Los Angeles Angels fans have had a long, tumultuous relationship with team owner Arte Moreno. Between the failed Anthony Rendon signing, wasting Mike Trout's prime and the inability to capitalize on the presence of Shohei Ohtani, the team's fans have wanted Moreno out for some time.
They wanted someone who prioritized winning, perhaps someone with a proven track record of winning. As of Tuesday, Sept. 1, those dreams have been realized.
Moreno has agreed to sell the team to Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke, 79. The team was sold for $4 billion, breaking the all-time record for an MLB team sale, previously set by the San Diego Padres earlier this year at $3.9 billion.
The change in ownership could be exactly what Angels fans had been seeking
Kroenke's group, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, owns the Rams, the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and the English Premier League's Arsenal.
Those teams have been strong in recent years. Let's break it down:
Kroenke's timeline of championships
When did Kroenke buy each team?
Kroenke's venture into sports ownership started in 1995, when he bought a minority 30% stake in the St. Louis Rams. He would become the full owner by 2010 and played a monumental role in the team's move back to Los Angeles in 2016.
In 2000, Kroenke really expanded his sports team portfolio. That year, he bought both the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche within the span of four months.
In 2007, he bought a small 9.9% share in the English soccer club Arsenal. By 2018, his ownership percentage had ballooned into a full takeover.
Kroenke also owns other smaller league teams like Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids, the National Lacrosse League's Colorado Mammoth, and Arsenal WFC, part of the Women's English Premier League.
When did Kroenke win his first championship?
Kroenke's first championship came in 2000, shortly after his first investment in the St. Louis Rams. Kroenke oversaw the Greatest Show on Turf, led by quarterback Kurt Warner and running back Marshall Faulk. The team defeated the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in Super Bowl 34.
Kroenke's winning ways would continue after purchasing the Colorado Avalanche. The team won the Stanley Cup in 2001, just one year after Kroenke's takeover.
While the Nuggets, Avalanche, and Rams went on a bit of a championship dry spell afterward, his other teams continued earning championships. The Colorado Mammoth won the National Lacrosse League championship in 2006 and the Colorado Rapids earned the MLS Cup in 2010.
The 2010s were unkind to Kroenke's teams, though. Once the 2020s rolled around though, the winning kicked into overdrive:
- 2022: Los Angeles Rams, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Mammoth all win championships.
- 2023: Denver Nuggets win NBA Finals.
- 2025: Arsenal WFC wins UEFA Women's Champions League
- 2026: Arsenal FC wins Premier League title
How have the Angels done in recent years?
Despite having three of the best players in MLB since 2000 in Albert Pujols, Trout and Ohtani, the Angels have reached the playoffs only once since 2010 (2014), and promptly got swept by the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS.
Since 2016, the Angels have not recorded a single winning season and have finished either fourth of fifth in the American League West in eight of the last 10 seasons. They are on pace to make it nine of 11 this year.
That said, Moreno's tenure with the Angels wasn't all bad. He purchased the team in 2003 and helped oversee a dominant stretch of baseball, which saw the team win the AL West five times in a six-year stretch between 2004 and 2009. Moreno also oversaw numerous big name signings, including the additions of players like Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, Josh Hamilton, Pujols, and of course, Ohtani.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stan Kroenke to bring history of championships to Angels
