Angels fans “booed the ceremonial first pitch” of the team’s 2026 home opener on Friday, which was thrown by retiring team President John Carpino with popular former players like Torii Hunter and Tim Salmon in the house, according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. TIMES. Carpino is retiring Monday after 16 years in that role and 23 years total as a loyal exec under Angels owner Arte Moreno. The fans’ reaction comes following Moreno’s February comment that surveys show “affordability is the fans’ top priority and ‘believe it or not, winning is not in their top five.’” So Carpino, as a proxy for Moreno, was “booed loudly.” Then a few “modest choruses of ‘sell the team’ broke out.” The Angels sold 2.6 million tickets last year, a “testament to the strength of the market” amid a second consecutive last-place finish. However, attendance has “fallen 20% over the past 20 years,” a span that includes one postseason series victory and the current streaks of 10 seasons with losing records and 11 seasons without a playoff appearance. Friday’s home opener was “sold out.” Shaikin: “This is a great fan base, to me much more frustrated than angry” (L.A. TIMES, 4/4).
