California Angels Baseball Team

The list of Angel managerial candidates grew by two with the firing Monday of Philadelphia's Jim Fregosi and Boston's Kevin Kennedy, but the Angels are focusing their attention on Jim Leyland, whose tenure as Pittsburgh's manager ended Sunday. Leyland confirmed Monday that he had received an offer from the Florida Marlins but a baseball insider said the Angels had "made a very aggressive offer" for Leyland on Monday night, and the Chicago White Sox and Red Sox are expected to make offers today.

The calendar in the Angel clubhouse pretty much said it all Sunday. Below a page indicating it was Sept. 29, someone had scrawled the word: "Yes!!" Sure, the Angels' season has been over for a month or two, but it came to an official end with Sunday's 4-3 loss to the playoff-bound Texas Rangers in front of 45,434 at the Ballpark in Arlington.

Many players say they don't pay attention to what's written in the newspapers, but pitcher Chuck Finley has taken a keen interest in media coverage of the Angels this year. "It's been a good analogy for our season," Finley said after Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Texas Rangers, who fielded a lineup more suited to the American Assn. than the American League. "We started out the year on the front page, but now we're back there above the hair-transplant ads.

The Angels' season included many memorable moments. Few had anything to do with victories, however. THE ECSTASY * Ryan Hancock threw 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for his first major league win, singled and scored the winning run in the top of the 13th and turned a spectacular double play in the bottom of the 13th to preserve an 8-6 victory at Cleveland June 9. "Do you think the Bulls will call him up for the last two games of the NBA Finals?" Mike Aldrete asked.

The 1996 season comes to a merciful end today, giving the Angels a rare reason to . . . celebrate? You bet. They've wanted to put this dreadful season behind them for weeks, but there was this persistent little problem, something to do with having to play the September portion of the schedule.

A look at the Angels' season, in their own words. "Sometimes I think the cops are going to come and arrest the whole team for loitering . . . and we'd need some high-priced lawyers to get us out of that one." --Pitcher Chuck Finley after an ugly 9-2 loss in Toronto Aug. 2. * "I asked the umpire for a mulligan." --Catcher Don Slaught after pitcher Jason Grimsley lasted seven batters, giving up two doubles, two singles, three walks and seven runs at Detroit July 30.

It wasn't the classic way to clinch a division championship, but when you've waited 25 years for this moment, when you've never experienced the delight of a champagne shower in the clubhouse or the thrill of a playoff game, who's going to complain?

The team whose pitching staff was too thin to contend for a division title, whose bullpen tended to implode, whose nine-game lead dwindled to one only seven days ago, is one victory--or one Seattle loss--away from its first playoff appearance in the 25-year history of the franchise.

As the Angels played their final home game of the season Wednesday, stadium employees wondered about their futures. Disney Sports Enterprises, which as part of its purchase of the Angels in May will assume management of Anaheim Stadium on Tuesday, has interviewed but not promised jobs to the more than 700 part-time city employees who work as ushers, parking lot attendants and ticket sellers.

As the Angels played their final home game of the season Wednesday, many stadium employees wondered if they would ever work at the Big A again. Disney Sports Enterprises, which as part of its purchase of the California Angels in May will assume management of Anaheim Stadium on Tuesday, has interviewed but not promised jobs to the more than 700 part-time city employees who work as ushers, parking lot attendants and ticket sellers.