Storied Past

Disney’s deal with Anaheim to renovate the Big A will mean a new look for an Orange County landmark. Here are some key dates in the history of Anaheim Stadium:

Aug. 31, 1964: Ground broken; construction cost estimated at $24 million.

April 9, 1966: Stadium’s first game is Angels exhibition loss to San Francisco Giants, 9-3; seating capacity: 43,250

April 19: Angels lose regular-season opener 3-1 to Chicago White Sox, before 31,660.

July 11, 1967: Stadium’s first All-Star game; temporary seats used beyond outfield walls to increase capacity to 46,309.

July 25, 1978: Los Angeles Ram owner Carroll Rosenbloom formally announces team will move to Anaheim Stadium for 1980 season.

July 17, 1979: Stadium’s landmark “Big A” scoreboard moved from beyond outfield walls to stadium parking lot as part of plans to enclose facility for football.

Oct. 5: Angels’ first playoff game at home, a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Aug. 11, 1980: Rams lose first game in Orange County, 35-31 to New England Patriots. Stadium capacity has been increased to about 70,000; more than 62,000 attend exhibition.

Dec. 23, 1984: Rams host first playoff game in Anaheim Stadium, lose to New York Giants, 16-13.

July 11, 1989: Anaheim hosts second baseball All-Star game.

Jan. 17, 1994: Scoreboard falls into upper-deck seats during Northridge earthquake, causing about $10 million in damages. Officials say hundreds could have been killed if event had been taking place.

Dec. 24, 1994: Rams play last game in Anaheim, a 24-21 loss to Washington Redskins before a 25,705 fans--the smallest crowd since the team moved to Anaheim.

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Big A Memories

“I remember opening day and the big crowd. You could just look around and see the change. We were no longer sharing a field with the Dodgers. We were no longer the expansion team. We were Southern California’s American League team. We had our own identity. We had our place.”

--Bill Rigney, the Angels’ first manager

SOURCE: Times files