Arte Moreno facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arturo Moreno
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Moreno in 2007
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| Born | August 14, 1946 Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
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| Education | University of Arizona (BS) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | CEO of Outdoor Systems; owner of Los Angeles Angels |
| Parent(s) | Mary and Arturo Ricardo Moreno |
Arturo "Arte" Moreno (born August 14, 1946) is an American businessman. He is famous for being the owner of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team.
On May 15, 2003, Moreno made history. He became the first Mexican-American to own a major sports team in the United States. He bought the team, then called the Anaheim Angels, from The Walt Disney Company.
In 2022, he thought about selling the team. But by January 2023, he changed his mind and decided to keep it.
Contents
Early Life and School
Moreno was born in Tucson, Arizona. He was the oldest of 11 children in a Mexican American family. His grandparents came from Mexico. His father owned a small printing shop.
After high school, Moreno was drafted into the United States Army in 1966. He served in the Vietnam War. When he returned home in 1968, he went to college. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1973 with a degree in marketing.
Business Career
Getting Started in Advertising
After college, Moreno got a job in advertising. He worked for a company that made billboards. For seven years, he traveled around the country for his job.
In 1984, he settled in Phoenix. He started working for another billboard company called Outdoor Systems. He eventually became the company's president and CEO.
In 1996, Moreno made Outdoor Systems a public company. This means the company began selling parts of itself, called stocks, to the public. The company did very well. In 1998, it was sold for $8 billion.
Owning a Baseball Team
First Steps into Baseball
Baseball was always Moreno's favorite sport. In 1986, he and some partners bought a minor league team called the Salt Lake Trappers. They owned the team for six years, and it was a big financial success.
By 2001, Moreno wanted to own a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. He tried to buy the Arizona Diamondbacks but couldn't make a deal. Still, he was determined to own an MLB team. He soon focused on buying the Anaheim Angels, who had just won the 2002 World Series.
In 2003, Moreno agreed to buy the team from The Walt Disney Company for $180 million. On May 15, 2003, the sale was approved, and he officially became the team's owner.
Leading the Los Angeles Angels
As the new owner, Moreno showed he was willing to spend money to get great players. He signed star outfielder Vladimir Guerrero. He also became a familiar face at home games, often walking around the stadium to talk with fans.
In his first year, the Angels' attendance grew by 750,000 fans. This showed that his actions were very popular.
The Team Name Change
In 2005, Moreno made a decision that caused a lot of debate. He changed the team's name from the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He believed this would attract more fans and sponsors from the larger Los Angeles area.
However, city leaders in Anaheim, California, were upset. They sued the team because they felt the name should represent their city. Many fans in Orange County were also angry. They were proud that their team was separate from Los Angeles. The team eventually won the lawsuit filed by the city.
Team Performance Under Moreno
For the first few years, the Angels were very successful under Moreno. They won their division championship in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009.
But after 2009, the team struggled to make it back to the playoffs. Even with star players like Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, they could not win a playoff game. From 2016 to 2024, the Angels had a losing record every season. This is the longest stretch of losing seasons in the team's history.
Despite the team's struggles, its value has grown a lot. In 2006, Forbes magazine said the team was worth $368 million. By 2018, Forbes estimated its value at $1.75 billion.
Stadium Deal and Sale Plans
In 2020, Moreno's company agreed to buy Angel Stadium and its parking lots from the city of Anaheim for $320 million. However, the deal was canceled in 2022 after an FBI investigation into the city's dealings.
In August 2022, Moreno announced he might sell the Angels. But five months later, he said he would not sell the team after all. He stated he had "unfinished business" with the team.
As of 2025, the Angels have the longest active streak in MLB for not making the playoffs. Their last playoff appearance was in 2014.
Other Business Projects
In 2006, Moreno bought a Spanish-language radio station, KMXE. For two years, it was the Spanish radio home for Angels games.
In 2008, the station's name was changed to KLAA (AM). It switched to broadcasting in English and became the official station for all Angels games. It also added sports talk shows to its schedule.
Personal Life
Moreno has been married twice and has three children.
In 1997, he and his wife started the Moreno Family Foundation. The foundation gives money to groups that help young people and support education. It has also supported sports programs at the University of Arizona.
Moreno is a very private person. He rarely gives interviews and does not talk about his personal life.
