Anaheim Loses Its Battle for Now

In another defeat for the city of Anaheim, a state appeals court ruled Monday that the Angels can call themselves the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the rest of the season.

The 4th District Court of Appeal rejected the city’s bid for an injunction that would have blocked the Angels from continuing to use the Los Angeles designation. The decision was announced late Monday afternoon on the court’s website, and it left Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu wondering if the city should keep fighting the Angels in court.

“I still feel that we have a case, but I think we should sit down as a city council and take another look at the long haul,� Sidhu said. “Should we go another direction and move in closer to what the Angels want? We need to look at everything again.�

Councilwoman Lorri Galloway voted against pursuing the appeal, because she didn’t want to spend taxpayer money with such long odds of success, but she urged the city to continue the court battle.

“It’s disappointing,� she said. “So we just have to look forward to the trial. We were prepared for the long haul. We believe there have been damages.�

Barring a settlement or a successful appeal to the state Supreme Court, the dispute is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 7.

“We’re certainly very pleased with the decision,� said Tim Mead, an Angel spokesman. “But for our organization, nothing changes. Since the start of all this in spring training, we’ve been focused on our organization. Now that it’s the regular season, we’re focused on maintaining a lead in our division and taking care of our fans.�

Andrew Guilford, the city co-counsel, said he was not surprised by the court’s decision.

“It is seldom that a pretrial appeal or writ is even heard, let alone granted,� Guilford said. “Though we are disappointed, we are not dismayed at the ruling and are anxious to read the justices’ opinions.�

Guilford also said an appeal to the state Supreme Court is unlikely.

Monday’s unpublished, signed decision was written by Justice Richard M. Aronson, with Justices Kathleen E. O’Leary and David G. Sills concurring, according to the court’s website. The appellate court urged mediation, which broke off in April. The city said there would be no settlement unless the Angels removed Los Angeles from the team name.

“Despite the odds on a pretrial appeal, Anaheim sought a preliminary injunction because it feared that Anaheim would disappear from usage in the team name if it did nothing,� Guilford said.

“Unfortunately, we all know that Anaheim has essentially vanished from the team name since the name change in January. Our focus remains on our trial in November. Though we did not meet the high burdens necessary to get a writ granted, we remain confident of a victory at trial this fall.�

The city contends that the team, under owner Arte Moreno, violated its lease with its new name, arguing that the agreement requires the team to call itself the Anaheim Angels. The team says the agreement requires only that Anaheim be included somewhere in the name.

The team says it can generate more revenue by using the Los Angeles designation. Gene Autry’s expansion team came into existence as the Los Angeles Angels in 1961, then called itself the California Angels upon moving to Anaheim in 1966. Walt Disney Co., seeking to gain attention for its Disneyland Resort after buying the club from Autry’s widow, Jackie, switched the name to Anaheim in 1997.

In 1996, the city agreed to spend nearly $30 million to refurbish the city-owned venue now called Angel Stadium. Officials contend the city has been harmed by the change, which has prompted broadcasters and other media to refer to the team as “LAA� in on-screen shorthand, rather than as “ANA.�

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Times staff writer Bill Shaikin contributed to this report.