BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Ryan Concerned About Pal, Reese

Texas Ranger pitcher Nolan Ryan was making his scheduled start in less than hour when he frantically sought out Angel Manager Buck Rodgers.

The game was the last thing on Ryan’s mind. He wanted to find out about his friend, 91-year-old Jimmie Reese.

Ryan, who named one of his sons after the Angel coach, is worried about Reese, who has been unable to attend games since the All-Star break.

“He’s a dear, dear friend of mine,” Ryan said, “and has meant more to me than people will ever know. I’d really like him to be with me next month, but I don’t know if that’s possible. He’s been bedridden for some time.”

Ryan is inviting his family and closest friends to a celebratory gathering Sept. 12.

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Rodgers declared Tuesday that he has learned his lesson.

After seeing American League President Bobby Brown reduce Toronto third baseman Ed Sprague’s suspension from three games to two games and White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura receive two games for charging the mound against Ryan, Rodgers says he made a mistake by telling Angel center fielder Chad Curtis to accept his three-game suspension in June.

“That will be the last time I’ll recommend anyone accept a suspension,” Rodgers said. “I thought I was doing Chad Curtis a favor, but look at what happened.

“As usual, baseball backed off because they’re afraid of controversy. The point is, the guy (Brown) made a decision and he backed off. In other words, he admitted to screwing up in the first place.

“We’ve got to get some people in there who have some guts. They (National League president Bill White and Brown) had good intentions when they first took the job, but the system brought them to their knees.

“I think once these guys leave, we’ll never have league presidents again.”

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Rodgers on reliever Bryan Harvey’s resurgence with the Florida Marlins: “When he’s on, like he was the other day when I saw him on TV, he just overmatches everyone. I’ve never seen anyone like him.

“But remember, it took three years for him to develop. It takes time for these closers.

“Look at Harvey. He cost two managers (Cookie Rojas and Doug Rader) their jobs before he became a star.”

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George W. Bush, general partner of the Texas Rangers, says he seriously doubts the players will stage a strike in September.

“Come on,” he says, “what are the players going to say, ‘We’re not making enough money?’

“I don’t think the public will believe that for a second.”

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Bush said that he has yet to decide whether he will cast his vote for revenue sharing, or vote against the concept this week at the owners’ meetings. “I didn’t believe in the new playoff format, either,” Bush said, “but after giving my speech to all my fellow owners, it turns out I was the only one who cared what I was saying.” . . . Angel starter Chuck Finley pitched on the side before Tuesday’s game and felt no pain from his bruised left toe, and pronounced himself ready to pitch Friday in Seattle. . . . The Angels had a team meeting before the game with an official from the Major League Players Assn. to discuss a retirement program for minor league players.