to say that his tenure has been an unmitigated disaster.
There was a period of success at the beginning. The Angels reached the postseason five times in the first seven years that Moreno owned the team. But that was not enough. Moreno needed to put his stamp on the franchise, bringing in star players that would grab headlines as he tried to claim Los Angeles as the franchise home despite their actual existence in Anaheim.
Arte Moreno’s hubris holding Los Angeles Angels back
Those contracts have not worked. Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Justin Upton, C.J Wilson, and Anthony Rendon were all disappointments; their financial obligations have hamstrung the franchise. Moreno also refused to spend the extra money needed to supplement the roster around those players. But hey, they won the back page of the newspaper and dominated sports talk radio!
It is not a surprise that, despite having a superstar in Mike Trout and a transcedent talent in Shohei Ohtani, the Angels have been one of the biggest disappointments over the past few years. They have found their way to the postseason only once since 2009, a streak that is not going to end this year.
A great deal of those failures rest at Moreno’s feet. He pushed for players that did not truly fit the roster. Joe Maddon was his hand picked manager because that would generate interest. The refusal to trade Ohtani, even though it makes perfect baseball sense, is likely his as well. After all, who would care about the Angels with Trout on the Injured List if Ohtani is elsewhere?
That is what it comes down to. Moreno wants the spotlight squarely on his team. The Dodgers may actually win championships and be a contending franchise, but the Angels can win the headline battle in the offseason. Winning may be nice, but it does not give the same immediate ability to stroke the ego that signing a bigger name player does.
Likewise, making those moves to secure the future do not provide that immediate sense of gratification. Building up the farm system, finding a sustainable core, and making smart roster decisions are not exciting. Nor do they allow Moreno to indulge in his attempt to be another George Steinbrenner, only without the nerve to make the other moves the Angels need.
The Los Angeles Angels have been mired in mediocrity for more than a decade. It is entirely due to Arte Moreno’s inability to put his ego aside.