Collins Will Be Back After This Break

Angel Manager Terry Collins will go through his normal pregame routine this afternoon, filling out his lineup card for tonight’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, throwing batting practice, conferring with coaches and players and speaking to reporters.

But come game time, Collins will make like a Mark McGwire home run and be gone. His eight-game suspension stemming from last Tuesday night’s brawl-filled game against Kansas City was upheld Monday by American League President Gene Budig, and Collins chose to begin his sentence tonight.

“This is going to be real hard,” Collins said before departing for Phoenix on Monday afternoon. “My longest suspension before this was two games [with Houston], and in the National League you were allowed to sit in the press box. But you can’t do that in the American League, so I’ll have to go somewhere and watch the game on TV.”

Collins spoke with Budig by phone for about 15 minutes Monday in an effort to get his penalty reduced, but Budig stood firm. Collins wasn’t scheduled to begin his suspension until Friday, but the league granted his request to begin it immediately.

“I just want to get it over with,” Collins said. “I gave my side to Dr. Budig, and I understand that he has to set an example, even though it’s strange being the one they’re making an example of. I wanted to make sure he understood everything else that went on, and I think he does.”

Collins conveyed to Budig how difficult it is for managers to control players when emotions and adrenaline are running so high, especially when the manager is in the clubhouse.

Collins, who suffered a deep gash above his lip during a fracas between the Astros and Montreal Expos a few years ago, had been ejected in the eighth inning last Tuesday, before a ninth-inning brawl that delayed the game for 15 minutes.

“I told him the last time I broke up a fight, I was the one who got hurt,” Collins said.

Collins, whose team has won eight consecutive games entering tonight’s interleague series, expressed concern over the weekend that he might miss games in National League parks, where there are plenty of double switches and no designated hitter.

But Collins, who managed the Astros for three years, felt it was more important to be back on the bench for the Angels’ next homestand, which begins June 16 and features games against Seattle, Texas and the Dodgers.

In his absence, third-base coach Larry Bowa will run the offense, pitching coach Marcel Lachemann will make pitching decisions, and bench coach Joe Maddon will handle the defense.

“I looked at the schedule with Bill [Bavasi, Angel general manager], and we felt those games on the next home stand were big for us,” said Collins, who will return June 17, the second night of the home stand. “Larry and Lach have both managed or coached in the National League, so they’re familiar with the double switches.”

Collins and Royal Manager Tony Muser, also hit with an eight-game suspension, bore the brunt of the punishment, and six Angel players, including catcher Phil Nevin (three games) and relievers Rich DeLucia (two games) and Mike Holtz (two games), were penalized.

Though Nevin, DeLucia and Holtz indicated they would appeal the suspensions, the American League office had not received notice of such appeals as of Monday afternoon. The deadline to appeal the suspensions is Friday.