In November 1901, he led a syndicate that acquired the Detroit Tigers from James D. Burns and George Stallings.

In 1899, Angus, along with partner Henry A. Haigh, built the Toledo, Fremont & Norwalk Railway with financial backing from the Comstock lumber family.

[4] In approximately 1898, Angus also promoted and built the Detroit, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor & Jackson Railway (sometimes known as the "Ypsi-Ann").

[2] The Ypsi-Ann allowed passengers to take interurban cars from Detroit to stops 79 miles west of the city, including Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Jackson.

On November 2, 1901, and with the support of American League president Ban Johnson, Angus took control of the finances of the Detroit Baseball Club by paying up a note given by owners James D. Burns and George Stallings for $13,600 secured by stock.

This led later to a reorganization of the club, the retirement of both Burns and Stallings, and the control of the enterprise by a syndicate in which Angus, James McNamara, Frank C. Cook, E.H. Doyle and J. H. Fitzpatrick were prominent members.

[8][9] Toward the end of the 1902 season, on August 6, Angus purchased the holdings of his colleagues in the ownership syndicate and gained control of the club.

"[10] In 1902, the Reach Official American League Guide described Detroit's new owner:"He is a portly and prosperous gentleman, a successful business man in many directions, but best known as president of the Detroit, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Jackson Railway, a trolley line 76 miles in length, that is destined to reach Chicago.

"[11]As owner and president of the Tigers, Angus sought to acquire a number of stars to play for the team.

"[4] He was successful in acquiring "Wild Bill" Donovan and "Wahoo Sam" Crawford, whose work later helped the club win the American League pennant in 1907.