On Monday night, our Los Angeles Angels begin their quest for a franchise record third consecutive A.L. West title, as they face their northern California rivals, the Oakland Athletics, in the first game of the 2009 season. But after two early first round playoff exits at the hands of the Boston Red Sox in 2007 and 2008, most of my fellow Angel fans are looking for a little more than a division championship this year. A World Series is what many of us have in mind.

As a result of the Angels’ success this decade, the majority of Halo fans are not content with playoff appearances and A.L. West crowns. We’ve tasted a World Series title in 2002, and seven years later, our appetites are begging for more. On one hand you can call us impatient, but on the other hand, it goes to show you that the Angels are now officially a big market team with high expectations.

But don’t take my word for it. Just ask Forbes. When Angels owner Arte Moreno purchased the club in 2001, it took him just $180 million to acquire the then Anaheim Angels. Now it would take an estimated $500 million to buy the Angels according to a Forbes‘ 2008 report. The fact that the Angels are now the 6th most valuable team in all of baseball, illustrates that this franchise, like the Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox, has now entered big-time. But being a big-time ballclub like those east coast teams comes at a price. You must take home a World Series title. No excuses. That’s the matra for the Halos as they begin the 2009 season on Monday. 

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