They’re McNamara’s Band Again

The Angels are no longer an All-Maddon team. John McNamara, recovering from a blood clot in his right calf, received medical clearance to resume managing and will join the Angels in Kansas City today. Joe Maddon, who ran the team in McNamara’s absence, will return to his role as bench coach.

“I’m getting fired,” Maddon said. “We’re back to just one interim manager. No more interim squared.”

Maddon could joke about his “demotion” Thursday, but his three-week stint as manager did give him some serious things to ponder--like whether he’d want the job permanently.

“I didn’t feel overwhelmed, but the buck definitely stops there,” Maddon said. “It’s always easier to advise than to make the ultimate decision. The other thing it made me realize is that, while no one likes to lose, no one loses as hard as the manager. It’s a different feeling.”

It was a feeling Maddon experienced often--the Angels went 8-14 during his tenure, though six of the losses were by two runs or less. “This series here [in Cleveland] was enough to drive you crazy, with all that happened,” he said.

Would Maddon want to put up with the frustration and demands and responsibilities of being the Angel manager? He said he will not campaign for the job or ask for it but seems open to the possibility.

“It’s not about development, it’s about winning,” Maddon said. “I have to determine whether I have the qualities to do it. My gut feeling is I do, but I want to be honest about it. There’s a lot of other factors, like family, and I have to determine whether I could balance everything. It’s a real high-wire act.”

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Angel pitcher Shawn Boskie and Minnesota’s Brad Radke are playing a game of leapfrog atop the American League’s home runs given up list. Boskie led entering the week, Radke took the lead by giving up two Wednesday night, and Boskie regained the lead Thursday by giving up his 35th and 36th homers of the season. Moving up to fourth on the list was Angel reliever Greg Gohr, who gave up home run Nos. 29, 30 and 31 Thursday night. . . . Boskie also took the A.L. lead in hit batsmen with his 12th and 13th Thursday night. . . . Reliever Robert Ellis, who replaced Gohr in the seventh, was the 29th pitcher the Angels have used this season, extending the major league record they set Monday. . . . The Angels are 79-111 in their last 190 games since Aug. 16, 1995, the day they had a 10 1/2-game lead in the American League West. . . . Chris Pritchett singled in the ninth inning Thursday night, his first major league hit. . . . Second baseman Randy Velarde, who missed four games because of back spasms, returned to the lineup Thursday night.