Angels Think of Better Days : Baseball: Leaving is on their minds after falling to Royals, 5-3, in 11 innings.

Angel outfielder Bo Jackson has purchased his plane tickets, and the itinerary is planned. He’s scheduled to depart at 8:30 a.m. Friday for Atlanta, drive to Bessemer, Ala., and by nightfall, he’ll be sitting at his favorite fishing hole.

“They better hope the strike lasts at least a week,” Jackson laughed, “because it will take that long for them to find me.

“I’m going to have myself a good ol’ time, and who knows, maybe I won’t be coming back.”

Jackson, who loves nothing more than tormenting his former teammates, proved once again Tuesday to be a pain for the Kansas City Royals, but once again, it made little difference.

The Royals shook off Jackson’s dramatic 450-foot home run in the eighth inning, and simply waited until they got deep into the Angels’ relief corps, winning 5-3 in 11 innings in front of 17,876 fans at Anaheim Stadium.

The Angels (44-68) were left with their 14th loss in the last 18 games, and their third extra-inning loss in the last four games. Considering the way this season has gone, who can blame the Angels for not being sentimental tonight when they say what could be their final goodbys.

Barring a last-minute agreement that averts a strike, starter Brian Anderson and outfielder Jim Edmonds will head to Parker, Ariz., for a weekend of jet-skiing. Reliever Joe Grahe will be fishing in Florida. Reliever Russ Springer will go hunting in Louisiana. Everyone, it seems, will be going their separate ways.

“I don’t think anyone wants our season to end,” Edmonds said, “but the way our season has been going, it’s going to be nice to get out of here and forget all of this stuff.”

Edmonds became the latest player to bear the brunt of Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann’s wrath when he was yanked out of the game in the seventh inning. Edmonds made a two-base error when he dropped Bob Hamelin’s fly ball near the left-field line, and Lachemann pulled him in place of Jackson.

“If they’re looking for time off,” Lachemann said, “then they’re liable to get a hell of a lot more than just a break. I will not put up with anything less than maximum effort.

“You play the game hard, and you play the game right. It’s got absolutely nothing to do with talent.”

Said Edmonds: “It was my fault. I missed the ball. We’re not winning, and I’m not playing well. He’s got to do something to try to shake up the club.”

Jackson, who certainly can’t remember the last time he entered the game as a defensive replacement, came up in the eighth inning with the Angels trailing, 3-1, and hit Kevin Appier’s pitch off the concrete center-field wall beyond the fence for a two-run homer.

The trouble was that it merely tied the game, and the Angels still had to use their relievers, who failed again.

Mark Leiter (4-7) was greeted in the 11th by Royal catcher Mike Macfarlane’s leadoff homer. Felix Jose followed with a double, and scored one out later on a double by Gary Gaetti, whom the Angels still are paying $2.9 million. Incredibly, of the 12 hits produced by the Royals, 10 were for extra bases.

Yet, no extra-base hit was more spectacular than the one hit by Jackson, who fully realized that if the season never resumes after Friday, it could be the last time baseball ever sees him.

The Angels privately have decided that they won’t bring him back next season, and if the truth be known, Jackson doesn’t even know if he wants to be back.

“I think about that a lot,” Jackson said. “My life doesn’t depend on whether I play baseball or not. Baseball is just a means of employment.

“Really, I can’t wait until that day comes. That will mean I get to spend a whole lot more time with my family. I’m looking forward to watching my kids grow up, and teaching them everything I wasn’t able to do when I was a kid because of finances.

“Believe me, I’m not going to miss this game one bit.”