It’s Business as Usual for Angels

Given the name “the Angels,” it has always struck me as ironic that Tommy Lasorda long ago beat out his Angel counterparts in laying claim to the “Big Dodger in the Sky.” But if the halo fits, wear it--and it sure fits the Dodgers better than the Angels.

The Buck Rodgers incident reminded me of an essential difference between the two franchises: Magic. The pride and stability engendered by an organization that concentrates on finding and developing talent, rather than simply hiring a new steward every year or so, creates an intangible quality that somehow transcends the day’s particular situation. The 1988 Dodgers clearly had it; the 1982 Angels clearly did not.

The Angels should have given Buck Rodgers a contract for life and then concentrated on giving him winning players and organizational pride. Unfortunately, the only way the Angels will get their “Magic” is if he (yet again) comes out of retirement to join his buddy Michael at the ol’ ballyard.

JEFFREY L. WEBER

Irvine

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A recap of poor overall Angel performance of .483 under managers over the past 33 years didn’t compare ownership’s poor performance in picking winning managers. During this stretch, they chose only four of 18 managers who produced records over .500 (Gene Mauch did it twice), thus ownership guessed right a little over one out of five times.

How about trading for new ownership?

ROBERT SCHERER

Laguna Niguel