Coaching Changes a Surprise

Players were not stunned by Manager Marcel Lachemann’s resignation, but the dismissal of third-base coach Rick Burleson, first-base coach Bobby Knoop and pitching coach Chuck Hernandez “was a bit of a shocker,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said.

“Guys were more surprised about the coaching changes other than the manager,” DiSarcina said. “That caught a lot of us off-guard . . . but if it’s in the best interest of the team, what can you say?”

Only four coaches were retained from Lachemann’s staff: bench coach Joe Maddon, who will move to first base, batting instructor Rod Carew, catching coach Bill Lachemann and bullpen catcher Mick Billmeyer.

Joe Coleman, who was serving his second season as Angel special assignment scout, will take over as pitching coach, Eddie Rodriguez, former minor league field coordinator for the Angels, will be the third-base coach, and Mike Couchee, an Angel roving pitching instructor, will be team’s bullpen coach.

Coleman, who played 15 major league seasons with seven teams and was a two- time, 20-game winner, served as the Angels’ roving minor league pitching coach from 1984-87 and then as the big league club’s bullpen coach from 1988-90.

*

Despite rumors that former Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda might be interested in the Angel job if it became available, Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said Lasorda would not be on his list of candidates.

“Why?” Bavasi asked. “Because when I was a kid he told Buzzie [Bavasi, Bill’s father and former Dodger GM] to spank me, just on general principle. He thought it would make me a better kid.”

Bavasi said he plans to pare a “long list” of candidates to a “short list” over the next month or two, and he hopes to have a new manager in place by the mid-November general manager meetings. He would not rule out the possibility of Lachemann returning as the Angels’ pitching coach.