BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Jackson Won’t Decide Until Winter

Angel left fielder Bo Jackson says that although he has pondered retirement at the season’s conclusion, he probably will not finalize a decision until the winter.

“Politics have screwed this game up,” Jackson said, “and I get sick of all the political bull. . . . You just get tired of it. If I do retire, I’ll just be the bus driver for my kids each morning to school.”

Jackson, who had his artificial hip examined this week, was told by his doctor that his hip is functioning well and that he can continue to play baseball.

“I need new brake shoes and new points,” Jackson said, “and when I’m finished with baseball, I’ll probably go in there and get a new set of wheels. But I feel good, and as long as I’m having fun, I’ll keep playing.”

Jackson, who spent the last three seasons with the White Sox organization, thoroughly enjoyed his return visit to Chicago. He chatted with the left-field fans during his two starts, and one day even drove his motorcycle to the ballpark.

“I didn’t leave Chicago with a sour taste in my mouth like I did Kansas City,” he said. “It was a great relationship. And no matter what happens, I feel like I can never repay Herm (Schneider, the White Sox’s trainer). I’ll always appreciate what he did for me.”

Jackson left behind a present for Schneider before he left town. He delivered a case of Dom Perignon to Schneider’s locker, leaving him to figure out where it came from.

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Angel second baseman Kevin Flora, still having difficulty dealing with the death of his wife, was granted another leave of absence from triple-A Vancouver. Yet the Angels informed him that if he does not return by July, he will no longer be paid.

“I really think they want to bring this thing to a head and get him to play,” said Bill Moore, Flora’s agent. “They want to be fair, but they want to get his attention.”

Flora, whose wife was killed April 22, 1993, has been working out daily and receiving counseling. Moore expects Flora to return in July, although now it appears unlikely that he’ll be called up to the Angels before September.

Flora, whom the Angels were hoping would be their everyday second baseman this season, sat out missed most of last season and has not played regularly at Vancouver since mid-April.