Page 449 - 2020 Angels Media Guide

THE BIG A

Nestled in the corner of the Angel Stadium parking lot
is one of the ballpark’s most recognizable features, “The
Big A” message board. With the completion of Anaheim
Stadium in 1966, the facility’s centerpiece was a giant
A-frame scoreboard standing 230 feet high. At the time, it
was the largest scoreboard ever constructed and became
the source of the stadium’s nickname. The Big A’s original
home was just beyond the left field wall where it served as
the facility’s main scoreboard for over a decade. When the
stadium underwent construction to accommodate the Los
Angeles Rams in 1979, The Big A was preserved and moved
to its current location in the southeastern corner of the
parking lot, adjacent to the 57 freeway. Contractors used a
125-ton crane and two large dollies to move the structure
over 1,200 feet across the stadium lots.
The Angels have long utilized The Big A to celebrate each
of the club’s victories. After every Angel win, both home and
road, the 70-foot wide halo atop the Big A is illuminated for
fans both inside the ballpark and out to see. It is customary
for the halo to remain lit until dawn of the day following
a victory. The Angels are one of the few sports franchises
whose post-victory tradition signals a win to all within sight of their facility.
Since its construction in 1966, The Big A has undergone several modifications and facelifts. The
scoreboard’s original color palette was all white with a gold halo before becoming green, gold and beige
when the stadium was renamed Edison Field. In February, 2002, with the club switching their uniform
scheme back to red as the primary color, the Big A was painted red and beige. The landmark then
underwent additional changes after the 2009 season when the structure was painted all red. A new full-
color display was added to the front facade, replacing
the former dot-matrix board and a new halo was
placed at the top. A third extensive renovation took
place prior to the 2018 season as part of Angel
Stadium’s overall enhancements. The Big A received
a new LED marquee, illuminated Angel Stadium sign
and a new modernized LED Halo adorned the top of
the famed structure.
As it currently sits, the Club has the ability to
display full pictures, texts and graphics as well as
turn the halo nearly any color it desires. The most
commonly displayed colors on the structure’s crown
are red, white, blue, green and orange.

big a quick facts club history

Height..........................................................................230 feet
Width at base (overall)...............................................103 feet, 6 inches
Base of each leg..........................................................25 feet x 3 feet
Halo diameter..............................................................70 feet
Halo height..................................................................3 feet, 2 inches
Halo elevation.............................................................202 feet
Number of pixels on current Halo..............................53,600
Message board face....................................................40.7 feet x 34.1 feet
Original message board elevation from the top.......82 feet, 9 inches
Number of lights on the original A-frame.................128 lamps per leg
Number of lights on the original Halo.......................140 lamps

2020 ANGELS MEDIA GUIDE ANGELS.COM /angels @angels 448