BASEBALL / ROSS NEWHAN : Last Chance to ‘Win One for Cowboy’?

The Angels opened their 35th season Wednesday night only 257 days after the 34th was rudely interrupted by a players’ strike that accomplished nothing. They opened to an Anaheim Stadium crowd of 51,145 that paid $6 to park and $1 to greet the returning players with a mixed measure of cheers and jeers.

There are 71 home dates remaining in an abbreviated season that remains threatened by the unresolved labor situation. Whether the Angels can attract similar crowds at full price may hinge on a suspect ability to improve on their performance in the bargain opener.

They lost to the Detroit Tigers, 5-4, in what represented a futile first step in what may be their final attempt to do what they have never done: Win one for the Cowboy.

If the new season represents a renewal of sorts, it may also represent a last roundup for Gene Autry as controlling owner.

Behind the scenes at the Big A, a group fronted by former commissioner Peter Ueberroth is continuing its examination of the Angels’ financial records with the intent of buying the club.

“We’ve certainly not backed away,” Ueberroth said Wednesday. “We’ve also not concluded anything.

“We’re working hard and diligently, but I don’t want to establish a timetable that I might not be able to meet and would be counterproductive.”

Neither the Autrys--Gene and his wife, Jackie--nor Angel President Richard Brown would discuss the situation amid the panoply of the opener.

However, a club source familiar with the process said he had heard “nothing to the effect that it’s not on track.”

He added that if completed it is “logical to think it will happen this year with the managing interest being transferred.”

A Ueberroth group, believed to include former Seattle Mariner owner George Argyros, would buy 25%, take control of club operations and shoulder any losses.

The group would be committed to buying the remaining 75% when the 87-year-old Autry dies.

A person familiar with Ueberroth’s thinking said the unsettled labor situation is a definite concern.

“Peter wants to be sure he knows what to expect (in the way of a new economic system),” the person said. “He never expected it to go this long without an agreement.”

The Angels pursuit of a new stadium also plays into the possible sale. The Orange County financial crisis and a disagreement between the Angels and city of Anaheim over lease terms have slowed stadium negotiations.

“We’ve missed the window (to have a new stadium built) for ‘98,” Brown said. “The Autrys aren’t enthralled with the way it sits now. We’re still $4 million to $4.5 million apart on an annual basis. I also think a new owner might want to be involved in the process.”

Ueberroth received permission to examine the Angels’ books during a recent owners’ meeting in Florida.

However, given his role as alleged architect of the collusion of the ‘80s, it is uncertain how the owners would vote if sale of the Angels came to that or how the players’ union might respond, although it would have no official say in the matter.

Autry, meanwhile, helped usher in season No. 35 from his private box. He has seemed to maintain a resilient enthusiasm for the game despite a history of frustrations on the field and changing economics off it, but the inherent tendency to try to get Autry to the World Series--to win one for the Cowboy--has often disrupted development and continuity.

“No doubt about that,” former general manager Buzzie Bavasi said at the Big A Wednesday night. “We did some things we wouldn’t have done otherwise, but Gene’s excitement and enthusiasm for the game was infectious and there was always a tendency to say, ‘Let’s do anything to win.’

“Maybe Gene himself should have been tougher and said, ‘Let’s only do the right thing.’ But keep in mind that we won three division titles (in 1979, 1982 and 1986) and came within one pitch of winning a pennant (in ‘86). Keep in mind, too, that he’s been a marquee man throughout his career and he wanted marquee players.”

The Angels had success with some, failure with others. The mistakes cost the club dollars and days. Now, what you see is what you get. The Angels are locked into a $25.9-million budget and resisted the free-agent feeding frenzy of early April, insisting they had done what they needed to do by signing Lee Smith and Mitch Williams.

Is there enough starting pitching to reach the closers on a consistent basis? Can J.T. Snow, Eduardo Perez and Damion Easley provide offensive help for Tim Salmon and Chili Davis? Can Tony Phillips, at 35, sustain his good on-base percentages in the leadoff role?

Assistant general manager Tim Mead said Autry came to spring training in Arizona with a message for General Manager Bill Bavasi, Buzzie’s son.

“I think he felt there had been so much focus on winning one for the Cowboy that he said to Bill, ‘Win for yourselves because I’ll be part of it,”’ Mead said. That was nicely put by Autry, but this Bavasi, like the Bavasi and others who preceded him, know that there’s still one, overriding motivation here. They know for whom they want to win. They know the clock isticking.

“It’s not something being talked about and it’s not at the forefront of our effort, but we’re acutely aware of it,” Mead said. “We’d all like to be part of the group that finally does it.”

With Ueberroth in the wings, this might be the final chance.