Diehard Angels fans predictably shredding John Carpino sends loudest message yet

Everyone saw this coming. When the Los Angeles Angels announced that outgoing team president John Carpino would throw out the first pitch for the home opener, it was a PR disaster waiting to happen. While a nice gesture to a long-time executive who is retiring in a vacuum, putting one of the main faces of Arte Moreno's leadership team out in front of thousands of Angels fans was always going to be a dumpster fire.

And that is pretty much what happened. The Angels perhaps thought it would be a nice moment that would go by without incident. Instead, Carpino's appearance became a vehicle for fans to vent their frustration towards the long-time confidante of an owner who is openly not trying to win because it is too expensive, and the results of some dubious fan survey data. On a day that should have been a celebration, a sea of fans wearing "Sell The Team" t-shirts were booing the first pitch. Not great.

However, what the moment DID do is perhaps serve as a public catalyst for the fanbase to rally around and, hopefully, effectuate some real change.

Angels fans uniting in their disapproval of John Carpino feels like the tide is turning

Angels fans have been taken advantage of for a long time. While the Angels' home attendance has declined 20% over the last two decades, according to data reported by the LA Times, fans are still showing up in decent numbers every year in hopes that something will finally go their way. However, Moreno made it very clear during his remarks before the season that as long as he is making the decisions, the Angels aren't going to be prioritizing winning with their spending.

Now, fans have had enough. They had a glimmer of hope when Moreno put the Angels on the market, and it looked like the team would be sold. Unfortunately, true to form, Moreno found a new way to disappoint them and pulled the team off the market when he didn't get the offers he wanted.

It is a shame, because the Angels actually look pretty intriguing as a team this season. The rotation led by Jose Soriano and Yusei Kikuchi is surprisingly effective, and the offense keeps finding ways to score runs even with Mike Trout out for the moment. Unfortunately, what plagues the franchise remains a problem, and now, for the whole world to see, Angels fans are letting them know that they notice and that they care.