Wathan’s Father Dies at 80 After a Brain Hemorrhage

Jim Wathan, 80, father of Angel interim manager John Wathan, died Tuesday afternoon at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, one day after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

John Wathan flew to his home town Monday night after the Angels’ game against Milwaukee and arrived hours before his father’s death. An Angel spokesman said funeral arrangements were tentatively scheduled for Friday in Cedar Rapids. Wathan is expected to rejoin the Angels Saturday in Oakland.

Jim Wathan’s death is the latest in a series of misfortunes to befall the Angels this season. It follows the death of bench coach Deron Johnson, who died of lung cancer, the emergency brain surgery performed on pitcher Matt Keough after he was hit by a foul ball while sitting in the dugout during a spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium, and the May 21 bus accident that sent Manager Buck Rodgers to the hospital for six hours of surgery. Rodgers plans to return to the dugout Aug. 28.

“You see a lot of things happen over the course of time, and it’s just unfortunate a lot of bad things have happened this year to this organization,” said pitching coach Marcel Lachemann, who was designated Wathan’s replacement after Monday’s game. “It’s part of the game, part of life. You’ve just got to go on to whatever the next step is.”

The players, who were told of Jim Wathan’s death before Tuesday’s game, offered their interim manager their sympathy.

“It’s pretty sad. This is a cursed team,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “It’s tragic for John. I hope he got the chance to say goodby to his father. Hopefully, (the elder Wathan) came out of it so John could get to talk to him.

“It’s just another thing--another bad thing--that’s happened to us this season.”

Said infielder Rene Gonzales: “There’ll be a good atmosphere for John to come back to and a lot of support for him here. We’re privileged to have a pretty good group of guys here who have dealt with everything that’s happened. We’ve been lucky that way.”