McNamara Not Coasting to Finish

Interim Manager John McNamara, out for three weeks because of a blood clot in his right calf, returned to the Angels Friday, a gleam in his eye and a spring--not a limp--in his step.

“My mobility is fine, there’s no swelling,” McNamara said. “I feel great.”

When McNamara left the Angels on Aug. 21, he looked like he was suffering elephantiasis, so swollen were his right foot, ankle and calf. The clot was discovered in New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, where McNamara spent a week, but blood thinners have apparently solved the problem.

“They looked for everything from tumors to cancer but didn’t find anything [else],” McNamara said. “The one good thing is they did an X-ray of my head, but they probably didn’t find anything there, either.”

Some have wondered why McNamara bothered coming back--there are only 14 games left in the season, and he hasn’t expressed an interest in pursuing the full-time job--but McNamara said he never thought twice about quitting.

“I wanted to come back and see things through, finish what I started,” McNamara said. “And I guarantee this--we are not going to coast in these last two weeks. We’re going to play hard and play to win.”

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A simple question drew quite an elaborate response from reserve third baseman Jack Howell, who was asked Friday if he thought he’d return to the Angels next season.

“I’m sure that’s the last thing on their minds,” Howell said. “I think we need a manager, some pitching, a little defensive help, then they’ll start worrying about a left-handed bat off the bench. I figure I’ll get a call around Feb. 18, and they’ll say, ‘Hey, can you still hit a little?’ ”

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So desperate are the last-place Royals to attract fans to Kauffman Stadium, they are promoting an event that might not even happen. “Molly May Make History Here,” read the plug in Friday’s game notes, anticipating the possibility of Minnesota’s Paul Molitor collecting his 3,000th career hit during the Twins’ three-game series in Kansas City beginning Monday. Molitor has 2,996 hits. . . . The Royals are in danger of finishing last for the first time in the organization’s 28-year history.