ANGEL STADIUM in Anaheim (Flickr/Ray LAC).

I see the Angels have extended their lease at Angel Stadium through 2029 with options to extend their stay through 2032.

Yay.

OK, so there’s not a lot of excitement with this announcement. I mean, where are they going to go? The demand for a sub-mediocre team which hasn’t posted a winning record since Barack Obama had dark hair isn’t great.

Repeated efforts to refresh or rebuild the Angels’ home have all come to naught, the latest of them crashing and burning with a whiff of sulphur.

The stadium itself is the fourth-oldest MLB in existence, outlasted by the iconic Fenway Park (Boston), Wrigley Field (Chicago) and Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles).

None of those look like advantages, but there’s a ton of potential there, if handled right.

First, the Angels punch above their weight in attendance. Despite many a bleak summer and autumn in a crumbling edifice, the Halos have consistently drawn at least 2.5 million fans a year, better than 17 other teams, despite having the world champs right down the freeway.

Looking at the bigger picture, The Show is prospering. Attendance across Major League Baseball has risen for two years in a row and – perhaps more importantly – the TV audience is growing, owing perhaps to the rules’ changes which have sped the games up and increased scoring. Moreover, part of that growth has come from young people (18-35).

Pro sports in general are in an expansion mode. New leagues are forming and established ones growing. The NBA is looking at two more teams, soon, and the WNBA is undergoing a growth spurt akin to a teenager who has his own fridge.

Major league sports teams convey status, build community spirit and attract more teams. It’s only a matter of time before some smart (rich) guy will figure out what a bargain that bunch on State College Boulevard is and he (or she) will dust off the Big A and make a new A that ushers in a new era.