DiSarcina, Finley Named Co-Captains

It won’t solve the team’s pitching problems or offensive woes, but interim Manager John McNamara hopes he filled a leadership void Friday by appointing shortstop Gary DiSarcina and pitcher Chuck Finley as co-captains.

“If players are reluctant to talk to me or the coaches about something they can talk to them,” McNamara said. “They can settle their own differences among themselves.”

Several players aired their beefs to reporters last week before speaking to former Manager Marcel Lachemann, and a perceived lack of communication in the clubhouse was a contributing factor to Lachemann’s resignation Tuesday.

“If someone has problems and doesn’t want to confront McNamara or [General Manager] Bill Bavasi or even [President] Tony Tavares, now he can go to someone else and not have his name attached to it,” DiSarcina said.

“And that’s something different this team hasn’t had. Maybe if we did we could have curtailed some of the problems we had in the past.”

DiSarcina said his new title won’t give him carte blanche “to go around pouncing on people every chance I get--it’s added responsibility, and quite frankly I’m honored.”

Have the Angels lacked leadership? “I guess so,” DiSarcina said. “I never realized we didn’t have enough leaders. It’s been a foggy area. Just because you’re not vocal, or not getting on guys, doesn’t mean you’re not a leader. But we need guys to step up, and now those guys are more defined.”

Finley said he’s “not going to lay in bed at night and worry” about his new role, “but if this is what it takes, I’ll do it.”

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Angel reliever Mark Eichhorn, who has been on the disabled list since June 6 because of an inflamed right rotator cuff, made his first rehabilitation appearance, throwing an inning for Class-A Lake Elsinore Friday night.

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The Angels will have a free baseball clinic for Orange County youths ages 6-13 today at Cypress High School (9801 Valley View Street). The clinic, featuring instruction from Angel players and coaches, will run from 9 a.m. to noon, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m.