Rodgers Ends Another Chapter in Angel History

Buck Rodgers, a member of the original 1961 Los Angeles Angels and a longtime friend of team owner Gene Autry, seemed a natural when the club hired him as manager Aug. 26, 1991.

He was a native son, living in Orange County since the Angels moved to Anaheim in 1966, coming home again.

Until Tuesday, the union seemed as if it might stand the test of time, bringing stability to a franchise that sorely needed it. History, friendship and commitment appeared to be on Rodgers’ side.

Now, his name is just another on a growing list of former Angel managers, his tenure about average among the 16 other men who held the job.

He inherited a young team with glaring weaknesses.

But before he could make much of an impact, he was seriously injured in the crash of the Angels’ team bus on the New Jersey Turnpike on May 21, 1992. The most seriously injured of the passengers, Rodgers suffered a broken kneecap and his elbow had to be reconstructed with metal plates, wires and screws. He missed all but 73 games that season.

Last year was his only full season as Angel manager and the team went 71-91, finishing fifth in the AL West. There were promising signs that things would be better this year, however. Young players like Tim Salmon, AL rookie of the year last year, Chad Curtis, Gary DiSarcina and Damion Easley established themselves as solid big league players.

They, in turn, expressed thanks to Rodgers for giving them the opportunity to play every day.

“He’s the one who put his professional reputation on the line by putting me in the lineup every day,” DiSarcina said.

Said Easley: “I thank him immensely. He put me in the lineup and let me learn on my own. He treated me outstanding.”

Third base coach Ken Macha watched and learned from Rodgers.

“I think he tried to stay on the positive side most of the time,” Macha said. “Also, he’d bring in a young player and explain the things they were doing incorrectly, but he did it in a private manner.”

When Rodgers came to the Angels as a young player, he was known as Bob, a catcher who had attended Ohio Wesleyan and Ohio Northern.

But Bill Rigney, the first Angel manager, quickly hung the nickname Buck on Rodgers. It stuck.

Rodgers played nine seasons for the Angels, but he never topped 1962 when he batted .258 with six home runs and 61 runs batted in in 155 games.

He managed in the minors before becoming a big league manager for the first time, with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1980. Later, he managed the Montreal Expos and was named National League manager of the year in 1987.

When things turned sour in 1991, the Expos fired him, and the Angels quickly came calling.

A Growing List

Records of the 17 Angel managers including Buck Rodgers, who was fired Tuesday:

Year(s) Manager W L Pct. 1961-69 Bill Rigney 625 707 .469 1969-71 Lefty Phillips 222 225 .497 1972 Del Rice 75 80 .484 1973-74 Bob Winkles 109 127 .462 1974 Whitey Herzog* 2 2 .500 1974-76 Dick Williams 147 194 .431 1976-77 Norm Sherry 76 71 .517 1977-78 Dave Garcia 60 66 .476 1978-81 Jim Fregosi 237 249 .488 1981-82 Gene Mauch 122 103 .542 1983-84 John McNamara 151 173 .466 1985-87 Gene Mauch 257 229 .529 1988 Cookie Rojas 75 79 .487 1988 Moose Stubing* 0 8 .000 1989-91 Doug Rader 232 216 .518 1991-93 Buck Rodgers 140 172 .449 1992 John Wathan* 36 49 .419 1992 Marcel Lachemann* 3 1 .750

*--Interim