On the Anniversary of Arte Moreno's Great Lie to Angels Fans, Everything Falls Apart

Wednesday started with a small glimpse of hope for the Los Angeles Angels. Despite where they were in the standings, they had just gotten their star Mike Trout back in the lineup and were ready to try to get back into contention.

However, when the night ended, the organization had encountered one of the worst days in franchise history. Not only did the Angels drop both games of their doubleheader to the Cincinnati Reds, but they also lost both of their stars.

Trout went back to the injured list, and Shohei Ohtani ended up tearing his UCL. It was the kind of day that came from nightmares, but it was now the reality for the Angels.

Just a year ago to the day, owner Arte Moreno announced that he was exploring the sale of the Angels. It was the first positive sign for the franchise in quite some time.

But as Spring Training rolled around, he got cold feet. He decided to keep the team, and the rest is history. Over that one year to the day, the Angels kept their owner who may have wanted to sell the team. And now, Ohtani may be dealing with another brutal injury.

It’s a weird coincidence, but one that many Angel fans aren’t surprised by. There have been jokes that this team is cursed because of the weird thing that just happened to them. They may finally be onto something.

With all the talent that the Angels have put together over the years, they have little to nothing to show for it. The organization hasn’t reached the postseason since 2014, despite having Trout and Ohtani in their primes.

But injuries and poor play have taken their toll on this team. Wednesday just culminated in their worst fears.

Now the Angels must continue the season, all but out of the playoff race, without their top guys. Maybe Ohtani can come back as a hitter in a few weeks, but with his impending free agency coming up, things get a little murky.

It took just one year for things to really come to a head for the Angels. But in reality, these issues have been brewing for quite some time now.