Lachemann to Take On a New Role

Bad news keeps trickling in for Angel Manager Terry Collins, long after his team succumbed to the pressure of the American League West pennant race with another late-season fade.

First, Collins watched his former team, the Houston Astros, suffer the same kind of offensive paralysis in the playoffs that doomed the Angels’ drive for a division title. Then he got a call from longtime pitching coach Marcel Lachemann, who has decided to take a job as minor league field coordinator with the organization.

“I’m real disappointed,” Collins said. “Lach did a tremendous job here. He was a big part of this team at this level for a lot of years, and I hope he remains a big part of this organization.

“He was great at handling players, but the biggest thing he provided me, he knew what it was like to sit in the [manager’s] chair. On some of the really tough days, he was a guy I could confide in.”

Lachemann, 57, has been with the Angels 16 seasons, 11 as pitching coach. He managed the team from May 17, 1994 to Aug. 6, 1996. The Angels were 78-67 and finished second in the AL West in 1995--the year of the infamous collapse--during his only full season as manager.

His new position will put him in charge of instruction of all minor leaguers, with the Angels’ roving defense, hitting and pitching instructors reporting directly to him.

Apparently, it’s a move Lachemann has been thinking about for some time.

“For a long time, I’ve had a real desire to get back to the grass-roots of the game,” he said, “and this is the easiest way. I talked to Billy [Bavasi, Angel general manager] and the job got better because it isn’t just pitching. It’s intriguing and exciting.

“It’s going to be quite a bit different. There’s a lot of travel and more preparation involved when you’re in charge of 120 to 140 players. It will be a challenge, but it will be invigorating too.

“We’ve never gotten to a World Series, and I really hope it happens next year, but I think the key is the minor leagues. You can talk about free agents, but I think it’s the farm system that makes it work.”

Collins--who when asked if he tried to change Lachemann’s mind said, “Absolutely”--may be feeling only the loss right now, but Bavasi has mixed emotions.

“The manager is a little more concerned with the here and now, while the overall organization is a little more concerned with the future,” he said. “From my point of view as general manager, it’s equal parts of both.

“I’m excited that this can be a big, big boost for our future. But for the here and now, it hurts.”

Bavasi said he and Collins are compiling a candidate list “of the best names, in house and out.” There is no set timetable to name Lachemann’s replacement, although Bavasi said, “we’re not looking to take forever.”

“Lach wanted a change of pace,” Collins said, “and you know how much he loves the instruction part. It’s something he’s obviously given a lot of thought to. We’re going to miss him but now it’s my job to find someone who can do the job just as well.”