October 16, 2007

Angels GM Stoneman Steps Down

By Vita Reed
Orange County Business Journal Staff

Bill Stoneman is out after eight years as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s vice president and general manager.

Stoneman said he was stepping down at a Tuesday news conference.

Stoneman built the Angels’ only World Series championship team in 2002 but came under fire after the Angels were swept out of the American League divisional playoffs by the Boston Red Sox earlier this month.

Stoneman, a 63-year-old former major league pitcher, also got heat for his failure to land a power hitter in the trade or free-agent markets during the past few years.

Tony Reagins, the Angels’ director of player development, is set to become the team’s new general manager.

Reagins, a 40-year-old California State University, Fullerton, alumnus, would become the third minority general manager in major league baseball, along with Ken Williams of the Chicago White Sox and Omar Minaya of the New York Mets.

Reagins is African-American.

Angels owner Arte Moreno gave Stoneman a contract extension in 2003, shortly after he bought the team from the Walt Disney Co. That extension recently expired.

Stoneman became the Angels’ general manager in 1999, and four of the Angels’ seven post-season appearances in their 47-year history came under his watch.

Stoneman is expected to remain with the organization as a consultant.