<P> In 1995, the Angels suffered the worst collapse in franchise history . In first place in the AL West by 11 games in August, the team again lost key personnel (particularly shortstop Gary DiSarcina) and went on an extended slide during the final stretch run . By season's end, they were in a first - place tie with the surging Seattle Mariners, prompting a one - game playoff for the division title . The Mariners, managed by Lou Piniella and led by pitching ace Randy Johnson, laid a 9--1 drubbing on the Angels in the playoff game, clinching the AL West championship and forcing the Angels and their fans to endure yet another season of heartbreak and bitter disappointment . </P> <P> Given the club's inability to win a pennant thus far, the postseason disasters of 1982 and 1986, the 1995 collapse, and tragedies such as Bostock's murder and Moore's suicide, it was suggested that there must be a "curse" on the Angels . Since there did not appear to be a single defining moment when things started to go downhill, or one where "the baseball gods" might have been offended, some suggested that it was Autry who was the cause, a grand life seeing all its good luck evened out in his ownership of a baseball team . The idea of a "Curse of the Cowboy" did not take hold, however, due to the great affection Autry engendered as a public figure, and the idea would diminish with the sale of the team and its later postseason success . </P> <P> To some extent, the idea of a different curse did take hold, however . Prior to the Angels' World Series victory in 2002, some had theorized that the team did not have success because its stadium, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, was supposedly built upon an ancient Native American burial ground (although Anaheim city historians have not been able to either confirm or debunk the theory). </P> <P> "Heck, people were talking about it in spring training . We were standing around the outfield one day and everyone was concerned about the stadium being cursed because it was built on an ancient Indian burial ground . We were going to go get an exorcist or a Catholic priest or something to get rid of the curse . I'm like, "I don't want to be on an Indian burial ground ." </P>

When did the angels become a baseball team