Angels Aficionados: Celebrating the Spirit of LA’s Loyal Supporters

There’s a little extra magic in Anaheim’s air when the Los Angeles Angels take the field at Angel Stadium of Anaheim — and it’s not just because Disneyland within throwing distance. From the dazzling play of the team’s 2002 World Series victory to the massive, celebratory center-field “California Spectacular” at every home game, the Angels have earned their praise and prestige all their own as the first California expansion franchise in Major League Baseball.

Below, learn more about the history, high points and home game traditions of Angels fandom.

What it Means to be a Los Angeles Angels Super Fan

Angels fans find their own special shine despite the bright lights of the city-bound Los Angeles Dodgers nearby. The Halos have attracted a devoted bunch that help the team regularly rank among the league’s highest average attendance. The fans have also been crucial in upholding the team’s identity throughout multiple name changes including the California Angels and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Angels organization acts as a member of the local community itself, hosting fan events and creating philanthropic opportunities through the Angels Baseball Foundation. To find the Angels’ current slate of fan events and initiatives, check out the team’s website.

Los Angeles Angels Fans on Gameday

Any fan entering Angel Stadium of Anaheim will pass the Big A sign, and if they’re lucky, see its surrounding halo lit up for a home win on the way out. The 230-foot-tall metal structure, which has stood on stadium grounds since 1966, inspired the home field’s “The Big A” nickname as well as home game cheers to “Light that baby up!”

Guests attending home games can tailgate up to two and a half hours ahead of first pitch, but be warned, late arrivals will miss the traditional opening highlight reel soundtracked to Train’s “Calling All Angels.” The song has become so synonymous with the team that Train performed it at Angel Stadium during the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, and should the Angels ever ascend to the World Series again, frontman Pat Monahan told The New York Times in 2023 that he’d “love to sing it before each game that they play at home live.” Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit In The Sky” follows for player introductions and has become a stadium staple in its own right.

For every home game, prepare for Angel Stadium to go absolutely bananas thanks to the team’s unofficial mascot, the Rally Monkey. Beginning as a throwaway joke on the stadium’s video board in 2000, the Rally Monkey has become a lasting symbol in Angels fandom with the titular primate’s appearances linked to tangible wins.

Each season, baseball fans from all ends of the Los Angeles metropolitan area catch the Freeway Series between the Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of MLB’s biggest rivalries. Elsewhere, Angels fans have proven their dedication to theme nights in the past by setting seven Guinness World Records for highest attendance of people wearing blankets, cowboy hats, superhero capes and more. Check out this year’s Angels promotional schedule to be a part of the base’s next big gathering.

Memorable Moments in Los Angeles Angels Fandom

Though the Angels reached a new peak after winning their first World Series in 2002, the Halos have been blessing fans with exciting play for decades. From Alex Johnson’s 1970 batting title to the deep playoff runs in 1979 and 1982 to the miraculous 12–0 comeback against the Seattle Mariners in 1999, the Angels were building toward the team’s longtime mantra to “Win One for the Cowboy,” a tribute to late founder Gene Autry.

That promise was fulfilled after a thrilling seven-game series against the San Francisco Giants in 2002 where the Angels overcame a 5-0 deficit in Game 6 to clinch the series in the following matchup. Amidst the celebrations, outfielder Tim Salmon hoisted a cowboy to the sky in honor of Autry, who had died in 1998. The prayers of Angels everywhere, Autry included, had been answered.

Famous Los Angeles Angels Fans

The list of celebrity Los Angeles Angels fans starts with the franchise’s first owner, the late “Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry. As one of MLB’s Hollywood-adjacent home teams, the Angels attract major star power in their stands, including actors Keke Palmer, Patrick Warburton, comedians Bill Engvall and Andy Richter, artist and performer Gwen Stefani and rapper ScHoolboy Q. In 2023, the Irvine, California rock band THRICE even sold Angels-themed merch at their Los Angeles shows.

In the sports world, basketball Hall of Fame siblings Reggie Miller and Cheryl Miller are noted Angels fans who rooted for their brother Darrell Miller when he played for the club between 1984 and 1988.