MLB.com

By Doug Miller / MLB.com

Uhlich, the Angels' senior vice president of business development who started his career in 1976 as one of the club's batboys, smiled and said, "Oh, you're talking about Anaheim getting a lacrosse team, right?"

Uhlich was jokingly referring to the fact that he had attended a press conference earlier in the day to announce that the Anaheim Storm will play its first National Lacrosse League game at The Pond in January.

What Uhlich really was smiling about was the big news at Edison Field, that the crowd of 32,503 for Wednesday's game set the Angels record for single-season attendance by reaching 2,827,494 for the 2003 season.

That number broke the franchise record of 2,807,360 set in the American League West Division title season of 1982, when then-Anaheim Stadium held 64,593 fans as opposed to Edison's current capacity of 45,030.

"It's been a long time coming -- 20 years," said Uhlich, who recently agreed to a three-year contract extension.

Uhlich didn't hesitate to admit that the afterglow of the team's first World Series championship carried over, with an increase of over 8,500 season-ticket plans from 2002 to 2003. Advance sales have guaranteed that Anaheim will break the 3-million mark this season.

But the fact that the fans kept coming despite the Angels' losing record for most of this season is what has Uhlich really excited. The main reason, he says, is the arrival of pro-fan owner Arte Moreno, who arrived in mid-May and has transformed the Angels experience.

"It's a result of last year, but what we've had in the second half is attributable to the ownership change," Uhlich said.

"In June and July, the kids tickets featured reduced rates, we brought in the $5 tickets in the Toyota Terrace from Monday-Thursday, and that's kept our walkups real strong, even in a year in which our team didn't perform."

Moreno also reduced beer prices, souvenir prices, and devised discount packages for food.

While speaking with reporters on the field during the week, Moreno said he's pleased with the attendance but wanted to see another 3 million flooding the gates next year.

On the heels of a losing season, that might be difficult, but he reiterated his previous claims that the Angels will be aggressive in the offseason to get the team back to the championship level it played at in 2002.

"We don't have an endless supply of money," Moreno said. "But we have enough to make capital improvements. I'm going to let Bill Stoneman do the things he needs to do for the fans to see a competitive team."

That's music to Uhlich.

"On-field is important," he said. "Arte has gone on record as saying we're going to be competitive. Bill will be given the opportunity to go out this winter and compete to get (manager) Mike (Scioscia) all the ammunition he needs to use on the field.

"We're not going to be raising prices. We're going to be looking at concessions and souvenirs to see what new things we can do there. We're going to continue to make this affordable for the fan. Anybody who comes here two or three times a year, we want to get that to three or four times."

Fans already are starting to respond.

Moreno's already-fabled nightly walks around the stands attract a "mob scene" of well-wishers, according to Uhlich, who described Moreno as a sort of Edison Field cult hero.

"Under (previous owner) Disney, it was a major corporation that owned the team and that's the face we had," Uhlich said. "(Founder and original owner) Gene Autry was a single face and so is Arte. And Arte is more for the fan even than Gene was. He's more outspoken. He's right down there with them and it's not a show."

The good vibes aren't only being felt in the front office. Down on the field, Scioscia said he and his team are well aware of the groundswell of support that seems to be growing by the day.

"These fans have shown if you bring the style of baseball these guys bring and have success, it's something they love to support," Scioscia said.

"Even though we haven't had the success we'd hoped to have this season, their support has never wavered. I can't remember a better year of support in all my years of baseball."

Doug Miller is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.