BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Wathan’s Record Better Than Even

Besides being the last game before a welcome three-day break, the Angels’ 5-4 victory over the Tigers Sunday had special significance for interim Manager John Wathan because it raised his career managing record above .500, to 303-302.

Wathan was 287-270 in 3 1/2 seasons with the Royals and is 16-32 since replacing the injured Buck Rodgers. Wathan hopes his record will rise even further above .500 when the Angels begin the second half of the season with a 15-game home stand.

“We’ve played much better at home this season than on the road, so hopefully this gives us an opportunity to feel better about ourselves before we go back on the road,” said Wathan, who plans to watch his two sons play in their respective leagues today before making a brief visit to Laughlin, Nev.

“We knew it was going to be tough this year, that everybody had to perform well for us to play well, and that hasn’t happened. I agree with the philosophy of building from within. It’ll be interesting to see if we go outside the organization (after the season) for free agents.”