Angels

Angels Cite Marketing Reasons For Swapping Out Player Banners At Stadium

Published July 10, 2012

The Angels have made LF Vernon Wells "disappear from the front of the stadium," according to Bill Plunkett of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. During the team's recent road trip, one of the "large promotional banners at the main entrance of Angel Stadium was swapped out" as Wells' banner "was replaced by one" featuring LF Mark Trumbo. The new banner "was in place" for last weekend's four-game series against the Orioles. The decision to swap out one of the banners "in mid-season is apparently unprecedented." Angels VP/Communications Tim Mead said that it was a "marketing decision -- one made with no input from the baseball operations side of the Angels' front office." Mead: "Everything we try to do around here from a marketing standpoint, we try to keep current. It's just simply the fact that he's on the 60-day disabled list and you've got a couple other options that are performing and active." Wells has been on the DL since May 20, but he is "still one of the players featured in promotional photos around the stadium." The Angels also plan to replace the banner featuring P Jered Weaver "with a more up-to-date photo." Weaver's "current banner has been up since the start" of the '11 season. Banners featuring manager Mike Scioscia, former OF Bobby Abreu and commemorating the franchise's 50th anniversary season already have been "replaced this year by banners featuring the team's big off-season acquisitions," 1B Albert Pujols and P C.J. Wilson (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 7/9).