Angels Close to Narrowing List of Possible Managers

The Angels’ list of managerial candidates, which increased to 10 when Baltimore hitting coach Rick Down was interviewed Monday, is nearly ready to be pared down. It’s believed the club wants to hire somebody by early next month.

“I know they want to move quickly,” Down said.

Jimy Williams, third base coach for the National League champion Atlanta Braves, is the probable final candidate, although he said he has not been contacted. The Angels won’t trim their list until the World Series is completed.

The Angels have not interviewed former major league managers Sparky Anderson, Jim Fregosi or Jim Lefebvre, but haven’t ruled them out.

Once the list is trimmed to three finalists, Angel President Tony Tavares will sit in during interviews and offer his recommendations to General Manager Bill Bavasi.

Tavares said a weekend report that the club had already narrowed its list to three was “erroneous.”

Down was the Angels’ roving hitting coach from 1985 to ’88.

The Angels also have interviewed Terry Collins, who was fired as Houston manager at season’s end; major league coaches Chris Chambliss (New York Yankees), Mike Cubbage (New York Mets), Tim Johnson (Boston Red Sox), Davey Lopes (San Diego Padres), Joe Maddon (Angels) and Jerry Narron (Texas Rangers); and minor league managers Don Long (the Angels’ triple-A affiliate at Vancouver) and Ken Macha (Boston’s double-A affiliate at Trenton).