Angels fans are no strangers to needing to drown their sorrows.
The team finds itself in the AL West basement at 34-48 heading into Friday’s home game against the Athletics.
This franchise has spent a lot of time looking up at its AL West opponents during the past few decades, so this is a familiar feeling for the Angels’ faithful.
And it appears that this persistent mediocrity has driven Angels fans to alcohol more than nearly any other MLB franchise. Action Network analyzed a survey from nearly 3,500 U.S. MLB fans to find out which fan bases drink the most before and during games, and Angels fans had the third-highest heavy in-game drinking rate in MLB.
The survey found that 15.8% of Angels fans consume five or more drinks during a game, behind only White Sox fans (18.5%) and Nationals fans (16%).
Angels fans also average 2.3 drinks per game, third most in MLB, and 71% of Angels fans have at least one drink while at their games.
It isn’t just alcohol that Angels fans are indulging in during games. The study found that they consume 1.7 hot dogs per game, tied for third most.
And Angels fans are known to be prolific pre-gamers. The 1.5 drinks they consume before games begin is tied for second most in MLB, and the study found that 45% of fans have at least one drink before games. The study reported 11.10% of fans have at least five drinks before first pitch.
Perhaps the Angels will turn things around this season, and fans are drinking to celebrate rather than to commiserate. Perhaps not.
